Planning a "Staycation?"

With these tough economic times many families are planning "Staycations."

We did this a couple of years ago. We didn't have it in our budget to go on our annual Disney vacation so we stayed in SLC. It was SOOO much fun. The kids had a blast and it still felt like a vacation.

We did about 7 things in SLC and the Heber Valley Railroad. We stayed 2 nights at a Best Western with free breakfast and of course the kids favorite part was the pool! For all three days including food we spent about $300 and made some great memories.

I recently found out about the SLC Connect Pass which is a killer deal especially if you have younger children because children 6 and under are FREE!

The Salt Lake Connect Pass allows you up to 3 days (price for the pass increases depending on how many days you choose) to enjoy 12 attractions in SLC and surrounding areas.

Attractions Available with the Salt Lake Connect Pass

Clark Planetarium (good for one Star Theater AND one IMAX Theater admission)
Discovery Gateway (good for one admission)
The Lion House Pantry Restaurant (good for one pioneer meal)
The Living Planet Aquarium (good for one admission)
Red Butte Garden (good for one admission)
Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort (good for one scenic foot passenger tram ride)
Thanksgiving Point Gardens & Museum of Ancient Life (good for one Gardens admission and one Museum of Ancient Life admission)
This Is The Place Heritage Park (good for one admission)
Utah Museum of Fine Arts (good for one admission)
Utah Museum of Natural History (good for one admission)
Utah Olympic Park (good for one admission and one guided tour)
Utah's Hogle Zoo (good for one admission)

I haven't priced them all out but I know Discovery Gateway alone is $8.50/person 12 months and up, Hogle Zoo is $9 (adults) & $7 (children) and the meal at the Lion House is $9/person.

I know people who have used these passes for family reunions and when family visits from out of town.

Brandon and I figure we could do 9 of the activities plus the Lion House dinner over 3 days and the whole thing would cost $135.85 for our family of 5. That's $9.05 per person per day for our family.

Check it out here:

http://www.vacationsmadeeasy.com/SaltLakeCityAreaUT/activity/VisitSaltLakeConnectPass.cfm

Jet Blue Spring Sale!

Jet Blue Spring Sale

Ends April 8th.

Between Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) and San Diego, CA (SAN), - $49

Between Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) and Long Beach, CA (LGB), - $59

Between Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) and New York/JFK, NY (JFK), - $109

*HOT* Albertson's Post cereal sale

This runs today through April 7th.

Post cereal 1.57 each when you buy 2
Honey Bunches of Oats 13-18 oz.
Raisin Bran 20 oz.
Shredded Wheat 13-20 oz. P
ost Selects 13-16 oz.
Grape Nuts 24 oz.

Additional Catalina - Voucher will print after you pay.

Buy any Post cereal (10 oz or larger) during purchase dates and save up to $5 off your next order
buy 3 get $2 off
buy 4 Get $3 off
buy 5 or more and get $5 off
Between 3/27/09 and 4/19/09

So say you buy 6 in a transaction. You'll pay $9.42, and get a $5 Catalina voucher off your next shopping order. That's .74 a box WITHOUT coupons.

Use these coupons from your Sunday inserts:
Post Selects Cereals, any $1/2 (4-12-09) Smart Source -3/1
Post Shredded Wheat, Raisin Bran, Grape-Nuts Nuggets or Flakes, any 10 oz. or larger boxes $1/2 (5-10-09) Smart Source -3/29

Final price on these varieties...... .24 a box!

The Post Trail Mix Cereal is part of the sale. Print two $2 off one box coupons here:

http://www.postcereals.com/trailmixcrunch/

It might take a minute to print but be patient almost free cereal is worth it. :)

Post edit:

I went today. Even if you have never clipped a coupon in your life this is an awesome sale!

The Trail Mix coupons printed 3 times for me and for my mom. She gave me her coupons.

I get 3 Sunday papers through the Standard's couponer's special so I had 3 of the $1/2 boxes Post cereal.

My first transaction I purchased:

5 boxes of the Trail Mix cereal (this is the $5/box granola cereal)

I got $2 off from the Post deal

I was able to use 4 of my $2 off coupons

My total was: $ .07 cents/box!!!!!!

With tax I paid $.60 out of pocket AND earned $5 on my next trip!

I got paid to shop!!!!

My second transaction I purchased:

6 boxes Frosted Shredded Wheat

I got $3 off from the Post deal

I used 3 $1 off coupons

I used my $5 earned from the last transaction

I paid $1.70 OOP with tax and earned ANOTHER $5 on my next trip!

My 3rd and final transaction I took advantage of the Kraft deal they have going on.

I purchased:

10 boxes Jell-O pudding

3 1/2 gallons of milk

I got $3 off for buying 10 Kraft products

I used 3 save $1 on 3 boxes Jello pudding and one 1/2 gallon milk found here:

http://www.smartsource.com/ (You can print 2 per computer. I got my #3 from my mom)

Used my $5 off from the cereal

Paid $.20 for each box of pudding and .49 cents for each 1/2 gallon of milk

Total OOP with tax for this transaction $3.83

Total OOP for 11 boxes of cereal, 10 boxes of Jell-O pudding and 3 1/2 gallons of milk

$6.13

*Results will vary depending on the coupons you have available but even without any coupons the cereal is still a great deal.

**Albertson's will let you do 3 separate transactions at a time. If you want to do more you need to get in line again.

***DO NOT photocopy internet coupons. This is fraud. Each time a coupon is printed it has it's own individual time stamp. This is how cashiers can tell if they were computer generated or photocopied. Photocopies are the reason Kent's and others no longer accept internet coupons. If you need more coupons hit up your family, or otheres. If we all play by the rules we can all save lots of money.

Energy and Insulation Rebates & Licensed Contractor info

Here is some info about the insulation rebates Kellie is talking about.

Please check with Questar Gas or Thermwise before having any work done. They have a list of licensed contractors that they work with.

Qualifying efficiency measures and services may be found online at: ThermWise.com, or by calling 1-800-323-5517.

Questar Gas is not responsible if your retailer or contractor provides inaccurate information about the amount and/or conditions of the actual rebate.

Questar Gas will not pay rebates for efficiency measures that are mislabeled or misrepresented by dealers regarding rebate qualifications.

http://thermwise.com/ - there are Window, Wall, Floor and Ductwork Rebates too!

All Rebates Offered - http://thermwise.com/home/Weatherization.html

Application Form - http://thermwise.com/home/Weatherization_Application_09.pdf

All efficiency measures must be new, must be purchased and installed prior to submitting a rebate application, and must have been purchased and installed on or after January 1, 2007

Rocky Mountain Power

Utah ~ incentive offers http://www.homeenergysavings.net/utah/forms.html

For the insulation rebate from Rocky Mountain Power you must have central air.

Participating Contractors ~ http://www.homeenergysavings.net/utah/find_contractor.html
This list is provided as a convenience only to our customers.Rocky Mountain Power does not warrant, endorse or guarantee the work performed by these contractors and you, the customer, are solely responsible for any contract or agreement made with a Participating Contractor and the performance of any work by a Participating Contractor.

Attic Insulation

Angie asked me to post this on the blog about getting free insulation for your attic. Questar or Rocky Mountain Power, I'm not sure which, are giving rebates to people who get their attics insulated. I do think you need to be careful when selecting the company that comes in and does the insulating because there are scams out there, so shop around, do your homework, and be sure you know what you are getting into. If you have questions talk to Angie. The guy that is doing Angie's house is Trevor Ramboz (801) 698-6965. I think Dax Gurr, who used to live in our ward, does it too.

$20 in coupons for Albertson's

Pinching Your Pennies has teamed up with Albertson's. Get the details here about how to sign up to get 4 $5 off a $30 purchase and 2 manufacturer double coupons.

http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117742


For those of you that take the paper, Albies has had coupon doublers in the Sunday paper for the last couple of weeks. In the last 2 weeks I have gotten a lot of stuff free or almost free using my doublers like:

(I get 3 Sunday Papers)

6 cans of Pringles all FREE
2 Jars McCormick seasonings FREE plus they owed me $.01 cent on each
1 Jar McCormick Grinder seasoning FREE
1 jug Treetop Trim Juice $ .50

8 bags Hersey and M&M Mars Easter Candies $1.02/bag
like Cadbury mini eggs, mini Reester bunnies, Robin eggs, Starburst jelly beans. .

6 15 stick packs Wrigley gum FREE
3 bags Bird's Eye Steamfresh Frozen Veggies $.33/bag
1 Secret Deodorant FREE plus they owed me $.01 cent
6 Large 12 ct. Boxes of Poptarts $.50 each
4 boxes Rice Crispy Treats $.50 each
4 boxes Totino Pizza Rolls $.30 each

Total out of my pocket including sales tax was $18.18

Total saved pairing up coupons and doublers with sales prices $88.88!

So watch for those doublers they are definitely valuable!

Create your own FREE Food Storage planner

This was created by a local mom.

"Introducing Food Storage Shopper mini-planner - the "missing food storage link" that will help you shop and stock your food storage. This mini-binder has revolutionized my ability to consistently gather my food storage. Gone are my thoughts of shopping for food storage twice a year. I am gathering my food storage and emergency supplies WEEKLY in an organized simplified fashion. And loving it! I'm not going into debt, but have changed my planning and buying habits.

Food Storage Shopper is the shopping guide that will help you consistently and wisely buy food storage and emergency supplies along with your regular grocery shopping. Everything is at your fingertips. It will teach you how to plan your purchases, shop sales, and update your inventory every time you come home from the store. I've actually stopped using my computer food storage inventory program because this is so much more simple. And I am a spreadsheet nut. But as a busy mom, keeping it simple is much more important. I take Food Storage Shopper with me everywhere. It slips easily into my purse!"

You can create and download the instructions and spreadsheets for FREE! Only one per family please.


http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-to-make-food-storage-shopper.html

Square Foot Gardening Mel's mix

The new IFA on 12th street in Ogden has 2 cu ft bags of Mel's mix for $8.19. This is a pretty good deal ( I haven't checked out all the prices on everything this year but I think this may be cheaper than making it yourself) and you don't even have to mix it!

Another Couponing Class

There will be a free Pinching Your Pennies coupon class this Thursday, March 19th at 7 pm at the Standard-Examiner building in Ogden.

Call Mike Eames at 801-625-4415 to reserve your spot.

This is a fabulous opportunity to learn more about saving money with coupons and shopping smart, or to introduce your friends and family to couponing!

These classes are a lot of fun and very informative. PLUS there will be a fantastic grocery give-away!

Food Storage Recipes

There are a whole bunch of food storage recipes on www.beprepared.com Then go to the recipes tab. You can either find recipes by category or by ingredient. A great way to learn how to cook with your food storage.

Discounted things to do in Utah

Go to http://www.utahonsale.com/ for lots of offers from Standard Examiner on your favorite things to do! You need to be a subscriber to get the coupons.

For example:

Speedstreet Go carts you in Layton buy one race get your second free.
$5 Union Station museum for $2.
$24 Grizzlies puck pass for $5.
Layton's Surf'n'Swim for about 1/2 off.
Discovery Gateway for $4.25 instead of $8.50
Ogden Nature Center Admission for .25 cents!

The list goes on and on. Check them out.

Dry Food Storage Price Comparisons

Another blogger spent several looooong hours over the past few days creating a Price Comparison of Dry Foods from Food Storage Companies spreadsheet.

Her list isn't all the companies in the world, but the ones she personally was interested in comparing. You can't compare apples to oranges very easily.

These are the companies she compared:

LDS Family Storage Center
Thrive/Shelf Reliance Food Storage
Walton Feed
Blue Chip Group & Morning Moos
Honeyville Grain

She discovered that not all #10 cans are created equal (packed equally), so she had to convert all weights of the #10 cans into ounces. She also listed some foods in pails (buckets) and bags. But her list is not all encompassing. Mostly the items she was interested in comparing. Just because they are on the list doesn't mean she stores them all. LOL

Some companies carry many more items than she listed, and you can go to their individual websites to read more. She definitely knows she has some errors in this spreadsheet (who wouldn't) and prices will change, but overall you can use it.

I hope you find it useful.

Note: You will find that you can save a lot of money if you package your own food at the LDS Family Storage Center.

I also noticed that there are some prices that are cheaper at Sam's or Costco as well as some Associated Food Stores right now since they are having their case lot sales. For instance my Dad's store, Ridley's here in Cache Valley, has 25lbs of Sugar for $9.98 and 25lbs of flour for $5.88.

Click on her spread sheets to enlarge them. :)

http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com/2009/03/price-comparison-of-dry-foods-from-food.html

Gap/Old Navy 30% off your entire purchase

It's time for GAP/Banana Republic/Old Navy/Piperlime's Get and Give sale.

I'm on their mailing list and got my email yesterday. They send out 2 emails. One is a coupon for you with a one time online code and the other is an in store coupon you print and you can use as many times as you want and forward to all your friends.

If you would like a coupon please email me at bparish01@msn.com

This is good starting on Thursday, the 12th, and runs through the weekend is all.

You will receive 30% off your entire purchase at Old Navy, GAP, or Banana Republic. (I don't think we have a Piperlime (shoes) store here in Utah. I'm not up on my SLC malls anymore so I could be wrong.)

The coupon can be used as many times as you like. It is an in store only coupon and cannot be used online.

Because it's called Get and Give the company will be donating 5% of the sales to various charities. Each coupon is set up for a charity of the original email recipient's choice. I chose The National Lymphoma and Leukemia society.

Restaurant.com sale again

80% off Dining Certificates @ Restaurant.com ~ $25 cert for $2!

Code:80% off dining certificates MENU - exp 03/15/09

*Ensure to read the fine print on each certificate, as they vary depending on restaurant*

Looks like some of the more popular restaurants are sold out again but there are still quite a few with gift certs left.

Restaurant.com LINK

Got Potatoes?

A couple of weeks ago I found myself in a situation with A LOT of potatoes. So I really have no where good to keep them. We have a mouse problem in the basement here. Not that mice eat potatoes but I have moved all food upstairs cuz it just grosses me out. Also it is SOOOOO cold here. Our highs have been in the 30's and we've still been having single digits at night so the garage is not a good place unless I want a bunch of frozen rock solid potatoes. The solution I came up with was to cook half of them and freeze. A great way to do this is to make twice baked potatoes

First bake your potatoes.

Cut in half and scrape out the centers.

Mix with cheese, sour cream, butter, milk, chives, whatever you like.

Stuff the skins.

Top with cheese and chives or whatever you like

Then I freeze them all on a cookie sheet in my chest freezer.

When they are frozen I put five in a quart size freezer bag for future dinners.

These can be reheated in the microwave or oven.

In the store you can buy the cheap twice baked potatoes for $1 on sale if you're lucky and you get 2 in a box. Mine cost .04 cents each or .20 cent for my family of 5 and I didn't have to throw away any potatoes in a month from now.

Square Foot Gardening

I've had a request to post the Square Foot Gardening information on the blog but since that would be a very long post I will direct you to the website www.squarefootgardening.com Then click on the "how to" button on the left hand side. If you have any other questions or would just like to talk gardening I am always happy to listen.

Weight Loss Challenge & Free Nutrition Classes

Starts Saturday March 14 @ 10:00 am
At Weber County Library
2464 Jefferson Ave
Ogden, UT
Call (800) 296-1273 to pre-register

FREE Real Soccer Game

March 21st – FREE RSL Exhibition Game.

Rio Tinto Stadium will hold a unique Open House event, presented in conjunction with Sandy City, on Saturday, March 21.

The Open House will include a sneak peek at the 2009 edition of Real Salt Lake, with the first-team scheduled to take on a yet-to-be-named opponent beginning at 1:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and seating for that event will be general admission (with the exception of the club section and suites). Gates will open at 11:00 a.m.

As part of this event, there will be a Sandy City Soccer Fest fundraiser taking place on the east side of the stadium beginning at 11:00 a.m. that morning, with proceeds going towards the Sandy City Rotary Club Foundation.

In addition, following the game all 24 Real Salt Lake players will be available on the concourse for photo opportunities with fans in attendance (autographs will not be permitted at that time). The squad will be split up into groups of three players around the concourse and will be made available for approximately 45 minutes after the contest.

How to be Frugal - Four Essentials

I found this great article today and thought I would share it with all of you.

Most of us love finding a great bargain and want to be wise with our family’s dollar. We clip coupons, watch for clearance sales, and learn to how to stretch a pound of ground beef into the largest possible number of servings.

However, we often forget that living frugally is so much more. To truly be frugal and a wise steward of money, there are four essentials that must be mastered, or else the money saved from coupons or clearance deals will not matter.

1. Plan ahead
Planning ahead will allow you to make useful purchases at the best possible price and get better use from what you already own. We know that the 75% off Christmas clearance sales are the best time to buy for next year. But by thinking ahead, you could pick up some plain-colored plates or napkins for Valentine’s Day, Fourth of July, and maybe even St. Patrick’s Day if the deal is sweet enough. In the fall when school supplies are nearly free, buy enough for the year. Start looking for your child’s next shoe size at clearance sales before they outgrow their current ones. When planning meals, consider what fresh, perishable food you have on hand and use that first, thereby eliminating waste. However, planning ahead sometimes creates a slight accumulation in our closets and pantry, so one must…

2. Organize
Organizing your purchases, stockpiles, sale ads and coupons is essential. Let’s say you bought a couple packs of birthday napkins for pennies at a clearance sale but cannot find them for the upcoming party. Now, you are forced back to the store for replacements at full price, and so you lost time and money. Likewise, if you do not know that you already purchased your child’s dress shoes in the next size and buy another pair because of the great deal, that’s wasteful as well. Coupons can save a bundle but can create quite a mess if they are not organized.

3. Be creative
One of the most important skills to living a frugal life is learning to use what you already have, and sometimes this involves quite a bit of creativity. If a recipe calls for an ingredient that you don’t have, what can you substitute? Instead of buying a new outfit, maybe you could just buy a new accessory and switch around a few pieces of clothing in your closet to create a new look. Creativity has allowed many moms to create memorable birthday parties on tiny budgets.

4. Know when to spend
A bargain is not a good idea when you will have to replace the item sooner than necessary or when your family feels they are suffering at the hands of your frugality. Consider whether it’s worth an extra few dollars for higher quality. For example, you might want a higher-quality skillet since you will use it often and it will cook better than the cheap, thin ones. Quality wouldn’t matter as much for fashionable sandals as it would for the shoes you or your husband wear all day at work.

Frugality is a lifestyle. If you plan ahead and can create a semblance of organization, it’s usually better to buy the item when it is inexpensive, if you are certain you will need it in the near future, as opposed to the last minute when it might be full-price. If you don’t already have the item, try to be creative, improvise, or do without. If you must make the purchase, consider whether the cheaper version is really a waste of money or is good enough to fit your need. With a few lifestyle changes, our smaller efforts with coupons and stretching the ground beef will have a larger impact on our family’s wallet.

FREE Redbox Movies

It's March Movie Madness for redbox, so get in the game. on Wednesdays! Visit redblog every Wednesday in March for your Free Movie Wednesday code. Then visit your local redbox kiosk for your FREE 1 NIGHT's RENTAL.

GET A FREE NIGHT'S RENTAL EVERY MONDAY. Sign up for Free Movie Mondays! Join the redbox Free Movie Monday SMS program and get a promo code sent to your phone every Monday!