Sunday, May 31, 2009

Menu Plan Monday

Here is what is on this weeks menu. Still trying to eat mostly from the freezer and pantry.

Monday...Grilled chicken, salad, peaches
Tuesday...French Dips (we didn't have these last week), apples and apple crisp.
Wednesday...Tacos, fruit cocktail
Thursday...Spaghetti, cheesy garlic toast, salad
Friday...Possibly camping. If so then we will eat hotdogs. If not, steak, baked potatoes, grilled bread and fruit.

To see what others are having this week visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Luvs Newsletter, Offers and Coupons

Luvs

You can sign up for the Luvs newsletter and receive special offers, diaper coupons and/or samples.



Target Deals Week of 5/31-6/6

Here are the deals that I see at Target this week. As always check your local ad to confirm prices. You can check out a list of Target printable coupons here. Remember you can stack these coupons with Manufacturer coupons for an even sweeter deal!

Pepsi 12 pack cans or 6 pk bottles 3 for $12
-$1.00 Target printable here
=3 for $9.00

Edge Shaving Gel $2.24
-$1.00 Target printable here and
-$.75 or $1.00 (5/17 SS)
=$.24-.$49 each
(thanks Marci)

Gift Card Deals
Smart Ones Frozen Entres $1.80 each
Buy 10 get a $5 gift card

OK, seriously the ad this week is pathetic. Let me know if you see any other deals I missed. I'm tired so maybe I have missed something...hopefully!

Walgreens Phots Buy 25 Get 25 Free


From now until June 6th when you buy 25 prints from Walgreens you can get 25 free by entering code

2XSMILE

You can go here to order.

Walgreens Deals Week of 5/31-6/6

Here are some deals I see this week at Walgreens. I am not impressed at all with this weeks ad. Thank you to Being Frugal Is Fabulous for helping me put this list together.

Dawn Dish Liquid $.99
(in ad coupon)
Alkaline Batteries $9.99 B1G1 Free
Walgreens Jumbo Pack Diapers or Training Pants $5.99
Antacid Tablets 72-150 ct $3.99 B1G1 Free

Register Rewards Deals
Listerine 1 liter $4.99
Get a $2 RR at checkout
-$.50 (3/15 SS)
= $2.49 after RR and coupon

Special K Bars, Nutrigrain Bars, Rice Krispies Treats, Pop Tarts, Keebler Cookies or Crackers or Cheez-Its: 4/$10.00
Receive $3.00 in RR at checkout
These are the coupons you could use...
-$.55 off Sandies Cookies MC from (4/5 RP) or
-$1.00/2 Keebler Cookies from (4/5 RP) or
-$1.00/2 Pop Tarts MC from (4/5 RP)

= prices starting at 4/$4.80

Bic Soleil Disposable Razors, 4 pk: $4.99
Get $1.00 RR at checkout
-$3.00 (5/17 SS)
= $.99 after RR and coupon

Ban Deodorant: 2/$3.00
Receive $1.00 in RR when you buy 2
-$1.00/2 (4/5 SS)
= $.50 each when you buy 2

Ecotrin Aspirin: $2.00
Get a $2.00 RR at checkout
-$2.00 (5/17 SS) or printable here
= Free plus overage after RR and coupon

See any other deals I missed? Like I said, I am not impressed with this weeks ad at all. Feel free to email me or leave a comment.

Hy-Vee Deals Week of 6/1-6/7

Welcome Grocery Gathering readers! Here is a list of current deals that I see at Hy-Vee. I base my deals on what is shown at least 50% regular price for the store. I also post anything else that I consider a pretty good deal. I use central Iowas ad when making this list. My store takes both printable coupons and manufacturer coupons from the paper. Please check your local ad to confirm these deals in your area.Grocery
Hy-Vee Applesauce 23 or 24 oz $.99
Jiff Peanut Butter $1.88

Ragu Pasta Sauce $1.67 or 3 for $5
-$1.00/2 (5/17 RP)
=$1.17 each when you buy 2
OR
-$.60 Ragu Margherita or Sweet Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce jar (5/17 RP)
=$1.07

Dairy
Dannon Yogurt 10 for $5
-$.60/6 (5/03 SS)
=$10 for $4.40

Produce
California Red Seedless Grapes $.99 lb
Granny Smith Apples $.99 lb
Green Bell Peppers $.50 each
Peaches $1.88 lb (Wal-Mart has them for $1 lb right now)
Strawberries $1.28 lb

Meat
Country Pride Chicken Leg Quarters 10 lb bag $3.90

In Ad Coupons~
Coke 12 packs Buy 3 for $10 get $1.00 off
Harvester Sandwich Bread but 1 for $3.98 get one free
Nature's Pride Bread buy 1 at $2.99 get one free
Dole lettuce, slaw or shredded lettuce 8-14 oz $.69

Buy any 3 Lipton Teas to Go and get a Hy-Vee 24ct bottled water for free
- $.60 Lipton Tea coupons from 3/15 or 5/17 RP

3 Day Sale June 4, 5 and 6
Bananas $.39 lb (haven't seen them this low in a long time)
Boneless Sirloin Steak $3.99 lb
Coke 2 liters $.88
Not less than 80% lean ground chuck 10 lb $17.99
Tony's Original Style Pizza or Asian Sensation Egg Rolls 6 for $10


See any deals I missed? Feel free to email me or leave a comment. The deals seem really slow this week.

I'm Back!

Hi Everyone! We are back from our camping trip. We had a great weekend, but I will be happy to sleep in my own bed tonight!

I will be working on my Hy-Vee, Target and Walgreens match ups tonight. I will get them up before bedtime (which for me is midnight or so!)

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Friday, May 29, 2009

Away for the Weekend

I am going to be out for a couple days taking a weekend camping trip with my boys! I won't be posting while I am gone but I have found some good posts that other bloggers have written that you might enjoy. Have a great weekend.

I have been thinking of switching to paying my bills online. It will save checks and postage. The Happy Housewife breaks down the savings for you here in this post.

Keeper of the Home blogs about growing fruit trees in pots.

Cutting Coupons in KC has a great post about freezer meals as well as recipe links.

Quiznos $4 Subs

Quiznos Q Club

Join the Quiznos Club and get updates and money saving coupons sent to you. Click on the picture above to register.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Eat From the Pantry Challenge Update~Week 4

Well we made it! It is almost the end of the month. I had a pretty good week this week. I didn't do my weekly shopping this week. We decided on Sunday to treat our friends to dinner since they helped us with a huge project of hauling dirt so I spent $50 buying dinner and other goodies. I did get milk and eggs too so that helped me with not needing to go later in the week.

That brought my budget to $205 for the month leaving me with $45 left to spend. We are going camping this weekend so I will be going to the store tomorrow to pick up a few things. I shouldn't have any problem staying under $45 since most of the food we are taking I already have.

I think this was a successful challenge for me and I look forward to doing it again. How do you think you did for the month? Do you think you would try it again? Mr. Linky is having issues so I will try and put it up. If it doesn't work just put your post site in the comments. Thanks for joining me on this challenge and maybe we'll do it again sometime!

Weekly Wrap Up

Friday brings us another edition of the Weekly Wrap Up over at Getting Ahead. Here are the things I did this week to be frugal.

~We ate dinner at home every night, there were a couple nights it was really hard for us but we stuck to the meal plan!
~I broke down and turned the air on for about 48 hours to get the humidity out of the house. It was off for the rest of the week.
~I didn't do my weekly shopping this week! I bought milk and eggs on Sunday and we ate from the freezer and pantry all week.
~I pulled LOTs of weeds in the garden today. It is looking much better.

How did you do this week?

Eukanuba Dog Food $5.00 Coupon

You can go here to request your $5 coupon.

Coupon Preview for Sunday 5/30

There will be 2 inserts in this Sundays paper. Red Plum and Smart Source. To get a view of the individual coupons you can go here, just click on the date.

(Thanks Corrie)

Free Sample of Yogi Tea


You can go here to request a free sample of Yogi tea.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Have You Considered an Energy Audit?

Last Fall I called our utility company and scheduled an Energy Audit. This is a free service provided by our local utility company where an energy specialist comes to your home to show you ways to save money on your energy bills. The only requirements were that I was a current customer and my home was at least 10 years old.

The audit provided us with lots of valuable information. Our auditor informed us that if we added insulation to our attic and basement we would decrease our utility bill significantly. He actually calculated how much we needed and got us a name and contact person to do the work.
We got in contact with the insulation company he recommended and they did the work very quickly and professionally and we even qualified for a rebate and ended up getting over 1/2 of our money back!

Along with the help with the insulation, he also installed 2 new energy efficient light bulbs in our bathroom and gave us 4 extras. He put in a low flow shower head in our shower as well as low flow aerators on all of our sinks. We got all this for FREE!

I have also heard of utility company's providing water heater blankets, programmable thermostats (at a discounted price), and hot water pipe insulation foam.

If you haven't checked into it, I highly suggest you call your local utility company and see if they provide energy audits.

Here are a couple numbers to get started if you live around here.
Mid American Energy 1-800-545-0762
Alliant Energy 1-866-255-4268

Linked to Frugal Friday at Life as Mom and Finding Freedom Friday at Cents to Get Debt Free.

$10 Congagra Coupon Book


You can go here to sign up for a Free Congagra Coupon book with up to $10 in coupons. It also include a coupon for a free 24 oz bottle of Hunt's Ketchup!

(Thanks A Thrifty Mom)

Dahl's Deals Week of 5/26-5/31

For my local readers, my sister sent me some deals that Dahl's is offering this week. If you are interested you can view their ad here. Thanks Julia.

Dahl's Angus Pride Premium Choice Charcoal Steak $2.49/lb.

Dahl's Angus Pride Premium Choice Bread and Butter Roast $2.49/lb.

Dole Cut Vegetables, 8 - 12 oz. asst. varieties 2/$3

Mikey's Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, 3 lb. bag $4.99 ($1.66/lb)

Smucker's Strawberry Jam 32 oz. $2.49

Midwest Water Refills, 1 gal, $0.19

Blue Bunny Premium Ice Cream 56 oz. asst. varieties 2/$5

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

New Hy-Vee Coupon Policy

I have been under the weather recently so I appreciate my fellow blogger Kerri, who blogs at Southeast Iowa Deals emailing me letting me know about the changes going on regarding the Hy-Vee coupon policy. Due to some problems with fraudulent internet printable coupons they have changed their policy. Here is a copy of that new policy.

5/14/2009

Hy-Vee Coupon Policy

Hy-Vee is happy to redeem your coupons. The following guidelines apply when presenting manufacturers’ coupons clipped from newspapers or magazines, received by mail, or obtained legitimately from the Internet:
  • The coupon must be legible.
  • The coupon must have a scannable bar code (UPC) and a remittable manufacturer’s address.
  • Coupons with an expiration date must be used within the stated time frame. Expired coupons will not be accepted.
  • Only one manufacturer coupon per item will be accepted; however, a customer may use a manufacturer’s coupon in combination with a Hy-Vee coupon on the same item.
  • Coupon values that exceed the price of the item will not be accepted.
  • Soft drink container caps will be accepted.
Due to the unfortunate rise of counterfeit activity, the following two additional guidelines apply to Internet coupons:

  • Manufacturer coupons that involve any kind of free product will not be accepted, including “buy one, get one free” offers.
  • No coupon that exceeds $2.50 will be accepted.
Very unfortunate that this has to happen. I agree with Kerri in that some people have probably been copying the high dollar coupons and using them, and the stores have not been able to get reimbursed for the photocopy. Just a reminder to be ethical and follow the rules when it comes to using coupons. This sort of behavior ruins it for all of us.

Fareway Deals Week of 5/26-6/1

Welcome Grocery Gathering readers! Here is a list of current deals that I see at Fareway. I use central Iowas ad when making this list. My store takes printable coupons as well as manufacturer coupons from the paper. Please check your local ad to confirm these deals in your area. I know they run different ads in different locations. Meat
Pork Spare Ribs $1.99 lb
in ad coupon

Pork and Bacon Patties 10 for $10
in ad coupon

Baby Back Pork Ribs $2.49 lb
in ad coupon

Dairy
Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt $1.99
-$.50 (4/19 SS)
= $1.49

Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls $1.88
-$.40/2 (3/08 or 4/05 SS)
= $1.68 each when you buy 2

Produce
Head Lettuce $.49
Baby Bella Mushrooms $1.49
Red Raspberries $2.48
Kiwi $.25 each

Grocery

Hunt's Spaghetti Sauce $.79
Fastco Sandwich Bread white or wheat $1.18
Ken's Dressing $1.88
-$1.00 (5/03 SS)
= $.88

Beverage
Pepsi, Mt. Dew, Mug or Sierra Mist 2 liter $1.00

7-Up, A&W, Sunkist, Welch's or Dr. Pepper buy 4 2 liters get 4 free
in ad coupon makes them $.50 each

Frozen
Totino's Pizza Rolls $.88

See any other deals I missed? This seems to be a slow week for deals. Please feel free to email me or leave a comment if you see any other bargains.

Storing Spices


I have very limited cupboard space so I have to use what I have available wisely. I have a ton of spices and have never had a good way of organizing them until now. I bought these plastic bins at Wal-Mart for 3/$1.00. I wrote the names of each spice on the top of the lid and put them in these baskets. Now, I just have to pull out the basket and choose what I want. The baskets are tall enough that they cover the small sized spices so I can stack them up creating even more room in my cupboard. Works for me!

To see what works for others visit Works for Me Wednesday over at We are That Family.

And The Winner Is...

According to the WOW random number generator (my husband loves that I use his World of Warcraft generator LOL) the lucky winner is

#26 Susan

Susan wrote Oooh ... coupons! Awhile back, my dad asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I told him that, more than any gift, I'd love his Sunday coupons. He couldn't believe it :)
I organize mine in a simple 8" x 4" nylon pouch that I got in a rebate years ago. The ones I'm planning to use on a shopping trip that day go into a recycled envelope with my shopping list written on the side.
Wonderful giveaway; thanks!

Thank you to all who entered.

Walgreens Deals Week of 5/24-5/30

Sorry I am late getting the Walgreens deals up. I have been sick the last couple days. I am going to send you to Being Frugal is Fabulous for this weeks deals. I will be back next week with my own match ups. Thanks for your patience.

Target Deals Week of 5/24-5/30


I am so sorry I haven't gotten the Target match up posted for the week. I have been really sick the last couple days so I am actually going to link you up with one of my fellow bloggers for Target deals this week. Please visit Marci at Stretching a Buck.

I will be back next week with my own deals and match ups. Thanks for your patience.

Also Target did put up a new batch of coupons this past Sunday. You can go here to see them.

Hy-Vee Deals Week of May 24-30

Welcome Grocery Gathering readers! Here is a list of current deals that I see at Hy-Vee. I base my deals on what is shown at least 50% regular price for the store. I also post anything else that I consider a pretty good deal. I use central Iowas ad when making this list. My store takes both printable coupons and manufacturer coupons from the paper. Please check your local ad to confirm these deals in your area.Grocery
Hy-Vee Cottage Bread $1.18

Folger's Coffee $5.99
-$.25 (5/03 RP)
=$5.74

Dairy
Hy-Vee Yogurt $.28 each
Hy-Vee Large Eggs 18 ct $1.18

Produce
Cantaloupe $1.48 each
California Red Cherries $2.99 lb
Baby Carrots 2 lb $1.77
Driscol Raspberries $2.48 6 oz package

Meat
Hy-Vee Whole Chicken $.59 lb
Pork Loin Country Style Ribs $1.88 lb
Hormel Always Tender Pork Loin $1.47 lb

Hormel Always Tender Pork Loin $1.47 lb
-$1.00 (5/17 SS)
= Prices Vary
(Thanks Kerri)

Bar S Hotdogs 16 oz $1.00
-$1.00 printable here
= Free

Beverage
Kool Aid Drink Mix 10 for $1.00
-$.50 printable on my blue banner to the left or at coupons.com
= 10 for $.50

In Ad Coupons~
Buy one package blue ribbon boneless porkchops, get 16 oz of ground pork patties free.
7-Up, RC or Diet Rite 3 for $8.00

3 Day Sale May 28, 29 and 30
Hy-Vee Light Apple Juice 64 oz $.99
Hy-Vee Mac and Cheese $.33
Hy-Vee Tomato Suace 8 oz $.19
Hy-Vee Russet Potato 15 lb $2.48
Hy-Vee Garden Salad or Cole Slaw $.88
Hy-Vee Shredded Cheese $1.25
Hy-Vee Butter $1.48

See any deals I missed? Feel free to email me or leave a comment.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Deals and Matchups

We have a family party to go to today so I will be back at the computer tonight to post my Hy-Vee, Target and Walgreens deals and match-ups. Sorry for the delay. Hope you all enjoy your extra day off and please take a moment to remember those who serve/served in our armed forces.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Menu Plan Monday


Here is what is on our menu for the week. We have ball games 3 nights this week so we have a pretty simple menu.

Monday...Anniversary party potluck.
Tuesday...Leftovers, chicken rolls ups or steak
Wednesday...Grilled BBQ chicken, fried potatoes, peaches.
Thursday...French dips, carrots, apples
Friday...Frozen pizzas, lettuce, fruit salad

To see what others are having check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Easy Homemade Corn Bread

Ingredients
1 Cup all purpose flour
1 Cup yellow, white or blue cornmeal ( I use yellow)
2-4 Tablespoons of sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup oil or melted shortening
Directions
~In a mixing bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.
~In another bowl beat together eggs, milk and oil.
~Add to flour mixture and mix just until batter is smooth. (Do not over mix)
~Pour into a greased 9x9x2 pan. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes or till golden brown.

Makes 9 servings.

Free Sample of Crest Whitestrips

You can go here to receive a free sample of Crest Whitestips.

Coupon Giveaway!


Hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day weekend. We will be busy with family and graduations. Don't forget to enter my coupon giveaway. There are over $250 in coupons! Go here to enter.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Garnier Ultra Lift Sample

You can go here to request a free sample of Garnier Ultra Lift Wrinkle Cream.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Saving on Dining Out

Dining out at a nice restaurant doesn't have to be completely eliminated to live a frugal lifestyle. There are a few tips that you can do to enjoy an occasional dinner out without breaking the bank.

Keep your radar up. When the waiter or waitress suggests something for dessert like French silk pie, or maybe a cup of coffee after your meal, remember these suggestions add money to your bill. Keep your dinner simple to avoid paying extra.

Ordering water to drink is an easy way to save money while dining out. You usually have to pay for drinks separately and this can add an additional couple bucks per person to your tab. Ask them to add a lemon wedge to your water to give it some flavor.

Check your restaurant but typically eating out during lunchtime will be cheaper then eating at diner time.

Keep your eye out for coupons. Lots of restaurants put out half price coupons or buy one get one free entree coupons. Restaurants.com is a great resource for coupons.

And lastly, lots of restaurants offer certain nights of the week where kids eat free.

Have any other tips to offer? Feel free to share in the comments.

For more Frugal Fridays visit Life as Mom.

Eat From the Pantry Challenge Update~Week 3


Well, here we are ending the third week of my pantry challenge. My goal is to spend $250 or less on groceries for the month. This includes everything, diapers, cat liter, shampoo etc. So far I am still on track. I did spend a little more this week than I did the last 2 weeks combined. I went Tuesday and did my weekly shopping spending about $70. I made another run to Hy-Vee tonight and got...

6 boxes of cereal = $12
4 packages of hotdogs $3.96
1 lb of cheese $2.99
Toilet Paper $5.99

My total before coupons was $24.94
After coupons was $14.95

So for the week I spent $85. Leaving me with $95 left for the month. I don't think I should have a problem staying under budget. I feel like I haven't used a whole ton out of my pantry. Maybe I will have to carry this challenge over to the next month. I guess this means I have way more than I thought I did.

I have been also thinking about doing another 30 Days of Nothing challenge. Anyone interested in participating? Feel free to read my post here about this challenge that my family did in January. It may be a little more difficult to do it now with Summer staring and all the kids being home but I might give it a try anyway, we'll see. We are getting ready to drain our savings for a car and I am really feeling the urge to cut way back and skimp as much as possible. Let me know your thoughts and if you would be interested in joining in.

How did you do this week on the pantry challenge? Leave a link to your post below. Link back to my page so others can see how your doing!

Weekly Wrap Up

Friday brings another edition of the Weekly Wrap Up over at Getting Ahead. Here is what I did this week to be frugal.

~Used my rain barrel to water my garden and flowers.
~We stuck to our meal plan all but one night, when we splurged and got McDonald's.
~Had the heat/air off all week with the exception of about 4 hours one night when it was 60 in the house and I couldn't get warm.

I did my usual washing in cold water, using cloth napkins, turning the heat cycle off the dishwasher.

I feel like my family has really started to slack in the energy area. Lights, radios and TV are being left on, my laundry has been ridiculous. They are throwing clothes in the laundry that I know aren't dirty. They have been using multiple cups and towels. It has been driving me crazy. I have to think of some strategy to get them all back on the frugal wagon. Maybe we should have another "30 Days of Nothing". That might get them back in the mood!

How did your week go? Check out Jennifer's blog to see what others did this week to be frugal.

Better Crocker Spring Newsletter, Recipes and Coupons

Betty Crocker Spring Recipes

Sign up to receive Betty Crocker's Spring newsletter and get great recipes and money saving coupons.

Great Bar S Coupons

You can go to the Bar S Website, and print off 2 coupons for $1/2 ANY Bar S products. Wal-Mart sells the hotdogs for I think $.88. I see them go on sale often for cheaper at other stores as well. Then you can go over to my blue side bar or to Coupons.com and print them twice again. Just in time for grilling season!

Hy Vee 1 Day Only Sale, Today May 21

Sorry, this is a late notice but I found an ad in my paper for a 1 day only sale at Hy-Vee. The sale is for today May 21 only. Items on the ad were

Kellogg's Cereal 5/$10
-there was/are printable coupons out there for these

Pepsi/Mt. Dew 12 packs 5/$10 with coupon
(in ad coupon)

Doritos B1G1 Free

Not less than 85% ground chuck $1.99 lb

Sara Lee Hamburger and Hotdog buns $.99

Ultra Era Detergent 150 oz $9.99

Gatorade 8 pk 20 oz $4.50

Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Lite or MGD 64 12 pack cans 3/$27
-$15 Mail in Rebate
=3/$12
See stores for details and rebate forms. Good deal if you are a beer drinker.

Midwest Country Fare Ice Cream 4 qt. $2.99

Quilted Northern Tissue 12 big rolls or 24 regular rolls $5.00
(in ad coupon)

Chinese Express 2 Entree Meal $3.99
Dine in or Carry out

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

My Weekly Shopping Trip 5/19

I wasn't real excited about my deals for this week. I was feeling a little down actually because I spent more than I wanted to and I broke some of my "rules" I had for myself regarding my pantry challenge this month. I couldn't pass up 3 packages of meat at Target that were on clearance. I also stocked up on mustard even though I still have one in the pantry (great deal at Fareway, 40 oz for $.99 - $.75 coupon making them $.24). And I bought some ice cream at Wal-Mart. They have Breyers for $2.25. There are $1.00 and $.75 MC out there, making it a cheap little treat! Plus I had to buy some more expensive items like cat litter ($6) and moth balls for my garden($5). I think I am still going to be under my goal of $250 for the month, unless I go nuts next week. I just spent a little more last night than I have the last couple weeks.

Here is the breakdown. I didn't divide my stores up for the picture. I just took one group photo of everything I bought for the night.

Total before coupons...$122.61
Total after coupons...$78.95
Total spent out of "grocery" budget...$70.00
Total spent on groceries for the month...$140.00
Grocery money left to spend...$110.00

As you can see I bought a few extras that were not included in the grocery category. I did get a great deal on a pair of swim trunks for my oldest son at Target for $3.24. I also bought myself a utensil holder on clearance at Wal-Mart for $2 and also some flowers for a planter in my front yard.

Linked to Super Savings Saturday at Money Saving Mom.

Free Sample of Men's Degree Deodorant

You can go here to get a free sample of Degree Men's Absolute Protection Deodorant.

(Thanks Marcy)

Free After Rebate Blue Bunny Treat


Blue Bunny wants you to try their new Aspen or Sedona Frozen Yougurt Treats for free after rebate. You must purchase this product between May 23-25 only. Rebate must be postmarked by June 10, 2009. You can go here to read more about it and to get a printable rebate form.

Bisquick Newsletter, Recipes and Coupons

Go here to sign up for Bisquicks email newsletter, recipes and money saving offers and coupons.

Free Package of Oscar Mayer Beef Franks

You can go here to request a coupon for a free package of hotdogs. Hurry, this won't last long.

Thanks Crystal!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Using Up Those Free Samples

This month I am doing an "Eat from the Pantry Challenge". With that I am also trying to use up some of those many samples I have laying around! This is what I have for samples of laundry detergent. Lucky for me, none of my family have any allergies to soap. I can get an entire weeks laundry done with all these samples! I figured I would hold a couple of them back for those "oops" moments when I run out of soap and don't realize it! It works for me!

Have you used any of your free samples this week? Don't forget to enter my coupon giveaway here!

Check out Works for Me Wednesdays at We are That Family.

Dahl's Deals Week of 5/19-5/25

For my local readers, my sister sent me some deals that Dahl's is offering this week. If you are interested you can view their ad here. Thanks Julia.

Vidalia Sweet onions 77 cents/lb

Dahl's Own bratwurst, 19.7 oz., asst. varieties, $2.99

Bush's Baked Beans, 28 oz., asst. var. 2/$3 (equiv. to HyVee)

Heinz ketchup, 40 oz., $1.49 (beats HyVee's $1.69 price)

Lay's Potato Chips, 10 - 12 oz, excludes baked and light 2/$4 (equiv. to HyVee)

Dole coleslaw, 14 oz. 88 cents (beats HyVee's $1)

Sara Lee white hamburger or hot dog buns, 8 ct., $1.39 (beats HyVee's price of $1.50)

Kraft BBQ sauce, 18 oz. asst. var., 99 cents (print a coupon and get 1 cent overage)

Kraft American singles, 12 oz., 2/$3 (use $1 printable coupon, equiv. to HyVee)

AE Dips, 8 oz., asst. var. 79 cents

You can also get a $.05 discount per reusable bag.

Walgreens $5 off $25 Purchase 5/20 and 5/21 only


Here is a coupon good for $5 off a $25 purchase at Walgreens. This coupon is good for Wednesday 5/20 and Thursday 5/21 only. Remember your total must be $25 after all coupons and discounts. Once again there is quite a few Register Rewards deals this week. You can go here to read my Walgreens deals for the week.

Freebies




You can go here to request a free sample of Playtex Sport tampons.








Free sample of Downy Fabric Softener here.

Fareway Deals 5/19-5/23

Welcome Grocery Gathering readers! Here is a list of current deals that I see at Fareway. I use central Iowas ad when making this list. My store takes printable coupons as well as manufacturer coupons from the paper. Please check your local ad to confirm these deals in your area. I know they run different ads in different locations. Fareway stores will be closed Monday May 25 for Memorial Day.

Meat

Thick Cut Iowa Chops $1.99 lb
John Morrel Hot Dogs $.59

93% Lean Ground Beef $2.59 lb
sold in 10 lb tubes, in ad coupon

Dairy
Anderson Erickson Sour Cream Dips $.59
Blue Bunny Ice Cream Pail $4.99

Breyer's Ice Cream $2.50
-$1.00 (5/17 RP) or
-$.75 (4/05 Unilever)
=$1.50-$1.75

Philadelphia Cream Cheese $1.19
- $1.00/2 in my coupon bar to the left or here
= $.69 each when you buy 2

Kraft American Singles 3 for $5.00
$1.00/2 here or in my blue coupon bar to the left
= 3 for $4.00

Kraft Shredded or Chunk Cheese 3 for $5.00
-$1.00/2 coupon bar to your left or coupons.com
=3 for $4.00

Kraft Cool Whip $.99
-$1.00/2 coupon bar to the left or coupons.com
=$.49 each when you buy 2

Produce
Whole Watermelon Seedless $2.99 each
Starwberries $1.49 lb
Sweet Vidalia Onions $.49 lb
Braeburn Apples $.79 lb
Dole Classic Lettuce $.99

Grocery

Lay's Potato Chips $1.88
Wonder Hamburger or Hotdog Buns $.99

Lipton Family Tea Bags 20-24 $2.00
-$.60 (3/15 RP, 5/17 RP)
=$1.40

Planter's Peanuts 16 oz $2.00
-$1.00 coupon bar to your left or coupons.com
=$1.00

Smucker's Ice Cream Toppings $1.50
-$.75 (5/17 RP)
=$.75

General Mills Cereal 5 for $10 or $2 each
- $1.00/3 (4/05 and 5/3 SS)
= $1.67 each

Kraft Salad Dressing $1.58
-$1.00 in my blue banner to your left or here
= $.58

French's Yellow Mustard $.99
-$.75 (5/10 SS) or
-$.50 (1/18, 3/29, 5/10)
=$.24-$.49

Lipton Onion Soup $1.19
-$.60/2 (4/05 Unilever)
=$.89 each when you buy 2

Velveeta Cheese 2 lb $3.99
-$1.00 coupon bar to the left or coupons.com
=$2.99

Beverage

Pepsi or Mt. Dew 6 pk bottles or 12 pk cans 5 for $11.00
in ad coupon

Anderson Erickson Lemonade 1/2 gallon $.88
Sunkist or Welch's pop 2 Liter $.89

Frozen
Tombstone Pizza 3 for $10 or 3.33 each
-$1.00 coupon bar to the left or coupons.com
=$2.33
Also don't forget about the Tombstone rebate here.

Non Food Items
Solo Assorted Party Cups $1.99
-$1.00 (5/17 SS)
=$.99

Graduation Deals Running 4/28-5/23

Fastco Pretzels $.99
Hefty 55 Ct Foam Plates $1.49
Nestle Water 24 pk $3.49
Home style Buns 12 Ct. $1.69
Fastco Pop 2/$1.00~in ad coupon
85% Jumbo Beef Patties 12 Ct. $8.99~In ad coupon

See any other deals I missed? Feel free to email me or leave a comment.

Coupon Giveaway!


Unfortunately there will be no inserts in this Sundays paper due to the holiday weekend. Don't get too discouraged though, because I am having a coupon giveaway! Up for grabs will be all 4 inserts from this past Sundays newspaper (2 SS, RP and P&G) with an extra copy of the Smart Source #1 insert. In addition to the 5 inserts I am also throwing in $20 in Eggo Waffle coupons! There is over $250 in coupons.

There are 4 ways to enter.

1. Subscribe to my blog via email or reader. Leave a comment letting me know you did so.
2. You can grab my button! Leave a comment letting me know.
3. Become a Follower. Leave a comment telling me.
4. Leave me a comment letting me know what method you use to organize your coupons, if you have one!

I will randomly select a winner Tuesday morning May 26th.

Saving Money With Bulk Cooking and Freezing

Thank you to Jennifer at Getting Ahead for providing this wonderful guest post about bulk cooking and freezing. Jennifer is a wife and homeschooling mother to 4 children. She blogs about her life and living frugally and also hosts the Weekly Wrap Up every Friday where you can link up and list out the things you did for the week that were frugal. Jennifer's blog is one I visit everyday. It is packed with lots of great information. Stop over at Getting Ahead and check it out.

Saving money on food can be hard, but I have found something that helps me stretch my dollar while making life a little easier in the long run. I don’t really want to try once a month cooking, however I love having meals or main portions of meals ready and waiting in the freezer. I do batch cooking for my meats and I double several of my recipes. This allows me to buy things in bulk which is generally cheaper per ounce. Let me give you an example of how I handle this.

When I buy ground beef or ground turkey I buy a lot of it. Then I spend some time in the kitchen preparing it. Because I buy large packages of ground beef I save money on the per pound cost. For instance this week at my grocery store I can buy one pound of ground beef for $3.29 or I can buy three pounds of ground beef for $1.99 a pound. Of course I am going to buy the three pound package, actually two of them. After I buy the beef I divide it up into meal size portions. I will make some of it into meatloaves, mix in sausage and make large batches of meatball, brown some, and freeze some uncooked in meal size portions. Out of six pounds of beef and an hour of hands on time in the kitchen I have 10 meals worth of meat in the freezer that will take no time to reheat and become the base for many meals.

I do the same with chicken, only I cook and chop some, freeze some as is, and freeze some with a marinade mixed in so that it is ready to be put on the grill. Again I get a lower per pound cost and I have ready to eat or cook meat in the freezer.

I have a few recipes that I like to double and freeze half, while we have the other one for dinner. Yes it costs more upfront to buy ingredients for two lasagnas, BUT it isn’t as expensive as if I made lasagna two separate times. It takes a little more time to put together two lasagnas, but not as much time as it would take me to make lasagna two separate times.

When I make lasagna I use ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese. I use 8 oz of each for each lasagna (I know, that is half of what they call for, but it works for us). If I were to buy an 8 oz container of ricotta for $1.08 and an 8 oz block of cheese for $2.99 I have spent $4.07 on the cheese alone for just one lasagna. If I make two lasagnas and buy a 16 oz container of ricotta for $1.59 and a pound of cheese for $3.99 I have spent $5.58 on two lasagnas. That is a savings of $2.56 on the cheese alone for these lasagnas.

Over time these savings really do add up. As an added bonus you will save money on energy costs by batch cooking and doubling recipes. On top of the monetary savings you will have some ready made meals in the freezer that will make your life much easier one day down the road. A little extra time and money spent one day will result in long term savings and less stress.


Monday, May 18, 2009

Utilizing Your Leftovers

I must admit I am not a huge fan of leftovers. With my family I never know who is gonna eat like there is no tomorrow or who is just not hungry that night. So, sometimes I am stuck with lots of leftovers. Here are a few ideas of what you can do when you need to tackle those leftovers in your fridge.

~Combine leftovers to make soups, wraps or omelets. Have a little bit of chicken left? You can make chicken wraps with lettuce, tortillas and dressing. I had about 2 servings of roast beef left last week. I hated to eat it again so I pulled it all apart, added some BBQ sauce to it and made a pulled BBQ beef sandwich. It was delicious and nothing was wasted.
~Overripe fruit can be made into breads or muffins. You can use overripe apples to make applesauce. I just threw some overripe bananas into the freezer to use later to make bread.
~You can make your own broth and stock from meat and vegetable trimmings. You can go here to read this wonderful post about making homemade broth.
~Freeze leftover or stale bread to use in making bread pudding or homemade croutons. We also save it and feed the birds with it sometimes!

It is important to clean out your fridge about once a week to make sure nothing is close to expiration. If you have lots of leftovers, take a night off from cooking and just eat whats left in the fridge.

How do you utilize leftovers? For other ideas on what to do with meat leftovers you can read this post.

Linked to Tackle it Tuesday at Five Minutes for Mom and Talk about Tuesday at The Lazy Organizer.