$1 Breakfast Menu McDonalds

McDonald’s had been testing their $1 menu for breakfast in certain markets and now are expanding them. I noticed today that we now have a $1 breakfast menu at our local McDonald’s. This is good news especially for those looking for a cheap, fast breakfast in the morning. Sadly that is the case for us at least two times a week. We need something fast and cheap since there are three of us eating. The $1 menu will help us keep our breakfast costs down.

Half Price Happy Meals!

Home cooked meals are delicious. My husband and I take turns cooking dinner. Every Tuesday night we enjoy a break from cooking without spending too much money. It is generally less expensive to cook and eat at home. However, on Tuesday nights we found a great deal at our local McDonald’s.

With the help of our Entertainment Book, a gift from a friend and a local fast food promotion we feed our family of 2 adults and 4 kids for less than $12.00.

We begin by visiting our local McDonald’s and presenting an entertainment book coupon for a buy one get one free Big Mac combo coupon which is a savings of about $6.00. Then we order 4 Mighty Kids Meals. The trick to this offer is done by going to our local McDonald’s restaurant between the hours for 5pm-7pm for 1/2 price Happy Meals on Tuesday nights. We ended up feeding our family with a total dinner cost of $12. Our total cost would have been $28 without the discounts.

During the summer when the kids are out of school we add Pizza Hut as a lunch date option because between 11am and 4pm Personal Pan Pizzas for 50% off. Everyone gets to choose the type of pizza they want to eliminate someone not being happy. This lunch is about $15. Normally it would cost $30 for 6 Personal Pan Pizzas.

The discounts are great and we get a break from doing dishes and cooking!

Bon Appetite!

Black Friday

Black Friday is not only the kickoff sale to the Christmas season but is a golden opportunity to find good deals on the items you were planning on buying anyway. Black Friday is not only just about buying holiday gifts but can is the time to make those big ticket item purchases at a huge discount.

Black Friday ads have already begun to show up on websites. Now is the time to start planning that holiday spending and finding those Black Friday bargains. Make a list of items you are most interested in buying on Black Friday. Then number those and hit the stores first that have the most items that you want. Sometimes even arriving at a store 30 minutes after the Black Friday sale has begun is too late to grab some of the better bargains. Historically, some stores just seem to have more of the Black Friday items in stock than others. The bigger the chain, the more merchandise they are likely to have on hand.

It’s best to plan out where you are going on Black Friday. Some sales end sooner than others, so plan accordingly.

Great bargains can be had on Black Friday with a little planning and a lot of research.

Consignment Sales

Chances are in your hometown is at least one consignment shop. Sometimes you can find bargains here but where the real bargains can be found are at consignment sales. Usually these are geared toward childrens clothes/baby items and are held at least once a year. Around here there are several consignment sales that are within 100 miles. The sales are held twice a year – in the spring and in the fall. And not only can you shop at these sales but you can also sign up as a consignor to make some extra money.

Usually pricing is one-fourth of the retail price. The price is determined by the consignor so prices will vary. These sales are usually well advertised but you can always check large venues in your county like multi-purpose buildings for a calendar of events to see if a sale is coming to your area.

After Holiday Sales

If you are looking for deals, then shop after any major holiday. Holiday items are usually slashed 50% off the day after. Check back a week later for even bigger sales but expect less merchandise since it will be well picked over.

Going the day after a major holiday will be the best time to shop for deals since there will be plenty of items to choose from. You can stock up for next year, buy treats for your kids, or buy for a Sunday school or other class.

If you are buying for next year, then you will need to store it somewhere that you will not forget about it. Buy a large plastic storage box and write on the side ‘holiday.’ Then place those great finds in it. Then before next year’s holiday, go through your stash to see if you need to pick up anything else. Since the storage box is well marked, it’s easy to find it you place it in storage or a closet.

Shopping after a holiday will net you plenty of great finds that you can use in a variety of different ways. Plus it will save you money and get you that much more prepared for next year.

Feebie Deals

Free offers are always enticing. Sometimes they seem too good to be true and sometimes are. The problem with some offers is that you might get something for free but there is a price even if it’s not a monetary one.

If you sign up for free limited time offers, be sure to cancel before the charges start rolling in. Some programs are easier to quit than others, so before signing up for free offers, do some research into what others have said about the service.

Also with many offers, you have to supply and address and/or an email address. Expect a surplus of spam/junk mail. This is one of the pitfalls of signing up for freebie deals. It’s best to have an extra email address for junk mail. Junk mail is easy enough to take care of, so be wary of offers that require a phone number. Even with the do not call lists there are plenty of companies that are exempt. So be very cautious when giving our your phone number just to get a freebie.

Freebie deals are fun but most of the time they come with strings attached. Read through the whole offer and think twice before divulging any private information like your home address and phone number.

Black Friday Shopping Tips

After all the eating and football on Thursday, it’s time to hit the stores early Friday morning. This season there has already been many sales but none are as deep and as fun as those on Black Friday. Here are some pointers from a seasoned Black Friday shopper on shopping and finding deals on Black Friday.

While there are several websites devoted to Black Friday deals. First, spend time visiting those websites to find the ads from the stores you plan to shop at. Then make a list of everything of interest to you. This isn’t necessarily a shopping list but a maybe shopping list. Jot down the store, item, and price as this will make it easy to find it and to comparison shop, too.

Get a good night’s rest and set that alarm for an hour before the first sale begins. You should dress for comfort for these early sales. Get out the jogging suit and comfortable tennis shoes because you can expect to spend a lot of time waiting in line to check out and sometimes for the actual merchandise.

Drink some coffee or soda to get wide awake by the time the sale begins. This is especially important if you are not a morning person.

If you are a woman, empty that purse but of the bare minimums. No need to carry around extra weight during the day. Keep your purse with you and don’t place it in the shopping cart. With extra people out shopping you can never be too careful.

Please don’t fight someone for the last of an item. Remember that there are thousands of stores that are available to you thanks to the Internet that will be anxious to take your money this holiday season. Sure Black Friday has some great deals but so does Cyber Monday.

Black Friday

If there is something on your shopping list this holiday, then chances are pretty good that you can find it on sale on Black Friday – especially if it’s electronics, video games, or toys.

One of the best sources to find local Black Friday deals is the local newspaper. Buy one Thanksgiving day or the day before(if their isn’t one published Thanksgiving) to find a cornucopia of Black Friday sales ads. If you can’t wait until then, there are some websites(well several!) that have posted Black Friday ads for 2008. Here are a few of them -

Bfads.net

BlackFriday.info

Black-Friday.net

TheBlackFriday.com

Black Friday at DealTaker.com

Makes those lists and hit the stores early.

Word of Mouth

Yesterday my sister-in-law told me about a sale at a local store. Apparently they have children’s sweatshirts for 50 cents each. She thought of me since I have a toddler and we are needing some warmer clothes for winter.

People love to share good news and most of us would agree that when we find a bargain that it is good news. Usually when people are shopping, they are shopping for others. So it makes sense when they see clothing, electronics, and other products that they are reminded of those people in their lives who are in the market to buy certain items.

So the next time you get a call, text message, or email from friend, don’t delay. It could be news of a good deal that will save you a lot of money.

Black Friday Deals?

Can you believe there is already talk and tallies being kept for Black Friday? We haven’t even gotten to Halloween yet and already deals from the largest shopping day are being released.

Wal-Mart recently announced that it will selling 10 popular toys like Barbie Dolls and specific Hot Wheels toys for $10. KB Toys has risen to the challenge and will match that price on Black Friday. It’s predicted that Best Buy will have HDTVs, laptops, and more on sale. Consumers should expect long lines – as if that is anything new – at the electronic store as people will be in the market for HDTVs to prepare for the ‘big switch’ next February.

I’m sure over the next two months there will be much more said and released about Black Friday deals. Here is a website to keep track of Black Friday flyers to help you with your holiday shopping.

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