Thrifty and Proud of It

Second Guessing on Purchase Prices

2012-01-15T07:11:00.000-08:00

I hate to buy stuff, big stuff, expensive stuff, mostly because I also-second guess myself on whether I got the best price/deal.

I learned about savvy.com today (Knoxville News Sentinel business section--the old-fashioned paper version) and added the app to my phone.

"The best way to save money after you buy. Simply snap a photo of your receipt and let Savvy track the price you paid, if prices drop we'll alert you."

We have to buy a new router. This will be a good way to check Savvy out.

Have you tried Savvy?

Free Ways To Get as Beautiful as You Feel

2012-01-07T04:24:00.001-08:00

New Year's Resolution: EVERY Morning hum to self the refrain of Beautiful by Carole King:

You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
And show the world all the love in your heart
Then people gonna treat you better
You're gonna find, yes, you will
That you're beautiful as you feel.

Knoxville, there are some free events to help your outside match your beautiful inside:

The Healthy Living Expo

Friday, January 20, 2012 9am-3pm
Saturday, January 21, 2012 9am-5pm
Knoxville Convention Center
Admission is $8
Seniors FREE on Friday
Children 12 and under FREE

If you are not a senior or a kid, you can sign up for their newsletter to get in free.

http://www.thehealthylivingexpo.com/knoxville/index.php

St. Mary's/Mercy had a good thing going with their lunches-and-learn. As I recall, though, there was a small fee. It is not surprising that Tennova is offering theirs for free. The next couple coming up are of interest to a "mature" gal like me:

Wrinkle prevention on January 20 at their Turkey Creek location:

http://www.tennovahealthcare.com/event-details?event=334971&category=329361/Event/Wrinkle-Prevention-and-Correction

"Healthy in the City (downtown)" for Woman on January 23

http://www.tennovahealthcare.com/event-details?event=334967&category=329361/Event/Healthy-In-The-City

An "Eating the Elephant" Activity

2012-01-05T01:49:00.000-08:00

You have heard the old saying, "How do you eat an elephant?" with the response being "One bite at a time." This anticipated shopping drop-by, which I'll incorporate in a periodic trip to the west of our city, is not a super-crazed couponing extreme experience but simply a bite of the elephant.

One thing I'll be doing this weekend is going Earth Fare in Bearden. They have a free first pound of apples with a $5 purchase. They e-mail you a notice after you sign up. http://www.earthfare.com/ But I wouldn't be doing it if I hadn't gotten a $5 off $20 coupon from Ace Hardware next door.

Ace also has a rewards program. For 2,500 points, we will get another $5 reward. I think it is going to be a while, because the coupon attachment noted our point total at 104. Check out http://www.acehardware.com/home/index.jsp

A Look at the "Protestant Ethic"

2011-12-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, the term "Protestant Ethic" was often heard. At that time I interpreted it as "as a Protestant (a certain kind of Christian), one had the obligation to work hard and have straightforward goals; and in the long run a person would reap rewards." I grew up in a Catholic environment in the 1960's through which there was an increasing focus on addressing social inequities. It was very easy for me to meld my interpretation of the Protestant Ethic with the call of the Catholic Church for works of mercy (Whatsoever you do to the least of My brothers, you do it to Me.).

I looked to the life of my own Methodist grandfather as a model of living the Protestant Ethic: He was born basically in a cabin in north Knox County, Tennessee, in 1863. In his memoirs he noted that "living conditions in East Tennessee were about as poor as can possibly be imagined." Yet along his professional career he served as Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant to the U.S. Attorney General. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor and U.S. Senator,* but he did serve as Mayor of the City of Knoxville.

I wondered where the Protestant Ethic is as we are battered in this increasingly baffling economic situation. So I Googled it. oops. If I REALLY wanted to do a proper story on the Protestant Ethic, this Blog would turn into a thesis. Sorry, but I didn't know that the complexity of properly addressing the subject would have to include the work of German sociologist and economist Max Weber, etc., etc. I thought a brief reference to Martin Luther might be enough. WRONG!

Maybe my interpretation of the Protestant Ethic is simplistic, but I still believe that hard work pays off.

*My grandfather was an East Tennessee Republican, which at the time meant he had an uphill battle in any statewide election.

Do NOT Come Downtown Tonight

2011-12-02T02:54:00.000-08:00

I am advising everyone not to come downtown tonight. It is the evening of the Christmas Parade. You will ignore my advice (and should!) if you 1) have ones in your care who love, love, love parades, 2) you love, love, parades or 3) have a loved one participating in the parade. Otherwise, I would advise that you not give yourself the opportunity to mix with 2/3 of the MSA of Knoxville that will compact themselves into our CBID.

Go to Bearden for their First Friday. (Except for this one day of the year, I really wish they would have Second Friday, so we do First Friday downtown and then come out west.)

My former City of Knoxville associate Mickey Mallonee (pronounced MAL o knee) has chosen to embrace the "Retire? What retirement?" attitude and join forces with Brad Cullen and Daniel Headrick to open Plum Gallery in the former Hanson space (5609 Kingston Pike, almost next to JJ Supershine and almost across from Calloway's)- plumgallery.net

Additionally, Jeff and Denise Hood are opening "The District Gallery & Framing" in the old Carpe Librum space -- the address is listed as 5113 Kingston Pike, but it sort of really fronts Mohican.
thedistrictgallery.com

FYI, you won't see me in Bearden. Tomorrow nephew Alex Fowler is marrying the lovely and talented Jeanine Brown of downtown theater fame. Family time!!!!

Frontload Washer? No!

2011-11-26T05:43:00.000-08:00

What is that thing pictured? No, it is not a beer dispenser for the fridge. Read on and you'll find out!

An interesting turn in our post-eating Thanksgiving idle talk took us to the discussion of front-load versus top-load washing machines. It began when my sister-in-law commented about the mold that had developed in her front loader. Yuck! It seems that she had some company as others shared similar stories.

I thought about my own experience with a front-load. We had bought an early generation water-saving front loader. I vividly remember taking notes as I watched the instructional VHS tape. But (fortunately!) the machine broke only after three years. I wrote a blog about it on April 11, 2009. http://thriftyandproudofit.blogspot.com/2009/04/clothes-washing-energy-minutia.html

Based on the mold comment, I checked on the internet; and sure enough, it is a common complaint. http://www.networx.com/article/choosing-a-washing-machine-top-loading

However, what is fascinating to me is the high and low of the spectrum. In checking the Home Depot on-line catalog it looks like you can purchase a 4.3 cu. ft. capacity front load steam, Model PFWS4605LMG, for $1,499! However, the shipping is free. But wait! For $599 you can additionally purchase the GE SmartDispense Laundry Pedestal with Storage Drawer, Model # SPBD880JMG that allows you to store up to 6 months of laundry detergent and 95 ounces of fabric softener to be dispensed automatically during the wash and rinse cycles, pictured above. A time-saving and wise investment?

My daughter walked by as I am writing this blog. She remarked that they bought a top-loader for $200, and it works just fine.

In-Store Coupon ONLY at Mast & Other Local Deals

2011-11-24T19:34:00.000-08:00

2:09 a.m., Friday, November 25. I just returned from Old Navy where members of my family got terrific deals on jeans and other stuff. I got scarves for the Christmas gift bags that my small group puts together for Mobile Meals clients. We arrived at the store at midnight and spent 1/4 of our time shopping and 3/4 in line. whew! However, the people behind us in line got there at 9:30 p.m., but they did get one of the early bird giveways--a camera.

I intend to do my serious shopping with the locals. Looking through the paper this morning, I saw:

Season Passes at Dollywood

Friday specials (and some Saturday)

J.P. Coffins, FREE holiday Tote with $100 Bradley Purchase

Harb’s on Broadway, 30-60% off with coupon in Thursday’s paper (If you can’t find a Thursday paper when you read this and need a carpet, it might be worth going over to the News Sentinel and getting a copy.)

Hammer’s of Clinton: Register on Friday morning for three $100 bills and three $50 Hammer’s Gift cards to be given away between 8:15 and 9:15.

Turkey Creek Wine and Spirits, 20% off every wine

Amvets Thrift Store, 50% off everything, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

And noted in my Market Square weekly e-mail:

This Friday and Saturday, enjoy spectacular savings at Mast General Store. (ok, I am hearing you purists: “Mast is imported from North Carolina.” I say that’s close enough!) Coupons are available only in the store between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. There are no cut-out or print-out coupons available this year. The "Make Your Own Sale" means you can use the in-store coupon with any one item* in any department during the entire shopping day the coupon is issued.

On Friday, November 25th, pick up your coupon in the store between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Enjoy 40% savings at any time during store hours on any one item* in the store.

On Saturday, November 26th, pick up your coupon in the store between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Enjoy 30% savings at any time during store hours on any one item* in the store.

*Some exclusions apply. Limit one coupon per one customer for each day. Coupons apply to any single, regularly priced item in the store. The coupon cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount. Patagonia and gift cards are excluded. Sorry, coupons cannot be used online.

They say Black Friday, we say Purple and Green Friday! Join us the day after Thanksgiving for Bliss + Bliss Home's first Purple and Green Friday! Receive a $10 gift certificate for every $100 you spend, see a sales associate for more details!

Reasons to shop at Union Ave Books for the Holidays:

* Free parking for one hour in Locust St. or Market Square Garages with any purchase!

* Free same-day hand-delivery for downtown customers of any purchase over $20

* Free hand-delivery for Knoxville metro-area customers of any purchase over $50

* Free Union Ave book bag with purchases over $100!

* Buy a $50 gift card and receive a $5 gift card

* Buy a $100 gift card and receive a $10 gift card

* Send us your "Wish List" and we'll show it to your "Santa Claus"

* Support Local Downtown Businesses and avoid the crush at the malls!

Fizz has everything you need for your holiday shopping this year! From sparkly party dresses to snuggly sweaters, great jewelry, fun tights, scarves, hats, and gloves to everyday basics, we are your one-stop holiday shop!

As a thank you for shopping with us, Fizz will be giving a free gift with every purchase of $25 or more this Black Friday! Come get yours while supplies last.

JOHN BLACK PHOTOGRAPHY MINI SESSIONS!
Searching for the Merriment of Christmas & a great deal?
YOU FOUND IT!
Right after Thanksgiving, while the family is still in town and in between shopping trips...

Stop by JOHN BLACK PHOTOGRAPHY for your Family Portrait!

mini SESSIONS

30 minutes, 1 outfit

Unlimited people, unlimited Santa hats, unlimited bad sweaters and don't forget the dog!

only $100!

Also Christmas Card Sale - 5x7 watercolor card: one side is only $1, two sides are $2 - packs of 25.

FRI ~ SAT ~ SUN

Nov. 25, 26, & 27th

10am to 6pm Fri & Sat; 10am to 4pm on Sunday

(Friday morning is booked, Saturday 11:30 is open rest of morning is booked, call or email soon!)

Jams, Jellies, Jerky, Sauces, Cookies, Chocolate and more from area businesses! All food items are 30% off!!!

Perfect for gift baskets, hostess gifts, and gifts for teachers and friends. Supplies are limited, so hurry in!

SALES and SPECIALS

Clearance items are perfect gifts starting at only $1. Save over 75% on select items!

Does a Witch Wear Sequins? Of course!

2011-11-10T01:42:00.000-08:00

1980's -- the country experienced an economic uptick, and there was some serious materialism going on. Think Gordon Gekko -- Knoxville style. Well, it wasn't exactly like that. However, it did mean a exceptional number of parties, events that required some serious clothes.

My most prized party-clothes possession was a sequined duster that I bought at Marshall Field's in Chicago in 1989. I am very glad that I do not have the receipt for the coat anymore, because today's me would probably be ashamed of what yesterday's me paid for it.

It is gorgeous -- and I swore to NEVER throw it away, even long after significant shoulder pads were passe and I was too old for bright colors.

It completed a great Halloween costume this year. With pancake make-up, sparkly fake eyelashes, and an awful stringy black wig, the $5 sequined witch's hat that my husband found at Walmart made for a super outfit.

The coat weighs almost 2 1/2 pounds, but it kept me warm! We were at a party in a tent, and the weather had turned exceptionally cold.

Cheap Pays Off -- Most of the Time

2011-11-03T03:51:00.001-07:00

I am getting to the point where I believe that you can get a deal on anything at some time somewhere. My e-mail inbox is stuffed with deal blogs, and two this morning were G-O-O-D.

Long's Drugstore--the meeting place in West Knoxville (and to you Farragutans, Bearden is the heart of the REAL West Knoxville). 50 percent off! Who is NOT going to drop by Long's in the next month or so?
Christmas card deals. To my dear friends who are thinking "I never got a card from her in the 30 years that I have known her. What is she talking about?" You are right!! I do not send out personal cards. I send out cards to those with whom we have had business dealings. I think I have found THE deal for me this year. It came up through commonsensewithmoney.com. Through some magical power this blogger holds, she scans the half-off, etc., deals nationally. The one of which I think I will take advantage is the Simply Social Chicago: $15 for $40 worth of custom holiday cards, invitations and more from SimplyToImpress.com. Another one to consider is Knoxville's Half-Off Depot deal for today, $15 for $45:
75 8X4 Customizable Slimline Holiday Cards with Envelopes from Premier Photo Mall
Cheap does not pay at the hospital! If you have surgery or extended treatment at ~~St. Mary’s, Mercy~~, Tennova’s Physicians Regional, you get free parking in the garage! Yesterday I parked three blocks (three HILLY blocks) away on the street and found out about the freebee during the admission processing. Well, I can always use a little more exercise!

AS ALWAYS, STAY

Buy with a Conscience or Buy Cheap?

2011-10-24T02:15:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my shopping habits can be summed up in one word: conflicting.

On Saturday we attended the Tennessee Food & Wine Festival held at the Knoxville Convention Center. At first glance, this looks very much like the Food Show annually sponsored by Food City. However, the ticket price was $10 versus $6, and for an additional $10, one could sample wine. Additionally, it was anticipated that attendees purchase products. It was a much smaller crowd, and the pace was slower. Also, as the crowds grew, the lines did not form neatly as they did at the Food City Show. That is when I realized that most of these people were not food show veterans as I am!

This festival was sponsored by the State of Tennessee Department of Agriculture and benefited the culinary program at UT. All vendors were from Tennessee.

It was great fun! A multitude of wine samplings! We like dry whites, and we found some nice ones.

The foods were interesting; and after sampling, we came back through and purchased quite a few for Christmas gifts. And that is when it hit me. I would NEVER have paid the prices for these products for my own consumption as a part of my normal grocery shopping. Purchasing for gifts puts this experience in a category by itself.

But I WAS doing the right thing. I AM supporting my fellow Tennesseans who are working hard to make a living selling jams, popcorn from Tennessee-grown corn, cookies, beef, oh, yes and wine.

Sort of a home-grown variation of free trade, right?

My awareness of buying with a conscience was increasingly heightened when we later drove over to Happy Holler. We did not do a good job of time management, and the Hollerpalooza was over; but we popped into Three Rivers Market. I noted a bottle of tonic water for more than $6. (My husband is a big G&T fan -- $1.50 is our average purchase price). Again, we succumbed to convenience and purchased some wheatberry salad at $5.99 a pound.

(Please note: the blog Couponing in Critical Times routinely posts "deals" at Three Rivers.)

Yet the next day I got into my couponing mode with absolute disregard of product origin. Included in my bargain buying was the national brand coffee that I bought for probably 2/3 the regular price after special pricing and coupon. It had "mountain grown" on the label, but the only location I could see noted was the business address in Ohio. I scored well buying deoderant for $.75 after special and coupon, but I imagine that my "creation care" friends might have trouble with some of the ingredients.

Bottom line: my conscience does not consistently work into my buying. Please excuse me, Mother Earth.

Maybe Smoking Would Be OK, If It Were Not So Bad

2011-10-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

In a professional capacity, I have been tagged for a smoking cessation committee through the Knox County Health Department, so I decided to go public and blog on the issue.

I am an ex-smoker. I loved smoking! If some magic fairy princess came in and did two things, I would start smoking again in a heartbeat:

Determined that it is not harmful to your health including your teeth and skin,
Made the presence and smell of smoke not offensive to nonsmokers.

If smoking were not bad for your health, it probably would not be taxed so much; and I could justify the expense.

I smoked mainly in social settings (translation: I was drinking), and it kept me from eating as much. I grew up heavy but lost a significant amount of weight in high school, and have kept it under control for the most part. Smoking in my teens and twenties replaced a lot of chips and dip, and for me it was cheap. I started smoking in the tobacco-producing state of North Carolina, and my first purchase out of a machine cost me $.50.

According to Wikipedia, “smoking-related disease kills one half of all long term smokers but these diseases may also be contracted by non-smokers. A 2007 report states that about 4.9 million people worldwide each year die as a result of smoking.”

Unfortunately I prematurely lost one of the people I loved the most to smoking.

My mother started smoking in the 1940s when she started dating my dad, as he was a smoker (note: he quit in the 1960s). My childhood memories are laced with recollections of loose tobacco littering the bottom of her purse and often working its way into her compact and sticking to her lipstick, a few burns on the arms of her favorite family room chair, and an increasing household consumption of Kleenex as her coughing got worse. A couple of years after my dad died, she decided to quit. Some weeks after the challenge began, she developed shingles. “This is a sign from God that I am not to deal with this (excessive stress and anxiety due to not smoking),” and she recommenced smoking.

My mother’s tolerance for pain must have been high, because some years later she died only five days after the diagnosis of extensive lung cancer. How long the cancer was growing inside of her, we would never know.

I smoked occasionally throughout the years. I would give myself permission to smoke when we were on vacation without the children. My last great cigarette experience was in 2000 in Italy. I remember one moment of lived-out fantasy, of continental and cosmopolitan, as I relaxed in the piazza of a village, sipping grappa and inhaling an incredibly strong European cigarette.

I am very fortunate that I have not wanted to smoke in years. However, nostalgia overwhelms me occasionally as I stand next to someone smoking. If only . . . .

Check out a couple of websites that I found. The first is about the hard cost of cigarettes, and the second is more about the comprehensive cost. Smoking does not fit into being thrifty.

http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/cigarette.asp

http://www.quitsmoking.com/info/articles/costofsmoking.htm

Need Music? -- There IS the radio

2011-10-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

One of my 2011 sacrifices was giving up Sirius/XM. I loved it. I especially loved it on the road. From the day that we got that gleaming new automobile in 2005 with the dedicated XM button, I was a fan.

But it cost MONEY, and I had an honest talk with myself. I honestly can't remember how much we were paying, but in looking back in my checking account, it looks like $44.79 a quarter. ech! I did decide to put that money to better use. And if I were still plugged into Sirius/XM, I would likely never have discovered WKCS 91.1, Fulton High School radio.

Fulton High School is on a roll--higher standards which are resulting in better results for their students. My listening in on their radio station is a small way of being part of their community. You can read about the history of the station here:
http://www.wkcsradio.org/history/wkcs_history.htm

There's something special about knowing that you are listening to a radio station run by a bunch of high schoolers; but what is so weird is that they play music from my past. Just tonight as I pulled into home, "Come and Get Your Love" was playing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7eloXr2iak I had always thought this was played by an African-American group because it is so soulful. Wrong -- It's a Native American group.

I used to use an I-pod, but when I took it to the Apple Store to fix it, the music got stripped out. I don't seem to have the umph to reinstall. WKCS seems to be just fine for now.

P.S. The signal is not that strong. I lose it about at Cedar Bluff. Also, I do not listen to the broadcast of the sports games.

What To Bring or What Not To Bring: Honor Thy Host

2011-10-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

Pot lucks or covered dish gatherings seem to be gaining popularity due to our current economic situation. However, there are times when a host wants to truly offer the gift of hospitality and prepare and present the whole process, as Miss Manners points out today. Unfortunately our sense of "giving" has somewhat marred many an event:

The (European) custom (of bringing a small gift of chocolates or flowers) got mixed up with the jolly American tradition of cooperative meals — picnics, covered-dish suppers, family reunions and improvised parties by students. Nothing wrong with those, as long as everyone understands the deal. Now guests entering a gala dinner party look as if they are in the express line at the grocery store, each carrying one item.

How often have I seen this example of missing the intention of an invitation: I spent several hours in the kitchen preparing a superb meal, a three-course meal, including dessert. Then my guests brought a cake which we had to eat for dessert instead of the one I prepared. The Miss Manners response? You should respond: Thank you; I’ve made dinner, so we’ll enjoy this another day. Brilliant!

But as many of us DO have invitations for covered-dish, here are a few of my tips:

When you promise to bring a salad, bring one! The hostess might have worked hard to ask for the right balance of dishes.

Bring your dish ready to set out. Again, from Miss Manners: One of my guests offered to bring a fruit salad, and commandeered my kitchen for the better part of an hour to wash, slice/dice and arrange her fruit. I was frantically trying to do my last-minute preparations, so the intrusion threw me into a tailspin, and then my guest wondered why I was so frazzled.

This includes doing the last-minutes touches such as whipping up a topping. I remember one time when someone waltzed in and asked for my mixer--that would be my KitchenAid mixer that is so big that I keep it in the storage area. That thing is cumbersome, and I had to haul it out and place it on precious counter space.

Consider the presentation. Use glass, pottery, but not a mixing bowl! Touches such as parsley, etc. are nice, too.

Bring your serving utensil, one that you could lose. One website suggested going to the dollar store to have a few on hand.

Bring your own hot pads -- again, be ready to lose them.

If you don't cook, put something together that's EASY, but don't bring a bag of potato chips!! Our favorite easy dish is Allen's Beans that have been simmered in a little olive oil and Italian seasonings. If you really don't cook, visit Kroger, Fresh Market or Earth Fare and be prepared to pay a handsome price for an ample amount from their ready-to-eat section. That might make you think harder about learning to cook.

Coke Zero Point Special

2011-09-25T06:21:00.000-07:00

Coke Rewards point collectors:. on Coke Zero® and POWERADE®

7 days only, 9/20 – 9/26. Dbl. pts. on all Coke Zero® and POWERADE® “black caps.”

Please remember that UT Knoxville football tickets have have free Coke Zero coupons on the back.

Thinking about all the can collectors who come in after the games and glean the tailgait areas, I have thought that in the same spirit, one could wait until after the game and collect ticket stubs discarded throughout the stadium, get the free Cokes, enter the points which can be turned in for more Coke, as I'll explain later.

A bottle of Coke gets you 3 points, a 12 pack gets you 10 points, a 20 pack gets your 20 points.

Where to find codes:

Under caps
Inside tear-off on 12-pks.
On multi-pack wraps

There are a lot of Coke branded stuff, food coupons and magazines that you can redeem points for, but the only thing that I redeem the points for are coupons for free 12 packs of cokes, which cost 240 points.

I get ribbed a lot for collecting and redeeming these points, but I have gotten a lot of free Coke in the past few years. A lot of my friends give me their points because they don't want to go through the process. I'm all about process, slow and steady. Remember, the Grand Canyon wasn't built in a day!

A Great Weekend--Festivals AND Fairs

2011-09-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wrote about two great fairs in Knoxville--We have two wonderful cultural festivals as well.

The Hola Festival is celebrating its 11th year. It is ALL THINGS LATINO! It has been great to see this event mature into a wonderful presentation of cultures. I believe I was at a pre-Hola Festival at Pellissippi State where it was basically national displays. I have to admit that my husband and I slip over right as the evening activities get going. You can anticipate the fun as you read the website description: "The Passport activity, Heritage Tables and Children’s Section will be closing at 6:00 p.m. From 6:00 to 8:00 we will be gathering around the main stage at the Viaduct to dance to fun, live music! Come to either learn or show off your salsa moves! A fun way for the whole family to celebrate." But I am intrigued by the "after party" noted on the map in the Old City. I wonder what that is about.

Check it out: http://www.holaknoxville.org/festival/faq.php

And then there is venerable Greek Fest in its 32nd year of celebrating. I love the Greeks, and it is a must see and do for everyone.

But even before our Knoxville Greek Fest had gotten started, I already knew how much fun Greeks can have. My junior/senior high school boy friend is Greek.

The first date he asked me out was for a church fundraiser. hmm, didn't sound like what I would consider an appropriate first date. It was the most unique first date that I have ever had, for sure. He picked me up and we went over to the church hall before the event really got started. It turned out that he had an assignment, and he picked up a couple of his buddies to go along. It seems that we were responsible for picking up the entertainment for the evening--a belly dancer. (Note: this was not in Knoxville.) She was exotic, all right--all the way from Philadelphia. I doubt that in 1970 there were many belly dancers in the South.

During the performance all of the females had to sit in the back along the wall. This was not how I would have anticipated meeting my date's mother, aunts, girl cousin, etc., etc., etc. All the men sat around the perimeter of her dance area. I recall that a lot of money was raised.

Afterwards there was dancing and more dancing. Great food, great fun! I recalled these fond memories when we got to visit Greece a few years ago.

http://greekfesttn.com/default.aspx

The fairest of the Fairs? Food or Emergency?

2011-09-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

I L-O-V-E going to health fairs, women's events -- you name it!

We are fortunate to have two this weekend in Knoxville--and they could not be more different.

Per the posting, "The Food City Food Show will be held Sept. 23-24 at the Knoxville Convention Center, 701 Henley Street. Hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Advance tickets available at Food City stores for $8 with ValuCard. They will be $10 at the door. Children 12 and under are free. Chef Hector Santiago, contestant of Bravo Network's Top Chef, season 6, will be featured entertainment on Saturday and Chefs Paul and Patrick Albrecht, co-owners of Atlanta's Great Food Group Inc., will be featured performers on Sunday. A variety of local culinary demonstrators will also be on hand, including Knoxville News Sentinel food writer Mary Constantine.

Here is the cooking school schedule:

Friday, September 23

10:30-11:15 Mary Constantine, News Sentinel food writer and host of "Stirring the Pot" on Knoxnews.com

12:00-12:45 Missy Kane "Fit and Fun with Missy Kane" Covenant Health's health promotion coordinator

1:30-2:15 Hector Santiago, Atlanta restaurateur/chef -competed in the sixth season of "Top Chefs" on the Bravo Network

3:00-3:45 Katie Cureton, Culinary College Trainer for the J.M. Smucker Co.

Saturday, September 24

10:30-11:15 Jimmie Jones, Food City Culinary Trainer- Cake Decorating 101

12:00-12:45 Mark McKinney -senior executive chef of the UT Healthy Living Kitchen WITH Lori Hamilton director of Healthy Initiatives for Food City

1:30-2:15 Chef Walter of WVLT TV

3:00-3:45 Chefs Paul and Patrick Albrecht, co-owners of Atlanta's Great Food Inc. Their Restaurants include Pauls, Social Vinings and Vinings Fish Company of Atlanta, GA."

I have been to this event many times. You'll learn a lot and you'll take away a lot of goodies. I am still using some terrific cleaner from Kelsan that I got there. The good folks at Food City give the proceeds to United Way of Greater Knoxville, for which I am very grateful as (here is the disclosure) I work for United Way of Greater Knoxville. We're working hard to support self-sustainability for our fellow Knox Countians. Thank you, Food City for supporting us!

Fair Number Two (I didn't go last year). It's the second annual EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FAIR, which will be held this coming Saturday, September 24th, 2011 at Bearden High School. It will be from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Admission is FREE to the public.

According to their promotion, "There will be more than 40 booths, demonstrations and classes. Over 26 organizations will be represented. There will be Child ID kits, Ready Kit Bags, Door prize, Giveaways and Emergency and Disaster Services Vehicles on site. Some of the valuable information will include senior citizen care, financial preparedness, severe weather, emergency essentials for pets, short term food storage, family emergency communication plans and more."

For more information visit the web site at: PrepFair.org

I really want to go to this because emergency preparedness NEEDS to be part of everyone's agenda. I have had a close call to danger only once, but that was enough! We had to evacuate for the warehouse fire downtown in February of 2007. Living in a newly retrofitted historical building, we were BLASTED out when the alarm went off--pulsating lights, screaming alarms--and only seconds to put on some "street clothes" and grab our essentials. Fortunately I had been to an emergency preparedness presentation by some of this weekend's fair participants. I knew what to have close on hand. My husband and I were out of our condo building in no time, only to see a frightening fire just a block away that could possibly migrate to where we were with some terrific wind that evening. Yep, it was scary.

It was 2 a.m. After watching the fire from another angle (away from the wind), we went and joined numerous neighbors at the Walmart. Others hung out at the Waffle House.

On Drugs? Save Money!

2011-09-20T02:57:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of re-posting in the blog world. At least 1/3 of the information I find on coupon blogs I have already seen, such as the best deals at Kroger's, Walgreens or CVS. Most times they are cut-and-pasted word-for-word. Frequently the original information was for a market outside our area and the bargains are simply not available here. However, the ones that I follow are careful about reposting reliable information.

So I am very surprised that I have noted something that I have not seen on anyone's blogs:
saving big money on drugs at Kroger's!!!

Yes, I was thrilled when I opened the Kroger flyer this week. The feature took my breath away: Transfer a prescription and get $25 in free groceries!! "Transfers are easy . . . ask your Pharmacist for details." (This plan is not available for government funded prescriptions or transfers from other Kroger's).

Kroger runs this offer from time to time, so I had anticipated it. However, it had been a long time since I had seen this offer.

I was ready.

Medical experts highly recommend that a consumer get all his medications (over-the-counter and prescriptions) from the same pharmacy, to minimize negative drug interaction. What I do is totally counter to this advice.

I get my medications from all over the place. Between my husband and me, we have five prescriptions to take advantage of discount plans and fuel programs; but also importantly to anticipate a credit for transfer.

IF YOU HAVE PRESCRIPTIONS, here are the offers:
(official from the websites)

Kroger: "We're making it easier for you to save on two necessities: health care and fuel. For the first time ever, our pharmacy customers can now earn fuel discounts on eligible prescriptions. Save more when you choose from our wide selection of generic drugs. Not valid in Arkansas.

Please select the Kroger pharmacy nearest you for details."

Food City: Get 50 bonus points with qualifying prescriptions. (150 points earns you 15¢ off per gallon on a single fill-up (Up to a maximum of 20 gallons per fill-up).)

CVS: Earn 2% back with every purchase in-store and online at CVS/pharmacy.

Walgreens: For someone like me with prescriptions covered under my health insurance, I seen no advantage in getting my prescriptions there. If I am wrong, I would like to be corrected.

Target: cannot see any advantage. In the past, they have had $10 in-store credit for new and transferred prescriptions, but I haven't seen one of these offers in a long time.

Walmart: too far away from where I live, so I didn't check it out.

Just about every pharmacy offers $4 for a limited number of generics.

I know that a lot of people state that they get all their meds from one grocery store to stock up on fuel points. I maintain points at Food City and Kroger's--I never know which one I'll be near when I need gasoline.

But back to the $25 at Kroger's. I have a prescription that I originally filled at Food City (for which I got the 50 bonus points). I will transfer it to Kroger's. My cost (remember, I have insurance) is $8, so my net gain is $17!!!!! (By the way, I have a flex fund account through my employer, so I'll be paying that $8 with full-value, pre-tax dollars.) Additionally, I'll get the credit for the fuel program.

Yipee!

Couponing the Time-Saving Way!

2011-09-14T01:50:00.000-07:00

On Sundays I look forward to getting the coupons in Sunday’s newspaper, but I dread the extensive clipping and filing. On a good day it would take an hour, more if I had been given more coupons from my neighbors. With the subsequent pulling of the expired coupons, it frequently felt like a fruitless exercise.

So I am trying something different.

I continue to read multiple coupon blogs (see my previous blogs for their addresses), peruse the Sunday newspaper inserts and determine what we need. But instead of clipping ALL the coupons and filing them in the big book, I am now filing the coupon packets by date, which can be found in VERY small writing on the fold of the coupon packet. I write the date on the front. Instead of locating them filed in my big book, I look them up using the coupon data base at couponkatie.com.

I tried it at Kroger last night. They are having a "Mega Event-- Save $5 WYB (when you buy)10 participating items."

Step 1. Review the items available through the Mega Event by looking through the Kroger flyer and checking the list at southernsavers.com

Step 2. Come up with 10 things that I want and for which I have coupons. (You can have multiples of 10.)

(While I am not going to file the Sunday coupons anymore, I still will file many coupons. These include the ones that Kroger mails me. Also, coupon bloggers post alerts on popular internet coupons. I print the ones I think I will use, because there are only so many printed copies allowed. I also have a section in my big book for Procter & Gamble's periodic flyers.)

Step 3. I look on couponkatie.com's coupon data base for others. I found a Birdseye coupon that I didn't know about. I went to the coupon site for which she had a link and printed the coupon. She also had listed a General Mills cereal coupon from the SS -- Smart Source -- insert of August 28.

Result of my 10 items (these are all products/brands that I would have bought even if I didn't coupon):

6 boxes of General Mills cereal (one e-coupon from Kroger's website for one box, $.50, one Kroger printed coupon that was mailed to me at home, $2 for four, $.50 for one (doubled) from the newspaper

2 boxes of Birdseye frozen vegetables. ($1 off if I bought Mrs. Paul's frozen fish. I'm a cradle Catholic--I crave fish sticks!)

1 Maxwell House Coffee ($1.25 coupon from the packet Kroger sent to my home)

1 Simply Orange juice. ($1 off that I had printed last month because someone posted a notice. I noticed that Southern Savers posted that this coupon was no longer available to be printed from its on-line source. Glad that I printed it when it was available! Timing is everything!)

1. I believe that ALL these items were specially priced. If I had bought any of these items individually this week instead of other weeks, I still saved money.

2. I combined 10 items, so I got $5 off.

3. I had $6.75 worth of coupons on these items.

A triple play! Now that is when I like to play the game of couponing! Sure, with some additional items that I bought without coupons, my Kroger receipt states that I only saved 39 percent. That's not going to get me on Extreme Couponers, but it is still REAL MONEY SAVED!

Additionally, it was much quicker to pull out the August 28 insert for that one coupon that I used instead of clipping, clipping, clipping, filing, filing, filing. I love saving time, too!

False Optimism?

2011-09-10T04:03:00.000-07:00

--Last evening, there would have been only one word throughout the entire evening to describe Gay Street: PACKED. Evidence that there is, indeed, disposable income. A friend had invited us after work to Nama's, and we positioned ourselves in the enviable position outside at the corner of Gay and Union, watching the world go by. (It was a great time to apply the credit that I had purchased at discount online some months ago!)

---Even though it's a Saturday, I woke up early as usual. I went to get the newspaper at about 5:30. I rode the elevator down with my neighbor on the way to the airport for a business trip. As I looked over to what he was carrying, I laughed to myself. His golf clubs, not to mention a compact laptop, had much greater volume than his piece of luggage. Real evidence of a seasoned traveler. But most importantly he was on his way to work, supporting the economy.

---On page 7a of the News Sentinel this morning, there is a very small squib about state revenue collections above expectations: $18 million more in August, 13th consecutive month that collections have exceeded budgeted expectations. (ok, the overall budget is around the $30 billion mark.) I'm thinking that this should have been on the front page of the business section. This is very good news! But the editors of the News Sentinel had even better news to celebrate on Page 1B! Dealership expansions for a local luxury boatmaker, a new aerospace and automotive manufacturing plant in Kingston--even a celebratory nod to the Krispy Kreme expansion on Kingston Pike.

I was feeling pretty good until I noticed that the stock market fell 303 points yesterday.

Oh well.

The Mechanics of Couponing

2011-09-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

Actually having the coupons in my pocket often has not meant that I use them the way I anticipate. I get distracted, I misread the sizes, I stick coupons in my pockets, I miscount items, and sometimes I just flat out panic at the checkout. Try as I can, I attempt to execute The Plan, but it doesn't always happen. However, The Plan gets me closer to my anticipated goal.

Here's The Plan:

I review the list that I have been developing throughout the week, cutting and pasting into a Word document notices from the super coupon bloggers that I follow. I develop my own shopping list of everything else that I need. I create one list. If the individual store lists are long, I create a page for each.

When the list is on Word, the internet coupons are hyperlinked. I print them off. I gather the other coupons I need. They are filed in a big binder, recycled from some training program long ago. I will review my filing system in a future blog.

I rearrange the list as best as I remember according to the stores' layouts. I print them out.

I have a plastic envelope system (photo) that my daughter gave me a long time ago. This was my couponing system until I got intense. Now it serves me well to hold the individual stores' coupons and store credits (such as ExtraCare bucks from CVS).

I take the big binder with me and into the store, because you never know what deals you may run across. Wouldn't it be horrible if you knew that you left THE coupon at home that would make a great deal a super deal? However, I only occasionally pull it out for these incidents.

I put my shopping list in the envelope system. I put the coupons for the respective stores in their envelopes. If I end up not using the coupons, I put them in the very back of the envelope system for re-filing in the big binder. This happens with some frequency because the information that I get off the blogs does not apply to our region or I just decide the deal is not good for me when I actually "confront it" in the store.

I stick the receipt and any credit slips in the respective envelope. The receipts get pulled out at home. The credit slips are there for use on a future shopping trip.

I try to have everything in order. It is amazing how off-task I get. Couponing takes concentration. I am not surprised that the Extreme Couponers are often in the stores for seven hours or more.

Sampling of Couponing

2011-09-03T01:45:00.001-07:00

While the media has brought emphasis on EXTREME couponing, with the negative perception of hoarding all that "free" stuff, I believe that many couponers are like me and have much simpler agendas with much more flexible rules.

Rule #1 Try to incorporate a shopping trip with other errands. The cost of transportation plus the cost of TIME have to be factored in.

Rule #2 If I get some things for free that I won't use, that's a plus but not an aim--stuff like free or nearly free toiletries seem to accumulate throughout the year--enough for me to contribute to shut-ins Christmas baskets. Again, I work full time and have other interests. I am not willing to put a considerable amount of time into the process.

Rule #3 If I get a few things free or cheap through combining deals/coupons, I remind myself that I am far better off than if I didn't do it at all. The whole process has made me aware of pricing overall, thus helping with expenses. But I have never, never, scored the $100 worth of good for free. However, today's visit to CVS is typical:

My trip planning started with reading the CVS flyer that is on line and in the Sunday paper. I consult a number coupon blogs who post deals. My number one is CommonSensewithMoney.com. I follow at least six. Others I consult include. SouthernSavers.com and FrugalissaFinds. After a while you will notice that there is a lot of reposting of other blogs. That is perfectly acceptable in the blog world, as long as it is acknowledged.

I start a shopping list: I cut and paste in a Word document bloggers' listings that interest me. As the week progresses, more deals are discovered and the serious shopper bloggers post them. I additionally list things that I have noted are good deals. If I don't have paper coupons, I check the coupon database on couponkatie.com. I may add a few more deals to my shopping list that I have actually found on my own.

Today: Here's what I got
Pantene, price $3.49 ($1.50 off), but I had a free coupon from Pantene for my recent birthday.
Special K, four boxes, at $2.50 each, had two $1/2 coupons.

CVS has certain items that if you spend $30 for, you will get a $10 gas card. Among the eligible items I picked some from the Proctor and Gamble family (P&G's monthy individual coupon insert came out last week), which were Tide, Charmin, Covergirl make-up. I had coupons for all the items.

I bought just 11 items. I used 12 coupons, including Extracare bucks and a $3 coupon from CVS for my birthday. My receipt states that I saved $52.40. I had to pay $20.49, but while I did not get any Extracare bucks for future shops, I did get a $10 off for gasoline.

Additionally, the makeup went to Beauty Club credit (for every $50 spent, I get $5 ExtraBucks), I'll get some ExtraBucks seasonally just for spending money at CVS, and I get a little bit toward ExtraBucks since I used my own bags.

Why Pineapple? Why Piggy?

2011-08-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

When I started this blog, I was focusing on saving money. Period. Yet the real-life me was having to deal with how to save the money while maintaining a fairly active social life. A main part of that is that my husband and I live in a central location, and we oftentimes host gatherings. So when I recently redid my blog design, I wanted a visual to promote the balance of a gracious life and a frugal life. Thus the pineapple on one side of the scales and the piggy bank on the other.

The piggy bank's symbolism is obvious--saving money.

The pineapple might not be so well known as the symbol of hospitality to everyone, so here's an answer from our friends at answers.com:

The pineapple has served as a symbol of hospitality and warm welcome through the history of the Americas.

Christopher Columbus wrote the first account of a western encounter with the pineapple in the journal of his second discovery voyage across the Atlantic. He and his men landed on the Caribbean island of Guadalupe where the sailors enjoyed this sweet, succulent new fruit, which had already become a staple of native feasts and religious rites.

In 1493, Columbus first brought the pineapple back to Renaissance Europe that was largely devoid of sweet foods, including fresh fruit. The pineapple's exotic nature and sweetness soon made it an item that soon acquired both popularity and curiosity for centuries after its European arrival. For two centuries, as European horticulturists struggled to perfect a hothouse method for cultivating pineapples in Europe, the pineapple became even more a coveted commodity. In the 1600s, King Charles posed for an official portrait while receiving a pineapple as a gift.

In colonial America, hostesses would set a fresh pineapple in the center of their dining table when visitors joined their families in their homes. Visiting was the primary means of entertainment and cultural exchange, so the concept of hospitality was a central element in colonial life. The pineapple, then, symbolized the warmest welcome a hostess could extend to her guests, and then often it also served as the dessert for the meal. If the visitors spent the night, they would be given a bedroom with a bed in which pineapples had been carved on either the bedposts or the headboard -- even if that was the master bedroom.

Creative food display became a competition among the hostesses, because it declared her personality and her family's social status. Hostesses tried to outdo one another in creating memorable dining events. In larger, more affluent homes, the doors to the dining room were kept closed to create an air of suspense and excitement over the preparations of the hostess. Colonial grocers sometimes rented pineapples to hostesses desperate to create a dining experience above their financial means. Later, once that hostess had returned the pineapple, the fruit would be sold to more affluent clients who could afford to actually buy and eat it. Regardless of ones financial ability to actually buy and eat the pineapple, however, visitors to the homes that displayed the pineapple felt particularly honored that the hostess had spared no expense to secure one in their behalf.

By the Gilded Age, which was the era in which Samuel Couples lived, through the present day, the pineapple became a familiar symbolic image of welcome, good cheer, and warmth and affection between all who dwell inside the home.

To Work or Not To Work

2011-08-14T04:51:00.000-07:00

Coming from a family with strong single women, finding a husband would be a plus but not a requirement. If I did so find a spouse, the anticipated path would be to graduate from college, work until the babies come and then complement my husband's career with whatever I was doing at home and provide an increased enrichment experience for our children.

Well, I did find the husband in college. We married before I finished, and we will be celebrating our 37th anniversary in December. I did stay home after baby number 1, but I needed a breather.

More about that in a future blog.

If you have never experienced staying at home with infants and toddlers, believe everything you read about it. It is challenging, it is frustrating, it is sometimes lonely, yet it is satisfying and gratifying beyond words. However, there is something in the self of the typical American woman that craves production. Hence the popularity of mommy-blogging, of which I suppose I am technically a part.

In today's Wall Street Journal insert in the Knoxville News Sentinel, columnist Katherine Rosman writes about having to leave her children to present to a mommy-blog convention. I see great irony in this.

Please check it out:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903918104576506763028830854.html?mod=personal_fin_newsreel

I lived SOME of "The Help"

2011-08-11T02:13:00.000-07:00

Starting yesterday, millions of mature Southerners are engaging in cinematic mirror-gazing as they view "The Help." I am one; although as I want to write that my recollection of my community's relationships weren't mean-spirited-base as portrayed in the book/movie, the accepted class system was wrong, wrong, wrong. We know that now and in our heart-of-hearts we knew it then. The situation has changed and continues to change. Unfortunately in the meanwhile people suffered beyond the gross inequities to the ultimate sacrifice of dying -- lynchings, little girls in the basement of a bombed church in Alabama, Freedom Riders, Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, Jr. . . .

I attended the movie with my small group (typically "small groups" are mini-groups of church members, but at least four churches are represented in our small group.) Most special, though, is a couple in our group are the proud parents of Shane McRae, who portrays one of the husbands in the movie. Shane's dad taught at Mississippi State for years, so Shane got to go back to the state of his youth -- yes the movie was actually filmed IN Mississippi.

To my peers: Go see the movie. We need to recollect from whence we came.

Thrifty Footnote: We got one of the tickets free through our Regal Crown Club membership!

Finding $5,291

2011-08-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

I have written about this before, but $5,291 was the annual salary of my first full-time job after college. Just for fun, I have targeted this amount to "find" savings. I keep starting this little exercise over and over, and here I go again.

Today I went to CVS. It's interesting that when I first started couponing, Walgreens by far and away had more savings. However, they eliminated a rebate program and don't have the incentives that CVS has to stack savings. The main difference between Walgreens and CVS is that CVS does have loyalty cards. The Big Brother of CVS tracks your purchases, but I have nothing to hide--track on, CVS!

So, here is my first step in identifying the $5,291:
Bought four boxes of Kellogg's cereal on sale, saving 5.86
used Kellogg's coupons: 2.20
3 boxes of Hefty Bags on sale, saving 9.00
1 Maybelline Mascara on sale, saving .50
Used a $1.00 Maybelline coupon I got at the store 1.00
Extra Care Bucks earned because I bought a certain
amount of cosmetics 5.00
Previously earned Extra Care Bucks applied 4.00

All these purchases went to the $30 purchases
earning me $10 in gasoline credit 10.00

Total $37.56

Balance to save: 5,253.44

Please note that I didn't buy a whole lot. I can't keep track of a lot of items when I am stacking the coupons. I typically do two or three trips to Walgreens and CVS on a weekly basis.

Balance: The Path to Contentment

2011-08-08T19:49:00.001-07:00

There is no doubt that we have been blessed, but we are sharing in the current financial challenges. On a day when the stock market plummeted again, I can't help but feel unsettled. However, the Scripture that I hang onto, day in and day out, is Philippians 4:6:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

The word I focus on is "everything." There are opportunities to save, to enjoy, at just about every turn in life. I try to save whenever and wherever I can; but if the opportunity presents itself to spend time with good friends at a restaurant, I'll be careful in what I order. If a new business in our downtown community is just getting started, I'll buy from them once in a while because their presence contributes to the neighborhood's character.

When I first started this blog, I was on a spend fast. For a year I basically bought nothing for myself--no new clothes for a year. I embraced couponing and started stockpiling. Now I buy an occasional piece of clothing, oftentimes from consignment stores; and since I have gotten accustomed to the cycles of sales, I am not as inclined to go overboard in buying specials.

My daughter gave me a blog revamp for Mother's Day. It has taken this long for me to contact the designer and get it online. To use a house analogy, my old blog looked like a used mobile home while I like to think of this new design as a cozy cottage.

Eating Well -- Be Prepared!!

2011-04-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

Trying to snack well, especially when it's a long time until that next meal--that is an ongoing battle for me. I could easily give into emotional eating. I've often downed a half box of crackers before I even realize it.

That's why it's good to have some good snacks, like Yoplait Smoothies, in the freezer for those episodes of temptation. A wonderful balance of fruit and yogurt, is just what I needed to get me through some serious weak moments. They are filling, satisfying and delicious, and being a smoothie makes it extra special. I was glad to enjoy the Yoplait Smoothies that the good folks from BlogSpark provided for me.

Coupon Fair

2011-02-23T02:01:00.000-08:00

For anyone who is into couponing, your day is almost here! It's Coupon Fair time this Saturday. Most of the local couponing rock stars will be there. What great people! We are so fortunate to have them in our community, and you can meet them in person on Saturday. See you there--Faith United Methodist Church, 9-noon

Getting Music for Free

2011-02-20T00:41:00.000-08:00

This is not about Pandora or any of those other programs. This is about how procrastination sometimes saves you money.

In 1967 I was a typical high school freshman nerd. Oh, no, it was worse. I was overweight and IN A GIRLS' BOARDING SCHOOL. However, there was a signficant way to escape the nerdiness: music, and the best escape was S-O-U-L. My sister gave me what turned out to be my favorite record of all times. It was the Stax/Volt Revue, Volume 2, Live in Paris. Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Sam & Dave and Otis Redding. Probably not a big seller compared to some of its contemporary recordings. Hmm, I am sure that it was not converted to eight-track, not a tape, not a cd. With our turntable long gone, I had thought about getting someone to make a cd from my old record. The internet has saved me!!! Some lovely person has put them on YouTube, and I can listen to the whole record through the playlist. I'm listening to it now.

Yeah, Sam & Dave, you got me hummin'!

Time Wasted in Cyberspace

2011-02-12T04:09:00.000-08:00

I was in meetings all last week and all this week. There were no more than 20 people in the room, so it wasn't like you could get away with checking your phone during the meetings; but as soon as we took a break, everyone went into their own phone zone. It made me think of times gone by . . . .

There was a time you could smoke anywhere (reference Mad Men) and the time most people still smoked and then the practice started where you could go outside with all your buddies and stand around in the cold for a few minutes while you dragged on your cigarettes. Yes, during meeting breaks we all rushed outside in a pack. I feel for those few who still smoke. The smoking break used to be a real social event. I am assuming that it isn't anymore. (yes, I am a stereotypical babyboomer--smoked until my late 20's, then once in a while bought a pack, but the thought of smoking now makes me shudder.)

The rush to get on the phone reminds me of the rush to get the cigarette lit.

So much time can be wasted in cyberspace. I let my personal e-mail pile up this week, so I have just spent two hours catching up to last Sunday. My inbox still could be referred to as littered.

I need to weed! The first thing, appropriately for weeding, was a garden center that sends me notices. I have been in a condo for four years. Why do I need garden centers notifying me?

It will take some discipline, but I am going to unsubscribe to something EVERY TIME I get on-line. ugh.

A Little More Money AND the Healthy Living Fair

2011-01-30T04:47:00.000-08:00

I am trying to find $5,294 (see Jan 2, 2011 post)

Still to go $5,191.61

Last week's CVS extra care bucks $9.50
coupon on salsa 1.00
Free chips coupon 2.00
Earth Fare Coupon from Healthy Living 5.00
Free Coke 12 pack 2.50
CVS gift certificate from MyPoints 25.00
total 45.00

Still to go $5,146.61

(I forgot to track the week before's coupons. oops.)

The Healthy Living Fair was held at the Knoxville Convention Center January 21 and 22. This is probably the fourth or fifth year they have held it. 2010's event was plagued with icy weather. There also seemed to be fewer vendors. 2011 was a great event. The weather was cooperative, so there were a lot more people checking out what seemed to be a lot more vendors. They were very fortunate because a couple of the Biggest Losers stars happen to be from Knoxville, and they were there.

I got in free because my health club, CourtSouth, was a sponsor; so they had free tickets at the club. However, I figure they were giving out a lot of tickets because I didn't see anyone buying tickets when I arrived.

The Convention Center is about a half mile from where I live, so I walked.

There was a $5 coupon to Earth Fare in the magazine they gave away as well. It has no expiration date on it. I'm wondering how long they will honor them.

The most impressive occurrence was the demonstrators on the main stage. There were a number of health-focused outfits, such as dance clubs,represented. The "performers" weren't professionals by any means. In fact, many of them would be considered on the heavy side. But their willingness to show the public that exercise can be fun and beneficial was inspiring.

Remember: the number one way, America, to save money is to keep well. Exercise supports good physical and mental health!!!

a little more money

2011-01-14T02:24:00.000-08:00

Got the $40 reward Home Depot card from our credit card

$5,231.61
40.00
still to go:

$5191.61

Find More Money through Your Tax Return

2011-01-13T01:53:00.000-08:00

Families who make less than $50K can get their taxes done and likely get other good financial advice at VITA sites. They only have to wait no more than a couple of weeks for their refund. Call 2-1-1 for the nearest site

Tax Preparers Feed on Immediate Gratification.

We have gotten flyers in the past two days or tax preparations. BEWARE!!! For fast money through commercial tax preparers, the filer is technically taking out a high interest loan against their anticipated refund. Also, there is a system of adding on additional fees.

Please, please encourage those who make $50K or less to go to a VITA site. There is a good chance they'll get back more than if they do their tax returns themselves.

Call 2-1-1 for a location convenient for you. They will start to open up in temporary sites in community centers, etc. next week.

Cmon, Couponers, Keep It Balanced

2011-01-12T01:40:00.000-08:00

Recently TLC launched "Extreme Couponing." Unfortunately they are using their tried-and-true genre of exposing the unusual behavior of those profiled. The subtitle of the show could be "A Special Subgroup--Close To Becoming Hoarders."

The general perception of active couponers might be negative; but about a year ago a local coupon blogger, Coupon Katie, laid out the truth. Fortunately when I read it, I was in a teachable mood. She stressed that "It's all about BALANCE." At that moment I pledged to, indeed, keep it balanced.

After you have been couponing, you understand that there are cycles of sales. You'll get your chance at that super-duper toilet paper sale in a couple of months, so a couple months stockpile is probably going to hold you until the next great opportunity to buy cheap.

I am a business school graduate. One important thing I learned in school was "money now is worth more than money in the future." So, even a dollar or two applied to get a sale isn't worth it if you are not going to use the product until months later. Those dollars could be used TODAY to reduce your debt load or put into your retirement plan. That is why I don't understand people who save coins--make those pennies work for you!!!

If you DO get big into couponing, don't let the missed opportunities obsess you. Couponing is much like a sport. If you get news of a deal that, with a coupon, will actually MAKE you money, for example, and somehow you don't have that coupon in your file: show some character and take the loss gracefully. Think of yourself as a golfer who constantly looks at ways to take a few strokes off. Sometimes you get the shot, sometimes you don't.

I'd like to add that you need to look at the big picture--your entire life--and make sure that there is balance. For example, my husband is not a big fan of my couponing; so when he suggests doing something on a Sunday afternoon (that traditional time when couponers all around the nation are at their kitchen tables, gleefully mutilating the Sunday newspaper inserts), I would never say "nope, gotta get caught up on coupon clipping." Husband comes first and way before couponing. (We've been married 36 years). Another note: whatever he suggests, however, better be cheap or free. Last Sunday we went to the East Tennessee History Center--it's free on Sundays ($5 other days).

Finally, a tip on how to respond when you are at the store and someone makes some "funny" comment about your notebook or your big stack of coupons that you pull out. I tell them it's my hobby, and "if you have a hobby, does it MAKE you money?" They can't respond. end of conversation. Cha-ching!

Perception is Reality

2011-01-09T04:38:00.000-08:00

Oh, how true this article is:

(on front page of Perspective in the News Sentinel today.)

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jan/09/moneys-more-important-when-its-scarce/

another littler trickle in aim to find $5,294

2011-01-09T04:33:00.000-08:00

Got a shampoo sample. I am going to value it at $.10.

Currently still to go:
$5,231.71
minus.10
$5,231.61

Finally! Found some money!

2011-01-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

Working on my $5,294.00
Rebate on a purchase 50.00
Found quarter in a parking lot this a.m. .25
________
5,243.75

Now, I am going to use creative math. I bought four boxes of Kashi cereal today. I love Kashi cereal, but it usually costs more. For this exercise, I am going to say that Kashi costs $4 a box.

Bought four boxes of Kashi at
Kroger's for $1.99 each, PLUS
used four $1.00 off each coupons 12.04
________
5,231.71

Summer Vacation Planning Time!!

2011-01-03T18:22:00.001-08:00

VRBO.com is our favorite place to choose a vacation spot (ok, ok, full disclosure. We have a house listed on VRBO). Was I so THRILLED when I pulled up our site to check our rentals and my system first directed me to upromise, which I have preloaded on my computer.

If you don't shop through one of these pass through services and you are an active online shopper, you are losing out on significant $$$$. The ones that I use are upromise and mypoints. There are lots more others.

Upromise was originally set up to save for college, but you can periodically cash out your accumulated earnings for yourself. For example, if you go to upromise and then to vrbo, you'll get 8 percent deposited in your upromise account on a paid for vacation. Can you imagine 8 percent of a week's vacation? real money!!!

Trying To Find the $5,000, again

2011-01-02T04:11:00.000-08:00

Some time ago in my blogging I tried to identify an extra $5,000 in my life in one year. ANY extra money would apply. I did not stick with the goal. I am going to try it again, but I am going to tie to it a specific milestone in my life.

In 1975 when I graduated from college, I was working as a student assistant in the Vocational-Technical Education Department. They were kind enough to put me on full-time in the official University of Tennessee category of "secretary" as I looked for a better job. My starting salary was $5,294, annually.

Very soon I got a much better position as principal secretary in the UT system with a posted starting salary almost twice what I was making. There was only one problem. We were in a recession, and Governor Ray Blanton had frozen all state employee salaries. Therefore, I was stuck with the $5,294, annually. Technically I supervised four other secretaries in my division. Every single one made more than I did. I was not happy in this position and stayed for a brief eight months before I went to work in the private sector. There were a lot of factors, but I cannot believe that there was some underlying resentment of my salary situation.

In 2011 I am going to recoup that $5,294.

New Year's Resolution: Being Intentional with Words

2011-01-01T12:09:00.001-08:00

"Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

A great waste in our society is using negative words. My 2011 resolution is to use my words wisely, as in this scripture.

I'm not so paper anymore

2010-12-14T02:55:00.000-08:00

On April 8 I wrote that I still maintained a paper calendar.

I am changed woman, principally because I have a new job. With this job came the technology to more easily support electronic calendar keeping, and a staff that embraces it. Among the people with whom I work, there is a sense of obligation to keep seeking more efficient ways to do tasks in less time and with easier access to electronic record keeping.

Additionally in my new job more of the correspondence comes to me electronically than in my previous position, so the transfer of incoming information to information saved on the calendar is easy.

To reference one of my mantras, time is money, using technology as we are is making us a better team.

My advice: push yourself into using an electronic calendar. It'll give you more time for other activities . . . like blogging!!!

No Clothes, No Docs

2010-04-15T02:20:00.000-07:00

I swore off buying new clothes in December of 2008. So far since then I have bought some socks, underwear, and one pair of shoes (for $20, originally $139) that I bought on an impulse and really need to take to the consignment store.

I technically have bought a couple of more dresses since I have some special events coming up, but I have not worn them and will count them as bought when I first wear them in public.

My 2010 resolution is to go to no medical professionals except for eye and dental care. I have gotten through more than a quarter of this year and so far, so good.

Last year I had an annual exam with no findings. I had to have an additional diagnostic test after my mammogram last year. I have a high deductible, so I had to pay the bill (adjusted after Blue Cross/Blue Shield review, to note). I have made a mental accounting that I used my this-year-mammogram budget on that second test last year.

I have been very blessed with good health. I can count on two hands the days that I have taken off for sick leave in the 18 years since I came back to work after staying home with the children (and this counts the time taken off to go to regular exams). Some of that time was for physical therapy on my leg after I decided that at age 47 I was going to start running. I don't run anymore, so I won't have to face those bills and that time off. Common sense can save so much money.

Can Never Retire

2010-04-14T02:30:00.001-07:00

Realistically, I do not think that I can retire ever. However, I don't think I am off as bad as the AARP retirement calculator figures. I input that I will retire at age 90, the oldest age it will calculate. It determined that I will have to have 3.5 million to retire. Even I go straight to the most expensive long-term care facility and live ten years, I do not think that I will need 3.5 million.

Try it yourself:
www.aarp.org/money/toolkit/articles/retirement_nest_egg_calculator.html#commentarySlot

A slave of Microsoft

2010-04-10T03:54:00.000-07:00

So life was ok. I had a really cheap week. Then I started getting Word and Excel files I couldn't open because my versions were too old. So I downloaded the temporary version of Microsoft Office. It reminds my a lot of Vista. A lot of fru-fru. It seems as if it takes more keystrokes to do what you need to do. The temporary ran out, but I can't get to the old versions, so now I cannot do any work on Word of Excel. I decided to go and talk to a real person about my problem, so I chatted with a Staples employee while I was out there getting my free ream of paper that was available this week. Yep, he confirmed it. Microsoft has shut me down. They had what I needed for a mere $144! Awful!

The calendar--I am still a paper gal

2010-04-08T03:21:00.000-07:00

I recognize the advances that electronics have made. Considering that I went to secretarial school and actually worked as a secretary for seven years, I am a lousy typist. My life was under a cloud until word processing came into my life.

I believe that coordination of people's activities effect efficiency. However, I have yet to come to using an electronic calendar. The only thing that is stopping me is that I staple the source document to the page of the event, and I carry my calendar with me to my meetings. I don't type into my calendar, so I don't have the opportunity to make mistakes in the input. Most importantly, I have the source document at the event. There are many nuggets of information that are in letters of invitation.

For us, the "happenin' now" is the Dogwood Arts Festival

2010-04-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed or if you have not paid much attention to the Dogwood Arts Festival recently, give it another look. It is really turning into something wonderful.

My husband and I have an appreciation for the performing arts, but we are visual arts people; so I will speak to that part of the Dogwood Arts Festival. We live on Gay Street, and one afternoon last week my husband called me, very excited, when "our piece" had just been installed right outside our entrance. Isaac Duncan, Jr.'s "Threaded" is beautiful, just as are all the pieces throughout downtown, as part of the Dogwood Arts "Art in Public Places" program.

We have Marty and Jim Begalla to thank for their sponsorship of this display. I am so appreciative of individuals, who are in the position to support such endeavors, who unselfishly give in ways that make all our lives better. Their sponsorship is a true gift to residents and visitors of this city. Please take the time to enjoy downtown Knoxville and take in the "big art." This is a Thrifty-and-Proud-of-It endorsement, because the experience of looking at art in public places is free. FYI to all your thrifters, parking in city garages is free in the evenings and on the weekends.

Another component of the DAF arts offerings (free also!) is Joe Parrott's show at the News Sentinel building. The News Sentinel built some very nice gallery space in their relatively new facility, and they routinely have "good stuff" there. I am very partial to Joe's work; and while I must confess that I have not gotten up there yet, I definitely will. For us who have lived around here for a while, Joe's work will take us down Memory Lane. This emphasis on the subject matter should not diminish the experience of taking in his impressionistic style.

Check out www.dogwoodarts.com There is so much going on!!

Those ------ traffic cameras

2010-03-31T19:05:00.000-07:00

To me, Summit Hill crossing Henley used to be just a street. Now I approach it, sometimes twice daily, with teeth clinched and hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. I fear the camera.

Twice I have slammed on the brakes. Unfortunately my husband was in the car and . . ., well let's just say he would NOT have slammed on the brakes.

So far no greeting from the city has come in my mailbox. I have known numerous people how have gotten these tickets. Most of them are turning right on red with stopping. Come on! One of them was at 6:10 a.m. with no other car in sight.

$50 is a significant pop to a budget. Avoid the ticket. Stop on red, count to five and then turn.

Save the Gvt. some money: Fill in the Census Form

2010-03-27T05:24:00.000-07:00

If everyone completed their Census form and sent it in, just think how many fewer workers the government would have to hire to come knocking on those non-compliants' doors next month!

The form is very simple, but it is very important to me as a citizen and in my professional position. First off, as an American I am duty-bound to participate. Secondly, census numbers ultimately impact the funding that goes to my agency, which is heavily federally-funded.

However, we know that many people will either throw away the census form or lose it before it gets filled in and sent, so those throngs of short-term employed will be calling on people in the near future. I know that many of these census workers need these jobs, so this will alleviate some of their financial woes, if just for a little bit.

Time

2009-11-11T01:55:00.000-08:00

"Almost Thanksgiving!"
I've heard that quite a few times lately.
And it makes me sad.
So many people seem to be looking forward; and when that moment comes, does it not last, well, just for a moment?

I am deliberately trying to relish the present, whatever I am in at the moment. I came up with this idea when I was exercising, as I heard the instructor say once more, "almost there," referring to the end of a particular session. That time of being almost there seemed to hang forever, so I decided to focus on enjoying IT. That second, that minute, takes up as much time as the second or minute that I spend lounging with friends on Market Square with a glass of wine in my hand. Is it not as significant in the whole that is called my life? So I am developing a deliberate mind map. As my legs, say, rotate around during a spinning class I envision the fabric of my muscle actually tearing, rebuilding and strengthening. Science is God's art ("what a work of art is man"), and so are the workings of the human body. The experience should be relished and appreciated.

I am responsible for a conference at work every year, and the event is tomorrow. Yesterday I took this new-found commitment and approached the preparations as if they were the end product, not simply to support the main event in a couple of days. It made the work much easier, and I had a greater sense of accomplishment as I typed out the instructions to the facilitators, chatted with the chef, secured the thank-you gifts. I made an effort to be in the moment, and the moment was savored.

That is not to say that one can appreciate what one is not doing. For example, at least once a week I still recognize a particular luxury: I don't have to rush out the door to daycare (which has not been a part of my life for at least 12 years).

The New Kroger

2009-11-05T16:35:00.000-08:00

Today a new Kroger opened in Fountain City. Kroger is a venerable operation in our fair community, so the opening merited a story in the morning newspaper. I read this and I planned to visit the store after work. As I signed out from my office, I told our front desk staff person where I was headed. She said that her daughter had been there and it had been F-U-N! "You can make a meal out of it?" I asked,referring to the anticipated handouts of food samples. She replied "ooohh yeah."

Unfortunately a lot of the merriment had worn off and the food had disappeared by the time I got there at 5:30 p.m. The first omen was that the Mayfield's rep was wheeling her stuff out as I was coming in. She looked BEAT. Yet I moved forward on my entry into the expansive grocery complex. I do believe that there is a disproportional number of families in Fountain City that have three boys. There were a lot of three-boy sets wedged in between the groceries in a lot of carts. And many of the sweet things were tired and hungry. Consequently, there was a lot of squalling. I'd squall, too, if I were three years old, squished in with my two stair-step bros and the grocery shopping experience was constantly marred by a start-and-stop, backing up in response to the number of carts clogging each and every aisle.

Beyond the food that really wasn't there (I did score some Gouda chunks and some pretty good olive-based spread that had been spurned by the 10-year old boy in front of me. In fact, when I saw his nose pierce after checking out the food sample station, I knew I'd have a winner. I just couldn't see him and me having a whole lot in common.), there were two major reasons to go:

1. $500 giveaway
2. $30 Kroger for a new or transferred prescription, only good at this store.

Now I know I won't win the $500, because my husband won an all-expenses paid trip to San Franscisco in 1989, and I figured that win used up all our good luck for the rest of our time on earth. However, we always have prescriptions to transfer.

I read that another Knoxville-based blogger saved 52 percent on her trip to this new Kroger,considering deals and coupon use. I didn't do as well, but we are pickier eaters. You could figure that based on my receipt, I save 37 percent. But to me it's all about the bottom line, which is why, when I dragged my sorry Thursday-night self in at 7 p.m., my husband takes a look at me and says, "oh, let's go out." (remember, we live downtown, so that means three doors down to the brewpub for a burger). And my response was no! we are eating one of these wonderful pizzas that was part of the Kroger mega sale AND I'm getting a rebate on.

Let savings reign!

So far, no new clothes in '09

2009-10-25T04:45:00.000-07:00

I made a pledge at the beginning of the year to not buy any clothes this year. I have only sort of broken that pledge. I had to put in a third of the cost of a new pair of shoes, the two-thirds being paid with a gift card. I outright bought a new pair of shoes at a store that was closing down. The allure was that I bought them for $20 and they were originally $135. I have worn those shoes once and am seriously thinking of taking them to the resale store. I bought some socks that were on close-out at CVS.

Besides just wanting new clothes, there is another reason why you buy: your clothes become unwearable. When you know you cannot replace the clothes, realizing you need to toss an item becomes a very emotional experience.

I pulled out one of my favorite silk scarves, one that has pulled outfits together for me for years. I have probably worn it for twenty years. It was split right down the middle. My late mother had given it to me, and I thought of her. I got a little weepy.

I was walking home (I live downtown) by myself about 7 p.m.last spring. I had on short boots that had very little give at the ankles. I stepped off the sidewalk and lost my balance, falling and tearing a big hole at the knee. I was very lucky that it was a side street and the car that came right up to me as this happened was going very slow. As he stopped and asked if I needed help, I almost starting crying. Not because it hurt (and it did. Pretty significant bleeding going on.), but because I knew I had ruined a wonderful pair of slacks that I gotten five months before with a gift certificate that someone had given me.

I have some Banana Republic silk pants that have a great chameleon characteristic. I bought them for next to nothing at the resale store because, frankly, they are very out of style. Straight lines with a split at the ankles. But honestly, they go with about 2/3 of what is in my closet. I could never justify dry cleaning them, so I handwash them, and I have spent significant time coaxing spots and stains out. However, the delicate nature of the fabric is showing my work and they are now lighter in a couple of places where I scrubbed harder than I should. I am coming very near to tossing them but can't seem to.

My daughter has lost some weight recently. Maybe she'll bring me some of her too-big clothes. Unfortunately, I would have to lose 20 pounds to get in these too-big clothes.

I better go for a power walk this morning.

Why Scripps was at our place

2009-10-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

Knoxville, Tennessee, is the home of Scripps Networks. Of course it is most economical to stay locally for locations. A couple of years ago an e-mail was sent out seeking downtown condo dwellings. We apparently had a look they could use with exposed brick and high ceilings as they decided to make an image portfolio of our home. Months went by after they did that initial set of photographs, and then last fall they did a Garnier skin treatment commercial here. I wish I had the right equipment to load it on this blog.

The most recent shoot was for a pilot, so I doubt it will be on tv.

Last year my husband was on for about 30 seconds as "the architect friend being consulted" on a DIY episode (for which he was not paid). The stories are run numerous times, and once in a while a long-distance relative or friend will let us know that they saw him.

There is significant short-term sacrifice to having a 20+ crew take over your home-sweet-home, particularly for my husband who now works from our home. Some years ago I was in a piece (I was the aging-issues expert for an info-mercial) that was filmed in a very traditional home. With just a few decorative changes the house could be transformed, so the owners had a lot of work. The owners even got compensated one time with a new gas cooktop. The production companies were filming many kitchen scenes and they wanted a newer look. Yet her teenagers looked restrained in their moving around the house while I was there. Their home was not their own while the crews were on site, and they knew it. It was summer break and they tip-toed into the kitchen and slipped out with their breakfast, to take it back to their bedrooms. No sitting at the kitchen table perusing the morning paper and watching tv!

Inconveniences for which we do get paid.

Some years ago there was a company here called Whittle Communications that printed a lot of ad-type literature. Like Scripps needs homes, they needed people. Our two-year old appeared in a Crest Toothpaste brochure to be displayed at dentists' offices. That was work, too. It was three hours of getting made up (my baby had on mascara and foundation to even her skin tone out!), choosing the right clothes and shooting numerous angles. She got tired and was very confused with much of the goings-on. We never even tried to do another one.

But Scripps, my husband and I are always willing. I hope they call again.

Getting Back on the Blog Bus

2009-10-20T02:26:00.000-07:00

I pledge to do some active blogging in the short run:

My daughter reminded me that I had made a commitment to "find $5,000 outside my regular income." I'm not even going to go back and determine where I left off, because I realized that there were some ways of making money that I didn't want to share. They weren't illegal. It's just that I was raised not to talk about personal income, so I hit the wall when it came to sharing the more unusual ways that we have been making money. For example, a couple of weeks ago Scripps Networks came and filmed a session in our home. They paid us money. But I think it's bad manners to say how much. However, there was a certain exchange for this payment, most particularly a little disruption of our home as shown in the pictures. I must say, though, that everything was in right order when it was all over. Thanks, Scripps!

Slugmama, come on down

2009-10-14T02:08:00.000-07:00

Didn't get a response from other person that I named as winner. Slugmama, could you send your mailinginfo to thriftyandproudofit@gmail.com? Thanks!

Linda is the winner

2009-10-10T04:04:00.000-07:00

Linda, please write me at thriftyandproudofit@gmail.com and give me your shipping information. You are the winner. Thanks for participating.

Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters Giveaway

2009-10-01T01:58:00.001-07:00

Give-Away!

The folks at Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters have sent me a really neat hiking pack. I was getting inspired watching the national parks series on PBS, so I thought it was interesting that I would get this kit right now.

Of course, it is full of delicious Granola Nut Clusters.

I get to give one of these kits away.

Deadline is Tuesday, October 6, 10 p.m. I'll announce the winner by Thursday, October 8, 10 p.m.

To enter the contest, tell me which is your favorite national park. The Great Smokies Park is exempt, since I live near there.

Your computer as a coffee warmer

2009-09-23T03:29:00.000-07:00

I just realized that the exhaust vent of my computer can help keep my coffee warmer. Seriously! The cup, which I have placed right next to the computer, is hotter on that side.

The Fair

2009-09-16T02:26:00.000-07:00

This is number 90 for the Tennessee Valley Fair currently running. It used to be called the TVA&I Fair, which stood for Tennessee Valley Agricultural and Industrial Fair. A lot of people used to get TVA&I and TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) mixed up. Additionally, the aspect of looking at agricultural and industrial advances sound passe, so I am sure that at some point it was easy to change the name.

Last week I attended the kick off and happened to sit with a table of long-time friends. We reminisced over our favorite rides and activities. For us kids,the fair was magical. Sure, there was other entertainment, such as Rebel Railroad (on the same location as Dollywood is now) and over in North Carolina there was Ghost Town and Tweetsie Railroad, but all of it was very low-key. There were no Splash Countriy or Six Flags to compete. Disneyworld had not been built, and nobody I knew had gone to California to Disneyland.

The competitions in the current fair are frozen in time, which is part of the charm. I didn't make it over to the Jacob building this year, but last year they had tobacco competition. hmmm. Maybe they should have switchgrass next year. Of course, they may already have.

This week I helped staff "Senior Day" sponsored by Mercy Health Partners. This gives us, social service and healthcare professionals, an up-close opportunity with a lot of East Tennessee elders. For those over 65, admission was free. While many agencies had informational booths such as we did, people came for the free entertainment--the one-armed juggler, "Barney Fife," a homegrown version of "The Price is Right," bingo, and; of course, some locals dishing up some familiar country tunes. Since this is a regional fair, many groups in vans came from counties as far as Monroe.

As I had been before, I remembered to pack my lunch. Unfortunately, 2/3 of the food offerings are fried. This is so different than when I grew up. Churches would have their own sites, with cooking tents and plenty of seating. One piece of family lore is that my aunt almost frostbit her finger trying to scoop ice cream as rapidly as was the demand. Once in a while my mother would feel ecumenical and we would buy a cookie from a Baptist.

Last week my sister wrote on her Facebook that she had attended the Minnesota State Fair, which reminded her of going every year to the fair here in Knoxville. I have a correction: We only went to the fair every other year. The alternate year we went to Holiday on Ice. Remember, mother was thrify!

Good advice from our secretary of energy

2009-09-14T20:41:00.001-07:00

I heard Steven Chu, the Secretary of Energy, on NPR's Morning Edition today. He had some very practical approaches to saving energy and resources, something different from what has now become mainstream as the green movement.

U-Promise.com

2009-09-01T01:42:00.000-07:00

I signed up for U-Promise at least eight years ago. The main way that U-Promise makes its money is that it facilitates bonuses from purchases to be deposited into a 529 account for college.

I am not the best member of U-Promise, because I don't buy much stuff on-line. Instead of my account balance leaping ahead with major on-line purchases, it moves forward at the rate of a glacier (before global warming). Most of my credits are $.02/.04 here or there from one percent on my orange juice or window cleaner purchase. Once in a while it lurches ahead as one receives up to eight percent on some restaurant purchases, and there are a few registered that are downtown. I tried to sign up my daughter as a friend/contributor, but somehow that hasn't worked. (I am sure that it is a matter of tweaking it, but whoever remembers when she is in town?)

The main source of credit I deposit is through participating in an affiliate survey program, E-rewards. I make a whopping $2 on average for a survey. Those do add up.

Also, I am out of the college-funding business. If my two 20-somethings want to go back to school, it's on their dime.

So why do I participate? It's a passive participation. I'm already signed up, so when I just happen to make a purchase of a U-promise partner, I get credit.

BUT BUT BUT the best reason is that I don't really have to put the money into a 529 account. I can cash it out. Under the option "Redemption is easy," I follow the "get check for college expenses." These cash-outs are distributed quarterly. I am looking forward to a $75 check in the next cycle. REAL money!

I'm a Metro Pulse Winner!!

2009-08-27T04:32:00.000-07:00

On page six of today's Metro Pulse there is note that I am the winner of last week's "Where is the MetroGnome?" I cannot pull it up, but the announcement goes:
"Marie Alcorn responded at lightning speed with her somewhat terse answer: 'Gnome is at Mabry Hazen House.' Her alacrity will be rewarded with a paperback copy of Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey." Yahoo! A free book!!

"Terse" I can take. At least they didn't call my response "twitter-like."

2009-08-26T17:57:00.001-07:00

Voodoo Math

2009-08-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

Just an update on make finding the $5K. Since I write the rules, I can make the math rules, too. Let's say I saved $58 of the stuff mentioned in the previous blog. So I'm up to $363.91. Eek. Not going up as fast as I had hoped.

Free Food!!

2009-08-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

Last week was really great when it came to "free" food. First, I applied a $20 credit coupon at Kroger's for filling a new prescription, and then lucky for me it was Mega Week at the store. The deal with Mega items is that if you get ten of the identified items, you get $5 off. I got ten of the identified items, and for each one I had a coupon. It's always fuzzy math, but after everything was applied, I owed Kroger around $14 for $34 worth of food. But with my $20 credit, no money came out of my wallet!!

Then my husband came home from visiting his mother with a bunch of what should be frozen food and tomatoes. The frozen food came from her just-broken-down in the garage refrigerator, and the tomatoes came from a neighbor who had a bumper crop. I am very sorry that her refrigerator broke down. She is as thrifty as I am, so I know this hurts. However, she is a very good planner and is certain to have the cash stashed to buy a new fridge.

THEN it's close enough to my birthday (I will not share which day or how many years.) that a couple of free coupons came in. (I applied months ago.) I got a free HUGE burger and fries from Ruby Tuesday, which I ate the night my husband was at a meeting. I got a HUGE burrito at Moe's, of which I ate half for lunch and the rest for part of my supper.

I got a couple of other birthday gifts,but they weren't free; so they'll go unfulfilled.

I get a real high when I do not have to spend anything, which apparently is a scientifically proved experience. Thanks to a fellow Facebooker I read the following today from author Ellen Ruppel Shell: Brain studies show that the human brain "lights up" at the prospect of a bargain. Stanford neuroscientist Brian Knutson used fMRI to peer into the brains of subjects as they contemplated making a purchase and found distinct brain circuits anticipating gain and loss -- when subjects were presented with prices they considered excessive, the insula, the region associated with guilt, humiliation, and pride, lit up. Confronted with discounts, nucleus acumbus -- a brain region associated with pleasure -- lit up like a Christmas tree.

People don't like to spend money, they consider it a loss, but a discount "reframes" the spending as a gain. This might sound weird -- after all, even when you get a discount you are spending money, but your brain doesn't see it that way. This is why we so often overbuy in response to discounts, especially deep discounts.

When I don't have to get any money out, my nucleus acumbus is not just a Christmas Tree--it's the one in Rockefeller Center.

Facebook--what's it all about anyway?

2009-08-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

I told a colleague at work today that I am not mean enough to be really funny in this blog. I am not mean enough to be effective about a lot of things. However, I am going to write something that might hurt a few feelings-- Facebookers of this world, please review and re-review what you are posting.

Do you really like your friends? If so, do you want them to spend some of their hard-earned time reading your streams-of-consciousness? Let me suggest this: type out your comment, edit it a few times,and then erase it. Yeah, it kind of is like the scene in Sex and the City when Cary was in California and an old friend consumed a whole steak right in front of her--bite by bite, one by one of which he deposited in his napkin. Had to watch his weight.

There--I have said it. Facebookers, please be thrifty with your postings. Thank you. Those who feel as I do--perhaps we can change the world one Facebooker at a time.

Update on Finding $5K

2009-08-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

I saved $46 in coupons and savings this week. Additionally I participated in a focus group for $100.

$159.91 beginning
146.00
305.91 total savings to date.

I got a prescription for which I was totally ready to pay some money, but it turned out it was generic and I paid nothing. I was fortunate to get some coupons at home from Kroger's, so I got $20 gift certificate for my new prescription. Interestingly, I had gotten a $25 offer from CVS last visit, but I NEVER spend $25 in CVS at one time, so I figured that $20 at Kroger's was worth more to me.

Knox County Schools Coupon Book

2009-08-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

LESS THAN THREE WEEKS before this year's coupon book expires. I am always sad during the time between the book expires and the new one comes out. I use some of the coupons, certainly much more than to recoup the $10 cost; but thumbing through the coupon book is my favorite past-time when I get held up at railroad crossings.

I got another book just a few weeks ago from a Freecycler, and she didn't use my favorites. I am happy. I'm probably going to use some in the next few weeks simply because they are about to expire (this is probably a big no-no for couponistas.) One I'm thinking about is for getting six Chick-fil-A minis for the price of three. I'll think I'll saunter down to the location in the First Tennessee Plaza building this week. I hope they don't remember me when I came in "dressed like a cow" on Cow Appreciation Day. I really didn't do a good job.

I ran into Mary K., who oversees the production of the book, a few weeks ago at the doctor's. (Don't worry, our appointments were check-ups for both of us.) She was in good spirits because she had just sent the book off to the printer that we'll get to buy this fall. She is certainly passionate about the coupon book, but she is even more passionate about providing these extra funds for the schools. I encourage you to buy a book or two even if your children don't go to public schools. Quality public schools are good for us all!

Living with One Who Is Not Like Me

2009-08-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

I consider Ms. Cheap of the Nashville Tennessean to be a money-saving icon, but one comment she made about NOT saving money has helped me keep my sanity. She remarked that early on she sent her husband to the store with a list and a corresponding bundle of coupons. He came back with the right items, but sometime later she found the coupons on the floorboard of his car.

My husband is something of the same sort. While he certainly likes to save money and is always looking for ways to buy what we need at the best price, he does not share my passion for clipping coupons and planning my trips to pick up a few items here or there. Granted, I could not justify the money-"made" aspect of this avocation to replace my regular job, but it is keeping a little more money in my pocket and IT IS FUN! I LIKE IT! It wouldn't be fun for him, so therein lies the difference. Additionally, I have developed some on-line relationships with some really amazing money-savers.

When we first were considering moving downtown I had planned to learn how to play golf. I figured all that time that I used to apply to yard work could be spent on the golf course. I never got around to the golf thing. If I had, I probably wouldn't have any time left for couponing. Wow, saving money on not playing golf PLUS saving money on the coupons--I'm way ahead money-wise!

Update on the $5K:
Turns out eye drops are a medical flex fundable item, so I filed for a reimbursement on the drops that I had made $1.50 on at CVS last week (item earned full value coupon plus I used a $1.50 coupon). That means what I paid for the eye drops was with pre-income tax dollars. whoo-who!

previous saved amount:$134.16
found a penny on sidewalk at work, $.01
difference in my paying for the eyedrops with pre-tax dollars than with post-income tax dollars: $1.44 (I can't count the whole amount because I am funding my flex fund with pre-tax salary dollars every payday.)
According to my Walgreens receipt of August 6, I saved $24.30 on a trip for which I paid out $24.52 (and I got $10 RR, but I won't count the $10 until I actually use it. Yes, I have been known to lose some or let them expire.)
Total found of my $5K as of Day Nine: 159.91

Label Post

2009-08-06T07:15:00.000-07:00

Savings, Enjoying Life, Finding $5291

Update on $5K found

2009-08-04T15:57:00.001-07:00

Beginning $91.86
Bought Gas in Crossville $2.17/gal, $.06 less than in Knoxville $.72
Rebate on purchases 38.08
Coupon/CVS "bucks" $3.50

Total saved $134.16

Finding $5K

2009-07-31T02:08:00.000-07:00

There's a lot in my life that I cannot control: the economy, the real estate market, the way other people treat me.

There's a lot in my life that I can control: what kind of effort I put into my job, how I treat others, and HOW I SAVE MONEY!!!

I have decided to see how long it takes me to "earn" $5,000. I'm calling it my self-raise. This number has nothing to do with budgeting, paying off bills or anything like that. It is about purely finding money. I started it last week, and here goes:

What Kroger said I saved one trip $48.03
Picked up check for resold clothes at Repeat Boutique 11.13
I found a dime in the CourtSouth parking lot .10
I was in Newport where they had $2.18 gas. Got
seven gallons while best price in Knoxville was $2.23
-Always try to keep some space in your tank for gas savings .35
Used $2 rewards credit at Walgreens 2.00
Used CVS rewards credit 4.00
Water instead of tea with restaurant meal 2.00
What Kroger said I saved one trip
(Receipt said I save 54%!) 24.25
Total $91.86

Wow! Only $4908.14 to go. That was about what my yearly earning was the first year I was out of college.

Winners of Yoplait Yogurt Coupon & Stationery

2009-07-23T22:01:00.001-07:00

The winners of the contest are slugmama and Kelly Sewell.

Please e-mail me back at thriftyandproudofit@gmail.com by this Sunday evening with your mailing address so that your package can be shipped to you.

Thanks to everyone for participating!!

Check Out This Giveaway: Yoplait Thick & Creamy Yogurt is my brand. It Could Be Yours!

2009-07-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

I was recently sent a coupon for Yoplait Thick & Creamy along with a cute set of stationery. Perfect! How did they know that I needed to write some thank-you notes? AND eating Yoplait Thick & Creamy is more like eating a fruit custard. I love it. My favorite flavor is "Light" Cherry Cobbler--100 calories and fat free! Because it is so thick, the experience takes a little longer--just like writing a letter long-hand takes longer than writing an e-mail.

Yoplait wants to let other folks find out how good their yogurt is, too; so they have asked me to pick out two of "Thrifty" readers to get the kit that I was sent. In order to make this a little contest, I ask that you please answer the following question by 10 p.m., Thursday, July 23:

In today's busy world, when is it still absolutely de rigueur to hand-write a note or letter?

Post your response as a comment. After I pick the winners, I'll announce them on this blog. The winners can then e-mail me their shipping info. Thanks for participating!

Being the Victim

2009-07-19T03:32:00.000-07:00

Christmas, 1979: Bob and I returned home from his parents' for Christmas. At the time we lived in a very modest secluded house tucked in the woods of an upscale neighborhood (Johnny Majors, at that time the coach of the UT Football team, lived close by.). We found our house ransacked. They didn't take our new tv, they didn't take anything BUT our silver that I had hidden in a closet. Why the silver? A little history, according to Brian Trumbore with StockandNews:

In 1973, the Hunt family of Texas, possibly the richest family in the country at the time, decided to buy precious metals as a hedge against inflation. Gold could not be held by private citizens at that time, so the Hunts began to buy silver in enormous quantity. In 1979 the sons of patriarch H.L. Hunt, Nelson Bunker and William Herbert, together with some wealthy Arabs, formed a silver pool. In a short period of time they had amassed more than 200 million ounces of silver, equivalent to half the world's deliverable supply. When the Hunts had begun accumulating silver back in 1973 the price was in the $1.95 / ounce range. Early in '79, the price was about $5. Late '79 / early '80 the price was in the $50's, peaking at $54. Once the silver market was cornered, outsiders joined the chase but a combination of changed trading rules on the New York Metals Market (COMEX) and the intervention of the Federal Reserve put an end to the game. The price began to slide, culminating in a 50% one-day decline on March 27, 1980 as the price plummeted from $21.62 to $10.80.

Many of "the outsiders (who) joined the chase" were common thieves stealing the silver and melting it down as soon as they could to sell it. Thousands of antiques and heirlooms, like mine, were gone forever. The recent copper thieving is nothing like with the silver scare. With the break-in, I felt so violated. As naive as it sounds, I simply could not imagine anyone being in MY house who I did not intend to be in there--people looking through my drawers, my file cabinet . . . The deputy responding to the call gave us words of little comfort in that he said that now that our little house with such vulnerability was discovered, that the silver thieves might likely tell their friends, the tv and small appliance thieves, and we might likely be hit again. Unfortunately, that feeling has come back with the reoccurrence of others taking what is rightfully mine.

For the past three days someone has come inside our gate and taken both our newspaper and that of our neighbor's. They have left the plastic protector sleeves to make sure that we got the message that they are in control. This morning they got even bolder: They left the sleeves very close to our elevator, which meant they walked from Gay Street to the back of the building.

Somewhere in downtown Knoxville the newspaper, that WE paid for, has been thrown in a gutter. Did they really read it, or are they taking it just for sport? Of course, in addition to not reading the news on the printed page, I am having trouble knowing that I'm not getting those coupons today.

Rebate Wrangle

2009-07-16T17:56:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to Fellini Kroger's. The deals are particularly good at Kroger's this week. I was buying a lot of duplicates and was obsessed with keeping the item count versus coupons in sync. One mistake I made, though: I was purchasing items that I would ultimately use for two rebates; and the original receipt is required for a rebate. That means I needed two original receipts. I didn't remember that until I got outside, so I turned around to "return" one of the rebate items and be issued a new receipt.

The clerk had "Long Island, New York" on her Kroger nametag. hmm, interesting, I thought . . . and THEN she claimed that she had never heard of rebates, so I took five minutes to try to explain why I needed a separate receipt. I'm thinking this New York versus Tennessee thing is wider than I first imagined. Only when another clerk, who by his accent was clearly from around here, showed her how to process the transaction did she understand. I even took the time to walk back to my car and retrieve the rebate forms and show her. THEN she was getting sort of interested. She asked me where I got them (from notices from coupon bloggers) and nodded her head. I think she might check the rebate thing out a little further.

FYI, one rebate is for a Tyson Fajita kit (rebate $4.99) and the other is for ten Kellogg's items ($10 rebate plus $70 on a Dell computer. I'm really wanting my own laptop.). I had coupons for a dollar off the Tyson kit and at least $.75 off each box of cereal. I spent $56.24 last night, and the receipt shows I saved 48.56 through coupon and Kroger special deals.

Free Fish Taco! Cheap Gas

2009-07-14T04:33:00.001-07:00

Life is grand!

I have doctor's appointment this morning (oh, that is NOT why life is grand. Read on). When I finish, I'll go back to work via Oak Ridge Hwy/Western Avenue. Without going off my route, I'll get the less expensive gas at Raceway, ($2.33 a gallon per http://www.knoxvillegasprices.com) and a FREE fish taco at Long John Silver's. (Oh, yesterday I got the free Mocha at McDonald's while I was out on Kingston Pike.)

Besides just running a simple budget of how much money spent/saved, I would like to factor in time and gasoline spent. That is why it is significant that I am not going off my route back to work and getting these savings.

Last week I misunderstood one of the offers at CVS, so I bought the wrong kind of cereal. I was tempted to go back immediately and fix it, but that would have meant more gasoline used. I knew that I would be back by CVS before the week was out, so I had to be patient and wait. Delayed gratification is good for the soul.

A Little Bit on Litton's

2009-07-12T05:43:00.001-07:00

I went to Litton's with some friends yesterday. I go to Litton's for one thing: the burger.

The burger platter is $8.99, which includes a side (the assumed being French Fries).
Just a burger is $6.99.

When you get the French Fries with the platter, you get a huge basket of Fries, probably equal to four regular orders of McDonald's.

So, if you are with another and you both want Fries, I would suggest that only one person order the platter. Otherwise you will be leaving a lot on the table or taking them home, putting them in the refrigerator and throwing them out next week.

FYI, a free-standing order of the same Fries is $5.50.

I am a self-proclaimed non-French Fries eater, but I still had a couple of their hand-cut Fries out of my friend's basket. They are that good.

A Good Thrifty Day

2009-07-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

Great Thra-ifty Day! At
7 a.m. I unloaded my surplus of Coke cases on a fellow downtowner who does not have a car. (He chooses not to.) It is challenging in what kind of choices you have to make in the grocery store when you don't have a vehicle and you don't have a garage attached to your house to walk the goods right into your kitchen. Because of restrictions such as this, you'll choose to accept the kind-of-kooky offer like when I asked him to take some of my Cokes. I could give him a big discount because I bought on sale AND used coupons and passed savings on to him (oh, I placed them in our bag with the 'walking wheels' that made it easier to move them into his condo). I went crazy during the Coke sales during the past couple of weeks, and our storage is finite. Thank you, fellow downtowner, for lessening the clutter in our pantry.

At 7:15 a.m. After I dropped my fellow downtowner off at the bus stop on Cumberland so that he could go to work way in the 'burbs. His business is on Sherrill Boulevard, as in "Harold Sherrill." I grew up riding horses at Mr. Harold Sherrill's stables on that very spot circa 1960's, and I am sure Mr. Sherrill would chuckle if he saw the transformation of his expanse of land. But I digress.

Think about it: my friend LIVES DOWNTOWN, and he WORKS IN THE SUBURBS. At least his bus is going against the traffic. I parked the car and moo-ved over to the First Tennessee Plaza with an intent for a free sausage biscuit. Today is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A; so if you dress like a cow, you will be given a free entree. I had a pair of black shorts and a white top on that I had on from workout earlier. I walked in with the download that I got from Chick-fil-A, which included printed out cow ears and a cow nose. I got in line and caught the eye of the woman next to me. I said, "Did you know it's Cow Appreciation Day? I am going to 'dress' like a cow!" I don't think she knew of this annual celebration. She looked a hole through me.

The last time I got a look like that woman gave me was when I was 19 and went up to visit my dad in his downtown law office, dressed in my best fashion of 1972: hip-hugger jeans and a knit crop top. My friend with me had the most gorgeous hair, cascading over his shoulders, but a few of Daddy's clients clearly gave me and my friend "that look" as we rode down the elevator with them. (And for anyone reading this blog who is old enough and has long Knoxville roots, one was the elder Mr. Tom Broadus who really gave us "the look.") But I digress--again.

It was my time to order. I got a little nervous. I asked the clerk if anyone had come in dressed like a cow. She said no. I pulled out my ears and nose and asked if I had to really put them on to get a free sausage and biscuit. The clerk did not say ANYTHING, so I gestured with a safety pin as if I were going to pin the ears to my shirt. She acquiesced and put in the order for the sausage and biscuit. I returned home and presented the prize to my husband. He was content, but I did not divulge how I got it. But he knows better than to think that I actually paid for it.

From some Facebook entries I saw, throughout the day people took this dressing-like-a-cow thing very seriously.

AFTER WORK, I went to our new Earth Fare at what I fondly remember as the location of the Knoxville Drive-in. We used to sit in the parking lot at Long's and "watch" the movies. Of course, with no sound it was really hard to keep up with the plot. We usually did this for five-ten minutes and gave up. I digress----again!

With a store-generated coupon mailed to us and a plethora of Kashi coupons, I ended up saving nearly fifty percent over what I would have paid without the coupons. Additionally, much of what I bought was on special, so the prices were competitive with mainline stores such as Kroger.

THEN I took a coupon good for a little gift pack from Aveda that I obtained from their location at Western Plaza. I had downloaded the coupon for it from a coupon blogger. (going down Memory Lane again, does anyone remember Ray's Grocery Store on that spot in the 50's? How about Hall-Brown's in the 60's? oops, another digression.)

Yea! I thrifty-scored four times today! And obviously in terrritory with which I am very familiar!

No free ice cream for me!

2009-07-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

Starbucks Ice Cream is giving away coupons for free pints, 800 per hour through Facebook. I had tried a couple of times to get one; and I finally got in, only to learn that as a Tennessee resident, I could not receive the coupon. So I filled in my sister's info in Minnesota.

This is kind of funny, actually. Minnesota has a much better health rate than Tennessee. Tennesseans' obesity rate is greater. Maybe the Starbucks Ice Cream people are trying to help us Tennesseans out by not providing us the ice cream.

Fun Evening at Regas

2009-07-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

We walked down to Regas to their 90th anniversary celebration. There are new items on the menu, there is new art on the walls, but it is still good old Regas. It felt like Happy Hour in the 1970's all over again.

Question, though: aren't there enough Pinot Grigio drinkers in the world to have it as a bar standard? I am just not a Chardonnay drinker, and I'd like to keep my bar tab to a minimum, especially on a Tuesday night!

Advice: Follow the Homemade Signs

2009-07-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

We spent last weekend with relatives in Williamson County, which is the fastest growing county in the state. Affluence is extensive. There is growing industry and scores of new housing developments, yet one can turn down a highway and find time standing still, as we did.

We were driving out in the country, checking out some land that a relative was considering buying, when we saw a hand-painted sign simply indicating "Tomatoes" were up a gravel driveway. "Yes!! local tomatoes that'll really taste like tomatoes!" said my sister-in-law. We turned in and drove along ancient trees as we passed corn, sunflowers, blackberries, and tomatoes. My husband noted that the house was a frame structure built onto a log cabin. We drove around the back and saw vegetables on the back porch. Figuring that we were on the honor system, we stopped the car and walked up to the house and decided to buy tomatoes and squash. That's when Mr. M came out of nowhere.

We soon realized that this would not be a simple business transaction. Fifteen minutes later we knew we had met an interesting fellow, a hardworking person who had a straightforward affinity for sharing with strangers. His face was chiseled by the weather and his hands were worn. He speech was deliberate as he reviewed his work history (rodeo--until he could buy his first house at the age of 23, decades of construction, and currently supporting his son's local race horsing) and some of the history of the farm and the house (the log part was built in 1835). If we'd stayed any longer, lemonade, no doubt, would have made its way into the mix. It was truly an enriching experience, meeting this man who seems to understand the present but liberally applies the nuances of the past, particularly by where he set his vegetable prices. We paid half of what we would have in the supermarket. Go, thrifty!

I'm sure that Mr. M knew exactly where he had set his prices in relation to commercial outlets.

Water Not Wasted

2009-07-03T02:29:00.000-07:00

I may be repeating myself in this blog, but I am not a gardener; but my husband is. We live in a condo with an ample deck and balcony. Within the past couple of weeks his hard work is starting to pay off. I am glad that we have had three groups visit recently (we were on the East Tennessee Design Center Tour, part of the downtown Knox Heritage Secret Supper and hosted the All Souls Church Justice Team breakfast) so that others could appreciate his handiwork. Within a month those parking in our back lot and coming to the Mast General Store, the Brewery and Sapphires will be able to see Morning Glories and Cardinal Vines cascading over the railing.

Watering is a challenge. Eventually we will get a system on the roof to capture rainwater (probably working with the folks at Beardsley Farm to design it), but in the meantime we are using our "brown water" from the kitchen to water the plants. We keep a bucket in one sink to capture the "warming up water," etc. Not much, but it's a start.

Free Cupcakes at Magpies

2009-07-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

Yum! Every month Magpies has a free tasting. They present three versions. You get to have one each of their mini cupcakes and vote for your favorite and then they incorporate the selected flavor into their line-up or something. "Mudslide," "Strawberry Daiquiri," and "Blueberry Martini" were today's selections. I voted for the blueberry.

Oh, yes, they also have wonderful Cruze milk to go along. Great way to start the holiday weekend.

www.magpiescakes.com

Coked up

2009-07-01T14:45:00.001-07:00

There are lots of wonderful websites and blogs that give you great information about saving money through store deals/couponing. These are all maintained by Knoxville gals:

couponmommie.com
couponkatie.com
couponingincriticaltimes.blogspot.com
countingthecost.com

Soooo, I had fashioned that this blog was not about those kinds of saving maneuvers. However, I have got to brag: Yesterday I got five cartons of Cokes at Kroger's for $8. I had stashed four $1 coupons for Coke cartons (they might have been from registering "My Coke" rewards--the little numbers under the lids or on the cartons.). At Kroger this week you buy four cartons for $12 and get a fifth one free. I saw this dude walking around the store with one carton, and I was tempted to sell him one of my cartons for $2.50. He would have saved money, I would have made money; but most likely he would have thought I was C-R-A-Z-Y. However, it sometimes works . . .

Once when I turned books in at McKay's Used Books, I got the store credit. They give you more credit than you get in cash. The next trip I walked up to a fellow with a big order, offered my credit slip for less than the face value but more than they would have given me in cash. I did this in plain sight, and the clerk said something to the effect of "way to go."

I turned this into the Nashville Tennessean's Ms. Cheap contest, along with some other ideas, and was named one of the top 50 thrifty and got a lot of cool stuff from local merchants. I sent my Nashville sister-in-law to the luncheon at the Palm Restaurant to accept my goods. She was happy to oblige.

Ya Snooze, Ya Lose

2009-06-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

Glidden Paint had proposed to give away one quart of paint per person during a week or until they ran out. www.glidden.com/promotions/free-paint-giveaway.do

They ran out in two days. No surprise to anyone, I am sure.

Before I knew they ran out I came up with this fantastic plan to put the paint to a good use.

Since we moved in late '07, I'm not in the personal painting mood; so I called around to find some needy painter person. It turns out that my daughter's boyfriend is getting ready to paint his condo. The plan was to have a bunch of people order the same color so that he would paint his place with free paint.

This little scheme took way too much time to develop before the opportunity was gone.

But I'll be ready for the next great paint giveaway (What? You don't think there will another paint giveaway soon? I'll never score on paint!!!).

Most unique sample

2009-06-24T02:32:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of samples from manufacturers. It is fairly predictable how shampoo, lotion or even cereal samples are going to come packaged, but we were a bit amused with this toilet paper. While the width is "regulation," the cardboard roll is not.

Impulse? Shopping Rewarded

2009-06-18T02:13:00.001-07:00

Since I have decided to not buy anything in 2009 (I already blew that by adding less than $5 cash to a gift certificate to buy a pair of desperately-needed brown heels), any purchase feels like an impulse. I fell to temptation in April when I was in Memphis, but it was a special situation.

We were downtown and came upon this wonderful little boutique, but they had obviously had a going-out-of-business paaatee the night before. There were lots of beer and wine bottles open around, evidence of snack food; but right in the middle were the remnants of what was left of the inventory. They were practically giving it away. I found these shoes. They were so funky but they fit like gloves. Wow. I asked how much. "$20." I looked at the box, and they were originally $135. Sold!

I finally got the courage to wear them for the first time yesterday. Got three compliments. Good purchase.

$5: T-Shirt and a Good Time

2009-06-12T02:12:00.000-07:00

My husband, my son and I got to traverse the new part of the interstate at the fast 40 dash last night along with 1600 others. Less expensive than hanging out at Sundown in the City.

Warning: Don't Be Tempted to Decrease Grocery Bill by Increasing Pasta

2009-06-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in the previous blog, we gave ourselves a treat and bought this past Sunday's New York Times. In there was an article about the recession from Walmart's point of view:

With the recession in its 18th month and unemployment now topping 9 percent, even semi-conspicuous consumption is a distant memory. Consumers are hunkered down. But when they do venture out, chances are they’re on their way to places like Wal-Mart and other big discount chains.

“Our sales — it’s like holding up a mirror to our society,” said John E. Fleming, the chief merchandising officer for Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer.

So what are Wal-Mart, with 4,100 stores across the country, and other major retailers seeing?

Less browsing in the aisles, for one thing. Consumers now are “very disciplined in terms of making sure that they don’t go beyond what they have on their lists,” Kathryn A. Tesija, Target’s executive vice president of merchandising, told investors recently.

Food, of course, is high on those lists (discretionary items like clothes and furniture are not). But consumers are cracking their wallets only so far. Many are trading down to private label groceries. At Wal-Mart, sales of refrigerated pizza were up last month compared with a year ago. Lower grades of meat are outselling the higher-grade, pricier cuts. A recession protein hierarchy has emerged, with ground beef trumping steak, and chicken trumping beef. Some consumers are forgoing protein altogether, opting for pasta.

“We’re seeing a movement away from protein into carbohydrates,” Mr. Fleming said. “It stretches the dollar a lot further.”

Retailers generally don’t divulge details of their sales by category of goods. But they were willing to discuss trends. One stood out: consumers are discovering there’s no place like home.

“This whole idea of staying home and entertaining at home, we’re seeing that everywhere,” Mr. Fleming said, “from the ‘take and bake’ pizza to the $5 movies.” Ms. Tesija noted that “sales of popcorn poppers and microwave poppers are very strong.”

Retailers say consumers are trying to make being cooped up as painless as possible. Mr. Fleming said that would explain why even in this economy, sales of flat-panel and high-definition televisions at Wal-Mart are strong. After all, the retailer’s $378, 32-inch RCA LCD television is more affordable than a vacation. (Which may be why retailers like Macy’s say luggage sales are among their weakest categories.)

Home Depot’s Craig Menear, executive vice president for merchandising, told investors recently that vegetable and herb sales were thriving because “more customers are opting to grow their own vegetable gardens.”

Car maintenance and repair is also big. Sales of motor oil, filters and tires are among Wal-Mart’s top sellers. “Anything that helps their car last longer is doing well because they’re not buying new cars,” Mr. Fleming said.

Consumers are spending to keep themselves in good health too, for fear of having to miss work. Wal-Mart said sales of vitamins are robust. So are sales of over-the-counter medications. Sales of sleep aids, pain relievers and antacids have spiked.

Home repair projects are also a priority. Home Depot’s basic repair and maintenance products — plumbing items, roofing materials, caulk — have sold better than other items.

At Wal-Mart, sales of baby formula and clothing are up. Still, Mr. Fleming said Wal-Mart could tell when parents were strapped: in the first weeks of the month they buy packs of 88 diapers; by the end of the month they’re buying the 40-pack. And at Sam’s Club, sales of pull-ups — that intermediate step between diapers and underwear — are down, suggesting parents are moving their children directly to underwear to save money.

The bottom, apparently, has met the bottom.

When I was potty-training, we didn't even have pull-ups. The development of pull-ups is a classic case of perceived need "sold" to the American market. I am glad that some people are skipping what I see as an unneeded expense and potty training like we did in the old days.

However, the scariest part of this article was reinforced by a radio interview today, on Public Radio, by Bob Edwards of Dr. William Meller, an expert in evolutionary medicine. Dr. Meller explained that while our ancestors had relatively plenty of protein and consequently we are wired to stop when we are sated, full-blown carbohydrates are a relative newcomer to man's diet; and there is nothing in our system to tell us when to stop eating bread, pasta or chips. I know personally that is true. I often refer to "munchies" as my "drug of choice" because sometimes I seem addicted to them as I eat too much when I am tired or in a down mood. Companies such as Lay's Potato Chips know this behavior well. Their ads in the last decade ended with "You just can't eat just one."

Dr. Meller also noted that six percent of health care costs in America are related to diabetes, much of which is a result of eating too much bad stuff such as carbohydrates. Unfortunately in these lean times many people are going to get heavier and sicker. Going for the cheap, carbohydrate-filled food such as pizza and pasta will be the path of least resistance for many cash-strapped Americans, but they will be paying for it later with compromised lifestyles AND higher health costs.

And the New York Times Says Blogs Are Dead?

2009-06-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

First off, I hope that there is some humming of "Levon," by Elton John. (There is a line in it: "And the New York Times Says God is Dead.")

I'm on vacation in Florida; and as I have pointed out in an earlier blog, there is a tendency to buy more stuff on vacation than one would at home. Like buying the New York Times Sunday edition, for example. A splurge, indeed, but a pleasure.

My absolutely favorite section is the SundayStyles, noting engagements and marriages and social trends. Ach! On the front page there is an article with the headline: "Blogs Falling in an Empty Forest."

Focusing on one blogger, the article states "many people start blogs with lofty aspirations -- build an audience and leave their day job, to land a book deal, or simply to share their genius with the world." However, in the article it is noted that "(according to) Technorati, which runs a search engine for blogs, only 7.4 million out of the 133 million blogs the company tracks has been updated in the past 120 days. That translates to 95 percent of blogs being essentially abandoned, left to lie fallow on the Web, where they become public remnants of a dream -- or at least an ambition -- unfulfilled."

That made me revisit the purpose of this blog. It's to celebrate thriftiness without being cheap, and also at the same time affirming that spending money does not equate to raising one's quality of life. So basically it's about compromises. What in life isn't? Right, ArtBoy?

Saving on Some Big Stuff

2009-05-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

There are a number of ways to get half off at local merchants-- wate.halfoff-thursday.com, www.halfoffdeals.com, scc.mediawebconnect.com

I bought a $25 gift certificate for The Crown and Goose for $12.50 a while back, and I know that at some point we'll join friends down there in the Old City. Money saved!

Besides restaurants, there are usually gift stores, book stores, hair salons that are listed. However, a couple on halfoffdepot.com/knoxville really surprised me.

First is Wedding Wonderland--a $150 certificate for $75. Now five years ago this would have been a "must buy" for me. No, we were not doing weddings. We were doing presentations. Since a presentation dress is white, usually a wedding dress is selected and the train is cut off. Wedding Wonderland is actually the place where we bought the presentation dress. I was curious to see if one could "stack" the certificates and virtually get a dress for half-off, so I called. Nope. There is a limit of one certificate per gown.

Second is M. S. McClellan, THE old school men's clothing store in town. I do believe McClellan's using this marketing tool is another significant economic indicator. In the old days I would give my husband one thing from McClellan's a year. In my thriftiness that was all I was comfortable in buying. It was usually a sweater vest for Christmas. But he has kind of stockpiled the vests now and giving for the sake of giving just doesn't seem as important anymore.

Veggies Galore!

2009-05-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday turned out to be an upbeat day. We spent some time meandering through the downtown Farmers' Market in the morning, but today was different and we didn't buy anything deliberately. We knew that that afternoon we would go visit a friend's extensive garden. He is very generous to us in giving us anything we want to pick. However, it's about 60 miles away; so we don't go that often. The land lays along a tributary of the French Broad. The trip is more than 15 miles off of the interstate, and we meander up into the foothills of the Smokies. It was a beautiful day for the ride.

One word for today: Leafy! We took home three kinds of lettuce, two kinds of chard, as well as carrots that were pulled a little early but needed to be for thinning out, onions, radishes, beets, and cabbage. But it was the spinach that was the most fun for me. "Take all the spinach you want. I'm tilling it under after you all finish because it's bolting." (We learned that bolting means flowering.) Hmm. ALL the spinach I want? Can one be a spinach glutton? We picked a lot, and I was happy to find "how to freeze spinach" instructions on a number of web sites when I got home.

I don't know how much money we saved over what we would have spent at the Farmers Market, but we are going to eat veggies morning, noon and night for quite a while. I'm going to a cover dish Tuesday night, and I'll be bringing SALAD.

I had slipped some fancy pastries from a downtown shop in their fridge. I hope he remembers to tell his wife where they came from!

After a leisurely time of picking, we enjoyed a glass of wine sitting at the picnic table by the creek, during which we watched a muskrat swim down with his dinner. It was so perfect with just enough breeze coming through the trees. Such a contrast of life to the one we live as city dwellers. Ah, a good afternoon, indeed.

Fuelish

2009-05-16T05:06:00.000-07:00

OK, America, it's time to get on that frugal-fueling bandwagon again. The cost of gasoline is inching up. I paid $.24 a gallon less just two tank-fulls ago.

A little history on national averages:

January 6, 2007 $2.20 a gallon
May 6, 2007 $3.10 a gallon

January 6, 2008 $3.00 a gallon
May 6, 2008 $4.00 a gallon

January 6, 2009 $1.60 a gallon
May 6, 2009 $2.20 a gallon

I check www.knoxvillegasprices.com to see where the least expensive gasoline is in the area.

I paid $2.08 on Tuesday. My only identifiable routine that could use some driving reduction is my morning routine. If I go to workout, shower and dress there, and then go to work, according to Mapquest, I can save $.20 a day instead of going to workout, going back home to shower and dress and then going to work. The other good aspects of getting ready at the gym are that I'm using their hot water and I get to work earlier. However, my husband gets up while I am at workout; so if I don't go home, I don't get to see him until the end of the day.

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T05:40:00.000-07:00

The memory is fuzzy, but I do believe that back in the old days, you wore a red flower on Mother's Day to church if your mother was alive and a white one if your mother was gone.

I am not sure what my mom did for herself since her mother died when I was two, but my very frugal mom was fortunate in that she didn't have to buy her children the red flowers because we had a red rose bush right next to our driveway.

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When my children were little, we had no nursery at our church. A number of us decided to furnish one of the meeting rooms as a nursery, and our first fund-raiser was fittingly on Mother's Day.

On that Mother's Day we moms were out in a strawberry patch at dawn and picked for two hours. We arrived just at the end the first service all dirty and wet, from the dew and later sweat, with the berries; and we set up stations at the exits. Our price was just a little higher than what we had checked at the grocery stores the day before (after all, it was a fundraiser), but that didn't stop one woman coming right up in my face and proclaiming loud enough so that all around her could hear: "You can get these at xxx store for fifty cents less!" She was so proud of herself, and all I could do was nod, because she just didn't get IT. Sometimes you just have to let the penny-pinching go.

A little extra in the pocket

2009-05-09T03:29:00.001-07:00

Because I'm getting so much "almost free" stuff, it's starting to stockpile, which is great. I work for a social services agency, and there are plenty of needs. BUT . . . is there any additional monetary benefit to me in all this hunting down bargains/couponing/rebating?

I was chatting with one of my downtown neighbors and told them that I had just bought eight reams of paper at Staples, original cost of $55.92, for which I would net pay $1.00 per ream before taxes ($1.64 after taxes) and after a rebate. Why eight? Because one of my on-line blogger tips said that Staples would honor a competitor's "buy $50, take $10 off" coupon. After applying the coupon and rebate, this would be a fantastic deal.

Staples store manager said no to the competitor's coupon, but I didn't feel like getting out of the check-out line and taking some of reams back, so I bought all eight. I was sharing with my friend that I didn't know what I was going to do with so much paper. She offered me $10 for four reams on the spot. Sold! I made money. She saved money (best on-line offer I could find just now is $3.99 a ream).

My friend realized that there is value to be placed in my going to the store and processing the rebate. She compensated me for it. Could I again benefit other downtowners and benefit myself with other stuff from my stash? Should I?

Great Cheap Day

2009-05-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

Great day thrifty-wise.

1. Had a free sandwich for lunch at Penn Station East Coast Subs. I had joined their club, so I was able to download a free sandwich coupon. There's a new location on Cumberland, and they have the nicest people working there. I got the artichoke sub and mushrooms. Fortunately they had water cups, so I didn't have to blow the "free" lunch by purchasing a drink.

These subs are great. I had been in there before and got a wrap sandwich. I think they seal the wrap on the grill after it is assembled which gives the wrap more substance.

Their fries look wonderful. I think they cut them in the store. But I typically don't order fries.

2. I got "my new" ironing board through Freecycle, which Wikipedia describes as an "Internet-based international community recycling project of re-use/sharing usable goods."
The frame on our ironing board broke, so I posted my need on Freecycle. Within a day a wonderful couple responded that they would be near my place of work and could drop it by. Turns out they were going to their daughter's law-school graduation, and UT is just a mile or so from my work. So not only did I not have to buy an ironing board, but I didn't even have to go out of my way to get it.

3. I came home to find a free coupon for Kashi waffles in my mail.

A great frugal day indeed! Now it's on to eating some pretty good leftovers. Might mosey over to Sundown in the City after supper . . . Life is good.

Time Savings

2009-05-05T20:14:00.001-07:00

It seems that I have had the most reaction to my kinda-funky stuff, like how I have devised how to use every single bit of toothpaste, so here's another one:

Time seems to be particularly needy of management in the morning. One little solution for me is combining elevator riding/leaving for workout and shoe putting on: Press elevator button. Loosen shoes. Slip shoes on. Elevator arrives. Scuffle into elevator with untied shoes. Press button. Tighten up shoes and tie double knot. Elevator door opens. Also since I am typically running a little late, I run across the parking lot, which I now categorize as a warm-up for my work-out.

You have to remember that this is 5:45 a.m. And this is a warning to those people who live below me who might get on right after me and have the elevator door open to my backside while I'm bending over: I can't be sociable pre-6 a.m. and put on my shoes at the same time. There's just no time!!!

Worth every penny

2009-05-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

First day of my big "keeping track of what I spend," and some downtown friends call and ask us to walk down to the Brewery for supper. On the spend-o-meter, the expense of dinner for time with these folks is worth it. At least we have great leftovers in the fridge, and I remembered to bring a $5 coupon from the school coupon book!

Budgeting . . . yeah, right

2009-05-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I attended a wonderful workshop about couponing (see couponingincriticaltimes.blogspot.com), conducted by someone with whom I had developed an on-line relationship and met up with some of the other women who were on this e-mail group as well. The workshop was very affirming in that I am in the process of polishing most of the tips and techniques she presented as I have had a lot of this information presented to me through the electronic correspondence of the last few months. However, her very first instruction made me squirm: "Budget!"

I don't. My excuses were numerous--being empty-nesters, we tend to be loose on our committing to the evening meal together--we may go out with our own friends or meet up together at a restaurant if the workday ends late. Additionally, one of our greatest pleasures in living downtown is having people call when they are in the neighborhood and drop by, but we never seem to be ready with the drinks and snacks. There's the rush out to the store to buy these items, and rushed shopping tends to be pricey. I saw all these scenarios as budget-breakers.

THIS SPENDING MUST BE MANAGED!! Therefore, I hereby publicly pledge to give food and household items a budget, and that does include eating out. We've all heard that the best first step is to write every expenditure down for a month. I'm gonna for May. Starting in June I'll have a good budget number to shoot at, and hopefully beat!

Upcoming workshop on couponing this Saturday!

2009-04-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Couponing In Critical Times
Save over 75% on your groceries!
Get Free items when you shop!
Come to our workshop and learn new resources for getting the
most out of coupons.
Bring a friend and register for a door prize.
Where: Faith United Methodist Church
1120 Dry Gap Pike, Knoxville Tn.
When: Saturday, May 2, 2009
10:00am to 12:00pm
Suggested Admission: Canned goods donation to
Faith’s Food Pantry
Presented by Gabrielle Blake, featured in the Knoxville
News-Sentinel for her couponing expertise.