The Surprise Rebate!

Rebates can be a fickle mistress. Sometimes it seems like a gamble on whether or not you will actually get that rebate you so painstakingly prepared. You might get it in the mail or you could get rejected for something small or for seemingly no reason at all.

A while back I saw a $10 rebate in the paper for buying 10 of the sort of products I use. Most of the time I ignore smaller rebates but this one was substantial and it beckoned to me. I had a handful of coupons I could use for the products included in this rebate and with the current sales I could get a very good deal. With this rebate I had to buy all 10 items in one shopping trip so I knew I couldn’t afford to mess it up. There would be no second try.

After buying the items, cutting off the UPCs, and getting all the paperwork in order I did my final check before sealing the envelope. I noticed something. Staring me in the face was one UPC for an item of the wrong size. I was mortified and felt sick. Suddenly my great deal vanished before my eyes. I knew all this work was for nothing. I was really surprised at how upset I was over it.

My husband convinced me to go ahead and send it in anyways. I already had it ready to go in a stamped envelope and he thought it was worth a shot. If it got rejected I guess I would know why. I feel like I followed the rules. My store only offered this one product in one size so I got it not even thinking it might not be included in the rebate. But I know rebate centers look for things like that to deny requests. After all, companies don’t want to actually redeem these rebates. They use them as lures hoping most people forget about them or mess up and it works.

Yesterday I got a big surprise - that rebate check I didn’t think I’d ever see.

I’m thankful that they overlooked that one issue and issued the check anyway. I sure feel better about redeeming rebates through them now. I wish all companies were so forgiving with rebates.

It kinda makes up for all the other rebates that never came through. Well, not really.

Image Source: ninjapoodles

The Penny-Wise Wino

Ahhh, Chateau Ziploc 2007 - great choice! OK, I’m joking. Don’t be a wino. That’s just no good. But you can fit some wine in your frugal lifestyle with moderation.

If you enjoy a good glass of wine you know how expensive it can be. Obviously, the cheapest thing to do is to cut out all alcohol and just drink water.

Numerous sites will explain how alcohol is just empty calories and not a source of nourishment so avoid wasting your hard earned dollars on it. For the most part, I agree with this. When money is tight it is best to avoid these useless calories and focus on buying nutritious food.

Sometimes, I must admit, I just want a glass of wine. I know wine is not essential. But if you enjoy the occasional drink and want to fit it into your budget it is better to shop smart and make those dollars go as far as possible.

Before my frugal “conversion”, I loved unwinding with a good (generally not cheap) glass of wine while cooking. Hearing my husband pour me a glassful was a signal that it was time to relax and that the working day was officially over. I had read that one glass a day was good for you so I thought it might even be a good thing to indulge with a glass a few times a week.

When we started budgeting we dropped wine out entirely. There was a complete and utter moratorium on all alcoholic beverages. We just didn’t have the money to spend on it. I thought that if we ever did get to afford wine again that it would be the kind made from apples, not grapes. Now that we are getting a hold of the budget I’ve found that I can still enjoy a glass every so often as long as I am disciplined about it.

Wine can be pricey. Even cheap bottles are still $5-$10 each. And if you are only drinking the occasional glass you run the risk of the wine going bad before you can finish the bottle. That means you will have to uncork another bottle when you are ready for the next glass. Opening a bottle could actually encourage you to drink more so that you can avoid wasting it. Infrequent wine drinkers get to decide which is worse: wasting the wine or potentially drinking more than they want to.

We have found the solution to this problem: cheap boxed wine. Yes, boxed wine. I know what you are thinking, but give it a chance. It isn’t that bad, really. And at $10 to $15 for 4 or 5 liters you can’t beat the value (4 liters is about 27 - 5oz servings). A box every couple of months won’t break the bank.

The best part about boxed wine (besides the price) is that it stays good for several months and it allows you to take just a glass at a time. You can have a glass as infrequently as you want without running the risk of having it go bad. Don’t worry, these days boxed wine is available in many varieties; not just table white, sweet red, or white zinfandel. You are bound to find one you enjoy.

Boxed wine is great for entertaining on a budget, too. You can serve a crowd without spending a small fortune. I also use this wine for cooking. It’s nice not having to open an entire bottle for only ¼ cup of white wine. Now I measure directly from the spout and the rest stays fresh.

I am not suggesting that habitual drinking is good use of your money even if you manage to stay within budget. Overindulgence can hurt your bottom line in more ways than just the cost of the alcohol. But if you are drinking responsibly, boxed wine is a good way to enjoy your juice on the cheap.

Image Source: sporkist

Cheap Coffee Conundrum

Senseo Ecopads with a cup of store brand coffee I’m the main coffee drinker in the house. Melissa might have a cup every once in a while, but it’s pretty rare. I usually get my coffee fix during the week when I’m at the office, where the coffee is free (and a tasty French roast, too). But on the weekends, I used to always grab a Starbucks Latte (with an extra shot) and that really adds up (yes, I know about the latte factor).

I’ve been using a Senseo I purchased a while back after a friend suggested it. It’s kept me from having to brew an entire pot in my Mr. Coffee when I only wanted one or two cups. It was a heck of a lot cheaper than Starbucks, and provided me my coffee “fix” on the weekends.

When we started scrutinizing our grocery bills more closely, one thing started to pop out at us. Those little individual coffee pods that the machine uses can really add up! I usually used at least 2 a day, and then had to throw them away when I was done. This meant I used between 4 and 8 pods a weekend so I really burned through them.

I don’t need any fancy coffee, and I don’t want to pay more just for the coffee to be individually packaged. Just some caffeine and coffee with a taste that is tolerable. Store brand basic coffee. Yummy store brand basic coffee.

Melissa began searching for a solution, and came across Ecopads.

These refillable filters have allowed us to use whatever coffee is cheapest at the time because we aren’t tied to buying only the pods that fit into the machine. If we have a coupon for some good coffee, we can get that. Maybe a free sample here or there. Whatever kind of coffee I have on hand now I can make myself just a cup or two at a time, when I want it, and save money on coffee.

In addition to brewing the amount I want of the coffee I choose, with the Ecopads there is less waste. Now, I’m just throwing away used coffee grounds and not each single-use pod and it’s packaging.

This has made all the difference on these weekends when I need to be productive. Ahh, the wonders of caffeine.

The Cheap Lunch Wins Out

My favorite! I’ve been bringing my lunch to work with me for about a year now. It was a tough transition initially because I had gone to get a lunch with my co-workers every day for years before that. Years. Literally. When I think of how much I spent on workday lunches over the years, it makes the new me cringe a little.

Anyhow, so the other day I was sitting down to lunch at my desk when “the guys” starting gather for lunch. Although they don’t invite me as often anymore since I haven’t gone much in the last year, they still invite me on occasion to make sure I don’t want to go.

“Hey Eric, wanna go to lunch today?” I replied - “Not today, thanks. I brought my lunch”.

“What have you brought for lunch that will be better than what you can get by going out with us?”

This made me pause. The old Eric would have put his lunch in the fridge and gone with the guys, easily spending $10-$15 for a delicious restaurant lunch. The new Eric, however, has a goal and a mission. I’m on a tight budget now because Melissa and I are saving money for the move to a new house by the end of the year. This had been a particularly tight month, so I stuck to my guns.

I proudly showed off my lunch :

One ham and cheese sandwich, made with the ends of the bread (Melissa calls them the “butts of the bread”)
Some leftover macaroni and cheese with cut up hot dogs (It was dinner the night before - we “class it up” with caramelized onions, sauteed garlic, and some leftover cheddar. Hopefully Melissa will write up a post with the recipe - it’s really good!) (Update: - the reducipe is up!
Some crushed up jalapeno flavored tortilla chips from the end of the bag (there was a special on them at our local grocery store)

Immediately, one of my friends said “Dude, what the heck? Are you doing alright? It sounds like you’re living back in college!”

I laughed. He knew I was saving, but seeing the sandwich made with the ends of the bread, he thought something more severe was up.

There wasn’t. Admittedly it was a tight month, but we were determined to stay within our budget, so we used up anything in the house we could before going to the grocery store. It was easier to do than it sounds! Melissa is really creative with meals, and can make something that sounds bland and mundane taste like it’s from a gourmet restaurant.

Next week I plan on showing off our “gourmet meals on a budget” at lunch (Melissa is going to make her chicken divan which is just fantastic and super cheap!) Maybe then my friends will worry a little less about me…

You Better Shop Around: Getting The Best Deals On Groceries

I used to get a sort of elation from shopping online. I would get excited about finding new and interesting things. Now that I’ve made the commitment to be more frugal, I get this same elated feeling combing the grocery store deals and finding the best price for tomatoes. That’s something I never expected. Shopping has turned into a game of some sorts now and it is all about finding the best deal. I have channeled the same energy and excitement I would have when buying big ticket items into my quest for sales on the everyday items.

I actually enjoy reading the flyers to identify good offers and I get a good laugh when I spot an advertised “can’t miss” deal when it isn’t a deal at all. Not even close sometimes! Sometimes, the stores will make it hard for you to spot their deception by lowering already inflated prices a bit and making it seem like a bargain. I view it like a challenge. The best deals I have found on groceries are when you get a genuinely good sale price and pair it with a coupon. Here are some tips on how to get the best deal when grocery shopping.

Start a price guide. List the top 20 items that you commonly use in your home. Go to each of the stores that you are likely to shop at in your area and write down their prices on the identical items and the generic equivalents. Adjust the price appropriately (in ounces for instance) if the sizes don’t match. Keep this notebook around for reference. That way, when you see a special on tuna for 2 for $1 you will know if that is actually a good deal. Often pricey stores have seemingly good deals but with a little investigation you might find their specials still result in a higher price than a competitor. I know it may seem like a lot of work but that one afternoon of scouting increased my confidence in knowing when I see a good deal. This tool will help you maximize the “best of the best” deals by helping you see when it’s time to stock up on a good deal.

Get coupons. A lot of people recommend just buying the store brand to lower costs, but often you can beat the price of a store brand by using a good coupon on a national brand and combining it with a sale. I get my coupons from the Sunday paper and also by checking out some online coupon sites . My goal is try and find a coupon or good deal for every pantry item I intend to purchase. Produce and fresh meat coupons are rare but pantry items often have coupons floating around out there.

Drop your brand loyalty. By dropping your brand loyalty on everything but the items you truly feel are superior to the competitors you can save the most. If you are willing to switch to Palmolive instead of Dawn when they have a sale with a matching coupon you will increase your savings dramatically.

Pay attention to the junk mail you get. Nearly everyone gets flyers in the mail for the local grocery stores with the upcoming sales for the week. Our flyers come in the mail on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Study these flyers to see what will be on the sale that week. Many times the items on sale will match up to the coupons you got in the recent Sunday paper. This is when you can start getting the really good deals.

Find the “loss leaders” at the expensive stores. “Loss leaders” are really good sales that the stores use to get you through the doors. Identify these items and if it is something you need AND you have a coupon for, then it’s time to stock up. I only buy the loss leaders at these stores; most everything else is too expensive.

Don’t be afraid to shop at multiple stores. This is a good rule of thumb, as long as they are close by and don’t just add to your gas expense. It is unlikely that one store will have the best prices on everything. By looking at the flyers you can identify good prices on items at stores you might not otherwise patronize. Take advantage of those good deals, especially if you also have a coupon for the item.

Sometimes online is cheaper. See if online stores like Amazon have better deals on non-perishables, especially if it is something that rarely goes on sale or has coupons. For example, we love Inglehoffer sweet-hot mustard. This mustard never goes on sale and I have yet to find a coupon for it. I needed to find a better deal to justify spending more to keep this particular brand allegiance (and if you try this mustard, I think you’ll know why). I was able to find a good price on Amazon and bought it in bulk. We saved a significant amount that we otherwise would have been unable to do because it is specialty item and doesn’t seem to have any discounts.

Overall, the goal should be to avoid paying full or premium prices on just about everything. Sure, it takes a little effort but the payoff is definitely worth it. Not only do you get that great feeling of knowing you got the very best deal on your purchases but you save a chunk of change in the process.

Keep in mind though - there are limits. Your time is worth money, too. It is not such a good deal if you spend 3 hours trying to save $0.25 on a bag of chips. Don’t give up – it just takes a little time to get in the swing of things. Once you establish a price guide, a coupon file, and get a better idea of how to spot truly good deals, saving money will become quicker and easier.