Hy-Vee Deals Week of 6/30-7/6

Welcome Grocery Gathering readers! Here is a preview of the list of 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
Lay's Potato Chips $1.77
Betty Crocker Cake Mix $.88

Post Cereals Select Varieties 4 for $10.00
(with in ad coupon)

Buy a 10" Apple Pie at $9.99, get a Hy-Vee Ice Cream Free
(with in ad coupon)

Meat
85% Lean Ground Beef 16 oz tube $1.77 (limit 4)

Bar S Jumbo Franks $.49
(with in ad coupon)

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $1.99 lb

Diary
Hy-Vee Large Eggs $.88

Produce
Cantaloupe $1.38 each
Sweet Corn $.25 each

This seems to be a much slower week so if you see any deals I missed please feel free to email me or leave a comment.

Looking for Guest Bloggers

I am going to be away from the computer for a week or so in the middle of July and I am looking for some guest bloggers to fill in for me. If you have any good frugal tips, recipes, or stories you would like to share please email me your article. I know you all have some wonderful ideas to share.

My email is slfiggins@hotmail.com

Week In Review

Here are the things I did this week to be frugal. I think I had a pretty good week with the exception of going over my grocery budget. I did lots of stocking up though and had some other unexpected grocery expenses so I am not beating myself up too much over it.

~I hung 7 loads of laundry outside.
~We ate dinner at home every night.
~I washed all laundry in cold water.
~I paid some bills over the phone saving postage.
~We were able to fix our broken dryer on our own paying only about $17, saving on calling in a repair man.
~I got lots of work done in the garden this week and it is looking really good.

How was your week?

Coupon Preview for Sunday 6/28

There will be a SmartSource and a RedPlum in this Sundays newspaper. For a list of the individual coupons you can visit the Taylortown Coupon Preview. Remember, some coupons may vary by location.

Hy-Vee 3 Day Sale June 25, 26 and 27

Hy-Vee has a great 3 day sale going on right now on produce. Here is what I see that is a good deal.

Strawberries 4lb $4.88
Bananas $.39 lb
Green or Red Bell Peppers 3 for $2.00 or $.67 each
Sweet Corn $3.99 a dozen
Whole White Mushrooms $.99 8 oz package
Cherries $2.99 lb

Don't forget the other great stock up deals.

8 oz shredded cheeses $.99
HV Cottage Cheese $.99
Oscar Mayer Hotdogs $.99
HV Yogurt $.39 each

Weekly Shopping Trip June 25

Here is what I got today at Hy-Vee. I did some big time stocking up. I got in on their 3 day sale that runs today through Saturday. I didn't see the 3 day sale advertised so it was a pleasant surprise. There was some really great deals. Here is what I got.

HV Blueberry bagel $.99 x 2
HV Vanilla Yogurt $.39 x 6
HV Sandwich Bread $1.18 x 2
Hotdogs $.99 x 7
HV Cottage Cheese $.99 x 6
HV 8 oz Packaged Cheese $1.50 x 6
HV Shredded Cheese $.99 x 14
Bananas $.39 lb 7.53lb = 2.93
Strawberries 4 lb $4.88
Whole White Mushrooms $.99 package x 2
Red Bell Pepper $.67
Sweet Corn 12 Ct $3.99

Total Spent $57.26


Here is what I spent at Target today. I stocked up big time on the Eggo waffles. I had picked up a ton of $1.00 off coupons at Hy-Vee a few months back. There were gobs of them at the customer service counter and I have been just holding onto them for a great deal like this!

Eggo Waffles $1.50 x 22 = 33.00
Oscar Mayer Hotdogs $3.54
Hunt's Ketsup $1.27
Beef Steak 3.91
Beef Steak 4.63
Beef Steak 4.87
Edy's Ice Cream Singles 6 @ $1.19 = $7.14

Total before coupons...58.36

Coupons Used
- $3.54 Free coupon for Hotdogs
-$1.27 Free coupon for Ketsup
-$3.00 (3) Target Steak coupons
-$6.00 (3) $2.00 Peelies on the steaks
-$6.00 (6) Target Edys coupons
-$22.00 (22) Eggo coupons

Total after coupons...$16.85
Plus I had a $5 giftcard from a few weeks back so I paid $11.85 out of pocket.

Frugal Summery Treat ~ Strawberry Ice

Here is a nice and easy summery treat for those of you who have an abundance of strawberries. Today we made strawberry ice and it was delicious! In a blender combine:

Strawberries
3 T (or desired amount, if any) of sugar
Puree together then add ice and puree again

My strawberries were actually already frozen so I just added the sugar and some water.

Free 2 Year Subscription to Parents Magazine

You can go here to sign up for a free 2 year subscription to Parent's Magazine. These usually don't last long, so hurry!

Savings on DIY Projects (Our Dryer)

I am so proud of my hubby because he was able to fix our dryer. It has not been working for almost one week which is not a good thing when you have 4 young boys in the house. I had my FIL look at it on Sunday and he thought it looked like the belt was worn.

So yesterday after work hubby and I drove into the repair shop and bought a new belt. Our friend was over helping us install a new window (another super savings project) and helped Will attach the new belt. He got everything put back together and the dryer worked again!

To have the repair man come out and just look at the dryer would have cost $50. That is not including what it would have cost for that parts and labor. We spent a total of $16.79 doing it ourselves!

Fareway Deals Week of 6/23-6/29

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
Thick Cut Iowa Chops $1.88 lb

Bacon Wrapped Sirloins 8 oz $2.50 each
In ad coupon

Boneless Country Style Ribs $1.69 lb
In ad coupon

Chicken Hindquarters 10 lb bag $4.79
In ad coupon

Produce
Whole Seedless Watermelon $2.69
Green Giant Russet Potatoes 10 lb 2.48

Dairy
Blue Bunny Ice Cream Pail $4.88
Kraft American Singles $1.50
Kraft Shredded or Chunk Cheese 3 for $5

Grocery
Doritos $1.88
Fastco Potato Chips $.77

General Mills Cereal 5 for $10
Cookie Crisp, Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams
- $1.00/3 (5/31 SS) or
- $1.00/2 GM Cheerios (6/14 SS) or
- $1.00/1 various Cheerios coupons floating around
= prices vary

Kraft Salad Dressing $1.50
- $1.00 (6/21 SS)
= $.50

Suddenly Salad $.99
- $.50/2 (5/17 SS)
= $.74 each when you buy 2

Beverage
Pepsi Products 12 packs or 6 pk bottles 5 for $12
In ad coupon

Pepsi 2 Liters $1.00

Non-Food
Purex Laundry Detergent 50 oz $2.50
- $.35 (6/14 SS)
= $2.15

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

Free Redbox Code 6/22 and 6/23 Only

Sorry this is late, I am just getting to my email and apparently there is a free Redbox code that is valid at ANY Redbox until Tuesday June 23 at midnight. The code is:

RBXTHXU6

To use the code, do the following: on the first screen select "Rent With Promo, enter the code, choose your movie and swipe your debit or credit card (this is in case you don't bring the movie back. They will put a $1 charge on your card to hold the movie, but if you return the movie by 9 pm the next day, the charge will be removed).


You can use 1 code for each debit/credit card that you have, so to rent multiple movies, just do the above process with each card. It is really easy. If you want to find a Redbox near you, you can go here.

First Attempt at the Clothesline

I experimented for the first time today line drying my clothes outside. I hung 3 loads of laundry. Had my dryer not have been broken for the last 4 days, I probably wouldn't have chosen today for my first day to line dry since it was 100 degrees outside...literally. However, it was actually a pretty positive experience.

I have decided to leave the clothes lines up. At least 2 out of the 3 that I put up. I think I will try and line dry at least a couple loads of laundry per week. Since my family is so large and we go through an enormous amount of clothing I really don't want to line dry all of our clothing so I am just going to feel good about the couple loads a week that I will try and get hung outside.

For more Works for Me Wednesdays visit We are That Family.

Pampers Gifts to Grow Free Point

Here is a new Pampers Gifts to Grow point. It is worth 1 Free point.

STARTEARNINGNOW

Not familiar with Pampers Gifts to Grow? Read about it here.

Thanks Freebies for Mom.

Walgreens Deals Week of 6/21-6/27

I am directing you over to Being Frugal is Fabulous for this weeks Walgreens match ups.

Target Deals Week of 6/21-6/27

I am so behind on gardening and housework this week that I am leaving the Target match ups to someone else! Marci over at Stretching a Buck always has a great Target list each week. For the best deals at Target check out her site.

Free Sample of Carefree and Stayfree

You can go here to request a free sample of Carefree Ultra Protection Liners and Stayfree Pads.

Menu Plan Monday

Here is what is on the menu for the week. We are out of entertainment money for the month so we must eat at home for the reminder of the month!

Monday...Stir Fry with snap peas, carrots, green and red peppers and stew meat, fruit.
Tuesday...Leftovers.
Wednesday...Steak, spaghetti with pesto, fruit
Thursday...Grilled hotdogs, lettuce salad with cottage cheese, fruit.
Friday...Grilled chicken hindquarters, broccoli, grilled bread and fruit.

To see what others are having this week head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Hy-Vee Deals Week of 6/23-6/29

Welcome Grocery Gathering readers! Here is a preview of the list of 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.Oh my, there are some great deals this week at Hy-Vee! I will definitely be going there to do some shopping.

Grocery
Hy-Vee 4lb Sugar $1.58
Pillsbury Classic Brownies $1.00
Hy Vee Sandwich Bread $1.18

Ragu Pasta Sauce $1.50
-$1.00/2 (5/17 RP) or
-$.60 Ragu Margherita or Sweet Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce jar
= $.90-$1.00 each

Hunt's Ketsup 24 oz $.88
-$.20 (5/10 SS and 6/21 SS)
=$.68

General Mills Cereals (Select Varieties) $1.99
Pic shows Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Golden Grahams
-$1.00/3 (5/31 SS)
= $1.66 per box when you buy 3

Meat
Oscar Mayer or Louis Rich Hotdogs 16 oz $.99
(Stock Up)

Lloyd's BBQ Meat or Chi Chi's Seasoned Meats
B1 at $5.99 get one Free
-$.75 Lloyd's BBQ tub (5/17 SS)
= 2 for $5.24 or $2.62 each
If you have 2 coupons it can be as little as $2.25 each
Thanks Heather!

Diary
Hy-Vee Yogurt $.39 each

Hy Vee Shredded Cheese 8 oz $.99
(Stock Up)

Hy-Vee Cottage Cheese 24 oz $.99
(Great Deal)

Beverage
Pepsi 2 Liter $1.00 each

Pepsi 12 packs or 6 pack bottles buy 4 for $12 get one free
in ad coupon (like getting 5 for $12)

Produce
Raspberries 6 oz $1.88
Lemons 3 for $1.00
Peaches $.99 lb

Non-Food Items
Secret Deodorant select varieties $1.68
-$1.00 (5/17 P&G)
=$.68

Old Spice Deodorant select varieties $1.68
-$1.00 (5/17 P&G and 6/7 P&G)
=$.68

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

Ways to Help Stay Cool When it's Hot

Well with the temps in the 90s here this week I have had to break down and turn on the air conditioner. I am trying to keep it at 76 during the day while my husband is at work. For now it is programmed at 72 but I am hoping to bump that up to 74 as soon as I can figure out how to run the programmable thermostat!

You can lower your cooling bills by adding some of these other helpful tips.

~Shade your house from the sun. Planting trees on the south side of the house is a good investment.
~Install awnings over windows that get direct sunlight.
~Adding insulation to your attic will help reduce the amount of heat absorbed through the roof and then through the ceiling. (We did this last year and it has made a huge difference.)
~Close your drapes during the hours of the day that direct sunlight is coming in.
~If you use your air conditioner, turn your thermostat up higher. If you set it to 76, that will feel pretty good to the 90 degrees that it is outside.
~Use fans to circulate the air. Overhead fans are great, but even small box fans will help move the air.
~At the end of the day when it is dark and the temperature is cooler and not humid, turn off your air conditioner and open the windows or just turn your air up.
~Instead of using your oven, grill outside to keep from heating up the kitchen.
~Use small appliances like the microwave, crock pot or skillet instead of the oven or stove. This is more energy efficient and it will cut back on unwanted heat.
~Hang clothing outside instead of using your dryer.
~Turn the heat cycle off on the dishwasher.
~Take short showers to avoid a buildup of steam.

Linked to Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

Free Sample of Emeril's Seasoning

From now until September 15, or while supplies last, you can request a free sample of Emeril's Original Essence Seasoning. You can go here to order.

Free Scott Brand Sample Pack

Go here to get a sample pack of Scott products from Walmart. It includes toilet tissue and flushable wipes.

Free Quart of Paint From Glidden June 25th

The Glidden™ National Paint Giveaway

Save the Date! June 25 Glidden will be giving away a free quart of paint. Bookmark this site and check back on June 25 for an order form and complete details.

Weekly Shopping Trip 6/16

I did so much better sticking to my list this week. After surveying my pantry and freezer today I realized I really didn't need much this week. I have lots of lettuce in my garden and lots of apples in my fridge. Plus, I still have some bananas left over frozen from last week to make more bread and muffins.

Here is what I bought tonight.

From Fareway...

2 dozen large eggs $.77 each
yellow onion $.39 lb

Total $3.18

From Wal-Mart

2 Croutons $.98 each
Popcorn clearanced at $3.00 Reg. $5.00 (For my non air popped lovers in the house)
Grated Parmesan Cheese $2.78
Hersey's Syrup $1.68
2 Cottage Cheese $1.86 each
1 Gallon Skim Milk
Huggies Overnight Diapers $19.97 - $2.00 MC

Total $35.62 with tax

Total for the Night $38.80
My goal was to stay below $50! I may have to run in later in the week to get another gallon of milk. I never know so I only bought 1 tonight. I did pretty good and the best part? I stuck to the list. The only extra thing I bought was the popcorn and it was on clearance!

Linked to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Fareway Deals 6/16-6/21

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
Bacon Wrapped Sirloins 8 oz $2.50 each
In ad coupon

Produce
Stawberries $1.49 lb
Blueberries $2.50 pint
Braeburn Apples $.89 lb
Yellow Onions $.39 lb

Dairy
Large Eggs $.77
(I just paid $1.19 last week!)

Breyers Ice Cream $2.25
If you still have any $.75 or $1.00 coupons left this would make for a great deal on ice cream!

I can't Believe It's Not Butter 16 oz tub $1.50
- $.50 (3/29 RP)
= $1.00

Country Crock Spread 16 oz Tub $1.50
- $35 (5/17 RP)
= $1.15

Grocery
Barilla Pasta $.99
Pillsbury Cake Mixes $.88

Skippy Peanut Butter 3/$5 or $1.67
-$.40 (4/05 Unileaver)
= $1.27

Ragu Pasta Sauce $1.50
- $1.00/2 (5/17 RP) or
- $.60 off Ragu Margherita or Sweet Tomato Basil only (5/17 RP)
= $.90-$1.00

Knorr Pasta Side Dishes $1.00
- $.60/2 (5/17 RP)
= $.70 each when you buy 2

Wishbone Salad Dressing $1.50
- $1.00/2 (5/17 RP)
= $1.00 each when you buy 2

Beverage
Lipton Tea Bags $2.00
- $.60 (5/17 RP)
= $1.40

7-Up, Sunkist, and Dr. Pepper 2 liter 8 for $6
Buy 4 get 4 Free with in ad coupon

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

Free Single Serve DiGiorno Flatbread Melts

**UPDATE 6/17 Looks like the coupons are no longer available. They went pretty quick.
Go here to get a coupon mailed to you for a free single served DiGiorno Crispy Flatbread Melt.

Thank you Deal Seeking Mom!

Pantry Cleanup

Here is my tackle for the day. I really need to clean out my pantry and do some organizing. Since Summer break has started we have not kept good inventory of what is in the pantry or freezer. The last few trips to the store have not been added to the sheets and the last few meals have not been subtracted.

I am hoping today (if I can ever make time) that I can go through everything, organize and retype the sheets. Then I will have to retrain the family to mark the sheets when they take something out or add something to the stash!

If you want to know more about my system you can read about it here. The bottom 2 articles talk about my inventory sheets and how I organize my stockpile.

This post is linked to Talk about it Tuesday at The Lazy Organizer and Tackle it Tuesday at Five Minutes for Mom.

Walgreens Deals Week of 6/14-6/20

Here are some deals I see this week at Walgreens. Thank you to Being Frugal is Fabulous for helping me put this list together.

St. Ives Body Wash $2.99
Receive $2.99 RR at checkout
-$1.50 (5/10 SS)
= Free with overage after coupon and RR

Gillette FusionRazor $9.49
Get $2.50 RR at checkout
-$4.00 (6/7 P&G)
=$2.99 after RR and coupon

John Frieda Hair Care 3/$15.00
Receive $5.00 in RR when you buy 3
- (3) $3.00 off Root Awakening variety (6/14 SS)
= 3/$1.00

Right Guard or Dry Idea $.99
in ad coupon
- $1.00/2 (5/17 SS)
= $.49 each when you buy 2

Johnson's Baby Powder $1.99
Get $1.00 RR at checkout
= $.99 after RR

Carmex Moisture Plus $2.99
Get $2.00 RR at checkout
= $.99 after RR

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

Target Deals Week of 6/14-6/20

Here are the deals that I see at Target this week. Thank you to Marci at Stretching a Buck for helping me put this list together. 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.

Awesome Pepsi Deal this week
Pepsi Products (12 pk cans or 6pk bottles) $2.75 each
- $1.00 Target printable here
=$1.75 each

Archer Farms Yellow or Blue Tortilla Chips $2.33
-$1.00 Target printable here
=$1.33
(Get a Free Archer Farms Salsa with purchase of 2 Archer Farms Chips-2 bags of tortilla chips and a jar of salsa for $2.66!)

Kellogg's Raisin Bran Crunch, Cocoa Krispies, or Apple Jacks $2.75
(Get a Free 59 oz Simply Orange Juice with purchase of any 3 of these cereals.)
- $1.00 Raisin Bran Crunch printable here
- (2) $1.00 (6/7 RP)
= $1.75 each or $5.25 for 3 boxes of cereal and and a jug of juice!

Lean Cuisine Frozen Entrees $2.00
Get a Free box of Lean Pockets with purchase of any 3 Lean Cuisines.
- $1.00/4 (5/3 SS)
= $1.75 each when you buy 4 and get a free Lean Pocket

Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Lunchmeat & Kraft Cheese Singles (14-16 oz) $2.79/ea
Get a Free Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Lunchmeat with purchase of 1 Oscar Mayer Lunchmeat & 1 Kraft Cheese Singles
- $1/2 that was available here (no longer available)
= $2.29/ea when you buy 2 and Free Lunchmeat / $4.58 for 2 lunchmeats and cheese singles

Welch's Squeezable Grape Jelly & Skippy Peanut Butter (15-16 oz) $1.79/ea
Get a Free loaf of Brownberry Bread (24 oz) with purchase of 1 Welch's Jelly & 1 Skippy PB
- $0.55/1 Welch's Jelly (3/29 SS)
- $0.40/1 Skippy (4/5 Unilever)
= Jelly - $1.24/ea, Peanut Butter - $1.39/ea + FREE Bread or $2.63 for Peanut Butter, Jelly and a loaf of bread

Digiorno Frozen Pizza 12in $5.50
Get a Free 2 liter of select Coke with purchase
-$1.00 (6/14 SS)
= $4.50 for Pizza and 2 liter, cheap dinner!

Secret Deodorant $1.99
- $1.00 (5/17 P&G)
= $0.99

Old Spice Deodorant $1.99
-$0.75 (6/7 P&G)
= $1.24

Suave Body Wash $1.49
-$1.00/2 (5/17 RP)
= $0.99 each when you buy 2

Get a $5 Target Gift Card When you Buy 3 of the Following:
Huggies Diapers (Jumbo packs Snug & Dry, Little Movers, or Little Snugglers diapers) & Pull Ups Training Pants - $8.99/ea
There are multiple coupons out there for Huggies.
$2.00 Pull Ups in 5/17 and 6/14 SS
$3.00 Pull Ups here
$2.00 Pull Ups here
$1.50 Diapers 5/17 SS
Final price varies

Deal Idea:
Buy 3 packs of Pull Ups
Use 2 - $3/1 coupons
Use 1 - $2/1 coupons
Pay $18.97 out of pocket ($6.32/ea) plus get a $5 Giftcard

Let me know if you see any other deals I missed.

Free Redbox Code at McDonald's Locations Only

According to Inside Redbox there is a Redbox code that is working today (Monday) and tomorrow (Tuesday). The code is only good at McDonald's locations. The code is:

RBXMCD1

I have not used it so I cannot verify it. Let me know if you have tried it and it works for you.

To use the code, do the following: on the first screen select "Rent With Promo, enter the code, choose your movie and swipe your debit or credit card (this is in case you don't bring the movie back. They will put a $1 charge on your card to hold the movie, but if you return the movie by 9 pm the next day, the charge will be removed).


You can use 1 code for each debit/credit card that you have, so to rent multiple movies, just do the above process with each card. It is really easy. If you want to find a Redbox near you, you can go here.

Free Sample of Great Value Granola Bar

You can go here to request a free sample of Great Value 90 calorie granola bars from Walmart.

Walgreens $.10 Prints

From now until June 20 you can order 50 prints from Walgreens for only $5.00. Each print after 50 is just .10 too! Just enter coupons code KICKOFF at check out. You can go here to order.

Hy-Vee Deals Week of 6/16-6/22

Welcome Grocery Gathering readers! Here is a preview of the list of 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 Canned Fruit $.88

Hungry Jack Syrup $2.50
- $.25 (6/7 RP)
=$2.25

Wishbone Salad Dressing $1.68
- $1.00/2 (5/17 RP)
= $1.18 when you buy 2

Knorr Pasta Sides $1.00
- $.60/2 (5/17 RP)
= $.70 each when you buy 2

Diary
Hy-Vee Ice Cream 1.75 Qt. $1.48
Hy Vee Chuck Cheese 16 Zo $2.99
(Great Deal)

Beverage
Buy 10 Powerade or Powerade Zero for $10 get 5 Free
in ad coupon

Produce
Seedless Green Grapes $1.18 lb
Peaches or Nectarines $1.18 lb
Kiwi 10 for $2.00

Frozen
Lean Cuisine One Dish Favorites 5 for $10
- $1.00/4 (5/3 SS)
= $5 for $9.00

Meat
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $1.99 lb
Carl Budding Thin Slice Meats 2 oz $.44

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

Menu Plan Monday

Here is what is on our menu for the week. Hoping to do a better job sticking to it this week.

Monday...Spaghetti with Ceasar salad and bread sticks
Tuesday...Grilled porkchops, salad and fruit
Wednesday...Family Night. Picnic dinner of loose meat sandwiches, fruit and carrots
Thursday...Fish fry, blueberry muffins and corn
Friday...Steak, lettuce salad, grilled bread and fruit

To see what others are having this week head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Yes, I am still here

Sorry for the lack of posting. I had my garage sale this weekend and I have been so busy that everything else got put on hold. Things are getting a little quieter now and I am finally ready to get back to normal.

I will be putting up my Target, Walgreens and Hy-Vee deals tomorrow. I don't think I can focus that well tonight! Thanks for your patience.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Weekly Wrap Up

It is Friday and time for the Weekly Wrap Up hosted by Jennifer over at Getting Ahead. Here is what I did this week to be frugal or didn't do. I feel like maybe I shouldn't really participate this week because I didn't do very much that really sticks out in my mind. I didn't have a very good week.

I did terrible on my meal plan. We ate out 2 nights this week. I have been working all week on a garage sale that we are having today and tomorrow so I have been too tired to cook all week. I made a few extra runs to the grocery store adding an additional $35 to my grocery total for the week. I broke down and turned the air on for a few hours because I couldn't stand the humidity in the house.

I did return pop cans to the redemtion center. We ate leftovers when we did eat at home. I picked lettuce out of my garden and had chicken salad one night for dinner. I mowed the yard and added the grass clippings to the garden for mulch. I made some banana bread to sell at my garage sale, which I did today netting about $20.

I hope you all had a better week than I did. Next week will be a better week for me.

Head over to Getting Ahead and see how others did.

Coupon Preview for Sunday 6/14

Looks like there will only be a Smart Source in this Sundays newspaper. You can go here to see a sample of the individual coupons. Coupons may vary by location.

Fareway Deals Week of 6/9/-6/15

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. Yikes! I just realized that it is 10:30pm on Wednesday night and I never posted this weeks Fareway ad. I have been so preoccupied with getting ready for my garage sale this weekend that I haven't thought about anything else this week! Sorry for the delay! Here is what I see for deals the week!

Meat
Bone In Round Steak $1.99 lb
Pork Steak $.99 lb
Hillshire Farms Lunchmeat assorted varities $3.00
-$.35 (5/10 RP or 6/7 RP)
= $2.65

Dairy
Fastco Cottage Cheese 12 oz $.66

Produce
Red or Black Plums $1.59 lb
Peaches $1.88 lb
Baby Carrots $.88 lb
Russet Potatoes 15 lb $3.88

Grocery
Fastco Potatoe Chips $.99
Wonder Hamburger or Hotdog Buns $.99

Manwich $.99
- $.40/2 (5/31 SS)
= $.79 each when you buy 2

Poptarts $1.50
- $.55 (6/7 RP)
=$.95

Beverage
Pepsi or Mt. Dew 6 pk 12 oz bottles $2.00
32 oz Gatorade $.88
7-Up, Sunkist, and Dr. Pepper 2 liter $.77 each

Non Food
Bounty Basic Paper Towels $5.77
- $.25 (6/7 P&G)
= $5.52

See any other deals I missed? Please feel free to email me or leave a comment if you see any other bargains.

$.99 Bag of Bananas

What can you do with 2 bags of $.99 ripe bananas? You can make banana bread!This is just a sample of what I made. I made 45 loaves of bread today. 44 mini loaves and 1 large loaf. And I only used 1 1/2 bags of the bananas! I made the mini loaves to sell at my up coming garage sale this weekend. The large loaf is for my family to enjoy for breakfast tomorrow!We always get a huge turn out at our garage sales. I am hoping the bread will be a great success.
Hey, it works for me!

If you want the recipe you can go here.
Head over to We are That Family for more Works for Me Wednesday posts.

$3 Huggies Pull-Up Coupon

I hope this one is still available for you all. It will surely go fast. Go here to print out a coupon for $3 off Huggies Pull-Ups. This is an awesome high dollar coupon.

Walgreens $5 off $25 Purchase 6/10 and 6/11 Only

Walgreens has put out another $5 off $25 coupon. It is good for Wednesday 6/10 and Thursday 6/11 only. Go here to print it out.

Free Sample of Tampax

You can go here to request a free sample of Tampax Tampons.

Weekly Shopping 6/8 and What Happens When You Don't Follow Your List

I did my weekly shopping tonight instead of tomorrow night since we had some other errands to do in town tonight. I only had a few things on my list so I was pretty excited because I knew I was going to be way under budget. Here is what I got.

Fareway
Large Eggs $1.19
5lbs bananas $2.98
2 brown bags of old bananas for banana bread $.99 each
1.54 lb Red grapes $1.52
3.58 lb Strawberries $3.54
3.96 lb Strawberries $3.92

Total $15.13

Then I went to Wal-Mart. Ohhh Wal-Mart. How I loath thee. That place gets me every time. Here is my problem. I have great intentions. I have a list. I have my coupons ready. The problem? I don't ever stick to my list. Here was my list tonight.

Milk
Eggs
Deoderant for Will
Mini Loaf Pan
Flour
Fruit
Margarine

Here is what I bought.

Mini Loaf Pan $1.57
Frozen Chicken Tenders $3.98
Milk $2.25
Blueberry Muffin Mix (my favorite kind, a TOTAL splurge) $2.26
GV Mandarin Oranges $.54 x 4 = $2.16
Canned Green Beans $.54 x 4 = $2.16
Hormel Meal $1.98 Free with coupon
25 lb Bag of Flour $8.68
Brown Sugar $1.42 - $.30 coupon = $1.12
Marshmallows $1.00
Cream Cheese $1.64 x 2 $3.28 - $1.00 coupon = $2.28
Margarine $.66 x 5 = $3.30
String Cheese $5.88
Eggs $1.22 What? Last week they were $1.00
Deoderant for Hubby 2 pack $3.87 x 2 = $7.74 (stocked up and yes he is brand specific so we don't get cheap deoderant for him)
World of Warcraft 24oz Mt Dew Pops for older boys and friends (special treat from Dad, this is what happens when he shops with me!) $1.05 x 4 = $4.20

Total Spent $50.60

The highlighted part is what was on my list. Everything else was impulse buys. If I had just stuck to my list I would have saved over 50%. My total would have been just over $25.00 if I would have gotten what was only on that list. This is obviously an area that I really need to work on. And yes, I am beating myself up just a bit tonight.

Total Spent for the Night $65.73

Linked to Talk about it Tuesdays at The Lazy Organizer.

Menu Plan Monday

Here is what is on our menu for the week.

Monday...Tacos
Tuesday...Fish Fry, fried potatoes, peaches
Wednesday...BBQ pork chops, lettuce salad, fruit
Thursday...Japanese chicken salad
Friday...We are having a garage sale, I will be exhausted so we are ordering Pizza

To see what others are having this week head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Target Deals Week of 6/7-6/13

Here are the deals that I see at Target this week. Thank you to Marci at Stretching a Buck for helping me put this list together. 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.

Target put out new printable coupons on Sunday. You can check them out here. I like the $1.50 off Archer Farms Deli meat and also the $1.00 Ziplock coupon. There are lots of MC coupons out there that you can combine to make for some cheap ziplocks. You should also be able to stack some MC coupons with the Hamburger Helper coupon as well. Also be sure to check the prices of strawberries this week. There is a $1 off Target strawberry coupon.

Hillshire Farms Deli Meat 8-9 oz $2.99
-$.35 (5/10 or 6/7 RP)
=$2.64

Dannon DanActive or Activia Yogurt $2.00
-$1.00 (5/10 SS)
=$1.00

Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers $2.50
-$2.00/2 (5/17 SS)
=$1.50 each when you buy 2

Dixie Tableware (14-60ct) $2.49
-$1.00 Target printable here

-$.35 (3/15 RP or $.50 5/15 RP)
=$.99-$1.14

Glade Sense and Spray Starter Kit $5.99
-$4.00 (5/10 SS)
=$1.99

Cottonelle 12 pk Double Roll Bath Tissue $6.49
-$.50 or $.75 (4/26 SS)
=$5.74-$5.99

Kraft Mayo $1.99
-$1.00 Target printable here
=$.99

Edge Shaving Gel $2.24
-$1.00 Target printable here

-$.75 (5/17 SS)
=$.49

Get a $5 Target Gift Card When you buy 2 of These Products:

Purina Cat Chow (16 lb, + selected others) $11.79/ea

Get a $5 Target Gift Card When you buy 2 of These Products:

Friskies Wet Cat Food (32 ct, + selected others) - $11.79/ea
Use $1/1 in 4/26 Smart Source insert (use 2)
Final Price = It's like getting these for $8.29/ea when you buy 2, with gift card

Get a $5 Target Gift Card When you buy 2 of These Products:

Tidy Cats Scoop Cat Litter (35 lb, + selected others) - $11.79/ea
Use $1/1 in 4/26 Smart Source insert (use 2)
Final Price = It's like getting these for $8.29/ea when you buy 2, with gift card

Get a $5 Target Gift Card When you buy Both of These Products:

Pedigree Dog Food (40 lb, dry) - $18.99/ea

Pedigree MarroBone Treats - $2.99/ea
Use $1/1 in 4/26 Red Plum insert
Final Price = $1.99/ea

Get a $5 Target Gift Card When you buy 2 of These Products:

IAMS MiniChunks Dog Food (17.5 lb, dry + selected others) - $17.79/ea

IAMS Cat Food (8 lb, dry) - $14/ea

Let me know if you see any other deals I missed.