As you might have noticed, I’ve been slacking off lately. My kids are all home full-time (yikes), the weather is nice, and I’m enjoying some “rest” as I follow the baby everywhere, making sure she’s not eating knives or drinking out of the dog bowl.

Still, I’ve stumbled on a few great links, books and people lately, mostly due to The Simple Dollar and nosing around the Web. Here’s what I’ve been reading, working on, and thinking about lately:

1. Why did nobody tell me about Simple Mom?! Is it because you are keeping all the fun to yourselves? No fair. This is the blog I would have started had I known about blogging before 2008.

2. I used to subscribe to Salon way back when you had to pay to read anything of substance on the site. Thank god those days are over, because this post on eating ethically is fantastic.

3. I think a lot of people expect me to pinch pennies, or to automatically buy the cheapest item on the shelf, just because I’m really into “conscious spending” (my own version of frugality). So not true!

For example: I offered to bring drinks for last week’s end-of-year party at my daughter’s school. The organizer suggested I could bring a pitcher of water and stir in some powdered drink mix to keep costs low. She’s right that it would have been super cheap to do that. But pouring sticky “fruit” juice into little cups held by tiny, clumsy hands that would spill that “fruit” juice all over themselves and me didn’t sound like a party.

So I coughed up $7 to bring individual juice boxes of 100% juice. I hope that makes me fun to be around — or at least helps me avoid being called a failed frugalist. (Which I think is the same as being called a tightwad. Shudder.)

4. I just read Rich Like Them by Ryan D’Agostino, and I found it really inspiring. Although I was disappointed that not a single Wisconsin ZIP code made it on the list of richest 100 neighborhoods (why doesn’t Chenequa have it’s own ZIP code?), I loved reading about how rich people got where they are.

5. Like many people in Rich Like Them, my husband and I are both “entrepreneurs.” (But we’re not rich like the people in the book, so I’m pretty sure “entrepreneur” in our case is just a euphemism for “out-of-work writer.”) But when I read about Getting Rich in Your Underwear on this list of 40 places to learn more about business, I knew I was on the right career path. Unfortunately, my husband works in other people’s home, so I’m guessing he’ll have to skip that book and keep his shorts on.

I get this email newsletter from Hot Coupon World every Tuesday. Some weeks the deals seem ho-hum. But this week is different. There is a ton of great information, so I wanted to share the highlights of my email with you. (I highly recommend signing up for this newsletter, if you haven’t already.)

Lots of Mother’s Day-related pricing this week out in stores to watch for.

Brands to watch this week:

Jimmy Dean - If the kids or hubby are making you breakfast in bed on Sunday, you might see this in your shopping cart.  Watch for sale prices (there was a coupon this past week in an insert) and combo deals like “Buy X product, get eggs and juice” type offers.

Kraft - Big Kraft sale coming across the brand,  so it will be salad dressings, mac/cheese, Capri suns, etc.

BBQ sauces and condiments - all brands - With Memorial Day around the corner, you’re going to start seeing BBQ/picnic foods coming on sale.  But for whatever reason, condiment sales seem to kick off the season first, usually starting right about now.

New Brand Alert - Huggies Pure and Natural Diapers - $3.00 printable off any one - LINK

Seasonal Allergy Meds - this should be getting into the competitive stage of spring marketing this month - Claritin has a $4.00 printable - LINK -  and we’ll also be seeing more insert coupons this month for assorted brands.

Falling prices this week:

Ok, whoever decided asparagus is symbolic of love was a really good marketer because the idea stuck.  You’ll see asparagus on sale this week for mother’s day - as low as $1.49 per pound.

Keeping with the Mother’s Day food theme, you’ll also see choice cut beef (think t-bones and ribeyes), lobster tails, king crab legs, halibut steaks, and salmon on sale.  A good price on the choice cut beef right now is going to be anything less than  $4.99 per pound. The seafood is going to be a special buy for most stores, particularly the lobster tails, so if you like them, this would be a good time to pick up a few spares for the freezer to pull out later this summer.
You’ll also find strawberries and whipped cream should be on sale as well.

Printables are going to be HOT this month.

If you didn’t already print out all those awesome Kelloggs coupons, they’re just tip of the printable coupon iceberg this month.  I have it on really good authority that the coupons are going to be rapidly changing all month and we’re going to work to keep you posted because they’ll be fast, furious, and high-dollar off values!!

HCW Printables - LINK
HCW Smart Source Printables - LINK
HCW Red Plum Printables  - LINK

There’s already new ones in all three of those even from last week, and Heidi’s doing a great job keeping them updated in the Coupon Database - just search by printables to get the full list - there are currently over 3000 links in there!

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Hot Deals and Great Money Making Opportunities

HOT - $25 Restaurant.com gift cert for $4 plus a free $15 FTD Reward Certificate -  Use code GIFT  - LINK TO OFFER

Boca Java coffee - 4 bags at the intro rate of $4.95 plus free shipping - LINK TO OFFER

Nielsen Net Ratings (survey site) is open again - get prizes to do surveys - LINK TO OFFER

Don’t have an account to Bidz.com?  Get one now for free. Bidz is a dedicated online auction site for jewelry - they have great prices and you can save a chunk of change - LINK TO OFFER

My friend Kristin recently passed on this pandemic planning checklist about how to plan for and get through an influenza pandemic, such as the one we’re experiencing now with the swine flu. Although several cases have shown up in Wisconsin, I’m not all that worried about contracting this flu. As my friend Nikki said, we’ve lived through the regular flu, bird flu and SARS, so the swine flu doesn’t seem like anything unusual to worry about.

That doesn’t mean I’m taking this lightly. I’m being extra-vigilant about handwashing with the kids and myself, and I’m watching my family for any signs of flu. We’ve had a bad run of illness this winter, and I’m not keen on repeating the last few months of that drudgery.

Loving my stockpile

The government’s planning checklist is interesting to me because it closely reflects the items I already have in my stockpile. However, if I had seen that list a  year ago, I would have needed to run out and purchase many of the items on the list. I’m sure many people are doing that right now — and paying top dollar for that panic-induced grocery run. Even though I truly believe I won’t need to live off the food in my basement and deep freezer, I feel so much more comfortable knowing it’s there, just in case the worst happens.

(On a side note, I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy recently. That alone made me want to stockpile fresh water, soap, firewood and food, then barricade the doors with my doubel-barreled shotgun while herding my family into the basement. This pandemic almost makes that look like a logical next step.)

The government’s checklist includes:

• Ready-to-eat canned meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, and soups — I have dozens of cans of tomato/chicken noodle/minestrone/cream soups, chunk tuna, corn/tomatoes/artichoke hearts/peas, and kidney/black/pinto/white beans. The beans alone could keep us alive for quite a while, and I’m pretty sure my kids and husband would be happy about that.
  
• Protein or fruit bars – I have six boxes of different granola bars, and I’m stocking up on more next week.
  
• Dry cereal or granola — Do you think 17 boxes of cereal is enough? I dunno.
  
• Peanut butter or nuts – I have several cans and bags of almonds, cashews, pecans and walnuts. Plus one jar of peanut butter. More PB is on the list for next week.
  
• Dried fruit – My stockpile includes two bags of craisins, one can of organic raisins, a carton of figs, and two canisters of prunes. (I guess it’s a good thing the government also recommends stocking up on anti-diarrheal medication and toilet paper, huh?)
  
• Crackers — Two boxes of crackers, two bags of pretzels, one bag of tortilla chips…and more on the way next week.
  
• Canned juices – I have about 30 cans of frozen concentrate, as well as several jugs of fruit and vegetable juices.
  
• Bottled water – I still have some from a party we had in September.
  
• Canned or jarred baby food and formula – We don’t need this stuff anymore. Hurray!
  
• Pet food – Just bought a 30-pound bag not too long ago.
  
• Other non-perishable items – Plenty!
• Medications and household basics, like soap, garbage bags and flashlight/batteries – My forays into Walgreens have nicely prepared us in this department. I was getting a little embarassed by the amount of toothpaste and kids cold/pain medicine we had piling up in the closet, but now I feel strangely justified.

Like I said, this flu isn’t throwing me into a panic. I don’t intend to lock the doors and live off the food in my basement — and I don’t even own a shotgun! But it’s nice to know that my frugal shopping has an unintended consequence: Peace of mind, just in case.

Your local public library is a fantastic spot for saving money — especially with kids. If you haven’t checked out your library, take advantage of National Library Week this week — April 12 through 18 — to do so. You won’t regret it.

In honor of this week, I’m listing a few of my favorite things to do at our library.

Free storytime

I go to Oconomowoc Public Library’s free storytime every Tuesday morning, which is a great way to kill a couple of hours with my girls. Betsy Bromley, the children’s librarian, does a fantastic job during storytime. I am really impressed with her program.

The Oconomowoc library also recently remodeled their kids’ section to include more toys and games. My girls love it! We often see some friends there, too, so it’s impromptu playtime.

I love renting kids’ videos for free and checking out books for all of us (which saves me from impulsively running to Books & Co. to buy myself books). Better yet, when I do return something late, I feel no guilt. I consider my late fees as a way of financially supporting our library. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

American Girl party

This Saturday, the Oconomowoc Public Library is hosting a FREE American Girl party from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. This great event includes crafts, games and other fun activities to celebrate the American Girl dolls. You can bring a doll with you or just bring yourself.

This party is open to kids in 4K through 6th grade, and kids under 8 need to be accompanied by an adult. Please register with each child’s name, age and phone number at the information desk, by calling (262) 569-2193 or emailing childrens@cooney.lib.wi.us.

Read with Rover

I think this is so cool: Kids can practice their reading skills with Buddy, a certified therapy dog. Maybe this will help an animal-loving reluctant reader find joy in the printed page. You can sign up at the information desk for a 15-minute with Buddy. Call 262-569-2193 and ask for the children’s librarian Betsy Bromley.

Enjoy National Library Week! And remember to thank your librarians for all their wonderful work.

Hi, my name is McKenna and I am a recovering Target addict. I’ve been in recovery for about a year now, and I’ve slipped up just a few times. It feels so good to be free!

My friend Margaret jokes that there’s a $100 entrance fee to Target because it seems you can’t walk out without spending at least that much. When I was addicted to Target, I proved that theory true many times.

Like every other suburban woman, I was there once, maybe even twice, a week. I loved stocking up on stylish items and basic necessities. I usually went in for toilet paper and walked out with a cartload of cool things I never knew I needed.

That’s why I stopped shopping at Target. Yes, the deals can be fantastic. Yes, I love the dollar section. Yes, Super Target is a great spot to buy everything you need in one fell swoop.

But just look at that adorable sheet set for my daughter — it’s even on sale! Or that cute little t-shirt for me. I think my husband needs some new boxers. Now that I think about it, I need more sponges…and maybe some bleach, too, just to be safe. Maybe I should look for my nephew’s birthday present in the toy aisle. And who doesn’t need some of those yummy Choxie treats?

Sound familiar?

A cartload of “necessities” later, I’d bought twice as much as I expected and spent at least that much more. Sure, everything is priced well. But it’s not a deal when you could have spent less and still walked away with what you truly needed.

My new friend Kmart

I started shopping at Kmart in Oconomowoc because it’s much closer to my house. I noticed that prices were comparable to Target. But I was spending significantly less at Kmart than I did at Target, and still getting what I needed. What’s up with that?

The key is that Kmart is far less appealing to me than Target. Chandler feels the same way about Kmart. He hates the lighting, the appearance of the store, the smell; everything about it turns him off and he refuses to shop there. But for me, those turn-offs are exactly why I love Kmart. I want to get in, get out and not spend any extra time (or money) in the store. That’s probably the death knell for Kmart’s business, but it’s great for my wallet.

Double coupons never had it so good

Kmart isn’t always the cheapest, but occasionally it doubles coupons up to $2. Meaning that if you have a $2 coupon, it will be doubled to $4. That can be a huge savings! They also take up to 75 coupons, which is awesome. I love this deal when it comes around. I’m hoping it comes back soon.

Breaking the Target habit

If you’re like me, you think you can’t live without Target. You wonder how we all lived before it existed in every town across America. You pity the people who don’t have one nearby.

Guess what? You can live — and live well — without it.

Here’s my challenge to you: Spend a week avoiding Target. Pay attention to how it changes (or doesn’t change) your spending habits. If you can go a week, try two weeks — or even a month. How does it change the way you shop? Let me know!

When I first started saving serious money at the grocery store, Chandler always wanted to know how much I’d shaved off my total bill. I’d excitedly tell him how much I’d saved, how long my receipt was (the longer, the better), and whether or not a manager had to approve my purchase (which happens only when you save so much money that the computer thinks you might be defrauding the grocery store!).

But after a few trips, the savings felt less exciting. Saving 30%, 50% or more seemed mundane. He stopped asking about my receipts, and I stopped regaling him with my grocery adventures.

Little did I know that he was taking mental notes about how to save money, even after we stopped analyzing every trip.

Wearing the pants in the family

Chandler has his own home repair/remodeling business. He wears Carhartt carpenter jeans exclusively for work and often, to my annoyance, dress wear. He’s hard on these pants, especially when he’s tiling or doing a lot of work on his knees. They are subjected to paint, drywall dust, power tools and grease.

We bought a stack of these jeans about three years ago at what Chandler simply calls “The Store” — Farm and Fleet. Since then, he’s patched the knees in each pair twice and has repaired several small rips and tears. (Have I mentioned he’s also good with a needle and thread?) The color has worn away. They’re stretched out and baggy on his lean frame.

About two weeks ago, he finally decided he needed some new pants. He’d gotten a few coupons from his favorite discount online retailer, Sierra Trading Post, but the last one had just expired. He decided to wait for another coupon. His patience paid off.

Last weekend, he got an e-coupon for 25% his entire order — the best coupon he’s seen this year. He bought four pairs of Carhartts plus a pair of polarized sunglasses. Instead of spending about $45/pair of pants, he spent just $20/pair — a savings of about 56%. Considering he’ll wear these pants every day for at least another three years, that’s a fantastic deal. This purchase also fits well into our monthly budget for clothes.

A family challenge

It goes to show that a little patience and shopping around can pay off in a big way. And it proves that couponing isn’t just for women!

If your family is like mine and the husband leaves the deal-finding and money-saving to the wife, pose a challenge. The next time he wants to buy something (a gadget, something for his shop, a shirt), ask him to shop around and find a coupon or good deal before he buys it.

Or you could up the ante even more: Challenge him to a deal-off. Have him shop around and find the best price on what he wants. Then you do it, too. See who can find the right item for the best price. Buy the lower-priced item and put the money you save into your checking or high-yield savings account. Everybody wins!

The economy has everyone everywhere revising their spending habits. Doing what I talk about on this blog — cutting coupons, shopping around, stockpiling good deals — is becoming more mainstream as the economy continues to worsen.

But some people are taking it to new levels.

Everyone needs to draw their “frugality line” somewhere. For me, it’s one or two steps shy of what these people are doing. I’m not so sure I really want to still wear the maternity clothes I was in when I was pregnant this time last year. *Shudder*

But then I read this line:

“I do it [extreme frugality] out of fear because I would rather put that money in the bank or purchase something we really need,” said VanDeventer, who now saves about 50 percent of her take-home pay, up from 25 percent before the recession began more than a year ago.

This woman is saving 50% of her take-home pay! That’s insane — smart, but insane. I’m not sure it’s possible for most families to save quite that much of their income (the standard rule of thumb is 20%), but I applaud her efforts.

But as Trent says at The Simple Dollar, sometimes you can go too cheap. But you just need to know what’s important to you, and use that as a guideline for where to scrimp and where to splurge.

For me, it’s Starbucks coffee and as much organic food as we can afford. If that means my kids run around in used clothes for the rest of their lives, that’s OK with me.

What’s your limit? Where do you draw your frugality line?