Now that the Black Friday and Cyber Monday buying frenzy has passed, we can think about something other than online deals for a moment! Actually, I think I needed that more than any of you... While getting the things we want and need for really cheap is fun, sometimes we do spend money on the things we absolutely love. Over the next two weeks, the gals behind Frugal Living NW are going to share our "favorite things" with you in the form of the Frugal Living NW Christmas Gift Guide -- Emily called it her "Oprah list." Each day, we will highlight the items and experiences that, while we could absolutely could do without, we'd rather not. We're Keep Reading
Frugal Living NW Christmas Gift Guide
Turkey Time : Prices from 6 local stores
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and you know what that means. No, not Black Friday. I'm talking about turkey! I am probably the wrong person to be writing this post. My sisters and I decided to cook a non-traditional Thanksgiving feast this year, swapping out all the old favorites with new dishes. We got together last week with a stack of cooking magazines and books, creating a menu that would make your mouth water. It should be a fun experiment. That is, if the guys don't revolt on us when they hear we are roasting brussel sprouts instead of making stuffing and serving pear pie instead of the standard pumpkin. Even though we're giving Keep Reading
Veteran’s Day Freebies
If you or a member of your family is a former or current member of the United States military, be sure to head over to Thrifty NW Mom for a long list of freebies and offers for veterans today. Note especially the FREE entree at Applebees for veterans and active duty military today only! And now I'm headed to call my dad and thank him for serving our country! Keep Reading
Family Fun: Great Wolf Lodge
A big thanks to the folks at Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, Washington for a fantastic family vacation earlier this month. Here are the elements I especially loved: The Lodge -- It's beautiful, super clean and comfortable. All the rooms have a sitting area so you're not hanging out on the beds. The lobby is huge with tons of room for lounging. In fact, our baby had tons of room to practice walking, which he started over our GWL weekend! The Waterpark -- My family had a great time enjoying the wave pool and all the water slides. The water was the right temperature and even our little kids had a good time. Though my husband and I remarked quite often Keep Reading
Frugal vs. Cheap
Unless you have been hanging out under a rock lately (no offense to those gutsy Chilean miners), you know that daily deal sites like Groupon and Living Social are incredibly popular right now. For example, Groupon has sold nearly 14 million vouchers through their site since late 2008. It's a strong model in a weak economy: Small business owners partner with these sites to offer deeply discounted deals on salon services, restaurant certificates, etc. The consumer gets a great deal. The business owner gains the opportunity to boost business by turning new customers into repeat business and word-of-mouth advertisers. It's a win-win situation for Keep Reading
Fred Meyer Toy Sale
Fred Meyer is having a Buy 2, Get 1 FREE toy sale. Frugal Chic Living has come up with a great list toy deals. Here are a few of the highlights. Use the Playsaver coupons from 9/26 (or print them here) combined with the 10% off Home Coupon on the front of the ad to save big. My Little Pony Mommy and Pony Vehicle priced at $16.99 Buy 3 Free item for buying 3 Use (2) $5/1 PlaySaver coupons Use 10% off Home coupon $6.86 each when you buy 3 Strawberry Shortcake Berry Cruiser RC priced at $19.99 Buy 3 Free item for buying 3 Use (2) $10/1 PlaySaver coupons Use 10% off Home Coupon $5.33 each when you buy 3 Littlest Pet Shop Collectible Keep Reading
Walgreens 101
Walgreens Coupons: You can find Walgreens coupons from two different sources: the Walgreens weekly ad and the monthly Walgreens coupon book (both can be found at the front of every store). Portland is a test market for the Walgreens Rewards Card program. Because of this most of the coupons in our weekly ad can be redeemed simply by having the cashier scan your Walgreens Rewards Card. Read more about the Rewards Card program here. Stacking Coupons: The Walgreens coupon policy states that you can stack one Walgreens coupon with one manufacturer's coupon. Some stores will give you a hard time about this when you use the monthly coupon book. Keep Reading