I'm back...and making homemade treats!

Hi again! After a VERY long, unthrifty period of time...I'm back and ready to be thrifty again :) I made several homemade goodies today and wanted to document them so I remember to do it again! This afternoon, I've made chocolate chip muffins, rice krispie treats, ranch oyster crackers and homemade honey wheat bread! I'm trying deperately to avoid the grocery store in between paydays...I've made it 8 days and want to stretch that to 13, if possible.

On a related side note: Generic crispy rice cereal is NOT as good as Kellogg's Rice Krispies! Guess I'll wait until the next time that Rice Krispies is on sale and I have coupons to stock up :)

God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Happy Birthday to my sweet little peanut :)

My baby girl is officially a teenager today. The last 13 years have gone by so quickly....it's seems like just yesterday we were bringing our little pink peanut home from the hospital. I am very fortunate that my daughter and I have a terrific relationship (at least up to this point). Most of her friends, as she tells me, greatly dislike their mothers and think their moms are stupid. My daughter tells me at least 20 times a day that she loves me and that I'm her best friend :) I know what they say, you shouldn't be best friends with your children...but we've always treated them like equals and have valued and respected their opinions and it has made us a very close family.

So I'm thanking God today for blessing us with this beautiful young lady! Thrifty Gal

P.S. The thrifty side of me is thankful too because I called the local radio station to have her birthday announced on air and she won a Dairy Queen ice cream cake! Yippee! :)

Thrifty birthday celebration? NOT!!!! :)

Well, all my plans to try to curb my spending after spring break have gone awry. As I'm typing this, I'm watching my almost 13-year-old daughter and 2 of her friends swim in a hotel pool. In a hotel in the town where I live. And I'm paying to sleep at the hotel that's in the town I have a home in. Not very thrifty, huh? But there isn't much to do for a 13-year-old's party in our small town. And she only turns 13 once, right?

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe/Waffle Iron Help

I've been looking a long time for an easy, whole wheat pizza dough recipe and I just found one in the latest issue of "Taste of Home" magazine. I thought I'd share it!

Perfect Pizza Crust
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Cornmeal
Pizza Toppings of your choice

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt, 1 cup bread flour and the whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining bread flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; roll in a 15-in. circle. Grease a 14-in. pizza pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Transfer dough to prepared pan; build up edges slightly.

Add toppings of your choice. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and toppings are lightly browned and heated through. Yield: 8 servings

I'll update this post with my review once I get the chance to make it! :)

Also, I wondered if anyone out there could recommend a good waffle iron. My son eats premade, pop in the toaster chocolate chip waffles every morning and I would love to start making them from scratch, freezing them and pulling one out every morning. I've been researching waffle irons but just can't decide on what kind would work best. Any help would be appreciated :)

Enjoy your day and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Future Shopping Destination: Walgreens

From a public relations stand-point (I have a PR degree from UNI '89), this was a brilliant move by Walgreens:

Demonstrating their commitment to families during tough economic times, Walgreens and Take Care Health Systems today announced the launch of the Take Care Clinic Take Care Recovery Plan – an offer of free health care services at Take Care Clinics throughout the remainder of 2009 to all current and future Take Care Clinic patients, and their families, that suffer a job loss on or after March 31, 2009 and have no health insurance benefits.
“Walgreens and Take Care Health Systems will not stand idly by as individuals are forced by the hardships of the economy to choose among basic necessities such as health care, housing and food. Quality, accessible and affordable care should be the right of every individual,” said Walgreens President and CEO Gregory D. Wasson. “For that reason, we are announcing the offer of the Take Care Recovery Plan, so that families finding themselves without employment and health insurance benefits aren’t forced to make this tough decision.”

I can't tell you how much this makes my heart smile :) My nearest Walgreens is about 40 miles away but I can guarantee you that I will be making that trip at least once a month to give such a conscientious company my business. I encourage those who have a Walgreens near them to do the same. (You can read the entire article here)

Thanking God for my blessings including good health care insurance ~ Thrifty Gal

I'm a winner! :)

I have to tell myself that every once in a while, just to make myself feel better.... :) But today, it's TRUE! I was one of 10 winners in the http://www.momadvice.com/ Twilight DVD giveaway! My teenage daughter will be so happy when she gets this in her Easter basket! BTW, MomAdvice is a great place to read all kinds of articles on frugal living, saving money, inexpensive recipes and organizational tips. And who doesn't need help with those things?!!!

Have a WINNING day and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Hello...again...

Wow. It's been awhile. I haven't been posting on this blog because of it's name...."Thrifty Third Avenue Gal". Guess what? I haven't been thrifty lately :( During my daughter's illness (she's fine now, thank the Lord), I spent unnecessarily on things to cheer her up (which it did but I didn't HAVE to spend to make her happy). Then we went on a little Spring Break trip (nothing extravagant just a couple nights in a hotel not far from home) including lots of eating out and some shopping. This week, I've been getting back into our 'normal' routine but haven't been able to get out of the eating out mode that we got into last week. So now, it's time to rein in the spending. We do have a couple of very expensive months coming up. My daughter's dance pictures and recital. Her participation in track (including 2 kinds of shoes & uniform). Gas to get to track meets and eating while we're there. Her 13th birthday. Easter. A trip (just me & my sis) out to Dresden, Ohio (a birthday present from said sis but I will need spending money). Travel to high school track meets (husband is a coach). Son's 15th birthday. Property taxes due. Graduations (we get invited to a lot because my husband is a high school teacher). The list goes on and on. How am I going to get through this and not completely overspend? Any help would be appreciated? If I can get all this under control, then maybe I can start writing under this blog title again...honestly :)

Thanks in advance for your help and God bless ~ "Thrifty" Gal

Idol Update

I actually don't have an AI update this week...while the show was on last night, I was on the phone with Ask-A-Nurse trying to decide what to do about my daughter who had a 103.4 degree temperature. Sometimes things are more important than Idol :)

BTW, I took my daughter to the doctor and she has the B strain of Influenza. She'll be in bed for a week or more, my poor little peanut :(

Who wouldn't want a $10,000 shopping spree?

This is a great new sweepstakes from HBO called "Sex in the City: The Movie ~ Girls' Night In Sweepstakes" and you can win the ultimate $10,000 shopping spree! :) Just pop on over here and register to win. There's also the chance to "play in Carrie's closet" for the chance to instantly win daily prizes, create your own Sex and the City Fashionista and more! You can register daily now through April 13th.

Good luck and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

A Very, Merry Un-Birthday to Me :)

To quote the Mad Hatter, it is my "Very, Merry Un-Birthday" today. Yes, I was born on February 29, Leap Year. And since there is no February 29th this year, we are celebrating my "Un-Birthday" today with a visit from my sister & her husband. We are heading up to one of my favorite restaurants for lunch and toasting my 45 years. Wow. Where did the time go? Wasn't I just 25?!!!! :)


Enjoy YOUR day and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Deals of the Day

In a recent issue of O magazine, I read that every woman over 40 (ahem) is supposed to have a few certain things in her closet including 2 brightly colored v-neck cashmere sweaters. Now, I don't know about you, but generally cashmere sweaters are WAY out of my price range. So lately at our Kmart store, I've been watching a certain lilac Jaclyn Smith 2-ply v-neck cashmere sweater with interest as the price has been going down...from $69.99 (original price) to $49.00 (on clearance) to today's price....drumroll please... $9.99!!! I'm so excited!!! Now I can cross ONE of the 25 MUST HAVE items off my list! :)

My other two finds of the day were at the thrift store in town, the book "French Women for All Seasons" by Mireille Guiliano (the follow-up to her best-seller, "French Women Don't Get Fat") and motivational book, "Fish Tales". I got them both for 25 cents. Not apiece. Together :)

A good day, I'd say! :) Enjoy your day and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Mr. Clean 3X the Cash Sweepstakes

Be sure to click on this http://www.mrclean.com/en_US/3xthecash/home.do?src=pgeds and enter the Mr. Clean 3X the Cash Sweeptakes. You can win $3,000!!! Who couldn't use that right now? You don't even have to sign up for a newsletter...just your name, address, email address, birthday & if you use a dishwasher ~ I don't :(

Anywoo, go ahead, enter & good luck! Thrifty Gal

AI Wrap-Up...then on to the good stuff :)

WARNING! Massive negativity ahead... :)

I'm going to give you the shortest American Idol wrap-up ever....12 young people sang last night, they were critiqued by a panel of 4 judges, then we, as Americans, were instructed to call and vote for our favorites. Guess what? I had no favorites. No one that sang last night even remotely spurned me into picking up my phone. I'm so disappointed in this year's Idol contest so far. I WILL be anxious to see who moves on from this group. I still think Danny Gokey is the bright spot this year :)

Now on to the good stuff...

Most of you probably already have a favorite Crock Pot Roast Beef & Vegetables recipe that you like but I'd like to pass along my favorite, which I have cooking on my countertop right now! :)

Pot Roast with Gravy and Vegetables

3-4 lb. bottom round, rump or arm roast
2-3 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp. kitchen bouquet, or gravy browning seasoning sauce
1 garlic clove or 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
4-6 medium potatoes, cubed
2-4 carrots, quartered
1 green pepper, sliced

1. Place roast in slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Make paste (it's actually more liquid-like than paste-like) of flour and cold water in a small bowl. Stir in kitchen bouquet and pour over roast.
3. Add garlic, onion, potatoes, carrots, and green pepper.
4. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours, or High 4-5 hours.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

I've tried many a crock pot roast recipe and this is by far my favorite. And it's from my favorite slow cooker cookbook, "Fix It and Forget It" by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good.

Enjoy and God bless :) Thrifty Gal

Free Food!

Pop over to http://www.kashi.com/ and claim your coupon for a free Kashi frozen entree! And while you're there, register to join the Kashi Community and you'll be entered to win a year's worth of Kashi foods. You'll also receive future exclusive coupons and info on giveaways!

A couple things...

Is it a coincidence that I got my ENTIRE house cleaned today....when my laptop was under-the-weather? I think not. But now my computer is fixed (the repair man was here 3 1/2 hours!) and I plan on getting caught up on all my online stuff...while sitting in my fresh-smelling house! :)

On another matter, I saved $54.89 yesterday at Kmart during their 'Super Double Coupon'
promotion!!! Yippee!

God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Kmart Super Double Manufacturer Coupons This Weekend!

This is such a big deal for me! We live in an area that does not have many shopping options (2 grocery stores ~ Hy-Vee & Fareway ~ and Kmart) and NONE of them have EVER offered to double coupons. I'll be scouring the Kmart ad today and matching up my coupons, that's for sure!

Is your local Kmart participating? Here's how to tell:
1) Enter your zip code to find your local Kmart circular. Look for the "Super Double Manufacturer Coupons" red rectangle on the front page. Inside that rectangle you'll find all the fine print. If the rectangle isn't there...
2) Your store may not be participating, but you can still use this great coupon code on kmart.com. Enjoy!

God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Deals of the Day!

I went not once, but TWICE, to Hy-Vee today to get stocked up on these awesome bargains:


Hershey's Extra Dark Chocolate ~ Clearanced ~ $2.00 a bag with $1.00 off coupons for each


Yogo's Snacks ~ On sale ~ 3 for $5 with $1.00 off coupons for each, making them 67 cents a piece


Cool Whip in a can (I've never seen this but we use these for hot choclolate) ~ Clearanced ~ 69 cents (I would have purchased more of them at this price but you can't freeze them and I knew we wouldn't use more than one before they expired)


Oscar Mayer South Beach Diet Variety Pack Lunch Meat ~ Clearanced ~ 99 cents each


Oscar Mayer Smoked Turkey Breast and Ham Lunch Meat ~ Clearanced ~ 99 cents each


HUGE bags of Land O'Frost Sliced Ham ~ Clearanced ~ 99 cents each


Suave Body Wash ~ FREE with my Suave coupon from their Recession promotion


and the best deal, Lloyd's Ready to Eat Beef Brisket BBQ Meals (feeds 3) ~ Clearanced for 99 cents!!! With 75 cent coupons for each, making them.... 24 cents a piece!!!! I bought 10 of them and put 8 in the freezer ~ we're going to have 2 of them tonight!


GOTTA LOVE THOSE BARGAINS!!! :)


Enjoy and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

And the journey begins....

Last night was the first night of voting for the new American Idol and, while I love this whole, long, drawn-out journey to May, yesterday's show had me shaking my head and questioning my commitment. And while I completely appreciate someone like fellow blogger, Boomama, for being so positive about these youngsters, I just can't do that! :) It was seriously hard for me to watch! BUT, I will say, there were 3 stand-outs that I hope will go on ~ Ricky Braddy, Alexis Grace and Danny Gokey. We didn't see one second of air-time of Ricky before last night's show and, after hearing him sing, I think that is a shame. He had a rich, beautiful voice and seemed to nail the song he sang (although I didn't know it). Young mom Alexis Grace was the best female vocalist of the night and she looked glammed up and funky. Danny is obviously a FOX favorite as he has been shown in every audition show to date. He sang the heck out of Mariah Carey's "Hero" and ended the program on a high note, which was FULL of low ones. Case in point....poor, young Stevie Wright. I really like this sweet girl but she was so out of her element. I just wanted to reach out and hug her. Likewise with Casey Carlson who butchered "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic". She's such a doll but I just don't think it is in the cards for her. The surprise of the night was the subdued Tatiana Del Toro. This girl DROVE ME CRAZY in the audtions and I was not happy to see her again tonight....BUT she has reined in her emotions and really sang much better than I anticipated. Still, I hope last night was her last time on stage.

I can't even muster the courage to discuss anymore of the performances because they just didn't do it for me AT ALL! So, in my opinion, the 3 that will go on after tonight...Ricky, Alexis and Danny. I'm hopeful that next week's 12 will learn from the first group of 12 and pick better songs...OH, and sing them better :)

Make a FREE donation

Click on over to a great, money-saving blog ~ Freebies 4 Mom ~ and check out this post http://freebies4mom.blogspot.com/2009/02/donate-1-free-to-fight-ovarian-cancer.html . My mother-in-law passed away from ovarian cancer 8 years ago so this fundraiser is special to me :)

God bless ~ Thirfty Gal

Fragrance Sample

Here's a link to request a sample of Sarah Jessica Parker's new 'Lovely' Fragrance Collection www.sarahjessicaparkerbeauty.com . Just click on the "Request a Sample" tab!

Enjoy and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Happy Friday the 13th!

I'm not a superstitious person so this day holds no particular hold over me...in fact, after today's grocery shopping trip, I LOVE this day! Hy-Vee had a 'Friday the 13th' sale today and I got all kinds of goodies at GREAT prices! Here's my haul:

Palermo's Classic Frozen Pizza ~ 6 for $10 ($1.66 a piece)

Tony's Pouches ~ 5 for $5

Hy-Vee Macaroni & Cheese ~ 29 cents a box (I'll be donating these to charity as my kids have 'outgrown' mac & cheese)

Hy-Vee Taco Seasoning ~ 3 for $1 (I normally make my own but couldn't pass these up)

Pillsbury Family Size (9 x 13) Brownie Mix ~ $1.00 a box

Hy-Vee Cereal (Crispy Rice, Tasteeos, Corn Flakes) ~ 99 cents a box!!!

Hy-Vee Bakery Buns ~ $1.13 a package (usually cost $1.99 ~ I know, I should make my own as I make my own bread but I'm lazy about this...)

Hy-Vee Butter (4 Quarters) ~ $1.39

I should clarify that even though I know it is much cheaper to cook EVERYTHING from scratch, I just don't have the time when I'm trying to work a lot on Ebay. These pre-packaged items come in VERY handy! :)

My newest frugal obsession

My husband and I have discovered a great new FREE online matching game called 'Mahjong' that we play at http://www.freegames.ws/games/boardgames/mahjong/freemahjong.htm

I currently lead our little 'tournament' by 4-1, which doesn't make him very happy :) heeheehee

Goodwill deals on Summer Footwear

I recently found these AWESOME sandals at Goodwill for $3.49 a pair!!! The brown ones are Born sandals and would cost between $60 and $70 in a shoe store ...and they look brand new! The 2nd pair have a retro cherry design on them and are by Chinese Laundry ~ and run between $50 and $60 a pair.

Now if it would just get warm enough to wear them! :)

Enjoy and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Yummy Free Sample

I stumbled upon a free sample site for a Quaker Dark Chocolate Raspberry True Delights at https://smartsource.wufoo.com/forms/get-your-free-sample/ . It's a whole grain, chewy granola bar combined with dark chocolate chunks, luscious fruits and whole nuts. I wish I didn't have to wait 4 to 6 weeks to try one! Yummy! :)

Enjoy and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Answered Prayers

Praise God for healing baby Harper ~ read her story & update at http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/ ~ she and her loving parents are now home after 20 days in Intensive Care! Alleluia!

God bless Harper and all of you ~ Thrifty Gal

Fruit Roll Sushi

This recipe is for all those sushi lovers out there....and their kids, who may like to look like they are eating the 'big kid' stuff but don't really like the taste of raw fish :) I saw this recipe today on our local newscast at noon and found it on the Mr. Food website http://www.mrfood.com/ . Here's the recipe that makes about 30 pieces:

1 tablespoon butter
12 marshmallows
2 cups crispy toasted rice cereal
4 (4-1/2-inch) square fruit roll-ups (1/2 ounce each)
6 assorted licorice or fruit twist sticks, cut in half crosswise

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the cereal until completely coated.
On a flat surface, unroll the fruit roll-ups. Spread equal amounts of the cereal mixture over each roll-up, covering the entire surface and packing the mixture flat.
Place 3 different-colored licorice or fruit twists in the center of each and roll tightly into a log, sealing where the edges meet. Squeeze the rolls gently to secure. Trim the ends and slice with a serrated knife into 1/2-inch pieces. Serve, or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

TIP: To give your snacks the most variety and color, use different-colored and -flavored fruit roll-ups and licorice or fruit twist sticks. And if you can’t find different-colored licorice, you can even use gummy worms.

I think these are just adorable! If my kids were younger, I would definitely be making them :)

Enjoy and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

GREAT giveaways!

Thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, Boomama at http://boomama.net I have been introduced to an awesome singer, Dave Barnes. He has a new album coming out and to celebrate, he is giving away an Ipod Touch! All you have to do is register on his website at http://davebarnes.com . He is also giving away copies of his new album on Boomama's website so go and register for that too!

Good luck and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Disney Vacation Sweepstakes!

I received an email this morning informing me of a new Disney Magical Celebrations sweepstakes and I registered right away! There is nothing I'd rather do than take my family to Disney World again (we went in 2007)!!!You can win one of five magical Disney vacations specially designed to celebrate your family's milestone.The winner will work with a personal itinerary planner to help arrange vacation celebration activities, including:

Limo transportation to and from the airport
Special guided tour at either Walt Disney World® or Disneyland® Resort
Disney's PhotoPass PhotoBook and PhotoCD
$200 Disney Gift Card
And more!

You can enter every day in February at Disney.com/Celebrate. In addition to being entered into the vacation sweepstakes, you'll instantly win a different new digital prize every day ~ today's was a Ratatouille Recipe Card that you can print, cut out and use for your favorite recipes! You can also enter daily by texting MAGIC to DISNEY (347639). Standard carrier fees apply. And finally, you can also get an additional entry by sharing a celebration story at http://www.disneyfamily.com/.

Also, don't forget to register at www.roomadaygiveaway.com for a chance to win a $25,000 room makeover from Kimberley-Clark. You can register for this daily too!

Good luck! ~ Thrifty Gal

Stuffed Green Peppers

Here is a healthy and frugal recipe that my husband, daughter & I LOVE (my son, not so much...). I fix this when green peppers are 4/$1 ~ I usually have the rest of the ingredients on hand:

2 medium sized green peppers

1 lb 90% lean ground beef

1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)

2 medium tomatoes, peeled and cut into small wedges

1/2 cup long grain rice

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried basil or oregano, crushed

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup shredded lower-fat natural cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

Halve peppers lengthwise and remove stem ends, seeds, and membranes. Immerse peppers into boiling water for 3 minutes. Invert onto paper towels to drain well.

In a large skillet cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir in the tomatoes, uncooked rice, water, Worcestershire sauce, basil or oregano, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes or till the rice is tender. Stir in half of the cheese. Spoon meat mixture into peppers. Place peppers in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Spoon any remaining meat mixture into baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven about 15 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand for 1 to 2 minutes or till the cheese melts. Makes 6 servings.

Enjoy and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Recession Recipes

There is a thrifty thread on CNN.com right now on their ireports link. It is called Recession Recipes and it's from viewers all over the country writing in with their best, low cost recipes ~ GREAT for us thrifty gals! :) Here's the link.... http://www.ireport.com/ and then click on Recession Recipes in the left hand box.

I'll post again tomorrow with my own recession recipe... :)

Enjoy and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

The downside of self employment

I'm very lucky...I'm my own boss. The downside of that is motivating oneself when that self doesn't feel like doing anything. As I laid awake in bed this morning, I decided that I needed to be a little more aggressive in my business because we can ALWAYS use the extra money :) When I list, I make money. When I don't, I don't make money. Doesn't take a genius to figure this out, does it?!!! Anyway, I'm looking for some suggestions on self-motivation. What gets you up and doing when you don't feel like it? Any comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance and enjoy your evening! God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Another way to save!

We live in a small town (pop. 9,000) that has two grocery stores, Hy-Vee and Fareway. Both are midwest chains that started in Iowa and, without any other choices, these are the stores where I do the bulk of my grocery shopping. They each print a new ad on Tuesday that runs through the next Monday. I shop once a week ~ usually on Friday ~ after spending Wednesday and Thursday evenings matching up the ads for the week with my stash of coupons. Yesterday's Hy-Vee ad was a sight for this thrifty gal's eyes! It said at the top of the ad, "Introducing another way to save!" and explained in the front page paragraph that Hy-Vee now has TWO new ways to save money, "This HOT deals printed ad and our new exclusive online ad located at http://www.hy-vee.com/." And the prices in the HOT Deals ad are AWESOME! Skippy Peanut Butter for 99 cents! 80% Lean Ground Beef $1.49! Green Peppers 59 cents each! Kleenex 88 cents! Pillsbury Crescent Rolls $1.66! and it goes on and on. These are great deals for around here and, if I combine them with coupons, I will be paying less than when I make the 80-mile round trip to the nearest Aldi store! So, if you are in my area, check out the new deals and happy shopping! :)

God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

A great day to be an American

No matter what side of the fence you are on politically, there is no denying that this is a historic day in the United States of America. I'm thankful today for a new beginning, a peaceful exchange of power and the right to vote in free and public elections.

Enjoy and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

What to do on a cold Saturday afternoon

GO BOWLING! We had been cooped up in the house for four days and needed to get out and since there are only 2 things to do in our little town (go to a movie or go bowling and we already saw the movie), we hit the bowling alley! I thought I'd share some pictures from our little activity...

This is DS making his grand approach:

This is Thrifty Gal (me) giving my DD all kinds of bowling advice (I AM Qualified since I have bowled AT LEAST 12 times in my life... hehehe):

We played boys against the girls (we brought along my DD's best friend) and the girls won the first game! Here are the winners:

And the boys (my DH & DS) won the second game:

All in all, a fun ~ but not thrifty! ~ way to spend the afternoon. Even with a coupon and limiting everyone to 1 treat a piece (pop or a bag of chips), we still spent $34! Ouch! But, since we don't do it very often I guess it's ok :)

Enjoy your family time and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Please pray for Harper

There is a sweet little newborn girl in Tulsa, Oklahoma, right now fighting for her life. She is the first born child of a fellow blogger, Kelly. You can read her entire story by clicking on the "Praying for Harper" link on the sidebar. Please keep this lovely family in your prayers...

God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

A few clarifications...

...regarding my post yesterday. I went to the http://www.cosmeticssettlement.com/ website and discovered that you can only get ONE product per person, not per store as I was thinking (and hoping...). Also, the products that you can choose from are products specified just for this settlement. The list appears on the above mentioned website. I plan on asking for the Boucheron Femme Eau de Toilette (1 ounce/30 ml) ~ it is the largest of the perfumes that they are offering and also the most expensive :) I plan on taking a copy of the settlement information to the Younkers store that I will be going to, just in case there is any trouble or confusion.

Oh, and here is why Target does not have to participate: Cosmetics and fragrance products sold through mass distribution channels, such as drug stores and warehouse outlets, are not Department Store Cosmetics.

Cosmetics Giveaway Info

I just read the following story online and wanted to share it with anyone who might be reading that likes make-up as much as I do:

Boston Store, Macy’s, among stores in cosmetics giveaway settlement

The Business Journal of Milwaukee - by Lisa Biank Fasig, Cincinnati Business Courier

Boston Store, Macy’s and Saks_Fifth_Avenue, among other chains, will be giving away free cosmetics, skin care and perfumes on Jan. 20, as part of a five-year-old settlement involving price fixing on beauty products.

The giveaway stems from a February 2004 class action settlement filed on behalf of consumers who purchased cosmetics between May 1994 and July 2003, according to a the settlement’s Web site (www.cosmeticssettlement.com). Nordstrom, Nieman Marcus and Target also were named on the suit. The retailers have claimed no wrong doing.

As part of the settlement, $175 million in cosmetics will be given away, one per person in a first-come, first serve basis. Consumers will be able to choose one item per person until supplies last. Brands include Estée Lauder, Clinique, Lancome, Clarins, Guerlain, Givenchy, Chanel, Boucheron, Cody, Calvin Klein, L’Oréal and Christian Dior.

The products involve mascara, skin care, moisturizers and fragrances, said Macy’s spokeswoman Sharon Bateman. “None of the product comes from the store’s regular inventory,” she said. “I think these products were created specifically for this give away.” The offer will last until all of the products in a particular store are distributed.

Consumers are not required to show proof of purchase at Macy’s stores, which has a location at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, though its customers will have to sign a certification sheet acknowledging they purchased the products.

Stores participating in the settlement include Bon-Ton Stores Inc. chains, Boston Store, Younkers, Carson Pirie Scott, Bergner's and Herberger's, in addition to Parisian stores, which Bon-Ton operates in the Detroit area. York, Pa.-based Bon-Ton which has significant operations in Milwaukee, was not named in the suit; the settlement predates Bon-Ton's acquisition of the stores from Sak's Inc., of Birmingham, Ala., the operator of Sak's Fifth Avenue,

RETAIL DEFENDANTS
The following is a list of stores participating in the cosmetics giveaway:
Bergdorf Goodman
Bergner’s
Bloomingdale’s
Boston Store
Carson Pirie Scott
Dillard’s
Gottschalks
Herberger’s
Macy’s
Neiman Marcus
Nordstrom
Parisian
Saks Fifth Avenue
Younkers

Maybe some of you out there still have receipts from 1994 ~ but I don't ~ so I'm just going on memory here....I KNOW I purchased cosmetics from many of these stores during that time frame (I was HUGE into Clinique at one time) so I'm going to head out to Dillard's and Younkers on Tuesday and pick up my FREE items!

P.S. I'm not sure why Target isn't participating in the giveaway, even though they are listed in the settlement. I'm going to do a little research on that and if I find anything out, I'll let you know!

Enjoy and God bless :) Thrifty Gal

Working on my financial situation

I've been on the quest for financial security for many years now. I've read books, blogs, watched experts on t.v. and the internet in the attempt to gather as much knowledge as possible to help me change my ways. Nothing has worked :( I've continued to spend, spend, spend and procrastinate on bill paying because I haven't wanted to admit that I couldn't afford what I wanted (throughout this post, when I write "I", I really mean "we"). I'm the financial manager of the family. In fact, my poor husband never sees a penny of his paycheck. So, it really is all up to me how this family survives. I know, all the experts say that your partner MUST be involved with the finances to make things work. But, truely, my husband doesn't need to be involved because he doesn't spend any of the money. He NEVER writes checks or uses the ATM, and, if he needs something, he gets it from me. ANYWAY, I have decided that THIS is the year to get our financial situation into shape. I'm currently reading Suze Orman's new book "Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan" that I downloaded FREE from Oprah.com. And I've realized that the first thing to do is get caught up on our bills. Stop paying them late! I mostly do this on credit card bills because I pay the necessities first. We do have 6 credit cards BUT we no longer charge on them. SO, I've been starting to get caught up on paying everything on time and that is affecting the way I do other things.

In my effort to get caught up, I made several choices this week that are vastly different than I would have made in the past and I want to celebrate the fact that I'm starting to think differently! The first decision I made this week surrounded around a Christmas gift for my son. He had asked for a certain soundtrack for Christmas. I ordered it online but was told it was back ordered until January 11. I told him this before Christmas and he was ok with that. Lo and behold, Jan. 11 rolls around and the company I ordered it from emails me and tells me that the soundtrack is no longer available :( My son said he saw a copy of the soundtrack at Barnes & Noble at Jordan Creek Mall in Des Moines on our last trip to visit my sister. My son wants to head down to Des Moines (a 2 hour trip - one way ~ we usually end up staying overnight at my sister's) this Saturday. Now, in the past, I would have giving anything to 'get away' on Saturday and see my sis. BUT, the new me decided that I should just call the store at Jordan Creek Mall and see if they would be willing to send it to us, saving us the cost of gas, eating out and probably finding a few 'extras' at the mall that we didn't need. Not only would they send it to me, but there was no shipping charge because it was over a certain amount and qualified for FREE shipping! Cha-ching! I just can't tell you what a triumph that is for me....silly, I know, but HUGE for me! :)

The second smart financial decision I made has to do with my online business. Normally, I rack up seller fees for a month at a time and then take the money to pay the fees out of my husband's check when he gets paid. I use the money I make online for 'fun' money ~ things for myself, the kids, the house or to go "do" things that cost money). Well, this month, when I made the amount of money in sales that would cover the cost of the fees, I PAID THEM! Another HUGE step for me!

The third smart financial decision I made happened today...and it's similar to the first in that I needed a new printer cartridge for my computer. I initially told the family that we were all going to load up the car and head over to the nearest Target (40 miles away ~ the only store anywhere near us where I can buy that kind of printer cartridge). This would mean lunch out for the four of us, plus those darn "extras" that none of us needs! Instead, I got online and ordered the printer cartridge. Shipping was $10.50 but still A LOT cheaper than eating out, etc.

I'm not posting this just to pat myself on the back, I'm posting it as a reminder to myself that I CAN do it and I want to continue to make good decisions like this to get my family's financial situation in better shape.

God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Deal of the Day!

I was at our local Kmart today (it's the only "big box" store we have in town), getting a prescription refilled (with a coupon for a $10 Kmart Gift Card with a new or transferred prescription) and I found their Christmas items on clearance for 75% off. PERFECT! My husband has been wanting some icicle lights to hang on our house for next year so I cruised to the light section and, sure enough, they still had 3 full shelves of lights left. I got 8 boxes of commercial grade icicle lights for $24.42 Enjoy your day and and then used the $10 gift card for a grand total of $14.42!! Yippee!

...I'm SO easily amused... :)

Enjoy your day and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

Snow Day!

Yes, today was another Snow Day in the beautiful land of Iowa (which means 'beautiful land' in Native American). The kids have been entertaining themselves (for the most part) and dirtying every dish they can find (we don't have a dishwasher besides me...). They did enjoy walking around outside for awhile and then came in for some hot chocolate, which I enjoyed with them :) I've been trying to get some of my ebay work done and here is the view from my office:



and no, it's not a black and white photo ~ that's just what it looks like! :)


So, enjoy your day (in whatever weather happens to be in your part of the country) and God bless ~ Thrifty Gal

FREE shampoo!!!

In today's paper, there is an ad for a FREE Suave hair product! :) You must register on http://www.suave.com/ between 12:00:01 a.m. ET on January 14, 2009 and 11:59:59 p.m. ET on January 14, 2009, and you will receive a coupon for one (1) bottle of Suave Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Spray, Styling Aid, Body Wash or Body Lotion (good up to $3.00) by Mail. It's open to all legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 14 years or older. Limit one coupon per household.

I love me some FREE stuff!

Enjoy and God bless :) Thrify Gal

Long time, no type

Wow! It's been over a year since the last time I wrote a post for this blog. My how time flies when you're having fun :) Anyway, I hope to get back at this on a (nearly) daily basis again. My kids are now 14 and 12 (going on 21) and my husband and I will celebrate our 20th anniversary this year! God is GOOD! I'm still selling quality used clothing on Ebay http://stores.ebay.com/Denim-Recycled and trying to balance a budget and pay bills on one full-time income. And it's hard! But I have gotten better at reducing my expenses at the grocery store and will try to share info on how I do that in a future post. Other changes include my interest in scrapbooking, which I'll also talk about in the future. Well, I don't want to get to wordy on my first post back so I'll go for now and wish you all an enjoyable Saturday evening!

God bless ~ Thrifty Gal