Buy This, Not That: Black Patent Flats

I saw these a few weeks ago at Nordstrom but opted for a gray pair with a silk flower instead. But I saw the shoes pictured here yesterday at Target for $24.99. With the $40 in savings, I'm heading to Old Navy to buy a pair of skinny jeans. Shoes and jeans for the price of shoes = cheap and cheerful.

Cheap and Cheerful wants to know: Have you found any buy this, not that products lately? Please share!

Deal(s) of the Day: Fall Sale Madness

Lots of great deals right now, online and in store.

*Old Navy: $5 fleece tops today online (and in store on Super Saturday). Plus codes on the website for 15% off and free shipping if you spend $50.

* Children's Place: 25% off dressy clothes collection. Plus, a code on the website for 15% off your entire purchase. Who can say holiday clothes at 40% off?

* Nordstrom: 4 more days for free shipping on any order that includes shoes. Use code SHOES.

* Land's End: 30% of regularly priced items through 10/25. Code SAVEBIG and pin 1252. Grab a cashmere sweater at a great discount!

* Target: Wii is $187 with Sports Resort. Plus, sign yourself up for the new RedCard -- it's linked directly to your debit card and has no fees -- and you will get 2% to your chosen school or charity and 5% all of your purchases any time you shop.

Cheap and Cheerful wants to know: What great deals have you seen lately?

Cheap and Cheerful Cooking: 1, 2, 3 cupcakes ... Ah, Ah, Ah!

Let the Count count your cupcakes. These are so cute that they will disappear quickly; you may not have any left to count by the end of the party! This Betty Crocker recipe isn't from scratch so you can save time and money, too. I love counting my change as I enjoy my cupcake.

Ingredients
1 box (18.25 oz) Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® cake mix (any flavor)
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
6 drops red food color
6 drops blue food color
1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons candy-coated milk chocolate candies (48 candies)
1/3 cup red candy-coated licorice candies (72 candies)
2 tablespoons white vanilla baking chips (48 chips)

Directions
1.Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
2.Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooking rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3.Stir food colors into frosting. Frost cupcakes.
4.To decorate each cupcake, sprinkle miniature chocolate chips along top for hair; use 2 candy-coated candies for eyes, 3 licorice candies for nose and mouth and 2 white baking chips for fangs.

Count. Distribute. Enjoy.

Cheap and Cheerful Chatter: $300 Grocery Challenge -- Week 3.5

Hey, sometimes you just need a little ice cream. Oh, and a little hot fudge, too. Make that $90 left for the final week of groceries and some Halloween candy. I am pretty sure we'll still make it.

I've got some new recipes to try next week that I am really excited about but will fit with our budget. Think Butternet Squash Risotto and Crockpot Carnitas. Yum. Any other ideas out there?

Deal of the Day: Peanuts Gang T-Shirt

When I was in high school, my group of friends dubbed ourselves the "Peanuts Gang". It would only be right that the next generation of the Peanuts Gang would need this shirt. For only $12.50, it would make a cute birthday or just because treat. Maybe my little girl will be getting on in her stocking this year.

Cheap and Cheerful Chatter: $300 Grocery Challenge -- Week Three

Another week and another less than $50 shopping trip. We still have $110 left for the month which will help us get our Halloween treats (including stuff for a class party) and possibly leave us some extra for a night of take out!

I spent $43.79 today and got ground beef, corn, lettuce, bananas, apples, two muffin mixes (huge sale on Krusteaz, plus $2 worth of coupons), eggs, yogurt, milk, pizza toppings, sour cream, bread, peanut butter (buy one, get one free), tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, pasta, pretzels, and a few other things I can't remember. (I am too lazy to get out from under my warm covers to get the receipt!)

Anyway, our dinners this week are taco salad, pasta with homemade sauce, huevos rancheros, homemade pizza, chili and cornbread, burgers/tacos/or tostadas (depending on what we feel like that night), and there will be plenty for leftovers. We've still got green beans and other frozen veggies for side dishes and several frozen sourdough baguettes.

Lots of frozen fruit for breakfast smoothies, plus plenty of cereal and yogurts and we'll make some muffins this week, too. My kids live and die for their daily peanut butter sandwich and we're all stocked up there, with pretzels, raisins, and frozen go-gurts on the side.

Cheap and Cheerful wants to know: What are you eating this week?