SAVE as much as I SPEND!

My weekly grocery shopping trips are to Publix. I used to think Publix was so expensive, so I would only buy my meats and veges there (shop the perimeter). The rest of my groceries (packaged and canned products) came from Wal-Mart...After all, Wal-Mart is the cheapest....right?

After doing some research and reading how other people save, I found out Publix takes competitor coupons! Competitors are not limited to other grocery stores but is open to CVS, Rite Aid, Total Wine, World Market (some Publix's...check at customer service before shopping) just to name a few.

Also, Publix has a mystery product each Wednesday or Thursday (check when your Publix does it) for a PENNY! Not all locations require you have the penny coupon from the paper, so you'll need to check with yours. You can't get much closer to free than a penny! The penny deal has been anything from toilet paper to hot chocolate to frozen pizza.

Keep your eye out for these!!

When going grocery shopping, it is my goal to SAVE as much as I SPEND. This week I was close. I SPENT $40.02 and SAVED $34.18.

Below are my receipts for those of you who feel that couponing only fills your cart up with JUNK! I purchased chicken, ground meat, sausage, milk, OJ, produce, etc. Check it out!

I, by no means, am a pro at couponing or thrifty shopping, but I do my best. I generally go to the store once a week. Since I work full-time, I don't have time to go store-to-store to get the best deal from each store, but with Publix taking competitor coupons, it makes my grocery store trip much easier. It's a no brainer; Publix is a "one stop shop" for me!

I had to split my purchase due to my $5 CVS coupon was one per customer.  Since two of us were shopping, we made two purchases.

Do you know of any high value coupons out there? 

Miss Soirées & Shenanigans

Restaurant Week South Carolina

Restaurant Week South Carolina starts this Monday (tomorrow-1/11/10) and goes through Sunday (1/17/10). Several SC cities are participating: Charleston, Greenville, Columbia, Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head. In Charleston, over 45 restaurants are participating! Each restaurant has a set menu for the event, so head on over to the site! It is time to plan a date, a fun night out or even a Soirée! Could this be the "Most Delicious Week of the Year?"
I have my eye on a few places for me and the hubby to check out during the week. I'll let my "blog lurking/private following" hubby pick which one (smooches babe)!
Hall's Chop House
Oak Steakhouse (I wonder if I can use my $25 restaurant.com gift certificate with this promotion?)
Slightly North of Broad (SNOB)
Blossom
Make sure you make reservations early. Great opportunity to try a "we only go there for our anniversary" restaurant for less!

Thanks to one of my readers and dear friend, Julie, for giving me a "heads up" about this week!   Julie, you are so in the know!

Hope everyone has a great week,
Mrs. Soirées & Shenanigans

Roll Back Menu: Poogan's Porch

The Roll Back Menu at Poogan's Porch has started.  It is for the two months of January and February and is Sunday through Thursday (dinner only)!  It is their menu from 1978, and the best part is it is priced at 1978 prices!!

A note from the owners:
"This menu is prepared and discounted on a yearly basis in appreciation of our local cliental.  Thanks for 32 great years Charleston" -The Ball Family


Make your reservations quick at Open Table or by calling them at (843) 577.2337!

My favorite thing on the menu is the Buttermilk Fried Chicken!

The Oprah Effect?

As a preface to today's post, have any of you seen the CNBC show, The Oprah Effect?  I watched it the other night and was amazed the lengths businesses will go to be on the Oprah Show or to be one of Oprah's favorite things.  After these businesses have been on her show, their sales went through the roof, so much so, these business could not handle the number of orders rolling in until weeks/months after the show aired.

Below is an email I received after signing up for a free sample of doggie shampoo from Happytails Spa!  It reminded me of the Oprah Effect, and it also reminded me when I see a freebie to not delay and sign up for it pronto! 

Many of the companies trying to get on the Oprah show spend “boat loads” of money sending Oprah and her staff tons of their products in hopes that she will try, love it and share it with her audiance.  Since Oprah is going off the air, maybe these companies will redirect their Oprah funds to "the world of internet freebies."  The news of the company's product will spread like "wild fire" all over the internet by "everyone and their brother" trying to get a free try at the latest products.  How about those not so free Shenanigans?

So, when reading this email, do you think this company missed their opportunity at a "Pseudo Oprah Effect" or handled it pretty good considering the situation?

Email Subject: An Apology
From: Happytails Canine Spa Line
"It was a simple plan; add a free sample banner ad to Dogster's email, what could possibly go wrong?
We were expecting (at the very most) 2000 requests. Then someone was kind enough (?) to post the link to several 'free stuff' web sites (you probably know the ones I'm talking about) and within minutes we were receiving thousands of requests per hour. So far we have received more than 50,000 requests, yikes! This far exceeds the 500 per week we had promised to send (& which we have sent).
We're a small company, but we thought that if all four humans and all three dogs worked 24 hours a day to make and send samples we could finish by the end of the decade. But then the dogs brought up that whole 'lack of opposable thumbs' thing and we knew we were sunk.
We could have just ignored this whole episode but we don't want to own a company that does that kind of thing, you made the effort to write and the least we could do is thank you and apologize.
We're SOOO sorry.
So, here's what we're gonna do:

1. Give you a $15 'gift certificate' to be used on any order $35 or more. Good through January 31, 2010. Just use promotion code: $15DOGSTERGIFT

2. We already gave you a 20% promotion code (DOGSTERDISCOUNT) good through Feb. 15th. But as our way of apologizing we are going to make the code good through the end of July- you can use it as many times as you'd like. Just go to www.happytailsspa.com to redeem it.

Again, we can only apologize for mix up, next time we'll be sure to add a little more fine print.
Lorna, Kevin, Lauryn & Jason (the humans)
and RiQui, Brie and Jimmy (the dogs)"

Hey Culligan Man, You Rock!

My Daddy has been a Culligan Man for my whole life. ("A Culligan Man?" you say. Well you must not be from the Mid West or the North, as it is a household name in those parts...here's a link to fill you in). In fact, the year I was born he built his "shop" (our family name for "his home away from home"). My Dad once said "selling water / water treatment equipment isn't a sexy career, but it puts food on the table!" Well, it has done a lot more than that; he provided tons for our family and still does!

While growing up, my Dad always wanted to make sure us kids knew the importance of giving. He never made a show about giving; he just did it! My Dad was honored on Monday night with The Pillar of the Community Award by the Town of Lexington and Police Department. He has donated over 8,000 bottles of water to them. He was recognized at the town council meeting and received an award shaped like a pillar. Wow, how cool is that?


Dear Daddy,
We are so proud of you...Congrats! You have always been very generous, but often take the "behind the senses approach" when giving and doing good deeds. You're hardly ever recognized for the many (often private) deeds you've done. I know it may have been out of your comfort zone to go to the town council meeting to accept this awesome award, but you deserve it; you rock! I am so proud to call you My Dad!
Love,
Your Baby Girl

Coupon Queen

To become a Queen of anything, it takes practice (or a lot of money, your family tree, but I digress...sigh)! One of my goals for the new year is to become a Coupon Queen! All of the "tricks of the trade" I have learned so far have come from reading blogs! One of the best blogs for couponing is Southern Savers! If you haven't check this out, it’s an absolute must!


She is holding classes all over the Southeast. I'm planning to go to this one, so if you are in the Charleston, and are planning/would like to go, leave a comment. All us, Aspiring Coupon Queenies, can sit together!

If you are not in the Charleston area, here is a full list of her classes.

How about those Saving Shenanigans?

PS the Coupon Queen logo above is from this website. If you're totally into the coupon thing, order you a snazzy t-shirt to wear to the grocery store. The cashier will know you are coming from a mile away!

Top 10 songs of the Decade

While driving in the car on Sunday, we listened to the top 100 songs of the Decade. Luckily we caught it right at the end to hear the top 5 songs. Below are the top 10 Songs from 2000-2009 with their release dates! I feel like some of these songs just came out yesterday! However, that is not the case at all. Some came out when I just started college!
Under the top 5 songs in italics, I have listed a special memory I have when I hear the songs today!

1 - Usher: Yeah (March 2004)
This song I will NEVER forget! I had just started my first job and didn't have an office yet. The CEO let me use his computer to get some things done, so I hopped on his computer and was doing my thing (everything but work and everyone was about to know it....)! As you may remember, Myspace was HOT at the time. My friend, Julie, had this song on her page. Well, when I clicked on her page, the whole C-suite heard that song coming from/”thumping it” from the CEO’s office! I was like "holy shizit" and frantically closing out ever window on that computer to get it to STOP! Rule number one: NEVER screw around on the CEO's computer or at least turn the speaker volume down because apparently he is really hard of hearing!!

2 - Lifehouse: Hanging By A Moment (October 2000)
No real personal memories of this song, but one of by best grad school friends, Heather, loves this band! I am sure we belted this song out plenty of times on the way to the gym in her candy apple red Honda coupe!

3 - Flo Rida [Featuring T-Pain]: Low (March 2008)
For Stef's 30th Birthday Party in the Fl Keys (Marathon), this was the song of the week! One of the girls on the trip had it as a ring tone on her phone. She would randomly play the song throughout the trip, and the whole group of girls would bust out in song & dance. We certainly got funny looks in the airport and the one honky tonk bar in Marathon.

4 - Kelly Clarkson: Since U Been Gone (November 2004)
Well this song was perfect timing for my relationship status. I had just broken off my engagement to a guy I had dated since high school. So, Nov 2004 was the first time I had really hit the dating scene since being out of my parents' house. Oh, "it was the best of times (feeling free) and the worst of times" (blind dates never worked out for me)!

5 - 50 Cent: In Da Club (February 2003)
This was a hit song when I graduated college. I went with a group of my girlfriends on a graduation cruise in May 2003, and this song was HOT! No particular memories with this songs, but that cruise, tons of memories.
For my girls who read that were on that trip, here is a few one liners:
"Call Maintenance the water is TOO HOT...no YOU call maintenance…No YOU!"
"Hey where's Natalie? Oh, the Schooner bar...that's right!”
"Roll down the windows; I'm turning off the AC. We're on E...so, where can we get off this toll road for gas?

6 - Leona Lewis: Bleeding Love (April 2008)

7 - Beyonce: Irreplaceable (December 2006)

8 - The All American Rejects: Gives You Hell (December 2008)

9 - Fergie: Big Girls Don't Cry (release date September 2006)

10 - Linkin Park: In The End (release date October 2000)

Got any memories of these songs?  I love to hear them!!