New to Me Shopping Portal: Cashbaq

Every time that I shop online, I try to use a shopping portal such as Ebates, Lucky Mag Rewards, or even My Points to get a percentage of my purchase back.  I recently signed up for Cashbaq because you can essentially get the Entertainment Book for free if you shop through them.

I like the Entertainment Book but can't justify its price tag.  For free, though, I can definitely use it enough to justify that purchase!  Right now most of the Entertainment Books are going for $15 shipped.  Through Cashbaq, you get a $5 bonus for signing up PLUS a $10 rebate for buying the Entertainment Book...so it is basically FREE!  I won't get the check until March, but the money is already sitting in my account.  And I will use Cashbaq instead of Ebates in the future if I can get a higher percentage back.  

Here's my referral link if you want to give it a try, but you certainly don't need to use that to sign up.

Amazon Shoe Sale!!!!!

There are a TON of great deals to be had on women's shoes at Amazon right now.  Check out the link here.  So far I'm abstaining.  Maybe I'm turning over a new leaf...

Check Out Money-Saving Mom...

She has a post on how to get a free Amazing Grace dvd here.

What .72 Can Buy You

$6 Footstool

Perfect for my bedroom!

When Bad Things Happen to Good Coupons

My coupons are completely out of control and have been for months.  :(  It makes it very difficult to find specific coupons.  Don't let this happen to you!!!!!

Have Yourself a Frugal Little Christmas

It's that time again.  I know that many people are on a very strict budget this year, but that doesn't mean that you can't give nice gifts for very little money.  Here are some tips on how to do it:

1) Cash in those rewards points!  I cashed in my MyPoints rewards and the rewards points from my credit card for Amazon gift certificates that I will use to shop for people on my list.  In previous years I also cashed in those points for gift cards that I gave as gifts.

2) Use rebate money as shopping money.  I'll be getting a $30+ check from Ebates soon, and I may just use that money for Christmas shopping.  If you saved your rebate money all year long, you could probably accumulate quite a bit.  

3) Use high dollar coupons.  When you get those $10 off any purchase coupons, use them for gifts.  Also remember that Walgreens has lots of gift-y items right now and they frequently put out $5/$20 purchase coupons.

4) Cash in your change jar at a Coinstar machine.  You can get gift certificates from it with no service charge.  Right now they are also offering a promo where you cash in $40 of change and you can get $10 in additional gift certificates by mail.

5) Use gift cards that you have received.  I won a $10 gift card to a gas station at my company's health fair.  That will be perfect for adding automotive things to a gift basket that I am creating.

6) Keep an eye out for free photo gifts.  Nearly all of the online photo companies will offer free photo gifts this time of year- you just have to pay shipping.  When I bought a digital camera, I also received a coupon for several free photo gifts.  I just ordered them today and will use as Christmas gifts.

7) Keep an eye out for deals.  They are EVERYWHERE right now, both online and in-store.  Victoria's Secret is offering their body lotions and sprays 8/$35 right now.  There is also a coupon online that you can print and get a free scrub as well.  9/$35 is a great deal and would make good small gifts.

8) Don't forget dollar stores.  They have some things in stock that may surprise you and would be appropriate for gifts.

9) Give used.  In my family, it is perfectly acceptable to give used DVDs and books that are in good condition.  If you can find it on Paperback Swap, even better!

This season, try to think outside the (ridiculously-priced) box.  Remember that one day is not worth sacrificing your finances.

Great Deal on HP Ink!

There is a great deal on HP t

Blog Hiatus

I will be out of town for about a week, so posting will be even slooooooower than usual.  I'll try to be better about posting when I get back...

Extra 25% Off Clearance at Marshalls

Marshalls is having an extra 25% off clearance through Sunday (I think).  Add to this the fact that a lot of the clearance is already cheap and you can score some great deals.  I bought three shirts, one pair of capri pants, one down/feather-stuffed throw pillow, and one enormous tablecloth for $30.84.

Go forth and shop.

Duplex Pictures- Bedroom

I realized that I haven't posted any room pictures since I moved from the apartment to the duplex.  I have discovered that it is very difficult to take room pictures, though!  :P

Here is my bed with new comforter- not frugal, about $60 from Domestications.  It was so difficult to find what I wanted in the right size.  There's also the Henry Link nightstands, lamps from Marshalls, and $6 vintage Nelly Littlehale Murphy print. 

Henry Link standing mirror and desk.  I couldn't get a good photo of the window treatment, but it is a $3 gold sheer waterfall valance that was 90% off at Kohl's.

Henry Link bureaus.  Jewelry is on the top of one; I'm working on getting framed photos for the other.

Up close shot of the comforter print- it's pinker than this IRL.

Vintage $20 print from the same estate that the Henry Link furniture came from.  I bought three of them- the other two are in a spare room.

Coming up tomorrow- the living room...

Living Room Pictures

I Love You, MacBook

Warning:  This blog post may contain discussion of a nonfrugal purchase.

So.  I made it all the way through grad school without a laptop.  I was one of the very few people that didn't haul one to class every day.  In most of my classes we were provided with PowerPoint handouts and so it wasn't necessary to have a laptop to take notes (not that I took many notes as it was).  And most people just used their laptops to surf the 'net and tune out the professors.  

I knew it was drawing close to time to purchase a new computer and I have been saving for a while for one.  I decided to get a laptop for portability issues and because I have too much stuff taking up space.  I wound up getting a MacBook because I wanted to get a computer that would last for years with fewer problems.  

I love it.  Love, love, love it!  I've had it for about six weeks now and have mostly adjusted to the differences although I still need to read the booklet that came with it (I'm bad about that).  I haven't yet transferred my files over from my PC, so I need to do that soon.  

For those wondering at home, I did go through Ebates to get a percentage back from my purchase.  And I also got a $100 discount and a free printer.  I haven't completely lost my mind!

More Adventures in Clothing

There are lots of clearance sales going on right now.  It's a good time to stock up.

This was $5:

This was a bit pricier at $10, but it fit perfectly.

Cute silvery-grey shoes for $4.  I was excited because I saw something similar in the window of a Banana Republic store.  Now I can duplicate that outfit.

Cotton jacket with cotton lining:  $7.  I was excited to see the cotton lining as most are sweaty polyester.

A Trip to Staples

It is no secret that I love Staples although we have had some rough patches over the past couple of years when they took away free shipping for any purchase and kept revamping their ink recycling program.  Well, I am back on board!  With the new Staples rewards program, you can bring in up to three ink cartridges per day (HP, Dell, or Lexmark) and you will earn $3 each in rewards.  Once a quarter (I think) they will give you a rewards coupon.  My coupon was for $27 this time!

I needed a memory card for my camera, so I went ahead and purchased that.  I also hit up the clearance.  They had a table up front with clearance where I snagged a $3 National Geographic puzzle (for the gift closet) and two .40 car folders for my nephews.  My Staples also has a clearance section near the back of the store.  I went to check that out and found a large expanding file that was originally $9 marked down to fifty cents!  I have found similar deals at Office Depot, so make sure you check out that office supply store clearance.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

For Your Viewing Pleasure

Graduation Day

Today is the graduation ceremony for my doctoral degree.  While I have officially been "doctor" for over a month, this is the day that I have been looking forward to for eight years.  I'm not sure how eight years went by so quickly (even though there were moments where they seemed to drag on forever!).

There's no way that I would've been able to get through this without the support of my family and friends.  That has meant so much to me and helped to carry me through the dark times.  Thanks also to my bloggy friends who have written such kind words of support over the past two years!   

Finally, and most importantly, there is no way that I would have been able to accomplish this without the strength I received from my relationship with God.  I knew that this was His plan for me, and that kept me going.  He carried me through this entire experience.  

And now, on to the celebration.  :)

"That my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever."  Psalm 30:12

Getting Stuck

Hi, my name is Tessa and I have arthritis.  

I'm 26, which in joint terms is not that old.  It started when I was 17- I remember this very clearly.  I took dance lessons from age 5 to age 15 and then danced on my high school dance team from age 14 to 18.  If you do the math, that's 13 years of wear and tear.  During my senior year, we were learning this really cool (and somewhat difficult) dance.  One move involved going from a standing position to a squatting position, turning in a circle, and then coming back to a standing position.  My knees started hurting a bit whenever I had to do this move, but I ignored it.  

In college, I had to climb a flight of stairs every day to get to my psychology classes.  That made my knees hurt, too.  When I stood on my feet for long periods of time while working at a pharmacy, my knees started swelling and burning.  By age 19 I was taking a Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplement daily.  This helped a lot.  

Within the last year, two things have happened.  I have had to increase my Glucosamine dosage and my hip joints started hurting.  I was not pleased.  During a pain management class in grad school, I observed an acupuncturist for a day and thought I might try that in the future.

A couple of months ago, I visited my nurse practitioner.  She thought I might have Rheumatoid Arthritis- the crippling, potentially disabling kind.  My initial blood test came back clear and I decided to try something different.  Now I am going to an acupuncturist.

People, it works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  My knee pain is GREATLY reduced.  My hip pain has had less success, but I am thrilled with the results.  Definitely not frugal, but 100% worth the cost.  Even if I do have to lie there for 20 minutes with a bunch of needles sticking out of me.  :P

Battling the Cranky

I'm at home sick today, and as I've discussed before, I am not a good sick person. I am cranky and bored. My good friend Amy called me to check on me and brought me some cold medicine (the good stuff), so that warmed my bitter little heart. And is making me feel slightly strung out, but better.

Anyhoo, I am trying to entertain myself on the internets. One blog that I enjoy is Stuff Christians Like. It's in a similar vein to Stuff White People Like, but, you know, with more Jesus. It has a lot of funny stuff on it. I just laughed out loud at this post. If you've ever been to a Christian concert or heard a Christian CD that was recorded live at said concerts, you've heard that guy that screams "Jesus!". It's funny 'cause it's true.

Updating the Coupon Binder

The time has come to update my coupon binder. I have had it for almost two years, and it was falling apart at the seams (literally!). It also was too small. I was able to get a new binder free after rebate and I used dividers that I already had- sometimes it pays to have an office supply addiction. The baseball card holders were fine so I just transferred them over.

Here is the front of the old binder:

Inside the old binder- it's nice and messy:

Also inside the old binder:

Here is the new PINK binder. Complete with a ClipArt decorated front cover and of course a label on the binding (not shown). Because I enjoy looking crazy.

Inside the new binder. One new thing that I have done is buy two of those zippered pencil pouches. In the front pouch, I put the coupons that I am going to use in a particular store. Then I can just grab the pouch and not have to take the whole binder with me. In the second zippered pouch I keep scissors for easy access.

The Sewage Incident: A Pointless Post

Last week there was an incident at the casa de Tessa. There will be no pictures to accompany this post as I do not document disgusting-ness.

Occasionally my air conditioner unit has (supposedly) been backing up and I will have puddles on my kitchen floor and in the garage. The kitchen, garage, and ground floor bathroom are all located near each other. Last Monday, it started again. My landlord- who normally is really quick to respond- had seemingly disappeared (later I found out that he had gone out of town). By Thursday, the floor in the kitchen near the bathroom had a lot of water and I was struggling to keep up with getting towels dry enough to put down. On Friday morning, sewage started to back up in the bathroom.

I do not do well with gross things. I have serious issues with public bathrooms due to the pure disgusting-ness that lurks within. But after a few phone calls to family members and then to a plumber, all was taken care of. The plumber came within ten minutes of my phone call and had fixed the problem within ten minutes of arriving. Thank God for this going smoothly!

Of course I had to go buy a Shop Vac and then complete a five-step cleaning process: vacuum, sweep, scrub on my hands and knees, mop, and wash towels one million times until I feel they are approaching clean again. But I am getting reimbursed for the plumber costs ($60- I should have been a plumber) and all is well for the time being.

Except that now I have dreams of finding puddles in the floor. :P

Irony

Here I am at age 3. I was crying because my brother (age 8 at the time) got to go to school and I didn't. I even went so far as to make up my own "Pretend School" and every day I would go off to "Pretend School" when my brother went to real school. That's about where it would end, though, because I had no idea what one actually did all day in school. I just thought it sounded very exciting.

If I had only known that I would be in school for 21 years, maybe I wouldn't have been crying.

I'm Back! With a Walgreens Post!

Of all the things that I do for this blog, I find it the most amusing when I get home from a shopping trip and try to artfully arrange groceries and HBA items so that I can take a picture of them. I don't know why, but I find that pretty funny. :D

Anyhoo, as you may or may have noticed, I have been absent from this blog lately. This means that I have been absent from deal-shopping, too. When I saw the $10 off $40 coupon WG put out for yesterday and today, I decided it was time to get with it. Incidentally, those coupons are also how I typically solve the toilet paper problem. Frugal folk with easy access to CVS are ALWAYS getting free TP, but the closest CVS is an hour away. I use toilet paper as filler to get up to the required amount when WG puts out the $10 off X amount coupons.

Today's purchases and totals:
3 Quilted Northern (3 x $4)= $12.00
2 South Beach Living Cereal Bars (2 x $2.50)= $5.00
2 Crest Rinses- I had the cashier ring them up separately- (2 x $4.49)= $8.98
1 Nivea for Men Body Wash= $4.99
1 Chemistry Hair Product= $7.99
1 WG Acid Controller= $7.99
1 LypSyl Lip Moisturizer= $1.99
1 Excedrin Express Gels= $3.99
1 Revlon Nail Polish= $4.49
__________________________________________________________
Total: $57.42
- $16.00 coupons
= $41.42
- $9.00 Register Rewards generated from the Crest
= $32.42

AND I will be getting $31.44 back in rebates, so my total was .98 before tax (I paid 2.86 tax). I also got a couple of coupons that printed with my Register Rewards. One was for Glade Wisp ($3 off) and I will combine it with the $5 manufacturer's coupon whenever that goes on sale to get it for free.

Most of the stuff was free after rebate or free after Register Rewards. I thought the cereal bars were a particularly good deal as they were .50 per box after coupons.

This is why I love coupons and rebates.

Nothing to Post?

Nope, nothin'. I haven't done any new and exciting frugal things lately. I'm drawing a blank...

Break

Will be on a bit of a break this week as I wrap some things up with internship/work. I'm going on vacation next week at work and will post then!

The Winner!

Congratulations to Chris from St. Mary's! You are the new owner of Millionaire Women Next Door. Here's the winning comment:

"I'm new to personal finance and everything I've read has been online. I don't have a favorite personal finance book because I've never read any. I've tried getting TMMO through local library, but don't want to wait forever to get to the top of the hold list. I'd like Millionaire Women Next Door to be my first."

Thanks to all for entering! I was surprised that so many said they'd never read any personal finance books. In the future I will talk more about some of my favorites.

Chris, email me at thefrugalshrink AT yahoo DOT com with your name and address and I'll get this sent out to you.

For Those With Foot Issues

The expensive-but-very-comfortable-and-well-made Born brand of shoes is on sale for $30 per pair at 6pm (the shoe store, not the time). This is no $10 sale, but it is a good price for Born and those suckers will last you for years. Their boots are even on sale for $30, and they normally cost $180 and up. Worth checking out for those with problematic feet.

Book Review and Giveaway: Millionaire Women Next Door

I really learned from Stanley & Danko's book The Millionaire Next Door, so when I saw this book for cheap I grabbed it. Like The Millionaire Next Door, there are definitely dry patches that you can easily skip over. However, there was still much to be gleaned.

What I learned:

1) Millionaire women have very clear goals (daily, weekly, monthly, annual, lifetime). They are more likely than their male counterparts to have these clearly defined goals.

2) Millionaire women largely have parents that set them up to succeed. Most millionaire women (not all) had parents that exhibited the following values/traits: empathy, leadership, happiness, independence, and responsiveness. These parents taught their daughters how to get along well with others, how to lead, how to be happy with where they are, how to be independent, and how to respond well to others.

3) Millionaire women began earning money at an early age. Most of these women were not the products of well-to-do parents, and their entrepreneurial spirit was evident early on.

4) Millionaire women are givers. They give a great deal to church and charity. Sometimes they give too much to family and enable their children to become economically dependent on them.

5) Millionaire women are self-employed. Sometimes they are engaged in unusual businesses. They see a need and figure out how to fill it and fill it well. Top earning careers for these women are management and consulting.

As with all of the Millionaire books, I think the most interesting part are the individual case studies. It's pretty interesting to see why people become what they become.

Want your own copy? I snagged an extra off of Paperback Swap to give to one of my readers. Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite personal finance book is and you will be entered into this giveaway. I'll draw a winner on Friday. Open to all in the U.S.

So I'm Really Going to Graduate

Today I picked up a belated birthday gift from one of my friends. It is a beautiful red leather portfolio, and on the front there is a plate that she had engraved with "Dr. Mylastname." Looking at that engraved plate is the strangest experience for me. Even though I have written "Dr. Mylastname" about a thousand times before just to see how it would look. ;)

Also today I picked up some white 100% cotton bond paper for free at Staples (used my rewards certificate) to print my dissertation on. I've had to make a few minor changes following the defense, but it looks like I will be ready to print and turn in the required copies in the next week or so.

Both of these incidences were very clear reminders that I am getting ready to graduate with my doctorate. This is not something that my brain has accepted yet. I will be done with my internship at the end of August and will officially have the doctorate September 1st, although my graduation ceremony isn't until October. I have been focused on this goal since I was 17 and I have just been running as fast and as hard as I can since that time trying to get to where I am now.

Now here I am at the finish line, and I don't quite know what to do with myself. It's definitely a happy thing, but something that is going to take some time for me to wrap my head around.

Bulk Food Stores

I love bulk food stores! There is a new-ish bulk food store in my hometown that I recently visited for the first time. There were tons of great deals, but I limited myself to just a few things. I picked up some powdered milk, natural peanut butter, carob chips, lentils, and chocolate covered pretzels (for the ride home ;) ). If I were more organized, I would preplan out a month's worth of menus and do more shopping in bulk. Unfortunately I will have to make do with the little organization that I currently manage.

I Have Plans...

...and they will probably go horribly, horribly wrong. Much like the Great Tomato-Plant Murders of 2007. But I have to keep trying, right?

Deal Alert: $9.99 Shoes at ShoeTrader

ShoeTrader has a bunch of shoes on sale right now for $9.99 with free shipping and free returns. Use code 943706 if the prices don't show up correctly in your cart. There is no good way to sort the items, so be prepared to be frustrated. However, if you have the patience there are some cute things in the midst of some frankly hideous stuff.

I'm trying to stop buying unreasonably tall and/or uncomfortable shoes due to joint problems. I've been getting rid of my unreasonable shoes but let me tell you it is no easy task to find cute low-heeled shoes!!

Here's what I bought:


Green linen sling back sandals- originally $35:


Sofft (love this brand for comfort!) leather sandals- originally $70:

Black leather sandals- originally $60:

Boring but functional leather loafers in tan and black- originally $40 each:

Original total: $245

Paid: $50 shipped

Not bad.

Vintage Purse

I found this cute little vintage purse at a flea market last weekend. It's in great shape and was $7. Look at how the clasp is on the handle- I've not seen that before. The print lining and inner metal zipper are also indicators of its age. And how cute is that lining!

The New Staples Ink Rewards Program: I Like You Better. I Think.

I have been quiet about my beloved Staples lately since they have taken away nearly every perk that kept me shopping there. They even changed their ink recycling policy, and I wasn't sure that I even understood it. So I waited to report back.

And I'm pretty sure I like it better than before! Basically, you can take in three ink cartridges (Dell, HP, or Lexmark) per day and they will periodically mail you one coupon for all of the ink cartridges that you've redeemed. I like it better because I could potentially save up and have quite a large coupon to spend at one time.

The downside is that I'm not frequently near a Staples store anymore, so I will have to carefully plan on recycling cartridges when I'm in the area. I have been saving ink cartridges in the trunk of my car until I could be sure that I wanted to continue with the Staples program, so I guess it's time to start recycling!

Library Book Store Guilt

I love, love, love the library book store in my tiny hometown. Rather than having a yearly or twice yearly sale, the "friends of the library" open up this little book store one day a week for a few hours. I go once every month or two and buy a bunch. Because I love hearing my friends and family complain about having to lift 52,341 heavy boxes of books every time that I move.

Anyhoo, prices are cheap. The lady working at the store (incidentally, she was my first-grade teacher) tried to charge me $4 for this stack. "How about $5?" I asked, feeling guilty for spending so little and getting so much. Then I just gave her a ten and told her to keep it. I am terrified that they will close this place down, so I try to donate something extra every time that I'm there. Also, I seem to be the kiss of death for stores. If I love it, it will close.

So I say keep the change as long as you keep your doors open and let me feed my addiction.

Recent Cheapie Clothes Buys

I have been finding a lot of good clothing deals lately. Here's some of my recent purchases!


Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker suit- $8.98 per piece at Steve & Barry's. I was in need of a suit since I've lost weight and none of mine fit me right now. It's even a wool blend! Jacket is lined but skirt isn't- it definitely needs a slip underneath.



Banana Republic jacket- originally $148. Was $27.xx on sale and I had a $15 off coupon. Paid about $13. Did I tell you guys that I am going to be presenting at a national conference in November? Whoo hoo! So this is a legitimate purchase for that occasion. Ahem.

Rue 21 short-sleeved jacket- $5. This store has great clearance- I don't ever pay more than $5 here. Their stuff is not wonderfully made, but you will definitely get your $2-$5 out of it. I recently also got a cute red button-down shirt for $5. Their jewelry clearance is $3 and less.

Cato skirt- $5. It's fully lined!

Express skirt- originally $69.50, paid about $7. It has pockets! I *love* pockets on dresses and skirts!

Cato shoes- paid $4. I don't buy a lot of cheapie shoes, but these were too cute to pass up!

And the winner is...

Beachnerd! Here is her winning entry:

Wow Dr. Tessa, this is a generous offer! I was flying home from a business conference and tried a friend's ipod. I declared right then and there that I want one for my birthday. Ok: I'm frugal when I make homemade pizza or salads for dinner and then use our bogo Dairy Queen coupons after seeing the free big band music on the weekends for our "date out". I'm not frugal when my daughter has the same day off of work as me. Then we go to lunch wherever she wants to go, mostly because it doesn't happen that often.

Her entry was randomly selected through one of those internet number generator thingamajigs, not just 'cause she called me Dr. Tessa and that made me smile. ;)

I have so enjoyed reading all of your entries! It is really interesting to see what is important to each of you. To be honest, I did this contest in part to make some of you comment here for the first time! I can "see" the number/location of the people who visit, but I wanted to know who you guys are. Thanks to all who commented and entered the contest.

Beachnerd, email me at thefrugalshrink AT yahoo DOT com with your name, address, what color Ipod shuffle you want, and what you would like to have engraved on it. Congratulations! :D

This Week's Walgreens Trip

I'm ashamed to admit that it had been weeks since I'd hit up WG. None of the deals have looked too tempting and I've been busy, so that means no shopping. You should see my hideous pile of unorganized coupons. Terrible.

Anyhoo, this week's deals:
Therabreath Starter Kit 9.99 (will be FAR)
Dawn dish soap .49 (used a .50 manufacturer's coupon)
Air freshener 1.50 for two (used a BOGOF coupon- not a great price, but my stockpile is low)
Reynolds wrap .34 (used a .55 manufacturer's coupon)
Nature Made Vitamins 9.99 (will be FAR)
Sandwich baggies .99 (needed these)
Scotch tape 3/1.00 (remember my traumatic no-name tape story?)
Pilot 2-pack of pens 1.00 (will be FAR)
3 packs of Papermate mechanical pencils .15 total
Chocolate bar .99 (will be FAR)

Total spent after taxes (I used a previous WG gift card): $28.32.
Total that I will get back in rebates: $24.16 (including the 10% bonus)
Total spent: $4.16

Also, I told myself that this would be the year that I would stay away from the school supply deals. I'm still trying to get rid of/use up supplies from two stinkin' years ago. However, the siren song of .05 packs of pencils was too much for me to handle. It is a sickness, I tell you! One that apparently runs in my family- not that I'm blaming anyone. ;)

Ipod Shuffle Giveaway!

Let me tell you about my Ipod shuffle.

For many years, I have guffawed at how everyone had to have an mp3 player, let alone one made by Apple. I should just never open my mouth.

For my birthday (June 4th), my mom offered to get me a shuffle. I thought that sounded good, since I could use it when I exercised. Since that time, I have had an ongoing love affair with this tiny thing, except for one traumatic incident where I accidentally threw away the headphones. People, it makes *everything* better!! Need some motivation for exercising? Ipod shuffle. Hate doing chores around the house? Ipod shuffle. Want to tune out your children/spouse/boss? Ipod shuffle.

I love it so much that I am going to pony up the money for one of you to have one. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me one way that you are frugal and one way that you aren't. I will randomly draw a winner on Saturday. Make sure your comment includes some way that I can reach you. This is open to anyone in the U.S., including people that I know in real life and/or relatives. 'Cause I totally believe in nepotism.

Go!

Coming next week...

...a fun giveaway/contest.


What could it be???

Neglect

I know, Internets. I've been neglecting you. You thought we had an agreement, right? I would try to post more often. And that is my intent, it's just that some weeks are so busy. Lately everything has been busy (in a good way!). I promise (for real this time) that I will get back with it in the next couple of days.

XOXO,

Tessa

How to Turn a $25 Giftcard Into $30

ALWAYS check and see if there are coupons out there for the stores that you have giftcards from! My friend Beth gave me a Kohl's giftcard for my birthday, and I knew that there was a $5 coupon out there just for signing up for their email list. I wanted to get some bedding or other house-y stuff. After browsing through the store, I found a set of sheets for 50% off ($24.99) and a gold waterfall valance at 90% off that is perfect for my bedroom window ($2.90). After tax, I got .45 back in change. :P So use those coupons to stretch your savings, even with giftcards.

For No Good Reason

But I laugh hysterically every time I see this. :P

Henry Link Furniture Photos

Please excuse the terrible photos- these pictures do not do justice to how beautiful this furniture is! I have all of the above pieces + one more nightstand and a standing mirror. I'll try to take better pictures soon in the daylight.

This is all vintage late 1950s/early 1960s Henry Link furniture. It's HEAVY wood with dove tailed corners and the Henry Link name is etched inside some of the drawers. It is all an antique white color with gold trim. The coolest thing about it is that it came with the original catalog and sales receipt! As a person that loves old things much better than new things, it is a dream to find so many pieces in perfect condition. I visited this set in an antique store several times over the course of two months in deciding whether to buy it. I was able to negotiate about 20% off the price, but it still wasn't frugal!!!!! :D

Menu Plan

Banana bread and banana/chocolate chip bread.

I have really fallen off the bandwagon lately when it comes to food. I have been neglecting meal planning and eating out waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much. So here I go again.

Meals this week:

Breakfast- 1/2 bagel with natural peanut butter and organic skim milk (I have this every day)

Lunches/Dinners- Baked Mexican chicken casserole (already made), crockpot pizza, burritos, cereal, and I have a few single portions from previous meals frozen if I get bored or need other options (chicken carbonara, spinach enchiladas)

Fruit/Veggies- green beans, carrots, oranges, bananas

Dessert- chocolate chip oatmeal cookies (already made)

Passed!

I passed my dissertation defense!! I do have to add in a few more paragraphs to clarify some info, but the worst is behind me. I was SO nervous all of last week. Normally I get "good" nervous before presentations- the kind that helps you perform well. But last week I was "bad" nervous- the kind that makes your mind go blank and/or makes you vomit. Thankfully, none of those things happened. ;)

When I complete my internship at the end of August, I will officially be Dr. Tessa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recent Free Stuff

* Did anyone else use that great Target coupon that was $5 any 3 Band-Aids (also some other brands like Stayfree, etc.)? I automatically read the fine print on any such coupon to see if I can get something for free. Sure enough, if I could find Band-Aids cheap enough I could get 3 boxes for free. And I did. Which is a really good thing because I was almost out of Band-Aids and I am, shall we say, accident prone. I tend to cut myself frequently on things like scissors, razors, and cheese graters. True story.

* Also, a few years ago I signed up while at Goodwill for their birthday club. For the past three years they have sent me a $5 off any purchase coupon, which I used to get some free (new in package) wrapping paper.

Big News

This Friday I will defend my doctoral dissertation. I really hope it goes well. :D

$5 Skirt

I recently had a $10 off any purchase coupon for taking a survey for Van Heusen, which is a good thing because suddenly all of my clothes are falling off of me. I scoped out the store with the intention of getting something for free but they weren't having any super duper sales. In the back I found this skirt marked down to $14.99 from something like $36. I tried it on and loved it, so I got it for $5.12 after tax. I also tried on this really fabulous dress that looked vintage-y but would've still been $40 after coupon. And it was a black and white print and I don't need another black and white dress. Luckily my cheapskate side won out and I left it on the rack.

This ramble brought to you by Tessa's Ramblings. All rambles, all the time.

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!!

Well, the move was successful although I still have a little bit of stuff that I need to move over from the apartment. I am now in a town house/duplex and it is FABULOUS. It is more rent than I was paying but it is worth every stinkin' penny.

I am still unpacking and cleaning, so pictures will have to wait. In exciting purchase news, I bought most of a vintage Henry Link bedroom set. I had intended to put it in my spare bedroom but then decided that I wanted it for myself. Pictures of that are forthcoming!

Moving...

I'm in the process of moving and posting will be spotty over the next week or so. I will return with lots of pictures and new posts!

What I Did With the $10/$30 WG Coupon

Last Friday Walgreens had a one day $10 off any $30 purchase coupon. June's free after rebate (FAR) items also happened to start that day. I had several scenarios in mind, but WG was out of stock on some items that I wanted to get. Here's what I wound up getting with the coupon:

* Water filter cartridge 6.99 (FAR)
* Ecotrin 2.00 (FAR)
* WG Calcium 5.99 (FAR)
* WG Glucoshot 1.99 (FAR)
* Excedrin 1.99 x 2 = 3.98
* Theragran vitamins 4.99 (FAR)
* Quilted Northern TP 4.00 x 2 = 8.00

Subtotal: 33.94
-10.00 WG coupon
-6.00 Manufacturer's coupons
______________
17.94
+ 1.30 tax
______________
$19.24 Which I put on a WG giftcard, of course. AND I will get $24.15 back in rebates.

Let me recap: I spent $19.24 and will get $24.15 back. And I didn't technically even *spend* the $19.24 since I used a WG giftcard.

This is why I love Walgreens.