FREE Pizza: Worth the Wait?

You know you're in for a worthwhile treat when you see the news and two other coupon bloggers at an event. Thanks to Coupon Katie, I knew that The Pizza Kitchen in Farragut was celebrating 12 years of business by giving away FREE 8 inch cheese pizzas to every customer TODAY. Additional toppings are only $.50 each. They're open til 10pm; so you still have time!

I arrived as close to their open time as I could, but there was still a line out the door. When I asked Frugalissa if the wait was worth it, she replied, "Oh yeah!" After a few minutes inching my way to the front, I noticed Gabrielle from Couponing in Critical Times finishing her pizza. She said that you don't have to stand in line. If you just take a seat, a waiter will bring it to you. I then noticed a few people trapsing right in and walking out with to-go orders. Having already pushed my luck with trips to Staples, the Dollar Tree, Target, and the chiropractor with two kids in tow, I figured I needed to expedite this process.

So I stepped over to ask if they had any take n' bake pizzas ready to distribute. She said yes, and within minutes, I was out the door. For all you planning your strategy for getting free pizza quickly today, I'd recommend anything other than standing in line. For take-out, you can order online or use their DineBlast for mobile (I've never done either but it's worth a try). If you want to dine in, take a seat immediately. And don't forget to thank your waiters properly with a generous tip. After all, you just got a meal for free, and they'll be dog tired by the end of the day.

I haven't yet tasted the pizza because it's for the kids' dinner, but I'm looking forward to it. Their website details how they provide "world class food with hometown flavor." I liked how they slow cook their marinara sauce and use "a dough with a blend of whole grain wheat mixed with high gluten flour for a healthy texture and taste." It's local, it's healthy, and it's free. Get going!

Couponing for Charity 8/15 - 21 & Update #19

Hi there, deal seeking mommas. Here are the best deals I see this week, but honestly there's not a lot to get excited about. Maybe this is a good week to take off.

At Kroger you can still get free Chex Mix, free Gardetto's snack mix (if any is left), and inexpensive granola bars with a Cataline deal. Check out Southern Saver's match-ups here.

If you're going to pick one store for the best financial deals, I'd suggest CVS. Click here for Southern Saver's match-ups and here for Coupon Katie's picks. There are two moneymakers: Zegerid OTC and Blink Tears. You can also get free pens and decent deals on cereal. I might make it to CVS later in the week.

Instead I stopped in today at Walgreen's because I had some RRs about to expire. Click here for Southern Saver's match-ups and here for Coupon Katie's picks. There were no enticing RR deals in my opinion, but I did stock up on one item I need: dry erase markers (4 pack for $1.99, normally $4.99). Last year Bobby must have gone through 20 markers and each time, I paid top dollar and had to make a special trip to get them every time the teacher sent home a note. I don't know if his markers kept finding their way into someone else's pencil box or he couldn't keep the caps on. Regardless, I'm prepared this year! And though 20 extra pens is a little much, I just saw on his teacher's wish list: Expo dry erase markers. I love when a teacher's needs and a good deal coincide! Here's what I bought:

5 packs dry erase markers ($1.99 each)

2 packs of Pilot Frixion Erasable Gel Pens-2 per pack (on sale for $1.99 each but coupons make them free)

2 bags of M&Ms (on sale for $.49 each)

1 8x10 print (FREE if you order online TODAY only when you use "FREE 8X10 DEAL" code)

--Used $10RR ($8, $1, & $1) earned two weeks ago

--Used 2 $1/1 printables for Pilot pens

--Used 1 $1/1 Pilot Frixion coupon in Walgreen's August coupon book (takes off $2)

--Used 1 $.75/2 M&Ms product from paper

Total before tax: $.16

Total with tax: $1.54

Total Savings: $37.54

Yeah, that was fun. It gets even better with a rebate on the back of the Pilot Frixion pens (buy 2 and receive $2.75). What deals are you seeking this week? I won't be donating anything to charity unless I make it to CVS this weeks, so here are my totals:

TOTAL PRODUCTS TO DONATE TO DATE: 10 pens, 3 multi-purpose eye solutions, 1 shampoo, 6 feminine care, 1 pack of napkins, 1 pack of paper, 4 toothpastes, 2 toothbrushes, 1 deodorant, 2 first aid kits, 2 boxes of crayons, 1 fiber supplement, 1 razor

TOTAL VALUE OF PRODUCTS: $103.39

TOTAL SPENT: --$18.52

Reunion Reminiscing

I don't like to date myself, but here goes. Last weekend I went to my 20th high school reunion. Twenty years...really?! I don't feel 20 years older than that excited teenager I was, eager for a whole new life. Heading off to college, I wasn't running away but rather to a new set of adventures. But the path my life took meant I lost touch with nearly everyone in my graduating class. Other than Facebook, this was my first chance to catch up on two decades of events.

As we walked in, I was greeted with warm hugs and smiles. My husband remarked that no one was wearing name tags. We didn't have to. In a graduating class of 36 where half of us were together since kindergarten, it's tough to forget faces and names.

No one can deny the first reaction at reunions is to judge the physical changes: who's thinner, who's heavier, who's grayer, who's balder, who hasn't changed a bit. I was surprised to find that most fell into the last category. If anything, I'd venture to say that most of us are more attractive than we were in high school. Maybe it's that we look more natural than our over-the-top 80's hair and clothes. Maybe it's that with age comes confidence. Maybe it's just wishful thinking.

The second level of reunions is the basic catch-up: where you live, what you do, who you married / divorced / married, how many kids you have. One friend congratulated me on my wedding--thanks, 12 years ago. Oops. Another asked if I'd become a brain surgeon. Is that what people expect of the valedictorian? "Heavens no," I replied. "I'm a video producer, freelance writer, and stay-at-home mother of three young kids--not necessarily in that order." Her face softened. She smiled even more when I applauded her for her dedication as a first grade teacher. Yet another friend commented, "I never pegged you for a SAHM." Had I disappointed my classmates in some way or were they glad to see even the smartest kid in the class (on paper anyway) knew the value in focusing her time and attention on her children?

With a few of my old acquaintances, I moved onto the third level of conversation: the realities of the life we've chosen. I missed our tenth reunion, but I gather that perhaps that was a time to compare successes--not necessarily realities. What degrees had you earned? How was your career going? Had you found Mr./Mrs. Right yet? There was also a natural division of those with kids and those without. By our 20th, our kids now range in age from 12 years old to 10 weeks in the womb. One even talked about adopting. It's not surprising that most of our conversations drifted to the next generation in some way.

"I couldn't even help my kid with her homework; I had to look it up online." "There are days I drive around the block a few extra times before descending into the chaos of home." "My life in LA is the same as everybody else's: packing lunches, car line, and grocery store runs--with the exception of few shin-digs like Jennifer Anniston's birthday party." Marrying a celebrity hadn't given her a big head; kids naturally kept her grounded. The truth is that not only do children change you--they humble you. You see the good, the bad, and the ugly of yourself in them, like a mirror the older they get.

It was refreshing to hear honest conversations; trying to impress each other wasn't a priority. And given more time (and music that wasn't blaring), we may have talked more about high school memories. Funny how that never came up. As one friend put it, "We're just more mellow." I say that's a good thing. Here's to the class of 1990! See you again in five years!

Couponing for Charity Update #18

I have been posting deals but not updating my totals due to trips and lots of projects going on. Before I lose my receipts, I figured I should post my totals for the past two weeks. Note: none of these deals are currently available. Click here for this week's deals.

At CVS, I picked up one U by Kotex feminine care ($4.99, get $4.99ECB, used $1/1 coupon=$1 money maker).

At Target, I picked up four Johnson & Johnson travel first aid kids for $.97 each. I had 2 $3/2 coupons. Though normally, they just mark the coupons down to the price of the item, my clerk gave me the full $6 discount. Since I'm keeping two for the cars and donating two, here are those totals: $1.94 value, saved $3 with coupon=$1.06 money maker). I picked up lots of extra school supplies for cheap just in case that I may donate at a later time.

At Kroger, I had received three catalina coupons for free Poise and Allways pads, all of which I'll be donating. Here are those totals: $2.99, $3.39, $3.39=all free.

At Walgreen's, I didn't get all the deals I was after because the August coupon books had not yet arrived. However, I did well to wait to use the 15% off everything code available for a few days. I made money on 2 boxes of Crayola crayons 24 count. ($1 value, get $1RR; $.85 with my 15% discount code=$.15 money maker each). I also made money on the Complete multi-purpose solution ($7.99 value, get $8RR, $6.79 with 15% discount code, used $1/1 peelie coupon on product=$2.20 money maker). I also got the free Crayola markers, vitamins, and some pull-ups on clearance for nearly free but I'll be keeping those.

Update 8/14: Rather than do another post, I figured, I'd just tag onto the end of this one with a few more deals that you can still get through the end of today. At CVS, I did pick up one Dulcolax (regularly $12.99, on sale for $9.99, get $9.99ECB, used a $5 coupon from All You magazine=$5MM).

I also bought one Hydro razor (regularly $9.99, on sale for $8.97, get $4ECB, used $5 coupon from Sunday's paper, will submit for rebate, making this an $8.97MM.) To make the deal even better, there was a peelie coupon on the razors for a free bottle of Hydro shave cream when you buy a razor (value: $3.99); I'll be keeping that. Note: Since I kept the identical free razor I got a few months ago, and the rebate requires me to open the package and send in the UPC code, I'll donate the un-opened one and keep this one.

I also got a good deal on Huggies since I went over $30 ($9 each, spend more than $10, get $3ECB). I used $5 when you spend $30 coupon from CVS emails and a $4/2 printable which I can't find now. You can get a $3.50/2 here. If you haven't yet signed up for CVS emails, you can get a $4 off $20. All told, I got 2 packs of diapers for $3 each, both of which I'm keeping.

TOTAL PRODUCTS TO DONATE THE PAST TWO WEEKS: 4 feminine care, 2 first aid kits, 2 boxes of crayons, 1 eye solution, 1 fiber supplement, 1 razor

TOTAL VALUE OF PRODUCTS: $49.67

TOTAL SPENT: --$18.53

TOTAL PRODUCTS TO DONATE TO DATE: 10 pens, 3 multi-purpose eye solutions, 1 shampoo, 6 feminine care, 1 pack of napkins, 1 pack of paper, 4 toothpastes, 2 toothbrushes, 1 deodorant, 2 first aid kits, 2 boxes of crayons, 1 fiber supplement, 1 razor

TOTAL VALUE OF PRODUCTS: $103.39

TOTAL SPENT: --$18.52

Not only have I accounted for my tax, but I have a buffer now. Cool.

Budget Totals for June & July

Here's a post I've been putting off because I hate thinking about money. There, I said it. I would prefer feeling good about all the money I "saved" rather than think about all that I spent. Too bad we live in the real world where the bottom line is the more important number. So if you need a little prodding to get your budget in order, hopefully I can provide some inspiration or at least lessons learned.

My monthly budget of $800 includes all groceries, clothing, dining out, and big box stores. I aim for $500 of that to be in groceries and $300 for everything else. Since I had a surplus in May, I had a little cushion for June: $867.72. I thought for sure, I'd come under budget, but... sigh...I didn't.

Here are the June totals:

Grocery: $661.31 (saved $337.81)

Clothing: $234.71 (saved $128.33; includes a $50 gift card not yet spent)

Pharmacies: $101.12 (saved $293.59--74%)

Total Spent: $997.14

Total Saved: $759.73 (43%)

Amount Over Budget: $129.42

So did I do any better in July to redeem myself? Well, yes and no. My Sam's Club membership was expiring in July and I allowed myself one more trip to stock up on some of our favorites. Without that trip, I'd have been in the clear. Could've, would've, should've.

So here are the July totals:

Grocery: $688.47 (includes $384.50 at Sam's; saved $194.76)

Clothing: $119.39 (saved $78.66)

Big Box stores: $74.34 (saved $58.01)

Pharmacies: $67.19 (saved $193.92--74%)

Total Spent: $949.39

Total Saved: $525.35 (36%--lower since Sam's Club savings are not factored in)

Total Over Budget: $149.39

Combining June and July, I went over budget about $280. So what happened? Basically, I got busy or lazy or both and didn't keep a close watch on my spending. "I need it" or "It's such a good deal" were my mantras. It's going to be tough making up that deficit in August / September, but I've got to get back in the black.

I'll be more mindful about my totals each week so that there aren't any surprises by the end of the month. If I spend $35 less a week, I'll be out of debt by 9/30. That's not so hard. I have to decide which purchases I can postpone or forgo, and I'll be actively chipping away at my reserves in the pantry and freezer. I'll probably spread out my Kroger runs to do 3 instead of 4 in a month. One way or another, I'll get back on track because this isn't Monopoly money!

What tips do you have for reducing your debt?

Couponing for Charity 8/8-14

I realize it's Tuesday night and if you're looking for deals, you've probably already found them. Just in case, here are a few of the freebies out there this week. No one store looks like a slam dunk; so you decide. If you're new to Couponing for Charity, go here.

CVS: For Southern Saver's match-ups, go here. For Coupon Katie's picks, go here. I'll probably stop in quickly for the two money makers: Dulcolax and Schick hydro razor. With a rebate and the right coupons, those two products alone can make you $14.

Walgreen's: For Southern Saver's match-ups, go here. For Coupon Katie's picks, go here. As long as I have the right coupons, I'll pick up the eye solution, body wash, and Pilot pens--all FREE.

Kroger: For Southern Saver's match-ups, go here and here. For Coupon Katie's picks, go here. I'll definitely pick up Gardetto's snack mix, Chex Mix, and granola bars for FREE. Don't forget to load your e-savers at Cellfire and Shortcuts. I didn't make it in for the three day sale last week because I was out of town; so I'm itching for some deals.

Target: For Southern Saver's match-ups, go here. For Coupon Katie's picks, go here. Though I will likely not make it to Target this week, there are a few freebies to consider: post-it notes, pens, and cheap scotch tape.

I'm behind on the updates of products I have purchased. Coming soon.

Couponing for Charity 8/1-7

Now that I get the paper delivered, I don't always make it out shopping on Sundays. Since the irony of this couponing mission is that I don't usually enjoy shopping, it suits me fine to keep Sunday for family time. I have perused the ads and online blogs and have a few suggestions for those seeking deals.

If you're going to pick one place, I'd choose Walgreen's this week. Here are Southern Saver's match-ups and here are Coupon Katie's picks. You can get FREE vitamins, eye solution, eye drops, aspirin, crayons, and markers. They also have good deals on lots of school supplies (excellent filler items), Listerine, Kellogg's cereals and nutri-grain bars, and Pampers. I'm going to try to find an extra P&G insert from today's paper to get 2 packs of diapers and 2 wipes for just $7 total after RR. Note: You need to buy the 72 count of wipes to use the coupon for free wipes.

Kroger has some decent deals Thursday through Saturday only. It may be time to stock up on Cheerios, Life, and Fiber One bars (all 50% off). Don't forget to check your e-savers and manufacturer's coupons for these items.

For the first time in quite some time, nothing at CVS struck my fancy. I'll be skipping that stop this week, but check for yourself. Here are Southern Saver's match-ups; here are Coupon Katie's picks.

Last week, I did pick up a few items for charity: 1 feminine care and 2 travel first aid kits. I'll update all my totals once I do my shopping this week.

What deals are you going after this week?