Ugh...

I think I have the flu.

'nuff said.

Need Something To Do with Doggy Too?

First off, let me say that I have never shopped at PetSmart. Plain and simple, I'm WAY too cheap to overspend on nutritious pet food to which my animals turn up their noses. I know I probably shouldn't be buying the $10 jumbo bag of doggie "fast food" - but, the dog is 12 and the cat is 14, both in very good health (except for being a tad overweight but so are we, soooo...)

Though, recently, my Aunt so graciously gave me a stack (like a few inches thick) of recent Sunday paper coupon flyers. Included in said stack, were four coupon flyers for PetSmart (from end of January); each flyer having four coupons for free Pro Plan food. Weheellll...that's ALL the reason to pack up the whole fam damily, doggie too, and take a trip to PetSmart! And yes, you can bring your "well behaved, leashed" pet into the store with you.

I almost couldn't wait to snag these free goodies! I'm talking $60 worth of free dog food! Doesn't that just want to make you hike your leg and pee on an endcap? Just kiddin'. Though, I did pee a little I think. *wink*

I didn't realize what a bustle of activity this store is. It's almost like taking your children to the zoo - but for free. When we first walked in, a doggie training class was taking place right there in the middle of the store. We soon found that other people go there every week just to "socialize" their dogs. I have to say, we were a kind of in awe of what was going on around us. Aside from the canine tweet up, the store itself had a vast array of fish, birds, lizards, snakes and hamsters to gaze at. They also had a kitty adoption area (from the Humane Society) and an open windowed grooming area, where you can watch all of the animals get a haircut.

What about cleanliness? We both noticed that for so many animals running around, the store was very well kept and there are staff members EVERYWHERE, waiting to help or answer your questions.

So basically, are your children bouncing off the walls during these cold, winter months? Even if you don't have a dog, take a trip to PetSmart - it's free, family fun! And, take those coupons with you. If you don't need to the food, drop it off at your local Humane Society on your way home. It's an easy way to help for free!

Frugal Friday: Restaurant Freebies

**Speaking of Free Food - TODAY Feb. 5th only, Starbucks is giving away KIND bars to their customers. Be sure to grab one if you are there! Also, Feb. 9th from 6am to 2pm - Denny's is giving away a Free Grand Slam breakfast (don't forget a free Grand Slam on your birthday.) AND, I recently saw a McDonald's commercial advertising free Frappe's on Wednesdays - but I don't know the details yet. **

School, work, sports, clubs, meetings, appointments...um...dinner? What's dinner?

Pack up the family, head to your favorite dining spot and hand them $35 for a $10 meal. Sounds way too familiar, right? We all do it.

Time seems to be a rare commodity for many families. Gone are the days of full, homecooked meals - replaced by meals "on-the-go." It's rather sad in my opinion, but it's the truth. Even as hard as we try to sit together and enjoy our food each night, there are times when we have to resort to the local dive. Have you ever sat and really (and I mean REALLY) looked at how much you spend on dining out? Not just dinner, but the morning coffee drive bys, the bakery donuts, the gas station soft drink - I would bet to say it's more than you think. Start keeping your receipts and add it up. How much did YOU spend this month? What ELSE could you have done with that money? Was it money well spent? (Probably not)

I'm not here to tell you there is a solution...because there is not one. Does it seem feasible to pull our children out of sports or quit all of our clubs and committees? No, not really. Though, we do have options to help alleviate some of the needless stress and spending.

• Meal Planning - grab your local groc shop sale flyer, plan your meals for the week around what is on sale, buy the items you need and post your plan on the fridge. Believe it or not, it's sooo less stressful if you know ahead of time what you are making each day. It allows you to pull meat out of the freezer for defrosting or even make items ahead of time. When you already know what you are having, you are less likely to eat out. Try it - it works.
• Once a Month Cooking (OAMC) - if you are not familiar with this, I'll let you google it (but you will probably be overwhelmed.) So, you aren't into the OAMC. But, what you can do is double your dinner recipes and freeze one for another time. For instance, you are having Lasagna tonight. Be sure to have enough ingredients to make TWO. Bake one and freeze the other. If you do that five times per month, you've just created a week's worth of dinners are that "pre-made." Not everything freezes well - be sure to research it a bit before wasting any food.
  

Let's face it - many of us ENJOY dining out, it's what we do. But, start making a conscious effort to be more money savvy about it. Not often do we go out for $100 dining experience; it's usually a sandwich shop, drive thru or local greek restaurant. Even with those, we try to use coupons. Before heading out, check your local paper for specials. For instance, at the Greek joint, I know that children under 12 eat free on Tuesdays AND they offer $5 off a second meal with newspaper coupons. It may sound petty, but it all adds up.

Restaurants all across the county OFTEN have birthday specials, free item giveaways or food coupons. Here is a good list of free birthday meals. Of course, always ask before assuming each place is participating. A few that I have received recently:

• Long John Silvers: Coupon for a free piece extra crispy breaded fish - while my son and I were out running errands and grocery shopping, I decided to use this coupon. We went through the drive thru - ordered the fish, 6 hush puppies and they threw in a coleslaw as well - all for $1.07. Since I had just gotten groceries, we grabbed a Capri Sun from the bag and were on our way. (THAT'S a cheap dinner)
• Noodles & Co.: Noodlegram coupon for Buy one meal get one free, free dish on your birthday and surprise on your Noodlegram anniversary. I used mine a week or so ago. I was out late shopping and needed to bring home dinner for my husband and son. Stopped in and got large beef pan noodles and large mac & cheese w/crusted chicken for around $7.00 total (husband ate all of his but son had enough left for lunch the next day!)
  
• Burger King: BK Kid's Club (13 & Under) - they will send you a free kid's meal coupon on your birthday. Also, a few week's ago, they emailed coupons for free kid's meals (not anywhere near my son's birthday.)
• Bob Evans: Same as Burger King - these coupons don't expire (to my knowledge.)
  
• Coldstone Creamery: Free creation on your birthday, not just for kids.
• TGI Fridays: Sign up for the Stripes club and print a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert AND a "jump to the front of the line" pass
  

The fact of the matter is, I could go on and on and on...but I will spare you the time. Start doing a little internet searching on your favorite places to eat. You will probably find SOMEthing that will help stretch your dining budget.

Do you have a blog post about restaurant freebies? Leave a comment and share with us!

More Frugal Fridays at Life as Mom

[Almost] Wordless Wednesday

Name: Sukyaki (we call him Suki)
Age: Will be 14 in April
Breed: Mix, but thinks he's a Blue Russian
About: Dog Bully, Kills Bats & Birds, Talks Back, Owns the Bed (ours, dog's, anything left on the floor that would possibly make a good bed), Self Taught Sliding Glass Door Opener, Catnip Lover, Chaser of Laser Pointer Lights, Long Time Confidant
Frugality: Isn't frugal by nature, but will save a few kibbles of food for a mid-morning snack. Also loves when Cheapo gets deals like: 2 Friskies Party Mix Treats: $3.18 ($1.59 each)
BOGOF Sunday Q: -$1.59
$1.00 Printable Q: - $1.00
Total: $.59 for TWO

Or... Get a Free $7.00 Cat's Pride Litter coupon when you join Catster.

And...Suki would like to mention that even if you don't have a cat, you can still get great deals on animal products and donate them to your local Humane Society.

More Wordless Wednesday here and here.

Tackle It Tuesday: Coupon Organizing GIVEAWAY

I knew EXACTLY what I needed to tackle today... ...my coupons.

Whoa is me!
I have let them multiply on my dining room table without any attention at all. I suppose, my problem is that I have about outgrown my little green file box. And, even with as long as I have been couponing, I STILL have not been able to find an organizational system that meets my personal needs.

So, I started browsing Etsy. SOMEone out there HAS to have SOMEthing that would work for me, right? Then, I happened upon Glow Girl Fibers. By George, I think I may have found something! Cute fabrics, convenient, functional - I MUST try it!



So I did...and...I LOVE it! When shopping, I'm always frustrated with the fact that I am constantly fumbling with coupons - which ones am I using, which ones need to be taken out, did I bring a certain one, blah, blah, blah. With this organizer, the coupons are right at hand, secured directly to the grocery cart! So, there is no worry of dropping or spilling your precious clipped Q's.

About the organizer:

• 20 blank separators (15% recycled paper) with 80 blank peel & stick labels (100% recycled paper)
• Items made in non-smoking, pet-friendly home
• 8" x 5" with 2" flat bottom for LOTS of coupons (she also makes a MEGA style for the super duper coupon clipper)
• Fully lined and stabilized
• Folds up & fastens for easy travel

You know you want one.

Here's your chance!

Deb, at Glow Girl Fibers, is generously offering one organizer ($12.00 value) to a lucky winner! Contest will end on Sunday, February 14th at 9:00 pm CST. A winner will then be picked using Random.org.

You can enter up to FIVE different ways:

First - visit Glow Girl Fibers' Etsy shop and let me know which organizer you would pick.

Then - four other ways to enter:

• Follow this blog (on the left)
• Follow @ItsToni and Tweet the following on Twitter: I am trying to win a cool Glow Girl Fibers coupon organizer from @ItsToni #giveaway http://bit.ly/dBHSkD
  
• Become a Glow Girl Fibers Facebook Fan
• Sign Up for the Glow Girl Fibers Quarterly Newsletter

Be SURE to leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry, otherwise it will not count.

Good luck and happy couponing!

Thrifty Thursday: Homemade Birthday Cake

No eye rollin'.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not difficult to make a birthday cake - nor does it take THAT much time (I prefer cheesecake.)

Over the course of one year, how many cakes do you think you order from your local bakery? Think about it for a second - birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, showers. You name it, at any one event there is most likely a cake to be present. Unless you have a REALLY good bakery around, they aren't that tasty anyway (I'm extremely picky when it comes to cake and frosting textures - which is why I prefer cheesecake.)

How much does each one of those cakes cost? Depending on the size, I would say $15 to $25 (and I know many of you pay more than that!) Just in cake alone, does the average family spend $100 to $150 per year? Doesn't sound quite so good anymore, does it? I can think of many other items I would rather spend that amount of money on (like an airline ticket or a night away somewhere - or given to a local charity!)...or a boatload of cheesecake.


If the thought of baking and decorating a cake from scratch freaks you out then follow these easy steps:

• Pick a theme. Don't go out and buy those fancy little cake topper toys; find them in your kid's room! Army men, Polly Pockets, Monster Trucks - whatever "hard" toys you can find. Wash them up and you are ready to start.
• Grab yourself a box mix and bake. I prefer to make my cakes all the way from scratch, but when using a box mix, the key is NOT to OVER MIX. It will be hard and rubbery if you do. Many people just mix the batter until it looks "right". No - don't do that. Just follow the directions. If it says mix for 45.78 seconds, then mix for 45.78 seconds.

(Printable coupons for cake mix and frosting can often be found here.)

• I don't prefer pre-made frosting either - but it does work. Plain and simple - frosting a cake takes practice. If you feel you aren't "very good" at it, then don't do it. Many layered cakes aren't even frosted down the sides. Also, you can use Cool Whip instead of frosting (on more of a non-themed cake.) One of the prettiest cakes I've ever made was a round layered cake, sloppily frosted with Cool Whip (looked like a cloud) with 3 pacifiers placed in the center on the top (for a baby shower.) It barely cost me anything, especially compared to the $25 bakery cake I could have bought.

Here's one I made for my son's birthday, which was an Indiana Jones theme. I used a round cake pan, a loaf pan, a few toys and a little creativity.

Not too bad, right? The kids thought it was the coolest thing ever. That's all that really mattered anyway. Not to mention, it was banana on the inside...mmm...

(Never mind the almost empty bottle of Jack in the background...it's not there...you don't see anything...even though it goes very well with Pecan Rum Cheesecake)

Homemade memories are much better than store bought ones any day!

Post is participating in Thrifty Thursday and Birthday Cake Round-Up

[Almost] Wordless Wednesday

We all need to help.

More Wordless Wednesday here and here.