Normally, I'm much more of a fan of Rite Aid than Walgreens. Rite Aid is so much more customer friendly and has gone to great lengths to make their policies clear. Be sure to print out and carry their Corporate Coupon Acceptance Policy with you in case you ever run into any conflicts (thanks to Deal Seeking Mom)! I wish that Walgreens had something like this because I have personally run into problems with cashiers, managers, and different corporate reps telling me different things, which is soooo frustrating! Anyhow, I digress....this week I see some really great deals at Walgreens, and only so-so ones at Rite Aid (remember the Gift of Savings program is going on at Rite Aid now though).
Here are the best deals I see at Walgreens this week:
In-ad coupon deals
150 ct fold & close sandwich bags, $.99
Black or Color Printer cartridge refill, $9.99
Old Spice or Secret deodorant, $2.29
stack with $1/2 Old Spice Deodorants or Body Washes, exp. 12-31-09 (P&G 11/29/09)
or B2G1 Secret Product, exp. 12-31-09 (P&G 11/1/09)
or $0.50/1 Secret Product, exp. 12-31-09 (P&G 11/1/09)
Yardley bar soap, $.69
Just in time - I am all out!
Ecotrin 24 ct., $1.99
stack with $2/1 Ecotrin Aspirin Therapy Product, exp. 12-31-09 (RP 10/11/09)
OR $7/2 Advantage Brands, exp. 12-31-09 (RP 10/11/09)
OR $10/3 Advantage Brands, exp. 12-31-09 (RP 10/11/09)
check out this post on how to turn this into a freebie with overage!
Register Reward deals
Glade Fragrance Collection products, 2/$5, get $1 RR when you buy 2
use $3/2 Glade Fragrance Collection Product, (ALL YOU December '09)
OR $3/2 Glade Fragrance Collection Product, (SS 11/22/09)
OR $3/2 printable from Right at Home
Gillette Fusion Razor, $8.99, get $4 RR when you buy 1
use $4/1 Gillette Fusion Razor, (P&G 11/29/09)
Complete Multi-Purpose Contact Solution, $7.99, get $7.99 RR when you buy 1
use $1/1 Complete Multipurpose Solution, (RP 10/25/09)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Rite Aid Gift of Savings Program returns!
Do you remember the Fall Gift of Savings program that Rite Aid ran? Well, there is a holiday version that started this past Sunday. All purchases between November 22 and December 24 qualify, and you could earn up to $20 in the form of a gift certificate to Rite Aid!
Here is how the rewards are structured:
Spend between $25 and $49 and receive a $5 certificate
Spend between $50 and $99 and receive a $10 certificate
Spend over $100 and receive a $20 certificate
The program works this way:
While programs like this one can be great, it is also important to not get caught up in the mentality of "spend more so I can save more". Weighing the actual cost and whether or not you need what you are buying is more important that getting money back later on.
Because of the sales during the Fall Gift of Savings Program, I was able to make money! My total expenses (after getting back my rebate checks) was $11.71 and I have a $20 gift certificate to use still. I am excited that I was able to hold onto it, so now I can roll it into the new gift of savings program!
Here is how the rewards are structured:
Spend between $25 and $49 and receive a $5 certificate
Spend between $50 and $99 and receive a $10 certificate
Spend over $100 and receive a $20 certificate
The program works this way:
Login or register at the Single Check Rebate site. Any receipts that you enter for SCR are automatically entered into the gift of savings program...but remember to enter all your receipts, even if there are no qualifying rebates!
Your "amount spent" is calculated based on the shelf price of the items you purchase. Any coupons or single check rebates do not affect the amount that qualifies towards the Gift of Savings Program. Your reward comes in the form of a gift certificate to Rite Aid that must be used in a single purchase (no cash back).While programs like this one can be great, it is also important to not get caught up in the mentality of "spend more so I can save more". Weighing the actual cost and whether or not you need what you are buying is more important that getting money back later on.
Because of the sales during the Fall Gift of Savings Program, I was able to make money! My total expenses (after getting back my rebate checks) was $11.71 and I have a $20 gift certificate to use still. I am excited that I was able to hold onto it, so now I can roll it into the new gift of savings program!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Food Waste Friday
So this week's waste is the result of a slip-up on my part. I was making dinner Saturday night and had a can of evaporated and 3 eggs in my bowl. I added 2 cups of flour...and then realized I was only supposed to add 2 TABLESPOONS! My husband and I looked through a ton of different recipes trying to find something that would fit, and we actually did find a few things. But the weekend was crazy and the week was busy, so I never got around to making anything with it and now its a little....yuck!
To read more about food waste Friday, visit the Frugal Girl!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Homemade Yogurt
Its been some time now that I've made my own yogurt. I first read about making yogurt from Prayer of Hannah, which is also where I first heard about Super Baby Food
.
Ruth Yaron, the author of Super Baby Food, has very detailed instructions about making yogurt, including what all of the steps of the process do to the milk.
Here is how I make my yogurt:
Put milk (I use 2%, but whole milk will make your yogurt thicker) into a mason jar and heat in a large pot of water. I put a washcloth under the mason jar because when the water starts to boil the glass jar rattles. You can scald the milk in a pot without using the glass jar, but I think this works best.
Using a thermometer, heat the milk to between 180-185 degrees. Small bubbles will form on the top of the milk as it begins to get close.
.Ruth Yaron, the author of Super Baby Food, has very detailed instructions about making yogurt, including what all of the steps of the process do to the milk.
Here is how I make my yogurt:
Put milk (I use 2%, but whole milk will make your yogurt thicker) into a mason jar and heat in a large pot of water. I put a washcloth under the mason jar because when the water starts to boil the glass jar rattles. You can scald the milk in a pot without using the glass jar, but I think this works best.
Using a thermometer, heat the milk to between 180-185 degrees. Small bubbles will form on the top of the milk as it begins to get close.
Remove the milk from the pot and allow it to cool to between 105-115 degrees, but 112 is best. I put the jars in a little bit of water in the sink. You could cool it in the fridge, but I think it is easier to check this way.
While the milk is cooling, set your starter out on the counter so that it can warm up to room temperature. The starter is just yogurt with active cultures. I had not made yogurt in a while, so I needed to use store bought yogurt as my starter, but you can use your homemade yogurt as a starter too. Use 2 tablespoons of yogurt for every quart of milk.
We prefer vanilla yogurt instead of plain, I get a large bottle of pure vanilla at Costco for about $7, but I also have a smaller bottle of imitation vanilla from the Dollar Tree ($1). I use about half and half, and it tastes the same!
Once the milk has cooled to around 112 degrees add (for each quart)
Gently mix the ingredients into the milk with a metal spoon. Put the lid on the container and let it rest in a very warm place for about 4 hours. This is the incubation phase. You want the temperature to be between 90-120 degrees, but closer to 112 degrees is best.
While the milk is cooling, set your starter out on the counter so that it can warm up to room temperature. The starter is just yogurt with active cultures. I had not made yogurt in a while, so I needed to use store bought yogurt as my starter, but you can use your homemade yogurt as a starter too. Use 2 tablespoons of yogurt for every quart of milk.
We prefer vanilla yogurt instead of plain, I get a large bottle of pure vanilla at Costco for about $7, but I also have a smaller bottle of imitation vanilla from the Dollar Tree ($1). I use about half and half, and it tastes the same!
Once the milk has cooled to around 112 degrees add (for each quart)
2 T. yogurt
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/8 - 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
Gently mix the ingredients into the milk with a metal spoon. Put the lid on the container and let it rest in a very warm place for about 4 hours. This is the incubation phase. You want the temperature to be between 90-120 degrees, but closer to 112 degrees is best.
I put the containers in a cooler for the incubation and use the hot water from heating the milk to keep the cooler warm. Be careful about the temperature here, especially. Too hot or too cold and you will kill the active cultures!
After the 4 hours is up, you can test the yogurt to see if its down by touching the top of the yogurt with a clean finger. It should feel like....yogurt! Mine gets a little bit more firm in the fridge, so it does not need to be completely firm when you check.
Making yogurt takes very little hands on time. It also takes a little bit of trial and error. The first time I made yogurt it tasted fine, but was pretty runny. Mine is still a little more runny because I use 2% milk; whole milk would make it thicker. Edited to add: I have started making whole milk yogurt and it is soooo much better! We really like how thick it is, and there is really no way to tell that it is not store-bought!! Getting a temperature off can change things too. If it doesn't come out right the first time, don't be discouraged!
Homemade yogurt is way cheaper than store bought yogurt, even then large 32 oz containers. It goes great with homemade granola....which is a sneak peak into the next recipe I will post!
Homemade yogurt is way cheaper than store bought yogurt, even then large 32 oz containers. It goes great with homemade granola....which is a sneak peak into the next recipe I will post!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
All You
My December issue of All You came this week. This is a really great magazine for a number of reasons.
The description of the contents of the magazine is as follows:
**Fashion for real women's bodies (read: no supermodels saying "be like me!")
**Diet and fitness advice that fits your busy lifestyle (read: for people who have other things to do than just diet and exercise!)
**Products available in stores near you, by phone or online (read: you don't have to be a world traveler to find the featured products!)
**Hair and beauty idea you don't need three hands or a makeup artist to achieve (read: yes! this is totally me!)
**Simple recipes made with ingredients that are easy to find (read: I've heard of all the ingredients and many recipes have 15 minutes of prep or less!)
**Tips you can really use (read: again, for people who have other things to do than decorate the house and make crafts!)
**Real-life advice from real women just like you (read: most of the people quoted you have never seen in a movie, on tv, or the internet, and they have a family and a job)
**Great value on every single page, in every single issue (read: yay!)
Also, the December issue has $64 in coupons in it, and many of the coupons are better than you usually see in the Sunday paper. Some of my favorites from this issue are
$3/2 Glade Fragrance Collection
$.75/1 Bertolli Pasta Sauce (so I can buy some Alfredo!)
$1 off Corn Flakes
$2 off any Neutrogena product
$3 off Neutrogena cosmetics
and many, many more!
Amazon is currently selling a 2 year subscription for $34 plus $5 back instantly. $29 for 2 years is just over $1 per issue. Read more about it here.
Women's magazines are not usually my thing, but for all the reasons I pointed out, this magazine is way different!
Do you already subscribe to All You? What are your favorite features?
The description of the contents of the magazine is as follows:
**Fashion for real women's bodies (read: no supermodels saying "be like me!")
**Diet and fitness advice that fits your busy lifestyle (read: for people who have other things to do than just diet and exercise!)
**Products available in stores near you, by phone or online (read: you don't have to be a world traveler to find the featured products!)
**Hair and beauty idea you don't need three hands or a makeup artist to achieve (read: yes! this is totally me!)
**Simple recipes made with ingredients that are easy to find (read: I've heard of all the ingredients and many recipes have 15 minutes of prep or less!)
**Tips you can really use (read: again, for people who have other things to do than decorate the house and make crafts!)
**Real-life advice from real women just like you (read: most of the people quoted you have never seen in a movie, on tv, or the internet, and they have a family and a job)
**Great value on every single page, in every single issue (read: yay!)
Also, the December issue has $64 in coupons in it, and many of the coupons are better than you usually see in the Sunday paper. Some of my favorites from this issue are
$3/2 Glade Fragrance Collection
$.75/1 Bertolli Pasta Sauce (so I can buy some Alfredo!)
$1 off Corn Flakes
$2 off any Neutrogena product
$3 off Neutrogena cosmetics
and many, many more!
Amazon is currently selling a 2 year subscription for $34 plus $5 back instantly. $29 for 2 years is just over $1 per issue. Read more about it here.
Women's magazines are not usually my thing, but for all the reasons I pointed out, this magazine is way different!
Do you already subscribe to All You? What are your favorite features?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Free Photo Cards
This is just in time for Christmas! Last week I ordered 50 5x7 photo cards and paid nothing - not even shipping! This offer is good through November 30, so there is still plenty of time to get your pictures together and order.
Go to SeeHere by Fujifilm. If you are a member, just login and go to the photo card section. If you are not a member, join, and you will receive a code (prints) for 100 free prints! You will have to pay shipping, and the 100 free prints must be in a separate order from the photo cards.
You can pick from any of the single-sided photo cards in either 4x6 size or 5x7. The cards also come with envelopes! I found the software a little hard to get used to at first, but there are so many options to personalize your card. You can choose from a ton of different backgrounds, add as many pictures as you want, add borders and effects to your pictures and edit your pictures through their site. I chose to add text - a recap of the past year. If you do end up writing a paragraph or so, I found that I needed to use the 'enter' key to keep the shape of a paragraph. Otherwise my text ended up being one long line that obviously did not fit on a 5x7 card!
Once you have your card designed just the way you want, add 50 to your shopping cart. The promotional code is freebies4mom-1109 (thanks Freebies4Mom!). My total went from $39.50 to zero!
Keep in mind that since this is such a great opportunity, that SeeHere has been a little slow at times. I found that earlier in the day was fine, but the one night I worked on it things were taking a while. There is still plenty of time, so its ok to save your project and come back!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Not such a good week
Going through the fridge was the last thing on my mind last Friday with my husband home sick from work (we think he had the flu)...so I guess its understandable that there was a bit more to throw out this week.
The I lost about a tablespoon of salsa and some sour cream earlier in the week. I was going to eat them with a quesadilla, but the salsa was too far gone and even though the sour cream was probably ok, my stomach was not interested in trying!
In the picture is a little bit of homemade 1000Island dressing. It didn't smell bad, but had been in there for a while and I knew I wouldn't be brave enough to finish it. A little bit of veggie dip that didn't get finished, and then some spaghetti noodles from earlier last week.
The I lost about a tablespoon of salsa and some sour cream earlier in the week. I was going to eat them with a quesadilla, but the salsa was too far gone and even though the sour cream was probably ok, my stomach was not interested in trying!
In the picture is a little bit of homemade 1000Island dressing. It didn't smell bad, but had been in there for a while and I knew I wouldn't be brave enough to finish it. A little bit of veggie dip that didn't get finished, and then some spaghetti noodles from earlier last week.
How does your fridge look this week? Do you have leftovers that need to be prioritized? I'm impressed that I've been staying on top of our fresh fruits and veggies, but its because of going through the fridge every week!
Remember to see more ways to waste less at The Frugal Girl.
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