Frugal in Franklin

Discounted Smoke Alarms

Jamie Mooney from the Franklin Fire Department, sent me this announcement:

I wanted to make you aware of an upcoming Franklin event, "Smoke Alarm Discount Day," on Saturday, October 10.  In honor of National Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 4-10), the Franklin Fire Department has organized an event to "alarm" residents.   On Saturday, October 10, the following Franklin retailers will discount smoke alarms by 20 percent:

   

• Harpeth True Value – Columbia Ave.
• Home Depot – S. Royal Oaks Blvd.
• Kmart – Watson Glen
• Lowes – Mallory Ln.
• Target - Parkway Commons
• Target - Cool Springs
• Wal Mart – Mallory Ln.

Personal Note From Me: If you have smoke detectors, but not a carbon monoxide detector, I highly recommend that you spend the extra money for one of these. While they do tend to seem pricey in comparison to smoke alarms, they are an important part of having a safe home. My family was saved serious potential consequences when our carbon monoxide alarm went off several years ago. Remember, one does not substitute for the other. You need several smoke alarms and a carbon monoxide detector.

 

   

   

Free Yarn Patterns to Last a Lifetime

 

Do you love to knit or crochet? If you do, you probably have a messy stash of yarn like this one. I'll admit to having one of my own! That's why I was so excited to find a fabulous web community for yarn lovers called Ravelry.com.

Ravelry is a free site that offers a great pattern search feature. For instance, I have lots of bulky weight yarn that I would like to make into scarves for Siloam clinic. Ravelry's search feature allowed me to look for scarf patterns by yarn type, yardage, and weight. Fabulous!

If you have some yarn that your just not sure what to do with, you can search by brand name. This allows you to see lots of other projects done in that yarn. This may help to spark your creativity.

So, use up some of that stash and make some more room for your stockpile. You're sure to feel better all around.

 

 

HG Hill Event

 

HG Hills is having a Super Saturday event this week. Be sure to check out the details and get some good matchups at Frugal Dr. Mom. The highlight of the event in my mind is $1.59/lb boneless skinless chicken breast. Stock up!

 

No More Kroger Matchups? What Do I Do?

I received a question today that I am certain is lurking in the minds of many readers:

I shop at the Kroger on Port Royal in Spring Hill and the sales hardly ever match what is posted on Southern Savers.  Is your Kroger the same?  Is there another site that is based closer to home that would save me some time?  Nothing is more frustrating than spending 30mins making out my list and picking out q only to get to the store and nothing be on sale! 

I agree wholeheartedly! That's why I started putting together the Kroger matchups. Unfortunately, it can take me anywhere from 3-5 hours to put them together. Now that I've stopped putting together the matchups, we're all in the same boat.

So what will I be doing to find the sales? First of all, I always pick up a paper copy of the ad. It must be my old school personality, but I just love being able to circle great deals when I see them. You can also pull up a current copy of the flyer at Kroger.com. That's the best way to track down loss leader specials on meat, fruit, and dairy. Do not rely on Southern Savers for these deals, because they will differ from our ad. Even Coupon Mom sometimes misses these deals on fresh items.

Next, I'll use Southern Savers to pull up deals I want to investigate. Jenny has the most exhaustive matchups, hands down. So, I will go through her list and see if any deals catch my eye. National promotions from General Mills, Nestle, P&G, etc…usually do not vary much by region. There may be a .10 or .20 difference on a price, but for the most part they won't change.

On the other hand, deals in health and beauty items and on Kroger store brands tend to fluctuate quite a bit. For those items, I will rely on the local ad. If I don't see them in the ad, I will not count on them being available.

You can also cross check your deals with Coupon Mom or Faithful Provisions. Coupon Mom provides a more complete listing, while Faithful Provisions provides highlights.

The bottom line rule of thumb for me is if it's not in our local ad, I won't make a special trip for it. However, if the deal is good enough, and I'm headed to Kroger anyway, I'll check it out.

If you have any other great resources for local Kroger matches, or other tips for customizing the ad, please leave a comment.

 

 

 

If You Shop at Spring Hill Publix, Read This Post

 

Wow! Was I shocked to read this post from Angel at Faithful and Frugal. She is outlining some new coupon policies being enforced at the SH Publix. Even if you don't shop in SH, you should take a minute to read the post. It's very funny (and a little sad), and a great reminder to stockpile—not hoard.

Please note that my angry face is solely reserved for the deal hogs who forced Publix to defend themselves.

 

 

 

Great Price on Laura’s Lean

I made a quick trip to Kroger today, and found Laura's Lean Beef on sale for $2.50/lb. Only the chubs were on sale, but this is a fabulous price for 92/8 ground beef. I don't know if this is good at all Kroger's or just the one at Independence Square. Let us know if you find it somewhere else.

 

 

Can’t Resist Penny Item

 

Alright, I'm not going to post the Penny Item every week anymore. However, I can't resist this one. It's Publix Coffee! You can even get decaf. Enjoy!

 

Time for Some Change

 

I'm sure that many of you have noticed that I've been posting less over the last few months. At first, it was the busyness of summer travel and activities. Surely it will get easier when fall rolls around and we are back to our regular routine. Not so! Instead, we are busier than ever.

After much debate about what to do with the blog, I've decided to make some changes. I contemplated closing things down altogether, but I just can't resist sharing a great deal. So, I'm going to move away from doing the kind of regular posting common to frugality blogs. Gone are the lists of my favorite deals, posts about our grocery budget, etc… I'm going to move away from any posts that I feel obligated to do, and move to posting the things I just can't help sharing.

Be on the lookout for some resources to replace the old posts. I don't want to leave you hanging. And please, continue to email me with questions and comments. The wonderful relationship that I have with so many of you is the main reason I decided to keep going.

Thanks for your understanding and patience as I make the shift.

Blessings,

Becky

 

 

Best Neighborhood Yard Sale Tomorrow!

 

Tomorrow is the annual Fieldstone Farms neighborhood sale. If you want to clothe your kids for the upcoming year, or stash some great toys away for Christmas, this is the place to be. Wear comfortable clothes and be prepared to be patient. This one is my absolute favorite and you're sure to have a good time.

 

Free Knitting and Crochet Lessons Tomorrow

 

The Hobby Lobby in Franklin will be offering free knitting and crochet lessons tomorrow from 10 to noon. Be sure to catch the details on Ms. Cheap's blog. Yarn working is a great frugal skill for creating cherished gifts and charitable contributions. If you don't take advantage of the class, think about picking up a how to book at the library. Working with yarn is also a great stress buster!