Couponing with Rachel

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The Growing Years Resale Shop Stow, Ohio! Perfect for Back to School Shopping!

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I was invited to visit The Growing Years. I was given a gift card to shop but was not required to post or share. All opinions are my own.
The Growing Years Stow, Ohio

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My family is gearing up for the back to school season and I for one am a little sad that our summer break is quickly coming to an end.  The dreaded task of going through all the kiddos clothes from last year is underway but in the end I know it will be a money saver.

Before I shop for the back to school season the first thing I do is make a list of our needs. Having a list in front of me keeps me on track and helps me spend less money on our wants versus our needs.  The second thing I do is head to the kids resale shops. Kids resale shops offer quality and often name brand merchandise for a fraction of the cost.

the growing years stow ohio
Last week I was invited to come visit The Growing Years in Stow, Ohio.  While the store is a little far from my hometown, I was meeting my mother in law who lives nearby so it was the perfect time to pop in for a visit.

The Growing Years is located at 4940 Darrow Road, Stow, Ohio. It’s conveniently situated in a shopping plaza right off a main road and very easy to find. As a busy mom of three boys, I loved the way the shop was set up. Everything was sectioned off by area such as girls, boys, junior, maternity and even young men. This made it easy to find the areas I wanted to shop in.

the growing years resale shop stow, ohio
The Growing Years are gearing up for fall while still offering summer clothes. I spotted winter jackets, boots, hats and even Halloween costumes.  Did you know that you’ll get the best selection of Halloween costumes if you start looking now in the resale shops? New ones are put out each week (possibly everyday) so don’t miss your opportunity to save big!

This shop seemed to have a little of everything.  While my boys were checking out the toys in one area I was able to browse around. I spotted books, pictures, baby equipment and school uniforms.  In fact I even saw a large selection of cleats. Boy, I wish I had seen those during baseball season.

the growing years stow
While poking around my oldest son spotted these adorable Mine Craft sunglasses! Of course since they were only $0.99 they went right into our basket. I kinda wish I had seen them first…they would have wound up in his Christmas stocking.

the growing years resale stow, ohio

We spend over an hour in the store and I was able to pick up some great deals! For less than $45 I bought 4 pairs of pants, 4 shirts, a Mario Bros. DVD and a pair of glasses.  Most of the clothes that I bought were name brand such as Aidas and Nike so I thought the prices were great.

the growing years 2015

Here’s the best thing about The Growing Years. If you have have clothes that no longer fit your little ones you can either recycle or sell your clothes to them. This is a great way to earn a little extra money while cleaning out the closets. Also keep an eye out for special markdowns throughout the years. This is an additional savings on top of the regular everyday prices.

If you are looking for a great place to shop for cute, name brand clothes at a discount, check out The Growing Years in Stow, Ohio. Oh and if you stop in, tell them Rachel says “hi”!

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* Grab a $5 coupon on any purchase or $5 or more!




Frugal Summer Fun Idea: Pick Your Own Fruits and Veggies!

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frugal summer fun pick your own

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Summer is in full swing at our house and I’m simply loving it! It’s a second full week of summer break and we’ve already done lot of fun things! As a mom of three young boys, I’m always looking for not only fun but also FRUGAL activities for my family. One idea is to Pick Your Own Fruits and Veggies! If you haven’t done this yet, here’s what to expect.

Dress appropriately: Picking fruits and veggies can be messy so this is not the day to put your kiddos in their cutest summer outfits. If you are picking berries, expect your that your kids (and maybe you) will likely get a bit of bright red juice on their clothing during your outing. Pick something dark-colored to avoid stains. Some kids may do best with long pants because the vines can be a tad scratchy, particularly on sensitive legs. I’d also suggest hat, sunglasses in sunny weather and closed-toe shoes as they are easiest to wear on uneven ground.

frugal summer fun pick your own veggies


What to Bring: It can get hot out there quickly with no shade so I’m sure to always bring a few cold drinks. Depending on how long we plan to stay, I’ll either bring them with me to the field or leave them in the car. Protect your skin and don’t forget hats and sunscreen. Even a short time out there will cause a sunburn for most. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for strawberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.

Where to Pick:  There are many “Pick Your Own” farms in northeast Ohio and you’ll have a lot to pick from. Be sure to call before you go to the farm as some picking days available for the public can be affected by weather and availability of crops. Here are a few places to check out:

frugal summer fun pick your own fruit
Follow the Rules: Before you start picking, you’ll get instructions on where to pick from an employee. I’m sure to share with my little young ones on which fruits and vegetables to pick and how to pick them.  I show them the difference between the unripened green berries and the rotting fruit too. I also encourage them not to eat any of the fruit until we get them home and washed.

pick your own in northeast ohio


Have FUN:  Picking your own fruit and vegetable is a frugal summer activity!  I think fruit and veggie picking with my kiddos encourages outdoor play while also teaching them were “real” food comes from.  This in turn encourages healthy eating. This is truly an inexpensive and fun activity that all ages can enjoy.  Before you head out to the farm be sure to invite a bunch of friends! The more friends that are there means the more fun that you’ll have!

Pick your Own Fruit and Veggies is definitely a super summer activity!

frugal summer fun

Looking for more Frugal Summer Fun? Don’t forget to check out these posts!




Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse! See 10 Movies for $5

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Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse


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Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse 10 Movies for $5

Can you believe that summer break is right around the corner??  I think I’m as excited as my kiddos!

As you know, soon after break starts, you’ll probably start hearing, “Mom, we’re bored”, sooner than later.  No worries, here’s a FUN and FRUGAL way to beat the heat at CINEMARK theaters!

Each summer, participating Cinemark Theaters run their Summer Movie Clubhouse.  For 10 weeks, they play one children’s movie per week (rated G or PG).  Best of all, tickets are just $1 per person, per movie (for adult and child).  Want an even BIGGER deal?  Buy a bundle in advance and pay $5 for all 10 movies! That’s only $.50 a movie!

Keep in mind that showtimes and movie titles do vary by theater.  If you’d like to see what’s playing at your theater, just hop over to their website.  Since tickets are on a first-come, first-served, be sure to arrive early to grab a seat.

*** If you have a Regal Cinema nearby, you can also check out their Regal Cinema Kids Summer Movie Program too!




Saving at the Movies!

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Pick small: Find a SMALL cinema in your area and you’ll save BIG on ticket prices!  These smaller theaters don’t have a lot of movies to pick from but the charm of the theaters, and the price of the movie and concessions more than make up for the small selection. For instance, Amherst Cinema in Amherst, Ohio offers all shows for only $4.00.

Free pre-screenings: The only thing better than a cheap movie is a free movie. Pre-screenings are put together to help create buzz about new movies coming out, they are offered free to area viewers. To get on the list and find screenings near you you can sign up at www.gofobo.com.   To ensure a full theater they always give out more tickets than there are seats, so be sure to get there early.

Pick the right day: Midway Mall’s Atlas Cinema in Elyria and Regal Theaters both offer special pricing on all movies on specific days of the week. You can watch movies at Midway for only $5 on Mondays while Regal offers $6 movies on Tuesday’s.  AMC Theaters also offers special “Summer Nights” program where a specific older movie is only $3 each evening during the 10:00 pm showing.

Join the club: Most larger chains offer loyalty clubs. You can earn FREE refreshments and movie tickets once you’ve earned enough points. If you go to the movies often you’ll definitely want to sign up. Keep an eye on their Facebook pages and sign up for any newsletters offered. Often times you’ll be the first to receive information of special events and coupons.

Go to a matinee: Matinee prices are often $2-$3 cheaper than evening showing and always less crowded. You can also use coupons in your local Entertainment book to go to an evening movie for (almost) a matinee price.

Stay home: With 3 little ones sometimes it’s just easier to stay at home. Our family has a Netflix account and for only $8 a month, we can pick from 1000’s of movies to watch instantly on our own TV. With Redbox movies only costing $1.29 a night it makes it hard to go anywhere else but home.  Throw in some blankets, pop some popcorn and snuggle, that’s my kind of movie night!

During the summer:

Free outdoor movies: There are many places here in Northeast Ohio that offer FREE summer outdoor movies.  One place in particular is Crocker Park in Westlake, Ohio.  Every Thursday evening  through August 29th Crocker Park  shows family friendly movies.  Check out this list to find a few other places in FREE Outdoor Summer movies in Northeast Ohio. Bring a blanket or chair and sit back and watch a movie under the stars.

Kids Summer Movie Program: Grab the kids and check out the Kids Summer Movie Program.  For about 9 weeks in the summer, Regal Cinema and Cinemark offer family movies twice a week for only $1 per person. These movies are older but very popular cartoons and preteen movies. Because the price is so low, many shows are well attended so get there early.

Drive-In: You’ll save at the drive-in since you’ll be able to see two movies for the price of one!  Check out our recent trip to the Aut-O-Rama Drive-in in North Ridgeville, Ohio.  Pack up the car with your friends and enjoy a movie out under the stars.




Visit the Aut-O-Rama Drive-In North Ridgeville, Ohio

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aut-o-rama drive-in

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This fall take your family to Aut-O-Rama Drive-In in North Ridgeville, Ohio and see two movies for the price of one!  I love that they regularly show family friendly movies.

Recently, my husband and I took our two oldest boys out the movies and it was a FUN night out.  Weeks before we went, my little ones were keeping a mental countdown to the release of new movie, Monster’s University.  Once the time came and we told them we would be watching it outside, they could hardly wait to drop their little brother off at the sitter and head off to the movie!

aut-o-rama drive-in 1


Arriving a little over an hour before the movie started we were amazed how busy the drive-in already was.  Since it was opening night of Monster’s University, there were a ton of families out enjoying the great weather and anxiously waiting for the movie to begin.  As I looked around I quickly saw that taking the family to the drive-in wasn’t just a night out at the movies but instead a family event.   People were chatting with their neighbors while others played frisbee or catch on the grassy lawn in front of the big screen.  I also noticed families eating their dinner from snack shop while watching the sun go down.  You just don’t see these types of things at an indoor movie theater.

Ticket Prices:
* Adults 12 & up – $10.00
* Children 4-11 – $5.00
* Children 3 and under – FREE.

You get to see 2 movies on the same screen for less than the cost of ONE movie at the other theaters!

Once the sun set, we set up the back of our van with various blankets and pillows and settled right in for the first movie to begin.  Since my husband and I have been to the drive-in before I really didn’t expect much of a difference from the new state of the art digital projectors that the Aut-O-Rama installed a few years ago but once the movie began I was blown away by the crisp sound and video quality!  What a difference it makes.  If you haven’t yet seen the new digital movies here at Aut-O-Rama you are in for a real treat.

aut-o-rama drive-in 3


Before the movie started we stopped into the concession area but it was a little too busy for us to stand in line; of course that is expected since both screens were completely sold out.   We did head in later to grab some snacks and even as a frugal gal I was amazed at the great prices.  We went a little overboard and bought much more than we usually do at the theater but we still spent less than $20 for a two pretzels, nachos, cheese sticks, popcorn, soda and a box of candy!  That would of cost us MUCH more somewhere else.

On top of all the normal movie theater food such as nachos, pretzels, and candy, they offer much more. I saw giant dill pickles funnel cakes, and roasted red pepper hummus on the menu.

Aut-o-Rama
Keep in mind prices can change at anytime.

The Aut-O-Rama Drive-In is open from the beginning of April until the end of September. The Aut-O-Rama is open 7 days a week from approximately Memorial Day through Labor Day and then open Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the beginning and end of the season.

Keep in mind that pets and outside food or beverages are not permitted. Since Aut-O-Rama has keeps their food prices so much lower than you’d see anywhere else, grabbing snacks there is great; even for us frugally-minded folks!

 Disclaimer:  Aut-O-Rama provided my family tickets for a chance to review their drive-in.  The food purchased at the concession stand was purchased by my family.  All opinions are my own.  I will always strive to bring you information on frugal, family friendly activities  in Northeast Ohio.




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  Hi my name is Rachel and am a stay-at-home mom to three boys here in northeast Ohio.  I've been "couponing" for over 5 years and it has completely … [Click To Find Out More...]