The stock market has rebounded nicely from the lows a year ago that had people talking the “D” word - Depression.  While I haven’t recouped everything we lost, I can’t complain.  However, experts are predicting that returns this year won’t be near where they’d hoped, and market watchers are wondering where the next best place to invest is.

My family is still putting money in the market, but this holiday season, I’m betting my money on gift cards!  That’s right.  Gift cards.  Not the most sexy financial instrument out there, but here’s why gift cards excite me.

I treat couponing, deal hunting, and shopping just like I do buying stocks.  I do research to find the good deal, I try to buy low on everything I purchase, I pay cash, and I expect maximum returns.  The holiday season is the best time to buy stock in gift cards.  Nearly every major retailer has bonus deals. If you look at buying into those deals as you would look at making an investment, the percentage value of the bonus deals is like earning money in the market.

Let me explain.

I recently went to Claim Jumper restaurant.  They have a holiday gift card deal where if you spend $100.00 in giftcards, you’re given $20.00 in bonus gift cards.  Plus, they threw in a free mug of candy, but we won’t count that.  We were going to eat at Claim Jumper anyway.  So, I bought the $100.00 in gift cards while we were waiting to be seated.  Then we spent $60 of the gift card on dinner.  But, I pocketed a 20% gain.  Not bad for a night out with the kids.  For no real effort, I made $20 doing something I was going to do anyway.

At Safeway, they are promoting $20.00 off on your next grocery trip when you buy $200.00 in gift cards.  Safeway is a veritable gift card mecca.  They have cards for nearly every major store and restaurant you can imagine.  The offer is good for two days starting Black Friday.  So, if I were to go to Safeway first before Black Friday shopping started, bought $200.00 in gift cards for stores I want to shop on Black Friday anyway, then I’d make 10% for the minuscule effort of running in to get gift cards, and running back out to freeze my butt off in line at Target.

It’s not just grocery and restaurants that offer deals like this at the holidays. Major retailers do too.  And, with tax season right around the corner, all those “cash your tax returns for bonus gift card deals” can help save you even more.  In fact, gift card deals that start in October and end in the early spring can really add up.  Last year, I pocketed close to $1000.00 in “free” money just by converting my cash to gift cards.

Now, a few things to think about.  Gift cards are great, but if the store you’re buying them has any chance of folding, then being stuck with gift card balances you can’t use will eat into your profits.  Be sure to stick to big name retailers and restaurant chains when you’re investing in gift cards.

Second, the bonus gift cards usually have restrictions like dates and redemption limits.  So, be sure to use the bonus cards up first if they have specific-use guidelines.  Then, use the actual gift cards if you haven’t already used them at the time you purchased them. Bonus gift cards can also sometime have restrictions about using them with other offers, so watch to be sure you can use them with coupons and other deals.

Lastly, giftcards as an investment isn’t just limited to buying a full-value gift card and getting a bonus card.  Buying giftcards at a discounted rate for the full value is also an investment.  Costco sells $100.00 worth of McCormick and Schmick’s (M&S) gift cards for $79.99.  So in effect, just walking into Costco and buying up $100.00 of gift cards for $79.99 gives me a 20% return on investment the moment I swipe my debit card.  And unlike bonus cards, the discounted gift cards like the ones at Costco come with no restrictions. I can use my M&S rewards card, coupons, and other offers to make this deal even sweeter.

Another investment strategy with gift cards is getting them to buy actual items you would have bought already.  At Blockbuster video, they were giving a $5.00 gift card to buy an Entertainment Book.  Buying the book, then using the Blockbuster coupons in the book in conjunction with the $5.00 gift card to pay for that visit’s movie rentals could effectively save you up to half the purchase price of the book.

When you think about utilizing gift cards in this manner, it’s easy to see how the returns you get from being a smart gift card buyer can add up faster than dividends from money invested in the stock market.

And, in most states, there are gift card laws that protect consumers.  Many states have done away with fees for non-use, expiration dates, and other legalities that made gift cards not near as user friendly.

So, this year, I am once again investing my cash in gift cards.  Year after year, I make more as a percentage on investing in gift cards than I do giving my money to the guys on Wall Street.  And that’s money you can bank on!

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Tags: entertainment books, gift cards, Investing, stock market
Posted in Articles, Finance, Finance & Budget, Frugal Living, Holiday's & Gifts | No Comments »

Submitted by Tacatcon

Recently I discovered Angel Food Ministries which is a non-profit, non-denominational, co-op food program designed to help you save on your grocery bill.  I had never experienced any kind of co-op program so I didn’t know what to expect.  Angel Food Ministries was started in 1994 to help families in need in Monroe, GA suffering due to a plant closing.  It has since grown to serve over 500,000 people across 35 states. You don’t have to be economically disadvantaged to participate.  This program is for anyone.

The food is purchased in advanced based on orders from customers of Angel Food Ministries allowing them to get co-op pricing. The packages offer both fresh and frozen food as well as canned items and are all “restaurant quality” items.  For $30 you can purchase their “signature box” which changes month to month.  In August these were the items in my box:

• 1.5 lbs rib eye boneless steak (4 steaks)-frozen
• 1 dozen medium white eggs
• 3 lbs bone-in split chicken breasts with water and sodium phosphate added (frozen)
• 1 lb long grain white rice
• 1.6 lb lemon loaf cake (6 slices) -frozen
• 1 head of iceberg lettuce
• 2 lbs of sweet potatoes
• 1 quart shelf stable 2% milk
• 16 oz frozen baby lima beans
• 16 oz frozen corn
• 1 lb fish sticks -frozen
• 24 oz chicken nuggets -frozen
• 32 oz macaroni and beef dinner entrée-frozen
• 1 lb 80/20 ground beef -frozen
• 16 oz can pork and beans

This package should provide enough food to assist a family of four for a week or a senior citizen for a month.  You can also purchase other packages like the Allergen Free Box which holds 5 lbs of frozen meats free of top allergens like peanuts, eggs, soy, etc. This month there is a special holiday box for Thanksgiving available.

Though not every location has online ordering, I was able to place my order on-line quickly. Payment can be by debit or credit card when ordering online.  They also take cash, checks, money orders, vouchers, EBT cards and food stamps if ordering by phone or in person. You will pay a $1 fee when ordering online. Once the order for my “signature box” was submitted I received an email confirmation with directions on where to pick it up etc.

When pick-up day came, it was pouring rain and miserably cold.  I was cheerfully greeted by an Angel Food volunteer who asked for my name and offered me coffee.  Once my order was confirmed, another volunteer told me she would be collecting my order for me and would meet me at the door. The fact that I didn’t have to do the “shopping” myself was great.  As soon as my order was double checked, another volunteer told me if I pulled my car up to the door he would put it in the car for me.  Well this is service we don’t get in any grocery stores here so I was tickled pink.  Based on service alone, Angel Food has the grocery store chains beat!

The overall quality of the food was comparable to grocery store items.   The only issue from what I sampled was the head of lettuce was less fresh than I would have liked and my oldest daughter thought the chicken nuggets were intermittently too fatty. The lemon cake was so good my kids asked for more. Although the website says they do purchase “national brands” there were no brand names I recognized.

But the real question is how did the prices compare to grocery store prices? According to the Angel Food Ministries website, their signature box which sells for $30 has a retail value of about $65. At my local Price Chopper I compared their shelf or sale prices to get an idea of whether Angel Food was offering a good value for the money.  A few items like the shelf stable milk were difficult to price as that is not an item my store carries. However, based on comparable items and sizes, the total I would spend in Price Chopper for these items was $54.14. Of course this is without coupons and special promotions. If I was shopping for these actual items I would not be purchasing without a coupon or a promotion and any meat I buy would be on manager’s mark down and submitted for a rebate.  So can you do better than the $30 for these items?  Yes if you are willing to put a little more work into it but a savings of almost 50% is not too bad.

However the price for the family package is definitely a great way to shave some off your grocery bill easily.  Especially if you are elderly, disabled or otherwise have a hard time getting to the grocery store or just hate shopping!  You are definitely paying for the convenience and you will not necessarily get the national brands you might in the grocery store.  However, if you are not brand picky and would rather save on time and take some of the stress out of meal planning, this may be a hot deal for you!

Check out angelfoodministries.com for more information or for chapters in your area.

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Tags: Angel Food Ministries, Review
Posted in Articles, Frugal Living, Grocery Shopping | 6 Comments »

In these tough economic times many families are finding that the budget just does not include an extended family vacation out of state. But that does not mean that your family cannot still have a fun “Staycation” on the cheap. A “Staycation” can be fun way to show your kids that money does not buy happiness and that there are great things to do right in your own hometown or in nearby cities that cost little to no money.

I am lucky to live in an area rich with touristy things to do since I live near the Black Hills of Wyoming and South Dakota. Our family has been enjoying spending a day a couple of times this summer exploring the wonderful and oftentimes cheap things to do where we live. So far this summer we have enjoyed a trip to Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower, Custer State Park, and we took a ride on a 1800’s train in the Black Hills. Most of our trips have cost under $75 including gas for a family of 6. We also have tried to include closer excursions without leaving our town. While we have a larger camping trip planned here soon to Yellowstone National Park, we are also planning some small excursions to local venues and attractions here in our own home town. Our town offers a museum, a campground, a county fair, a water park located inside a local hotel, recreation center, and an events center that hosts everything from rodeo events to theatre and concert performances.

Following are the steps to planning your family’s Staycation

Step 1: Make a decision about what sort of things your family enjoys. Does your family enjoy camping? Are your kids into dinosaurs? Is your spouse a history buff? Are you into nature? Consider the likes and dislikes of your family so that you can plan the perfect Staycation that the entire family will enjoy.

Some ideas might include:

For the nature buff:

• A trip to the nearest state park, national park, or national wildlife preserve.
• Camping, either in your own back yard or at a campground located in one of the locations above.
• A nature museum.
• A visit to the beach or tide pools.
• A nature walk in the local mountains, desert, or whatever sort of geography you live near.

For the history fan:

• A visit to a local historical site. (Look for forts, battlegrounds, and other historical points of interest.)
• A history museum.
• A tour of a local historical mansion.

For the mad scientist:

• Tar pits
• Archaeological digs
• Natural science museums
• Planetariums

For the animal lover:

• Zoos
• Aquariums
• Tide Pools
• Animal parks
• State parks, national parks or national wildlife preserves
• Reptile gardens
• Animal rescue sanctuaries

Be creative and think outside of the box when looking for places to and things to do on your Staycation!

Also consider if you will stay in a hotel, campground or just want to plan a day trip and come back home at the end of the day.

Step 2: Research what is around you. Decide if you want to stay within your own city, county or have a travel limit of a certain number of miles away from home that you want to stay within on your Staycation and begin your research about what wonders are around you. If you are planning on staying within your own city begin by finding your local chamber of commerce. Most chamber of commerce’s these days have a website that contains lots of useful information about local businesses and attractions. Another option is to visit the websites of your city, county or state’s tourism departments. Below is a list of all 50 states tourism websites.

If you are going to stay in a hotel or campground make sure that you research where to stay and the best prices. Get your reservations early especially in the summer months as vacancies fill up quicker during peak seasons.

Step 3: Enjoy your Staycation! Pack a travel bag and cooler with the items you will need for your trip such as snacks and drinks from home, a picnic lunch, your camera and anything else you will need. Load up the family in the car and head on out and have fun being a tourist in your own city or state!

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Tags: Camping, Family, Saving Money, Staycation, Tourisim, Vacation
Posted in Articles, Frugal Living | 1 Comment »

My husband got deployed, and truthfully, with three kids, a house, a job, and more, cooking is the furthest thing from my mind.  So,  I have to fess up that we’ve been eating out way more than we should.  But being the coupon shopper that I am, I make sure that everywhere we eat, we get a deal.

With my newly-found knowledge of lots of dining out, here are the four best pieces of advice I have for getting the best restaurant deals.

1. Gift Card Deals

Scope out restaurants that are offering special incentives to buy gift cards.  I went to Claim Jumper restaurant with the kids, my mother inlaw, and her nephew for a special occasion.  Claim Jumper was offering a $5 bonus gift card for every $25 gift card you bought.  I went right to the hostess, bought $100 giftcard, and she gave me $20 free dollars good for a later visit.  We promptly used the $100 gift card on the dinner we were going to buy anyway.  Now however,  I have $20 free dollars to use again on another visit.

2. Inhouse promotions

A few years back, my husband and I each signed up for a rewards card for McCormick and Schmicks.  For $25, you got to sign up for the club.  However, they mailed you out a $25 gift certificate, so in reality, it didn’t cost anything to join.  Since we each got our own accounts, we listed each other as spouses.  M&S sends each of us a free dinner on our birthday valued at $40, just for being a member.  That’s two accounts, four meals, for $160 in free meals.  You then accumulate points on everything you spend.  They have a great happy hour with $1.95 appetizers, so many times we eat off the bar menu.  And for every 500 points you accumulate, you earn a $50 gift card.  The points are calculated before coupons and discounts.  So you can see where this is going.  Now, we go to Costco and buy $100 in giftcards to use for $79.99.  So we save an additional 20% off our meals.  It equals lots of cheap dinners at a really nice seafood restaurant.  They then had an inhouse promo to sign up for their newsletter and get a free $10 gift cert.  The savings just keep coming.

3. Costo gift cards

Costco in many areas offer discounted giftcards to local restaurants, typically at a savings of 20% off.  But, since gift cards are essentially cash, unlike combining two coupons, you can combine a gift card and a coupon.  So if you get $100 of giftcards for $79.99, and then the restaurant has a coupon available, you’re increasing your savings.  One of my local restaurants offers a giftcard at Costco, but they also have a Buy One Get One free coupon they offer.  By combining the gift card and the coupon, I’m getting one meal free and the other at 20% off - so the savings is about 70% off.

4. Entertainment Book Coupons

I always buy at least three Entertaiment Books each year, mainly for the grocery store coupons, but the restaurant coupons sweeten the pot.  Going back to my McCormick and Schmick example, they offer a $20 off coupon in the Entertainment Book. By combining that with the Costo giftcards and the M&S rewards card, we can have a really nice dinner for about $20 (gratuity not included). The restaurant coupons in there really do save you money.

5. Restaurant.com

Lastly, Restaurant.com can be a tremendous savings.  They discount gift certificates to local area restaurants across the country.  The certificates aren’t completely free - there is usually some sort of stipulation around them, like “Spend $35 and get $25 off” and you bought the certificate for $4, so you really wound up spending $14, but it’s still more than 50% off.  And during the course of the month, they discount them all the way down to 80% off.

Now if I had a secret for how to not put on the pounds while eating out, I’d be a genius!  But in all seriousness, even in a bad economy, you can still treat your spouse or family to a night out at an affordable price. Just remember, always tip your server at the full price of the meal.  Happy servers means restaurant owners will continue to offer great deals!

So enjoy your savings and a night off from washing the dishes!

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Tags: Costco, Coupons, Dining, Dining Out, entertainment book, food coupons, gift cards, recession, restaurant, Restaurant.com
Posted in Articles, Frugal Living | 4 Comments »

It’s the sign of our times - stores are going out of business left and right.  This week, retail sales figures were posted for the country, and not surprisingly, they were worse than anticipated.  No store category is being spared.  Home electronics, hardware, clothing, sporting goods, and even grocery stores are shuttering their doors and liquidating their inventory.  While it’s sad, and you don’t wish for a store you love to go bankrupt, it’s also a prime time for you to step in and find things your family can use at a price well below full retail.

First, let’s talk about liquidator tactics.  Once a store’s inventory has been handed over to a liquidator, the 3rd party company comes in and retags the merchandise, marking it up to its highest retail price.  From there,  they mark the items down. So a camping tent that retailed for $125.00, at the “clearance price” of 20% off, is still going to be $100.00.  That’s not a deal when other stores have similar tents on sale for $79.00.   If the item you’re interested in isn’t a commonly available item like a tent, and there’s not much inventory left, 20% off retail might be a good deal. Because of the media attention given to stores going out of business, most people will tend to flood the store when the sale starts and the best inventory will move quickly.  The general public will be happy at 20% savings and think they got a deal.

Within a few weeks, the inventory starts moving into new percent-off brackets.  30%-50% is where you’ll start seeing better prices, but you’ll still need to be careful that the price your paying is better than someone else’s best sales price.  Inventory will stay in this price bracket the longest because of the consumer perception about the value.  If there’s an item you’re interested in, shop around at competitors’ stores and check if it’s truly the best price before you buy.

In this savings bracket, the 50% off items are going to be things that are out of season or harder to sell items. A sporting goods store going out of business in May will have the winter items at the 50% off mark because no one is thinking about skiing in May.  But commonly used items like footballs or running shoes will be at the 30% off and be slower to move to the steepest brackets.

The liquidators will then move into the 60%-70% bracket, signaling that the store’s last day of business will be within a few weeks.  That’s the time to really start digging through the inventory.  Look for things you can use, or that might even have a resell value on Ebay or Craigslist.

The store will finish off with 70%-80% off most merchandise, and a few things that are “junk” items are going to be at 90% off.  Ninety-percent off makes for a great sign marketing - you know, the guy on the side of the road twirling an “everything must go sign” on a street corner.  But most of the 90% off stuff isn’t worth looking through more than once.

Now that you understand the tactics a liquidator uses to mark down inventory, here’s XXX tips for getting the most out of a liquidation sale.

1. If the store has more than one location be sure to check out each store. The inventory at each store will be different based on what they had left in stock before the liquidation sale started.

2. Make a list of the items you’re interested in at each store you visit.  Write down the price it’s at, and then go home and compare the pricing online.  Amazon.com is a good barometer on most items, and most stores have at least one online competitor you can price check against.  If the best price for that tent onsale in another store is $79, you know you’ll need that tent to be at the 50% off bracket during the liquidation sale before you should buy it.

3. If it’s an item you really need and you don’t think it will make it to the next price bracket, buy it at the one it’s at now.

4. If there’s a good amount of inventory and you find an item you want to stockpile, buy one or two at the current discount, and then as it falls further, buy more at the better percent-off bracket to increase your savings.  For example, you buy a pair of jeans at the 50% off rate, but they still have them when they are 70% off, by picking up the extra pair, it’s like getting both of them for 60% off.

5. Shop through each price bracket of the sale.  Liquidators will not only mark things down, they’ll consolidate inventory from multiple stores, and even bring in inventory from previous liquidation sales from other merchants in hopes of selling it while they have an audience of shoppers to look at the additional items.  And because stores will pull more out of the back storage, you don’t know what you’ll find the next time you come through.

6. If you’re shopping for kids, size up and buy multiples.  At a recent liquidation sale, I found Columbia Sportswear fleeces for $12.50 - regularly $32.50.  I bought a size that would fit the kids now, and then bought the next three sizes for later.

7. Don’t buy what you don’t need.  Just because it looks like a good deal, if you’re not going to use it, then it’s no deal at all.

8. Lastly, buyer beware.  The policy of every liquidator is “All Sales Final“.  Make sure that the things you’re buying are in good shape, that shoes are the same size and you have a left & right foot, and that all the parts and pieces are there.  I have no problems opening up a box in the store before I buy it. If I buy a tent, get it home and it’s missing a pole, it’s on me.  There’s no returning it.  You’ll also want to be sure that warranties on anything you’re buying are still in full effect.  This is especially important with electronics.

Liquidation sales are bittersweet.  It’s sad to see a 57-year old store leave your community, but don’t feel bad about making their loss into your advantage. The opportunity to save is huge and shouldn’t be overlooked.

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Tags: bankruptcy sale, Clearance, clearance sales, fire sale, going out of business, liquidation sale, percent-off, recession
Posted in Articles, Frugal Living | No Comments »

Contributed by member SwapSavers owner of www.swapsavers.com

Cook your own meals: The only way to truly know the calorie content of what you eat is to prepare the meals yourself. By cooking your own meals you can substitute for less fattening or lower calorie choices when necessary. Most recipes list calories, fat grams and other useful information to help you keep track of your daily intake. When you eat at restaurants or fast food places you eat more calories and fat grams since the portions are typically larger then what you would have at home. Furthermore it is difficult to keep track of calories or fat gram intake. Cooking at home is significantly less expensive then eating at restaurants or fast food places.

Drink Water: Tap water is free and free of calories. If you were to only drink water for a week you could probably save at least $20 or more depending on your current drinking choices. Most drinks contain 200 calories or more, whereas drinking water has zero calories. Water has numerous health benefits. By drinking water you eat less since people tend to think they are hungry when they really need water. Water helps your body to break down fat which increases fat loss.

Turn off the TV: If you eat meals while watching TV, you are often unaware of how much you eat. Research by Eliot Blass found, people eat between 31 and 74 percent more calories while watching TV. Most people watching TV are motionless which burns few calories. In terms of energy consumption, watching TV will cost you about $100 per year in your electric bill and your cable bill about $600 per year.

Workout with a friend: Working out with a friend will help you stay motivated and provides extra support or new ideas to keep your workouts interesting. You can carpool with your friend to the gym to save on gas.

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Tags: Cooking, Loose Weight, Meals, Motivation, TV, Water, Weight Loss, Workout
Posted in Frugal Living | No Comments »

Contributed by: FrankRyan owner of the website CookToSave.com

There are three popular methods of freezer cooking that can save a family money.  There are many benefits to freezer cooking.  Some benefits include preserving perishables and reducing waste, having ready-made meals in your freezer when you are tempted to order out, and maximizing time with the family by cooking less often.  Fully cooked meals can maintain their texture and taste in the freezer for up to three months.  Uncooked, ready to go meals, like marinated meat can be frozen without degradation for up to six months.  Different methods can optimize for busy schedules or tight budgets and any family can find benefits in one of the methods mentioned below.

Once a Month Cooking, also known as, OAMC is a way of making meals ahead of time and freezing them for later use.  There are several ways to adopt this system into your family.  The phrase once a month cooking was made famous by a book entitled Once-A-Month-Cooking by Lagerborg and Wilson.  Their book is worth a buy at Amazon for beginners, the information inside is valuable to anyone looking into getting involved in this type of cooking schedule.   OAMC, in its purest form, involves a family preparing 30 meals within one weekend each month, or mini-sessions where 14 meals are made in one day.  The benefits are having only one weekend of dirty pots to clean and a highly detailed dinner schedule.  For the family that eats take-out regularly or is rushed to find time for dinner, this is an excellent program.

Another method of freezer cooking is for seasoned deal seekers.  “Assembly Line” cooking, as seen on websites like www.cooktosave.com, takes perishable loss leaders from your local grocery store and assembles them into several meals in one day to be enjoyed or prepared for another day.  Assembly Line cooking turns your kitchen into a family assembly line.  Examples are finding over-ripe bananas at the store for less than $0.25 a pound and turning them into 30 chocolate covered frozen banana popsicles,  buying 20 pounds of pork loin at $1.67/lb and making breakfast sausage, burritos, kebobs, steaks, and Weiner schnitzel.    For the family that likes buying large quantities of loss leaders and getting the best price for their meals, this is their perfect match.

The third and easiest method of freezer cooking is called “Feed the Freezer”.  These ideas incorporate making double or triple the amount you usually make for dinner and putting the additional meals away in the freezer for a later date.  When planning to make lasagnas, stuffed shells, chili’s, or other easy to freeze casseroles, make two or three dinners instead of one and freeze the additional dinners.  Try searching any recipe site on the internet, like www.allrecipes.com for the keyword “OAMC”, to find recipes that are freezer friendly.   For the family that wants to make their food dollar stretch a little more than usual and have one of two meals in their freezer this is an easy adoptive plan.

However a family chooses to adopt a make ahead style of cooking, there are savings to be had.   An extra stand-alone freezer in your home can save $1,000 or more per year on a family food budget.

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Tags: Bulk Cooking, Bulk Shopping, Feed The Freezer, Freezer, Freezing, Frozen Food Month, March, Meal Planning, OAMC, Once A Month Cooking, Stockpile
Posted in Articles, Cooking & Kitchen Tips, Frugal Living, Stockpiling | No Comments »

I took my kids to the movies tonight.  We don’t do it all that often, except lately, there have been some really good kids movies out, so we indulged and went to see the new movie Coraline that came out today. Movies provide a nice escape from all the bad news on television and the misery of the economy.  That is, until they ask you for your money at the ticket stand.  I about fell over when the woman told me a matinee film for three kids and one adult was going to be $43.00 - and that didn’t include concessions!  I grumbled and put my Visa on the counter, but I was none-to-pleased about the whole thing.  The movie was delightful, but not $43 dollars worth of delightful.

I still like the escapist quality of watching movies, but anymore, it’s too expensive to go out to a movie.  And even renting isn’t cheap.  Blockbuster by my house is now over $5.00 to rent one movie.  Still, it’s better than $43 at the theater. But even better is the online home delivery services like Blockbuster.com or Netflix.  For a fraction of the cost of renting in the store, and for a pittance of watching a movie at the theater, getting movies delivered to your home is by far the best way to consume new movies that come out on DVD.

We personally use Blockbuster.com’s home delivery service.  I get 3 movies per checkout - the movies are usually there in a day, I can keep them as long as I want, and when I return them, I can take them to a Blockbuster in my area and turn then in for more rentals.  Cost of the premium service is $19.99 a month, so if you watch more than a movie a week, this is a great option for you. They do have even smaller plans that don’t include all the bells and whistles starting at $8.99, which pays for itself in just two rentals. And right now, Blockbuster is running a two-week free trial offer to test drive the service for free.  That means you can get at least six movied rented free in the two-week trial.  What I like about Blockbuster is that the online movie inventory includes many older titles you won’t find in the stores.

Blockbuster’s big competitor in the space in Netflix.  While I haven’t personally used it, my siblings have and really liked it. They too are offering a free trial for two weeks, and their plans start as low as $4.99 and go up from there.

No matter which service you choose, either way,  home movie delivery service is cheaper than going out to the movie theater, particularly if you don’t mind waiting for the new releases to make it to DVD.  I couldn’t resist taking the kids to Coraline.  It was made here locally, the world premiere was here last night, and so there was quite a bit of hype around it in my area.  But I could have waited and would have saved myself a bundle getting it through our mail instead.

If you’re spending a lot of money of video rental fees and late charges for movies, now might just be the best time to sign up for Netflix or Blockbuster.  Add in some microwave popcorn you get for free with coupons, and family movie night just went from hugely expensive and unrealistic cost, into a managable recurring cost for home entertainment.

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Tags: blockbuster, blockebuster.com, mail order movies, movies in the mail, netflix, netflix.com
Posted in Articles, Frugal Living | 3 Comments »

The prices of ground beef can be pretty high with non-sale prices in some areas as high as $5.00 a pound. Good sales can be few and far between but if you are willing to put a little effort into saving on meat you can shave some of the cost on ground beef.

1. Invest in a meat grinder. You can find a hand cranked meat grinder for about $30 retail or if you have a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer you can purchase a very nice meat grinding attachment for about the same price. Also check thrift stores, consignment shops and eBay for a deal on used meat grinders.

2. Watch for rock bottom prices on whole cuts of meat. This week my local store had rump roasts for $1.99 a lb. which was much cheaper than the $3.99 for pre-ground beef.

3. Purchase whole cuts of beef in bulk as your budget allows. With the sale price of $1.99 I went ahead and bought 3 large roasts at around 5 pounds each.

4. Grind your meat and package for freezing. First cut your meat into chunks small enough to fit in the grinder and follow the manufacture instructions and grind it up. The instructions for the Kitchen-Aid attachment says to grind the meat twice. Then package your meat for future use. Use quality freezer bags, vacuum sealer bags, or freezer containers to freeze your raw hamburger meat. For easy meals you may wish to brown some ground beef and freeze crumbled unseasoned or seasoned (think taco meat) for meals. Additionally you can pre-make meatballs and meatloaf too and freeze it for easy meal preparation.

In all grinding and packaging your own beef only takes 20-30 minutes and can the cost of the meat grinder can easily be recouped after just a few pounds of grind at home beef!

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Tags: Cooking, Cooking & Kitchen Tips, Frugal Living, Ground Beef, Hamburger, Kitchen-Aid, Meat, Meat Grinder, Meat Prices
Posted in Articles, Cooking & Kitchen Tips, Frugal Living | 5 Comments »

Last week I gave you some ideas to help you keep your finances healthy through the New Year, and this week I’ve got some tips to keep your body humming along too.

A full 30% of Americans resolve to lose weight in the New Year.  If keeping that resolution were easy, we wouldn’t be at the top of the list in worldwide obesity.   Let’s throw out those worn out excuses, and find some inexpensive options to help you keep your resolve this year.

I don’t have the money for healthy food.   Yep, I know things are tight.  And I do know that organic, fresh food can sometimes seem out of reach.  But there some economic alternatives for the frugal consumer.

* Check your local farmer’s market.  Not only do you find local harvest there, but they oftentimes have a bumps and bruises section in the market where they keep items that are still consumable, but just not as attractive as the other produce.  It might be the apple with a slight bruise or the funny-looking bell pepper, but these items are super deals that allow you to eat frugally and well.

* Be willing to work a little with your produce.  Buying your items in the hull or with the peels still on (in the case of carrots) will cost you a little time, but you’ll save big bucks at the checkout.  Already prepped produce is a super time-saver, but by putting in a little elbow grease and time yourself, you’ll save money.

* Eat what’s in season.  Apples are great right now.  Oranges too.  All kinds of greens can be found for reasonable prices.  Winter squash won’t bust your budget either.  And don’t be afraid to try something new.  There are some great recipes on hotcouponworld.com for preparing your new find, and if you don’t see something that whets your appetite, ask away!  With close to 110,000 members, Hotcouponworld folks are happy to help you prepare those new veggies and fruits.

Ok, so we’ve got the fruits and veggies, but what about meat?  No way can I afford $5/lb for meat! Here is where investing a little time in you comes in again.  You are worth it!  Put your frugal hat on, and get cracking, checking sale ads.  If you don’t get the newspaper or your ads aren’t delivered in your mailbox before the sales start, don’t worry.  You can access store ads and good deal alerts on hotcouponworld.com!

* Boneless skinless chicken is a great meat to eat on your diet.  It’s so versatile, you can prepare it a ton of different ways.  This time of year, savvy stores will run buy one, get one specials to get you in the store.  But here’s where we take it a step further – and these tips apply to all fresh meat products you’ll need.

* Find out what brands of meat your store carries.  These companies may put out coupons for their products!  Check out the Hotcouponworld Coupon Database.  Enter the brand that you’re looking for to see what coupons are available.  Combine your coupons with a buy-one-get-one sale, and you’ve got a super meal at a rock-bottom price.  When you find the deal, stock up!

* Check to see when your store marks down meats.  These meats are still good for consumption, but they are nearing their ‘sell-by’ date.  Meat IS still good after that date, but you must eat it immediately or freeze for later use.  It’s not uncommon to see packages of meat marked down by $2 or more, making them a super deal!

Hey, these are good ideas! Is there a way to cut prices on bread too?  Absolutely.  There are coupons out most of the time for whole grain sliced bread, so check the coupon database at hotcouponworld.com for your favorite brands.  If you’re an artisan bread fan, check your local bakeries and the bakeries in the grocery for marked down items.  Again, these are still good for consumption; they may have been a leftover package from the day before, or perhaps they were in the oven a bit too long.  But they’ll normally be anywhere from 50-75% off the regular price.  When you find something you like, stock up on it.  Bread freezes wonderfully.

Like I said before, I know times are tough for many of you right now.  But that’s no excuse not to treat your body and your family right, feeding them with good healthy food to nourish them, body and soul.  On a limited budget, and with a little effort and forethought, you can afford those healthy foods that will help you and your family to keep those weight loss resolutions.   Get shopping, and good luck!

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Tags: Bread, Chicken, Coupon Database, Farmers Market, Freezing, Fruit, Meat, Produce, Vegetable, Weight Loss
Posted in Articles, Cooking & Kitchen Tips, Frugal Living, Grocery Shopping | No Comments »