Tag Archives: Frugal Ideas

Why Rain Checks are Smart

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on November 28, 2011 None comments

For those of you who don’t know, a Rain Check is “an agreement for a merchant to provide to a customer an out-of-stock sale item at a later date. At grocery stores, if an item is on sale (offer) and the merchant has run out of the item, the customer may request a rain check in order that he/she may get the item at a later date at the sale price (Wikipedia).”

As couponers know, really good deals are often in high demand and we have all felt the disappointment of finding an empty shelf. It is very smart to get Rain Checks because they allow you to still purchase the item you intended to buy at a later date. Often the store will restock before your coupons expire but sometimes they will even extend the date that the store will accept expired coupons if you ask them to include it in the rain check.

Rain Checks are cool because many of them do not expire (always check). Unlike most sales that only last one week, this allows you to purchase the item when you actually need it.

Free Rouge Magazine Subscription

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on November 23, 2011 None comments

To receive your free Rogue Magazine Subscription create an account with StyleUnited. All you have to do is check the box to receive the free magazine and put in your correct address. I’m told it has high value coupons which make this an even better deal.

Forgot a Coupon? Bring it back!

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on November 20, 2011 None comments

When I first started couponing, I was frustrated after forgetting a coupon at home and I found out that if you forget a coupon you can bring it back to the store with your receipt.

The above picture is my receipt after a “quick” shopping trip for a few things I needed. “Quick” meaning last minute, no coupons, spending more money. However, I was a lot happier when I got home and realized I had a couple coupons for the items I had already bought. I was able to bring them back to Publix and get some money back. The store will redeem the coupons and get it’s money back. Win, Win!

Now I always keep an eye out for coupons for I items I have recently bought. Think of it like a price guarantee where you can bring your receipt back if an item goes on sale. Stores do this all the time.

Article “10 Smart Ways to Spend One Dollar”

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on November 15, 2011 None comments

I know that usually I am telling you how to save money and not spend $1 but I figured if you are going to spend $1 anyways this article has some good ideas. Click HERE for the article.

11-5-11 Free In The Mail This Week

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on November 5, 2011 None comments

Here are a few things that I have received free in the mail this week. Whenever I see legitimate offers for free samples or other items I try to sign up for them. Often they come with coupons, sometimes even for free full sized items. I love getting mail and I love free stuff. It’s a win win.

I received-

– Free Poise Samples

– Free Playtex Samples

– A Coupon for Free Hair Color

Homemade Weed Killer Update

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on November 1, 2011 None comments

It worked! But as you can see I didn’t spray enough in certain areas. I will go back and spray again but I’m happy with the results that came from mixing items I already had in my cabinet. Click HERE to see my previous post on how I made it.

What to Do When You Run Out of Coffee Filters

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on October 20, 2011 1 comments

Coffee should basically be considered a food group in our house. Although we don’t frequent Starbucks we do make coffee at home every day. This week we ran out of coffee filters just before going on vacation. Instead of running out to the closest convenient yet expensive store to buy some (and probably some other things we didn’t need) we waited couple days until we actually needed to go to the store. Did you know that you can use paper towels instead of coffee filters? It worked fine and we didn’t have to go without coffee (I’m sure the people around us are grateful).

Washington, D.C. Trip! – Free in D.C.

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on October 18, 2011 None comments

(This picture was taken at the WW2 Memorial in front of our home state)

This Thursday night 7 of us departed from Florida for a 14 hour road trip to visit our family who live by Washington, D.C.! We were very excited because several of our group had never seen D.C. before. We had an absolutely amazing time and our main regret is that we wish we could have stayed longer!

Why did we drive instead of flying? With 7 people going we decided that it would be cheaper to drive. Had we been able to find round trip plane tickets for $200 per person it would have cost us over $1400 to fly and that is a low estimate. Instead we spent $100 each, $700 total to cover the cost of renting a van, rental insurance, and gas. This was a savings of 50%. It also worked out well that we had a vehicle to drive while we were there because there were so many of us. The downside was the long drive, but we all slept for a huge portion of the trip and brought a small TV to which we attached our Xbox (which is also a DVD player) and that helped to pass the time.

For those of you who have never been to D.C. you may not know that many of the coolest things to do in Washington, DC are free! All of the monuments in DC are free and so are all of the Smithsonian museums. We visited the Washington monument, Lincoln’s memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, the WW2 Memorial, what would have been the reflection pond had it not been under construction, The National Gallery of Art, The Air and Space Museum, The Natural History Museum, The National Sculpture Garden, and I’m sure I’m forgetting several others but none of which did we have to pay for. The Washington D.C. Zoo is also free but during this short trip we were unable to make it.

Among the highlights of our trip were going to the Andy Warhol exhibit, seeing a giant dead squid, the mammals exhibit, seeing all of the Artwork at the National Art Museum, riding on the Metro (D.C.’s subway) and spending time with our family. Below are some pictures we took during the trip.

( The Washington Monument from inside the WW2 Memorial )

( Outside the Lincoln Monument )

( The Vietnam War Memorial )

( Picasso inside the National Gallery of Art )

( Inside the Lincoln Monument )

( The Natural History Museum )

We also saved money by-

– choosing a slightly smaller but fuel efficient rental van

– packing as lightly as possible to fit in the van

– staying with family

– eating at our relative’s houses instead of going out to eat

– bringing our own drinks and snacks along the road trip and with us during day trips to DC

– having family who gave us tons of “souvenirs” to take back with us for our households

– driving whenever we could instead of taking public transportation

– taking pictures instead of buying tons of souvenirs

Overall, for all of you frugal people out there, Washington, D.C. has a lot of fun things you can do without spending a dime. Your main costs when considering a vacation there are going to be transportation, food, and a place to stay. We were able to keep those to a minimum. We probably also spent about another $250 for food while we were there but none of us ended up spending very much. None of this would have been possible without the generosity of our family who welcomed us with open arms, provided amazing food for our small army and gave us a place to stay that was hundreds of times better than a hotel. We had an amazing time and we all want to visit again soon.

Doubling Milk

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on September 25, 2011 None comments

We decided to try the milk / water trick when we were half way through our gallon of milk.

Before

After

Click HERE to read how to do it. Now we just have to figure our how we will drink it all before it expires, but we eat a lot of cereal so I don’t think that this will be a problem.

Frugal Articles

Posted by Ney@ShopahoicSavers.com on September 23, 2011 None comments

I don’t know about you but I love reading articles about frugal living. Why? It gives me new ideas and reaffirms what I’m already doing, therefore providing inspiration!