Thrifty Thursday

I've got another site for you. And all you really have to do is check your mailbox!  http://www.vocalpoint.com/
Have you been? Just sign up and they send you stuff. Free. Then you go back and say yes I liked it no I didn't. I've gotten sample sized items but I've also gotten full sized products (Panteen shampoo for example). Just the other day I got a package (and I say package because they make the products look super cute when they send it to you. Really. Who knew shampoo could look adorable right?) that had a family dinner time game in it. Some questions are what language do you wish you could speak? What family tradition would you like to start? If your family had a theme song what would it be? And so on.

But the real point of the package was the coupons. I got 6 coupons in total. 1 For a free box of Barilla plus pasta. And the other 5 for buy 1 box get 1 box free coupons. {By the way the pasta is good. Easy way to get extra protein, fiber and omega-3's in. Highly reccomend).

So go sign up!

And make sure you check out the new blog -- Today's Top 20 for 20 projects featured each day!

Thrifty Thursday - Swag Bucks

Hope you got lots of candy in your buckets!!  I've got a special treat for using up your extra candy on Saturday --- YUM. 

But today is thrifty Thursday.

Do you notice that advertisement over there?  For swag bucks? 

I just signed up yesterday.  I already have earned quite a few.  I read about it somewhere (I hate when that happens..) but I can't remember where.

Basically it is a search engine that you earn "bucks" on.  And then you can trade them in for stuff.  Cool huh?  And they have great prizes!  Everything from a Wii to baseball cards. 

And you earn points in more ways than just searching.  I made the swag bucks my homepage.  So the first thing I do when I log turn on the computer in the morning is answer their poll question.  Takes 2 seconds.  And I earn a buck.  Simple.  A lot of people save their bucks all year and spend on a Christmas gift.  *Genius*.  So that's what I'm doing.  Saving. 

Sign up with me!  You get 30 bucks just for signing up.  www.swagbucks.com - click on the add -
OR
if you wanted to be totally awesome {and because I'm sure there is a way to do this that I am unaware of} send me your email address {or leave it in the comments} and I'll send you an invite so we can get bonus points! 

Plus...I made something today.  I Really want to share it with you BUT I've been having alot of crafting don'ts lately and I'm afraid that if I share now I won't have anything for Monday!  But here is a small picture of it.

Thrifty Thursday Save It!

So this is normally where I share my stellar garage sale finds.  But you already saw my picture frame and my bulletin board. 

The only other things I got this past weekend were sweaters (3 of them for 75 cents -- TOTAL!) :) Already cut 1 up.

And ohh. I forgot about this.  Some lady had a bunch of Wilton Cake pans.  I got a Mario cake pan (perfect right?), a small heart pan, larger hearts, skulls and a 3-D pumpkin.  $1.25 for them all.  (Sorry no picture -- It's a lazy day.)

But not the best day of garage sailing.  But I did find a new thrift store.  A good one.  With real thrift store prices. I am surprised at the prices at Goodwill here.  I know that probably makes me sound Queen of Cheap but really.  I've been in tons of GW's and never seen prices like this.  I found a bulletin board there - a little banged up -- $12.  You can buy a new one at Hobby Lobby for $12.  A little metal drawer -- $14.  A medium size glass vase -- $5.  A purse that was in their locked up section -- brand name Mudd? $15?  Really???  It wasn't even cute!  {Someone said that they raised their prices after they moved into their new building?  Really?  Do you think so?  I'm not sure.  That seems kind of sneaky.}

ANYWHO...

Today's thrifty tip is to look and save.  Don't be a hoarder though.  Hoarders = Creepy. 

For instance:  Have a spice bottle that is empty?  Wash it and fill it with a mix of salt and pepper.  That way when you are cooking you already have a mix.  Or fill it with cinnamon sugar for toast.  (I had that this morning.  I haven't had it in years.  And it was delish.)  Or put buttons in it.  One of my 'search for at thrift store/garage sale' items is an old spice 'rack'.  But I don't want a rack.  I want one that turns.  Know what I am talking about.  With the bottles.  So I can fill each one up with a different color of something in my craft room.  Easy finding!

What else.  Oh remember that ugly picture from yesterday.  The only reason I kept it was to take a picture of it.  Then I got to looking at it.  I thought hum. If you flip it over (it's just a very thick card stock) maybe a growth chart.  Or better yet.  It is being painted right now as a scene for Joshua's Mario room.

So before you pitch something check it for a project.  For storage.  For recycling! :)

Thrifty Thursday - Thrifty Finds

Hey y'all (I'm from Indiana -- I'm allowed to say that).

Hope it's a happy day.

Last week I scored some grrr-eat

thrifty finds.  Sorry couldn't help myself. 

Let's see...

First stop, K-Mart.  Normally I don't share my clearance aisle finds but I couldn't help it today.  I've never really shopped at a K-Mart before we moved.  But when they clearance things out -- they clearance them out!

Shoes.  New slippers for me -- 2 pair actually.  Aren't they cute?   $1.24 a pair.  Yea.  That was it.  (Please ignore the dirty pink one I wore it outside this AM to walk Josh to the bus -- and I was too tired to care that slippers are not made to wear outside.  I got 2 pairs right?) :)

And Josh got 2 pair.  Now, I HATE character stuff.  Not exactly sure why.  I just do.  And I've been able to go 7 1/2 years without ever getting character shoes.  But lately he wants them.  (And he prefers the light up kind).  And I have been saying no.  Sorry kid.  (I'm a freak about matching.)  So when he saw these shoes he said "today must be my lucky day". 

I figured for $2.50 the kid can have a pair of character shoes.  To wear outside.  In the mud.  And get all dirty and nasty so his cute, mommy approved shoes stay ncie and pretty.  Or better yet -- to Grandmas.  It has taken me 7 years to figure out that if I send cute clothes to grandmas that either they never come home (until he has outgrown them) or they are stained.  So I've started keeping a drawer of (all character t-shirts go figure) of clothes for Grandmas. I'm so sneaky.

And these sandals I figured will be perfect for next summer.  Joshua spends lots of his summer days on the boat up in Lake Michigan and these are perfect for it. $1.99.

I also scored about 7 pairs of flip flops at Kohls for $1 a peice, some super cute jewlery and a few tops but I won't bore you with those..

I thought of Dana from Made with these yellow placemats.  $1

This is a beautiful set of large napkins dying to be made                     into something fall.  I love the colors! $1

Big fleece blanket $2.  It's just a solid navy now...but not for long!!  

This is a sheet.  But the colors are great!  I'm not sure what I will turn it into.

Told you -- cool colors!  Actually I think of Joshua's bathroom when I see them -- but hmmm.. $1

Aren't these cool?  These books are from 1936!  I got them at the Library book sale for $1 each. 

A pretty colored rose ric rac.  And a lot of it.  I paid 10 cents for it.

You never know when you will need some Christmas lights! 50 cents!

2 glass vases.  These are from Goodwill.  I paid $2 a vase.  

I love this super huge yellow table cloth.  My pictures are hard to see but it has great texture and the scallop edges are adorable.  50 cents.

Canvas.  I got 3 16 X 20 canvases for $2.  2 of them are still wrapped up!

 Not a bad weekend wheelin' and dealin'! :) I know.  I'm so cheesy.

And my thrifty tip of the week:  Freeze your veggies!

At our house, I buy fresh veggies to make a recipe and we don't use them all. (Or I'm the only one who eats the veggies) I was having to throw away way too much.  Half a pepper here, carrots there.  So then <duh> I started cutting up what I didn't need and throwing them in a freezer bag.  I've got a bag of mixed peppers for fajitas stored in there and then a big ziploc of mixed veggies.  When the bag gets full -  I've got either veggie soup or pot pie filling! YUM.