How to Save Big Bucks on Printer Ink Cartridges

Posted on May 3, 2012 by vanderbiltwife

A few years ago, my husband and I found a great deal on a wireless Brother printer/fax/scanner combo (similar to this one). We’ve been pretty happy with it. I love the wireless, although it occasionally has some connectivity issues, and it’s so nice to have my own scanner for old pictures and contracts.

But when it came time that the issued ink ran out and we needed to buy new … my heart sunk. I worked at the college bookstore for 4 years and I remembered the steep prices of those tiny boxes of ink that hung behind the counter.

The whole reason we had basically stopped using a printer for years was the high cost of ink cartridges.

Well, I decided I might as well see if the prices were any lower on Amazon. And was stopped in my tracks when I saw a pack of four cartridges—all three colors and a black—for about $4.

Was it too good to be true? Well, over the past three or four years, I’ve NEVER paid more than $6 for this 4-pack of cartridges and NEVER had any problem with the ones I’ve purchased. At $4, it was worth it to me to take the risk that they wouldn’t work at all. And I’ve not been disappointed.

Now, I don’t think I would go printing pictures with these refurbished pieces. But for printing your basic forms, coupons, contracts, and whatnots, it works just fine for me.

Let’s do some cost comparison, shall we?

If I bought the four catridges for my printer [Brother MFC-490CW] at BestBuy.com, it would cost me $54.98. At the current Amazon prices, it would be $29.44. Or I could buy the compatible cartridges for $1.46 and $1.99 shipping for a grant total of $3.45. That’s a 94% savings off the Best Buy price!
Now, not ALL printer ink is as cheap as mine. Let’s say I have an Epson Workforce 545. I could pay $66.48 from Epson.com for the three colors and black or slightly less from Amazon. Or we could get the compatible cartridges for $21.97, a 67% savings.

How do you find these little gems? Just do an Amazon search for your printer model and the term “non-OEM.” OEM means “original equipment manufacturer.” So you are telling Amazon you want ones that are compatible, not from the printer company. (If you are anti-Amazon, you can just do a Google search and see other online ink suppliers as well.)

So … that is my most sought-after secret. No one wants to know about my old boyfriends, if I partied like a wild child in college, or the time a really cute EMT hauled me out of the Y on a stretcher only half-dressed. They just want to know how on earth I get my printer ink so very cheap.

Do you have an amazing money-saving secret?

Added to Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.

Disclaimer: I am NOT promising that your non-OEM cartridges will work. Please don’t come after me if they don’t. But I am saying mine have always been fine.

Menu Plan Monday

Posted on February 20, 2011 by vanderbiltwife

We are going to be eating a whole lot of TOMATOES for the next while, because I made out like a bandit at Publix Italian Days this week. I may need to make a quick trip back to the store because I was shopping with two kids and it’s nearly impossible to juggle coupons, an infant in a front carrier, and a “car cart” with a toddler in it while trying to keep one’s mind focused on shopping!

We were also planning on eating leftovers on Saturday night and discovered that we really didn’t have any. That’s a good thing, because it means they were being eaten for lunch! But I had to swap out one of the meals I had planned for this week.

Anyway, here’s my plan for this week (tentatively):

Sunday: Pancakes, Bacon, Eggs
Monday: Chicken Fried Rice
Tuesday: Chicken Enchilada Soup (making my own cream of chicken soup)
Wednesday: Mini Meatloaves (based on this recipe, except I have to make mine without cheese), orange slices, fried potato slices
Thursday: Tomato Soup, grilled cheese (for Mr. V and Libbie)
Friday: probably eating out, my grandparents are going to be here
Saturday: Leftovers

If you’re interested, here are the steals I got at Publix this week!

$5 off 20 General Mills Deal
2 Green Giant frozen boxed vegetables / 2 @ $1.00 each
–used 2 .50/1 q’s that doubled = .00

4 cans Muir Glen diced tomatoes and tomato sauce / $5.34
–used 2 $1/1 q from MuirGlen.com, 1 $1/2 q from coupons.com (not there anymore), and 2 $1/2 store q’s from the Italian Days ad = .34

6 cans Progresso beans / $4.00
–used $1/4 store q from Italian Days ad = $3.00

4 cans Progresso soup / $4.58
–used $1/4 store q from Italian Days ad and $1/4 q from CouponNetwork = $2.58

2 cans Green Giant veggies = $1.29

1 large can Hunt’s crushed tomatoes = .95

1 small can Hunt’s tomato sauce = .34

TOTAL: $8.50
- $5/20

GRAND TOTAL $3.50

- And I actually would have saved more if I had bought four cans of veggies and four cans of beans, but I am more likely to use the beans. But if you do that you can use the $1/4 store q in the Italian Days ad for canned veggies.

Other steals:
Sargento extra sharp shredded cheddar – $2/pkg, used $1.50/1 store q = .50
Sargento shredded pepperjack – $2/pkg, used $1.50/1 store q = .50
Mentos – .50, used .50/1 q, made .50

Not too shabby! With my other groceries, I spent $60.10 and saved $45.65.

Added to Menu Plan Monday, Weekly Totals at I Heart Publix, and Super Savings Saturday at MoneySavingMom.

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Pay for Next Year’s Christmas, Part II

Posted on January 15, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

See Part 1 here if you missed it.

MyPoints

MyPoints is super easy. Sign up. When they ask what you’re interested in, click on everything. Trust me. Use an e-mail you have reserved for junk mail or these sorts of things. MyPoints will send you many “BonusMails” throughout the day. Click on any of them that just requires you to click to get 5 points. You can also accumulate points by shopping online, printing coupons and using them, or using their toolbar. You can trade the points for gift cards. I’ve gotten many gifts cards for Starbucks, Target, Red Lobster, and Maggiano’s this way. I was able to give my sister-in-law a $10 Panera card just by clicking e-mails!

They don’t have a referral link thing, but if you’re interested in signing up and wouldn’t mind if I got 25 points because of it, e-mail me and I’ll send you a referral e-mail.

Amazon Affiliate Program

I’m sure you’ve noticed that I try to link products, books, and movies I’m talking about to Amazon. Mostly this is so you know what I’m talking about and you don’t forget about it before you have the chance to search yourself! But I do make a small percentage if you buy something through one of these links (4-6%). Anyone can sign up for the Amazon Associates program and you should, especially if you have a blog! They’ve now synced with Blogger and Twitter, making things really easy to link to.

I get my payments in the form of Amazon gift cards. Cause like I said, you can get anything on Amazon! But then again, I’m not making $10,000 a month from it like Mr. ProBlogger!

Coupons

Occasionally, especially around the holidays, I get coupons in the mail for things like $10 off a $10 purchase. I’ve seen quite a few from JC Penney’s the last year or so. Of course, their thinking is that it gets you in the store to spend more money. But if you truly use it as it’s stated, you can get items for FREE to give away!

I got one of those coupons from the LifeWay store this year, and used it to buy my father-in-law some nice, gourmet coffee, which he loves. Completely free!

I hope this has been helpful to you and you’ll be able to get some “Free Money” this year by using one or more of these programs! So, tell me: Any other useful tips you’ve used for buying gifts for cheap or free?

Pay for Next Year’s Christmas, Part I

Posted on January 14, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

Like many Americans, we are a little tight fiscally right now. Especially considering that my last day as a full-time employee was last Monday! Until our house sells in Nashville, we’re doing a little relying on freelance and a lot of relying on God.

I admit that my love language is gift-giving and thus I LOVE picking out presents for my friends and family. But this year especially we’ve had to face the fact that they’d much rather have our presence than our presents, especially ones we can’t afford.

It’s hard to know precisely. but I think I spent about $70 out of pocket for Christmas this year. And I probably should have spent less; I got a little slap-happy with the after-Thanksgiving sales and bought Mr. V two ties that were a little more than I wanted. All of the money I spent, however, fell well within our Christmas budget. The cash went toward Mr. V’s ties, a gift for our best friend in the world, some homemade potholders for Mr. V’s mom, and a thrift store outfit for his sister. Here’s how I “financed” the rest. I hope you’ll be able to use some of these sites and tricks starting NOW to work toward saving money for your Christmas next year!

PaperbackSwap

I’ve been a member of PaperbackSwap for over three years now. I’ve really limited the number of books I’m getting shipped to me lately since I have WAY too many—more than I could read in two years, probably. So I had some credits racked up from books I sent out. I was able to get six books from my mom, dad, and sister’s wishlists in gently used condition. Including one I’d had on my wishlist for two years for my dad! Sure, I wanted to give it to him in Christmas 2007, but now was just as good and the wait paid off! It was in pristine condition.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is an incredible program I’ve been using since about February that I found out about through Jessica Turner. You use Swagbucks as your default search tool online and rack up swagbucks as you search (almost always 2-3 a day, for me). Then you redeem these bucks for prizes or gift cards. The $5 Amazon gift cards are 45 Swagbucks; and since I think you can get pretty much anything on Amazon, I’ve always redeemed my bucks for those gift cards (they send a code via e-mail).

Your other bucks come from codes shared on their blog, toolbar, and Twitter; trading in old cell phones for them to recycle; shopping online; and referring friends. You are matched for the first 100 bucks each of your friends gets through searching. It rocks!

I’ve “made” about $90 in Amazon gift cards this year and used those to buy Christmas gifts and help buy my Ergo carrier.

Stay tuned for more ways to pay for next year’s Christmas! And while you’re waiting, Amy has some more great tips on this topic!

A Grateful Heart and a Stack of Coats

Posted on November 12, 2009 by vanderbiltwife

Most of the time now, I feel poor.

If I sit back, it feels silly. We have enough money to pay a mortgage and a rent, drive back and forth to Chattanooga, pay a baby-sitter, all of our utilities, for groceries, and for a little fun. We eat out every Sunday after church–that’s built into our budget.

I’ve seen true poverty. In 1999, I took my very first plane trip ever at the age of 17 to the Dominic Republic for a mission trip. There, as a part of World Changers, my group helped construct the second story of a small green church with cinderblocks and cement. We walked through the neighborhood, feeling the desperation. We saw the slums, houses made of tin caked together with mud. I saw a Haitian family of 10 living in a hut with pigs and chickens.

Since then, I’ve been to Thailand, where I saw the aftermath of a terrible tsunami. I saw where five people slept on one bed and had to pee in a hole in the ground. I’ve been to rural China, where there are no lights after dark and I slept on the guest bed–made of logs and bags of rice. I’ve seen hungry children in Nashville who just want to find the safe place their home isn’t.

Considering all these things, feeling poor is almost indulgent.

One of my friends gave me a coat for Libbie yesterday. I sat there, staring at it, thinking about how she would have five coats by Christmas (I know my parents have purchased one for her)–including a boutique one, one from Mini Boden, and two from Gymboree. There are little girls out there Libbie’s age who don’t have one coat.

I am so thankful for the abundance we have been given. I am learning more and more to embrace simplicity and let God plan our lives. And I want to share what we have been given. That’s why we sponsor a child with Compassion. And that’s why I hope you’ll give me some ideas as to where I could donate a few precious little girl’s coats.

Mary is hosting a carnival each Thursday through Thanksgiving on giving thanks. I hope you’ll consider going and reading her post on Compassion today.

When NOT to Go to Kroger

Posted on November 6, 2009 by vanderbiltwife

Warning: Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go to Kroger on Senior Discount Day (Wednesday) during triple coupons and the Mega Event!!

It had been a very long time since I went to the Kroger store in Bellemeade, a pretty upscale area of Nashville. I think maybe they had just built it when we lived closer to the area and I went there once or twice. It was a shock to my system when I went in this Wednesday on my lunch break and saw a cello player in the produce section.

I am SO not kidding.

It was one of the nicest grocery stores I’ve ever been in and a far cry from our Nipper’s Corner Kroger near where I live. My Kroger is just your basic grocery store, where you’re lucky if the cashier says hi. There are definitely not announcements about how if you are a senior and have a pineapple, you can get a free gift on aisle 13. (SERIOUSLY! OK, maybe they do this at my Kroger and I’m just not ever there in the middle of the day on a Wednesday.)

Anyway, this post is really about the incredible deals I got at Kroger using triple coupons and the Mega Event. If you’re in Nashville, the Bellemeade Kroger is doing triple coupons until Tuesday and I think the Mega Event ends this Sunday (11/8). Usually the Nipper’s Corner Kroger does triple coupons as well since it competes with Harris Teeter, but I haven’t been by to verify that.

Here is what I got on Wednesday for $4.46–and that is WITH $1.07 tax! (All coupons .99 and under were tripled.)

*Three (130-count) boxes of Kleenex tissues [$1.49 ea, used .50/3 coupon = $2.97]
*Two Lean Cuisine pizzas [$1.99 ea, used $2/2 catalina coupon = $1.98]
*One Bird’s Eye Lightly Sauced frozen vegetable [$1.99, used .50/1 coupon = $.49]
Two StarKist tuna pouches [1.35 ea., used two .50/1 coupons = FREE--no overage, they adjust the amount down with triples]
*1 package Pillsbury Simply Refrigerated PB cookies [$2.49, used .55/1 coupon = $.84]
1 box MultiGrain Cheerios [$3.17, used $.75/1 coupon = $.92]
*2 boxes Betty Crocker special potatoes [$1.49/ea, used 2 .40/1 coupons = $.58]
*2 cans Carnation Lowfat Evaporated Milk [$1.49/ea, used 2 free vouchers from Carnation Challenge, but there is a coupon for .50/2 available = FREE or $1.48 if you were to use coupon]
3 cans Hunt’s tomatoes (2 fire-roasted and 1 whole tomatoes) [$1/ea, used .75/3 coupon = $.75]

- $5.00 for Mega Event

* denotes items that went toward the Mega Event, where when you buy 10 items, you get $5 off your order. I acutally got 11.

Those numbers won’t work out exactly, because the $5 came off first and they adjusted coupons so items would not be more-than-free. But it does appear that before tax I only spent $3.39 on all of this food! Can you even believe it?

I will likely donate the potatoes, along with another 2 boxes I have from a previous Mega Event purchase, to a food pantry since I’m not big on the boxed potatoes. And I gave the cookie dough to a friend and made a little girl very happy. Since I don’t have a lot of excess income to gift with right now, being able to get these items for pennies and use them to bless others is a HUGE BLESSING for me!

Linking up to Super Savings Saturday so others can see these coupon match-ups and hopefully use them as well! I found great match-ups at Stretching a Buck and Mommy Snacks, which helped me plan precisely what I wanted to get. Just keep in mind prices may vary per area so I checked against my ad.

Frugal Fashionista Style

Posted on October 23, 2009 by vanderbiltwife

I know I have my own carnival going on, but I’ve been waiting MONTHS to share some frugal style with you via Jen‘s “fashion show”!

This was my go-to summer outfit that I wore everywhere. I just LOVED the skirt. Although it was one size too big, wearing a longer top you couldn’t tell at all. The skirt was $2 at Goodwill on half-price day! My Ralph Lauren tank top was also $2 the same day. My cardigan was on clearance at Lane Bryant and I picked it up for $5 brand-new! And although my shoes were not as inexpensive, I wore them and one other pair throughout my entire pregnancy and am still getting good wear out of them. That makes them a deal in my book! (And they were from Payless in the first place…)

(sorry the picture is so blurry)

When we were visiting the new house in Chattanooga for the first time, I eyed a small consignment store that looked promising. Not only did I find my $7 Vigoss jeans there, I got this lovely suede jacket for $5. (As well as some great gray work pants.)

Probably 75% of Libbie’s clothes come from either thrift stores, consignment sales, or are hand-me-downs. This pink Liz Claiborne dress came with matching bloomers and was 75 cents at a small local thrift store. More frugalista baby fashion here.

Right now pretty much all of my clothes are from thrift stores, as I’m still carrying baby weight and my body is just different than it was pre-pregnancy. If you look hard enough, you can find some GREAT pieces. My #1 tip is search out thrift stores in upscale areas. Our local Franklin Goodwill is a goldmine, even for plus-sized girls like me!

Visiting Balancing Beauty and Bedlam for great frugal tips on all aspects of life!

A Working Parent Tip

Posted on October 21, 2009 by vanderbiltwife

These days, we’re REALLY trying to save money due to the abysmal selling-our-house situation. So I try to take my lunch to work most every day.

In the mornings, however, I’m not only trying to get myself ready for work, but also getting my baby girl up, changed, dressed, fed, and packing her diaper bag for the day. She eats a LOT of little things so it takes me time to prepare all of those each day. In addition, she wears cloth diapers so if they aren’t already folded and stuffed, it’s another task I add to the morning routine.

(This single parenting during the week stinks! Not only do I have to get all our stuff ready, I have to make sure she’s not trying to swim in the toilet or falling down the stairs.)

If there is not something I can easily grab for breakfast or lunch, I often give up and end up eating out for lunch at work.

So my number one solution to this has been to divide up leftovers in individual portions right after dinner. That way, I can easily grab a tupperware container on my way out the door in the morning and have a delicious lunch.

I keep them stacked at eye level in the refrigerator so I can see my selections and make a quick choice.

This tip helps me save money, eat healthier, and it works for me!
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If you’re visiting from Works for Me Wednesday, I have a fun little carnival going on called The 12 Days of Libbie. I’d love it if you’d link up a post you’ve written that loves on your kid(s)!

Shopaholic Cheapskate

Posted on September 2, 2009 by vanderbiltwife

The theme of this week seems to be: I have a confession.

Confession 1: I am on the verge of giving up breastfeeding.
Confession 2: I make my Christmas list all year round.
And coming tomorrow … I hate tomatoes.

But for now, Christmas.

I am pretty cheap. I’m no Money Saving Mom, but I’ve whittled down my grocery bill this year, buy almost all secondhand clothes at Goodwill and consignment sales, and try to keep the random purchases to a minimum. This is totally learned behavior, but I’m getting more skilled. And more patient! (And can I say, I TOTALLY love my Vigoss jeans I bought for $7 at a thrift store in Chattanooga! Best fitting jeans I’ve ever found. They’re these…but not size 1!!)

And so, I shop by wish list. I’ve used both Amazon wish list and Kaboodle, but I prefer Amazon, especially now that they have universal wishlist–where you can add anything from anywhere on the Internet. There’s not much you can’t find listed on Amazon, but for clothes especially, the universal list is awesome.

It’s nice to be able to add year-round when I think of something I might actually really want or need, as opposed to sitting there on Thanksgiving Day, a pen forced into my hand, trying to rack my brain for something. I definitely don’t expect to get gifts only off a list, but I know I enjoy having a list for others and I hope they feel the same way for me. (And my mother-in-law refuses to shop except off a list.)

I go through periods, though, where I obsess over it. (Surprise, surprise. What can I NOT obsess over?) I’ve been on a bit of a wishlist kick lately–especially after seeing the adorable things at the Dayspring/(in)courage store. Current desires are Department 56 Christmas village items, Broadway soundtracks (always!), and cookbooks from my fellow bloggers!

Usually I have most of my own Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving. I haven’t even given it a thought until today, though. Guess it’s time to get the wheels turning.

Have you thought at all about Christmas? What’s one fun item you’d put on your wishlist (or is on it already)?

Kaboodle
Amazon wishlists

Should Entertaining Be Part of a Grocery Budget?

Posted on July 28, 2009 by vanderbiltwife

The place where I really struggle in sticking to my grocery budget of $40 a week is with entertaining and taking meals to people. Both of those are things I enjoy, ministries even.

Through Sunday School, I am often called upon to take a meal to a family with a new baby or someone who is sick. I like to bring food into work and be able to help out co-workers who have had surgery or are down for the count. My work team is close-knit and visited me several times when I was on maternity leave (once bringing me a Subway cold cut combo–the pregnancy “don’t” that I craved).

Mr. V and I also love to have people over, despite my abysmal housekeeping. I like to think the meals make up for the state of the house. And when I have people over, I feel compelled to serve salad, main course, sides, dessert–an actual meal, as opposed to what Mr. V and I usually eat (a casserole; a meat and a veggie; grilled cheese). And don’t get me wrong–I LOVE it. I love to feed people and it blesses me to have other enjoy my food.

But usually we do things on the spur of the moment. I don’t take into account a meal for company when I plan our menus, because who knows if we will have people over that week. And so, quite often, I end up spending another $20 here and there at the store buying ingredients for these meals. And then I feel that I’ve gone over my grocery budget–time and again.

What do you do? Do you always have the fixings for a company meal on hand? Or a casserole you can make up in a flash to take to a sick friend? Do you have a separate budget for it? I would love your input on this.