Eating out 50% off menu prices!

Even though cooking at home is always cheaper (and usually healthier!) eating out doesn't have to be un-frugal! Who doesn't enjoy a nice dinner date or meeting up with friends at your favorite restaurant!

Here's a "HOW TO" for eating out and maximizing your dollar!

1) Sign up for the Restaurants.com email list to receive email updates to buy restaurant gift-certificates to your favorite local restaurants for a fraction of the menu price.

Just type in your zip code and search the dozens of participating restaurants that pop up on your screen. Restaurants.com does have a minimum purchase; for example at LePeep (in Evanston), a $25 certificate could be used only with a minimum of $35 purchase.

2) Only buy when it's 80% off - this happens once a month, wait for that sale and then stock up!

3) ALWAYS purchase through a cash-back program like EBATES.COM or FatWallet.com. Compare both cash-back percentages and go with the higher percent. Compare cash back % here!

4) Pay for your online purchase with a rewards credit card such Chase Rewards or Discover Card. We'll discuss the best rewards cards in a post...coming soon!

EXAMPLE:

My husband and I bought a gift certificate to LePeep ($3 for $25 off), and we order $35.00 of food, paying only $10.00 to LePeep. (add $6 for tip)...here's how it breaks down into dollars and cents:

Regular eating out price: (35 for food, 6 for tip) + tax = $41.00 + tax

Restaurants.com price: $10 (to LePeep) + $6 (for tip) + $3 (to Restaurants.com) = $19.00 + tax

(Let's say I also purchased the gift card for $3 through Fat Wallet Cash-back (24%) and received back .72 cents.)

So buying ahead of time not only saves more than 50%, but it also earns accumulated cash back from online cash-back programs and of course you would pay the restaurant bill with a rewards credit card to earn extra bonus credit-card points!

For non "Restaurant.com" restaurants - Use Groupons!!

Other options for frugal eating can be purchased through Groupon.com. This site features a daily deal in your area, for 30-90% off their normal prices. Groupon.com is a new great way to try new restaurants, bars, cafes and more in your area and you can also purchase your Groupons through Ebates.com/FatWallet or other cash-back programs (you should always be making the most of your dollar!).

Recently we snagged a couple Groupons for Sushi places near us and of course one of our favorites, The Little Mexican Cafe. These were listed as $10.00 for $25.00 worth of food. Eating out for more than 50% off always sounds like a good idea to me! For fun and experienced Groupon advice, follow the 'Live-off Groupon Blog' for Chicago Native Josh's Groupon adventures!

Use Coupons!

Always look for coupons in your mailbox....or look the "Entertainment Book" that has exclusive local coupons for dining, movies and businesses in your area. You can buy this online, usually free shipping with extensive cash-back. These books usually feature coupons for 'buy one get one entrée free' for restaurants - It's a great way to save. They also make great gifts! Currently you can buy the 2011 book with $7 off normal price, free shipping and 35% cash back through Ebates.

Take advantage of Holiday offers:

Bravo Cucina Italiana in Evanston is a favorite of mine,...and it's less than a block from my living room, so I love it that much more! For the holidays they are encouraging folks to buy gift cards as gifts and giving you an extra $20 for every $100 you spend on gift cards. This would be the time to stock up!

Let's say you eat at Bravo 5 times a year....(estimate about $50 each meal) so thus $250.00 would be your normal Bravo annual spending. So, take this opportunity and purchase $200 of gift cards, (of course on your rewards credit card) get $40 in bonus Bravo Gift Cards.

And then when you dine at Bravo, always bring their coupons from their e-club called "CLUB BRAVO!" Join and right away receive a free appetizer! Mmmmmm! Be sure to enter in your special dates on their e-club like your Birthday and Anniversary for free entrée/dessert coupons!

Many restaurants have free e-clubs that mail you free coupons for desserts and appetizers. Go ahead and do some re-con....Google your favorite restaurants to find their e-clubs. Other holiday deals that come to mind are listed below:

California Pizza Kitchen: Buy $100 in gift cards, and get a free gift card for $20.

Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants (in Chicago, Minneapolis, DC, Vegas and Atlanta): From November 1 through December 30, 2010, you will be rewarded with a $25 Holiday Bonus Certificate for every $100 in gift cards you buy. You can buy these online too! (Includes restaurants listed here)

The point is, living frugally doesn't mean you can't go out and live it up on the town! Be smart and use those frugal resources that are available to you online and around the town!

Use your student I.D.

Are you a student or do you work for a school, college, or university? Whip out that Student ID and get your well-deserved discounts!

Northwestern University: Many restaurants in Evanston offer 10% off your total bill for showing your Northwestern University WildCard (even for faculty and staff)! Here's a list of restaurants that give discounts for Wildcards! Check with your college or university to make the most of your faculty or student status!

Have a question or idea? Email me or leave a comment! Thanks!

Free Makeup Samples - Just Ask!

When buying beauty supplies, do you loooove that new fragrance, but don't know how you'll like it tomorrow? Or let's say you've heard about a new hair product that requires towel-dried hair and a hair-dryer? How are you supposed to try it in the store before you buy it? Just ask a retail associate for a sample! This holds true with ANY product at Sephora, Ulta and most other beauty product retailers, including most department stores.

ASK FOR IT IN STORE

When you ask for a sample, either they will have pre-packaged samples sent from the products' company for this very reason, or they will fill a small plastic container to give you enough to take home and try out! It's a great way to try the product before you purchase something you are unsure of. This is also a great idea for people with sensitive skin and allergies, so you don't spend $50 on something that may cause your skin to break out into hives!

GET SAMPLES WITH ONLINE ORDERS

Personally, as an avid online shopper, I like trying things in stores that I am considering purchasing online. For example, I'll try it at Sephora in store by asking for a sample and then later buy it online at Sephora.com with free shipping, 3 bonus samples (that come with every Sephora order) and of course use a cash-back program like Ebates or FatWallet.com.

Generous free samples from your beauty counter can make decision making when buying the perfect foundation (or whatever product) simple, fun, more frugal and easy!

Breakfast Burritos....Cheap and Tasty!

The best part of waking up....is breakfast? Sometimes the answer is certainly yes! This is especially true when you don't have to spend $5 to get a decent breakfast sandwich and can make something delicious, filling and very quickly on your own stove-top!

What you need: (you can make your own substitutions,...this is just what I used this week)

Sour Cream = .03 cents (16 oz= .99 cents)

Queso Fresco = .30 (was on sale this week for 1.18)

Center Cut Bacon = .38 cents (Package holds 7 servings of three strips, was on sale for $2.50)

Fresh Salsa = .10 cents (I like hot salsa with Serrano!)

1 Egg = .08 cents (Easter sale! Eggs were .99 cents for a dozen)

Frozen bell peppers (chopped in fridge) = .10

2 Flour Tortillas (taco size) = .12 cents

Total cost for two delicious breakfast burritos....... $1.11

Calories for two delicious breakfast burritos with bacon, cheese and sour cream! = 430

In Chicago get "El Milagro" brand of tortillas, not only are they one of the cheapest brands, but also they are made right here in Chicago and are exceptionally fresh and delicious! At Village Market Place on Dempster 12 tortillas will only cost you .65 cents.

First, cook the bacon to drain the grease and put bacon off to the side on a paper towel. Leave a little grease in pan to add some extra awesome taste to the eggs. Crack the egg and scramble it around in the pan. Throw in those frozen peppers. Crumble some queso fresco and add it to the pan. Crumble the bacon and add, (or eat as a pre-breakfast treat! haha). Turn off the heat. Now, if you have a gas stove, turn on a burner on low and throw one of those tortillas on top turning every 3 seconds until flexible and warm. This makes the tortilla SO delicious and is the way Rick Bayless does tortillas "del Casa". If you don't have a gas stove, sorry, you can just use the microwave. Eat one tortilla at a time and come back and warm the tortilla above the gas flame for the next burrito.

Top your breakfast creation with salsa and sour cream and cilantro or whatever! Enjoy! Remember, these can be eaten whenever....not just breakfast! Sometimes, I like substituting for bacon sometimes and use sausage, ham or chorizo. These meats I cook up when I buy them and crumble/dice them and put them in freezer bags in my freezer. That way, when I'm assembling a breakfast burrito in the morning I just add them to the hot pan and they thaw right there within seconds. Also to reduce calories, reduce bacon to 1 strip and use two egg whites instead of 1 whole egg. (That would bring the calorie count down to 303: still delicious and filling! Yuuuuum!)

Also, I like keeping chopped frozen bell peppers on hand to add to my cooking. I found a sale at Kroger (Food4Less in Evanston) last week frozen veggies = .99 for a large bag. Usually I buy bell peppers on sale/discounted at my grocery stores and chop them immediately when I get home and bag them for the freezer. That way when I want peppers on my burrito or pizza, or whatever, they are already there and ready to go!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!! This meal is DELICIOUS....and also happens to be a pretty cheapo-burrito! Add some coffee and you got yourself a pretty awesome breakfast!

How to Shop Online and Save!

When shopping online, have you ever thought, "Gee it would be nice to get back some of this money I'm spending!" Even if the thought hasn't crossed your mind, you should get in tune with Cash Back concepts of shopping online. All smart shoppers should use this tactic, and here's how...

GET CASH BACK

'Cash-back shopping' is usually through a connecting website, (Ebates.com, Fat Wallet.com or others) that have active links to your favorite online stores and then provide you with a percentage of your total amount spent, returned to you either by mailing you a check or through PayPal.

First log-in and create an account with a Cash-Back program. I recommend starting with Ebates.com and also possibly FatWallet.com. You can sign up through these links:

• EBATES.COM

• FATWALLET.COM

GET ONLINE CODES/COUPONS

Next....browse through their thousands of coupons and online stores that are available. They provide all the current coupons online for extra savings!

Once you click on the link to your desired store, the connecting cash-back site keeps a log of your shopping activity and total dollar amount spent. That percentage is then sent to you by mail (in a check) every three months as it accumulates! What a great concept! You can stick with your preferred cash back stores or switch among the competing Cash Back Connections, by looking up which company offers the highest percentage for you desired store.

FREE SHIPPING

For example, I was buying scrapbooking supplies at JoAnn.com, because there was a "Free Shipping" coupon and my nearest JoAnn Fabrics is nearly in Morton Grove which requires a very long drive down Golf Road (under construction and a total pain to get to!) My general rule of frugalness is this; if I can get it shipped to me free, I will choose that rather than wearing out my car and driving to the store, so overall it's a better deal! Also, getting things shipped free is more economical over driving there yourself means you won't risk your car getting bumped, wrecked, which means you are a safer driver generally and thus, you will have lower costs for auto insurance rates! Okay, back to JoAnn Fabrics!

Ebates.com was offering 5% cash back, but I checked on a site called 'CashBackWatch' (cashbackwatch.com) and saw that FatWallet .com was offering 6% cash back. An extra percent is worth it, so I quickly logged into FatWallet.com's Cash Back link, searched for JoAnn Fabrics and clicked on the connecting link taking me directly to JoAnn.com. I selected my items to buy and checked out (with free shipping of course!) and voila, it was easy and much cheaper than going in store, completed from my living room computer and best of all, there was no wear and tear on my car!

Stephanie's Evanston Wine Trail... Free Tastings!

You don't have to worry if you're a prince or a pauper, because when you walk in the door at Vinic Wine Co. right away you'll feel its fresh, sophisticated, yet unpretentious vibe and be greeted by the friendly, talented and perceptive sommeliers behind the counter. Owner Sandeep and member of staff, Tom have an incredible selection of fine wine for affordable prices that will make you want to buy 3 or 4 more extra bottles to take home! Come for the free wine tastings at their groovy chic counter every Friday evening and Saturday afternoon and come back for the insightful pairing recommendations, prices and selection.

The complimentary wine tastings feature a certain growing regions, variety of grape or just simply their favorite picks of the week. There's no need to be self-conscious if you're a greenhorn to the vino world; Sandeep makes wine tasting approachable and fascinating! He'll pour you a glass to sample while he and Tom will educate you on the wine's history, region of origin, vintage and playfully banter over their selections and flavors of the wine, debating the hints of 'cocoa' or 'forest floor' that appear on your palate as the wine decants. You can hang around the counter and chat with fellow sociable customers or wander around the store, sipping and strolling, gazing at the latest local artwork displayed around the shop that gives Vinic a 'comfortable yet hip gallery feel'. Sandeep and his staff are lightheartedly conversational and happen to make insanely on-target recommendations to go with any meal. Go ahead and quiz Sandeep; ask him, 'what goes well with Goat Cheese?', 'Peking Duck?' or 'Pineapple Pizza?' His palate and experience are certainly up for any challenge and will help you pick out something that will impress even the snobbiest of wine snobs!

For a fancy frugal date, I recommend popping in during a wine tasting to pick up a couple bottles for a nice night out to a local BYOB restaurant! Ask for a personal recommendation or pick up something light such as their 'beyond organic' Hofer Grüner Veltliner. It's 1 Liter of deliciously crisp Austrian white wine for just $13.99 that also comes in recycled glass bottles with a crown cap, which makes the bottle reusable and valuable to the home-brewing niche market.

For a relaxed and beautifully boozy Saturday afternoon, take the train to the Davis Metra or EL station and hit up my original 'Evanston's frugal Wine Tasting Trail'. Start at Cost Plus World Market near the Century Movie Theater and then wind you way around Evanston's scenic downtown shops and eventually buy up your bottles o'vino at Vinic Wine Co.

1) Cost Plus World Market Saturday Wine Tasting (Seasonal) 4-7 PM

1725 Maple Avenue, Evanston

2) Whole Foods Food and Wine Tasting on Saturday, 2-4 PM

1640 Chicago Avenue, Evanston

3) Wine Styles Saturday Wine Tasting 2-4 PM

1741 Sherman Avenue, Evanston

4) Vinic Wines Saturday Wine Tasting (BEST) 3-7 PM

1509 Chicago Avenue, Evanston

Frugal Finds at Garage Sales!

My cousin Kris and I decided to go around the North Shore area this past Saturday morning to see what we could find at garage sales! In our pictures, you can see our masses of loot we accumulated! We had a great time, spent about 4 hours shopping and scouting and had some great finds for a total combined amount of $19.25.

Our first find was a box of plates with artistically designed Chicago scenes. I saw a box that told they were from Marshall Fields, one particular design of a Christmas at Daley Plaza (my favorite time and place in Chicago - the Christkindlemarket). I was thinking about offers when the lady said, " You can take them all for ten dollars". Sold! I packed them up into a printer-paper box and set them aside. Right away, a little black camera caught my cousin's eye....as an aspiring photographer, the little Brownie Target 6-20 was a diamond in the rough...and it was hers for a mere $3! When we got home, we did some online research and found that the plates were worth about $10-30 a piece, and I had 9 of them! They were from annual releases of a Limited edition from Chicago-based artist Franklin McMahon. Score!

A cute little German-looking music-box caught my eye as we were leaving, and interested me even more when I turned it over and learned that it was made in West Germany and had Reuge Swiss movement, (a company that creates music boxes and still exists today). "How much for the little music box?" I asked. "3 dollars" she replied. I handed over three 1 dollar bills and it was mine!

A while later, we came across a woman selling the lot of her Antique Booth...I saw a broken 3 Tier serving tray (something I have been wanting ever since having High Tea at Harrod's in London this summer!). "How much for this thing?" I asked. "How about 1 dollar?". And I carted it away....knowing the fix would be easy for my handy husband and some JB Weld. When we got home, Jon fixed it up right away and it looked very elegant,...just like Harrod's in London! Now all I have to do is have a tea party! It even fit our white Crate & Barrel plates! (see below)

The last item was .25 cents at an Estate sale.....a 2-part Tube Cake Pan that my husband has been wanting for a couple years now. He "borrowed" his mother's Angel Food Cake Pan when he moved out to Chicago and never gave it back...now with my 25 cent purchase, he can finally have his own pan and return the original to his mom!

My last purchase was a game I had on my Christmas list last year and didn't receive. It was "Tangoes" a competitive Tangram game that retails for $9-20 on Amazon.com. I scored it brand new in mint condition, never played for $2!

All in all, Kris, Jon and I are going to hit up some more local sales to see what history and deals we can find in Chicago-land! We had a full day of fun and adventures for less than $20! Now, that's frugal!

Fixed 3-tier Tea Tray!

Frugal Grocery Shopping in Chicago

In Chicago, Jewel-Osco and Dominick's are everywhere! But, choosing between going to Jewel or Dominick's is not your only choice for all your groceries. You can save a lot of money by a little bit of adventure and a little bit of planning ahead.

Plan your week (quickly)

Now I realize not everyone may have the chance to plan their weekly meals, but it reduces stress throughout the week, and eventually saves time and money. So on Saturday or Sunday when I have an extra minute or so of free time, I jot down the week's evening dinnertime schedule (quickly determining if a family dinner is possible for each night, if I have time to cook, etc). It goes like this:

· Mon - - COOK

· Tues - - PACK/LEFTOVERS

· Wed - - COOK

· Thur - -EASY COOK (busy night)

· Fri - - -COOK

· Sat - - -Go out to dinner with friends

So for the week above, I need 3 regular cooking meals, 1 Easy Cook meal (something like boil pasta and add sauce, or a pre-made freezer meal) and 1 day where I pack my lunch and my family eats leftovers.

Scan the Ads

Then, I glance over the local adds (online) for meat that's on sale. This will probably be the main course of my 3 COOK meals. (looking for meat $2 or under)

For example....This week, I found boneless skinless fresh Chicken Tenders for $1.79/lb at Village Marketplace, my COOK meals reflect and are planned as such: Pineapple Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Chicken with Artichokes and Chicken Parmesan. Also Boston Lettuce is 2 Heads for $1.00...thus, Lettuce Wraps and side salads are planned with each meal.

Adventuring out to new places:

Discover your neighborhood - Do not be totally satisfied with your big chain supermarkets! Venture to places that attract immigrants or local ethnic groups; these smaller markets tend to have fresher and cheaper produce than Jewel and Dominick's. Shop fresh items (meat, produce, and even some cheeses) at these local Grocery stores and save the commercialized items and your coupons for Jewel.

Some of Chicago's cheaper alternatives: (for north side)

Food4Less, Main Street & McCormick (Takes coupons, Kroger store brand, great produce & Mexican food section)

Village Marketplace, two locations in Skokie and Carol Stream (amazing produce sales, best meat & deli counter with great prices, Kosher products, friendly staff that remembers you)

Marketplace on Oakton (fresh produce, more meat and fish selections)

Aldi - opening up all over Chicago! Great prices especially on dried goods, great food!

Strack & Van Til, on Elston/Bucktown, (has a devoted following for their meat and deli counter, has much better prices than Jewel & Dominick's).

Save your coupons for the "Super-Markets", Jewel & Dominick's! Always match sales, coupons and rebates together and use your customer cards to get "preferred savings". At the supermarket chains, only shop for the coupon/sale items that are the American "commercialized items", (Like freezer items, soda, cereals, crackers, and cookies). This will save you immense cash throughout the year!

$$ Tip: Buy your Sunday Paper at The Dollar Tree (for only $1) and clip coupons for your week from the coupon inserts! The paper coupons are usually the best during the first week of every month. Are you even more (maybe shamelessly) frugal? Pick up coupon inserts from Starbucks or any fancy coffee shop on Sunday morning; many coffee drinkers buy the Sunday paper to read and discard and toss aside the coupon inserts! Also don't forget to log on to Coupons.com, Smartsource.com, and redplum.com to select and print online coupons. Most sites will let you print 2 coupons per computer.