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Quick Tip: Rain Checks

Quick Tip: Rain Checks - Totally Worth It!

You've started looking for sales and deals at your local grocery stores. You've even planned ahead and brought your coupons to maximize your savings. However, you find an empty shelf! Not to fear, the Rain Check is your friend! Almost all stores offer Rain Checks when they are out of a product. But, before you ask for one, do a quick check of the following.

1. If the shelf is empty on the "end cap" (the end of an aisle where sale items are usually prominently displayed*), check the item's normal location in the store for additional stock.

Likewise, if the item's normal shelf is empty, check for end-caps.

2. Ask a stocker or store manager if they have additional stock in the storeroom.

3. If the store is truly out of the item you want, then ask for a rain check! If you must have that item right now and aren't just stocking up on it, then ask the store manager if he or she is willing to substitute a comparable item. Recently at Fred Meyer, they were out of the $1.79 carton of eggs. When I asked if they had more in the back, they told me to just get another brand, and tell the cashier to charge me the $1.79 price. I mentioned this to another manager at the front of the store near the checkout, and she not only agreed, she got the cashier's attention and let her know it would be O.K. to do. This saved the cashier a call, and me a wait in line, while she called to confirm. I wound up getting better eggs that what were on sale!

*A word to the wise: Just because items are prominently displayed on end-caps does not mean that they are the best deal!

Plastic Grocery Store Bags. You have them, now what to do with them?

Though some communities are considering and passing legislation to outlaw them, single use plastic grocery store bags are everywhere. Sadly, we often seem them stuck in trees, bushes, and littering the sides of our roadways. Like many people, even if you are using reusable bags, folks still have a bunch of the plastic ones at home. I personally use reusable bags, but on occasion, I forget them in the trunk of my car, or simply do not have enough to hold all my great grocery deals! So, plastic bags, what to do?

Plastic bags, Uses and Recycling

Some folks use the grocery store plastic bags to clean up after their dogs instead of buying the little plastic bags that are stored in the retractable dog leash. Others will take their store of plastic bags to the recycling can meant solely for these bags at their local grocery store. I don't know what they make out of those bags, but, I'm glad there is less going to a landfill. Another use I have for these bags is for tossing the wrapping and tray* that holds raw meat from the grocery store. *Some communities recycle these plastic trays. Where we used to live in Central Ohio did, here in NW Oregon, they do not. Of course, there's always the option of using them for temporary storage of wet swimsuits, towels, and sandy shoes / toys when coming home from the pool or the beach.

Plastic bags, where to keep them?

My family keeps a "bag of bags" hanging in the pantry / laundry room. This is where any of those plastic bags go after groceries are unloaded. However, I have another idea that I really like on where to store those bags. See, I also use the plastic bags to line the small trash cans that we have in each bathroom, bedroom, etc. I find it annoying to have to go grab a new bag from the pantry when I empty the trash in any of those rooms , so this is what I do. When we have finished a box of tissues, I stuff it full of those plastic bags, then store the reused box-full of bags under the bathroom sink. That way, the bags stay under control in a cute way, and it makes it really easy for me to tidy up in the various rooms. Restock as needed. Who doesn't want an easier job of cleaning up around the house? I even like to keep a tissue box full of plastic bags in the trunk of my car for those wet towels, sandy shoes, etc. that I mentioned above.

Don't forget...

If you do use reusable bags, remember to make sure you're getting your "reusable bag credit" at the grocery store, if you're store does this. It's usually five cents per bag. It's your money, keep it!

Pump it Up

Gentle Foaming Hand Soap, you know what I'm talking about - the ones in the endless variety of scents from Bath & Body Works? My family goes through those vanilla scented cleansers like I go through a bag of chips! I have scored some pretty nice savings on foaming soap at B&BW, but what to do when there's no sale in sight? I improvised at the kitchen sink. I've been able to find Dawn liquid dish detergent 10.3 fl oz for as low as 75 cents, when combining a sale and a coupon, at Walgreens. Now, for pros like Ronda and Stephanie, they've probably gotten dish detergent for free or even made money on it. I've had my share of freebies, but I need to watch those sales cycles better! But I digress (that will happen a lot...). I squirted some of the Dawn into the empty B&BW's foaming soap container, added some water, and WHAM! Foaming Soap! I like this because, at the sink we'd been using the Dawn to wash our hands. We were using way more Dawn than was needed for hands. Also, the B&BW Foaming Soap wasn't cutting through the grease like Dawn would. So, now we are using less Dawn and B&BW Foaming Soap, but still getting our hands squeaky clean at the kitchen sink.

Three Sheets to the Wind

OK, so when I say "Three sheets to the wind" I'm not talking about alcohol, but rather, dryer sheets! One way that I've found to save money is to cut dryer sheets into thirds. I find that when cut into thirds, not only is it enough material to impart the anti-static properties of the dryer sheet to the clothes, but it also cuts down on the sometimes overwhelming fragrance.

Now, what to do with those dryer sheets when the load of clothes is done? I think most folks know that the dryer is a lot more efficient when the lint trap is cleaned out regularly. I clean my dryer's lint trap after every load. Yeah, I'm nuts, so sue me. Sometimes, if I have a load of "heavy linters" like newer towels, sweatshirts, or blankets in the dryer, I'll clean the lint trap while checking to see if the towels are done. I find that cleaning the filter with a used dryer sheet really helps to clean out both the lint trap and the area where the lint basket fits into the dryer. It takes just seconds to do, it makes your clothes dryer more efficient (Read Between the Lines: works faster AND saves money on running the dryer!) Also, have you ever heard about a dryer catching on fire because the lint trap hadn't been cleaned in forever and a day? Well, if you start cleaning out your lint trap after each load of laundry passes through, then there's little chance of having a dryer fire due to built up lint, right? Fires and the ensuing water are so messy and bothersome. Just avoid them in the first place!

Thanks to Ronda and Suzanne...

After moving to Oregon over a year ago, I decided to be a SAHM, a Stay-at-Home-Mom. My husband was NOT in agreement. However, over time, he, too saw the benefit to our daughter's education. Being home with Katherine more has led to better grades and a more well-rounded child. Being a SAHM is not for everyone, but I really want this, and this is what works for our family. However, losing my income was not easy. Everyday items that we need, as well as our contribution to my husband's benefits, seem to grow, whereas paychecks do not.

Soon after my family and I moved to the Pacific Northwest, my friend Ronda from high school told me how she uses coupons and stockpiling to help her family of six make ends meet. After child number four, Ronda decided to be a SAHM. She and her husband had both had great jobs and lived quite comfortably. Living on one income would be a little hard, but nothing insurmountable. That's when Ronda's husband lost his job. Ronda had to find a way to pay less for the necessities and she has been able to do that through couponing and stockpiling. Now, she teaches others to do the same. I have benefitted from her lessons and you can, too.

This is where Suzanne comes in to the picture. Suzanne, another friend from high school, had seen my Facebook posts about the savings that I've attained by combining coupons and sales at various grocery stores. She wanted to learn more and share this information with her husband. I was fully intent on making a list and sending to her, but where's the fun in that? In trying to come up with the best way to share the wealth, I figured that a blog was the best way to do that. Today, October 5 is the day that I'm getting off my duff and getting to work in keeping my word to Suzanne that I'd share money-saving info with her. So we have SAHMonomics - Stay-at-Home-Mom-onomics.

So, thanks Ronda and Suzanne!