evergreen Archives - Page 6 of 7 - Atlantas Frugal Mom

Finding (and Stocking Up On) Cheap Diapers!

04/11/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

I frequently brag about never paying more than $5 for a pack of diapers. It’s one item I refuse to pay full price for, particularly given what will -ahem- end up in them…

Recently, I was asked how the heck I manage such a feat. With this question, I realized I’ve overlooked explaining a few basics to y’all. So, I will happily reveal my diaper-buying secrets. :o)

(And, yes, most of these tips can be applied to just about anything you frequently buy.)

Good things come in small packages. And I’m not just referring to yours truly. ;o) With most items I buy with coupons, I find that nine times out of ten, I can get the best deal, not by buying in bulk, but by purchasing the smallest package. Using coupons drives down the unit price significantly more when you buy the smaller item. This theory will almost always hold water. Every blue moon, I find a good deal on a box of diapers, but the vast majority of diapers I’ve purchased in the last five years have been the small packs.
Coupons, coupons, coupons! I never, ever, ever, ever, buy diapers without coupons in hand. (Well, I did this one time on a pack of CVS store brand pack on clearance, but that’s another story…) A high value diaper coupon is usually for $2.00 – $3.00. Printable coupons also float around online from time to time. (Did you know I have a whole page just for baby-related coupons?) If you find one of these, hold on to it; don’t rush right out and use it, because…
Timing is key. Taking my coupons with me, I wait until stores have a good sale on diapers. (I recommend creating a price book, so you can track the sales cycle for items you buy frequently. It takes a little time to set up and maintain, but I promise it’s totally worth it in the long run!) Usually, $8.99 is a good sale price for a small pack of Huggies or Pampers. Luvs tend to come in slightly larger packs, and usually priced a buck or two higher. So, combined with a high value coupon, you can score a pack for around six bucks. ….but wait a minute, I said I never pay more than FIVE for a pack: here’s the real secret:
BONUS BUY! Combine your manufacture coupons with store coupons. This is called “stacking”. Target printable coupons, Publix coupons, CVS Extra Care Bucks, Rite Aid UP Rewards, and Walgreens’ Register Rewards can all be combined with your high value manufacture coupons to drive down the cost of those diapers even further. Furthermore, Target periodically offers gift card incentives when you buy particular diapers.

Further Icing on the Diaper Cake Another way to add to the savings is to sign up for Huggies “Enjoy the Ride” program, Pampers “Gifts to Grow” program, and Luvs mailing list. All send out coupons to its members on a fairly regular basis. Huggies and Pampers allow you to accumulate rewards points from packs of diapers and wipes you purchase; points can be used for all sorts of things, including coupons for FREE packs of diapers.

A few more pointers I’ve learned along the way:
- If the store brand is still cheaper, even when you do all of the above, the decision should be clear. GO WITH THE STORE BRAND!
- This system works best if you are not brand dependent. I completely understand that y’all may be loyal to a certain brand, for a plethora of reasons. However, I do advise shopping around if you can, and trying out different brands. I’ve only found one store brand to be sub par (Wal-Mart’s Parent’s Choice — the tabs seemed to come off easily in the midst of changings), so I’ve been pleased overall with simply buying whatever is cheapest.
- Not sure you want to commit to a whole package? All the name brands offer free samples/trial packs fairly frequently — take advantage of that. Rite Aid’s store brand, Tugaboos, are sold in “trial packs” of 3(?) for a buck. Sam’s and Costco also frequently offer sample/trial packs of their diapers. This is a great way to test the waters, without making a huge financial commitment.
- Also, I always peruse the clearance sections. I’ve found Pampers and Luvs on clearance before, and were able to drive down the cost even further with coupons. I’ve gotten packs for under $3 from the clearance section, BEFORE COUPONS! It’s rare, but if you always keep your eyes peeled, and coupons handy, you can score some great loot! (I’m also not ashamed to admit I scored a pack of size 1 Huggies for under three bucks at Goodwill, too!)

The key to taking FULL advantage of diaper deals is to stock up when there are great diaper deals to be had. I have a few friends and family members (who don’t have diaper-age children) who supply me with their coupons. Therefore, at any given time, I have at least THREE coupons available for use. Thus, I am able to stock up when I see a good deal.

So, that, in a nutshell, is how and why I never pay more than five bucks for a pack of diapers. Make sense?

If you have any additional tips, questions, dastardly rude comments, or snide remarks about cheap diapers, I’d love to hear it. :o)

Also, if you’re ready to ditch the diapers, learn how to potty train in less than a week. AND read over some invaluable potty training tips and essentials.

Keep on saving! :o)
--Barbara
**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Filed Under: cheap diapers, Coupons, printable coupons Tagged With: evergreen

The Coupon Fairy Cometh

02/26/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Have you ever been walking through the store and found a coupon strategically placed right by its intended product? Perhaps YOU have left a coupon for another unsuspecting shopper? If so, welcome to the Coupon Fairy Club!

I’ve long been a coupon fairy, before I even knew what I was doing. Countless times, I’ve looked through my stash, and realized I had plenty of good coupons that I simply wouldn’t get around to using. Thus, instead of sticking them in the recycling (NEVER THE TRASH, please!), I always find it more helpful -dare I say altruistic?- to pass them on to someone else. Mostly, this is done anonymously, as the coupons are simply left near the applicable items.

However, on the rare occasions that I can hand a fellow shopper a coupon, it’s priceless! I recall striking up a conversation with another new mom back when The Tot was still The Infant. In the course of our conversation, the other mom asked for diaper recommendations. Ever fulfilling my role as Atlanta’s Frugal Mom even before this very blog’s birth, I gave her my abbreviated diaper philosophy: buy whatever’s cheapest. After all, they’re all going to be filled with the same stuff in the end, right? (Yes, pun intended…) As we quickly scanned the diaper shelves, I pulled out my (then smaller) coupon envelope, and handed her a $3.00 Huggies coupon I’d printed. With the coupon, Huggies were cheaper than the store brand. She was amazed, excited, and humbled all at once that I would fork over a high value coupon. …and, thus, I experienced a whole new kind of coupon high.

I challenge you, my dear readers, to be a Coupon Fairy. Or, if you already are, share your stories. Just keep your eyes peeled for the Coupon Fairy, and enjoy her sweet treats! :o)

P.S. As I’m typing this, I can’t help but create a mental image of me with store-bought fairy wings strapped to my back, wand in hand, coupon binder in my cart, and possibly some kind of hat or tiara, tip-toeing through my favorite stores, and “tee-hee-hee”ing as I leave coveted coupons for unsuspecting shoppers. ….and were I in the company of a few of my former college roomies -after a few libations gave us the courage and heightened our goofiness- I can totally see this scenario occurring.

**This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click/purchase/sign up for this offer, I may receive a small amount of compensation for it.**

Filed Under: Coupons Tagged With: evergreen

Couponing Etiquette, Ethics, and Other Common Courtesies

02/03/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Couponing Etiquette, Ethics, and Other Common Courtesies

Aside from (what should be) the obvious “rules” that come with couponing, there can be some gray areas out there. Further, if you are a true couponer, you will find yourself in a situation where there is no one to police you and your coupons, only your conscience and moral compass to guide you. Here, I’ve composed a few couponing tips, based on my personal experience, my observations of others, and anecdotal tales on the blogosphere.

Let the little guy go If you’re in line, with your stack of coupons and full cart, shouldn’t it be second nature to let the person behind you, with only a scant few items, go before you?
Give fair warning! Again, with full cart and you coupon stack, let the people behind you -or who may want to get behind you- know that you’ll likely take a while. Yes, the full cart should be a dead give away, but still…
Sometimes, just suck it up! I implore you not to haggle or fuss over less than a dollar, especially when the line behind you continues to grow longer. This is a tough one -trust me!- but sometimes we get so clouded with our desire to save every last penny, that we lose sight of what’s important. IF you know your coupon is valid, and cannot get it to work -either because of a reluctant cashier, a fault with the register’s system, or whatnot- and a manager has to get involved, ask yourself if this is an item you absolutely MUST have at that very moment at the couponed price, or if you could

a) purchase at another time and/or place,
b) –gulp!– pay full price (seriously, it hurts to type that!), or
c) not purchase the item at all.

Be nice to your cashier. Again, you’d think this would be a given, but I’ve witnessed some nasty, nasty customers (couponers and non-couponers alike) lashing out at the cashiers, and 99% of the time things that were out their (the cashier’s) control. We are all human. As such, we are known to occasionally make mistakes. I’ve very politely pointed out to cashiers when they were in the wrong, but always with a warm smile, and let them know it’s “ok”. Nastiness only ensures nastiness in return — kindness, however, can invoke more kindness!
…and be nice to the store managers, too! On the occasion when a manager must become involved with your transaction -either because of a dispute, for clarity, or to simply do an override- try to maintain your composure. While the squeaky wheel may get the grease, store employees do and WILL remember you and your disposition. I’ve found that being pleasant to the employees makes them more likely to help me out in the future, whether the manager becomes involved or not.
Printable coupons have rules, too! I’ve touched on this before, but it bears repeating: most printable coupons should only be PRINTED twice! That’s the way “bricks” coupons from coupons.com are set up to work.
Don’t be a copy cat. EVER! Further, it is completely unethical to COPY printable coupons. Don’t be that one bad apple. Manufactures set up a limited number of printable coupons, and if you’re making copies, you’re hurting much more than your guilty conscience. Stores do NOT get reimbursed for fraudulent coupons, manufactures lose money on them, and with each fraudulent coupon that passes through, the chances of stores accepting printables AND the chances of manufactures publishing printables decreases!
Check the date. There can be some gray area if a coupon has just expired a few days ago. Some stores will allow you to use a very recently expired coupon, at their discretion. (Remember what I said earlier about being NICE to people? This is when it can pay off!) ..but, don’t try to pawn off that coupon from 2006. To be honest, that’s just dumb!
READ the fine print. If a coupon is meant for two items, don’t try to use it with just ONE item. That’s unethical. If a coupon is for a specific product by a company, don’t try to use it for a similar item, not specified on the coupon. That’s unethical. …on the flipside, sometimes coupons will have a PICTURE of one particular item in a product line, while the coupon is good for any or most items in that line… Yet another reason why it pays to read.

The bottom line: if we are pleasant to those around us, and stay within the parameters of what’s right -even when there are questionable gray areas- karma will reward you. Couponing shouldn’t be about making folks grumble when they see you coming, but about experiencing that wonderful coupon high. Oh, and saving money. :o)

**This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click/purchase/sign up for this offer, I may receive a small amount of compensation for it.**

Filed Under: Coupons, printable coupons Tagged With: evergreen

(Better for You) Meatballs

01/12/2011 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

As part of my Frugal Homemaking series, I wanted to add a few new recipes that I’ve tried my hand at recently. The first is my meatballs. Basically, I took a few recipes, and tweeked them to work for me, my family, and the ingredients in my kitchen. :o)

The great thing about cooking, to me, is that you can modify any recipe to fit your needs and preferences. I’d love to hear y’alls variations on any of my recipes.

(Better for You) Meatballs

Ingredients

– 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs

– 1/2 cup milk

– 1 onion, finely chopped

– 4 cloves garlic, crushed/finely chopped

– ~1 tbsp olive oil (enough to saute onion)

– 2 eggs (I use Egg Beaters, or it’s store brand equivalent)

– 1/4 – 1/2 cup finely chopped spinach

– 1 tsp dried Italian herbs

– 2 tbsp Parmesan (um, I always over-measure the cheese… hee hee)

– 1 tsp salt

– 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper (adjust to preference)

– 1/2 tsp pepper

– 1/2 to 1 whole small squash, very finely diced

– 1 lb. ground turkey

Preparation

Let milk and bread crumbs stand for about 20 minutes, while you continue with the recipe.

Saute onion until translucent, add garlic for last minute. Set aside to cool.

Combine eggs, spinach, herbs, Parmesan, salt, peppers, and squash with bread crumb mixture. Then gently mix with meat — don’t overmix! Cover with plastic wrap or lid, and let sit in refridgerator for 1 hour. (In a pinch, I’ve stuck in freezer for ~20 minutes.) This firms up the mixtures, which makes it easier to scoop out for next step.

Preheat oven to 425. Put aluminum foil snuggly over baking sheet, and brush with olive oil. After refrigerated for one hour, use an ice cream scoop to portion out meatballs. Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees, or until meatballs start to brown.

Here, you can either cool them and freeze them for later, OR simmer in your sauce of choice for about 15 minutes.

Suggested variations

– If you simply must have ground beef, but wish to be a bit healthier, you can double the recipe, and use 1 lb of ground turkey and 1 lb of LEAN ground beef. (Or half a lb of each)

– Aren’t all things better with cheddar? Replace the parm with cheddar.

– I always try to pack as many veggies in to a dish as I can: add bell pepper to this one. Also, very finely chopped broccoli and/or cauliflower. I recommend steaming them both first.

– I substituted bread crumbs with Panko crumbs. You can also grind up smoked almonds, for a nice punch.

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Filed Under: frugal living, recipes Tagged With: evergreen

Frugal Baby Advice: 10 Unnecessary Purchases

12/09/2010 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

After 20 months (and counting) with The Tot, I have learned how to distinguish important baby gear from items that are a sheer waste of money. Baby gear is marketed to parents, praying on one of several things: convenience, nutrition/health, and making baby smart(er). Here’s what I’ve learned, both from personal experience and from simple observation.

Diaper Bags
Yes, there are gobs and gobs of uber-cute, super-sleek diaper bags out there. But you’ll likely pay a pretty penny for them. Guess what I’ve been using for about a year now? A canvas cloth tote bag. (And it was free. With coupons in it!) Yep. A large cloth tote bag, with several smaller ones nestled inside to compartmentalize things (or large plastic baggies could also work). Think about how often you get a free tote bag, or an offer for a free tote bag. Stock up on them, as they may wear out fairly frequently.

“Your Baby Can Read”
If babies were meant to read as infants and toddlers, we would’ve cracked the code long ago. Period. Are there young children out there who may learn to read at an exceptionally early age? Of course. But will it be your child or mine? Not bloody likely. And a program that you purchase will not accelerate his reading readiness. Let your little Einstein emerge at his own pace, not by one dictated by your wallet. What’s next? “Your Baby Can Conjugate”, or better yet, “Your Baby Can Solve Algebraic Equations”…. puh-lease. (I would, however, settle for “Your Baby Can Self-Potty Train”.)

There are numerous products out there praying on parents’ vulnerabilities (i.e. guilt and wanting The Best for their kids), with the promise of making their child smarter, by some gimmick. Peruse through the infant and toddler toy isle(s) the next time you’re at the store. You’ll see the sheer volume of toys with “learning” in the title. For instance, my daughter has a “learning” kitchen, thanks to Santa. You know what she’s “learned” from it? That she can open the fridge door to help her climb over to the other side. ABCs, colors, shapes? Not so much — those concepts are best left to teaching through direct interactions with me and her other caregivers, not some silly plastic toy.

Toddler Meals
Really? Prepackaged toddler meals? By this stage, toddlers should be eating table foods, just in smaller portions. Like many of us, our toddlers are probably served better, more nutritional options that we the parents. These meals are marketed to pray on parents, to make them feel like they can’t create nutritious meals themselves. In reality, these are over-priced and over-packaged — HOOEY! I say, instead, go buy some fresh veggies and fruit, get some simple meats, perhaps some fun-shaped mini pasta, and serve your Tot this — all at a FRACTION of the cost (and unnecessary packaging) of these prepackaged meals.

Plastic Infant and Toddler Dishes
I’m going to get a lot of slack for this, but guess what works just as well? Leftover frozen dinner dishes, yogurt containers, fruit cups, butter dishes, etc. …AND you’ve already paid for those!! Are those matching Elmo or Cinderella cups, plates, and bowls to-die-for adorable? Yes. But you can get by without them. Or if you must get them, get them gently used at garage sales, consignment sales, or Goodwill. Or try the dollar section at Target — they’ve almost always got them there. But spend more than a few dollars for a toddler’s plate? Perish the thought!!

Wipe Warmers
I have never heard of a baby getting sick, dumber, lacking in nutrition, or growing up to resent his parents for having a cold (or even room temperature) wipe run across their fanny. End of story. Of course, if you know of a documented case, I will happily stand corrected. ;o)

“Boogie Wipes” and Paci Wipes
…and speaking of wipes. Boogie Wipes?!! The name directly tells you what they’re intended purpose is. Guess what else works: a tissue! And they cost way less. Want a “moist” tissue? Try a diaper wipe — you can always find good deals on them.

Let’s just round out the whole “wipe” rant with Paci Wipes. Again, if you MUST use a wipe for her paci whence it falls to the floor (GASP!), try running it under the faucet. Or use a diaper wipe. (Maybe they should be called “all purpose wipes?”) Oh, and many parents have been spotted cleaning a paci with their shirt tale. I’ve yet to hear of death-by-dirty-paci…

Diaper Pale Systems
If you choose to use disposable diapers, then you must deal with the subsequent stinch from a sitting diaper. In my experience, I have yet to see an inexpensive system that truly keeps the poo from stinking up the room. Sure, you could spend thirty to fifty bucks on the pale, plus the cost of the “special” bags it takes and/or the batteries it requires. But that adds up quickly, and I’ll betcha you can still smell the poo. I’ve taken a cheaper, greener approach: we dump the poop (as much as we can) in the toilet, then put in a lidded pale. For the icky diapers that just can get completely de-pooped, I tie them in a newspaper bag, invert it and tie it again. (Essentially, double-bagging with one bag. Shall I create a video to demonstrate?) It costs nothing, and it keeps nasty poo out of the landfill.

Gadgety Toys
You’ve seen them in the stores and in commercials: the battery-operated toys with lights, noise, and motion. Quick: name five toys your child possesses that lack all three of these. I bet you couldn’t do it, could you? Now, show of hands: do your kids like to play with empty cartons, soda bottles, milk jugs, etc? (In other words: trash!) Kids don’t NEED all the bells and whistles that are out there, nor does your wallet likely need all the replacement batteries they devour! I’m not suggesting that we all rid our homes of these toys, and never buy them again. …but perhaps keep it simple. Also, keep only a few toys out at any given time, and the rest packed away. Rotate them through periodically, and it’s like you’ve got new toys all over again.

Ultrasound Videos and Photos
I’ll admit, I fell for this one. Was it a great experience to see my sweet little girl moving around, and have that moment captured on film? Absolutely. But the cost was absurd, even with a “good deal”.

Pee Pee TeePees
They are a great shower gift for an expectant mother of a boy, and will emit quite a few grins and giggles. But, again…. really? I must believe that diapers were changed for many many moons (pun intended) before these were manufactured, and parents and caregivers found ways to avoid the -um- splattering. I must disclose, however, having a daughter, this particular item has thus far been a moot point for us. Still, I just can’t imagine that these would do anything that a rain coat and umbrella, or a mere diaper wipe couldn’t also do. Notice how versatile diaper wipes can be?!

***

This list could be exponentially longer, but hopefully, y’all get the gist of it. Cute, convenient, and praying on parental insecurities is a recipe for baby gear money-making. As a parent and a consumer, I hope that you can be discerning in what is important, and what is right for you and your family’s needs.

Keep on saving! :o)
–Barbara
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Filed Under: baby, frugal living, Frugal Parenting Tagged With: evergreen

Target Trip FAIL!

12/06/2010 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

So hubs, Tot, and I ventured out to Target yesterday morning, amongst a handful of other destinations. While there, I saw a few great clearance items, including a bottle of Tide stain lift (?), a Bounce Dryer Bar, as well as a mechanical Oral B toothbrush — each for two dollars and some change. Naturally, I have coupons for ALL of these items in my handy-dandy coupon binder.

Which I conveniently left at home that morning!

ARGH! Now, were these items things that I absolutely could not live without? Of course not. But the idea that I could have gotten them each for less than a dollar irks me terribly! (Being a tad on the OCD side ensures that I have been stewing about this since yesterday morning, mind you.)

And I know what y’all are probably thinking: why didn’t I just return later that day with my coupons?? (And perish the thought of purchasing these items without coupons!!!)

1) It wasn’t a Target that was nearby.

2) I’m still not feeling quite so hot. (Colds! The gift that truly keeps on giving!!)

3) We had other things to do. And,

4) Again, these were not items that were imperative for our survival.

Thus, I swallowed m’big girl pill and am trying to let it go. “Trying” being the operative word. …if only I could stop obsessing over these lost deals. I just keep telling myself that someone else was able to get some great deals on these items this weekend. (Or perhaps Tot and I can run out there tomorrow and see what’s still there…..?)

My saving grace has been finding cheap diapers earlier today. Seriously, you can’t beat getting three “mega” packs of diapers for $12.02 (with tax).**This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click/purchase/sign up for this offer, I may receive a small amount of compensation for it.**

Filed Under: Coupons, Target Tagged With: evergreen

Publix Tips & Tricks

11/09/2010 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Publix Tips and Tricks

Are you a Publix shopper? Remember these tricks to their BOGO* sales:

You do NOT have to buy two of the BOGO items; they cut the price in half for each item. This means that their BOGO sales will not result in free items, when matched with BOGO manufacture coupons.
If you DO buy 2, you are allowed to use 2 coupons — one for each item.
Don’t forget, Publix will double coupons up to 50 cents, which can make for GREAT deals!
Publix has two sets of store coupon circulars they run, about every 2-3 weeks. One is yellow and the other is green. Always check their store coupons, to STACK with manufacture coupons. Sometimes the BOGO items will match both a store coupon and a manufacture coupon.
Publix accepts competitor’s coupons. (Competitors will vary by location, so check with your store first to see which coupons they accept.) You may stack a competitor’s coupon with a manufacture coupon.
You may NOT, however, stack a Publix coupon with a competitor’s coupon.
Finally, their sales run Thursday through Wednesday**. Check out the Sunday Coupon Preview ahead of time to see if upcoming coupons can be used for that week’s sales!

*BOGO – Buy One, Get One [free]

** – In some areas, the sales run Wednesday through Tuesday — check with your local Publix if you’re not sure. It also specifies on the sales circulars in the papers.

Also, here is Publix’s coupon policy. I highly recommend you print this out, and keep with you when shopping there. Just in case. :o)

“Publix accepts manufacturers’ coupons (limit one per item), Publix coupons (originals only—no copies), valid Internet coupons, and coupons from nearby competitors identified by each Publix store. (Competitor names are posted at each Publix store.) We will accept coupons from competing pharmacies for prescriptions only. We will not accept percent-off-items or percent-off-total-order coupons. We will only accept coupons for identical merchandise we sell. Acceptance is subject to any restrictions on the coupon, and we reserve the right to limit quantities. Manager approval is needed for individual coupons above $5.00. For a buy-one-get-one free (BOGO) offer, each item is considered a separate sale. We will accept a manufacturer’s coupon and either a Publix or a competitor coupon on the same item. Dollars-off-total-order coupons will be limited to one Publix and one competitor coupon per order. The order total must be equal to or greater than the total purchase requirements indicated on the coupon(s) presented.” –obtained from Publix website 3-19-12

Keep on saving! :o)
–Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links.**

Filed Under: Coupons, Publix Tagged With: evergreen

Ditching the Sponge

11/09/2010 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

This summer I accomplished something I once thought unthinkable: I gave up the sponge. It was a gripping addiction, harder to kick than a nasty nicotine habit. …a habit that had the ability to spark the silliest of arguments amongst even the best of roomies. Right, SwimBikeMom? 😛 But once again, I digress; that’s a blog-post for another day.

Perhaps a tad OCD, I was one of *those* people who had a sponge designated for various parts of the kitchen: one for the floor, one for the counters, and another one for dishes. I knew for quite some time that sponges were a breeding ground for all things disgusting; however, I was not keen on the idea of using paper towels, or other disposable products — I had to find a GREEN alternative to sponges.

After reading one of my many parenting magazines over the summer, I read an article featuring a great solution. Use washcloths instead of sponges, replacing them daily. The solution was so ridiculously simple, I felt like an idiot for not thinking about that sooner!!

Afer all, I was already daily replacing my daughter’s bibs, as well as a washcloth to clean her after meals. What was one more wash cloth to throw in to the load, right?

Ditching the Sponge - Mr. Clean reusable wipes

Thus, I set out to find some good, inexpensive washclothes. A trip to Big Lots was beckoning! (Who am I kidding, even the tiniest excuse will do for a trip to Big Lots!) There, I found a set of ten washclothes for $5.00, which seemed to be an okay deal. (Mind you, I didn’t care about the color, but wanted that waffle-y texture appropriate for kitchen towels and washcloths.) However, on a whim and for no particular reason, I browsed by the cleaning section and came upon two things that caught my eye, and changed my mind completely: Mr. Clean Reusable Wiping Cloths and a six-pack of Mr Clean Reusable Wipes. Each pack was a buck each — in true frugal, OCD fashion, I snagged about four packs of each, and ditched the wash cloths all together!

Ditching the Sponge - Mr. Clean Wiping Cloth

Yes, their names are almost identical, but the thickness of wiping cloths seem to act more like a sponge, while the reusable wipes have the feel of a paper towel, but (almost) the durability of a washcloth. The wipes were also rather large (21″ x 11″), so I snipped each of them in half, and happily doubled my supply of them. I’ve put both through the washing machine, but not the dryer, and they both seemed to fair well so far. Neither retained their original shape, but I didn’t really expect them to.

It’s been a long journey in giving up The Sponge. Admittedly, I still have one in the “sponge drawer” of the kitchen, but I only use it for the floor. I’ve graduated away from a Counter Sponge and a Dish Sponge. So far, so good. While I don’t toss and wash daily, I do replace at least a few times a week, and the results have been good so far. As I mentioned earlier, I already have bibs and wash clothes thanks to The Toddler, so tossing in these reusable wipes has really been small potatoes.

Do I miss My Sponges? Nope. Not even the stinky smell they started emitting after sitting around for a while. Do my new reusable, machine-washable cloths work just as well? You bet! Are you a sponge-a-holic? I challenge you to find a green way to replace them! If you’re interested, I encourage you to try out the Mr. Clean wipes — I’ve still spotted them at Big Lots. If, however, you are not blessed with a Big Lots near by, or if B.L. simply isn’t your cup of tea, I’ve also seen them available on Amazon.

If you are a reformed Sponge User, or would like to be one, I’d love to hear about it. Please also feel free to share any other green household tips you’ve acquired over the years. :o)

Filed Under: frugal living Tagged With: evergreen

(Shhh…. Sneaky) Sloppy Joes

10/21/2010 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Want to bulk up a simple classic with some veggies? Try my Sneaky Sloppy Joes.

Sauté some onions, garlic (two staples I put in just about any skillet dish), finely diced squash, finely chopped spinach. You can also add finely diced carrots, bell peppers of assorted colors, brocolli, and whatever else you can sneak in to the pan! I do all this before browning the ground turkey. Then, prepare as you normally would, whether your sloppy joe sauce is canned, enveloped, or made-from-scratch (c’mon!).

I’ve been packing mine with extra veggies for over a year, and no one is none the wiser. Yet.

(Please don’t show this to my family… please?)

This recipe is also posted under my Big Oven account. :o)

Filed Under: recipes Tagged With: evergreen

Unit Price, Unit Price, Unit Price!!!

10/20/2010 by Barbara

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

I have discovered that many people do not take unit price in to account when attempting to shop savvily. (Did I just make up a new word?!!) So for my fellow frugal shoppers, or my frugal-shoppers-in-training, let me explain the value in knowing the unit price of an item you wish to purchase, or are pondering purchasing.

What the heck is a unit price??

The unit price is the price you pay per unit of measurement. It can be the price per ounce, price per pound, price per diaper, price per napkin….. get it? Let’s use a bottle of ketchup for this example. Say, you have the SALE price for a 20 oz bottle of ketchup, being $3.00*. In order to find the unit price, you divide the price by the number of ounces. In this case, $3.00 divided by 20, which equals $0.15. At most grocery stores, the unit price will be listed next to the sale price.

Why is the unit price important?

In order to get the most for your money, that handy-dandy unit price can prove quite helpful when trying to decide between two brands, two sizes, etc. Let’s take that ketchup, for example, again. Say you have another bottle of ketchup, perhaps a 50 oz. bottle of catsup (WOAH!) for $5.00. Which would be a better deal: the 20 oz bottle or the 50 oz bottle? If the unit prices aren’t listed, whip out your calculator and see: $5.00 divided by 50 = $0.10. The unit price for the larger bottle is less. But here’s where it gets tricky. Say the grocery store is running a BOGO** sale for the 20 oz bottle. Then, you would be getting DOUBLE the ketchup (40 oz.) for $3.00. Is that a better deal? Do the math to see: $3.00 divided by 40 = $0.075. In this case, the two bottles are a better deal than the one big bottle.

Does the unit price change when using coupons?

When you have a coupon to factor in to the equation, it does change the unit price for said item. But, with a quick zip of the calculator (or your wonderful math-friendly brain), you can determine the better deal. Sticking with our ketchup bottles, let’s play with a few scenarios. First, let’s say you have a coupon for $0.50 off 2 bottles (which means $0.25 off each bottle). Calculate the unit price for the two 20 ounce bottles. $6.00 – $0.50 = $5.50. So, $5.50 divided by 40 oz = $0.13. The unit price for two 50 oz bottles at $5.00 each: $10.00 ($5 x 2) – $0.50 = $9.50. $9.50 divided by 50 oz = $0.19. So, again, the unit price for the two smaller bottles would be a better deal. Second, let’s say you have the same $0.50 off coupon for two bottles, along with a BOGO sale. Go back to the original sale price for one, take off the coupon, and divide. So the two 20 oz bottles would be $3.00 minus $0.50, making them $2.50. Divded by 40 oz, gives you a unit price of $0.0625. And for the two 50 oz bottles: $5.00 – $0.50 = $4.50/100 = $0.045. So, in this case, the BOGO and coupon work best with the bigger bottles.

I Still Don’t Get It!? Gimme some more examples!!

Couldn’t catch up using the ketchup and catsup? Read on, fellow Frugallers to get another explanation…

Since unit price isn’t always available on items (like diapers), you’ll need to be able to calculate the unit price on your own. Check out this scenario, using unit price and coupons: First, let’s say that a certain brand of diapers comes in two different packages: the “jumbo” or the “mega” pack. The “Jumbo” holds 40 diapers for $8.99; the Mega holds 80 for $17.99. Which is the better deal?? The unit prices would be as follows: “Jumbo”: $8.99/40 = $0.225 (rounded off) That means you pay roughly 23 cents per diaper. “Mega”: $17.99/80 = $0.225 (rounded off) That means you pay roughly 23 cents per diaper. In this case, you’ll pay about the same. However…..

But what about coupons? This certain brand often has $3.00 coupons floating around. So let’s play with that: “Jumbo”: $8.99 – $3.00 = $5.99 / 40 = $0.149 unit price (a little under 15 cents per diaper) “Mega”: $17.99 – $3.00 = 14.99 / 80 = $0.187 unit price (a little under 19 cents per diaper) So, in this case, the coupon makes the difference: the smaller size is the better deal.

Unit Price: The bottom line

My point in sharing this wonderful math knowledge is to show you that, sometimes the advertised deals are not always the best deals out there! With some quick math, you can find the best deals for your money by finding the true unit price on the products you’re considering for purchase. When all coupons, BOGOs, and other deals are factored in, comparing the TRUE unit prices can really show you where the REAL deals are!

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*Prices and units of measure are rounded off to nice, even number here, because I’m just not that math-savy today. (Except for the price of diapers, that is forever ingrained in my brain!)

**BOGO = Buy One, Get One [Free]