Frugal Follies

Free Breathe Right Strips and more!

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Here's are some of the great product samples listed right now at MySavings - go check them out!

Get 2 Free Samples of Breathe Right Advanced Strips
Victorinox Swiss Unlimited - Free Fragrance Sample for Men
Visit Macy's for a Free Deluxe Dior Mascara Sample
Text to Get a Free Redbox Video Game Rental with Code
Reserve a Free Tricalm Anti-Itch Cream Sample

Click here to see all the deals at MySavings.

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Carnival Swag Bucks!

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Fri, 25 May 2012 01:22:00 +0000

Friday is Mega Swagbucks Day, where you can get lots of Swagbucks just for doing searches! (Do searches the easy way with the Swagbucks toolbar, or use your Android phone.) You can also earn Swagbucks for finding Swagcodes, answering polls and surveys, filling out profiles, watching videos and Swagbucks TV (on the site or on your Android phone), trading in media items, doing tasks, and considering special offers and no-obligation special offers.

Even though Thursday wasn't Mega Swagbucks Day officially, it was for me! Check out the 39 Swag Bucks I earned through searching!

And here's another reason to do lots of searches this weekend: the Swagbucks Carnival Collector Bills!

Five new collector bills were released today: Dunk Tank, Duck Shoot, Carousel, Ferris Wheel, and Roller Coaster. Find all five in searches from now until May 31, and you'll get an extra 10 Swag Bucks!

And here's another way to win: share the special bills you win by going to the My Swag Bucks area of your account - if you share on Pinterest and include your SB Username in your pin, you could be randomly chosen to win 100 Swag Bucks!

I found the Roller Coaster (7 Swag Bucks) bill earlier and pinned it - check out my pin!

Join Swagbucks today to start earning points toward prizes like $5 Amazon.com gift card codes!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

No coupon inserts this weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:53:00 +0000

When you get your newspaper this Sunday and don't see any coupon insert in it, don't be alarmed!

This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend, and this weekend, like most holiday weekends, there are no coupon inserts. At least that is what Sunday Coupon Preview is saying!

Enjoy your couponing-free weekend!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Publix: Refrigerated case deals

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:39:00 +0000

I had a great trip to Publix today. Except for one deal, all of the items came from the refrigerated cases. That means that my fridge is nice and full with yummy food bought cheaply!

I was able to get yogurt, cheese, granola bars, and hummus for pennies on the dollar. The odd product out was olive oil. But there, I was able to get extra virgin olive oil for $2.49 for a 16-oz bottle. That's a great price! I've seen better deals for "light" olive oil, but rarely for extra virgin olive oil.

I had a bit of a mix-up when I was printing my coupons, and ended up not having the right coupons for the MilkBite granola bars deals. I only had one BOGO Publix coupon and I was short one 75¢ manufacturer's coupon. My husband's computer's printer setting was set to duplex so the coupons printed out very small, which ended up getting me all confused. I should have double-checked the coupons before I left!

Here's what I got:

6 Alouette individual portions spreadable cheese @ BOGO $3.49 = $10.47
- 6 $1.00/1 Alouette Soft Spreadable Cheese, exp. 7/31/12 (SS 03/18/12 R)
= $4.47 for six, or 75¢ each

2 Sabra hummus @ BOGO $3.99
- 2 $1/1 Sabra Hummus, exp. 5/26/12 (Publix Spring Gatherings)
- 2 $1/1 Sabra Hummus manufacturer's printable
= 1¢ moneymaker

4 Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil @ $3.99 = $15.96
- 4 $1.50/1 Filippo Berio Olive Oil printable (zip 90210)
= $9.96 for four, or $2.49 each

4 MilkBite granola bars @ $2.99 = $11.96
- 1 BOGO MilkBite printable Publix coupon
- 2 $1/1 Kraft Milkbite Milk and Granola Bars printable
- 1 $0.75/1 Kraft MilkBite Milk & Granola Bars printable
= $6.22 for four, or $1.56 each

(should have been 2 BOGO, 2 $1/1, and 2 $0.75/1 coupons, for a total of $2.48 for four or 62¢ each)

10 Publix yogurt @ 25¢ = $2.50

3 Kraft shredded or block cheese @ $2.50 = $7.50
- 3 $1.00/1 Kraft cheese Publix printable coupon
= $4.50 for three, or $1.50 each

- $5 off $50 Doris Italian Market coupon from Recyclebank

Total out of pocket: $22.64
Total saved compared to Publix full prices: $61.97

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

ALDI: A quick trip

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:17:00 +0000

I love ALDI because of the store's compactness. You can get in and grab the things you need in just a few minutes. And assuming there's no line at the cashier, you can be out in just a few more minutes, depending on how quick you can pack your own bags. It's a much better shopping experience than your typical grocery store or national chain store, where the major categories of food (produce, milk, meat, bakery) are kept as far apart as possible.

Here's what I got on my last quick trip:

2 gallons milk @ $2.99 = $5.98
1 cream cheese @ $1.19
1 sour cream @ $1.29
1 head lettuce @ $1.19
2 apple juice concentrate @ 92¢ = $1.84
1 3-pack tomatoes @ 99¢
1 box juice pouches @ $1.79
1 pack tortillas @ $1.99
1 5-lb all-purpose flour @ $1.79
1 whole wheat bread @ $1.29

Total product: $19.33
Tax: 11¢
Total out of pocket: $19.44

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Bettyanne Brownies (Frugal Food Thursday)

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Thu, 24 May 2012 03:02:00 +0000

Welcome to Frugal Food Thursday! If you have a great frugal recipe, please link up below!

I hope you enjoyed last week's It's a Keeper Thursday, but now we're back to Frugal Food Thursday again. Welcome to all of our new readers who found Frugal Follies last week!

This week, I'm featuring my Bettyanne Brownies!

Last week, I posted a review and giveaway for a Bella Viva dried fruit and nut assortment. In order to do this review, I received the same assortment - a total of 9 pounds of fruits and nuts. Some of them have been eaten out of hand, but I still have quite a lot. And the kids just aren't all that excited about eating dried fruit.

So I decided to try sneaking some of the fruit into brownies. I picked the Bettyanne plums, as I felt the taste and texture would complement the chocolate the best. But aren't prunes dried plums? These aren't pruny-tasting at all. I guess prunes are made from a different variety of plums than these plums are. But if you can't find dried plums, prunes would be fine.

I rehydrated a few of the plums, then chopped them in my food processor and added them to the brownie batter. I use the Toll House recipe for brownies, as it uses cocoa, which is much less expensive than using baking chocolate or other chocolate sources.

And how did it come out? Two of my kids really like them. The other noticed the taste was a little different and now doesn't want to eat them. Oh, well, two out of three ain't bad, right?

BETTYANNE BROWNIES

6 Bettyanne or other dried plums (or prunes)
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp water
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place dried plums in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes; drain. Place rehydrated plums in a food processor with the chopping blade and process for 30 seconds.

In a large bowl, mix sugar, butter, water, eggs, and vanilla. In a seperate bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just moistened. Mix in the dried plums.

Spoon mixture into a greased 9x13 rectangular pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

Makes 24 brownies.

There are lots more cheap recipes posted here at Frugal Follies. Click here for the list!

Got a great frugal recipe? Link below to your actual post, not your main page. Please only link up recipes and other food-related posts; contest entries and other posts are not allowed and will be deleted. I'd appreciate it if you would link back to Frugal Food Thursday as well!

Also, I will be submitting all of the recipes below to StumbleUpon. Follow me on StumbleUpon!

For more great recipes, please go to my Linkup Parties list and scroll down to Food Linkups. There are lots of great recipes on each blog and I'm sure you'll find some new favorites!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Honey Bunches of Oats Review / Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:10:00 +0000

Here at the Frugal Follies household, we eat a lot of breakfast cereal. I mean, a lot of cereal. It is all my husband and eldest daughter will eat for breakfast, unless I manage to have the time to make eggs in the morning. And with our busy schedules, that isn't often. My younger two daughters also love to eat cereal in the morning. And all three girls often like it as a snack, with the eldest often having it as a late-night snack. So needless to say, we go through a lot of cereal.

I challenge myself to pay no more than $1.50 per box of cereal. So far, I don't think I've had to go over that price point all year. I sometimes buy cereal at ALDI in the discount aisle, where I've found house-brands of cereal for 99¢ per box or even 50¢ per box. But most of the time, I buy cereal at Publix which is on a buy one, get one free sale. And I only buy it when I have two high-value coupons.

Honey Bunches of Oats is one of the cereals I've been able to buy often at that price point. Before I started couponing, I don't think I had ever bought that brand. But now, when it's on sale for buy one, get one free at $4.49, that means each box is $2.25. When I have two $1/1 Honey Bunches of Oats Fruit Blends Cereal printable coupon, that means each box is $1.25 Or if I have two $1.10/1 Post Honey Bunches of Oats New Fruit Blends printable coupon, it's only $1.15 per box. (Publix allows two coupons for BOGO items; check with your store to see if this is allowed.)

So they're affordable, but how do they taste? I had the opportunity to try Honey Bunches of Oats - Honey Roasted now with More Granola Bunches. In order to make sure I had the chance to try it before my crew ate it up, I had to hide the box on the top shelf of my pantry. I had a bowl and of course, it was delicious! Lots of granola bunches (more than I remembered!) mixed in with the cornflakes, with just a hint of sweetness. But of course, my family quickly found the opened box and devoured it.

I'm hoping that maybe you'll have better luck at keeping your family from scarfing down the box. So Frugal Follies is hosting a giveaway for 5 free boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal!

The winner will receive 5 coupons, each for a free box of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, up to $4.49 in value and good for any box 13 oz or larger. The expiration date on these coupons is 6/30/13.

(And if you wait for a buy one, get one free sale, you can get 10 free boxes with the 5 coupons!)

To enter, use the Rafflecopter below! The giveaway is open to US residents aged 18 and older. This giveaway will end on Friday, June 8th, at 12:01 am Eastern time. If you are the winner, I will contact you shortly thereafter, and you will have 72 hours to respond. If you do not respond within that time, your entry will be declared invalid and a new winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Post provided a free sample of their Honey Bunches of Oats - Honey Roasted so I could review them. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Shoe deals

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:00:00 +0000

As I've mentioned before, I'm not all that big on shoes. I have one pair of sneakers, one pair of black flats, one pair of black heels, and a pair of flip-flops. And that's it. I know plenty of men who have more pairs of shoes than I do.

But for those of you who love shoes, here are two good deals that showed up in my inbox this week:

At Shoe Carnival, you can get $10 off every $50 you spend from May 25 through May 28.

And at Famous Footwear, you can get 20% off all orders! Click on the graphic to learn more.

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Quiznos $2.99 meal coupon

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:20:00 +0000

Love Quiznos? I used to, until the location by me closed... There are others in my area, but I generally don't get out to them to pick up a quick lunch.

Although I just might, with this new coupon! You can print a coupon to receive a meal for $2.99. That includes a small sub, chips, and a regular fountain drink!

Click on the graphic below to get this great deal!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

60% savings this week (Wednesday Weekly Shopping)

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Wed, 23 May 2012 03:00:00 +0000

I invite you to link up to your best grocery deals below, to inspire others to save more!

This week, I saved 60% total! This is pretty good for me, considering that I buy much of my food at ALDI. Although I'm clearly saving money by purchasing regular-priced items there instead of at Publix, I don't count that as savings, since I could just shop at ALDI and not coupon at all.

Here's what I got this week:

Publix: Spent $27.33, saved $43.40

ALDI: Spent $16.17

CVS: Spent 73¢, saved $16.26

Walgreens: Spent 56¢, saved $7.00

Overall, this week I spent $44.79 for items which retail for $111.45, or a 60% savings based on the retail value of the products at the stores where they were purchased. (But don't compare percentages!)

For the year (21 weeks), I spent $1537.81 for items which retailed for $2927.12, and saved $1389.31, or a 47% savings. That's an average of $73.23 spent each week for a family of five (husband, wife, and daughters ages 14, 11, and 7), including lots of fresh produce, dairy items, and kosher meat.

In 2011, I spent $4017.13 for items which retailed for $7344.08, saving 45% and spending an average of $77.25 per week for the year.

How did your shopping go this week? What bargains did you get? Please leave a link to your blog post about your weekly shopping. The aim is not to brag, but to inspire! Please link up directly to your post, not to the blog itself. I'd appreciate it if you put a link to Wednesday Weekly Shopping in your post as well. If you don't have a blog, please leave a comment!

If you're reading this post via email or a reader, please click here for the links.

For more great shopping deals and trips, please check out the bloggers listed in my Linkup Parties page under Shopping Deals Linkups. I'm sure you'll find lots of great ideas on saving money on groceries!

Grab a button!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Clif Bars coupon

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:30:00 +0000

Here's another great new coupon to help you save on Clif Bars. When I did the DisneyWorld Half Marathon, I had a few of these - and not only were they delicious, they also gave me lots of energy. So I definitely recommend them! And I especially recommend using them paired with a store sale to save more!

$1.00 off when you buy any SIX Clif BarŽ Energy Bars

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Gerber Graduates coupon

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Got a hungry young'un? Use this coupon from Coupon Network for Gerber Graduates to save on those increasing food costs! Combine with a sale to save even more!

$1.10 off when you buy any FIVE Gerber Graduates® Lil Entrees®

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Design your dream kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Wed, 23 May 2012 01:30:00 +0000

I would love to redesign my kitchen, but we have other financial goals to meet first. Still, it's fun to look at kitchen design blogs and other sites to get ideas for the future!

I just discovered Merillat, a site where you can collect your kitchen design ideas and design your dream kitchen. Sign up and create a scrapbook of your ideas! You can also get a free Take 5 booklet, which features 5 quick and easy recipes from renowned chef Curtis Stone and Curtis' top 5 favorite Merillat product features.

Click on the graphic below to learn more!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Learn to fix your sewing machine

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Wed, 23 May 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Here's some frugal shame for you: I bought a sewing machine years ago... and it's still in the box.

I just haven't made the decision to learn how to use it yet. I bet that it's not all that difficult to sew basic items, but I just haven't made it a priority to learn. And the complexity of today's sewing machines does scare me a little. What if I do something wrong?

So besides some basic sewing lessons, I really need this class from Craftsy: Sewing Machine 911!

Taught by Claudia Miller, in this class you'll learn how to diagnose your machine’s symptoms and how to easily fix the most common issues, including jammed machines, top thread breaks, needle breaks, and more. Claudia also explains the basic parts and functions of every machine.

And best of all, it's a free class! (Woohoo, I love free stuff!)

Click here, then click on Online Classes to learn more about Sewing Machine 911.

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Freebies from Campbell's, Dove, Maybelline, and more!

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:38:00 +0000

Don't you just love freebies? I certainly do. Here's another source for freebies to check out.

Sign up for WomanFreebies.com (USA only) and you'll be able to request free samples from some of the best brands, including Olay, Campbell's, Dove, Stayfree, Cottonelle, Maybelline, and more!

Click here to learn more.

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

List and Enter Giveaways 5-22-12 (Fortune Follies Tuesday)

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Fortune Follies Tuesday for May 22nd, where bloggers can list their giveaways, and readers can enter them!

Be sure to enter these giveaways hosted by Frugal Follies:

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Couponing - ends 5/23

pat the bunny Deluxe Edition - ends 5/24

NutriVerus real nutrition powder 30-day supply - ends 5/30

Publix $25 gift card - ends 5/31

Bella Viva dried fruit and nut assortment - ends 6/6

$500 cash - ends 6/29

Please link up your giveaways using the following format: Blog Name - Name of Contest - End Date. Please link directly to your giveaway and not to your home page. A link back to Frugal Follies is always appreciated!

Also, if you have a list of sites which have giveaway linkies, please add Frugal Follies to your list. I'd appreciate it!

And if you have a giveaway linky that's not already on my Giveaway Linkup List, please let me know about it in the comments, and I'll add it to my list and link up my giveaways there as well.

If you're reading this post via email or a reader, click here for the list of giveaways.

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Frugal Father's Day gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Tue, 22 May 2012 01:12:00 +0000

Father's Day is just a few weeks away! And so it's time to get thinking about great gifts for Dad.

Here, my kids will do the usual artwork type gifts for Dad. Photos and special foods are common as well. But here are some different, creative frugal Father's Day gift ideas I've found:

Stacy Makes Cents has several fabulous ideas - clean Dad's car! Or have a picnic in front of the ball game on TV!
Lazy Man and Money suggests a ratcheting screwdriver or a electronics charging station. Both are pretty inexpensive to buy and are very useful.
The Dollar Stretcher suggests creating a time capsule of Dad's favorite things.
The Simple Dollar suggests the book The Dangerous Book for Boys. I've read this, and it's chock-full of activities that men and their sons (and their daughters and wives) can do together.
The Crafty Crow has a homemade pinball game! Perhaps the gift could be the materials to build it, and Dad and the kids could build it together.

Want to give an expensive gift, but don't want to spend money on it?

Check out Cloud 9 Living. It's an experience gift company that offers more than 1,800 unique experiences nationwide ranging from race car driving, golf lessons, and learn to fly experiences to city food tours, wine tastings, and spa packages.

They're running a giveaway for one of 16 experiences. Enter the giveaway! And you'll receive a $10 coupon toward any of their services just for entering.

Got a great Father's Day gift idea? Leave a comment below!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Another Lean Cuisine coupon

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:30:00 +0000

I know that a lot of you loved the last Lean Cuisine coupon that came out, so here's another one for all of you! If this is your first time printing an online coupon, you'll need to install the online coupon printer first. It just takes a minute. Then be sure to hit your browser's "back" button to get a second printing.

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Mustard coupons

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:05:00 +0000

Memorial Day is almost here - this is the time of the year with the best prices on barbecue essentials like ketchup, mustard, relish, and barbecue sauce. So be sure to watch out for sales and stock up!

And if you can combine the deals with coupons, all the better!

Here are two mustard coupons for you from Coupons.com!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Menu Plan 5-21-12: Leftover poultry meals

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Mon, 21 May 2012 02:48:00 +0000

Lots of poultry leftovers this week! I made turkey soup out of some leftover turkey legs and wings from the last time I cooked a turkey. And I roasted a chicken for dinner last Friday. So now I have lots of leftover meat to make stir-fries and other meals.

Luckily, I have lots of recipes that use leftover chicken and turkey in my cheap recipe list. So I'll be planning meals to use them up!

So here are my dinner plans:

Monday - turkey stir-fry over brown rice

Tuesday - Chicken Basquaise over pasta

Wednesday - Fresh Take Salmon Salad

Thursday - garlic and mushroom whole wheat pizza

Friday - Picadillo over brown rice, salad, challah

Saturday: 3 Can Veggie Chili over pasta

Sunday - dinner out!

If you're a frugal food blogger, please come and link up with Frugal Food Thursdays. And check out all of my frugal recipes!

Check out Menu Plan Monday for more menu plans!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

CVS / Walgreens: Two trips, $1.32 out of pocket

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Sun, 20 May 2012 18:25:00 +0000

I ran out to CVS and Walgreens today just to get one deal at each store. It took me about half an hour from when I left until I returned, and I saved $23.26 between the two trips. Not a bad savings for the amount of time it took!

Here's what I got at the two stores:

CVS:
Buy $12 of selected Suave products, receive $4 ECB:

3 Suave Naturals body wash @ $2.00 = $6.00
- B2G1 Suave Naturals or Kids Body Wash, exp. 6/17/12 (RP 05/20/12) (max value $3.00, took off $3.00)
= $3.00 for three, or $1.00 each

4 Suave Naturals shampoo @ $1.50 = $6.00

Total product: $9.00
Pay with $8.99 ECB from a previous trip

Total product after ECBs: 1¢
Tax: 72¢

Total out of pocket: 73¢
Total saved compared to CVS full prices: $16.26
ECBs received: $4

Walgreens:

1 U by Kotex Sleek tampons @ $3.99 (receive $3 RR)
- $1/1 U By Kotex Tampons, exp. 6/30/12 (SS 05/20/12)
= $2.99

2 pencils @ 39¢ = 78¢ (filler items)

Total product: $3.77
Pay with $3.50 in RRs ($1.50, $2) from a previous trip

Total product after RRs: 27¢
Tax: 29¢

Total out of pocket: 56¢
Total saved compared to Walgreens full prices: $7.00
RRs received: $3

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Saving at Publix GreenWise Market

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Sun, 20 May 2012 03:00:00 +0000

Welcome to this week's Frugal Follies Frugal Tip!

(Love Publix? Enter to win a Publix $25 gift card!)

A couple of weeks ago, I was running an errand in another nearby city when I happened to pass a Publix GreenWise Market. I had never been inside, so I made an unscheduled stop and went in.

Since many of you are Publix fans but don't live near a GreenWise Market, I thought I'd give you a tour. For those of you who live near one, you'll find some tips on saving at GreenWise Market at the end of this post.

After walking in, you go right into a prepared foods area. There are freshly-made dinners, side dishes, salads, pizza, sandwiches, and believe it or not, gelato!

After that, there was an expanded bakery and deli department. Many Publix stores have a small gourmet cheese section and a wine aisle; here at GreenWise, these two departments took up an entire corner of the store.

Here's an example of a great deal I found in the cheese section! (Wow! You save 90¢!)

The regular grocery aisles were quite narrow, and it appeared that there was a more limited selection of conventional items than you'd find at a typical Publix. But there were also lots of brands of organic items.

The store had a huge selection of natural health and beauty items, like you might find at a health food store.

One thing I loved seeing here was that the store had a large selection of bulk food bins. My Publix used to have a small selection of bulk nuts and snacks but has since removed them. This GreenWise store had those items as well as different types of grains, beans and lentils, flours, dried fruits, granola, and lots of healthy treats. This picture just has some of the bins - the bin area was about three times as long as I've photographed here.

And of course, the produce. Yes, they had conventional produce. But I was stunned to see all of the organic produce! There was so much, I had to take two pictures!

So if you ever get to visit a Publix GreenWise store, I suggest you stop in and see for yourself!

There are currently three Publix GreenWise locations:

11231 Legacy Avenue, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
21230 Saint Andrews Boulevard, Boca Raton, FL 33433-2435
2403 West Azeele Street, Tampa, FL 33609

So now for some tips for savings -- or at least not spending too much -- at Publix Greenwise Market:

Planning your trip:

Publix Greenwise Market has the same Publix sales at the same prices that are available at a typical Publix store, so you won't need to make two trips to buy both organic and conventional items. However, watch the non-sale prices, as they may be more expensive than those found at a regular Publix. Also watch out for BOGO items - you'll still be able to buy one, get one free, but the buy one price might be more than at another Publix store.
Subscribe to the GreenWise magazine. It's free, and it often comes with Publix store coupons for organic products. Combine with a manufacturer's coupon and a sale to save even more.
Check the GreenWise ad to plan your trip. This ad comes in my local paper on Thursdays. To find it online, go to the online Publix Weekly Ad, enter the zip code of one of the GreenWise stores, and select the store.
Once you see what's on special, check the coupon database to see if there are any matching manufacturer or store coupons.
Whole Foods was a competitor to the store I visited; I would guess it would be at the other stores as well. Check the Whole Foods printable coupons site to see if there are coupon for items you might want to purchase. You can stack a Whole Foods coupon with a manufacturer's coupon at Publix.

Shopping:

Bring a list and stick to it. This is standard advice at any grocery store, but it's really important here, as there are so many more temptations here than there are at a typical Publix. And since the prices seem to be quite high on the specialty food (remember the cheese picture above?), buying items impulsively will hurt your budget even more than it will at your regular Publix.
Eat before you go shopping. Again, standard advice. But I was pretty tempted to buy gelato at 10 in the morning, let me tell you. And they put the ready-to-eat food right there at the entrance!
While there, keep an eye out for coupons! I found a couple of coupon books at the front of the store. Watch for peelie coupons on products and coupons inside packaging.
Use the bulk bins effectively: If you have a recipe that uses an ingredient you don't normally have in your stockpile, buy it at the bulk bins instead of buying a large package. Yes, you may spend more per ounce. But you'll only have to buy what you need.
On the other hand, check prices - it probably will be cheaper to get a prepackaged item rather than buy the same amount of product at the bins.
Consider buying organic only for the produce items that are most likely to be contaminated with pesticides. Check this list from the Environmental Working Group

For more frugal tips, please go to my Linkup Parties page and check out the bloggers listed under Frugal Tips Linkups. There are lots of great ideas on each blog and I'm sure you'll find lots of wonderful tips!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Free online magazine subscriptions!

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Sat, 19 May 2012 18:00:00 +0000

When you're cutting back in order to pay off debt or save for an emergency fund, magazine subscriptions are often the first thing to go. I know I've cut out some needed subscriptions, and though I'm happy I'm saving the money, I do miss them a little.

So I was happy to find a site where you can get free magazine online subscriptions!

Head over to Zinio and get your free subscription! Choose from:

3 issues Food Network (what I chose)
3 Issues Spin
3 issues Nylon
2 issues Shape
2 issues Esquire
2 Issues Mens Fitness
1 issue Cosmopolitan

You'll also get discounts and a $5 credit if you choose to order subscriptions.

Get your free magazine subscription now!

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Nabisco and Coke coupon - Save $2 at Publix

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Here's a great new coupon from Coupons.com!

You can save $2 when you buy participating Nabisco and Coke products at Publix.

Participating products include Coca-Cola 8 pk/7.5 oz mini cans, Coca-Cola 6 pk/16.9 oz bottles, Toasted Chips 8.1 oz, and Nabisco Snack-Saks 8 oz.

This is a Publix coupon, so you can stack it with Coke and Nabisco manufacturer's coupons to save even more!

Click here for your Nabisco and Coke coupon.

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)

Free glass cleaner and more!

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Follies) — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Here's are some of the great product samples listed right now at MySavings - go check them out!

ProForce Glass & Heavy Duty Degreaser- Free Samples
Petco - Free 3 oz. Natural Balance Cat Food Pouch with Coupon
Email for a Free Sample of Epiderme Repair Cleansing Milk
Request Free Sample of Purex Triple Action or Purex UltraPacks

Click here to see all the deals at MySavings.

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.)