Willow Glen Stimulus Package

For the past two years we have been lucky enough to participate in erewards surveys.

In return for time spent filling out surveys, the currency earned can be traded for gift cards, magazine subscriptions and giftcards for stores such as Borders and now, finally - Gamestop!

Four months into the year and we nearly have 2 gift cards for $25 of gaming, as well as well, we have already received several Borders gift cards for $15 and monthly magazine subscriptions to Inc. and Rolling Stone. Sadly - while last year I got Entertainment for free, this year it has yet to become an option.

If you get a random invite in your email for erewards, I would recommend taking it. You cannot apply to join, they find you and send an invitation to individuals selected by thier partners (like Gamestop and Omaha Steaks). The surveys are simple, not too personally sensitive in content and the payout is a nice addition.

I will easily complete a survey on my Iphone while waiting in line at Safeway (this either shows that quick 13 minute surveys are easy - or why I am so sick of shopping at Safeway - I can honestly plan out how to be "busy" standing in line for at least 15 minutesof each visit.

While there are a few rewards that are food related - most are more "fun" than economical additions to the home budget. I am not the type to invest in magazine subscriptions, but as a freebie - they are great, and I always look forward to redeeming my borders giftcard as well (its limited to once yearly).

Talking about money saving ideas with friends recently has sent me on a search to determine how readily available coupons of value can be found. The following collection of coupons and codes will be aimed at the San Jose / Willow Glen area initially. I will continue to post items of note as I verify their relevance. I use coupons often enough for it to not be a signifigant surprise how big a difference the savings can be - but the convenience of low prices is preffered - Safeways Club Card is one big coupon in my mind and we steadily purchase items based on the total cost / savings. If they do not scan the safeway card correctly - you know it.. the price impact is so great. Other stores require paper pieces to save on items purchased and I am so close to DONE with Safeway that its time to invest time figuring out where the best coupons are to be found.

A search for "coupon" on Yelp.com has led to several great, local leads for money saving this week. Hopefully the ladies I lunch with every week or two will not have to give it up completly if we can take advantage of deals like the following one from a local restaurant.

Thai Pepper, one of the restaurants friends and family have visited a good number of times has a coupon for one "Free Entree" when you purchase another - coupon is found in the April 8-14 Metro. I used to ALWAYS scour the Metro - thanks to a good swift kick in the, err reminder - I intend to resume doing so.

As a family we have chosen to work on depleting our canned food resources and the avoidance of random restaurant meals - but focused intent to eat out, with money saving coupons in hand - can continue to be on the menu, so long as we plan ahead.

Wow Coupons has compiled links to various restaurant clubs that offer discounts for signing up. I reccomend the creation of a new email account through gmail to use for coupon offers exclusively - then forward the account emails to a folder on the main account. That way they do not swarm the main email with spam. I like that I can control the access these new sites have to my free time being spammed into nonexistence.

Thus far - I have received:

25% off at Fresh Choice. A coupon appeared in my email immediatly after registering each email address - expires 2 weeks from receipt (wait to use additional email addresses for future coupons!)

Papa Murphys sent a coupon to print for $2 off any size pizza, so far, while Wendys emailed $1 off.

The site for Jack n the Box has $1 off coupon for the mini sirloin burgers (one was enough to fill me happily) - signed up to see what they email.

Besides restaurants, Wow also provided links to a variety of Brand Name websites' coupons. These include savings on Betty Crocker products, Pet Foods and Dishwasher liquids.

Additionally - I signed up with Bed Bath and Beyond and recieved a %20 off coupon immediatly (my Keurig coffeemaker requires coffee cups which are readily available at BBB. But I also often use our Best Buy Rewards to buy my coffee there).

Specific determination of how to cut grocery bill totals is harder to come by. The necessity of attending several large grocery stores to locate the best value seems to be made redundant by the amount of time lost waiting in line, travel to the shops and refueling the car with Petrol.

I will continue to weigh the pros and cons of the different shops - there are several that I just haven't visited in awhile due to their more distant locations. Following the milk,eggs,produce basics formula I believe it will become easier to price compare and decide which stores win the war on economics as my reciepts begin to be for the same few items each month.

At Safeway, I now vow to avoid inner aisles altogether unless it is to restock certain items such as pasta and ketchup. It takes mere minutes to circle the store to grab a roast chicken, bread, milk, eggs, juice, sausages and then hit the produce aisle. I gave up sodas and chips months ago to focus on healthier eating, so bypassing these aisles is getting easier with time... sticking with the mantra that fresh is best. Sadly my chip substitute - the sweet potato is no where to be seen and I make note to look elsewhere for other items missing off my list.

Round the last corner with rabbit food and salad fixings in hand and Kablammo. Time stands still. Ease and economy are out the window. A single line trails two thirds the distance around the store while two express cashiers slowly, methodically recite their greetings and farewells to each customer. What is more fun than waiting in line? Waiting in a line which only slightly represents a line because it is so thick with confused customers merging in from everywhere, 30 people deep (we have time to count while we wait in ques) - accompanied by the experience of being jostled and frowned at by all those around you as you push your cart of 32 items forward and determine whether to enter at "15 items or less" or "20 items or less."

Pain all around. Nothing like unbridled hatred based on how many yogurt cups are in the cart.
This leads me to ignore the convenient location of the Safeway and avoid the safeway altogether when possible. Simple fact - if I cant leave the store, it isnt worth it. Too many times I have rounded that corner to see the chaos and I just drop the basket were I stand. Exit stage left. Take home thai or make waffles for dinner instead.

While Trader Joe sells bananas for $.20, a lot of the other fruits and veggies feel too expensive to touch on any regular basis. They are prepackaged and this makes it difficult to price compare or buy only what you need. Rather than face cost chaos - I skip the Bakery and Produce section in this store COMPLETELY (*except for the bananas and Naan Bread). Since about 80% of what we eat is fresh fruits and vegetables - Trader Joe is never my go to store when I am buying Groceries for the family of four. We learned this the hard way when we stopped there one afternoon to grab snacks. One daughter wanted an Apple as her snack, the other wanted a Blueberry muffin while Dad chose Carrot cake muffins. None of these items were available individually. A quick snack between errands resulted in 16 items at the register when we were seeking 4 simple snacks in total. Needless to say - we caught the irregularity of this before our turn came to pay and walked out empty handed and headed down the street to Fresh Choice Instead.

Personally - I shop there quite often when planning meals for one, as the selection of prepackaged meals and frozen foods which cost less than $3 is extensive. The microwaveable Thai takeout boxes are a great example of this. Also - Unlike Safeway and other shops such as Lucky or Nob Hill - I can get in and out of the store in fifteen minutes or less. For me - speed of shopping has a notable impact on the cost of the shopping trip.

It is also a great place to stock up on $2 wine for your personal consumption. Though I have yet to feel sassy enough to offer a glass of Charles Shaw to guests - these bottles make a great cooking companion.

I am on the hunt for coupons/discounts on other Thai and Indian restaurants as well as other items that I purchase most often... that seem to be consumed quickly by the family.

Lettuce / Carrots / Greens suited as bunny food - best produce prices in willow glen /san jose area ( I love the Campbell farmers market but as a family venture it doesnt remain inexpensive)

Pet foods
Canned Cat Food
Dry Cat Food
Oil - olive and vegetable oils
Cereal (Cheerios crunch)