This past Saturday, I went all coupon crazy and wrote out 2 lists like this:

Kroger was having a Mega Event, and I was going to be ready for it! Amazingly enough, I ended up finding 20 items that were worth buying and that I had coupons for, for an automatic savings of $10 (or $0.50 per item, as I prefer to think about it) and additional savings from combining the sale with relevant coupons.

Here’s the first set of 10 items I rounded up:

1. Ragu Pasta Sauce, on sale for $1.77 -$0.50 Mega Event savings
2. Ragu Pasta Sauve, on sale for $1.77 -$0.50 Mega Event Savings used $1.00/2 manufacturer's coupon $0.77 each
3. Chex Mix, on sale for $1.99 -$0.50 Mega Event savings used $0.50/1 manufacturer's coupon $0.49
4. Kleenex, on sale for $1.49 -$0.50 Mega Event Savings used $1.00/3 manufacturer's coupon
5. Kleenex, on sale for $1.49 -$0.50 Mega Event Savings used $1.00/3 manufacturer's coupon
6. Kleenex, on sale for $1.49 -$0.50 Mega Event Savings used $1.00/3 manufacturer's coupon $0.66 each
7. Finish Powerball Dishwasher Tabs, on sale for $3.49 -$0.50 Mega Event Savings used $0.50/1 manufacturer's coupon $1.99
8. Bird's Eye Steam Fresh Vegetables, on sale for $1.49 -$0.50 Mega Event savings used $1.00/3 manufacturer's coupon
9. Bird's Eye Steam Fresh Vegetables, on sale for $1.49 -$0.50 Mega Event savings used $1.00/3 manufacturer's coupon
10. Bird's Eye Steam Fresh Vegetables, on sale for $1.49 -$0.50 Mega Event savings used $1.00/3 manufacturer's coupon $0.66 each

Total for Mega Event 1: $7.98 + tax

The second set of items came together because I really wanted to nab the deal on Hefty Storage Bags for an upcoming camping trip, and when I looked at the list I realized I could feasibly do it without stretching and buying things I didn’t really need!

1. Fiber One Chewy Bars, on sale for $2.49 -$0.50 Mega Event savings used $0.50/1 manufacturer's coupon $0.99
2. Fiber One Chewy Bars, on sale for $2.49 -$0.50 Mega Event savings used $0.50/1 manufacturer's coupon $0.99
3. Chex Mix, on sale for $1.99 -$0.50 Mega Event savings used $0.50/1 manufacturer's coupon $0.49
4. Smart Balance Spreadable Butter, on sale for $2.38 -$0.50 Mega Event savings used $1.00/1 store coupon $0.88
5. Hefty Storage Bags, on sale for $1.49 -$0.50 Mega Event savings used $1.00/2 manufacturer's coupon
6. Hefty Storage Bags, on sale for $1.49 -$0.50 Mega Event savings used $1.00/2 manufacturer's coupon $0.49 each
7. Kleenex, on sale for $1.49 -$0.50 Mega Event Savings used $1.00/3 manufacturer's coupon
8. Kleenex, on sale for $1.49 -$0.50 Mega Event Savings used $1.00/3 manufacturer's coupon
9. Kleenex, on sale for $1.49 -$0.50 Mega Event Savings used $1.00/3 manufacturer's coupon $0.66 each
10. Pict Sweet Frozen Veggie, on sale for $1.49 -$0.50 Mega Event savings $0.99

Total for Mega Event 2: $7.30 + tax ***All the $0.50 coupons doubled to $1.00. 

I will say, it was tough shopping from multiple lists, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I looked over my receipt and realized it had all worked! Confusingly, I also managed to spend another $30 or so on who knows what, so it wasn’t overall the most frugal trip I’ve ever made, but it was pretty exciting to see the section on my receipt that said:

MANUFACTURER COUPON SAVINGS: $11.54 BONUS COUPON SAVINGS: $4.25 (These are how Kroger tracks doubles for coupons under $1.00) STORE COUPON AND KROGER PLUS SAVINGS: $30.99 TOTAL SAVINGS (40 PCT): $46.78

The Mega Events are confusing because items are put on sale and THEN additional savings are reflected at the register. I heard one couple discussing a healthy brand of cereal that was included in the event saying, “Oh, you only get that special price if you buy 10. Well, we’re not going to buy 10! But it’s still cheaper than it normally is.” And they proceeded to put 2 boxes in their cart. And that’s totally fine! I think it’s great that the sale can benefit all levels of shoppers. And for those crazy people like me who enjoy spending time finding the absolute best deals, they can be very satisfying.

My friend Katie at The Amateur Librarian posted recently about NPR’s list of 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels and, well, you know I’m a sucker for a list of books, so I had to comment! I’m surprised by the number of these I’ve never heard of, and also by the number of these that seem to be extremely recent. A few also seem to be not quite what I’d classify as “teen novels” (Jodi Picoult?). I am pleased, however, with the inclusion of a few minority writers. My beloved English professor, Dr. Sprayberry, would be bouncing off the walls excited to see Sherman Alexie and Sandra Cisneros on the list.

Somehow I can’t remember exactly what I loved when I was a teenager (not that it was that long ago), but I feel like many of these weren’t even out until I was in college! Katie pointed out that the list may be skewed by the fact that it was based on internet voting and some authors campaigned hard to make it on the list.

Anyway, without further ado, here’s the list with my annotations.

• means I’ve read at least 1 book of the series ! means I’d like to

  means I read it for school

• means I particularly enjoyed it ~ means I disliked it

Top 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels

+*1. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling 

+*2. The Hunger Games (series), by Suzanne Collins

#*3. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

4. The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

#~5. The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

6. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

7. The Lord of the Rings (series), by J.R.R. Tolkien

8. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

9. Looking for Alaska, by John Green

+10. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

+*11. The Giver (series), by Lois Lowry

12. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (series), by Douglas Adams

+*13. The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton

+14. Anne of Green Gables (series), by Lucy Maud Montgomery

15. His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman

!16. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

17. The Princess Bride, by William Golding

#18. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

19. Divergent (series), by Veronica Roth

20. Paper Towns, by John Green

21. The Mortal Instruments (series), by Cassandra Clare

22. An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green

+23. Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes

24. Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher

!25. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon

+26. Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson

+27. Twilight (series), by Stephenie Meyer

28. Uglies (series), by Scott Westerfeld

29. The Infernal Devices (series), by Cassandra Clare

+30. Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt

!31. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

+*32. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (series), by Anne Brashares

+33. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London

34. Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green, David Levithan (reading right now)

35. Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous

36. Howl’s Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones

+37. Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli

#38. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

39. Vampire Academy (series), by Richelle Mead

40. Abhorsen Trilogy / Old Kingdom Trilogy (series), by Garth Nix

41. Dune, by Frank Herbert

42. Discworld / Tiffany Aching (series, by Terry Pratchett

43. My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult

44. The Dark is Rising (series), by Susan Cooper

45. Graceling (series), Kristin Cashore

+46. Forever…, by Judy Blume

47. Earthsea (series), by Ursula K. Le Guin

48. Inheritance Cycle (series), by Christopher Paolini

+49. The Princess Diaries (series), by Meg Cabot

50. The Song of the Lioness (series), by Tamora Pierce

51. Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson

52. Delirium (series), by Lauren Oliver

53. Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins

54. Hush, Hush Saga (series), by Stephanie Perkins

55. 13 Little Blue Envelopes, by Maureen Johnson

56. It’s Kind of a Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini

57. The Gemma Doyle Trilogy (series), by Libba Bray

!58. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs

!59. The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros

60. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury

61. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier

62. Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen

+*63. A Ring of Endless Light, by Madeleine L’Engle

+64. The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen

65. The Bartimaeus Trilogy (series), by Jonathan Stroud

66. Bloodlines (series), by Richelle Mead

67. Fallen (series), by Lauren Kate

68. House of Night (series), by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast

+*69. I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith

70. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlsit, by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan

71. Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver

72. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman

73. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle

74. The Maze Runner Trilogy (series), by James Dashner

75. If I Stay, by Gayle Forman

76. The Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley

77. Crank (series), by Ellen Hopkins

78. Matched (series), by Allie Condie

79. Gallagher Girls (series), by Ally Carter

80. The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale

81. Daughter of the Lioness / Tricksters (series), by Tamora Pierce

82. I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak

83. The Immortals (series), by Tamora Pierce

84. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (series), by Patricia C. Wrede

85. Chaos Walking (series), by Patrick Ness

86. Circle of Magic (series), by Tamora Pierce

87. Daughter of Smoke & Bone, by Laini Taylor

88. Feed, by M.T. Anderson

89. Weetzie Bat (series), by Francesca Lia Block

90. Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen

91. Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (series), by Louise Rennison

92. Leviathan (series), by Scott Westerfeld

93. The House of the Scorpion, by Scott Westerfeld

94. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci (series), by Diana Wynne Jones

+95. The Lullaby, by Sarah Dessen

96. Gone (series), by Michael Grant

97. The Shiver Trilogy (series), by Maggie Stiefvater

98. The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley

99. Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson

100. Betsy-Tacy Books (series), by Maud Hart Lovelace

For a girl who’s a voracious reader to have only read 21 of the supposedly best teen novels ever, I’d have to say I think the list is off! How many of these have you read? What would you add or subtract from the list?

Spending money in areas that require expertise can definitely be nerve-wracking. When you don’t know the field, it can feel impossible to question what the experts tell you. I’m talking about things like car repair, dental work, and medical procedures. Sometimes I feel like for a healthy person, I sure spend a lot on doctor’s visits! I know “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and all that, but all the checkups and screenings can feel endless (well, especially when you’re like me and did them all in the same month when you first moved last year and then had to repeat this year even though you now have a job!). And with insurance as intricate as it is here in the U.S., it’s often unclear exactly what you’re paying and why.

I wear contact lenses (and have since I was in high school), so I go for a yearly eye exam in order to get a “refill” on my prescription for the next year’s worth of lenses. I haven’t gotten new glasses since I was in 10th grade, because vision insurance always offers to cover EITHER glasses OR contacts. This year at the eye doctor I was particularly frustrated because they asked if I would authorize these various screenings that each cost extra. Since I know nothing about ophthalmology, I said yes, but it makes me wonder why we shell out for vision insurance when it seems to hardly cover a thing at my yearly checkup!

However, after several years of hunting for deals on contacts, I found a bit of redemption in playing the bargain game online. At the eye doctor, I was quoted a total of $372 for my lenses, with $150 covered by insurance, a $30 “fitting fee” rebate, and a $50 rebate from the manufacturer, for a total of $142. I said thank you, but I’ll order them online. The very savvy salesman tried to convince me that I wouldn’t be able to beat that deal (and I had to press a bit to get him to print my prescription to take with me to order elsewhere), but I was unperturbed. And boy was he wrong.

I’ve had good luck with Vision Direct in the past, so I checked there first. The original total came to $255.92, which was a lower starting point than the eye doctor offered! After a 10% discount from a coupon code, free shipping, and 15% cashback on our Discover card, the total was down to $195.78, with the promise of $150 still to come from insurance. That brought it down to only $45.78, and there was still the possibility to file a rebate with the manufacturer for another $25 back.

But thanks to a postcard Discover sent us months ago that I stashed away for this day, I found the best deal yet from Walgreen’s website, of all places. The original total for my 8 boxes of lenses there was $263.92–a littler higher than Vision Direct. However, there was a 20% off coupon code and free shipping, getting us down to $211.14. After 10% cashback from Discover, it got to $190.02, and our $150 from insurance still applies. So the total after all that was $40.02, AND I filed a rebate with the manufacturer that will hopefully yield another check for $25! That means that in the end, after all the various cashback and rebates are applied, we effectively shelled out only $15.02 for a year of me being able to see.

A few observations:

• It can definitely be overwhelming to try and find deals on specialty items like this, and it's sure tempting to just take the offer from the eye doctor and not look back. However, at this point in my life, I have the time to investigate these other options, and for around $100 of savings it's well worth the effort.
• This is a case in which having a credit card served us better than paying cash! We wouldn't have gotten the cashback or the coupon code offers had we not been using our Discover card and ordering online.
• Even the same item can be sold from different sources at drastically different prices, so don't be afraid to comparison shop or look for coupon codes even on items that you think wouldn't have deals available. You might be surprised! Just about all the eye care sites I visited had banner ads displaying different options for saving money, and credit card cashback and sites like Ebates can help you lower the cost even more.
• Our savings will be hitting our wallets in a few different ways, which makes the final cost a bit deceiving. We did, in fact, use our Discover card to give Walgreen's a total of $211.14. The 10% cashback we earned will be reflected as a statement credit on that card's bill, so we won't actually touch that money (but it will effectively go toward what we paid for the lenses). The $150 from insurance will come as a check, so that will be deposited in our bank account and recorded in our budget as an inflow in the spending category we used to buy the lenses. Same with the rebate if it goes through. Because of how we've designed our budget, this piecemeal approach works for us, but if you play this game just keep in mind that your upfront, out-of-pocket spending might not look as small as the ultimate bottom line.

So that’s that! It took both Andy and me looking things over to get this system devised, but I feel like I’ve won a small victory over “the man.”

Have you saved money on any surprising items lately? What type of expenditure frustrates you the most?

I recently made a recipe that I found on Pinterest called Orzo with Parmesan and Basil, originally from a contributor to Tasty Kitchen. I feel like coming up with side dishes is sometimes a struggle for me, so I love discovering options that are low-effort but unique and delicious. Plus, having fresh herbs makes me want to find ways to use them!

Here’s the recipe as it was posted:

• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 1-½ cup Orzo
• 3 cups Chicken Or Vegetable Stock
• 6 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Basil
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Pepper

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the orzo and saute for a few minutes, until the orzo starts to get golden brown. Add the broth and cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until all the broth has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, add the basil and Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

It turned out unbelievably creamy! I definitely would have thought it had more “bad for you” stuff than just a small amount of butter and parmesan cheese. As advertised, it seems like a great alternative to pasta side pouches (like we used on our camping trip). I’ve always thought those were unfortunately delicious, so I’m glad to have a somewhat healthier replacement!

The first time I made this I added about a cup of frozen peas a minute or so before I turned off the heat. I’ve since made it a second time, and I chose to add some diced zucchini. I bet you could also add chicken, or maybe even shrimp, if you wanted to make it more substantial. I love recipes that are versatile and can use ingredients you have on hand, and this one did not disappoint. Plus, the leftovers were just as good if not better! Next time you’re looking for a side to try,  I would highly recommend this one.

 

In her book The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin outlines her secrets of adulthood. I like a lot of her thoughts, especially “What’s fun for other people may not be fun for you–and vice versa” (in fact, I think I’ve blogged about that here before!). And today, I have one I’d like to unofficially add to the list:

Many of the things we dread and put off don’t actually take that long to do.

Emptying the dishwasher was the first task that made me realize this truth. (My mom, who spent my entire childhood and adolescence trying to get me to do this chore will probably not believe her eyes.) Andy does the dishes in our household, but I’m responsible for putting things away when they’re clean. When the dishwasher and dish drainer are full of clean dishes, he doesn’t do the dishes because he doesn’t have anywhere to put them. And then a vicious cycle begins where I get frustrated that the kitchen is messy and then become unfairly frustrated at him, when really, if I were to just do my job, he would do his readily! I’ll leave clean dishes in the dishwasher for days sometimes, opening it when I need a particular item that I know is in there and then conscientiously locking it back so we know they’re clean. I tell myself, “Oh, I don’t have time to empty that right now.” But when you get right down to it, emptying the dishwasher takes about 4.2 minutes. (I should time it some day. But it’s not very long at all.) By the time I get around to doing it, I’ve spent far more time being anxious over doing than it takes to actually do it. And how stupid is that?!

Other tasks that might be good fodder for the list of things that don’t take as long as you think they will include:

• making the bed
• flossing your teeth
• setting the table
• making a grocery list
• getting gas (assuming a gas station is convenient along your route)

These are small tasks, sure, but when you write them on your to-do list and hem and haw over when is the best time to do them, they’re all of a sudden inflated into much bigger deals.

What are some tasks you unnecessarily put off that don’t take very long to do?