ShopRite Deals 2/28 to 3/6 UPDATED!

Another week of Dollar Days! Also, the Holiday promotion for free turkey/ham/stouffer's lasagna starts this week, as well.  This should be a great start to getting us up to that 300 dollar mark!

Heluva good dips- 1.29
use .75/1 coupon from 1/24SS doubled(expires 2/28!)- FREE

Zone perfect bars- 5 for 5.00(must buy 5)
use 4 .55/1 coupons from 2/28SS doubled- .12 each
use 5 .55/1 coupons from 2/28SS(only 4 will double)- .01 each!

Chore Boy sponges- 1.34
use .55/1 printable coupon doubled- .24

Sani Hands kids wipes(24 ct)- 1.25
use 1.00/1 coupon from 4/19SS(yes, way back in the day!)- .25

Blue bunny bars- 1.49
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- .49

Wise snacks- 1.49
use .50/1 printable coupon doubled- .49

Hot pocket side shots- 2.00
use .75/1 coupon from 1/31RP doubled- .50

Mr. Clean magic eraser- 2.00
use .75/1 coupon from the home made simple booklet doubled- .50

Thomas' english muffins- 1.99
use 1.00/1 coupon from March All You magazine(if honey wheat is included)- .99
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NEW! Post cereals-shredded wheat, grape nuts, natural bran flakes- 2 for 4.00
Buy 4 boxes- 8.00
use the 4.00/4 SR coupon- 4.00 off
pay 4.00 and get back a 3.00 catalina- .25 each after catalina

Don't have the Shop Rite manufacturer's coupon? Try this deal:
Buy 4 boxes- 8.00
use 2 1.00/2 coupons from 1/17SS- 2.00 off
use 2.00/1 printable coupon(have to register and it's sent to your e-mail)- 2.00 off
pay 4.00 and get back a 3.00 catalina- .25 each after catalina
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4 Day price break deals(Wednesday to Saturday only)
Oscar Mayer regular lunchables- .99
use 1.00/1 printable coupon(good for regular and lunchables with water)- FREE

On-Cor traditional entrees- .99
use .30/1 coupon from 2/14RP doubled- .39
use .75/2 printable coupon doubled- .48 for 2 boxes, or .24 each!
 
Campbell's select harvest soup- 1.00
use 1.00/2 coupon from 1/3SS- .50 each

Polaner all fruit- 1.77
use 1.00/1 coupon from march All You magazine- .77
use 1.00/1 coupon from 1/10SS- .77
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Great dollar days scenarios:
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Buy 5 lysol products, get 5.00 OYNO
Buy 4 lysol AP or kitchen cleaners- 8.00(the are 2 for 4.00, must buy 2)
Buy 2 lysol toilet bowl cleaners- 4.00(they are also 2 for 4.00, must buy 2)
use 4 .75/1 coupons for AP or kitchen cleaners from 2/7SS doubled- 6.00 off
use 2 .75/1 coupons for bowl cleaners from 2/7SS doubled- 3.00 off
Pay 3.00 and get back 5.00 catalina.....2.00 money maker!
_____________________________________

Buy 5 pompeian products, get 5.00 back
Buy 5 pompeian balsamic vinegars- 10.00
Use 5 .50/1 printable coupons(will need 3 computers)- 4.50 off(only 4 will double)
Pay 5.50 and get back 5.00 catalina- .10 each!
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Buy 10 ConAgra products, get 3.00 back
Buy 6 cans chef boyardee pasta- 6.00 total
Buy 4 boxes Act II popcorn- 4.00 total
use 2 .35/3 coupons for chef boyardee from 1/10SS doubled- 1.40 off
use 4 .40/1 coupons for Act II from 2/28SS doubled- 3.20 off
Pay 5.40 and get back 3.00- .24 per item after catalina
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Buy 6 clorox items, get 5.00 back
Buy 6 Clorox bleach- 1.69 each or  10.14 total
Use 3 1.00/2 coupons from 1/31SS - 3.00 off
Pay 7.14 and get back 5.00- .35 an item after catalina
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Buy 5 Kraft products, get 5.00 back
ALSO! Buy 5 Crystal Light Products, get 4.00 back
Buy 6 Crystal Light canisters or On the Go products- 2 for 4.00(must buy 2) or 12.00 total
Pay 12.00 and get back 9.00- .50 each after catalina
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Buy 4 SC Johnson products, get 3.00 back
ALSO! Buy 4 scrubbing bubbles products, get 4.00 back
Buy 4 Scrubbing bubbles toilet gels- 3.50 each or 14.00 total
Use 4 1.00/1 coupons from 1/10SS- 4.00 off
Pay 10.00 and get back 7.00- .75 each

Have you done the SC Johnson rebate yet? You can do it 3 separate times! If you can do it again:
You pay 10.00, get back 7.00 and will get back 5.00 from the rebate when you buy 3 items- 2.00 MM!
___________________________________
Other deals:
Perdue chicken leg quarters- .59/lb
green seedless grapes- .99/lb
80% ground beef- 1.69/lb
Shop Rite shredded cheese- .99
white or wheat pizza dough- 1.00(great price to stock up on! Make your own pizza at home!)

ShopRite Sneak Peek- week of 2/28

We have a continuation of Dollar Days this week, so let's see if we can find some deals going. Remember to order your coupons if you see you don't have these ones and you want to cash in on these deals!

Oscar Mayer regular lunchables- .99(wednesday to saturday only)
use 1.00/1 printable coupon(good for regular and lunchables with water)- FREE

On-Cor traditional entrees- .99(wednesday to saturday only)
use .75/2 printable coupon doubled- .48 for 2 boxes
 
Campbell's select harvest soup- 1.00(wednesday to saturday only)

use 1.00/2 coupon from 1/3SS- .50 each

Mr. Clean magic eraser- 2.00
use .75/1 coupon from the home made simple booklet doubled- .50

Polaner all fruit- 1.77(wednesday to saturday only)
use 1.00/1 coupon from march All You magazine- .77
use 1.00/1 coupon from 1/10SS- .77

Thomas' english muffins- 1.99
use 1.00/1 coupon from March All You magazine(if honey wheat is included)- .99

Great dollar days scenario:

Buy 5 products, get 5.00 OYNO
Buy 4 lysol AP or kitchen cleaners- 8.00(the are 2 for 4.00, must buy 2)
Buy 2 lysol toilet bowl cleaners- 4.00(they are also 2 for 4.00, must buy 2)
use 4 .75/1 coupons for AP or kitchen cleaners from 2/7SS doubled- 6.00 off
use 2 .75/1 coupons for bowl cleaners from 2/7SS doubled- 3.00 off
Pay 3.00 and get back 5.00 catalina.....2.00 money maker!

Other deals:
Perdue chicken leg quarters- .59/lb
green seedless grapes- .99/lb
80% ground beef- 1.69/lbShop Rite shredded cheese- .99
white or wheat pizza dough- 1.00(great price to stock up on! Make your own pizza at home!)

Quotable Wednesday

 

"I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation that may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances."

- Martha Washington

Working it Out...and keeping your pockets full

With the coming of a new year, I see so many people making resolutions to do things that better their lives, whether it's financially, spiritually, or physically.  That even applies to frugalistos and frugalistas. We love to give ourselves a new challenge for the year, but of course, the price always comes into effect.  I think one of the biggest resolutions that is hardest to keep, money-wise, is the resolution to work out more. The cost of a gym membership can easily sway your budget into the red, especially if you are already on a tight one. Well, here are a few ways I have saved money over the years while still staying in shape. 

Pick up that Hula Hoop
This is the most effective way I was able to lose all of my baby weight, plus more, after I had Sonny Boy. This and breast feeding put me on the right track and had me back to my regular weight, and tummy, in about 5 weeks.  While he was sleeping, I'd grab my Hula hoop from when I was a young girl(yes, I  took it with me when I moved out), turned on my favorite show, and hula hooped my way back into shape.  Just think about it: those beautiful hula girls you see in Hawaii have great shapes to them, right? Wonderful, flat tummies and amazing strength to keep up those dances for so long. Although you won't be dancing like them, you will be working the same muscles. Plus, it's fun! It will work your abs, obliques, your glutes and your thigh muscles. Pick up a hula hoop at Toys R Us and try it out in the store. You'll feel all the muscles that are ready for a workout. Best yet, if you buy a new one, its a 5 to 7 dollar investment. Much better than a gym membership, or a 10.00 a pop to take one of those ab classes at the local YMCA.

Vaccum with heels
Ok, this one is pretty much for the ladies, but it's also another fun, and cheap, way to stay in shape.  I heard of this little tip years ago from one of those airhead celebrities that was being interviewed on the "red carpet." Although the source of the tip wasn't a genius, the idea definitely was. We all have to do some sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming at one time or another during the week, so why not throw on some heels and really give yourself a workout? Vacuuming automatically makes you lunge to get in all those corners and get up that little extra dirt. By adding some height to your "workout" it really works your bum and burns it into shape. Plus, if you aren't a pro at walking in heels, this is a great way to learn. We now have my 14 year old sister doing this so she doesn't look like a crazed person at her prom(s) trying to walk in "grown up heels." This also does wonders for your calves.

Extreme dusting
When you have to dust in high places, you immediately work the sides of those tummies, right? So, challenge yourself to "feel the burn" as much as possible! Have one of those swiffer dusters? Don't extend it all the way and leave a little bit of length for your arms to create.  This will work the your sides as well as your back muscles. If you really want to take it to the extreme, throw those heels on again. Work your glutes, back muscles and sides all at the same time!

You tube it!
Have you experienced the magic of You Tube? No, I don't mean watching the surprised chipmunk or endless videos of kittens playing. I mean the many how-to videos from how to put up drywall, clean a scratch ipod, or yes, do your favorite exercises.  If you are into pilates or yoga, you can subscribe to accounts that continuously upload new exercise videos for those particular types of classes. You can also take it to a different tangent and look up some of your favorite songs. Jamming out to music you love is a great calorie-burner and will put you in a great mood. Just dance like no one is watching and feel yourself sweat the pounds away. Richard Simmons didn't make all those videos for nothing!  One of my favorite things to do is to look up a current chart topper that has a video full of choreography, and learn the moves. You can even sometimes find choreographers on You Tube with videos teach those with left feet how to get the moves down. Last year, Beyonce's "single ladies" kicked my butt back into shape. I also impressed my teenage sister by keeping up with her when she would do the moves. I call that a win-win!

"Forget" something
If you have a big house, or many rooms in your living space, remembering to "forget" something can yield you some extra miles of walking during the day.  To stay healthy, we need to walk 10,000 steps a day. That's a lot! Although I know that I can't make that goal everyday, I do make sure to "forget" certain things in other rooms, so when I need them later, I'll have to get up and walk to get it.  My favorite thing to leave around is my cell phone. Since it's the only phone we use here(got rid of the house phone to save money), whenever it rings, I have to get up and find it right then and there. And yes, it rings quite a bit.  So, no matter where I am in the home, once I hear that loud ring from the cell phone, I know I have to find it quick and move my bum to get it.  I may only burn a few hundred calories, but doing that 5 or so times a day really adds up!


Have any of your decided to make 2010 your year of getting in shape? How has it been going for you? Do you think any of these tips will help?

ShopRite- Another Ragu/Wish Bone scenario

I know most of us didn't get the .30/1 ragu coupons, so this is the deal that I did today:

Buy 6 Ragu sauces- 3 for 4.00, or 8.00 total
Buy 2 wish bone dressings- 2 for 4.00
Use 2 .75/1 printable wish bone coupons- 3.00 off
Use 3 1.00/2 ragu sauce coupons from 1/31RP- 3.00 off
Pay 6.00 and get back 3.00 catalina- .37 per item

Meal Plan Monday!

This was an easy week to put together. The freezer is overflowing right now, so we can have pretty much whatever our hearts desire.  Also, with the arrival of lots of free greek yogurt last week and this week, I think it's time for falafels and tzatziki sauce. We haven't had this is ages, and I am so excited to have it again. Yum!

Monday: Chili with tortilla chips
Tuesday: National Pancake Day! Yogurt pancakes with turkey bacon and scrambled eggs
Wednesday: Turkey Meatball subs with provolone
Thursday: Falafel wraps with tzatziki sauce and pita chips
Friday: Homemade pizza!
Saturday: Braised Turkey Shanks with mashed potatoes and braised carrots
Sunday: not-sagna pasta toss

Dessert of the week: Salted caramel brownies(I didn't get to make them last week)

ShopRite Deals 2/21 to 2/27- UPDATED!

Finally got it all done! Sorry it took so long to get it up; a nap was due after a long day at work :o). Enjoy the savings this week!

Oikos greek yogurt- 1.00
use the 1.00/1 coupon from 1/3SS- FREE

Select post cereals- 1.00(Wednesday through Saturday only)
use the 4.00/4 SR store coupon from the holiday savings book- 4 boxes FREE
NEW! I got a print out of an upcoming catalina deal for post cereal. If you wait until Friday to do this deal, it will work out like this:

Buy 4 boxes- 4.00
use the 4.00/4 SR coupon
Pay 0.00 and get back a 3.00 catalina! 3.00MM!

Coffee mate creamer- 1.24(again!)
use the .75/1 coupon from 2/7RP doubled- FREE

Solo paper plates(again!)- 1.39
use .75/1 coupon from 1/24SS doubled- FREE

New York Texas Toast frozen items- .88(Wednesday through Saturday only)
Use .50/1 printable coupon(thanks cindy) doubled- FREE

Dannon yogurt- .40 each
Use .75/6 printable coupon doubled- .15 each

Wise snacks- 1.49
use .50/1 printable coupon doubled- .49

Sucrets complete- 1.99
use 1.50/1 coupon from 1/24SS- .49

Krustaez pancake mix- 2 for 3.00(must buy 2)
use the .50/1 coupon from 12/6SS doubled- .50

Yoplait trix or gogurt- 1.49(Wednesday through Saturday only)
Use .80/2 printable coupon doubled- .69 each
(use your cellfire coupons to make this an even better deal!)

Arnold bread- 1.99
use .55/1 coupon from 11/8SS doubled- .89

Borden singles- 1.99
Use 1.00/1 printable coupon- .99

Edy's ice cream- 1.99
use 1.00/1 coupon from 1/31SS- .99

Hefty tall kitchen gripper bags- 2.24
use .55/1 coupon from 1/3RP doubled- 1.14

Sargento shredded cheese- 1.99
use 1.00/2 coupon from 1/31SS- 1.49 each

Healthy ones lunch meat- 3.00
use .55/1 coupon from 1/3SS doubled- 1.90 each

Dollar days are back! Here are the best scenarios so far:

Buy 3 ragu- 4.00
Buy 4 wish bone(16oz)- 8.00
Use 3 .30/1 ragu coupons from 1/31RP doubled- 1.80 off
Use 4 .75/1 printable wish bone coupon doubled(use 2 comps)- 6.00 off
Pay 4.20 and get back 3.00 catalina- .17 an item!

OR

Buy 6 ragu- 8.00
Buy 1 Klondike bars- 1.99
use 3 1.00/2 ragu coupons from 1/31RP- 3.00 off
use 1.00/1 printable klondike coupon- 1.00 off
Pay 5.99 and get back 3.00 catalina-- around .42 for each item

OR

Buy 3 ragu- 4.00
Buy 4 wish bone(16oz)- 8.00
Use 3 .30/1 ragu coupons from 1/31RP doubled- 1.80 off
Use 2 1.50/2 wish bone coupons from 1/31RP- 3.00 off
Pay 7.20 and get back 3.00 catalina- around .60 for each item
____________________________________
Buy 5 pompeian balsamic vinegars- 10.00
Use 5 .50/1 printable coupons(will need 3 computers)- 4.50 off(only 4 will double)
Pay 5.50 and get back 5.00 catalina- .10 each!

_______________________________

Buy 6 Clorox bleach- 1.69 each or  10.14 total
Use 3 1.00/2 coupons from 1/31SS - 3.00 off
Pay 7.14 and get back 5.00- .35 an item!
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Buy 6 purex 2x laundry detergent- 2 for 6.00(must buy 2), so 18.00 total
Use 3 BOGO coupons from 2/21RP- 9.00 off
Pay 9.00 and get back 5.00- .67 each
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Other Deals
Top Round roast or London Broil(twin pack)- 1.49/lb
80% ground beef- 1.69/lb
3lb bag onions- 1.79
5lb bag russet potatoes- 1.99

ShopRite sneak peek- week of 2/21

I decided that it would be great if I was able to give you all a sneak peek of what good deals will be going the next week before I even post the long list of match ups. The main reason is to give you an extra day or two to order coupons from clipping sites or trade with friends if an item that you love will be free or really cheap after coupon. Also, I'd like to alert you to any great rock bottom deals, so you can know that if you wait a few days for those items, you can get them at an awesome price. Sound good? Well, let's see what's in store for next week:

Oikos greek yogurt- 1.00
use the 1.00/1 coupon from 1/3SS- FREE

Select post cereals- 1.00
use the 4.00/4 SR store coupon from the holiday savings book- 4 boxes FREE
NEW! I got a print out of an upcoming catalina deal for post cereal. If you wait until friday to do this deal, it will work out like this:

Buy 4 boxes- 4.00
use the 4.00/4 SR coupon
Pay 0.00 and get back a 3.00 catalina! 3.00MM!

Coffee mate creamer- 1.24(again!)
use the .75/1 coupon from 2/7RP doubled- FREE

Solo paper plates(again!)- 1.39
use .75/1 coupon from 1/24SS doubled- FREE

Krustaez pancake mix- 2 for 3.00(must buy 2)
use the .50/1 coupon from 12/6SS doubled- .50

Dollar days are back next week! And here's a deal I thought up earlier today and posted on Hot Coupon World:

Buy 3 ragu- 4.00
Buy 4 wish bone(16oz)- 8.00
Use 3 .30/1 ragu coupons(1/31RP) doubled- 1.80 off
Use 4 .75/1 printable wish bone coupon doubled(use 2 comps)- 6.00 off
Pay 4.20 and get back 3.00 catalina- .17 an item!


Don't know where to buy coupons? Ebay is always a good place to find them or you can try these coupon clipping services:

the coupon clippers
coupons and things by dede
the coupon clipping crew

ShopRite Shoppers- FREE betty crocker cake mix this week! GONE

Edit: whoo! that was quick! I hope all you got to print it in time. I tried to put it up as soon as I found it last night.

Betty Crocker cake mix is on sale for 1.19 this week at Shop Rite.  Pair that with the .75/1 printable coupon located here, and get it FREE after doubling!  If your store only doubles up to 1.00, you'll still get it for .19. Not too shabby!

Quotable Wednesday

 

"Humor helps us to think outside the box.  The average child laughs about 400 times per day, the average adult laughs only 15 times per day.  What happened to the other 385 laughs?"

-Anonymous

Stockpile Double Agent- Coffee Creamer

This is actually something that my Husband still doesn't understand me buying, but whenever I use it in a different way, he totally gets it. Why would he be "weirded out" by it? Because we don't drink coffee here. I found out that I can use it for other things in the kitchen, so when I can get it for cheap or free after coupons, I grab it up.

Use it in baking
I do love baking, as you all know. One thing I don't like to do too much is use boxed mixes, but if they are a great price or free, I do grab a few. I found one of the best ways to doctor up the mixes is to add in extra flavoring from non-dairy creamer. French vanilla is our favorite one to use, and you can  save your extracts for another time! This is a big hit with box mixes of brownies when I make them for the family or for the guys down at the military base.  Amaretto is also a lovely one to try.  Whenever they ask for water in a box recipe, use the creamer. For brownie mixes, just add 1/4 cup creamer to the batter.


French toast's best friend
This is my favorite use for creamer!  We do love to have awesome french toast for weekend breakfasts, but I hate to waste expensive heavy cream or even milk on making it. Why not use cheap non-dairy creamer? You get instant flavor and you can save your milk for cereal during the busy mornings. Mocha flavor, and again, amaretto, are awesome for this. Actually, if you use amaretto and roll the bread in chopped up almonds before cooking, you have a wonderful combination!


Make the best hot cocoa ever
We recently discovered this gem when we had the big storm last week and needed to warm up with big mugs of hot cocoa.  I do use the mixes for cocoa, so adding the creamer was a great touch to something ho-hum. Also, since all three of us here drink 3 different types of "milk"(Sonny drinks soy, I need lactose-free, and hubby drinks the real stuff), this gave me an opportunity to save some time and just make a big batch with non-dairy creamer instead of 3 different times with 3 different milks. It also resulted in Hubby asking over and over again why this cocoa was so great.  It blew his mind when I told him that I found yet another use for that creamer in the fridge.


Do you use creamer in your house?  Ever tried any of these tips before?

If you liked this post, check out the rest of the stockpile double agent series!

Meal Plan Monday!

This is going to be a short and sweet meal plan this year. I'm still following my master list of meals, so it was very easy to put together. Also, we didn't get to have steak fried rice last week, so it'll be added to this week's meals.

Edit: I realized that we have some ricotta still sitting in the fridge, so the pizza will change to reflect that. Also, we have some peaches that need to be used up, so Tuesday's dinner has been changed as well. 

Monday: Whole Roasted Tilapia with green beans almondine and rice pilaf
Tuesday: Peachy Chicken with noodles and sweet peas
Wednesday: Black eyed pea fritters with buttered corn and roasted potatoes
Thursday: Steak Fried Rice (using leftover steak from last week)
Friday: Homemade pizza night! Spinach ricotta pizza
Saturday and Sunday: Mama's off to military duty again! The boys will eat leftovers or (gasp) order take out

Dessert of Week: Salted caramel brownies

ShopRite Deals 2/14 to 2/20

Whew! With the snow storm this week, it took me too long to get these together! I just got my circular this morning, but it still looks like there are tons of deals this week. 

Crosse and Blackwell shrimp or cocktail sauce- .99
use 1.00/1 from 11/8RP- FREE

Coffee mate- 1.24
use .75/1 coupon from 2/7RP doubled- FREE

Chobani Greek Yogurt- 1.00
use 1.00/1 coupon from 12/13SS- FREE

Sylvania compact bulbs- .99
use 1.00/1 printable coupon or from 11/8SS- FREE

Halls cough drops- .96
use .50/1 printable coupon or from 1/10SS doubled- FREE

Solo Heavy duty plates or cups- 1.39(online it says 1.99, but my circular says 1.39)
use .75/1 coupon from 1/24SS doubled- FREE

Banquet pot pies- .49(Wednesday through Saturday only)
use .75/3 coupon from 1/10SS doubled- 3 FREE

Hamburger helper- .88 (Wednesday through Saturday only)
use .75/3 printable coupon or from 2/7SS doubled- .38 each
add the .75/3 cellfire e-coupon to your price plus card and get all 3 for .39! 13 cents each!

Hunt's pasta sauce- .88
use .50/2 printable coupon doubled- .38 each

Campbell's tomato or chicken noodle soup- 5 for 3.00(must buy 5)
use .40/4 coupon from 1/3SS doubled- .44 each

Hot pocket side shots- 2.00
use .75/1 coupon from 1/31RP doubled- .50

Progresso traditional soup- 4 for 5.00(must buy 4)
use 2 of the .50/2 coupon from 1/17SS doubled- .75 each

Pepperidge farm italian bread- 1.88
use .55/1 printable coupon doubled- .78
use .55/1 coupon from March All You magazine doubled- .78

Swiss miss hot cocoa- 1.39
use .50/2 coupon from 1/10SS doubled- .89 each

Welch's grape squeeze jelly- 2.00
use .55/1 coupon from 1/3SS doubled- .90

Wise bagged snack, 6.75 or larger- 1.99
use .50/1 printable coupon doubled- .99

Hefty tall kitchen gripper bags- 2.24
use .55/1 coupon from 1/3RP doubled- 1.14
___________________________________________
Quaker granola bars- 1.99
use .75/2 coupon from 2/14RP doubled- 1.24

Buy 8 boxes(4 of 2 different flavors)- 15.92
use 4 of the .75/2 coupons doubled- 9.92
Get back a 10.00 catalina for buy 8 participating products! .08 money maker!
(If you got the 1.00/2 coupon in the 2/14RP, then you can use 4 and still get them for .24 a box!)

______________________________________________
Gorton's seafood is 50% off! Pull these coupons before your trip to the store:
1.00/1 coupon from 1/3SS(for any grilled item)
1.00/1 coupon from 1/3SS(for any grilled shrimp item)
.55/1 coupon from 1/24SS
1.00/2 printable coupon for any Gorton's items

Tyson foods are 50% off! Pull these coupons before you trip to the store:
1.00/1 coupon from 2/7SS for tyson frozen chicken or beef strips
.55/1 coupon from 1/24SS for Any'tizers snacks
1.00/1 coupon from 1/10SS for tyson grilled chicken breast fillet bag
.55/1 coupon from 1/3SS for tyson grilled and ready refrigerated product
_______________________________________________

Other deals
Italian Village frozen ravioli- .49 (Wednesday through Saturday only)
Pork Loin combination- .99/lb
Red or green seedless grapes- .99/lb
Red delicious apples 5lb bag- 3.49 or .69 a pound!
Red grapefruit 5lb bag- 3.49 or .69 a pound!
Shop Rite apple juice(64oz)- 1.39
Shop Rite split top bread(white or wheat!)- 2 for 3.00(must buy 2 but this is an awesome price!)
Yellow onions 3lb bag- 1.79

The dreaded Valentine's Day....

Well, actually I do like Valentine's Day, mostly because we celebrate it and our anniversary all at the same time(our wedding anniversary is 6 days after V Day), but this year we're embarking on something new-- School Valentine's party. Ugh. Thank goodness I was smart last year...

Above are some cute bags that I grabbed for pennies after Valentine's day last year. I found out last week that they are big on Valentine's Day at Sonny Boy's school. They even send out a list of the names in the children's classes so you can directly address the Valentines AND gifts. Oh my. Are these kids 4 or 14? No matter...I'm ready.  The two black bags will be filled with lip glosses I bought cheap during sales, chocolates I got for super cheap after Christmas, and travel size lotion.  They'll be given to the head of the school and the head assistant.  The cute little lunch bags will be filled with candies and chocolates and little kids toys I've been able to collect during past sales at Target, Marshall's and Kohls. Whew! Crisis averted. I also stupidly volunteered to make some treats for the kids to have during their party, so I made brownie cupcakes topped with french vanilla frosting. That should make it so I won't get "laziest Mom ever" in his class. At least I hope so.

Oh no...isn't St. Patrick's Day coming soon? Heaven help me!

What about you all? Have anything great but frugal planned for the kiddos(furry or non) or your special someone? Are you celebrating on the big day or doing it the day before like this frugal mama is? What say you!

Man, do we love a snow day!

 

ninja daddy lol

 

and snow angels!

Quotable Wednesday

"A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further than a great idea that inspires no one."

- Mary Kay Ash

ShopRite- Get soy milk for 1.49!

There is a great printable coupon available right now for 8th continent soy milk!

8th continent soy milk is at a regular "sale" price for 2.99 at Shop Rite. Use this printable coupon for 1.50/1 and get it for 1.49! This is great for those Shop Rite shoppers that don't have fully doubling stores. If you have some patience, you can print the coupon and wait for the soy milk to go on sale for around 1.99. According to my price book, we should be seeing that price within the next month or so.

Thanks Money Saving Mom!

Meal Plan Monday!

I got so distracted about Super Bowl that I forgot to post my meal plan yesterday. Oops! Well, since I have my running list of complete meals, it was easy to sit down and just put up whatever meals I feel like having this week. Also, Valentine's day is this weekend, so I have to leave Saturday open when it comes to food; I have a funny feeling that Hubby will plan something for that day(we don't go out on Valentine's night....too much money!).

Monday: Lazy Mom's tator soup
Tuesday: Teriyaki steak with rice and braised carrots
Wednesday: Italian Chicken and pasta
Thursday: Steak fried rice
Friday: Pizza night
Saturday: Leaving open for Hubby to "surprise" me with dinner
Sunday: Happy Valentine's Day! Chicken tenders with rice pilaf and green peas

Dessert of the Week: Lemon Chess pie

ShopRite Deals 2/7 to 2/13

Looks like a good week for us and a bad week for chickens! Leg quarters are rock bottom and eggs are at an awesome price. Also, the quaker coupon is back in the circulars! I'll do a quick deal that you may want to do that only involves that one coupon. Thanks to Hot Coupon World for some of the match ups! Check out the list:

Butterball turkey bacon- 1.50
use .75/1 coupon from 1/10SS doubled- FREE

Suave shampoo or conditioner- .88
use 1.00/2 from 1/31RP- .38 each

Eggland's best eggs- 1.49
use .50/1 coupon from 11/1SS doubled- .49

Daisy sour cream- 1.49
use .50/1 coupon from 1/31SS doubled- .49

Hot pockets- 2.00
use .75/1 coupon from 1/31RP for side shots doubled- .50

Ziploc easy zipper bags- 1.69
use .55/1 coupon from 1/10SS doubled- .59
Buy 3 of these, and get a 2.00 catalina back, making this a .23 money maker!
Also, don't forget about the 5.00 SC Johnson rebate to make this deal even better

Yoplait smoothies- 2.00
use 1.25 printable coupon- .75

Quaker breakfast bars- 1.99
use .55/1 coupon from 1/24RP doubled- .89

Quaker granola bars(excludes Fiber and Omega 3, simple harvest and true delights...dangit)- 1.99
use .55/1 coupon from 1/3RP doubled- .89

Pillsbury pie crust- 1.69
use .50/2 coupon from 12/6SS doubled- 1.19 each

Yoplait Trix or Go-Gurt- 2 for 4.00
use .75/2 coupon from 2/7GM doubled- 1.25 each
or use .80/2 printable coupon(there's another one here) doubled- 1.20 each

Turkey Hill Ice Cream- 2.49
use 1.00/1 coupon from 11/8RP- 1.49

Smart balance milk- 2.99
use 1.00/1 coupon from 1/3RP or 1/31RP- 1.99

Wesson vegetable, corn or canola oil(64oz)- 4.49 with additional 10.00 purchase
use .50/1 printable coupon doubled- 3.49
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The 3.00/5 quaker coupon is back (remember to grab a few extra circulars at the store on Sunday)!It's a manufacturers coupon, so it can't be combined with other quaker coupons. Here is a quick deal that you can do that doesn't involve any extra coupons:
Quaker quick grits- .99
Buy 4 tubs of quick grits
Buy 1 tub of old fashioned grits
Use 3.00/5 coupon
Total OOP: 1.95 or .39 a tub! That is an awesome stockpile or food bank price!
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Other Deals:
Perdue chicken leg quarters- .49/lb(under rock bottom price! Rock bottom is .59/lb so stock up on this!)
Boneless beef bottom round roast- 1.49/lb
Perdue boneless skinless chicken breast- 1.69/lb(rock bottom! stock up!)

Stop and Shop Shoppers- Cheap Kraft cheese!

New sale started today on kraft products, buy 20.00 worth and get 5.00 off instantly.  Kraft shredded cheese is 2.50, so here is a quick deal if you need cheese:

Buy 8 bags of cheese- 20.00
use 4 1.00/2 coupons(from 1/24SS or printables from coupons.com)
total will be 16.00
5.00 will be taken off automatically
11.00 OOP or 1.37 a bag

That's a pretty good stockpile price! To insure that you don't have any problems: have your cashier press the total button BEFORE scanning your coupons. This will make sure that the 5.00 instant savings comes off without any issues. Or, you can save yourself even more trouble and use self checkout.


Happy Shopping!

Taget Gift card giveaway on Thrifty On the Dollar!

There have been some great giveaways lately! Have you been over to Deal Seeking Mom's site on a wednesday? She's been giving away so much every week.

Do you shop at Target? Well, there's a great site called Thrifty on the Dollar and this week they are giving away a 10.00 Target gift card! This would be great with those gift card deals they have all the time. Use the 10.00 card to pay for you items and get a gift card back. Awesome!

Jennifer on TOTD posts great online deals that she finds throughout the day, the full insert lists each week, and match ups for certain grocery stores.  It's a great site!

So, get over there and enter while you can!

Become a Frugal Jedi- Part II(UPDATED!)

Sorry all! The draft of the second part of "...Frugal Jedi" posted instead of the actual post!  Here is the full post for you. If you haven't read the first post, check it out here. Hope you enjoy the EXPLANATIONS of the suggestions lol.

Show them the sites
This one is pretty easy.  Once you got them interested in really saving, start to bring up the websites that you use to help you the most.  These should include Coupon Mom, Hot Coupon World(give them a direct link to their store's thread) and other sites that you visit at least 3 to 4 times a week.  I think that Coupon Mom is the best site to start off with, since she makes a detailed page for each store and tell you directly what you would be saving by using coupons and what you would save by just buying the item on sale. She also shows you items that would be perfect for stockpiling that week. Oh yeah, and it's all for FREE. They can't argue with that price!

While you are on the phone with them, maybe mention that you aren't "doing much" but surfing the web and getting your grocery list together. Say that there is a site that does it for you, so you are just getting the list to print off. If that peaks their interest, offer to send them the link through e-mail for their store.  If possible, have them check out the site while you are on the phone with them, so you can tackle any questions from them right away, without them exploring by themselves, getting frustrated and never visiting the site again. If there is a certain product that will be free after coupon, make sure to point that out as a way to entice. "Hey, look! Ritz crackers will be free after printable coupon at the store this week! Doesn't Harry eat Ritz and peanut butter as a snack every week?"

Throw a stockpile party
How fun would it be to throw a cute little get-together, with all the fixins, by using whatever is in your stockpile? Well, it's a blast and very cheap, and yes, everytime I have a get-together now, I use whatever is right in my stockpile at the moment. By doing this, you of course significantly reduce the amount you spend on entertaining, but you can do a bit more boasting(see suggestion number 2 from the first post). This will create opportunities for you to talk even more about savvy and frugal shopping without you creating them. You are bound to have your friends, even the one you are "working on," call you up and ask if they can bring anything. This is a perfect time to reinforce how great having a stockpile is. "Thanks, Cindy, but I have everything I need in my stockpile. I even looked today and I probably won't have to buy a thing from the store. If you want, you can bring a small amount of such-and-such but for the most part, we will be fine." That will blow their mind!

Once everyone is there and sees the abundance you were able to create off of a small stockpile, let it be known that you paid pennies for the items, and make it known in front of spouses and significant others. It's obvious what that will accomplish: on the way home, there will be a discussion. Hopefully, you can get the others in the family thinking about all the great items you had and encourage your friend or family member to learn a few things from you.


Invite them to lunch..and stop by the store "real quick"
If your friend or family member lives nearby, think of a day when you can invite them to lunch. Make sure to reserve a few of your deals for that week. On the day of the lunch, offer to pick them up from work or home, then inform them that you need to stop by the grocery store that is near the restaurant or deli. Get them to come in with you("We're hanging out together today! Come in with me so we can chat while I grab my items"), and grab your things. The best items to get that week would be items that will either be free or under 50 cents after your coupons or using your club card.  And keep it around 10 items, so you two can go through the express lane. This will show them that not only does it take no time to save lots of money at the store, but you can do it during your lunch hour if need be.  You can even take it to the next step: if you have those certain items stockpiled enough in your house, once you drop them off after lunch, let them have the items. Tell them that you thought about it at lunch and have more than enough of those things at home, and you would love for them to have them. Jackpot! Everything will come full circle after that: they will see how the time aspect is short, how much money can be saved by just have a plan, how you can still have fun with your family and friends while being frugal, and how easy it is to let a few items go to a friend once you know that your family's needs are taken care of at home.

Quotable Wednesday

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

-Martin Luther King Jr.

Creating a master meal plan

Every Sunday or Monday, I make a point of posting the week's meals that I will be making for my family.  This new way of thinking has not only helped me stay organized when it comes to cooking, but has saved us a great load of money since we don't have to rely on what's in the fridge "at the moment," if it's thawed enough to be cooked and if not, what take-out place we are going to call.

Lately, it has served an even better purpose.  With me being so sick and tired during the first trimester, having some type of plan helped a bit. Although, we were caught off-guard a few times when cravings creeped up and couldn't be avoided.

Well, I thought about it and I think I am going to take my meal planning a little bit further and challenge myself. I recently watched a brief news story about a woman who was able to create a meal plan for her family for a whole year. It seems daunting when they started the story, but once they showed her system, it was basically what I had been accomplishing every week, but times 52.  I know that I can't do a whole year at one sitting(definitely not enough stockpiled proteins), but I decided to start off with planning for a whole month. Here is how I've done it:

1. I looked at what I had already. Easy enough, right? This is what I do every week for meal plan monday, but I took it too a larger scale. I kept thinking up meals with the things that were already on-hand on that day, and just kept going. I built in a leftover day and, of course, pizza day for every week. Just by looking at what I had on that day, I made up around 18 meals!

2. As new items came in, I immediately turned them into meals. When I finally got to shop last week, I made sure that I not only took account of what I needed to add to my inventory, I decided right then and there what kind of meal those items would be used for. For example, I bought 3 pounds of ground beef, so I knew I wanted to use each pound for a meal. Spaghetti one night, chili another night, and freezer meatloaf for another night. If I break these up into weeks, that gives me 3 beef-centered meal for each week up to 3 weeks. I also know that each of those meals will produce leftovers, so that guarantees that leftover night will actually happen.

3. I keep the running list with me at all times. This one was a great thing to decide on because wherever I was, whatever store, as soon as I was waiting in the checkout line, I could be planning the meal for the items I was about to purchase. I found some great turkey shanks on clearance at one store but didn't think of what I wanted to do with them. By the time I checked the other clearanced meats and day old bread, I had thought about what I had at home and what I could use to make the shanks. Braised turkey shanks seemed the easiest since I have plenty of onions, fresh and frozen, on hand at home and some frozen chopped celery and carrots. I keep my master list right on my phone(I have a task list section on it) and I just keep adding to it right then.  Once I put up my meal plans on here, I erase the meals from the master list. This also means that if I see I have a big amount of meals on the master list, I don't have to be so aggressive at buying up the deals. If I need to take a week off from stockpiling, I can physically see that it won't effect our meals one bit.

4. Be a good prep cook. I have been doing this but if I am going to think on a larger scale, I'll have to be more diligent about it. Let's take the 3 pounds of ground beef. Since I had decided what I was going to use them for, when I got home, I immediately browned off 2 pounds of the meat. One pound was browned off with a small chopped onion for the chili, and the other was just browned with a bit of pepper for the spaghetti. The last pound was turned into a meatloaf and frozen. I placed the browned meat, once it cooled, into freezer baggies and marked them. Now, once those meals come around, I won't have to wait for anything to thaw and a meal can quickly be made. The same goes for almost any fruits or veggies I buy now. They are cleaned, separated, chopped or whatever. If they aren't going to be used that week, they are placed in baggies and frozen. I essentially make up meal kits that I can just pull out the week they will be made.

5. I'm going to display each week's meals on the fridge. I've never done this before, but now that I look back, I see that this would be beneficial to our household. I had been trying to be the good little homemaker and surprising hubby with what we have for dinner every night. Sometimes it's great, and sometimes it's not. If he's asking constantly what's for dinner and I "don't want to ruin the surprise," it gets a little tense. By posting the weekly meals for him to see, he can stop bothering me (lol) and anticipate what we are having all week. Also, if he knows that sometime during that week he will be working at at job site with a microwave, he tell me if I need to pack a leftovers lunch for him on those days. Also, down the road, I can keep doing this and he can even put together some of the meals for us if I am sick or need to get some extra rest. I'm hoping this will happen once I get into the 3rd trimester and can't move around too much, or after the new baby is born and I need to focus on taking care of it.

Why am I doing this? Well, mostly for state of mind, but I want to be able to have some type of plan laid out and routine going before we get another being in our household.  That will already shake things up a bit, and we(well, sonny boy and I) are creatures of routine. If I can put together something that will ease my mind about one of the two things that I worry about most(keeping the house clean is the other one), I know that it will help to keep us sailing smooth. Plus, I suspect that by my 8th month, I won't want to shop, seeing as that will be June and it will be HOT. If I can start this up now, by then, I can hopefully have 2 or 3 months of meals planned and won't have to worry about conquering the heat to make sure we "have enough."

On a lighter note, I am pretty excited about this. I love a good challenge, and I see that if this one works out, I'll get to relax even more than I thought I would by the end of this pregnancy. Good things all around!