Finance Gets Personal

This Week’s Savings

financegirl — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:50:12 +0000

I have been shopping so much this week, it’s crazy! But I can’t believe all the bargains out there. Here are the places I visited in addition to CVS this week.

WalMart:

4 One-Subject Notebooks - On Sale for $0.05 Each
2 10-Packs of Bic Cristal Pens - On Sale for $0.88 Each, Used $1 Off 2 Coupon = $0.38 Each
Herbal Essences Shampoo and Conditioner - $2.94 Each, Used $3 Off 2 Coupon = $1.44 Each, Plus a Free Pedicure!
Powerade Zero - On Sale for $0.60, Used $1 Coupon = FREE Plus $0.40 Overage
Muir Glen Organic Diced Tomatoes - $1.32, Used $1 Coupon = $0.32
Honey Bunches of Oats Just Bunches Cereal - $2.50, Used $2 Coupon = $0.50
Kashi Vive Cereal - $3.46, Used $2 Coupon = $1.46
Krunchers Potato Chips - $2.75, Used $1 Coupon = $1.75
Other Non-Deal Purchases (For the Sake of Full Disclosure): Roma Tomatoes - $0.50, Lettuce Head - $1.28, Mission Tortillas - $2.18, Great Value Shredded Cheddar Cheese - $2.68, Great Value Sugar Free Syrup - $1.48

Total Before Taxes: $16.59 ($8.47 Excluding Non-Deal Purchases)

Hen House:

2 Pillsbury Toaster Strudels - On Sale for $1.93, Used 2 $1 Off Coupons = $0.93 Each
Blue Bunny Ice Cream Sandwiches - On sale for $2.99, Used $1 Off Coupon = $1.99
2 Keebler Ice Cream Cone Packages and Blue Bunny Ice Cream - Cones On Sale for $1.50 Each, Ice Cream Was $3.55 and I Got a $1.50 Discount for Buying the Cones = $5.05 (This would have been a better deal if I hadn’t accidentally bought Blue Bunny instead of Blue Bell, which I had a $1 coupon for)
Coke Zero - On Sale for $3.34, Used $1 Coupon Redeemed at My Coke Rewards = $2.34

Total Before Taxes: $12.80

Walgreens:

Walgreens has some great deals on school supplies this week, but everything was sold out when I went on Wednesday. I still managed to pick up a couple things:
Reynolds Wrap Foil - On Sale for $0.89 with Walgreens Coupon, Used $0.55 Manufacturer’s Coupon = $0.44
Bic Comfort 3 Razors 4-Pack - On Sale for $2.99, Used $2 Coupon = $0.99 (Look for the Packs with 2 Bonus Razors!)

Total Before Taxes: $1.33

Target:

I heard the toys were on clearance at Target, so I got a few things for birthdays/Christmas.
Hulk Toy - Originally $9.99, On Clearance for $2.48
Star Wars Toy - Originally $9.99, On Clearance for $2.48
MXS Toy - Originally $14.99, On Clearance for $3.68

Total Before Taxes: $8.64

JC Penney: (Two Stores)

JC Penney is having AMAZING clearance sales right now! After this week’s sale shopping, my stepson is fully stocked for next summer.
4 Boys Shirts - Originally $24.99 Each, On Clearance for $2.97 Each
2 Boys Shorts - Originally $29.99 Each, On Clearance for $4.97 Each
Boys Swimsuit - Originally $25, On Clearance for $4.97 (Comes with Free Goggles)
Infant Pajama Set - Originally $22.50, On Clearance for $4.97 (Bought for a Friend’s Baby’s First Birthday Party)
2 Womens Blouses - Originally $30 Each, On Clearance for $2.97 Each
Womens Short-Sleeve Suiting Jacket - Originally $44, On Clearance for $2.97

I used a 15% off coupon on everything.
Total Before Taxes: $33.02 (Saved $279.92!)

Macy’s:

Boys Nike T-Shirt - Originally $16, On Clearance for $2.40
Boys Blue Shirt - Originally $24, On Clearance for $3.60

Total Before Taxes: $6.00

Children’s Place (Online):

5 Boys Shirts - On Clearance for Between $3.39-$4.24 After Additional 15% Off Promo Code
Boys Shorts - On Clearance for $2.54 After Additional 15% Off Promo Code

Shipping was $5.
Total Before Taxes: $27.05

Border’s (Online):

Use promo code BR41925 to get $5 off every book (making books under $5 free!). Read more details about getting this deal to work here.
Board Books for Babies (More First Birthday Presents!): Dr. Seuss’s ABC; Are You My Mother?; Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb; The Nose Book, Go, Dog, Go!; The Tooth Book; The Foot Book; Big Dog…Little Dog; Put Me in the Zoo
Books for My Stepson: The Day My Butt Went Psycho!; Guinness World Records 2008; How to Draw Pokemon; Football Nightmare; What’s Happening to Me: Boy’s Edition; Barfing in the Backseat: How I Survived My Family Road Trip; Who Ordered This Baby? Definitely Not Me!; Report to the Principal’s Office; Tsumanis and Other Natural Disasters
Books for My Niece’s Birthday: Camp Rock: The Junior Novel; Jammin’ with the Jonas Brothers

Free Shipping to the Store.
Total Before Taxes: $5.48

Ann Taylor Loft (Online):

I am not much of a bargain shopper when it comes to my own clothes, but I thought this was a pretty good deal considering the source.
Purse - Originally $49, On Clearance for $19.99, saved Another 25% with TEACHER20 Code = $14.99
Sandals - Originally $34, On Clearance for $16.99, Saved 50% on 2nd Sale Item, Saved Another 25% with TEACHER20 Code = $6.37

Shipping was $5.38.
Total Before Taxes: $26.74

In case you’re wondering…NO, I do not usually shop this much! If I did, I think I’d need a 12-step program! I’m just trying to get ahead of the seasons on gifts and clothes (to reduce spending) and cut my grocery/household item costs. All of the stores I visited are within a mile of my route to and from work. Please let me know if you have any questions about the deals!

Staycation Report

financegirl — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:00:29 +0000

I just ran the numbers for our “staycation,” and we came in at $999.37 - $0.64 under budget!

While $1,000 might seem a little steep considering we didn’t have to travel a long distance or pay for lodging, we were definitely able to enjoy ourselves for less than the price of a typical vacation (last year’s trip to Florida was $2,662).

I must admit that it’s hard to enjoy yourself when you’re so used to being frugal, but I’m pretty sure I could get used to it… I mean, eating out nearly every meal, visiting all the attractions, ordering a glass of wine with my dinner, not sitting in the nosebleed section at the baseball stadium and theatre… oops, back to reality!

I’ll post some pictures once Snapfish develops the film I mailed in (I can justify a “staycation,” but still can’t get over one-hour photo developing costs! Some day I’ll have enough money for that Canon Digital Rebel XTi…)

Mattress Before and After Pics

financegirl — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:41:16 +0000

Before:

After:

At $1,130 for the bed and frame (minus the $75 delivery fee that will be refunded), it’s not the cheapest purchase ever, but definitely worthwhile in my opinion!

Today’s CVS Trip

financegirl — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:30:43 +0000

As you may know, I began visiting CVS regularly to take advantage of their Extra Care Bucks program last month. So far, I’ve *saved* $522.58.

Although I’m technically still on “staycation,” here’s what I snagged this week in case you’d like to play along at home…

L’Oreal Vive Pro Shampoo and Deep Conditioner
Originally $4.99 each, on sale B1G1, used B1G1 coupon from 7/13 SmartSource insert
Final Price = FREE

Revlon ColorStay 12 Hour Eye Shadow and LipGLIDE Lip Gloss
Originally $4.49 for the eye shadow and $8.99 for the lip gloss, lip gloss was marked as 50% off ($4.50), on sale B1G1, used two $2 off coupons from 7/20 SmartSource insert (purchased an extra newspaper earlier)
Final Price = $0.50 for Both

Almay Clear Complexion Concealer and Smart Shade Blush
Originally $6.99 for the concealer and $9.99 for the blush, on sale B1G1, used $2 off store coupon from in-store kiosk
Final Price = $7.99 for Both (Not a super deal, but I was out of concealer and don’t have any blush)

All Small and Mighty and Free and Clear
Originally $6.19 each, on sale B1G1, used $1 online coupon and $0.50 coupon from previous insert (not sure which one)
Final Price = $4.69 for Both

I also had a $3 off $15 store coupon (hurry, expires today!), so my total cost before taxes for everything was $10.18.

I didn’t have any Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) to spend today, and didn’t earn any for next week, but hopefully there are some better deals coming up!

For more great CVS scenarios, visit Money Saving Mom and The “Cent”sible Sawyer.

I’m On “Staycation” This Week

financegirl — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:30:59 +0000

I’m *technically* not supposed to be on the Internet this week, since we’re on our “staycation.”

I should be back with a new post on Sunday or Monday!

Support This Blog and Get a Gift Card When You Sign Up for AT&T U-Verse

financegirl — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:39:17 +0000

I currently use AT&T U-verse for my high speed Internet and television service.

Last week, I received a referral offer from the company and would like to offer this deal to anyone who is shopping around for services or already planning on switching to U-verse:

If you sign up for AT&T U-verse TV and high speed Internet service, I’ll get a $100 Visa Gift Card, Starbucks Card or Amazon.com Gift Card. To thank you, I’ll send you a $50 gift card to Target, Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, or a national store of your choice (that I have easy access to).

If you add wireless service, I get another $25, and you’ll get another $12.50. If you add voice service (home telephone, I presume), I get another $50, and you’ll get another $25.

This deal is not just for new customers. You can also be rewarded if you add additional services. Here is the full rewards schedule (you will earn half of each amount listed):

Referrals Who Are Current AT&T Customers:
High-Speed Internet $25
Wireless $25
Advanced TV $25
High-Speed Internet U-verse Enabled $50
U-verse TV $50
U-verse Voice $50
PLUS get an additional $25 for NEW AT&T customers!

If you decide to sign up for service with AT&T U-verse, just email me your name, address and which gift card you’d like, and I will email you back with my referral code. Then, enter the referral code when you sign up at att.com/uverserewards. Once I receive my gift card, I’ll mail yours.

Sound like a deal?

p.s. I’m not sure about the exact pricing, but I have the fastest Internet option, TV and DVR for $89/month. There is no contract. If you’d like more details, you can probably find them at att.com/uverse.

50% Off Restaurant.com Certificates ($25 Certificate for $5!)

financegirl — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 04:48:51 +0000

If you haven’t heard of Restaurant.com, you should check it out. Today!

Because if you enter the code DELICIOUS, you can get a certificates to your favorite restaurants for half price (expires this Sunday).

Just do a search for restaurants near your ZIP (there were 84 within a 30-mile radius of mine), and select as many as you want. Typically, $25 certificates sell for $10, and $10 certificates sell for $3, so you’ll pay $5 or $1.50. Be sure to check the stipulations of the restaurant - usually for the $25 certificate, you have to spend at least $35 (so, $10 after the certificate), and sometimes it’s only valid for dinner, or on certain nights. The $10 certificate is usually valid for lunch with a minimum purchase of $20.

Enter the code to get them half price, and print from your computer. Voila!

Since our staycation is next week, I bought them for four different restaurants, and also redeemed some Coke Rewards for a $25 certificate.

Thank you, Coupon Mom!

Update: If you shop through the Coupon Mom (here’s the direct link), you can still get your certificates for 40% off.

I Think My Fortune Cookie Just Insulted Me

financegirl — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:35:38 +0000

From my Panda Express fortune cookie:

“You need to work on your exercise routine”

Hmm…I guess the Panda knows its customers.

A New Way to Decide Whether to DIY or Hire Someone

financegirl — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:15:23 +0000

Ah, the great “do-it-yourself or hire someone else to do it?” debate (also known as “time or money?”).

Well, I’m ready to chime in…

I have a notoriously dirty car. Not the kind with all lots of trash in it, just the kind with lots of dog hair, food crumbs and dust. I told a co-worker that I needed to take it to the car wash, vacuum it out and clean the dash/windows, and his response was, “When my car gets that bad, I just take it to the place down the street and have it detailed.”

Me, being a girl who doesn’t even like pumping quarters into the car wash, found this a little ridiculous. Even though car detailing supposedly “only” costs about $20, I can do it myself for $7 or less (I think $7 is expensive for a car wash, but this one has free vacuums and I usually end up paying less than I would if I had to keep pumping quarters in for the wash and vacuum - I’m pretty slow!).

For some reason, I was thinking about this today (maybe it was the sight of all that hair and crumbs around my stick shift?), and something occurred to me. If my co-worker offered me $20 to clean out his car, would I do it? I think I would!

If I would be willing to do the job if someone else paid me to do it, then I shouldn’t hire someone else to do it for me.

Now, onto the question we do not speak of: If someone paid me $2,992 to paint their house, would I do it? If so, should I be hiring someone to paint mine? Of course, another relevant question would be: If someone paid me to paint their house, would I feel qualified to do it?

I’d like to think I’d pass on that “opportunity.”

Photo Credit: Do-It-Yourself by iamPatrick, used under Creative Commons licensing.

Strange but Sad Craigslist Request (Scam?)

financegirl — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:54:40 +0000

Co Signer Needed
Reply to: sale-746982363@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-07-08, 11:50AM CDT

I was going through a young and stupid time- co signed on stuff with my ex- and now I’m paying about $900 a month in debt payments. I can’t get a loan from the bank- to get settlements on my payments due- because of bad credit- from my ex not paying his bills. I just need a small loan to get settlements on all of my payments- or a cosigner on a personal loan. I do have two jobs, and I work very hard- I’m just still short. I’m just trying to get my life back on track and I’ll try anything. I would sign a professional contract with you- so that I would pay you everymonth. I would agree to an interest rate if you were to give me the loan or cosign the loan (so you will be making something on this- and I would add in cleaning every week, or painting your home, or something. Please, I don’t have a family to help me, I just want to get this paid off and put behind me so that I can move on with my life. I know this is a weird request, I just don’t know where else to turn anymore. Just please give me a chance.

Just to be clear, Finance Girl does not think anyone should co-sign this (or any other) loan.