Saturday, January 17, 2009

$5 off $25 Rite-Aid Coupon


Just a quickie:


Click on the title above to go to a Rite-Aid coupon good for $5 off $25 purchase. The coupon states that it is good through 3/13/2009 but the fine print states that it is good through 3/31/2009. Either way it's a good deal.

Practically Free TP! How much better can life get?


Just a quickie to let you know about one of the happiest experiences in a life of frugality. Practically free toilet paper! If you cut coupons at all you'll notice that Cottonelle always seems to have 50 cents off which never seems like much when toilet paper is usually at least $4 for a big roll four pack. Well here's the secret. Kroger always sells a four-pack of single rolls for $1.11. I never bought toilet paper in such small quantities so for a long time I never noticed it. They also double coupons up to $1.00 so your four pack is $.11. You can usually print a couple of coupons off per month at Smartsource.com and coupled with the ones that usually come in the Sunday paper you should be able to score at least four packs per month for $.44! Enjoy all that cheapo t.p.!

Friday, January 16, 2009

Day 5 -- Debt Wrecking Blitz

This is the last day of debt wrecking and I must say this week has been fruitful. We are $832 over our goal of reducing our financial burden by $2,000 for the year. We have given up a few things but nothing that will be missed in the larger scheme. Most are items that we should never have grown so dependent on in the first place. It feels good to lighten the load and start the year with some proactive financial decisions. So, the last entry for the blitz focuses on something that will improve our lives over the coming year and it's free!!!

We are getting a little chest freezer from friends who are revamping their kitchen into a gorgeous space which will enable them to continue to entertain us in high style for years to come. We appreciate both their wish to keep us in the style to which we have become accustomed at their house and their gift of a no longer needed appliance. It will keep it out of the landfill and allow us to stock up on bargains and freeze summer fruits and vegetables which is something I've been doing less and less since moving from our old house and having to leave the upright freezer behind.

So, we end the 5-day, 5-way Debt Wrecking Blitz with a gift that has no concrete value so I am assigning it a cost of $168 which is roughly what it would cost to buy one new. That makes our total debt whacking $3,000!! What a week! How are you getting rid of debt this year? Just because we've done this blitz doesn't mean we're finished so any new ideas are always welcome.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Quick Louisville Deals for the Weekend

I can't speak for anyone else, but my week has been cold and crappy. Every day has brought more grumps and vacant-eyed clients who are wondering where their life savings went. Everyone seems to be holding their collective breath waiting for fairer winds and better news. If you, like me, need a little socializing this weekend in an effort to forget the cold and the economy, here are a couple of choices:

  • Limestone Restaurant is offering Southern Suppers on Fridays in January for $12.95. This is a bargain and one of the few trips outside the Watterson that seem worth it. Meals are served family style with a meat or fish and three side items. This is a no-brainer for those of us who refuse to spend $27 for an entree in these trying times. I am sure the quality that Limestone has always proudly been known for will stay intact even during bargain season.
  • Avalon has Ladies night every night in January and February. They are offering $5 appetizers and 1/2 price drink specials on selected drinks. They are also offering a 20% Gratitude Card for purchases at Luna Boutique next door. And make sure you take a look at Tom Cannady's artwork gracing the walls this month in the restaurant. His retro automotive themed paintings are fantastic.
  • For the truly frugal and downright cheap, make your hot dinner date breakfast and stop by the new Chik-fil-A on Shelbyville Road through Saturday, January 17. They are offering free chicken biscuits on Friday and Chick-n-minis on Saturday from 6:30-10:30 a.m. Who doesn't want a free chicken biscuit?

Day 4--Debt Wrecking Blitz

The fourth day of debt-whacking brings us to a reckoning. I am getting rid of the YMCA membership. Of all the people in the world who need one, I am high on the list. However, it is expensive and there are many ways to not exercise rather than spend $80/month to not do it. While everyone else is reveling in their new resolutions and membership, I'm cutting mine off at the knees. I was swimming for a while which I love but got a nasty ear infection from the pool and am now a little less enamored with it. So this is a two-fold issue. Giving up the high cost is helpful in the long run, but I will have to replace the gym with some other form of movement designed to keep me alive and healthy a little longer. I promise to revisit this issue later, but for now am just happy to whack another $960, yes, let's see that again, $960 off of our debt load for the year. That surpasses the goal of $2000 by $832!!!!!!! We are on a roll! See you tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Day 3 - Debt Wrecking Blitz


I am going to say goodbye today to one of my favorite things in the world; the Sunday New York Times. There is nothing better than going to the front door early on a Sunday morning and being greeted by that bright blue bag. Nothing better than settling in with the special design magazine that comes a couple of times per year. Nothing better than reading the week's Modern Love essay and feeling smug or sad or enlightened or irritated. It always evokes at least one of those feelings and sometimes all of them. But, I am finally ready to take my relationship with the paper from a physical experience to a virtual one.
As much as I have loved my New York Times for years, I love my money even more. The Sunday NYT now costs $26 per month to be delivered to my front door. That is way too much money for something that can be read online for free. I already read the rest of the week online. To make this a little easier, our local Gannett fiasco recently began delivering the NYT along with our regular newspaper. They have, in the last four weeks, managed to actually deliver it once. Twice it never came at all, even after calling in and being assured it would be brought to us. Once my husband stood at the door at 7 am waiting on the delivery person and then pretty much forced him to give us one, even though he was informed that we were not on the list.
So, in the interest of not tolerating bad service and the current wave of frugality, it's bye-bye New York Times. Savings for a year-----$312!!!! $128 left to go and only halfway through the week! See you tomorrow for more debt-whacking!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Day 2 --- Debt Wrecking Blitz


Tuesday's child is the cell phone bill. I was a realtor for a couple of years and required tons of minutes and access. However, as we are all well aware, real estate is currently a non-starter and my license is going into escrow. Between my chosen career in the automotive industry and my brief couple of years in real estate, I sure know how to pick 'em. Anyway, I visited the nice Verizon store which is peopled with eager recent college graduate phone geeks who really wanted to sell me a Blackberry Storm. And I really wanted to buy one. But I am trying to be as honest as possible in this blog and couldn't see reporting that I had purchased a Storm, an impulse buy if there ever was one. I couldn't face the backlash from my hordes of faithful readers which I am sure are lurking out there. So, whack, whack, whack went the phone bill. Our internet access is on an air card at $59/month and that stayed put. I took my phone bill from $115 to $40, cutting my minutes in half and getting rid of internet access on my TREO. I also acquired a cheap new phone since the TREO was on its' last legs. I feel lighter already! Total Savings-----------$900 per year. $440 left to go!!!!!!!

Monday, January 12, 2009

DAY 1 - Debt Wrecking Blitz!

Day one. The debt has got to go. There are so many ways that money escapes us. Little extras here and there add up. Sometimes it is as simple as taking a hard look at those bills we pay every month and slashing on them a bit. I started with the cable. Obvious, I know. But it is also one of those tedious phone calls that takes effort and usually I'm still not sure what I'm getting when I'm done. This time I simply stated that I wanted local channels, TNT and USA (can't live without my Burn Notice), and that was it. Anything else was a bonus. This took our bill from $115 to $60. Whoooohooooo!! We had recently come off a yearlong special and the cost had gone up so this was a perfect time to do it. We still have XM which my husband loves, and lots of other channels but no LOGO and no Ovation, two of our favorites and no HBO or Showtime (see ya Dexter). Total savings for a year----------$ 660!!!! $1340 to go! Tomorrow--that damn cell phone bill gets whacked.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

5 Day/5 Way Debt-Wrecking Blitz!


For the week of January 12 th through the 16th, I am going to tear through some of those debt mounters that keep snarfing up bits of our money for no good reason. Every day I will blog about something in our personal finances that needs to go or change or be revamped. Most of them won't be earth- shattering and a couple will be the kinds of things we all need to do but just never get around to doing. My goal is to carve $2,000 off of our yearly financial burden so we'll see how it goes. Please feel free to add your own tips, plans, dreams, and goals, no matter how big or small. Get ready and we'll all be lighter at the end!