So Many Coupons, So Little Time

Hearty, Healthy & Cheap: Barley and Lentil Soup

2009-12-05T06:07:00.003-05:00

Here is a recipe with all the qualities I love. It's super healthy, super easy, it sticks-to-your-ribs, and it's inexpensive. Oh, and it's very, very tasty, too! In the photo, I served it with a big slice of bread machine whole wheat bread. Yumm-a-ramma!

Barley and Lentil Soup

1 c. onion, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

2 c. carrots, sliced thin

1/8 t. garlic powder

1 x 14-oz. can diced tomatoes

1/4 c. lentils

3/4 c. pearl or hulled barley

7 c. water

3 vegetarian or chicken bouillon cubes, or 3 t. granules

1/2 t. dried rosemary, crushed

3/4 t. dried oregano, crushed

1/4 or more pepper

Add all ingredients to heavy soup pot. Cook 40 minutes or more until vegetables and barley are tender.

Enjoy

Great Publix Shopping. 89% Savings

2009-12-01T07:08:00.004-05:00

Well, I've been shopping at Publix, but it's been a while since I have posted. Here are my finds this week.

10 x Fiber One yogurt, $1.25 - $1.35 MQs = FREE plus $1.00 total overage

(I received these from a coupon trade. They are not from a newspaper insert.)

Cover Girl Powder, $3.19 - $2 Publix Q from green flyer - $1 MQ = 19c

Publix Chocolate Milk, $2.65 - FREE coupon WYB 2 gallons white milk, any brand.

(This coupon rang up at $3.75, but the cashier manually adjusted it, so I did not receive overage.)

3 x Alexia Waffle Fries, $1.45 each - $1 Q = 45c each. These should have rung up at $1 each per the ad, making them free, but I did not catch it. I will take my receipt back next time, and should receive the Publix Promise. They should refund my money on one, and adjust the price to the advertised level on the other two.

2 x Kotex, $1.60 each - $1 MQ - $1 Target competitor Q = Free plus 80c overage total

4 x Fisher Fusion trail mixes, $0.90 each - $1 Qs = Free plus 40c overage total

Publix Frozen Pizza, penny item, 1c

With my overage I bought 2 gallons of milk, bread, and a big carton of Stoneyfield yogurt (for my beloved husband!)

Total before Taxes $9.77

Should receive $2.35 for Publix Promise price adjustment

Adjusted total: $7.42

Total Saved: $62.84 or 89%

Free Doll Clothes Sewing Patterns

2009-11-29T09:59:00.004-05:00

If you have a little time and a little bit of sewing skill, here are some fabulous and free sewing patterns for American Girl Dolls and other dolls. Some are simple, and some more involved.

YouCanMakeThis.com lists a few simple patterns, including some which are suggested for giving to Toys for Tots. What a fabulous idea! They even provide a free downloadable certificate to accompany your creation when dropping off the doll clothes that you make.

Click HERE for "Twirls for Girls" skirt and top patterns.

Click HERE for a "pettiskirt" for doll and child

AG Playthings offers free downloadable original American Girl patterns for six of American Girl's historical dolls. Click HERE to see the doll patterns.

The Prudent Homemaker also lists many great sewing for less ideas. Click HERE for inspiration.

I'm not sure if I have enough time this December to make the Toys for Tots doll clothes, but I'm thinking that it will be a great activity to make up some of these next summer with my daughters, when I will have more free time. Maybe I can squeeze a few in this month!

Do you have any sewing for less ideas?

Lighter Fare for a Holiday Potluck

2009-11-19T07:21:00.005-05:00

This time of year, the yummy, heavy, starchy food seems to come at us from all sides. Not that I don't enjoy it. I do, but we all just don't need to eat too much of it. I'm usually invited to a few pot-luck meals during this season, so I usually try to bring a lighter dish. Here's a colorful spinach and spring mix salad, easy on the hips. I'm pairing it up with some of my free salad dressings that I snagged earlier in the year.

Helathy blessings this season to you!

For more Thanksgiving recipes, go to the Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom.

Publix Savings/ Spent $47 Saved $114 (71%)

2009-10-19T15:38:00.004-04:00

Free and Super-Cheap at Publix

6 x Yoplait Fiber One yogurt, $1.25 (raincheck) - $1 MQs = 25c/4-pack

Blue Bell Ice Cream, $3.99 - $1.50 MQ = $2.49

Nature Valley Nut Clusters, $2.50 - $1.60 = 90c each

(I had a Food Lion Q for $1/2, but my Publix apparently stopped taking Food Lion, otherwise these would have been 40c each.)

Pears, 69c/lb

Eggland's Best Eggs, $2 - 50c Q, doubled = $1

Snuggle, $3-$3 MQ = FREE

Bird's eye Lightly Sauced Veggies, $1.19 - 50cQ, doubled = 19c each

Bird's eye Mixed Veggies, 89c - 50c Q, doubled = FREE plus 11c overage

2 x Bandaids, 79c each - $3/2 = Free plus overage

4 x Sundown Vitamin D, $2.99 - 2 x $6/2 Publix Q - 4 x $1/1 Sundown Q = Free plus $4

overage, total

4 x Children's Tylenol Meltaways, $4.09 each - 4 x $2 Publix Q - 2 x $3/2 MQ = 59c each

Arm & Hammer Toothpaste, 2/$2.99 - 2 x $1.50 Q = FREE

(I am still on a quest for free toothpaste that doesn't bother my husband's gums!)

2 x Lactaid, $3.49 each - $4/2 MQ = $1.49 each

3 x Glade Fragrance Collection Mini Candles, $3.19 each - $3 Qs = 19c each, Plus this qualifies for a $5 rebate from S.C. Johnson. Spend 57c, get back $5 rebate!

2 x Scott wipes, $1.10 in-store special - 50c Qs, doubled = 10c each!

Publix Candy Corn, Penny item, 1c

Skintimate Shave Gel, $2.17 - $1.50 MQ - $1.50 Target competitor Q = Free plus 83c overage!

Yakisoba Noodle Bowl, 79c - 50c Q, doubled = Free plus overage

The Rest of the Haul

Other Deals of Note

2 x Fresh Express Spring Mix, BOGO $3.99/2 - 55c/2 Q = $1.72 each

Progresso Broth, $2 each - 50c Qs, doubled = $1 each

Sun Chips, $3 - $1 Q = $2

Aunt Jemima Syrup, 2/$3.79 (raincheck) - $1/2 MQ = 2/$2.79

A Great Read: Coupon Burnout

2009-10-16T09:19:00.003-04:00

OK, I admit it. I get coupon burnout sometimes. In fact, I burned out last week with coupons. That is one reason I decided to shop at Aldi this week. If you feel burned out, this article at Southern Savers will help you to put it all into perspective. Read and enjoy.

The Great Aldi Experiment

2009-10-16T08:19:00.004-04:00

All this for $37.18 plus tax

I've been reading on some of my favorite Frugal blogs about how much Frugals love to shop at Aldi. Up until recently, I wasn't willing to drive the half-hour to my closest store to take advantage of the savings. Just in the last few weeks, a new Aldi has opened up about 10 minutes from my house. I was determined only to buy the very basics this week (milk, produce, cheese) and I didn't want to stock up on any major coupon deals at the regular grocery stores.

Here are my observations from my fun Aldi trip:

(1) Bring your own bags and a quarter. Aldi strives hard to minimize their overhead costs. A few of the amenities we are accustomed to at traditional grocery stores do not exist at Aldi. They do not employ baggers or courtesy clerks. If you want to use a grocery cart, pop a quarter into the receptacle to check out a cart. The quarter is returned when you return your cart. Also, bring your own bags, and plan on spending a few minutes at the "bagging area" after you check out.

(2) Aldi is a small grocery store. They mostly carry house brands to minimize costs, and they do not accept coupons. They have a fairly good selection of groceries, but did not carry everything I wanted. For example, they had only white rice, and not brown rice. The dried bean selection consisted only of pinto beans. They were also out of spring mix salad blend, but did carry other bagged salad selections.

(3) Some of the produce prices were amazing! The produce section was small, but the quality of the produce looked good. Here are some of the amazing prices I found:

3 lbs. large gala apples, $1.19/bag (I bought 2 bags!)

whole Dole pineapple, 99c ($2.99-$3.99 elsewhere)

48 oz. zucchini, 99c

large pumpkin, $2.49 (These are $5.99 at other stores!)

bananas, 39c/lb (69c at other stores!)

broccoli crowns, $1.49

(4) Aldi is a good place to buy basic baking supplies. I bought a bag of all-purpose flour for $1.49. I'd have paid at least a dollar more at Publix or Kroger. I also bought a 2 c. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips for $1.69. Basic baking supplies rarely go on sale, except for a little bit around Thanksgiving and Christmas. I usually do not stock up at the holidays enough to last all year, so it's nice to have a lower cost source.

(5) Aldi has great prices on dairy products. Dairy is another thing we go through quickly. I bought skim milk for $1.49/gallon. Whole milk was an incredible 99c/gallon. I also bought blocks of mozzarella and cheddar cheese for $1.49/8 oz., a good price.

(6) Aldi has a double guarantee on their house brands. If you don't like something, they will refund your money and replace the product.

Have you shopped at Aldi? Do you have any good tips to share?

100% Free at Publix

2009-10-15T11:13:00.004-04:00

We all had a wonderful time on vacation, and I'm still working to get back into the swing of things.

An unexpected trip to the pediatrician, a minor infection, and a trip to fill an antibiotic prescription brought me to Publix, even though I had not planned to go there this week. To my delight, the Rx was on the list of Free antibiotics! My daughter has so many drug allergies, I didn't thing any of the free ones were safe for her, but there was one! Hurray!

I also snagged three of the free Snuggle fabric softeners while I was there. I had stashed these coupons in my wallet just in case!

Snuggle fabric softener, $3 each - $3/1 coupons = FREE

Blogging Break

2009-10-07T11:02:00.001-04:00

Hello Readers,

I'm taking a short blogging break for a family vacation. I will see you all next week.

Homemade "Magic" Sore Throat Elixir

2009-10-06T17:24:00.003-04:00

No that the weather is changing for the lower temperatures, invariably there are allergies, sore throats and sniffles just around the corner, or maybe already here. I wanted to share with you a little recipe to ease the inflamed throats and stuffy sinuses.

My husband and I really think this sore throat tea is magic. It is incredibly soothing. The combination of the mint, lemon, honey, and tea really works a comforting wonder on an ailing upper respiratory system.

"Magic" Sore Throat Tea

One mug of boiling water

One green or black tea bag

One mint tea bag (peppermint or spearmint, or blend)

1-2 tsp honey, or to taste

1 T. lemon juice, or to taste

Have a healthy happy fall!

Black Beans Part 2: Five-Veggie Chili

2009-10-02T09:51:00.003-04:00

I wanted to take a picture of this beautiful chili, but it was consumed all too quickly! When I make an extra big pot of black beans, half of it gets saved and goes into this chili. What we really like about it is the assortment of veggies that goes into it.

Margery's Five-Veggie Chili

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

diced small onion

diced bell pepper

1/2 lb. mushrooms, chopped small (portobello taste great!)

2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes

black beans (about 1/2 lb dry, cooked into about 3-4 cups)

1 T. Chili powder

1 t. paprika

1 t. oregano

1 T. parsley

1 t. cumin

3/8 t. cayenne pepper, or to taste

1-2 cups water to thin, according to preference.

Saute first four ingredients in large skillet until meat is cooked through. Add all ingredients to large pot, and simmer 30 minutes or longer.

Top with cheese if desired. I hope you like this as much as we do!

Healthy Eating: Black Beans & Rice

2009-09-30T12:50:00.005-04:00

Here's another meal that makes its way into our once-per-week vegetarian dinner: Classic Black Beans and Brown Rice. We like to serve it with lots of cheese and something green. This is one of my son's favorite dinners. He never fails to compliment me on it and asks for seconds, too, an amazing thing for a 10-year-old meat-loving boy!!

I double the recipe and use the extra beans for chili con carne later in the week.

Classic Black Beans & Rice

(from Better Homes & Gardens "New" Cookbook, c. 1989 - lol)

1-1/8 c. black beans (1/2 pound)

1/2 c. shopped onion (I use onion powder usually.)

2 cloves garlic, minced (I use 1/2 t. garlic powder.)

1 bay leaf

3/4 t. salt, or to taste

1/2 t. fennel seed, crushed (I use my coffee bean grinder.)

1/4 to 1/2 t. ground red pepper

2 c. hot, cooked rice (We prefer brown rice.)

Rinse beans. In a large saucepan combine beans and 3 c. water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain beans in a colander and rinse. Return beans to the saucepan. Stir in onion and spices and 3 cups of fresh water. Bring to boiling;reduce heat. Cober and simmer about 2 hours, or until beans are tender, adding more water if necessary. Serves 4.

Publix Wrap-up, 82% or $234 Savings

2009-09-29T17:22:00.004-04:00

In addition to my windfall of free cat food, I did scrape together some other deals at Publix this week. Sorry, no detailed photos. It was a crazy-busy day, and I just didn't take the time.

Publix Wrap Up

4 x Yo-Plus Yogurt, $1.25 - $1 MQs = 25c each

3 x Bird-Eye Steam Fresh Veggies, $1.24 - 3 x 50c MQs, doubled = 24c each

3 x Birds-Eye Lightly Seasoned Veggies, $1.19 - 3 x 50c MQs, doubled = 19c each

2 x Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend Sticks, $1.74 - 2 x $1.50

4 x Nutrigrain Eggo Waffles, 99c each

Used 2 x $2 off Fresh Fruit WYB 2 Eggo Waffles (MQs from package insert). Since I was buying fruit anyway, this makes the Eggos FREE

Sorrento Cheese Sticks, $3.99 - $1 Publix Q - $1 MQ peelie = $1.99

3 x Hamburger Helper (for a school food drive), $1.59 each - 75c/3 MQs

I used 3 x $1 off Ground Beef WYB Hamburger Helper. I needed this anyway for chili later this week, so it sort of made the Hamburger Helper 29c each

8 x Muir Glen Organic Tomato Sauce, 89c - $1/1 MQs = FREE plus overage

3 Suave Shampoo, $1.19 each - $2/3 MQ from Kroger home mailer = 52c each

4 Kashi Granola Bars, $2.50 each - 2 x $1.50/2 MQs - 2 x $1.50/2 Whole Foods Competitor Qs = $1/box

4 x Quaker Oatmeal, $1.33 each - 2 x $1.25/2 MQs = 70c each

Yakisoba Noodle Bowl, 79c - 50c/1 MQ, doubled = FREE plus overage

Mt Olive Pickles, $1.10 - 50c MQ, doubled = 10c

St. Ives Facial Cleanser, $2.50 - $1.00 MQ = $1.50 (Boy, I just ran out, so I was glad to find this deal!)

3 x Sun Maid Raisin 6-packs, $1.50 - 3 x 75c/1 Publix coupons from the yellow flyer = 75c each

3 Bandaid travel size, 79c each + 1 J&J First Aid kit travel size, $1.47 - 2 x $3/2 any J&J = Free plus overage

Publix Spring Water 6-pack, 1c Penny Item

This was overall an incredible trip. I am not posting all of my items for the whole trip; it's just too time-consuming. I used a $6/$60 Kroger competitor coupon and a $5/$25 Rite Aid competitor coupon. I also used $30 in Publix gift cards which I earned from a rebate. Here are the stats:

Value of Groceries, $284.91

Store coupon: $50.40

Vendor Coupons: $79.75

Ad Special Savings: $70.63

Advantage Buy savings: $3.39

Total Savings: $204.17

Gift Card Savings: $30

Out of Pocket Cost: $50.74

but overall I

A Great Read: Are Coupons Only for Junk Food?

2009-09-29T17:17:00.002-04:00

Crystal has posted a fantastic article HERE about couponing and healthy eating. Since Coupons and Healthy Eating are two of my favorite subjects, I found her post very compelling. Hop on over and have a great read!

Holy Cat Food, Batman!

2009-09-28T17:19:00.003-04:00

My kitties are *soooo* happy!

Publix

11 bags Purina One cat food, $4.99 each - 11 x $3/1 Manufacturer's Coupons - 11 x $2/1 Target Coupons (competitor coupons) = FREE

I will post the rest of my Publix deals tomorrow.

Generous Living

2009-09-25T08:54:00.003-04:00

One of the wonderful effects of frugal shopping is being able to be generous with our stockpiles towards others. I'm so grateful for all that we have, and when an opportunity comes along to share with others, I jump for joy at the chance to do so.

A dear extended family member is without a job and has had a terrible run of bad luck lately. I'm happy to be able to put this nice basket together to help out a little. Everything in the basket was free after sales and coupons. The basket was from Michael's at a 50% off sale. The cello wrap is from the dollar store.

My good friend is collecting gifts and toiletries for a home for teen girls. The girls have been abandoned by their families and are victims of child sex trafficking in Atlanta. I made a quick pass through my stockpille and pulled out some things to donate. I will probably make another pas again to collect more things for this donation.

A Great Deal on Raisins

2009-09-24T13:50:00.003-04:00

I found a great deal on raisins, so I bought a great deal of raisins. (I hope to buy some more, too.)

Six pack of Sunmaid Raisins, $1.50 Advantage Buy at Publix. Use the 75c/1 store coupon from the Yellow Advantage Buy Flyer. This makes it 75c per pack!

Griddle Toasted Tortilla Chips

2009-09-23T13:17:00.004-04:00

It's so true that necessity is the mother of invention. I had made a batch of our family's favorite Homemade Salsa but we ran out of store-bought corn tortilla chips before we ran out of salsa. I had made flour tortillas on a previous day for fajitas, and we had some left over. My husband was salivating over the salsa and despaired that there were no more chips left! What to do???

Whip out your griddle, slice up the tortillas, and toast them on medium high-heat until nicely browned! I flipped them a couple of times per side. They were surprisingly crisp and didn't get soggy in the salsa. Delicious!

Publix in the Flood! 9/22

2009-09-22T17:48:00.007-04:00

After raining for 7 days straight, and flooding all over the Atlanta area, I finally made it back to Publix today for some goodies, but I missed the Monday penny item! The weather was just too bad yesterday!

Here are some fun freebies and cheapies after the flooding was over.

Lender's Bagel, $1.79/2 (raincheck) - 2 x 75c/1 Publix Qs from "Toss for Cash" = 15c each

5 YoPlus Yogurt, $1.25 each (not pictured & with a raincheck)- $1 Qs = 25c each.

Breyer's Ice Cream (not pictured), $2.50 - $1.50 Food Lion Q = $1!

2 Marathon Bars, clearanced for 50c - 50c/2, doubled = FREE

Kashi Honey Sunshine, FREE with Q from Vocalpoint.

Sorrento Cheese Sticks, $3.99 - $1 Peelie MQ - $1 Publix Q = $1.99

4 x Pringles, $1.25 each - 2x$1/2 = 75c each

6 Muir Glen tomato sauce, 89c - $1 MQs from "Better at Home" booklet from Publix = FREE plus overage

Green Works Toilet Cleaner = $2.99 - $2 MQ - $2 Food Lion Q = FREE plus $1 overage

4 Band-Aid travel sizes, 79c - 2x $3/2 any J&J product = FREE plus overage

Log Cabin Syrup, $3.49 - $.75 Publix Q - 50cMQ, doubled = $1.74

Yakisoba, 79c - 50c MQ, doubled = FREE plus overage

J&J Baby Wash, $3.19 - $1 MQ - $1 Target competitor Q = $1.19

Sargento Salad Finishers, $2.50 - $1.50 Publix Q from "Family Style Magazine" - 75c MQ = 25c

2 Quaker Chewy Bars, $1.50 each - 75c/2 = $1.12 each

Honey Nut Cheerios Cup, $1 - $1/1 any size = FREE

Blessings!

Shave Gel Giveaway Winners

2009-09-19T14:02:00.003-04:00

Thank you for all your green and frugal and cooking tips. I enjoyed reading your responses. I am happy to announce the results of the Edge and Skintimate Target coupon giveaway.

Results were generated from random.org

#2 - Ursula Page (left a comment on your blog.)

#6 - Jessica C (emailed ya.)

#12 - me, oops that doesn't work. Gotta random.org again

#1 - Sherryl, Georgia Coupon Fan. (emailed ya.)

Please contact me with your snail mail addresses, and I will send your coupons our right away (or at least as soon as I buy some more stamps!)

May your lives be less hairy ;-).

2009-09-19T07:33:00.003-04:00

This really is a week of "so many coupons, so little time" for me! I never have time to pick up all the amazing deals that are at the stores each week.

I did hit Walgreens for free Triaminic and True North snacks. Should I get free Cover Girl at Rite-Aid? Should I go to Target for free Kashi cereal? Should I go to Kroger for free bacon and Reeses? When all these options are swirling in my head, and I have limited time because of other responsibilities, I try to go for what our family most needs, and work it into my other errands.

We already have tons of cereal, so I am letting Kashi at Target pass.

I am running low on kids' cold medicine, so I did work that in at Walgreens.

Publix is always a must!

I don't need makeup as much as I need food, to Kroger wins!!

I printed some $3/1 Smithfield Bacon coupons last month from the company website. (I wish they were still available.) I've been waiting for it to go on sale!

2 x Smithfield bacon, $2.50 each - $3 Qs = FREE plus $1 overage

4 Reeses cups, 50c each - 2 x 55c Qs and 2 x BOGO Qs = FREE plus 10c overage

2 x Arnold bread, $1.09 each (great price!)

Oodles of apples, $1/lb.

It's nice to have the overage to go toward my oodles of apples!

Saving Money on Groceries: Using Rainchecks to Your Advantage

2009-09-17T16:55:00.003-04:00

When you are shopping for groceries or household supplies, are you disappointed when you find the shelf bare? Well, I maybe do a little, if I were planning to use the item right away, but often times, I do a little happy dance (at least on the inside.)

Ask your cashier or customer service person for a raincheck! Here's why.

If I am buying Yoplait Yo-Plus for example, on sale for $1.25 each. I have a small stash of awesome $1 off coupons, making the yogurt 25c each. They are in-stock of some flavors, but our favorite vanilla is out of stock. I choose the in-stock flavors that I like (using my coupons), and ask for a raincheck on the vanilla. Half the time, the raincheck will not specify the flavor, but if it does, that's okay, too.

Now I go home, wait, and look for more coupons. Guess what! There are new printables out the next week. I receive some more through trades. My mom or MIL sends me some more! I can trade for more on my trading forums. Now I have cheap yogurt in the short-term from the yogurt I did buy, and I can come back in a couple of weeks and buy more yogurt for 25c per pack!

Another tip: If you have to specify a quantity on your raincheck, ask for way more than you think you think you will need. You are never obligated to buy that many. Asking for a larger quantity gives you the flexibility to buy more if you find a big quantity of coupons.

Happy dance indeed!

(BTW, I'm buying yogurt this week with my Publix raincheck. They were out of vanilla.)

Too Many Peppers?

2009-09-17T07:16:00.002-04:00

My vegetable garden consists of two pepper plants living in big pots, plus a nice little herb patch planted along with my landscaping plants. Despite their humble appearance, the pepper plants have produced abundant vegetables for me to add to our cooking! This time of year, as the summer heat is winding down, the plants are loaded with fruits, of all stages of ripeness.

Solution to my overabundance? Make fajitas!

A little homemade tortilla action

Onion

Peppers, all colors of the rainbow

Two chicken breasts

Fajita seasoning

Homemade salsa on the side

Yum.

Bloggy Giveaway: 10 Free Shave Gels Anyone?

2009-09-16T17:17:00.004-04:00

(A small portion of my shave gel stockpile.)

I've been able to stockpile quite a nice cache of both Edge and Skintimate Shaving Gel for my husband and myself. Who knows? It might even last until my 10-year old starts shaving!

I was able to obtain all this nice shave gel thanks to a treasure trove of Target coupons for $1.50 off one Edge or Skitimate. Stack these with the many manufacturer coupons. (They've been out for $1/1 and 75c/1) and you have $2.25 or $2.50 off one canister of shave gel.

I'm happy to be able to offer these Target $1.50/1 coupons to some of my wonderful readers. (Thank you for all your encouragement.) Best part is that these coupons do not expire until March 2010! You have plenty of time to redeem them. For those of you who shop at Publix, some Publix stores will accept Target coupons as competitor coupons, and you can use them there, too!!

I'd like to give away envelopes of 10 coupons each to three of my readers. Please leave a comment and a tip on going green, cooking, or frugal living. Also, don't forget to include your email. I'll pick the winners on Saturday morning at 8:00 am Eastern Time.

I'd love to hear from you!!

Blessings.

Publix Fun and Freebies

2009-09-15T07:16:00.004-04:00

Yes, a weekly trip to my favorite grocery.

6 boxes Green Giant vegetables: $1 each - 3 x $50c/2 MQs, doubled = 50c each (from coupons.com)

5 Philadelphia Cream Cheese tubs, $1 - $1 MQ from Publix Grape Magazine = FREE

3 bags Lender's bagels, 90c - 75c Publix Q from "Toss for Cash" booklet at Publix = 15c each

Newman's Own pasta sauce, $1.35 - 50c Q, doubled = 35c

Purina Cat Chow, $3.99 - $5 MQ (mailed to my home with a Purina rebate) = Free plus $1.01 overage

Skintimate Shave Gel, $1.67 - $1.50 Target competitor Q - 75c MQ = FREE plus overage

6 Yakisoba noodle bowls, 79c each - 50c MQ, doubled = FREE plus $1.26 overage

Downy Ball, $1.39 - $1 Publix Q - $1 MQ = FREE plus 61c overage

2 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest pasta, 90c each - $1/2 Q from coupons.com = 40c each

(This pasta is the best!! We love the whole wheat.)

No Yolks Egg Noodles, $1.50 - 50c Q, doubled = 50c

Free coupon booklets, too!

Publix: A few great deals this week

2009-09-11T15:07:00.004-04:00

OK, this is not my whole trip. I was picking up stuff for a guys-only camping trip, but if you go to Publix, why not pick up the deals, too?

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest pasta, $90c each - $1/2 Qs (here) = 40c/box

(This is one of our favorite pastas!)

Green Giant Boxed Vegetables, $1 - 50c/1 any GG, doubled (here) = FREE

There are also 50c/2 coupons here, which make them 50c/box

Yakisoba noodle bowls, 79c each - 50c MQ doubled = FREE plus 21c overage on each

Healthy Choice frozen dinners, $1.99 - $2 Printable Q HERE = FREE

Philadelphia Cream Cheese, $1 - $1 Q from Grape magazine at Publix = FREE

Planter's Sunflower Seeds, $1.69 - $2 Food Lion competitor Q = FREE plus overage

Planter's Trail Mix, $1 each - $2 Food Lion competitor Q = FREE plus overage

Nutrition Policewoman

2009-09-11T14:38:00.003-04:00

My son is learning how to prepare his own school lunches. It's so easy to see how he operates. Think quick, minimal effort, and maximum tastiness. Well! It'd be nice if that's all that was needed to motivate our food choices.

After choosing two starchy foods, I emphasized that his lunch should include (1) a protein, (2) a dairy for calcium, and (3) a fruit or a vegetable. (I'd settle for two of those three, actually!) Pursuant to this, there is a brief discussion about the body's needs for nutrition.

Son says: "IS THAT ALL YOU EVER THINK ABOUT: NUTRITION?!?!?!?"

Yep. I'm a mom. That's my job.

Healthy Eating: Quick Homemade Granola

2009-09-11T14:20:00.003-04:00

Here is a nice granola recipe that can be adapted easily to whatever you have on hand. These make a nice snack addition to bagged lunches. It's also delish in a bowl with milk.

Basic Granola

1 stick butter

1/2 c. honey

4 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

2 t. cinnamon

Melt together butter and honey. Pour over oats and stir well to coat. Bate at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Stir and bake 5 more minutes if desired.

Great add-ins before baking:

raw sunflower seeds

unsweetened coconut

pumpkin seeds

chopped walnuts

ground flax seeds

great add-ins after baking:

dark or golden raisins

chopped dates

dried cranberries

any other dried fruit

Would you like to see some great ideas for packable lunches? Head on over to Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom.

Publix Deals

2009-09-07T03:17:00.000-04:00

Well, after my Publix shopping trip, I had all my groceries neatly arranged ready for a photo shoot, but my husband and son had taken our camera and camera phone on their fishing trip. So, no photos today. LOL! (I always feel silly taking photos of my groceries, but I think it's nice for the blogs.)

My favorite deals this week are the Mrs. Paul's frozen fish and the Hillshire Farms lunchmeat!

Publix Frees and cheaps

6 Hillshire Farms Deli Selest ham little boxes, $1.50 each - 6 x $1 Target IP - 2 x $1/3 MQ from the package = 17 c each

2 Boxes Frosted Cheerios, $2 each - $1 Target IP - 75c MQ IP = 25c each

1 Publix Shopping Bag, Free WYB 2 General Mills products (peelie)

6 x Mrs. Paul's Frozen Fish, $2.25 each
Used 3 x $3/1 MQs + 3 x $1/1 Publix Q = Free Plus $1.75 overage on 3
Used 3 x $1.50 MQs + 3 x $1/1 Publix q = Free plus 25c overage on 3

(The Publix Qs were from the Toss for Cash Booklet. The MQs were printables from smartsource.com, but they are no longer avaiable.)

Popsicles, $2 - $1 MQ - 75c Target Q = 25c

Dannon Yogurt, $1.25 - $1 MQ = 25c

2 x Kraft American Cheese Singles, $1.30 - $1/2 MQ = 80c each

Bananas, 69c/lb - 50c/lb Target Q = 19c/lb (approx.)

Emerald Cashews, $2.90 - $1 MQ = $1.90

Planter's Dry Roasted Sunflower Kernels, $1.69 - $2 FLIP = Free plus overage

10 x Yakisoba noodle bowls, 79c - 50c Q, doubled - FREE plus 21c overage, each

Mt. Olive pickles, $1.40 - 50cQ, doubled = 40c

2 x Betty Crocker Frosting tubs, $1.50 - 50c Qs, doubled = 50c each

( I was going to buy powdered sugar to make my DD5's birthday cake, but the frosting went on sale and was cheaper than making it from scratch!)

Betty Crocker Cookie Mix, $1.34 - 40c Q, doubled = 54c

Lysol Toilet Cleaner, $2 - 50c Q, doubled = $1

Skintimate Shave Gel, $1.89 - $1 MQ - $1.50 Target Q (not printable - from my gym) = Free plus overage

Other interesting buys

Whole Grain Cheezits, $1.65 - 75c MQ = 90 c

2 x Kraft Chunk Cheese, 8 oz., $1.67 ea. - $1/2 MQ from Kroger home mailer = $1.17 each

(Did I mention that I can hardly buy enough cheese?)

Snyder's mini pretzels, 1lb + 20% more bonus, $2.99 - $1 Publix Q from Family Style Mag. (husband's request)

Cottonelle TP 12-pack, $5.99 - $1 MQ = $4.99

Northland Cranberry Grape dark juice, $1.99 in-store special, no Q (my husband is crazy about the dark juices!)

I bought *lots* of fresh meat, fruits, milk, and vegetables, so my total was higher than usual. I was able to use a $5 off $20 meat department purchase Food Lion competitor coupon, a $5 off $50 Kroger competitor coupon, and a $5 off $25 Rite Aid coupon. These all helped to bring my total down.

Total value of groceries: $189.23

Total spent before tax: $55.99

Total savings: $133.23 or 70%

Saving Money on Groceries: How to Get Free Eggs

2009-09-03T13:33:00.000-04:00

A Little Lesson About Overage

One of the great things about shopping with sales and coupons is that sometimes you can "buy" your grocery necessities for free! I'm talking about things like milk, eggs, fruits & veggies. These are the types of staples for which you rarely can find coupons, and almost never get for free.

The key to this success is looking for "overage." Overage, in frugal shopping lingo, occurs when you have more money taken off your bill from your coupon savings than the item actually costs. Accumulate enough overage, and you apply the credit toward your non-coupon staples. Overage can be a great tool to bring down the net cost of your groceries, even on bigger trips. I usually have enough grocery purchases to absorb my overage credit, although I did actually walk out of a store with a gift card credit one time because of overage!

My example today is that I needed eggs. These are on sale at Publix this week for 99 cents. I also have a big stash of Yakisoba 50c/1 coupons. The cost of the Yakisoba noodle bowl is 89 cents. My 50 c coupon doubles to $1. So, the overage given to me on the purchase of every one of my noodle bowls is $1.00 - 89 c or 11 cents. A little grade school math tells me that 9 x 11c = 99c, so I picked up 9 noodle bowls along with my 99 c eggs. My total cost to the cashier was 14c, which was the tax due (which is calculated before coupon discounts in Georgia.) In retrospect, I might could have bought one more noodle bowl to cover some of the tax!

Here are some ways to find overage.

* The cost of the item is less than the value of the coupon

* The cost of the item is less than the value of a coupon doubled.

* The cost of the item is less than the combined value of a manufacturer coupon stacked with a store coupon.

* You qualify for a rebate that is greater than the cost of the items. You might reduce the cost of your rebate items by using coupons.

Overage can be tricky to find sometimes. Some stores will not allow it, but I can usually get overage at Publix these days.

Blessings, and happy shopping

Free Chick-Fil-A Sandwich on Labor Day

2009-09-02T16:00:00.001-04:00

If you wear your favorite team logo to Chick-Fil-A on Labor Day (10:30 - close) you can get a free Chick-Fil-A sandwich. Go HERE to find out the details. This is our fave fast food restaurant, so I hope we can swing by decked out in GEORGIA TECH paraphanalia!

Saving Money on Groceries: How to Increase Your Coupon Stash

2009-09-01T14:44:00.000-04:00

When I first stared coupon shopping I was befuddled at the number of coupons that people had for a single item that they could find deals on. Sure, I found the deals, but I only had one of the coupon, so I couldn't really stockpile my finds, and they were soon eaten or used up. The big question was: how do I increase my stash of coupons without spending a fortune on Sunday newspapers. (Those newspapers are $2 a pop in these parts!)

* I do subscribe to the Sunday paper, so I always have that as a standby. I receive one copy in my driveway, and I don't have to stop somewhere after church to pick one up. I subscribed for a year, and received a somewhat discounted price, so it's not quite the $2 each.

* If it's a really good week in coupons, I will buy some extra papers. If I buy the double pack in the Atlanta area, I can get two for $2.50, instead of $2 each.

* Ask your friends and relatives to give you their unwanted circulars. My mother-in-law saves two sets for me each week, but I only can pick them up from her every three or four weeks. My mom (out of state) mails some to me, too.

* Look for great coupon savings in the stores where you shop. Publix is always putting out numerous great coupon books, so I pick up a few each time I visit. Keep your eyes open for blinkie machines which spit out coupons at you. There are frequently tearpad coupons on the bread aisle, cracker aisle, and other places too. These are always free coupons. Free is good.

* Print coupons from the internet. The big three coupon sites are coupons.com, smartsource.com, and redplum.com, but there are so many others, too. Manufacturer's also post printable coupons on their websites, too. For a great list of available printable coupons, you can check the alphabetical listing at Slick Deals.net. These are free except for the cost of paper and printer ink. You can usually print two of each coupon per computer.

* Join an internet coupon trading group. I belong to one here. Each week I receive an envelope full of coupons from the person in my trading group before me, and send an envelope to the person after me. I find this an effective use of money, as I spend less on postage than I would buying more papers.

* Start a coupon trading group with your friends. I organized a coupon trading group with many of the ladies from my church. We share our unwanted coupons with each other in a round-robin fashion, and this greatly increases my stash of desired coupons. It also allows my unwanted coupons to circulate to other group members who might be able to use them. This has been a huge blessing. This also is free!

* Buy extra coupons on the internet from eBay or The Coupon Clippers. I have only done this occasionally when there have been some especially good coupons that I really, really wanted. The cost is a little higher, but you can save some big dollars in the long run. Okay, technically you cannot legally sell or buy coupons, but you pay the person for their clipping and mailing service.

* Visit a great coupon forum. Another one of my favorite ways to find more coupons is to trade for them at A Full Cup Forum. I found lots and lots of Yakisoba 50c/1 coupons by trading with people there, all for the cost of one stamp. It's also fun!

I hope these tips help you increase your coupon stash and multiply your savings. Have fun!

Publix Fun Run - 90% savings

2009-09-01T14:33:00.000-04:00

I had a quick fun run to Publix. Sorry, I don't have a photo, but here is what you can get for three bucks at Publix. I could have done better, but they were out of the flavors of Yakisoba that I wanted, so I didn't get the overage from that purchase.

8 Breyer's Yo-Crunch yogurt, 50c each Advantage Buy - 4 x $1/2 Any Breyer's product = FREE (This is a Q I printed out a long time ago that is good on any Breyer's product. I saved them until I could get the yogurt cups for free. It had a nice long expiration date, but I don't know if it's available any more.)

6 Aunt Jemima frozen pancakes and french toast boxes, $1.35 each - $1/1 Publix Q = 35c each. (If you have any of the $1/2 manufacturer's coupons, you could get them for free plus overage. We liked these and I didn't have any more MQs, but I thought 35c/box was a good price, so I picked up more.)

2 boxes Glad Sandwich Bags, 50 ct., $1.79 - $1 Food Lion Q (expires today) - 25c peelie Q, doubled = 29c/box.

Colgate Toothpaste, Luminous, $2 - $1 Target Q any Colgate (not printable) - $1 MQ any Colgate = FREE

Mentos gum (for son), 99c - 55c Q = 44c

Publix Roundup 8/30 - 86% Savings

2009-08-30T16:27:00.001-04:00

I haven't quite got my groove with grocery shopping since school started. Many things in my weekly routine have been switched around with many new commitments. However, I did manage a Publix run today, and it was quite fun to shop without kids for a change. Here's my big, big list of free and ultra-cheap this week.

Publix Free and Ultra - Cheap

Rotisserie Chicken, $7.39 - Free rotisserie chicken Whole Foods coupon. (My Publix accepts

Whole Foods coupons as competitor coupons.) = FREE

10 x Yakisoba noodle bowls, 89c - 50c Q, doubled = Free plus overage

Coke Zero, $1.39 - FREE with coupon from My Coke Rewards

2 x Aunt Jemima Pancakes, $1.35 - 1 x $1/2 MQ - 2 x $1/1 Publix Q = Free plus overage

Dole Pineapple Mango Juice, 90c - 50c MQ, doubled = FREE

6 x Easy Mac Cups, 99c ea - 3 x BOGO coupons = 50c each, average * Qualifies for $20 Kraft rebate

Ritz Crackers, $1.75 - $1 MQ tearpad = 75c

Ritz Crackerfuls, $3.25 - FREE wyb Ritz crackers = FREE

3 x Nabisco Toasted Chips, $1.70 - $1 MQ = 70c each

2 x Hillshire Lunchmeats, $3 - $1 Target Q - 55c MQ = $1.45 each

Scotch Bubble Mailer, 69c - 50c Q, doubled = FREE plus overage

2 x Glad Sandwich bags = $1.79 - $1 Food Lion Q - 25c MQ, peelie, doubled = 24c each

Barilla pasta, 79c - 50c MQ, doubled = FREE plus overage

Glade mini candle, $3.19 - FREE product MQ = FREE

Lipton Family Size Decaf Tea, $3.99 - FREE product coupon from home mailer = FREE

8 x Lipton 16-ct black tea, $1.09 - $1/1 MQs from "Raise Your Hand for Savings" Unilever booklet at Publix = 9c each

2 x South Beach granola bars, $1.75 - $1 MQs = 75c each

2 lbs bananas @ 69c lb - 50c/lb Target Qs = 19c/ lb

Greenwise TP, $2.39 - Penny item coupon = 1c

McCormick Peppercorn Medley Grinder, $1 - $1 MQ = FREE (These are soooo good!)

Other Stuff:

Mahatma brown rice, $1.79 - 75c MQ = $1.09

2 x Sargento Cheese, $3.99 each - $1/2 MQ from Kroger home mailer

5 x Capri Sun, $1.99 each *Qualifies for $20 Kraft Rebate

apples, parmesan cheese, milk

I used a Publix $5/$30 and a Kroger $6/$60 Purchase

I will send my receipt in together with the receipt from this purchase

for the $20 Kraft rebate, so let's say the percentage of the rebate from this purchase is half or $10.

Total Value of Groceries = $127.98

Total Spent Before Tax = $28.34

Amount Saved from Sales and Coupons = $99.64

Amount earned on Rebate = $10

Total Savings = $109.64 or 86%

Free Yakisoba Noodle Bowls at Publix

2009-08-26T07:24:00.000-04:00

Did you receive a 50c/1 Yakisoba coupon in last Sunday's insert (8/23)? If your Publix store doubles, you can get these for free with possible overage. The regular price of these babies is 89c at Publix. You can probably get them for free at Kroger, too, but I haven't checked the price lately. (Kroger registers do not allow for overage and will adjust down the "doubled" value of the coupon.)

My son likes to take these to school for lunch. They make a nice change from sandwiches.

Blessings.

Another Publix Trip & More Target Finds

2009-08-22T15:41:00.001-04:00

My girls and I were out doing errands. I stopped at a different Publix than my usual. They were in stock on the items I've been having trouble finding!

5 x Tidy Cats 14 lb, $6.99 BOGO ($3.50 each) - $2 peelies = $1.50 each

5 x Chinet Lunch Plates, $2.50 Advantage Buy - $2 MQ = 50c each

(We don't use many paper plates, but these are great for camping, birthday parties, and other parties! It's nice to have them in stock!)

6 x Glade 2-oz. Fragrance Collection candles, $3.19 - FREE item coupon = FREE

4 x I Can't Believe It's Not Butter sticks, BOGO $2.49 ($1.25 each) - $1 blinkie coupon (right there on the shelf by the sticks!) = 25c each

Kashi Reusable Bag - FREE

There was a lady giving out samples and coupons. When I told her how much we like Kashi products, she gave us this reusable bag. How nice.

I've misplaced my receipt, but here's how I work out the savings, excluding the Advantage Buy savings.

Total value of groceries: $76.55

Total spent: $11 before tax

Total saved: $65.55 pr 86%

Here are some more Target fun finds. Seems like I frequently need to go to Target for something. Today it was desk lamps. I try to pick up the great deals while I am there.

2 x Tide travel packs, 97c - $1 MQ (no size limit) = FREE

6 x General Mills cereal cups, $1 - $1 Target Q (no size limit) = FREE

10 x Skippy Natural Peanut Butter (Yes, we are crazy for this brand and for PB!), $1.79 - 9 x 55c Q and 1 x 60c Q = $1.24 each x 9 and $1.19 each x 1

3.3 lbs Gala apples, in three 1.1 lb. bags, $1.49 lb - 3 x $1/1 lb. Target Qs = $2

(I can hardly keep apples in the house!)

Plentiful Publix (73% savings)

2009-08-21T15:10:00.000-04:00

Super Publix Finds

2 x Starbucks Ice Cream, $1.79 - $2 MQ (regional) = FREE plus overage

Scotch Bubble mailing envelope = 69c - 50c MQ, doubled = FREE plus overage

2 x Cheerios Big Box, $2.50 - $1/2 MQ - 2 x $1 Target Q = $1/box

1 x Multigrain Cheerios Big Box, $2.50 - 75c MQ - $1 Target Q = 75c

3 x Back to Nature Granola, $1.80 - $1 MQs = 80c each

2 x Cascadian Farm Granola, $2.50 - $1 MQ = $1.50 each

2 x Kashi Honey Sunshine, $2.50 - $1.50 MQs = $1 each

(Our family really enjoys natural and organic breakfast cereals. My target price for regular cereal is $1/box. For natural or organic cereal, my target price is $1.50/box. Note to self: We do not need any more cereal for a few months!)

Luzianne Decaf Tea, $1.85 - 60c MQ = $1.25 (I'm so happy the decaf was included in the BOGO sale!)

Back To Nature Cookies, $1.44 - $1 MQs = 44c each. (These are soooo delicious.)

Glad Sandwich Bags, $1.79 - $1 Target Q - 25c MQ peelie, doubled = 29c

Skippy Natural Peanut Butter, $2 in-store special - 60c Q = $1.40 each

Bananas, 1.28 lb, 88c - 50c Target Q = 38c

Cameo apples, $1.48 - $1 Target Q = 48 c

Jazz apples, $1.79 - $1 Target Q = 79c (I think this rang up at the wrong price per lb. I will take back my receipt to check next time, just in case.)

More Super Publix Finds

11 YoPlus Yogurts, $1.25 each - $1 Qs, - $2/$10 Dairy Purchase (excluding cheese and milk) Kroger competitor coupon = 75c for 11 or 7 c each! - We love this brand!

2 Fiber One Yogurts, $1.15 each - $1.25 MQ = FREE

Reddi Whip, $1.50 - 50c Q, doubled = 50c

Tidy Cats Litter, BOGO $3.50 each - $2 MQ peelies = $1.50 each

(I'm so thankful when I can find inexpensive pet care products. I had $1 MQs from the newspaper, but when I got to the store, there were the $2 peelies! WHOO HOO!)

Publix Shopping Bag, 99c - Peelie Q FREE WYB 2 General Mills products

2 x Sargento Shredded Cheese, $2 each - $1/2 MQ = $1.50 each

3 x Sargento Sunbursts, $2 each - 40c MQ, doubled = $1.20 each

Hillshire Farm Turkey (not pictured), $3.99 - $1 Target Q = $2.99

(There are MQs out for this, but I didn't have them with me.)

Not pictured: Bread, eggs, wet ones, salad mix, milk, carrots, OJ

My store has been out of the $2.50 Chinet lunch plates ($2 Qs) and finally took down the shelf tags. I also haven't been able to get any of the free Glade Fragrance Collection soy candles. Maybe I will look at another store.

I used a $5/$25 Rite Aid competitor coupon.

Total value of groceries: $168.61

Total spent before tax: $44.69

Total Savings: $123.92 or 73%

Whew! It's the Start of a New School Year

2009-08-20T07:40:00.000-04:00

I've been quite frazzled with the start of the new school year. In my house that means two kids off to private school and one child homeschooled: two different release times, carpools, five meetings in the past few days, and no school lunches!

Packing lunches five days per week can be a daunting task. How do yo make it healthy for a growing body, packable, and interesting enough for a kid to eat? Add to that each person's eating likes and dislikes. How do you avoid the endless string of sandwiches.

Here are some ideas that I throw into the mix (along with the ever-present sandwiches.)

* Crackers with PB, cheese, or hummus. See this wonderful post on "snacky lunch"

* Something microwavable, like Easy Mac cups or Yakisoba noodles

* Pizza bagels

* Tortilla wraps (w/ homemade tortillas)

(Spicy mustard, honey ham, cheese, lettuce)

(All rolled up, and ready to go.)

My husband will also pack a simple tossed salad with a tiny container of dressing. This way, he can add it to the salad just before eating so that it doesn't get soggy. My kids will eat salad at home, but we haven't been adventuresome enough to try it at school.

I'd love to hear your creative school lunch ideas, too!

Produce Coupons

2009-08-16T15:27:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to mention that there are some nice fresh produce Target printable coupons. Be sure to print some if you are heading to a Super Target or a Publix that accepts Target coupons.

$1/1 lb. or more bulk apples

$1/1 whole pineapple

$1/5-lb bag of Green Giant Potatoes

50c / 1-lb or more bananas.

I'm so happy to see these, as I'm always looking for ways to save money on produce.

Here's a tip to maximize your savings. If the coupon is for 1-lb or more, break your purchase up into 1-lb bags and make multiple transactions if necessary. Fortunatley, my Publix and my Target do not require me to do this.

See my post about printing Target coupons for more tips!

Blessings and good health to you.

Cake Mix Cookies

2009-08-14T07:27:00.001-04:00

When I make cookies for home, I do like to make them from scratch. When I need to bring a dessert to a school or church function, I am not always so motivated. Here's a little recipe that is sure to please. It makes it even nicer if you have a few boxes of cake mix in your stockpile that you purchased for pennies! These make a nice soft sugar cookie.

Cake Mix Cookies

1 boxed yellow cake mix

1/2 c. vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 t. vanilla

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Roll into balls and drop onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes. Cool on pan briefly before transferring to a baking rack. Allow cookies to cool completely.

Cookie Frosting: Mix about 1/2 c. or so of powdered sugar with a tiny bit of water until the sugar reaches spreadable consistency. Add a drop or two of food coloring and mix well. Spread onto cooled cookies.

Fun in the Mail & Kroger Mega Sale

2009-08-13T14:16:00.000-04:00

Sometimes going to the mailbox is a little bit like Christmas. You never know what goodies you are going to receive. In yesterday's mail I received

(1) A mailer from Vocalpoint for a free box of Rice Krispies (and several other coupons for Rice Krispies.) If you haven't signed up for Vocalpoint yet, I recommend that you do so. They send out fantastic coupons and free samples. This year I have received free Kashi Waffles, a free Bounce Dryer Bar, some great high-value coupons, and the free box of Kellogg's Rice Krispies.

(2) I also received a free sample of Mighty Leaf Tea from Kroger's webstite. It hit the spot while I sorted and filed my coupons. I don't think this sample is still available, but there are other free samples available HERE shipped right to your door!

(3) Lastly, I received a mailer from Kroger (with coupons) for the upcoming Mega Sale Event. I've seen some buzz about this in the blog-o-sphere, and I'm looking forward to a great two weeks shopping. (Publix's ad doesn't excite me very much this week, so Kroger will be getting my business most likely.) The Mega Event lasts August 16 - August 29.

The Mega Sale gives you the opportunity to earn $5 off your grocery bill for each set of 10 participating items that you purchase. That works out to 50c per item, plus you can also use coupons. This is one of the few times at Kroger that you can actually get overage on your purchases. The $5 credit is separate from your sale pricing and coupons.

Here are the rumored products that the Mega Event will mostly be General Mills products and affiliated brands including:

AMP Energy, Aquafina, Betty Crocker Baking Mixes, Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, Cascadian Farms Cereals and Bars, Cap’n Crunch, Cheerios, Cheetos, Chex Mix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Dole Juices and Juice Drinks, Fiber One, Fritos, Gatorade, Golden Grahams, Green Giant, Hamburger Helper, Life , Lipton Tea, Nature Valley, Old El Paso, Pepsi family of 2 Liters, Pillsbury, Progresso, Propel, Quaker Instant Oatmeal, Quaker Chewy Bars, Starbucks, Sobe Life Water, Totino’s, Trix, Tropicana, Yoplait and MORE!

Fortunately for us, there are tons of these coupons floating around from the Sunday inserts. There are also many, many more coupons for these guys at coupons.com and smartsource.com.

Here are some other hints for shopping the Mega Event:

(1) You must have groups of 10 products to earn the $5 discount. Double, triple, and quadruple check you item count before you check out. It would be a shame to go to the register with 19 items, and only earn one $5 discount, instead of hitting the 20-item mark and getting two $5 discounts.

(2) You can have more than one group of 10 Mega Sale Items, just make sure you have groups of 10. Some of Kroger's Mega Sales limit you to three discounts. It is rumored that there won't be a limit this time.

(3) Bring extra ideas and coupons to the store in case some of your planned purchases are sold out. This can easily happen. You plan to buy certain things, but the shelf has already been cleaned out. Build in some flexibility to your shopping plan, and don't worry. The sale lasts two weeks.

(4) In the event that you have overage on some of your purchases, make sure you have enough items in your order to absorb the credit. For example, if you buy five things that earn you 50 cents overage, that gives you $2.50 overage total. Do not expect to get cash out of the till. Use the overage to buy something that you can't usually get a good deal on. For me, it's usually produce, milk, and eggs!

Kroger usually puts the new sale up on their website on Saturday morning. Have fun, and happy shopping.

Two Fun Instant Win Games

2009-08-12T16:15:00.000-04:00

Kroger is sponsoring a "Gas and Grocery" sweepstakes on their website. They are giving away 5,000 prizes, including a diamond pendant, $25 Best Buy gift cards, $25 Olive Garden Gift Cards, $25 Home Depot Gift Cards, $25 Barnes and Noble Gift Cards, $25 Kroger Gift Cards, $25 itunes Gift Cards, and $5 store credits.

You can play once per day until September 11th. I haven't won yet, but I'm giving it a try. While you are at the Kroger website, make sure you are signed up to received coupons and special offers from Kroger in the mail. They send out great coupons periodically.

Go HERE to give it a try.

Another instant win game is going on over at Pace Foods. You can win a free jar of salsa. Click HERE, and you can enter once per day.

Staples: Penny Spiral Notebooks

2009-08-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here's what you can buy for 24 cents at Staples. Well, I should say, here's what you can buy with 24 cents if you have three kids with you!

Twenty-four notebooks for 24 cents. I stocked up on these babies last summer at the penny sales, and I used up every single one! In addition to son's math homework, etc., I use these weekly to make my shopping lists and meal plans.

Younger children feel so important, too if they have their own "big kid" notebook to practice writing letters. That gives a lot of fine motor development for a penny. If I have leftovers, I will donate to the Children's Restoration Network through my church or use them next year. Hey, it's not like they have an expiration date.

Hurry, this deal ends today at Staples. There is a limit of six per person at the penny price.

Publix 8/11 - Publix Savings $149 or 77%

2009-08-11T10:39:00.000-04:00

I didn't make it to Publix for my usual Monday trip, but we had great fun at the store on Tuesday!

Free and Ultra Cheap

16 lb. bag Purina Cat Food, $10.99 on sale - $3 MQ = $7.99 - $12 rebate = FREE plus $4.01 Money Maker

(I took my kitten to the vet last week for shots and found a fantastic rebate from Purina for $12 rebate when you buy 12 lbs or larger bag of cat food. Funny that it didn't say "up to $12". So, I am sending it in, and hope to get the $12 rebate. You just never know when great deals will pop out at you.)

4 Candy Bars, 89c each - 2 BOGO Target Coupons - 2 x $1/2 MQs = FREE plus overage

2 gallons milk, $2 each - FREE milk WYB $100 groceries. The register took off $4 for each of these, so FREE plus $4 overage!

1 half-gallon chocolate milk, $2.49 - FREE chocolate milk WYB white gallon. The register took off $3.75, so FREE plus $1.26 overage

2 x Lipton Tea 16 ct., $1.09 - 50c Q, doubled = 9c each

3 x Crest Toothpaste, $1.89 - $1 Publix Q - 50c MQ, doubled = Free plus overage

(The Publix Q is from a "Live Well, Feel Beautiful P&G booklet, which came out earlier this year and has no expiration date. The register didn't recognize the LU#, but the cashier keyed it in manually.) = FREE plus overage

Sundown Vitamin Deal

** There is a potential big money maker here. However, instead of focusing on getting the most overage by buying the cheapest Sundown products, I chose to focus on the things our family will most use.

2 x Sundown Saw Palmetto, $5.39 each - $6/2 Publix Q - $5/2 Manufacturer Q = Free plus a small amount of overage. (My overage doesn't cover the tax I will pay, but this product is something my husband uses, so I like getting it for free!!)

2 x Sundown Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc, $3.89 - $6/2 Publix Q - $3/2 Manufacturer's Q = FREE plus a little overage

2 x Sundown Vitamin D, $2.99 each $2.99 each - $6/2 Publix Q - $3/2 Manufacturer's Q = FREE plus a little overage. Free plus $3.02 overage. The vitamin D is the least expensive Sundown product that I found at my store.

2 x Scotch Bubble mailer, 69c - 50c Q doubled = FREE plus 31c overage

Soft Soap Body Wash, $1.40 - $2 MQ = FREE plus 60c overage

Edge Shaving Gel, $2.13 - $1.50 Target Q - 75c MQ = Free plus overage

Skintimate Shaving Gel, $2.13 - $1.50 Target Q - $1 MQ = Free plus overage

Fiber One Toaster Pastries, $1.15 - 50c Q, doubled = 15c

Bag of Lay's Chips, $2 - $1 Peelie MQ = $1 (My husband's favorite.)

Breyers Ice Cream, $2.50 - $1 MQ = $1.50

3 x Crisco Olive Oil, $3.25 ea - $1 MQs = $2.25 each

7 Yoplait Yogurt Cups, 50c each - 50c/6 MQ (doubled) - Free cup WYB6 = 29c average/cup

The Rest of the Haul

Other Deals of note:

4 x Kraft Cheese, $1.67 each - 2 x $1/2 MQs = $1.17 each (I truly think I can never buy too much cheese for my household!!)

3 Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Bread, $1.99 - 55c MQ = $1.45. This is really nice bread!!

Cottonelle 12 pack, sale $5.99 - $1 MQ = $4.99

Smithfield Ham Slice, $4.37 on sale - $1 MQ = $3.37

I also used a $5 off $45 Kroger coupon and a $5/25 CVS coupon.

Total Value of Groceries Purchased = $197.15, before tax

Total Paid Before Tax = $57.86

(Tax = $6.06)

Total Amount of Savings (In-Store)= $139.29

Cat Food Rebate = $12

Total Savings = $151.29 or 77%

Happy Birthday My Sweet Girl!

2009-08-11T06:25:00.000-04:00

Here's a budget birthday cake for a swimming pool party!

Yellow cake mix: 13c w/coupon

3 eggs: 30c

Oil & water: 5 c

Buttercream frosting

1 stick of butter: Free w/ coupon

1 lb. powdered sugar: 79c

vanilla & food coloring: 10c

Fudge grahams: $2

Lifesaver "swim rings" and gummy bear "swimmers": $2

Candles: 8c (pack of 100 from dollar store)

Total cost of cake: $5.45

Cost of cake from grocery store bakery $40

Total saved by making your own: 86%

(And the party goers ate every last crumb!)

Target Fun Finds

2009-08-08T15:49:00.000-04:00

Here were some fun finds at Target today. Only the Tide beeped. My friendly cashier just pushed the magical "K1" key and it went through!

3 x Tide Travel Size, 97c - $1 MQ (good on any size) = FREE

2 x Renu Contact Solution, $1.49 - $1 MQ (good on any size) = 49c each

6 x Single Serve Kashi Cereal Cups, $1 - $1 Target IPQ = FREE (no beeps!)

2 Boxes Kashi Go Lean, $3.29 - $1 Target IPQ - $1.50 MQ = 79c

2 Boxes Kashi TLC Crackers, $3.54 - 2x $1.50 MQ (WYB Kashi Go-Lean) - 1 x $1/2 Target IP = $1.54 each

4 bags apples, just over 1 lb. each, $1.49 lb - $1/1 lb. apples. Makes it about 49c / lb!

(1 lb of apples is three small apples or two large apples. My bags were 1.07#, 1.09#, 1.12#, and 1.14 #)

CVS - $34 worth of merchandise for Profit

2009-08-06T08:35:00.001-04:00

CVS is legendary in the frugal shopping world for their Extra Bucks (EBs) deals where you can get items for free or almost nothing out-of-pocket (OOP). I religiously shopped at CVS all during the spring, summer, and fall of 2008 to build up my stockpile of health and beauty aid items.

Then two thing happened. Firstly, I was so stockpiled up on our supplies that I didn't feel the urgency to go out every week and work the EB deals. Also, I started feeling frustrated with the stores for being out of stock week-in and week-out on the things I wanted to buy. I found myself living from raincheck to raincheck. Eventually, I had a big quantity of Extra Bucks expire. I spent my remaining Extra Bucks on things our family needed in the short-term, and I took a six-month break from CVS.

Now, all that said and done, I was running low on cokes, so last week, I bought four 12-packs at CVS and earned 3 Extra Bucks. Hmmm... What to do with them. I decided to jump back into the fray this week. Yes, there were many of the free school supply items out of stock, but there were still many deals to work with.

First Transaction

Jack Link's Chicken Nugget Jerky, $3.99 - FREE coupon from All*You = FREE

Soft Soap Serums, $4.99 - $2 MQ = $2.99

Used $3 Extra Bucks from last week

Subtotal = -$0.01

Total with tax = 46c

Earned 4 Extra Bucks for Softsoap

Got a coupon for free CVS aspirin

Second Transaction

2 Packs of Stayfree, $5 each, - $1 MQ ip, -$1.50 CVS Q from scanner, - BOGO Q = $2.50 for 2

Caliber Compas, $1.50

CVS aspirin, $1.99 - FREE coupon from above

used 4 Extra Bucks from above

Subtotal = 0

Total with tax = 70c

Earned 5 Extra Bucks for Stayfree

Earned $1.50 for Compass

Earned a second Free Aspirin coupon. (I don't know why I got two.)

Third Transaction

2 x Caliber 1-subject notebooks, 99c each

1 x Caliber protractor, $1.50

2 x Caliber erasers, 99c each

2 x M&M candy packs (filler) 45c each

CVS 100 ct. aspirin, $1.99 - FREE item coupon

Used $1.50 EBs & $5 EBs from #2

Subtotal $0

Total with tax, 43c

Earned $1.98 EBs for notebooks

Earned $1.50 EBs for protractor

Earned $1.98 EBs for erasers

Transaction Summary

I started the day with $3 Extra Bucks,

spent zero before tax,

paid $1.59 in tax.

I ended the day with $5.46 Extra Bucks.

Total value of goods purchased = $34.47 (including sale pricing savings)

(And all that with three antsy kids!)

Publix: Free Post Cereal 8/6 - 8/12

2009-08-05T07:12:00.000-04:00

This has been bouncing around the blog-o-sphere, but just in case you haven't seen it here it is. Publix will be having their Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal on BOGO sale 2 for $3.99 ($1.00 each except Florida). The sale starts Thursday (Wednesday in some areas.)

Go HERE to print a $2 off coupon for Honey Bunches of Oats, Peacan Bunches flavor. Print and enjoy your free box of cereal.

Blessings.

Healthy Eating: Whole Wheat Pancakes

2009-08-05T07:02:00.001-04:00

When I make pancakes, I make up a huge batch and freeze the leftovers to have during the next week. To freeze, layer individual pancakes between waxed paper and store in a gallon zip-top bag. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds per pancake, or pop them into the toaster.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

4 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour (I used freshly milled soft white wheat.)

2 T. baking powder

3 c. skim milk

6 eggs

1/2 c. canola oil

Mix together dry ingredients. Add liquids. Stir just until mixed. Fry on a hot griddle.

Staples: Penny Notebook Paper

2009-08-04T11:29:00.000-04:00

I am very thankful for Staples and their back-to-school deals. I have been holding out on buying notebook paper, praying for a good sale. Hope did not disappoint. My three kids and I each picked up 5 packs of notebook paper during the wonderful sale this week. It was kind of fun handing each kid a nickel and 5 packs of paper, having them go through the line, and pay for their purchase.

Twenty packs for 20c. That is hard to beat. Some of this paper will go to our church's school supply drive for the Children's Restoration Network.

Publix Madness! Huge Trip - $157 or 84% savings

2009-08-03T14:28:00.000-04:00

I had one huge trip to Publix today with two transactions, and one small trip yesterday. I had to take three photos to get it all in. By the third photo, I was so tired and hungry, that I didn't stack it all up as pretty....

Free and Super Cheap

3 Edge Shaving Gel, $2.13 each - $1.50 Target Qs - 75c MQs = FREE plus overage

3 Skintimate Shaving Gel, $2.13 - $1.50 Target Qs - $1 MQs = FREE plus overage

2 Gallons milk, $2.25 - $4 Free Milk Coupon = FREE plus $1.75 overage

2 Half-Gallons Chocolate Milk, $2.49 - 3.75 Free Choc. Milk Coupon = FREE plus $1.26 overage

Hefty One Zip Fresh Extend, $1.97 - $1 MQ - $1 Target Q = FREE plus overage

Publix Raisins, FREE WYB Sunmaid Raisins

12 boxes Pop-Tarts, $1.20 each - 6 x $1/2 MQs - 12 x 75c/1 Target Qs = FREE plus overage

(No, I don't let my kids eat Pop-Tarts everyday for breakfast! These will be mixed in with healthier fare. LOL!)

Publix Spring Water, 6-pack, 1c, Penny item

Scotch Bubble Envelope Mailer, 69c - 50c Q, doubled = FREE plus overage

2 x Bic Crystal Pen 2-pack, 99c each - $1/2 MQ - $1/2 Target Q = FREE

2 x Sundown Saw Palmetto, $5.39 each - $6/2 Publix Q - $5/2 MQ = FREE plus overage

Glade Fragrance Collection Candle, $3.19 - $3 MQ = 19c

(This will go into a gift bag at Christmas time, most likely!)

2 x Frosted Flakes, $1.99 - 2 x $1/1 Food Lion Q - $1/2 MQ = 49c each

Bertolli Pasta Sauce, $1.35 - 50c MQ, doubled = 35c

4 x Publix yogurt cups, 40c each - 75c/4 any yogurt = 21c each

2 x Publix Old Fashioned Oats, $1.59 - $1/1 Store Brand Food Lion Q = 59c each

Pert Plus, $2.99 - $1 Publix Q - $1 MQ = 99c

2 x Suave Shampoo, $1.33 each - $1/2 = 83c each

6 Mueller's Pasta, $0.65 each - $2x $1/3 MQs = 32 cents per box

6 x Birds Eye Steam Fresh Green Beans, 89c each - 2 x $1/3 Qs = 56c each

Fiber One Granola Bars Value Pack, $2.75 - 1 Q peelie = $1.75

Nature Valley Granola Bars Value Pack, $2.74 - 50c Q, doubled = $1.74

Kraft Rebate Items, $10 Gift Card

Kraft 2% Mozzarella, $2.79 - $1 MQ = $1.79

Kraft 2% Sharp Cheddar, $2.79 - $1 MQ = $1.79

2 x Kraft Deluxe Mac & Cheese, (Four Cheese & Sharp Cheddar), $1 each - $1.50/2 = 25c each

*****************

Cost of four items = $4.07

They earn a $10 Publix Gift Card.

Four Free items plus $5.93 overage.

The Rest of the Haul

2 lbs apples, $3.20 - 2 x $1/1 lb. Target Q = $1.20

Value of groceries = $198.29 before tax

For this transaction, I paid $41.71 before tax

I saved $156.58 and earn a $10 gift card

Percentage Savings = 86%

Second Transaction

"Free" Crackers

Kraft Back-to-School $20 Rebate Deal

Kraft is having a buy 20 items, get a $20 rebate deal. I blogged about it HERE.

I couldn't resist scooping these Nabisco crackers up for half of the required purchases.

5 Ritz Crackers, $1.75 each - $1 MQ Tearpad = 75c each

5 Wheat Thins, $3.25 each, Used FREE Wheat Thins WYB Ritz = FREE

Total Cost of Transaction = $4.48 after Tax

Earns half of the $20 rebate. So let's say it earns $10.

That makes these 10 boxes of crackers free plus a $5.52 money-maker (sort of).

I'm working on the Easy Mac and Drink requirements of the rebate. I have until the end of the year.

Little Sunday Trip - Saved 86%

2 Sunday Papers, $1.87 each

4 Muir Glen, 89c each - $1 MQs = FREE plus overage

4 Pop Tarts - 2 x $1/2 MQs - 4 x 75c Target Qs = FREE

Publix Spring Water, penny item

Publix Milk, $2.25 - 75c MQ

Publix Chocolate milk, $2.49 - FREE milk Q, took off 3.75 = FREE plus overage

Value of groceries $23.57

Total paid before tax =$ 3.23, which is less than the cost of the papers!

Total saved $20.34, or 86%

I don't know about you, but I'm bushed!!!

Rite Aid: Saved 99.6%

2009-08-02T17:04:00.000-04:00

Rite Aid is having an incredible free-after-rebate sale. Combine the free items with a $5 off $25 purchase coupon, and either make a profit, or pick up something you need (but can't seem to find a deal on it!)

Venus Spa Breeze Razor, $7 - $2 Q (-$5 rebate) = FREE

Werther Caramel & Milk Chocolate, $2.99 - $2.99 rebate = FREE

Packing Tape, $1.49 -$1.49 rebate = FREE

Wart Remover, $14.99 - $14.99 rebate = FREE

Crest Pro Health, $2.79- $2.79 rebate -75c coupon = FREE plus 75c overage

Renu Multiplus Contact Solution, $9.99 - $1 MQ = FREE plus $1 overage

Mentadent toothpaste, $3.99 (My husband needed this!)

Used $5 off $25 purchase

Paid $37.40 for the above items, including tax.

I will get back $37.25 in rebates.

Net cost is 15c!

There are many more free-after-rebate items offered this week. I focused on the items that our family uses or needs. For a complete list, I suggest you visit Southern Savers.

Publix 7/31: Saved 97% w/End of Month Coupons

2009-07-31T16:37:00.001-04:00

I stopped by Publix today to use up some good coupons that were expiring. I made a mistake of picking up 3 Mt. Olive pickles which weren't on sale. I will exchange those next trip and repurchase to adjust my total to the numbers listed here!

5 Jars Mt Olive Pickles, $1.10 - 50c Q, doubled = 10c each

10 boxes Kellogg's Pop Tarts, $1.20 each. Used 5 x $1/2 MQ and 10 x 75c/1 Target Q = FREE plus overage.

5 Yakisoba Noodles, $0.89 each - 35c Q doubled = 19c each (This was my son's request.)

Tidy Cats, 6.99 - $2 MQ = $4.99 (Need it now!)

1.09 lbs. Braeburn apples, $1.62 - $1 Target Q (for 1 lb. bulk apples or more) = 62c

1.25 lbs. Red Delicious apples, $1.86 - $1 Target Q = 86c

4 Carefree, $1.39 each. Used 2 x $1/2 MQ and 1 x $3/3 Publix Q = 56c for four

(I messed up on this one. I wanted to buy 6 packs, use 3 x $1/2 MQs and 2 x $3/3 Publix Qs. It would have been a moneymaker, but I only brought one Publix Q with me, and the Green Advantage Buy flyers were no longer out, so I had to adjust on the fly.)

Cherries, $3.12

First Aid Deal

1 Band Aids, $2.39 - 50c Q doubled = $1.39

2 boxes J&J Steri-pads, $1.79 each - $3/2 MQ = $0.58 for 2

**************

Total for above = $1.97 - $5/3 Publix Q = FREE $3.03 money maker

I also used a $5/25 Rite Aid Coupon.

Total Value of Groceries $61.40

Total Paid $1.61 (after exchange price adjustment)

Total Saved $59.79 or 97%

Kroger and Walgreens: Lots of Frees (Wags Paid Me!)

2009-07-30T16:40:00.000-04:00

I hit Walgreens and Kroger while my son was in music lessons today. I had something happen that has never happened to me before. Walgreens paid me money back to shop there!

Walgreens

M&Ms, 49c

Twix, 49c

Milky Way, 49c

Milky Way Dark, 49c

2 Rimmel Nail Polish, Buy-One Get-One sale

Used 2 x $1/2 Mars products

Used 1 Buy-One Get-One Free Manufacturer Q.

I was expecting to pay tax on this transaction, but the cashier handed me a gift card with a 20c credit on it!

Kroger

My receipt got completely eaten up in the register, so I do not know what percentage I saved, but I expect it was over 85%. If I had not bought the apples and potatoes, it would have been in the high 90% range.

8 Playtex Handsaver Gloves, $1 ea - $1 Q = FREE

5 Crest Toothpastes, $1 ea - 50c Q, doubled = FREE

(coupons expire on 7/31)

5 Oral B Toothbrushes, $1 ea - $1 Q = FREE

(coupons expire on 7/31)

2 Purina Friskies Cat Food, $3.29 - $3.50 Q (www.giveabowl.com) = FREE

(cashier adjusted down the value of the coupon)

I also received a catalina coupon for $1 off my next shopping order for buying 2 Friskies. This makes my cat food a $1 money maker.

4 Eggo Waffles, 98c - $1 Q = FREE

(These are part of a Thursday only 50% off Kellogg's Sale at Kroger. My cashier adjusted down the value of the coupons. Kroger registers do not allow overage.)

7 Mahatma White Rice 1 lb., $1.09 - ea - 50c Q, doubled = 9c each

1 Mahatma Brown Rice, 28 oz, $2.29 - 50c Q, doubled = $1.29

(My coupons would expire on 7/31.)

Cinnabon Bars, $1.99 - $1 Printable = 99c

(Also part of the Kellogg's Thursday 50% off sale.)

10 lbs. potatoes, $1.99

3 lbs. apples, $2.49, Manager's Special

Thrifty Tip: Printing Target Coupons

2009-07-30T10:27:00.000-04:00

I really like using Internet Printable Coupons when I shop (IP for short). These are almost free. No need to buy a Sunday newspaper. No need to trade with friends. All that is required is a little paper and ink. I'm very fortunate to have a SuperTarget one mile from my neighborhood. I'm also blessed to have a Publix one mile in the other direction, so this Publix will accept Target and SuperTarget IP coupons.

The original source for Target IPs, is of course the Target or SuperTarget website. Target issues a new batch of IPs about every two weeks, sometimes more frequently, sometimes less. You can print these out here, but there are a couple of drawbacks. When the company posts a new set of coupons, the old ones are no longer available. If you didn't print them last week, you can't get them from Target's website any longer.

I prefer to print my Target IPs from one of the Coupon Forums out there. My faves are

Hot Coupon World and A Full Cup

These forums are free to join and both support Target Coupon Generators. Target permits them to supply all unexpired coupons on the forums to coupon users, even if they are no longer available on Target's website. No more wasting ink to print Target IPs that you will not use. No more missing out on deals with Target IPs because you didn't print them. Just go to the forum, click on "Target Coupon Generator." You can see coupon images, enter the number of each coupon that you need, and print multiple coupons on each page. Isn't technology grand?

On a side note about Target IPs, each Target IP usually states "Limit one offer per transaction." My Target cashiers will allow me to use multiples of these in one transaction. I have read that many coupon users will split their order up into multiple transactions, using one like coupon per order, if the cashiers require it. Fortunately I have not had to do this ;D).

Blessings, and happy coupon shopping.

Saving Money on Groceries 101: Meal Planning!

2009-07-30T06:30:00.001-04:00

People ask me to tell them how to save money on groceries. Yes, shopping with coupons is fun, especially when you can "buy" several things for cheap or free. However, I have to say that the first and most important step in saving money on groceries is learning how to plan meals effectively. It's one of the most important jobs we have as moms, wives, keepers of the home, and for our own bodies. How do you plan interesting, nutritious foods that offer variety and are pleasing to the members of your household? Add to all that, how do we do that at an economical price, too?

When I first got married, I was mostly focused on my career. I barely knew how to cook a few things. Microwaved baked potatoes, spaghetti, and fish sticks were some of my "specialties." After 17 years of marriage, experience and practice add a lot. Here are a few more practical suggestions.

* Start by planning all your evening meals for the week.

In addition to the main protein source, include all the side items, veggies, fruit, grains and dessert if you are serving dessert. If you plan to go out to eat, include that event in your weekly meal plan. I find that having all my meals planned out ahead of the time GREATLY reduces my stress in the late afternoon. No fretting about "what are we going to have for dinner." It also helps me to work out that we have balance nutrition and ample variety during the week.

* Plan your meals based on what you have in your pantry and freezer.

At least half of my weekly meals are based on what I already have in my freezer and pantry. If you have a tough time thinking of what to plan, you can make a list of all the chicken dishes your family likes, all the beef dishes, all the pork dishes, etc.

* Plan your other meals around what is on sale this week.

Between using what is in my freezer & pantry, and perusing the sale flyers, I can usually fill up my meal plan for the week. Of course, when chicken breasts are on sale for 99c/lb, I buy up extra to stash in the freezer for following weeks. For ideas on how to use what is in your pantry or what is on sale this week at the stores, I recommend using web tools such as Allrecipes.com or DinnerTool.com. These web sites allow you to search for recipes based on your desired ingredients. Who needs to buy a cookbook anymore? The most exhaustive cookbook is at our fingertips: the internet!

* Consider adding vegetarian meals to your menu plan.

Vegetarian meals are usually low in saturated fat and high in plant-based nutrition. Plant-based meals are often lower cost than meat-based meals. Although I have a meat-loving husband, we have added vegetarian fare, or at least low-meat meals to our rotation, and he loves my veggie lasagna! For some ideas on veggie cooking once per week, you can visit www.meatlessmonday.com.

* Add a breakfast meal for dinner.

Here is something that helps add variety for dinner. We don't regularly cook big breakfasts in the morning, so having this for dinner usually pleases the crowd. You can't tell me that thinking about bacon, eggs or omelets, biscuits, fruit salad, smoothies, sausage, bacon, waffles, pancakes, and scones doesn't make your mouth water!

* Have an alternate meal idea, just in case.

Sometimes best-laid plans still run awry. It's always a good idea to have a backup plan. Sometimes you get home later in the afternoon due to unexpected delays. Sometimes someone gets sick and your time should be focused on helping your sick one. Sometimes you get sick. Having a quick meal in the freezer helps avoid the temptation to "run out and pick something up." Or, you can have sandwiches, an easy pasta dish, or some other alternative plan. We all know that home cooking tastes better and is better for you than take out. (LOL!)

* Add more meals into your meal plan.

Once you have mastered planning seven evening meals, begin adding more meals to your plan. Add in a special weekend breakfast. Plan ahead a few meals for the following week. Do you have a special meal on Sunday after church? Some frugal home keepers plan out each meal and snacks every day. (I confess that I do not meal plan to this level.)

* Check out some meal planning blogs.

I'm always keeping my eyes open for fresh, nutritious, frugal meals. There are a lot to be had around the blogging world. You can check out these wonderful sites to glean some new ideas.

www.orgjunkie.com hosts menu planning Monday. Find out what's on her menu and the menus of others.

www.5dollardinners.com has some interesting low-cost meals based on what is on sale in your area.

www.lifeasmom.com hosts an "Ultimate Recipe Swap" every Thursday on a different topic. I have found some great recipes there, too.

Blessings to you and to your meal planning efforts!

Kraft Back to School $20 Rebate

2009-07-29T16:21:00.000-04:00

Kraft is running a $20 Back-to-School Rebate. You can learn more about it HERE, and register to receive a Kraft/Nabisco coupon booklet with $55 worth of Kraft/Nabisco/Planter's coupons.

The rebate applies when you purchase

10 Nabisco cookies and crackers (4 oz - 28 oz)

5 beverages (Capri Sun or Kool-Aid Jammers)

5 Easy Mac Single Cups

(Cookies and crackers shown in the photo are 100 Calorie Packs, Oreo Cakesters, Nilla Wafers, Mac & Cheese Crackers, Ritz Bits, Teddy Grahams, Honey Maid, Oreos, Chips Ahoy, and Multi-packs. The rebate does not include a list of participating Nabisco products.)

Send in the store cash register receipts dated between 7/1/09 and 12/31/09, prices circled. UPCs are not required.

In other words: Purchase 20 items, get $20 back, or $1 off per item.

I do not know if regular Ritz crackers and Wheat Thins are included in the rebate. I have emailed the company to ask about this detail. If they are included in the rebate, here is a wonderful opportunity from Publix this week (starting Thursday.)

Buy 5 Ritz crackers, BOGO $3.79 ($1.90 each)

Use 5 $1/1 Tearpad coupons. Makes it 90c each

Buy 5 Wheat Thins, Use 5 FREE Wheat Thins WYB Ritz,

Makes it FREE

Buy 5 Capri Sun packs, Price?

Use $1 off Food Lion Coupons

Buy 6 Easy Mac Cups, Price?

Use 3 x $1/2 Coupons from HERE

Get Back $20.

I will update the post when I hear from Kraft and check the prices.

Free Kraft Salad Dressing at Publix

2009-07-28T06:35:00.000-04:00

If you haven't been to Publix yet this week, you might want to add Kraft dressing to your shopping list. Through Wednesday, Kraft dressing is on sale BOGO, 2/$2.99 (or $1.50 each.) Go to CookingWithKraft.com and print out 2 copies of the $1.50/1 Kraft Dressing coupon for 2 free dressings.

While you are there, you can also print out $1/1 Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs and $1/1 Kraft 2% Shredded Cheese.

Happy Shopping!

Publix Trip 7/27 (Shopping with a headache, I still saved 72% or $138.)

2009-07-27T16:25:00.001-04:00

Today was a really hectic day and I felt like I could not get my "groove" in Publix today. My 3 kids were all with me, and they seemed more rambunctious than usual. We went in the afternoon when it was busy instead of in the morning when it is more quiet.

Thanks to careful planning and detailed list-making, I was still able to get $192 worth of groceries for $63 plus tax. This is my only planned grocery trip this week, except to pick up some freebies at Kroger later.

Publix Freebies and Super Cheapies

3 x McCormick Peppercorn Grinders (Raincheck) 99c ea - $1 Qs = FREE

2 x Alexia Crunchy Snacks, $1.45 each - 2 x $1 Qs - 75c/2 Target Q = 7 c each

Wise Potato Chips, $1.50 - 50c Q, doubled = 50c

3 x Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats, $1.95 each, used 1 x $1/1 Q, 1 x $1.50/2 Q, 3 x $1/1 Food Lion Qs = 12c each

4 x Starkist SeaSations Frozen Fish, $3 each - $3 Q = FREE

Publix Hot Dogs, Penny Item, 1 c

3 x Muir Glen Tomato Sauce, 89c each - $1 Qs = Free plus overage

Hefty One Zip Fresh Extend, $1.97 - $1 MQ - $1 Target Q (WYB bags + produce) = FREE

2 Bags Friskies Dry Cat Food, $3 each, used 1 x $3 Publix Q, 1 x $1 MQ, and 1 x $2 MQ = FREE

3 x Pillsbury Reduced Sugar Cake Mixes, 85c each - 35c Qs, doubled = 15c each

First Aid Items

1 x Neosporin, $3.89, - $1 Q = $2.89

2 x J&J Steripads, $1.79 each - $3/2 J&J Q = 58c for 2

**************

Used $5/3 J&J/Neosporin/etc. Coupon from the Green Advantage Buy Flyer = FREE plus $3.42 overage for Neosporin and 2 boxes of Steripads.

6 Packs Apple & Eve Juice Boxes, $1.59 each - $1 Qs = 59c each (For daughter's birthday party.)

Publix $10 Gift Card Offer

Kraft Shredded 2% Mozzarella, $2.79 - $1 Food Lion Q - $1/2 Q = $1.24

Kraft Shredded 2% Sharp Cheddar, $2.79 - $1 Food Lion Q - $1/2 Q (above) = $1.24

Oscar Mayer Brown Sugar Ham, $3.79

Jello Pudding Mix, $1.39

************************

Total: $7.66

Will receive a $10 Gift Card

Net Cost: $2.34 Profit, plus four FREE items we will use!

I was planning to repeat a deal on Sayfree and Carefee to make a profit, similar to those HERE and HERE, but the store was out of the $1.29 Carefree pads, so I skipped it.

The Rest of the Haul

Here are some other notable deals:

2 x Hebrew National Hot Dogs, $2.50 - 75c Qs = $1.75 each

Yoplait Yogurt (big tub), $2.59 - $1 peelie = $1.59

2 Scott Bathroom Tissue 4-pack (not pictured), $2.50 - $1 Q (WYB 8 rolls) = $2 each

3 x Fresh Express Bagged Salad, $2.50 each - $1 Publix Qs = $1.50 each

I also used $2/$5 Produce Purchase from Food Lion, and a $5/$25 from Rite Aid.

Total Value of Groceries $191.64

Total after Coupons & Sales: $63.06

Gift Card Savings: $10

Total Savings: 137.58 or 72%

Menu Plan Monday: Third Week of All*You Grocery Challenge

2009-07-26T16:14:00.001-04:00

Hey, it's the third week of the All*You Grocery Challenge! This Week will feature some of the goodies I bought at Trader Joe's last week, a nice variation in the menu rotations. My husband and son have also been asking for homemade salsa, so I try to incorporate (some of) their requests into the weekly planning and shopping.

For more menu plan ideas, please visit www.orgjunkie.com.

Monday

Veggie Lasagna

Watermelon

Tuesday

Oven Baked Chicken Nuggets

Steamed Broccoli & Carrots

Couscous

Wednesday

Big Salads w/Chicken or Ham

Cinnamon Muffins

Thursday

Chicken & Black Bean Burritos

Homemade Salsa

Cantaloupe

Friday

Breakfast Garden Omelets

Bacon

Homemade Bread

Grits

Fresh Fruit

Saturday

Buffalo Steak Burgers

Baked Beans

Steamed Broccoli

Sunday

Grilled Salmon

Home Fries

Green Beans

Trader Joes: Frugal Friend or Foe?

2009-07-25T06:28:00.000-04:00

I used to shop at Trader Joe's more often. It isn't very close to my house, and I haven't been there in a very long time. My kids and husband really like the chili-lime chicken burgers and the buffalo burgers. I did so well on my Publix trip this week, only spending about $44, so I thought I would pick up some things that my family had been asking for.

Trader Joe's does accept coupons for name-brand items that they sell. The thing is, most of their products are house brands, for which there are no coupons. They have reasonably priced food, but no real knock-out sales. The store is really full of lots of organic, all-natural, and "healthy" type fare. I also find the store to be full of tempting, interesting fare, such as dark chocolate covered edamame. (I didn't buy it this trip because I know I don't control myself very well when eating it. LOL!)

So, instead of going in to buy two things, one box of chicken burgers and one box of buffalo burgers, I troll the aisles with my son and casually pick up $55 worth of merchandise!! Well, this has been a good lesson for me. I will have some nice and interesting things to add to my menus over the next couple of weeks, but if you want to stick to a strict budget, be careful in TJ's!

Do you shop at Trader Joe's? Do you find it easy to stick within a budget?

Watermelon

4 apples

3 lbs. organic cherries ($1.99/lb, and they are delicious!)

2 lbs. raisins

2 boxes chili-lime chicken burgers

2 boxes buffalo burgers

3 bags tortilla chips

frozen salmon

frozen shrimp

Z-bar for my son (not shown)

Total: $55.53, including tax

Healthy Eating: Chicken Parmesan

2009-07-23T07:36:00.001-04:00

I can't believe I've never made this before!! I served chicken parmesan last night, and it was soooo delish. Of course, everything was purchased with coupons from the tomatoes, to the chicken, to the pasta. We rounded out the meal with steamed broccoli on the side and organic cherries.

First, I made crispy chicken tenders from FishMama's recipe HERE.

The marinara sauce recipe is from my friend Charlotte. The sauce was really inexpensive since I used two cans of tomatoes bought with a coupon, and fresh basil leaves from the garden. I confess that I have almost always used jarred marinara sauce in the past, but this sauce was incredible, and so simple to make.

Charlotte's Marinara Sauce

2 T. olive oil

4 med. cloves garlic minced *

2 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes with juice

Coarse salt & fresh ground pepper

1/4 c. basil leaves, torn

2 t. sugar (I added this to cut the acidity slightly)

Combine oil and garlic in pan. Turn heat to medium. Cook until garlic is fragrant but not brown.

Stir in tomatoes, salt, and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add basil & simmer for 1 minute more.

* We are not big garlic fans, so I just used a little sprinkle of garlic powder instead. Also, I used one can of unsalted diced tomatoes and one can of Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes. I mashed them a little with a potato ricer as well. I did not add extra salt, but the fresh ground black pepper added a nice little zing.

Do You Ever Have Frugal Duds?

2009-07-23T06:45:00.000-04:00

Do you ever "buy" something that is free with coupon or pennies on the dollar, and later it turns out everyone hates it? That happened to me with the free Dano-nino yogurt. It just didn't fly at our house. I didn't even try to put it into smoothies. As much as I hate waste, I'm just not going to make my family eat something (or use a health and beauty aid product) that they hate just becuase "I got it free with a coupon!"

Shopping with coupons allows me to get free things every week. We get to try a lot of new products that I would never buy without coupons. Many things we like. A few things go into the garbage. If these yogurts were not perishable, they would have gone to a food drive.

It is important as home keepers that we bless our families with our frugal shopping. My goal is not to make my family groan over the things I bring home from shopping, but that it will be a delight. Let your money saving ideas be a blessing and not a curse!

Healthy Eating: Adding More Veggies to Your Family's Diete

2009-07-22T12:10:00.001-04:00

I am always looking for ways to get more veggies into our family's diet. You almost can't have too much. I decided to take their favorite foods, and figure out ways to add veggies. Here is a favorite at our house. My kids love tacos. We eat them frequently.

Finely chopped sweet bell peppers blend easily into the taco filling. Just cook them along with the ground meat. At first, I used yellow or orange peppers. They are nearly invisible when all the seasoning has been added. As they got used to this, I switched to green peppers. In this photo, I used sweet banana peppers and green bell peppers from the garden.

Here's what the filling looks like finished. The green peppers are still a little visible, but now my kids are used to it, and they complain that it doesn't taste right if I don't add them! Ha!

What do you do to get more veggies into your family's diet?

Publix Trip 7/20: Monday Madness, 80% Savings

2009-07-21T06:17:00.000-04:00

It was really good to be shopping at Publix again this week. I missed you, Publix. Again, I am overwhelmed with the opportunities for free and very inexpensive groceries.

Publix Free and Super Cheap

6 x Carefree Liners, $1.39 each - 3 x $1/2 MQs - 2 x $3/3 Publix Qs = Free plus 66c overage total

4 x Bic Mechanical Pencil, $1 each - 50c Q printable (no longer available) doubled = FREE

2 x Reach Floss, $1.49 - $1 Publix Q - 50c MQ doubled = FREE plus $1.02 overage total

6 x Bandaids, $2.19 each - 6 x 50c MQs doubled - 2 x $5/3 Publix Qs = FREE plus $6.20 overage total

Dole Pineapple Chunks, 89c - 50c (from Parenting magazine), doubled = FREE plus 11c overage

8 x Muir Glen Tomato Sauce, 89c - 8 x $1/1 printables = FREE plus 88c overage total

2 x Skintimate Shave Gel, $2 each - 2 x $1.50 Target Q (I found at my gym) - $1.50/2 MQ = FREE plus 50c overage

3 x McCormick Grinders, $1 - $1 Q = FREE (I got a raincheck to buy more.)

Publix Frosted Flakes, 1c (Mystery Item)

Capri Sunrise, $1.89 - $1 MQ = 89c (to be used for daughter's birthday party next month)

8 x Stoneyfield Organic Yogurt 60c each - 2 x $100/4 MQs = 35c each

2 x Glad Force Flex Garbage Bags, $3.69 - $1 Target Q - $1 MQ = $1.69 each

2 x ReNu Contact Solution, $4.49 each - $2 Q = $2.49 each

Kraft Gift Card Items

Kraft is offering a $10 gift card if you purchase four different specified Kraft items along with $50 in total Publix purchases. According to chatter at www.iheartpublix, the $50 total can be before coupons, and the four different items can be different varieties of a type of item (e.g. two different kinds of Kraft 2% cheese.

Kraft 2% Shredded Sharp Cheddar, $2.79 - $1 MQ printable - $1/1 Food Lion Q = 79c

Kraft 2% Shredded Four Cheese Mexican Blend, $2.79 - $1 MQ printable - $1/1 Food Lion Q = 79c

Shake-N-Bake Chicken, $2.29

Jello Chocolate Pudding, $1.39

-------------

Total Spent for Kraft items: $5.26

Will Receive a $10 gift card.

Total: $4.74 profit, plus receive four FREE items above.

The Rest of the Haul

Pepperidge Farm 100% Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread, $1.80 - 55c MQ = $1.25

Publix Hamburger Buns

Publix Hot Dog Buns

Dried Pineapple (My girls beg me to buy this!)

Hormel Bacon

Natures Own 100% Wheat Bread

2 x Fresh Express Spring Mix, $2.50 - $1 Publix Q - $1 Food Lion Q = 50c each

Broccoli

Peaches

Carrots

Bartlett Pears, 99c in-store special

Gala Apples

Baby Carrots

Zucchini

Green Onions

Red Grapes

Athenos Hummus

Publix Raisins

Bananas

I used Food Lion $2 off $5 Produce Purchase from Food Lion and a $5 off $25 Rite Aid.

Total Value of Groceries: $168.78

Total After Sales, Before Coupons: $123.71 (for Kraft Rebate)

Total Value of Coupons: $80.18

Total Paid: $43.73 (Before Tax)

Total Paid After Tax: $48.38

Will Receive $10 Gift Card

Total Savings: $135.25 or 80%

Menu Plan Monday: Second Week of All*You Grocery Challenge

2009-07-20T07:37:00.000-04:00

Hurray, it's the second week of the All*You Grocery Challenge. The first week went really well, and I had fun with it, using mostly items from my stockpile. We've plowed through most all of our fresh produce, so I will be buying lots this week.

Here is my menu plan for the week, and I decided to have an alternate meal in the plan. This is handy when things don't work out with your Plan A, like getting home later than usual from an appointment or such.

Monday

Lentils & Brown Rice

w/ Garden Tomatoes, Cilantro, & Green Onions

Small Spring Mix Salad

Fresh Fruit

Tuesday

Chicken Parmesan made w/Crispy Chicken

Pasta

Steamed Broccoli & Carrots

Wednesday

Pan-Fried Pork Chops

(simple, yet one of my husbad's favorites)

Rice

Field Peas & Snaps

Apples & Walnuts in Vanilla Yogurt w/Cinnamon

Thursday

Quesadillas w/ Homemade Tortillas

Chicken & Black Bean Filling

Fruit Salad

Friday

Homemade Pizza

w/ Garden Bell Peppers, Garden Banana Peppers,

Ham, Pepperoni, Green Onions, & Pineapple Toppings

Saturday

Grilled New York Strip Steak

Grilled Zucchini

Homefries

Sunday

Grilled Chicken

Rotini

Spring Mix Salad

Fresh Fruit

Dessert: Ice Cream Sundaes

Alternate

Eggs, Grits, Bacon, Homemade Bread

All*You Grocery Challenge Updage

2009-07-19T10:09:00.000-04:00

I am participating in the All*You grocery challenge, which is 4 weeks of food spending of $25 or less per person in your household. This spending includes eating out as well as groceries, but does not include non-food items. For my family of five, this is $125 per week, an easily attainable goal.

I thought it might be fun to recap the week's expenses. What a crazy week! I spent only $42.40 on groceries. However, we spent $72.58 on eating out this week. This is really funny because we are not big on eating out usually.

The main lesson for the week is that yes, you can eat out on a food budget, and this even included the expense of my husband taking out a good friend who has been a boon to him professionally. You can even be generous on a food budget. Next week, however, I'm sure that out eating out expenses will be much lower!

I think the principle behind being able to spend this much on eating out this week is that strategic coupon use combined with stockpiling gives you the flexibility to take a week off from major grocery shopping.

The All*You Grocery Challenge is tracking expenses from Monday through Sunday, which is funny, because I always thought Sunday was the first day of the week.

Week 1: 7/13 - 7/19

7/14: Husband breakfast with Bible Study Group, $4

7/15: Coffee at Panera Bread, $1.81

7/16: Life Cafe lunch with kids, $24.37

(This is really unusual for me to take the kids out to lunch during the middle of the week!)

7/16: Kroger groceries, $36.74

7/17: Target, $1.27

7/17: Dreamland BBQ, $42.40

7/18: Kroger, $4.39 (food expenses only)

Total Grocery: $42.40 (37%)

Total Eating Out: %72.58 (63%)

Total Food Expenses Week 1: $72.58

I'm looking forward to week 2, especially since it has been over a week since I have been to my favorite store: Publix!

Kroger: Mega Event

2009-07-18T14:27:00.000-04:00

I went by Kroger today to work the Mega Event. In this event, if you buy 10 specially designated items (has to be 10), the register will deduct $5 from your total. This works out to 50c discount per item, which makes many things very, very cheap or free after coupons and Mega Event discount. These sales can be fun, but are also a lot of work to research, find your coupons, and plan out the trip in batches of 10.

Here's how it all panned out....

2 Boxes Kleenex Ultra-Soft Tissues, $1.49 - 50c Mega Sale - 50c/2 Q doubled = 50c each

9 Boxes Kleenex Tissues (Regular), $1.49 - 50c Mega Sale - 3 x $50/3 Q doubled = 66 c each

2 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Bars, $2.49 - 50c Mega Sale - $1/2 Q from package insert = $1.49 each

3 x Playtex Gloves, $1.00 each - 50c Q doubled - 50c Mega Sale = FREE plus 50c overage each

Whiskas Cat Treats, $1.49 - 50c Mega Event - 50c Q, doubled = FREE

Philadelphia Cream Cheese, $1.29 - 50c Mega Event -$1 Q (from Publix "Grape" magazine) = FREE plus 21c overage

Sara Lee bread, $1.99 - 50c Mega Sale = $1.49

2 x Cottonelle Wipes, $2.69 - 50c Qs doubled = $1.69 each (not part of Mega Sale)

Total Spent, $13.01 before tax.

Total Savings $38.27, or 74%

Target: Saved 91% Kelloggs, Cat Food, and Electrasol

2009-07-17T10:15:00.000-04:00

I swung through Target today on the way back from an appointment. I nabbed some goodies with huge savings. I don't think I have ever spent only $1.27 at Target! This is the magic of staking store coupons with manufacturer coupons.

Electrasol $3.59 - $2.50 MQ - $1 Target CRT Q (Cash Register Tape) = 9c

(I was hoping for the 32-count pack, which was on sale for $3.49, but they were out of stock with a "sorry no rainchecks" sign.)

2 Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats @ $1.88 each - $1.50/2 MQ = $2.26

1 Purina Cat Food $3.99 regular price - $3.50 MQ printable - $2 Target CRT Q = Free plus $1.51 overage

The overage helped reduce my overall cost to $1.27.

Best part of the whole deal is that I got $10 in great coupons from the boxes of Mini-Wheats! Most of these I will probably use, so the trip is almost like a money-maker!

Healthy Eating: Blueberry-Pecan Cobbler

2009-07-17T06:33:00.001-04:00

My husband and I are really, really fond of blueberries. They are a nutritional powerhouse, and chocked full of all kinds of good things. I also do not make very many desserts, as we value healthy eating, and most desserts do not fall into that category. However, when the middle of summer rolls around and blueberries go on sale, you can guarantee that this cobbler will be on the dessert menu! This represents summer to us the same way that pumpkin pie goes with Thanksgiving.

This original recipe came from Southern Living magazine almost a decade ago. I still have the dog-eared magazine page. Their original recipe can be found here. I have tweaked the ingredients slightly, and here is my altered version.

Blueberry Pecan Cobbler

3 pints fresh or frozen blueberries

1 c. sugar

3 T. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/3 c. water

2 T. lemon juice

1 t. vanilla extract

1 (15-oz. package refrigerated pie crust, or *homemade pie crust*)

1/2 c. chopped pecans, toasted (or slightly more)

Vanilla ice cream

Bring first 7 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar melts. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spoon half of blueberry mixture into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan. Role 1 pie crust to 1/8" thickness, and cut an 8" square. Place over blueberry mixture. Sprinkle with pecans.

Bake at 475 degrees for 10 minutes. Spoon remaining blueberry mixture over baked crust.

Roll remaining piecrust to 1/8" thickness. Cover top of cobbler, and add vent holes (or make a lattice crust.)

Bake at 475 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Serves 5 - 6.

Kroger Trip: Very Cheap Boneless Chicken Breasts

2009-07-16T16:59:00.000-04:00

As usual, I do most of my shopping at Publix, but swoop in from time to time at Kroger. They usually have better milk and meat prices, so it's worth an occasional trip, usually when I am on my way home from somewhere.

I had five coupons for $1 off any Tyson fresh chicken product. Kroger has Tyson chicken breasts on sale for $1.99/lb. Pick the smaller packages for maximum percentage savings.

I bought 9.13 lbs. of chicken

Coupons $5.00

Final price $13.86

Total cost of Kroger shopping trip: $36.74, including tax. I will total up my food expenditures for the week for the All*You Grocery Challenge.

Adjusted "price" of chicken is $1.52/lb

Healthy Eating: Sweet & Hot Pork

2009-07-14T06:27:00.000-04:00

This recipe is almost like a Mexican Stir-Fry. The heat comes from the salsa, and the sweet from the jelly. Serve it over white or brown rice.

Sweet & Hot Pork

12 oz. lean pork, cut into chunks

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 T. taco seasoning

1/3 - 1/2 c. peach preserves*

8 oz. your favorite salsa

fresh chopped cilantro (about 1 T.)

fresh chopped basil

1/2 t. cumin

1/2 t. chili powder

a few shakes of hot sauce to taste (I use 8 - 10)

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 T. flour

cooked rice

Cook pork & peppers in skillet until done. Mix in all other ingredients. Bring to simmer and cook 5 - 10 additional minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve over cooked rice.

* I have also used apple jelly, orange marmalade, seedless raspberry preserves, or whatever I have on hand.

Menu Plan Monday: First Week of All*You Grocery Challenge

2009-07-13T07:21:00.000-04:00

Here is what I am planning this week for dinner. My freezer and refrigerator are so stuffed that I am planning to eat down some of our frozen stores this week. This is also the first week of the All*You grocery challenge. The goal of the challenge is to spend less than $25 per person per week for all members of your household, including groceries, beverages, and eating out. Non-food items are not included in the challenge. It should be fun.

Monday

Big salads with Ham

Corn muffins

Peaches and strawberries

Tuesday

Crispy Chicken Tenders

Corn

Steamed Broccoli

Watermelon

Wednesday

Sweet & Hot Pork

Steamed Rice

Cherries

Thursday

Garden Omelets

Hash Brown Potatoes

Sausage

Smoothies

Friday

Hard Shell Beef Tacos

Mixed Fruit

Saturday

Grilled Steak

Grilled Fries

Salad

Sunday

Pasta & Marinara Sauce

Veggie of Choice (whatever is left in the fridge - LOL!)

Find more menu plans at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Staples: 4 cents for school supplies

2009-07-13T06:45:00.000-04:00

The back-to-school sales are up and running now at the office supply stores. I made a quick stop on the way home from church yesterday to pick up these goodies for 4 cents!

2 x Copy Paper = 1 c after Easy Rebate (I find that "copy" paper works fine in my printer. Limit 2 per household.)

2 x 8-pack pencils, 1 c, limit 2 per customer

2 x Bic Velocity Colored Ball Pens, $1 - $1 coupon from HERE. (Qs may be no longer available.)

Final Price = FREE.

These 1c deals are good through Wednesday only. There are also several other $1 deals. If you take your kids in the store with you, they could each they each could buy the limit of each item.

Super Savings Saturday at Publix

2009-07-11T14:52:00.000-04:00

Since I will be participating in the All*You grocery challenge starting Monday, I thought I would do my shopping today instead of waiting until Monday. In the Grocery Challenge, participants must spend less than $25 per person in their family for all groceries and food items, including eating out, per week for four weeks.

With a family of five, that would give us a budget of $125 per week. I don't think this will be a huge challenge, since I am spending less than that anyway. The only trick for us will be the few times per week that my husband goes out to lunch with his coworkers. It turns out this shopping trip, I spent less than $40, which will likely last us the week.

I have a big supply of chicken, pork, steak, and ground beef in the freezer, so I didn't buy any meat this week. In fact, my 27 cu. ft. refrigerator-freezer is so stuffed, I absolutely cannot squeeze another thing into it. I don't think I have ever seen it so full. Funny thing is, my grocery spending continues to shrink, even as my stockpile grows!

Publix Free and Super Deals

4 packs Yoplait Yo-Plus, $1.25 (w/raincheck) - $1 Qs = 25c each

Ocean Spray Cranberry Pomegranate 100% Juice, BOGO $2 - $2 Target Q CRT = FREE

Smart Balance Spread, BOGO $1.40 - 50c Q doubled = 40c

Smart Balance Milk, $3 - FREE SB milk When You Buy SB spread = FREE

Crystal Light Canister, BOGO $1.99 - $1 Q = 99c

Crystal Light Skin Essentials, BOGO $2 - FREE Skin Essentials WYB CL canister = FREE

Apple & Eve Juice Boxes, $1.59 regular price - $1 Publix Q - 50c MQ, doubled = FREE plus overage

4 x Muir Glen tomato sauce, 89c - $1 MQ = FREE plus overage

Spray & Wash trigger sprayer, BOGO, $1.50 - 50c Q doubled = 50c

Kellogg's Special K blueberry cereal, BOGO in-store special, $1.99 - $1 Q = 99c

Kashi Waffles BOGO, $1.39 ea - $1 MQ - 25c Target Q = 14 c each

Kashi Frozen Dinners BOGO, $1.74 ea. - 50c Target Q = $1.24 each

These will be good for my husband to take to work during the Grocery Challenge!

Planter's Peanuts BOGO, $1.60 - $1 Q from HERE = 60 c.

** First Aid Products Deal **

2 x Bandaid strips, $2.39 - 50c Q doubled = $1.39 each

1 x Neosporin $3.89 - $1 Q = $2.89

Total for above = $5.67

Used $5/3 Bandaid/Neosporin, etc. Publix Coupon from the Green Advantage Buy flyer

Final cost 67c for all three!

This was really handy as I needed Neosporin. There are other scenarios which will give you free items and possible overage.

** Feminine Sanitary Deal **

4 packs Stayfree Pads @ $2.85 each, used 2 BOGO coupons = $5.70 for 4

2 packs Carefree Liners @ $1.39 each, used 2 x 50c coupons = 78c for 2

Total of above = $6.48 for 6

** Used 2 x $3 WYB 3 Stayfree/Carefree, etc. Publix Coupons (Green Flyer) = -$6

Final Cost = 48c for 6 packs of pads!

The Rest of the Haul

2 Dozen eggs

Red grapes

Broccoli

Spring mix

Bananas

3 Pints blueberries

Strawberries, $2.50 - $1 Target Q = $1.50

Simply Potatoes (BOGO)

2 x Tropicana OJ, $3 - $1/2 Q = $2.50 each

Skim Milk

Parmesan Cheese

Black Beans

I used a "$5 off $25 purchase" competitor coupon from a local health food store.

Total Value of Groceries = $134.97

Total Spent Before Tax = $36.53

Total Savings = $98.44 or 73%

Favorite Frugal Breakfasts: Blueberry Oatmeal

2009-07-10T15:32:00.001-04:00

Super Healthy and Super Frugal

Here is one of my all-time favorite breakfasts! A few years ago, my husband gave up eating the little oatmeal packs because they usually contain so much sugar. I started buying quick-cook oats, and then we moved to the old-fashioned rolled oats. I'll never go back, and it is so very simple to cook in the microwave!

Blueberry Oatmeal

1/2 c. old-fashioned oats

1 c. skim milk

1 t. brown sugar (or sucanat)

1 pinch cinnamon

1/4 - 1/2 c. blueberries

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a wide-rimmed bowl. Microwave at 50% power for five minutes. (This is a good time for me to unload the dishwasher from the previous night's dishes!) Add blueberries, and enjoy!

This breakfast is packed with a full serving of dairy (1/3 of daily calcium requirement), fiber, whole grains, and a full serving of fruit. This really seems to power me up if I have a strenuous workout planned for later in the morning.

I've also eaten it with raisins, strawberries, cherries, or just plain.

Humor: Get out of Debt

2009-07-10T06:20:00.000-04:00

Here's a light take on getting out of debt from the folks at SNL. Good advice. We should all heed it.

Target: Kashi & Kellogg's: Saved 88%

2009-07-09T16:41:00.000-04:00

I'm so sad that my 10-year-old camera may have finally given up the ghost. And so, I have no photo for this post.

When I have a shopping trip like today, I just want to jump up and down and thank Jesus for his wonderful provision for us. I'd also like to thank Target, Kelloggs's and Kashi for bringing such wonderful deals. I was so excited at the register that I forgot to use my $5 gift card. Oh well, there is always next time!

Kellogg's Deal with Rebate

4 boxes Eggos ("Star Trek" type on sale) $1.50 each - $1 off any Eggo Frozen product = 50c each

4 boxes Eggos Bake Shop Mini Muffin Tops $1.50 each - $1 Eggo Bake Shop printables = 50c each

2 boxes Pop-Tarts, $1.52 - 55c/1 MQ = 97c each

---------------------------------------------------------

10 items for a total price of $5.94

These items qualify for a $10 rebate from Kellogg's, so this part of the transaction is a $4 Money-Maker!

See details about the Kellogg's Fuel for School rebate HERE. (Ten participating Kellogg's items must be purchased in a single transaction.)

Go HERE to find out how you can get some Eggo Bake Shop printable coupons.

Kashi Sale Items

Many Kashi items are on sale at Target this week. Additionally, Target's website has a huge number of printable store coupons good for Kashi products. We really, really like Kashi products. It's a good thing. It will help offset some of the less healthy Eggos and Poptarts I purchases above (LOL).

2 boxes Kashi TLC crackers, $2.50 each - 2 x $1.00 MQ - $1/2 Target Q = $1 each

2 boxes Kashi TLC cookies, $2.50 each - 2 x $1.00 MQ - $1/2 Target Q = $1 each

Kashi Honey Sunshine Cereal, $2.66 - $1 MQ - 50c Target Q = $1.66 each

2 boxes Kashi TLC granola bars & cereal bars, $2.50 - 2 x $1.50 MQ - $1/2 Target Q = 50c each

4 boxes Kashi TLC granola bars & cereal bars, $2.50 - 4 x $1 MQ - 2 x $1/2 Target Q = $1 each

You can go HERE to register and print off two $1.50 off Kashi TLC cereal bar coupons per computer.

You can go HERE to print off two $1.50 Kashi cereal coupons per computer.

The total value of groceries purchased was $54.44

Total savings after coupons was $37.90

Total paid (before rebate) was $16.54 before tax.

Net cost after rebate is $6.54 for a boatload of breakfast foods!

Total savings after coupons and rebate is $47.90 or 88%

Now, I'm off to mail in my rebate......

Healthy Eating: Making your own Stir-Fry Sauce

2009-07-09T06:29:00.000-04:00

(Chicken, Broccoli, and Mushroom Stir-Fry)

When my all-time favorite store-bought stir-fry sauce approached $4 per bottle, I decided to start experimenting with making my own. I just looked at the ingredient list on the label, and went from there. About two-years later, I think I have just about perfected it!

Do you think it's too hard to make your own sauce? Do you think it would take too much time? So did I, but I decided to give it a try, and it is very easy, and takes about three minutes! It's also very, very frugal! I haven't done a cost breakdown, but I think it is about 25c per batch, so in a way, I'm saving $3.75 for 3-minutes worth of work. That works out to be $75/hour equivalent. It's worth it to me to go to the small trouble of making my own sauce.

I use this sauce with any type of stir fry. You can adjust the seasonings to suit your family's taste.

Margery's Stir Fry Sauce

1/4 c. soy sauce (or tamari sauce, or Bragg's Liquid Aminos, which I frequently use)

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. orange juice

1/3 c. water

1 t. powdered ginger

1/2 t. crushed red pepper

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. onion powder

Mix all these in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Dissolve 2 T. cornsarch in about 1/4 c. water. Slowly add to simmering pan, stirring constantly until sauce thickens.

I add this to my stir fry about 3 to 5 minutes from the end of the cooking time.

Please visit LifeAsMom.com for the Ultimate Recipe Swap on other chicken dishes!

Free Muir Glen Tomato Sauce!

2009-07-08T15:57:00.001-04:00

One of my all-time favorite printable coupons has been reset!

Muir Glen organic tomato products $1/any one printable coupons can be found at

www.eatbetteramerica.com and www.bettycrocker.com.

Funny thing is, the Muir Glen coupon didn't show up at Eat Better America, until I went to print out another coupon, and there it was. You should be able to print two coupons from each of these sites.

Publix carries Muir Glen tomato sauce for 89c/can and paste for $1.19/can. Walmart carries Muir Glen diced tomatoes for about $1.19 /can.

I use the tomato sauce for soup, chili, meatloaf, and best of all -- pizza sauce!

Going Green: Stepping Up Your Recycling With Very Little Effort

2009-07-08T06:49:00.000-04:00

We are very fortunate to have a trash and recycling company that collects a huge amount of recylables (paper, all plastics 1-7, cardboard, aluminum, steel, junk mail, glass, etc.) However, they do not collect plastic bags or styrofoam.

Although I do have six reusable grocery shopping bags, which I use almost all the time, I still do seem to come home with the occasional nefarious plastic grocery bag. I stick one of these in my laundry room (behind the door). Over the period of about two weeks, I add all the plastic grocery bags, produce bags, newspaper bags, and any other recyclable bags that come into the house. I also stick in foam produce trays and egg cartons.

When this bag gets full, I pick it up on my way to the grocery store. My usual store has bins right out front for paper bags, plastic bags, and styrofoam. Fortunately my kids help me, since my arms are full with reusable shopping bags, coupon box, and grocery list! One kid will pull out the styrofoam items, and another will wad up the bags into the appropriate bins.

Earthbound Farms estimates that if everyone in the US used one reusable grocery bag once per week, it would keep 16 billion plastic bags out of landfills every year. Whole Foods states that in 2007, Americans threw out "100 billion plastic bags annually, according to the Worldwatch Institute, and only 0.6 percent of them are recycled."

More recycling, not much effort.

Healthy Eating: Super Scrumptious Lentils & Rice

2009-07-07T06:20:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite ways to pump up our family's nutrition and to reduce our grocery bill at the same time is by preparing a vegetarian dinner once per week. Meat is usually one of the highest dollar items in our grocery budget. Vegetarian meals are usually based around low-cost protein such as whole grains, legumes, and eggs. Vegetable-based dinners are packed full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. Most Americans are sorely lacking in at least a few of these departments.

I also find that going vegetarian once per week helps to add more variety into our diets, so there is less of, "Mom, why do we have to have chicken again?" or some similar complaint. I find that by adding a little shredded cheese atop most of our vegetarian fare makes the dish delectable (or at least palatable - LOL) to my young ones. Additionally, teaching our children to eat healthy vegetarian foods, like beans and rice, paves the way for healthy eating habits into adulthood.

There is another benefit to eating vegetarian once per week, it reduces the amount of energy consumption and thus greenhouse gases pumped into the atmosphere. Bringing meat to our tables includes a long energy-intensive, and frequently chemical-laden, chain of raising livestock on farms: Animal feed and fertilizer to grow the feed, big transportation energy consumption, meat processing, etc. According to New York Times food writer Mark Bittman in his new book Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating, "Switching to a vegetable based diet only one day a week is equivalent to driving 1,160 fewer miles in a year." So next time you savor a forkful of beans and rice, know that you are doing something good for your body, good for your wallet, and good for your planet!

Savory Lentils & Rice

1 c. lentils

1 c. brown rice

2 c. vegetable broth (or chicken broth, or water plus bouillon granules)

1 c. water

1/2 chopped onion (or 1-2 T. onion powder)

2-3 T. olive oil

Bring water and broth to a boil, add lentils, rice, onion, and seasonings. Reduce heat to simmer, and cook 45 minutes.

Top with cheese or homemade salsa. I made the salsa in the photo above from tomatoes from my parents' garden. Super-duper delicious.

Publix Trip 6/29 - Saved 68% (Lots of Fruits & Veggies )

2009-07-06T16:18:00.000-04:00

I'm craving legumes, veggies, and fruit, and so my shopping trip and menu plan for the week reflect that. There are many items again this week which are free or ultra-cheap with coupons.

I'm using a lot of stockpiled items this week in my menus. My percentage savings isn't as high as some weeks, but my total out-of-pocket cost is very low.

FREE and Ultra-Cheap

Powerade $1.25 = Free with coupon from Mycokerewards.com

DiGiorno Flatbread Melts, $2.50 = Free product coupon

2 Kraft Mac & Cheese @ 60c each = FREE, used "Buy three get one free" coupon.

4 x Dannon Dan-o-nino yogurts, $1 each -$1 Qs from "Super Summer Savings" Booklet at Publix = FREE

7 Kraft 2% cheese, $2 each - 50c tearpad coupon, doubled = $1 each.

After I got home, I found out the Kraft 2% Cheese qualifies for the $10 Publix gift card rebate from Kraft. So, these end up being Free plus overage.

Smucker's Dark Chocolate Sauce, BOGO $1.50 each - $1 MQ from my coupon train = 50c each

2 x Muir Glen Tomato Sauce, 89c reg. price - $1/1 Printable from www.eatbetteramerica.com = FREE plus overage!

J&J Reach Floss, $1.49 regular price - $1 Publix Q from "Smart Summertime Savings" booklet found at Publix - $1 MQ = FREE plus overage.

Dole Pineapple Chunks, 89c reg. price - 50c MQ doubled = FREE plus overage

2 x Hillshire Farm Deli Select Ham, @ - $1 Target IP - 75c/2 Manufacturer coupon from a Kroger Home Mailer = 63c each

Publix Tortilla Chips, Penny Item for this week, 1c.

Other Good Deals

8 x Bush's Baked Beans, BOGO $1.15 each - 4 x $1/2 Qs = 65c each

2 x Driscolli Strawberries @ $2.50 each - $1 Target IP = $1.50 each

2 packs of Publix Brand Buns, 98c each - 55c/2 Kroger brand buns (competitor coupon) = 71c each

I liked the deal with Kraft Mac & Cheese. The blue boxes were BOGO this week, so I bought six for the price of 3, and got 2 free with my coupons above. The final math on this is 8 boxes for the price of 3!

3 lbs. apples

2 packs of salad

jalapeno peppers

green onions

mushrooms

broccoli

cilantro

cantaloupe

T-bone Steak!

Huge 3 lb. bag of frozen blueberries

Total Value of Groceries: $124.74

Total Spent before Tax: $52.05 ($42.05 after gift card)

Total Saved: $72.70 + $10 Gift Card = $82.72

or 68%

Menu Plan Monday: I'm Hungry for Veggies!

2009-07-06T06:47:00.000-04:00

I had some extra time this weekend to read several cooking articles. Most of them were about scrumptious vegetable dishes or main dishes with lots of veggies. It made me crave fresh summer veggies.

Have you planned your menu this week? Plan your menu around what you have in your freezer and pantry, as well as what is on sale this week. It's the first step to saving money at the grocery!

Monday

Lentils & Rice w/Corn & Tomatoes

Cantaloupe

Tuesday

Broccoli-mushroom-Chicken Stir-Fry

Brown Rice

Pineapple

Wednesday

Chicken Quesadillas (made with homemade tortillas)

Fresh Fruit Salad

Thursday

Pulled Pork BBQ

Field Peas & Snaps

Cole Slaw

Corn

Friday

Homemade Pizza w/tomatoes, ham, & garden peppers

Saturday

Grilled Hamburgers

Baked Beans

Steamed Broccoli

Sunday

Grilled Steak or Chicken

Grill Fries

Green Salad

Thrifty Tip: Getting More Milage out of Kids' Pants

2009-07-02T17:01:00.000-04:00

It seems I am frequently looking at the clean load of laundry and finding holes in the knees or legs of my children's pants. (This especially seems to happen to my son more often!!)

(1) I could throw them away.

(2) I could patch them. I have done it, but it doesn't usually look very good.

(3) I could donate them to charity, but who wants hole-y pants anyway?

(4) I could turn them into something else just as useful!

About 20 minutes of cutting, pressing, and hemming, and ...

Viola! A "new" pair of shorts! My son will get a lot of mileage out of this, especially since they have an adjustable waist!

Healthy Eating: Refreshing Summer Beverages

2009-07-01T06:56:00.000-04:00

It is so very hot in the South now. One of the best ways to cool off is with a cool, refreshing iced drink. Although we do occasionally drink sodas and powdered drink mixes, some of our favorite summer beverages are simple, all-natural, and low in calories!

Ice Water with a Twist of Lemon or Lime

Perk up your ice water with a bit of citrus. It's so hydrating and very cooling.

Juice Water

Add 1/4 cup or so of your favorite dark juice to a glass of ice water. It gives a nice, light flavor to the cool, hydrating water. The glass in the photo has been made with cranberry-pomegranate juice.

Celestial Seasonings Iced Herbal Tea

This is probably my favorite. (You could use another brand, but this is what I usually have.)

Grab a few of your favorite herbal tea bags (4-8 individual sized bags).

Add 2 quarts of boiling water. Steep for 30 minutes to several hours.

I enjoy such flavors as raspberry zinger, true blueberry, and peppermint. I frequently mix flavors, too.

Chill, and serve over ice. For a nice sweetener, add a splash of 100% fruit juice such as apple, grape, blueberry-pomegranate, or whatever you have.

Grandma's Classic Southern Sweet Tea

This is a favorite at mealtimes with hubby.

Add 4 family-sized tea bags to pitcher. Add 2 quarts just-boiled water. Steep for 20-30 minutes.

Remove tea bags and add 3/4 to 1 c. sugar. Cool completely to room temperature before chilling in refrigerator.

Kroger Trip: Saved 61% on Chicken, Cheese, Sunscreen & Purex

2009-06-30T13:28:00.000-04:00

I made a little Kroger trip today.

I wanted to buy some Tyson $1.99/lb boneless, skinless chicken and use a $1/1 fresh Tyson printable (no longer available - sorry.) It made the chicken work out to $1.28/lb after coupons. Hint: If you have a $ off for any size package, buy the smaller packages to maximize your savings!

Also bought 3 Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen on sale for half price, all of which had $1 off peelies on them! It made the 50 SPF lotion $3.50 each, and the 15 SPF lotion only $3.15!

Part of the current Kroger sale is a special where, if you buy 10 participating items, you get $3 off you order (30c each per item.) I bought 7 packs of Kroger cheese (8 oz.) and 3 bottles of Purex. These are the price after the 30c discount:

Purex Laundry Detergent $2.49 - 35c Q, doubled = $1.79 each

These bottles plus my stockpile will give me enough detergent to last at least 6 months.

Kroger 8 oz. cheese, $1.03 (A great price for cheese, and I find the quality to be equal to that of Kraft. Additionally, Kraft has reduced their package size to 7 oz., from 8 oz., so you are getting 12.5% less!)

Menu Plan: Week of July 4th (& Nice Chicken Recipe)

2009-06-30T06:35:00.000-04:00

This week's menu plan is short. We will be visiting friends and relatives twice, so less cooking and planning for me, WHOO-HOO!

Monday

Whole-grain Kamut Waffles

Sausage

Banana-Blueberry-Vanilla Smoothies

(Kamut is a grain. It makes really smooth whole grain waffles, pancakes, and muffins.

We didn't end up having waffles last week, so I rolled it over.)

Tuesday

Rosemary Chicken*

Corn

Broccoli & Carrots

Fresh Mixed Fruit

Wednesday

Lentils & Rice w/ shredded cheese

Green Salad

Mango & Strawberry salad

Thursday

BBQ pork chops

Field peas & snaps

Watermelon

Friday & Saturday

Eat with others

Sunday

Pasta, quick & easy!

*Here is one of my favorite quick, easy, & healthy chicken recipes. Don't you just love it when the words "quick, easy, and healthy" are all in the same sentence?

Rosemary Chicken

Pound boneless chicken breasts to a thin, uniform thickness with the side of a meat mallet.

Sprinkle each with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and fresh chopped rosemary (or dried). Adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Heat some butter or cooking oil to medium-high heat.

Add chicken and cook on both sides until done throughout, about 10-15 minutes.

Add a little water if the pan gets too hot or the chicken is sticking or browning too much.

Enjoy.

Publix Trip 6/29 - Saved 71% (Lots of Frees)

2009-06-29T16:10:00.000-04:00

I ran completely out of contact supplies today, and needed milk, so I went to Publix. There were lots more free or cheap items to pick up. I bought $50 worth of groceries for $14.68 plus tax.

FREES & Cheaps

Publix Apple Juice, Penny item, 1c

Raid Spray, $3.89 - $2 Publix Q from "Smart Summertime Savings" booklet at Publix - $2 MQ from the last Advantage Buy Flyer = FREE plus overage

2 Ziplock Bags (snack size and XL sandwich), $1.99 each -$1 Target Q - $1 MQ from "Smart Summertime Savings" =FREE (I will repeat this deal several times this month!)

2 Edge Shave Gels, $2.13 regular price each - $1.50/1 Target Q - $1/1 MQ Printable = FREE + overage. I found these Target Qs on a display at my gym.

2 Reach Floss, $1.49 - $1 Publix Q from "SSS Booklet" - $1 Reach Q from Sunday inserts = FREE plus overage

2 jars Mt. Olive Pickles, $1.40 each - 50c Qs from yesterday's paper = 40 c each

Motrin, $3.89 regular price - $2 Publix Q from SSS booklet - $1 MQ from Sunday inserts = 89c

I also used a $5/$25 purchase from Rite-Aid (which expires on 6/30!)

Mostly I needed to pick up some essentials, so I probably will not be back to Publix this week. I hope you can use some of these ideas!

What do you do with FREE Chocolate?

2009-06-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

I hope you've been getting your free chocolate from M&M Mars on Fridays after 9 am. Each household is eligible to receive up to four coupons for a free chocolate item. We've received and redeemed all our coupons.

When I received these coupons, of course I was excited to get free chocolate. Then I thought, "Well, we could just eat it, or we could turn it into something bigger." This is what we made.

Flax Oatmeal Cookies with M&Ms

(makes about 5 dozen)

1 c. butter

2 c. Honey Crystals, Sucanat, or sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

3 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour (I used freshly milled.)

1 c. oats

1/2 c. ground flax seed (Grind 1/3 c. whole seed in a coffee mill.)

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt, optional

1 1/2 - 2 c. chocolate chips or M&Ms.

(I used some chopped up leftover Easter candy to make up a little of the needed chocolate.)

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Mix dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture. Add chocolate pieces. Scoop into 1" balls and place on cookie sheet 2" apart. Bake 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes.

Huge Publix Trip 6/26, Saved $134 or 65%

2009-06-27T06:07:00.000-04:00

Here's my big trip this week. Did you find the deal on ziplock bags? Publix sales run through Wednesday in Georgia. I hope my trip gives you some ideas. See my Publix Top Picks post for links so some of these great printable coupons.

Super Deals

2 Ziplock sandwich bags @ $1.99 each, reg. price - $1 Target IP - $1 MQ from "Smart Summertime Savings" booklet at Publix = FREE

2 Ziplock gallon storage bag @ $1.99. Used 1 BOGO coupon, 1 x $1 Target IP, and 1 x $1 MQ from "Smart Summertime Savings" booklet at Publix = FREE

Dove Bar, 89c - FREE coupon (up to 85c) from FREE Chocolate Fridays = 4c

2 Velveeta Shells & Cheese cups, $1.19, used FREE item coupon from Kraft First Taste = FREE

(Join to get free product coupons!)

6 x French's Mustard, 85c each - 50c Qs, doubled = FREE plus 15c overage on each!

Kraft BBQ sauce, 70c - $1 MQ = FREE plus 30c overage!

2 Crystal Light Skin Essentials, $2 each, used 2 FREE Skin Essentials WYB 2 Crystal Light canisters = FREE

4 Crystal Light Canisters, $2 each,

Used 1 x $2 MQ from July issue of All*You = FREE

Used 1 x $1/1 and 1 x $2/2 printable coupon = $1 each for 3

Ragu pasta sauce, $1.10 - $60c MQ (only good on Tomato & Basil or Margherita flavors) = 50c

2 x Kotex tampons, $1.60 each - $1 Qs from home mailers = 60c each

(These combined with the rest of the stockpile gives me enough feminine supplies to last a year, and I donate these items regularly, too.)

6 x Ritz crackers, $1.75 - 6 x $1 MQs = 75c each

(We use these frequently for kids' breakfasts & lunches: pb crackers, hummus & crackers, cheese & crackers, etc.)

Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, $2 - $1 MQ = $1

Newman's Own Salsa, $2 - 50c Q doubled = $1

Old Orchard Pom-Blueberry Frozen Juice, $2 - $1 Q from home mailer = $1

Sargento Mozzarella Cheese, $2 - $1 MQ from Kroger home mailer = $1

Kraft 2$ Mozarella Cheese, $2.79 - 50c MQ, doubled - $1 Food Lion Q = 79c

Lysol Plus Bleach Spray Cleaner (not pictured) $1.35 - 50c Q doubled = 35c

2 x Strawberries, $2 - $1 Target Q = $1 each

Rest of the Haul

Mahatma Brown Rice = $1.89 - 50c MQ doubled = 89c

(I have a big stockpile of free white rice, but we so do love the brown rice for the increased nutrition and hearty, nutty taste!)

4 x Bounty Big Roll, $1.25 each - 2 x $1/2 MQs = 75c each

(I do not use very many paper towels, but since I haven't restocked in almost a year I am running low. Plus, both my kiddos in school will need a roll for school supplies when school starts. I decided it was a good time to buy.)

Kleenex wipes, $2.39 - $1 Target CRT coupon = $1.39

(I dislike buying these, but they are REALLY important to some people in my family. ;D)

3 Tropicana Pure Premium, $3 each

Used 1 x $1 MQ and 1 x $1/2 MQ = $2 and $2.50 each

Soft Soap Body Wash (not pictured) $3.50 - $1 Target Q - $1 MQ = $1.50

2 x Athena Cantelope @ 99c each

2 x Pepperidge Farm bread $1.990 - 75c Target Q = $1.24 each

Fresh Express Spring Mix, $2.99 - $1 Publix Q from "Smart Summertime Savings" booklet at Publix

2 x Smart Taste Spaghetti, $1.50 each - $1/2 = $1 each

I had some other expensive items, too, for which I did not have a coupon (like sunscreen and NY strip steaks!) so my finals were not in the 70-percentage range, which is what I am usually able to do, but I am still very happy!

I also used a $5 off $25 purchase from Rite Aid from HERE.

Total Value of groceries: $204.92

Vendor Coupons: $40.82

Store Coupons: $22.50

Ad Special Savings $65.29

Advantage Buy Savings: $2.37

In-Store Special Savings: $3.02

Total Spent: $70.92 plus tax

Total Savings at Publix: $134.00 or 65%

Top Publix Picks for Sale Week Starting 6/25

2009-06-25T08:22:00.000-04:00

There are a few good deals at Publix this week, with some freebies. Here are my top picks for the week.

Kotex tampons or pantyliners, BOGO $3.19 ($1.60 each)

Use $1/1 from HERE, makes it 60c each. There have also been $1/1 in the newspaper inserts and from several home mailers.

Kraft BBQ sauce, BOGO $1.39 (70c each) Use the $1/1 printable coupon from HERE to make it FREE plus possible overage.

Crystal Light, BOGO $3.99 ($2 each). Use the $2/1 coupon from the July issue of All*You Magazine to make it FREE,

Use the $1/1 or $2/2 printable from HERE to make it $1 each.

Combine that with the Free Crystal Light Skin Essentials WYB any 2 Crystal Light to get that FREE, too. Print it HERE.

French's Yellow Mustard, BOGO $1.69 (85c each)

Use the 50c/1 coupon HERE or HERE, doubled = FREE plus possible overage.

Some regions also received a 50c/1 coupon in the Sunday papers.

Ritz Crackers, BOGO $3.49 ($1.75 each)

Use the $1/1 printable from HERE to make it 75 cents each.

Lysol Trigger Spray Cleaner, BOGO $2.69 ($1.35 each)

Use the 50c/1 coupon HERE or from the Sunday papers, doubled, makes it 35 cents each.

If you want to see a complete list of coupon match-ups, you can go to one of these fabulous sites.

Southern Savers

I Heart Publix

Healthy Eating: Veggie (!) Lasagna

2009-06-25T06:56:00.000-04:00

In my quest for frugal, healthy eating, this lasagna has risen to the top of the ranks. You won't even know it has tofu in it, I promise. My kid's don't even know it's tofu; they think it's cheese! My veggie-resistant 4-year-old scarfs this up! This feeds our family of 5 for one big meal, and then we have leftovers for 2 or 3 servings (hubby's lunch!) I find that adding one meatless meal per week adds a nice variety to our meal rotation, and it's so good for you, too.

Veggie Lasagna

1 lb. lite firm tofu, drained

1 26-oz. jar spaghetti sauce

12 lasagna noodles*

1 T. Italian seasoning

5 oz. (or more) fresh spinach, chopped

8 - 12 oz. mozzarella cheese

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Crumble tofu into bowl, and mix in the Italian seasoning.

Layer 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of your baking dish. (Add some sauce first if using no-boil noodles.) Add 1/3 of the tofu crumbles. Add 1/3 of the spinach, and top with 1/3 of the cheese.

Repeat layers. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top if desired.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil, and broil briefly until top cheese is lightly browned.

* I use regular noodles and pre-cook them. I have great results with this method. You could try oven-ready noodles, too. This recipe also tastes great with whole wheat noodles!

Healthy Eating: Delicious Homemade Salsa

2009-06-24T07:15:00.001-04:00

With summer produce coming in, I thought I would share my family's favorite homemade salsa recipe. This recipe is modified from one given to me by my dear health-nut friend Sarah F., who lives in Florida now. (We miss you.)

Delicious Homemade Salsa

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

4 - 6 green onions, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro

5-6 small tomatoes

2 cans chopped green chilies (use fresh chilies or jalapenos if you have them!)

Blend all together. Add a little salt or lime juice if you like. This recipe is easily adjusted to suit your family's preferences. Like it hotter? Add more peppers. Like it zingier? Add more onion.

Sorry I don't have an "after" photo. It quickly was devoured!

Frugal Cooking: Veggies on the Grill

2009-06-23T06:34:00.001-04:00

Here's a great idea for cooking during the summer months. If you are planning to use your grill for your meat or mail entree, add your veggie side dish to the grill, too. It keeps the house so much cooler for the hot summer (especially here in Atlanta), and they taste fabulous. Our grilled zucchini tastes almost better than anything you can get in a restaurant!

Grilled Zucchini

Slice zucchini lengthwise into 3/4" planks. I just make three planks out of a medium-size zucchini. (One zucchini is about the right serving size per person.)

Drizzle lightly with canola oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. You could add a little garlic powder if you are a garlic fan. Toss to coat.

Grill 2 - 3 minutes on each side. Don't let it overcook!

Enjoy your healthy grilled veggies with your summertime feast!

Menu Plan Monday: What to do with a huge pork roast

2009-06-22T16:58:00.001-04:00

I bought a huge (8.8 lbs.) pork loin last week for about $6. I separated it into one loin roast (in the oven now) bunches of boneless chops (in the freezer) and one big end (in the freezer) which will most likely go into the crock pot at some point in the future. My loin roast will make 2 delicious meals for us this week, not counting all the chops and the end.

Monday

Herbed Pork Roast

Baked Potatoes

Steamed Broccoli & Carrots

Tuesday

Chicken Wraps in Homemade Tortillas

Watermelon

Wednesday

Veggie Lasagna

Fresh Fruit & Green Salad

Thursday

Chopped BBQ Sandwiches

(Make this from Monday's Roast)

Green Salad

Friday

Homemade Pizza

Saturday

Popcorn Shrimp

Corn

Homemade Bread

Mixed Vegetables

Sunday

Waffles

Sausage

Blueberry-Cherry-Vanilla Smoothies

What are you having for dinner this week?

Monday Shopping: 90% Savings at Publix!

2009-06-22T16:42:00.000-04:00

I had a huge windfall of coupons yesterday from my local coupon trading group, my MIL, and my Sunday paper! I wanted to pick up the penny item at Publix, and ended up saving 90%! (Isn't always easier to get those big % savings on the smaller orders?)

That's quite a bit of food for $3.66 plus tax!

4 x Yoplait Yo Plus @ $1.25 each - $1 Qs = 25 c each

1 x Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt @ $1.25 each - $1 Q = 25 c each

1 roll Bounty Paper Towels $1.25 - 25c Q doubled - 50c Target Q = 25 c

2 x Newman's Own Salsa @ $2 - 50c Q doubled = $1 each

2 x Starbucks ice cream @ $1.80 each - $2 Q = FREE plus overage!

1 Margaret Holmes field peas $1 - 35c Q doubled = 30c

Kelloggs Frosted Mini Wheats $1.95 - $1 Q = 95 c

Fisher Snack Mix 90c - $1 Q = FREE Plus overage

Publix Vanilla Wafers 1c (penny item for this week.)

Bananas 41c

Total spent: $3.66 plus tax

Total saved: $32.45 (store & vendor coupons, store sales, and Advantage Buy)

Total Savings: 90%

Hmmm.... how about a "banana pudding" dessert with vanilla yogurt, bananas, and vanilla wafers?