Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Removing Tomato Skins

Today I made some yummy mango chili sauce. For the recipe, I needed to remove the skins of 10 tomatoes. Here's how I did it quickly and easily:


You'll need a knife, a cutting board, a pot, and a bowl.  And, of course, you'll need tomatoes.

First, fill the pot with water and boil the water on the stove.  Fill the bowl with cold water and add ice to the bowl.


 Cut a small X into the bottom of the tomato.


Using a slotted spoon, place the tomato into the boiling water and allow it to sit for one minute.  Don't worry, the tomato guts won't leak out of the X that you cut.


After one minute, remove the tomato with a slotted spoon and place the tomato in the bowl with ice water.


After the tomato cools, you'll be able to grab the skin at each corner of the X you made and peel it right off!


Pretty easy, huh?

For more frugal tips, please check out the bloggers listed on the left sidebar under Frugal Tips Linkups. There are lots of great ideas on each blog and I'm sure you'll find lots of wonderful tips!
Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Free book summary

Here's an interesting offer for those of you who want to communicate better - and that would probably be all of us!

You can get a free summary of the book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect. The book claims that you can "know in ten minutes what takes others hours to learn, and keep up with the latest trends in the industry."

Click here for more information and to receive your summary.

Also, be sure to check out MySavings and Freeflys for the latest free samples!

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Free invitations!

Looking for free invitations?

Vistaprint is now offering 10 FREE invitations or announcements. Choose from graduation, wedding, general party, or birthday invitations, or baby, religious, business, or moving announcements. Of course, you can personalize your card with photos and text. You just pay shipping and handling.

This sounds like a great deal, particularly if you're planning a small party - maybe a graduation or birthday party - and need just a few invitations!

Click here for your 10 free personalized invitations.

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

May is Mango Month: Can I have an extension?

Each month this year, I plan to give myself some sort of challenge, to try to improve how I'm doing in that particular area.  In January, I did the Clean Out the Cupboards Challenge to use up the excess food in my pantry and spend as little as possible at the stores.  Last month, I did the Drugstore Bootstrap Challenge to build up my Extra Care Bucks from CVS and my Register Rewards from Walgreens.  In March and April, I challenged myself to Give Back...One Coupon at a Time.

May is Mango Month here at Frugal Follies!  You see, I have two large mango trees in my backyard, full of fruit about to ripen.  Too many years, I've wasted this great resource by just using a few and letting the rest fall on the ground.

Last week, I cut 37 mangoes from the tree, and there are plenty of others ripening on the tree.  I'm going to need an extension - Mango Month will be going into June!

We've eaten a few fresh ones, but most of them are being turned into yummy jams and condiments for future use.  Here's what I made today:


On the left are 5 half-pint jars of Mango Chili Sauce, and on the right are 7 jars of Mango Jam.  I'll have the recipes for them this week and next week in Frugal Food Thursday.  Together, they used up 15 mangoes (and 10 tomatoes for the chili sauce.)  It's a lot of work for not a lot of product, but they were delicious!  Plus they were cheap - the mangoes were free, the other produce was bought at my produce store, and the sugar was bought on sale with coupons from either Publix or Walgreens.

I'll be giving a jar of each to my daughters' teachers as an end-of-the-year gift.  I've done this before, and the homemade gifts were much appreciated!

Got any other good ideas of things to make with mangoes?  Let me know!

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Under a Buck at Walmart 5/29/11 - 6/4/11

Got a great Walmart deal?  Leave a comment below!

Trying to keep your Walmart bill low, but don't have time to go through coupons? 

Here are some of the items that are at or under $1.00 this week, according to the weekly ad in my area.  Please check your own circular to be sure that the deals are available in your area.
  • 54¢ - Fancy Feast cat food, 3 oz
  • 60¢ - Ol' Roy gourmet food for dogs, 3.5 oz
  • 68¢ - Ol' Roy Strips in Gravy dog food, 13.2 oz
  • 88¢ - Fresh whole fryer chicken, per pound
  • 94¢ - Disposable foil bakeware
  • $1.00 - Joy ice cream cups, 12-24 ct
  • $1.00 - Ol' Roy Cuts in Gravy dog food, 22 oz
  • $1.00 - 70% rubbing alcohol, 16 oz
  • $1.00 - 3% hydrogen peroxide, 32 oz

Check your local ad for more great deals.  See more Walmart deals at Money Saving Mom.

Link up your own great deals at Wednesday Weekly Shopping, and check out my Under a Buck series for more deals at supermarkets and drug stores!

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Monday, May 30, 2011

Fortune Follies Tuesday 5/31: List and Enter Giveaways!

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

I'm convinced that entering giveaways is a great way to acquire things frugally.  It doesn't cost anything but a bit of time, and blogs often offer great prizes to their readers.  A few months ago, I won $100 in grocery gift cards in blog giveaways - check out how!

So take some time and enter some the giveaways listed below.  Also, be sure to enter my giveaway for $15 in Amazon.com gift codes, which ends on 6/7.

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 Fortune Follies Tuesday 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!



Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Sunday, May 29, 2011

CVS: What a decision!

I took my youngest to CVS today. Usually when she goes shopping with me, she asks to buy candy, and I say no. But this week, with the free M&M Mars singles deal, I was able to say yes!

I told her she could pick two of the candies that had a yellow tag (marking the sale) under them. And what a decision she had to make. She examined each kind of candy, trying to decide which would be the best to pick. After quite a while of studying and head-scratching, she picked one package of plain M&Ms and one Dove dark chocolate bar. That's my girl!

Here's what we got:


Transaction #1:
1 Preparation H Totables wipes @ $3.99 (receive $3.99 in Extra Care Bucks)
- $2 off Preparation H printable coupon
= $1.99 ($2 moneymaker after ECBs)

Total product: $1.99
Pay with $1 ECB from previous week
Total out of pocket: 99¢
Savings compared to CVS full prices: $4.00
Receive $3.99 ECB

Transaction #2:
2 M&M Singles @ 2/$1 = $1 (receive $1 ECB)
= $1.00 (FREE after ECBs)

1 ACT rinse @ $4.49 (receive $1 ECB)
- $1 off ACT rinse coupon from the 4/17 Smartsource insert
= $3.49 ($2.49 after ECBs)

1 Crest Kids toothpaste 4.6 oz @ $1.99 (receive $1 ECB)
- $1 off Crest toothpaste coupon from the P&G $110 coupon booklet
= 99¢ (1¢ moneymaker after ECBs)

2 CVS tall kitchen garbage bags @ BOGO $5.49
= $5.49, or $2.75 each

Total product cost: $10.97
Pay with $3.99 ECB from previous transaction
Total product after ECBs: $6.98
Tax: 78¢
Total out of pocket: $7.76
Savings compared to CVS full prices: $14.36
Receive $3 ECBs

Total out of pocket for both transactions: $8.75
Savings: $18.36

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Walgreens: Crackerless!

The Walgreens ad was unexpectedly good this week. I especially liked their 2-day Memorial Day sale, and I planned to buy a few items from that. In particular, I was excited about the Ritz Crackerfuls moneymaking deal - the Crackerfuls themselves were free after Register Rewards, and there was a $1 coupon in the 4/17 Smartsource insert as well.

But, when I got to my store, I found no Crackerfuls.

But there was a note saying that there was not sufficient stock in the warehouse to honor the sale, and that instead, shoppers could substitute a box of Wheat Thins, Triscuits, or Ritz crackers.

So this was good, except I didn't have a coupon for any of those on me, since I use the coupon insert file method, and I only bring to the store the coupons I need. But I really didn't want to go back to get one coupon, so I had to settle for the crackers being free... what a problem to have, huh?

Here's what I got at Walgreens:

Transaction #1:

1 Applied Nutrition Triple Calcium 90 ct @ $10.00 (receive $10 RR)
- $5 off Applied Nutrition coupon from the June Walgreens coupon book (available in-store)
= $5.00 (or a $5.00 moneymaker after Register Rewards)

1 Triscuit (substitute for Ritz Crackerfuls) @ $2.00 (receive $2 RR)
= $2.00 (or FREE after Register Rewards)

Total product cost: $7.00
Pay with $6 in Register Rewards ($3, $3)
Total out of pocket: $1.00
Total saved compared to Walgreens regular prices: $8.19
Received $12 RR

Transaction #2:
1 Reynolds Wrap 75 sq ft @ $1.99
- $1 off Reynolds Wrap from the 5/15 Smartsource insert
= 99¢

1 Icy Hot Naturals cream, 0.5 oz @ 99¢ (receive 99¢ RR)
- $1 off Icy Hot coupon from the 5/1 Smartsource insert
= 1¢ moneymaker ($1 moneymaker after Register Rewards)

3 Ecotrin low-dose aspirin @ 99¢ after in-ad coupon
- 3 $1.50 off Ecotrin coupons from the 5/1 RedPlum insert
= $1.53 moneymaker

2 Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion @ BOGO $10.49
- 2 $2 off Hawaiian Tropic coupons from the 5/22 Smartsource insert
= $6.49 for two, or $3.25 each

2 Domino sugar 4 lb @ $2.19 after in-ad coupon = $4.38
- 2 50¢ off Domino Sugar coupons from the 5/22 RedPlum insert
= $3.38 for two, or $1.69 each

Scott Naturals paper towels 6 pack @ $3.99
- $1 off Scott Naturals 6 pack from the 5/22 Smartsource insert
= $2.99

2 Act II popcorn singles @ 25¢ = 50¢ (extra items)

Total product cost: $12.81
Pay with $12 in Register Rewards ($10, $2) from previous transaction
Total product cost after Register Rewards: 81¢
Tax: 99¢
Total out of pocket: $1.80
Total saved compared to Walgreens full prices: $38.49
Received 99¢ RR

Total out of pocket for two transactions: $2.80
Total saved: $46.68


Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Menu Plan 5/30/11: Summer is almost here!

Here in Frugal Follies Land, we have two more weeks of school left.  Most of the afterschool activities are done, which means no cooking meals ahead of time, picking up and taking kids places, and then coming home to hurriedly reheat the meal.  Or worse, not cooking dinner until after the pickup, then even more hurriedly trying to get a meal together.  Yay!

So here's what's for dinner this week:

Monday - leftovers from Saturday's dinner with visiting out-of-town family

Tuesday - turkey with snow peas over brown rice

Wednesday - mushroom pizza on whole wheat pizza dough, fruit

Thursday -  Clean Out the Crisper pasta and vegetables

Friday - baked chicken legs, tabbouleh, turkey soup with matzo balls, challah

Saturday - grilled cheese and tomato soup, veggie sticks

Sunday - takeout

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!

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Under Two Bucks at Target 5/29/11 - 6/4/11

Got a great Target deal?  Leave a comment below! 

Want to get a great deal at Target, but don't have the time to clip coupons?

Here's a list of some of the items at or under $2.00 this week at Target, according to the weekly ad. Some items may only be available at SuperTarget grocery stores.
  • $1.00 - Coca-Cola products, 2 liter
  • $1.00 - Smartwater, 700 mL
  • $1.00 - Vitaminwater, 20 oz
  • $1.25 - Oscar Mayer Lunchables, 4.15-4.5 oz
  • $1.49 - Green seedless grapes, per pound
  • $1.49 - Dial soap pump, 7.5 oz
  • $1.67 - Clorox bleach, 82 or 96 oz
  • $1.79 - Strawberries, 1 lb
  • $1.97 - Up & Up super maxi pads, 24 ct
  • $1.99 - Selected Speed Stick, Mitchum, or Ban deodorant
  • $2.00 - Nature's Own whitewheat buns, 8 ct
  • $2.00 - Nature's Own sandwich bread, 20 oz
Click here for great Target deals at Frugal Follies, and check out Money Saving Mom for even more Target deals.

Link up your best deals at Wednesday Weekly Shopping, and check out my Under a Buck series for more deals at supermarkets and drug stores!

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Saturday, May 28, 2011

No coupon inserts this weekend!

Happy Memorial Day!

Take a break from couponing this weekend! According to the Sunday Coupon Preview, there will be no coupon inserts in the paper this weekend.

Have a relaxing weekend!

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Downloadable coupons for cereal, bread, yogurt, and more!

CellfireIf you shop at a Kroger (or a Kroger-owned supermarket), Safeway, Lowe's Foods, Foodtown, or Shop 'n Save, then you should definitely sign up for Cellfire. At Cellfire.com, you can download valuable coupons from your PC or mobile phone onto your store savings card. No coupon clipping required!

I don't have this in my area, but I can't wait until it comes here!

Here's the latest Cellfire deals. The offers below are available at Kroger and Kroger subsidiaries, Safeway subsidiaries, Shop 'n Save, Lowe's Foods, and Foodtown.

Cortaid Save $2

Save $2.00 on any Cortaid Anti-itch product.

Wonder® Smartwheat Save $.55
Save $0.55 when you one buy one loaf of Wonder® Smartwheat (tm) today!

Fiber One® Cereal Save $.75
Save $0.75 when you buy any ONE BOX Fiber One® cereal listed: Fiber One® Original, Fiber One® Honey Clusters®, Fiber One® Raisin Bran Clusters®, Fiber One® Caramel Delight(TM), Fiber One® Frosted Shredded Wheat.

Cinn Toast Crunch Save $.55
Save $0.55 when you buy ONE BOX Cinnamon Toast Crunch® cereal.

Cocoa Puffs® cereal Save $.55
Save $0.55 when you buy any ONE BOX Cocoa Puffs® cereal.

Chex Mix® Treats Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy ONE BOX any flavor Chex Mix® Treats, Golden Grahams® Treats OR Milk ’n Cereal Bars.

Yoplait® Fiber One® Save $1
Save $1.00 when you buy any flavor Yoplait® Fiber One® Yogurt Multipacks.

Gogurt, Trix, Splitz Save $.75
Save $0.75 when you buy TWO any flavor Yoplait® products listed: Yoplait® Go-GURT® Yogurt, Yoplait® Trix® Multipack Yogurt, Yoplait® Splitz(TM) Yogurt.

Cheerios® Cereal Save $.55
Save $0.55 when you buy ONE BOX Original Cheerios® cereal (the one in the yellow box).

PB Toaster Strudel® Save $.60
Save $0.60 when you buy TWO any flavor/variety Pillsbury® Toaster Strudel® Pastries.

**KROGER ONLY**
Clean & Clear Save $2
Save $2 on CLEAN & CLEAR Maxium strength 10% Benzoyl Peroxide products - Persagel, or Save $2 on CLEAN & CLEAR Maxium strength 10% Benzoyl Peroxide products - Continuous Control Cream Cleanser

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Battery coupons, cereal coupons, and more!

Coupon NetworkHere's the latest coupons from Coupon Network. You can also find out about Catalina deals (the coupons that print at the register) at this site as well!

Click here for all of the Coupon Network coupons.

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Potato chip coupons, protein bar coupons, and more!

Red PlumHere are the latest RedPlum coupons - check them out!

Click here to see all of the RedPlum coupons.

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Under a Buck at Drug Stores 5/29/11 - 6/4/11

The Under a Buck lists for the national drug stores for the week of 5/29/11 - 6/4/11 are now available! Please click on the links to be taken to them.


Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Friday, May 27, 2011

Target: S'more deals

I don't always make a trip to Target each week, but I wanted to this week because of the deal on the S'mores ingredients: Buy one box Honey Maid graham crackers and one 6 pack of Hershey's chocolate bars, get a 10 oz bag of Kraft marshmallows free!  My kids are going to love having them as a snack - what a special treat!

So I checked the other Target deals for the week. There were some good ones that I just didn't have the coupons for, or that needed printable coupons that were already used up. But this is what I ended up getting:


1 Honey Maid crackers @ $2.99
1 Hershey's chocolate 6 pack @ $2.99
2 Kraft marshmallows @ $1.27 = $2.54
- $1.27 - free marshmallows wyb Honey Maid and Hershey's Target deal
- $1.25 - free marshmallows wyb Honey Maid and Hershey's printable coupon (max value $1.25)
- $1 off wyb Honey Maid, Hershey's, and Kraft marshmallows coupon from the 5/15 Smartsource insert
- 50¢ off Hershey's Target printable coupon
= $4.50 for four, or $1.13 each
(I wasn't sure if the cashier would allow both manufacturer's coupons and the free marshmallow deal, too.  I am not sure if they should have or not.)

2 Kraft salad dressing @ $2.04 = $4.08
- $1/2 Kraft salad dressing Target printable
- $1/2 Kraft salad dressing manufacturer's coupon from the 5/15 RedPlum insert
= $2.08 for two, or $1.04 each

- 5¢ for using a reusable bag

Tax: 12¢
Total spent: $6.65



Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Free fish oil sample

Nutitional supplements can be so expensive, so it's nice to find free samples of them!

You can get free samples of Nature's Bounty Fish Oil. You'll receive one week's supply, and each supplement is 1400 mg. You'll also receive other offers and information periodically.

Click here to get your free fish oil samples.

Also, be sure to check out MySavings, Freeflys, WomanFreebies, and BabyToBee for the latest free samples!


Bookmark and Share

Read more...

21 Must-Have Easy Picnic Recipes eCookbook

RecipeLionIt's just about Memorial Day weekend, so get ready for picnics and barbecues!

Looking for some new recipes? Try the 21 Must-Have Easy Picnic Recipes eCookbook from RecipeLion.  It has recipes for delicious deli salads and sandwiches, vegetable and fruit salads, and easy dessert recipes. Sounds scrumptious!  And you can sign up for the RecipeLion free e-newsletter as well.

Click here to get your free e-cookbook.

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Publix: Cereal and milk (products)

I made a trip over to Publix today. I wasn't all that excited with this week's sales. They were mainly on condiments, and we just don't go through all that much ketchup and mustard and pickles. It used to be that we could have one bottle of ketchup last a whole year. However, the youngest child has discovered she loves ketchup on anything and everything, so now a bottle lasts for just a couple of months.

I only purchased 4 boxes of cereal and 4 dairy items. Here's what I got:


2 boxes Kellogg's FiberPlus cereal @ BOGO $4.19
- 2 $1 off FiberPlus printable coupons (or use $1/2 printable coupon)
= $2.19 for two, or $1.10 each

2 boxes of Kellogg's Raisin Bran @ BOGO $4.19
- 2 70¢ off Raisin Bran printable coupons
= $2.79 for two, or $1.40 each

2 Breakstone Zesty Blends sour cream @ $1.50 = $3.00
- 2 $1 off Breakstone Facebook printable coupon
= $1.00 for two, or 50¢ each

2 Publix butter quarters @ $2.50 = $5.00
(no coupons, but this price is cheaper than ALDI)

Total spent: $10.98
Total saved compared to Publix full prices: $18.14

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Regular prices on veggies, oh, well

I headed over to the produce store this morning, as I was out of a few things and needed some potatoes for a recipe I'll be making this weekend.

No 50% off today. Oh, well, what can you do? The prices there are still so much lower than the supermarket, or even ALDI in most cases.

Here's what I got:



4 baking potatoes @ 69¢/lb
1 Romaine lettuce @ $1.29
4 Cubanelle peppers @ 49¢/lb
3 green peppers @ 49¢/lb
3 cucumbers @ 3/99¢

Total spent: $5.20

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Save 50-90% in your area!

I've been hearing great things about BuyWithMe, a daily deal site which gives 50%-90% off the exciting things to do in your area, so I just wanted to call it to your attention again!

BuyWithMe is currently only available in the following areas: Boston, New York City, San Diego, Washington DC, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, and Austin. If you don't live in one of these areas, you can still sign up, and BuyWithMe will let you know once deals are available for your area.

Click here to join BuyWithMe.

Bookmark and Share

Read more...

Pizza coupons, lemonade coupons, ice cream coupons, and more!

Coupons.comHere are a bunch of great new coupons over at Coupons.com!  Who wouldn't want a pizza coupon?  Combined with the lemonade coupon and the ice cream coupon, that has the makings of a great meal!

  • $1.00 OFF any 1 IHOP at Home frozen breakfast product
  • $1.00 OFF any 1 Hellmann's Mayonnaise (Redeem only at Shop-Rite)
  • $1.00 OFF one (1) 1.75 Qt of Blue Bunny Premium Ice Cream
  • $1.00 OFF 1 Lightlife Product
  • $1.00 OFF 1 one (1) 46 oz. variety of V8 V-Fusion + Tea beverage
  • $1.00 OFF TWO 8 oz. 6-packs or 46 oz. bottle varieties of V8 V-Fusion Juice
  • $1.00 OFF TWO V8® 100% vegetable juice 46 oz or larger varieties
  • $1.00 OFF 1 package of MorningStar Farms Breakfast Biscuits
  • $1.00 OFF 1 RED BARON Pizza Singles
  • $1.00 OFF 1 Reser's Sensational Sides item
  • $1.00 OFF 1 Magnum Ice Cream
  • $1.00 OFF 1 McCann's Irish Oatmeal product
  • $1.00 OFF 1 CARNATION BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS product
  • $0.55 OFF 1 Bagel-fuls (4ct)
  • $0.50 OFF 1 Hanover Frozen Soft Pretzels
  • $0.50 OFF 1 One (1) 59oz. Trop50 Lemonade, Raspberry Lemonade or any other flavor (excluding Orange)
  • $0.50 OFF 1 RelaxZen Product
  • $0.35 OFF 1 BOB EVANS REFRIGERATED SIDE DISH
    Don't forget to check out all the online printable coupons at Coupons.com, RedPlum, Cellfire, and Coupon Network,

    Bookmark and Share

    Read more...

    Reminder - great Zyrtec coupon!

    ZyrtecJust a reminder about this great coupon, for those of you who suffer from allergies.

    You can get a $2 off Zyrtec coupon. Just answer a couple of easy questions, and fill out your name, address, and date of birth. (There are also some optional questions, but you need not answer them to get the deal.)

    Click here for your $2 off Zyrtec coupon.

    Bookmark and Share

    Read more...

    It's Mega Swagbucks Day!

    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.) You can also earn Swagbucks for finding Swagcodes, answering polls and surveys, watching videos and Swagbucks TV, and considering special offers and no-obligation special offers.

    Have you been participating in the Score Four and Twenty Swag Bucks contest?  Do searches on Swagbucks through tonight, and you might win one of four commemorative Memorial Day Swag Bucks:

    • 7 Swag Bucks - Washington crossing the Delaware
    • 10 Swag Bucks - Raising of the flag at Iwo Jima
    • 12 Swag Bucks - The Kiss on V-J Day
    • 15 Swag Bucks - Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
    Get all four bills, and you'll receive an extra 20 Swag Bucks next week!  You can keep track of which bills you've won by moving your mouse over your Swag Bucks count in the upper right corner of any Swagbucks page, clicking on "My Swag Bucks," then click on "Collector Bills."

    I've won the 7, 10, and 12 Swag Bucks bills, but the 15 remains ever-elusive.  You can bet I'll be doing a bunch of Swagbucks searches today to find it and get the bonus!

    Join Swagbucks today and start earning point toward prizes like $5 Amazon.com gift card codes.   I've earned $135 in codes since joining last year!

    Bookmark and Share

    Read more...
    Next Post Previous Post Home
    Content © 2010-2014 by Frugal Follies.   © Blogger templates The Professional Template by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008