"Information-- May I help you?" Free 411 and More from Google!

If you remember when calling 411 was free, then you'll understand why I hate, hate, hate paying for information. (Did I say I HATE paying for information???) Now Google not only provides information for free, they text you the number and send you a map to your destination! All you have to do is call: 1-800-GOOG-411. And if you actually need to see how it works, there's a video on YouTube. It doesn't get cooler than that, folks.

Free Cloth Diapers Contest!!!

Haven't you always wanted to try the new generation of cloth diapers? I know I have! All the same, the initial investment cost more than a pretty penny, and I never know if I'll really be happy doing all....that.....laundry. But what the heck...Babycheapskate.com is having a "giveaway." Click HERE and see if you can get yourself some free cloth diapers. If you get any, let me know how it worked out, k?

Mrs. Folkes

The Frugal Folkes "En Vacance."

Fire Island National Seashore - July 4, 2008

New Wheels: Mr. Folkes Shops Craig's List

New/Used SUV......................NOT!!!

DH was elated to get this little red wagon for our beach camping trip. $25 on Craig's list. He vows to sell D's old toys to recoup the purchase price.

Food: $2.08 OOP (Cash "Out Of Pocket")

Opps, I Did it Again!!! More FREE Diapers!

I happened to be in town today, and I couldn't resist visiting that "other" pharmacy to see if they had restocked the diaper shelves. Well......they hadn't. But have you ever had one of those moments where you've been disappointed....but you just won't leave??? That was me today. Sad...dejected....staring at the shelves in disbelief.....milling around the store, refusing to leave. If "Wally" had been a boyfriend, I would have been a stalker, and poor "Wally" would have had to call the police on me today. To paraphrase an old song, if loving freebies was wrong, I didn't want to be right. But for once, obsessing paid off: I spied a $5.99 sticker in front of some lonely size 5 diapers. The package on these size 5's looked different than that on those I had purchased previously. Turns out these diapers were "premium." I took them to the cashier, and I learned that all of the store's "premium" diapers had been marked down; they simply hadn't changed the tags. So I picked up every premium size 3 and size 4 diaper I could find....but I came up short. I needed just...one....pack to round out my final set of 3. AND THAT'S WHEN I realized that the store's brand of training pants were also $5,99!!! Since I have one baby, and one day-time potty trained preschooler, the ability to scoop up both diapers and training pants was perfect!

Alright......Somebody come and help me. I'm now addicted to free diapers, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to pay for a diaper again.

A Wee Bit O' Freebie Fun & Environmental Concerns.

Today I saw "The Count" floating down Sesame Street. For the first time I noticed this amiable vampire was dressed like an old-fashioned banker. Can anyone say "Typecasting?"
anyway........... today the Folkes Family took yet another trip to Sesame Place. We pass CVS on the way, and I had to pick up a script. I didn't have time to work out a sparkling CVS scenario, but since I had to drive the car past the store, I figured why not indulge in a little "Freebie Fun?" (My CVS is actually in walking distance. If I use the car to go there, I prefer doing whatever I can to maximize the worth of the trip.) The obvious shopping choices were these: Buy 2 Coppertone sunscreen sticks for $4.98 each, and receive $10 ECBs. Buy Physician's Formula Mascara for $7.99, receive $7.99 ECB's.

On another note, there was a two-day sale on the 24 pack cases of CVS's house brand water. DH insisted we re-stock our water supply, so I picked up 4 cases of water at $2.99 a case, and a CVS pill container on a key chain for $4.99. I applied a "$3 off when you buy $15 of CVS Brand Products" coupon to the transaction, then paid for the balance with $10 ECB's and $3.00 cash. Still.....I'm seriously looking for a good deal on a Pur water pitcher. I'm sick of paying for bottled water, and I'm ready to filter our tap water and pour it into a few re-usable, portable bottles, myself. This is not just about saving money....the Folkes Family needs to do our share to preserve our environment. Let's face it: "The Powers that Be" can not recycle all the plastic we Americans throw into those recycling bins. Everyone needs to cut down on the use of plastics. Reducing the use of disposable water bottles would not be a bad start. Mrs. Folkes is old enough to remember when no one purchased water in bottles, anyway. How it has come to be that American citizens need to treat our drinking water supply as if it was unfiltered swill from a Third World Country, I'll never know. If water can not be considered safe enough for general consumption in each of our 50 states, then it's a crying shame. Perhaps the citizenry needs to reexamine it's priorities.