All You Magazine Subscription for $18 - WOW!!!

If you read my earlier blog posts with my coupon tips then you know that the All You magazine - a Wal-Mart only magazine - is a GREAT source for coupons!! I have had a subscription for several months and LOVE IT!!

Here's your chance to grab up an AMAZING DEAL!!! Go here to get your 2 year subscription to All You Magazine for just $18!! This is a great deal!!! The magazine sells for $2.17 at Wal-Mart, that is a savings of $34.08. Each month of All You contains coupons (usually well over $20 worth in each issue) as well as great articles!! You will NOT be disappointed!!!

To Wii or Not to Wii - that is the question...

Sigh... hubby and I had decided that we were going to buy a Wii for our family for Christmas. We figured that it would be a great way to keep the kids physically active while having fun when it was just too cold, wet, snowy, and/or muddy, etc. this winter and beyond. Now I will start by saying that we did know what the cost of a Wii was as we made this decision, but what I hadn't given a huge amount of thought to was what the "rest of the story" was in terms of needing more controllers for multiple players and the cost of additional games. The other thing that I wasn't prepared for was how painfully difficult these boogers are to find to actually buy; we were afraid that we wouldn't find one to buy before Christmas (from a source that we were familiar with, such as Wal-Mart, Sam's, Toys-R-Us, Circuit City, Best Buy, etc.).

Then, finally, just this morning we found a Wii system on the Toys-R-Us site - can you say WOOHOO!!! I placed our order and we were all set, or so I thought! A short time later, I got what I call "that itchy feeling" - the feeling I get when something just isn't right. I couldn't dismiss it so I stopped to pray that God would guide Eric and I on whether purchasing the Wii was a good decision or not. When I shared my "itchy feeling" with my hubby, he agreed that if it didn't feel right then we needed to cancel the order; so cancel the order I did and now the "itchy feeling" is gone! WHEW!!!

BUT.... now my question is... what decision process have others had on the road of "To Wii or Not to Wii"? Why did you chose to or not to purchase it???

We had a hard time justifying the cost of the console, additional accessories, and on-going cost of games. My cost estimate was near $478.00 for the items that we felt we would need to get started, not to mention the cost of additional games or other accessories that we don't yet know that we "need". Plus, the questions we asked ourselves were these... do we want to encourage our children to play video games rather than seek out other sources of play that would be equally physical and even more imaginative??? Do we want them to think that all entertainment must come from either the computer or the television??

As a slight bunny trail, but still on the same thought... We are considering cancelling our cable TV in January for a couple of reasons (we would cancel it now, but, even though this was my idea, I am having a hard time committing to giving up some of the shows that I watch on cable). First, we pay approx. $80 per month for digital cable and some additional digital tiers. We think we can be better stewards of that $80 by using it to either build our savings or to pay down student loan debt rather than use it for pure entertainment. Second, because there is just too much on TV that we do not agree with; such things as the attitudes of some characters on some of the pre-teen/teen shows our oldest daughter suddenly wants to watch, violence (even the evening news is hard to watch with kids), not to mention the encouragement to "get more stuff" from watching all the toy and fast food commercials (especially this time of year) that we are always bombarded with. We have considered just blocking the channels that have what we consider to be questionable content, but that won't eliminate all of what bothers us.

All that being said, I still would like a Wii because I think it would be a lot of fun... but we just cannot justify the cost for our family. Please know that I am not judging other families that do have Wiis and/or cable TV, it is a personal choice that each family must make for themselves. All I am doing is sharing what thought process we have worked through (and we are obviously still working through them ourselves) and now I would LOVE to hear from each of you on your family's decision "To Wii or Not to Wii"; I look forward to hearing from you.

Menu Plan Monday - wk of 12/8

Okay... here I go... I am committed to having my weekly menu planned each weekend so that I can post it here to participate in Menu Plan Monday at http://orgjunkie.com/ (there are LOTS of other weekly menus posted there to inspire you) and as accountability.

My goal this week is to use up some chicken in the freezer and to use what we have here at home instead of buying things from the grocery store; I did a lot of stockpiling of several sale items before Thanksgiving so I need to cut my grocery spending back this month. Here's what I have planned for this week (if you want me to post recipes, leave me a comment and I will start adding recipes):

Breakfast:
Mon: waffles
Tues: oatmeal
Wed: cinnamon rolls
Thurs: muffins or quick bread
Fri: cereal
Sat: eggs and sausage
Sun: french toast casserole

Lunch:
Mon: chicken and rice (cubed chicken breast cooked with a lipton rice pouch)
Tues: pigs in a blanket (hot dogs rolled in crescent rolls) with macaroni and cheese
Wed: grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup
Thurs: leftover ziti (from Wednesday dinner)
Fri: fish tenders and noodles (a lipton noodle pouch)
Sat: manwich and tatertots
Sun: pork chops and gravy in the crockpot

Dinner:
Mon: shredded pork loin tacos with mexican rice and hamburger helper for kiddos
Tues: chicken and gravy in the crockpot with stuffing
Wed: baked ziti with garlic bread
Thurs: meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes and green bean casserole
Fri: our church is having a Parents' Night Out, so we will do something easy for the kids and Eric and I (and Elijah) will go out for dinner - yippee!!!
Sat: chicken alfredo (I am not fully committed to this yet, so this could change)
Sun: chicken sandwiches

I hope that you, too, are inspired to plan your meals for the week.

Many blessings and happy "eats"!!

Frugal haircuts - saved $80!!

My latest frugal conquest... reasonably priced haircuts. Several months ago I posted on a local homeschool Yahoo! group to ask for places to take my kids for reasonably priced haircuts (the last place I took them cost me nearly $80 with tip). Several group members suggested that I get a good, sharp pair of scissors and do it myself.

Well, it has taken a couple of months to work up the courage but I finally did it! My 4 oldest were in desperate need of cuts (the baby doesn’t have any hair, so he was safe… this time), so I got out my scissors that are dedicated haircutting scissors (previously for bangs only). I cut Sarah’s (age 3 ½) and Matthew’s (age 2) hair on Saturday night and both turned out pretty well; actually, Sarah ended up with a chin-length bob that is adorable and Matthew had his mullet-wanna-be hair trimmed back a nice non-redneck length – LOL!! Then on Monday, Hannah (age 7) and Rachel (age 5 ½) decided that they wanted haircuts too! While I felt less confident with their cuts, they actually turned out looking quite nice!! My aunt liked the cuts and then was quite impressed when I told her that I cut it myself!! I am so thankful to all who encouraged me to “just do it” myself - thanks HANCK members! I plan to hit Sally Beauty Supply soon for a cape, real haircut scissors and maybe a razor/trimmer for the boys’ hair!

Here are some of our before and after pics:

Sarah before Sarah after

my boys...

Elijah - safe from the scissors... this time

Matthew - now free from his mullet-in-the-making (sorry no before pics)

(aren't these boys just too cute together!!!)

Rachel - before Rachel - after

Hannah - before Hannah - after (what an improvement!)

Thanksgiving Leftovers all used up!!

This post is a couple days late, but I still wanted to report in that I have successfully used up ALL of my Thanksgiving leftovers!! I am really striving to be a good steward of what we have and that especially means leftovers (which often tend to get lost in the fridge and turn into an unplanned science experiment - LOL!). We ate some of the leftovers just warmed up - but that usually happens the first day or so... it's the rest that I needed to be creative with. Well, on 12/1 I posted how we made turkey and noodles with some of what we had remaining from dinner.

What we had remaining was some turkey, stuffing, corn, green bean casserole, and mashed potatoes. Here is how we used the rest....

** on 12/2 we had "Gobble Up Good Turkey Casserole" (from www.menus4moms.com) which used up nearly all remaining turkey as well as all of the stuffing. Here's the recipe (I noted my changes in parenthesis after the item):

Gobble Good Turkey Casserole
1 can cream of mushroom soup (used 2 cans as I did not have cream of celery at home)
1 can cream of celery soup (did not use, see above)
1 package onion soup mix (did not have any, but added some onion powder and black pepper)
1 cup rice (long grain, not minute rice)
1 1/2 cups milk
2-3 cups leftover turkey
(I topped mine with the leftover stuffing and hubby LOVED it - I highly recommend this!)

Combine all ingredients in a large casserole dish. Bake covered 30-45 minutes at 350°F or until bubbly. (Mine took a solid hour, add more time if you use brown rice.) I then served it with the remaining green bean casserole and corn.


** on 12/3 I made Mashed Potato soup which I morphed from several recipes I found online. Here's how I made mine:

Amy's Mashed Potato Soup
2 cups of chicken stock (I used 2 chicken bouillon cubes and 2 cups of water)
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
onion powder to taste
celery salt to taste (next time I will probably finely chop some celery and carrots)
crumbled bacon
shredded cheese

Heat broth then add mashed potatoes. It will be thin at first, so turn down the heat to medium and let it thicken. If it gets too thick or if you want it creamier or richer, you could add some milk or sour cream. Top with some crumbled bacon and shredded cheese.


All that remained was some turkey and some stock; both of these are now in the freezer until I want turkey and noodles again.

So, I successfully managed to use up ALL my leftovers and with minimal additional cost. Here's what I figure:
* the turkey and noodles cost approx. $1.50 ($1.00 for the half bag of noodles and $.50 for carrots and seasonings);
* the turkey casserole cost approx. $2.00 ($.50 for rice, $1 for cream soup, and $.50 for milk and seasonings); and
* the soup cost approx. $1.60 (pennies for the bullion cubes and seasonings, $.50 for cheese, and $1 for bacon).

For neither of these am I adding the cost of the leftovers as they were free in my mind as they would have probably been thrown away in previous years. $5.10 for 3 meals is pretty good in my opinion!!!

Thanks for continuing to join me on my adventure to be a good steward.

10 lbs of ground beef - how I used it...

Yesterday I mentioned that I had a 10-lb log of ground beef from Sam's that I would be using to make ahead some meals, Here's what we made:

18 - 4 oz. burger patties
2 meatloafs
3 meals worth of salisbury steaks

It was a great cooking day!!

Turkey and noodles - it was like manna from heaven!

Just had to share... I am working very hard to be a good steward of what we have so I am examining everything to be sure that it is being used to the greatest potential. Well, I will admit that I normally throw away my turkey carcass; I despise cutting/pulling the meat off the bones! I had already cut off the meat I would want for sandwiches but knew a lot of meat was left. I debated cooking the carcass down but really wasn't in the mood for turkey soup. After praying about it, I was blessed with the idea of turkey and noodles. So I cooked the carcass down and was blessed with nearly 3 quarts of wonderful broth and 4 cups of meat. I then used these for a wonderful batch of turkey and noodles - YUMMY!! What a wonderful blessing - just like manna from heaven!! I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed that meal!


For those who might be curious to know how I cooked down my turkey or made the turkey and noodles, here you go:

I cooked down turkey carcass by putting it in my big stockpot and covering it with water. I then added a couple stalks of celery just cut in half, two handfuls of mini carrots, a third of an onion, and then some poultry seasoning and black pepper. After it was at a slow boil, I put the lid on the pan, reduced the heat to medium and let it cook for approx. 2 hours. Once cooled down, I strained the stock from the solids (bones, meat, and veggies). I then put the stock in pitchers in the fridge. Finally, I then pulled the meat from the remaining solids and stored it in the fridge as well; the remaining solids were put in the trash.

For the turkey and noodles (a small batch), I put 5 cups of the yummy turkey broth and approx. 1/2 cup of sliced carrots into a pan and heated it to boiling. I then added half of 12 oz. package of Reames egg noodles (from the freezer section in the grocery store) and 1 cup of chopped turkey and covered it and let it cook until the noodles were done (25-30 minutes). Lastly, I mixed a tablespoon of cornstarch with a 1/4 cup of water, then slowly added that to the pan of broth and noodles just to thicken it up a bit. Then we dished it up and enjoyed our blessing!! YUM!!!

YUMMY Meatballs

One of the things I like to do as part of my meal planning is to buy ground beef in bulk and make several meals to be stored in the freezer until needed. One of my favorites is meatballs:

Freezer Stash Meatballs
Makes 48 meatballs; 8 servings

3 pounds lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
3 eggs
6 tablespoons minced onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. In a large bowl, mix beef, crumbs, eggs, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Shape into 11/2-inch meatballs. (A miniature ice cream scoop makes fast work of shaping.)
3. Arrange in two 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pans. Bake in preheated oven until meat is browned, with no trace of pink and juices run clear, 10 to 13 minutes.
4. Drain, let cool to room temperature, divide into thirds and freeze each portion in vapor-moisture proof containers.

For ideas on what to use these in, see the whole "plan" at: http://www.menus4moms.com/bulk/beef_plan.php

My 2 favorite ways to use the meatballs is:
* in meatball subs - combine meatballs with some spaghetti sauce and then serve them in buns with mozzerella cheese
* as Swedish meatballs - combine meatballs with a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can (or jar) of brown gravy and heat through; serve over egg noodles


I have a 10-lb. log of ground beef in the fridge, I will try to post tomorrow about how I will use that.

See more great recipes at: http://grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com

Blessings!!

2 additional sites for printable coupons

Here are a couple of additional sites with lots of printable coupons that were just too good not to pass on:

http://www.couponcat.net/ccgrocery.html

http://www.couponsinc.com/corp/source/cp_clientlist.asp

Happy savings!

Gotta be a genius to read this blog...

I was reading a friend's blog (http://raising-arrows.blogspot.com/2008/11/for-geniuses-only.html ) and read about the Blog Readibiliy Test which scores what level of education is required to read a particular blog. Well... curiousity got the best of me and I just had to see where my blog came in at. Much to my surprise I came in at a genius level. Well, I knew couponers were smart but I had no idea how smart!!!

Movie Reviews

Have your blog scored at: http://www.criticsrant.com/bb/reading_level.aspx

Blessings!!!

FREE Dr. Pepper - OFFER EXTENDED!!!

Beginning Sunday at 12:01 a.m., coupons for a FREE 20-ounce soda will be available for 24 hours on Dr Pepper’s Web site. (due to the traffic on their website Dr. Pepper has extended their coupons 18 more hours), Coupons will be emailed to your personal email address and honored until February 28, 2009.

FREE Daisy Sour Cream

I found this link tonight and wanted to share... Daisy sour cream (8 oz.) are on sale at Dillon's this week for 10/$10. With this coupon, you should be able to get 2 for FREE (after you print one, hit your back button then refresh your screen and select retry and it should print a 2nd coupon for you!!).

http://www.daisybrand.com/fun/coupon.aspx

Happy savings!
Amy

2 GREAT Catalina Deals at Dillon's

Here is a transaction from Dillon's yesterday that made for a great transaction thanks to 2 super catalina deals...

I bought:
24 cans of Dole Mandarin oranges (15 oz.), sale for 10/$10
8 blocks of Philadelphia cream cheese (8 oz.), sale for 4/$5
2 tubs of Cool Whip

Total was $36.65
less Qs -12.00 ($.55/2 Dole mand oranges, doubled to $1)
- 4.00 ($.50/2 philly cream cheese, doubled to $1)
- 1.76 (Free cool whip with purchase of 3 Kraft products from a Dillon's mailer)
subtotal $19.76
Catalinas - 4.00 (for purchase 7 or more philly cream cheese)
- 8.00 (8 - $.75 catalina for purchasing 3 dole mand oranges that doubled to $1 each)
NET $7.76

WOOHOO!!!

Great deal on Del Monte Green Beans at Dillon's

Greetings, Coupon Friends!!! I found a good deal yesterday at Dillon's that I had to share with you... in the 11/16 Red Plum insert there was a coupon for $.30/1 Del Monte 50% Less Salt Vegetable. Well, they are $.79 each (regular price) at Dillon's (Kroger store) yesterday. When the $.30/1 coupon was doubled, that made the beans $.19 each!!! WOOHOO!!! I made need to order some more coupons for those!!

Coupon Savings and Grocery Spending for November

I just had to share my excitement.... I track our family finances on our computer and was just reviewing our spending for the month. To my pleasant surprise I discovered that we have only spent $311.71 on groceries this month with net coupon savings of $391.86 ($421.77 total coupon savings less $29.91 purchasing additional Sunday papers and coupons through clipping services)!!! I am so excited!!! It has taken a few months of really "working" my coupons and building my stockpile, but I am finally seeing substantial savings on my grocery bill!! WOOHOO!!!

Post-It & McDonald's Deal

Buy any 2 Post-it® Products and receive $5 in McDonald’s®gift certificates.
http://www.3m.com/us/office/postit/promos/200811_md/giftcertoffer.pdf

There had been a $3/2 coupon for Post-It flag products. I cannot find the coupon on the 3M/Post-It website anymore but do still have the .pdf file. So, if you saved it then you might be able to make a good deal. I think I have heard that Wal-Mart has good prices on the flags.

Let me know what you find.

Dillon's Mega Sale Shopping Trip

I did some MEGA sale shopping yesterday at Dillon's! Spent $72 and saved $282!!! I should have saved $8 more but some how missed out on one of my $5 deals and they refused one of my $3 coupons (and it wasn't worth arguing over). Here's what I bought:

1 - Cheerios
6 - Lucky Charms
30 - Brut deodorant (FREE & will be donated)
4 - Powerade (FREE with overage)
10 - Swiss Miss (FREE)
15 - Betty Crocker cookie mix
3 - Betty Crocker muffin mixes
3 - Betty Crocker potato mixes
1 - Hamburger Helper (FREE)
2 - Johnson's baby wash
2 - Pam spray
1 - Crisco oil
7 - Carnation condensed milk
2 - Eagle evaporated milk
8 - Nestle chocolate chips
8 - Quaker chewy granola bars
2 - Viva paper towels
6 - toaster strudel
1 - Jimmy Dean breakfast entree
6 - Colgate toothpaste (FREE & will be donated)
1 - Colgate toothbrush (FREE & will be donated)
1 - Advil
2 - C&H sugar
1 - Honey Bunches of Oats (FREE)
1 - Nature Valley granola bars (FREE)
1 - Marzetti dressing (not a deal but needed it; did use a coupon though)
1 - Kraft sliced cheese (not a deal but needed it; did use a coupon though)
1 - Goldfish crackers (not a deal but needed it; did use a coupon though)
1 - Daisy cottage cheese (not a deal but needed it; did use a coupon though)
1 - grated parmesan cheese (not a deal, but needed it)
2 - Land 'o Lakes butter
4 - scotch brite lint rollers (FREE with overage)
2 - Early California Olives (FREE)

That is 136 items for $72.60!!! My coupon savings were $162.99; TOTAL savings of $281.14 or 82%!!!! WOOHOO!!!

Dillon's MEGA SALE deals list

I grabbed a partial deals list from http://attentiondillonsshoppers.blogspot.com/2008/11/10-item-mega-event-nov5-nov11.html and have made many additions to it to account for the printables that I have found as well as the mfgr coupons from recent inserts.

* Dillons Milk $2.99
* Dr. Pepper 12 pack $2.67 each when you buy 3
* Nature’s Own bread is 2/$4; with the Buy 1/Get 1 as well as $.75/1 coupons from the flyer in the 11/5 newspaper, these would be $1 each.


10 for $10 Mix or Match
* Campbell's Soup (use .50/2, or .40/2 coupons from previous Sunday paper)
* Nestle, Hershey's, Cadbury XL or Symphony giant bars
* Kroger Frozen Vegetables* Parkay Margarine
* Halls Cough Drops (look for peelies and tear pads to get these FREE!); there was a $.50/1 coupon in the November All You magazine (found only at Wal-Mart) which makes it FREE
* Gerber Graduates (use $1 off any meal or $1 off any snack coupons from Gerber Graduates mailer to get this FREE. Sign up here to get coupons by mail.)
* Avocados



Mix & Match 10 Item Mega Event
(Buy any combo of 10 participating items and get $5 off at register with Dillons Plus Card. Limit 3 Rewards per transaction.)


$1 Items (.50 each when you buy 10):
* Swiss Miss (Use .50/2 loadable coupon here) or use the $1/2 printable at: : http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=rkdkeqr85492884&bt=vi&o=54240&c=CG&p=zCqEjvSZ to get them FREE
* Quaker Rice Cakes
* Powerade; there was a recent insert coupon for $1/1, so this would have given a $.50 overage each
* Vitamin Water
* Carnation Evaporated Milk (use $1/2 here or .50/2 in 11/2/2008 RedPlum insert to get for .25 each)
* Coast bar soap
* Scotch lint rollers; with a recent insert coupon for $.50/1 from the 10/5 RedPlum insert which would also give a $.50 overage on each
* Scotch Brite nail saver sponge, with printable these are FREE and it is a .pdf file so you can print as many as you want – woohoo!!: http://www.3m.com/us/home_leisure/scotchbrite/ultranailsaver/

$1.50 Items ($1 each when you buy 10):
* Alka Seltzer
* Right Guard Antiperspirant
* Betty Crocker Potatoes; there have been several insert coupons for $.35/1 which would make these $.30 each; BUT you can also load an e-saver to your Dillon’s card at http://shortcuts.com/ for $.35/1 which would give a $.05 overage on 1.
* Colgate Toothpaste (use .75/1 coupon past insert to get FREE!)
* Colgate Wave or Total Toothbrushes; FREE with printable at colgate coupon
* Dial Liquid Hand Soap; with a recent insert coupon for $.30/1 these would be $.40 each
* Duncan Hines Frosting
* Early California Olives; with a recent coupon from a Dillon’s mailing for $.50/1, these would be FREE
* Edwards or Mrs. Smith's Pie Slices
* Hefty One Zip Storage Bags* Hormel Chili w/o Beans
* Hunt's Tomatoes or Sauce (use .40/2 coupon from previous Smart Source insert which makes them $.60 each) or use this printable for $1/2 making them $.50 each http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=rjtnciy2591036&bt=wi&o=53853&c=HN&p=LYJDBhly&WT.mc_id=HUN_10_08a&WT.mc_ev=click * Kroger Peanuts
* Kroger Pancake Syrup
* Plochman's Mustard
* Quaker Oats; with the $1/2 printable coupon available at: http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=rkhsbdg23708610&bt=vi&o=54241&c=QO&p=3uQmatMR these would be $.50 each
* Zatarain's Rice Mix

$2.00 Items ($1.50 each when you buy 10):
* General Mills cereal, there have been a variety of coupons in recent inserts as well as a recent Dillon’s mailingl; also, there is a $1/2 printable at:
* Banquet boneless chicken
* Betty Crocker cookie pouches, with printables for $.75/1 at http://www.bettycrocker.com/, http://www.coupons.com/ and http://www.boxtops4education.com/Coupons/ making them $.50 each, or with recent insert coupons for $.40/1, make these $.70 each
* Betty Crocker fruit snacks, check for printables at http://www.bettycrocker.com/, http://www.coupons.com/ and http://www.boxtops4education.com/Coupons/
* Claim Jumper entrees
* Daisy sour cream
* Dannon, Activia, L-N-F O Plus, La Crème or Dan Active Yogurt
* Dove Ice Cream
* Duncan Hines brownie mix
* Eagle brand condensed milk, there is a $.55/1 coupon in the November All You magazine (available only at Wal-Mart) which would make these $.50 each, and there is a $1/2 coupon in the 11/9 RedPlum insert making these $1 each
* Cheetos
* Fritos
* Miss Vickie’s snacks
* Frito Lay snacks
* Kroger vanilla wafers
* Old El Paso Mexican dinner kits
* Orville Redenbackher popcorn
* PictSweet vegetables
* Pillsbury toaster strudel, there is a $1/1 printable making these $.50 each: http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=rj4efge39236608&bt=wi&o=53094&ci=1&c=TP&p=LUFwtg7A
* Quaker chewy granola bars, there was a recent Dillon’s mailing coupon for $1/2 which would make these $1 each
* Stouffer’s Red Box entrees
* Tony’s pizza
* Viva paper towel, with a recent insert coupon for $.50/1, these would be $.50 each
* Weight Watchers ice cream cups

$2.50 Items ($2 each when you buy 10):
* Advil; with a $1/1 printable coupon available at: http://www.wyeth.com/specialoffers?rid=/wyeth_html/home/user_group_landing/for_pc/coupons.html these would be $1 each. NOTE: while it appears that you can print as many of these as you want, each coupon does print with a unique tracking code, so you really can only print and use 1 per registration (so, if you have multiple email addresses, then you can probably print more than 1)
* Armour Meatballs
* Betty Crocker Muffin Mix (look for .50/1 peelies, making this $1); or the printables for $.45/1 at http://www.bettycrocker.com/, http://www.coupons.com/ and http://www.boxtops4education.com/Coupons/ making them $1.10 each.
* Bic Sensitive or Ultra Touch Razors
* C&H Sugar, with recent insert coupon for $.30/1, these would be $1.40 each
* Frito Lay Snack Crackers
* Glade Scented Oil or Candles; many coupons were in a recent inserts as well as in the November All You magazine (available only at Wal-Mart) and at http://www.coupons.com/
* Huggies Wipes (use .50/1 coupon from Huggies mailer to make this $1. sign up here)
* Jimmy Dean
* Special K Protein Water or Snack Bars
* Land O Lakes Butter, with $.55/1 coupon at: http://coupons.smartsource.com/ these are $1 each
* Nestle Morsels (use .50/1 or $1/3 coupons from recent inserts), plus there was a coupon at : http://www.verybestbaking.com/promotions/free/coupon.aspx
* Carefree Liners
* Stayfree Pads
* Tylenol; with the $1/1 printable at https://www.tylenol.com/vcrc/manage/nmtycampaign.jhtml?oid=5315 these would be $1 each
* Motrin with the $1/1 printable at: https://www.motrin.com/page.jhtml?id=/motrin/include/coupon.inc these would be $1 each
* Palmolive dish detergent
* Pam cooking spray, with this printable for $1/2, http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=rkdkeqr85492884&bt=vi&o=54240&c=CG&p=zCqEjvSZ these would be $1.50 each
* Peter Pan peanut butter, with a $.50/1 from an October issue of All You magazine (available only at Ewal-Mart), these would be $1 each
* Quaker Oats, ; with the $1/2 printable coupon available at: http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=rkhsbdg23708610&bt=vi&o=54241&c=QO&p=3uQmatMR these would be $1.50 each
* Sara Lee fruit pies
* Sara Lee simple sweet pies
* Shout stain remover, with a recent insert coupon for $.75/1, these would be $1 each
* Smuckers jam or preserves, with the coupon in the 11/9 newspaper RedPlum insert for $1/3, these would be $1.67 each

$3.00 Items ($2.50 each when you buy 10):
* Breyers Ice cream
* Crisco vegetable oil, with $1/1coupon from 11/9 RedPlum insert these would be $1.50 each
* Gorton’s grilled fish fillets
* Johnson’s baby care, various printables at: http://www.johnsonsbaby.com/special-offers-expanded.jsp
* Listerine mouthwash, with a recent insert coupon for $.75/1, these would be $1.50 each
* Pepperidge Farm distinctive bag & Milano cookies
* Pepperidge Farm quartet cracker assortment
* Pledge furniture polish
* Simply Orange or Minute Maid orange or grapefruit juice
* Totino’s pizza rolls; with the $.35/1 coupon at http://www.coupons.com/ you can get these for $1.80 each
* TRESemme hair care
* Welch’s grape juice; with a recent insert coupon for $1/1, these would be $1.50 each

Prego for $.80/jar at Target

Here's my latest GREAT deal at Target... we ONLY use Prego speghetti sauce (one thing that I am very brand loyal to) so I watch for deals on it. Until 11/8 it is on sale at Target for $1.67/jar. Well, I had some mfgr coupons for $.75/2 (from the 10/5 SS insert I believe) PLUS found some Target coupons for $1/2 at: http://http://sites.target.com/site/en/supertarget/page.jsp?title=coupons_specials; when combining those coupons, the Prego was $.80/jar!! YIPPEE!!!

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)!

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!

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!

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

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!

Dillon's & Walgreen's Deals 5/23

HI! I LOVE to share pics of my deals!! Even though this one is posted a few days late, I just had to share. Here's my "haul" from Dillon's and Walgreen's:

4 pks of Wet-ones (FREE after coupons)

2 bottles of Joy dish soap

3 pks of pads (1 FREE after rebate, other 2 nearly FREE)

2 cans of Edge shave gel ($.49 each after coupons)

1 bottle of Orajel plaque rinse (FREE after rebate)

4 Oral B toothbrushes (FREE)

4 Crest toothpastes (FREE)

12 bxs of Eggo Waffles (yes, more waffles but how can you pass 'em up at $0.22 each)

4 bxs of Life cereal

1 bottle All laundry soap

6 pks of Ball Park Beef franks (BOGO)

2 pks pantiliners ($1.28 for both)

1 jar of Miracle Whip

2 bxs Kraft Mac & Cheese (not a deal, but my family would make me sleep in the garage if we ever ran out!)

My out-of-pocket was $32.43 (after rebates) with TOTAL savings of $112.65 ($71.86 of that was from coupons)!!! WOOHOO!!!

That's all for today!!

Blessings,

Amy

Recent Dillon's and Walgreens Savings - 5/20

HI!! I don't have a picture to share this time (sorry!), but just had to share my list with my savings:

3 Brita water filters (FREE with coupons)
13 boxes of Eggo waffles ($.22 each after coupons)
5 pkgs of breaded chicken strips (FREE after coupons)
4 loaves of bread
4 half-gallons of milk ($1.50 each on sale)
6 cans of Pringles ($0.70 each after coupon)
3 lbs of bananas
1 box of Teddy Grahams (FREE with coupon)
5 boxes of Barilla dry pasta ($1.19 each on sale - this is my favorite kind)
3 boxes of Betty Crocker brownie mix ($0.20 after coupons)
2 big bottles of Juicy Juice (had $1/1 coupons for each)
1 box of Electrosol (had $1/1 coupon)

That is 48 items for a total of $41.95!!! A total savings of $81.95 with $59.96 of that from coupons!!!


I then went to Walgreens and purchased:
6 boxes of Lucky Charms
3 cans of Pringles
1 bottle of Jet Dry

That is 10 items for $14.33!! A total savings of $15.64 with $6.88 of that from coupons!! PLUS 1 item will go toward the monthly rebate program!!

My hubby was SHOCKED when he saw how full the back of my van was and that we'd only spend that little amount!!

Happy savings!
Amy

What if your store doesn't double coupons??

One other question that has come up is... what if my area stores don't double or triple coupons?

In my area I have one store that doubles coupons up to $1 so I am lucky there and have not had to question the value of couponing based on face-value only coupons. My sister is in the same situation as you and here’s what she does: look at the sites where you can buy coupons to see what coupons you can buy that have a greater face value that you do not get in your area (again, those are: www.ebay.com, www.thecouponclippers.com, www.thecouponmaster.com ). I suggest keeping a coupon wishlist handy when you visit those sites so that you can remember what coupons you specifically want to look for (otherwise I forget and sit there with a blank look on my face as if I have no idea what I even buy – LOL!). I also suggest becoming more savvy with printable coupons (assuming you can get them to print on your computer). I am getting better at finding internet printable coupons (it’s really just sheer persistence) as they generally have higher face value than do the coupons in inserts. My sister has snagged many good deals even without doubled coupons, it just takes a bit more work. I would think it would be trying. Perhaps you could keep track of the time you spend either internet searching for printable coupons and/or browsing the clipper sites (mentioned above) as well as the cost of the coupons you purchase to see if the cost of your time and coupons is worth what you are saving. There are times that I KNOW I invested WAY MORE time in research and organizing than I did on the actual savings and am working really hard to not repeat that very often!! But only you can decide if it is worth it!!

I hope that helps!

Blessings,
Amy

(p.s. A good source for printable coupons is to signup for the e-newsletters for the companies/products you purchase. )

Further info on coupon savings...

I have had a couple of people ask some questions about my couponing blog from earlier ths month. I thought I would address them here. I hope I can shed some light on your couponing questions!

First, if you are having problems printing coupons and are using internet explorer, you might want to try downloading Mozilla Firefox (www.mozilla.com/firefox/ ) as that helped me (and several others that I know) print coupons. It is free and I have had no problems using it on my system combined with internet explorer! AND I have been successful at printing coupons that I couldn’t get any other way. As far as printable coupons are concerned (which are often a higher value), consider swapping printing with a friend? I have an aunt who lives near me and we swap printing coupons for each other. For example, she prints cereal and diaper coupons for me, and I print shampoo and yogurt coupons for her.

Second, I think I can explain my $100 of groceries for $20-$30… I often do my coupon shopping separate from my “regular” (bread, milk, eggs, fresh produce, etc.) shopping. When I combine all of my shopping together, I usually only get a 50-60% savings (give or take). It is fun to do the coupon shopping on a separate trip or at least in a separate order because it is fun to watch the total drop and drop and drop and drop!!! I think many other people with similar savings are doing the same thing.

To continue on that thought, the other way that I can see such significant savings is to have several of a particular coupon for a sale item. For example, right now Eggo waffles are on sale at my local store for $1.22 for a 10-count box (regularly $1.99). Well, I had purchased some coupons online that were for $.55/1 which my store doubled to $1/1, so I purchased the waffles for $.22 per box – WOOHOO!!!! (I can’t make tasty homemade waffles to save my soul, so this is awesome for me! LOL!!!) That is a savings of 89%!!! I then traded with someone online for some similar coupons and enjoyed the same savings again! My freezer is pretty packed full of boxes of waffles!!

I also purchase approx. 5 newspapers each Sunday and also get inserts from some friends, so I have approx. 8-10 of each coupon each week. If I do not have coupons from local papers for sale items, I also purchase coupons online (www.ebay.com, www.thecouponclippers.com, www.thecouponmaster.com ) to get some great deals – some parts of the country get different coupons (bigger cities get higher value coupons due to often higher prices)! I think that is part of the trick to getting a good deal – have lots of coupons to match up with good deals! I also try to focus my shopping for the week based on what is on sale. This week diapers and breaded chicken are on sale so I am buying more of those than anything else. The week before I was getting good deals on chicken thighs, laundry soap, ketchup and cheese.

(On a side-note, I buy a lot of my meat at Sam’s Club where I get the best deal and great quality (I also try to go early in the morning when the marked-down red-sticker meat is available – they also sell their meat in bulk prices, i.e. save approx. $.50-.60/lb. when buying 80 lbs. of ground beef which I then split with friends)).

Another thing I have found is that Walgreen’s usually has 4 different kinds of cereal on sale each week. Last week Honey Bunches of Oats was on sale for $1.99 per box and there are several spots online to get coupons for $2/1 box so the cereal is FREE!!! A previous week had Shredded Mini Wheats for 4/$10 and I had 2 coupons for $1/2, so I got each box for $2 each (normally $3.69 even at Wal-Mart and higher at other stores) and earned a $2 coupon on a future purchase (a Register Reward). I only buy cereal when it is on sale and have purchase lots of name-brand cereal for free or for less than $1/box. I have a stock-pile area in my basement with over 40 boxes of cereal. Walgreen’s often has other good deals on some grocery items as well as health and beauty items. I watch the www.moneysavingmom.com and http://centsibleshopper.blogspot.com/ for good Walgreen’s deals; they also post good CVS deals – we don’t have CVS here but if you do that is also a GREAT place to get some deals! Also, on www.hotcouponworld.com there is advance notice given of the weekly sale flyers so you have a little bit of extra time to stock up on coupons.

Target also has some good deals. The other benefit to watching the deals at Target is that they have store coupons available on their website which you can combine with mfg coupons for additional savings. To see Target coupons, visit www.target.com and scroll to the very bottom of the page to “Super Target Coupons and Specials.” You can use the Target coupons at regular Target stores, not just the Super Targets.

I will try to summarize this way… if you need something that is not on sale, only buy as much as you need at the time (need Cheerios but they are not on sale, only buy 1 box – the one with the best unit price; if your store doesn’t put that on the shelf with the price then carry a calculator and do the calculation), then wait for the sale and stock up on coupons. When there is a sale buy as much as you will need and can afford before the next sale. I am pretty stocked up right now (and it does take some time to do that) so I am pretty much able to focus on what’s on sale this week. I really scour my sale flyer each week to ensure that I am getting all the deals that work for us. Again, I don’t buy things just because they are on sale and I have coupons (unless I can donate it to a local food bank or shelter); I only buy what my family will use otherwise it’s not a good deal. If you have major grocery store chains in your area, you can check http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/grocery-stores/ for some advance notice of sales as well as people posting the deals they found at that store.

I hope that this wasn’t too confusing or too long! If you need any clarification please feel free to post a comment!

Happy Savings and Many Blessings!
Amy

Dillon's Savings!!

I just had to share with you ANOTHER GREAT DEAL from Dillon’s!!!

Here’s what I bought:
8 – boxes of Huggies wipes
3 – jumbo pks of Huggies diapers
2 – Aussie shampoo
2 – Triaminic cough strips
3 – Pringles
2 – Cover Girl eyeshadow trios
2 – Always pads
3 – Scotch-Brite toilet scrubber sets

TOTAL SPENT: $28.27 (with total coupon savings of $57.08 PLUS a $20 prescription transfer credit)
(without the diapers, my out-of-pocket cost was $5.01!!!)

WOOHOO!!! I was excited!!

How to Maximize Coupon Savings

In the past week there has been some discussion on a forum I am a member of about the Grocery Game (http://www.thegrocerygame.com/). I thought I would take this opportunity to share some of my feelings on ways to grow your coupons savings while grocery shopping.

First, let me say that I have also used the Grocery Game on and off for the past couple of years. I have recently returned to AVID coupon shopping and have saved $841using coupons since mid-March (net savings - reduced by the cost of GroceryGame, add'l newspapers and coupons I have purchased online). I like theGrocery Game because it reminds me of any sales I may have missed while doing my own research. However, I dislike that they only update the site on Sundays when the new coupon inserts come out, which only gives me 3 days to work with their list (as my local grocery store starts sales on Wednesday). I also dislike the fact that they consistently leave items off the list that are on sale; for example, this week Eggo waffles are on sale at my local grocery store but it is no where on the list. Like I said, I do not count on them for all the deals but merely for things I may have overlooked.

My best couponing info now comes from http://www.hotcouponworld.com/ as it has forums that give advance notice of the sales at a variety of stores (grocery stores, drug stores, etc.) as well as regular discussion by other couponers on good deals they have received. They also have a coupon database where you can look up coupons to see when they were in an insert or where you might be able to find a printable coupon online. This site is also good for coupon newbies as there are LOTS of helps for getting started and how to maximize your savings with coupons!! I have learned much there!! Oh, and there is also an area to trade coupons.

The other thing I have learned with couponing is that you need to have more than 1 coupon to truly maximize your savings. The trick is to buy several of an item that is on sale and store it away (aka stockpile) until you need it. If cereal goes on sale every other month, you should use coupons and buy as many as you can reasonably afford and will use until the next sale (use 7 boxes in 2 months, then buy 7 if you can afford it); otherwise, if you only buy 1 box of cereal when it is on sale but then have to buy 6 more at full price before the next sale you haven't maximized your savings. To help with this, I have a couple of friends that give me their coupon inserts from their Sunday paper plus I have the my own paper that I get; I also purchase a couple of newspapers from Kansas City (the nearest big city to us) as they have more coupons in their paper than we do in our local paper. I pay approx. $7.50 for newspapers each week but I save well above and beyond that so it is worth it.

Also, when there is a good deal at the grocery store, I order coupons from http://www.thecouponclippers.com/ and http://www.thecouponmaster.com/ where you can buy coupons for approx. $.08 to $.10 each (minimum order of $3 plus approx. $1 for handling and postage fee); while that may sound funny to some, I can assure you that it is ALWAYS a good deal for me as long as I am ordering coupons that I will actually use. Recently I placed an order where my total cost for the coupons was $7.46 and for that I received 60 coupons with face-value savings of $51.25 (and even more for the coupons that will be doubled by my grocery store) - and that is well worth it to me!! I have also purchased coupons on ebay but they tend to be a bit pricier however it is a good source if you are looking for something specific that you cannot find elsewhere!

Other resources that have been very helpful to me are:

1. http://www.couponmom.com/ as they have a database of coupon inserts where you can either look up coupons or look to see what coupons will be in the next inserts (they post Sunday's coupons on Saturday afternoons so it is a great way to know if it is worth your money to purchase additional papers). PLUS they also have a list of deals at stores such as Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid, CVS and Target as well as some grocery stores (depending on the area you live in) which include the sale price and any available coupons from recent inserts.

2. http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ and http://centsibleshopper.blogspot.com/ and as they regularly list deals from CVS and Walgreens as well as other deals that they comes across. This has been a great source for great deals as well as freebies.

3. For those that have the stores close to them, CVS and Walgreens are great places to get some amazing deals. They regularly have cereal on sale as well as beauty products, etc. I do not have a CVS locally but do shop at Walgreens regularly now to stock up on their deals. I have researched prices at my local stores so that I will know if somethingis really a deal or not.

4. Other sources for coupons: http://www.coupons.com/, http://www.coupons.smartsource.com/;
http://www.bettycrocker.com/coupons-promotions/coupons/default.aspx ; http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/healthycoupons/; as well as visiting company websites for products you purchase regularly as they sometimes list coupons on their sites.

No coupon discussion would be complete without the reminder that you need to use coupons correctly. For example, use the coupons for the item(s) stated on the coupons, do NOT copy coupons printed off the internet, using more than one coupon for the item purchased (i.e. purchased one box of cereal so can only use one mfg coupon), etc. as this is coupon fraud. For additional info on this, you can read this thread: http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/user-agreement-terms-conditions/109-coupon-fraud-what-how-does-apply-me-here-hcw.html.

Let me encourage anyone who is looking to save money on their groceries toconsider coupons. At first it will take some time to set up a system for coupons that works for you, but once you do you will find that it doesn't take a lot of time and it is really quite exhilarating to leave the grocery store with $100 worth of groceries for $20 or less and to know that several of the items you purchased were FREE!!! As I said, I have saved well over $800 in less than 2 months using coupons plus my grocery spending was down from what we usually spend. I have a great stockpile started and my cupboards, freezer and fridge are full with items we use regularly (I NEVER buy something just because I have a coupon, I only buy when it is a very good deal and then stockup). I also have a big box of free things that I will be donating to a local food bank.

Sorry for the LONNNGGGG essay on coupons but it is a passionate topic for me!!

Happy Savings!
Amy

Great coupon savings but still too much on groceries!

Hello! I have been looking at our April spending and am pleased as well as frustrated all at the same time! I am pleased to say that in April our family had $615.19 in net coupon savings (after adjusting for the cost of coupons bought online as well as additional Sunday newspapers purchased throughout the month)!! That is so awesome!!! Before March I could easily show that I had saved MAYBE $3 a month in coupons!! However, I am frustrated that I still spent way too much on groceries for our family of 6 (I'm too embarrassed to share the total) - although it is lower this month for the first time in over 6 months. I remind myself that my total grocery spending does also include items that are going into our stockpile not just our regular cupboards; not to mention that my freezer and cupboards are full and we have a nice stockpile in the basement. I also remind myself that I have only been seriously couponing for approx. 2 months and I am guessing that it does take some time to see the overall grocery spending go down but I still wish that I were seeing greater savings! SIGH!!!

Grocery savings from 3/16

HI! I just had to share… a friend of mine has been a great encouragement to me and has returned me to focusing on saving money on my grocery budget by wisely using coupons. Well, by saving my coupons, watching the Dillon’s and Walgreen’s inserts, taking advantage of some online resources as well as my friend’s research on deals, etc., I really got some bargains today and I had to share!!! Attached is a pic of what I bought today, but here is a list along with the savings:

12 boxes of Nature Valley granola bars
3 boxes of Kix cereal
1 box of Cheerios cereal
6 rolls of Bounty Basic paper towel
6 boxes of Kleenx tissue w/lotion
3 boxes of Betty Crocker AuGratin potatoes
3 boxes of Reynolds Slow Cooker liners
9 rolls of Scotch brand tape
12 Easter pencils
1 tube of Crest Pro-Health toothpaste (not a true bargain, it was just something I needed)
1 box of Electrasol dishwasher soap (again, not a true bargain, it was just something I needed)

My net total spent was $43.32 for a total savings of $74.04 or 63%. I was pleased! If I removed the toothpaste and dishwasher soap (again, they were not deals but something I needed to purchase), then my total spent would have been $37.42 with savings of $71.28 or 66%!!

Again, I just had to share!

My NEW Coupon Binder!!

Just had to share my new coupon binder!! For the past few days I have been working on convering my coupon box to a coupon binder. It has been some work but already I love it! It is so easy to see what coupons I have without digging through little envelopes or little slots in my accordian file.

My basic set up is this: I have a zippered 2-inch D-ring binder with LOTS of trading card pages for binders (9 slots/page) as well as a few 4x6 photo pages for binders (2 slots/page), some tabbed index pages and a few regular sheet protectors.

Here is my first page:

This is a 4x6 photo page that holds the coupons I am planning to use on my next shopping trip - one slot per store (one for Dillon's and one for Walgreen's as well as a 2nd page with one for Wal-mart and one for rainchecks - organized by date).

Here are some samples of my inside pages:

Again, each page has slots for 9 coupons. I trimmed some of the coupons so they would fit nicely in the slots and some I just folded so I could see the product name and/or description. I have my binder divided into 14 categories:

refrigerated

frozen

boxed/bagged

canned/jars

cereal

baking

bread

beverages

paper/plastic

cleaning

Health & Beauty

Candy

Misc.

Baby

Then at the very back I have a couple of full-size sheet protectors to hold my restaurant coupons, rebate info, and other misc. goodies.

Also, the front cover of my binder has a pouch to hold a staple puller, scissors, calculator, pen/pencil and small sticky-notes.

This will make planning shopping trips as well as the actual shopping so much easier as I will be able to select a category and go right to a page for refrigerated bread items, or boxed/bagged snacks, or baby diapers, etc. Plus if I spot a great deal at the store then I can easily go to that category in my binder to see if I have any coupons for additional savings!

Well, that's all for now!!

Blessings!

Just getting started!!

HI! We are just getting started with blogging!! This is my very first blog EVER!!!

Mainly what I will share here is my coupon savings!! So, watch for future posts on my favorite coupon sites and details of my savings!!

Blessings,
Amy