Occupy your wallet.

If I'm going to support an "occupy" cause then it is going to be "occupy my wallet".  Economic times are tough on everyone and I'm always looking for a way to save a little money. I shop at Hobby Lobby, Michael's and Joann Fabrics for fabrics, trim and embellishments when making costumes for my raviolis.  All offer paper coupons but I usually forget them at the house and often never get to use the 40% off coupon.  I was at Hobby Lobby a week ago picking up more glitter tulle for fairy dresses when the gal at the counter asked if I had their coupon.  I had forgotten it again and she said, "No problem, do you have a smart phone?"  Yea, I do and all I had to do was call up their website, click the coupon button and up pops their 40% coupon.  

They scan the code and I'm golden.  No more cutting out coupons and remembering to bring them and I get to shop more economically...and the coupon loves keeps on giving 'cause I can use it again and again throughout the week.  I love that Hobby Lobby has gone techie.   But wait, there's more!

Joann Fabrics also has a iphone app to utilize their coupons via your iphone and they also have an app for other smart phones to have coupons sent to your mailbox.  Yea baby, because I use their 50% and $5.00 off coupon for fabrics all of the time.

Not to be left out, Michael's also has smart phone coupons.  Love, love, love that I know longer have to carry paper coupons and that a coupon is available at the tip of my smart phone fingers every time I need one. Now that is applied economics.

Now for some dinner savings.  Sold an item on Craig's list this evening so my honey and I met them in our local shopping center (LOL...so clandestine) but it's safe as I don't want to have Craig's list buyers come to my home.  We closed the deal and decided to have a quick dinner at Johnny Carino's.  We had never eaten their before and can be described as a chain that is a notch above Olive Garden.  We were greeted at the door by a friendly hostess and our waitress, Anna, was a doll.  On Monday's, Carino's offers a 1/2 off their family platter meals normally priced right around $30.00 each.  So my honey and I decided to share a Chicken Parm family platter.  Each family platter will feed 3-4 at a table. We added Caesar salads to the meal for $1.49 and while we waited for the meal, we had piping hot, homemade bread with toasted garlic in seasoned olive oil. Heaven. 

I wish I had taken a photo of the platter they brought us. It was huge and filled with four, very large chicken parm cutlets on a bed of spaghetti. Fresh grated cheese all around and we enjoyed a marvelous supper for ... wait for it...$14.00.  Yup, now that is applied economics.  We had so much food left over that we now have our supper for tomorrow evening.  Sweet Anna added two loaves of fresh bread and you just couldn't beat this economical meal by this restaurant. There is quite the menu selection for the family platters and well worth the Monday night restaurant visit.

We will be back again on another Monday as I am dying to try the Lemon/Rosemary chicken.   The price of this Monday offering can't be beat, but what made the meal delightful was our wait staff.  Anna was attentive, charming and fun.  We look forward to being her guest again in the near future.  If you have any good deals or other cost savings apps, please share in your comments so we can all apply a little economic savings to our lives during these tougher financial times.   Sea Witch

 Non-commercial, public domain photos.