ShopRite Deals 10/31 to 11/6

Excedrin 24 ct bottles- 2.49
Buy 2, use 2 1.00/1 coupons from 10/17SS(or printable here)- 2.98
If you buy 2, you get a 3.00 catalina back, so FREE after catalina!

Best life margarine- .99
use 1.00/1 coupon from 10/17RP- FREE
or use 1.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Swanson hungry man dinners- 1.77(wednesday to saturday only)
use 2.00/1 printable coupon- FREE

Act II popcorn- 1.00
use .40/1 coupon from 9/26SS doubled- .20

Hefty trash bags- 1.24
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- .24

Betty crocker cake mix- .77
Betty crocker frosting- 2 for 3.00(must buy 2)
Buy 2 frostings and 2 cake mixes
use 2 .75/2 coupons from 10/3GM doubled
and use .50/2 cellfire e-coupon- .26 each after all coupons

Barilla whole grain pasta- .77(wednesday to saturday only)
use 1.00/2 printable coupon- .27 each

Jell-O gelatin- 3 for 2.00
use .50/2 coupon from 10/17SS doubled- .33 each

Carnation evaporated milk- .88
use .50/2 coupon from 9/26SS doubled- .38 each

Krustaez pancake mix- 1.49
use .50/1 coupon from 8/22SS doubled- .49

EZ foil roaster with handles- .99
use 1.00/2 printable coupon- .49

Cinnamon toast crunch cereal- 1.77
use .55/1 printable DND5 coupon(or coupon here) doubled- .67

Hostess mini muffins- 1.88
use .50/1 printable coupon doubled- .88

Kikkoman soy sauce- 1.99
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- .99

Nestle baking chips- 1.77
use 1.00/2 printable coupon- 1.27

Kraft singles- 1.99
use 1.00/2 coupon from 9/26SS- 1.49 each

Simply orange juice- 2.50
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- 1.50

On-cor traditionals frozen dinners- 2.50
use .40/1 printable coupon doubled- 1.70

Athenos feta cups- 3.99
use BOGO printable coupon- 1.99

Other deals
5lb bag russet potatoes- .99
Perdue oven stuffer roaster- .79/lb
Ground beef- 1.69/lb (wednesday to saturday only)

The life of a Yes Man....

....Or woman for that matter.

I've found that since we've started our frugal journey, I've become somewhat of a "yes man." I used to shy away from anything that wasn't familiar and was extremely nervous when thrown into new situations.  The words "new" and "different" were so scary to me. Hell, my favorite meal of all time was a simple dish of rice and gravy, because I knew exactly what was in it, it was easy to make, and I knew there was no way it could upset my stomach. Safe, simple, easy. That was my repertoire.

But, once we had to change or diminish, I found out that new and different weren't so horrible. In order to stay frugal, we had to try new things and develop new ways of living. It was a must in order to stay afloat and create a better life for our growing family.  Clipping coupons, making gifts, creating our favorite meals from scratch were all foreign to me but were necessary.  Once I started intertwining them into our lives though, it became commonplace and sort of fun to do.

Because I opened up to frugality, I found myself opening up to other parts of life. I made friends with people that would have been outside of my usual circles; I agreed to odd jobs that I'd never would have been comfortable doing. I even started hosting get-togethers with family and friends in my own small home. Something I would have NEVER done 6 years ago. It's because of this that I feel richer than I ever did. My husband is well taken care of, so much so that my in-laws thank me every visit for how well he looks and how happy he is. My children are provided for and want for nothing, something that was lacking when Sonny boy was my only 3 month old baby. Although we had 2 full time jobs(and lots of overtime) to put towards our home, it always felt like we were struggling. Buying diapers and baby food hurt our pockets every time when it shouldn't have. Even with one less salary and one extra child in the midst, we don't have that problem now. Being open-minded enough to change our situation has made us wealthier than we ever thought we could be. Now, I don't mean money-wise; we are still working and building our savings but just to say that we are doing these things is something that me of 6 years ago could have never said. Close-minded and blind. Full of no.

Thank goodness we're now in a house of Yes.

Quotable Wednesday

"We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end."

-Benjamin Disraeli

Meal Plan Monday!

Monday: Chicken Parmasan with pasta and side salad
Tuesday: Sliced turkey and gravy with mashed potatoes and sweet peas
Wednesday: Hamburgers with onion strings and carrots
Thursday: Breakfast for dinner: pancakes, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage and home fries
Friday: Homemade pizza
Saturday: Leftovers night
Sunday: Halloween! Off to my parents' house for some trick or treating and a kid-friendly meal(hot dogs?)

Dessert of the week: Chocolate chip cookies

ShopRite Deals 10/24 to 10/30

Looks like a slow week, but you never know what deals may pop up later on.

Colgate toothpaste- .99
use 1.00/1 coupon from 10/3SS- FREE

San Giorgio quick cook pasta- .88
use .55/1 coupon from 10/3SS doubled- FREE

Stonyfield Farm organic maple vanilla yogurt- .49
use .50/2 printable coupon doubled- FREE

Nesquik single serving milk- 1.00
use .50/1 coupon from 8/1RP doubled- FREE

Horizon organic milk single serving- 1.00
use 1.00/1 coupon from 8/8SS- FREE

Francesco Rinaldi sauce- .99
use .30/1 coupon from 9/26RP doubled- .39

Goya yellow rice box- 1.49
use .55/1 printable coupon doubled- .39

Renuizit solid air fresheners- .79
use B3G3 free coupon from 10/10RP(expires 10/24!)- .39 each

Superpretzel frozen product- 1.99
use .75/1 coupon from October All You magazine doubled- .49

Utz tortilla chips- 2.00
use .75/1 coupon from 8/22SS doubled- .50

Wise potato chips- 1.89
use .50/1 printable coupon doubled- .89

Cottonelle fresh wipes refill- 2.29
use .50/1 printable coupon or from 9/19SS doubled- 1.29

Farmland bacon- 2.99
use .75/1 coupon from 8/8SS doubled- 1.49

On-Cor traditionals frozen dinners- 2.50
use .40/1 printable coupon or from 10/10RP doubled- 1.70

Folgers ground coffee- 2.84
use 1.00/1 coupon from 10/10RP- 1.84(great price for folgers!)

Tyson big bag tenders, patties or chicken nuggets- 3.49
use 1.00/1 coupon from 10/10SS- 2.49

Other deals
ShopRite shredded cheese- .99
Bottom round roast- 1.69/lb(rock bottom price

A quick poll: Do you shop here?

I have the chance to do a giveaway for a chain of grocery stores, but I don't actually have any of them near me. I want to find out it any of my readers shop there. If so, I'll sponsor the giveaway for you guys and you can win something really cool.

So, do any of you shop at either Dominick's, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Vons, Genuardi's or Safeway?

Frugal magazine tips

I decided that with all the wonderful, FREE, subscriptions I get to great magazines, I should share the best frugal tips and blurbs from them. Also, this will give me a place to reference back for my favorite tips without keeping loads of magazine pages on file somewhere. Every month I'll do this rundown, and hopefully you all can learn something too! 

From Parents Magazine:

9 ways to improve you memory--
1. eat brain food
2. Chat with a friend
3. Study another language
4. Study anything that interests you(take an online class)
5. Minimize your multi-tasking( it effects your memory power)
6. Go crazy with the carbs! They can help boost your memory.
7. Get a work out in as much as you can
8. Keep up that iron intake
9. Play video games! They make your brain more agile and better able to problem solve.


From All You Magazine


Fact: The average couponer can save $1,000 each year by clipping offers for just 20 minutes a week!


For chocolate lovers: Join the rewards club at godiva.com and get a free piece of chocolate every month!


Eliminate odors in the fridge by placing a bowl of new or used coffee grounds on a shelf. Remember to change the bowl every month or two.


Get baked on foods off of pots and pans by placing a dryer sheet in the bottom and filling with water. Let it sit overnight, and the food will wipe right off in the morning.


Get small pieces of broken glass off of the floor by pressing a piece of bread over them.


Out of floor cleaner? Use listerine! It only works on vinyl and tile.


After cleaning your sink or shower, go over it with baby oil. If you do this once or twice a month, it will help the dirty water bead up quicker and go down the drain faster.

Meal Plan Monday!

Monday: Red beans and rice
Tuesday: Spaghetti and turkey meatballs with garlic bread sticks and side salad
Wednesday: Chicken adobo with white rice and carrot ribbons
Thursday: Brown butter tilapia with yellow rice and green beans
Friday: homemade pizza!
Saturday: Leftovers night
Sunday: dinner out at my parents' house

Dessert of the week: baked apples with cinnamon ice cream

ShopRite Deals 10/17 to 10/23

Turkey week starts today! So, pull out all those free item coupons and grab up all the great deals for the next few weeks. There are a few good deals this week. Also, don't forget that we still have kraft/purina/nestle catalinas to use up. Here's a little hint from Slick Deals: the catalina is for 5.00 off but you just might not have to purchase 5.00 worth of product ;o). Maybe buy a nestle candy bar and reap the benefits of the overage? But you didn't hear that from me lol.

Bailey's coffee creamer- .99
use 1.00/1 printable coupon(use zip 07039)- FREE

Nestle Nesquik singles- 1.00
use .50/1 coupon from 8/1RP doubled- FREE

Del Monte smoothies- 1.00
use 1.00/1 coupon from 8/15SS- FREE

Campbells condensed cooking soups- 1.00
use 1.50/3 printable coupon
then use 1.50/3 cellfire coupon- 3 FREE

Utz cheese curls- 1.49
use .75/1 coupon from 8/22SS doubled- FREE

Barilla pasta- .88
use 1.00/2 coupon from 8/29SS- .38 each
use .55/1 coupon from 8/29SS doubled- FREE

Rubbermaid reveal refill pad- 3.99
use 5.00/1 coupon from 9/19SS- FREE

Beech nut stage 2 baby food- 12 for 3.99(must buy 12)
use 2.00/12 coupon from 8/1SS- 1.99 or .17 a jar

Idahoan instant potatoes(4 oz package)- 1.00
buy 4, use 2 1.00/1 printable coupons and get back 1.00 catalina- .25 each

Swanson canned broth- 5 for 3.00(must buy 5)
use .75/5 coupon from 9/26SS doubled- .30 each

Rubbermaid take along containers- 1.49
use 1.00/1 coupon from 10/3SS- .49

General Mills cereals- 4 for 8.00(must buy 4)
use .75/1 printable DND5 coupon doubled- .50 each

Quaker instant oatmeal- 2.99
use 2.00/1 printable coupon- .99

Kraft/Nestle/Purina catalina scenarios(if you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments!)
Ritz crackers- 1.99(kraft product)
use 1.00/2 coupon from 9/26SS
buy 2 at 2.98 and have 2.02 overage!

Cool whip- 3 for 5.00(kraft product)
FREE after catalina

Nestle Tollhouse cookies- 2 for 5.00(nestle product)
FREE after catalina

Other deals
Bananas- .49/lb
colonna grated parmesan cheese- .99
shoprite dozen eggs- .99
tangerines 5lb box- 3.99

'Cause you gotta have friends....

One of my favorite things to do is to just hang out with dear friends. We don't get to do this as often as we want, since everyone is "growing up" and doing adult things like working 40 to 60 hours a week.  But, it seems like when we all need it the most, everyone's schedules open up and we're able to have some fun.

The best part about spending time with my buddies is that my friends are now hubby's friends too. He's thanked me a few times for having good taste in friends, and for being so selective with who I want to spend my time with. Because of this, he sees them as great people to hang with as well. Even the husbands of my friends are friends with my Hubby. They hang out together every once in a while without the wives are we are all for it. The second best part is that all of my friends understand that sometimes it about the quality, not the quantity. We do love to go out every once in a while to restaurants, bowling alleys, comedy or night clubs, but it's becoming once in a blue moon. Our new favorite thing to do is to rotate the times we spend at one another's abode. We call it "app nights" and we each bring an appetizer and maybe our favorite adult beverages. We pick a game to play, whether it's a board game, card game, or even a Wii game(our favorite) and we chill out and enjoy the company. 

For people our age, I see this as an oddity but a blessing. Usually, going out and spending all types of money is what's expected during this season of life, and yes I do have a group of friends that love to do just that, but it's nice to have a few buddies that "get it" when you explain how much more fun it is to just relax and catch up. Another plus for our particular family is that these set of friends, who don't have any kids of their own, constantly ask for us to bring along our children. It's a wonderful surprise when we decide to get together and they make a point of telling us not to try to find a babysitter. Sometimes we do pass off the kiddos to the grandparents if we do need a bit of adult time, but it's so appreciated that their "aunts and uncles" miss them just about as much as they miss us.

I've had friends come and go quite a few times but this group has stuck around the longest. It must be the "birds of a feather" scenario.

Do you have a friend or two that understand, or better yet appreciate, your frugality? Are they frugal as well? Do you try to keep your get-togethers low-key and inexpensive?

Generic medication: Do you use it?

Recently, I was given a prescription from my doctor for a medicine that I have to take pretty much everyday.  I've had this prescription before, but this time he asked if I wanted to try the generic version. I have to admit, I've never used generic prescription medication.  Not by choice though; I've always been subscribed the brand name and luckily, I've always had good insurance to keep the price low on them.  But, with our situation being different this time around, and me wanting to save as much as possible, even with prescribed medication, I decided to give the generic a try.

On a good note, the prescription on cost me around a dollar after insurance discount! That was amazing to me. Here I thought the brand name prices were cheap, but the generic prices blew those out of the water. But, on a bad note, the medicine made me so quesy. It only lasted for about 3 or 4 days, but I've never had that reaction with the name brand version of the medicine. I thought that was pretty odd, but a few days of quesiness isn't bad compared to the price I paid. Right?

Do any of you use generic prescription medication?  Does it make a big difference in your budget? Have you ever suffered from different side effects by using generic instead of name brand?

Meal Plan Monday!

We're on a rubber chicken rampage lately. They've been on sale at the grocery store so I just had to take advantage of it. This week I'm going to stretch another chicken I roasted Sunday night, and even use some of it for hors d'oeuvres on Saturday.

Monday: Chicken spaghetti with side salad
Tuesday: Creamy chicken, carrot, and rice crepes
Wednesday: Chili with all the fixins
Thursday: Teriyaki tilapia with grean bean almodine and noodles
Friday: Pizza night!
Saturday: Appetizer party with my friends! Making chicken croquettes, fish cakes and black eyed pea cakes with chipolte cream sauce
Sunday: Dinner at my parents' house

Dessert of the week: my apple pie

ShopRite Deals 10/10 to 10/16

Next week starts "turkey" week! I'm so excited this year. I've been saving up my free item coupons and we even got another card so we can get 2 turkeys this year. It would be great if it started this week, because I see a few great deals. Check out the list for this week:

Ronzoni pasta- .95
use .55/1 coupon from 10/3SS doubled- FREE

Schick hydro 3 razor- 3.99
use 4.00/1 coupon from 10/3SS- FREE

Coffee-mate creamers- 1.49
use .75/1 printable coupon doubled- FREE

Hefty trash bags- .99(wednesday to saturday only)
use .55/1 coupon from 8/1RP doubled- FREE

Barilla pasta- .88(wednesday to saturday only)
use .55/1 coupon from 8/29SS doubled- FREE

Kozy shack pudding- .99(wednesday to saturday only)
use .50/1 printable coupon doubled- FREE

Chock full o' nuts coffee- 1.74
use .75/1 coupon from 8/22SS doubled- .24

Swiss miss hot cocoa- .88(wednesday to saturday only)
use .50/2 coupon from 10/3SS doubled- .38 each

Campbell's select harvest soup- .88
use .50/2 coupon from 9/12SS doubled- .38 each

Ajax laundry detergent- 1.49
use .50/1 coupon from 10/3SS doubled- .49

Mom's best cereal- 1.99
use .75/1 printable coupon doubled- .49

Apple & Eve fruitables- 2.00
use .75/1 printable coupon doubled- .50

Perdue chicken nuggets or breaded chicken cutlets- 2.09
use .75/1 coupon from 8/29RP doubled- .59

Orville Redenbacher popcorn- 1.66
use 1.00/1 coupon from August All You magazine- .66

Trop50 juice- 1.69
use 1.00/1 coupon from 9/26RP- .69

Almond breeze carton milk- 1.99
use .55/1 printable coupon doubled- .89

Eggland's best eggs- 1.69
use .35/1 coupon from 9/12SS doubled- .99

Cap'n crunch cereal- 1.99
use .50/1 coupon from 5/16RP doubled- .99

Skippy peanut butter- 2 for 4.00(must buy 2)
use .75/2 coupon from 10/3RP doubled-1.25 each

Angel soft bath tissue- 2.34
use .50/1 coupon from 9/19RP doubled- 1.34

Finish powerful tabs- 2.89
use .75/1 coupon from 9/19SS doubled- 1.39

Other deals
3lb apples- 1.49

Random thoughts...

1. I've gotten caught in a Glee spiral.  We have our favorite episodes saved on the DVR and I just can't stop watching them. It also helps that the music stops Ms. lil' bit from fussing.

2. I've also been caught in an addiction to Cops. I've seen most of these episodes, but I still can't stop watching. Lord help me.

3. Did you know that you can sue over "cyber bullying"? Long story short, we're going through something of the sort. I had some "cyber bullying" happen in a very nasty e-mail while I was pregnant and it caused so much stress that I was hospitalized and almost lost Ms. lil' bit. Paperwork's done so I'm wondering how this is going to go. Also, it's amazing how much information you can get from IP addresses. The internet is a scared world. Very interesting....

4. I missed my oven. Cool weather means we can be friends again. I think he was getting jealous of the stove top since he got lots of action in the summer.  We've made up and I even scrubbed him down. He looks handsome again.

5. I decided to put myself on a computer blackout most of this week. Sometimes you just need to get away from the screen. But, as you can see, I can't stay away forever! 4 days was enough.

6. I'm excited that Halloween is coming, not because I love the holiday, but because that means Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I heart Thanksgiving. It's all the love, happiness and food of Christmas without stressing over gifts. Plus, there's always pie. I heart pie too.

7. I'm considering home schooling Sonny Boy next year. It's something that totally scares me, but I think it is an environment where he can thrive. Plus, after seeing all the activities that are offered for kids his age just in our town, I know he'll have some friends from after-school activities. He's already asking about soccer for next year.

8. My dear old husband is turning 30 next month. 30. The big 3-0.  I asked him if he would have every guessed that he would be living out of his home state, with a wife and 2 kids at the age of 30 and he said "of course I did. I know everything. What's for dinner?" He still makes me laugh daily. Silly old man.

9. I haven't been on a brick-and-mortar shopping trip just for myself in about 2 years. This makes me sad but at the same time, makes me proud of myself that I've used all of my wardrobe to it's fullest since then.  On a side note, my husband gets something new for himself about once a month. He's definitely the girl in the relationship.

10. Speaking of shopping and stores, I miss Steve and Barry's. It was such an awesome store. Quality clothing for cheap. Ah well. Life goes on.

ShopRite Deals 10/3 to 10/9

The Nestle/Kraft/Purina catalina deal is still going on this week! For great shopping scenarios, check out this thread on Hot Coupon World. They are so awesome! These are the best deals I see this week:


NEW! Tic Tac breath mints- 1.00
use .75/1 printable coupon doubled- FREE

GUM toothbrush- .77
use 1.00/1 coupon from 8/8RP- FREE

Ronzoni pasta- .67
use .55/1 printable coupon doubled(use zip 90210)- FREE

International delight creamer- .99
use .55/1 printable coupon doubled- FREE

Progresso canned beans- 1.00
use .50/1 printable coupon doubled- FREE

Progresso bread crumbs- .99
use .50/1 printable coupon doubled- FREE

Crest toothpaste- 1.49
use 1.00/1 coupon from 9/26PG(excludes cavity)- .49
buy 2, use 2 coupons, pay .98 and get back a 1.00 catalina- FREE
 
Carpet fresh- 1.67
use 1.50/1 printable coupon- .17

Nescafe instant coffee packets- 1.19
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- .19

Fisher fusion snacks- 1.24
use 1.00/1 coupon from 6/20SS- .24

Libby's canned veggies- .59
use 1.00/3 coupon- .26 each

Bird's eye steamfresh veggies- .99
use 1.00/3 coupon from 9/26SS- .66 each

Glass plus cleaner- 1.69
use .55/1 printable coupon doubled- .69

1000 flushes toilet cleaner- 1.99
use .55/1 coupon from 9/26SS doubled- .89

Hostess muffins- 1.99
use 1.00/1 printable coupon- .99

Bic multi-purpose lighter- 1.99
use 1.00/1 from 8/22SS- .99

Pepperidge farm chocolate chunk cookies- 2.50
use .75/1 coupon from 8/1SS doubled- 1.00
buy 3 bags, use 3 coupons and get a rebate form for a free Susan G. Komen tote

Hershey's snack size candy- 1.77
use 1.00/3 coupon from 9/26SS or smartsource printable- 1.44 each

Nestle baking morsels- 1.99
use .50/2 printable coupon doubled- 1.49

Planters flavor grove nuts- 2 for 5.00(must buy 2)
use 1.00/1 coupon from 8/29SS- 1.50

Cottonelle fresh wipes- 2.29
use .50/2 coupon from 9/19SS doubled- 1.79 each

Real goodness milk- 2.99
use 1.00/1 coupon from 8/8SS or printable- 1.99

Barber chicken- 2.99
use 1.00/1 coupon from September or October All You magazine- 1.99

Other Deals
Perdue oven stuffer roaster- .74/lb
whole beef tenderloin for filet mignon- 3.99/lb(they just had this price a few weeks ago! Such a good deal!)

A brief kiddo conversation....

This scene took place yesterday, in the car, after Sonny was picked up from school...

Sonny: Hi baby doll! Hi. Hi! Hi.
(side note....I call her baby doll, so he calls her baby doll. Go figure.)

Duchess: gurgle, gurgle. Ahhhhhh!

Sonny: Oh Hi. (in a monotone voice) Hi baby. Hi.

Duchess: Waaaaah! Gasping cry. Waaaaah!

Sonny: What's wrong? Do you need a snack? Mom, can I have a snack?

Me: Yes, but what's wrong with your sister?

Sonny: Um, she needs a cookie. And a yellow apple. Can I have snack now?

As you can see, he's really looking out for number 1 around here. Man, I love that kid.