I'm a bit competitive. Just a bit. I know this about myself enough that if I were to actually devote myself to something in the competitive realm I'd probably give myself a heartache going after the endeavor. Thankfully there's not enough time in the day to track everything that I'd like to.

But Kroger has this nifty line on the receipt called "Percent Saved". Have you noticed? Gosh, I love this. Of course, it takes into account anything that's marked down on the shelf, as well as, coupons you might have. My goal is to be at least 45%. The highest 'percent saved' I've had is 65%. I know of others who use The Grocery Game for whom 65% is the norm. I don't think they buy diapers!

Last night was not my finest 'Percent Saved' as I came in at 36% but I got some good deals. The large box of Huggies diapers were $8.50 off after all the great deals and my coupons, Kroger included a $5 off $25 in a recent mailing, and I had manufacturer's coupons that were all doubled. If I hadn't had $40 worth of diapers and training pants and $10 worth of wine I know that this would have been one of my 'best' grocery shops ever and definitely a Cool Idea to double check our plans every once in a while to make sure they still work for us.

Have I mentioned how much I just love to clean the shower? Oh, yeah. Just love it. Ranks up there with vacuuming. But we all know it has to get done. I usually clean the shower while Joy is getting in some quality potty training time. I don't have a huge space to clean since we have a separate shower/ tub but the shower floor is textured so it takes a lot of patience and muscles.

So, when I was offered the opportunity to test out a new product to extend the time between shower cleanings I hit the reply button incredibly fast. And so far I'm glad I did.

Usually I wait to give you my experience after I've used a product 3-4 times but I wanted to go ahead and give you my first impressions. Personally, I've always liked the foaming action of Scrubbing Bubbles. I remember the little animated guys from the commercial and they just make me happy. But as I got older and stopped using aerosoles I had to leave behind the Scrubbing Bubble guys. But no more. Today you can be environmentally friendly and have Scrubbing Bubbles!! How? Because the power sprayer is magic. Just magic.

Well, I could explain how the sprayer works but you don't need to know that. What you do need to know is that it has a one-touch trigger. This is brilliant, let me tell you. No more pump trigger action all over your shower causing your fingers and hand to ache. If you have hand pain or know somone who does than this feature may really sway them.

But the cleaning part is great, too. You spray on Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-A-Clean Power Sprayer then wipe with a damp sponge and rinse. The water then forms a film [a good film] over your shower to keep dirt/ soap scum and other icky stuff from adhering to it. The next time you turn on the water the dirt rinses right off, leaving behind a thinner layer of film, etc, etc, which should last for about four days.

Because I'm on day two of this cleaning I can't tell you all of my findings but I can tell you that:

• This smells great!
• So easy to use!
• You keep the trigger!! Refills are available for less cost and screw onto the trigger.

And in case you are so intrigued by this and want to run out RIGHT NOW and get it Mid-Atlantic Area Kroger's have them on sale this week [until Saturday, May 22]. Use the $5 coupon from the SmartSource insert from 4/11/2010 and you can get the Scrubbing Bubbles Power Sprayer Starter for $1. There is also a $1 coupon in SmartSource from 4/11/2010 for the refill.

Disclaimer: I was supplied the Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-A-Clean Power Sprayer product and an additional refill to test for my review. Any opinions are entirely my own.

Unless you own a measuring tape and know the formula for doing your own bra size odds are that it's been a while since the last time you were 'professionally measured'. And since our bodies change from year to year - and [ahem] decade to decade - there's a better than good chance that many of us are running around in the wrong size bra. In fact, seven out of 10 of us are wearing the wrong size!

Playtex is making offering a contest to making getting a bra fitting even more attractive. They've created a new site where you can enter to win a fitting for yourself or someone you know.Women can go to apply for a bra makeover or nominate a friend. If chosen, the winner will be flown to New York to receive a Bra Makeover with style expert Alison Deyette. Deyette is a fashion and trend lifestyle expert who has been featured on Bravo's Millionaire Matchmaker and TLC's Ten Years Younger, as well as in print publications including Good Housekeeping, The Washington Post, and O Magazine. Apply for your chance to win a Playtex Bra Makeover today. The last day to apply is Friday, May 21st, 2010.


The 10 winners selected for a Bra Makeover will also star in their very own webisode wherein a makeover candidate will receive a fitting with Deyette and walk away with the perfect Playtex products. A new webisode will premier on http://www.playtexbramakeover/.com every two weeks.


By posting this information, I am entered into a contest to win a free bra from Playtex. I did not receive any compensation for this post and thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I'm amazed at how easy it is to make my own chicken stock. Really.Until last year I was buying it in a box or - gasp - a can. I know. Horrors. Now I use the crockpot. So easy!

The base of my stock is the carcass of our weekly rotisserie chicken from Costco. I'm pretty sure I've written about this before, but it's just one more way to be frugal and use every little bit of the bird. Especially a bird as big and convenient as the ones from Costco.

When I get around to actually making the stock I throw in whatever is in my fridge that is a 'stock like' veggie. Got some carrots that are past their prime? Throw them in. Wilted celery? Perfect.

How about seasoning? That's where I err on the light side. These rotisserie chickens already have seasonings so I throw in a bay leaf, some peppercorns, maybe some dried minced onion and call it good.

But today was a bit different. The Farmer's Market has been going on for a few weeks now so we have some great veggies in the fridge. We also have some from a few weeks ago that are definitely past their prime. And this week I was introduced to green garlic for the first time.

Making stock gave me a chance to clear out the wilted carrots - many of them - and to utilize the tops of the green garlic to add some wonderful onion-y flavor to the stock. The green tops of many veggies are often overlooked but making stock is a wonderful time to utilize them when you are able. Green garlic, scallions, and other similar stalk items would work wonderfully and impart a different flavor by using the tops rather than the bottom. It's wonderfully frugal, too, to use the entire item. And definitely a Cool Idea!

This Saturday, May8th is Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Giving is easy. Put out a bag of non-perishable food by your mailbox and your mail carrier will pick it up.

Yep, just one more way to help others and help work your way through your pantry at the same time. Definitely a Cool Idea.

Don't forget that you can connect with Couponing for Community through Facebook and Twitter.

Yesterday we talked about how you can use your weekly shopping, coupons, and pantry tithing to help your local food pantry. Today let's look at through the bathroom and linen closet.

Do you have a stash of samples and freebies that regularly come in the mail? Or do you travel regularly and pick up hotel soap and shampoos? We get samples in the mail and sometimes I find real gems. Other times I request samples of personal items but it's not a brand I use. I put these in a bag that I keep at a ready then I give it to a friend who passes it along to our local women's shelter. I have samples of feminine protection, shampoo, lotion, etc.

In case your house is bulging at the seams with samples keep in mind that churches and shelters may need these items for their clients, too. Making connections with organizations in your community isn't difficult and it'll be a rewarding opportunity to pass along items that might otherwise go unneeded at your house yet make  huge difference in someone elses life. And isn't that the reason we want to step in and help.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100611623317443

So, how's your stockpile doing? Have you looked through your pantry lately and noticed some items that you thought might be a good idea at the time but now are just taking up space? Have you noticed more and more great deals at the grocery?

If you answered yes to these [or even just one of them] then it's time to take advantage of some great deals and your natural, or hard-learned, coupon work to help others in need.

Community Food Banks and local food pantries get plenty of attention around Thanksgiving but especially in these trying economic times it's not unusual for them to be empty or running low come the end of the month. Most in the Richmond area can only give families a 3-day emergency supply of food while they help them to make a plan for the future. While I agree that this sounds like a wonderful idea we know that things are different these days.

So, here are some things that we can do to help:
1. Use your coupons to help. Do you have coupons that you're not going to use for items that are a great deal? If you go ahead and buy it will it significantly increase your receipt or cause you hardship? If the answer to the latter is no, then why don't you go ahead and add it to your cart then put it in a bag for your local food pantry.
2. Use your grocery stores weekly deals to help. Does your store run 10/$10 deals or something similar? Do you regularly take part in these deals? How about if you add one or two more to your cart for the food pantry?
3. Use your own stockpile to help. If you've been using coupons for a while then odds are you might have developed a substantial stockpile. Right now I have 10 boxes of pasta. Will I use all of those boxes? Yes, I will. But I can certainly share then right now. Call it Pantry Tithing maybe - for every 10 items you have in your pantry pick one item to share with your local food pantry. Make sure it's non-perishable and useful and be sure to check the expiration dates [something we should do in the pantry periodically, anyway] and add it to the bag.

There you go. These are just off the top of my head so I know they aren't definitive. What ideas do you have for helping local food pantries in your area?

And if you're interested in finding out what others are doing this week as part of the Couponing for Community week head over to the Facebook event page where you can post comments or pictures!!

It's probably not often that you get great recipes off of daily moneywise reminders - that is unless you are subscribed to Everyday Cheapskate. I've gotten so many great recipes - including great updates from Erin at $5 Dinners - that I stay subscribed just because I never know what I'll hear next. Last week this recipe was listed and I decide to test it out - you know, just in case;) Yeah, I took one for the team.
And, I ate it all!!
It was that good!
So, go subscribe to the Everyday Cheapskate email and be sure to make this garlic break because these are the best Cool Ideas in a long time!! Even though I don't usually like sage and spice and green stuff!
Fantastic Garlic Bread



1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon sage
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 French baguette, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Preheat oven to broil. In a medium bowl combine butter, mayonnaise, sage, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Spread mixture evenly on bread and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place bread under broil for 5 minutes, or until lightly toasted.

We're a Huggies family but on my last trip to Kroger the Catalina machine spit out these codes:
7HX6X4KRPFPGKWN - 10 PTS
9GY96NW9R33DJJ9 - 10 PTS

First of all, this trip to Kroger was supposed to be for two items. Yes, two! Then I remembered there were 10/$10 sales going on and I picked up a flyer. Maybe I shouldn't have done this. I'm not sure it would have mattered because the major derail came when I opened up my coupon caddy and noticed that I had a coupon from Nabisco for free cookies or crackers which took me down an aisle I hadn't intended to be on. But I found gold when I got there.

Part of the 10/$10 sale that wasn't included in the flyer is the Barnum Circus reclosable animal crackers! Seriously, what kid - and hence, what parent - doesn't love these!!! Normally priced at $2.58 bags are now $1. So, I stocked up.

I had already stocked up on $1 toilet paper and then remembered that I was going to go to the dollar store to get little paint brushes. Instead I went to the office supply section of the store and it turns out that art brushes are 10/$10 this week at Kroger!! Got the brushes and saved myself gas for the trip across town.

So even though I didn't have a list when I went into the store and I let the serendipity of my coupon caddy lead me astray it really was the need to buy food [pie shells for quiche and biscuits for chipped beef] and diapers that were the greatest expense.

And to say that I didn't have coupons isn't quite right. I got a box of Triscuits for FREE from Nabisco. I got $2 off Huggies that were already down to $8.99. I got $1.50 off the biscuits and I had several electronic coupons loaded to my loyalty card that I didn't even remember were on there. That's the beauty of the electronic coupon - load them on and they'll be ready whenever you get there, whether you planned the trip or not.

I didn't hit my goal of 45% savings but I got to 37% without really trying and that's not bad for a chilly morning in April. How about you? Have you had serendipity shopping adventures lately?