budgetsmartgirl

Posts Tagged ‘bargains’

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May’s Month of Savings

In Georgine Saves Blogs, Uncategorized on May 15, 2012 at 3:29 pm

Lots of good tips from Georgine this month-

May is a big month. First there is Mother’s Day, then communions, confirmations, weddings, and graduations to name a few of the exciting gift-giving occasions. Flowers are a perfect fit for all of them. Jewelry is another timeless expression of affection.  Keep in mind, most often, if an online site asks if you have a coupon code, there probably is one. If you have trouble locating one, try Swag Bucks. It is a search engine just like Google however the BIG difference is that you earn points randomly for your searches (you get 100 points just for joining). These points add up quickly and can be redeemed for gift cards to popular stores, apparel, gifts, books, movies, and so much more. If you are going to search you might as well get rewarded.

 Then of course, let’s not forget Memorial Day, which is the kick-off to summer fun. To get your barbeque stated you might want to visit Omaha Steaks for the best deals on beef, seafood, and poultry. In the supermarket you will find sales on charcoal, lighter fluid, as well as ketchup, mustard, relish, and pickles. Now is the time to clip those coupons to combine with the sales that will be happening all month long. Ice cream is another treat you can stock up on. Remember; try to buy when products are on sale and NOT when you need them. You’ll save a bundle by planning ahead. Soda and bottled water too are staples you can keep for several months. Chips and salad dressing (get the ones with the longest expiration dates so you can use throughout the fall and winter) are highly reduced this time of the year. Many stores will start drastically reducing paper plates, cups, and utensils. Grab these up because they have no shelf life and you can continue using them all through the winter months.

When preparing for garden and yard work, save time and money by replacing the gas in your mower or other machine (always dispose of the stale gas as per your town’s regulations). This will save you the cost of a tune-up because you probably don’t need one.

Look for deals in electronics too. With all the outdoor activities many stores will have specials on cameras, GPS devices, notebooks, and other easy-travel items.

Enjoy the extra money you’ve saved and have fun all month long.

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Budget Smart Girl Newsletter-September 2011

In Budget Smart Girl's Newsletter on September 1, 2011 at 3:19 pm

I know I say it every month but this time it’s where did summer go? Some stores have Halloween items on display and yesterday a Christmas catalog arrived in my mailbox.  It’s still a great time to grab some bargains from summer leftovers. I’m seeing huge discounts on summer clothing, yard and garden items and yes, still lots of bargains to be hand with back to school stuff. Best time of the year to stock your home office too.

Summer Recipes

I’ve been meaning to pass along these recipes to you so thought they’d be perfect for Labor Day. They all look tempting and I’m going to give the salmon recipe a try this weekend. If you want to check out more recipes like this visit www.Mizkan.com.  Thank you to them for passing these along-

 

Chicken Lettuce Bundles with Sesame Herb Dressing

Makes 6 lettuce bundles

Not a salad, not a sandwich–just a terrific flavor combination

to eat out of hand. Use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie

chicken for added convenience.

INGREDIENTS

Sesame Herb Dressing:

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup, plus 1 Tbsp. NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar Original or Roasted Garlic, divided

1/3 cup chopped fresh mint

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro or basil

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger (optional)

Lettuce Bundles:

2 small avocados, not too soft

8 to 10 oz. cooked chicken, shredded

1 small cucumber, cut in 1/4-inch cubes

1/2 cup matchstick carrots

6 large Romaine lettuce leaves

DIRECTIONS

Combine mayonnaise and 1/4-cup rice vinegar with remaining dressing ingredients in a small bowl or pitcher; whisk to blend. Cut avocados in half, remove pits and peel. Cut into small cubes, place in a bowl and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar.

To assemble lettuce bundles, place a lettuce leaf on each serving plate. Drizzle center of lettuce with Sesame Herb Dressing. Top with 1/3 cup chicken, 2 tablespoons diced cucumbers, 1 tablespoon carrots, and about 1/4 cup diced avocado. Drizzle with more dressing. Fold sides of lettuce up and eat taco style.

 

Coconut-Lime Marinated Shrimp

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Serve shrimp with coconut-lime sauce over hot cooked rice.
INGREDIENTS
1-1/4 lbs. raw, peeled shrimp (26/30 size or about 40 shrimp)
1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk
1/3 cup NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar—Red pepper
1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Grated peel of 2 limes
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
8 to 10 skewers (8 to 10-inches)
DIRECTIONS
Place shrimp in a sealable gallon plastic bag. Shake can of coconut milk, open and pour into medium bowl or 2-cup measuring cup. Stir in Nakano seasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and lime peel. Pour over shrimp and shake bag gently to coat. Seal bag and refrigerate 4 hours, turning bag over once.

If using wood skewers, soak skewers in water 30 minutes. Preheat broiler, or preheat grill to medium heat. Drain shrimp reserving marinade in a small saucepan. Thread 4 to 5 shrimp onto each skewer. Broil or grill 3 minutes; turn over and cook 3 minutes more. Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil; boil for 1 full minute. Serve sauce with shrimp, over rice if desired.

Pan-Roasted Salmon with Black-Bean Garlic Sauce

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS
1/4-cup NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar Red Pepper
2-teaspoons soy sauce
2 -teaspoons Asian (toasted) sesame oil
4-skinless salmon fillets (1-3/4 to 2 lbs)
Freshly ground black pepper
1-tablespoon vegetable oil
4-teaspoons black bean garlic sauce*
3-medium green onions, minced
1-tablespoon minced fresh ginger
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil; set aside. Pat salmon dry with paper towels; remove bones. Lightly season salmon with pepper.

In a 12-inch non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook salmon on one side until well browned, about 4 minutes; remove skillet from heat. Carefully turn salmon over; spread 1 teaspoon bean sauce over each fillet. Drizzle vinegar mixture over salmon; sprinkle with onions and ginger. Cover; cook over medium heat until salmon is done as desired, about 2 to 4 minutes.

To serve, spoon sauce in pan over salmon.

 *Note: Black bean garlic sauce is available in Asian markets and the Asian section in supermarkets.

Budget Smart Girl Note-I think you could even use just black beans and a hint of garlic.

September is…

Besides being the month with Labor Day and the first day of fall it’s also National Yoga Month. If you’re like me and keep saying you’ll give classes a try check out www.yogamonth.org . You can get sign up for one free week of classes. Great way to check it out before you commit

And it’s also Better Breakfast Month. Look for all things related to the first meal of the day going on sale and check out www.betterbreakfast.org for ideas and recipes too.

Fall Fashion

Budget Smart Girl is still looking for a fashion expert to blog each month so if you know anyone who yes, excuse the pun, fits the bill, I’d love to have them e-mail me. In the meantime I decided to check on what’s hot this fall. Seems maxi skirts are smoking hot, so is camel, anything with polka dots and both the Western look and anything inspired by the TV show Mad Men. I bet you can find something in your closet that fits into one of those categories. I know I can.

The Battle of The Yogurts

Seems the yogurt market is growing every day and remember the free coupon I told you about last week? There’s another one this week and this time it’s from Activia. Here’s the link http://activia.us.com/products/enjoy_activia_selects.aspx

Articles On the Web I liked-

Here are some of my favorite money related topics I found on the Internet-

Freebies

Who doesn’t love something free-

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/665/fabulous-freebies/

Some of these are inexpensive foods too-

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/9-bad-foods-you-should-be-eating-2533750#photoViewer=9

When You Want to Get the Most Out of Your Food Dollar-

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/how-to-cook-everything-a-little-better-2535216/

What to Buy in September

Lots of fall produce starting to hit the stores-

  • New to the Stores: artichokes, kale, winter squash, pomegranates, and pistachios
  • At their Peak: basil, cucumber, eggplant, tomatoes, apples, and grapes
  • Grab them While You Can: melons, Bartlett pears, plums, potatoes, and summer squash

And Finally-

For anyone living in Texas or traveling there this weekend I was sent information about this deal you might like to check out-

Labor Day Summer Finale package at the Horseshoe Bay Resort: End the summer with a splash at this charming resort in Texas Hill Country. The package is tailored to a family of four and includes standard guest room accommodations, choice of ski boat, pontoon boat or WaverRunner rentals, Labor Day commemorative tee shirts, unlimited on-property activities that includes banana boat rides and fish camp, four tickets to Lantana Grill’s Tex-Mex buffet, 20% off Bayside Spa Services, 50% off golf green fees at all Horseshoe Bay Resort golf courses, and 30% on tennis court rentals. Offer valid September 3 – 5, 2011.

                Website: http://www.hsbresort.com/ 

 Have a wonderful month.

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The Blog-Sometimes Bargain Items Are Awful

In The Blog on February 14, 2011 at 5:51 pm

Last week I learned a valuable lesson that not everything that’s a budget price is that great. Last month I bought a pack of eight rolls of toilet paper that were on special at the supermarket. It wasn’t until last week we started to use them and my husband was the first to complain. I quickly agreed that it was the worst toilet paper I’d ever seen. It looked fine on the roll but proved to be just one ply and so thin if you held it up to the light you could see through it. You’d have to use twice as much paper as other brands and hence save no money. Lesson learned, stick with old favorites because sometimes bargain specials are neither. And there’s more to the story. I e-mailed the company and told them how unhappy I was with the purchase and have to say they responded quickly and are sending me coupons for their other brands.

Remember the soap nuts I mentioned in this month’s newsletter? I purchased the sample package and also the sample size of the all purpose cleaner. Quick service and they send you a coupon for 12% off not only your next purchase but all future ones too. The package arrived after I’d finished doing the laundry but I’ll let you know what I thought about them in next Monday’s blog. I have tried the all purpose cleaner and it does an excellent job. I like the fact it’s in concentrate, looks like you can use it on just about any surface and it’s a good price too.

The articles about saving money keeping rolling-

My late father would have loved this one-

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/111978/6-costs-you-should-always-negotiate?mod=bb-budgeting

When it pays to buy used-

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/First-Person-5-Things-I-ac-3815880417.html?x=0

Yes, we’ve been warned-

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Higher-food-prices-ahead-apf-2876382522.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=8&asset=&ccode=

Another food focused week on Budget Smart Girl, first of all how you can add flavors to every day foods. Then the first of a series of articles on cooking with beans and legumes. This week it’s black beans and a recipe for smoky black bean nachos.

Have a good week.


The Blog-Thai Kitchen Wants to Throw You A Party

In The Blog on August 16, 2010 at 3:03 pm

Before I forget, I received this last week and thought I’d share it with you.

Looking to explore Thai cuisine in the comfort of your home? We’ve got the perfect solution—make your kitchen a Thai Kitchen with the My Thai Kitchen® House Party!
http://www.houseparty.com/landing_pages/view/thaikitchen to apply to host your own Thai Kitchen House Party.!
On September 25, Thai Kitchen will sponsor 1,000 get-togethers across the United States. Thai Kitchen will supply a party kit, complete with premium ingredients, recipes, decorations, and inspiration—all you have to do is invite a 14 of your closest friends and enjoy the perfect balance of flavor and fun while making your kitchen a Thai Kitchen.

Visit http://www.houseparty.com/landing_pages/view/thaikitchen to apply to host your own Thai Kitchen House Party.!

I found this article of interest-
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/110305/12-new-rules-for-your-money?mod=bb-budgeting

During my two week break from Budget Smart Girl, I finally made some progress on my book, got my office more organized and worked on some new recipes I’ll be sharing with you soon.

So this week on Budget Smart Girl-Back to School Deals and Finds and also what happens when you lose everything in your freezer due to a power outage and what’s the best and cheapest way to restock it?

Have a good week.


The Blog-Two Sites Worth Checking Out

In The Blog on June 14, 2010 at 4:12 pm

I often think wouldn’t it be great to have some experts on hand to help you with things like organizing your house. I saw this on the CBS Early Show site. They’re offering the chance for a family to get a makeover. If you’re interested check out www.cbsnews.com/sections/earlyshow/main500202.shtml Look at the right hand side of your screen and you’ll see Let Us Give Your Family a Free Makeover, click on it and it’ll tell you how to enter.

And every week someone sends me information about a new money or budget related Web site. Here’s one I received just this morning that I thought you’d like to check out www.moneymindedmoms.com If you sign up to join the community (it’s free) you get a free download of 5 Simple Ways to Save $500 by financial expert Suze Orman. It also has some links to money tools and coupons too.

I’m a firm believer that the most expensive item isn’t always the best and recently I was proved right. Every spring I usually buy a few bags of grass seed to fill in the odd bare patch in the lawn. I pay around $4 per bag at one of the local DIY stores. Unfortunately, that store is closed for a year while it’s being remodeled and could I find another store with grass seed at those low prices…no. I finally gave in and purchased a large bag of top quality grass seed for $35 thinking it would last well into fall. Well, it turned out to be a bad buy. The seed didn’t germinate and proved that expensive products don’t always yield the best results. My late father was always one for getting his money back when something didn’t live up to his expectations and I noticed on the bag it said if you’re not satisfied they offer a money back guarantee. So the moral of the story is don’t always think handing over more money for something is better and if you’re not happy with anything you buy, let the company know. Most of them really do appreciate your feedback…both positive and negative, and many are more than willing to refund your money to keep you a happy customer.

This week on Budget Smart Girl-Should you buy things like salad dressing or should you make it yourself? Right now it’s overcast, cool and raining where I’m at but hopefully this next article will come in handy sometime this year…cold treats for hot summer days.

Have a good week

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Putting a New Spin on Everyday Dishes

In Budget Smart Cook on June 9, 2010 at 4:29 pm

One drawback to being a budget smart cook is things can get repetitious. You have a list of foods and meals you know are budget friendly and you make them over and over again. It’s happened to me and I’m sure you’ve also faced the same dilemma. Here are some ways I try to put a new spin of some favorite meals.

Tacos
How many times have you served tacos? And how could you possibly make them different? I’ve not changed the recipe just the way I serve them. Sometimes I serve ‘taco stacks’. I use corn tortillas and layer them with the usual taco fixings, ground beef or chicken, shredded cheese and lettuce and chopped tomatoes. I top everything with a corn tortilla and put a dollop of sour cream and salsa in the center.

Just last week I decided to make fish tacos but I’ve been using the same recipe for years. I had some leftover taco seasoning and fish sticks and while the fish was baking, I sprinkled the seasoning over the top and let it bake into the breading. You can serve them with soft or hard taco shells, taco sauce, shredded lettuce, cheese and sour cream and you’ve got an easy, inexpensive meal.

Meat and Potatoes
I call this the quick and easy, inexpensive ‘pot roast’. Put a layer of cubed potatoes in a roasting pan top with chopped carrots and onions; add some salt and pepper and then top with chicken drumsticks or Italian sausages. Cover with foil and put in a 375-degree oven for about 30-40 minutes. Remove the foil from the roasting pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking and give the meat and veggies a stir a couple of times to make sure everything gets uniformly golden brown. This is a really delicious dish that tastes like it cooked for hours.

Individual Dishes
Sometimes individual servings can give familiar foods a new look. I’ve made individual pot pies, meatloaves. I’ve also piped mashed potatoes into what I call ‘bird’s nests’ onto a baking sheet and dusted them with cheese. Bake them for about 10 minutes or until they’re warmed through and the cheese has turned golden brown. Eat as is or fill them. I sometimes use ground beef and vegetables for a different take on shepherd’s pie.

Pasta
Try using different pastas in some of your recipes. No more elbow macaroni for the macaroni and cheese, try ones like penne. And even give the way you serve it a different twist. Put it in individual dishes and top it with thin slices of tomatoes, (even try sun dried tomatoes) top with roasted breadcrumbs and cheese and grill until golden brown.
And spaghetti with marinara sauce never has to be plain again. Cook spaghetti as usual, drain and add two beaten eggs and about half a cup of cheese. Put into a casserole dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for about ten minutes or until mixture is set. Let stand for about five minutes then slice into wedges, pour sauce over each piece and top with some more cheese and broil until the cheese starts to bubble. Serve with marinara sauce on the side.

Pizza
Who says pizza always has to be flat? Try putting pizza dough into muffin pans, put about a tablespoon of pizza sauce onto the dough and then layer with your favorite toppings and bake as usual.

Potpies
I usually top a potpie with short crust pastry, but once in awhile I’ll use phyllo or puff pastry. It doesn’t cost much more and a box of phyllo pastry goes a long way. And I even make burritos using phyllo pastry too.

Burgers
Everyone thinks hamburgers are budget friendly but they can get boring. I’ve been trying lots of veggie burger recipes and also salmon and tuna ones too. Best thing is they make the perfect light meal for a hot summer night. And don’t use a regular hamburger bun. I like things like Italian or French breads, even cheese topped focaccia bread that I buy when it’s on sale and store in the freezer.

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The Blog-A Good Week for Bargains

In The Blog on March 22, 2010 at 2:46 pm

Last week I returned home from the supermarket with six bags of groceries totaling just $68.43. Not only was it double coupon day but the store is running a two week special featuring a flyer packed with great coupons. For example, a three pound bag of apples for just $1.98. A bag of flour for 89 cents, low fat spread 39 cents, container of oatmeal 69 cents, etc. Most of them weren’t items I needed that week but I knew I could freeze them.

Now I’m thinking of making apple crumble, apple crisps using the oatmeal and apples. The flour and low fat spread I’ll use to make pastry and store it in the freezer. They also had a sale on frozen fish. Buy two packages of fish and you got a free bag of frozen potatoes and a bottle of soda. It’s great when you’re going to buy something anyway and get a couple of free things thrown in.

The specials are obviously a way to draw customers into the store and I’m amazed at how many people are now using coupons. Just a few years ago, I often felt like the only person using them, now everyone’s doing it. Hopefully, all these shoppers are finding out what we already know. It’s not hard work and like getting free money.

Spring is in the air and I can’t wait to get outside and get my vegetable garden started. If like me, you have lots of questions about when to plant seeds etc. I have a couple of experts lined up to help us out. Next week’s newsletter also has a gardening focus.

This week on Budget Smart Girl- I’ve mentioned Danny Koftke to you before and you might have seen him on TV. He’s written this great book about surviving on a teacher’s salary. He’ll share with tips for successful budgeting. And it’s almost Easter which means I’ll have some tips for meals and entertaining.

Have a good week.

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Sometimes It’s Not Such a Bargain

In Budget Smart Girl's Guide on April 23, 2009 at 1:53 pm

The main goal of every Budget Smart Girl is obviously to save money. But sometimes buying the cheapest item isn’t always the best option for your pocketbook. I’ve found that for each big ticket item I buy it pays to look all the features as well as cost. Here are some of the checklists I use for doing just that.

How Long Do You Plan to Use It?
If it’s an item I know I’m going to be using on a daily basis and something that’s going to get a lot of wear and tear, I don’t mind spending a bit more money. These days you have to factor in the cost of replacement parts. And if it goes into the repair shop, labor costs too. Just those two things alone can add up to more than you actually pay for a bargain brand.

How Much Are You Really Saving?
I always write down all the brands I’m interested in buying along with their prices and so I know I’m comparing apples to apples, etc. Sometimes what looks like a bargain in the store isn’t that great a deal when you actually compare features and also warranties.

Ask Around
When I’m in the market for a big-ticket item I’ll often ask friends and family for their recommendations. I know some people do have bad experiences with certain items that aren’t necessary the manufacturer’s fault. And yes, some people are particularly picky, but on the whole if everyone tells me they’ve had a bad experience with a company or product, I’ll cross it off my list. On the other hand, if everyone tells me they’re pleased with their purchase; I’ll feel happy about handing over a bit more money.

Ask About Warranties
Someone told me you can tell how reliable a product is by how long the manufacturer gives on a warranty. The longer, the more reliable. Also, look at how much service will cost you once the warranty runs out. And how about refills and parts, are they easy to get? And can you just pop down to the local store and buy them? Is the company or manufacturer likely to go out of business? This can sometimes make warranties obsolete and replacement parts impossible to find.

Your Money Back
Also, does the manufacturer feel so confident about their product that they’re willing to give you a money back guarantee? And how long is this good for…two months, three? When we first moved into our house I realized gardening would be a lot easier if I bought a tiller. I visited several DIY stores but then saw an ad for a mail order tiller manufactured by a company that had been around for a long time. It was about $50 more than the ones I’d seen in the store, but what caught my attention was the machine came with a guarantee of free lifetime blade replacement. However, the thing that really convinced me to buy it was I could use it for a whole year and if I wasn’t happy (even after 365 days and maybe using it every day) I could get a full refund. I’m happy to say I loved it so much I never had to take them up on their offer. But it’s nice to know it was an option. And it made me feel more at ease about handing over my money.

Purchases for Your House
If you plan to live in your home for a long time, I think it’s more budget savvy to go with the higher end brands for items like water heaters, furnaces. It’s never fun waking up to a cold house or a cold shower when it’s 30 below. Plus, you’ve got to wait for the repair guy to stop by and as we all know some of these service calls can be around $100 an hour… and that’s before any work’s done. Four years ago we decided to replace our sump pump. Now as the pump in our house seems to be in continual use, we opted to buy a more expensive brand. This particular one gives us a lifetime replacement warranty. You don’t even have to deal with the manufacturer. You just take it to the store and get a new one. We’ve had to do it once and it was nice to know it was an option.

What About Clothes?
Okay, I know I’m always looking for bargain prices when it comes to clothes, but a few years ago I did start buying some higher end basic wardrobe pieces. Black pants, jacket, raincoat, and pumps. As I know I won’t be wearing them on a daily basis, I’m confident they’re going to last me a long time.

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The Blog-Bargain of the Week

In The Blog on February 16, 2009 at 2:41 pm

If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll already know I got myself some really good bargains last week.

I went grocery shopping online and used a $25 coupon. A local grocery delivery service went out of business last year, but a supermarket chain decided to buy them and revamped the business. To attract new customers they’ve been sending coupons in the mail. Spend $100 and get $25 off the total. I don’t have to tell you that at today’s prices, it doesn’t take much for your grocery bill to hit $100. I felt really pleased with myself when the driver showed up at the door with four coolers packed with food and all for just $83. Plus, I didn’t have to drive to the store and wait in line at the check-out. The delivery guy told me that if they out of an item you’ve ordered, they’re put in something similar and never charge for it. And they take manufacturer’s coupons. I don’t know if I’ll be using them for all my grocery shopping, but I impressed.

And do you remember me telling you about a company called RecycleBank. You earn points you can trade in for coupons just for recycling. I hadn’t realized I’d collected so many points already and thought it was about time I started exchanging them for coupons. I now have a coupon for $6 off when I spend $70 at the grocery store. And $2 off any package of Boca products. Not bad considering I netted these goodies for just doing something I’d be doing anyway. And if I had get $6 off each time I shop, that really starts to add up.

photos-for-blog-010

Yes, yet another great deal came my way at the weekend. My local DIY store sells all sorts of items now and in their Saturday flyer I saw that starting on Sunday they’d be selling Bill Blass ladies jeans for, wait for it…$5.99. Well, the actual deal is they’re $15.99 and then you get a refund for $10 that you can use in the store. I’ve been looking for jeans for months and kept holding off until I could find a bargain. Funny thing is I only joked and said to someone I was waiting until I found a pair for $5.99. You’ll never find even used one for that price was the reply. Yes, I did. I’ll now have $40 to spend in the store. I plan to wait until items like toilet paper and laundry detergent goes on sale and stock up on supplies.

photos-for-blog-011

Okay, while I get over the excitement of last week’s bargains, here’s what’s coming this week on Budget Smart Girl. News about a coupon site you’ll definitely want to check out and how to eat healthy even on a budget.

And I’m putting the final touches to the February newsletter which will feature a new service that lets you learn about discounts and sales and best of all, everything is delivered straight to your e-mail and freebies to check out.

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The Blog-A Week of Deals

In The Blog on February 9, 2009 at 3:46 pm

Last week the writing community was buzzing with news about a product called the Fly Fusion pen. You write with it then connect it to your computer and it downloads what you’re written straight into a word document. This sounded like a dream come true for me. Most of the time I use my laptop, but sometimes when the muse strikes while I’m watching TV, I’ll start writing in a notebook. Problem is I have to spend time typing my notes into the computer. This pen sounded very tempting so I went to the Web site and discovered it was originally $79.99 now marked down to $19.99. Had I read correctly? Yep, seemed I had. I ordered one and have been using it since Friday. I love it and I love it even more because it cost less than $20. Yes, it made this Budget Smart Girl smile.

And why do I mention this, well, I checked out some other products on the Leap Frog site, and if you’re looking for some birthday gifts for children or even want to start holiday shopping early, check out www.leapfrog.com. Their current sale not only includes the Fly Pen but some other great learning toys and gadgets for kids. If you’ve got some extra cash right now, go ahead and do some holiday shopping. We might not see prices this low again.

It seems like every retailer is drawing customers into their store by offering deals and more discount items. On Monday when I went grocery shopping and I noticed the supermarket now has a whole aisle’s worth of products that cost just a $1. I thought I might as well give some products a try and bought a box of dishwasher powder, a package of those dishwasher pouches that are supposed to make everything sparkling clean, a package of baking mix that looks similar to Bisquick and a Devil’s Food Cake mix. I plan to give them a test run this week and will let you know how they compared to higher priced items. Many people say all these products are made by the same manufacturers, so we’ll see if it’s true.

On Budget Smart Girl this week… some low cost, but oh, so delicious recipes with a Mardi Gras theme. And if you have children’s toys and clothes sitting around the house and wish you could trade them for something else, I think you’ll want to hear about this new swap site.

Have a good week and Happy Valentine’s Day.

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