Why Aldi Can Cut Your Grocery Costs

First of all - this is my first Frugal Fairy post in a long time. Pretty much since before Christmas. Which is sad.

However it is probably because I am pregnant! So I've had other things on my mind besides writing blogs.

But don't worry - with being a mom comes more opportunities for me to blog about things. And I promise I won't ONLY blog about mommy things.

So, onto my post....

The other day while I was shopping at Aldi, I thought to myself "gee, why don't more people shop here?". Then I also thought "gee, why don't more grocery stores adopt the Aldi model?"

So here is a user's guide to Aldi, for those of you who have never been:

1. Bring a quarter: The first thing you'll notice when you arrive at Aldi is that you have to lend a quarter to get your shopping cart. Actually, because of this one of the first things you may notice at Aldi is that there are no rogue buggies roaming the parking lot searching for cars to dent. In order to get a cart, you must deposit a quarter into a little contraption. But don't worry, when you return your cart you will get a quarter back...not your same quarter, but a quarter still.
2. BYOB (Bring your own bags): Aldi was green before green was trendy. To keep costs down for you, Aldi does not provide you or supply you with any bags. Whatever you put into your cart will ultimately end back up in your cart, just like that. It is up to you, the customer, to provide bags and bag your own groceries. Yes, you are cutting out the "luxury" of a bag boy/girl - but then you can package your groceries any way you want to! I bring my own bags from home. However Aldi does have paper bags (for 5 cents I believe) and sturdy, reusable plastic bags (for 10 cents). You can also often find leftover packing boxes up front that are there for your use as well.
3. No fancy shelves: Just to properly forewarn you, Aldi has no frills once inside. Most of the products are placed on a few shelves or are merely in boxes on pallets on the floor. You may get more of a discount/warehouse vibe from Aldi - but that's fine for me!
4. Limited selection: Let me also forewarn you that you probably will not be able to buy all of your groceries at Aldi. Aldi has a limited selection of items. Mostly what I would consider staples. You can purchase things like flour, sugar, cooking oil, milk, eggs, etc. at Aldi. Most products tend to be of an off brand (Aldi brand) but are of good quality. Every once in a while they will have "special purchase" items that might be of a brand (lately I saw Easter candy, including Cadbury and Nestle, just to name some brands). But I wouldn't count on it every time.
5. Bonus Perk 1: Since Aldi is a Europeon based company, some of the foods they carry are actually imported. Aldi has some AWESOME chocolate there. Some of the stuff is ridiculously cheap but comporable to many imported chocolates I've found for much more money!
6. Bonus Perk 2: I tend to think that people (shoppers and staff) are actually a lot more friendly at Aldi. Almost every time that I have been to Aldi, someone in the parking lot has offered to trade me a quarter for my buggy so I didn't have to return it and they didn't have to "check one out". Other shoppers pretty much always slide down/provide/place the courtesy bar/divider between groceries. At other stores I generally have to ask. But at Aldi, most of the time someone will pass it down. I also think most Aldi's allow their check out clerks to sit on stools instead of standing on their feet all day. I personally know that would make me a happier employee - so I'm assuming that's why I encounter so many happy ones!
7. Best Perk: The prices are incredible. I went the other day and bought and entire cart filled to the top with staples such as cereal, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, milk, eggs, bread, english muffins, fresh veggies, canned veggies, juice, cheese, cream cheese, biscuits, hamburger patties, roasting meat, frozen pizzas, sherbert, microwave meals, soups, and more and spent a total of $93! No coupons necessary either. I know for a fact that had I shopped for these items, even at a discount place like Walmart, I would have paid at least $140 for the same items.

Frugality = Compromise

Happy New Year!

As you are making your New Year's Resolutions (I try not to make any because I never keep them), you may be making one to be more frugal this year.

As someone who lives a pretty frugal lifestyle already, I have one piece of advice for those who are looking to spend less: You HAVE to be willing to compromise.

There is a simple equation here: The pickier you are, the more something is going to cost you (both in time and money).

For example, let's say you're going on vacation. You need to book a flight. If you say "I want to leave at exactly this time on exactly this day and have no connecting flights" you are going to pay an arm and a leg. However if you say, "I can leave at ANY time on this day or maybe leave a day earlier, and don't mind an extra connecting flight" your price can drop dramatically. In making travel plans myself, I've seen my airline ticket fee drop $1,000 just by being flexible with my arrival, departure, and specifics.

Let's say you want to get a dog. You can be very specific and say "I want a tea cup yorkie that is AKC" and pay an arm and a leg from a "breeder" or you can say "I want a small dog" and get one at a rescue for a small adoption fee (and my local rescue actually includes the first set of shots AND getting spayed or neutered). You'll pay much more for your specific breed of dog than a rescue dog. Or you can have the best of both worlds and get your dog from a specific breed rescue! (Getting on my soap box here: I encourage everyone to look at rescues first. There are so many wonderful dogs sitting in rescues or in the pound that are loving and just need a place to go. All of my pets have been from rescues and they are phenomenal! Breeders only contribute to the current cat/dog overpopulation situation. Stepping down from soap box.)

Let's say you want to try out a new restaurant. You can go on a Friday night and order off their dinner menu and get some drinks and pay out the wazoo. Or you can maybe go at lunch (if they serve) and order something at a cheaper price and maybe forego the drinks! Bonus: It probably isn't as crowded at lunch.

Money aside, learning to be flexible can also win you brownie points in the customer service area. Many times when something doesn't go exactly as planned at a hotel, restaurant, etc. the staff approaches you as if they expect you to get mad and be furious and demand things. Recently I went to lunch with a friend. She ordered a chicken ceaser salad. When she got the salad, it didn't have any chicken on it. She politely asked the waiter if it was supposed to have chicken on it. He sort of freaked out and apologized profusely and said he'd get the chicken. Well, he forgot it and she went ahead and started eating the salad. When she was almost done, he came back and apologized again. She wasn't angry, just said "I'm ok. It's no problem as long I am not charged for it." He then went to his boss and got them to take off the entire entree. She wasn't mean, she wasn't demanding. She was sweet and flexible. And because of that, they took off the entree and then came back and offered dessert and extra service on the house.

Learning to compromise on certain issues will help you spend less over time.

Recycle and get free stuff

I just did something today that I had forgotten about before.

Occassionally I treat myself to some MAC makeup. I love this brand because they have an excellent assortment of colors and products. They are all high quality and have great lasting power. But did you also know about their "Back to MAC" program?

Yes, MAC makeup has a recycling program which I wish more companies would mimic. Here's how it works:

• Purchase MAC makeup


• Save your plastic containers


• When you have six (6) of the empty/used containers, you can return them to a MAC counter or mail them to MAC and you'll get a FREE tube of MAC lipstick! That is a $14 value. Here's the return form with information: http://www.maccosmetics.com/pdfs/back_to_mac.pdf

Not only do you get the tube of lipstick, but you are also doing your part for the environment! Now if only we could get more brands on board with this neat idea! I was actually thinking that it would be neat if, for every 6 Starbucks cups you recycle, you got a free latte!

What brands could you benefit from?

What's better than frugal spending? Free stuff!!!

I just have to share my latest little victory in the shopping world.

Over a month ago I went to Victoria's Secret (which I'll refer to as VS for the rest of this entry) because I had one of those "Free Panty" cards. Whenever I get these, I always use them because, well, they are free. So I went in and I got my free panty. Since I was there and they had their other panties on sale, I bought some of those. When I paid for my purchase, I received a promotional card that said:

Come back to VS between December 1- December 24 and use this card on your purchase. It's a secret, but you'll get $10, $25, $100, or $500 off of your purchase.

I dutifully put the card in my wallet with my other "coupon cards" and went on my merry way.

Yesterday I went to the mall with my husband. He wanted to get me a little something extra for Christmas and wanted me to pick out what I wanted. I said "well, I love a particular parfume VS sells and I have this gift card, so lets check it out."

We went into the "beauty" side of the store only. (As a side note, I don't normally buy my lingerie and undergarments at VS because they are above my "priceline" for those items. I will buy undies if they are on sale, but I've literally never owned a VS bra because it is hard for me to palatte the price tag.

I looked around for a gift set of my favorite parfume, but I didn't see any in that area. I decided that I didn't want my "coupon card" to go to waste, so I selected two tubes of gloss, on sale for 2 for $12.

I went to the cashier to pay for it. She rang it up, I gave her my card, and she swiped it. It didn't say that I owed anything. I thought that was strange because I figured it was $10 and that I would have a balance of a little over $2 to pay. She looked funny too. She checked the balance of the card and low and behold, I had received a $100 card!!!! I was very excited and so of course went on a mini shopping spree. We went to the other side and I found on a table a gift set of the perfume I wanted (Yay!) and as an added bonus, it was 40% off!! Then I bought two bras (buy one, get one 1/2 off). After I used my card we only owed $25.

So, for $25 out of pocket, I got two beautiful bras (retail $48 each), a parfume gift set (retail $58), and my two tubes of lip gloss.

Moral of the story - always check into the deals that are presented to you. While some may seem like cheap marketing ploys, some may earn you money!

Frugal Holiday Advice

My wonderful co-worker and I were having a conversation yesterday and she urged me to blog on what we were discussing.

I'm all for cutting corners: With your money, with your time, etc. But there is one area that you must NEVER cut corners on, and that's with your friends and family.

With all of the demand that we have on our time, it is often really easy to blow off friends and family because we always figure that "they are our friend/family, so they'll understand."

I've often catch myself debating this: I have a busy week. I've had to work overtime, be at committee meetings for a group I'm in, run to doctor's appointments on lunch breaks, run umpteen different errands, etc. I'm supposed to drive up to my parents for the weekend, but all I really want to do is go home and veg out. What do I do?

Part of me says: Just tell your mom and dad that you have had a rough week and that all you want to do is chill.

But the part that wins out says: Life is too short. One day you won't be able to spend time with them and you'll regret it.

Now I understand when something else happens and you just can't do something - I felt terrible this past week because my friend was graduating (getting her PhD!!!!) on Friday about 4 hours away. I really wanted to see her, to be there for her. But, alas, there is so much going on at work that I just couldn't take the whole day off on Friday. Even if I had blown off work, I'd probably be way too preoccupied with what all I had to do that I'd have an anxiety attack. So unfortunately I just couldn't physically make it.

But when you can, splurge on time and activities with your family. Those are great investments to make! And I can guarantee you that you'll get a healthy return on investment from it!

Home Made Gift Idea: Coupon Books

Coupon books aren't just for Mother's Day any more.

I love making little coupon books. I know that they may seem cheesy to some, but for me they are an old standby.

People have a lot of stuff. By stuff I mean all of the physical possessions you own. While sometimes I may think to myself "man I really need this new XYZ product", I really don't. I have tons of "stuff" sitting around my house. That's why I am constantly rummaging through things, clearing out, and getting rid of items (via yard sales, donations, and freecycling). Of course then I turn around and either buy or receive more "stuff" and thus the cycle continues.

However, throughout the year I can recall countless times where I've thought "wow, I could really use some help doing _______." That's where coupon books come in.

To the right I have two items that I created: the cover for a coupon book and then the actual certificates. Feel free to print and use these to make your own coupon books.

What makes a good coupon?

If you are a kid, it is cute and easy to include coupons that are "good for one free hug". However the grown-up version has plenty of other options. Here are some suggestions for good coupon vouchers for grown-ups. Keep in mind that you should always customize your coupons to the recipient. Personalization is what really makes the gift special:

• One free night of baby sitting: Only include this if you would actually feel comfortable baby sitting.
• One day of baby sitting (or a few hours): For the purpose of running errands, etc.
• Hassle-free lawn care: I just imagined this being a good gift for a husband to give his wife - she could just hand in the coupon and he would just go do the lawn, no fussing allowed!
• No strings attached back rub: Self explanatory if you catch my drift...
• Girls (or guys) night out: A coupon for staging a girl or guy only get together.
• One hour of down time: Good husband/wife coupon where the recipient can just have one hour of down time where he/she can just close the door and not be asked to do anything. You could include multiples of these.
• Guilt-free nap: Same principle as the above.
• Dinner's on me: This one ultimately costs money, but this is a nice one to include for spouses or friends.

There are actually many more ideas that you can pull from. You can get very abstract like "a shoulder to cry on" pass. You could also go for humorous ones like a pass to get you out of answering the "does this make my butt look big" question. You can also use them to refer to personal jokes, like a "don't judge me because I bought that" pass.

You'll have fun making them. The recipient will have fun receiving them. And they'll have even more fun redeeming. Plus the gift has a nice throw-back charm to childhood.

Home Made Gift Idea: The Perfect Pedicure

I have the perfect gift for the girly-girl in your life: The Perfect Pedicure. This idea is a two-for, as in you can use it as a gift giving guide AND you can use it for yourself. I've been doing my own nails/pedicures at home for years and years. It started off because I was in college and wanted to have cute nails, but couldn't afford the trips to the manicurist. But as I've grown older, I've come to make this a ritual that I enjoy more than getting my nails done professionally. And, it is a heck of a lot cheaper.

I'm going to go through and number the items to go into the kit and then explain how to use each one of them. Just an idea, but you may want to do the same (add a cute instruction card with the gift) to really show how to use these:

The Perfect Pedicure Ingredients and Instructions:

1. 1 Box Herbal Tea: Let me suggest Yogi Tea Meditative tea (http://yogitea.elsstore.com/view/category/559-mind-tea/?items_page=9&page=2=2). This is a delicious tea that helps you relax. On the site it is $4.39 per box, but I've actually seen it cheaper in health food stores and even recently in the tea aisle/section at Walmart! How to use it: I suggest brewing a small pot of tea before you begin your pedicure. Place the tea pot and mug somewhere close to you so that as you relax, the tea is by your side for enjoyment. Do not toss the tea bag...I'll explain in a moment.

2. Wide, Shallow Plastic Container: First of all, this will be the perfect container to put all of the goodies in. Secondly, it will be used for the soak. The container that I use I actually got at the dollar tree. It looks similar to the item at the right, but is wider and a tad bit more shallow. It is the perfect size and cost $1. They also have just basic clear plastic containers that work well too. Check out all of the areas for possible items to use. How to use: Fill this tub about half way with very warm/hot water (as hot as you can take it). Now add the left over tea bag after your tea is ready. By the time the tea bag has been used and it has been put into the larger container of water, it is diluted enough to where there isn't much of a chance of it staining your skin. I got this idea from a spa I went to and I really liked it. It's a nice way to soak your feet. I'm a firm believer in the healing power of tea, both when ingested and even when used topically.

3. Foot brush/pumice stone: One of these combo brushes (example here: http://www.sallybeauty.com/Pumice-Foot-Brush/SBS-177215,default,pd.html) is perfect for double duty. It allows you to scrub your feet after they have soaked for a while. Then use the pumice stone side to wear down any rough spots or calluses. I showed that one, but the one that I have is actually from, you guessed it, the Dollar Tree, for $1. Yay.

4. Nail Buffer Block: I love these! I'm sure you've seen them, but if you haven't tried them, I think they are the best! The one I have is similar to the one on the right (though not exact). I just replaced mine with one I got at Target. I can't remember if it was $1.49 or $1.97 (weird amounts to remember, right) but I know it was less than $2. Look for the blocks that are labeled on all sides. Mine is actually numbered too, so that you know to use which ones in which order. By the time you gently use each side of the block on your nail, it is shiny and smooth. Use the filing edge to file the edges of your nails into the shape you'd like. When you are finished with your nails this way, you can choose to leave them "blank" as I like to call it (no polish) or you can use this base as the perfect way to start your polish job.

5. Cuticle Pen: I just came across these from one of my favorite little splurge sites (www.eyeslipsface.com). I do mean little splurge too, since most items are $1. When I feel like I want to try a new color or something different with my makeup, I hit ELF and will probably refer to it frequently on my site as I've found some great bargains there on products that are definitely worth more than what I paid for them. This particular product, http://www.eyeslipsface.com/nails/nourishing_cuticle_pen, is a cuticle pen. Simply take off the cap and use the sturdy, treatment filled tip to push back your cuticles and run it around the edges to soften the skin. It contains nourishing oils which are perfect for your skin and cuticles. No cutting required! (Which by the way, I read somewhere that cuticle cutting is bad for you, so I try to never do this!)

6. Toe Separators: Again, at ELF, I found bargain toe seperators for $1 (http://www.eyeslipsface.com/nails/toe_separators). Regardless of whether or not you are planning to paint your toe nails, I suggest using these babies for at least a few minutes. There is something completely relaxing about putting them between your toes, feeling that little bit of stretch there, and then taking them out and feeling the relief and relaxation. I actually will use my toe separators even if I'm not doing the full on pedicure. Put them on, sit back for a few minutes and relax.

7. Foot cream. If you are going to splurge on any part of this, a good foot cream can go a long way. While you can find some items that are less expensive at drug stores, I really like the Mentha Foot Tingling Foot Cream from the CO Bigelow line at Bath and Body Works. It runs $14 for a tube, but that will last you a long time as a little will go a long way. Rub this on your feet and sit back for a while. It tingles a little, giving you this really neat sensation. And again, a little goes a long way. If you aren't polishing, you can stop right here. If you are polishing, go ahead.

8. Cute nail polish. ELF has a lot of cute nail polish colors for only $1 each: http://www.eyeslipsface.com/nails/nail_polish. If you are getting for yourself, get what you like. If you are getting for a gift, I'd probably stick with one of the french manicure sets found here: http://www.eyeslipsface.com/nails/nail_polish_sets. ($3 for the set of three). Before you polish, I suggest swiping nail polish remover over each toe. You can get nail polish remover pads at ELF as well (for $1 of course). You can add those to the gift set if you'd like. I swipe the nail polish remover over the nails at this point because if you've used the foot cream, you'll want to get rid of that from the tops of your nails. Now, if you normally keep your toes painted (as I do) then skip doing a base coat. I never let my toes go naked (without polish) so if a dark color stains a tad, I'm not worried. If you do go without polish though, use a top coat of clear polish first to protect them. Then do your color. I prefer dark on my toes In fact, I usually use my toes to go crazy. I'll use bright colors, purples, greens, blues on my toes. It's a fun little way to go a little crazy, but without losing my professional appearance. I try to be more conservative on my finger nails.

Nail polish application technique: I have a quick and easy nail polish technique - which is to use three simple strokes. One wide, flat stroke against the left edge of the nail. One wide flat stroke against the right. One down the middle. If you do it correctly, that's all you'll need. It reduces room for mistakes. If you do get it on the edge of your nail bed, I usually leave it. Once it dries, you can scrape it off pretty easy.

Apply 2 coats of your color polish. Any more is overkill. Let several minutes (5) pass between coat applications.

Apply 1 coat of clear polish.

Sit and relax.

9. Here is where you can get creative. Personally, during the whole process, I like to use it as girly time. My pedicure used to be my Sunday night ritual, that I would do all while sitting back and watching Sex and the City. Now I tend to time it around other shows I like to watch that are girly, like the Real Housewives of...whatever, Project Runway, or even Grey's Anatomy. If you are giving as a gift, feel free to add in a girly movie, DVD series, etc. Or if the person is a music lover, throw in a relaxing CD of some sort. Book lovers? Throw in a book too! If they are relaxing with their tootsies propped up, what better time is there to get in some reading.

Well, that's my solution to the perfect pedicure. If you want to get a little more involved, you can do things like using a "shaver" for extra rough feet. Or you can use a scrub on your feet. They also have special treatments that you can put on your feet and then wrap them up to get them nice and moist.

But whatever you do, I suggest that you make it special. People spend the extra money at spas and salons so that they can feel pampered. If you try to do your nails in between loads of laundry and dishes, then it is just another chore. But if you sit back, relax, and block of an "appointment" time of your own at home, then it is more of a treat.

Plus, if you want an even more frugal way of looking at it, you can "tip yourself" at the end of your pedicure and put $5 or $10 in your savings account. If you give yourself a pedicure each week, that's $40 a month right there! You'd tip a manicurist wouldn't you? So tip yourself instead! Or if you really want to start saving, put the entire amount (including tip) that you would have spent on the pedicure into your savings. All of that will add up over time.

Enjoy!