Using Time Wisely

Organized to save money, energy, and time

You are here: Home / 2011 / Archives for May 2011

Archives for May 2011

Fuelperks!: Lowering Gas Prices at the Pump – Part 2 of 2

by


Bi-Lo and Spinx Gas Program

Last week, I shared the basics of the Bi-Lo/Spinx partnership program called fuelperks!. For each $50 purchased in products at Bi-Lo, I earn $.05 off per gallon. I can then purchase my fuel at Spinx to redeem that discount. The fuelperks! program is also available through Winn-Dixie, Martin’s, Copps, Pick ‘n Save, Giant Eagle and Rainbow.

To maximize my savings through the fuelperks! program, I give you these additional tips:

Purchase items in the fuelperks! bonuses. I can earn more fuelperks! by purchasing these items. I shared last week how I purchased the Huggies diapers and earned an additional $.40 in fuelperks!. I like to scan the fuelperks! bonuses, but I only purchase items that our family will use and that I can pair with coupons. For me, paying much more at the grocery store for a small savings at the pump is not worth it. Now if I can get the product at the same price I would normally pay and then get the bonus on top, then yes, I will pay at the grocery store for those items.

Not all Spinx stores are the same. I always use a credit card to pay for our fuel purchases. I do not like to carry cash, and I don’t want a hold placed on my debit card. Since my credit limits on my credit cards handle the holds on the accounts, I choose to use a credit card when purchasing gas. With that said, most of the Spinx stores charge an additional $.10 if you pay by credit card. If you purchase your fuel at one of these locations, then your savings decreases by $.10. Since I am visiting their location to use my fuelperks!, I am not going to fork over $.10 of my savings to their establishment to use my credit card. I have found that the Spinx/Sunoco stores do not charge extra for credit. Their gas prices are about $.02-$.04 more per gallon than the regular Spinx stores, but there is no surcharge for using a credit card. With this knowledge, I always choose a Spinx/Sunoco store when redeeming my fuelperks!.

Pump all 20 gallons. If your gas tank is smaller than 20 gallons, then get creative! When the low fuel indicator light comes on in my car, the tank will take 16 gallons of fuel. To take full advantage of the discount, I will pump my tank full and then pump the remaining 4 gallons into our portable gas container used for the lawnmower. Another option is for my husband to follow me to the gas station in his car. We could then fill up one car and use the remaining available gallons in the second car. By pumping all 20 gallons, we are assured of maximizing our savings.

Use before expiration date. If I have saved and earned these rewards, I do not want to lose them. I will build up my savings, and then head to the pump when my car is near empty. Since I can find gas less expensively at other stations, I only use Spinx to redeem my fuelperks!. To stretch my dollars, I will build up my fuelperks! savings, and then get a deep discount on one tank of gas. The rest of the time, I purchase fuel at another location that is usually $.05 to $.07 less expensive.

If you have a fuelperks! program or another similar program available in your area, I hope these tips and tricks that I have learned along the way can help you stretch your dollars as you fill your tank.

Bowling: Two Free Games Each Day

by

Photograph Credit: Kids Bowl Free

Are you ready for summer? I am! I am ready to have my children home to play and enjoy some fun activities together.

If you enjoy bowling, then here are two great programs that may be in your area.

At participating bowling alleys, your registered children can bowl up to 2 free games each day of the summer. The dates and times vary by location. You can click here to check for a participating location near you.

Photograph Credit: AMF

This second bowling opportunity is offered in our area.

According to AMF’s website: “This summer, your kids can bowl for free at your local AMF Bowling Center. Sounds too good to be true, right? It’s not! All you have to do is register your children, and you’ll get weekly coupons via email for two free games per child per day all summer long. Children love bowling; it’s fun, active, social and local and – best of all – it’s FREE! That’s how AMF does summer!”

I signed my children up last year, and we never got to the bowling alley. To add insult to injury, I even paid for the accompanying Pass.

“For just $27.95, adults with children registered for free bowling can purchase an AMF Summer 17 Plus Pass good for two free games per day for up to four people ages 17 and older.”

Since our family did not bowl, I was not wise with the $28. Having learned from this mistake, I have registered my children, but I will wait to purchase the pass until we schedule a day to go. Having purchased bowling shoes for Paul and me, we will not need shoe rental. Since we do not plan to purchase bowling shoes for the kids, we will pay for their shoe rental which is approximately $3-5 each.

Though the bowling games are free, you will still need to either bring bowling shoes or rent them at the alley. The AMF Free Bowling Program runs from May 30 to September 5, 2011 from opening until 8:00 p.m. every day. Each week you will receive coupons for the free games for each child registered. You will need to bring the coupons with you to redeem the free games.

Let me know if you are able to take advantage of these bowling activities. If our family makes it to the bowling alley this summer, I will be sure to update you on our adventures. Stay organized and keep enjoying your family activities!

Rock Bottom Pricing: Free Pricing List

by

In concluding this series of posts on rock bottom pricing, I am thrilled to embed a link to Money Saving Mom’s free Customizable Stock up Price List. The owner of Money Saving Mom, Crystal Paine, posted her rock bottom prices. Taking Crystal’s list, Joy (from Fivejs.com) designed a spreadsheet for Money Saving Mom readers. Instead of starting your pricing book from scratch, you can print Crystal’s list and tweak it to fit your grocery needs. Why be concerned with a pricing list?

  • This pricing guide can save you money. If you wait for a sale on an item at the price listed on your pricing list, then you can stock up on that product. I get so excited when I find deals at my rock bottom price since I know I am saving money by not purchasing when the product is at full price.
  • This pricing list can save you energy. You will not need to create your own list with your store receipts. Updating this pricing guide takes less energy than creating a new list. Save your energy for playtime or another project.
  • Using this pricing list will save you time. You do not need to pull out all your grocery store receipts, type in or write out the products, and create categories. All the work is done for you, freeing up time for the things you enjoy.

Are you still skeptical? You have nothing to lose. Just click on this link, follow the directions, and print your free pricing list. Thanks, Crystal and Joy, for helping us save money, energy, and time.

Time Management: Expecting the Unexpected

by

Last week I shared my strategy for planning each day. Lest you believe that at the end of each day I have accomplished all I set out to do, I give you a glimpse into my life. Last Sunday night before heading to bed, I planned a general idea of what I wanted to accomplish on Monday. I was planning to do laundry, menu planning, and blogging in the morning. My children and I headed off to school. After dropping off my son, we headed home. About 3-5 miles from home, I hit a pot hole and popped my front passenger-side tire. After moving to safety onto the shoulder, I examined the damage. Yep, the tire was flat.

After calling my husband, I used a temporary AAA membership, which came in the mail as a promotion, to get the tire changed. There were a number of gracious folk who stopped to make sure the girls and I were not hurt. One lady passed us and sent her husband and son to come help us. When they arrived, I informed them that AAA had been notified and was sending someone to help. The husband/son team offered to wait in their vehicle behind our car to be sure we stayed safe. This dad has 3 children of his own and would not want his wife to be stranded without some protection. How kind of this family to spend their time ensuring the safety of myself and the girls while we waited for AAA to arrive!

Many offered to change the tire for me, but I did not want them to get dirty. Some of them were wearing their business attire or white shirts. Their offers were kind, but I’m thankful we waited for AAA. About 1 hour and 15 minutes after calling, the employee arrived. He noticed that our spare tire was flat, so he pumped it up. He also had a really sturdy jack, unlike the one included with our spare tire. Since the car was in the dirt/sand, the girls and I stayed behind the car as he worked. He quickly finished, and we were on our way.

My morning was then spent at Discount Tire to repair the damage. After inspecting the tire and wheel, the employee informed me that I would need a new wheel/rim and a new tire. Remember how I opted to pay for insurance on the new tires I purchased? Having that insurance saved our family about $130 for a new tire. Discount Tire replaced the gashed tire for free, and I added the insurance on the new tire for $16. In the event that I hit another pot hole, this new tire will be covered as well.

The wheel is another story. A refurbished wheel for the year and make of our car is $180. Yikes! Learning that the car is drivable with the current bent wheel, I opted to look around. After speaking to our mechanic, I called a store in a nearby city and found a refurbished wheel for $125 plus tax. Our mechanic suggested having ours fixed, so I called another local establishment. They will fix our wheel for $125. Since our mechanic likes the local business that repairs bent wheels, I now need to find a day that works in my schedule. Working around church, soccer, school, and family obligations is quite tricky.

Though I had a plan for my day, the unexpected occurred. I did not plan to hit a pot hole, be in the car with my girls for over an hour, and then wait at Discount Tire for the repair work to be completed. I’m not sure I know of anyone who would have this on their To Do list for the day. On the list or not, it happened. I just used my time to play with my girls. The baby enjoyed “driving” the car. She loves pushing all the buttons. My oldest daughter enjoyed changing seats. She kept moving from the front seat to the back seat. We read books, stacked rocks in the sand, and watched the passing cars. They both were worn out as they fell asleep on the way back to school to pick up their brother.

We were safe, the car is almost repaired, bonding time was achieved during the morning, and the planned items were pushed off to the afternoon and the next day. As all the items on my list for the day were “need to be done” items, I did not have a pressing need to be home. I’m thankful that the Lord protected us from harm, provided the resources to repair our vehicle, and allowed us time to spend with each other. When life throws me an unexpected delay, I attempt to seize that time and spend it wisely.

Birthday Party: Scheduling your Time

by

With the advanced planning and weighing the cost, I have made decisions on games, food, decorations, etc. for the party. I have found that transitioning from planning phase to implementing stage flows when I schedule my time. After planning, I schedule, and then I know how best to execute that plan.

With my son’s baseball party, I had the games, food, invitations/thank you notes, guests’ lists, and goody bag contents decided prior to the party. I decided to use the 9 innings of a baseball game as the timeframe for the party. With most of the details done, I scheduled the party as follows:

Pregame
Prior to 2:00 p.m.             Coloring page – copies and crayons
1st Inning
2:00 – 2:15 p.m.                Game – Pin a Baseball in the Glove: Blindfold the kids and have them pin a baseball in the “glove.” The closest baseball wins. Winner gets to start the 2nd inning.
2nd Inning
2:15 – 2:25 p.m.                Fun Competition
Who can throw the baseball the farthest?
Who can hit the baseball the farthest?
Who can run to the base first?
2:25 – 2:30 p.m.                Drink Break – snow cones
3rd Inning
2:30 – 2:40 p.m.                Game – Musical Bases: Place bases on the ground. Use “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” as the music and have kids stand on a base when it stops. Have a hat that contains 4 cards: Home, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd base. Draw a card from the hat and whichever base is read, the kids on that base are out.
4th Inning
2:40 – 3:00 p.m.                Game – 3-Inning Baseball: For this mini game, follow the rules of regular baseball with these exceptions: use a plastic bat, a Wiffle ball (no mitts needed), and a lawn chair placed behind home plate (exactly where an umpire stands). The seat’s backrest marks the strike zone – if the ball hits it, it’s a strike. Each team is at bat for just three innings.
3:00 – 3:05 p.m.                Drink Break
5th Inning
3:05 – 3: 15 p.m.               Game – Hey Batter, Batter: This game is a relay race where the kids run to one end of the party area, put on a baseball hat, and hold the bat. They shout “Hey Batter, Batter,” take it all off, and then run back so the next teammate can do the same. The first team to get all its players across the finish line – wins!
6th Inning
3:15 – 3:25 p.m.                Game – Dizzy Bat: Place the bat on the ground in a standing position and have the child put his head on the handle at the top. Have him spin around a few times and then try to run back to their team. The first team done – wins.
7th Inning
3:25 – 3:30 p.m.                Baseball-on-the-Spoon Relay: Use ping-pong balls as baseballs for this game. Divide the kids into two teams. Line up the teams and have the players carry the ping-pong balls on the spoon to the opposite side of the yard, around a base, and back to the starting line. Then they will pass the spoon to their teammates, and the game continues in this manner until all players have gone. If the player drops the ping-pong ball, they must pick it up, and resume the game where the ball was dropped. The team to finish first – wins.
Stretch
3:30 – 3:45 p.m.                Sing “Happy Birthday,” Candle, Cake, and Ice Cream with Raspberry Lemonade
8th Inning
3:45 – 3:55 p.m.                Open Gifts
9th Inning
3:55 – 4:00 p.m.                 Thank you and presentation of goody bags

I then scheduled my week. On Monday through Wednesday, clean my house, work on laundry, and complete grocery shopping. On Thursday and Friday morning, I help at my son’s school. Then Friday afternoon, bake the cake. After dinner, decorate the cake. On Saturday morning, gather items for the games, prepare the goody bags, setup after lunch, and enjoy the party.

Next week, I will share the results of the executed plan. Do you stop to schedule your time leading up to an event? Do you have any tips to help us save money, energy, and time while preparing for a birthday celebration? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.