Free Photo Prints at Walgreens Today!!

Hurry over to Walgreens photo because today only (4-7-10) you'll be able to get 20 free 4"x6" prints. Be sure to use the code PRINTS20 at checkout. Shipping is also free if you choose in store pick up.

Until next time, rock on my friends!

Why bother? It's only a dollar.

Coupons, coupons, coupons. Some people don't even look at them when they arrive in the Sunday paper. They pass right by the tear pads and blinkies at the grocery store. They think coupons aren't worth the time and effort to clip and collect. They say, "Why bother? It's only a dollar." Only a dollar, hu? So, if a dollar falls out of your pocket, why do you bend down and pick it back up? Why bother? It's only a dollar! I know at my house we can't afford to be wasteful with any of our dollars. In this economy, I don't know many people that can. Coupons are a wonderful way to help stretch those dollars. Heck, they even make dollars in some cases! You don't have to be an extreme couponer to see real savings, either. Every little bit helps, right? After all, if all you do is use one $1 off coupon per week, you'll have saved $52 over one year. That's a weeks' worth of groceries for some people. It's only a dollar. Here's another way I think about a wasted dollar. I stop and think about what that dollar could have bought. A pound of meat, five pounds of potatoes (on sale this week), a loaf of bread, almost two pounds of bulk oatmeal (at Winco), two pounds of bananas (again at Winco), or even a dozen eggs. Any of these things are a dollar or less. They all could have been purchased with that wasted dollar. My friends, I want you to get the most of your dollars. I want you to be able to pay for everything you need, and I want you to be able to have some fun. Those little coupons are dollars that the manufacturers are handing to you to spend. Use as many as you can. Save as many dollars as you can. Don't let yourself think "It's only a dollar." Instead, think of ways you can use the money you are saving as it builds up. Some people use the extra money to keep the lights on or pay off debt, while others save to buy a car or house (I'm raising my hand here). And some save for family fun, like theme parks, camping trips, ball games, or concerts (devil horns go up on this one). If someone handed you an extra buck or two each week, what would you save for? So get those scissors out and start clippin'! And as always, Until next time, rock on my friends!

I'm in love with Bertha

Oh Bertha, how I love thee! She is one of my best friends. She's not much to look at, but she's beautiful to me. Some people call her a waste of time, but not me. I hold her tight and walk proudly with her, despite the strange looks we may receive. The thought of losing her breaks my heart, as I can't imagine my life without her. She's taught me so much about frugality, and even helped my family save enough money to buy our first home. Oh Bertha, how I love thee!

No, I'm not leaving my husband for a woman. I'm simply talking about my love for Bertha....otherwise known as my coupon binder.

Do you have a Bertha? Why or why not?

Until next time, rock on my friends!

Free Seeds!

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a rockin' Easter. As things were winding down last night in the Headbangin' Household, I caught this great freebie on the news. Go get yourself signed up for a free seed packet sample and catalog. I did find a few vegetables to choose from, which was exciting, but they have some great flower samples as well. Until next time, rock on my friends!

Baking Day

Happy Baking Day! I usually do my baking and get a head start on cooking for the week every Saturday. What did I do today? Boiled 2 dozen eggs for coloring tonight. These will be devilled eggs tomorrow, snacks and egg salad sandwiches during the week. Baked a batch of peanut butter baked oatmeal and bagged up in the freezer for breakfasts later in the week. Made cake balls, aka cake bombs for desserts during the week Baked a batch of gingerbread cookies for snacks and lunches. I know these seem odd for this time of year, but I bake based on what I have on hand. These were the winner this week. I also threw a few sweet potatoes and a pound of sausage links in the oven while everything else was baking. We can just reheat and eat later. It was a small list to accomplish this week, but we still have pumpkin bread and corn dog muffins in the freezer from last baking day. I also figured I'd cut it short since I'll be back in the kitchen for Easter cooking tomorrow. What did you bake today? Until next time, rock on my friends!

Easter Clearance

With Easter coming up tomorrow, I wanted to remind everyone to be on the look out for Easter Clearance over the next week or so. The longer you wait, the deeper the discount so get while the gettin's good. Here's a little list of things I look for every year: Candy, candy, candy! Pastel M&M's are a great substitute for chocolate chips in cookies, and look really cute on top of brownies and layered in jar mixes for Mother's Day or birthday gifts over the next couple of months. Hershey kisses are also handy for baking Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies and can be melted down for dipping. All other individually wrapped candy will come in handy as pinata fillers, or for goody bags at birthday parties. The kids don't care what color the wrapper is, seriously. Paper goods. I don't know about you, but I can't stand spending money on things that wind up in the trash anyway, so clearance is the only way I roll. I always look for paper cups, napkins, table cloths and plastic silverware. Again, for birthday parties, baby showers or Mother's Day, the pastels are perfect. Also, we don't care what color we use while camping or when we are on a road trip. Pre filled baskets. I usually wait for these until they are close to free. Then, I break them down and use the contents for birthday gifts and fillers for goody bags. I also like to stash a few things, like sidewalk chalk and jump ropes, for when the kids have cabin fever during the summer. Plastic eggs. Why spend full price next year when you can get them for a few cents now? Just stash them until next year. The glow in the dark plastic eggs are a favorite around here. They make a great night time "treasure hunt" during sleepovers and camp outs. Stationary. Things like pencils, erasers, stickers and little notepads come in handy all year. The school is always in need of supplies and again, these are handy little items for birthday parties. The object of the game is to get as many things you need (or will need in the coming months) for as little as possible. You don't have to go overboard, but if you happen upon a bin of goodness for .25, make sure you look twice for useful items that you would otherwise pay much more for later. Happy shopping! What things do you purposely look for on clearance after the holidays? Until next time, rock on my friends!

Crazy Cheap Homemade Weed Killer

I was reading here about a homemade mixture to get rid of weeds, and decided to give it a try last weekend. Holy cow, this stuff absolutely rocked! It really worked, and worked that day! Not only is it way cheaper than Roundup, but I don't have to worry about the dogs when I use it. It certainly doesn't smell like roses, and stings like a mo' fo' if you get it in a cut, but I know I'll survive. I'm always on the lookout for non chemical concoctions for the yard and garden, and for about $3.50 a gallon, I'm happy to pass this one along! Thanks to New Life On A Homestead for the great recipe! Until next time, rock on my friends!