Groupon Update: We used it!

Today was a big day. My husband used the Groupon we bought a few weeks ago. It cost $15 and was for a $30 haircut at Regis Salons. He called one of the participating locations this morning and made an appointment for a couple hours later. When he got there, he told the stylist he had a Groupon. When it came time to pay, he tipped the stylist and then handed over the Groupon.

Overall, the Groupon experience was good. He paid $15 for the Groupon and $6 for the tip, for a total of $21. The same haircut with tip would have been $36 otherwise. However, the experience at Regis was not what he expected for the price. He said it felt like just one step up from Great Clips, where the haircut costs $15 plus $4 tip. (not a huge surprise since Regis and Cost Cutters are owned by the same company) It was not as relaxing or pampering as the experience at the LifeTime Fitness Lifespa which has comparable prices.

We would use Groupon again, and it was a good way to try out a business we hadn't used before. Unfortunately we will not return to Regis to pay full price! He will return to Great Clips, where the price  (low) matches the ambiance (OK).

Target online coupons

I've used Target's printable coupons before, but noticed this week that they have some really good ones. In the past, almost all of the coupons were for national brands such as Pillsbury and Gillette. Now, there are many for Archer Farms, Up and Up, and Market Pantry available. Here are some coupons I printed this week:

- $1 off fresh produce
- $1 off Market Pantry frozen fish
- 50 cents off Up and Up multipack razors
- Free Market Pantry frozen vegetable with purchase of Market Pantry frozen chicken
- $1 off Market Pantry ice cream

You should give the coupons a try! Here's the link to the coupon page on Target.com.

Thrifty Recipe- Simple Grilled Salmon

It's summer, what a great time to break out the grill. This is a favorite recipe because it involves ingredients we usually have around the house. And the marinating time is only 15-30 minutes so we can make a last-minute decision to have this and the fish is ready by the time the grill is warmed up.
Tip: Make sure to well-oil the grill grate so the salmon doesn't stick to it. Do this by heating up the grill, then using a wire brush to get rid of any old drippings/dirt from the grate. Then, use tongs to rub a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil on the grate several times.

Simple Salmon
From Weber's Big Book of Grilling

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
6 salmon fillets with skin, about 6 oz each and one inch thick (I have made this with fresh salmon from the butcher and with individually frozen salmon filets- thawed of course, both worked great)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients except salmon until smooth
2. Place the salmon filets in a large resealable plastic bag and pour in all but 1/3 cup of the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade and refridgerate for 15-30 minutes.
3. Remove the filets from the bag and discard marinade. Grill the fillets, skin side down, over indirect high heat until opaque throughout, about 10-12 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of grilling time, brush with the 1/3 cup of reserved marinade. Slide a spatula between the skin and flesh and transfer to serving plates. Serve warm.

New blog layout

I spent some time on Blogger today trying some different blog layouts. This one is an improvement in some ways (you can now link an individual post to Facebook, Blogger, and some other social networking sites, my logo is properly aligned) but I feel like it might still be a bit plain. At one point I had put a background of dollar bills around the edge, but my husband pointed out that this blog isn't "all about the money," there is more to it than that.

Any suggestions for blog layout/theme changes? And again, any other topics you'd like to see me cover?

Craigslist Success Story

Last night my in-laws invited us to go boating this Wednesday night. We said sure, but realized that we didn't have a life jacket for our six month old. Hopped on Craigslist and found the following post:

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I have 5 Life jackets for sale. All of them are for children. The weights range up to 60 lbs and the chest area measures 15 - 25". The inside tags say Child / Small / Infant . All have working straps and no holes.

Going from left to right.....
KENT brand life vest (red and blue)
KENT brand life jacket ( pink )
Ariel The Little Mermaid with Ariel and small sea creatures on it
Basic bright orange made by STEARNS
Cute Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck ( unisex )

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Score! I emailed, and she answered me back within an hour with her availability for today and phone number. I drove over this morning and came home with an infant vest as well as a kids' vest (the far right Mickey Mouse one and the pink one) for a total of $8. She had been asking $5 each. They have a few stains, but are Coast Guard approved and in good working shape.

Have you had any Craigslist successes lately?

Spending=Happiness?

Artwork from the New York Times

I read an interesting article in the New York Times today.  Studies have shown that when we spend our money on experiences instead of "stuff," we are happier. To paraphrase a quote from the article, it's better for your emotional health to spend money on a memorable vacation with a loved one than on a new couch. It has also been found that the anticipation and planning for a purchase is a big part of the enjoyment you get. I agree with this article. For me, half the fun of a trip or a big purchase is the planning, research, list-making.... you get the idea. And my husband and I definitely spend more of our discretionary money on experiences than "stuff," which is why a lot of what I write about is how to save money on that stuff!

Article about spending money and happiness

A day of rest

I'm taking a day of rest today to enjoy the weather and my family. Please do the same!