BeCentsAble

Friday

Centsable Saving Stories (and Struggles)

Welcome to Centsable Savings Stories and Struggles! This week, Hollie from Shopping With Cents is sharing her story. Hollie's story is short and sweet, and she does a great job talking about the change in her mindset and how her family and others are benefiting from her grocery store savings.

If you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you. Please email me at centsable.katherine[at]gmail.com. More details are at the end of this post.

I wasn't always a "coupon gal." In past, I would run to the store and just buy whatever we needed or wanted! I would normally spend around $200 on one shopping trip to Walmart. Don't get me wrong--I loved finding a great deal, but I would do it online. P ricegrabber was my best friend. I used to find deals all the time online, and I would get products for 50% off or more, far less than what my friends and family were paying. I always thought to myself, "I am going to find a better deal on that." So I did!

This is what sparked my "how to save money at the grocery store" interest. I started reading some blogs online where they would mention that they got 10 of something FREE and I thought, "I can do this." So my passion for coupons began. At first my husband thought I was silly. He would always ask, "Now, why do you need 10 Sunday papers?" Now he is so grateful. I have cut our grocery bill by 70%, built up a food storage with more toothpaste, toilet paper, and shampoo than we know what to do with. We now have more money for the fun things in life, like family vacations. I love helping others save money. This has become a passion of mine. I have helped my family alone save thousands of dollars this year on their groceries. This doesn't even include all my loyal readers--there is a lot of money saving going on! If only everyone knew how easy it is to save money on their groceries, they would be amazed!

Each week I feature a different shopper's story. Centsable Savings Stories are the stories of people just like you who are working toward reducing their budgets, bargain hunting, living a more frugal lifestyle and constantly learning along the way. If you are interested in sharing your family's successes and struggles, please contact me at centsable.katherine[at]gmail [dot]com. Bloggers and non-bloggers are both welcome to participate. Click here to read the stories of shoppers featured in the past.

Keep tabs on all the best deals by subscribing to BeCentsAble's feed or get updates direct to your inbox!

Travel Tips to Save Money, Part 2: Attractions and Events

Kristin has been traveling a lot this summer and has a few helpful tips to share to make travel more affordable. If you missed part one on how to save money on transportation, be sure to read it here.

Attractions and Events

My best advice for saving on attractions and events is to never, ever wait until you arrive at your attraction to buy tickets, and certainly don't buy them direct from the location unless there is no other choice. We are planning trips to Disney, Legoland and various other places in San Diego over the next year. In the course of researching the cost, I've discovered more ways to save than I thought possible.

Buy tickets through Craigslist.

The first place I looked for Disney tickets was on their website, but then it occurred to me that I may be able to find tickets on Craigslist and I was right. There were lots of choices, especially for the multi-day park hopper tickets. Recently there was a great offer from Disney for a five day park hopper pass for the price of a 3-day pass. (You can take advantage of this offer here.) We found several individuals selling half of their five-day park hopper passes. Many families bought these 3-day special passes but never intended to use the extra days. Rather than let them go to waste, they posted the opportunity to split the days with another family. Everyone saves money!

Purchase a Go! card.

For our Legoland adventure, my son's 4th birthday gift, we discovered the Go! San Diego card (available for a dozen major cities and over 400 attractions!). Jackpot!

This card costs less per person than tickets to Legoland and will get the bearer in to Legoland plus 54 additional attractions for FREE, unlimited visits, including nearly every amusement park in San Diego (save Disneyland of course) for any number of days from 1-7. The card also works as a coupon at hundreds of restaurants and hotels. The big bonus was the amusement park entry. That alone will save us $150-$200 dollars on admission to other attractions we wanted to visit.

Purchase an annual membership.

Purchasing an annual membership to an attraction (local or otherwise) that you like to visit may also save you money. This decision will require some math, but I can tell you that we've saved tons of money and had lots of fun by purchasing annual memberships or passes.

We've purchased annual family memberships to children's centers, zoos and museums and our local science center. These passes have all paid for themselves in just a few visits and we often get special offers, passes to events and other fun stuff. Typically, we only have to use the pass three times before it pays for itself.

Track down coupon books for your destination.

Coupon books are available from a variety of sources. Sometimes tracking one down just takes knowing the right people to ask, but there is always the Entertainment Guide which offers great deals on dining, travel and attractions including two-for-one deals). To save money on vacation, simply purchase a book for the city you are visiting. You will have to plan ahead so you receive the book and have time to look through it before arriving at your destination. The books typically cost between $20 and $40 dollars (right now the 2009 books are on clearance nearly FREE!) and just one two-for-one attraction offer could earn your money back!

Be sure to tune in for the final part of this series for tips to save on accommodations, coming soon.

Thursday

Hen House: July 15-21

A huge thanks to Lisa from Treasures of Savings for volunteering to help me round up the best deals at Hen House each week! Click here to see the online circular for Hen House.

Visit the Grocery Gathering homepage for all the best deals at other stores around the country.

Kirby Cucumbers 10-ct basket
Final price: $2.00 each

Eggplant 1-lb
Final price: $0.99

Yellow or Zucchini Squash 1-lb

Final price: $0.99

Fuji Apples 1-lb
Final price: $0.99

Iceberg Lettuce
Final price: $0.99

Home Pride Wheat Bread 24 oz

Final price: $1.96

Oroweat Whole Wheat Bread 24 oz

Final price: $1.96

Kellogg's Cereal: Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes $2.77

Use $1.00/1 off 6/7 RP (exp 7/19/09!)

Final price: $1.77

General Mills Fiber One Deal $1.79-$2.49

Buy 4, Get 1 Free

Fiber One Cereal, Muffin Mix, Pancake Mix, Toaster Pastries, Granola Bars

Use $0.75/1 off cereal printable

Use $0.50/1 off any muffin mix printable DOUBLES to $1.00/1

Final price: $1.19-$1.39 each

Nature Valley Granola Bars 6-12 ct $2.50 ea
Use $0.40/1 off printable DOUBLES to $0.80/1

Use $0.75/2 off 5/31 S (exp 7/25/09)
Final price: $1.70 - $2.13 ea

Betty Crocker Brownies 18-20.5 oz
Final price: $0.99

Keebler Town House Crackers 7.7-16 oz
Final price: $1.98

Ken's Marinades or Salad Dressing 16 oz
Final price: $1.98

Betty Crocker Hamburger, Chicken or Tuna Helper 4.3-9.2 oz $0.97 ea

Use $0.75/3 off 5/31 S (exp 7/25/09)

Use $0.75/3 off 6/7 S (exp 8/1/09)
Final price: $0.72 each

Belfonte Yogurt 6 oz
Final price: $0.47

Florida's Natural Orange Juice 64 oz
Final price: $2.47

Edy's Ice Cream 1.5 Qt
Final price: $2.96

Sobe Life Water 20 oz $0.99

Use B1G1F printable coupon
Final price: $0.49 each

More Target Deals: Nexxus Gift Card and Price Cuts

From July 13 through August 31, 2009 you can receive a $5 Target gift card when you buy two Nexxus hair care products. Prices start at $4.94 for a 5.1 oz product, and Kristi from More Than Cents reports that there is a $3.00 coupon in the 7/12 SmartSource insert. However, this coupon was not issued in my area, but there are some available on eBay. The coupon is not valid on the 5.1 oz size or trial size products.

Kristi also found the following products on temporary price cut through August 31, 2009. It pays to keep your eyes open.

Aussie Haircare - $2.79
Herbal Essence Haircare - $2.79
Speed Stick (Pro only) - $2.79
Irish Spring 15oz Body Wash - $2.99
Soft Soap Body Wash or Refill - $2.99

Thanks for More than Cents for the heads up on these deals.

*By the way, if you do decide to purchase coupons through eBay, I suggest going through Ebates first so that you can receive 2% cashback.

Walmart Highlights: Updated July 16

There are tons of great deals at Walmart this week. Since so many previously mentioned deals as still valid I went ahead and combined the list. The deals listed first are new for the week. A huge thanks to Heather from NWA Deals for her help in compiling this list.

Please keep in mind that Walmart prices vary from region to region and store to store so the prices at your local store may not match the prices in this list. Deal Seeking Mom maintains a complete list of all deals available at Walmart.

You may also find it helpful to print out and carry a copy of the Walmart corporate coupon policy with you.

Visit the Grocery Gathering homepage for all the best deals at other stores around the country.

Food:

Ball Park Turkey Franks, $0.99
$1.00/2 Ball Park Franks, Any - 06-28-09 RP (exp. 7-25-2009)
Final Price: $0.49

Chiquita Fruit Bites, $0.97 - $3.98
$1.00/1 Chiquita Fruit Singles - Look for Free with Purchase Tags
Final Price: Free - $2.98

Extra or Wrigley's Gum - 3 Pack, $1.98
$1.00/1 Extra or Wrigley's Brand Gum, any 3-pack Multipack - 07-12-09 SS (exp. 10-12-2009)
Final Price: $0.98

Keebler Cookies, $2.00
$1.00/1 Keebler Fudge Shoppe Cookies
Final Price: $1.00

Kellogg's Cereal, $1.88
$1.00/1 Kellogg's Cereal Coupons, Any 10 Oz. + - 06-07-09 RP (exp. 7-19-2009)
Final Price: $0.37

Tyson Fresh Chicken Breast Tenderloins (1.25 lb.), $3.50
$1.00/1 Tyson Fresh Chicken Product, Any - 7/12 - 6/28 SS (exp. 8-11-2009)
Final Price: $2.50

Wanchai Ferry Dinner Kit, $3.98
$1.00/1 Wanchai Ferry Dinner kit - 07-12-09 SS (exp. 9-5-2009)
Final Price: $2.98

Wanchai Ferry Frozen Dinner Kits, $6.00
$2.00/1 Wanchai Ferry Frozen Entree - 07-12-09 SS (exp. 9-5-2009)
Final Price: $4.00

Health and Beauty:

Clean & Clear Daily Cleanser, $3.50
$2.00/1 Clean & Clear Product Any
Final Price: $1.50

Secret Deodorant, $1.99
$1.00/1 Secret, any one anti-perspirant or deodorant - 07-05-09 PG (exp. 8-31-2009)
Final Price: $0.99

Cleaning and Household:

Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent (69 load), $7.00
$1.00/1 Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent
Final Price: $6.00

Electrosol Gel Tabs, $3.59
$2.50/1 Finish / Electrasol Quantum Tabs, or Gelpacs - 07-12-09 SS (exp. 8-9-2009)
Final Price: $1.09

Hefty One Zip Bags, $1.00
$1.00/1 Hefty One Zip Bags, Any - 05-17-09 RP (exp. 7-31-2009)
Final Price: Free after coupon

Review and Giveaway: EcoSMART Organic Ant Killer

Are you ready to read the story of some persistent ants? Not too long ago, we had an army of ants invading our kitchen. We'd tried everything to get rid of them. We put out boric acid ant bait, the ants would eat it, their numbers would dwindles and then within a few days they were back in full force. We tried corn meal, too. The idea behind using corn meal as ant bait is that ants can't digest it so when they take it back to the queen, she dies and so does the colony. Well, our ants didn't touch it.

Finally, after months of trying every natural remedy we could think of, we gave up and called the bug man. He came over and sprayed the house. We were preparing to list our home to sell at the time, and we knew we had to get rid of the bugs. I couldn't believe my eyes when the ants were back in full force a week later! I told my husband our house must be built on top of an ant colony. Our bug man returned to spray the areas where the ants were getting in, and we sealed them up with caulk as well as we could. Surely this time the ants would be gone for good. Wrong! They came back again.

By this time, our home was on the market and I had about had it with the ants. We don't tend to keep many toxic chemicals on hand so a family member lent us a can of ant and roach killer spray. That did the job temporarily, but still the ants kept coming back. I couldn't believe the persistence of these little guys. I wished they'd start persisting somewhere else and leave me and my kitchen alone!

Fast forward a couple of weeks. We started using EcoSMART insect repellent and were pleased (and surprised) by its effectiveness and scent. I was eager to give their Ant and Roach spray a try so when the company offered to send me a sample, I jumped at the chance. I hoped it would be at least as effective as the toxic spray, but I was shocked to find that not only does it smell much better, it also was MORE effective. I sprayed the ants with EcoSMART two weeks ago and they haven't returned since! This is by far the longest period of time we've been without ants since February! I was more than thrilled to say goodbye to our little persistent intruders.

While I can't guarantee that everyone will witness the dramatic results of this spray the way we did, I do think that you will be pleased with the product. It is a plant-based, organic spray that is safe to use around children and pets although the label still warns to keep it out of the reach of children. EcoSMART has generously offered to give one reader EcoSMART Organic Ant Killer, a great product to kill ants and all types of household bugs.

Enter for your chance to win EcoSMART Organic Ant Killer. This giveaway will remain open until July 20, 2009 11:59 pm CST.

1. For your first entry, leave a comment including an email address so I can notify you if you win.

2. For a second entry, blog about this giveaway and then come back here to leave a comment with your trackback URL.

Please make sure to include an email address so I can contact you if you win. A winner will be chosen by random number generator. Up to two entries per person. Thanks and good luck!