Frugal Family: Audry's Features Good Deals on Fresh Home Cooking

This week, Frugal Family reporter Carolyn Cunningham scoured our local sources to come up with Audry's Neighborhood Cafe and Grill specials in Dallas, a car show fundraiser on Thursday for the Paulding County 4-H Horse and Pony Club, Tomato Day on Friday at UCBI for their banking customers, Pizza Hut BOOK IT! enrollment concluding in June for free pizza for K-6 students (including homeschoolers) and Zaxby's $3 sandwich special in Powder Springs.

1. Audry's Neighborhood Cafe and Grill Specials

Deal: After eating another delicious lunch at her restaurant recently, I drove around the back of the building. There I saw the restaurant owner, Audry Montgomery, all by her lonesome, hauling a huge cart of garbage and boxes for disposal in the trash bin. When I stopped to ask if she needed help and to state my surprise that she would be doing this kind of chore, Audry replied cheerily with conviction, not knowing I'm a Patch contributor: "I do everything I ask of my employees." Her servant attitude could be the reason for her success.

With its proximity to Paulding County's Watson Government Complex, you may see Paulding County Commission Chairman David Austin, Sheriff Gary Gulledge and other elected officials dining there—and for good reason. Around a dozen varieties of homemade biscuits and other homemade meats, vegetables and desserts are made fresh each weekday during breakfast and lunch.

Hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Location:105 Village Walk off U.S. 278, Dallas (with drive-through for call-ahead orders).

Contact: 770-445-8800 or fax to 770-445-8868. 

2. Paulding County 4-H Horse and Pony Club's Car Show Fundraiser

Deal: All vehicles are welcome to participate in this car show on Thursday. Top 20 Trophies will be given out as well as a 4-H Best of Show. Food, drinks, games, crafts and pony rides will be available.

Location: Tractor Supply, 115 Greystone Power Blvd. off U.S. 278, Dallas. 

Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday.

Contact: Amanda Haggard, 678-200-9925.

3. UCBI Customer Appreciation Day

Deal: This Friday is the annual Customer Appreciation Day at UCBI bank locations. Their Paulding branch is in Hiram. Free tomato plants will be given to UCBI customers.

Location: 226 Hiram-Douglasville Highway (Ga. 92), Hiram.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Good through: Friday.

Contact: 770-943-4111. 

4. Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Enrollment for Free Pizza

Deal: Through this national reading incentive program in its 26th year, children can eat one free one-topping personal pan pizza each month for six months. Enrollment has opened for the 2011-12 school year for K-6 students and will continue through June. The program runs Oct. 1 through March 31 for public, private, parochial and homeschool students.

Teacher materials are not available at Pizza Hut locations; they must be ordered online. All materials are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Teachers set their own reading goals for each child.

Good through: Enrollment ends in June for the next school year (Oct. 1 through March 31).

Locations: , Dallas; , Dallas; , Dallas; , Hiram (with Taco Bell).

Contact: 800-426-6548, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

5. Reduced Price at

Deal: As long as the parmesan sauce holds out, the Chicken Parmesan Meal is $3 instead of around $5 this week and next at Zaxby's in Powder Springs. A manager said Monday they expect this deal to continue into next week. The price is being lowered since the restaurant is phasing out this meal from their menu, she said.

Coated with parmesan and marinara sauces, three fried chicken fingers are sandwiched between two buttered, toasted Texas toast slices. The sandwich also is served with crinkle French fries and a 22-ounce drink - either tea or soda.

Location: 4410 Brownsville Road near Kroger, Powder Springs.

Good through: Next week (or as long as the Italian sauces last).

Contact: 678-384-1005.