What Would You Like Tips On?

If you want to find an inexpensive way to do something but can't figure out how, let me know. I'd love to help! I'll at least give it a try so just let me know. Anything from decor to shopping, I'll try to find a frugal way about it. Just click on the envelope under the "Contact Me" section to send me your question. Thanks and I hope to hear from you soon! :)

The Lowdown

I am by no means a store dumpster diving expert. But I don't mind sharing my tips and techniques. I'll break it down with who, what, when, and where.

Who:

The who stands for you and where you live. You've got to check the laws in your local area. They are different everywhere. Here, in Statesboro, Ga, it is not against the law to dumpster dive unless there is a sign on the dumpster telling you not to do so. We consulted with a police officer from our church to verify this information. The only signs posted on the dumpsters I've seen so far is "No Public Dumping". If the dumpster is locked, move along. That means they don't want you going through their trash.

What:

What do you need? A good flashlight for starters. It is best to get a small bright one. You don't want your arm to start getting tired while you're looking through stuff. I got a cute pink (what can I say, I'm a girly girl mm'k?) mag lite at Wally World for about $8.50. Make sure it is a bright enough to light up the dumpster. These two things make a huge difference, trust me.

Second, bring something with you to be able to acquire items out of your reach. A potato rake has worked best for me so far. You also might want to bring a few boxes or bags along in case you hit the motherload. Many times there will be boxes around, but just in case, bring some of your own. May you hit the motherload my child. hehe

When:
The best time to go is after store hours. You don't want to run into any employees. If you can't do it after store hours, then I'd say take your chances but make it snappy...very snappy. I've been both in the morning and at night, and so far, I like going at night best. Me and my PIC (partner in crime), usually start at 10 pm. If you do go in the morning, make sure you go around 5-5:30 am. The reason for this is because a manager or employee will get to the store early to get it ready to open. And as I said before, you don't want a run-in with a worker.

I haven't had that happen yet, but I did get to Goodwill at 6:30 a.m. one day, and there was a car already there. That's why I like evening dives better. Everyone is ready to get out of there and go home!

Where:
From what I've read of others and from my own personal experiences, K(mart),
G(oodwill), J(oannes), and L(owes) are good producers. Also, the big office store chains. It just really depends what you have in your area. Just make sure to dive at stores where the dumpster is in the back or concealed and not out in the open. If you're seen, people will call in and complain. Even though it may be legal in your area, doesn't mean it is condoned. So be fast, as incognito as possible and most important, have fun! Enjoy your treasure hunt. :)

Black Saturday!

Today is Black Saturday because its the day after Halloween. Next year, it will be Black Sabbath. Har har! Ok, it's early and I'm loopy.

I just wanted to remind all of you striving to be frugal folks to head to your stores today to stock up for Halloween next year. Take advantage of the costume section if you still have a child young enough that you have to decide what they are going to be. I don't know if I'd risk it with an older child because a year is a long ways away and they like to change their minds!

Another thing to take advantage of are the party favors. Perfect for upcoming birthday parties or if you like to give each of your child's classmates a little treat bag for Christmas or Easter.

One thing that makes for a successful frugal lifestyle is thinking ahead! So go to the stores today for 50% off and take advantage of the treats and home decor! Don't forget to check back next Saturday because they should then have the everything else marked down 75%. Leave a comment about what you got today!

Stay tuned...

After my dumpster diving experience post, I've had a couple of people to want more details. So keep an eye out and I'll give them to y'all within a day or so. I'm having a garage sale tomorrow, so I'll be busy preparing for that. I'll have some things in there for sale that I found in the store dumpster's too. ;)

Program Review: Swagbucks

I'm not much for the search engines that you have a chance to win a prize. I don't know why, maybe if I won something good, I would be "turned on" to it. However, while perusing through a message board, I saw someone with a link to Swagbucks in their signature. I had never heard of it so I had to check it out of course.

If you like Mypoints, then you'll like Swagbucks. They are alike in that you earn points or bucks, and then get to cash them in for a prize. They have good prizes to choose from, or swag as they like to call it. It is majorly a search engine, but you can also earn swagbucks by shopping and recycling your unused cell phones.

Here's what I've found so far. You can win at least once a day by searching and it usually only takes a few searches to do so. Sometimes, I'll do a couple of searches and if I don't win any swagbucks, I'll wait a while and come back later. Generally I do my searches there until I win, and then go back to good ole Google. I'm really liking it so far and have 175 Swagbucks to date. I haven't cashed in for a prize yet, so I don't know how fast they are with redemption. Whether you love or hate search engines that promise prizes, you should definitely give Swagbucks a chance.

Pros:

-Good reward selection
-Guaranteed at least 1 Swagbuck per day
-Very similar to Mypoints in many ways
-Several options for earning your Swagbucks

Cons:

-Swagbucks may take some time to accrue
-Since I haven't redeemed my bucks yet, I'm not sure how fast they are with sending your prize
-May have to do a bit of searching to win for the day (break it up though if you don't win immediately)

Rating:

I give this program an 8 out of 10

If you are interested in signing up for Swagbucks or checking it out further, click here.