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Janine Dorsey

Janine is a 20-year veteran journalist who puts her sleuthing skills to use unearthing deals and discounts for families in the Tampa Bay area. Raising her own two daughters has taught her that some of the best things in life are “free” but not necessarily “cheap.”

Gayle Guyardo

Gayle Guyardo co-anchors “News Channel 8 Today” weekday mornings with Rod Carter. She does a special segment, “Ways to save today,” each Monday between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. Gayle is a third generation Tampa native and a graduate of Auburn University. She and her husband Mark raise four little girls - Katie, Lindsay, Ali and Ella.

Todd Davis

Todd Davis is a photojournalist with News Channel 8’s investigative team. When he’s not tracking down a story, he’s hunting down a good deal.

Michael Egger

Michael Egger, News Channel 8 photojournalist and father of three, gets four Sunday papers delivered so he and his wife can double up coupons on BOGOs. The deals are out there, so let’s find them. He vows never to pay retail.

Richard Mullins

The Tampa Tribune’s retail reporter, Richard Mullins writes about consumer trends and everything you buy at the mall, grocery stores and restaurants. He believes credit cards are the window to our souls. And yes, he gets paid to wander the mall for work.

Debbie Swartz

Debbie, a 20-year veteran journalist, can typically be found at the end of Target aisles looking at clearance items. She’s also been known to send one her young daughters through the checkout lane to redeem a coupon.

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“Dippin’ Dots” at a discount

Posted Oct 22, 2009 by Janine Dorsey

Updated Oct 22, 2009 at 10:31 AM

If you’ve taken your children to any theme park, zoo, sporting event, festival, parade, aquarium, or children’s museum you’ve probably been hassled for “Dippin’ Dots.”

Those ubiquitous spheres of frozen dairy nibbles are the biggest rip-off in the history of kid-centric processed food.

A small cup will run you around $5 bucks for 4 or 5 ounces - by volume, not weight - of standard fare ice cream. Let it melt a little and it’s just like any other frozen confection.

That’s why my kids don’t even ask me anymore. They know my stance on “Dippin’ Dots” and how I refuse to pay those exorbitant prices.

But still they yearn.

Today at Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market I found the answer to my girls’ prayers. How cool will I be when I host their birthday parties in the next few months and offer all their guests their choice of flavors of cups of little bitty ice cream balls?

IttiBitz are just like Dippin’ Dots, cryogenically processed ice cream that melts on your tongue. It comes in 11 flavors (my Wal-Mart had about 6: Cotton Candy, Mint Chip, Waffle Cone, Banana Split, Cookie Dough and Double Chocolate)  in single serve cups of 5 ounces for $1.

They are sold individually. So you don’t have to buy an entire box of one flavor only to find out that you don’t care for it. Or even a box of mixed just to get the one type you prefer.

I haven’t tasted them yet. But I will report back when I do. Of course, with kids it’s all about the flash rather than the substance of products that matters. And I’d rather pay $1 for flash and save my other $4 for something of substance.