tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68453076724040123922024-03-13T06:15:14.193-05:00Spin The Deal<br>The Deal Diva shows you how to find great money-saving deals and then "Spin the Deal" to save even more money. From diapers to dish soap, the Deal Diva can find a way to stretch your hard-earned cash.The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-22816484869802433492009-10-03T21:57:00.002-05:002009-10-03T22:15:01.718-05:00On a Blog-cation<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yElpAhmKLJMUGKeXic-hVK7lOYrrPkuDb6F8c_Ms23SOhuPNM1hxvym3c-cfEt8qFzfw_CBi7g83YN-vS4x9LRxqzEgE6gouZ1F-9_fDoHU7CA5SFtcGXF6qoayvhpYVhdmokOSYir8/s1600-h/blogcation.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388577869865206178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yElpAhmKLJMUGKeXic-hVK7lOYrrPkuDb6F8c_Ms23SOhuPNM1hxvym3c-cfEt8qFzfw_CBi7g83YN-vS4x9LRxqzEgE6gouZ1F-9_fDoHU7CA5SFtcGXF6qoayvhpYVhdmokOSYir8/s400/blogcation.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">If you happen to wonder why you haven't seen any posts from the Deal Diva lately, it's because I've been on a temporary blogcation (i.e. a vacation from blogging). What have I been up to during my blogging hiatus? Well...I'm still finding great deals, but...I'm also taking some time to focus on the Diva household, spending precious time with the Diva boys, and sharpening my cooking skills (thanks to a recent obsession with all things Julia Child).</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">But, not to worry, once I have the famous Julia omelet flip mastered, I plan to be back in action, sharing my stories of the bargains I'm finding here in the frozen north...at least as much as time allows.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">So....if you've enjoyed reading this blog over the past year, and you'd like to see more posts with money-savings tips and techniques, please send me an e-mail or leave a comment. I'd love to hear your feedback.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Thanks for reading! Happy deal hunting!</span></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-13024351168621614572009-07-01T09:06:00.004-05:002009-07-01T09:24:31.030-05:00Palomino Restaurant: Diva-Style Discount Dining<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VXQkwcfZchunB66e4R-FSM0EGfRQQTH0fQRjWZdlEXYQCR08CBBlKQnZGeXA7JZ3UiAbSGr_CivujwgJRYG5Lz7swaMH2Xz4vbBiYmVxYv6A_k4yCYi8l2_O0Zk6EbqfSXONzVxLi_4/s1600-h/palo.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353497020360359794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 123px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VXQkwcfZchunB66e4R-FSM0EGfRQQTH0fQRjWZdlEXYQCR08CBBlKQnZGeXA7JZ3UiAbSGr_CivujwgJRYG5Lz7swaMH2Xz4vbBiYmVxYv6A_k4yCYi8l2_O0Zk6EbqfSXONzVxLi_4/s400/palo.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Here’s a local “triple play” deal for a delicious and value-conscious meal out. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.palomino.com">Palomino Restaurant</a> in downtown Minneapolis offers a <strong>3-course “price fixe” meal</strong> weeknights from 5:00 – 6:00pm. The meal includes a starter (soup or salad), main dish, dessert (sorbet, ice cream, or chocolate tiramisu) and a non-alcoholic beverage for $25. The entrees are the same portion size as those on the regular menu for a fraction of the price. In our recent visit, I had the Alaskan King Crabcakes, which were $27 alone on the regular menu. Other entrée options include Braised Beef Short Ribs, Prawn Scampi, Chicken Parmesan, and Capellini Pomodoro.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353496843564098530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 183px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddDHMFjwOrcm-o08-aOLNJ9bE-4CCnXH0X8jE_5Xt7G5GK3IHzCi0IQYNUqI-h7H19c7Jms30hl6MByGt57LtaiHY71uoZiT_uc5PtgzDyMWgzkZLDkrBmbcwULxkX6A5LOMwyif_Ko4/s320/3course.gif" border="0" /><br />Another reason to love Palomino is that it’s known for it’s <strong>no corkage fee policy</strong>. Bring in a favorite bottle of wine, and your waiter will uncork it and serve it with your meal for no extra fee. Most downtown Minneapolis restaurants charge between $15- $25 for corkage. Not only can you enjoy a great bottle of wine from your personal collection with your meal, but you also avoid the often 2-3 times retail markup on purchasing a bottle of wine at the restaurant – particularly when the restaurant selection might not be your preferred choice. Also, if you don’t finish your bottle, you can re-cork the bottle and bring it home with you (in the state of MN). If you do choose to bring your own bottle of wine, just make sure that it’s a nice selection comparable in value to those sold at the restaurant <em>(…No 3 Buck Chuck!)</em> and that it’s not something that is actually on the restaurant wine list.<br />Parking in downtown Minneapolis can be pricey. Fortunately, some downtown restaurants offer validated parking. Palomino validates parking in the LaSalle Ramp for up to 2 ½ hours. On our last visit, we saved $12 in parking fees with the <strong>complimentary parking validation</strong>.<br /><br />Finally, here’s one last tip for frequent diners. Log on to </span><a href="http://www.opentable.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">www.opentable.com</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> and make a reservation before you go. You’ll earn 100 points for each reservation, and when you reach 2,000 points, you can redeem them for a $20 restaurant gift card. As long as you make at least one reservation a year, your points won’t expire. You can even type in a comment while making the reservation online to let the wait staff know if you’re celebrating a special occasion – which will make your night even more memorable. <em>(By the way, Palomino provides a free dessert on birthdays and anniversaries!)</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br />Want even more rewards for dining at Palomino? Check out the <strong>Eat, Drink, & Earn Club</strong> by clicking </span><a href="http://www.r-u-i.com/rewards_home.php"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">.</span></div></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-1157791842904735452009-06-17T20:00:00.001-05:002009-06-18T07:49:19.345-05:00Fish Camp In Pictures<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XCKCptu1ov1w3mZafbHXOvm7F3wd1iS3EssqTMbF1nG9IsDys7iq1bxn08ZMD9GqydOfx76_YIflylf-HjnwquZgPUpiLnpV6BI0pBVM56qfnlu-6hCRI7MF9gqOlXF2IJ583ChGkHw/s1600-h/IMG_4435.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347155422884297394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XCKCptu1ov1w3mZafbHXOvm7F3wd1iS3EssqTMbF1nG9IsDys7iq1bxn08ZMD9GqydOfx76_YIflylf-HjnwquZgPUpiLnpV6BI0pBVM56qfnlu-6hCRI7MF9gqOlXF2IJ583ChGkHw/s400/IMG_4435.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The Diva guys had a wonderful time at </span><a href="http://spinthedeal.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-twist-on-summer-camp.html"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Fish Camp</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> this past weekend.</span><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKuU3Rd0_F3gp0aB9o6H2TZ4pZ9T6v5Rt07dEzbNaBVRehsvDJPvxxu2bIjXgRM2zI_GSQb8mH1RbkJJYEHu4BDxFY-NLCFfRP08h1MRV_pk_IcvxSl3iuMmTJ8THR_DrzkfN8_YmFvw/s1600-h/IMG_4433.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347155283219447906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKuU3Rd0_F3gp0aB9o6H2TZ4pZ9T6v5Rt07dEzbNaBVRehsvDJPvxxu2bIjXgRM2zI_GSQb8mH1RbkJJYEHu4BDxFY-NLCFfRP08h1MRV_pk_IcvxSl3iuMmTJ8THR_DrzkfN8_YmFvw/s320/IMG_4433.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">As you can see, there were plenty of fish to catch, and lots of fun was had by Junior D, Daddy Diva, and Grandpa Diva, too.</span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347155715311166274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXEFu-4MGKfdykDI4B9bTodWLUjNXf_kLw9nv4axXQKdFZKVQzBwYL9Jhlz1pNQNz8PfMF3bcNgxT6b1ABULhcaTsTkiHDRT0wQJ51hgCbWja-BCwyPQWHcp9F0PU0O0NOedA_-6VLiI/s320/IMG_4437.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The rainy day projects I sent along were a hit. I think Fish Camp will become a new, annual family tradition in the Diva household!</span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /><strong>Your Turn:</strong> What fun family activities do you have planned this summer? Leave a comment and share your stories!<br /></span></div></div></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-17323530076049736672009-06-16T19:00:00.001-05:002009-06-16T19:00:00.509-05:00The Cheerios Challenge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAODlFhN8ATDgA2AUXlzscO8GqZwd_y5FHvRGNgr03bCZ6D8zb1dM0ecQCkqnnc7L-hB_5h6DBeIUKfcE3rne6yWk87MjaH1XXFwleBgaI1ZLLJGwZG6NIxkQwRseTX4-dLDiIIjWHCS0/s1600-h/IMG_7858.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347154702167994818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAODlFhN8ATDgA2AUXlzscO8GqZwd_y5FHvRGNgr03bCZ6D8zb1dM0ecQCkqnnc7L-hB_5h6DBeIUKfcE3rne6yWk87MjaH1XXFwleBgaI1ZLLJGwZG6NIxkQwRseTX4-dLDiIIjWHCS0/s400/IMG_7858.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Saving money on groceries means not always being loyal to a particular brand.</strong> For our family, we’ll use store brand or name brand items - whichever happens to be the better value at the time. Sometimes, having a coupon on a name brand item makes the item cheaper than the similar store brand item. Although, other times, even with a coupon, the name brand still costs more than the store brand. Add in weekly sales and “buy 1 get 1 free” promotions, and the value equation shifts on a weekly basis.<br /><br />There is one thing in the Diva household that we are loyal to though, and that is Cheerios. <br /><br />Daddy Diva is supportive of any measures to save money on groceries and will happily eat store brand yogurt, cheese, bread, etc….<strong><em>but don’t mess with his Cheerios!<br /></em></strong><br />So, what is a Deal Diva to do to ensure that we’re not paying top dollar on name brand Cheerios??? The answer is that <strong>we know the sales cycle, and we stock up</strong>. In our area, Cheerios is usually on sale at least once a month. In addition, there are often exceptional offers available on top of the sale prices every other month or so. <br /><br />Last week, we were down to our last box of Cheerios. When our supply starts to get low, I start checking the grocery ads. If it’s not on sale this week, then it will be by the next week at one of the local stores. <br /><br />Here’s the deal I found at Cub Foods:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">11 boxes of 8.9 oz Cheerios @ $2 each: $22<br />1 box of 18 oz Cheerios @ $3<br /><br /><strong>Total: $25</strong><br /></span><br />I used $3 in coupons, which brought my total down to $22, and then I received a $10 coupon off my next store purchase for buying $25 worth of Cheerios. This brought my net cost down to $12 for 12 boxes. </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><em><strong>That’s just over 10 cents an ounce – a great price for Cheerios!<br /></strong></em><br />If there hadn’t been a sale at Cub, I could have waited until this week. Our local Rainbow Foods has their monthly General Mills sale this week where you receive $10 off along with coupons for 2 free gallons of milk when you purchase a certain number of boxes of General Mills cereal at full price. If you had coupons and shopped on Double Coupon Wednesday, you could save even more on the Rainbow Foods deal.<br /><br /><strong>Your Turn:</strong> What name brand item does your family refuse to live without? What ways have you found for saving money on it? Leave a comment to share your story!<br /><br /></span><div></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-60911149513907566932009-06-15T17:30:00.001-05:002009-06-15T17:30:00.349-05:00Breakfast - Deal Diva Style<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhKjEBLWpuhTgygt1LUa58Qzdfo8D8r5gk0ADoRRBL7-AyuJUJsIVkTGmc5qMuz5QTkckvzCXJHsD2rvYgmAmzmIIIMGn1whxyByABFWiC1R2CVzANFD9EymsHCaWwZwiHp7m5uYqtqg/s1600-h/IMG_7853.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347154351328901746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhKjEBLWpuhTgygt1LUa58Qzdfo8D8r5gk0ADoRRBL7-AyuJUJsIVkTGmc5qMuz5QTkckvzCXJHsD2rvYgmAmzmIIIMGn1whxyByABFWiC1R2CVzANFD9EymsHCaWwZwiHp7m5uYqtqg/s400/IMG_7853.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">While the Diva guys were away at </span><a href="http://spinthedeal.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-twist-on-summer-camp.html"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">fish camp</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> this weekend, Baby D and I decided to clean out the fridge and pantry. The result was a fun and tasty breakfast with plenty of leftovers for our busy week ahead.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Diva-licious Waffles<br /></strong><br />We followed the recipe on the Bisquick box and added a little vanilla extract and cinnamon. Using cooling racks keeps the extra waffles from getting soggy before storing them in the fridge. These will make quick meals for the Diva boys this week.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifXcqFALuKed_tB1mjaUGUMPne7bKil2CjriGcrAnleTCRYywVaaV1ktyEWOGItsKDh3OhsKI3WX7ru_TIin2FOzbzOTvTExN9We2XCeAovkJVR44GrAwnTgyIrkDH0yeJwKUEoBfYKw/s1600-h/IMG_7857.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347154182863581026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifXcqFALuKed_tB1mjaUGUMPne7bKil2CjriGcrAnleTCRYywVaaV1ktyEWOGItsKDh3OhsKI3WX7ru_TIin2FOzbzOTvTExN9We2XCeAovkJVR44GrAwnTgyIrkDH0yeJwKUEoBfYKw/s320/IMG_7857.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Deal Spinner Smoothies<br /></strong><br />This is a great way to use up fruit. We keep a Ziploc freezer bag in the freezer and use it to store extra fruit on hand before it goes bad. To make the smoothie, toss in some frozen fruit, a cup of yogurt, and a splash of milk and orange juice. We used some ripe bananas, frozen pineapple, cherry vanilla yogurt, milk, and OJ. Yum!<br /></span><br /><br /><div></div></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-12509876452912744912009-06-13T20:00:00.001-05:002009-06-14T07:01:12.569-05:00The Power of the Snowball – Part 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RvbT-TbqbpKeJuXZieu_NFZ1Sh0-uvYaHn1OQUwBL0Nffi_xXRKZB9xslFUPfp4g7UPvAwQo-p_J_HGtaOMSJRtNenzyrygHoGAvJ5VpPuopNKCSRc8s1_rv4UJoIKBTkwPRwQLxZcA/s1600-h/totalmoney.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345145311379925666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RvbT-TbqbpKeJuXZieu_NFZ1Sh0-uvYaHn1OQUwBL0Nffi_xXRKZB9xslFUPfp4g7UPvAwQo-p_J_HGtaOMSJRtNenzyrygHoGAvJ5VpPuopNKCSRc8s1_rv4UJoIKBTkwPRwQLxZcA/s400/totalmoney.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:78%;">Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marklarson/2549342603/">marklarson</a></span><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Is anyone else as excited as I am about the Debt Snowball process?<br /></strong><br />In <a href="http://spinthedeal.blogspot.com/2009/06/power-of-snowball-part-1.html">Part 1</a>, I talked about how Dave Ramsey’s Debt Snowball approach works. Then, in <a href="http://spinthedeal.blogspot.com/2009/06/power-of-snowball-part-2.html">Part 2</a>, I shared how to get the ball rolling and how you can benefit from it. I’ll wrap up this series today with tips on how to save extra money to build the initial momentum.<br /><br /><strong>Finding an extra $500 a month isn’t easy, but finding an extra $5 here and $20 there is quite do-able.</strong> Rather than trying to come up with a large sum at the end of the month, break it down into manageable amounts. For us, one way we save a great deal is on our monthly food expenditures:</span></div><br /><ul><br /><li><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Packing Lunches</strong> – Taking the extra time to shop for and prepare lunches in advance saves us the $5 - $10 we each would spend daily buying lunch during the week. </span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Homemade Dinners</strong> – Rather than eating out a few times a week, we save money by stocking the fridge and freezer with healthy and convenient meals. Having options on hand really cuts down on our desire to eat out. When we have a craving for a restaurant burger ($10 each + tip), we fire up the grill and prepare burgers from the side of beef in our chest freezer ($1 each). </span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Family Outings</strong> – Whether we are headed to the zoo, the state fair, or on a road trip, rather than forking over cash for unhealthy meals on the go, we try to pack a small cooler with sandwiches, carrot sticks, fruit, and juice boxes.</span></li></ul><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Other ways to save money include comparison shopping to find the best deal on items and shopping around for the best rates on services. Always shop with a purpose, not for entertainment, and think about the value you will get out of each purchase, rather than impulse buying.<br /><br /><strong>For a <em>small amount of sacrifice</em>, you can make substantial progress towards completing your debt snowball.<br /></strong><br /><strong>Your Turn:</strong> Have you been working on your debt snowball? What advice do you have for others? Are you thinking about it, but don’t know where to start? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.<br /></span></p>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-33333602162960872132009-06-11T20:00:00.006-05:002009-06-14T07:00:28.772-05:00The Power of the Snowball – Part 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOdgXBgbU5NXAHDxbNHyA3Kf3656-B02pQEoAnaff43Ffvi6ZWDPueMNKYtk_DlKShiTJ2XxnYuOoi1ZlujFLSRMlRHWH7JQHgN8RdrS1Gj7pykUIeypcj8XpfV7J47gE3igK-FUy5_c/s1600-h/cccake.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345142686585229026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 374px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOdgXBgbU5NXAHDxbNHyA3Kf3656-B02pQEoAnaff43Ffvi6ZWDPueMNKYtk_DlKShiTJ2XxnYuOoi1ZlujFLSRMlRHWH7JQHgN8RdrS1Gj7pykUIeypcj8XpfV7J47gE3igK-FUy5_c/s400/cccake.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:78%;"> Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/patterbt/3073253672/">patterbt</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:78%;"><br /></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">In <a href="http://spinthedeal.blogspot.com/2009/06/power-of-snowball-part-1.html">Part 1</a>, I shared with you an example of how to pay off your debt using Dave Ramsey’s Debt Snowball approach. Today, I’ll talk about some tools to get you started.<br /><br />A few years ago, I first heard about Dave Ramsey and the Debt Snowball concept. I love reading financial advice books, and so I devoured every single one of Dave’s books. Yes…<strong><em>EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.</em></strong> (I have read all of Suze Orman’s books, too. No surprise, right?)<br /><br />If you are serious about paying off your debt, I would suggest you read at least some of Dave’s books. Then, get to work - as Dave puts it - <em>with gazelle intensity</em>.<br /><br /><strong>What can be gained by implementing the Debt Snowball?<em><br /></em></strong><br />Two words: <strong>FINANCIAL FREEDOM.</strong><br /><br />Once you’re down to just a mortgage, you don’t have to worry about making monthly payments on several loans – <em>especially in an uncertain economy</em>. If you are a two-income household, you may even gain enough flexibility to consider scaling back and going down to one salary, if you chose to do so.<br /><br />You can also gain the freedom to never have another car loan – <strong>EVER</strong>. Some people replace their cars not long after they are out of warranty, rolling their growing debt from one car to the next. As a result, every new car comes with a bigger and bigger payment. By keeping cars well maintained and driving them longer, you’ll continue to save the money you would have paid towards car payments and <strong>use it to pay for future cars with cash</strong>. Taking a bit of cash out of the emergency fund for minor repairs costs substantially less than a new car payment. Squeezing just an extra year or two out of your existing car once it’s paid off can make a significant difference.<br /><br /><strong>Finally, implementing the Debt Snowball will give you a better understanding of the true cost of carrying debt.</strong> That $25k car loan will end up costing you over $30k when you factor in 8% interest over 5 years. Even more eye-opening: The $5k in credit card debt would cost you almost $8k if you made a $100 monthly payment over the next 6 ½ years…or worse yet, if you only paid $75/month, you’d pay over $10k (more than double the original debt!) in the 12 years it would take to pay it off!!!<br /><br />The compound interest that works to your benefit in a savings account over time is the same thing that works to your detriment and makes it extremely difficult to pay off debt. This is particularly true with high, double-digit interest rate debt, like credit card debt.<br /><br /><strong>Coming Up:</strong> In <a href="http://spinthedeal.blogspot.com/2009/06/power-of-snowball-part-3.html">Part 3</a>, I’ll wrap up this series by sharing how to find excess cash to apply to the snowball each month.</span> </div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-6686936733127737952009-06-09T20:00:00.002-05:002009-06-14T06:59:41.656-05:00The Power of the Snowball – Part 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0lL5s3T_mqq2pM0z2l1MaYFHcLjMaVurFoVanPH2b6DZqKmjL2G26bwREjIx_p05xZB04WYTZZ2TbDtYMMlIAJlQOuik0AJ5qLuIrhteOawCSjA2HYTrDJaDV-wQ4GSCRIi9RHX6NjY/s1600-h/snowball.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345140641777644290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 264px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0lL5s3T_mqq2pM0z2l1MaYFHcLjMaVurFoVanPH2b6DZqKmjL2G26bwREjIx_p05xZB04WYTZZ2TbDtYMMlIAJlQOuik0AJ5qLuIrhteOawCSjA2HYTrDJaDV-wQ4GSCRIi9RHX6NjY/s400/snowball.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;">Photo: </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/redjar/113026147/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;">redjar</span></a><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">With the weather finally warming up here in Minnesota and the danger of frost <em>hopefully</em> behind us now, you may wonder why this post even references the word snow.<br /><br />If you’re familiar with Dave Ramsey, you’ve probably heard of the Debt Snowball concept. The basic idea is to pay off your smallest debt first, then use the monthly payment that you had been paying on that debt towards the next smallest debt, and so on, until you’re eventually debt free. As each debt is paid, you have more and more money to apply to the next debt…thus – the snowball effect.<br /><br /><strong>Here’s an example of how to leverage the power of the Debt Snowball.<br /></strong><br />Let’s say you have the following debt:</span></div><br /><ul><br /><li><span style="font-family:times new roman;">$5k in credit card debt ($100/month)</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:times new roman;">$10k student loan ($400/month)</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Car loans (2 @ $500/month each)</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Mortgage ($1,000/month)</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:times new roman;">2nd Mortgage ($500/month)</span></li></ul><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">That’s $3,000/month in total payments. In this example, let’s say you are able to come up with an extra $500/month to use toward your debt after all the minimum payments are made.<br /><br />To start the debt snowball effect, you would pay $600/month toward the credit card debt ($100 regular payment + the extra $500) until you have paid off the smallest debt. Assuming a static $5k (i.e. cutting up the card), at a 15% interest rate, you’ll be paying $100 a month for the next 6 ½ years before your balance is paid off. However, paying $600/month towards the balance will <strong><em>retire this debt in just under 9 months</em></strong>.<br /><br /><strong>Accelerating your repayment of the smallest to largest debt not only builds up momentum, but it also gives you quicker gratification that you are truly making an impact.<br /></strong><br />Once the credit card debt is paid off, then you would move on to the next smallest debt – the $10k student loan. At a rate of 5%, you’d be paying $400/month for over 2 years before your debt is paid off. With the Debt Snowball method, you would pay $1,000/month ($400/month regular payment + $100/month former credit card pymt + the extra $500), thereby <strong><em>paying off the student loan in just over 10 months</em></strong>.<br /><br />Next, you would move on to paying off your car loans. Instead of making the combined $1,000 in minimum payments, you would make a total of $2,000 in payments ($1,000 regular payment + $100 former cc pymt + $400 former student loan pymt + the extra $500). If you had one car loan with a smaller balance, you could focus on paying off that one first, and then move on to the next.<br /><br /><strong>Whether it’s an extra $500 or some other number, every dollar of excess cash available to apply to the Debt Snowball makes a drastic difference in how quickly you can accelerate your debt retirement.<br /></strong><br /><strong>Coming Up:</strong> In <a href="http://spinthedeal.blogspot.com/2009/06/power-of-snowball-part-2.html">Part 2</a>, I’ll tell you about some tools for implementing the Debt Snowball and what you will gain from it. Later, I’ll share <a href="http://spinthedeal.blogspot.com/2009/06/power-of-snowball-part-3.html">tips on how to find excess cash </a>to apply to the snowball each month. Stay tuned!</span></p>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-42729125246485321092009-06-08T20:43:00.002-05:002009-06-08T20:46:46.572-05:00Diva Boys Closet Clean-out<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxjus03JZMxt0zt_IGDMjT0h3pTwXfjfL2lhfNBIPeYviV17uZU6kNCazojwcLhPh87N-BhQIChMtI9PlRXdqW_n2SEAr5IpsS-59uuSD5xYZ7cq9lJ7sxUG35y_gOxd5ANyXb28kR4A/s1600-h/clothes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345138094596309970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxjus03JZMxt0zt_IGDMjT0h3pTwXfjfL2lhfNBIPeYviV17uZU6kNCazojwcLhPh87N-BhQIChMtI9PlRXdqW_n2SEAr5IpsS-59uuSD5xYZ7cq9lJ7sxUG35y_gOxd5ANyXb28kR4A/s400/clothes.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:78%;"> Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/klara/2787511824/">Klara Kim</a></span><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">We had some chilly, rainy, gloomy…and generally yucky weather this weekend. Since we didn’t make it outdoors, I decided to tackle my bi-annual chore – <strong>cleaning out the Diva boys’ closets</strong>. Every spring and fall, I go through the boys’ closets and filter out the outgrown and out-of-season clothes and replace them with clothing for the current season.<br /><br />All of Junior D’s outgrown clothing goes into Baby D’s closet. All of Baby D’s outgrown clothing goes into two piles: <strong>“Sell”</strong> and <strong>“Donate.”</strong> The clothing to be sold will go on Craigslist. The donation items will go to our annual church garage sale later this month. The out-of-season clothes get packed into recycled office paper boxes, labeled with a Sharpie, and stacked on shelves.<br /><br /><strong>Getting organized twice a year gives us a good idea of what we have and what we don’t have.</strong> Rather than buying clothes “just to buy clothes” for the boys, it gives me a mental list of what specific items to look for when shopping. I can also plan ahead and stock up on clothing items that they will need for next fall if I run across a deal.<br /><br /><strong>Your Turn:</strong> What are your tips for organizing, storing, and getting rid of your family’s clothes? Share your ideas!</span></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-64114254626032671212009-06-05T13:46:00.001-05:002009-06-05T13:51:02.828-05:00Local Readers: Free Admission to MN State Parks & Museums<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdjAglkYSBsoeFLC8gjbl4i9v0cMxkWkbb3dPPea5q6BQp8h21eSnaGtDKotFoGsbZEsxY-U1AwGQuMHWUGE2nvM_TRQYYkJbBAhoDr7cn8MtjOr1N1HXQ61-Ev02Huu1VtNOZwXgro0/s1600-h/mnfree.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343917856880632690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 118px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdjAglkYSBsoeFLC8gjbl4i9v0cMxkWkbb3dPPea5q6BQp8h21eSnaGtDKotFoGsbZEsxY-U1AwGQuMHWUGE2nvM_TRQYYkJbBAhoDr7cn8MtjOr1N1HXQ61-Ev02Huu1VtNOZwXgro0/s400/mnfree.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">On June 7th, admission is free at all 26 MN Historical Society sites and museums and all 72 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas. From Fort Snelling and Afton State Parks to the Society's Forest History Center and Oliver H. Kelley Farm, there are many opportunities for exploring. Visit </span><a href="http://www.mnhs.org/bigfun"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">www.mnhs.org/bigfun</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> or </span><a href="http://www.mnstateparks.info/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">www.mnstateparks.info</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> for more information.</span></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-64925758782351561432009-06-04T20:38:00.004-05:002009-06-04T20:49:45.272-05:00The Buy Ahead Principle<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlncvx22g6Dni0JkmkVrESkzxHEyMw9NJss70nGBYvPNMQrPpdSuYteMyU3ve1orH5e62x9XzXJ3hSGppNHmeG5n8ybA8I_v9mM4cjPh-k3x-px6dZpdDaxaPAwjV2xxiBnRFdGW1Hdo8/s1600-h/stockpile.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343654297209512818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 294px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlncvx22g6Dni0JkmkVrESkzxHEyMw9NJss70nGBYvPNMQrPpdSuYteMyU3ve1orH5e62x9XzXJ3hSGppNHmeG5n8ybA8I_v9mM4cjPh-k3x-px6dZpdDaxaPAwjV2xxiBnRFdGW1Hdo8/s400/stockpile.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Photo: </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seattlemunicipalarchives/3046433940/"><span style="font-size:78%;">Seattle Municipal Archives</span></a><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I recently read an interesting post at <a href="http://www.moneysavingmom.com/">Money Saving Mom</a>, called <a href="http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/06/one-of-my-biggest-grocery-saving-secrets.html">“The Buy Ahead Principle: One of my biggest grocery saving secrets.”</a> If you’re not a regular reader of Crystal’s blog, check it out at <a href="http://www.moneysavingmom.com/">http://www.moneysavingmom.com/</a>. It’s one of my favorite sources for the best up-to-the-minute deals.<br /><br />In her recent post, Crystal talks about the odd combination of items she buys during her weekly shopping trip. Each week, she looks for the best deals on items they will use, and then she stocks up on those items that week. To round out their weekly menu, she uses items already on hand in the freezer, fridge, or pantry. One week, she might buy Jello, Mac & Cheese, and salad dressing. Then she uses meat, bread, milk, etc. – whatever else she has on hand – to complete the weekly menu. <strong>By stocking up on grocery items when they go on sale, you avoid paying full price for items, which lowers your overall grocery expenditures over time.</strong><br /><br />If you are a normal, weekly grocery shopper, often you are shopping to replace the things you’ve run out of in your home. The problem with this approach is that if you are already out of something, you are at the store’s mercy to pay whatever they happen to be charging for the item that week – whether it’s on sale or full price.<br /><br /><strong>Here’s an example of how I stocked up this week:<br /></strong><br />Our local Cub Foods had a few Diva household staples on sale for less than the lowest price in our pricebook. On my weekly trip, I bought the following: 10 boxes of Mac & Cheese, 2 gallons of milk, 6 jugs of V8 Splash, 2 packs of CapriSun, and a handful of produce. (I’m sure the guy in line behind me thought this combination was a bit odd, to say the least.)<br /><br />Out of this purchase, the only things I paid for were the V8 Splash, 5 of the boxes of Mac & Cheese, and the produce. Everything else was free. Will we be living on macaroni and a variety of beverages all week!?! Heavens, no. But, we saved over $20, and we’re now re-stocked on items we’ll use over the next few weeks.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Detailed breakdown:<br /></strong>10 boxes Mac & Cheese – Buy 5, Get 5 Free<br />2 packs CapriSun – Free with coupon attached to Mac & Cheese 5-packs<br />2 gallons Milk – Used a Buy 1 Get 1 Free store coupon, combined with a Free Gallon coupon received a few weeks back when I bought 10 boxes of Cheerios.<br />6 jugs V8 Splash – On sale for $1.99 (would have been even cheaper w/coupons, but I used the ones I had up the last time this was on sale).</span><br /><br />The key to the buy-ahead principle is this: <strong>Only stock up on the items that your family will use in a reasonable amount of time before they expire.</strong> If you find a great price, but buy too much and have to throw some out, then it’s not really a deal after all.<br /><br /><strong>Your Turn:</strong> What staples does your family stock up on? </span></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-36176530471716951822009-06-03T21:10:00.004-05:002009-06-03T21:21:14.417-05:00Deal Diva Confession<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREPGGaZBA3-X4IAO3Frp1yaAYb1eq6pZEiUf9-myy7N3ox2MdRB8mmjFTYndLAcvfj4VGDoyzGJri5q8yVtqLoQXNVZYJ_LE4P1tKs_vNagDp7S6kO2pWZt6vTNmN2VPbWJldBjUNg8A/s1600-h/dovesoappic.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343290578548701842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREPGGaZBA3-X4IAO3Frp1yaAYb1eq6pZEiUf9-myy7N3ox2MdRB8mmjFTYndLAcvfj4VGDoyzGJri5q8yVtqLoQXNVZYJ_LE4P1tKs_vNagDp7S6kO2pWZt6vTNmN2VPbWJldBjUNg8A/s400/dovesoappic.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshjordan/420773588/">Joshua Jordan</a></span><br /><div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I have a confession to make. <strong>I haven’t bought a bar of soap in over five years.</strong> Yes, that’s right FIVE years. Yikes.<br /><br />It’s not that we don’t use bar soap. The Diva family goes through the same amount of bar soap as any other family. It’s just that I haven’t needed to buy any in the past several years. We are <em><strong>that</strong></em> stocked up on it.<br /><br />If you’ve read my blog for awhile now, you may remember that <strong>I’m not a huge stockpiler</strong>. That hasn’t always been the case. Back when double coupons were the norm in the Twin Cities, I did stock up on anything and everything that was free after coupon. But, in the past few years, <strong>I’ve taken a much more critical look at what I choose to stockpile</strong> – diapers, non-perishable foods that we will definitely eat, razors, toothbrushes, toiletries – and with everything else, I either pass it up at the store or purchase it to donate.<br /><br />So, back to the soap. Several years ago, there were coupons available for a free two-pack of Dove bar soap. <em>Anyone remember those?</em> They had a very distant expiration date, and I had quite a stack of them. Bar soap is one thing that really could last for years in a stockpile without any noticeable decline in effectiveness. I used up all of my free Dove coupons over the course of several months, and stocked the soap away in a giant tote in the basement. That was five years ago, and the reason I’m writing this post is because…<strong><em>gasp</em></strong>…we only have one bar left! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LmNX0UmOu3EHZOozxChgm7erKpAdP2UqnaL-BSKM-d1xa3O9nxW4DHrg1itj9TCeBh2FYBQeF-r8EfeQ-c6pir1Ixy0E_phGZNN_oI4FMHY4-H6WUvXRygThDW_2kgmtM5Li3E7Tu6w/s1600-h/dovesoapcoupon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343290308868065458" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 126px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LmNX0UmOu3EHZOozxChgm7erKpAdP2UqnaL-BSKM-d1xa3O9nxW4DHrg1itj9TCeBh2FYBQeF-r8EfeQ-c6pir1Ixy0E_phGZNN_oI4FMHY4-H6WUvXRygThDW_2kgmtM5Li3E7Tu6w/s200/dovesoapcoupon.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now, to be completely honest, I have purchased some of the Johnson’s Buddies kid’s soap over the past year. These, of course, were free after coupon, and the Diva boys love them in the tub. Who could resist!?!<br /><br /><strong>Your Turn:</strong> What have you had the longest in your stockpile? Share your thoughts!<br /></span></div><br><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;">Coupon Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadsidepictures/1357466114/">Roadsidepictures</a></span></div></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-77529588386659817832009-06-01T20:50:00.003-05:002009-06-01T20:56:43.603-05:00A New Twist on Summer Camp<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijw_Gr-gqWkVdzdoQsNZKR1KCN-lJFqmkvgmDAaDdHElrpttFK6RvmQuhpIoD1tSqYu2SFAd-ACJ2sIdqvw02ZoCgaYi6WsvjW9TbAOV6HeEDPLCtfIQsyC6-DsO1GnPrfd2tl4A8tA60/s1600-h/IMG_7744.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342543074735192082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijw_Gr-gqWkVdzdoQsNZKR1KCN-lJFqmkvgmDAaDdHElrpttFK6RvmQuhpIoD1tSqYu2SFAd-ACJ2sIdqvw02ZoCgaYi6WsvjW9TbAOV6HeEDPLCtfIQsyC6-DsO1GnPrfd2tl4A8tA60/s400/IMG_7744.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div><div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Summer is quickly approaching, and, in the Diva household that means it’s time to plan for summer camp. Last year, Junior D went to a half-day program three days a week through our city recreational center. He enjoyed the experience, but we wanted to do something different this year. This summer, Daddy Diva came up with a fun and unique idea tailored to Junior D’s interests – <strong>Fish Camp.<br /></strong><br />The “guys only” extended weekend will include a trip up to the cabin for Grandpa Diva, Daddy Diva, and Junior D. Along the way, they’ll stop at the bait shop <em>(Lesson #1: Worms, Minnows, & Leeches).</em> Then they’ll head out on the lake at the crack of dawn<em> (Lesson #2: Casting, Reeling, & Netting).</em> Throughout the day, they’ll snack on baggies full of fish crackers and gummy worms. Then, they’ll head back to the cabin with the fish they caught <em>(Lesson #3: How to Clean a Fish),</em> and enjoy a nice fish fry dinner. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39XamZyl-vRI3aPMSsD5DWCUDQlh8FKZRTQtzcdCDMB5BoupR5prgvTEqbrcfdkznJC_RAuGVwmXN-hhvmFuGLqpr6jbrR7pmrn_cuFpCL2j6rBfrAz75vC_lEAfys0SHsQDYnqcZvEw/s1600-h/IMG_7752.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342542800146051746" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39XamZyl-vRI3aPMSsD5DWCUDQlh8FKZRTQtzcdCDMB5BoupR5prgvTEqbrcfdkznJC_RAuGVwmXN-hhvmFuGLqpr6jbrR7pmrn_cuFpCL2j6rBfrAz75vC_lEAfys0SHsQDYnqcZvEw/s200/IMG_7752.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In addition, Mommy Diva has added a few extras to round out the fish theme and add to the experience.<br /><strong><br />Custom Shirts:</strong> I bought a T-shirt software kit from Office Depot for $9 (after mail-in rebate), some plain t-shirts and some iron-on transfer printer paper (using a 40% off coupon at Joann Fabrics). For $30, I made 4 custom camp shirts (including one for Baby D – so that he didn’t feel left out!).<br /><br /><strong>Story Time:</strong> I picked out a stack of fish-themed books from the Diva boys book collection to send along for bedtime reading. Cost: $0<br /><strong><br />Fish Art:</strong> I’m sending along a few fish-themed “cutting-and-gluing” projects to do at the cabin when they are not out fishing. Cost: $2<br /><br />So, for a few days off work for Daddy Diva and a few dollars in expenses, Junior D will not only have a unique camp experience, but he’ll also have some great quality time bonding with his dad and grandpa and memories for years to come. And, if it’s a success, it just might become a new family tradition. (Stay tuned for Fish Camp photos!) <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rC6fF43Rjl-8LCobK3bax-PF9CrtEsHT5bxDLQR-7gaxAHNf34PpCPSMa2s0UKwTMXiTPQdpOAzey-h1t6B0J40Qn5p4BZdYZ4m6pn2GUy5mzh6E-S-6L3qs7ihu9zvKAwqqqF1Xglk/s1600-h/IMG_7753.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342542540866343170" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 278px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rC6fF43Rjl-8LCobK3bax-PF9CrtEsHT5bxDLQR-7gaxAHNf34PpCPSMa2s0UKwTMXiTPQdpOAzey-h1t6B0J40Qn5p4BZdYZ4m6pn2GUy5mzh6E-S-6L3qs7ihu9zvKAwqqqF1Xglk/s320/IMG_7753.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Your Turn:</strong> Share your thrifty and creative ideas for spending quality time with your family! Leave a comment with your input.</span></div></div></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-14198469003845923922009-05-26T20:42:00.004-05:002009-05-26T21:19:05.092-05:00Laundry Detergent - What's the Deal?<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIEJHW3Q-ZkI20rCPU5CpCCReeu2hnPf8ZLmYs9xO5T3Mr1ItfdAoRx1aGk2EsG5TBaX_x3qF6SuJr_clR1m1JkuB3l0CBJha_-Nmas_JOElJNVVP0PADu3Sqa1xoWK_KdSDoRxOElxQ/s1600-h/washing.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340322042567067042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 298px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 298px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIEJHW3Q-ZkI20rCPU5CpCCReeu2hnPf8ZLmYs9xO5T3Mr1ItfdAoRx1aGk2EsG5TBaX_x3qF6SuJr_clR1m1JkuB3l0CBJha_-Nmas_JOElJNVVP0PADu3Sqa1xoWK_KdSDoRxOElxQ/s400/washing.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">One money-saving tactic that's often brought up in the most frugal of circles is making your own laundry detergent. It's true that name brand laundry detergents can make a sizable dent in your cleaning supply budget...but, <strong>do you gain enough savings by making your own to warrant such drastic measures?</strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><div><a href="http://www.thesimpledollar.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The Simple Dollar </span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">is a blog that I truly enjoy, and recently, while browsing though the 2008 archives, I came across this post: </span><a href="http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/04/09/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-a-detailed-visual-guide/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Making Your Own Laundry Detergent</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. Trent provides a visual, step-by-step guide to making your own laundry detergent with little more than a few cups of powder, a bar of soap, and a couple gallons of water. The resulting "sludge" works just as well at cleaning your laundry as the name brand Tide with Bleach Alternative. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I have to admit, it did sound like a fun experiment, but, after thinking about the work involved, and the idea of where to store it all, I thought twice about trying it myself. That got me thinking about the cost of buying vs. making laundry detergent. <strong>Was the juice truly worth the squeeze?</strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Using Trent's calculations, homemade laundry detergent would cost just over 2 cents per load. In comparison, Trent mentions that Tide costs about 20 cents per load (based on his pricing). Now, if you have a large family and are doing several loads a day, an 18 cents savings per load could be substantial over the course of the year. However, in the Diva household, we do an average amount of laundry per week - let's say 4 loads - which equates to 208 loads a year. At 2 cents per load, homemade detergent would cost us $4.16 a year. Wow, that's cheap! And, at 20 cents per load, name brand detergent would cost us $41.60 a year...still, not bad. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">My Conclusion: <strong>For a savings of $37 a year, it's really not worth my time to make the homemade detergent. </strong></span></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></strong></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">But wait...let's take this a step further. Being the Deal Diva that I am, I never pay full price for laundry detergent. In fact, unless I have a high-value coupon for name brand detergent, I often opt for store brand detergent. Just this week, I paid $3.94 for 56-load Purex detergent at Target. That equates to $0.07 a load - <em>only a nickel higher than homemade detergent.</em> In comparison, Costco's Kirkland brand laundry detergent comes to 12 cents a load...still cheaper than regular priced name brand soap. Finally, if you're vigilant in scoping out a laundry detergent deal, you'll wait to take advantage of the regular sales cycle...like this week's sale at Walgreens...50-load Xcel for $2.50...which is only 5 cents a load. </span></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340322147464672706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYCCUsLPRRRLrurQzzYp3YXxvq3IksEnZiK0cu9pXw7SV7HvbpnVKhKVVcPOIqwqDY6fEY6mXSpt84nt57xDgngU7AzMsNLCrEZs5HLjyZAfNi7IktrCKNktDuLR9wgdrwoJwYrCqyKU/s320/xcel.jpg" border="0" /> <div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Your Turn:</strong> How do you save money on laundry soap? Do you notice any difference between name brand and store brand laundry detergents? Share your input!</span></div></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-36807077073516007502009-05-25T15:34:00.001-05:002009-05-25T19:36:02.903-05:00Look out CVS, Here comes the Deal Diva<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7HmmRY5oMi_wXqToXkKZvRO1Qw7Qar-MOmwkfTF9D36C6mUf43eOcDyB892UEfvHi8BOMuNUcg9oIN5JhCwEweHy1UMuS9HxzcuSzp5N_606kE-gKNbWPVtQHxlQcza8Aew0BBdwewM/s1600-h/cvs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339924781878714786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7HmmRY5oMi_wXqToXkKZvRO1Qw7Qar-MOmwkfTF9D36C6mUf43eOcDyB892UEfvHi8BOMuNUcg9oIN5JhCwEweHy1UMuS9HxzcuSzp5N_606kE-gKNbWPVtQHxlQcza8Aew0BBdwewM/s320/cvs.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I'm not a big CVS shopper. Nothing against the store, they do have great deals. It's just that <strong>I try not to go too far out of my way for a deal.</strong> Even though there are numerous CVS stores here in the Twin Cities, none are right along my normal routes. If the deals are good enough for the week, I might plan the extra time to head to one - but what if they are out of the "deal" items? Or, even when I am lucky enough to find these items in stock, if I don't plan ahead for a strategy to do two transactions (one to earn the Extrabucks and one to redeem them), then I need to make another future trip to the out-of-the-way store.<br /><br /><strong>One of the main reasons I shop at Walgreens is that there is one right on my way to and from work.</strong> If there's something specific that I'm looking for, or if I have expiring Register Rewards, I can be in and out in 5 minutes.<br /><br />Which brings me to the point of this post - a new CVS is under construction right along my work route.<br /><br />I'm hoping to become a more frequent CVS shopper once this new location opens. It will be much easier to do as others do and "roll over the Extrabucks" when I can quickly stop in on my way to or from work. Plus, if I stop in early Monday morning, hopefully I will have a better chance of finding the new deal items from Sunday still in stock.<br /><br />Just a few months to go, and my Extra Rewards card is <em>burning a hole in my pocket!</em> I will report back on my deal-finding success stories shortly!<br /><br /><strong>Your Turn:</strong> How much does store location play a part in your deal-finding strategy? Do you ever consider the value of your time and gas costs in determining whether a deal is worth your while? Share your input.</span></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-73570126933437132862009-05-22T06:00:00.000-05:002009-05-22T14:07:26.775-05:00Making an Appointment to Save Money<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1fmQW-Wo39yHXIotjklDFjZyOYImmnmrMsOc2JEqTAHYg_K9ZG8mJRfqVTs3OXBiCCiCzS2TsL01Z0uI8LWdAB-A8YEhr3LK08DKEsQoHKy2v3Di_aSGRvjCZciudi2rTXeMaU3Wle4/s1600-h/bb+reminder.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295799804270023858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 208px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 208px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1fmQW-Wo39yHXIotjklDFjZyOYImmnmrMsOc2JEqTAHYg_K9ZG8mJRfqVTs3OXBiCCiCzS2TsL01Z0uI8LWdAB-A8YEhr3LK08DKEsQoHKy2v3Di_aSGRvjCZciudi2rTXeMaU3Wle4/s320/bb+reminder.bmp" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:78%;"><em>(Note: This post was originally published in January 2009.)</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">It’s always exciting to come across a great coupon to get an item free or inexpensive, particularly when it’s for something that you would certainly use. When you find this coupon, you normally would clip it out and then set it on the kitchen table (creating clutter for days until your next shopping trip) or stick it in your purse (a.k.a. the black hole – never to be found again), and inevitably, by the next shopping trip, the coupon is either left behind at home, or forgotten in the bottom of your purse, and likely will expire long before it ever surfaces again. Sound familiar?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Here are a few tips I’ve learned to make the most out of the best coupons I receive.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span><br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Whenever I have a coupon for a free item, <strong>I put it right in my car</strong>. I’ve got a little spot where I keep gas “cents off” coupons, free item coupons, Register Rewards, and CVS ExtraBucks. Since I’m in my car every day, it’s a visual reminder that I’ve got important coupons to use that I can’t let go to waste.</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-family:times new roman;">As an added insurance for high value coupons that I want to use, <strong>I add a reminder in my cell phone calendar</strong> a few days before the coupon expiration date. When the reminder pops up, it jogs my memory and helps ensure that the coupon doesn’t go to waste. Whether you have a cell phone calendar, a calendar on your computer, or even a wall calendar….making an appointment reminder to use your coupons can save you plenty of money.<br /></span></li></ul><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>What methods do you use to help remember and make the most out of your best coupons? </strong>Leave a comment with your advice.</span>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-14726399474884647192009-05-18T20:00:00.000-05:002009-05-18T20:00:00.424-05:00Is It Really A Deal?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDI-klSbOVgu4j6Mj0zpUD0kIwT-ndcZNUE-FVbZPcI2yBn99THQ79BjJph4X3gErg2HcmjePQRBolTDleRFEDsxv3kr794xgEH-LRNPHQSxYYklmTzie-4Ho0AnLlbWi6jn0DXQ_rADs/s1600-h/deal.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337273487678906402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDI-klSbOVgu4j6Mj0zpUD0kIwT-ndcZNUE-FVbZPcI2yBn99THQ79BjJph4X3gErg2HcmjePQRBolTDleRFEDsxv3kr794xgEH-LRNPHQSxYYklmTzie-4Ho0AnLlbWi6jn0DXQ_rADs/s400/deal.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>When is a good deal <em>really</em> a good deal? </strong>Is something a good deal just because you can get it for nearly free? What if it’s something you may not even use?<br /><br />I asked myself this question just this morning. I was at Target yesterday stocking up on groceries and other household items. Before heading to Target, I logged onto <a href="http://www.attentiontargetshoppers.blogspot.com/">Attention Target Shoppers</a> to get the lowdown on the best Target deals for the week. Then I logged onto <a href="http://www.afullcup.com/">A Full Cup</a> to print out some of the Target store coupons for items I was planning to buy. There were also a few manufacturers’ coupons that I clipped out of my recent Sunday inserts to take along. I had everything organized in an envelope, and I went about my shopping until I reached the paper products aisle. It was then that I realized I had forgotten to clip the $2 Chinet coupon from the 5/3 Smart Source insert. I had read online that the 7” Chinet plates were on sale this week for $2.49. With the $2 off coupon, they would be just $0.49. That’s a pretty good deal. BUT…<em>did I really need them</em>? We rarely even use paper plates in our household.<br /><br /><strong>Sometimes the thrill of finding a good deal overpowers the logic behind whether it truly is a deal at all.</strong> Would I have found a better use for the $0.49? Maybe. Maybe not. If I would invest the $0.49 for 13 years at 6%, I’d have double the original value <em>($1.07 to be exact)</em> to use towards Junior D’s college education. Sure, that’s still just pocket change. <strong>BUT</strong>…on a bigger scale, if you look at $0.49 here and $0.49 there, over time, this could make an impact. Saving $0.49 a day at 6% would compound to just under <em>$3,500 in 13 years</em>. That would buy a few textbooks. And, if I chose not to use it for college, and instead, let it continue to compound for another 13 years, without even making any further contributions, <em>I’d have just over $7,500</em>.<br /><br />The compounding may seem a bit extreme, but <strong>the point is that it pays to think about whether something really is a deal or not as well as the opportunity cost of the money spent on the deal.</strong> What may be a deal to some, may not necessarily be a deal to you. Although I was instantly disappointed when I realized I had forgotten the $2 coupon at home, after a day to reflect on it, maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. And who knows, maybe by leaving one extra package of paper plates on the shelf, I made the day of someone else who had the $2 coupon and had a good use for them.<br /><br /><strong>Your Turn:</strong> How do you define “a good deal?” Leave a comment to share your thoughts.</span></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-11189219351979730052009-05-15T12:30:00.000-05:002009-05-15T14:32:16.216-05:00Spin The Deal Friday Roundup<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UVXCBmAzLk8gpIaAYfT2oE4ILGuEHHNz4nOwbRUsZ8jbhHSVhV2SjBXW0dJcL8Rtm1SC_IyrkIniNJ0QkEgo2GIv7axUS_6B6xrYTVyhX8VGcz8-37PiVDHZK-s5GGOosIashBsYKFc/s1600-h/m&m.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336135462364523282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 323px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 353px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UVXCBmAzLk8gpIaAYfT2oE4ILGuEHHNz4nOwbRUsZ8jbhHSVhV2SjBXW0dJcL8Rtm1SC_IyrkIniNJ0QkEgo2GIv7axUS_6B6xrYTVyhX8VGcz8-37PiVDHZK-s5GGOosIashBsYKFc/s400/m&m.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>More Free Magazines<br /></strong><br />Are you sick of hearing about all the free magazines yet? Well, I have just one more to share with you. Yesterday, I received my first free issue of Cruise Travel magazine. It’s a dangerous one though…it has me dreaming about taking another cruise some day. <em>Anyone have any tips for saving money when booking a cruise?<br /></em><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336135321362739426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 176px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 223px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQej7c3ITJ4YcZ68xsxgarw1xkRR3gmPL9BLvLLmghS_q5HahzblhAk-vUVkGIFDcNX5DatKXS5CXlQaHGa_36CTMKc9J2cQFe3MP8JTjpGAi2E95jhrgxjgSa4Ji-gb6noj0nv_LOXNU/s320/cruise.gif" border="0" /><br /><strong>Friday Chocolate Giveaway<br /></strong><br />Mars is giving away free chocolate bars every Friday through September to the first 250,000 to log onto their site each week. Click <a href="http://www.realchocolate.com/">HERE</a>. Limit of 1 coupon per e-mail address each Friday and 4 coupons total per e-mail address through the offer period.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336135117257282386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 151px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqGdSy3sbZZHY77tcIeKZUGFle_YeOYtAkn7lVc7-WZ-BpexPZ8i-jBRutNK4efjtjd87ePTBVWzWVw1oOltlWJYCUlJd2Zey7p3sZ0Q0O9yL5Vt8CJCBTcfPKXuTdbnlHk3ql51f-ZY/s320/sweet.gif" border="0" /><br /><strong>Great Deal at Kohls.com<br /></strong><br />If you have a Kohl’s charge card, use code <strong>MAYTAKE30</strong> for 30% off and also use code <strong>MVC8231</strong> for free shipping. The first code is good through next Wednesday and the other code is good through Saturday.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336134873273779410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 211px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 55px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8AvPJQ6h9OrCkVDEeb_3bQxf3nALpaYe-J18HyPoD-zCa_0325idH2CLl0h_irTZJIjSxxqiHAiN7A05wJ1Y5hjkOPbeIxMQwK04jJfFzmzSZd_9H9zWaB88mzOanJk3mrWzZTM1uXlA/s320/kohls.gif" border="0" />I got several gifts purchased and <em>saved $205 off regular prices</em> using the 30% code on sale and clearance items. That’s another $205 toward the <a href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pMhydjm2QbSF2EeOuFkydQQ">Diva family 2009 savings goal of $5000</a>, and it’s just enough to bring us over the half-way point!</span></div></div></div></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-48013894405293716812009-05-13T19:00:00.000-05:002009-05-13T19:00:00.333-05:00Another Free Magazine: Ladies Home Journal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiII91dNecocvNdvZu5FA7NC9VZId59GdGEhHseNhNDYF0Ny1PqaLMfQz4DFnMfPwnH7oBRcQbSxwo92HVO2eGlhjHpuCm2fOFwhknxrl3buZezA0G3bX-f5PIqTyvC6JD0fx0fbvQVUQ/s1600-h/lhj.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335408599232586034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 144px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 197px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiII91dNecocvNdvZu5FA7NC9VZId59GdGEhHseNhNDYF0Ny1PqaLMfQz4DFnMfPwnH7oBRcQbSxwo92HVO2eGlhjHpuCm2fOFwhknxrl3buZezA0G3bX-f5PIqTyvC6JD0fx0fbvQVUQ/s400/lhj.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">As a <a href="http://www.shespeaks.com/">SheSpeaks</a> product tester, I've been selected to test several magazines and offer my opinion on them. The two I'm currently testing are Taste of Home and Ladies Home Journal. This week, I received my first issue of the free annual subscription I got through SheSpeaks.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">If you're interested in becoming a <a href="http://www.shespeaks.com/">SheSpeaks</a> product tester, sign up at </span><a href="http://www.shespeaks.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">www.shespeaks.com</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. Even if you are not selected to participate in specific product trials, as a SheSpeaks member, you are still eligible to sign up for products and magazines at a discount price. Currently, SheSpeaks has a subscription to Ladies Home Journal for just $5.99.</span></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-1735284641960288292009-05-11T19:00:00.000-05:002009-05-11T19:00:00.981-05:00Progress Update: 2009 Savings Tracker<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyhN2638nGMhWLZjbsLF0qiw9KVhy8JVdDSi6x3ycN8bBQOgyGMvfjNv_MECGUTTGiKVWT33CF_QOcZlFPGpVb0SlSEof1QGdBcxebXOnzOo9ew5XBfe-3PnbxTUC4F9ruPOeQQxDMAE/s1600-h/pig.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334662913627933378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 373px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 257px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyhN2638nGMhWLZjbsLF0qiw9KVhy8JVdDSi6x3ycN8bBQOgyGMvfjNv_MECGUTTGiKVWT33CF_QOcZlFPGpVb0SlSEof1QGdBcxebXOnzOo9ew5XBfe-3PnbxTUC4F9ruPOeQQxDMAE/s400/pig.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">It can be tricky to quantify exactly how much you save on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis. Whenever you see the total amount saved at the bottom of a receipt, it can feel like you are saving quite a bit. <em>But, do you really know how much this adds up over time?</em> </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">This year I decided to keep tabs on what our family saves. I created a savings tracker spreadsheet to record money saved from coupons, discounts, sale prices, clearance prices, and rebates. <strong>My goal for 2009 is to save at least $5000.</strong> As you can see from my progress so far this year, we are almost half way there. </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>What have I learned so far?</strong> By tracking our savings, it gives us a good basic idea of how much savvy shopping positively impacts our wallet. However, I feel that it only shows us a fraction of what we truly save. Here are a few examples of what I mean. </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Groceries:</strong> Although we shop at a regular grocery store about once a month or so, we do the majority of our grocery shopping at Aldis and Costco. With these stores, there is no "total amount saved" at the bottom of the receipt. We know that we are saving a great deal of money at these two stores, but unless you took the time to figure the savings per item over the regular grocery store prices, it would be difficult to quantify how much you actually save. I keep a pricebook to validate that we truly are saving money by shopping at Aldis and Costco, and I know which items are the better value among all stores, so I have a sense of how much we save. But, since there's no precise way to measure these savings, I exclude this from my savings tracker. </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Used Items:</strong> Whether it's kid's clothes, toys, or furniture, I'm always open to buying good quality used items over paying full price for new ones. Our family saves a great deal of money each year by picking up kid's items at garage sales or on Craigslist. Last year, we bought Junior D a bedroom set off Craigslist. It was still available new in local furniture stores for $900 plus tax. We found the same slightly used set from a family who was moving and paid only $150. Saving money by buying used items can really pay off, but the total amount saved is often hard to measure, so this is another category that I have excluded from my savings tracker. </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Meals Out:</strong> Daddy Diva and I both pack our lunches to take to work almost every day. At $5 a day, if we were to buy lunch every day, we would be spending an extra $200 a month. We also only eat dinner out about once a month. Cooking at home and packing lunches saves us a great deal of money and helps us maintain a healthy diet. Again, this would be a difficult one to quantify in terms of how much money this saves us. </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">If you'd like to check out the Diva family savings tracker, click on the <strong><a href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pMhydjm2QbSF2EeOuFkydQQ">Year To Date Savings link</a></strong> on the right pane of this blog. The link will route you to a spreadsheet listing monthly savings totals so far for this year as well as a detailed breakdown of what we have saved over the course of the current month. </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Your Turn:</strong> How do you keep tabs on how much you save? Do you set a goal for the year, and if so, what is it?</span></p></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-82305722595706306742009-05-09T15:00:00.001-05:002009-05-09T15:00:00.801-05:00Couponing: A Husband's Perspective<span style="font-family:times new roman;">I came across two hilarious blog post links recently on <strong><a href="http://www.refundcents.com/index.asp?RefID=DB51">Refund Cents</a></strong>. They both are written from the husband's perspective on being married to a coupon-a-holic. If you are a seasoned bargain hunter, you'll find these just as amusing as I did:</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><a href="http://www.frugalinvirginia.com/2008/08/i-married-couponaholic-5-ways-life-has.html"><strong>Frugal in Virginia</strong></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><a href="http://www.thebargainjargon.com/2009/05/note-for-others-from-my-husband.html"><strong>The Bargain Jargon</strong></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Hopefully you were able to take advantage of the two-day free trial at <strong><a href="http://www.refundcents.com/index.asp?RefID=DB51">Refund Cents</a></strong>. If you did, leave a comment and let me know what you thought of it!</span>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-88080237021024847322009-05-07T09:11:00.011-05:002009-05-07T21:53:53.065-05:00Local Readers: Artisan Bread For Pennies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcV7b3rK6cYK2sduJ7dQAS39GjiqkPO6aK3U84S75WRmZzKty35mnFpvWpi-GoAezPWmmRqszXy0EoQQ8q4k6FPA2f0VLyX-EnXzztbbyI3HAXpmc_0LU4ZDuQ9r9-ZNs65wQhVBgzjk/s1600-h/bread.gif.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333279963884026466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcV7b3rK6cYK2sduJ7dQAS39GjiqkPO6aK3U84S75WRmZzKty35mnFpvWpi-GoAezPWmmRqszXy0EoQQ8q4k6FPA2f0VLyX-EnXzztbbyI3HAXpmc_0LU4ZDuQ9r9-ZNs65wQhVBgzjk/s400/bread.gif.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKx_eXpWSXBzhjxHbELRQIZfyx-TQS4KWAu9o8z2M3aS2LRh3Cwrox4dlU1Y94vXmKvpq9gOAZngFKbBtnzUkNDE4NBDy-qFA-5W6wJUyhhrmsYGHkmtZBfeYm2ivw9r_JeJaBMrJf6E/s1600-h/bread.jpg"></a><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">If you live in the Twin Cities, here's a little known secret - C2B Bakery outlet store <em>(formerly Lofthouse Bakery)</em> in Fridley (<em>7350 Commerce Lane).</em> The outlet is a little store off the north side of the bread factory, and it's only open weekdays from 9 - 4. The factory produces breads and cookies for local grocery stores (which sell for $5 or so EACH), and the outlet store sells excess artisan breads, rolls, and cookies for $0.50 - $1.00 per package. <strong>You can purchase individual loaves or, for an even bigger discount, buy a full case.</strong> </span><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333276857428224450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 258px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oT7ypqQyjrlDsDHZEXTJhr9-4m_J-hRWURXNRIvweRIuB9kCOdSr4T6JmKasnAWfMaowh5fzf3aoumlJCSoTISgfX8FDTKUBqpzMEPp-YkGiXAD_QwAg3E-G5z2MGBXJk6IPNV9Df8M/s320/outletstore.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I first heard about this place a few years ago, and I try to get there whenever I have the opportunity. </span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Here are some of the items available on my recent visit:</strong> Organic French Baguettes (3 for $2.50), Garlic Ciabatta Loaves ($10 for a case of 10), Rosemary Garlic Rolls ($7 for a case of 84), Italian Flatbread ($1 a loaf), Earl of Sandwich sliced bread, Herbed Boule (big round loaf - great for a bread bowl!). </span><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333276630568976114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFO1LsBhsztEKXIZZhVC6Adsd2PTqi_yH0x3uhP72hVoWq6QCeurG38fBtlWb2_GyydvvcEUQrNVPNJ_fdTGrxPxmhcXYRkIPUpzcilTydzf7sR4EWNSss9gXA6UrYkfbOdBl_EzJOms/s320/IMG_4338.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The selection varies every day, and they usually have anywhere from 10 to 20 varieties available. </span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">During my recent visit, <strong>I spent a total of $10</strong> and got 2 french baguettes, a garlic ciabatta loaf, and a case of rosemary garlic rolls. </span><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333275979557397618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LYwnTK90V6ZFkYZJP3RvnQO3GFzmffm12jBoPwQVp47vyS9BeVV-Oz6dmDqvzUcLyhpJyXwzNSn-06oJtK-jtJwMcZBtZ1jfd3SYCC2jpdfHUjW8azsDTS5hFo6riR99z9ffiJxaji4/s320/IMG_4339.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">When I opened the case, the rolls where so fresh that there was condensation on the inner bag yet. The warm, aromatic vapor was heavenly! </span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">To preserve the rolls, I repackaged them in gallon-sized freezer bags. </span><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333275579006599570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 183px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJUGim3tLnNvTkvVclXEj71J707xWkWvFqjkslZwY6kXyUfxh_LWMmDaOiXXlLnTwZ4YDibd1RFMZBYIGo9GdoUCwuZO72Rovz_rT4gJNYyKQJee_m4ZXEqF5zRxO2iR4hAqpo18YkrM/s320/IMG_4341.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Then I loaded them into our freezer, stacking the bags on top of eachother.</span><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333274721767547714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgac7ywVW3_ngykNN1bDNIes8z5gXA_zZT1VUykUfWw_3TlLp9reXPU2WoCSUoRcAEGTG3NkPqNzl_1DnsGEY1neNtKhTfd1hX3y2X2Q9c92NFxfNLYgkiErTQc3wYG0Ton24pV2G5fo80/s320/IMG_4342.JPG" border="0" /></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">When I want to use them, I <em>simply thaw a few out at room temperature</em>, and then toss them in the oven or on the grill. </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>I also take them for lunch.</strong> It certainly beats plain old sandwich bread. In the morning, I toss a frozen roll in a baggie, and then I toss some lunchmeat and cheese in another baggie. At work, I let the roll thaw at room temperature, and it's ready to slice, fill, and eat by lunchtime. It's a deli-style sandwich with gourmet bread for a fraction of the deli cost <strong><em>(only $0.08 a roll)</em></strong>. </span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Your Turn:</strong> Tell us how you save money on bread and bakery items. Leave a comment or send me an e-mail.</span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-8172823379583449412009-05-06T19:00:00.000-05:002009-05-06T19:00:00.433-05:00Refund Cents: Free Preview Days<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjbF93P0ua5xmB6o9LI5tslt9dygQ0E826dlAj6uzRUMUQm2xlGAtaj1Vr-FAxBp21N0E5-PetQwZrwntbQZV5FkwbjwSKeqTwkOMms-AfkmBLvFy6yvz43nYwCdLjQBJZIKm-cm92iM/s1600-h/refund.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332828747499161874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 77px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjbF93P0ua5xmB6o9LI5tslt9dygQ0E826dlAj6uzRUMUQm2xlGAtaj1Vr-FAxBp21N0E5-PetQwZrwntbQZV5FkwbjwSKeqTwkOMms-AfkmBLvFy6yvz43nYwCdLjQBJZIKm-cm92iM/s320/refund.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">If you're a regular reader of my blog, you probably already know what a big fan I am of <a href="http://www.refundcents.com/index.asp?RefID=DB51">Refund Cents</a>. This site is packed with useful information - Walgreens/CVS/Wal-Mart/Target deal alerts, a searchable coupon database, a daily digest of the hottest freebies and deals, deal discussion boards, and on and on...</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">An online membership to <a href="http://www.refundcents.com/index.asp?RefID=DB51">Refund Cents</a> is only a few dollars a year, and it will pay for itself many, many, MANY times over - even after your first few visits. In fact, it's the only "deal-finding" membership that I'm willing to pay for.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Want to check it out for free? This Thursday (5/7) and Friday (5/8), <a href="http://www.refundcents.com/index.asp?RefID=DB51">Refund Cents</a> will be having a two-day open access day for people to try it out. Click <a href="http://www.refundcents.com/index.asp?RefID=DB51"><strong>HERE</strong></a> to get the site, and use the following to log in: </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Username: <span style="color:#009900;"><strong>clipping</strong></span></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Password: <span style="color:#009900;"><strong>coupons</strong></span></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Once, you're logged in, check out my two favorite sections: 1) Michele's Updates, and 2) Centsible Chat. Enjoy!</span></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-17263235221005419772009-05-03T20:58:00.001-05:002009-05-03T20:59:17.795-05:00Yet Another BzzCampaign & More Free Magazines<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EvJc7KJkgzUJ_GORr1ygleIuVut6buI90_e50IOgMMNzzwXalte73YCzvVAGsjiSve7kO-sWX31h-qqAReB9hVxfOJiKjvqQ07KXk02d_rZIv5fyCJ7Kaq976sAw2o03aqwNg1BD6JQ/s1600-h/IMG_4353.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EvJc7KJkgzUJ_GORr1ygleIuVut6buI90_e50IOgMMNzzwXalte73YCzvVAGsjiSve7kO-sWX31h-qqAReB9hVxfOJiKjvqQ07KXk02d_rZIv5fyCJ7Kaq976sAw2o03aqwNg1BD6JQ/s320/IMG_4353.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I received my latest BzzKit over the weekend for the John Freida Root Awakening BzzCampaign. Lots of coupons, samples, and a full sized shampoo and conditioner. This should be a fun one!<br /><br />I also received my first free issue of Business Week. Check out </span><a href="http://www.commonsensewithmoney.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">http://www.commonsensewithmoney.com/</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> for more free magazine subscriptions, as well as the lowdown on this week's CVS and Walgreens freebies. I'm planning to stock up on V8 Fusion juice as it's $3 at Walgreens and $2.99 at Target this week. With the $1 and $2 V8 Fusion coupons available, this will be an even better deal, and the Diva boys love it! </span><div style="CLEAR: both; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845307672404012392.post-82654378940766388412009-04-28T20:36:00.000-05:002009-04-28T20:37:20.906-05:00A New BzzCampaign<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwU4uD_HGrGrXlqJsbb2uS4yzulT7HsfVPHhwHoLsoXnImXcyCHC0npYGU7VziyDUNFMK1BPiDp6_uhCN9P5k_AfN6okYBYizRCmjRQ7qhe9bNugPHPunSwelXRpVwz0xrYBxvCcEk51A/s1600-h/=%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1HMDAyMjYuanBn%3F=-779041"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329895839910275842" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwU4uD_HGrGrXlqJsbb2uS4yzulT7HsfVPHhwHoLsoXnImXcyCHC0npYGU7VziyDUNFMK1BPiDp6_uhCN9P5k_AfN6okYBYizRCmjRQ7qhe9bNugPHPunSwelXRpVwz0xrYBxvCcEk51A/s320/=%3Futf-8%3FB%3FSU1HMDAyMjYuanBn%3F=-779041" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I just received my latest BzzKit in the mail today. I've been invited to participate in the T.G.I. Friday's Late Night Menu product trial through <a href="http://www.bzzagent.com/">BzzAgent</a>. What a fun surprise to receive a big box filled with goodies - including a giant T.G.I. Friday's margarita glass, an actual T.G.I. Friday's restaurant late night menu, a BzzCampaign button, a $15 gift card, and several cards to pass along to friends for free appetizers and free desserts.</span></p><p class="mobile-photo"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">In the past week, I've also been invited to begin participating in new product taste tests through Delve - a Twin Cities market research company. Delve, the company I mentioned in my <a href="http://spinthedeal.blogspot.com/2009/04/local-readers-paid-diaper-study.html">previous post about diaper studies</a>, does monthly taste tests which require an hour of your time to try products and provide feedback, and in return, you receive $65 in compensation. If you enjoy trying new things, and you live in the Twin Cities area, you may want to check them out.</span></p><p class="mobile-photo"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Your Turn: Has anyone joined BzzAgent or any other product research companies after reading my <a href="http://spinthedeal.blogspot.com/2009/03/lowdown-on-product-testing-part-1.html">Lowdown on Product Testing </a>series? If so, leave a comment and share your experience!</strong></span></p>The Deal Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489686450948138192noreply@blogger.com0