TMR Frugal Living Tip #87

Today's thrifty living tip is to take an inventory of purchased gifts. This is the time of the year I take advantage of clearance sales by purchasing gifts now to give throughout the year. I like to have a stockpile of gifts for teachers, last minute gifts, kid birthday parties, or gifts you know a certain person would love. You aren't saving money if you forget you have Aunt Sally's gift sitting in the closet so go out to buy her another one. What if no one else on your list likes poodles? Then you're either stuck with it or donate it to charity.

I like to keep a list either on my smartphone or computer with all the gifts I have purchased. I know what I have in my gift closet, and I know who is getting what. I do make changes if I find something else during the year, but I make sure to change it on my list. This keeps me organized and on budget. I also have a special closet where I store all the gifts. Lately I have started storing them in a chest, and I keep an extra list taped to the inside lid. I have my list in two spots. Do you have a system to keep you organized for extra gifts? I have also created a gift list that is printable for anyone to use. I would appreciate a link back to my blog if you decide to post it on your blog or website. Just save the picture and then you can print. Enjoy the free list.

Winner of the $25 Amazon Gift Card Announced!

Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of Thrifty Momma Ramblings Countdown to Christmas $25 Amazon gift card giveaway. My bed was oh so warm and snug, and I didn't want to get out of it. Hey at least I'm honest. I have already emailed the lucky winner so check your email and junk folder. Without further delay, the winner is.....................J Billiris!!! Congratulations on winning and again check your email.

I want to thank everyone for entering this giveaway. I'm so happy to have so many people who stop by and read my little ole blog. I have big, big, BIG plans for it next year. Keep coming back as there will be more giveaways next year as well as other great changes to this blog. I have officially finished my shopping as of yesterday. All presents have been wrapped, and some were already exchanged. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! If you don't celebrate it, then just insert your holiday name instead.

Great Shopping Day!

I received several coupons and offers in the mail from different companies in the last week. I wanted to take advantage of a few of these offers to snag more Christmas presents. I needed to look for printed bath towels to make towel wraps as presents. I will post an article on what those are and how to make them soon. I made a day of shopping on Friday with a good friend. I have to share with everyone my great deals.


FREE COFFEE
She wanted to stop at McDonald's on our way out, and there was a sign stating Free Small (12 oz) coffee for the month of December. We were thrilled and we each got one, and she bought a breakfast sandwich. I'm not much of a breakfast person. She only spent $1.52 for her sandwich. That was a great way to start off my morning. This offer is good for the whole month of December!

ROSS DEALS
My friend wanted to hit Ross to look for her Christmas presents. I went to the towel section. I did find a really cute girly pink and other pastel stripe towel for my project. I ended up putting it back since I wasn't sure about paying $5.99 for the towel. That was actually a great price for printed towels. Oh well. Live and learn.

I did find a pair of Dockers brand shoe style slippers for my husband's grandfather. The best part was they were marked down to $6.99! That was the cheapest price I have seen including Black Friday. I found the last pair in black in his size. I also found a bamboo remote caddy to replace mine for $7.99 which is a present for us. The caddy I currently have is being held together by tape. I know pathetic. I also found a great deal for my hubby. He needs a new wallet and is always needing new belts. They had a package deal for both for $12! Both are Dockers and leather so I'm thrilled to have 2 presents for the price of one. I usually pay $15 for his wallet so it was like getting the belt for free. This was the most I spent all day for a total of $30.

TARGET DEAL
I had printed out a coupon to receive a $10 gift card when you spent $50. I did find several things at the dollar hot spot area for stocking stuffers and extras for some of my gifts. I had a $10 gift card to use when I redeemed my rewards. I spent exactly $10.66 so I had to pay the 66 cents out of pocket. I was thrilled to get some more goodies for basically nothing. Since I couldn't find any towels or bigger items, then I decided to hand my coupon to the lady behind me. She had lots of toys and was so excited that I gave her the coupon. I wasn't coming back and hated to throw it out so I did a kindness by paying it forward. She hadn't heard about this deal so she was so excited to receive the $10 gift card for free. I responded with a Merry Christmas and left her all smiles. I was glad I could help someone else save money, and it does feel good to do random acts of kindness.

BED, BATH, & BEYOND DEAL
I had a $5 off coupon when you spend $15 or more. I found a mini-flashlight for my son's stocking which was $5. He is always begging to use a big flashlight but mostly wants one for bed at night. I know this will make him happy. Again I couldn't find any towels for my project, but I did find a six pack of washcloths. I always need them and seem to lose them. These were on sale for $12 and so super soft. I hate buying the cheap thin ones as they are so rough to use on my face. I'm glad I spent the extra money as I used one last night. These cloths are wonderful to use when I take off my makeup and especially my eye makeup. You know what, I'm definitely worth it. I spent $14 after coupon. My son's stocking stuffer was free and just paid for the washcloths.

BURGER KING DEAL
We ate lunch at Burger King to take advantage of the BOGO deal on Whoppers. We each bought a small soft drink. We split the cost on the whopper and we spent $3 each with tax. We didn't buy any fries. I had a coupon deal for Auntie Ann in the mall and I knew we would be eating a pretzel there so I saved room for it. That deal cost us less than $3 each as well as it was a BOGO coupon. I had a bottle of water with me for both of us. I hate spending almost $2 on a bottle when I can pack a small ice chest for the road.

VICTORIA'S SECRET DEAL
I'm especially thrilled with this deal. I picked up a pack of four smaller sized lotions. It was marked $18 but rang up $10. I had my $10 off any regular priced purchase so I paid $0.87 cents! I had no idea as I really thought it was priced $18. I'm not sure if I am going to give this as set or take out the bottles to make 4 presents. I'm thinking the latter as teacher gifts. My son has 4 teachers and the teacher aide. I love giving them a little something to show my appreciation. I feel this was my best deal of the day!

TOWELS
I finally found a leopard print towel at Kmart for $7 which wasn't too bad. I also found a wonderful wrist watch for my mom. She had a very specific type in mind and it was the only watch I found for what she wanted. I found the other towel for my project marked $9! I know that towel was much more than I wanted to spend, but it is perfect for the recipients of this project. I bought the bias tape at Hancock's fabric store and spent $3 with tax for two packs. I wasn't expecting it to be so cheap but they were on sale. I will break down the prices on that project and all the details in my other post soon.

Total for the day was around $75! I used the money I received in rewards to pay for my purchases. I didn't spend a dime of my money on any of these purchases. I spent $5 on food for a grand total of $80. I didn't count the cost of gas, but I don't do have many shopping excursions. I do most of my gift buying online. I was happy to get items and use coupons to save more money. I have a very gas efficient car which gets averages 37-38 miles to the gallon. I had a full tank and only used a quarter of a tank for the whole day including going to the town and coming home which is 50 miles round trip. I had a really fun day with my friend shopping and saving money. You can't put a price on a shopping day with the girls.

Earn Money While Christmas Shopping

If you aren't taking advantage of reward programs, then you are missing out on free money. I don't mean doing offers where you have to pay like trials, but just for doing the things you already do like shopping or reading emails. You can do those offers especially if it's for something you will use. I have taken advantage of deals where I wanted to try a new service and then I earned points on top of it like Netflix. Many banks have reward programs on their checking accounts and credit cards. I bank with Capital One and earn over 10,000-20,000 points yearly for banking. Some cable companies are offering reward programs. I have a Charter bundle package and I also earn points with their reward program. I don't know if all cable or phone companies offer reward programs. I would check and most are free to sign-up.

I'm part of several reward programs like My Points, Big Crumbs, and now Ebates. I received a $15 bonus for signing up with Ebates. I had to spend $50 online before Christmas. I already made the requirement since I had certain presents to buy that I could only find online. I love to snag deals online as well as in the stores. I spent $60 yesterday on presents and will receive double rewards since it was Cyber Monday. I also use My Points when shopping and it just depends on who is offering the better deal. I can't cash out my Ebates since I just joined. I want to share with you the other rewards I'm getting to use for Christmas shopping. I love using these programs which really helps to lower my Christmas expenses. What are you waiting for and start earning rewards while you shop! I know there are many reward programs available, but these are the ones I have used and know have been around for many years. I am looking into Swagbucks.

• Charter- $25 gift card and $10 gift card
• Capital One- $50 gift card, $25 gift card, and $10 gift card
• My Points- $25 gift card and $10 gift card
  
• Grand Total- $155 in rewards= FREE MONEY!

Black Friday is Coming!

Yes it's that wonderful time of the year again where you begin to make those infamous Black Friday plans. It's just as important, if not more important, than your Thanksgiving Day plans. I'm actually getting a bit of a late start on making my plans. This year I already promised myself one store fighting the crowds. The rest of my shopping will be done online.

Yes I will be shopping at Wal-Mart which I know many people hate this particular store. I have my eye on a few items like the sheets, jeans for hubby, video games, and a couple of toys. I haven't had to deal with any stampeding crowds since Wal-Mart has always let people in before opening the pallets. So people would crowd around the hot items they wanted, and many were very friendly by handing out the stuff to others around them. The electronics department would hand out coupons, but I have yet to buy any big items like tv's, video game systems, or such. I mainly hit the bedding, clothes, and toys on sale plus any dvd's and games. Many times I could still find everything I wanted on sale the next day and not fight any crowds. I get what I want and get out. The older the kids are getting, then the less toys I need to buy. I give out more gift cards to my nieces as they prefer Itunes and such.

If you haven't already seen the ads, which I'm sure the avid shoppers already have, there are a couple of good websites to see the ad scans. I am not getting paid for this post, and these are sites I have bookmarked for every Black Friday. One site is BFads and the other site I frequent is Black Friday Info. Happy shopping and remember that nothing for sale is worth hurting someone else over. Be courteous as everyone is just trying to save a buck.

Winner of the $50 Gift Card Giveaway!

First I would like to thank everyone who entered. I was not expecting this big of a response to my little ole giveaway and I feel honored to have generated such a buzz! Again thank you to all the posters who made this a big success in my opinion. I do have more giveaways lined up in the near future plus many posts on saving money, generating a little extra money, and such. Please keep coming back and visiting my blog. I really appreciate the comments and sharing with others.

So without further delay, the winner of the Get a Jumpstart on Christmas Shopping $50 Gift Card Giveaway! is..............drumroll....................Maggie at Tethered Mommy! Congratulations Maggie and I have emailed you and she has received my email. I am so excited you won and she already picked the card of her choice! I used Random.org to pick the winner of this giveaway. Thanks again to everyone who responded and I appreciate the support.

Get a Jumpstart on Christmas Shopping with a $50 Gift Card Thrifty Momma Ramblings Giveaway!

Christmas is right around the corner so Thrifty Momma Ramblings is hosting a $50 gift card giveaway for one lucky reader to get a jumpstart on Christmas shopping! You can be totally selfish and use it for yourself if you choose. I will post the list of stores you can choose from for your gift card. The rules are super easy and this contest will end on Sunday, November 6th at 11:59 PM CST. So basically midnight. The winner will be announced on the blog the following day and I use Random.org to pull the lucky winner by number.

Giveaway Rules:
To enter this drawing all you have to do is leave a comment about how you would spend the $50 gift card if you won. As I said, you could use it on holiday shopping, regift to someone else, or use it on yourself. No anonymous posters please. You don't have to have a blog but leave your name at least in the comment. All anonymous poster comments will be deleted. I hope you enjoy the giveaway. This giveaway is only open to United States (US) Residents! Only one entry per comment, but and I have included a a couple of extra ways to earn more entries.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
2 Extra Entriess- Blog about this drawing on your blog linking back to this post. Leave me a comment with the link that I can follow and see it.
1 Extra Entry- Subscribe to my email list located at the top right hand side below header.
1 Extra Entry- Retweet this contest or follow me on Twitter (You can do both but you only get credit for one.)
1 Extra Entry- Follow my page on Facebook or Share on your wall (You can do both but you only get credit for one.)

Stop reading already and leave your comment for your chance to get a jumpstart on Christmas shopping with a $50 to one of the following stores of your choice. Thanks so much to all my readers. I wouldn't have much of a blog without you guys. Good luck!

$50 Gift Card List:
1) Wal-Mart
2) Target
3) Amazon (online)
4) CVS
5) Walgreen's
6) Best Buy
7) Rite-Aid
8) Itunes

50 Free Spooktacular Disney Movie Rewards Bonus Points

Today is the last day to redeem your 50 Halloween points for the Disney Movie Rewards program. Here are the 5 codes to enter:

PUMPKIN 10pts
SCARY 10pts
BOO 10 pts
AUTUMN 10 pts
HOOK 10 pts

Just remember these free "BOO"nus points ends today on October 16th so hurry before they RIP! I have embedded the new Monster Mash video for the Spooky Buddies DVD. Very cute.

Money Saving Tips on New Wardrobes

When you begin to lose weight, most of the time you don't even think about how you might need a new wardrobe. This can be the case, not once but several times, if you have a good bit to lose. It can be quite costly but it doesn't have to be. I love to shop so I've made it into more of a challenge to buy nice quality clothing at discount prices. There are many ways to acquire your new clothing whether it be new or used. I hope these tips will help.

Shop your local thrift stores. Some thrift stores have sale days which can save you as much as half off their tag price. I have even shopped at thrift stores that have bag days where you can put as much as you can in a bag for a set price. Many times you can find clothes with store tags still attached. My local thrift store has many clothing priced at $2 each even with store tags. I have scored many great deals this way.

Yard sales can also offer some great bargains. I have seen many clothes with tags attached for a fraction of retail. I usually find mall brands like Gap, Old Navy, NY&Co, Limited, but I have also seen some designer brands. This will greatly depend on the area you are shopping. I have gotten some real bargains over the years.

Clearance sales is the most obvious way to score deals on department store clothing. I love shopping at the end of a season. Many times I have found winter clothing on summer clearance racks and vice versa. I have even found last seasons clothing on clearance racks and those are usually heavily discounted. Always keep your eyes peeled for stores that offer an extra % off on clearance racks. I have walked out paying $2-4 for clothes that were $20-50 originally.

Consignment stores are also a good place to find some good deals. These stores are usually more expensive, but you will pay a lot less for career clothing, suits, special occasion dresses, and even nicer coats. Some stores do offer coupons or have designated discount days to save even more.

Talk to friends or family members. You might be surprised while chatting with someone that they could be getting rid of clothes that would be perfect for you. Many people get rid of clothing after either gaining or losing weight. Some people have gotten together to have clothing swaps. This is perfect in tight times to get new clothing for yourself while helping out a friend or family member. I know that some church groups do this and if not maybe start one in your area.

Check the classifieds or even Craig's list/Freecycle. People are always selling clothing (many times brand new or hardly worn) which can be a great savings to you. Of course you can buy clothes off the internet like Ebay. I have seen several forum or yahoo groups where members can sell their items similar to an online yard sale. They will post pictures and you pay through Paypal. There is a certain amount of trust you instill which can be a little scary for some people. Speaking of the internet, why not try Facebook if you have an account. You could post if you are looking to sell or buy clothing from your friends. That might be a better way of either asking or offering people a certain size without offending.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #76

Today's thrifty living tip is to bring your own bags to the store. We know all it cuts down on plastic being used to make bags which is great for the environment. It also cuts down on the amount of trash in landfills. But did you know that you can stuff a lot of groceries in them? Not only that, but the majority of them have a reinforced bottom which is great for canned goods plus heavier items. Most people say they have a hard time remembering to bring them to the store. So what I've done is to keep them stored in my car side door. This way I always see them before I get out of my car. I have heard that some stores will give a discount for bringing your own. None around me do this, but you might be one of those lucky people. CVS has a key chain one that you can buy for 99 cents, and you will get a $1 ECB for every 4th purchase when you have it scanned. I'm even starting to bring bigger tote bag ones when I go to yard sales. I usually get the bigger ones for free at some stores I have shopped. Another great thing about them is you could make your own customized ones if you wanted to have more stylish bags. I feel that these bags are a great and inexpensive investment.

Shabby Apple is Oh La La

While I may have a little French heritage, I definitely felt Parisian wearing this little number. Shabby Apple is a fashionable online retail store that carries women, girl's, preteen, shoes, bags, jewelry and accessories. I have really enjoyed browsing this store, and the site is so easy to navigate. Each dress had a cute little story behind it which was entertaining to read. I also liked that you could shop by the body shape tool, and it asked you questions to determine which shape you resemble most. Then it gave you styles that would flatter your shape best. That is a great feature to help when shopping online.

I received the Oh La La dress from the Paris collection. I have to say that, not only is it a very well made dress, but very comfortable to wear. I love the red and white stripe knit top, and the skirt is a nice A-Line black skirt in a linen blend. The skirt part has two side pockets. It's a great pairing and has that great casual feel and look. I could easily make it look dressier depending on my heels. I felt pulled together and as if I was on an episode of What Not to Wear. As you can see in my pictures below, I was having a lot of fun modeling.




Shabby Apple has so many great designs that I would love to own more of these dresses. I think what I really like the most about the designs is the nostalgic feeling many of them have. I want to do an upsweep do and put on some bright red lipstick like the 1940's. I have an upcoming wedding in October, and I will be shopping for a great black dress. I found these Georgi heels that would look fabulous with the dress I wore in this post. You can receive 10% off by joining their email mailing list which is a great offer! I hope you have as much browsing their site as I am.

Get a Free Picture Canvas

Here is a great offer that I am getting and wanted to share. Canvas People is offering a free $55 Gift Certificate to redeem one free 8x10 canvas of your favorite digital picture. You do have to pay $14.95 shipping and handling but this is a great savings! You can order a frame for it as well, but I'm going to frame it myself since I already have a perfect one at home. This site is really cool. You can add special effects to the canvas. I think this is a great gift idea for anyone. Why not use a vacation picture which would make a great memory for hanging on the wall. This deal is also a great gift idea for grandparents. I'm buying one for my husband as a surprise gift so I can't get into more details just to be safe. He really doesn't read my blog but you never know. If you would like to browse or take advantage of this great deal then just click either on the picture above or click here to go to Canvas People. Enjoy this great deal.

Tips for Saving Money on Engagement Rings

Planning The Ring Budget:
Establishing a long-term relationship is an achievement in itself, however, now you're thinking you want to make it permanent. Planning a life together starts with planning the budget for the ring. What are the guidelines for purchasing engagement rings? Design your own ring builders online can help you to not only determine what you can get for your money, but also helps you figure out how to make the ring special.

Budgetary Guidelines:
The conventional wisdom is that a suitor should spend at least three month's salary on an engagement ring. Now, that the recession has hit, many people may want to keep those earnings aside in the event of a layoff, but there are still ways to get what you want for less. Look at how much you want to spend on a ring, in a way that fits into your budget, and then go online to check out the possibilities.

Online Engagement Ring Builders:
One of the best kept secrets about online engagement ring builders is that you can use them to help you set a budget for your ring purchase. If you don't want to follow the conventional tradition of spending three month's income on a ring, you can simply hop online, and start to look through the many options you have to pick a ring that suits any budget. Maybe you have an idea that your beloved wants a one-carat solitaire ring. You can just pick the weight of the stone and a solitaire style setting. By playing with other stone factors like clarity and color you will find out what your low and high end budget are going to be as displayed in the ring builder. Then you can see how long it will take to save up for the big event.

Take Into Account Her Tastes:
Another thing that the ring builder allows you to do is to try out different styles that might appeal to your beloved. Maybe she wants a three-stone ring. Maybe she wants a colored diamond. You will be able to see how these choices affect the price range, and then negotiate between what she wants and what you can afford. In many ways, if you are creative enough with different metal settings, color, clarity, cut, and more, you should eventually settle on a ring that fits your budget and her tastes at the same time.
　

The Free Christmas Spending Challenge

So you are probably wondering what is a free Christmas spending challenge. It's a challenge that I'm doing this year to pay for Christmas with our pocket change and the things I get for free. This includes gift certificates I redeem from My Points and other reward programs. I am also using the change we've saved in a jar. I normally use this money to pay for presents for our family like DVD movies and games. This year we are on a tight budget like most people so I decided to spend less. I can still give nice and thoughtful gifts without spending a fortune.

I give gifts to around 30 people which includes my family, hubby's, teachers, mail lady, and such. My hubby and I aren't exchanging any presents this year unless I can score some great deals on DVD movies and/or games, but I'm not holding my breath. I also buy items for gift baskets that I get for free or almost free. I get lots of compliments on my gift baskets from my friends and family. I have Tupperware left from in my inventory that I will give as gifts. I do plan on making homemade treats this year like chocolate covered mint patties, peanut butter balls and fudge.

I already have several gift certificates saved up. I redeemed 2 $10 Subway gift cards and a $10 Chili from My Coke Rewards. I just ordered another $10 Chili gc so I plan on giving those 2 to a couple. I'm hoping to get the Snow White blu-ray DVD combo pack that will be on sale at Wal-Mart on Tuesday for $9.96 plus tax after I use the $10 off coupon I printed. That will make another wonderful gift. I also got stainless steel water bottles on clearance. I just requested a $50 check from my bank since I use a free checking rewards program. I am getting a $25 CVS gc from My Points which I will use to help pay for the great deals I'm getting. I also did the CVS Monsters vs Aliens deal this past week. I paid $6 for that movie which is a great stocking stuffer for my son. My son's Christmas and Birthday is already paid for with all those Bionicle Legos we scored last October so click here to read about that great deal. I'm glad we saved them so that is a huge help to our Christmas budget. I found a couple more gifts I had bought but didn't give them last year. I have a bad habit of forgetting what I buy people earlier in the year, and then buy something else when it gets closer to Christmas. I will report back and update my Christmas spending challenge especially when it gets closer to Christmas.

Stop Wasting Food & Get Organized!

I know I'm not the only one that finds long lost items hidden in their pantry or kitchen cabinets. I admit that I've done this more than I care to remember. Not only is it a waste of money, but it's also a waste of time and precious space. I don't have many cabinets so I definitely need to make the space I have count. What can you do to prevent this in the future? The best way is through good organization.

Yes this is a picture of my kitchen cabinet. I do have some convenience food, but I do make the majority of our meals from scratch. My husband and I actually just organized our cabinets this weekend. I was surprised that I didn't have any expired food. I also store a good bit of our foods in Tupperware containers. It keeps them fresher longer, easier to store neatly, and I can see what's inside. I got all of it quite cheaply on sale, and my mom sells it so I can get her discount. Some of these containers are almost a decade old and still look new. I don't expect anyone to go out and buy Tupperware.

I put all my spices and baking items on the bottom shelf. I use this on a daily basis. You won't see my sugar or flour because I keep it on my counter in canisters along with my rice. I also store my small amount of canned goods on the bottom shelf. The second shelf has all the snack foods and some of the boxed foods. The top is where I keep the taller containers like syrup, cooking oil, and such. I can see everything easily and food no longer goes to waste. I do keep extras of sale items on a bookshelf in my washroom. I just don't have enough room to store all my food in the cabinet.

I challenge you to get your pantry/kitchen cabinets organized today! Start using that food, and stop wasting your money on food that goes bad before you can eat it. You will save lots of money and time in the future.

The Maserati of Watches

Most people I know think that Rolex is one of the most expensive and best watches you can buy. I just came across a real luxury watch called Audemars Piguet. These are some really beautiful watches. I really liked the details and the leather band. If I was wealthy, then this is the kind of watch I would love to have.

Shopping for Baby

I have so many friends that are either having their first baby or adding to their family. It's so much fun shopping for all the great baby items. It's also a lot of fun picking out a theme for the nursery and choosing the baby bedding. If you aren't sure of the baby's sex, then make sure to go with a theme and colors that could be used for either one.

Choice of Cell Phones

Do you ever feel your choice of cell phones are limited because of your carrier? I know I feel that way. Expand your horizons with unlocked cell phones. Just make sure you get a phone that isn't limited to certain carriers or options. You can even do this with a global phone. Check out the great site and get that phone you really want.