Pooling Our Resources

[SherryH]

With the economy in a slump, the price of fuel getting higher...are you having trouble finding pennies to pinch?

If anyone has creative ways of stretching the dollar perhaps we can all benefit from your sharing. Whether it be a weekly sale, discount coupons that can be printed, budget recipes or bargains that you know of, please share them here.

With prom coming up this website offers gently used prom dresses for high school girls in Minnesota.

http://www.paperbagprincess.org/

Many people probably already know about this site that "is a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns"

http://www.freecycle.org/

If you like to camp, KOA is offering a free night with a paid night the second week of May

http://koa.com:80/updates/2008january/CCWUW.htm


Many printable coupons can be found here for grocery, household, pet items etc.

http://www.couponsinc.com/corp/source/cp_clientlist.asp

What good deals or creative ways have you found to ease your budget?


“The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket.” - Kin Hubbard

[SherryH]

Healthcare is a big concern for many. Here are a few medical related items that may help you or someone you know save some money.

A list of Mn Clinics offering some free medical services
http://www.freemedicalcamps.com/vcity.php?stateid=MN

Prescription eyeglasses starting out at $8.00
http://zennioptical.com/cart/home.php

Lots of coupons and rebates for prescription and non-prescription related items can be found here. Some can be printed online and others are mailed out.
http://www.internetdrugcoupons.com/about.html

[HikingStick]

My wife and I have plans to run in to a Sam's Club soon. Usually, we can get meats in a case for far less than we could anywhere else (e.g., $1.07 per lb. for boneless/skinless chicken thighs in 5.5 lb. packages, $1.80 per lb. for 92% lean ground beef in 10 lb. tubes). The only catch is that you need to buy a case. Buying a case is not something most can afford (or store), but we've thought about forming a buying club, letting people opt in on a quantity of packages out of the case. We would make the trip to the Sam's club, and people could pick up their share when we get back to town. There are likely other products that could be purchased and split that way, too.

[DCGrandma]

It is difficult if not impossible to squirrel away any funds whatsoever while we are experiencing an economy that is in the toilet!! I used to be able to save between $40-$60 per week for our summer vacations which include a week's stay at a resort in northern Minnesota. We cannot afford this vacation any more, and our kids would not even be coming along - they are all adults. Gas is way too expensive to drive there not to mention the gas needed for the boat motor. Those vacations were a wonderful time for our entire family - the kids loved the outdoors, swimming every day, meeting old friends and making new ones, too. Our meals were simple and we often ate at nearby restaurants. It was great family time!! These vacations were taken at a time when all of children were young and we made less money than we do today. It is unfortunate that our economy will prevent families from enjoying these vacations, but they will have to be satisfied with family time and activities close to home. Perhaps neighborhood picnics may suffice. But the fact of the matter is there is just not enough $$ to go around.

[SherryH]

Buying in bulk is a good way to save on many grocery items. I've always had a big freezer which is helpful for buying in bulk. It also comes in handy when the vegetable garden is producing. I rarely get to Sam's Club but your idea sounds like a good one HikingStick.

Here are a few more money saving items.

Walmart website has a variety of FREE samples you can sign up for . They change quite often. It is a good way to try out a product before you make a purchase and they come in the mail.

http://walmart.triaddigital.com/Free-Samples.aspx

Here are a few other coupons that may be useful to someone. Using coupons for items that you normally purchase is an easy way to save a little money, especially if you use it when it goes on sale!


Try ensure for free here. Printable or mailed coupon

https://ensure.com/registration.aspx?s=sample

Gerber has many printable coupons here for people with young children.
http://www.gerber.com/coupons

you can also sign up here for more coupons
http://offers.e-centives.com/registration


$1 off any Johnsons product

http://www.johnsonsforyou.com/special.jsp


Request a BOGO fruitsense coupon

http://www.fruitsense.com/bogo.php

Fast food coupons.....for those who still eat out.

Printable food coupon for KFC

http://bringbackdinner.com/coupons.asp

http://kfccoupons.cre8.com/index.php?zipcode=55321

Printable Arbys coupon for April

http://www.fishbowl.com/clt/arbys/pc/20 ... aprldl.htm

[HikingStick]

It is difficult if not impossible to squirrel away any funds whatsoever while we are experiencing an economy that is in the toilet!! I used to be able to save between $40-$60 per week for our summer vacations which include a week's stay at a resort in northern Minnesota. We cannot afford this vacation any more, and our kids would not even be coming along - they are all adults. Gas is way too expensive to drive there not to mention the gas needed for the boat motor. Those vacations were a wonderful time for our entire family - the kids loved the outdoors, swimming every day, meeting old friends and making new ones, too. Our meals were simple and we often ate at nearby restaurants. It was great family time!! These vacations were taken at a time when all of children were young and we made less money than we do today. It is unfortunate that our economy will prevent families from enjoying these vacations, but they will have to be satisfied with family time and activities close to home. Perhaps neighborhood picnics may suffice. But the fact of the matter is there is just not enough $$ to go around.

Try not to be bitter. Economic conditions go up and go down. Be thankful that you were able to take regular vacations with your family, even if one may not be possible now. My family (when I was a child) took a vacation together every year (even twice in some years). Now, with a family of my own, my wife and I have realized that we've only had one vacation in the past seven years, and that one vacation was likely one of only two during our fifteen years of marriage. I'm not writing to complain--far from it! I'm writing to say I'm thankful for what we have had during that time: each other, and wonderful children. Sure, we may not be able to get away to a lake cabin, or to many of the wonderful road trips many have enjoyed (and we can't even dream of going to Disneyland--Valley Fair is enough of a challenge once every few years), but we have each other and find ways to enjoy our time together. I still take off a week of vacation when I can, but it is usually spent close to home (if not going along on a church or scout trip). We fill our 'vacation time' with activities like hiking, fishing, biking, camping (not far from home), movie nights, picnics, game nights, and days filled with nothing at all.

The point I'm trying to make is that we should be thankful for what we have today, even if it is less than what we've had before, or less than that which our neighbors seem to have. A wise man once told me and my wife that he could always tell how much money we would have. We didn't believe him. His answer got us thinking about our money differently. He said, "You'll always have 100% of your money. How you spend it is up to you." We've tried to take that to heart (though we've not always done as well as we should). We've made a lot of trade-offs, like not taking those vacations, to fund the things that we've felt were more important (like enabling my wife to stay at home with our kids). I know many are in such tough straits that just about every dime is allocated to someone else, but this wise man, who was a financial counselor, also told us that we would have to bite the bullet sometime: that we would need to let some things be late and that we would need to accept the consequences of being late because (at the time) our income was such that we could not keep up with everything. Even though we had very little, he still had us budget a small amount (I think it started at $5 every two weeks) for entertainment. With only $5, that kept our entertainment budget to a rented movie and a snack, or maybe a couple of Dilly Bars at a Dairy Queen. It took a long time before our cirucumstances changed, but we've tried to remember those bits of wisdom he shared with us. Even though we had a very bad year through 2007, we still kept some money in the budget for fun and entertainment. Our counselor knew that, if we did not allow some funds for entertainment spending, we would likely stick to our budget for a while but then give in to our desires and end up messing up our budget.

[Thank you, Ken Smith! You really helped us in a tough time, and you gave us guidance we still lean upon to this day.]

[SherryH]

Awhile ago I registered at a website for Moms. They were giving out 2 FREE tickets to a WaterPark just for signing up. I see they are still doing it for anyone interested. Just click on "free passes"
http://www.momtalk.com

Another place that offers lots of FREE samples by mail can be found here...
http://www.startsampling.com/

Wright County is offering a day to get rid of your old TV's for FREE on April 22nd. Normally there is a charge for disposing of them. More here...
http://www.co.wright.mn.us/viewevent_new.asp?338

If you have a TV that isn't digital, you may want to apply for the $40 coupon for the converter box before the change happens on Feb 17, 2009. More info here...
https://www.dtv2009.gov/

[SherryH]

If there are any bowlers here I got an email offering a coupon for a free game from Pepsi.

Free game up to $9, one per person per day, valid until 9/28, good for the hours between 8:30 AM and 6 PM.

http://pepsixtras.com/thankyou/3859/bpaacoupon.jpg

For participating locations, visit http://www.gobowling.com

[SherryH]

A few FREE magazine subscriptions for anyone interested. Variety of topics. Limited amount available.

http://www.americanchemistry.com:80/s_a ... 9&DID=6335

http://www.4wd.com/ORA_Subscriptions.aspx

https://www.beneful.com/Dogs-Life/Free- ... fault.aspx
(often times has coupons in it)

https://secure.livingthecountrylife.com ... id=1456318
3yr subscription

http://www.rangefindermag.com/subscribe/

https://secure.americanbaby.com/bhg/sto ... dstore0086

https://secure.americanbaby.com/bhg/sto ... dstore0086

[SherryH]

We used our free Mall Of America Waterpark Tickets today that I mentioned in an earlier post. It was lots of fun for everyone! A few more deals...

Get a free first aid kit while supplies last

Check out our health tips on everything from strep throat to ear infections and we’ll send you a FREE first aid kit. Kit includes scissor, tweezer, ice pack, gloves, bandages, antiseptic wipes, burn cream and a first aid quick facts guide.
http://www.fairview.org/easyredirect/

Get a FREE 8x10 at Walgreens

Upload a picture to Walgreens site on May 7th and get a free 8x10. You can pick it up in store anytime Use promo code: 4MOM and select in store pickup (else pay shipping).

http://photo.walgreens.com/

This is valid on Weds 5/7/08 Only!