Even if you’re not new to the frugal mindset, you can still get caught up in catching all the deals, the rush of getting an amazing deal, and the thrill of watching your stockpile grow (not in a hoarding way mind you).

So you clip coupons, organize them, make your lists, and head out the door, seemingly every day, to find and take advantage of all those wonderful deals.

You eventually start to realize you’re making deal catching way too high of a priority, yet when you cut back you get bummed that you’re not catching all the deals you see posted by all those zealous bloggers. You end up chalking up frugality to an all or nothing activity (not a mindset), and you pitch it for the sake of more time with your family and other, more noble, interests. After all, it’s not worth penny pinching just to get a few freebies every week! You then figure you’re spending too much time and money just to save a few bucks.

Take a deep breath and relax. Step back and take another look. You may just need to assess a little. If you have 10 children all under the age of 4, God bless you! Quit washing out the baggies – throw them away! Invest in Rubbermaid and leave it at that. Just because you’re only saving $15/week doing GroceryGame, and not cutting your grocery bill in half, you’re still saving and doing better than before, right? How much time and effort you spend on being frugal is completely up to you. You don’t need to stress about catching all the awesome deals out there. After all, NOT spending money is the most frugal you can be.

Frugality is a mindset, not an activity. It’s fine if you save $15 this week on groceries and splurge $4 on a cup of Starbucks on the way home. You’re still saving.

Frugality is wise management of your resources. Not only is money a resource, but consider your time, your energy and your sanity resources as well. Adjust to your fun and comfort levels. There are days I just love doin’ the deals! There are days I hate leaving the house to shop and I shut frugality down. I certainly can’t and don’t even try to do every deal I post – not even half! GroceryGame, CVS shopping, coupon clipping are always there for you. Frugality is meant to free you up, not to enslave you. The deals will always be there to work for you. Now you can breathe.

I just finished my first stockpile garage sale. I made $241.00 – woo hoo! I sold all those freebie CVS items I’ve stocked since February for the following prices and they sold like hot cakes. I held my ground, didn’t go down on price for anyone and they flew off the table!

$1 – Toothpastes, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, body wash, liquid hand soap, Johnson’s Buddy bath bars, unopened make-up

50c – Revlon emery board packs

Not only were those items freebies, sometimes I was paid to take them off the shelves (if I used coupons). Not only a great deal for me, but a great deal for those who came to the garage sale.

Not to mislead you – I made over $100 on the freebies. We had other junk I got to get rid of as well. Let’s hear it for decluttering!

It’s over and we’re ordering pizza for dinner. I may be frugal, but I’m no fool. Going to bed early tonight!

Kroger is rolling out more and more e-coupons. These can usually only be used once, but you load them on your card and they can be used in conjunction with manufacturer’s coupons to score some great deals!

Remember you can only keep up to 25 coupons loaded on you card. After the coupon is used (for a single item) it is removed from your card. Then you may load more onto your card (hmmmm looks like my husband will be getting a card as well). Print off what you load to keep track.

Go here, here, and here to load all of the current e-coupons to your Kroger card and then go get yourself some super deals! Here are a few of the highlights:

Wisk detergent is on sale for $3.49
Use the $1.50/1 coupon from the paper
Use your Kroger plus card and get $1.50/1 from the e-coupon
$0.49 after the coupons! (Thanks, Donna!)

General Mills Cereal (select varieties) are on sale for $1.99
Use the $0.50/1 coupons here (if these varieties are included)
Plus the $0.55 e-Coupon
Get 1 box for $0.44 (if your store doubles) or $0.94 (if it doesn’t double coupons)

Crest Premium Toothpaste is on sale for $1.94
Buy two and use two $0.50/1 coupon from the P&G insert
Plus the B1G1 e-coupon
Free after coupons (if your store doubles) or $0.47 each (if your store doesn’t double)

Oral-B Advantage Toothbrushes are on sale for $1.94
Buy 2 and use two $0.75/1 coupons from the P&B insert
Plus the B1G1 e-coupon
$0.22 each after coupons

Herbal Essence Hair Spray is on sale for $3.19
Buy 2 and use $1/2 P&G coupon
Plus the B1G1 e-coupon
$0.60 each after coupons

2 Tampax Tampons 20 ct are on sale for $2.99 each
Buy 2 and use 2 $1/1 coupons
Plus the B1G1 e-coupon
$0.50 each after coupons

Always Pads 20 ct. are on sale for $2.99
Buy 2 and use 2 $1/1 coupons
Plus the B1G1 e-coupon
$0.50 each after coupons

See more deals Marcy posted here and more deals Lisa posted here.

It was in 1995 that Starbucks stores started selling this frozen drink, one of the company’s most successful new products. The Frappuccino is blended with strong coffee, sugar; a dairy base, and ice. Each one is made to order and each one is guaranteed to give you a throbbing brain freeze if you sip too hard. The drinks come in several different varieties, the most popular of which I’ve cloned here for your frontal lobe-pounding; caffeine-buzzing pleasure.

Make double-strength coffee by measuring 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per cup (serving) in your coffee maker: The drink will be even more authentic if you use Starbucks beans and grind them yourself just before brewing.

Makes 2 “Grande” Drinks

COFFEE

• 3/4 cup double-strength coffee, cold
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 2 cups ice

1. Make double-strength coffee by brewing with twice the coffee required by your coffee maker: That should be 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per each cup of coffee. Chill before using.
2. To make drink, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until ice is crushed and drink is smooth. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses, and serve with a straw.

CARAMEL

For this version, add 3 tablespoons of caramel topping to the original recipe and prepare as described. Top each glass with whipped cream and drizzle additional caramel over the whipped cream.

MOCHA

For this version, add 3 tablespoons Hershey’s chocolate syrup to the original recipe and prepare as described. Top each glass with whipped cream, if desired.

Here is the link if you’re interested in printing your own $5 off $20 coupon to use only on Friday, May 23 at Walgreens.

$200 Blogging Study for Women – ONLINE

We are currently recruiting WOMEN to participate in a paid online blogging study to be completed prior to Tuesday, June 10th.

Compensation for the online blogging study, a time commitment of no more than 30 minutes a day, is $200. Please click on the below link and answer a few screening questions to determine if you qualify for this study.

If you appear to qualify based on your answers, a Focus Forward representative will contact you with additional questions.

Thank you for your interest in Focus Forward.

SCREENER

Today only you can get a free DVD rental at your local Redbox. Simply use code: 2052DL.

Get a free 2 year subscription to Country Home magazine here.

$1.99 ECB CVS Pharmacy Sheer or Plastic Bandages 40 ct (Limit 2) Free after ECB

$5.00 ECB wyb $19.99 of Sun Effects Sunscreen Lotion or Spray 4 or 6 oz (Limit 5)

$3.00 ECB wyb $10 of Dove Skin Care or Deodorant products (Limit 5)
-$1.00 Dove Supreme Cream Oil Body Wash 10 oz or larger or Beauty RP 03/16/08
-$1.00 Dove Bars 6 ct or larger ex 6-08-08 RP 03/16/08
-$3.50 Dove Skin Vitalizer ex 6-08-08 RP 03/16/08
-$1.50 Dove Go Fresh Cool Moisture Beauty Body Lotion ex 6-08-08 RP 03/16/08
-$1.00 Dove Go Fresh Body Mist ex 6-08-08 RP 03/16/08
-$1.00 Dove Deodorant ex 6-08-08 RP 03/16/08
-$1.50 Dove Cream Oil Body Lotion or Hand Cream ex 6-08-08 RP 03/16/08
-$2.00 Dove Clinical Protection Deodorant ex 6-08-08 RP 03/16/08
-$1.00 Dove Beauty Body Wash 10 oz or larger ex 6-08-08 RP 03/16/08
-$1.00 Dove Beauty Bar 6 pk or larger ex 6-08-08 RP 03/16/08
-$1.50 Dove Energy Glow Beauty Body Lotion ex 8-31-08 RP 4/13/08

$5.00 ECB wyb Nu Hair Regrowth Tablets 50 ct or DHT Blocker 42 ct (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb Neutrogena Healthy Skin Rejuvenator Puffs Refill (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb Miracle Hand Repair or Miracle Foot Repair 8 oz (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb Kerasal Ointment 1 oz or lotion 4 oz (Limit 5)
$1.50 rebate and free moisture enhancing socks

$2.00 ECB wyb (2) Softlips Lip Protectant 2 pk. (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb (2) Purell Hand Sanitizer with Aloe 8 oz (Limit 5)
-$1.00 Purell Hand Sanitizer 2 oz or larger ex 7-31-08 RP 4/27/08

$1.00 ECB wyb Zest 3 pack, Safeguard or Ivory 4 pack (Limit 5)

$1.00 ECB wyb Blade Shower Gel 12 oz or Emerald Mist Body Spray (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb CVS Men’s Shampoo in Haircolor (Limit 5)

$1.00 ECB wyb CVS shave lotion, pre-electric or after shave 3-9 oz (Limit 5)

$3.00 ECB wyb any Brut product (Limit 5)
-$1 off any BRUT product exp. 06-30-08 SS 04/06/08

$2.00 ECB wyb Gillette Clinical Strength Deo or Old Spice Pro Strength Deo(Limit 5)
-$2 Gillette Clinical Strength antiperspirant 1.7 oz or larger ex 06-30-08 PG 05/04/08

$2.00 ECB wyb Degree Clinical protection for women or for men 1.7 oz (Limit 1)

$2.00 ECB wyb Nice n’ Easy colorseal conditioning gloss 1.96 oz (Limit 1)

$1.00 ECB wyb Mitchum men’s or women’s clear gel anti-perspirant 2.25 oz (Limit 5)
-$0.75 Mitchum or Mitchum For Women Antiperspirant/Deodorant product (excludes trial size & special value multipacks) ex 6-30-08 S 4/6/08

$5.00 ECB wyb Sleepright select no-boil night guard (Limit 5)

$1.00 ECB wyb Dentemp or DOC Denture Repair kit (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb (2) sea-bond denture adhesive 15 ct (Limit 5)

$1.00 ECB wyb Cepacol mouthwash 24 oz (Limit 5)

$5.00 ECB wyb I white product (Limit 5)

$1.00 ECB wyb assorted GUM dental care products (Limit 5)
-$1 Gum Toothbrush (excludes Dome Trim Toothbrush) ex 7/31/08 RP 4/20/08
-$1 Gum Floss, Dental Accessory or Oral Pain Relief Product ex 7/31/08 RP 4/20/08

$1.00 ECB wyb Smart Mouth Long Lasting Mouthwash 16 oz (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb Crest Whitening Rinse 32 oz, crest pro-health or scope original 1.5 L (Limit 3)

$2.00 ECB wyb any Diabetes Essentials Products (Limit 5)

$5.00 ECB wyb One Touch Ultra Mini Meter (Limit 2)
One Touch Blood Glucose Monitoring System $20.00 5/31/08 SS 4/27

$2.00 ECB wyb Bayer Aspirin with heart advantage 30 ct (Limit 5)
Bayer Aspirin Product, any 24 ct.+ .75 (6-30-08) SS #2 3/16/08
-$2 MQ in brochure at the Pharmacy Bayer Aspirin Product
-$2 Bayer Heart Advantage CRT (exp 6/30/09)
-$2.50 Bayer Heart Advantage .exp 08/18/08 SS 05/18/08

$5.00 ECB wyb Citrucel soft chews 60 ct (Limit 5)
-$3/1 Citrucel soft chew (8/1/08) May All You magazine pg. 79

$2.00 ECB wyb CVS acid reducer 150 mg 65 ct (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb any little tummys product (Limit 5)

$1.00 ECB wyb Fleet laxative suppositories products listed (Limit 5)

$1.00 ECB wyb Bonine adult 8-16 ct or for kids 8 ct (Limit 5)

$5.00 ECB wyb any Dulcolax product (Limit 5)
-$1 Dulcolax tablets or suppositories .exp 07/31/08 SS 05/18/08
-$1 Dulcolax stool softener .exp 07/31/08 SS 05/18/08

$1.00 ECB wyb Digestive advantage 30-32 ct (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb Rohto V Eye drops 0.4 oz (Limit 5)

$4.00 ECB wyb Bausch & Lomb alaway drops 0.34 oz (Limit 5)

$1.00 ECB wyb Vagisil creme 1 oz or moisturizer 2 oz (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb Howard Leight earplugs 2 or 10 pr. (Limit 5)

$7.00 ECB wyb Murine earlgate 3.3 oz (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb CVS pharmacy cotton swabs 500-625 ct (Limit 5)

$1.00 ECB wyb Auro-dri 1 oz (Limit 5)

$1.00 ECB wyb Ivarest anti-itch cream 2 oz (Limit 5)

$5.00 ECB wyb Arnicare pain relief gel 2.6 oz (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb Staph or poison ivy care product listed (Limit 5)

$1.00 ECB wyb Stingeze 0.5 oz (Limit 5)

$3.00 ECB wyb Bright Beginnings infant formula 25.75 oz (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb Huggies mega wipes 208-232 ct (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb Huggies lotion, hair & body wash 15oz or washcloths 20 ct (Limit 5)

$5.00 ECB wyb Stuart prenatal supplement 100 ct (Limit 5)

$3.00 ECB wyb Naturally Pomegranate dietary supplement 16 oz (Limit 5)

$1.00 ECB wyb (2) Perrier 0.5 L or S. Pellegrino 16.9 oz (Limit 5)

$3.00 ECB wyb Mega-T Green green tea 30 or 90 ct (Limit 1)

$3.00 ECB wyb (4) South Beach Diet 2.11 oz or Balance Nutrition Bar 1.76 oz (Limit 5)

$10.00 ECB wyb Homedics Shiatsu Massaging Cushion (Limit 5)

$1.00 ECB wyb Maxell CD-R 10 pk. (Limit 5)

$2.00 ECB wyb TDK DVC Camcorder Cassette 60 min. 3 pk (Limit 5)

$3.49 ECB wyb Listerine Smart Rinse 250 ml (Limit 2) Free after ECB
-$1Listerine Smart Rinse Anticavity Fluoride Rinse exp 7-31-08 RP 4/27/08
MIR Listerinse Smart Rinse 250 ml . EXP 12/31/2008 **** found at CVS and several stores ***** PM me if you need it :becon01
PRINTABLE $1 off Listerinse Smart Rinse 250 ml . EXP 7/14/2008

$6.99 ECB wyb Oral B CrossAction Manual Toothbrush 2 pk (Limit 2) Free after ECB

Today only you can get a free DVD rental at your local Redbox. Simply use code: EA5636. They’re located inside many grocery stores.

I went to Kroger today and got the following freebies:

Fresh Express Salad
Marked down as Manager’s Special $1.00
Used 50c coupons which doubled (one per transaction)

Revlon Short Emery Boards 10ct.
On sale for 94c
Used my $1 off Revlon coupons

Other great deals I caught:

Barilla Piccolini Pasta
10 for $10
Use 50c off 2 coupon
Pay 50c per box

Wisk 2x Ultra Laundry Detergent 50 oz.
On sale for $3.49
Use $1.50 coupons
Pay 1.99

Bounty Basic Paper Towel Single Roll
10 for $10
Use all your 25c coupons for Bounty (even if they don’t say “Basic”)
Pay 25c per roll
Because there were  3 different types of Bounty coupons we could use, we have 30 rolls in our garage now.  I need more room!

I went to Tom Thumb today. Here are some good deals to stock the pantry with.

Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad Pasta Mixes
Sale price 4/$5
Use 50c off 2 coupon (which doubles one per transaction)
Pay only 75c per box

Orville Redenbacker Microwave Natural Popcorn 3-4ct.
BOGO (Buy One Get One) – one costs $3.29
There are two ways to do this deal
1. Use 2 $1 off coupons and pay only 65c/box
2. Use 1 $1 off coupon and 1 40c off coupon (which doubles) and pay 75c/box

I hope you all realize there are many more great deals out there than what I post. I encourage everyone to join GroceryGame.com It’s the best way to let someone else do the deal searching for you (for so little money) and it makes clipping coupons worth it.

For you light green folks like me, curbside recycling is one of the easiest ways to better your stewardship of the land and natural resources God has given us.

I’m surprised at how many people don’t understand what you can/can’t recycle curbside.

While all curbside programs differ, the most commonly included materials are the Big Five:

1. Aluminum – The aluminum can is the most valuable beverage container to recycle and it is the most recycled consumer product in the U.S. today.

2. Glass – is one of the most popular materials to be recycled today, both because of the purity of the ingredients and the quick turnaround of recycling.

3. Paper – is one of the most versatile and important materials used in homes, schools and businesses.

4. Plastic – recycling plastic affects a range of products, from drink containers to shopping bags to pipes. Plastic is almost always the product of petroleum, a non-renewable resource. This makes recycling plastic even more important.

The number inside the recycling symbol indicates the type of resin made to produce the plastic. Because each resin is different, these numbers affect how and where you can recycle plastics. You don’t have to remember the name. Plastics are identified by numbers 1-7.

Here are some common products you’ll find of each type:

#1 PET (Polyethylene terephthalate)*: soda bottles, oven-ready meal trays and water bottles

#2 HDPE (High-density polyethylene)*: milk bottles, detergent bottles and grocery/trash/retail bags

#3 PVC (Polyvinyl chloride): plastic food wrap, loose-leaf binders and plastic pipes

#4 LDPE (Low-density polyethylene): dry cleaning bags, produce bags and squeezable bottles

#5 PP (Polypropylene): medicine bottles, aerosol caps and drinking straws

#6 PS (Polystyrene): compact disc jackets, packaging Styrofoam peanuts and plastic tableware

#7 Other: reusable water bottles, certain kinds of food containers and Tupperware

*PET and HDPE are the most common forms of plastic, so they are the easiest to recycle. In fact, if you’re ever looking for new carpet, check out PET (“Pop Bottle”) Carpet. It’s made of recycled plastic pop bottles. It has great durability, retains color (even with use of bleach), and costs less. We love ours.

5. Steel - is an extremely valuable metal that is present in many of the containers and devices we use on a daily basis. While steel is the dominant material in the cars we drive and beams of the buildings we work in, for the average person recycling steel will involve the proper disposal of steel cans and scrap metal.

Care to Try?

General

• You don’t need to remove labels from cans and bottles, but you do need to remove plastic caps (and throw them away).
• Your recyclables don’t need to be spotless – just not moldy or full of food. Save water – don’t rinse ’til clean.

Glass

• Unbroken bottles are easier for workers to sort than broken ones.

Metal

• Most containers, such as tins and cans, and aluminum foil.

Paper

• Newspapers, magazines, photocopies, shoe boxes, envelopes (including ones with glassine windows).

Plastic

• Plastics #1-#2 – recyclable in most areas. Usually found in 2-liter and detergent bottles, milk jugs and food containers.
• Plastics #3-#7 – more difficult to recycle, they are found in Styrofoam, pipes, shrink wrap, padded envelopes, trash liners and more. Check with your local facility to see if it recycles these plastics.
• Yogurt Cups – recyclable in most areas, especially the #2 plastic kind.
• Grocery bags – reuse them first! You usually can’t recycle them curbside, but some supermarkets have recycling bins in-store. Try to avoid them altogether by bringing your own canvas bags to the store.

Dutch Babies are a simple, splendid Saturday morning treat. It dirties one bowl, it bakes while you lazily sip your coffee, kids love how puffy it emerges from the oven, and it tastes divine with cinnamon and fruit.

Dutch Babies

• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit (225 degrees celsius). Pour melted butter in a large casserole pan. Whisk the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour into the pan (don’t stir the butter into the batter). Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven (it will be very puffy).

Serve with cinnamon, powdered sugar, syrup, apples, strawberries, honey, or whatever you can think of.

I’m seeing more and more how coupon shopping not only blesses our family, but it blesses others as well. I’m on such a roll about this! We have been able to give to all our immediate family members, friends, etc. from our stockpile. Even at the grocery store I’ll get behind someone in line with my fat coupon binder and watch as the person in front of me unloads her (usually a female) groceries at checkout. If I have coupons, I give them to her. Before you gasp (yes, I know coupons are a treasured item to us coupon shoppers), remember I usually take ten papers every week, so I have plenty of coupons. Doing this not only brings a smile, but it opens doors to conversations!

A couple months ago there was a young mother in front of me at Walmart with 2 kids hanging off her and the cart. She didn’t speak much English. I noticed every once in a while she would have the cashier read the total to her. She paid in cash and I could see the all too familiar “squeaking by” that I’ve done myself on many occasions. There were two items she was unable to afford. They weren’t expensive so I asked the cashier if she would ring those items up on my bill, but put them in her cart (she was still standing near, after her transaction, adjusting groceries and children).

I don’t say this to toot my own horn, but to tell you I’ve never done that before. I don’t think that would have even crossed my mind before I started coupon shopping. I was just so bothered that I didn’t have any coupons for her that I realized we have saved so much money learning how to shop that I could afford to buy her those two small items and come nowhere near breaking the bank.

I only wished I could communicate with her to tell her to go to my website and learn how to save more money! Oh, if we could only teach everyone how to shop!

Please, leave me your comments and bless me. I want to hear how you have been a blessing to others through your frugality. Don’t think of it as bragging. Think of it as nudging others along to be more frugal. The joy!