Backyard Canning Time!

Backyard Canning Time

Do you have a backyard that is brimming with delicious produce? If you are like me, your postage stamp garden is teeming with all kinds of fresh goodies that are far better than what is sold at the grocery store. Tomatoes, squash, grapes, herbs, berries are all at their peak of freshness. If you haven't done so already, select a date and 2 or 3 hours this week to harvest and preserve your treasures. 

1. Lemons: Pick the ripest, freshest lemons and preserve them. It couldn't be easier! Because of the high acid content, you don't need to worry about botulism. This is a great project for people who are new to the canning game.

2. Mint: Pull up all of your mint from the backyard and create mint jelly for the holidays. Once again, this is an easy starter project. If you are like me, you planted a tiny mint plant a few years ago and it took over the garden.

3. Berries: I planted some berry bushes against my fence 10 years ago to deter the neighbor's dog from mauling my cat. It worked! The neighbor moved and my cat is safe. I'm still left with the legacy of blackberries though, so time to make jam.

What are you going to work on this week?

Assisted Living in Santa Barbara

Moving from your home to a facility is never an easy experience, but with the right tools, the transition can make a huge difference in the quality of life for your loved ones. Last week, I spent several hours searching for assisted living in Santa Barbara for a loved one. Frankly, there are no bargains when it comes to senior living in Santa Barbara, nor should I search for one when it comes to a high quality of life for someone in their third age. I am not covering individual homes that are "Golden Girls Style" here. Only covering reputable, licensed facilities that I investigated.

For those of you who don't know the difference when it comes to living in 'a home,' here it goes in layman's terms.

1. Independent Living: Some meals and housekeeping included. These include Vista del Monte, Val Verde, Casa Dorinda, Encina Royale, and several more. The best deal appears to be Encina Royale. They have beautifully landscaped grounds, club house, golf course, and you even get to own your home in this 55+ community. Most of independent living properties have large initiation fees and continuing levels of service as you need to move to assisted living. Val Verde is building 100 new homes right now, so it can be difficult to navigate their property. Even though Casa Dorinda in Montecito is very expensive to enter, they keep monthly fees flat no matter what type of care is needed, so in the end if you are in the assisted living wing, it can actually be up to $2,000 less than other homes.

2. Assisted Living: These offer meals, housekeeping, bathing assistance, incontinence assistance, medication management, laundry, memory care, and more. The only thing they normally don't offer is heart and respiration monitoring. Their rates are up to $2,000 more per month depending on level of care. Some of these properties feel very clinical - like living in a hospital, while others, such as Villa Santa Barbara, feel like a luxury hotel. When evaluating these properties, make sure that you compare levels of care equally. Villa Santa Barbara had an all-inclusive rate while Alexander Gardens had several additional fees. Initially while looking into Villa Santa Barbara, we thought it was more expensive, than Alexander Gardens, but after a full evaluation, it was actually significantly less. The most significant difference that I discovered here was the cleanliness of the rooms and the way that the staff treated its residents. In one facility, I was shown a filthy room with stains on the walls and clumps of dirt on the floors. The resident manager apologized and said that the room was just vacated and they didn't have time to clean it yet. BIG RED FLAG - weekly housekeeping is included in the price. The other big difference is the way the staff speak to guests. In 2 properties, it appeared that the staff only used first names to the residents, spoke in baby words, and was condescending. If you witness this - RUN! Villa Santa Barbara on the other hand, treated all residents with respect and in a friendly manner that would be expected from a hotel.

3. Rehabilitation Centers: This is where your loved ones go after surgery if they are unable to take care of themselves. Medicare and MediCal will cover 80% of the expenses for 100 days after surgery. Don't expect to get much rest at one of these, because you will be awakened every couple of hours for physical therapy, vital sign checks, laundry, bathing, and more. Keep an eye on the progress or decline of your loved ones here. If it appears that this environment is actually creating a decline, then speak to the physician about moving right away.

4. Nursing or Convalescent Homes: This is the end of the line. If your loved one needs round-the-clock care after leaving the hospital, you will need to look into these.

In order to find the best property that offered immediate availability, I used SeniorLiving.net. This service was free to me and the knowledgeable operator did the leg work to find a property in my price range, based on the expected level of care.

If you are going through this experience, you can also pick up publications in the brochure racks at the Goleta Community Center that will help you either find home care or other services that are helpful to seniors. Good luck.

Skype me Baby!

For the past 4 years, I have enjoyed keeping up with family and friends with Skype. While living in Australia, my daughter got to know her American family through this amazing service so when they met for the first time, she knew everyone by their face. I even used Skype to telecommute from Australia to the USA. My clients thought that I was just around the corner. Little did they know that I was around the world.

Skype is a VoIP (voice over internet protocol) system that allows me to make video and traditional phone calls to anyone in the world for little or no money.  These services can be free for people who want to Skype others who already have a free Skype account set up on their devises. The only challenge is arranging times to call because both parties need to have their Skype accounts open at the same time.

I upgrade my account for their premium package for convenience purposes. For around $75 per year, I make and receive unlimited calls in the USA to my family and business contacts using my computer, Ipad and Ipod. The system even has built-in texting and voice mail. Compare this to the $0.10 per minute phone charges that I currently have on my prepaid telephone, and compare it to several people who currently spend over $100 per month on smart phone calls, and I'm saving big.

I upgraded my subscription by adding a local phone number for my www.gemsofintention.com jewelry store so that customers have an easy and non-intrusive way of reaching me.

Of course, there are drawbacks. Occasionally, my father has a hard time understanding me when I speak into my computer's microphone, but it is easy to fix by plugging a headset into the computer. The biggest drawback is when I get an unexpected video phone call when I have bedhead or when the hubby decides to walk shirtless behind the computer on his way to the kitchen? Simple cure? Just toggle off the video portion and continue the conversation as always.

Great prices at Vons right now

Today, I took advantage of some amazing grocery store savings and plan on creating pre-prepared meals for the next month. My entire meat bill was under $40. You can do this too.

Farmer John Louisiana Brand Hot links - 12 for $5 ($5 Friday deal) - Perfect for Summer Grilling!!!!!

First I separate package into 3 groups of 4 links each using freezer bags. I freeze 2 of the packages for later in the month. I then refrigerate 1 package for grilling this weekend. It expires in July so if our plans change, it is fine. By separating out these hot links into 3 packages, it helps to control our portion sizes. I already know that these are delicious and if I cook all of them, my husband and I would probably eat 2 each and regret it later. As it is, we will complement the meal with Rice a Roni (99 cents) and a green salad with tomatoes. The entire meal ends up costing around $1 per person not including charcoal. If we decide to save on charcoal, we can use the stovetop grilling pan.

3 1/2 lbs of 80/20 Ground Beef - $10.23. Meatloaf, hamburger patties, spaghetti, and chili

I am not purchasing the low fat beef, because the flavor is in the fat. Instead, I'm reducing the amount of beef that I use by adding fillers and stick to appropriate portion sizes. First, I separate the large package of meat to 4 portions. These portions end up being a little less than a pound each. I extend each of these recipes to 4 servings by adding either cooked rice, beans, or breadcrumbs, and nobody misses the reduced meat usage.

Meatloaf: 

• 3/4 lb ground beef
• 2 slices of bread - diced
• 3 small squash diced - whatever you have on hand. I'm growing zucchini and yellow so I'm using it here.
• 1 tablespoon of dried onions
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of mixed spices
• 8 tablespoons of ketchup

Mix all ingredients together with my hands and shape it into the form of a loaf. Place in a loaf pan and cook in a 350F oven for 40 minutes. Cool and Freeze for later or eat this evening with mixed salad and watermelon for dessert

Gourmet Hamburger Patties:

• 3/4 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of mixed spices

Blend all ingredients together and flatten and form into hamburger patties. You can add an egg before forming the patties but you will need to cook them immediately. I prefer to separate the hamburger patties using rounds of parchment paper. Freeze for later use. Cook them in a frying pan from their frozen state. Do not defrost.

Spaghetti

• 3/4 lb ground beef
• Can of Prego
• 1/2 container spaghetti

Defrost and brown the ground beef. Combine the jar of Prego or Ragu and heat throughout
Meanwhile, boil water and add dried spaghetti. Cook until done
Combine the spaghetti and sauce.

Chili

3/4 lb ground beef
Chili seasoning package
Can of tomatoes or fresh tomatoes
Can of kidney beans

Defrost and brown the ground beef
Add chili seasoning, tomatoes and kidney beans

Whole Pork Loin: $18.54 for 8 lbs. The butcher sliced half of the pork loin into individual servings and left a 3 lb roast. I froze each package into 3 servings per package and left the pork loin whole.

Australian Pork Parmi: Pound each pork loin piece until it is very thin. Dredge in bread crumbs and spices and plan to fry up in 1T of oil.

Pork Chops - season and bake or use Shake and Bake

Pork Roast - I will coat the pork roast with applesauce and season with slices of preserved lemon and then will bake until done.

Prepaid Cell Phones vs. Paid Plans

For the first 10 years of owning a cell phone, I enjoyed receiving a free phone with a 2 year cell phone service commitment. Just like most people, I love shiny new gadgets and couldn't resist the offers of the latest and greatest phones. I started to get a bit antsy with the bills as I noticed new usage charges and taxes every month. My $29.99 monthly plan would end up being closer to $40 every single month! Adding to the frustration, I would receive calls from telemarketers from my phone company, suggesting that I move to a different, more expensive plan several times per year. Does this sound like you?

Finally, in 2011, I decided to switch to a prepaid plan. The phone itself is very basic, and if it breaks, I'm not worried about it. When it loses its sparkle, I can always spend another $40 to get a new one. The best part is that through AT&T Wireless, I only pay $15 per month or $25 for two months. If it appears that I am going to use all of my minutes, then I top up the account. The only true annoyance about the phone is that I often receive calls from bill collectors from the previous owner of my phone number. It can be pretty irritating to receive one of these calls and then when I hang up, to see that I was just charged 10 cents for someone wasting my time. Still, this could have happened with a traditional cell phone plan.

I love the bells and whistles of smart phones, just like most people, so I carry an IPOD Touch. I've loaded all of the apps that I need on it other than GPS, which came standard with my car. The benefit of the IPOD touch is that whenever I am within wifi service area - library, coffee shop, home and work - I can make and receive unlimited free phone calls using Skype. Now, if only I can break my addiction to the app, Candy Crush!

 

Santa Barbara on a Shoestring, 2nd Edition has just been published on Kindle!

Seven years ago, I wrote the first edition of Santa Barbara on a Shoestring for a fledgeling market of Kindle users. At the time, our wonderful town had 3 bookstores on State Street, several factory outlet stores, no 99 cent store, Best Buy or World Market. Times have certainly changed! Now, 22% of all books are read electronically, smart phone money saving apps are the rule, and the way we save money and time has changed dramatically. The new version is only $3.99 and for a limited time, it is free for download for Amazon Prime members.

Now that I've revised and posted the book, I will start blogging again on this site. I hope that you will subscribe to learn about the latest ways to live well on a budget.

Santa Barbara City College Adult Education Series

One of the best deals in Santa Barbara for adults is the Santa Barbara City College Adult Education system. I've taken jewelry, internet and computer courses and have been impressed by the quality of instruction and the price. Due to state budget cuts, the cost of the programs are now fee-based, but they are still far less expensive than if you were to take these classes anywhere else.

Right now, I'm taking a wire wrapping class with a delightful teacher named Mary. Even though I've been making jewelry for years, she is bringing a new slant on jewelry making for me.

Back from Australia and ready to post again

Three weeks ago, I moved back from Australia with a completely different outlook. While I was gone, America experienced the Global Financial Crisis and frugality became a necessity rather than a hobby for many people. Families have moved from two incomes to one and from two cars to one. Stores have shut down and shops are stocking fewer items. Some of the biggest changes are:

1. Thrift stores are not necessarily where you will get the best deals.
2. People are unloading amazing luxuries at garage sales.
3. Nordstrom and Macys sometimes have better prices than Costco on clothes.
4. Since gas is more expensive, it sometimes makes more sense to do all of your shopping in a localized area instead of driving to Ventura to a 99 cent store.
5. Clothing seems to all be black, grey, tan, or white. Where did the color go?
6. Freecycle seems to be the place where people dump broken and bashed items now.
7. Gardening for food is now a community activity.
8. Packaged foods are sold for far less than home made in most cases.
9. Restaurant prices seem to have gotten lower.
10. Santa Barbara is now more affordable than ever, thanks to lower housing costs, close proximity to everything, and shops with lower prices.

In the next few blog posts, I'll start covering each of these areas in detail, along with giving you some great ideas of how to take advantage of the best values in Santa Barbara.

Ebook selling business: Has the bottom fallen out?

As I wait to have my baby - any day now, I'm thinking of ways to make a few additional dollars to help pay for diapers, baby clothes and all of the other baby items that it takes to start a new family - not to mention the cost of college education. After spending several hours of free time (probably the last free time that I will have for the next 18 years), I've decided the following businesses have little if no potential now.

1. Ebook store. There are plenty of websites out there that sell the same ebooks. The market is flooded with bad ebooks that give the industry a bad name. Most of them seem to be written by people who have a 4th grade education. They are full of typos and incomplete thoughts. Over the past few years, I was lured by the promises of wealth and free reselling rights for purchasing these ebooks, and found that after spending $50 to $100, I've only made $10 or $15 on my investment. 

2. Write and publish my own book. This is a time intensive process. In addition to research, writing, editing, and finding markets for the book, there are the hard costs of printing and promoting the book. I self-published an ebook and marketed it through Amazon.com for use on the Kindle ebook reader. After spending $40 for my ISBN and hundreds of hours writing the book, I've only made back around $50 - over 2 years. 

3. Writing for magazines. This isn't a bad deal, but it is still hit and miss on the income stream. The best deal that I've gotten was back in 1997 when I wrote a two sentence suggestion to Better Homes and Gardens (25 words) and was paid $2 per word. With the current economic crisis, many publishers are going out of business, but before they do, they eliminate any extra costs, including freelancers. This is happening throughout Santa Barbara.

4. Photography for magazines/newspapers. I have won awards with my photography, so this isn't too bad a deal. However, the trick is to keep updating the camera equipment. When I started promoting digital photography, a 2MP camera was the standard. Now, most publishers will not accept less than a 12MP photo.  The new equipment can be very expensive. I stay away from stock photography sites, because nowadays, there is so much competition that publishers can by cover photos for under $10. Compare this to the good old days when that same cover photo could go for $2,000.

After all of this searching, there seems to be only 2 areas of low investment and high profitability that I've found to be tried and true that are almost turnkey businesses: Ebay and selling handmade jewelry in the local Santa Barbara high-end boutiques. I hope this helps my readers save some money as you start looking for additional income streams in these challenging economic times. 

Switching to a Mac

In late April, I switched from being a lifelong PC user to being a Mac user so that I could be more efficient for my day job. Mac computers are very easy to use, and in many ways they are far superior to any Windows based system. 

1. The start up menu pops up within 15 seconds. This is a lifesaver when I'm on a deadline.

2. Most of the software that comes with a Mac is software that I actually need. New Macs come with a program called I Life which offers photo software, basic text software, video software, and Itunes. The only program that the computer came with that I don't use is Garage Band. I suppose I would use it if I was a music composer, but at this point, it is just wasted space.

3. For under $100, I was able to purchase IWork - a program that is very similar to Microsoft Office. It includes a spreadsheet program, a more sophisticated word processing program, and a presentation program. I can create a document using these programs and then export it to a PDF, Word, or Excel document.

4. No more worries about computer viruses! No more updates to my antivirus software, because hackers just don't bother creating viruses for Macs. 

My favorite new addition to the computer is the video camera and built in microphone. With this, I am able to talk with my family who are thousands of miles away. I'm going to have a baby any day now, and hope to bring the mac to the hospital with me so that I can do a Skype video call and introduce my new baby to all of my friends and family. More on Skype in a later post.

The main drawback about the Mac vs. the PC is that all of the money that I've spent over the years on Windows based software is now in the trash can. I invested in hundreds of ebooks that I can't open unless I purchase an add on like Windows Vista for the Mac. Also, the Microsoft Office suite that I purchased a couple of years ago will not work, so if I ever want to use a true MS Office app, I'm out of luck. Probably the most annoying thing about the Mac is that the touchpad does not offer two mouse buttons, and the computer doesn't include a mouse. I've invested in a new mouse this week, to bring the functionality back.

Macs are more expensive than PCs. Nowadays, you can get a decent PC for under $500, but to get a decent Mac, plan on spending $2,000. Normally, I would not suggest investing such a large amount of money on a computer, but after my experiences with Mac, I'll never go back to a PC for work. I know people who have had Macs for 10 years, and they say that their computers are just as fast today as they were when they purchased them. I have never heard the same praise for PCs.

What is your experience with Macs vs. PCs?

Money from books

For several years, I've purchased used books from garage, estate, and library sales for a dollar or less. After reading them, rather than allowing them to collect dust or clutter the house, I sell them on Ebay, Half.com, Amazon.com or through my own garage sale. For the books that don't sell, I would send them back to the library as a donation and take the tax deduction at the end of the year. This worked well, but I found that my book collection was building up in boxes while the books were waiting for new owners. At Ebay, Half.com, and Amazon.com, I would need to wait until someone contacted me to buy the books.

Last week, I found a new site called http://www.cash4books.net/. It is as easy to use as Amazon.com and Ebay. Simply register for free, enter the ISBN (number found on the back of the book), and see if there is a buyer for the book. If there is, you will see how much the company is willing to pay. Just affix the free postage label and pop it in the mail. I made $23 in around 25 minutes by sorting through all of my books. They will not take all of your books. In 7 out of 8 cases, my books were too old to take, but the process was so easy I was able to enter in over 100 ISBNs within 25 minutes to see the ones that they would take.

On all of these sites, your books should be in good condition so while reading them, do not fold over pages or overtax the spine of the books.

Local Property Management companies

This week, I contacted several property management companies about renting out my 2 bedroom 2 1/2 bath townhome. Their listing fees and services fluctuated dramatically.

The least expensive property manager charged 6% per month of the rental charges, but he was a crotchedy old guy who was trying to drive the rental price down dramatically. With his negativity on the phone I could just imagine how he would be with prospective renters, so I declined his services. I'll leave his name off this list to avoid any liabilities.

We also contacted Sierra Property Management. They took a look at the place and said that they would charge 10% and recommended that we reduce the price for a quick rental.

The best deal that we found was with Town 'N Country Property Management. They charge a 7% fee. They are a full service firm that will manage all maintenance, finances, and screen candidates for the monthly fee. The person that I dealt with was amazingly friendly and competent and she spend a full hour with us touring the property. She said that what we were asking for was fair for the property. Since we aren't in a huge rush to rent it out, we are starting at the full price, and if it doesn't rent out by the time the baby comes, (we need more room) we'll drop the price.

This exercise drives home the point that any time you search for a service or a commodity, be sure to get 3 quotes and then follow your gut. The least expensive option is not always the best one, but neither is the most expensive option.

This weeks Ad Circulars

If you like meat, this is the grocery week for you. The stores realize that you will be having guests over this holiday weekend, and have chosen large cuts of meat so that you can feed your extended family. If you are only feeding your immediate family, buy these meats anyway. You will be able to eat for a week - as Julia Child said, "Feasting on Remains."

Albertsons

American Leg of Lamb, $3.99lb.
Cook this whole covered in rosemary harvested from your yard or 'borrow' some from your walk anywhere. It practically grows wild. Add mustard, salt and pepper and roast. With the leftovers, you can make a delicious curry.

Strawberries - 99 cents per pound. (strawberry shortcake or angel food cake for your guests?)

Split chicken breasts - 99 cents per pound. Stock up.

Nabisco crackers - buy one get one free.

Philadelphia cream cheese, 10 for $10 (how about strawberry cheesecake?)

Ralphs

Beef Rib Roast (prime rib dinner) - $3.47 lb.

Farmer John Full Ham (ham for Easter, ham and eggs for the following breakfasts, and use the bone for split pea soup.) 77 cents per pound

Green Beans - 88 cents per pound

Onions - 2 lbs. for $1

Radio Shack
In Sunday's circular I noticed a small ad about their trade in program for used electronics. I piled old digital cameras and a laptop into my car and drove to the local store. Even though the items worked, 2 out of three of them were too old so they wouldn't take them. On the third item - a 7 megapixel camera, they would be happy to take it for $17. This was a $125 camera last year and it still works well. I decided to pass on the deals. I compared selling these items on Ebay and found that I could get 300% to 400% more for the camera and that I could easily sell the items that Radio Shack turned away. Recommendation? Skip the trip to Radio Shack until you are ready to purchase items. Post your items on Ebay and then upgrade your electronics with your earnings.

Happy Easter everyone!

Grocery circular savings this week

Here are my favorite sales this week. For the most savings on the grocery bill, visit all three stores.

Ralphs

Ralphs Gallon Milk - $1.99
Large Haas Avocados - 68 cents each
Roma tomatoes - 88 cents per pound
Boneless chuck steak or roast - $2.99lb.
Celery - 99 cents each
Ralphs frozen vegetables - 89 cents for 14 to 16 oz packages
Philadelphia brick cream cheese - 10 for $10

Vons

Ocean Spray cranberry cocktail drink - $1.99
Lucerne butter - 99 cents for 16oz with coupon
Life or Cap'n Crunch - 99 cents with coupon
Foster Farms whole chicken - 77 cents per pound
80% lean ground beef - $1.67lb.
Boneless pork sirloin chops - $1.77lb.
Cross Rib Roast - $1.97 lb.
Broccoli - 88 cents per pound
3 lb. apple bags - $1.99 each

Albertsons

Pork spareribs 99 cents per pound
Lobster tails - $3.99 each
Large mangos 3 for 99 cents
Mini seedless watermelon - $1.99 each
Kiwi - 3 for 99 cents
Texas grapefruit - 69 cents each

Fun Pregnancy website

Today, I stumbled on http://www.whattoexpect.com/. This site is from the folks who write the series, What to expect when you are expecting and What to expect in the first year. The books are so trusted that my OB/GYN and insurance company sent me free copies as a congratulations gift. On the website, there is a great pregnancy ticker. It looks like this.

Get your free online pregnancy calendar from WhatToExpect.com



As you can see, I'm 26 weeks, 1 day along and have 97 days until the due date. It can be customized for whether you are having a boy or girl, or whether you don't know yet. Besides the cute bells and whistles, there are plenty of blogs, articles, and coupons to make this website a first stop when I need to choose a baby name, have concerns about new symptoms, or just want to daydream about when I get to hold the new delivery in my arms. If you know someone who is pregnant, be sure to share this website with them.

This week's grocery circulars

This week, the big 3 supermarkets have good promotions. Here are my favorites:

VONS

The Mix and Match sale is back. Pick up a circular in their store. Groups of items are arranged by price point. If you prchase 10 of these items, you will receive an instant $5 off.

Albertsons

Whole Chicken: 69 cents per pound
Wish Bone Salad Dressing: $1.29 each
Jazz Apples: 99 cents per pound
Iceberg lettuce: 2 for $1
Hot house tomatoes: 99 cents per pound
Large navel oranges: 39 cents per pound
Green seedless grapes: 79 cents per pound

Ralphs

Boneless Pork Loin: $1.99 lb.
Strawberries: 99 cents per pound
Life cereal: 4 for $4
Boneless rump roast: $2.99 lb.
Fresh Express garden salad or slaws: 99 cents per pound
Green onions and radishes: 2 for $1
Brown onions 2 for $1
Van de Kamp's English Muffins: 99 cents per pound
Farmer John skinless pork links: 99 cents per pound
Roma tomatoes: 99 cents per pound

Grocery and Home Improvement this week

This is a very exciting week for frugal grocery shoppers. All stores have something to offer. Here are my favorite specials.

Ralphs:

Fresh Split Foster Farms Chicken Breasts: .97 per lb.
Russet Potatoes, 5lb. bag: .97 per lb.
Beef Cross Rib or Rump Roast: $1.97 per lb.
Green Asparagus: .97 per lb.
Cottonelle and Viva bath tissue and towels: $5.99 12 double rolls and 8 rolls respectively
Dannon and horizon yogurt: 10 for $5
Nabisco crackers: 2 for $4

VONS:
There is an interesting mix and match special that can save you plenty of money. It is a bit convoluted for my taste, and easy to mess up, so be sure to pick up the circular from the store to see the specials. If you do, you will save 35 to 50% on the items. In addition, here are some great specials:

Fugi and Gala apples: .68 lb.
Lucerne yogurt: .40 each if you buy ten
Daffodils: 2 bunches for $3

Albertsons:

Raw lobster tails: $3.99 each - time for that lobster dinner!
Cantaloupe: .25 per lb.
Nectarines: .69 per lb. today only
Softsoap: .89 each today only
Eggo Waffles: 3 for $4.98
Beer, wine and spirits sale: 30% off this week for many brands
Cucumbers: .79 each

The Home Depot:

Through 3/22 - 4 inch annuals only 3 for $1, limit 60 - I've never seen such a low price on these. If you are a fan of big splashes of color that only last a few months, stock up on these. For the more practical, frugal shoppers, it is worth the expense to purchase perennials which are always more expensive, but will give you color year after year.

Gallon staked pink jasmine - $3.88 - you can't beat the fragrance of these little pink flowers.

2 cubic ft. bark nuggets - $1.88 - great for mulching around your new annuals. Only through 3/22.

In a previous email, I mentioned several computer deals, but after visiting the stores, decided that it would be better to wait than to purchase these now.

Sunday paper circular bargains

Now that I'm back from an amazing Australia vacation (that ended up being free after tax refunds and the stimulus package), I'm excited to report on the latest sales in the Santa Barbara News Press.

CVS:
Colgate toothpaste is free with the extra bucks using the CVS card.
Irish Spring body wash is also free with the extra bucks using the CVS card.
Fig Newtons and Lorna Doons - 5 for $5
Ajax liquid detergent - 99 cents with card

Walgreens:
Altoids - 2 for $2
Sun-Maid Raisins 18 oz - $1.99 with coupon
Royal Gelatin - 5 for $1 with coupon
Dinty Moore beef stew - 2 for $3
1 lb. epsom salt and hydrogen peroxide - 2 for $1 with coupon
Palmolive dish liquid - 99 cents with coupon
6 big rolls of Charmin - $3.49 with coupon
Kleenex - 89 cents with coupon

Longs:
1 dozen eggs for 2 for $3 Thursday through Saturday
C&H Sugar 2 for $5
Pillsbury all purpose flour - 2 for $4
Ajax dish liquid - 99 cents

There are several good values on laptop computers right now at Staples, Office Max and Radio Shack that I'm going to check out and report on soon since my laptop is on its last legs. Upcoming blogs will also report on Australia vs. US health care system, good travel buys and more. Stay tuned.

Return of the Ant Invasion!

During the latest bout of storms, our home was invaded by ants - at least 200 of them all over the floor. Our faithful cat, Pywacket, marched upstairs to wake me up with a light paw to my ankle and a small meow (more like a mmmm) at 5:30am. I came downstairs to see what she wanted and saw lines of black along our tan tiles.

Since I'm a little over 5 months pregnant, I'm a bit leery about using pesticides or heavy duty chemicals around the house. That eliminated Raid and the super effective ant killers. I'd heard somewhere that everyday household cleaners work just as well as bug spray to kill ants so I tried it. First, I zapped a line of ants with a can of Lysol and a handful of paper towels...on my hands and knees....yep...it worked, but the smell of Lysol got to me. Next, I grabbed the Swiffer wet and started sweeping up the ants. Aha! perfect solution. The ants were killed and cleaned up at the same time.

Swiffer wet is not normally on a frugal list of grocery supplies, but in my case, it is a lifesaver. Having a pet around ensures that we need to mop the floor almost every day, and using Pine Sol or other floor cleaners is out of the question due to toxicity. Swiffer got a bad reputation a few years ago about killing pets, but through extensive testing, the rep was unfounded - unless your pets are of the 6 legged kind.

Grocery Store Deals Have Returned!

I don't know about you, but I've been dreading going to the grocery store lately. There just haven't been any good deals over the past month, so I ended up doing most of my shopping at the 99 cent store. However, today, all of that is changing. My mailbox was overflowing with good grocery bargains, so whether I shop at Ralphs, Albertson's or Von's there are good deals to be had. Here are my picks of the week.

Ralphs:

Green asparagus - 99 cents per pound
Atlantic salmon fillet - $3.99 lb.
Ripe tomatoes on the vine - $1.88 lb.
Grilling shrimp - $4.99 lb.
Iceberg lettuce - 99 cents per pound
Cottonelle bath tissue 99 cents
Kleenex 99 cents

Albertson's:

Split chicken breasts 99 cents per pound
Atlantic salmon $3.99 per pound
20 for $10: Albertson's canned tomatoes, Campbell's soups, Albertson's packaged seasonings
Starkist chunk light tuna: 69 cents per can
Red grapefruit: 69 cents each
Italian or yellow squash: 99 cents per pound

Von's:
They have a $10 coupon on the circular to use if you spend over $50.

48 hour sale on Saturday and Sunday:
Lucerne large eggs - 97 cents per dozen
Campbell's select soups - 88 cents per can
Blueberries - 18 oz. for $2.88

Regular sales:
Chicken breast halves - 97 cents per lb.
Green Asparagus - 97 cents per lb.
Russet potatoes - $1.97 for a 10lb. bag
Lucerne butter - 99 cents for a lb. with coupon
Raisin Bran - 99 cents for a box with coupon

The following produce is $1
Broccoli, Cauliflower, navel oranges, 3 lbs. of onions in a bag, iceberg lettuce, zucchini or yellow squash, eggplant, baby peeled carrots