Kid to Kid: new-ish resale shop in town

Thanks to Tasti D-Lite now going kosher in all of its Houston locations, my husband took all of us to the Galleria location one evening for a frozen dessert* treat.  (Isn't that like out of a dream?  I came home from work and my husband declared that we're all going out for "ice cream".  The kids had a blast, and apparently the frozen concoction was their dinner.  A win/win/win for all.  :-))

**It's not ice cream, and it's not frozen yogurt.  It's a frozen dairy dessert.  Exactly what it is, I don't know.

Anyway - in the same shopping plaza is a store called Kid to Kid and we explored it on Sunday.

By explore, I mean I could have purchased the entire contents of the store if I didn't have a credit limit.

First of all, the store is kid-friendly so we took the kids and they had a great time playing while I was shopping.

Second, the store is clean and well-organized, so everything is easy to find.

The store carries everything - clothes, shoes, diapering supplies, baby gear, maternity wear, books, toys - the whole nine yards.  And it's top quality, gently used items.  I even found some brand new items with original tags on them!!  At a fraction of the original price!!

But here's the best part....just as we were leaving, my son announced that he, well, let's say that he needed a new diaper.  Being the super-organized parents that we are, we didn't have one.  We contemplated purchasing an unopened package of diapers they had for sale, when my husband turned around and spotted a vanity...with diapers...and wipes.  They were prepared for store customers to use - for free.  I got the diaper and wipes, the owner handed me a plastic bag for the dirty one, prepped the changing table in the bathroom for me (a beautiful bathroom, by the way), and this was all done with a smile.  The sink even had a stepstool for the little one to wash his hands.

If you're a parent, you know these little touches are meaningful.

So in sum, I recommend this place, and you can even bring your kids because they will be busy playing in the play area or reading books, and you will be happy with your purchases and pleased with the great customer service.  Happy shopping!

For the kosher Starbucks addicts out there

While we're on the topic of staying warm, my thoughts always turn to a warm cup of something yummy, like out of Starbucks (or your favorite local coffee shop).  Given the recent changes to some of their products, it's a bit of a challenge to know exactly what is kosher and what should be avoided, but fortunately we have technology on our side!!

Have you heard of KosherStarbucks.com?  I just recently found out about it and I want to share it with you!

It's a terrific site that goes item by item, giving you exact details of what's permissible and what is not.  You can even subscribe to it so that you are alerted instantly when there are updates! 

Anyway, I think it's a handy site and I hope you find it handy as well.

What's your favorite Starbucks drink?  I love lattes.  Leave a note in the comments box with what you love to order from there!

The Grocery Game: Round 3

This is becoming obsessive. I now visit certain websites daily to scour the 'Net for coupons. I study the weekly grocery store circulars. I even created a new email address for myself where I direct all of the manufacturers' newsletters and promotions so that they don't clog up my inbox which is full of real mail.

Of the grocery trips that I have logged into my little spreadsheet, I have saved 37.6% of my grocery bill. NOT BAD. The only downside is that I haven't logged every shopping trip of mine...because I make a lot of little trips to buy things that I suddenly run out of, or foods for Shabbat that aren't on the Grocery Game lists, or other items (like kosher meats and cheeses). Nor did I log our trip to Costco (yes, we are members of that giant wonderland; that's another post). And Shavuot took place last week, so I feel like that has put a kink in our numbers.

But still. Hopefully the 37.6% that I saved officially was spent wisely somewhere else. :-)

Best deals to date:
Buy one, get one free of Renpro organic shampoo or conditioner at Walgreens, and if you pick up a bottle with the free trial tag (where you send in the tag and they send you a check for the purchase price), then it's really getting 2 bottles for free. NOT BAD.
Free barrettes at Walgreens. NOT BAD.
$10 gift card for sending in a receipt that showed that I bought $20 worth of Swiffer products.

Really - who wants to pay full price for anything anymore??

The Grocery Game: Round 2

I went to Randalls this past week at the start of the second week of the Grocery Game and I saved 39% off my bill. NOT BAD AGAIN. So far, my average is 34.6% saved on my grocery bill.

But here's the kicker. I am not counting the several run I had to Beldens and HEB. Beldens I go to because the eggs I buy are cheaper there, I buy my kosher meat and cheese there, and they have a few products that I can't get at other stores (like my fave brand of margarine). HEB I go to because it's right by my house, the bread flour and yeast I use are super-cheap there, and I pick up other staples.

The other problem I ran into this past week is that Shavuot hit in the middle, so I bought a bunch of items for meals that didn't fall into the Grocery Game budget. If I was smart, I would have kept all of those receipts, but that would be too painful. Not that I went crazy (and in fact, I would like to return some of the non-perishable products I ended up not using and not opening), but still, a 2-day holiday calls for nice meals. Now Sunday is upon us and once again I need to restock the fridge. Time to start making food from pantry staples again and get creative.

In hindsight, I probably should not have signed up for the Grocery Game trial when a holiday would hit, but oh well.

I also go to Target and utilize coupons there. The best coupons are for household and beauty products, and the best part about that is that Target's coupon policy allows for stacking a Target coupon with a manufacturer's coupon, so sometimes you can get a GREAT deal.

Another thing I do is scour the 'Net for coupons straight from the manufacturer's website, and these coupons don't show up on the coupon aggregator sites. My plan for this week is to come up with a list of all of the products that I use and their manufacturers (like Proctor and Gamble, Kikkoman, etc), and then I'll just go down the list and print out coupons as they appear.

Just trying to save money wherever I can...

Update on Belden's bananas

Belden's has caught up with the rest of the stores in the area when it comes to banana prices. Today I went in there today intending to buy bananas and there they were, those beautiful bananas staring at me at 49 cents a pound.

Oh well - I enjoyed the party while it lasted.

Productive Sunday

Nevermind the fact that we parents slept in until 9:15 am (yes, that is correct - I know it is shocking to the other parents out there - I have NO IDEA how our daughter let us sleep in that long but she did not make a SINGLE peep and she was in the crib the whole time!!) so we got a late start to our day; we managed to make this a VERY productive day. By productive, I am specifically referring to crossing off one thing from our to-do list that has been on that list for months now.

Not only did I make pancakes, not only did my husband attend a shul board meeting, and not only did our daughter take a nap (during which we perused the newspaper, actually spent time talking to each other, and picked up pizza for lunch), but we also went to IKEA and bought a bookcase.

IKEA is just bad news for us. I know that there are many who love that store, and I can see why, but for us, visiting IKEA is like one of the levels of Dante's hell. It is overwhelming, it is always crowded, it is like a giant maze, and while it holds great promise, when you see the products up close, you realize that many times they are very flimsy and then you don't want to buy them and then you wasted all that time driving all the way there, finding a parking space, finding that item, etc etc.

I got inspired by an article in Parents magazine and made a decision: we are going to buy a bookcase for our living room from IKEA, we know the quality ahead of time so we WILL NOT be disappointed, and this will solve our problems. There, the decision has been made. We checked the stock level at the store ahead of time (yes in stock!) and made a plan: we go in, we get it, we check out. Before the evening is up we assemble it and we rock on.

And we accomplished each little task. We went there, found a parking spot, found the item, checked out, sent the daughter to play with the grandparents, and we assembled it. Voila!! Done. It is a gratifying feeling.

Beldens beats Walmart on price!!

I know - that is an attention-getting headline. It sounds preposterous. But it is true. Beldens has actually beaten Walmart - WALMART - on price.

How? Where? On what product? Oh, so many questions.

On bananas. Yummy, portable, nature's perfect food - bananas. Walmart grocery store sells them for 48 cents per pound. As does HEB.

Beldens sells them for 39 cents per pound.

I know it's crazy. I know it won't last (no, it's not a sale price, but all good things must come to an end). But it's a beautiful thing.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

(For those who live out of town, Beldens is an upscale grocery store that carries an extensive kosher selection, including fresh meat and poultry, so it's a routine stop on the grocery store circuit. It has excellent customer service. And there's never a line at the checkout. However, to purchase staples there, it is a bit expensive.)

Home Ec Tip: Visit your local children's consignment shop

Consignment shops are a great place to find special bargains on typically high-quality items, and I think that they are frequently overlooked when it comes to budgeting and shopping. So often we assume that the only way to acquire something new is to buy it brand-new from a store, but in a consignment shop, the emphasis is that it is new to you. And to help, consignment stores usually have high standards on what items they will accept, so there may be rules like no scuff marks on shoes, no tears/rips/tatters on clothing, all parts must be included in a toy/puzzle, etc.

Children's consignment shops can be a goldmine because children outgrow clothing so quickly and the closet needs to be updated regularly. I just visited a favorite children's consignment shop and picked up a Baby Gap dress (in perfect condition) and a pair of Italian girl's shoes that are originally priced way more than what I paid. In addition, I found a terrific Parents-brand activity set that I know my daughter will love and I wasn't able to pass it up.

My total bill was about $50 for a pair of shoes, the toy, and three clothing items (2 dresses and a t-shirt). Not bad.

This particular shop has clothing, toys, bedding, baby supplies such as Boppys, books, baby gear, maternity wear, and children's accessories (shoes, underwear, hats, belts, tights, ties, etc).

I highly recommend a visit to a children's consignment shop, if you have time. The service is friendly and personal (I am on the list to be called if a double-stroller comes in), and the finds can be terrific. I know of 3 in the Houston area:
Second Childhood
Young & Restless
Andre's

Home Ec Tip: Visit your local ethnic store

Ethnic stores are not solely for that specific ethnic population. Consider an ethnic store a very cheap trip to an exotic locale.

There are two Russian stores right near me; I patronize one more than the other. The store carries more than just Russian products; it carries produce, cheeses and meats from all around the world (obviously, not for the kosher consumer), and an incredible variety of packaged products from many European countries (predominantly Eastern European and former Soviet republics), as well as products from Israel. There are candies, canned vegetables, wines and beers, teas and coffees, desserts, breads and jams, rices, beans, sauces, frozen foods, dairy products, etc. - the list goes on and on. It offers baked goods, freshly-prepared take-out foods, and fish and fish products. It also has health and beauty aids, vitamins, herbs and supplements, and a huge variety of souvenirs from various countries. All in a rather small space.

But what is critical here is the price point. Generally the produce, nuts, dried beans, and rices are much cheaper than what is found in a grocery store, and the variety of offerings can't be beat. I know to visit this store first for produce before I go to a grocery store, because I know that my bill will be lower. And that definitely helps in the frugality department, without sacrificing quality.

There are many other ethnic stores out there: Middle Eastern, Indian, Asian (Chinese, Japanese, etc.), Hispanic, and more. Take a walk on the wild side and visit another land without whipping out your passport!

(wow that was incredibly cheesy, but it seemed like such a fitting way to end the post...)

Walgreens is my friend

I have discovered Walgreens.

I used to think that Walgreens had very limited uses:
1. pharmacy
2. photo services
3. extensive makeup and health and beauty aids

Those who pushed a cart around Walgreens - who were browsing and shopping - obviously, those were people who were, shall we say, getting on in years. With nothing else to do.

Well, these economic times have opened my eyes to see Walgreen's inner beauty, its quiet strength. For it not only carries an abundance of health and beauty aids, but also a little bit of everything to make your life a little bit easier. And you know what, my life does become easier because Walgreens is closer to me than other stores, so why drive all the way to Office Depot to buy a ruler?

But not only that...

I now review the Walgreens insert in the Sunday paper - I clip out Walgreens coupons! Today, I used a cart while I was browsing through Walgreens (although I did have a list of items I needed to get as well). It was my first time, so I wanted to carefully go through each aisle, get to know my new friend. I even carried a Walgreens coupon with me (hey, a penny saved here is a penny to be spent somewhere else...).

And - the best part about it all is that Walgreens carries products made in Israel!! The Yes to Carrots beauty brand is manufactured in Israel! (and Yes to Tomatoes and Yes to Cucumbers.) So, I encourage you all to go out to your neighborhood Walgreens and support this store and brand and support Israel!