Online Store Circulars and Coupon Information

 

Saving money? Let me introduce you to three online resources to increase your coupon savings and your efficiency. Maybe you have tried some of these resources.

1)
I found a feature in my online local newspaper  that interests me. I usually buy the Sunday paper from my hometown and from Birmingham. Our Walmart will "price match" all ads in about a 60-mile radius, even if I am not able to get my hands on a newspaper or choose not to purchase a newspaper. If there are no coupons in the paper, all the newspapers are sold, or I cannot get out, I can use this feature and still have access to ads and deals I might want to check out. Maybe you can find this feature in your local paper.

Refer to ad picture.I clicked on the small icon for CVS and got an ad. A viewer can turn the pages. Plus, the ad for each product can be enlarged to easily read. Blogger insists the picture be at the head of this post, not where I wanted it!

2) There are sites that inform readers which insert (P&G, Smart Source, Red Plum and others) are in the Sunday papers. Google "coupon inserts 2014" to get other sites that list coupon inserts. I chose this site at random. There are other features also--"How to save money without coupons."

Here is a sample of the format for coupon inserts:
January 5 — (2) Redplum, (2) Smart Source
12 — Redplum & Smart Source
19 — Smart Source
26 — (2) Redplum & Smart Source & Procter and Gamble

Yes, I did get four coupon inserts in the Birmingham News last Sunday. I use this feature before I go purchase a paper to know which inserts should be in the paper! Okay, some days I forget. That makes for a real hassle, going through multiple papers to determine the most common number of newspaper inserts for each insert..

3) Plus, there is one site with "Sunday coupon previews" that even lists the coupons  in the inserts and tells when the coupon expires. That was a "wow" moment for me. You cannot order coupons or print from this site. Here is a sample from the site with a partial list from Red Plum.


Sunday Coupon Preview
Regional coupon inserts & value differences are to be expected!
(x) before coupon = multiple of same coupon
ETS = excludes trial sizes

Emergen-C $1.50/1 vitamin supplement drink mix 10ct+ (2/28)
Gain $.50/1 detergent or fabric enhancer (2/28) ETS
Gain $1/2 detergents or fabric enhancer (2/28) ETS
Garnier $2/1 moisturizer (3/8)

If you can use any of these three sources, you can spend less time on the coupon search!  There are many sites that have the coupon information like the last two examples. Just google for other similar site. The first resource will possibly be in your copy of your local online newspaper. Or, look for ads on a site of a nearby city.

Have fun!

Your turn
Do you ever use any of these sites--local, insert sites, or coupon lists--to help you make decisions and save money? What sites do you use?

Save $30

microwave plate/tray

Have you ever broken the glass plate/tray on the microwave turntable?  I didn't, but something boiled over and the food cooked on the glass.  I took it out to wash it in the dishwasher. When I needed to heat chocolate milk, it was not clean because I put it in the sink and not into the dishwasher!

With this frigid weather, I was going to have hot chocolate. Instead of the glass plate, I used a regular plate, an old white Corelle (glass plate) from years ago.

Out of curiosity, I googled  Kenmore replacements, I found that replacements cost from $25 to $38, way above my budget if I did break the plate! To replace my 10-inch plate costs too much for me. I bought a $39 microwave twice so buying another cheap one would seem better than buying an expensive plate. My current microwave has lasted much longer and cost $120 about 20 years ago.

Instead of buying a cheap microwave or buying a $30 plate, just use an old plate or any old plate from the thrift store. Did you know that there are glass plates that are from non-working microwaves. Often there are stacks in the thrift store.

Your turn
Have you been faced with needing another glass plate for the floor of your microwave? How did you solve the problem of a missing plate? What did you use? Did you buy a new microwave? Did you order a new plate? Did you find a glass microwave plate in the thrift store?

Frozen Tub!

ice between drain and blue cloth
1/7/14
Click to biggify

Can you see the ice between the drain and the blue cloth?  Every faucet was "stuck." When I barely opened the faucet, eventually the faucet dripped a bit. All the red stuff splattered about the drain is from the faucet eventually "thawing" a bit.

 

Four votive candles on a saucer are under the tub as near to drain and pipes as I can get it. There will be no picture. There are flames, dirty saucer, and spider webs!



on my lap

blanket around my shoulder

black coat with food drip

 

okay:

washing machine water runs into washer and drains

faucets in the kitchen run and drain

tub still has the ice chunk but now both faucets in the tub run and drain

bathroom sink faucets run and drain.

the dishwasher will not drain, but there is still a light under the kitchen sink right next to dishwasher

 

 

I need to put candles in the dishwasher! NOW!

 

I went to bed last night after testing water everywhere every few minutes. I did forget to leave them running! I was so tired I was reeling. This morning each faucet felt "stuck" but opened up after a few minutes.

 

It is 12F up from 4F.

 

David, how did you make it?

 

Your turn

How is it going in the frigid places? NO, Janet, you don't have to report on your balmy weather...lol.

 

No editing occurred in this post!

 



 

 

Fire in the Dishwasher

four tea light candles in a bowl
forget the wrong date

My budget cannot stand this hit. The dishwasher was open, not standing open, just not latched. I moved in front and tried to close it, but it was tight. Thinking a fork or something had gotten sideways and was hindering the door closing, I searched for the offending utensil. Nothing was there. Wondering if something was in the door hinge at the bottom, I leaned the door down.

 

Horrified, I stared at the ice and then felt it. I tried to use the "Drain" button but only got a buzz. I tried to run the cycle and got a buzz.

 

Then, I poured a couple of quarts of hot water and tried the "drain" option again. Nothing was working. I know this is in the pump.

 

Finally, I yanked out the bottom rack and the utensil holder on the door. The four tea light candles are changing the temperature in the dishwasher from frigid to cold. There is a wall between the dishwasher and under the sink.

 

When the dishwasher was installed about 25-years ago, the guy put it in crooked and barely caught the under edge of the counter. Now, every time I pull out top or bottom rack, the whole dishwasher tips out. maybe my hair dryer will help by letting the whole dishwasher tip out. Then, I can blow air back there.

 

I ran to the washer and ran a whole tub of warm water. Now, let's see if it will drain down the pipe. This drain is about six inches over the basement door that will not close fully....argh.

 

Okay, water is draining from the washer. Thankfully, the drain has not frozen nor has either water pipe. I checked the bathroom sink and commode.

 

The dishwasher is actually hot inside and the ice has melted so the candles were a success. Now, to blow the hairdryer  behind the dishwasher. (didn't do that since I cannot tip the dishwasher with water in it)

 

By the way, the stove that sits about a foot from the dishwasher door was on 350 degrees for about thirty-minutes while I cooked. See, I told you it was cold in here!

 

I am going to put the candles under the sink and hope I don't burn the place down.

UPDATE: Never mind. Cancel the candles under the sink. I put under the sink a junky lamp I got for utility purposes, possibly for the hens. I will not go to bed until daylight when the temperatures are rising, but still not above freezing.

 

Your turn

Has anything frozen at your house? I do know that things can freeze, but if they don't freeze hard or for a distance in the pipes, they might survive the freeze.

We Can Never Make Enough Money

Do we need another Henry Ford? I was shocked at the sentiment of Caterpillar.
 http://news.yahoo.com/henry-ford-genius-wage-hike-104500342--politics.html

Soooo, cold

It is 11 degrees F. The wind chill is 4 degrees F. I could never live up north. The hens' water freezes often! It is so cold going out there to tend to them every hour.  brrrr

I will have a post when the frigidity leaves my bones.

Banana in My Bed

4 bananas in a box and wrapped in a blanket

 

 

 Before I went to bed Friday night, I decided I would lose all these bananas. I don't mind bruised bananas. I do mind the mush of a previously frozen banana.  I had a box and a throw and a lamp still on. The bananas did not freeze overnight, so I am calling this a success. I contemplated taking them to bed with me and putting them under the covers, just like the chick.

That book is on the top of a stack of books by the lamp, not levitating.

Somehow, a chick in a towel and in box under my covers was okay. This was not. 

Bananas are still very cold!

12" x 12" x 12" box



 

In the summer, I have been known to take on many occasions two huge trays of bananas into my bedroom because there is no ac turned on at night in the hot kitchen and den.

 

Must protect bananas at all cost!

 

Sunday morning

The temperature of the bananas has risen. The bananas are still warm enough which means they are neither cold nor warm today. As I eat them at the rate of one a day, they will last through this frigid spell. Today, I will make the obligatory food run for snow. Really, I need milk and maybe two more bananas. Otherwise, I will not want for anything.

 

Your turn

Is your kitchen so cold you must protect your bananas or any food from the cold? Don't you think bananas are fragile when it comes to temperature?