There is such thing as a 'free' lunch..

Over the past year, we Frugals have been keeping our eyes open for deals. Deals in a way, that if we spend a little money, we would be getting more value for our 'mark'.

We live in the Tampa Bay area. In the bay area, we have been fans of the Rays for quite a while.

If their pitchers throw 10 strikeouts in a home game, we can get a free 10" pizza from Papa Johns pizza. (http://www.papajohns.com/) Just go to http://www.kanesstrikeout.com/ for details. So far this season, there have been three 10 strikeout home games; that is a lot of pizza.

Everytime the Rays win, a free donut from Dunkin Donuts with a purchase.

Go to a high school athletic game? Check out the ticket, chances are there will be a free sandwich from ChickFila or some other fast food establishment.

The point here, is take a look at the offers around you during events you may participate.

Long ago in our 'poor' days, (that is beyond frugal), we used to go to car dealerships on the weekend for a hot dog or hamburger. Today, we do that at the Harley dealership. Yum.

When we were in Atlanta, there was Harry's market where you walked the rows of produce and sampled everything delicious. No need for a lunch back then! So keep your eyes out for those lunchtime deals and you will find there is a lot out there to take advantage of! Enjoy!

Farmer's Markets/U-Pick

Herr Frugal must be on a veggie kick. As the weekend is hier, it's time for our weekly grocery shop. We will be going to the big bulk store the bulk items and household staples. Fruits and Veggies are purchased through produce stands or farmer's market.....fresher and less expensive.

In addition, some of the produce is locally grown thus reducing the excess waste in energy. Nothing like purchasing strawberry's that were picked two weeks ago in California, when we have Plant City less than 50 miles away!

Take your family out this weekend or next to go to 'u-pick' farm. A couple of weeks ago we found ourselves at a bleu-berry farm. Absolutely organically delicious! Frau Frugal and I have been enjoying blueberries in our lunch for the past week. Easy to pick, eat and we supported the local farmer.

A great site to find a farm near you: http://www.pickyourown.org/

Found this article that speaks volumes for the markets. Enjoy!

http://www.eversave.com/mc/3/articles/1133/farmers-markets-save-money?ref=307311622&zip=34685&sourceid=46582

Veggie, veggie, fruit, fruit....

Summer is almost here. Don't know about you, but we Frugal's cringe when we are in the produce aisle at the grocery store. High prices, under-ripened fruit and limited selections. A frugal solution; Grow your own! Easy to get started, lots of varieties. We hear more and more in these times our grandparents growing their own Victory Gardens many years ago and the benefits from their experience. Sharing their ideas, seeds and produce with neighbors and friends.

This is not the Frugal garden, pictures to come, but we are trying some new things in the yard. A new "Topsy Turvy" with Bell Peppers, banana peppers, the ever present tomatoes and we are trying pineapple this year. The orange tree has fruit, as does the lemon tree. The freeze did some damage to the Key Lime tree, but we will manage.

On the horizon; Hydroponics's! The yard is ready, we will purchase and install in August/September and should have salad in six weeks. A simple solution that will involve all Frugal's as we enjoy the "fruits" of our labor!

Let us hear about your garden experiences!

Reward points and prizes

So say you signed up for a credit card that 'rewards' points for using the card.....you may think oh boy, look at the rewards! Airfare, electronics, household items are some of the items you can cash your points for....truth is, by the time you have collected enough of those points, the exchange is so inflated, it would have been less expensive to search for a deal for those items, if you needed them at all.

The Frugals are participating in two types of rewards programs. Coke rewards and HP points for computer games.

We have been in http://www.mycokerewards.com/ for a couple of years. Points are accumulated from the bottletops, 12 pack boxes and cases of Coca-Cola products. Prizes are actually useful and rewarding. We have developed a network of support with friends to assist with supplying the codes and keep a sharp lookout for codes in our day to day activities. Check it out! Prizes come very quickly and you pay nothing for the shipping. Yes, nothing for the shipping!

Second are HP game points. Points or coins are accumulated through playing these on-line games. You even get lucky when you come across some free coins from time to time! These games will go a long way on vacation this summer.

So, Herr Frugalmeister has provided a couple of truly free rewards programs that cost nothing to join or redeem and for the large part, have become part of our daily routine.