I stopped into Piggly Wiggly on Hwy P in Oconomowoc this week to pick up a few items for a friend. As I checked out, I asked (as I always do wherever I shop) if they take American Express. To my surprise, they do! And the wheels started turning in my head.

How much can I make shopping at the Pig?

As you all know, I’m a PNS fan, through and through. My biggest complaint is that they don’t take American Express. I have two AmEx cards with great rewards:

• My Blue Cash card gives me up to 5% back on everyday purchases — including groceries, gas and drugstores. I also get 1.5% cash back on other purchases.
• My One card is linked to a high-yield savings account (it’s at 2.75% right now), and it deposits 1% of all my purchases into this account. I don’t use this card often, but I love the savings account. I use it for our emergency fund, since it is easy to access and has a higher interest rate than most.

How do the numbers crunch?

I spend about $6,000/year on groceries. If PNS took American Express, I’d get 5% cash back on that $6,000. American Express has a handy little “What if?” calculator that tells me I could earn about $100/year just on those groceries purchases. Add in my other everyday purchases, and I could be earning about $300/year.

It’s temping to use this information to change my favorite grocery store to the Pig! But does that credit card rebate trump the savings I could realize with double coupons at PNS? Let’s find out.

Double coupons savings

First, let’s assume that grocery prices are, on average, the same at PNS and Piggly Wiggly. I know they aren’t always exactly the same, but I’m sure that as often something is cheaper at the Pig, there’s another item that’s more expensive.

So let’s look at coupon savings, since that’s where we’ll really see a price difference.

PNS doubles up to five coupons $1 or less. I often have five $1 coupons, but not always. Let’s say that, on average, I have three $1 coupons and two 50 cent coupons 45 weeks of the year. That’s probably a low estimate, but it’s fair enough for this purpose. With this calculation, I’d save $8/week with those doubled coupons — or $360/year. That easily beats the $100 rebate I’d get from shopping at the Pig with my AmEx card. I’m sure this estimate is conservative, so it’s likely that my savings at PNS are even higher.

Even if I put that $100 from the AmEx card into my high-yield savings account, it can’t beat the savings I realize from shopping with double coupons at PNS.

The silent reward

There’s another reward that I’m not factoring into this equation. The card I use at PNS is my WorldPerks Visa card from US Bank. It gives me one frequent flier mile for every dollar in purchases.

I’ve gotten several airline tickets by exclusively using this card to pay for everything. But now that we have three kids, travel rewards aren’t as useful as they used to be. That’s why I started using the AmEx card, since I need cash back more than I need a single plane ticket to Florida. (Although a trip alone to someplace warm sounds really nice!)

Just as I was about to cancel my WorldPerks card earlier this year, they changed the program to include more flexible rewards — such as gift certificates, tickets on multiple airlines, lower eligibility requirements and more. I kept the card, and I’m glad I did. Many places still don’t accept AmEx, and my WorldPerks card is, by far, the best Visa or MasterCard rewards card I have in my wallet. I earn enough points in a year to get at least one free ticket a year. I can’t wait to see what I will get this year with the new program.

Even though I’m missing out on AmEx cash back by shopping at PNS, I’m still getting something in return with my Visa card. Plus, I’m saving more with double coupons. It’s a win-win situation.

This is also a great example of how credit cards can be a useful savings tool. I know many people think credit cards are evil minions straight from the devil (and I agree that the companies are pretty devilish), but using cards wisely can add up in your favor.

How about you: Do you use credit cards? Can you find a way to reap rewards with them? Or is it too tempting to buy stuff you don’t need with plastic in your pocket?

This week I’ve decided to change my grocery shopping strategy just a little. We’ve had some unusual expenses crop up (extra insurance premiums, preschool tuition, etc.), so I’ve decided to trim the grocery budget to cover these items. We have an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses like these, but I’d like to reserve that money for a true emergency.

This is one of the nice things about stockpiling and stalking sales at the grocery store. I never have to spend or buy more than I really need on any given week. My stockpile can definitely handle a dip in inventory for a few weeks, and my checkbook will thank me.

I’m also going to do the majority of my produce and milk shopping at Good Harvest Market in Waukesha. I stopped there last week after getting my car emissions tested, and I was very impressed with the prices — they were comparable or less than Pick ‘n Save’s sale prices. I got a great deal on peaches (99 cents/pound), milk (plus it’s local!) and strawberries ($2.99/pound). I like the idea of shopping locally at Good Harvest, since my garden and farmer’s market haven’t kicked into high gear yet.

Even though the drive to Waukesha might eat into whatever cost savings I realize, I’m still going to do it. Maybe I’ll pick up some of my favorite chicken salad from the deli. My kids love the car trip, and the store has tiny shopping carts just right for my 2-year-old. What’s not to love?

My friend Karen just tipped me off to this coupon from Kohl’s: $10 off $20. Just scroll down a little bit to download a PDF of the coupon from Slick Deals. It’s good through the 10th, so now’s the time to hit up Kohl’s for some Mother’s Day gifts (hint, hint, dads).

Karen said she printed eight coupons and split up her order to maximize savings. Then the cashier combined her separate purchases to get good chunk of Kohl’s cash, too. WOW. I bow down to you, Karen.

I’ve never used Slick Deals before, but I know Karen swears by it. After seeing how sweet this deal is, I might have to check it out more often.

Thanks, Karen!

Today you can get a free 8×10 photo at Walgreen’s using the code MOTHER at checkout. Walgreen’s is also running a special where you get 25 free 4×6 prints when you buy 25 or more.

Wow, this weekend is hopping with activity! I can’t believe how many sales and fairs are kicking off the spring season. Now I just need the Farmers Market and rummage sales to start up, and I’ll be a happy girl.

Divine Consign is for the stylish woman who either needs to sell a few items or buy a new wardrobe without spending a fortune. From the sale’s Web site:

…[Divine Consign is a] semi-annual consignment sale for women that features exceptional quality, brand-name clothing & accessories from petite to plus sizes. … Divine consign provides an opportunity to shop a fabulous selection of trendy, women’s designer clothing and accessories without feeling guilty.

What you’ll find

• Shirts, sweaters, blouses, pants, shorts, skirts, jeans, capris and sundresses
• Professional wear
• Formal wear
• Active wear
• Accessories
• Seasonal maternity clothes

Shopping tips

• Bring your own bins or shopping bags
• Shop alone [Sound familiar?]
• Bring cash — they accept cash only!

Dates/Times:
Thursday, April 23 — 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Friday, April 24 — 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 25 — 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Location:
13885 Watertown Plank Road
Elm Grove, WI
(see site for map/directions)

My friend Becky consigned almost 100 hangers of clothes. She worked in finance for many years before staying home with her kids, and she’s finally parting with her office wardrobe. If you’re a small size and need some excellent suits, you’ll find a large selection of her well-kept suits.

It’s rare to find such a “highbrow” consignment sale, so if you need something that you usually can’t find at rummage sales, I’d definitely check out Divine Consign this weekend.

I’m happy that Mother Nature took pity on us today and finally showed her green side: fresh grass and warm sun. I needed that shot of color and a boost of vitamin D.

Here’s some great information to help you support Earth Day today and every day.

• Support green power. I got a notice from Oconomowoc Utilities that we can sign up for a “green block of power” — for $3/month, it’s the equivalent of planting 40 acres of Wisconsin forest land per month. Mayor Sullivan is challenging 10% of residential households to “leave a legacy of cleaner air and sustainable energy resources.” I’m not sure what this means exactly, but Ellen at 262-569-2198 or eschmidt@wppienergy.org can give us more information.

• Visit the Earth Day Resource Fair this Saturday at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Oconomowoc. We are making this a family event this weekend — even my mom is joining us. We’re looking forward to story time, sampling organic food, riding in an electric car and picking up another recycling bin. We also hope to find some information about composters. We really need to buy one this year. (In the meantime, can anyone recommend a composter?) This event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Buy CFLs. Take advantage of the $1 coupons for GE CFLs. These have been on sale at PNS for the last few weeks, and I have a feeling they’ll be on sale this week, too. You can get free CFLs when the coupons are doubled.

• Get a free roll of 100% recycled Reynolds Wrap. It’s made with 100% recycled aluminum (cool!) and comes in 100% recycled paperboard packaging. Print your mail-in rebate form here.

• Get frugal, get green. Get Rich Slowly has a great post about the intersection of frugality and “green.”

Enjoy the day!

My former coworker and friend Dan (from the bothersome weblog FIGHTME!) has helped me a lot with this blog. He’s also criticized it a lot. He chided me about the green apples on the homepage. He made fun of me when I couldn’t figure out FeedBurner. He can’t fathom why I want to include AdSense ads.

But he spent almost an hour with me on the phone today dishing office gossip and helping me with some blog-related glitches. That makes him bearable, so I guess I’ll keep him around.

Dan’s tips for commenting

Dan said that the comments section on this blog template is really confusing, so almost everyone fills it out wrong. It’s not the users’ fault — it’s the template’s. I’m pretty sure Dan blames it on the green apples.

Here are Dan’s suggestions for anyone who wants to post a comment:

1. Put your name in the very first box that appears in the comments section (it is several spaces above the line that says “name”). This is required.
   
2. Put your email address in the second space. This is required.
   
3. If you have a blog, put the URL in the third box. This is optional.
   
4. Include your comment in the very last, big box at the bottom of the page.

It appears that people are putting their names and email addresses in the wrong spots (because the layout is confusing), so the template believes it hasn’t been filled out correctly and displays an error message — even though it’s all right there, just in an unexpected spot. Frustrating, right?

If you’ve had trouble posting a comment, please try again with these tips in mind. I love all of your comments, and I know other readers would benefit from the thoughts I’ve gotten via email!

As always, thanks for reading and thanks for your thoughts.

My friend Sam (of Samantha Provenzano Photography fame, whom I talked about here) is giving away a ton of free stuff on her blog this week. I think the vintage apron that’s up right now is a total kick!

She won’t tell me what’s coming next, but she promises it’s good. Sam knows a lot of creative, talented people, and I have no doubt that you’ll be able to win some fantastic, free items this week. Maybe even a little something for Mother’s Day (hint, hint).

Here’s how you can win one of these great items:

1) Leave a comment on her blog
2) Link the giveaway on your own blog
3) Twitter a link to her blog
4) Follow Sam (samnadam) on twitter
5) Follow her blog

I’ll be following Sam this week and keeping up with the giveaways’ progress. If I win something, I’ll donate my item to one lucky Lake Country Saver reader!

Get ready for one of the best sales of the season: The Oconomowoc Junior Women’s Club Kids’ Closet Consignment Sale. I’ve gotten tons of great clothes, toys and gear at this bi-annual sale in Oconomowoc. This one exclusively features spring and summer items.

Dates/Times:
Friday, April 24 — 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 25 — 7 a.m. to noon (ALL ITEMS HALF PRICE!)

Location: Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Oconomowoc, N60 W35980 Lake Dr. (on the corner of Hwys P and Z, just north of Oconomowoc)

Items: Clothes from preemie through size 14, toys and baby/kid gear

My plan for the sale

This week I plan to permanently swap out the girls’ winter clothes (goodbye, turtlenecks) for summer clothes (hello, tank tops). That way, I’ll have a bead on what I already have for the next 6+ months — or at least until the ULS Barn Sale (drool) and the fall/winter OJWC sale — and what I can look for at the sale.

I have three girls — ages 4 1/2, 2 and 1 — so I can buy almost any size of girls’ clothing and it will be worn at some point. I usually shop willy-nilly for my daughters, and I’ve stocked up on clothes and shoes (mostly used, but some new) through size 12. Um, yeah. Maybe I don’t need anything this year.

But wait! I do need some stuff. We’re short on rain/wind pants and boots for the muddy spring. My middle one needs size 8 sandals. The baby could use more summer clothes and size 3/4 sandals. My oldest wants a few more lightweight long-sleeved shirts. I’m sure I’ll find these items plus some unexpected surprises along the way.

I know some people who will be helping organize the sale later this week. I’m hoping they can give me the inside scoop on what items are in good supply this season and what to look for at the sale. Stay tuned!

The Kmart insert in my Sunday paper tells me that Kmart has brought back the Super Double coupons this week. Stores will double coupons up to and including $2 — which means that a $2 coupon is worth $4! The promotion runs today through Saturday. One change I noticed is that they now accept only 25 coupons per day per customer. Still, that’s better than Pick ‘n Save’s five-coupon limit.

These are the $1.25+ coupons I have right now:

• Excedrin
• Benadryl
• Infants’ Tylenol, Motrin, Pediacare
• Gold Bond Ultimate
• Venus
• BIC Soleil
• BIC Comfort 3
• Herbal Essences
• Johnson’s
• Nivea
• Listerine
• K-Y (not, uh, that I would actually, um, need this)
• Delsym
• Suave
• Secret Flawless
• SoftScrub
• Biz
• Oust
• Endust
• Spry ‘n Wash Bright & White
• Pedialyte
• Huggies Little Swimmers Suncare
• Huggies Pull-Ups
• Goodnites
• Pampers
• WellPatch
• Huggies diapers
• Huggies Overnites

I looked through the sale flier and saw these possible matchups:

• Huggies, Pampers and Pull-Ups
• Herbal Essences
• Benadryl
• Listerine
• Suave
• SoftScrub

There are also more deals you could snap up with $1 doubled coupons (like Scott paper products and Energizer batteries).

Let me know if you find any other deals.