Thursday, October 30, 2008

AWESOME deal at Dillon's tonight!

AWESOME DEAL TONIGHT!!! I bought 7 loaves of Sara Lee bread at Buy One, Get One Free - will ring up at 50% off, so $1.62 each. Well, there were some loaves there that had a $.55/1 Sara Lee bread item on them which doubled to $1; so they were $.62 each for Sara Lee bread!! WOOHOO!! AND, the wheat bread didn't ring up at 50% off (and, yes, it was the correct kind) so I got 1 for FREE. So, my total tonight was 7 loaves of Sara Lee bread and 4 packs of Dillon's hot dog buns (on sale for $.66 each) for a grand total of $5.94 - a savings of 74%!!! WOOHOO!!!!

So, be sure to watch the price things ring up for AND if they ring up at the wrong price, make sure that you get one of those items for free (if you bought more than one)!

Monday, October 27, 2008

FREE reusable Target tote

Here's a deal for you... send in 5 plastic Target bags and get a coupon for a Target Re-Tote bag. This is the link to the details: http://sites.target.com/site/en/spot/page.jsp?title=retote_offer


NOTE: you do not need to use the People Magazine; the site says that you can "use any 8½ x11" or larger envelope. Be sure to affix postage and include your return address. "


COOL DEAL!!!

Dillon's shopping trip on 10/26

I did some coupon shopping at Dillon's today and wanted to share my deals...

Here's what I bought:

22 - Nesquick chocolate milks - ALL FREE due to 10/$10 sale and $.50 coupons that were doubled

10 - Fast Fixin' tender packages - ALL FREE due to 10/$10 sale and $1/1 coupons (register at their site and receive 5 - $1 coupons - http://www.fastfixin.com/)

3 - Brut deodorant - ALL FREE due to 10/$10 sale and $.50 coupons that were doubled; will donate these to local shelter or to military gift boxes for oversees service men

2 - Reach toothbrushes and 1 - Aquafresh toothpaste - ALL FREE due to 10/$10 sale and $.75/1 coupons that were doubled to $1 (register at their site and receive $.75 coupons for either toothpaste or tooth brushes - http://www.aquafresh.com/); will donate these to local shelter or to military gift boxes for oversees service men/women as we already have plenty from previous sales.

18 - Wisker Lickens cat treat pouches - $.25 each - were 4/$5 (from $1.69) and had coupons for $1/1. We'll donate these to the Humane Society; it's a good excuse to go in and pet the cats since we can't have one due to hubby's allergies!

6 - A&W rootbeer 2-liters - $.74 each

1 - dozen of eggs - $1.25 each - on sale but needed them regardless

2 - gallons of milk - not on sale but needed them

2 - Kansas City Star newspapers - their coupon inserts are better than the Wichita Eagle's

6 - Hamburger Helper - $.67 each due to 10/$10 sale and $.75/3 coupons that were doubled to $1

1 - Goldfish crackers - $1

4 - Eggo waffles - $1 each after $.50/1 coupon doubled to $1; not on sale but hubby asked for them

2 - Hunt's pudding 4-packs - $.50 each due to 10/$10 sale and $.75/2 coupons that were doubled to $1

That is a total of 80 items (if my counting is correct - LOL!) for a total of $37.76!! Coupon savings of $60.94 (total savings of $110.10 or 77%)!! WOOHOO!!

Blessings!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Menu planning - sigh!

Okay, I am not doing so good with my plan to have our family's meals planned. I am struggling with this for some reason. I stumbled across this blog that has a a menu making 101 section that was interesting, You can read it at: http://menumakermom.blogspot.com/search/label/Menu%20Making%20101

I keep trying to find a system that will be easy! I see many sites talking about "make a menu, then a grocery list, then shop and get deals if you can" but that just doesn't work for me. I am a coupon- and deal-shopper so I buy what is on sale and stock my freezer and cupboard with those items. I need to do my menus based on what is on-hand. I know that menu planning shouldn't be hard but I am really struggling to get my brain wrapped around a system that works based on my shopping style. I wish that a meal/menu-planning guru could just come sit at my dining room table with me and "hold my hand" through making a multiple-week menu; that would help me so much! LOL!! Since that will probably never happen, I will just keep re-reading the blog posted above until it is burned into my brain!!

I am encouraged, though, as I had already done some of the things suggested in that blog. I have a binder of recipes broken down by category and I have a freezer and pantry inventory, so there is hope!!!! LOL!! I just need to get those things matched up into meals!! SIGH!! Why does that seem so elusive?!?!

I am once more inspired to start again!!

Many blessings!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Dillon's trip 10/20

I just had to share my purchases for today....

12 Lean Cuisine
10 boxes of Cheerios (rain check from a sale in Sept.)
14 boxes of Life Cereal
8 boxes of Quaker oatmeal squares
16 can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup (rain check from a sale in Sept.)
18 Gerber baby food Stage 1 twin packs
6 bottles of Juicy Juice
8 bags of Ore Ida Steam 'n Mash potatoes
2 cans of evaporated milk
1 container Mr. Clean cleaning wipes
1 Country Crock honey butter

That is 95 items for $116.35 - with a savings of $144.15! That is a 59% savings! I don't think that's too bad considering that there are 32 boxes of cereal there!! I probably should have waited on the baby food for now but it's not like it won't get used!

Well, off to load up my stock pile area with LOTS of cereal!!

Happy savings!
Amy

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Meal/Menu Planning Challenge

HI! If you have looked at my blog before then you know that I LOVE to coupon shop!!! Because of that I usually have a pretty good stockpile of dry good and freezer items. Well, we are wanting to pay down some debt and one expense that we can easily cut back on is groceries. So... that means that I need to meal plan to use what we have on hand instead of buying things to make meals (and to avoid the dreaded drive thru at a local fast food restaurant). I hope to use this blog as an accountability tool to post how I am doing on using what we have on hand to make meals and for how I am doing on my grocery spending! (I hope to only buy screamin' deals that are just too good to pass up.)

If any of you have any great meal planning tips for using what is already in one's pantry and freezer or sites that are good for recipe searches, please leave me a comment!

I'll start by saying that today for lunch we had leftovers and for dinner the kids and I had grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup. I estimated the cost of our dinner to be $3 +/-! WOOHOO!!!

Blessings!

Drawing for LOTS of coupons!!

Here is a blog where you can enter to win LOTS of coupons: http://savingourcents.blogspot.com/2008/10/just-when-i-thought-i-was-done-purging.html! Just enter a comment below her post to enter - be sure to include your email address.
Drawing will be held on Friday, 10/17/08.
Good luck!

Another good blog for deals

I recently found this blog: http://thecentsiblesawyer.blogspot.com/ and it is a great resource for deals at Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Target, etc. They also regularly include links to freebies. Check it out often as there is a wealth of info there!