One of the most important tools for any frugal grocery shopper is his or her price book. This is particularly important for beginning “frugalites,” and with prices changing so rapidly right now, it’s also important for veteran frugal shoppers. One of the challenges many shoppers face, however, is that it’s hard to get started with nothing but a blank sheet of paper and only a vague idea, if any at all, of what a truly good price on an item is. That’s where Pinching Your Pennies comes in! Using more than three years of experience looking at grocery ads, coupons, and sale prices, Pinching Your Pennies has established price points on over a hundred and fifty of the items shoppers buy the most. We’ve converted these price points into an Excel document that contains preformatted price sheets that are easy to read, easy to print, and easy to use. Just choose the sheets for the items your family buys, print, insert them in your price book (many of us use three-ring binders), and, using Pinching Your Pennies’ price points as a guide, start recording the sales and every day prices you notice around you. You can even pull old grocery receipts out of your pockets and purse to get you started! At Pinching Your Pennies, we’re committed to helping you save your family money, even during these challenging economic times. Download the price book, and we’ll get started now!

Perishables grocery items like meat, dairy, and produce can be budget busters. In the Utah’s Screaming Deals forum at PYP, you’ll find a compiled list of all the best prices on meat, produce, milk, cheese, butter, eggs, bread and more. This list is updated every Wednesday by Tressa, a moderator and volunteer at PYP. She compiles the prices of perishable items from the weekly ads into one list so shoppers can compare prices at a glance and decide which store or stores best fits their needs for the week. The link to the Best Prices on Perishables thread changes weekly, but it can always be found in the Utah’s Screaming Deals forum. This link will take you to the list for the current week.

2008 Summer Reading Program
Here’s How It Works:
1. Kids read any 8 books.
2. Kids use the Summer Reading Journal to tell us their favorite part of each book. A parent/guardian signs it when it’s complete.
3. Children bring their completed journal to a Barnes & Noble store (Store Locator]) between May 29th & September 2nd, 2008.
4. We’ll give them a coupon for a FREE book! They choose from a list of exceptional paperback titles.*
* Eligible books will be listed on the coupon. Choices must be made from eligible stock. No special orders. Limit of 1 form per school-age child (grades 1-6), please. Incomplete forms will be ineligible for free books.

Walgreens EasySaver ONLINE Rebate Submission has now gone nationwide — Submit your May Rebate ONLINE with no receipts to mail in!

Here’s a few FAQ regarding the online rebate submission… (thanks Kristi from PYP)

• How can I submit my monthly rebate online?
  You can submit your rebate HERE.You’ll need to be registered on their site.
• Do I need to wait until I’ve done all my shopping to submit my rebate?
  You can add receipts throughout the month, but can still only submit your rebate ONCE. When you get to the final step, the site will warn you of this so you don’t need to worry about accidently going too far into the process and not being able to submit the rest of your rebates.
  
• Do I need to send in my receipts if I submit online?
  You don’t need to mail anything if you submit online, but it’s a good idea to keep your receipts until your rebate has been processed. If you need to contact them about a rebate you should’ve received and didn’t they’ll want information from your receipt.
  
• Will I still be able to choose my favorite way of receiving my rebate?
  You’ll still have the choice of receiving a new gift card, a check or adding the balance to an existing gift card. Gift cards still receive a 10% bonus.

*Additional tips and weekly deals for Walgreens can be found in the Screaming Deals Around Town forum at PinchingYourPennies.com

Rite Aid rebates really are a beautiful thing (no pun intended!).

I spent $17.96 plus tax and will get back $17.96 at the end of the month!

Rite Aid rebates really are EASY!!! Did I mention that next week’s ad has a HUGE moneymaker??!!

Did anyone else notice the Mother’s Cookies hiding in the back?? They were on clearance and I got them for a nickel. Note to self: these are for snacks and school lunches for the kids. DO NOT OPEN AND EAT HALF THE BAG YOURSELF!

LINK

Save $2 on each box of Personal Checks, Labels and Covers using code ‘GET2’ Valid Thru Dec 31, 2010