After a bit of time away, I’ve decided to move locations – from here (http://greenandcheap.wordpress.com/) to there (http://greenncheap.blogspot.com/). I like using Google better than WordPress, and find it’s easier to manage too.

For those of you who get these updates by email, if you want to keep receiving them, you’ll have to re-enter your email address. Just go to the new website and look at the left side of the screen – there’s a spot to enter your email address, and a subscribe button just for you!

There’s also a subscribe button on the left side for those who use RSS feeds – easy peasy.

Finally, please take a minute to change your bookmark of this blog too, if you have one. Hopefully this will be the only move I’ll be doing.

See you there!

The mid-Atlantic flyer shows these deals for next week:

FREE – Elmer’s nontoxic school glue, 4oz
$.75 – Accel 1-subject notebook, 100 sheets
$.09 – Staples filler paper, 150 sheets
$1.99/ream – Staples copy paper, 500-page ream (limit 2)
$.25 – Papermate assorted mechanical pencils, 5/pk
$.79 – Crayola Classic Nontoxic Markers, 10/pk
$.33 – Staples 3″x5″ Index Cards, 100/pk

I’ve been spending a whole lot of time on this blog and have been neglecting the other important things, so I’ve decided to take my own recess.  I’ll only be writing here occasionally this month.

In the meantime, I’m going to focus on getting my day job workload under control, getting back into the habit of exercise, and taking time out to ‘do nothing.’  Hopefully I’ll be back and refreshed in September.

This new blogging adventure has become an enjoyable (but addicting) habit.  I’m not sure how many people read on a regular basis, or if it’s worth the effort I put into it.

Let me know if you read and enjoy this blog by leaving a comment below.  I’d be grateful for your feedback, and it would give me an idea of how useful this is to other people.  (I have less interest in keeping it up if it’s just me talking to myself, as fun as that can be.)

In any case, enjoy the beautiful summer while it lasts! 

During Week 2, I’m going to start back at the beginning: shampoo every other day instead of every day. The one off day I’ve had so far this week was very managable. I anticipate that after a week or two of ‘easy shampooing’ like this, I can start to shampoo every third day, or to alternate my shampoo days with baking soda days and see what happens.

Fascinating finds:

• I don’t need conditioner at all when I only shampoo every other day. My hair doesn’t feel quite as weighed down, and it doesn’t get as frizzy. I like that.
• My eyes used to get red and itchy during my shower – I thought I was just strange that way. But so far, I find that on the days I don’t shampoo, my eyes are perfectly fine. I never considered shampoo might be the culprit. That alone makes me want to keep going with this experiment!

(Found at My Good Cents)

Colgate Total Advanced: 2.99 (Get $2 ECB back) – limit 2
(use $1 off coupon from Sunday’s newspaper to get this for FREE)

Chex Mix: 2/$3
(use online coupon for $1 off one and get two bags for $1)

Oral B Sensitive Advantage toothbrush: $2.49 (Get $1.50 ECB back) – limit 5 I think
(use $1 off coupon from Sunday’s newspaper to get this for FREE!)

Crest Toothpase: $2.49 (Get $1.50 EBC back) – limit 2 I think
(use $1 off coupon from Sunday’s newspaper to get this for FREE)

Pert Plus 2-in-1, 13.5 OZ shampoo/conditioner: Buy one get one for $3.69
(use two $2 off coupons from an older newspaper to get this for FREE)

Almay Bright Eyes: 8.99 (Get $5 ECB back) – limit 2
(use $1 off coupon from Sunday’s newspaper, or find $1 off coupons in your CVS makeup aisle.  Get this for $2.99 after ECBs and coupons)

7 Ways To Save On Groceries Without Using Coupons

Are you a coupon clipper? No? Lots of people like saving money, but don’t really buy the sort of products that have coupons, or don’t have time to waste searching and clipping. These tips are for you.

1) Don’t waste money on pre-chopped food.
Pre-chopped or single serving food is expensive! Want to save money? Buy a good knife and some plastic bags.

2) Pay attention to unit pricing.
Just because something is bigger or has a sticker on it that says “special value,” doesn’t mean it costs less per unit. If you hate doing math, use a calculator!

3) Try store brands. It might be the exact same food you’re used to eating.
The no name food you see in stores is often made by the exact same factories that produce the brand name stuff. For example, Walmart “Great Value” peanut butter is really just Peter Pan with a different label. Try the store brands. You might like them.

4) Compare prices in different areas of the store.
Deli meats, cheese and olives may be a better deal than similar products in other areas of the store — or they might not. It pays to walk around and compare, says Consumer Reports.

5) Try other stores.
The grocery store isn’t always the cheapest place to buy food. Sometimes drug stores have good deals on things like milk, and liquor is cheaper at warehouse stores. Discount stores like Aldi can have great deals. Farmer’s markets are fun and often inexpensive. Be careful not to blow your budget by driving all over the place to save $0.50 on organic turnips, however.

6) Make a list that fits within your budget.
Wandering around the grocery store when your hungry is a terrible idea, particularly if you don’t have a set budget or a list of items you need. Take a few moments to plan your trip. You’ll be done faster and you’ll have saved money.

7) Eliminate waste.
People waste a lot of food. The New York Times says we Americans toss about a quarter of what is available to eat. That’s not cool. The Guardian has a list of tips that will help you cut down on the food you waste…

Staples: (no coupons needed)
FREE 2-pocket paper folder, assorted colors (limit 10)
$.05 Staples 1-subject wide-ruled notbook, 70 sheets (limit 3)
$.25 Staples composition notebook, 100 sheets (limit 3 two-packs)
$.50 Staples graphing notebook (limit 4)
$1 Sharpie Accent highlighters 6 pack (no limit)
$1 Wite-out Quick Dry .7 oz
$1 Staples dome pencil sharpener

Office Depot: (no coupons needed)
$.01 Office Depot Slider Pencil box (limit 5)
$.01 Office Depot Brad 12″ wood ruler (limit 5)
$.01 TUG Pencil Sharpener (limit 5)
$.05 office Depot Brand 2-Pocket Paper Folder (limit 20)
$.25 Paper Mate Write Bros. Ballpoint Stick Pens
$.79 Office Depot Brand 5″ Scissors for Kids, 2-pk
$.99 Sharpie Accent Highlighters 6-pack
$.99 BIC BicMatic Grip Mechanical Pencils 5 pack

Walgreens also has some specials, so check our their circular too. (A number of their deals require the coupons from the insert).

REMEMBER: You don’t need to get the newspaper to get the flyers. You can find the online version at the links above, or pick them up in the store!