The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to the Universe

Last week I went along to get the ink cartridges for my printer refilled. I’ve been a customer of the store for at least three years. As I drove into the parking lot, I noticed that while everything looked the same, the store had no lights on, and the door had a note pinned to it. I thought that maybe they were closed for the day or something. It turns out that the paper taped to the door was an eviction notice. So this left me trying to find another place to get the ink cartridges refilled. I know a couple of stores have do it yourself refill centers, but I tried that myself at home and didn’t like the results. Seems like some good things come out bad things, in this case, the store closing. When I got home, I went online and typed in cartridge refills and discovered that some Walgreens refill them now. I typed in my zip code and sure enough, my local Walgreens has a refill center. The good news is Walgreen’s refills cost less than the store that closed. Just $10 for black ink, $15 for color.

And speaking of good buys at Walgreens, while I was waiting for the ink to be refilled, I thought I might as well do some shopping. I got 2 pizzas for $5 and 2 packages of shredded cheese for $3, and with a coupon, got three cans of Campbell’s Tomato Soup for 69 cents each. They also had a sale on weekly planners and calendars. I got a purse size weekly planner for $1 and a magnetic calendar for the fridge for $2 and it even has its own pen. The thing I like about it is, it’s noted dated, so you can use it whenever. If you’re looking for appointment books or calendars for yourself or for stocking stuffers, definitely check it out. And be sure to pick up their Rebate Catalog at the checkout.

And speaking of Campbell’s Soup, last week I was watching a show about how comfort foods are making a big comeback due to the current economic situation. More companies are advertising the money saving aspects of their line of products, including Campbell’s Soups. And strangely enough, the day the stocks took a big tumble, Campbell’s were the only company whose stock actually went up. So that got me thinking about canned soup and how you can turn it into a meal or even a more gourmet tasting soup. I’ll be letting you know my results in an upcoming Budget Smart Cook.