Saving Myself Silly: May 2011

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

1000 Facebook Fan Celebration: $50 Restaurant.com Gift Certificate Giveaway

WOW! 1,000 Facebook Fans! Thanks for helping me get there.

To show my appreciation, I have a $50 Restaurant.com Gift Certificate to give away to one lucky fan!

I love all of the local restaurants that are sooo good and you might never even know about that I have found through this site!

With a $50 certificate, you will have 2 options:

Redeem it for 2 $25 certificates to the restaurant of your choice. You will need to spend a minimum of $35 + tip to use each of them. (Perfect for small families/date nights)
Redeem it for 1 $50 certificate to the restaurant of your choice. You will need to spend a minimum of $100 + tip to use it. (Good for larger families or dinner parties.)

I have found many of the restaurants so inexpensive, that we had to try really hard to spend the $35 and had plenty of leftovers to bring home, too!

How to enter:

*Mandatory Entry*:

You must be a fan on facebook! Leave a comment here with your facebook screen name so I can verify.

Optional Entries:

Follow me through Google Friend Connect.
Subscribe to my emails.
Follow me on Twitter @SavngMyslfSilly (Yes, yes! I finally have a twitter! Aren't you excited? Now somebody has to teach me how to use it! LOL)
Browse Restaurant.com in your zip code and tell me where you would use it if you won.

Leave a comment for each form of entry below. There are a maximum of 5 entries per person. Make sure I have your address available either in the comment or on your profile so that I can email the winner.

I will accept entries until 9am CST on June 7th. At that time I will choose a winner using random.org, and send them an email. They will have 48 hours to respond before I select another.

Good luck to everyone!

Note*: This post is not sponsored by facebook or by restaurant.com. It is sponsored by me. =) I am receiving no form of compensation for this post.

A Giveaway Is Coming.....

In the past week I have gotten sooooo many new fans! In fact, I am very close to having 1,000 facebook fans! (Big thanks to all of my new blogger friends for sharing my page!) I'm so very excited about this that I wanted to celebrate.

When I reach 1,000 fans on my facebook page, I have a $50 Restaurant.com gift certificate that I will be giving away to one lucky fan.

You will have to enter here on my blog, so share my page with your friends to help us get there and stay tuned for details!

New E-Coupons Available

There are some new e-coupons available to load up to your shopper cards.

Also, don't forget to print any coupons you still need before the month ends!

Monday, May 30, 2011

New Coupons: Print Now!

I just went over to coupons.com to check out what was available because sometimes they sneak a few great coupons in at the end of the month and they disappear on the 1st. Here is what I saw:

Now, I'm not sure they will go away on the 1st, but they just might. If you want these head over HERE now to print them, or to see what else is available for you to print. May's coupons just might disappear, too, so print anything you will use now!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

A Little Encouragement To Cook At Home

Today was such a nice laid back day. My oldest daughter and I hit some garage sales this morning (didn't find anything), we all had a nice nap, and this evening we grilled chicken while the kids splashed in the back yard kiddie pool. We had such a nice dinner using some of the great deals they had on sale this week, and it was just an all around great day.

Some days don't go that way though. Some days are so busy running here there and everywhere, and you end up not being home at normal meal times, and it is very tempting at those times to pull into a drive-thru and grabs some burgers. This was a bit of a problem for us this past month, not for dinner, but for lunches.

As we were eating this lovely meal of BBQ chicken, fresh corn on the cob, stuffing, and salad I began thinking about how much it has all cost in comparison to grabbing a quick meal on the run.

I do not have a mouth watering picture to accompany this, but here is what I came up with:

1/2 bag of chicken leg quarters = $2.95 (10 total in bag for $5.90 this week at Kroger)
5 fresh corn = $1.00 (5 for $1 this week at Albertson's)
Herb flavored stuffing = $0.79 (in pantry, bought recently at Aldi)
Green Salad Mix = $0.49 (picked up yesterday at Aldi)
Total = $5.23

Now, I did not attempt to include the cost of seasonings and BBQ sauce (which I think I got for free), but even adding that, I would be well under $6 for a whole meal for a family of 4. Plus, all of these things were purchased completely without coupons, just by shopping sale prices.

Also, we didn't even eat all of this. We still have two whole leg quarters and two whole pieces of corn left, so technically what we ate only cost us $3.41! You could spend that much on an afternoon snack from a fast food place! And we have leftovers that we can eat as is or turn into a different meal entirely, already cooked. I will likely turn it into a salad tomorrow.

Sometimes when things get crazy, it is easy to think that just one time through the drive-thru won't matter, but then it turns into once a week or more, and before you know it you've spent $40+ out of your food budget that could have gone much further (or been put to use on a nice date).

I used to not think twice about dropping $20 on Chinese take out because that was cheaper than going to a dine-in restaurant and we usually had leftovers, but how much less would it cost to prepare that same meal at home?

All it took was a really nice dinner and a little math to put things back into perspective for me.

I challenge you to calculate how much a recent meal at your house cost in total. I bet it's a whole lot less than you think!

This post is linked up at:

Friday, May 27, 2011

Free Kindle Children's Book

There is a new free Kindle ebook for children. If you have a Kindle, it has a very nice "read it to me" feature that my daughter loves, but books for kids are rarely free. In fact she was just asking me if it could read her one today, but I didnt have any that were appropriate for her. This one sounds perfect for her.

Little Miss Mary and The Big Monster Makeover

Since There Will Be No Coupons This Weekend...

If you are bummed out that there will be no coupon inserts this weekend, here are a few places to check online for printables:

Free Sample Round-Up

It's been quite a while since I posted about free samples, and since I didn't get any in my mail box today, I thought it would be a good time to go hunt some down.

Here is what I found:

At Walmart.com: Right now you can request samples of ~~RevitaLens,~~ Care-Free, Tena, and ~~Alpo Dog Food.~~ Those were gone before I even finished posting this. =(
At Startsampling.com: Right now you can request samples of: Fiber Choice, Yoplait (Free Cup), Soooo Sweet, Nature's Bounty Fish Oil, Emergen-C, Prilosec, Sinus Rinse, Zone Perfect, Huggies Supreme, Head & Shoulders, Lanacane, etc.

If you would like to start getting free samples in your mailbox, take a few minutes to request any of these that you are interested in, and they will begin showing up at your door.

For more free samples, you can register with the following sites, and they will send you email updates periodically:

Shopping Trip 5/27 (Part 2): Aldi and Tom Thumb

I just told you about my morning shopping trip. I still had two more places that I needed to go. I suppose I *could have* picked up the things I needed while I was out this morning, but I saw no point in paying $2.99 for milk when I could get it for $1.79 at Aldi! Plus there were several sale items I wanted to pick up at Tom Thumb which is about two blocks from Aldi, and the bank is right in between them. These are all the places that I needed to go this afternoon, and I actually got to go by myself! The cashier at Aldi even asked where my girls were. How could he forget the one that always talks his ear off. ;)

Here are all of the things that I picked up at Aldi today:

Total spent: $50.03

For the past few weeks I have been averaging roughly $35/week on my families needed items at Aldi, so I was a little shocked to spend so much today, but then I remembered that I had bought an 18 roll pack of toilet paper, diapers, and coffee, and those should last us a while. I also noticed that the small bags of salad were marked down to just $0.49, so if you are there, you may want to keep an eye out for that.

Next up was Tom Thumb:

Total Shelf Price: $42.47 (Insanity!)
Total Sale Price: $16.50
Price Paid After Coupons: $6.98 84% Savings

The cashier was quite impressed. =)

The hot dogs were enough to get me in the store ($0.49 per pack) and I picked up a few more items on sale while I was already there. All told, today I spent $57.01 out of this month's budget (this morning I finished off a gift card I had.)

I am now completely stocked up on hot dogs! I got 10 packs today for $4.96 total. I had gotten 8 packs during this sale last year, but they are my girls favorites, so they didn't last very long. I have two more $1/2 Oscar Meyer coupons, so don't be surprised if you see me hop in there for 4 more packs. It's all about knowing how many your family needs to get you through to the next sale!

I also did a pretty good job of replenishing our snack supply, along with the items we needed and a few more things to add to the pantry. In this way I am slowly growing my stockpile by buying items before I run out, when they are at their lowest prices. I may not need it now (in fact, I may already have 5 bottles), but when it is the dead of winter I won't have to run out and pay full price for a bottle of BBQ sauce.

Shopping Trip 5/27: Kroger and Albertson's

Today was payday and I had been putting off shopping until then, so I had big plans for today. We ended up getting a late start, though. I had to go to the library to return movies, so I opted to go to the two stores that were that direction first. They were not where the majority of my shopping was to be done, so I will go back out once my husband gets home. (I had to come home for naptime....)

First up was Kroger. One of the reasons I went there was because I heard that the Pampers travel wipes were on sale for $1. The $0.50/1 from the P&G insert would have doubled and made them free. They were not $1. The Kandoo wipes, were though. If there is a coupon for those, I didn't have it with me.

I did get all of this stuff though (the chicken was my main reason for going):

I paid $14.xx for this. I have lost my receipt, so I can't tell you my savings % (if I recall it was $34 something when I handed over my card), but here is the breakdown:

Milano Cookies $2 each. Used $1/1 Melts Printable (no longer available) and one from 5/15 SS, plus the $0.50 any from 5/15 SS = $1 each
Bar S Hot dogs $1 each. Used $1/2 printables (no longer available) and from 5/22 RP = $0.50 each
Country Crock Do not recall exact price, but I used my $1/1 from All You, and it made it less than one form Aldi would cost.
Chicken leg quarters $0.59/lb in 10lb bag for $5.90

On to Albertson's and already pushing lunch time, I grabbed some fried chicken from the deli, and all of this stuff:

Total Shelf Price: $17.82

Total Sale Price: $11.73

Price Paid After Coupons: $9.26 48% Savings

I told you about the Ragu and BBQ sauce here, but I also noticed that the C&H sugar was $2.19. I had a $0.50 coupon (I have no idea where from) that doubled to make it just $1.19, which was cheaper than the Aldi price.

The best part of this trip is that even though today was payday, none of this came out of this month's budget. I finished off the gift card that I told you about here, and used $7 cash I still had from last month.

Now my husband just got home, so I am about to head to the bank, Aldi, and Tom Thumb. Busy day!

Reminder: Friday's Are Mega SwagBucks Days! (And Some Stuff I Got With Them)

Just wanted to remind everyone that tomorrow.....er, today ;) is Mega Swagbucks day. This means that you can earn larger amounts of Swagbucks in a single search. Swagbucks can be redeemed for a number of prizes in the Swagstore, including my favorite: Amazon gift cards.

It only takes 450SB to redeem a $5 Amazon gift card. In fact, I just received two of them today. =)

Tonight, I've been doing some shopping on Amazon with my Swagbucks. First, I got some Huggies Soft Skin Baby Wipes, Refill, 184-Count Pack (Pack of 3). They are priced at $17.78, but with my Amazon Mom membership, and a subscribe and save discount (15% off for each for 30% off and always free shipping with subscribe and save--cancel at any time), this was my total (paid with Swagbucks).

Expensive necessities....check!

Then, I was telling my Aunt about The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook that I currently have on loan from my local library (I am in awe of the strategic shopping and menu planning tips and I haven't even gotten to the recipes!), and I noticed that it was only $6 (Regular price $14.99)!!!! It qualified for free shipping on orders of $25 or more, so I went ahead and purchased a very much needed new pool for my kids, also. That brought my total up to $25.99. Also, paid for in full with Swagbucks.

Summer fun....check! Breaking out of recipe slump without breaking the budget....priceless! LOL

But seriously, I tell you about this site because I love it and it seriously does pay off with very little effort! If you haven't signed up yet, do so HERE and enter the code MEMORIALDAY to start off with 80 SB for a limited time!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Sunday Coupon Preview 5/29

According to the Sunday Coupon Preview site, there will be no coupon inserts this holiday weekend. You get to have a break, or catch up from past weeks. Personally, I am still holding out hope for a surprise General Mills insert or something. Hey, I've seen it happen!

You might still want to hop over to the Sunday Coupon Preview site, though, because they made a post about different coupons you can request by mail. It's always nice to have those surprises show up in your box to make up for all of those bills. ;)

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Best Deals 5/25-5/31

Here are the best deals I see for this week.

If you are shopping at El Rio Grande:
Single Roll Paper Towels 4 for $1 *Limit 4 w/ $10 purchase.
4lb corn Tortillas 2 for $3
Blue Ribbon Long Grain Rice 2 lb $0.99
Kraft Dressing $1.69

If you are shopping at El Rancho:
30 ct. Eggs $1.98
Parade canned Vegetables 5 for $1
Niagara 24 pk. Drinking Water $1.98
Family Pack Corn Tortillas $0.99

If you are shopping at Fiesta:
The only thing that really jumps out at me is their store brand charcoal for $2.49 for 8.5-9lb bag.

If you are shopping at Tom Thumb:
Buy 2 Get 3 Free 12 pack beverages (Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper) *Must buy 5. **Fri-Mon. Only!
Wheat Thins 3 for $5 *If Thin Stix are included, use $1/1 printable = $0.67 each **Fri-Mon Only!
Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs $0.99 Each with in-ad coupon (limit 5) Use $1/2 Coupon = $0.49 each!
Heinz Ketchup $1.69 with in-ad coupon (limit 2). Use $0.50/1 from 5/22 SS (doubles)= $0.69!
Wish Bone Dressing $1.19 with in-ad coupon (limit 3). Use $0.50/1 from 5/22 RP (doubles) = $0.19
32 oz Powerade $0.60 each with in-ad coupon
*Note: In-Ad coupons usually must be with a $10 purchase, but they do not say that now.????*

If you are shopping at Albertsons:
Hamburger/Hot Dog Buns $0.69 each (limit 4)
Cool Whip $0.88
KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce $0.88 Use $1/1 from 5/15 SS = Free - $0.12 moneymaker!
Yoplait Kids Yogurt $1.59 I could have sworn there was a $0.50/1 for this that would double and make it $0.59, but I can't find one. Maybe I used them all ;)
Ragu 3 for $5 Use $0.50/1 from 5/22 RP (doubles) = $0.67

If you are shopping at Kroger:
I'm not seeing anything too impressive at Kroger, but anytime I go there I always bring along some extra coupons that will double and often find a few freebies there. Their shelf prices seem to be a bit lower than Albertson's and Tom Thumb.

Produce Deals 5/25-5/31

Here are the best produce deals I see this week:

Aldi:
Cantaloupe $0.79 each
Watermelon (Seeded or seedless) $2.99 each
4 pack Corn $1.39 each
Blueberries $1.29 each 6oz pack
Strawberries $1.29 each 1lb. pack

Kroger:
Seedless Watermelon $3.88
Roma Tomatoes 4 lbs for $5
Cherries $3.88/lb
Mangoes $1 each
Corn 6 for $2
Strawberries $2 each 1lb.
Texas Sweet Onions $0.88/lb
Baby Carrots 4 for $5

Albertsons:
Corn 10 for $2
Strawberries $2 for 1 lb package
Vidalia Onions 3lb bag 2 for $5
Zucchini/ Red Onions $0.99/lb
Eggplant 2 for $3
Green/Red Leaf Lettuce 2 for $3

Tom Thumb:
Corn 4 for $1
On the Vine Tomatoes $1.28/lb
*Saturday Only* Watermelon (seedless) $2.99 each

Fiesta:
Corn 4 for $1
Watermelons (Seedless) $3.88 each
Cherries $3.88/lb
Roma Tomatoes $0.79/lb
Cucumbers 3 for $1
Red Onions $0.49/lb
Key Limes $0.99 for 2lb. bag
Fresh Green Beans $0.99/lb
Baby Carrots (Including Organic) $1.29/1lb. bag.
Lettuce $0.88 each

El Rancho:
Large Tomatoes 3 lbs for $1
White Onions 8lbs for $1
Watermelon 15 lbs. for $1
Jalapeño 2 lbs. for $0.88
Avocados 2 for $0.98
Corn 2 for $0.88
Cucumbers 3 for $1
Russet Potatoes $1.99 for 10 lb. bag
Key Limes $0.98 for 2 lb. bag
Cilantro 4 for $1
Oranges $2.99 for 10 lb bag
Ataulfo Mangoes 4 for $1
Peaches $0.69/lb

El Rio Grande:
Tomatoes 3 lbs. for $1
Corn 4 for $1
Watermelon 8 lbs. for $1
Cucumbers 5 for $1 *Thursday Only*
Cabbage 5 lb for $1 *Thursday Only*
Small Golden Apples 6 for $1 *Thursday Only*
White Onions 4 lbs. for $1
Oranges 5 for $1
Mangoes 2 for $1
Jalapeño 2 lbs. for $1
Green Bells 3 for $1
White Peaches $0.99/lb
Russet Potatoes $2.99 for a 10 lb bag
Lettuce $0.79 each
Cilantro 5 for $1

What produce will you be getting this week?

Meat Deals 5/25-5/31

As promised, here are the best prices I see on meat this week for the Dallas area:

Kroger:
Ribeye Steaks $3.99/lb
Beef Brisket $1.49/lb
Split Chicken Breasts $0.99/lb (Kroger Value/Pilgrims Pride)
Pork Shoulder Butt Roast $1.49/lb
Bar-S Franks $1 (16 oz).
Chicken Leg Quarters $0.59/lb

Albertsons:
Boneless Skinless Fryer Breast $1.79/lb
Ribeye Steak $4.77/lb
Pork Ribs Buy 1 Get 2 Free (Price per lb. ??) *With In-Store Coupon*
Oscar Mayer Wieners Buy 1 Get 2 Free *With In-Store Coupon*
Chicken Drumsticks $0.79/lb
--There are also several BOGO and BOG2 in the ad, but I've always found the price of the first to be highly increased for these sales, but if you are there and need them, then check into it.

Tom Thumb:
Ribeye/Sirloin $4.99/lb
Chicken Thighs/Drumsticks/Leg Quarters $0.88/lb
Brisket $1.99/lb (whole, untrimmed)
Beef Back Ribs $1.79/lb

Fiesta:
Chicken Leg Quarters $0.59/lb. Sold in Jumbo Bags. Limit 2 w/ $10 Purchase.
Brisket $1.59/lb Limit 2 w/$10 purchase.
Split Fryers $0.99/lb.

El Rancho:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $1.00/lb
Boneless Pork Stew Meat $1.00/lb
Beef Inside Round Steak $1.99/lb
Chicken Drumsticks $0.99/lb

El Rio Grande:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $0.99/lb
Pork Ribs (marinated or not) $0.99/lb
Chicken Wings (marinated or not) $0.99/lb
Bar-S Franks 3 for $1
Chicken Drumsticks $0.99/lb

I hope this helps decide what stores to hit this week. Please let me know if you find this format (listed by store), or last week's format (listed by type of meat) more helpful.

I will have the produce deals up in a bit.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

New Coupons: V-8 Drinks

Coupons.com has some new coupons today for V-8 products:

$1.00 off one V8 V-Fusion + Tea beverage.

$1.00 off two V8 100% vegetable juice

$1.00 off TWO 6-packs or bottle of V8 V-Fusion

Monday, May 23, 2011

More Facebook Coupons: Fresh Express and Lean Pockets

I just found two more awesome coupons on facebook, so go grab them before they dissappear:

$1/1 Fresh Express Bagged Salad (any) The small bags often go on sale for $1 so this would mean FREE salad!

BOGO Lean Pockets These often go on sale for $2 or less, so you can use this coupon to get two packs for $1 or less each.

Tidy Cats Coupon: $2/1 on Facebook

If you have a cat, here is a coupon you will definitely want to grab. Right now the Tidy Cats facebook page is offering a $2/1 coupon for any size, any variety. (Hit your back button and print twice!)

I have heard that you can get the small bags of the non-clumping variety for $2 or less at Wal-Mart and Target, but I prefer the clumping varieties, as they are much less messy to deal with.

I had been using the Aldi brand of cat litter, but when I stocked up on Tidy Cats recently on sale at Kroger, we noticed a huge difference in how long the litter kept the smell away (and I would know since the litter box is right under my desk!)

So I will definitely be sticking to Tidy Cats in the future, and with a good sale and this coupon, I can actually pay less than I would at Aldi!

Great Coupon For Fathers' Day??

There is a great new HIGH VALUE coupon available right now on Coupons.com.

It is for $20 off of the Home Improvement DVD boxed set containing the entire series.

I remember watching this and it was a great show. Walmart has these priced at roughly $90 (so does Amazon, and I couldn't find it at Target), so after coupon you would pay about $70 for the whole 8 seasons (Target has these each priced at over $20).

Now, I'll admit that is a bit out of my gift giving budget, but if you were already planning on getting this item, this is a great money saver. I do not believe I have ever seen such a high value coupon!

News Coupons For New Products

This morning, coupons.com has released a few new coupons for some new products. Some of these I have not heard of yet, but usually when a new product is available it is heavily promoted and there are great sale prices on it, so if you think you might be interested in any of these, grab them now and I'm sure we will hear about them in the coming weeks.

$1.50 off on any Bayer Advanced Aspirin product
$1.00 off on IHOP at Home™ breakfast product (This looks like a breakfast hot pocket. I'm intrigued!)
$1.00 off on Morningstar Farms Breakfast Biscuits (These may not be new, but the picture looked different).
$5.00 off any Felidae Dry Cat Food (available at specialty pet stores)
$1.00 off any Savory Choice liquid broth concentrate

Remember there are different coupons available for different zip codes (just like coupons in the paper are regional), so you may or may not see all of these, and you may see others that aren't listed as well!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

CVS: FREE Green Bag Tag

I know I just mentioned this in my shopping trip post, but I wanted to make sure it stood out to everyone. When I was just at CVS shopping, I scanned my card (a second time...always scan twice), and I was given a coupon for a FREE Green Bag tag.

These are pretty cool to have. You put it on a reusable bag, bring the bag with you to shop, and scan the tag. Every 4th scan will get you a free $1 ECB. I used to have one, but my daughter took it off my bag and I have no idea where it went, so I am very happy to have another one.

Let me know if you get one too!

CVS Trip 5/22: Saved 94%

I made a trip to CVS this evening to pick up a few of the great deals they had this week. I wanted to spend as little as possible, so I split my trip into two transactions.

In my first transaction, I purchased:

CVS Training Pants @ $6.99. Get $2 ECBs.

2 Irish Spring Body Wash @ 2 for $7 Get $5 ECBs.

Revlon Nail Polish $4.99 (Used $2/1 Revlon Color Cosmetics from 5/8 SS) Get $4 ECBs

Green Bag Tag $0.99 (Used FREE coupon from the little red machine.)

Paid with $16 ECBs ($11 from last trip, and my $5 Beauty Club reward that printed tonight) = $1.06 OOP (Get $11 ECBs)

For my second transaction, I purchased:

3 Purex @ $1.98 each. (Used 3 $1/1 from 5/1RP)

1 Trident @ $0.99. Get $0.99 ECBs.

2 Suave Men Body Wash @ $2 each (Used BOGO from today's RP, which actually took off $3 when scanned)

1 Suave Deodorant @ $1 (Used $0.50/1 from today's RP)

2 Suave Professional (Used $0.50/2 from today's RP) and 1 Suave Kids @ 3 for $5

Get $3 ECBs WYB $10 of Suave

1 more Revlon Nail Polish* $4.99 (Used $1/1 Revlon nail enamel from 4/10 SS) Get$4 ECBs

Paid with $11 ECBs from above = $3.15 OOP (Got $7.99 in ECBs)

*Note: The first nail polish I got rang up $4.89 (clearance priced I suppose) and did not give my ECBs. He refunded it and we tried a different one, that rang up $1.67, so we refunded that and tried again, and finally got one that worked. The limit on these is 6, but the clearance prices will not give the ECBs so scan them before heading to the register because none of them had clearance signs. Even after all the hassle, the cashier was very nice and even said he was impressed with my math skills. =D

Here is everything I got at CVS today:

Total Shelf Price: $67.14

Total Sale Price: $41.89

Price After Coupons: $32.70

Price Paid After All ECBs: $4.21 with $7.99 in ECBs remaining. 94% Savings

Friday, May 20, 2011

Shopping Trip 5/20: Aldi and Tom Thumb

My daughter has been a battling a stomach bug, and today was the first time we have left the house all week. I had a few errands that I needed to run, and I wanted to follow my own advice about not driving all over town. I looked over the meat sale prices for the week, and decided that I wanted to shop at Tom Thumb for pork chops because I still have plenty of chicken in my freezer but I've been out of pork for a while. I also needed to go to the bank and to Aldi, but that was not a problem at all because those three places are within 2 blocks of each other.

There were not many things that I needed from Aldi this week at all, since I made a pretty big stock up trip last week. Here is what I came home with:

Total Spent: $15.60

Since I was already at Tom Thumb buying the pork, I wanted to take advantage of some of the other deals they had. We had also run out of oranges, and I noticed that they were on sale there cheaper than Aldi's everyday price, so I opted to pick up a few there instead. I also noticed they had spinach on sale for $0.99.

Here is everything that I got:

Total Shelf Price: $48.84 (I had forgotten to hand over my card first and this is what showed up! Yikes!)
Total Sale Price: $16.57 Already 66% Savings
Price Paid After Coupons: $14.82 70% Savings

I actually only used 2 coupons on this shopping trip. Notice how most of my savings are just from shopping the great sale prices. The pork chops themselves were less than $5 per pack at $0.99/lb.

Everything I bought today was only $30.42, and this is the only shopping I have done all this week, so I would say that is well within our grocery budget. It's a good thing, though, since I've had to dip into the grocery budget for gas money! =(

How did your shopping go this week? I'd love to hear about it.

Sunday Coupon Preview 5/22

This Sunday looks like it is going to be a pretty good day for coupons. There will be a SmartSource, a RedPlum, and also a special Unilever coupon insert (I'm a little confused because some of the same coupons are listed under the RedPlum and the Unilever, so maybe different regions with get one or the other??).

You can have a look at what coupons to expect HERE. Coupons can vary by region, and by paper in a given region, so if you have a choice, purchase the paper from the largest nearby city because it is more likely to have the most coupons with the highest values.

My favorite coupons coming this week are Degree, Lipton, Suave (there will be an ECB deal on these at CVS), Nature Valley, and Zest.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

And This, Friends....

.....is why we stock up on cereal when we can get it for less than $1!

One Of My Favorite Survey Companies: My Survey

A great way to earn a little extra income online is by taking online surveys. I have been registered with many survey companies for a number of years. MySurvey.com is probably on of my favorite online survey companies.

It is completely free to sign up, and they do not bombard you with surveys. I get maybe 3-4 survey invitations each week. If I do not have time to do them right away, they are always available in my account, and they usually do not fill up right away like some of the other companies' surveys do. They are also usually a good fit for me (sometimes they ask for my husband or daughter's opinion as well), but even if I do not qualify to complete a survey, I still am rewarded with points, usually 5. If you do qualify, it will tell you how much longer the survey will take as well as how many additional points you will earn. I have gotten several opportunities to test and keep full sized products through this company, as well. Those are my favorite!

They have recently restructured the points system. In the past 1,000 points was equal to $10, and when you reached that level you could get paid by check or paypal. Now they have added many more options, including gift cards to many places. I currently have 1005 points in my account, almost to the 1100 I need to redeem a $10 gift card. My options are Amazon.com, Paypal, several restaurants, and CVS, among other places!

If you are interested in signing up with MySurvey.com, you can do so HERE.

Let me know if you decide to give it a try!

Best Deals 5/18-5/24

Here are the other great deals that you may want to pick up if you are shopping at any of these stores.

If you are shopping at Save A Lot: (Does anyone know if they accept coupons?)
Libby's Steam and Go Frozen Vegetables 12 oz. $0.69
Dozen Eggs $0.99
Sunny D 48 oz $0.99
Borden Singles $1.50
Many of their brand items at prices comparable to Aldi.

If You Are Shopping At Fiesta:
80 ct Corn Tortillas $1.39 (made fresh in store)
2 lb. Rice $0.88
V-8 Splash $1.99 (I swear I had a coupon for this but can't find where it is, anyone know?)

If You Are Shopping At El Rio Grande:
Nothing here really stands out to me, but if I needed chicken, I would make a trip here just to get meat/produce since it is $1/lb.

If You Are Shopping At El Rancho (Do They Accept Coupons?):
Imperial Sugar 2 for $3 (limit 2 with $10 additional purchase) --I think there is a $0.50/1 coupon for this, but cannot find where.
Family Pack Corn Tortillas $0.99
24 pk Niagra Drinking water $1.98
4lb rice $1.88
Assorted 7 oz Pastas 4 for $0.99

Ok, now for the real coupon fun....

If you are shopping at Tom Thumb:

Colgate Toothpaste 6.4 oz $0.99 Use $0.75/1 from 5/1 SS = $0.24
Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad $0.99. Use $0.50/2 printable (doubles) = $0.49 each
Trix Yoplait or Go-Gurt $1.77 w/ in ad coupon. Limit 3. (you usually need a $10 purchase, but this time is does not say that). Use $0.75/2 from 3/27 or 4/17 SS. =$1.40 each *not the best price, but I need yogurt!*

If you are shopping at Albertsons: * indicates mega sale and 10 participating items must be purchased, otherwise cost is $0.50 higher

Allens Frozen Vegetables $0.59* Use $0.55/1 from 3/6 RP = $0.04
Skinner Quick Cook (If Included) $0.69* Use $0.55/1 from 4/10 SS = .14
Right Guard Sport Deodorant $1.49* Use BOGO from 5/1RP = $0.74 each
Dawn Dish Soap $1 Use $0.25/1 from 5/1PG (triples) = $0.25, or if Hand Renewal is included, Use $0.50/1 from 5/1PG (doubles) =FREE.
Mahatma Rice 5lb. $2.49* Use $0.50/1 from 5/1 RP (doubles) = $1.49 for 5lbs of rice!

If you are shopping at Kroger: * indicates mega sale and 10 participating items must be purchased, otherwise cost is $0.50 higher.

Pillsbury Biscuits $1 Use $0.40/3 from 3/13 SS or 4/17 SS (doubles) = $0.73 each
Sister Schubert's Rolls $1.99 * Use $0.50/1 from 4/17 SS (doubles) = $0.99 each
Colgate Toothbrush $0.88 Use $0.75/1 from 5/1 SS = $0.13
Colgate Toothpaste $0.88 Use $0.75/1 from 5/1 SS =$0.13 (make sure you get 4oz or larger for coupon)
Lawry's Marinade $1.49 Use $0.50/1 from 5/15 RP (doubles) = $0.49

Not advertised:
I have heard several reports that the travel pack of Pampers wipes are $1. If so, use $0.50/1 from 5/1PG (doubles) to get them free.
Franks Red Hot Sauce, the small bottles are priced at $0.99 everyday at my Kroger (perhaps other stores, too?). Use the $0.50/1 from 5/15 SS to get them free.

Please let me know if you find this format helpful, or what could be done to improve it. Also, leave a comment if you know of any more deals/freebies that I missed.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Best Produce Prices 5/18-5/24

Here are the best produce prices I see advertised this week:

Aldi:
Pineapple $0.99 each
Cantaloupe $0.79 each
Tomatoes (On the Vine) $0.79/ 1 lb pack
Iceburg Lettuce $0.69 each

Save A Lot:
Idaho Potatoes $1.49/ 5 lb bag
Vine Ripe Tomatoes $0.99/lb
Vidalia Onions $0.59/lb
Whole Watermelons $3.99 each (they have been this price at Aldi as well)

Fiesta:
Ataulfo Mangos 3 for $1
Peaches $0.88/lb
Corn Cobs 3 for $1
Cello Lettuce $0.99
Yellow or Red Onions $0.49/lb Texas Grown!
Cucumbers 3 for $1
Broccoli Crowns $0.99
Red Potatos $0.59/lb
Green Beans $0.99/lb
Seedless Watermelons $3.99 each
Kiwi 5 for $1
Naval Oranges 7 for $1
Lemons 5 for $1

El Rio Grande:
Pineapple $0.99 each
White Onions 5 lbs for $1 ($0.20/lb)
Round Tomatos 3 lbs for $1 ($0.33/lb)
Limes 15 for $1
Small Oranges 8 for $1
Kiwi 5 for $1
Cilantro 5 for $1
Jalapeno $0.50/lb
Peaches $0.79/lb
Mexican Squash $0.50/lb
Broccoli $0.99 each
Mushrooms (small pack) $1.39
Small Red Apples 5 for $1
Ataulfo Mangos 4 for $1 (Friday Only)
Small Avocados 3 for $1 (Friday Only)
10lb. Russet Potatoes $1.99 (Friday Only)

El Rancho:
Ataulfo Mangos 5 for $1
Large Tomatoes 3 lbs. for $1
White Onions 8 lbs for $1
Jalapeno 3 lbs. for $1
Lettuce $0.88 each (looks to be iceburg)
Avocados 2 for $0.88
Mexican Squash $0.58/lb
5lb. bag Russet Potatoes $1.29 each
2lb. bag Key Limes $0.99
Oranges 10 for $1
Peaches $0.88/lb
Pineapple $1.50
Watermelon 5 lbs for $1 (how much do these things weigh???)

Tom Thumb:
Hass Avocado $1 (Fri-Mon)
Blueberries, 6oz. BOGO Free ($3.99 for both)
Naval Oranges 2lbs. for $1 ($0.50/lb)
Fresh Express Green & Crisp Salad $0.99 each

10 for 10 Mix and Match:
-White, Red, or Yellow Onions ($1/lb)
-Iceburg Lettuce ($1 each)
-Mangos (both varieties) ($1 each)
-1 lb Eating Right Baby Carrots
-Russet Potatoes ($1/ lb.)
-Zucchini or Yellow Squash ($1/lb)
-Extra Large Green Bells ($1 each)

Albertsons:
3 lb Strawberries or 18 oz Blueberries or 12 oz. Blackberries $3.99
1lb Strawberries $2.50
Cherries $2.99/lb (Thurs-Sun Only!)
Broccoli $1.49/lb
Red Potatos $0.99/lb
Fuji Apples $0.99/lb
Cucumbers $0.69 each
8oz Sliced Muchrooms $1.79
Yellow Onions $0.99/lb
Naval Oranges $1.19/lb

Kroger:
Strawberries $1.77/ 1 lb. package
Pineapple BOGO Free (looks like $3.99 for both)
Iceburg Lettuce $0.88 each (Fri-Sun Only!)
Eggplant $1 Each
Zucchini or Yellow Squash $1/lb
Broccoli Crowns $1/lb
Green Beans $1/lb
Mangoes $1 each
Texas Sweet Corn 6 for $2
Raspberries/Blueberries 6oz. 2 for $5

Best Meat Prices 5/18-5/24

Here are the best prices advertised on various meats this week, listed by type.

Chicken:
Whole Chicken: --$0.49/lb @ Kroger (limit 2 with $10 purchase Fri-Sun only)
Drumsticks-- $0.50/lb @ El Rancho
(or thighs) -- $1.49/lb @ Tom Thumb (Sanderson Farms)
(or things)--- $0.99/lb @ Albertsons (Sanderson Farms)
(or thighs) ---$0.99/lb @ Kroger (kroger value brand)
Leg Quarters-- $0.69/lb @ El Rio Grande
Wings --- $0.88/lb 2@ Albertsons (Family Pack)
Boneless Skinless Breasts-- $1.89/lb @ El Rancho
-- $1.79/lb @ Save a Lot (frozen)
-- $1.00/lb @ El Rio Grande (with $10 purchase)
-- $1.99/lb @ Albertson's (any size package)
(marinated)--B1G2 FREE @ Albertsons (with in ad coupon)
Breast Quarters --$0.99/lb @ Fiesta (sold in family packs, limit 2 with $10 purchase)

Pork:
Bone-in Stew Meat--- $0.99/lb @ El Rancho
Boneless Stew Meat--- $1.89/lb @ El Rancho
Bone-in Shank--- $0.99/lb @ El Rancho
Spare Ribs--- $2.29/lb @ Aldi (Is this a good price?)
Country Style Ribs--- $1.79 @ Save a Lot
--- $1.99/lb @ Albertsons
End Chops --- $1.00/lb @ El Rio Grande (no limit w/ $10 purchase)
Center Cut Chops--- $1.99/lb @ El Rio Grande
Sirloin Chops -- $1.19/lb @ Fiesta (sold in family pack, limit 2 with $10 purchase)
Assorted Loin Chops-- $0.99/lb @ Tom Thumb (sold in value pack, limit 2)
Boneless Center Cut Loin Chops--- $2.49/lb @ Kroger
---BOGO @ Albertsons
(pre-seasoned)---B1G2 Free @ Albertsons (With In-Ad Coupon)
Bone-In Country Style Ribs ---$0.98/lb @ Albertsons (Thurs-Sun Only!) Limit 10 lbs.
Boneless Loin Roast --- $1.99/lb @ Albertsons
Tenderloin Tips --- B1G2 FREE @ Albertson's (With In-Ad Coupon)

Beef:
Inside Round Steak -- $1.99/lb @ El Rancho
Stew Meat-- $2.89/lb @ El Rancho
Spare Ribs-- $1.99/lb @ Save A Lot
Bottom Round Roast--$1.99/lb @ Fiesta (sold in family pack, limit 2 with $10 purchase)
Untrimmed Brisket -- $1.79/lb @ Tom Thumb
Boneless Top Sirloin Steak-- $2.99/lb @ Kroger (sold in super value pack, limit 2 with $10 purchase)
New York Strip Bone-In-- $4.77/lb @ Albertsons (Thurs-Sun Only!)
80% Lean Ground Beef--- BOGO @ Albertsons

Seafood:
Tilapia --- $2.29/lb @ El Rio Grande

Other:
Hillshire Farm Sausage --- $1.99/14oz package @ Save A Lot
12 oz Hot Dogs ---$0.69/lb @ Save A Lot
Ground Turkey --- $1.79/lb @ Kroger
John Morell Bacon $2 each @ Kroger (12 oz) (Fri-Sun only)
Oscar Mayer Bologna $0.97 each @ Kroger

Other Things to Note:
I have found that with Albertson's BOGO or B1G2 free meat sales, the price/pound is enormously jacked up!

Also, Albertson's has an in-ad $5/$50 purchase coupon, but it must be $50 after all manufacturer and store coupons are redeemed (including the meat ones).

Wanting To Try Something A Little Different

If you are local to the Dallas area, you know that there are a lot of stores around here to shop at. You may have a single store you shop at each and every week, or you may have a few stores you like to go to and grab the best deals at each. I tend to fall into the second category, but with gas prices so high these days I have really been trying to cut down on all my little trips to the store. I have been trying to consolidate as many stops as I can into one logical path on a single outing to save as much gas and travel time as possible. If I do not think that the deals are worthwhile, I will skip a store altogether rather than make a special trip for one or two items. You may have noticed I have not been posting as many shopping trips lately. The simple reason for that is I have not been making as many. The gas spent alone would nullify my savings if I tried to go everywhere.

When I get my newspaper each Wednesday morning, the first thing I do is glance through the grocery ads. The main items I look for on my first glance are meat and produce items on sale at their lowest prices. Those items, for me, are big determining factors in whether I go to a particular store each week.

Once I have scouted out those and decided which stores are worth going to, I will then scrutinize the rest of the ad and see what other items are on sale that I can match coupons with to score items for rock bottom prices, or even for free. Sometimes if there are enough of these, I will go to a store solely to get items on sale with coupons, especially if they are items that I am running low on.

What I want to begin doing on here each week is to make three separate posts each Wednesday. One will show the best meat prices I see in my sale ads. One will show the best produce prices I see in my sale ads (I usually just list those at Aldi, but sometimes the grocery stores have great sales, too).

The third one, and I may not have it ready until Thursday since it will take a bit more work, will be the items at each store which I feel to be at stock-up prices, and I will list coupon match-ups for these items if coupons are available.

I have a couple of reasons that I wish to do it this way. First off, I honestly just do not have time to provide you with full coupon match-ups for every sale item at the all of the stores around here, and quite honestly everything shown on sale in a sale ad is not necessarily a good sale price. Secondly, I have had many questions recently about how to get started with couponing, how to get started building a stockpile, etc. I am afraid that the new Extreme Couponing show on TLC is going to encourage people to coupon in a bad way.

What I mean by this is that I am afraid that people just getting started will see these huge stockpiles (that took a long time to accumulate) and think they need to copy that right away. They will clip every coupon they can get their hands on, run around to every store in town to get every deal imaginable just because it is on sale and they have a coupon. Then they will be completely exhausted after just one week, realize that they spent twice what they normally spend at the store because they were "stockpiling" and feel like giving up.

That is not what I want for any of you. I want you to see that you can slowly integrate couponing into your normal shopping routine. Perhaps, you are already planning on going to Kroger one week because several items that you will need are on sale there. If you look a bit deeper into their sale ad, I bet you can find a few more items that you can snag for free or nearly so with coupons. These are the items that you want to add to the list you have already made to begin your stockpile because 1) They aren't costing you much of anything, and 2) You are already there so you aren't running around to extra places and wearing yourself out and spending extra gas.

Once you try this out with one store (that you were already going to) and you aren't stressed by it, you can add a store that you don't usually shop at (only if there are enough good deals to warrant going there!). If you have been chasing deals like a mad person, maybe it is time to slow down. No doubt you've gotten a nice stock going of a few things, so you can now pick and choose which deals you actually need more of.

My aim is to be able to help you better plan sensible shopping trips to the stores with the best prices on your main menu ingredients for the week (and also to kick my butt back into menu planning gear again), and to glean as many of the freebies and cheapies as you can from a particular store while you are already there. Even if there is an item you absolutely will not use, if you have a coupon that makes it free, you could still pick up a couple for a donation (please, please, please do not clear a shelf just to give them all away!)

If you've been too timid to start using coupons, I want to show you how easy it can be. If you are just starting out and feeling overwhelmed thinking that you have to chase down all the deals, I want to help you find more bargains at the places you are already going so you won't feel the need to do that. If you are out there chasing deals already and feeling stressed out, I want you to see that you can take it slower. We have so many stores around here that deals on any given item come around again rather quickly. The last thing I want is for any of you to get burnt out and decide to throw in the towel!

Now I'm going to be honest, this is an ideal I have in my head, but I am really bad with follow through. I'm going to need your help and encouragement that this is actually something that will be helpful for you, so please do not be shy about leaving comments so I don't think no one is reading. ;) Also, if you know of another great deal that I left off or anything unadvertised, leave that in a comment too so we can all know to check it out if we are going to that store.

So without anymore babbling on my part, I'm going to go start putting this week's best prices together for you, and we can see how this goes. =)

And The Winner Of The Freschetta Simply Inspired Giveaway Is......

As you all probably know, blogger was having some issues this past week. Shortly after this giveaway posted, the site went down for nearly a full 24 hours. In that time, many posts and comments were removed from the site. Blogger restored all of the posts that had to be removed, but sadly the comments were not restored, and it seems like the order of them got jumbled as well.

I had not deleted any of my comment emails, so in the name of fairness, I went back and looked at the time stamp on all of my emails and mad a list from that. There were a total of 66 entries (6 more on the back).

Here's is the selection from Random.org:

And that entry belonged to Ms. Amy! Congratulations!!! Watch for my email. You will have 24 hours to respond.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Celestial Seasonings Coupon

Wow, it must be coupon day! I keep finding great ones! I LOVE these teas, and there are so rarely coupons for them. Like Sleepytime Bear on facebook and download this coupon for $0.75/1 box of Celestial Seasonings Teas.

What's your favorite flavor?

Goldfish Grahams Coupon

There is a coupon available right now for $0.35/1 Goldfish Grahams. Some stores around here will triple this coupon value, so if you hold on to it for a $1 sale, you could get completely free Goldfish! I printed this one a while back, but I was able to print it two more times, so I guess it has been reset. Go grab yours now!

Thanks, Here's the Deal!

New Coupon: Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs. Print Now!

Coupons.com has several new coupons available right now. One of them is for $1 off any 2 Oscar Mayer hot dogs. The image shows the all beef variety, but the wording indicates that it can be used on any variety. About this time last year, hot dogs began going on sale for $0.99, and I was able to stock up about 8 packs of the cheapest variety for $0.49 each with this coupon (there were also some in a recent Sunday paper). I imagine we will begin seeing sales like that soon, so print this coupon now and hang on to it. It will be valid for 1 month from the print date. You may print 2 copies per computer, so if your kids love hot dogs like mine do, make sure you get your limit.

Free Kindle Book On Managing Finances

Here's one you wont want to miss out on. This is a collection of advice for managing your personal finances. It retails for $49.99 and is FREE for a limited time. I'm sure I'll be reading this one soon! Go here to download a Kindle version of this book. And remember that you can read Kindle books on PCs, cells phones, iPhones, iPods, iPads, etc.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Check Out The Changes I Made

I know it's been pretty quiet around here for the past couple days. Yesterday was my daughter's 5th birthday, so we were busy enjoying that, and I've just been trying to catch up on some house work.

I did want to let you know that, even though I haven't been posting anything, I have not totally forgotten about you guys. In fact, tonight I have been doing a little bit of work on my sidebars. I've grouped some items so they should be easier for you to navigate, and I have added several new offers that I've just learned about and wanted to share with you.

I have also added an Amazon.com widget in which I have placed some items that I recommend. I really like this feature because I can always add to it later and share things with you that I have found and love. Right now it has only two items in it. The first one is All You Magazine, which I rave about often, and the other is my favorite freezer cookbook, that I am always talking about getting delicious recipes from. I thought this widget might be more useful to you guys than the one I previously had (the one that said it was going to show great deals, but really only showed random electronic devices).

I just wanted to let you guys know about the changes I had been working on. Have a look around and let me know what you think of my new organization. Also let me know if there is any other helpful info you would like to see linked from my home page and I will see what I can do. ;)

Have a great night and thank you to all of you who read my blog.

And don't forget about my Freschetta Simply Inspired Giveaway that will be ending at Midnight tomorrow night.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Sunday Coupon Preview 5/15

This Sunday there should be two coupon inserts in your Sunday paper, one Smart Source and one RedPlum. There seem to be a few good coupons that we can expect. You can check out the details HERE. Remember that coupons can vary by region, so you may not get everything on the lists, or you may have a different value.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Shopping Trip 5/13: Aldi

Since my Kroger trip on Monday, I haven't done any shopping at all this week. Ok, well that isn't entirely true. I did push my double stroller across the street and waste time in Wal-Mart (completely couponless!) while my van was having a $9.99 oil change yesterday. I actually found some men's belt's on clearance for $3. I got my husband two of them, because he was in desperate need of a new belt since his old one had an encounter with our dachshund. So happy when I find things that I am about to have to pay full price for marked down! =)

I usually make my weekly Aldi trip on Thursdays, but I didn't get there yesterday, so I went this morning. There were only a few things on my list to get, but somehow I always think of more things when I am there. There were not any incredible produce sales this week. My favorite were the $0.25 cucumbers, but I also found that the zucchini were still $0.59, so I grabbed a couple more packs of them. I also stocked back up on some frozen items and things for lunches for the next couple weeks.

Here is everything I came home with:

My total OOP was $34.74.

I noticed the milk had risen ten more cents to $1.89. The eggs were still $0.49 and all the others items were still the price that I remembered them being, with the exception of perhaps the apple juice. I think it went up slightly.

Also, I have never ever bought frozen juice concentrate before, but they were so inexpensive that I thought I would give them a try, since I haven't found a good sale to stock up on bottled juices in a while. I totally did not even think to put the apple juice back on the shelf! I made one with our lunch today, and even though it said to add only 3 cans of water, I thought it tasted pretty strong. I think I added about 6-7. Do you guys use these? Which version do you find more economical/better tasting?

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