Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Deals @ Safeway - Oahu, Hawaii: April 29 - May 5


Photo Credit: visualdensity

Here are a few items on sale I found note-worthy this week @ Safeway. Please refer to a weekly ad for complete sale information.

SPECIALS

~ Buy Any Two (2) Coca Cola (12-pk), Get Two (2) FREE Coca Cola (12-pk) AND FREE Dasani (24 pk) ~

~ Living Well Feeling Great ~
* Buy $30 worth of participating products (look for "Living Well Feeling Great" tags on over 3000 participating products) in a single transaction & get a $10 off coupon (to be used on next purchase)

Orville Redenbacher's Microwave Popcorn
Buy 1 Get 1 Free

California Pizza Kitchen Pizza
$6.99
- $2.00 Printable Coupon
Frugal Price: $4.99

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Times Supermarket - Oahu, Hawaii: March 29 - May 5


Photo Credit: Fr Antunes

Here are few items on sale this week @ Times Supermarket that caught my attention. Please refer to a weekly ad for complete sale information.

SPECIAL

FREE Best Foods Mayonnaise (30 oz.) AND Best Yet Mustard (8 oz.), when you purchase $60 or more.
* $60 minimum purchase excludes tax, HI bottle deposit fee, and purchase of Liquor, Tobacco, Gift Cards, and Pharmacy Items.

FREE Reusable Shopping Bag w/ an In-ad Coupon (page 1) - No purchase necessary

FREE Anniversary Celebration Cake & Juice (May 2 & May 23)

FREE Balloons for the kids (Weekend of May 2)

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Monday, April 27, 2009

Menu Plan Monday

mpm3.jpg picture by Orgjunkie

Sun: Udon

Mon: Pork & Egg Rice Bowl (Using Pork instead of Chicken & Salad)

Sandwich for Tue's Lunch

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Deals @ Target - Oahu, Hawaii: April 26 - May 2



Here are a few items on sale that caught my attention this week @ Target. Please view a weekly ad for complete sale information.

GROCERY

Special K Cereal, Bars, Cookies, or Crackers
$3.00
- $1.00 Printable Coupon (Crackers)
- $5.00 Target Gift Card w/ Purchase of 5 Selected Special K Products
Frugal Price: various

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Deals @ Longs Drugs - Oahu, Hawaii: April 26 - May 2

Photo Credit: HiggySTFC

Here are several items on sale that caught my attention @ Longs Drug this week. Please refer to an ad for complete sale information.

GROCERY

Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffe Co. (10% Kona Coffee Blend)
Regular/Private Reserve $4.29

Decaf $5.29

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Deals @ Walgreens - Ohau, Hawaii: April 26 - May 2


Photo Credit: Sukanto Debnath

Here are several items on sale that caught my attention this week @ Walgreens. Please scan a weekly ad for a list of sale items and information.

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Sunday, April 26, 2009

Coco's 10 Fav Coupons

Photo Credit: OiMax


1. $1.00 Off Any Cortizone-10 Product

2. $1.00 Off Any e-sen-cia Hair Care Product

3. Crest Spinbrush
$3.00 Off Any Crest Spinbrush Sonic
$2.00 Off Any Crest Pro Series Spinbrush

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Coco's 10 Fav Blog Posts


Photo Credit: Per Ola Wilberg

1. Very Veggie Eggrolls @ Cooking with Anne looks very yummy

2. Eggplant & Portobello Mushroom Melts @ Simplyforties sounds simply irresistible to Portobello Mushroom Lovers (like me)

3. Very Cute Recycled Plastic Can Cozy @ My Recycled Bags.com

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Saturday, April 25, 2009

Coco's 10 Fav Coupons


Photo Credit: KitAy

1. Four (4) $1.00 Off Cheerios

2. $1.00 Off Hershy's Bliss Chocolate

3. $1.00 Off New Starbucks Ice Cream

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Coco's 10 Fav Freebies


Photo Credit: david.nikonvscanon

1. Axe Just Clean Sahmpoo Sample

2. Subscription to Organic Gardening Magazine

3. NIVEA Happiness Body Wash Sample

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Friday, April 24, 2009

Spam Jam Waikiki 2009: April 25


Photo Credit: dok1

The Waikiki Spam Jam celebrates our love affairs with....well, you've guessed it right... SPAM!!


Enjoy unique Spam foods by various famous restaurants and music performances by various local artists.

The admission to the event is FREE.

The festival runs from 4PM to 10PM.

Waikiki Spam Jam Parking Special Rates

* Royal Hawaiian Center
- Four Hours free with any restaurant validation

* Waikiki Trade Center & Waikiki Galleria Tower
- $6.00 flat rate between 4:00pm and 10:00pm

* Waikiki Beach Walk, King Kalakaua Plaza,
* Outrigger Waikiki Hotel, Outrigger Reef,
* The Wyland Waikiki, OHANA Waikiki East,
* OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber and OHANA Waikiki Malia
- $3.00 for up to four hours

For more information and interesting Spam recipes, visit the official website.



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Grow Hawaiian Festival @ Bishop Museum: April 25


Tapa Made in Fiji
Photo Credit: Backpackphotography

The 2nd Annual Grow Hawaiian Festival will take place on the Great Lawn at Bishop Museum on Saturday, April 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The event celebrates conservation, sustainability, culture, and endemic and Polynesian-introduced plants. Learn how to weave, make Kapa (a fabric similar to Tapa - see picture above). Enjoy Hawaiian music and traditional Hula performances.

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34th Annual Spring Products Show @ Neal Blaisdell Center: April 24-26

From Today (April 24) to Sunday (April 26), 34th Spring Products Show will be held @ Neal Blaisdell Exhibition Hall.

There will be hundreds of local & mainland exhibitors showcasing their new products. Scheduled events include Surviving the Storm tutorials such as "The Power of Saving," "Understanding FICO score," "Reducing Debt," etc.

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ReUSE a Shoe (Free Jamba Juice) @ Niketown: April 26


Photo Credit: Lachlan Hardy

On April 26, from 9:00AM to 2:00PM, drop off your old shoes @ Niketown & enjoy free Jamba Juice.

Any brands (not just Nike brand) athletic shoes are accepted. The old shoes will be used to make materials for sports and play fields.

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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Cutting My Own Hair or Not - WFMW



It's been a year since I started cutting (not trimming, but actually cutting!) my own hair. To my surprise and amusement, it seems to be working for me.

Before I took such a drastic action, I was spending over $100 on my regular visit to my favorite hairstylist. As much as I felt that her fabulous work was worth more than $100, I just thought that $100 expense did not go well with our newly structured budget. Besides, I've been cutting my hubby's hair for almost a decade (ever before we started going out & I made him cry on my first attempt...). I figured if it works for him, why not for me?

When I first cut my own hair a year ago, everyone thought I finally went lolo ("crazy" in Hawaiian). Well, I admit my first attempt was not so pretty - I looked like wearing a helmet. But then, I discovered my secret weapon - hair clips & thinning scissors! Thanks to them, I think my hair now looks decent.

My problem is that I have a lot of hair - my hairstylist sometimes sighed over just the sheer amount of my hair. So in order to avoid looking like wearing a helmet, I need to thin my hair out (that doesn't sound somehow right...).

First, I divide my hair into 6 ~ 8 sections using hair clips. Then, I just start cutting (rather randomly) with thinning scissors each section little by little. I sometimes use a styling razor to shorten my hair to a desired length before thinning (see below).

To trim my bangs, I cut vertically (never horizontally) with a pair of regular scissors. Check out this great tutorial on How to Cut Your Own Bangs @ YouTube.

I don't think my method works for everyone. But there are a lot of great resources that provide tutorials and tips for cutting one's own hair.

* How to Cut Your Own Hair @ How to Do Things.com

* How to Cut Your Own Hair/Tips @ YouTube

* How to Cut Your Own Hair (Or Anyone Else's!): 15 haircuts with variations

: MY FAVORITE HAIR CUTTING TOOLS:






Don't feel like cutting your own hair, but still want to save some serious money on your hair maintenance? How about getting haircut & other pampering services at beauty schools. Here are some of beauty schools in Hawaii that provide a wide range of hair styling & other cosmetology-related services.

* Hawaii Institute of Hair Design, Honolulu Downtown. Call 808-533-4326 for more information. They relocated recently, so also ask for a new address. Read a review @ Aloha Update

* Honolulu Community College, Honolulu (Near Costco). Call 808-845-9132 for more information.

I have never tried getting services at beauty schools. If you've ever done it, I really want to hear about your experiences.

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Visit We are THAT Family for more WFMW tips!



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Sunday, April 19, 2009

Menu Plan Monday

mpm3.jpg picture by Orgjunkie

Sun: Home-made Pizza

Mon: Teriyaki Chicken & Mizuna Salad

Tue: Fried Curry Rice & Salad

Wed: Peppercorn Pork & Spinach Saute

Thu: Chicken Salad wrapped in Tortilla

Fri: Kimchi Soup

Sat: Pasta (maybe spinach)

Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for great menu ideas!



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Saturday, April 18, 2009

Coco's 10 Fav Blog Posts


Photo Credit: Robert S. Donovan 

1. This Linen Heart Sachet is soooo Lovely @ Junie Moon

2. Easy and wonderful tips on living green (& save money) @ Personal Finance Playbook

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Iolani School Fair: April 17 & 18

The Ioalni Fair takes place on this coming Friday & Saturday (April 17 & 18) from Noon to 10:30 PM.

There will be
* A lot of food booths
- Malasadas!! (Pre-order Malasadas to be picked up on Friday (April 17) from 11:30 ~ 12:30PM)
- This year's special, a Cuban sandwich);

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The Salvation Army - 50% Off Sale: April 17


Photo Credit: zieak

This coming Friday (April 17, 2009), Salvation Army is having everything 50% off sale (some restriction may apply).

Save big on Clothing, Shoes & Accessories, Furniture, Appliances, Household Goods, Books, Collectibles & more.

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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Converting to Roth IRA - WFMW



We are being hit by a hefty tax bill this year.

One of the biggest reasons is that we EARNED SO MUCH MONEY last year. Nah, just kidding, only in my dream...

The true reason is that we converted all of our traditional IRA accounts into Roth IRA.

We started contributing into traditional IRA accounts several years ago & were feeling pretty good about it. That is until... last year. As the recession's gone deeper & deeper, our account shrank & shrank.

  • Your tax bracket after retirement - if your tax bracket would considerably decline, losing an opportunity now to defer tax would not make sense at all.
           Here is a great calculation site to figure out how much you would save by converting.
  • Can you afford to pay extra taxes on the IRA withdrawal now?
  • Would the IRA withdrawals (which would be included into Gross Income) hoist you into a higher tax bracket or disqualify you for some important tax credits?


* Be sure to pay estimated tax on the withdrawals at the time you convert in order to avoid penalty for underpayment of estimated tax.

A recommended reference article (includes case studies) - "To Convert or Not to Convert, That is the Question" by Robert S. Keebler & Stephen J. Bigge.

I am no financial expert & it is always a good idea to consult your financial advisor before making any big financial decisions.
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Please visit We are THAT Family for more Works For Me Wednesday Tips!



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Coco's 10 Fav Freebies


Photo Credit: AGoK

1. Gillette Body Wash & Shampoo Sample

2. Achieving your Highest Priorities by Stephen Covey - Audio Book Download

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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Deals @ Safeway - Oahu, Hawaii: April 15-21


Photo Credit: gochie*

Here are several items on sale @ Safeway that caught my attention. Please refer to an ad for a complete list of sale items.

GROCERY

Aloha Shoyu, 64-oz.
$3.99

Rice or Pasta Roni
$.99
- $1.00/3 Printable Coupon
Frugal Price: $.66 each wyb 3

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Deals @ Times Supermarket - Oahu, Hawaii: April 15-21


Kona's Coffee Beans 

Photo Credit: mikefats

Here are several items on sale that caught my attention this week @ Times Supermarket. For a complete list of sales & specials, please refer to an ad.

GROCERY

Royal Kona 10% Coffee Blends, 8-oz.
$3.49

Royal Kona 100% Coffee, 7-oz.
$7.99

50th State Frying Chicken
$1.59/lb.

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Night Market @ Aloha Tower: April 15



Tomorrow night (April 15) from 5:00 to 10:00PM is the Night Market @ Aloha Tower Marketplace.

The Night Market is the monthly event (the 3rd Wednesday) that features Hawaii's sustainable lifestyle.

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Monday, April 13, 2009

Menu Plan Monday

mpm3.jpg picture by Orgjunkie

Sun: Dinner @ a friend's house

Mon: Beef & Burdock Stir-fry & Mizuna Salad

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Deals @ Target - Oahu, Hawaii: April 12-18


Photo Credit: I Shutter

GROCERY

Easter Candy
50% Off
- $1.00 Target Printable Coupon (Hershey's Bliss)
- $1.00 Printable Coupon (Hershey's Bliss)
* Use both the target coupon & manufacture's coupon

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