Beltway Bargains From a Thrifty Northern VA Mom

I'm one of those shoppers who almost always has a coupon in-hand and determines where to eat out based on what special coupons, promotions or group-buying site deals are available. I'm OK with the label "penny pincher" or "frugal," but to be honest I don't consider myself miserly or cheap. I don't mind investing in something that is high quality if it saves me time and money in the future; I'll just try to get it when it's on sale! By making cuts in my grocery bill, buying used items and being patient for good sales, I'm actively helping my family save money toward our financial goals.

What started out as a simple web search about five years ago to find good deals on baby items, has since turned into a full-fledged hobby—and lifestyle—to find great deals. Since my oldest son was born, couponing, deal hunting and finding free family-friendly events in Northern Virginia have become something I love to research, compile and share.

Almost three years ago I started blogging about my frugal finds and deals specific to the Washington DC metropolitan area. I wanted a place on the web to share simple tips and highlights of the best grocery store deals, plus freebies and ways that my family was able to save money while living on one income in the suburbs of our nation's capital.

I wasn't always frugal, in fact, I ran across an old 8th grade civics class budget project and I got quite a good laugh out of how much I had allotted to spend on clothes versus food in a one-month time frame. Trust me, if I can learn to scrimp and save you can too! 

I'm a native Northern Virginian, busy mom of two, multi-tasker and wearer of many hats—figuratively, not literally, although I may sport a baseball cap every now and then. Although I don't hate to cook, I've got a hankering for free food, so I'll be giving you the heads up on any grand openings I catch wind of that involve free food, like Pinkberry's Frozen Yogurt or Chick-fil-A to name a few.

I'll be scouting out sales and sharing ways to save in our area, from supermarket sales to restaurant openings, from retail roundups to free events. I look forward to keeping you in the loop on the best DC area deals, whether you're inside or outside the Beltway.