Frugal Family Fun

Hamburger Vegetable Soup

2011-01-19T17:03:00.000-08:00

Adapted from Money Saving Mom's recipe

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 cups sliced carrots
2 cups of any frozen veggies (green beans, peas, lima beans, etc)
2 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (8oz) can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
6 cups water
1 1/2 Tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves

Brown ground beef and onion together until meat is lightly browned. Drain off excess fat. Add all remaining ingredients and bring mixture to a boil.

Cover and simmer for two to four hours.

Prior to serving, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once it's completely melted, add 2 tablespoons of flour. Incorporate butter and flour using a whisk. Once it's a paste, add to soup in order to thicken.

Remove bay leaves.

Low-fat, egg-free cookies

2010-08-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 3/4 cup applesauce
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 cup rolled oats
* 1/2 cup raisins (or chocolate chips)
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C ). Grease a cookie sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, white sugar, and applesauce. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the applesauce mixture. Add the rolled oats, raisins and chopped nuts (if desired); stir until combined.
3. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool slightly before removing from the baking sheet.

Awesome Stir Fry Sauce

2010-03-01T13:10:00.001-08:00

Stir fry your favorite veggies and meat. Once meat is cooked through add sauce:

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
garlic powder
red pepper flakes

So, so, so good.

Stuffed Peppers

2010-03-01T13:02:00.000-08:00

3 large peppers
1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 cups water/chicken stock
1# ground meat (sausage, beef, turkey)
1/2 diced onion
1 can of tomato soup
1 cup of water
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic
several shakes of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
2 cups shredded cheese (divided)

Simmer rice in water/chicken stock, covered for 30-45 minutes until rice is tender. Brown meat and onions. Once browned, add soup, 1 cup water, and spices. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and add 1 and 3/4 cup cheese. Simmer for an hour. Add cooked rice and simmer for another half hour. While simmering for the final half hour, preheat oven to 350, prepare peppers by washing, cutting off tops, removing seeds and cleaning out the inside. Boil in a big stock pot of water for 10 minutes.

Place peppers in a casserole/baking dish. Fill with stuffing. Bake for half hour. Top with remaining cheese and brown under broiler.

Pantry Recipe

2010-01-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

Chicken Tacos:

2 Chicken breasts
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen pre-cooked black beans
1 can Rotel
2 tsp cumin (or more, to taste)
1 tsp chili powder
Several shakes of garlic salt
Several shakes of red pepper flakes
Several shakes of dehydrated minced onion flakes

Throw in crockpot for 6-8 hours on low.

Serve wrapped in tortillas and topped with cheese, sour cream and taco sauce. Mexican rice on the side.

Delicious Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

2009-09-18T11:14:00.001-07:00

My husband loves my soups :) This recipe is SO easy and SO cheap.

1 Bag of Green Giant Valley Fresh Broccoli Steams - Free after coupon
1 Can of Cream of Mushroom soup - $0.34 after coupon
3 Cubes of Chicken Boullion (or 3 cups of Chicken Stock) - $0.40
3 Cups of Water (omit if using Chicken Stock instead of Boullion) - Free
1 Can of Milk - $0.10
3/4 a pound of Cheddar Cheese - $1.25
Salt and Pepper to taste

In large pot boil water and add chicken boullion cubes. Meanwhile, microwave broccoli according to package directions. Once boullion cubes are dissolved, reduce heat to low and add steamed broccoli, can of soup, and one can's worth of milk. Heat everything through and add cheese. Leave soup on heat until the cheese melts and the soup has reached desired consistency. Add salt and pepper. Eat. Yum.

Total Cost = $2.09

I'm making a second batch later to freeze in individual serving sizes.

Meal Plan Monday - The Late Edition

2009-08-03T20:40:00.001-07:00

Meal planning is difficult at my house. My husband works nights depending on what we have going on during the day, as well as when his shift starts, sometimes we have time for dinner and sometimes we don't. It's often tough to gauge how many nights I should plan for us to eat together. I just try and stick to the basics

Breakfasts - Cereal, muffins, baked oatmeal, cinnamon toast, yogurt and fruit

Lunch - Deli meat sandwiches, mac 'n cheese, homemade pepperoni pizza, grilled cheese, tuna sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, chicken nuggets, leftovers

Dinner - Sugar Chicken in the crockpot, sloppy joes, spaghetti, oven fried chicken, egg salad sandwiches

Side dishes - Strawberries, oranges, bananas, applesauce, fingerling potatoes from farmer's market, green beans from farmer's market, rice

Grocery list - Yogurt, strawberries, applesauce, bananas, bread crumbs (out of stale bread), hamburger buns, cereal, lemonade, salami, turkey (for sandwiches). I will also add in anything I can get free or really cheap after coupons (Skippy PB).

Things like organic strawberries and bananas I get every single week regardless of price because I know my 2-year-old will eat them, which is important to me.

Our Silly Sunday!

2009-08-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

Being that my husband and I are in the restaurant business, we don't often get weekends off, like most 9-5ers. Infact, we consider it a treat if Mike gets two days off in a row! So, whenever we have either a Saturday or Sunday off together, we like to look for some fun, family-friendly events, that are free or on the cheap.

This year, Lansing is celebrating it's 150th birthday and celebrating in various ways throughout the year. Today we took part in the fun with free children's events down by the Capitol building. For exactly $0.00, Alex enjoyed bouncing in a bounce house, riding a merry-go-round, playing with bubbles, and listening to stories and live music. We also got free balloons (including a monkey animal balloon), free cake and ice cream, and a free re-usable bag containing a coloring book, crayons and bubbles!

It was such a great time and definitely surpassed my expectations! I love free family events around town :)

Check out your town or city's website and learn all about the free activities you and your family can take part in. I would also suggest checking your local library for fun activities, as well as any local community centers.

Frugal Friday - Starting Back Up Again

2009-07-31T08:51:00.001-07:00

So, I had taken a long break from couponing and deal-hunting. I just couldn't keep up with clipping all those coupons and feeling the need to score every deal I read about.

But, I've become frustrated with the amount I'm spending at the grocery store. And our stockpile has dwindled considerably. It's time to build it back up again!

I think this is a good week to get back in the swing of things. First off, it's the beginning of a new month. And secondly, there are a lot of great coupons coming out this Sunday! I'm actually quite excited to give it another try. I just have to remind myself not to feel overwhelmed with catching every deal under the sun.

Wish me luck!

Frugal Vacation

2009-07-10T05:42:00.001-07:00

So, this summer we decided we deserve a vacation. It's amazing how booking a vacation can raise your spirits and boost moral when you're feeling drained or sick of working. My husband and I are so excited to get away next week.

We live in Michigan, so we have lots of options when it comes to finding something to do within driving distance. We are surrounded by beautiful water and great vacation towns. This year we decided to venture to Mackinac Island in Northern Michigan. It's a great little island, with unique hotels and inns, beautiful parks and beaches, and lots of things for us to do with our little one. Now, I'll admit that the hotels on the Island aren't exactly frugal. You can't find a Holiday Inn or Super 8. All the hotels have great character that are special to the island. But, we are going to do our best to save in as many other ways as possible.

Today I'm going focus on how we plan to save money while driving. A few things on my list of ideas:

1) No need to buy a fancy portable DVD player. We recently looked into purchasing one and were shocked to find that they run you about $130. Yikes. We'll have our laptop to play any sort of DVD Alex might be interested in watching while driving up to the island

2) I have been saving the little toys that I find hidden under the bed or have lost the rest of their set. Although we don't tend to buy kid's meals at the fast food restaurants, Grandma does, so I have been stashing those toys in a box as well. When Alex starts to get bored while we're driving I'll pull out the toy box and let him have fun with all the little toys he's forgotten about.

3) Packing snacks to eat instead of going through the drive-thru will be the biggest challenge. My husband is very accustomed to getting fast food during our long drives. Infact, I think he looks forward to it. I plan to pack bagels, fresh fruit, chips and water to get us through the drive without having to pay for expensive fast food meals.

4) I plan on borrowing some books from the library as opposed to buying magazines to read. Magazines seem like such a waste of money. I usually read through one of them in about a half hour. Six dollars (or so) seems like too much for a half hour's worth of entertainment. I also plan to check out some books for Alex. He loves reading new books.

5) Our new car has cruise control that actually works! So that should help on gas milleage.

6) We will be sure to fill up on gas at a station close to our house, as opposed to near the exit of the highway. We all know gas stations near the highway can easily charge more for gas. Our drive home might pose more of problem when trying to find cheaper gas. But, we'll assess that situation when the time comes.

Have any ideas or suggestions? I could always use more input1

Menu Plan Monday

2009-04-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

Breakfasts - Homemade banana bread, baked oatmeal, hashbrown patties, cinnamon toast, graham crackers, bananas, oranges, strawberries

Lunches - Homemade chili, homemade potato soup, tuna salad sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, deli meat sandwiches, homemade pizza, mac n cheese, leftovers, carrot sticks, bananas, oranges, strawberries

Dinners -
Monday: Oven-fried chicken, rice, glazed carrots
Tuesday: Shepherds pie from freezer, mashed potatoes, oranges
Wednesday: Brown sugar chicken, steamed broccoli, oranges
Thursday: Spaghetti, strawberries
Friday: Husband works at 5pm, dinner with parents?
Saturday: Breakfast for dinner

Re-purposing leftovers

2009-04-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

Such a good dinner tonight!

We made oven-fried chicken. Rice. And glazed carrots. Even Alex gobbled up the oven-fried chicken, which shocked me! What's even better is I washed a few of the leftover carrots to get the glaze off, diced it up along with the one left over piece of chicken and then added it to leftover rice. I have lunch for Alex tomorrow - chicken "fried" rice.

I'm going to do a slight pantry challenge this week, as we have some pre-packaged food I want to get rid of. I've been avoiding purchasing a lot of pre-packaged food (like rice-a-roni and pasta-roni) because I'm trying to incorporate healthier, whole foods. I figure we'll just eat the remaining packages and then be done with them.

Oh. And meal planning didn't work out all that well for me this week. But, we'll give it another shot.

3-Week Challenge Update

2009-04-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we're on our way. I picked up 2 extra hours last Saturday and 4 extra hours yesterday. Plus $15 in returnables (bottles and cans)

Goal Amount = $540
Amount Remaining to Reach Our Goal = $210.83
(-) $17 in tips made last Saturday
(-) $80 in tips made yesterday
(-) $15 in returned deposits
Amount Needed to Reach Our Goal = $98.83

So, despite the fact that we are still shy of almost $100 to pay the bill, I will be sending the check today. My goal was to find unconventional ways to pay this bill (picking up extra hours at work, using rebate checks, cashing in our coins, recycling our cans & bottles) and I think I did a pretty good job. But, I'm pretty sure we are close to our 3-Week time limit and I would like to get the bill paid. Work has been VERY busy for my husband and he has been making enough extra money during his normally scheduled shifts so that we can afford to use that money to get the bill paid.

I'm glad we didn't have to turn to our savings account to pay it.

Tipster Tuesday - Don't Throw That Trash Out!

2009-04-13T20:09:00.000-07:00

So, most of what filled Alex's Easter Basket this year, will be saved and re-used for next year. Including the grass.

No, we won't be re-gifting the books and flash cards over again. But, I am saving the plastic eggs that I filled with Junior Mints, as well as the cheapo toys that came filled with jelly beans and sour candies. We have lots of grass being that both Mike and I, as well as my parents gave Alex a basket. I imagine that some of the grass will get used throughout the year to stuff gift boxes, too.

But, rest assured... I will be hitting up the drug stores for their clearance items. Because yes, I am addicted to Holiday clearance sections.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-04-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

Breakfasts - Any combination of the following: homemade banana bread, cinnamon toast, hashbrowns, graham crackers and fruit

Lunches - Anycombination of the following: tuna salad sandwiches, bbq pulled pork sandwiches, salami sandwiches, mac n cheese, homemade pepperoni pizza, bean soup, potato soup, carrot sticks, fruit

Dinner -
Monday: Pork Tenderloin, asparagus, potatoes
Tuesday: Bbq pulled pork sandwiches, glazed carrots, oranges
Wednesday: Crockpot brown sugar chicken, rice, broccoli
Thursday: Mushroom white pasta, oranges
Friday: Mini meatloaves from freezer, rice
Saturday: Chicken enchilada casserole, oranges
Sunday: Shepherds pie

3-Week Challenge Update

2009-04-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

My husband typically works 5 days a week, but will often pick up a 6th day if someone asks him to work for them. So, yesterday would have put him at the 6 day mark and as a result I am going to be counting that as additional income... although I would usually just add that money into our "regular" mix.

So, I will be adding $120 into our 3-Week Challenge (he makes cash tips) and probably around an additional $40 that will be added to his pay check (although I will be waiting to add that exact amount because I can't remember how much he makes hourly and how much will be taken out for taxes, etc)

So as it stands...

3-Week Goal = $540
Amount that remains to reach our goal = $330.83
(-) $120 in additional tips my husband made yesterday
New Amount = $210.83

As soon as we get our paychecks I will figure out how much to add for his hourly pay. Plus, I will be picking up 2 additional hours at work on Saturday. Not a ton, but every little bit counts. So, as soon as I figure out how much I make I will be adding that in as well.

Getting there!

Organic on a budget?

2009-04-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

So, one of my goals is to start incorporating more whole foods and organic foods. And less processed and pre-packaged foods. My dad recently had a very mild stroke and he has started eating and living a lot healthier. It has inspired me to do the same. It was definitely a wake-up call for the whole family.

As we all know, it's difficult to eat organically on a budget. Really difficult. Fortunately, the Kroger I shop at frequently often has organic markdowns. And I have also decided that it's worth it to me to add a little bit more to our grocery budget in order to get some organic food. Not all organic. But, some.

I came across this really helpful list. It gives a rundown of the fruits and vegetables that have the highest and lowest pesticide load. So, when I'm at the grocery store thinking about which fruits and veggies to buy organic, I refer to this list... knowing that it's ok to buy non-organic produce that has the lowest pesticide load.

Pesticide Load

Toddler Tip Thursday - When Wasting Water is Good!

2009-04-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

So, I recently discovered this... have I been in the dark? Is this something all mothers know about? Where have I been?

Today I was able to clean the kitchen from top to bottom, all while my toddler hung out with me and played. The. Entire. Time. I put the sink on a low trickle, plugged it up and added a little dish soap. Throw in some plastic cups and a spoon, and you've got an hours worth of toddler fun!

I even got to scrub down the appliances and cupboards!

Now, normally I don't condone wasting water. Especially since I just posted about how I have been able to reduce our water bill by $50. But, I promised myself I would work even harder (is that possible?) to save more water to make up for what we went through today while Alex played.

It was great. My only problem is not having a sink in every room! Well, thats probably actually a good thing or we would be wasting tons of water. But, as you know you should never leave a small child unattended when playing in the sink. So, while my kitchen is sparkling, the rest of my house is still a mess.

You win some. You lose some.

Tipster Tuesday

2009-04-07T16:46:00.001-07:00

So, one thing I have been trying really hard to do, is re-purpose leftovers... as in, not just eating the same 'ol meal twice. But, instead taking the leftovers and turning them into something new and delicious :)

On Sunday I made this delicious roast. I used a 1.75# roast, so we had a big hunk leftover... and I turned it into a super easy Beef Stroganoff for dinner tonight.

Here's what used:
Leftover roast, diced into small pieces (less than 1#)
Can of cream of mushroom soup
Milk
1/2 cup of diced onion
2 cloves of minced garlic
Salt
Pepper
Pinch of thyme (mainly because my husband likes to add a pinch of thyme to EVERYTHING)
Olive oil

I sauteed up the onions in some olive oil. Then I added the garlic and the diced beef. I let it saute for a minute or so to heat the beef through then I added the can of soup and milk. I eyed the amount of milk to get it to the consistency I wanted for the sauce. Then I added a bunch of pepper (we like pepper), salt and thyme. Voila! If you let it simmer for a bit, it will thicken up (if you prefer i that way) or you can add more milk to thin it out before serving.

It was SOOO good. I am always proud of myself when I try to make something new and my husband likes it, because he can be quite the critic (he likes everything to be prepared the way his mom made it growing up). This dish was certainly a hit!

Anyways, my tip for today is to re-purpose your leftovers whenever possible. I took a roast that cost less than $4 and stretched it into two frugal meals. In addition to that, it makes meal planning easier! Next time we make a roast, I know that I can always use the leftovers to make stroganoff... it'll make another dinner a no-brainer.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-04-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

Breakfasts, any combination of the following: homemade buttermilk banana bread, hashbrown patties, cinnamon toast, bagels, fruit

Lunches, any combination of the following: homemade pepperoni pizza, tuna salad, egg salad, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, pasta salad, deli meat sandwiches, fruit, leftovers

Dinners:

Monday - mini meatloaves from the freezer, mother-in-law's brown rice, strawberries
Tuesday - beef stroganoff (from Sunday's leftover roast), oranges
Wednesday - shepherd's pie, oranges
Thursday - something my husband will cook that is yet to be decided, asparagus
Friday - potato soup from freezer, rye bread, oranges
Saturday - brown sugar chicken in crockpot, green beans,
Sunday - easter dinner with grandparents

$3.50 Bras!

2009-04-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

I have been desperate, I mean DESPERATE, for new bras. It's just so hard to shop for them when you have a toddler!

I came across this deal on Slickdeals.net. Lane Bryant Catalog has a code for 50% and free shipping on orders $40 and over. Now, most of their stuff is not my style at all... but their bras are excellent deals if you're a big busted woman!

Check out the bras on clearance, some as low as $6.99... take an additional 50% off and you've got a bra for $3.50! I just got 5 bras for $30... can't beat that at Kohls!

Use code L04069 at http://http://www.lanebryantcatalog.com/pagebuilder/HOME

Beef in the Crockpot

2009-04-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

My husband often gets sick of eating chicken and ground beef at most meals, so I try hard to come up with frugal ways of serving beef. I do this by purchasing meat on sale, or on Manager's Markdown at Kroger. My mother-in-law taught me this recipe using a chuck roast, a fairly frugal cut of beef. I usually try and find the smallest cut, being that it's just my husband and I that will eat it. Or, if the cuts are on the larger side I will take them home and divide them into meal size portions.

Keep in mind this recipe is for 2 adults, but can be EASILY adjusted for more people.

1# of chuck roast
2 potatoes peeled and diced
1 small onion cut into chunks
3 carrots peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
2 cloves of garlic smashed or finely chopped
Worcestershire sauce
Ketchup
Salt and pepper
Water

Trim chunks of fat from roast. Put the cut potatoes, carrots and onions on the bottom of the pot. Plop the roast on top. Sprinkle Worcestershire sauce on the roast (about 6 shakes). Top roast with garlic, salt and pepper. Squeeze a layer of ketchup on top of the roast. Pour about a cup or more of water into the bottom of the pot. You could also use beef broth instead of water.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Note: I try not to make the chunks of potato too large for fear that they won't finish cooking in time (a tip from a woman in the grocery store). I personally haven't had issues with potatoes being undercooked, but she has and it has made me paranoid.

My husband LOVES this dish. He is really into comfort food.

Saving on Utilities

2009-04-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

We pay our water bill to the city quarterly (is this normal for most areas?). This last quarter I managed to shave off about $50 from our bill!

I simply paid close attention to the amount of water I was using to wash our dishes. Mainly making sure not to leave water running while I was scrubbing. I also started using a different setting on our dishwasher. I'm not sure if it uses less water but it certainly is washing our dishes faster than it used to. I have also been doing less laundry. I work very hard at re-folding clothes that aren't dirty. My husband has a tendency to wear clothes for only a few hours before he has to go to work each night, then tossing those perfectly clean clothes in the dirty laundry.

This summer I would really like to look into coming up with a rainfall collection barrel. We didn't water our lawn last year because we moved into our house too late in the summer and our lawn was already a field of dandelions. No point in watering the weeds! This year we have already been working hard to improve our lawn and make it gorgeous... but I don't want to spent a ton on watering our lawn and garden.

Unfortunately, the start-up costs for a rainfall collection system are higher that I'd like. And possibly a bit complicated for us... we're not handy people. But, it's something I've started researching and I would really like to have.

We'll see I suppose.

Finding more money for the 3-Week Challenge

2009-04-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

So, today I managed to find $59 more dollars to put towards our 3-Week $540 Challenge.

Mike's Grandma, a very generous woman, sends us $200 each month. Generally, all $200 is used to pay our car payment, although we technically only owe $161.00 each month. I just always pay the extra $39 to get ahead a little bit. So, I used the extra $39 to instead put towards our $540 Challenge.

Also, I randomly found $20 underneath the basement stairs! Gotta love it! I was TOTALLY tempted to use that money for more groceries, but I held strong and forced myself to find something to make from what we already have on hand... and dinner turned out just fine and more of all, Alex loved it.

So there. $59 more dollars!

Total Goal Amount = $540
(-) $146.17 in found change
(-) $4.00 SCR from Rite Aid
(-) $39 from Mike's Grandmother
(-) $20 found in the basement
New Total after all deductions= $330.83

My 3-Week Challenge - Updated

2009-04-02T04:42:00.000-07:00

A few months back, my husband took a trip to the emergency room and yesterday we received a bill for the portion that was not covered by our insurance... $540, yikes! Now, I could just write a check and take the money out of our savings account, but I have decided to challenge myself to come up with more creative ways rather than just taking it right out of savings. I figure 3 weeks is a good amount. The bill doesn't have a due date but I would like to pay it in a timely manner... treat it like a utility.

Some ideas I've come up with already:
-Cash in on our various piles of change around the house. I estimate this will be around $80
-Cash the Rite Aid rebate checks that have been sitting around the house - $14
-Return our bottles and cans - Estimated $7
-Ebay. We have a few giftcards we are unable to use, AMC and TGIFridays because we don't have any locations near us. Plus I might look into selling some of Alex's old baby stuff.
-Have a Pantry Challenge where I stay out of the grocery store for a week and instead put that $60 into this challenge
-Ideas? Obviously this isn't going to cut it but I hope to come up with new ideas as we go along.

Amount = $540.00

(-) Change collected around the house $146.17
(-) Rite Aid rebate check (could only find one) $4.00

Amount left til we reach our goal = $389.83

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

Monday - ~~Roasted Chicken~~ Chicken went bad so we ate Brats, brown rice, and asparagus
Tuesday - Brown sugar chicken, broccoli, fruit salad
Wednesday - Pork in crockpot, mashed potatoes
Thursday - Sloppy joes, glazed carrots, potato chips
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Freezer shepherds pie, fruit salad
Sunday - Freezer soups (asparagus or potato)

Also on agenda - make breakfast burritos for freezer, make asparagus soup out of left over roasted chicken, make homemade bread to add to our meals?

Frugal Fridays - Discount on gift cards

2009-03-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

So, in April I have a "gift card" wedding shower to attend. The frugal part of me has been agonizing over what to do about it, as we all know it's easier to save money when you're able to purchase a gift at a discount, but much more difficult to purchase a gift card at a discount.

So, today I bit the bullet and used up all of the $5 Amazon giftcards I have racked up through SWAGBUCKS and I will use it to buy a Target giftcard on Amazon (I didn't have enough SWAGBUCKS to purchase a Target giftcard). I am slightly disappointed, as I had wanted to use my SWAGBUCKS on a Starbucks giftcard (I have completely given up spending money at Starbucks). But, thats life!

Anyways, if you have any other ideas on how to purchase gift cards at a discount, let me know! I had looked into websites that allow you to "swap" giftcards, as well as purchasing them on Ebay. This proved to be the easiest and least expensive (although I did have to "spend" my Swagbucks)

New members, use code "MOMMYSNACKS" when you sign up and get 2 free bucks! Just enter it in during registration in the box for swagcodes.

Easy Potato Soup

2009-03-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy couponing and deal seeking, but sometimes with a 2 year old who refuses to behave in a store, I don't get to score as many deals as I would like. So, I have starting working really hard on cooking from scratch and using more whole foods to cut down on food costs.

Anyways, lastnight I made potato soup and it was yummy!

5 cups of diced potatoes
1 cup of diced carrots
1/2 cup of diced celery (could obviously use more but I didn't have much to work with)
1 small onion diced (the small onions that come in the bags at the grocery store)
1 can of corn
1 can of condensed cream soup (I used chicken)
3 cups of milk (I used whole)
1 8oz. bag of cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
A pinch of oregano
olive oil

Boil diced potatoes until they are soft. Saute diced carrots and celery in olive oil. Don't use too much oil or it'll make your soup oily... I probably used 1 maybe 2 tablespoons. If you keep the heat low enough on the stove top while you're sauteing, you don't have to worry about burning because you used less oil. I sauteed for about 15 minutes, then added the onion and sauteed another 10 minutes. In a soup pot, I combined all the ingredients and seasoned it with the spices. Serve as soon as the cheese is melted throughout the soup.

So tasty. My husband is a food snob to the highest degree, so when he enjoys the dishes I make, I know they are good!

I would make an entire second pot to put in the freezer for later if I had enough veggies on hand.

Deals I'm diggin'

2009-02-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

There are a couple things that are worth a trip to Meijer, IMO.

First, varieties of 10 oz Vaseline lotions are on sale for $1.99. Infact, I found ones with 30% more that was included in the sale.

Vaseline Lotion @ $1.99 (sale price)
-$1.50 MFQ
=$0.49 lotion

This is a good deal for me, being that I am not an avid CVSer, and even so, I don't tend to see many good lotion ECB deals as it is.

Coffee filters are also a great deal this week.

40 ct Melitta filters @ $0.99 (sale price)
-$0.50 Mealbox Q
=$0.49 coffee filters

These are the brand I use for my coffee machine. I looked at the 100 ct box I have in my cupboard right now and the price tag says $3.59.... so $0.49 for a 40 ct is a good deal in my book.

I also picked up some free frosting, as it's Alex birthday this month. As well as $0.45 Skippy Peanut Butter (I missed out on the Wags deal recently)

Walgreens

2009-02-07T05:59:00.000-08:00

I think today is the last day to submit your Walgreens January rebates. I got in just under the gun lastnight. Although, I will say that in the past I have forgotten to claim the rebates in time and they automatically did it for me and even reloaded my gift card instead of sending a check.

Frugal Friday

2009-02-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

How I saved money this week:

-Made homemade Valentines made out of cardstock I never use. I cut them into heart shapes and Alex colored them. I hope to make it to Walgreens to see if they have any cute stickers to add... which will be free using my Wags GC.
-Started religiously re-folding clothes that haven't been worn, or have been worn but aren't dirty. I am making it a huge priority to reduce utilities and I am trying desperately to cut back on laundry. So far I have noticed a HUGE difference in the amount of laundry I'm doing. It's nice.
-Bought a pair of jeans on clearance at Kohls. My old jeans were starting to get holes. I REALLY wanted to get a pair of jeans that were full price (come on, I thought EVERYTHING at Kohls is on sale, apparently not) but opted against them. I don't regret my decision.
-Initially Mike and I thought we would need a tax-preparer this year so we contacted someone who had been recommended to us who said they would charge $200. We opted trying Turbo Tax instead and it worked just fine.
-I have been allowing Mike to pick up extra hours at work, which ofcourse, comes with a price that I pay at home... a more tired husband who is not around as much to help me out. As a mom of a toddler, sometimes I feel like I'm going to lose my mind if I don't get a break at some point during the day.... but today I opted to let Mike sleep in because he's over tired from work. Hopefully I won't regret that decision tonight when Mike goes back to work.
-My parents took a trip to Vegas and my mom struck gold at a Dillards in AZ... she AND MY DAD (even he was super excited over all the great deals) bought lots of clothes for Alex, including 2 winter/fall jackets. The help they provide is a HUGE money saver for us. I certainly don't ever expect anything from them but am very grateful for all they do.

Oatmeal

2009-01-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

This stuff has been getting me out of bed each morning for a week... well, that is if you don't count the ::almost:: 2 year-old that is pushing me. Anytime I'm feeling extra sluggish, I remind myself of the baked oatmeal I have portioned out in the freezer. It's sooooo yummy.

1/4 cup of oil (I use vegetable)
1/2 cup of apple sauce
1/4 cup of packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups of oatmeal (I use instant - not the microwave flavored kind but the kind that comes in a canister - but would prefer to use old fashioned b/c I believe it's healthier for you....)
2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup of milk (I use skim)
Optional: Handful of blueberries, but you could omit this or add any sort of fruit you enjoy (apple, strawberries, banana, dried fruit, nuts)

Mix ingredients in order listed. Pour into greased 8x8 baking dish (I spray it with PAM). Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes depending on how crispy you like the edges. Serve warm topped with a LITTLE brown sugar and a couple dabs of margarine. After it's cooled I make individual portions and put them into ziplock baggies for freezing. They are perfect zapped in the morning!

Fleishmann's Catalinas and Meijer Goody hairbands

2008-12-12T13:03:00.000-08:00

I went and used my $0.50 Fleishmanns catalinas at Kroger today and they doubled! I used them at the u-scan which is probably why. I've noticed when I use coupons at the u-scan I am more likey to get overage and the coupon rules are more lax. I'll be gathering the rest of my Fleishmanns coupons and buying more!

Also, Goody hairbands are 25% off at Meijer right now. The sale could include other products but the hairbands are pretty much all I use so I didn't browse other items. I paid $0.09 for hairbands the other day. Sweet! Perfect stocking stuffers for my mom and sis.

2008-12-11T12:08:00.000-08:00

Denise has an awesome giveaway for a $500 Walmart giftcard. If you haven't checked it out, do so now!

The "Cent"sible Sawyer

Hidden Wags Rebates

2008-12-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

I just read on iheartwags.com that people are getting rebates for BOTH the glade wisp and the glade twin packs. Plus the L-Oreal Pro-Calcium that was a rebate item last month. You can bet I'll be buying the L'Oreal during the 4-day sale!

Now, what else should I throw in? Hmmm...

2008-12-08T09:58:00.000-08:00

Well, the $2 rebate for the Glade Wisp candle I purchased at Walgreens has gone through... although it shows up as the "glade twin pack". So, I'm guessing that means if a deal pops up where I can score the glade twin pack of candles for free (after rebate), that I shouldn't bother because I've already reached my limit on that rebate.

A little disappointed. But, at least I still get the $2.

Glade @ Wags...

2008-12-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

I had read about the Glade Wisp candles being a money maker at Wags this week. It's $3.99, use a -$3 MFQ and submit for a $2 ES Rebate. The shelf had the tag on it saying it qualified for a rebate. But, now I can't for the life of me find it on the Wags website.

Er.

Hopefully it'll just pop-up automatically.

2008-12-04T08:41:00.000-08:00

I have to say, I'm really really excited about starting a felt story board for Alex. Two bloggers that I read on a regular basis have made one for their toddlers and I have secretly been very jealous. Lastnight I started making characters for a farm scene

I made: A kick-ass barn complete with doors that open, a tractor, a pick-up truck, a tree, a bush, a piggy and a duck.

I plan to make a few more animals but I can't think of any other essential farm items. I also plan to make a house, a pond with fish, flowers, people, doggy, kitty, a car, clouds, a sun, shapes and letters. Maybe a train. Alex has an entire wall in his room that is totally empty of art and furniture so I plan to make the board HUGE!

So excited.

Wags 4-Day Sale

2008-12-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

Went to Walgreens today to utilize the $5 RR printing when you purchase $25 worth of stuff. I really wanted Capri Suns, but my store didn't have any. It really isn't that great of a deal but we were in desperate need. I improvised though, thanks to the Wal-itin (is that what it's called?)

(2) Wal-itin - $13.98 ($6.99 each)
(1) Colgate Total - $2.99
(1) Glade Wisp Candle - $4.99 (I think??)
(1) Bald Guys - $4.99

Total - $26.95

Used
(1) Wal-itin IVC that takes $6.00 off for each one purchased - $12.00
(1) Colgate MQ - $1.00
(1) Glade Wisp MQ - $3.00
(1) 6 RR

Total $4.95 (on Wags gift card)

Received - 2 RR for Colgate, 5 RR for spending $25, and will submit for $3 ES Rebate for Wisp and $4.99 ES Rebate for Bald Guys, plus 10% additional for Wags Rebate Gift card

$8.79 in rebated earned
$7 RR earned

Equals $15.79 for a profit of $10.84 (or $4.84 if you deduct the RR I used for payment)

I might hit up another Wags later to see if they have Capri Suns.

2008-11-30T06:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I plan to do some shopping today. Hopefully. I'm pretty tired and there is always a good possibility that when I lay down to give Alex his nap, that I might too fall asleep. Hope not.

This is the first time my KMart has doubled coupons, and I'm even worried that the flyer might be wrong because it's not a Super K. The flyer says it'll be doubling. We'll see.

I also plan to stop at the Thrift store to pick up wool sweaters for a Christmas wreath craft I'm working on.

Any other good deals this week? I'm fairly pleased with Meijer's ad. I haven't really shopped at Meijer for a few weeks because of Kroger's great sales. But, they seem to have lots of things on sale that we need right now.

Maybe I'll go drink some coffee.

MAJOR Walgreens overage!!

2008-11-21T11:55:00.001-08:00

Did I miss something about the Bic Soliel refill cartridges at Walgreens this week??

It's huge!

I went to Wags to pick up some Hershey's chocolate, which I chickened out on getting BTW. More on that later. Plus, I had some requests from my husband for various items like wart remover and shower loofahs and things I didn't want to actually pay cash for. So, I decided to pick up the Bic Soliel refill cartridges because the IVC coupon expires soon. There were only 4 left, so I got 3 because I always feel guilty whipping them out.

I get to the checkout and the guy says "You might want to grab another one of these, they are B1G1Free." Um, WHAT?!! So, I run to the razor aisle and grab the last one.

Then I get all nervous about how my coupons are gonna work. Now that we've had the discussion over them being B1G1, is he gonna not allow me to use coupons for the items that are "free"? Are we gonna have to go through that whole song and dance about coupon policy, blah blah?

Nope!

So, here's how it went down

(4) Bic Soleil Refills - $27.96 (or $6.99 each)

Minus -$13.98 for B1G1 sale
Minus -$12.00 for the IVC in the November ES Catalog ($3.00 for each item)
Minus -$12.00 for the MFQ I had ($3.00 each)

Thats $10.02 in overage people!!!!!

Whoa. He gave me my total and I was thrilled. I paid $5.xx on my gift card because of my various other high value items.

Tickled. Completely tickled. I don't know if this is YMMV? Was it just that Walgreens having the B1G1 sale? There was nothing on the shelf about it.

If Alex is in a good mood we're heading to the other walgreens to see if I can do the deal again.

Oh, and I chickened out on the hersheys because the MFQs I had said they had to be 11 oz bags and the sale bags were only 8.5 oz. It probably would have worked regardless but I don't condone using coupons for items they aren't intended for.

What to do with all those chickens??

2008-11-21T10:03:00.000-08:00

Being the frugal wife that I am, I tend to always pick up whole chickens when they are marked down at Kroger. My husband, who is a TOTAL food snob and for the most part dislikes chicken unless it's deep fried, found this receipe on foodnetwork.com. It's a Tyler Florence recipe... and it's AMAZING. In fact, my husband even muttered "I never knew chicken could taste this good".

What makes it even better, is that it turns into delicious chicken noodle soup! We tried the same chicken noodle soup recipe with a pre-roasted chicken from the store, and it wasn't NEARLY as good as when we used our Tyler Florence chicken.

Here it is:

1 (4 to 5 pound) free-range chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, halved
1/4 bunch each fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
11/2 pounds red new potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out, then pat it dry with paper towels. Season the cavity with salt and pepper, and then stuff the lemon, garlic, and herbs inside. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape. Toss the potatoes around the chicken. Season the whole thing with a fair amount of salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast the chicken and potatoes for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Don't forget to baste the chicken with the drippings and rotate the pan every 20 minutes or so to insure a golden crispy skin. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer says 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.) Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving. Serve with the roasted potatoes on the side.

We usually do it without the potatoes, but have done it with and they are delicious as well. We have found that when basting every 20 minutes, we tend to have to add chicken stock because sometimes there aren't a whole lot of drippings.

This recipe is SOOOOO good. And fairly frugal. We tend to use dried spices except for we always somehow manage to have fresh parsley on hand as it is (convenient for our soup recipe as well).

2008-11-20T12:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn't get as much shopping accomplished as I had hoped. I made a trip to Kroger and perhaps later tonight Alex and I will venture to Walgreens. I believe they have a good deal on cheese? Or was that last week? Anyways we need milk regardless and I'd rather put it on my Wags giftcard than pay full price at Kroger... they didn't have any manager mark downs today.

Some highlights of my Kroger trip

(4) Duncan Hine's Carrot Cake Mixes = $1.00 each, used (4) -$1.00 MFQs = FREE!
(2) Idahoan Potatoes = $1.00 each, used (2) -$0.40 IPs that doubled = $0.40 for both (Smartsource has these available to print)
(1) B.C Frosting = $1.67, used (1) -$0.50 MFQ that doubled, plus a -$0.55 Shortcuts coupon = $0.12
(1) B.C Pouch Instant Potatoes (didn't know they had pouches! they were cheaper than the boxes) = $1.00, used -$0.35 MFQ that doubled, plus -$0.35 Shortcuts coupon = -$0.05!
(3) Cottonelle 4-Packs = $0.99 each, used (3) -$0.25 MFQ that doubled, plus (2) -$0.50 Shortcuts coupons and (1) -$0.50 Cellfire coupon - FREE!
(1) Active Lifesyle Oatmeal = $Not Sure, used a FREE coupon loaded with Cellfire = FREE!
(1) Kroger Brand Shredded Cheese = $1.67, used -$0.50 Shortcuts coupon

I also got Whole Wheat flour that I had been waiting to go on sale... never did and my coupon expires today, so I bit the bullet and picked it up. At least I got $1 off. Alex loves strawberries and will eat them no matter how sour, so I paid $2.99 for those (anything to make a toddler eat!)

Speaking of which, he's waking up from his nap. Off I go!

Oddly Excited...

2008-11-19T16:42:00.001-08:00

My mom came over yesterday so we could do some Christmas shopping together. She must have felt bad for me as I was frantically trying to finish sweeping the floors as we headed out the door, because she called and offered to watch Alex for awhile tomorrow so I can do WHATEVER.I.WANT.

Whoa.

Ofcourse, WHATEVER.I.WANT actually means "a lot of things I would rather not do"... like clean. Uh. I feel like I am ALWAYS cleaning. But, this also includes shopping. I plan on making the rounds tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Maybe I'll even take pictures this time.

But, boy am I excited to have a few hours to get things done without my little helper!

Just keeping track, plus CVS

2008-11-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

My mom and I are in charge of a donation drive going on at my dad's restaurant/bar. It'll be two weeks long. I will be periodically taking things into work each time I go, as well as sending things with my husband when he works. I could just wait until the end and dump my big stash when the truck comes to pick up our donation barrel... but I think it's important to show customers and coworkers that I am taking the time to donate and they should too. I hope that if others see me physically putting my items into our barrel, they will be reminded to do the same.

So far:

(4) Dishsoap
(5) Buddies Bars
(1) B.C Warm Delights
(4) Carnation Evaporated Milk
(2) Cans of tuna
(2) B.C Instant Potatoes
(1) Cornstarch
(2) Quaker Oats
(6) Nailsaver Sponges
(3) Toothpastes

And it has hardly made a dent in my donation pile. I have some things I might hold off on donating until the very end for fear that drunk college students might sift through the barrel and take some of things out (deodorant, razors, body wash, etc).

Anyways, I did two transactions at CVS today which is a lot for me! I've been cutting back on shopping at CVS because it was becoming too stressful and too time consuming. I just don't understand how mother's of toddlers can manage successful CVS transactions!

I made some major mistakes though. I was in a hurry being that I had Alex with me. I knew exactly where I was going and what I was getting. I arrived at the batteries and noticed a sign that had them priced at $5.29 which go me excited! I though "Hurray! For once my CVS has prices lower than most others". I was expecting the prices to be $5.99. Well, apparently they were $5.99... on the other side of the display. The batteries I scooped up were still part of the ECB deal, but had 1/2 the amount of batteries the $5.99 packs have!

UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Needless to say, my OOP for the days was only like $0.90 and I still have one battery transaction remaining... so you can bet I'll be getting the $5.99 packs.

I am such an idiot.

How I will be saving money during the Holidays

2008-11-13T05:44:00.000-08:00

This post will be a work in progress as I think of, and come up with new ways to save money.

1) I will not be purchasing any new decorations. I have enough already. I did "buy" a cute glittery star to hang on the outside of the house, but I used my Pier 1 gift card, so it was free!

2) We do not have any electrical plugs on the outside of our house! We just discovered this and I think it's kind of strange. At any rate, we won't be using extra electricity to light the outside of our house.

3) A generous woman from the internet mailed me the stash of Christmas cards she received last year and I will be using those, along with the ones I received, to make Christmas gift tags.

4) Gift cards. Over the course of the year I receive lots of gift cards. Although I know the givers intend for the cards to be used to purchase something nice for myself, I often use the cards to buy nice things for others. I don't feel bad about it at all. In fact, many times there is enough money on the gift card for me to buy myself something as well. And it brings me joy to give to others and know that I'm not stressing myself out at the thought of spending too much money.

More Kroger freebies (body wash, shoelaces)

2008-11-03T18:31:00.000-08:00

So, I went to Kroger today and spent almost $50. Youza! But, I got a lot of things that we needed that weren't on sale. Like $10 in deli meat (we hate the pre-packaged sliced deli meat) and $6 in apples. Alex has recently discovered how great apples are... plus my husband continues to tell me how much he loves Honeycrisp apples (he refuses to eat any other kind).

Anyways, I picked up some freebies:

-Carnation condensed milk
-Tylenol PM (look for a coupon that is for "Simply Sleep" a Tylenol product I've never heard of... it states you can use it on any "Simply Sleep" or Tylenol PM product. Can't remember insert, sorry! It's for $2 off making the 24 cts free)
-Mini Scotch lint rollers (actually, these give you $0.50 overage)
-Quacker Oats
-Bic Silky Smooth razors (I don't like these as I have tried them before, but my mom uses these plus I can always donate)
-Herbal Essence (still on sale for $2.49 so I uploaded coupons to my husband's card)
-Olay Ribbon's Body Wash!! (Excited for this one because it's my husband's favorite body wash... it retails for $3.99, if you buy two and use the B1G1 uploaded to your Kroger card plus (2) $2 Olay body wash coupons, both are free!)
-Kiwi Shoelaces (didn't actually buy these because I didn't have those coupons clipped... but I'll be going back to Kroger later this week to use the rest of my freebie coupons and I will scoop these up!)

2008-11-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

November:
$0.67 Walgreens (grocery)
$15.00 Kroger (grocery)
$5.03 Starbucks (entertainment)
$49.85 Kroger (grocery)

2008-10-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

The main reason for my lack of posts is I made this ridiculously long and detailed post about all my shopping last week and somehow only a small part of it posted. I don't have the energy to do it over again.

I checked our finances and have decided that this week we will be saving extra money by using food from our stockpile and avoiding spending money, at all costs!

I will be getting the free items at Kroger and Meijer. I already went this morning for emergency frozen hashbrowns (the only thing my son will eat for breakfast) and free Hall's cough drops at Kroger. I regret not planning my trip better because there are apparently quite a few more freebies this week. Oh well, I'll go back.

I already checked the CVS near by and they were out of razor's by Monday morning. Pisser. I just left. ALex was with me and trying to come up with a money making scenario would have been impossible with him.

My inlaws arrive in town on Thursday and I'm thrilled. I truly love it when they visit. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they buy us groceries :) I'll never pass up free groceries... and it's always an added bonus when I don't have to plan and use coupons!

2008-10-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

Lots of recent shopping

TODAY

Kroger

Purchase:
(4) Ultra Nail Saver Sponges - $4.00
(2) Green Giants frozen veggies - $2.00
(2) Cottonelle 4-pk - $1.98
(1) Soft Soap - $1.00

Used:
(4) -$1.00 Ultra Nail Saver IP Coupons - $4.00
(2) -$0.50 Green Giant frozen veggies MFQ - $2.00 (both coupons doubled)
(1) -$0.50 Cottonelle MFQ (randomly found on hanging out in a drawer at home!) - $1.00 (doubled)
(1) -$0.35 Softsoap MFQ - $0.70 (doubled)
(2) -$0.50 Cottonelle shortcuts coupon loaded to card - $1.00
(1) -$0.50/2 Green Giant shortcuts coupon loaded to card - $0.50

Total: $0.16!!

I couldn't believe it. I hmmmed for a couple minutes over whether to pick up the softsoap (don't usually use these) as a filler because I was worried I was going to be in the negative because of the shortcuts coupons. I'm glad I did!

Revving it up!

2008-10-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

I'm kicking my deal shopping into high gear for the next couple weeks. As winter approaches, the amount of money Mike and I will be making will decrease. We both work at the same restaurant and bar, owned by my father. Mike's income shouldn't be affected much because he's a manager. If business is slower, his tips will be lower. But, we still anticipate the same number of hours. My work is affected more. We have outdoor seating that draws major crowds, when winter comes that means we close the outdoor seating and have far fewer shifts available because a whole entire section of the restaurant is closed.

Anyways. I'm blabbing. It has already started to effect us. I'm feeling the pinch. To alleviate some of the stress, I am working on having our basement as stockpiled as possible.

Today I left Alex home with Mike and spent a few hours running around town getting some good deals. I was even able to stop at Goodwill and Aldi, which I hardly EVER go to.

I'll update with all my shopping later.

Kroger 10/21

2008-10-21T12:10:00.001-07:00

Went to scoop up some of the freebies at Kroger today. Once I got there, I realized I forgot to load my shortcuts coupons. Er!

Purchased:
(1) MS Organic Whole Chicken - $4.70
(1) MS Roll of Pork Sausage - $1.59
(1) MS Horizon Organic Milk - $1.59 (I think?)
(3) Johnson's Buddies Bars - $2.97
(4) Brut Deodorants - $4.00
(4) Celestial Tea - $4.00
(1) Puffs - $1.00

Used:
(1) -$3.00 off 3 Johnson's Buddies MFQ - $3.00
(4) -$1.00 off any Brut MFQ - $4.00
(4) -$1.00 off any Celestial Tea MFQ - $4.00
(1) -$0.25 off any Puffs MFQ - $0.50 (doubled)

I thought there was a $1.00 off Organic coupon loaded to my card. Guess not. Oh well.

This particular store didn't have the $1.00 Sally Hansen. Or else they weren't marked. I price checked the bottle that looked like the one in the picture and it was $4.25. Who knows...

I spent $10.xx OOP.

I would have also purchased the Green Giant frozen veggies, but I didn't know if that coupon was loaded to my card. I probably would have also scooped up some soft soap, except Alex insisted on using the GIANT shopping cart shaped like a car and it was IMPOSSIBLE to push through the store. By the time I remember the soft soap, I didn't feel like trying to push our way to the other end of the store. Oh well. I will probably go back later this week for the veggies and the soft soap.

2008-10-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

Did some major grocery shopping today. Hit up Kroger and Meijer. Had to get some things that weren't super great deals. But, I think all-in-all, everything was at least on sale. Some highlights...

Kroger:
(1) Prilosec OTC 12-ct - $9.99 - Used $5.00 P&G Esaver loadable coupon, plus a $3.00 MFQ that I clipped from some random newspaper insert (not a coupon insert). Paid $2.00
(1) Febreze Noticeables - Don't know retail price - Used $5.00 P&G Esaver loadable coupon, plus $5.00 P&G MFQ. It was free plus overage
(4) Kroger cheese - were $1.67 a piece
(1) 1/2 Gallon of whole milk - $0.99 on manager special

There was a TON of meat and nice bread marked down, but we just don't have room in our freezer for it

Meijer:
(4) Orville Redenbacher's Natural Popcorn - $1.59 a piece - I used $1.00 MFQs and got them for $0.59 a piece!
(3) Bottles of Juicy Juice - $2.25-ish a piece - I used $1.00 off IPs and paid about $1.25-ish. I still have about 5 more of these coupons that will expire on the 15th. I'm actually tempted to go to Kroger where they are on sale for a slightly higher price (about $2.59) because their juice boxes are included in their sale and we would get more use out of juice boxes.
(2) Boxes of Kelloggs cereal - $2.00 - used $1.00 IPs and made them $1.00 a piece
(1) 24-pack of Pepsi - $6.00 - Eh, at least it's a better deal than paying $3.67 for a 12-pack
(1) Bag of Meijer brand Kettle potato chips - $2.49 - Used $1.00 mealbox coupon and paid $1.49 which is pretty darn good deal for chips because I can never find coupons for chips.

I also got a lot of fruit from both stores. Meijer has a deal on Michigan apples right now (I live in Michigan though). You can grab one of their paper tote bags and mix and match with various kinds for $0.79 a pound which is about half the price they were at Kroger.

I think thats about all. I also got a nice bathmat that was 30% off and ended up only being $15.00. I'm not sure if I could have gotten a better deal going to BB&B and using a coupon. But, I just don't have time to make multiple trips.

Back to painting that bathroom.

Expensive week to come...

2008-10-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

So, this week is going to be more expensive than most. We have our first real houseguests coming to stay with us in 6 days and I didn't really prepare my stockpile for it.

I know we'll need a lot of easy snacks - cheese, dip, crackers, chips, pop, fresh fruits (which I wouldn't have purchased ahead of time anyways). So this week I'm going to have to make some purchases of items I don't have coupons for.

Thank goodness for Meijer mealbox coupons. There is one for baked lays and one for their Meijer brand kettle chips. This morning Alex and I already made a trip to purchase one of each.

I'm going to have to pour of the sales flyers this week and decide where to buy the rest... fruit, pop, crackers, toilet paper (our stockpile is dwindling) and cheese. I'm thinking Target has a pretty good deal on Coke - 3 for $11. We'll see.

Anyways, yesterday I made one last trip to Walgreens for the week. I couldn't pass up the $10 shower cleaner coupon. I have been dying to try one but still couldn't stomach the $5.00 OOP it would have been with just a $5 off coupon. I love that it's now free after rebate. Plus, I needed some Windex. I've been using Lysol the past few weeks to clean windows and it just isn't cutting it.

Yesterday we scooped up a really great deal at one of our local grocery stores. We purchased a boneless sirloin roast for about $15.00. This is something we wouldn't normally buy, but that my husband LOVES. He's a true carnivore. Anyways, the reason we purchased one yesterday, is it came with a free 5# bag of potatoes, 3# bag of carrots, ?# bag of onions, Heinz gravy, a disposable roasting pan and an apple pie. So, at some point this week we will have a roast for dinner. He's pumped. The thing is huge, so I intend to use the leftovers for beefstew. Or something.

All for now. Back to preparing for our houseguests.

CVS Confession

2008-10-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

Ok. First lets start out with my trip to CVS today. I did one transaction:

(4) Colgate MaxFresh toothpaste - $11.96
(2) Colgate MaxFresh 2 in 1 toothpaste - $5.38 (they were 25% off)
(3) CVS Gold Soap bars - $2.97
(1) Bic Soleil - $5.99

Used:
(6) -$1.00 Colgate Maxfresh MFQ - $6.00
(1) -$2.00 Bic Soleil - $2.00
$5.99 ECB
$5.00 ECB
$3.00 ECB
$2.50 ECB
$1.00 ECB

Paid $2.xx OOP most ofwhich was tax, I believe.

I received $19.00 ECBs. I did it all in one big transaction because I couldn't really think of a better way to do it now that we don't have any $/$$ coupons.

I dunno about CVS anymore. I just feel like I might make it a monthly, or twice monthly trip for me. GASP! I know... Something has gotten into me and I get so insanely nervous everytime I step up to the regester to pay. And I've never had a nasty cashier before! ::knock on (fake) wood::

I'll be brutally honest.

I live less than 5 minutes from a really great CVS. Most good ECB deals are always still stocked. The clearance section is nice. My favorite cashier works there.

But, it's right SMACK in the middle of student housing for Michigan State University. Hence the reason why all the deals are always still there. It's probably an insanely profitable CVS because college students don't care at all about snagging a good deal (or, most I should say). Plus, it's right among all the bars so I'm sure they have quite a few that stumble through and buy a week's worth of potato chips to chow down on after a drunken night out.

And thats why I get so nervous. I look like a college student myself. And I just feel like the eyes of a dozen beautiful young co-eds are burning the back of my head as I stand at the register and hand over 6 tubes of toothpaste and 20 coupons.

I can't even imagine what it'd be like if my coupons beeped and I had some drunk idiot behind me who wanted to be rude about taking so long... which is entirely possible because I went at 10pm tonight and they were all out in full force.

So, I apologize if the CVS transactions are a bit sparse. My nerves are getting the best of me.

Plus, I feel like everything that is a good deal, I already have 10 of. Tonight I bought toothpaste I don't even need just so I could roll some ECBs that were going to expire in a couple days.

We'll see what happens.

Another good Wags trip

2008-10-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

I mainly went tonight to get Chapstick and more Glade Scenter Oil Holders. Well, they were out of the holders. Instead I ended up with:

(3) Pert Plus - $10.47
(2) Glade carpet and room deodorizer - $1.98
(2) Chapstick 3-pks - ?? (regular price not marked)
(2) Oral-B Indicators - $3.98
(4) Halloween goody bags - $0.50

Used:
(3) -$1.50 Pert Plus MFQ - $4.50
(2) -$1.00 Glade carpet and room MFQ- $2.00
(1) -$1.00 Oral-B Manual Toothbrush MFQ - $1.00
(1) -$0.75 Oral-B Manual Toothbrush MFQ - $0.75
(1) -$2.50 Pert Plus October ES IVC - $7.50 (take $2.50 off for each item purchased)
(1) -$?? Chapstick coupon (made each chapstick package $2.99)
(1) -$4.50 RR

Total: $4.xx Will get back $2.20 in rebates. Not bad considering we needed the Chapstick that my husband is addicted to. I also just noticed that 3 of my goody bags rang up as $0.25 and 1 rang up at $0.13. Hmmm...

Will post my Kroger trip later

Sicky-poo

2008-10-07T16:38:00.001-07:00

My little dude is really sick. We decided to take him to the ER lastnight when we discovered his temp was 104 and he was acting lethargic. 6 hours and 2 IVs later, everything is much better... but still icky for him. He has moments of normalness and moments and sickness. He was very dehydrated due to all the puking. Oh, and all the screaming. Lots of screaming.

It totally sucks watching your babe in pain. It was really tough to keep it together.

Despite the fact that we could use the Motrin on sale at CVS this week (the nurse said everything 3 hours we could alternate tylenol and motrin for maximum fever coverage), I opted not to make a CVS run. It's one of those times where I really don't want to leave Alex at all.

I promise for a CVS trip soon. My ECBs expire on the 11th and I have $3 off coupons for the Soleils... so I'm really hoping they still have some in stock when I go.

All for now.

Frugalness

2008-10-06T12:18:00.001-07:00

So, here is most of Alex's fall/winter wardrobe that was purchased for less than $70. Please note that there are a few things missing from the picture (two pairs of Kohl's pants and a long sleeve shirt - 5.00 a piece. And a winter coat - FREE!)

I had to pay more OOP for pants at Kohls because I couldn't find any cute ones at the thrift/resale. They were all very 80's-esque and acid-washy. Ick.

Most of it was purchased at a local 2nd hand shop, or thrift stores. The shoes are brand new (2 pairs!) that I got when Meijer was having their buy1get1-for-$1 sale. Even the fire truck onesie that Alex is modeling was a garage sale find for $0.50.

My favorite deals are the winter coat (not pictured) that I received WAY BACK when I was pregnant at one of my baby showers. And the doggy pajamas (on the left) that were also a shower gift. The khaki colored fall jacket was an AWESOME find... it's so adorable on him and it was only $6, it even has a removable red liner.

Best of all, this picture display's my many attempts at being frugal.

The past couple of weeks Target had a ton of comforters, sheet sets, curtains, etc on clearance and I scooped up the red comforter (king size) for only $20.

The curtains on the windows came with our house (it was part of the agreement that the seller would leave all window treatments). While at JoAnns, my mom and I found that cool dot patterned fabric (and used the 40% off coupon!) and she sewed the band onto the pre-existing curtains... making it a cheap alternative to buying all new ones. I love them! I'm not big on traditional baby/toddler themed rooms. I think the colors are often muted and boring. And especially when it comes to little boys, Alex LOVES cars and trucks but all the car/truck themed comforters were so BLAH.

Now, I'm not sure why he has a book on his head. But, at least he didn't make a mess of the clothes in the picture before I could take a shot.

Wags 10/05

2008-10-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

Went to a Walgreens I'd never visited before. It went very successfully. They have a much better clearance section than my usual Wags. The cashier was great, although I have found that all Wags cashiers are nice. Anyways, here is what I scooped up:

(3) Glade Scented Oil Candle Holders - $11.97
(4) Glade Candles - $7.96
(1) Glade Carpet and Room Deodorizer (? is that what it's called?) - $1.99
(3) Oral-B Indicator Toothbrushes - $5.97
(1) 60 ct. Tuf's Trash Bags - $3.99
(1) 54 ct Tampax Pearl - $4.00 (clearance)
(4) Halloween Goodie Bags (not pictured) - $0.50

Used:
(3) -$2.00 Glade Scented Oil Candle - $6.00
(4) -$1.00 Glade Candle - $4.00
(1) -$1.00 Glade Carpet and Room - $1.00
(3) -$1.00 Oral-B Manual Toothbrush - $3.00
(1) -$1.00 Tampax - $1.00
(1) -$1.00 Oral-B Indicator Oct ES IVC - $3.00 (took $1 off for each toothbrush purchased)
(1) -$10.00 RR - $10.00

Total: $11.xx

Will receive $12.10 Rebate. Sweet! We really needed the trash bags. I wanted to do the other tampon deal, but couldn't get the coupon to print. 54 tampons for $3 works for me. I also wanted to score some free toothpaste but debated over whether or not the P&G crest coupon really applied to the $0.99 cent tubes... I opted to wait and see if it works for others.

Not a bad trip in my opinion!

Big sigh...

2008-10-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

Well, pooey!

Another $5/$25 CVS coupon goes to waste. Alex and I finally made a trip out and they didn't have any well patches or beauty bars... which totally ruined my scenario. Had I been alone, I made have been able to figure something out. But, I had the kiddo. And as soon as we set foot in the toothpaste aisle he pulled as many tubes of toothpaste off the shelves as he could. I knew sticking around and trying to come up with a scenario on the fly wasn't going to work.

But, yet again I'm thrilled about this upcoming week at Wags. I'll post later about my most recent trip. Plus, I plan to go tomorrow... I think I'll make Sunday my Wags day.

Must go. Kid is fussing.

2008-10-02T14:52:00.001-07:00

Shopping sure is tough with a toddler that has tantrums every 2 seconds. Literally.

Mark my word. I WILL be using my 5/25 CVS coupon even if I have to buy things we don't need (toothpaste, bar soap and arthritis care). I am having CVS withdrawls.

In other news, I was going to make a stop at Walgreens for more body wash. I can't find my $28 in RRs. I plan to turn the house upside down after Alex goes to bed. Thats a lot of RRs to lose.

POOEY!

Today's Loot

2008-09-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Not too shabby.

I'm really tired so I'll just give you the run down. Of what I bought and Q's used.

(5) Softsoap 18 oz - $17.45
(3) Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom Rapid Release 24 ct - $14.97
(2) Gilette Fustion Razors - $17.98
(2) Oral B Crossaction Toothbrushes - $8.98
(1) 4-Pack Panasonic AA Batteries - $2.00 (clearance)
(1) Hallmark Card - $2.49

I did buy a football for $5.99 that I returned because I thought it was only $1.00

Used:
(2) -$1.00 Softsoap Printables - $2.00
(1) -$1.00 Softsoap IVC from October ES - $5.00 (takes $1 off for every Softsoap purchased)
(3) -$1.00 Tylenol Cold MFQ - $3.00
(1) -$1.50 Tylenol Cold IVC from October ES - $4.50 (takes $1.50 for everything Tylenol Cold purchased)
(2) -$4.00 Gilette Fusion MFQ - $8.00
(2) -$1.00 Oral B Manual Toothbrush MFQ - $2.00

These were broken up into 2 transactions. I could have saved more money if I broke them up into more, but I had Alex and he wasn't in the mood to be in the checkout lane all day. I didn't start out with any RRs. And now I have $28 left over! Plus, somehow I got an extra 2 RRs (not sure from where or what).

2008-09-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

Somehow I got 2 extra RRs from Walgreens this morning. I only did one transaction.

Bought:
(3) Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom Rapid Release 24 ct (I think these gave me the extra 2 RRs) - $14.97
(1) Oral B Crossaction - $4.49
(1) Gilette Fusion Razor - $8.99 (I'm going to get as many as I can this week because Hubby loves these)
(1) Hallmark card - $2.49
(1) Foam Football - $5.99 (thought it was only $1.00)

Used:
(1) -$1.50 IVC Tylenol Coupon from Oct ES - $4.50
(3) -$1.00 Tylenol MFQ - $3.00
(1) -$4.00 Gilette Fusion - $4.00

Total = $21.xx

Received 4 RRs (for Fusion), $4.50 RRs (for Oral B), 5 RRs (for Tylenol), 2 RRs (for who knows??), plus some vitamin coupon

The reason I think the 2 RRs are from Tylenol is because on it, it says "Thanks" from the same company that the Tylenol RRs are from (I can't think of the name off hand). Unless I got the RRs for the Hallmark card? I doubt it's from the foam football.

I don't know. But, I was pleasantly surprised.

Pictures to come later today because Alex and I might for back to WAGs again.

Dippin'

2008-09-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

Walgreens went well today. Not as well as anticipated, but I'm still pleased because I came out a dollar ahead. Better than nothing!

I was most disappointed about the Glade fabric and air sprays. Or whatever. I REALLY wanted to get some of these. And I couldn't for the life of me, find any. I couldn't even find the spot they would have been on the shelf. Maybe my wags doesn't carry them?

Oh well.

Purchased:
(3) Garnier Fructis Conditioner (do I really need more??) - $20.97
(4) Boxes of Mike&Ikes (request from the hubby) - $5.00
(1) Gallon of milk - $2.98 (or something like that)
(1) Rimmel Foundation - $7.49
(1) L'Oreal Revitalift Cleanser - $6.99

Used:
(1) -$3.00 October IVC Garnier Fructis coupon - $9.00 (takes $3 off per bottle purchased)
(3) -$1.00 Garnier Fructis MFQ - $3.00
(1) -$1.00 L'Oreal Cleanser - $1.00
-$5/$20 Wags coupon

Total = $25.77

Will receive = $26.93 back in rebates

So, I forgot my Rimmel coupon. Oh well. But, I totally lucked out on the milk. We REALLY needed milk and I didn't feel like stopping anywhere else. Plus, the price was right. The first time I checked, they were out of skim. I checked back later and there was one lonely gallon waiting for me to scoop up!

I couldn't find the Energy Shots and didn't really feel like asking because it's not really anything we need in our house. My husband would end up drinking them when he got home from work, or something silly, and stay up until 6am. Then I would be mad. So, it's something we can live without unless they happen to fall into my lap next time I'm at wags.

I have to say, I am very excited for next week's deals. I plan to take advantage of the Soft Soap and the Tylenol RRs... although I forsee them somehow not working. Such is my luck with RRs.

Oh, and no CVS this week. I wasn't excited for any of the deals. I would have liked the body wash, but didn't feel like going in just for that. It's always such an ordeal to take my child shopping.

Happy Anniversary, Honey!

2008-09-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

Our anniversary is on the 29th, which I am excited for :) I just hope we don't spend too much money at dinner. Man, listen to me!

Anyways, to celebrate Mike went to Target (alone!) and picked up one of their inexpensive storage cabinets for the basement. The system we've been using for our stockpile has worked well... but we are expecting guests next month and I wanted a way to sort of make everything a little more discrete.

"Hi! Welcome to our home. I like to collect pantiliners... do you need any?"

So, he put it together for me and I am in the process of filling it. It's fun :) But, it just occurred to me we are going to need to baby-proof it somehow. Alex loves our stockpile and for the most part it was high enough off the ground that he didn't notice it too often. But, now that some of it is in a cupboard, with doors that are fun to open and close, I have a feeling we might have a problem on our hands. And the fact that he loves opening deodorants and shampoo bottles doesn't help much.

Anyways, pictures to come as soon as I'm done. Time for bed.

My husband...

2008-09-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

I sure do love him. But, sometimes he just doesn't get it. And it exhausts me!

The other day while I was taking a nap, he took my son to the grocery store and spent $15.00 on supplies to make homemade salsa. He came home, whipped up a batch, and it was awful. Fifteen dollars down the drain. Literally. I had to dump a huge batch because neither one of us would eat it.

What on earth do I do in order to make him understand that we live on a budget?

Big Meijer trip

2008-09-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

So, I spent more than usual at Meijer lastnight. But, in my defense, we don't have ANY meat in our freezer right now. Plus I had to get a few things I don't have coupons for. I spent $$66.25 but I now have a month's worth of ground beef, at least 3 weeks worth of chicken, plus ground turkey (which is expensive).

I wish we had a big freezer!

Bolded items were on sale to begin with - prices are all pre-coupon

Purchased:
(1) 1.17# of Bananas - $0.69
(1) Bunch of green onion - $0.50
(1) Bunch of brocolli - $1.67
(1) Red pepper - $1.56 (ouch!)
(1) Container of strawberries - $2.00
(1) Jar of Vlassic dill pickles - $2.96
(1) Jar of Miracle Whip - $2.39
(1) Bag of Salt & Vinegar chips - $1.67 (not in picture)
(2) Pizza Mixes - $1.78
(2) Smart Taste Ronzoni thin spaghetti - $2.96
(1) Cascade Smart Rinse - $3.94
(1) Oscar Mayer Hot Dog - $4.49
(1) Heluva frech onion dip - $1.50
(1) Block of Meijer mozzarella cheese - $3.19 (not in picture)
(1) Box of Mike & Ikes - $1.25
(1) Whole Chicken - $5.11 (no more mealbox coupon for this...)
(6) Boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese - $2.16 (on sale B3G3Free)
(3) Jars of Meijer pizza sauce - $2.49
(6) Cans of Delmonte green beans - $3.60
(1) Loaf of Aunt Millie's bread - $2.00 (couldn't find the $0.99 one I had read about)
(5) Rice-A-Roni - $5.00
(2) Lawry's Marinades - $3.34
(2) Wishbone salad dressing - $3.33
(1) 5# roll of ground beef - $8.95
(1) 40 oz bag of chicken - $5.99
(1) Package of Jennie O ground turkey - $3.00
(3) Bottles of Purex - $5.97

Used:
(1) Free Cascade Rinse - $3.94
(1) Free Oscar Mayer hot dog WYB 3 Kraft - $4.49
(2) $0.50 off Lawry's marinade - $2.00 (doubled)
(1) $1.00 off 2 bottles of Wishbone salad dressing - $1.00
(1) $0.35 off Aunt Millie's bread - $0.70 (doubled)
(1) $0.55 off Tyson chicken - $0.55
(1) $0.50 off bottle of Purex - $1.00 (doubled)
(1) $1.00 off 2 bottles of Purex - $1.00
(1) $1.00 off 5 Rice-A-Roni (mealbox coupon) - $1.00
(2) $1.00 Smart Taste Ronzoni pasta - $2.00

Total = $66.25

Saved $42.44 ($24.76 was because of sale prices, $17.68 was because of coupons)

Super Kroger Savings!

2008-09-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

Successful Kroger trip. Based on the deals this week (Monday thru Sunday), this transaction can be repeated as long as the catalinas are still produced.

Bought:
(4) 4-packs of Cottonelle - $3.96
(8) Bottles of Suave shampoo - $7.04
(2) Glade scented gel warmers - $3.58

Total before coupons = $15.45 (includes tax)

Used:
(4) -$0.50 Cottonelle coupons (doubled to $0.99) - $3.96
(4) -$1.50 off two Sauve hair care products - $6.00
(1) BOGO Glade scented gel warmer - $1.79

Total after coupons = $3.71 (includes tax)

And what makes it even better is I received (2) $2.00 OYNO catalinas for purchasing 2 glades. I thought it was going to be off your next GLADE purchase, but it turns out it's even better and the catalinas can be used to purchase anything! Love it :)

Purex at Meijer!

2008-09-21T17:01:00.001-07:00

I split this up into 2 transactions because there was a limit of 4 bottles... after that the price would have gone up. Plus, I got to use 4 of the $0.50 off coupons that doubled to $1.00 each. For simplicity:

Purchased:
(8) Bottles of Purex - $16.87 (includes tax)

Used:
(4) -$0.50 off one bottle - $4.00 (doubled)
(2) -$1.00 off two bottles - $2.00

Total = $10.87 for 8 bottles of detergent (includes tax)

Not bad!

I still have 4 coupons left so I'll get more when I head back to do grocery shopping later this week.

Sweet!!

2008-09-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

I was just kicking myself for not taking full advantage of the Purex sale at CVS this week. That was until I saw a preview for Meijer's ad this week... Purex is on sale for $1.99 and if you use your $0.50 off coupon it doubles making it only $0.99 a bottle!

I'm so glad I decided to check out HCW before heading to bed. Now tomorrow when Alex and I head to Meijer to pick up our Sunday papers, I'll bring my coupons and scoop up some Purex. I think I'll probably use all my coupons, including the new $1 off 2 that came out last week. My mom uses a lot of Purex and she'd probably take a few bottles.

Laundry detergent is one of my favorite things to stockpile. And to think, prior to couponing I used to get so excited for the Dynamo sale Meijer occassionally has... B1G2Free. Thats not even a good deal!

Now, I just need to decide how many papers I'll buy tomorrow. There is another Cottonelle coupon that will make TP free at Kroger, but I'm not certain if the 4 packs are still $0.99 and I'm not sure if it's worth it to spend the $1.75 per paper to get the free TP. The other coupons don't seem all that great.

Hmmm....

Meijer Super Saturday

2008-09-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

Stopped at Meijer before work today. It was a madhouse with everyone getting ready for tailgate this morning. I was like the only person there in the shoe department... everyone else was in the liquor aisle!

Anyways, I didn't buy any groceries or use any coupons. I went simply to buy shoes. I purchased 4 pairs of shoes and paid $65.00 for them.

For myself I got some plain black work shoes and a pair of knock off UGGS for tromping around in the snow with Alex. I also bought Alex two pairs of shoes. We were in desperate need of new shoes. I tried to convince Mike to go and check them out on his way to pick Alex up from my moms. He wasn't interested.

Anyways, I didn't do too much shopping last week because I wasn't feeling well. Hopefully I can make up for it this week. I'd like to take advantage of the candy deal at CVS because my husband is addicted to sugar. I'd also like to get the Reach toothbrushes at Walgreens, although I can't seem to find my 7/13 inserts. So, we'll see....

Meijer's Saturday Sale

2008-09-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling much better today. We made a trip to DSW because I'm in desperate need of new shoes. So glad I didn't buy anything because...

Meijer is having a B1G1$1 sale on shoes on Saturday. Buy one pair, get a second for $1.00. I've never purchased shoes from Meijer before but I'm totally willing to give it a shot. I'd like to get Alex some new shoes too... but the add says prices start at $12.99 so I'm not sure how I feel about spending $13.99 (at the very LEAST) on two pairs of toddler shoes. It's not horrible. But, I'm VERY picky about toddler shoes and I'd rather spend $40 on toddler shoes that I approve of, than $13.99 on just some random shoes I'm not totally comfortable with him wearing.

I'm weird. I know.

We'll see!

Food budget...

2008-09-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm officially sick. A very weird kind of sick that would make me think I was pregnant, except that I can say with EXACT certainty that I'm not. It's strange. Nausea and vomitting.

I didn't make it to the store yesterday (well, except for the produce I managed to get before having my stomach explode). I planned to go this morning, but a sleepless night and nausea kept me away. So, I sent my husband. He's been gone for a LOONNNNNG time. Makes me kind of nervous. One of my money-saving techniques is to always leave the hubby home when you go grocery shopping. So, I can only imagine all the items he has added to the list I sent him out with.

I think it's safe to assume our food budget for this week is probably blown!

This always happens...

2008-09-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

I already made a stop at Wags this week and spent everything on my rebate gift card. Not because I went on a shopping spree. But, because my husband sprung on me that he needed Prilosec and razor refills, ASAP! Both pricey items despite coupons. I did manage to scoop up 2 bags of Butterfingers for $0.50 a piece and the BETTER THAN FREE Glade Scented Gel Warmers... I lucked out and found one that has a $1.00 peelie, so I made a buck on that deal.

Anyways... I just read about some more free Dove chocolate this week. I didn't scoop any up lastweek, so I think I'm going to go back and see if I can get it this week. Plus, the free Colgate Max toothpaste.

I'm totally addicted.

Meal Plan

2008-09-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

Breakfast:
-Hashbrowns and frui
-Starbucks muffin (Alex and I share an oat bran muffin if we are out running errands)
-Cinnamon toast
-Veggie scramble and fruit
-Cereal and fruit
-Cinnamon rolls

Lunch/Dinner (Combined categories because these meals are often wacky as a result of Mike's work schedule):
-Sloppy joes, potato chips and fruit (Check!)
-Roasted chicken, rice and roasted potatoes
-Omelets/scrambles, bacon and fruit
-Chicken noodle soup (use leftover roasted chicken)
-Pizza!
-Brats fruit/veggies and rice
-Mac N Cheese and veggies
-Hot dogs and fries
-Spaghetti and veggies
-Beef Stew... YUMMM!!

Additional Alex variations:
-Nuggets, french fries, rice, peaches, red pepper, mac n cheese, bagel pizza, green beans, oranges (these are on hand for when he won't eat what we've prepared for ourselves)

Unsuccessful??

2008-09-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

So, my first attempt at making a grocery run this week didn't go so well.

As soon as I stepped into Kroger, my stomach decided it hated me and that it wanted me to suffer. I ran to the bathroom and thought I would be fine afterwards. I made it through the produce department when I realized I needed to leave, soon. So I quickly grabbed some milk... WHICH IS ONE CLEARANCE FOR $1.99 :):) And made my way out of the store.

So, I have spent $31.xx already this week on groceries. It's all fresh produce... so no coupons. I don't want to bore you with pictures of peaches and parsley.

I don't feel one bit guilty about spending that much on produce. I often wonder where all the fruits and veggies are when people post about their grocery trips.

I have an 18 month old who is a picky eater. He likes fresh fruit and veggies, but one week he'll act like peaches as the best fruit ever, then the next week look at you as though you're crazy when you give them to him for breakfast. So, I like a nice variety produce to make him happy.

Today I bought:
-Strawberries
-Cantelope
-3 peaces
-Bag of potatoes
-Onion
-Bag of carrots
-Bunch of parsely
-Celery
-Clearance multigrain roll thingy - $0.69
-Clearance gallon of whole milk - $1.99
-1/2 gallon of skim milk
-2 Kroger big block cheeses - $3.69 a piece
-Land O Lakes - FORGOT ABOUT THIS... I actually had a coupon for it but was in such a hurry to get out that I didn't use it. Oh well, would have only saved me $0.55

Is that it? I feel like I got more produce than that. I can't remember though.

Quick CVS

2008-09-15T19:33:00.001-07:00

Stopped today at the CVS down the street. Their summer clearance is still going strong... college students REALLY don't care about saving a buck. I'm probably the only mom that shops there.

Purchased:
(1) Purex = $2.99
(2) Ambi Cleaners (Think??) = $9.98
(2) Ball Squirt Toys = $0.34
(1) Little Pets Toy = $0.59

Used:
-$2/10 CVS Coupon
-$3.00 Ambi IP
-$3.00 Ambi IP
-$0.50 Purex
-$5.00 ECBs
-$2.00 ECBs

Paid $0.98 OOP I think

The poopy part - I didn't realize the AMBI deal maxed out at 3. Oops. So I got one cleanser too many and as a result didn't get as many ECBs as expected.

Uhhhh....

This week's tally

2008-09-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

Heres my breakdown of this week... roughly.

CVS
Multiple transactions. Too many to remember exacts. But, I came away with 3 Right Guards, 1 Right Guard Professional Strength, 2 Soft & Dri, 3 Revlon nailpolishes, 2 Ambi soaps, LOTS of summer clearnace toys. I spent about $13 OOP because of the toys and the fact that they wouldn't take my revlon coupons.

Walgreens
Only one transaction. Can you believe it?! The best sales in Wag's history and I only make one trip for 3 cough syrups and some trashbags!

Thats it. Sorry for the lack of detail. It's late. It's been raining all day. We have a giant puddle in our basement. Sweet.

UGH.

2008-09-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

Ugh. Big, fat UGH.

I spent a lot of time agonizing over my purchases using the 10/40 Wags coupon. I shouldn't have waited until 10pm on a Saturday night to try and use it. I told myself that if I walked in the door and immediately discovered they were out of the L'Oreal, I was leaving. They were out. I didn't leave. I browsed for awhile thinking about possible clearance section purchases. But, I'm not going to buy something just because it's cheap. Then I decided to at least check out the cleaning supplies. Not a thing was left in stock except for the Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber or whatever that thing is that's $3.79. I only had two of the $2.75 off coupons. So, I decided to leave... which was the right decision!

I promptly headed over to CVS prepared to make this great transaction that would give me 19 ECBs. Nope. They were completely out of the Ambi soaps. Bah! So, I browsed the clearance again. Didn't see anymore of those police cars that Alex likes. So, I decided to leave... which was the right decision! I spent enough OOP there already this week. And I am totally unimpressed with there deals for next week. I'm not sure I'm going to bother going unless I decide I want to burn some ECBs.

UGH.

And to think. It was a completely baby-free shopping adventure. And the tunes on the radio were great (usually a good sign for me). But, I got nothin'.

CVS

2008-09-11T19:37:00.000-07:00

Well, today's trip to CVS really took me OOP. But, I'm totally fine with it.

I live in a college town and I don't visit the CVS down the street all too often. Parking is inconvenient. It's always busy. And I'm always THAT mom with the cranky kid and 10 coupons... with a line of college kids behind me rolling their eyes.

But, this morning I left for work early just so I could make a baby-free stop at the CVS. I was hesitant to go in. I peeked through the front door and saw my absolute most favorite cashier... so I went for it.

Unlike every other CVS I've been to this week, their summer clearance was overflowing with kid's toys! I guess those college students don't have any need for blow up tubes and squirty fish.

I loaded up on everything I had on my list... INCLUDING AMBI BARS! They had like 6 in stock :) Plus TONS of toys. I paid $10 OOP, but I got back something like $16 ECBs... so I'm fine with it.

I'll post a picture of my CVS haul once I decided I'm done with CVS for the week... I might go back and get more toys :)

My Walgreens Scenario

2008-09-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

(2) Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubbers = $7.58
(5) Scrubbing Bubbles Flushable Wipes = $12.45
(1) Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash = $4.49
(1) L'Oreal Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate = $16.49
(1) Wags Acid Controller = $7.99
(1) Lypsol = $1.99
(1) Pert Plus = $4.39
(1) Candy (need a filler) = $1.50

Total = $56.88

Use:
(2) Scrubbing Bubbles Action -$5.50
(5) Scrubbing Bubbles Wipes -$5.00
(1) L'Oreal -$3.00
(1) Pert Plus -$2.00

Total = $41.38

Minus $10/$40 Wags Coupon = $31.38

Receive $14.50 RR & $33.86 Rebates (includes +10%) = $48.86

~~$17.48~~ $16.98 Profit.

Mistakes?

PLEASE!!! Let everything be in stock :)

Meal Plan Monday

2008-09-08T20:34:00.001-07:00

Breakfast:
-Hashbrowns and fruit (Check!)
-Starbucks muffin (Alex and I share an oat bran muffin if we are out running errands)
-Cinnamon toast
-Veggie scramble and fruit
-Cereal and fruit

Lunch/Dinner (Combined categories because these meals are often wacky as a result of Mike's work schedule):
-Tacos and veggies
-Sloppy joes, potato chips and fruit (Check!)
-Roasted chicken, rice and steamed veggies (Check!)
-Omelets/scrambles, sausage and fruit
-Lemon mushroom chicken and roasted potatoes
-Pizza! (Check!)
-Brats, roasted potatoes/onions/peppers and rice
-Mac N Cheese and veggies
-Hot dogs and fries
-Spaghetti and veggies
-Leftovers

Additional Alex variations:
-Nuggets, french fries, rice, peaches, red pepper, mac n cheese, bagel pizza, green beans, oranges (these are on hand for when he won't eat what we've prepared for ourselves)

Deliciously Frugal

2008-09-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that quite a few frugal bloggers write about pizza. Pizza is something I've been trying for a couple of months now. Each week or so, I vary it slightly... and tonight I hit the jackpot.

(1) Betty Crocker Pizza Dough Mix (not the tube of frozen stuff) - $0.90
(1/3) of a Jar of Meijer brand pizza sauce - $0.30
(1) Block of Kraft Mozzarella - $2.66 (what I should have paid - see my Meijer post)
Dash of garlic salt (optional)
Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

About $3.86

What I did today that made ALL the difference:
-Shredded cheese from the block. Sooooooo good! The cheese was extra melty and bubbly and brown
-Added red pepper flakes to the top of the pizza before baking
-Sprinkled garlic salt on the crust and on top of the cheese AFTER baking (don't go overboard, only the SMALLEST amount is necessary)

Best pizza I've made so far. I would have added toppings had I had more time to cut up some veggies. Alex devoured it.

And to think, Walmart's commercial advertises that you can save money by buying their $8.00 frozen pizza!

Oh CVS...

2008-09-08T14:47:00.000-07:00

I don't usually have problems with CVS. Well, I should say not any huge problems about cashiers being rude or anything. ::Knocks on wood:: But, today didn't go as planned.

I went strictly for the nail polish and Herbal Essence. Well, the shampoo didn't work out because the coupon is for the large size, not the ones that are on sale. No biggie. I've got truck loads of shampoo as it is. But, I did buy three bottles of nailpolish and I threw in an Ambi soap (should have bought more because I fear they will run out soon). The cashier wouldn't take my Revlon coupons because nailpolish isn't a "Colour Cosmetic".

My OOP ended up being around $4. It's not all completely lost. I did get $12 ECBs.

Anyways, no picture for today's transaction

(3) Revlon Nail Polish - $11.97
(1) Ambi Cleaning Bar - $1.99

Used:
-$2/10 coupon
-$8 ECBs

Paid $4.xx out of pocket. Received 12 ECBs.

Run to your store and scoop up those Ambi soap bars!

Meijer - 9/08

2008-09-08T12:45:00.000-07:00

Overall I'm pretty happy with my Meijer trip this week. They were out of the Aquafresh toothpaste and Land O Lakes butter that I had already factored into my 11 for $10 deals... meaning I had to re-work my numbers of other items, which was a pain.

Anyways... Bolded items were on sale to begin with.

Bought:

(1) Bunch of bananas - $0.71
(1) 16 oz Sour Cream - $1.67
(1) Bunch of green onions - $0.89
(1) Bunch of grapes - $2.02
(1) Garlic - $0.40
(1) Jar Meijer Pizza Sauce - $0.89
(1) Carton of Eggs - $1.48
(1) Gallon Whole Milk - $3.03
(1) Half gallon of Skim Milk - $2.03
(1) Frito Bean Dip - $2.79 (youch! but it keeps my husband from running to the corner store for snacks)
(1) Package of bone-in chicken breasts - $5.49
(1) Open Pit BBQ sauce (probably cheaper at Kroger, but wanted to avoid a trip there) - 1.99
(2) Kraft Block Cheese - $7.98 (Yikes! Should have only been $3.99 because it was B1G1Free, but perhaps I picked up the wrong ones)
(1) Box of Graham Crackers - $2.50 (Alex loves these and I refuse to buy generic brand because I've tried all of them and think they're gross)
(2) Lysol Kitchen Cleaners - $2.58
(4) Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner - $5.16
(4) Boxes of Electrosol - $12.00
(2) Spray N Wash - $2.98
(1) Doritos - $1.89
PART OF 11 for $10 Accidentally got 12 items
(1) Bag of Carrots - $1.00
(1) Bunch of Broccoli - $1.00
(1) Package of Mushrooms - $1.00
(3) Boxes of Storage bags - $3.00
(4) Bags of Combos - $4.00
(1) Hamburger buns - $1.00
(1) Bread - FREE

Total Before Coupons - $70.51

Coupons Used:
(1) Meijer Mealbox for Sour Cream - $0.50
(2) Spray N Wash - $2.00 (double savings)
(2) Lysol Kitchen Cleaner - $2.00 (double savings)
(4) Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner - $3.00
(4) Electrosol - $9.00
(2) Combos - $2.00

Total After Coupons - $52.01

I should also point out that taking advantage of JUST sales, I saved $35.99. With coupons I saved $18.50.

Break-up??

2008-09-07T08:16:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm sorry to admit that Walgreens and I might be on the "outs". I'm new to the Walgreens game. But, the last three or so times I've been there, things haven't ended well.

Alex and I headed out early this morning to buy our usual Sunday papers, get Starbucks (something my frugal-self REFUSES to give up) and do the Robutussin deal at Walgreens. I bought three bottles, all rang up at the sale price - $3.99 - but only $5.00 RR were printed. Ofcourse, I didn't think to look at the coupon until we were already at Meijer.

I'm bummed. I was counting on using the $10 RR on cleaning supplies later this week.

Anyways, it was still a money maker... I suppose. Although, I tend to not take into account RR, ECBs and the like, when evaluating my OOP expense.

We'll see what happens. I submitted my August Easy Saver rebates and should receive a gift card... someday. Once it gets here and I start utilizing the money loaded onto the card, I will then re-evaluate the situation. But, I'm not happy.

And, to top it off... I accidentally bought 2 Pediatric cough medicines, when I was certain I only grabbed one. Theres no way we'll be able to use that much cough medicine on Alex before they expire... so maybe I'll see about an exchange.

Hardcore Budgeting

2008-09-03T12:09:00.001-07:00

So, up until now, I've been pretty lazy about creating an actual budget. I find good deals and I buy them. Thats about as serious as I have been. But, all of that is about to change. For the month of September I'm going to try and save all my receipts to track my spending. Plus, keep a grocery/drugstore budget of $100 a week and then hopefully adjust down from that as I go.

This week should be a little wacko. My inlaws bought our groceries for us on Sunday. I don't plan to make any serious stop at Meijer or Kroger except for perhaps some Capri Suns and trash bags (if I can't come up with a drug store deal on trash bags)

Week of 8/31-9/06:
~CVS- $2.22 (grocery/drugstore)
~McDonalds (cranky kid needed some nuggets - mom needed coffee) - $6.55 (eating out)
~L&L (local independent grocery store)- $2.19 (grocery/drugstore)
~Kroger- $9.17 (grocery/drugstore)
~Meijer- $11.20 (grocery/drugstore)
~Meijer- $9.53 (Toy)
~Target- $35.62 Included formula - yikes! (grocery/drugstore)
~Starbucks- $20.00 (coffee)

Total = $96.48

Things to note: No gas was purchased this week. My husband probably snuck in some additional eating out expenses (I found an Olga's bag in his car), that he didn't tell me about. My inlaws purchased our groceries so our grocery/drugstore total was only $60.40 (which included $19.00 formula which I probably won't have to purchase anymore!).

Received: $8.00 ECBs, $3.00 OYNO catalina, $10.00 GC (none were deducted from totals... All totals are the amount I actually spent in cash or on debit card)

Month of September:
~Comcast (cable, internet, phone)- $106.xx (utilities)
~State Farm (personal property coverage, homeowners insurance already paid in full for entire year)- $10.16 (insurance)
~Mortgage- $599.xx (Mortgage)
~Property Taxes- $400.00 (consider this Mortgage)
~Board of Water and Light (electric)- $85.44 (utilities)

CVS- 9/03

2008-09-03T10:37:00.001-07:00

Wow. So I was sort of thinking about taking this week off from CVS, but I couldn't resist the Neutrogena mascara deal. I happen to really like the mascara that I was able to try free a few weeks back. Anyways, I'm glad I went. I stopped at two CVS's because the first was out of the Dawn Hand Renewal and I really hate getting rain checks. The woman ahead of me in line purchased all the rest of them... DARN!

Transaction #1:

(1) Covergirl Wetslick - $5.99
(1) Colgate Advanced Clean - $2.99
(2) Dawn Dish Soap (out of hand renewal)- $1.98 (Probably wouldn't have picked these had I had more time to find a different filler - but my child was freaking out so I went with it)

Used:
(1) -$1.00 Covergirl coupon
(1) -$1.00 Colgate coupon
(1) -$1.00 with purchase of 2 Dawn Dish Soap
(1) -$2/10 CVS coupon
-$5.00 ECBs

Total OOP $1.20 (including tax) Received $7.99 in ECBs!

Transaction #2 (at a different CVS):
(2) Neutrogena Healthy Volume Mascara - $11.98
(1) Colgate Advanced Clean - $2.99
(1) CVS Pantiliner (can't remember the ct. #) - $0.99
(4) Dawn Hand Renewal - $3.96

Used:
(1) -$2.00/3 Neutrogena Cosmetic (from All You)
(1) -$1.50 Colgate IP coupon
(1) -$1.50 CVS CRT for pantiliner (adjusted to -$0.99)
(4) -$1.00 Dawn Hand Renewal (adjusted to -$3.96)
(1) -$2/10 CVS Coupon
-$7.99 ECBs

Total: $1.02 OOP and Received $8.00 ECBs!

So I spent $2.22 OOP and came away with $3.00 more ECBs than I started with!

I'd like to find a way to go back and get trash bags, but I'm not very good at getting good deals on things I don't have coupons for... so we'll see!

The cashier tried to give me a hard time during transaction #2 because she said I could only use 1 Dawn Hand Renewal coupon per purchase. I didn't have to talk her into using them or anything, she just said next time I shouldn't try it. I've never had someone say that to me before, anywhere, ever. I have a feeling at some CVS's the managers try and get cashiers to tell customers lies about coupon rules... or something. At that same CVS they avoid putting sale stickers on shelves of items that are free after ECBS or free after ECBs+coupons. Which I don't think is coincidental. I swear they do it on purpose because there are PLENTY of other sale stickers for other items.

I'm blabbing.

Nice!

2008-08-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

I didn't go grocery shopping at all last week, unless you count the quick trip to Kroger which didn't involve any food. Just free TP. I didn't plan for it to happen that way, I just bought a ton of food last week plus I didn't have ANY time to shop this week. As a result, we did end up eating fast food a couple of times these past couple of days. Or, I guess I should say MY HUSBAND ate fast food. I never eat fast food. I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS scrounge for something to eat.

Anyways, my inlaws are in town and they informed me that they will be buying our groceries tomorrow. I'm thrilled and completely appreciative. Money has been extra tight since we just paid our GIANT summer tax bill. Ouch.

The free groceries will probably make up for the fact that Mike and I are going out on a date tomorrow night. That should even us out! We haven't been out together since May... so I know dinner is on the agenda.

Time to come up with a grocery list for tomorrow.

Walgreens

2008-08-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

Haven't been having much luck with Walgreens lately.

I had my scenario planned out for this morning, and they were out of L'Oreal Concentrate so I should have just left. Had I been without Alex, it would have been okay trying to come up with another workable scenario. But, instead of just leaving, we wandered around the store while I tried to figure out what else to buy. It didn't end all that well.

I bought:
(5) 12-packs of Pepsi brand pop = $12.00 total - not $11 like most others (wasn't planning on buying this, but need it anyways)
(1) Nivea for Men body wash = $4.99
(1)Chemistry shampoo = $7.99
(1) Revlon nailpolish = $4.79
(1) Crest Pro-Health = $3.79
(1) Starbucks coffee = $7.99 Desperately needed
(2) Junior mints = $2.00 thought I needed a filler
(2) John Frieda = $9.74

Used
(1) -$1 Nivea Coupon
(1) -$3 Chemistry
(1) -$3/2 John Frieda
(1) -$10/$40 WAGS

Issues I had: Wouldn't take my Revlon coupon for the nailpolish and the cashier couldn't push it through. I also misplaced my crest coupon.

Total:$42.xx YIKES!

But, I got $9 RR for the John Frieda and will receive $21.56 in rebates... so it's like paying about $12 OOP.

I wasn't anticipating my transaction going like that AT ALL. The $12 OOP that I spent is all a result of the pepsi.

I need to stop shopping with Alex.

Quick Kroger and Target runs

2008-08-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

My inlaws will be here on Saturday and they are staying in our house for the first time. This means that we need more pillows and caffiene free pop!

I loaded Alex in the car and he was amazingly agreeable throughout the entire trip. I will highlight my deals.

Target:
-(3) Bottles of Dove cream BODY WASH! on clearance for $1.74 a piece

Used (3) $1 Dove body wash coupons making them $0.74 a piece.

It looks like my store may have just marked down clearance items today because there were quite a few items crammed on the ends of the aisles. At least in the health/beauty section. There were lots of things I wasn't interested in like nail polish and make-up. But, it's worth checking your local Target, you might even find better deals. Usually when people post about cheap things on clearance, I head to my store and the same things are on clearance but they are generally a few dollars more. I didn't put the pillows and pillow cases in the picture. Although they were inexpensive (pillows @ $2.54 each and pillow cases were $7.99 for a 2 pack), they weren't on sale, nor did I use a coupon.

Afterwards we stopped at Kroger next door.

Kroger:
(5) 4-packs of Cottonelle at $0.99 a piece
(5) Pepsi brand 12-packs of pop

Used (5) $0.50 Cottonelle coupons that doubled to $0.99 making them free

I scooped up the free cottonelle toilet paper... and wished I had purchased more newspapers last sunday to get even more toilet paper. But, oh well. I also got 5 packs of pepsi for $11, not including deposit. Not pictured is the 5th pack of pepsi because it fell out of the trunk when we got home and the box exploded.

I'm excited about the body wash. Although $0.75 isn't the best deal of the century, I paid less than the retail amount of one bottle, for all three of my bottles. They started out at $3.5xsomething. We'll find out soon enough if it was on clearance for a reason...

I hope to hit up Walgreens tomorrow to use the $10/40. Idealy I'd like to get there before I have to work. But, it could be interesting getting Alex out of the house that quickly in the morning.

All for now.

Office Max and Staples

2008-08-27T11:42:00.001-07:00

(10) Free folders from Staples
(2) Free packages of erasers from Staples
(2) Pencil cases ($0.10)
(10) Folders from Office Max ($0.10)
(3) Packs of crayons from Office Max ($0.03)
=About $0.23... I can't remember the tax but I'm guessing just an additional $0.02 for tax

But what about body wash?

2008-08-27T11:20:00.001-07:00

So, I got into CVS's deals this week even though I totally don't need any more feminine protection or shampoo/conditioner. You know what I do need, BODY WASH! I have been CVSing and couponing for about 3 months now and I have only found one good deal on body wash (the olay deal at CVS)... and I HATE Olay's Ribbons Body Wash. It leaves pink residue throughout everything in my shower. Annoying. I have noticed that next week there are ECBS on Sauve body wash, but I don't have any coupons.

Anyways....

CVS

Transaction #1:
2 Herbal Essence shampoo ($6.67)
1 Children's Advil ($5.79)
-$2/10 CVS coupon
-$1 Children's Advil IP
-(2) $1 Herbal Essence tearpad coupons
-$5 ECBs
=About$0.87 OOP (includes tax)
Earned $5.79 ECBs

It was at this point I realized I forgot the rest of my $2/10 coupons so I had to make due without

Transaction #2:
2 Stayfree Pads ($9.00)
1 Herbal Essence conditioner ($3.33)
-$4.50 BOGO Stayfree coupon
-$1 Herbal Essence coupon from newspaper insert
-$5.79 ECBs
=About $1.44 OOP (includes tax)
Earned $5.00 ECBs

Transaction #3:
2 Herbal Essence conditioner ($6.67)
2 Revlon nailpolish ($8.98)
-$4.49 BOGO Revlon cosmetic (CVS advertised deal)
-$2 Revlon CVS crt
-$2 Revlon coupong from newspaper insert
-(2) $1 Herbal Essence coupons from newspaper insert
-5 ECBs
=$0.40 OOP (includes tax)
Earned $5.00 ECBs

Not bad. Less than $3.00 OOP. Would have been better if I had remembered my $2/10 stash.

I might make another CVS run later this week for pepsi. Plus I'm sure I will take advantage of the double dipping going on this friday/saturday at Walgreens!

Latest Deals

2008-08-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back at it this week, after a slow one last week. Yesterday I made a trip to CVS and Office Max.

Today I had a horribly unsuccessful trip to Walgreens which will require some returns.

If I have tomorrow off from work (I'm scheduled to work, but hubby might work for me....) then I will make another CVS run, a Walgreens run and then post pics and updates.

One nice thing about this week is I created a meal plan for the first time. And it has worked out pretty well! I had to make some adjustments because Mike told me he refused to eat chicken kabobs... plus my father-in-law came into town which meant we ate out (on him ofcourse), plus he brought fresh corn :)

But, I have discovered how much it's going to save us money. Last week I shopped with our meal plan in mind. I have tried my hardest to stick to it. And the best part, is I don't have to stand infront of the fridge, with the door wide open, wondering what on earth I should make for dinner... because I already know my options. And I'm not wasting money on buying food that doesn't "go" with other foods. Get it?

Anyways, I'm definitely sticking to planning out my meals. I may even be able to stretch last weeks groceries to a week and a half.

Expect a picture update tomorrow.

Slow week

2008-08-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

So, this was probably my slowest week since starting my grocery and drugstore games. Life has been busy. And Alex has been cranky. And I hate being that person trying to shop with the cranky baby. I make hasty decisions about what to purchase just so we can get out the door.

But, a cute baby does help you get on a cashier's good side.

I made one CVS run and 2 Walgreens runs. Well, I should say 2 CVS runs, but one was only to return a revlon mascara I thought was part of the BOGO deal, but apparently wasn't. I have just started my blog, and I also JUST got my new digital camera, so I promise pictures for next week.

I'd like to utilize my $3/15 coupon tomorrow, but my schedule is tight. It will have to be tomorrow morning before I go to a baby shower... and sometimes getting out the door before noon is difficult with Alex. But, we desperately need some more pop. I'm trying to get my husband to crack his addiction to the corner store. He used to make many, many, MANY runs a week up to 7-11 to get candy and pop. Yes, he's a total healthnut. Obviously, this goes against my frugal principles, so I had to put an end to it. So far, he has successfully given up candy-runs cold turkey because of all the candy deals I've been scoring. But, we don't usually keep pop in the house, so he continues to spend money on that and I've been avoiding buying pop because I don't want Alex to drink any. But, I will be giving in and taking advantage of the deal CVS has this upcoming week.

Uh. I'm rambling. So tired.

Anyways. I'm pretty proud of the amount of money I have saved on tomorrow's baby shower gift. I am making up my own little basket (purchased from Hobby Lobby with a gift card) containing baby items I got during the CVS baby deal (J&J baby wash, lotion and rash cream) plus some Gerber wash clothes I found on clearance at Target. In addition to that, I have a package of Gerber onesies found on clearance, plus a book I got using an amazon coupon code. A really great book, actually. One of my favorites ("Hush Little Dragon"). Retailed $10.82 and I got it for $0.82 and free shipping. I might throw in a couple other books I scored during the Borders coupon code frenzy. I'm debating on whether to "re-gift" a few outfits someone gave to Alex that I never took the tags off of because the person didn't properly wage the whole age-season gauge properly. I personally don't have any sort of problem re-gifting as long as the gift doesn't suck and it's something the person could truly use. If it's a piece of crap gift (like some giant ugly scented candle), I'm not going to pass it onto a friend. But, I happen to know that this friend of mine is working hard to save money on baby stuff and I know she'd appreciate anything I could pass onto her, including handmedowns.

Rambling again.

Time for bed.

Not skimping

2008-08-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

So, I have always been a money saver. But, when we purchased our home a few months ago, I became obsessed with saving money. OBSESSED. To the point where I really only have 4 summer shirts that I wear. One that has accumulated some mysterious pink stains on the back, which has led me to look into purchasing red dye just so I can keep it in rotation and not have to buy a new one.

There are some things I don't skimp on though. Fresh produce is one. I read lots of blogs that post pictures of their weekly grocery haul, and I often wonder - Where are the fruits and vegetables? People rarely talk about the produce they buy. Is it because it's hard to find good deals on produce, so why bother talking about it? Or is because they are only consuming frozen or canned veggies and fruits? And I'm not talking about the produce people have canned themselves. I'm talking tin cans here. I recently read a woman's meal plan on her blog where she talked about serving cans of mixed vegetables that she found for a good price. It didn't sound appealing to me. Sorry. I don't care how cheap it was. The only canned veggie I buy are green beans for Alex because he's ADDICTED. He dips them in ketchup. They're easy to chew. And I hope to learn to can some of my own soon. Although, by the time I learn, he'll probably be over them.

I also buy the "pricey" deli meat. If it were up to me, I would be fine with some of the pre-packaged deli meat that you find in the deli cases. But, my husband is a food snob and loves things like hot capocolla (did I spell that right?) and black forest ham. These generally add at least $10 to my grocery bill, but it's worth every penny. My husband hasn't quite converted into the frugal spender that I am today, and he is very easily tempted by take-out, drive-thrus and delivery pizza. Spending a bit more on higher quality, yummy deli meats is worth every penny. It tempts my husband to make a nice thick sandwich instead of heading to McDonalds.

Finally, I'm finding it difficult to say "no" to the "causes". Now, donating to charity is one thing that I have always done and will continue to do. But, now that I'm a mother and a home-owner, I have discovered a whole new world of "causes" to help support. The other day a nice young man from our town's highschool football team rang my doorbell and sold me a discount card for $20. It was pricey, in my opinion. But I bought it. My husband is a huge sports fan. And I am a fan of supporting schools. So, I agreed. It might come in handy. Probably not.

Today I purchased a $15 box of goodies to help support the DARE program. It contained flash cards, crayons, coloring books, stickers. Most of it was beyond Alex's level, but I will save it as Christmas present.

Anyways, I have a difficult time saying "no" to people, but so far I don't regret helping these various causes. I just hope it doesn't send me to the poor house.

A Frugal Right of Passage

2008-08-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

The Crock Pot.

You know you're frugal when you bust out the Crock Pot!

So, despite the fact that we have owned a brand new one for over a year, I used it for the first time the other night. And it was a disaster. I should say, my husband was eventually able to save our dinner.

I read about this wonderfully yummy Mac N Cheese you bake all day in your Crock Pot. Perfect! We all love Mac N Cheese and I had all the ingredients on hand.

I should have known better and followed my instinct. As soon as I tossed all the ingredients in, I read the recipe over again, 4 or 5 times to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. It just didn't look right. But, whatever. I gave my husband strict instructions not to lift the lid while I was at work. And off I went.

I got a phone call about 4 hours later from my husband telling me there must be something wrong. At first I wanted to blame it on him for peeking. But, he insisted he only did it once.

The layer of noodles that came in direct contact with the Pot were dried, burnt and had formed a giant solid noodle. And where was all the yummy cheese?

We managed to save it buy purchasing some pricey cheese to add. Thus adding about 100 additional grams of fat as well (let's be real, it wasn't a healthy dish to begin with though...)

I will give it another shot on Saturday when I attempt round two of Crock Potting.

Chicken Burritos.

Let's hope there was an ingredient accidentally omitted from the Mac N Cheese recipe I used, and not that there is something horribly wrong with my Crock Pot ... or dare I say, my cooking skills.

Meal Plans

2008-08-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

Food for this week, in no particular order:

Breakfasts:
-Cereal
-Hashbrowns and Fruit
-Muffins and Fruit
-Starbucks (Alex and I share an oat bran muffin)
-Cinnamon Toast and Fruit
-Oatmeal

Lunch:
-Burgers, Fries and Cucumber salad
-Mac & Cheese, Fruit and Cucumber salad
-Tuna Melts, Pretzels and Fruit
-Chicken Burritos, Rice and Fruit
-Omelets, Bacon and Fruit
-Homemade Pizza
-Deli Meat Sandwiches
(Alex substitutions: Nuggets, Bagel Pizza, Canned Beans)

Dinner:
~~-Pork Tenderloin~~ (pricier than expected) Left Overs, Roasted Potatoes and Fruit
-Spaghetti and Veggies & Dip
-Kabobs, Rice and ~~Corn on the Cob~~ (swarming in fruit flies at the grocery store) Roasted Potatoes
-Oven Fried Chicken, Fries and Veggies & Dip
(Alex substitutions)

Shopping List (in random order): Pork tenderloin, Hashbrowns, Bran muffin mix, eggs, ground sirloin, hamburger buns, frozen nuggets, cucumber, red onion, red pepper, baby carrots, corn, whole mushrooms, veggie dip, potatoes, oranges, strawberries, watermelon, green onion, red wine vinegar, black beans, salsa? frozen fries? garlic?

I'm going to have to purchase all of it at the grocery store because I don't think I'll make it to the Farmers Market.

Christmas Expenses

2008-08-20T19:35:00.001-07:00

During all the blog excitement over "Christmas in July", I started my holiday shopping early. I'd love to spend less than the gobbs I ended up forking over last year. So, with the help of all my favorite frugal blogs, I'm capitalizing on all the deals I hear about in an attempt to spread my shopping over a period of months, as well as save money! Hopefully I'll hurt my wallet a little less this year.

These are my estimates, although I do keep all my receipts

About 25 children's books plus a "Juno" DVD= $26.00 (Borders.com)
Thomas Train toy= $1.00 (Walmart)
Thomas Train toy=$3.50 (Meijer)
Tonka monster truck= $5.00 (Target)
4 Blockbuster DVDs= $2.50 (Blockbuster.com)
ABC Magnets= $1.00 (Target)
*Decorated Tea Bag Magnet=$8.00 (local free trade shop)
*Bluebird salt and pepper shakers=$10.00 (some random website)
**Scooby Doo Activity Set=$15.00

Total $72.00

*These purchases were made awhile ago before I started my frugal ways. Now, I probably wouldn't purchase the shakers. And instead of the magnet I should have purchased the coasters which are cheaper, then added my own magnet to the back. They are for a terrific cause. So I'm fine with it*
**Purchased to help support the DARE program

Grocery Budget

2008-08-20T19:28:00.001-07:00

So, in an attempt to reduce the amount I spend on groceries a week, I must figure out how much I spend in the first place!

So far...

Walgreens:
-3 Jars of Skippy= $3.80
-6 Dove Shampoo/Conditioner= $3.00
-1 Preparation H= -$0.51 (gave me overage, but not the -$1.01 I was expecting)

Total $6.29 Received $1.50 RR

Meijer (highlights of my trip):
-2 Lawry's Marinades= $0.67 a piece
-Free Milk (bought 3 boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats at $2.00 a piece and got free milk - contemplated awhile over this deal because $2.00 a box is more than I'd like to spend. But they were the giant boxes, we do love Honey Bunches of Oats and were out which meant I would be buying some soon regardless)
-Free Deli Meat (bought 2 Kraft deli sliced cheeses at $2.75 a piece and got free deli meat - contemplated this awhile as well but my husband does like sliced cheese A LOT, and it's cheaper than buying Kroger or Meijer brand sliced cheese, plus I planned on buying deli meat regardless)

Total $62.86 - I'd like to go back and get more marinades because we use them quite a bit. But, Meijer only doubles 2 of the same coupon per transaction and I'm not yet comfortable with the multiple transactions per visit.

Kroger (highlights of my trip):
-Free Oreos - Used a Kroger Catalina (Oreos are my FAVE and I had given them up because they are never priced low enough for me)
-Whole Seedless Watermelon= $3.88
-4 Kroger Brand Tortilla Chips =$1.00 a piece (my husband loves making nachos)

I opted not to do the Juicy Juice (Nestle) deal and now I'm glad I didn't. We don't need more juice even if it is priced right. (Buy 20$ worth, get $5 off instantly - Buy 8 bottles, use 8 $1.00/1 coupons, get all 8 for $7.00)

Total $21.35

GRAND TOTAL $90.50

Not bad. This is about average for me right now. A few months ago I would have been spending around $115-$120. As I continue to build my stockpile I anticipate it to go down further. I would also like to purchase an additional freezer.

I will add pictures to my posts when our new camera arrives.