No, not the candy ones.
Hi there! I’ve missed you guys – my awesome frugal peeps – these last three, non-blogging days. How YOU doin’? What’s new? Save any money on anything? Me, not so much. Last week, I got to spend umpty-ump dollars on a new battery for my car… only to find out that I need to spend umpty-ump more dollars on new front tires and brakes. Ah, such is life in the big city, right? Moving on.
So, new week, new frugally goodness. Which means new things to report/update/discuss. Let us begin at the beginning with my latest Shopping Challenge. I will launch my $25 Or Less Shopping Challenge May 1, 2010. This is my next year long Challenge, where I can only spend $25 or less on every single consumable good I buy. Stay tuned for the deets on a Cheap Chick blog near you…
Next up, Important Frugal Information, Read All About It. This will probably be a ‘no duh’ for most of the Empire, but still, it needs to be said: Rainbow Foods/Roundy costs more than Cub Foods. Seriously, peeps, it’s true. I had to run in to Rainbow today and pick up a few items – red bell peppers, canned tomatoes, baby carrots, canned black beans – and every single thing cost more there than it would at Cub Foods or Super Target. Does that mean you should never shop at Rainbow again? No. But make sure you always bring coupons.
Speaking of coupons, do you guys use coupons on a regular basis? This may shock you, but I don’t. Why, you ask? Because, I answer, most coupons I receive are for things I would never actually buy. The only time I use coupons are at:
a. The aforementioned Cub Foods. And then I only use the in-store coupons for items I normally buy, like chicken breasts or strawberries.
b. JoAnn Fabrics. As a fledgling costumer, I buy fabric and notion-y bits probably once a week. Fortunately, JoAnn’s puts out coupons once a week – and I snatch them right up for my weekly forays. This store is the ONLY store I carry around coupons for. Honestly, I have three of them in my wallet AS I TYPE.
You know what is awesome and doesn’t cost a dime? Staring at Hot Men online. It’s Monday, and that mean’s it is time for a little Eye Candy. How about this hottie for your viewing pleasure:
Mmmmm, Julian McMahon. My favorite Australian of ALL TIME. Don’t recognize him in that picture? How about this one:
PRETTY. If you’d like to watch Mr. McMahon in action, you can check him out in old episodes of Charmed, current episodes of Nip/Tuck (if it’s still on air – I don’t have cable, so I can’t watch it), and/or the Fantastic Four movies. I first saw this hunk of burning HAWTNESS on my favorite soap, Another World, back in 1992. But then, I’ve always had special radar for good-looking Australians…
Alrighty, my Peeps. It’s your turn – please share any and all frugal fabulousness you know with the group in the Comments below. And I’ll see YOU tomorrow.
12 Comments
Ooooh, LOVE those pix, thanks! Hee-hee. I adored him on “Charmed”, even when he was one baaaad dude. And yes, it’s on cable, but whatever channel, I forget — I briefly saw it whilst channel surfing this morning.
I love shopping at Joann Fabrics too. I must mention, that for awesome fabric remnants and other pieces, check out Savers. I just got a gargantuan piece of gorgeous darkish blue (not quite navy) heavy floral brocade fabric for only $3.00 there last week! I nearly flipped. I plan to use it for making purses, wristlets, and totes, and maybe even in modifying some of my clothes a bit. It must be at least two yards’ worth. Savers seems to carry LOADS of scrap fabrics, and other assorted stuff like valances, shams, clothes, and so on. Lots of stuff just waiting to be recycled and loved again!
Personally, I’m staying away from old sheets and bedspreads, though.
Rainbow is more expensive because they are supposed to bag your groceries for you.
I’ve never comparison shopped Cub vs Aldi, but I’ve never walked out of Aldi spending more than $35. The only things I need to go elsewhere for are brown rice, pop corn (because I don’t use the microwave crap), and drug store stuff.
It may be a neat little field trip for you or stunt girl (maybe me if I had time on my hands… someday…). For a month, each week buy a list of staples that you know each store carries: week 1 Rainbow, week 2 Cub, week 3 Target, week 4 Aldi. It would obviously have to be stuff you use often. Or maybe it could be the first week of the month for four months (or five if you want to add in Lunds/Byerlys (or six if you want to add in… ugh… WalMart)). I would totally be interested in the results.
Wow, I’m impressed with the $25 challenge and can’t wait to see how you do. I have had a spendy week too; car stuff sure is expensive but it is cheaper than a car payment or new car. I don’t use coupons either except for Hobby Lobby/Michael’s/JoAnn’s but being a crafty/sewing/stitchy kind of gal I can get the basics there. I’ve kind of blown my April budget but I intend to start over in May and stick to it this time!
Sadly, Nip/Tuck’s been canceled. The last season has come and gone this year. It kind of jumped the shark a long time ago, though.
McMahon is always hot though. Mmm!
Have you officially gone bonkers? And I quote ” most coupons I receive are for things I would never actually buy”
um…you don’t normally buy toothpaste? (Free after sale prices and coupons sooo often!) Peanut butter? Just last week I got myself a couple of jars of skippy for .75 each…Maybe you’re a Jif girl?
Tampons. Yogurt. Granola Bars. Cereal. These are things I buy regularly – with coupons – and get for pennies on the dollar often!
What DO you buy?
Cheap Chick?
Harumpf!
PS – Thanks for the HOTT pics of Dr. Christian Troy – I must go to bed now with visions of HIM dancing in my head…yummy.
@Darcie – harumpf away, you!
I know it’s meant with love!
I defend my right to not use coupons. The coupons I receive are never for the brands I use, or the products I use, or the sale price is cheaper than the couponed item, or the store brand is cheaper, or I have to buy too many of one thing to make the coupon worth my while… the list of why I don’t coupon is endless. However, on the rare occasion when I have the right coupon at the right time, you bet your bippy I use one.
Ahhh Dr. Troy… He is always dancing somewhere in my head…
Coupons. I’m getting much better about looking for them. But like you, Erin, I can’t often use the coupons I find. And what’s with the overwhelming advertising in the coupon sections in the newspapers?? I think looking for coupons online is great. But I’m always worried merchants won’t take them, for potential fraud concerns. How DO people regularly use them without running into problems? I’m thinking of calling or e-mailing a few companies whose products I use, to request hard copy coupons, to avoid issues, and because I can’t download the coupon printing program that many web sites seem to require that you use. Saving money can sure be a chore, geez. Does anyone have input on online coupons? Thanks.
I still can’t believe that Mr. Hottie there was a demon on Charmed – he wasn’t British, and he didn’t have facial hair, which seemed to be the two main prerequisites for a demon. Well, a big demon, anyway. With the exception of Mr. Oded Fehr, who is I recall “Hotly hotted his Hot Self” around the TV screen for almost a full year as a demon. Ahh. I miss that show.
Topic? Coupons. I only carry for Savers, Joanns, Michaels, and Hancocks. (Or Mill End). Sometimes I get store coupons like Macy’s and I will carry those. Otherwise they get lost in my purse. I think I need a bag of holding…
I make my shopping list on Cub Foods website. You can look through their weekly ad online and click on the items you want. If there is an instore coupon for said item, it will print when you print your shopping list. You can also add other items that aren’t in their ad. Staying with a shopping list (which I have trouble doing once I’m in the store) does save money!
As I’ve written before – Freecycle, Freecycle, Freecycle! You never know what goodies somebody is giving away. Also Craigslist can be a great source of either free or near-free stuff.
I won’t go on about thrift stores or consignments because you do know about those and of course their quality and variety widely vary by store.
That is hilarious. And great eye candy. Thanks!