Shoestring Living

The "littlest" DuBois

2010-10-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

Abigail-Grace Maria DuBois joined the DuBois Family on

September 24, 2010 at 1:59 AM

7 lbs 2 oz and 20 inches long

WELCOME ABIGAIL-GRACE!

Huggies Clearance! Total cost-$4.46 + tax

2010-06-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

This week Rite Aid has jumped on the diaper clearance bandwagon! We use Huggies usually, and with the recent overflow of $3.00 coupons it was perfect! However, they also had Pampers, Luvs , an Rite Aid brand on clearance too...including Easy Ups, and the store brand pull ups! All 50% off!!!

This Rite Aid deal worked perfectly for us...my dear husband has patiently been asking me to pick him up some sunglasses, and diapers are ALWAYS in season in the DuBois house!

Here's how this deal worked out...

(2) Huggies Mega Packs-$8.99 each
(1) Mens Style Science Sunglasses -$9.99
(1) Kids Foster Grant Sunglasses-$3.49 (buy one get one half off)

Coupons
$5/$25 Rite Aid Coupon
(2) $3 off Huggies
(1) $4 off Kids Foster Grant Rite Aid Video Value
TOTAL: $16.46

Submit Single Check Rebate for ...
$2.00 on Huggies Rebate #53
$10.00 on Sunglasses Rebate #84

TOTAL AFTER REBATE $4.46 + tax!!!!!

Need More Huggies coupons? Here are a few more to keep around, buy more diapers on clearance!

$3 off Huggies AND/OR $4/2 off Huggies

Note: there is also rebate #800. Buy 5 packs of Huggies between 4/23-7/22, get a voucher a FREE PACK!!!

Annabelle's ONE

2010-04-02T17:47:00.000-07:00

Easter on a shoestring!

2010-03-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

This year on Easter we are so blessed to have some out of town friends joining us. ( Well, Michelle and Brad aren't confirmed yet, but we are still praying that they are able to find some tickets) In addition, we have invited some in town friends to join us too!

So, the menu plan will be a little fun this year. My dear friend Katie mentioned that she always thinks of Filipino food when she thinks of Easter in California, since that is what my mom served the Spring that she visited when we were Juniors in High School. So, this year, to reminisce of those times, we are doing a traditional / Filipino dinner!

So the menu will be huge!

Honey Baked Ham- (not from the store..I'm going to try to make it myself!)
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy- .44 5 lbs potatoes
Green Beans-FREE stockpiled frozen beans
Scalloped Corn-FREE stockpiled in pantry
Salad-
$2.00-lettuce
FREE-dressing stockpiled
1.29-strawberries
.75 1 lb cuties
.60 feta cheese
Deviled Eggs-$1.50 for eggs and Miracle whip
Glazed carrots?-
KP's famous rolls ( she doesn't know that she is making them yet:) )
.20- from scratch with bread flour

Chicken Adobo-
3 lbs chicken quarters-
Soy Sauce-FREE Stockpiled sale with a coupon
Pancit-
rice noodles-.99
cabbage-.12 (1/4 head)
lemon- .95 (3 lemons)
green onion- .20 (3 stalks of onion)
shredded carrot-
1/2 lb shrimp-
snap peas-
Lumpia- 9.99 2.5 lbs
Filipino BBQ Chicken-
5 lbs chicken thighs
marinade- FREE -I have some in my pantry
Steamed Rice -10 cups- $1.25

I can't wait! I will add prices as we go along... Wish me luck!

$2 Huggies at KMart thru 3/30/10

2010-03-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

Go HERE , and print off 2 $3.00 coupons
Then, email me at crystaldubois@sbcglobal.net for a $10 off $20 purchase at KMart.

Huggies are 9.99, so you will have to throw in a pack of gum or something to get you over the $20.00.

$19.98 2 packs of Huggies
.25 gum
-$6.00 2 $3 off coupons
-$10.00 off $20 purchase coupon
---------------
$4.23 plus tax

I did this deal a few days ago, and it worked flawlessly! I have heard some rumors that KMart is not honoring this coupon, but I assure you it is a valid coupon! KMart posted on THEIR site. It has since been removed, and change, because of its popularity....but this one should still be honored.

2010-03-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here she is...our newest little precious girl! Thank you to all of my wonderful friends who have praying for my first trimester sickness...It was quite a doozy...but I am feeling so much better these days!

Get back on the horse!

2010-03-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

Well, frugal living has taken somewhat of a backseat since the baby was born. The first few months was definitely survival mode! That "survival" turned into "habit" really quick! Annabelle is almost one now, and we are still living without a written plan or budget. We are certainly feeling the pinch! Though I have cut back in a lot of areas in the last few months, I haven't gotten back full swing into a WRITTEN PLAN! I am telling you, it make such a difference on your budget when everything has a name! SO, we are back on the horse, and I am going to once again use my trusty blog to keep me accountable! Keep POSTED!

Big Sisters!!!

2010-02-09T07:31:00.001-08:00

Cash Envelope System

2010-01-24T21:14:00.000-08:00

I have been using Dave Ramsey's system to manage our money since Josh & I got married. We basically used cash for all of our purchases, and have used traditional envelopes to stay on track. THEN, I saw these on Money Saving Mom! I am re-energized to get really excited about budgeting!!!

Best of all, they are soooooo easy to make! You can download a free template at Kelleigh Ratzlaff's site. I went to Joann's and bought cardstock on sale for 4/$1. (6-8 sheet is more than enough) Regular paper would work too, however it might not be quite as durable.

Will work for Huggies!

2009-09-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

This week Rite Aid has Huggies on sale! But it will require a little bit of work!

Buy 3 packages of Huggies @ $11.00 each (Pure and Natural for the best deal, but Supremes, and Pull Ups work too)

TOTAL-33.00
use $5 off $20 RITE AID VIDEO VALUES
use (3) 3.00 Pure & Natural
use (1) 2.00 RITE AID VIDEO VALUES
Pay 17.00 out of pocket

Get 10.00 back in SCR
Caregivers Marketplace .75 cent rebate on each pack

Cost after rebates - $1.58

some store are allowing duplicate coupons from the Value videos, but the print page clearly says "PRINT ONE PER CUSTOMER" .......PLEASE honor that!

Great Friends!

2009-08-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

Annabelle & Bethany Steinmeyer today at the park! When these 2 get together it is so cute...they start to talk to each other, knowing EXACTLY what each other is saying! It is soooo cute!

Thanks for a fun day today at the park, Steinmeyers!

GREAT DEALS!

2009-08-04T23:55:00.000-07:00

Schwan's is currently running a promotions to customers who haven't ordered in the last 14 weeks....$10.00 off any regular priced order, and free shipping! All you pay is sales tax. I just ordered 1.75 lbs of Italian Meatballs for 8 CENTS!!! Can't beat that!

Also, OfficeMax has a printable out for 1 cent sharpies! Not bad!

Menu plan 8/2/09-8/8/09

2009-08-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

breakfast- cereal, eggs, toast, hashbrowns, muffins, pancakes, fruit, smoothies

lunch-sandwiches, tortilla chips, quesadillas, hot dogs, salads, fruit, leftovers

Dinner
M-Chicken, rice, Zucchini casserole; salad; garlic bread=$2.73
T-Lasagna; green beans; salad; garlic bread = $4.74 makes 2 DINNERS
W-Ritzy chicken; rice; green beans; garlic bread =$3.81
Th-Chicken rolls and rice; salad; bread= $4.39
F-Pizza; salad; breadsticks= $2.42
S-leftovers= FREE
S-Tacos; spanish rice; tortilla chips and salsa =$3.09

Dinner total- $21.18

7/26/09 Menu Plan-From the pantry/freezer

2009-07-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

Breakfast-
Banana bread
eggs, toast, hashbrowns
pancakes
fruit
strawberry smoothies
cereal

Lunch-(all paired with fruit & leftover cucumbers bought on sale last week)
ham & cheese sandwich
grilled cheese
baked potatoes
leftovers
quesadillas

Dinners-
S-Goulash, salad, hamburger bun garlic bread
M-Chicken rolls n rice, salad, hamburger bun garlic bread
T-Honey mustard Salmon, rice, steamed veggies, roasted potatoes
W-Crock Pot Shredded beef tacos, rice, chips
Th-Spaghetti, meatballs, salad, hamburger bun garlic bread
F-Pizza- Ham, Mushroom, pepperoni, onion, bell peppers,---whatever else we can find!) salad, breadsticks
S-Leftovers

We still have zucchini, cherry tomatoes, grapes, clementines, a few peaches, and watermelon from last week. ( bananas too, but those are pretty ripes, so those will be used to make banana bread, and maybe a batch of banana pancakes for the freezer)

This weeks grocery list should be pretty short... only fruits

white peaches on sale-.79 cent/lb
bananas-3 lbs/$1.32
maybe a #10 bag of potatoes for .89 cents (how can you pass that up!)

*update* I ended up going shopping, and spending a little more than planned.

Costco-
oatmeal-6.59
peanuts-5.59
5 lbs mozzarella-8.34 (divide into (10) 2 cup bags...83 cents each)
2 lbs cheddar-3.69 ( divide into (4) 2 cup bags .92 cents each)
3 lbs ham-7.79 (freeze 2 for later $2.60 / lb)
l.5 lb feta-6.29
6 lbs bananas-2.64 (.44/lb)

Later this week I plan on taking advantage of some good sales on peaches, tomatoes, onion cherries and oranges. I will probably spend about $10.00

Eating up the freezer and pantry

2009-07-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we had a fantastic time in Michigan, but it definitely came at a price...a hefty price! As part of the deal to get my dear husband to join me, I agreed to eat up what was in the freezer and pantry to help save money to pay for the trip. So here starts my quest to eat up the food we have on hand before we do anymore grocery shopping. The only exception is fruit, vegetables, and dairy foods.

So here is the menu, of course most of it I will just be winging it on ingredients! This should be fun!

I will also welcome any ideas you may have!

Breakfast- oatmeal, eggs, cereal, cinnamon toast, pancakes, fruit

Lunch- ham & cheese or PB&J sandwich, fruit, salad, leftovers, pizza

S-Leftovers
M-Ritz cracker Chicken, green beans, rice ( thanks Danielle)
T- Teriyaki chicken, rice, egg rolls
W- Swiss Chicken, stuffing, bread & butter, salad
Th- ~~Cheese Tortellini Tuna Casserole, salad, KP's bread rolls ( thanks Katie!)~~
we ate spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, and garlic bread made with leftover hamburger buns instead
F- Pizza- pepperoni, bell pepper, onion, sausage?, ham whatever else I can find, KP's bread rolls, salad
S- Leftovers or Tacos, chips, spanish rice

Snacks- fruit, raw veggies- we found a ton of fruit on sale this week...peaches, cherries, watermelon, grapes, clementines. I love summer!

To top it off, our wonderful neighbor, Miss Betty, brought us some fresh cherry tomatoes and zucchini from her garden! YUM!

OK, so here we go... wish me luck!

Michigan Summer 2009

2009-07-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

Huggies Diapers $1.45 each jumbo

2009-06-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

DON"T WALK...RUN!!!!!

Rite aid is currently hosting a rebate on participating Kimberly Clark products...buy $50.00 worth get a $25.00 RiteAid gift card. Matched up with come coupons makes for a GREAT deal!

Here is my deal from today...

5 Jumbo Packs@ $11.49 ea--$57.45

Use 2 $5/$25 printable or here (pdf)
Use 5 $2/1 printable (do you still have some of these left?)

Pay $37.45 +tax OOP

Submit rebate #61 for $25.00 gift card
Submit rebate # 800 for a voucher for a free package of Huggies (if you haven't already)
Submit receipt to Caregivers Marketplace for .75 back on each paid pack-$3.75

TOTAL AFTER REBATES- $8.70 for 6 packages! (1.45 each)

Go here to see some other possible scenarios!

If you don't have any current Huggies coupons this is still a great deal at $3.45 per package! Also, Huggies just changed its packaging from Huggies Supremes to Huggies Little Movers. The new packages also contain less diapers per pack, so if you can find some of the old packages on the shelf, grab those instead of the newer package!

Beautiful Girl!

2009-06-25T23:18:00.000-07:00

she is growing up soooo fast!

2009-05-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

Free Lunch!

2009-05-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

DiGiorno is promoting its new Flatbread Sandwich, and is offering a coupon to the first 100,000 request for a free sample. Go Here is request yours!

Good Deals...

2009-04-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

With the baby here, shoestring shopping has been on hiatus! Actually, it has sort of been on overdrive since I haven't done any realy grocery shopping in almost 3 weeks! I have been, however perusing the local circulars for some deals that I think would be worth going to the store for!

This week at Vons

Pork Chops are on sale for 1.37 / lb
Red Seedless Grapes are .77 /lb

At Vallarta WEDNESDAY ONLY

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast- $1.57 /lb

Cheap Huggies

2009-04-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

There is a pretty decent diaper deal at RiteAid until Thursday 9/23/09. Huggies Jumbo Packs are 8.99 and wipes are 2.50. If you got this Sunday's LA Times coupons there are (2) 1.50 off diaper coupons and a .75 cent off wipes coupons. OR go here to find out how to get a printable 2.00 coupon!!!

There is also a $3.00 single check rebate and a printable $5 off $25 RiteAid Coupon.

Put it all together, and it makes a pretty good deal!

Here are 2 possible scenarios...

Scenario #1
2 jumbo packs of Huggies 17.98
3 tubs of wipes-7.50

Less $5 off $25
less 3.00 diaper coupons ( 2x1.50)
less .75 wipes ( if you bought more than one paper, you could save even more!)

TOTAL-$16.73 oop

Send in $3.00 single check rebate
submit reciept to Caregivers Marketplace for .75 cent on each pack of diapers ( this adds up FAST!)

TOTAL AFTER REBATES- $12.23 + tax

(This totals out to $3.76 for each Jumbo pack, and $1.57 for each tub of wipes!)

Scenario #2

buy 3 jumbos of Huggies
use 5 off 25 coupon
use (2) 1.50 coupons ( again, if you bought more papers you could save more)

Pay $18.97 OOP
Send in for $3.00 Single check rebate
Send in for .75 back on each pack of Huggies at Caregivers Marketplace

TOTAL AFTER REBATES-$13.72 for 3 Jumbo packs

This breaks down to $4.57 + tax each pack!

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

2009-04-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Annabelle went to church for the first time on Easter Sunday, (twice actually) and made it through the whole sermon (which was an excellent one, I might add) without a peep! I think she actually recognized Pastor John's voice from in the womb! What an excellent day for her first official visit...Easter Sunday...the foundation of our faith...to kick off her church going days!

Isn't she lovely!

2009-04-08T00:28:00.000-07:00

They say "Lightning doesn't strike twice"...but somehow I ended up with TWO beautiful daughters!

2009-04-06T06:17:00.000-07:00

2009-04-06T06:15:00.000-07:00

2009-04-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

Here she is!!!

2009-04-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

Annabelle Joyce DuBois has arrived. She was born at 4:12 am Friday April 3rd, 7 lbs 5 oz, 19 1/2 inches long.

Welcome to world, Annabelle. We have so much love for you and are so thankful to our Lord for blessing our family with you!

FREE medium Domino's pizza

2009-03-31T07:18:00.000-07:00

CNET tipped me off to the coupon code, BAILOUT, for a free one topping Medium pizza at Domino's. I just ordered mine. I added a topping for $1.69, and am scheduled to pick it up for lunch!!!

Hurry to get yours!

Freezer Dinner Plan-

2009-03-10T23:26:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to stock up on some freezer dinners to have on hand for when the baby gets here. So far here is what I have...

Sweet N Sour Chicken
Lasagna
Mac N Cheese (dream dinners recipes)
Baked Ziti x 2
Swiss Chicken x 2
Arroz con pollo
Honey Pork

I still plan to make...

a few loaves of garlic bread
Steamed rice
Tuna Tortellini
Chicken in Mustard
Chicken w/ Red Potatoes
Chicken N Rice Casserole
Lemon Chicken Breast
Spinach Lasagna Rolls
Honey Chicken Thighs

Many of these recipes are from the Dream Dinners Cookbook. You can download some of the recipes here.

Baby Wipes-.99 cents!!!

2009-03-06T23:09:00.000-08:00

Huggies has a new $5.00 Gentle Care coupon out. ( you can print this twice by hitting the back button, then refreshing) Target has the Mega packs of wipes for 5.99. With the coupon, you can get these for .99 cents each!!!

NEED DIAPERS???
Go to Family Cents to see how to get 3 jumbo packs of Huggies for $2.00!!!

35 weeks!

2009-03-05T18:45:00.000-08:00

Free Quizno's

2009-02-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

Quizno's is offering a free sub to the first million people who register here. Each adult in you home can enter, so sign up everyone in your house, and make a date of it!

As of right now, 98,000 have entered...so you should still get in!

2/15-2/21/09 Menu Plan

2009-02-16T17:06:00.000-08:00

S: Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, French Bread
M: Zuppa Toscana Soup, bread
T: Tacos, rice, chips
W: Lasagna, Bread, Salad (make extra one for freezer)
Th: Pizza, Salad, Bread sticks
F: leftovers
S: Sweet n sour chicken, steamed rice, egg rolls

Grocery List:
10 lbs Potatoes- 1.38
cilantro-.34
green onion-.25
4 oranges-.88
cottage cheese-
Italian sausage- 2.51
prosciutto-.99
kale-1.29
lettuce-
tomato-
milk-

Super Savings Saturday-

2009-02-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks I have gone over budget a little, so I decided to start participating in Money Saving Mom's Super Saving Saturday. I am hoping that it will keep me a little more accountable to my budget. I have also decided to increase my budget to $35.00 a week to restock my pile. I will use the extra $15.00 to focus on buying in bulk when things are a good buy. So here is my loot...

Costco:
2 loaves bread -3.79
48 oz sour cream-3.59
Spinach-2.99
OJx6-7.39

Stater Bros.
6 lbs apples 1.98
4.86 lbs Top Sirloin Steak-9.69
1 lb rigatoni-1.00

Vons-
1 lb carrots-1.00
Cheetos-1.00
4 boxes Pop Tarts-1.45

Pop Tart Coupons
$1/2 from 1/18/09 RP
.55/1 printable -DOUBLED
.55/1 printable

TOTAL-$33.88

$20.00 menu plan 2/8-2/14

2009-02-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

S: crockpot chicken tortilla soup
M: steak, baked potato, salad, french bread
T: chicken rolls n rice casserole, salad, french bread
W: spaghetti, salad, french bread
Th: Pizza, salad, breadsticks
F: Leftovers
S: sweet n sour chicken , eggrolls, steamed rice

Grocery List:
5 lbs top sirloin -9.95
3 lbs apples-1.00
3 lbs bananas-1.32
2 lbs carrots-2.00
3 potatoes- 1.50
48 oz sour cream-3.00
ziti noodles-.98
TOTAL-$19.75

32 weeks

2009-02-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to post a picture to show the baby's progress wearing the same shirt as my 21 week picture.

Free Denny's Breakfast!

2009-02-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

click on the picture for more info!

$20.00 menu Plan 2/1-2/7

2009-01-31T09:53:00.000-08:00

S: Pot Roast in crockpot, root veggies
M: Quesadillas, beans, rice, chips
T: BBQ chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, salad
W: Goulash, broccoli, french bread
Th: Pizza, breadsticks, salad
F: L/O
S: Steak, baked potato, mixed veggies, salad

Shopping list

Bread Flour-6.99
tortillas chips-3.09
3 lbs bananas-1.32
strawberries-1.99
4 lbs apples-1.00
3 ears of corn-1.00
2 lbs tomatoes-1.00
2-3 potatoes-1.00
1 lb flap steak-3.99
1 1/2 lb ny steak-4.49 ?

TOTAL 25.87

if I have extra money-
nuts for a trail mix

I know I am a little over budget again this week, but my doctor says I need more iron in my diet. I tried an iron supplement, and had an allergic reaction to it, so I am going to have to get my iron the old fashioned way!

Also, the bread flour is pretty pricey. However, I was looking back in my post, and the last time I bought bread flour was 3/4/08! 10 MONTHS AGO!!! So theoretically, this 25 lb bag will actually cost me .69 cents this month, or .17 cents this WEEK! At that cost it is worth it for me to buy it in bulk once a year. With that figured in, one could argue that my actual total this week is 19.05 instead of 25.87

$20.00 menu Plan 1/25-1/31

2009-01-24T22:04:00.000-08:00

S: Spaghetti, Salad, French Bread
M: Baked Chicken Taquitos, Rice, Refried beans
T: Sloppy Joes, Corn, Roasted Potatoes or French Fries
W: Lasagna, Salad, Bread
Th: Pizza, bread, salad
F: LEFTOVERS
S: Chinese something?, steamed rice, egg rolls

I went to a mexican market this week. I have seen their sales ads in the past, but assumed that the quality of the produce would be poor! Boy was I wrong! I was able to get tomatoes 3lbs for $1 and oranges 6 lbs for $1! I feel like such a fool that I have been missing out all this time on such a great deal! This will be on my regular rotation of stores from now on!

I also took advantage of a Walgreens deal last week and got 6 jars of Ragu sauce and 2 jars of Peanut Butter for $1.92 total. This will add nicely to my stockpile!

Grocery List:
5 tomatoes-.75 cents actual-.53
6 oranges-.60 cents actual-.75
refried beans-$1.00
1 white onion-.50 actual for 3-.80
Green leaf lettuce-.99 actual -.79
bulk can of corn-$3.00
4 lbs bananas-$1.79
25 lb bread flour-$7.00
Buns-$1.50 actual-1.50
grapes-$1.69 actual 1.69
2 lbs carrots-$2.00 actual 2.00
5 boxes frosted flakes (from raincheck-.29 cents each)-$1.45
Cottage Cheese $1.50-1.44
TOTAL $15.14

If extra money...
Carne Asada -2.40
green pepper
Tater Tots
Cream of Mushroom Soup -2.16 4 cans
corn tortillas 1.49
miracle whip 3.98

unplanned-
sweet n sour sauce (for 2 dinners)-$2.57
grape jelly-1.54
sm can of corn-.68
Kosher Salt-1.78
Frozen Fries-2.28

TOTAL TO DATE-$29.83 eek! I guess flour will have to wait until next week!

Huggies diapers STEAL!!!

2009-01-14T10:13:00.000-08:00

I don't shop Rite Aid much, but when I saw a post on Money Saving Mom on this deal, I couldn't resist!

2 jumbo packs of Huggies-9.99 each
2 tubs of wipes-3.49 each

use $5 off $25 purchase printable coupon
use 2 1.50 coupon from 1/11 Smartsource insert ( there are 2 coupons in this paper)
use .50 off 1 tub wipes ( or 2 if you bought 2 papers)

(Note: if you don't have this Sunday's Times, you can usually still purchase Sunday's paper until the following Saturday at one of those Newspaper/Magazine shops. In Santa Clarita there is one on Bouquet and Valencia, in the KMart shopping center)

Pay $18.46 + tax

Submit for a single check rebate at Riteaid.com ( this is really really easy!!!!)
get back 4.00 check, and a $10.00 Rite Aid Gift card!

Final cost....$4.46

But wait....if you have reciepts for 5 or more packages of qualifying purchases through the caregivers marketplace you get back .75 cents for each pack of diapers you buy!!!!! This additional saving brings you down to

$2.96!!!!!

Totinos Pizza rolls

2009-01-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

These are really popular in our house!

$1/1 off totino pizza rolls printable

Quick tip... Firefox doesn't always print these off, so try Internet Explorer instead.

$20.00 menu Plan 1/4 - 1/10

2009-01-02T22:34:00.000-08:00

S: Goulash, french bread, salad
M: Tater tot Casserole, veggies, french bread
T: chicken, broccoli, roasted potatoes
W: Spaghetti, bread, salad
Th: Pizza, bread, salad
F: LEFTOVERS
S: Lasagna, bread, salad

We still have lots of meats stockpiled in the freezer, and somehow we have 7 lbs of Cuties, 4 lbs of bananas, and 2 dzn eggs left from last week. Also, I am still working on some Steamers Frozen veggies that I got for free with a coupon from WalMart. So here is our list...

Grocery List:

Elbow Macaroni noodles-1.00
Tater tots-1.50
mozzarella cheese-4.00
cottage cheese-1.00
spaghetti sauce-1.50
gal of milk-2.59

Attention Meijers shoppers!

2008-12-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

Here are some great deals at Meijers this week!

Activa Yogurt 2/$4
-$1 SS 9/21
-$1 Meijer Mealbox coupon
= Free

Danactive Yogurt 2/$4
-$1 coupon found in some stores
-$1 Meijer Mealbox coupon
= Free

Yoplait Light $.50
Buy 4
- $1/4 coupon here
= $.25 each

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers $.79
- $.50 SS 12/7
= Free

Betty Crocker Cookie Mix 3/$5
- $.40 SS 11/16
or - $.75 coupon here
= $.87 or $.92 each

Betty Crocker Frosting 2/$3
- $.55 coupon here
= $.95 each

Betty Crocker Muffin Mix 2/$3
- $.40 SS 12/14
= $1.27 each

Betty Crocker Supreme Brownie Mix 3/$5
- $.50/2 SS 12/14
or $.50/2 here
= $1.17 each

Domino Sugar 2/$5
-$.50 RP 10/12
= $1.50 each

Juicy Juice $2.25
- $1 coupon here
=$1.25 each

Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice 3/$5
- $1 coupon here
= $.67 each

Keebler Chocolate Chip Cookies 2/$4
- $1 coupon here (to print 2, hit the back page button)
= $1 each

Jet Puffed Marshmellows or Marshmellow Creme $1.46
Buy 2
- $1/2 Meijer Mealbox coupon
= $.96 each

Wishbone Salad Dressing 3/$4
Buy 2
-$1.25/2 RP 10/5
=$.71 each

Mt. Olive Pickles 3/$5
-$.75 SS 11/2
= $.92 each

Eggo Waffles 2/$5
- $.75 RP 12/14
= $1.25 each

Mrs. Ts Pierogies 1/2 price ($1.36)
- $1 RP 9/14
= $.36 each

Tyson Frozen Chicken $4.50
- $1 SS 10/19
= $3.50 each

Philadelphia Cream Cheese 4/$5
Buy 2
-$.55/2
= $.98 each

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls $1.25
- $.35 SS 12/7
- $1 coupon here
= $.63 each

Pillsbury Sweet Rolls $1.25
- $.30 SS 12/7

= $.95 each

Purex Laundry Soap $2.49
- $1 coupon here
= $1.49 each

Meijer Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $1.79 lb

Select apple varieties $.99 lb

Christmas at Disneyland 2008

2008-12-13T18:58:00.000-08:00

$4.10 at Vons!

2008-12-11T18:47:00.000-08:00

Confession time...my grocery budget this week is gone...way gone! But, when I saw this deal at Vons I couldn't pass it up! $5.00 off instantly when you buy 5 participating products.

(4) Frosted Flakes .29 each
$1.00 printable ( this is printing 3 times, just hit the back button, then refresh button)

(5) Frosted Mini wheats-.49 each
$1.00 printable (print this off over and over and over! It doesn't expire until 7/1/09)

(1) pop tarts
$.55 cents (doubled to $1.00)- .49

TOTAL -$4.10!!!

Walgreens & CVS 12/7/08 .74 cents profit!

2008-12-07T12:44:00.001-08:00

Today's trip was so much fun!!! I hit Walgreens and CVS this morning, both VERY SUCCESSFUL!!!

First up...Walgreens All this for $2.43 + tax ( I used $24.00 in RR from last weeks Reach tooth care deals. I still have $12)

3 toys-13.98 (B2G1 FREE)
bag of bows- .39 each
Palmer chocolates-.39 each
2 baking sodas-.50 each
3 jiffy mixes-.39 each
Reynolds Wrap-.99 each
(2) 4 packs of tape-1.00 each
4 placemats-.39 each
4 holiday pencils-.25 each
1 holiday sticker book-.39
2 disney christmas puzzles-.39 each
1 Christmas snow globe-.39
2 packs of tissue paper-.39 each
6 spools of ribbon-.39 each
16 gift bags- 8/$1
2 Maybelline lip glosses B1G1 free- 5.99
1 Newspaper- 1.50
---------------------------------------------
TOTAL -----------$39.23
Less $24.00 in RR from Reach deal -15.23

Manufactuers Coupons-

(4) $1.00 off Reynolds foil
(1) $1.00 off Scotch Tape
(2) $4.00 off Maybelline Lip Gloss

TOTAL AFTER COUPONS-$2.23 +3.04 tax= 5.27

PLUS... there is a $2.00 Easy Saver rebate on the tape, which brings my OOP to 3.27!

Then I stopped at CVS to get some batteries. I did 3 transactions to take advantage of the (3) $5/2 coupon that I had from last week!

(2) pks of Duracell Batteries
less $5/2
less .75 from last weeks paper

TOTAL PER TRANS= .33 each

TOTAL OOP .99 with tax!
Earned $5 for next time...woo hoo~!!!!!

TOTAL SPENT TODAY

Walgreens-5.27
CVS -.99

ES rebate +2.00
CVS EB +5.00

PROFIT OF .74 cents

Chicken Taquitos-$3.05

2008-12-04T19:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight's dinner was Oven Baked Chicken Taquitos and Spanish Rice (FREE, from a packet, with a coupon, on sale!) I have to say they were pretty yummy! I really wanted to marinate the chicken in a tequila lime marinade, but decided to skip the liquor due to my pregnancy. I realize that it is said that the liquor burns off, but only after it has simmered for quite a while, and frankly, that amount of time usually dries it out. So I was left with a fairly simple mixture.

1 large chicken breast-1.32
1 lime-.20
handful of cilantro-.06

17 corn tortillas-.56
1/4 cup sour cream-.16
1 cup Mexican blend cheese-.75

TOTAL-$3.05

Dice chicken and saute in skillet. Once cooked, remove from skillet and shred with 2 forks. Return to pan and add the zest of 1 lime along with the juice. De glaze the bits from bottom of pan. Off the heat, add chopped cilantro and shredded cheese. For a smokey taste, add a little cumin.

Warm corn tortillas for 1 min wrapped in a wet paper towel, under a plate cover if you have one, in the microwave. Then split the tortilla stack in two, flipping each so that the inner layer is now on the outer layer. Warm for an additional 30 seconds.

Fill the tortillas one at a time, keeping the rest wrapped in the towel as you work. Place in a oiled casserole dish. Spray taquitos with cooking spray.

Bake at 400 for approx 15-20 min.

Enjoy!

Menu Plan 11/30/08-12/6/08

2008-12-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

This week got a little crazy. I didn't make a normal menu plan, since I knew that we would have an abundance of leftovers to eat. I did however find some really great deals on meat (and surprise, it's not Turkey!) I also went way over my weekly budget to stock up on some chicken breast that was on sale for 1.59/ lb! (I will post more on that later) I'm pretty sure that I have never found it that low, and I know that we will eat it up. I bought 35 lbs of it. This should easily last us a few months, if not more! So here is the plan for this week.

S: Ham, oven roasted potatoes, green beans, bread rolls
M: spaghetti, bread, salad
T: LEFTOVERS- free for all
W: ham, pineapple, sausage, & mushroom pizza, crazy bread, salad
TH: Oven turkey taquitos
F: Turkey & Rice soup, homemade french bread
S: Chicken Rolls N Rice Casserole, bread, salad

Shopping list:

carry over 13.46 from last weeks trip
Corn Tortillas: .99 ( on sale)
2 bags lettuce: 1.38 (.69 cents each on sale)

unplanned expenses:
9 lbs ground chicken-$8.91
13 lbs sage sausage-$7.67
35 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast-$55.65
4 tubs of pretzels-.28 cents!

TOTAL SPENT-$88.06

I have split the chicken into 1 lb packages. With an average of 2 chicken dinners a week, this investment will cost me $3.18 a week. To re balance my food budget, I will try to stay under budget by $3.18 each week, and try to keep my chicken use to 2 lbs a week. At this rate, we will be good on chicken for a little over 4 months!

Super Savings Saturday-VONS

2008-11-30T13:30:00.000-08:00

I got some really great deals this morning! First I stopped at CVS where I found huge canisters of pretzels on clearance for .57 cents a piece! But wait, there's more... On black Friday I scanned my CVS card and recieved a $1.00 off coupon on any Gold Emblem snack. I scanned my card again today, and got the same coupon. Final cost....07 cents a piece! I bought 4, but my mom snagged one.

What will I do with all these pretzels you ask? Well, chocolate covered pretzels, of course!

Next, I went to Vons to grab a sales circular...they were out. I was hoping to find some turkey on clearance. I walked back to the meat section to see what I could find. Instead I found 1 lb packages of ground chicken for .99 each. I looked a little further and found sage sausage for .59 cents each! To top it off, 3 of the sausage rolls had a peelie for FREE Jimmy Dean sausage links or patties! Sadly, my store doesn't sell these, but you better believe that I will be cashing in on these as soon as I find a store that does! The coupon expires on 3/31/09, so I have some time.

So, all in all, here is what I spent...

(4) tubs of pretzels-.07 each=.28 cents
(13)1 lb rolls of sage sausage-.59 each=$7.67
(9) 1 lb packages of Ground Chicken .99 cents each= $8.91
(3) coupons for FREE Jimmy Dean links or patties

TOTAL = $16.86 for 22 lbs of meat!

Thankgiving for under $15.00

2008-11-26T22:53:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is always special to me. It is a time for friends and family to get together, and enjoy great conversation. But what if your budget is really, really tight? Can you still have a great supper, on a tiny budget?

Though this is not the menu that I have prepared this year, I did use the prices that I paid to come up with this ultra thrifty, tasty, and very filling meal.

Turkey, brined in a basic salt solution- $3.90 (yes, I really did get my 16 lb bird for 3.90!)

Stuffing (stove top)-.99

mashed potatoes (2lbs), butter, sour cream-.98

gravy made from drippings- pennies

green bean casserole, cream of mushroom, french fried onions-1.05

pillsbury bread rolls-.99

corn chowder- 1.75

No Bake cheese cake-2.25

salad-1.29

TOTAL-$13.20

Considering that you would have leftovers for a week at least, this is probably less than you spend on your weekly grocery budget!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Week 21

2008-11-25T19:52:00.000-08:00

Well, this week our little angel decided to make her presents known. It seem like overnight I started to show a little more obviously. Here I am at week 21. Only 19 weeks to go until we see this precious little girl!

CVS 11/23-11/29 PROFIT $11.23

2008-11-24T13:45:00.000-08:00

Here are the deals I cashed in on this week at CVS. The AmEx deal took a little creative financing, but I was a great money maker!

I used this weeks gas and grocery budget to purchase the cards, since I didn't have 75.00 laying around. Then I will use the cards in place of cash. Here is how the deal works.

Buy 3 AmEx card ( buy the $25.00 ones to make a profit) and get $10.00 ECB + a $15.00 gas card! There is a $3.95 activation fee for each card, but even still, you make a profit of $13.15!

I also bought some more batteries. My CVS still has the $5/2 tear pads on the display, so I bought 8 packs ( in 4 transactions) Each pack cost .53 each!

Last, the contact solution was free after ECB. I had a 2.00 coupon, so this is a moneymaker.

Here is the breakdown of today's trip, in 4 transactions ( 2 different stores)

(3) 25.00 giftcards

(3) 3.95 activation fee

(8) 2 pks sz C & D batteries

(1) Complete contact solution & case

TOTAL -119.76

used-8.49 in ECB's

used (4) $5/2 coupons

used (1) $2 off contact solution coupon (just click the link on the bottom of the page)

OOP-89.27

Earned

AmEx cards-75.00

ECB-10.00

ECB-8.99

Gas Card-15.00

Total Earned-19.72 less 8.49 rolled ECBS=

PROFIT $11.23!!!

11/22/08 shopping trip $46.02

2008-11-22T12:23:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about this weeks shopping trip! I have been putting aside any extra money left in my weekly budget for Thanksgiving, and had 12.56 to add to my regular 20.00 budget for this week. I did all of my shopping at Walmart, and price matched several good deals from some local stores.

The highlight of my trip was the 16 lb turkey. Walmart's sale price was $17.07 ( if you would consider that a sale!) I price matched it to Von's ad, and got it down to 4.90. But wait, there's more! I found a $1.00 off coupon at smartsource.com last week which made it 3.90!!!

Canola Oil-2.98
Salad Dressing-2.84
Chopped dried onion-.50
(2) canned corn-1.00
cheeze whiz-2.28
turkey baster-1.97
(5) goody hairties-10.60
goody head band-2.56
1.97 lb apples-1.97
3 lbs yellow onion-1.50
(2) Green Valley Steamers-2.16
Tortillas-1.73
Graham Cracker Crust-1.00
walnuts-1.06
(2) lemon lime soda-1.54 w/ CRV

PRICE MATCHED ITEMS AT WALMART

(2) 2 lb bag carrots-5.00 albertsons
(2) chicken broth-.88 albertsons
(2) 10 lb bag potatoes-2.98 vallarta
celery-.50 ralphs
(2) bread rolls-3.98 ralphs
Claim Jumper Dutch Apple Pie-3.99 ralphs
Claim Jumper Pumpkin Pie-3.99 ralphs
16 lb Honeysuckle White turkey-4.90 vons

COUPONS-

(6) 2.00 ouchless hairties
.25 off crust
(2)1.00 off pillsbury rolls ( a peelie from a Progresso Soup can)
(2)1.00 off Green Valley Steamer from 11/15 insert ( Smart Source I think)
1.00 off Honeysuckle White turkey (from smartsource e-mail)

TOTALS

Total-$88.93 w/ tax
less Price matching-25.66
less coupons-17.25
TOTAL OOP $46.02

So all in all, I did go over budget by $13.46, but I expect leftovers to take us well into next week, so we will likely save some money on next weeks budget. Also, with 20 lbs of potatoes, we will be busy for quite a while!

Thanksgiving on a shoestring

2008-11-21T13:28:00.000-08:00

I have been putting any extra money in our grocery budget aside for Turkey Day. I have 12.56 to add to my weekly 20.00 budget....so 32.56 for this week. Leftover Turkey and sides will last us at least a week, so I assuming that I will be able to borrow some from next week if I need to.

Turkey- 4.88/16 lbs ( I make the same brine every year, so I still have some of the more rare ingredients from last year) , .50 onion, .25 apple, 1.99 vegetable broth, 1.50 fresh rosemary, 1.50 fresh sage. 10.62

Watch this video for cooking tips
Or this video for brining tips

Stuffing- 1.50 Mrs. Cubison's, .20 celery, 2.00 sausage, .25 apple-3.95

Mashed Potatoes- .30 2 lbs potatoes, .36 butter, .25 sour cream, .25 cream cheese-1.16

Green Bean Casserole- 1.00 beans, .60 cream of mushroom soup, 1.50 Secret ingredient (sorry)-3.10

Candied sweet potatoes- .76 2 lbs sweet potatoes, .15 brown sugar, .18 butter, .12 marshmallows- 1.21

Corn Chowder-See link for cost breakdown, for thanksgiving I half the recipe- 1.92

Rolls- store bought Pillsbury -.99

Salad- 2.50 salad greens, .50 mandarin oranges, .25 dried cranberries, .50 walnuts, .42 1/4 bottle of Kraft creamy poppyseed dressing. -4.17

Sara Lee Dutch Apple Pie 2.50

The total comes out to 29.62, however, I have most of these ingredients on hand from stock piles and such. Using my stock pile, I can make this dinner for $19.28, with lots of leftover turkey! I am so excited to start cooking! There is only 5 of us eating a 16 lb turkey! We will have Turkey coming out of our eyeballs by the end of the week!

Free 20-oz Dr. Pepper Sunday

2008-11-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

Quoted from Rolling Stones

Finally, after over a decade of false starts, we will finally get what we’ve all been waiting for: a free bottle of Dr. Pepper. With yesterday’s official confirmation that Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy is really happening, the makers of Dr. Pepper announced their plan to make good on their promise to provide everyone with free soda. “We never thought this day would come,” said Dr. Pepper vice president of marketing Tony Jacobs, “but now that it’s here all we can say is: The Dr Pepper’s on us.” Starting November 23rd, the day Chinese Democracy hits Best Buy, you can head over to the Dr. Pepper website and register your information to receive a coupon which can be redeemed for a free 20-ounce pop. However, any dreams you fostered about drinking your free Dr. Pepper while headbanging to Democracy will have to wait four-to-six weeks, the estimated delivery time to get your coupon in the mail. Still, what’s four-to-six weeks when we’ve already waited fourteen years?

CVS...I'm not done with you!

2008-11-20T09:25:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist more free air freshners, so I went back to CVS last night. Here is what I got!

7 glade oil refills w/ free warmer 2.99 ea=20.93

1 glade plugin fan 7.99

1 crest pro health 3.49

USED

3 BOGO FREE oil refill coupons (2 from website, 1 from recent insert)

1 BO refill GO FREE Plugin Fan coupon( from recent insert)

15.00 ECB from battery deal this week

TOTAL AFTER COUPONS= .45 cents plus tax

Recieved 13.49 in ECB's

note: the ECB deal for the glade is $5 for every $10 you spend. In this transaction I spent 28.92 on glade before coupons. I must have messed up the math a little while I was shopping. I will be going back today to reach 30.00 so that I can earn my last 5.00 ECB which will bring my total ECB earned to $18.49.

CVS Deals 11/16

2008-11-17T09:13:00.000-08:00

Trans #1
4 glade glass scents-10.00
2 crest pro health-6.98

Coupons-
2 B1G1 Glade
1.00 Crest Pro Health

Total OOP 10.98
Earned 11.98 in ECB's

Trans #2
Loreal Moisturizer-15.99

Coupon-
1.00 off

Total-14.99
Used 11.98 from above
OOP-3.01
Earned 15.99 in ECB's

Trans #3
4 duracell batteries-23.96

Coupons-
(4) .75 off

Total 20.96
Used 15.99 ECB from above
OOP 4.97
Earned 15.00 in ECB's

TOTAL AFTER ECB= $3.96

Menu Plan 11/16/08-11/22/08

2008-11-16T17:51:00.001-08:00

S: Leftovers
M:Pizza, Crazy Bread
T:Salibury Steak, Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans
W:Spaghetti w/ meatballs, Homemade French bread
Th: Stuffed cabbage rolls, Garlic bread
F: Leftovers
S:Beef Fajitas, spanish rice, tortilla chips

Grocery List:

Tortillas-3.00
Tomato Paste-.38
Milk-2.99
cheese-3.00
mushrooms-1.00

PROJECTED TOTAL-$10.37

Walgreens Diaper Deal!

2008-11-15T08:14:00.000-08:00

During last weeks diaper deal, many of my local store were out of stock. I asked for a rain check, and prayed that a 5/20 would show up. I was estatic when one showed up in my mail box!!! Our little is going to be well set on diapers...I just hope that she is not allergic! So here is what I did.

(8)Diapers-4.50 each

(8) 2.00 pharmacy Q

(1) $5/$20 Coupon

TOTAL OOP $15.00 or 1.87 each! ( Great Deal on its own)

W Card reward-3.60

Gift Card 10% Reward-2.00

TOTAL AFTER REWARDS=9.40 or 1.17 EACH!!!

Free Earthquake Kit

2008-11-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

The California Earthquake Authority is offering a free earthquake kit HERE. Thanks Mom for the tip!

The Earthquake Preparedness Starter Kits, available in both English and Spanish, contain QuakeHold! putty to secure your valuables, a furniture strap, a gas valve shut-off wrench and preparedness information that will help you and your family plan for an earthquake. Limit is one per household.

OH HAPPY DAY!!!

2008-11-13T16:29:00.001-08:00

WooHoo! Walgreens has released a new $5/20 coupon good for 11/14-11/15! If any of you recieved rainchecks last week, now is a great time to cash them in!

$20.00 Menu Plan 11/9-11/15

2008-11-10T02:03:00.000-08:00

S: Breakfast for dinner- eggs, pancakes, cereal, OJ etc.
M:Burgers, Fries,
T:Meatball Subs, onion rings
W:Lasagna, bread, salad
Th: Pizza, bread, salad
F: LEFTOVERS
S: Chicken Rolls N Rice , bread, salad

Grocery List:

3 roma tomatoes-1.00 actual-.95 for 4
1 salad tomato-1.00 actual-.67
4 lbs bananas-1.79 actual-1.00 for 1 lb (price matched at Walmart)
Fruit on sale-3.00 actual-1.08 6 apples (price matched at Walmart)
actual-2.70 10 oranges (price matched at Walmart)
4 slices provolone-2.00 actual-.60 at Walmart Deli counter
28 oz can crushed tomato-1.00 actual-.94
Mozz Cheese-3.00 actual-4.42
cottage cheese-1.50 actual-1.57
spaghetti sauce seasoning packet-1.00 actual-.68
french fried onion-1.00 actual-.98
Milk-2.99

Addl Purchases-
2 Nestle Cocoa-1.00 w/ coupon FOR 2
2 Idahoan Potatoes FREE w/coupon
2 cans evaporated Milk .96 w/coupon FOR 2
2 cans Progresso Soup-.80 w/ coupon FOR 2
4 16 pcs. ouchless hairties-.48 w/ coupon FOR 4
3.26 lbs cabbage head-.33 (price matched at Walmart)

TOTAL-$19.28

Actual-$19.86

Huggies Size 1-2 .05 per diaper! EXPIRED

2008-11-08T14:17:00.000-08:00

I found this today at baby cheapskate. This is a great deal if you are unsure about store brand or missed out on the diaper deal that ends today.

At Amazon.com you can purchase a box of 264 size 1-2 diapers for 17.65. To get the most out of this deal, you should buy 2 boxes. Cookie Magazine is offering a $15.00 rebate on a $25.00 purchase. Looks to me like their is a Limit of one rebate per person. This would make each box $10.15. Shipping cost 6.95 total, so...

2 boxes=35.30

S&H =6.95

Rebate=(15.00)

TOTAL $27.25

$27.25/528 diapers= .05 cents per diaper!!! SHIPPED TO YOUR DOOR!!!

If you have already used this rebate, or you want to stock up on more than 2 boxes, the additional boxes would come out to .08 cents a diaper. This is still a fantastic price. I would clear out a store shelf if I found Huggies at that price. Regular price for this size is about .20 cents per diaper, and even Costco Brand is about .16 per diaper. So even without the rebate, this is unbeatable!

Walgreens Diaper Deals!!!

2008-11-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

I caught onto this deal a little late, but luckily, my Walgreens was still fully stocked! We have been collecting diapers since we discovered we were expecting. We have quite the stockpile so far.

Here's the deal...
Store sale is BOGO-8.99 ( this alone is a great deal) , but see that brochure in the middle of my picture? You can pick this up at the Phamacy counter. In it is a coupon for $2.00 off Walgreens brand diapers. The register at check out automatically takes 2.00 off of each package. This bring the total to 4.99 for 2 PACKAGES! If you have the W Card (see below) you could save an additional .45 cents for each package. Which brings your total to $2.05 each.

I have one other discount up my sleeve, for all of you die hards. The W card also gives 10% back on Walgreens Gift cards. I will use the gift card to buy the diapers. I got a few rainchecks, which will yield $ 19.96 in diapers (8 packages) less 3.60 (.45 per pack with the W card) and 2.00(from purchasing a gift card), plus a $5/20 coupon. (throw in a pencil or something for a filler) This makes a potential price per package....1.17!!!

I didn't try to purchase these all in one transaction. Instead I bought 2 at a time ( for a total of 4 transactions) I just stop into the store when I am in the neighborhood. Also, Walgreens lets you keep the coupon, so be sure to ask the cashier for it back after your transaction. The store just throws these store coupons away anyways. And keep it around....it doesn't expire for a while. Maybe another good deal will come up.

For any of you veterans out there...do you recognize this sticker? It was on some of the packages. I was hoping to bring the price down to 6.99 before the coupon, but the cashier said no. Was she right?

Edit: I went back last night and bought 4 packages in one transaction, and the deal worked just fine. So...Stock up!!! Also, I learned more about the W card here. It was a 20.00 investment, but I have already doubled that with just the diaper deals and the pruchase of a gift card ( I went back to the store...I also have several rain checks that I will combine with a $5/$20 if one comes out.)

Southwestern Corn Chowder

2008-11-04T08:47:00.001-08:00

OK, so I wouldn't count this as a shoestring recipe( total cost is about $6.00 for a large pot), but it is OH SO GOOD! It has rained here for days, and it was so comforting to sit down in my jammies eating a bread bowl filled with this yummy chowder.

The recipe is from the Food Network. I have also added it to my Thanksgiving menu. It is perfect to keep in a crock pot. I have made it for the last 2 years, and it is a major hit! It is the kind of dish that just gets better as it sits, so it is perfect to nosh on all day long. Dip some sourdough bread into it, and it is culinary heaven!

This time around, I took a shortcut, and used canned fire roasted tomatoes, instead of roasting the Roma's. It is an OK substitute, but admittedly, the fresh tomatoes do taste a little better.

ENJOY!

EDITED:

It was killing me that I couldn't make this a shoestring recipe, so I went on the hunt! Here is what I came up with...

2 pounds frozen corn kernels, thawed, and drizzled with olive oil -1.00
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
10 Roma tomatoes, rubbed with olive oil -2 cans fire-roasted instead from Walmart-.92 (use this $1/2 printable coupon)

1 medium red pepper, rubbed with olive oil -skip this...it is just a garnish
2 tablespoons butter -.18
1/4 small yellow onion, diced -.15
3 garlic cloves, sliced -pennies
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour pennies
3 cups chicken stock -powdered bouillon -.10
2 cups half-and-half -1.50
1 1/2 cups corn tortilla chips, chopped -pennies
Cumin -pennies
Chili powder pennies
1 medium avocado, small diced, for garnish-skip this, I don't like avocado

TOTAL=$3.85

Pastor John MacArthur downloads FREE!

2008-11-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

This is hands down the second most valuable freebie you will ever get! (second to Jesus on the cross)

Grace to You has announced that as of tomorrow, Nov. 5, 2008, all of Pastor John MacArthur's sermon archives will now be avaliable FREE OF CHARGE for download!!! This is not a one day deal, but instead, from now on! What a blessing this beloved pastors over 40 years of teaching of God's truth will be to us! I love to listen to this sermons while working around the house. I can't wait to sift through all of these archives.

If you have never heard of John MacArthur, I would highly reccommend him. His sermons are truly life changing. He doesn't beat aroung the bush when it comes to God's work, but instead preaches God's truth with boldness.

11/2/08-11/8/08 menu plan

2008-11-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

S: Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops, skillet potatoes, rice I bought enough pork to feed us for 3 dinners, so I froze the leftover pork in cream sauce for another 2 dinners.
M: Tacos, rice, chips
T: Goulash, homemade french bread, salad
W: Sweet n sour chicken, rice , potstickers
Th: Pizza, bread sticks, salad
F: LEFTOVERS
S: Somen salad, potstickers

Grocery List:
pork chops (1.67/lb on sale)-4.86 lbs for $8.12
chicken ( 1.97/lb on sale)-3.20 lbs for $6.32
2 large potatoes- 2.06
Milk-3.19
Green Leaf Lettuce-1.99
red pepper-.79
pineapple-1.25
cabbage-.99
tomato paste-.50 -.69

projected-$25.21
this is a little over budget, but I have some surplus that will cover it. Also, the pork actually made 3 meals, so this is actually a stockpile! Also, the chicken should last at least 2 weeks.
Actual to date-21.68

10/26/08-10/31/08 menu plan

2008-10-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

Oops! looks like this week is a little late.

S: Hot turkey sandwiches w/ mashed potatoes and gravy
M:Hamburgers, fries, Corn on the cob (thank you Omaha Steaks!)
T: Spaghetti, bread, salad
W: BBQ chicken, corn, tater tots or Angus all beef Hot Dogs instead of chicken
Th:Pizza, bread, salad
F:Leftovers
S:Beef N Broccoli, steamed rice, potstickers ( this got bumped last week!)

Grocery List:

Buns (hamburger & hot dog) 6.00
lettuce 1.79
tomato 2.00
tater tots 2.00
broccoli 3.00

Approx cost-14.79

Ground Beef .36 CENTS/pound!!!!! EDITED

2008-10-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

OK, this has got to be the DEAL OF A CENTURY!!! I am so excited! I just bought 5 1/2 pounds of hamburger for a measly $1.98....DELIVERED! I really can't believe it!

I found out about this deal here.

It is not extremely difficult, but admittedly could be a little easier.

1) go to Geico and register for FREE up in the top right corner (where it says "register to save with Omaha Steaks" , no strings attached, no policy required. You will recieve an e-mail within a few hours with a code for a $25.00 gift certificate.

Note: when you recieve your comfirmation e-mail, be sure to be logged into Geico in another

screen with your username and password BEFORE you click on the email link. This will get you your gift card code. It is pretty long, so copy it carefully!

2) to sweeten the deal, go here to recieve a free bonus gift of (12) 4 oz burgers. You should get an email on this immediately.

3) using the email link from step 2, go shopping

another note:for some reason, when I clicked the email link it wouldn't take me to shop, so I just put a request for my password, and the password confirmation email gave me a direct link to where I needed to go

4) once shopping, click on burgers/brats on the right column, then click burgers, then scroll down to add (8) 5 oz burgers 12.99 to your cart

5) now you are ready to check out. Add you gift card code, then click APPLY. Your free burgers should already be chosen in the box underneath this where it says "bonus gift" After clicking APPLY, you should have saw your total go down to $1.98.

.
6) Now you can finalize you payment!

Enjoy your burgers!

One last afterthought... I tried to register with Geico using my SBC Global email account, and never recieved my 25.00 certificate, so I tried to register using my G-Mail account, and had no problems. If you don't have a G-mail account, you can set one up for free HERE.

Sadly, Omaha Steaks has decided to modify this promotion as of this morning ( 10/22/08), and the 1.98 is no longer avaliable. You can still get the gift card, but there is a minimum purchase requirement. :(

Menu Plan 10/19/08-10/25/08

2008-10-20T07:47:00.000-07:00

Last weeks menu didn't exactly go as planned. We moved just about everything around, and skipped pot roast all together. This actually worked out pretty well, because Sunday night was a busy night, and Pot Roast was a perfect solution! I think that I will be switching Sunday's to Crock Pot night, move pizza to Thursday's, and leftovers to Friday's.

S:Pot Roast, root veggies, bread
M: enchiladas, spanish rice
T: BBQ chicken, corn, mashed potatoes
W:Goulash, bread, salad
Th: pizza, bread, salad
F: Leftovers
S: Beef N Broccoli, steamed rice, potstickers

Grocery List-

enchilada sauce?-.99 actual-NOTHING I found a recipe in the Betty Crocker cookbook, and made it from scratch!
1 lb. pasta-.69 actual-1.92 for 2 lbs
salad-.79 FREE-I have some left over from last week
broccoli-3.00
beef n broccoli sauce-.99 actual-2.00 ( I bought 2)
brown onion -.50 actual .83
Mayan Onion- 1.00 actual 1.30
Red onion-.50 actual -.61
tomato x 2-1.00 actual-4 vine ripe for 1.79
eggs 18 ct-1.99 actual-1.99
milk-2.69 actual-2.69

unplanned-
yogart-.50
ballpark angus beef franks-1.79
french bread-.60
5.5 lbs hamburger-1.98

TOTAL-$14.14
Spent to date-18.00

It's a GIRL!

2008-10-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

OK, so I am still working on the video, but here are some really grainy pics from the ultrasound!

Menu Plan 10/12-10/18/08

2008-10-12T14:03:00.000-07:00

S: Banquet Select Frozen Dinners ( I heard these aren't too bad, so we are going to give it a shot)
M:Burgers, fries, corn
T:? some kind of casserole or something to use up the buns (we skipped fajitas from last weeks menu because we ran out of tortillas. I used the chicken, bell pepper, and onion from that and added a can of pineapple and sweet n sour sauce to it to make sweet n sour chicken.
W:Spaghetti, homemade french bread, salad
Th: Leftovers
F: chicken, green beans, salad, bread
S: pot roast

Projected grocery list-

Salad-1.29 actual-1.79
buns-2.39 actual-.99
3-4 tomatoes- 1.32 actual-1.64
2-3 potatoes-1.50 actual-2.57
eggs-1.49 skipped.. we are still good from last week.
oatmeal-6.59 (costco) actual 6.59

unplanned- sweet n sour sauce 1.25
canned pineapple chunks-1.25

Total Spent-$16.08

Tuesday turned into sweet n sour chicken. It was so delicious. We had a lot of leftovers, and only needed half of the bell pepper and onion. ( I don't make this very often, but will need to make a mental note that it is cheap, quick, and easy, and likely freezes well) These will get used up on pizza on Sunday.

When did stealing become LEGAL?!?!

2008-10-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

OK, so maybe not totally free.... but really really close.

I recieved an Email today with a ton of coupons for cleaning products. I matched these with some current Walgreens sales...and voila!

Pledge 2.49 x 2
coupon 2.00 x2
fantastik 2.50
coupon 1.50
windex 2.50
coupon 2.00
shout 2.50 x 2
coupon 1.50
Scrubbing bubbles automatic shower cleaner 19.99
coupon 10.00
Shredded cheese 1.50

Total before sale-53.72

After sale price -38.47

after coupons-17.97

after rebates-1.97 (basically just the cost of the cheese!)

How do I menu plan?

2008-10-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

I have had a few question lately on how I make a plan for my weekly menu. It is actually really simple.

For breakfast I rotate 3 choices...

cereal
eggs, toast, OJ
Pancakes, fruit

The hubby really likes Oatmeal, so sometimes he eats this on his own.

For lunch I pack lunches for work and school on m-f, so it is usually basically the same. On Sat and Sun we usually eat leftovers.

Sandwich-pb&j or lunch meat
fruit or veggie
snack like popcorn, chips, pretzels, or cookies
juice

For dinner, I plan a theme for each night

Sunday is Pizza Night
Monday is Hamburger- usually tacos
Tuesday is Chicken Casserole, however sometimes in the winter or when money is really tight we eat soup and bread
Wednesday is pasta- the family loves spaghetti, and would gladly eat this every night of the week. I also rotate this with Lasagna or Goulash
Thursday is leftovers
Friday is chicken-usually a more traditional dinner with veggies, salad and bread rolls
Saturday is Beef- but not usually an all steak dinner. I try to make dishes that will stretch the meat like beef n broccoli, or fajitas. Both of these could easily get by with just one steak.

Lastly, with these guideline in place, I try to make at least one meal a little more special than the norm. I usually pull this off on Friday or Saturday. Like chicken picatta on chicken night or steak and baked potatoes or pot roast on beef night. I find that when I do that, it kinda satisfies the craving I get to eat out.

Having a basic plan in place is so helpful in keeping a variety. I love to break out the cookbook, and see what new recipe I can add to our repertoire. I also have started getting my 8 year old involved in the planning. She always feels so proud that she got to help plan dinner, and I am teaching her homemaking skill in the process!

Weekly Menu 10/5-10/11/08

2008-10-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

My basic breakfast and lunch menu stays the same every week, which you can see here... so here is my dinner plan for this week.

S: Pizza, salad, crazy bread
M: Sloppy Joe's, haystacks
T: Chicken Rolls N Rice , salad, french bread
W: Lasagna, french bread, salad (this was skipped last week, so I still have the fixins for it handy)
Th:Leftovers
F: Chicken Picatta, rice ( this was a huge hit last week! I use Trader Joe's picatta simmer sauce. 1 jar can last for 2 dinners, and the jar was $3.99.)
S: Chicken Fajitas, rice, chips

Projected Grocery List

Salad-1.29
eggs-1.49 actual -1.42
milk-3.19 actual -3.15
butter-2.79 actual-1.16
cream of mushroom soup-.50 actual -.58
fried onion-1.28 actual-.98
buns-2.79 actual-1.22
tortilla chips(I never got around to this last week)-3.19 actual-3.09
bananas-1.79 actual-1.76
green pepper-.99 actual -.50
onion-.50 actual -1.19
fruit-2.27 lbs apples-$2.25
2.06 red grapes-$1.81
( the price on these fruits were to good to pass up this week. Fruit is an important part of our diet, so I am willing to spend a little in this category.)

unplanned -flour-1.94
Frozen seasoned French Fries-2.16
Devil's food cake-.88
baking Cocoa-2.38
cool whip-.78
mozzarella cheese-2.50 ( I realized , at the last minute, that the cheese I had was spoiled! What a waste)
approx TOTAL-$19.80
Spent to date-$29.78
If I get any extra money I will buy OJ, olive oil, sugar, and Rice Krispies.

Looks like this week I will be a little over, however, I still have some money left over from last week to cover it. Also, it was my unplanned purchases that put me over. These items are not needed to complete this weeks menu plan, they are just pure moments of weakness!

September cashcrate

2008-10-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't received a check yet from cash crate, but for September I earned about 30.00! I started on the 23rd, so I earned this in 7 days.

My original plan was to spend 1 hour per day on cash crate, but life got in the way...mostly morning sickness! I would say that I spent a total of 3 1/2 hours on cash crate. Most of this time was just learning the system! Also, I haven't devoted any time into trial offers (which pay significantly more), only the 100% free offers. I plan to try some of these offers in October, so I will let you know how these turn out. Most of the offers I completed were 30-40 cent offers, so you can see how they really start to add up.

In October, I haven't spent any time on cashcrate, but have already earned 7.00 from referrals. I am clueless on how this referral program works...but I am so grateful for it! So thank you to any readers out these who signed up under me. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!

9/28-10/4 weekly menu

2008-09-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

My plan this week is...

Sun: B-eggs, toast, OJ
L-Leftovers
D-Calzones, breadsticks, salad

Mon:B-Cereal
L-Sandwich, fruit/veggie, snack, juice
D-Baked BBQ chicken, Baked beans, corn, coleslaw

Tues:B-Eggs, toast, OJ
L-Sandwich, fruit/veggie, snack, juice
D-Black bean & corn Tacos, rice, tortilla chips

Wed B-Pancakes, fruit
L-Sandwich, fruit/veggie, snack, juice
D-Meatless Lasagna, salad, bread

Thur:B-Cereal
L-Sandwich, fruit/veggie, snack, juice
D-Leftovers

Fri: B-eggs, toast, OJ
L-Sandwich, fruit/veggie, snack, juice
D-Chicken Picatta, Lemon Pasta, French Bread

Sat: B-Pancakes, fruit
L-Leftovers
D- Beef N Broccoli, rice, potstickers (we skipped this last week, because I saw that broccoli was going on sale this week)

Projected Grocery list-
.
10 bananas-1.79 some left from last week $0.00
apples- 2.00 some left from last week $0.00
2 lbs broccoli- approx 1.38 actual 1.09
2 roma tomatoes-approx .60 actual .76
Bag of salad -1.29 actual-1.29
shredded cabbage-1.00 on sale actual 1.09
Tortilla Chips-3.19 (costco, last more than a month)
cottage cheese-approx 2.00 actual 2.49
1 lemon-.99 actual 1.29

unplanned
cereal ...the craving won!-3.49
4 Peaches-1.80
TOTAL -$14.24
Spent to date-$13.21

My favorite French Bread recipe

2008-09-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

1 cup warm water -Free
2 1/2 tsp dry yeast-.01
2 1/2-3 cups bread flour-.20
1 tsp salt-.01
1 Tbsp oil-.05

Total Cost .27 cents makes 2 loaves

combine water, yeast, salt, and 1 cup flour. Mix, and allow to rest about 5 min (it will start to bubble)

In your bread mixer, slowly add remaining flour with mixer running.

Let rise for 40 min in an oiled bowl, covered.

Punch down, and form 2 long thin loaves. Place on baking sheet and let rise an additional 15 min, until doubled.

Bake at 400 for 25 min.

We usually only eat one loaf, and freeze the other for later in the week. Spread butter on it, and sprinkle a little garlic salt on it for the perfect garlic bread!

EUREKA! Little Ceasar's Crazy Bread

2008-09-24T15:06:00.001-07:00

I have been craving Crazy Bread for 2 whole days, but with the budget so tight these days, I felt guilty spending 3.49 on an order from my local Little Ceasars. So I set out to make my own at home....and boy am I glad! This turned out so good!!!

I made regular pizza dough (.23), and after I spread it into the pan, I let it rise for about 1/2 hour, then baked at 425 for about 7 min.

Then I took 2 Tbsp (.17) of melted butter, and added 2 tsp of garlic salt. ( like a lot of garlic) Once the bread was out, I coated it with all of the butter mixture, then topped it with parm cheese(.28).

The sauce is from Trader Joe's. I put 1/2 cup(.50) into a dish, and added a pinch of thyme and marjoram. Microwave for about 20 seconds, and Viola!

I think that next time I make it, I will add only half the butter to the bread, then add the parm, then the remaining butter on top of that.

Approx Cost... 1.18

Enjoy!

Is Cashcrate for real?

2008-09-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

In light of our recent financial drawback, I decided to search a little outside the box for some money making vantures. I heard about Cashcrate months ago, but never gave it any serious thought.

Well, last night I gave it a shot. I made over 20.00 in about 1 1/2 hour. Alot of this time was trying to figure out the system. I have seen many reports that the company is legitimate, and that it pays promptly. For this reason, I have commited myself to devoting about an hour a day to cashcrate to see how far I can get. Cashcrate pays out on the 20th of each month, so I won't receive a check for several weeks, but I will be sure to keep posting my progress.

$20.00 Grocery Challenge

2008-09-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

We have decided that we need to cut back. With Christmas right around the corner, and a baby on the way, we need all the extra money we can get.

Is it still considered a challenge if I am challenging myself? Well, for the next few months, I have purposed to get my grocery bill down....way down. The challenge? $20 a week! This seems impossible, even to me, but I am going to put all of my effort into it. Luckily, we have quite a stockpile going.

At 20.00 a week, my goal is to spend 3.33 a day (6 days) to feed our family of 3, with the 7th day designated to leftovers. My weekly shopping goal will be to spend 1/4 of my budget on each food category...meats, fruits/veggies, dairy, and grains.

I currently have some chicken, ground beef, a little salmon, and some steaks in the freezer, so I think we are good on meat for a few weeks. So, any unspent money will roll over into the next week. I am hoping that my stockpiles will allow me to roll over enough money to have a good Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner (which is my favorite time of year to cook!)

My plan this week is...

Sun: B-eggs, toast, OJ
L-Leftovers
D-Pizza, breadsticks, salad

Mon:B-Cereal
L-Sandwich, fruit/veggie, snack, juice
D-Quesadillas, rice, chips

Tues:B-Eggs, toast, OJ
L-Sandwich, fruit/veggie, snack, juice
D-Corn Chowder, Bread

Wed B-Pancakes, fruit
L-Sandwich, fruit/veggie, snack, juice
D-Spaghetti, salad, bread

Thur:B-Cereal
L-Sandwich, fruit/veggie, snack, juice
D-Leftovers

Fri: B-eggs, toast, OJ
L-Sandwich, fruit/veggie, snack, juice
D-Baked Chicken, veggies, mashed potatoes, bread

Sat: B-Pancakes, fruit
L-Leftovers
D- Beef N Broccoli, rice, maybe egg rolls

Projected Grocery list-

1 gal milk-3.18
10 bananas-1.79
broccoli- approx 2.50
10 roma tomatoes-approx 2.50
1 red pepper-.99

TOTAL 10.97

FREE COLDSTONE'S

2008-09-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you to my best friend Michelle who tipped me off to this... Coldstones is offering free ice cream on Sept 25 from 5-8 pm in honor of the Make a Wish Foundation.

For more info, and participating locations, go here

OLD NAVY SALE!

2008-08-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

SATURDAY ONLY! This is such a great deal. I love Old Navy, and it is just in time for back to school!

Cherry Skillet chicken w/ rice dinner $1.71

2008-07-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight I tried a recipe from my new favorite cookbook, Fix, Freeze, Feast. This book focus' on buying in bulk, and splitting it up to get the best value. It is PREP ahead...not cook ahead(OAMC is just not for me) just like Dream Dinner, which is why I love it so much.

OK, so here is tonight's dinner...sorry, no pictures:(

Cherry Chicken- $1.36(for 2)

2 chicken breast-1.14
1/2 cup dried cherries- .16
1/2 cup chicken broth- pennies (I used 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules)
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar-.03
1 tsp sugar- pennies
1/4 tsp salt- pennies

Homemade Chicken Rice a Roni- .35 cents (for 2 with lots of leftovers)

rice-.16
Spaghetti noodles- .05
dried onion- .06
garlic powder-.01
thyme-.01
dried parsley-.01
bouillon granules-.05

Add a salad and some bread rolls! Yummmm!

Disneyland 2008

2008-06-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

We visited Disneyland and California Adventure this week. I was wonderful. Monday and Tuesday were a little crowded, but Wednesday was perfect!

We visited Disneyland on Monday. We watched Fantasmic at night, and rode many rides. It was so much fun.

On Tuesday we hopped over to California Adventure. We hoped to ride the new Toy Story ride, but it was broken down. Azriel braved the Hollywood tower of terror. I couldn't believe that she wanted to ride it. She is such a risk taker. SHE LOVED IT. We could have spent the whole day at that ride alone and she would have been happy.

Wednesday we were more familiar with the lay of the land, so we hopped between both parks. I totally recommend Soarin California. It is the most breathtaking ride I have ever seen.

OK, so true to my blog, how did I do it...on a shoestring.

TICKETS: Well, first, I bought a 3 day park hopper for 99.00 each. Ok this is a little steep, but in fairness, I had 45 days to use up the days. (meaning that I didn't have to go 3 days in a row, I could have spread them out) So the tickets to the happiest place on earth were 33.00 a day each.

FOOD: Disneyland will allow you to bring food into the park as long as its not like a mondo sized cooler. We froze sandwiches (mayo doesn't freeze well, so use miracle whip instead), juice boxes, and water for lunch and dinner. We also brought fruit, trail mix, granola bars, chips etc to snack on during the day. If you have a lot of food, you can rent a locker in or out of the park for $7 a day. (this is an all day fee, so you can go in and out of it as much as you need) They also have a picnic area if you wish. One day we left our food in a cooler in the car instead of renting the locker. It was not that inconvenient, and it gave us a little break in the middle of the day.

(tip...if you want something hot for lunch or dinner, try hot dogs. Just cook them ahead of time, then stick them in a hot thermos to keep hot all day. If you boil your hot dogs, you could even add some of the hot water to the thermos)

PARKING: this is 12.00 a day. I have heard rumors that you can park in the Pumbaa Lot for free, but that it is not opened up until the main lot is full. I haven't tested this out yet. I have also been told that you can hop on one of the nearby Disney resort shuttles, and not pay for parking at all, but I was a little leery of being so adventurous with my 8 year old in tow past midnight when we were set to leave. So I decided to just pay the parking.

To keep cool, we purchased a spray bottle at the 99 cent store to fill up with water, and spray us down when we got to hot.

The only thing that was bought at Disneyland was a cup of coffee. We stayed until midnight, and then drove 1 hour home. I found out the 1st night that Starbucks is closed at that time. I did some research, and found out that if you buy coffee at the Main Street Market House, you can get free refills all day, just save your receipt. The park allows guest into Main street about 1/2 hour before that park opens. Get your first cup then. Then get a 2nd cup just before Fantasmic, or the Fireworks,and enjoy it while you are waiting for the show. Get your last cup before you leave the park. The cost for the coffee is 2.79. I you get 3 cups, thats 93 cents per cup. Not bad.

So really, our trip for 2 to Disneyland cost 78.00 a day, plus gas money (about 15.00)

$93.00

Well worth the priceless memories that we will hold onto forever!

Dance Festival

2008-06-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Ray has put in a special request for some pictures. This picture is from Friday at Azriel's school. The entire school held its annual Dance Festival. She did a great job, and had tons of fun! Enjoy!

2GB SD card for 72 cents! NOT KIDDING!!!

2008-06-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

I recently bought a new phone, which can accomodate a SD card for extra memory. These can also be used in digital cameras. I did an internet search, and found a 2GB micro SD with full size SD adapter at buy.com for 10.00! This is a great price. Elsewhere, I have found these for about 35.00.

BUT WAIT!!! IT GETS BETTER! If you have never bought anything through Google, you get an INSTANT 10.00 discount on your first purchase. Buy.com has free 5-7 day shipping, ( but be sure to change the shipping option, the default is express) so I only paid tax......72 cents?!?!!?

Best of all, I ordered it Thursday, and got it today. So not including Sunday it only took 3 days!

Skype

2008-05-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

I have searched top to bottom for a way to effectively lower my telephone bill. The lowest I have come up with is 16.95 with AT&T for bare bones basic service. NO CALL WAITING, NO CALLER ID, NO NOTHING!

Then I came across Skype! Could it be the answer to my prayers?!?! The service is 2.95/mo for outgoing calls (or 23.60 for a 12 mo subscription=$1.96/mo), and 2.00 for a 12 mo subscription to a telephone number to receive calls (or 12.00 for 3 months if you want shorter term).

I have heard of this service for webcam usage, from when hubby was in the Air Force, but never looked into it since we weren't using webcam. Then I came across another blog the other day that mentioned that they used skype to save on their bill. So I started to investigate.

Here is what I found out. Skype is similar to Vonage. It is a VoIP (voice over IP) It uses your Internet connection to make telephone calls. Think...vocal email. You can communicate to other skype members free of charge. Just download the link from their site, and your friend or family can do the same, and you can talk all you want! I would really love to get all of my family in Michigan connected...especially with a webcam (which can be bought for about 20.00 at WalMart) so that we could chat whenever we want! I also have some family oversees. A cousin in Brazil already uses skype, and speaks frequently on it via webcam to us in the states.

of course, there are good and bad.

Some of the drawbacks...

biggest is that you cannot access 911 with skype.

having a DSL connection is preferred over dialup for the best clarity (But not necessary)

telephone connection is a little tricky...

option 1- a headset, with microphone-cord connected to your computer- 14.99 at WalMart

option 2- a corded handset, also connected via USB in computer-about 30 at WalMart

option 3- a cordless DUAL (skype and landline) phone, but still the base is connected to USB- WalMart-69.99

All of the above options depend on a TURNED ON computer in order to make or receive calls. Although, if a call comes in while your computer is turned off, the caller ID and Voicemail still function, so you can check it later.

The last option is the priciest, but most flexible. Skype sell a phone on their site, the Phillips VoIP841 that is cordless, and just plugs into you computers modem. Since the modem is ALWAYS on, then so is your skype connection. This phone is 139.99.

Our family chose option 3 for now. After our test run, I will strongly consider the last option for its flexibility.

So here is the breakdown of our savings...including the cost of the phone.

_________________________________________________________________

Current AT&T UVerse All Pro-40.00

Wire Pro Insurance -6.00

Taxes & Surcharges 9.00

TOTAL 55.00/mo

Cost per year 660.00

__________________________________________________

AT& T Basic service (NO EXTRAS)

16.95

Tax & Surcharges about 3.05

TOTAL 20.00/mo

Cost per Year 240.00

_________________________________________________________________

Skype

12 mo Subscription SkypeIn -24.00

12 mo Subscription SkypeOut 23.60

Skype Cordless Phone + Tax 75.76

TOTAL FOR 1 YR OF SERVICE=123.36

Price per Month------------------$10.28

And remember, the monthly subscription is not at all necessary! You could use skype to skype for free too!

One last note from me to you.... When I ordered my subscription on the skype site, I chose the 12 months, so that I could get the biggest savings. There is a paypal option and a regular Credit Card option. I chose paypal and at checkout it automatically defaulted my payment as a 1 month subscription instead. So I did it again, and processed it as a regular payment and it worked fine. Only problem is that the customer service is all via internet, so I am still waiting to find out how this double payment will be handled.

Free Pick Up STIX?!?!!?

2008-05-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Money Saving Mom, I got my free combo from Pick Up Stix!

Here is the link...don't miss out on yours!

Baked Ziti- $2.75 Serves 4

2008-04-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight is Pasta Night at the DuBois house. Instead of spaghetti, I thought I would make something a little different... Baked Ziti.

OK, well, really it is Baked Rigatoni. I made a double batch, and froze half in a ziploc freezer bag for later.

Here's what to do...

1 pound "Ziti" Cooked about 3 mins, until just tender-1.08

1 teaspoon rosemary-we omit this... it's too stick-like for me

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning-.01

1/2 cup Sour cream-.30

1/2 cup cottage cheese, I use small curd (I don't use lowfat here, I don't care for the taste)-.50

3 cups marinara sauce-1.49

1/2 pound ground beef-.61

1 cup onion-.15

4 tea minced garlic ( 2 cloves)-.08

4 slices provolone cheese-.78

1 cup mozzarella-.50

combine pasta, seasonings, sour cream, cottage cheese, and marinara.

brown beef, onion, and garlic.

in a dish, put 1/2 of the pasta mix, then 1/2 of the beef mix.

top with 2 slices of provolone, and 1/2 cup mozzarella

Bake covered at 350 for 45 min. Uncover and bake 10 min more.

Take the other half of the beef mix and pasta mix and put it in a Ziploc freezer bag.

Put the rest of the cheese in a ziploc sandwich bag. Put cheese bag inside larger freezer bag...and freeze for later!

Add some bread and a salad and...Voila!

Denny's Dinner at home- $4.94

2008-04-09T10:03:00.001-07:00

So, last week I begged my husband to let us go out for dinner. He grudgingly agreed. After we got our bill, I immediately felt guilty. I knew that I could have easily made the same dinner at home for significantly less.

So, I started my next quest. I went out and bought the best ingredients. I started at my 2 favorite store in the world...Costco. I bought ground sirloin burger 1/3 lb patties ($13.99 for 18), a 12 pack of gourmet hamburger buns ($2.39), and a bag of cremini mushrooms at Trader Joe's ($2.19)

Ok, so I have the essentials, now lets build a burger. First, I saute the mushrooms in a little garlic and oil.

Next, cook the burger on the grill.

I add the cheese ( Denny's uses swiss, but I have Monterey Jack, so that will have to do.)

I also bought store bought seasoned french fries. Albertson's were on sale for $2.00. I used half of the bag.

Top it off with a root beer, which I got on sale with the cheese, and our meal is complete.

TOTAL COST: $4.94 for both of us.

(even if you add the 2.00 in propane to grill the burger, this sure beats the $17.93 I paid, WITH A BOGO COUPON, at Denny's)

We ate this right up, so no pic. But I do plan on making this again soon, so I will post one then.

Just a Note: I am a big advocate of adding oats to ground beef to stretch it...DON"T DO IT HERE! I tried it and the burger totally fell apart. It was not pretty!

Chicken Picatta w/ Lemon Pasta- $4.33

2008-04-09T09:20:00.001-07:00

A recent comment has sparked my newest Shoestring Recipe..

lilaclady said...

Hi! What are your recipes for the meal that your sister can't eat tomatoes? My son can't eat tomatoes or anything with red dyes & we try to stay away from any dyes , but red the worst reaction. Thanks!

Chicken Picatta

2 chicken breast-1.16
1 cup flour-.08
4 Tbsp veg oil-.10 cents
1 shallot minced-.09 cents
1 garlic clove minced-.02 cents
1 cup chicken broth-.02 ( I used a boullion cube)
1/2 large lemon cut into half moons-.89 cents
1/4 cup lemon juice (from above)
2 tbsp capers-.05
3 tbsp butter chilled (divide into 3) -.23 cents
1 tablespoons dried parsley- .03
(or 2 tbsp fresh)

TOTAL COST: $2.67
Note: I could have easily cut corners by getting the lemons for less at Trader Joe's, and the butter at CVS with ECB's, but I was in a hurry... "Haste makes waste"

heat oven to 200 degrees

Pound chicken, season with salt & pepper, dredge in flour.

at med - high heat oil, cook chicken until light brown...about 3 minutes.
transfer to a plate and keep warm in oven.

over med heat Add shallot & garlic to oil, cook until softened
stir in broth and lemon slices.
reduce until slightly syrupy. About 8 min.

Stir in lemon juice, capers, and accumulated chicken juice. Reduce to low, and add butter 1 at a time.

Off the heat add in parsley. Season to taste.

Lemon Pasta-(this freezes great!)

6 oz cooked linguine-.34
1/4 cup fresh parsley- .06
2 1/2 tea minced garlic-.10
2 tea lemon zest- from above ends
1 1/2 tea marjoram-..05
1 tea salt
1/2 tea pepper
2/3 cup white wine - .50 ( you can use chicken broth here if you prefer)
1/2 chicken broth .01 (again, bouillon powder)
1/4 cup olive oil- .60
2 tbsp lemon juice - ( I didn't use fresh here, just the stuff in the back of the fridge)

TOTAL COST: $1.66
( this could have been cut by using broth instead of white wine)

Combine in a large bowl.

If you are freezing some, now is the time to put it into a ziploc freezer bag. Add a little cooked chicken or shrimp for a complete meal!

Cook for a few minutes in a skillet on med high heat.

Crockpot lifesaver: Chicken Cacciatore

2008-04-03T21:57:00.000-07:00

(Ok Ok, not my picture...but it looks pretty close!)

I LOVE THIS DISH!!!. And the best part is that you can prep it ahead, and freeze it.

Here is the original recipe. It is more than enough for our family of 3 so I split it in 2, and freeze the 2nd in a freezer bag.

6 chicken quarters 3.90
2 med onions, sliced 2.00
2 garlic cloves, minced
15 oz diced tomato .50
8 oz tomato sauce .82
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 t. oregano
1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. celery seed
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup white wine
1-2 Tbsp. capers (optional)

Throw it all in, set for 6-8 on low or 2 1/2-4 on high. voila!

Serve with rice ( which also freezes really well. I make a big batch in the rice cooker, and divide into quart size bags. To reheat, place in a colander, in the sink, and pour boiled water through it.)

I priced this at a little over 7.22. Since our family splits this, it is 3.61 per dinner. Also, these prices are on the regular everyday price. Just about all of the ingredients can be bought as a loss leader. Stock up, and you could get this down significantly!

2.67 at CVS!

2008-03-31T17:05:00.000-07:00

I wanted to use up the $5/$15 coupons that I have that expires today. I had to run 4 transactions total. I ran 2 on my way to work at one store, and 2 on the way home at a different store.

Here were my transactions:

#1
Venus Razor (Raincheck from 2 weeks ago)-9.99
(3) CVS paper Towels-1.69 ea=5.07

less 5/15 CVS Coupon
less 6.00ECB from razor
less 4.00 man coupon
TOTAL OOP=.39 cents
no ecb's earned ;(

#2
(5) pencils .12 ea=60 cents
(1) cvs vitimin C-2.99
(1) Lypsyl-2.99
(5) CVS paper towels-1.69 ea.=8.45

less 5/15 CVS coupon
ECB's used 4.00 (this coupon expires today, so I had to use it) & 5.98
TOTAL OOP=.08 cents

Earned 2.99 +2.99= 5.98 for next time

#3
(2) softsoap 4.99 each=9.98
(1) paper towels-1.69
(4) J&J soap .99 ea=3.96

less5/15
less 3.96 man coupon (for soap)
ECB used 6.00
TOTAL OOP-1.05

Earned 9.98 for soft soap

#4
(3) pencils 13 cents ea=.39
(2) softsoap=9.98
(1) lypsyl -2.99
(1) CVS paper towel-1.69

less 5/15 CVS Coupon
used ECB-8.99

TOTAL OOP-1.15
Earned 2.99 + 9.98=12.97

So, technically, I lost 2.04 in ECB's, but I got a ton of stuff that we need...(these paper towels are awesome. They are nice and thick, and they are the choose a size kind.)

the good news about the 2.67 that I spent OOP actually came out of my gift card. I still have 11.95 left on that card, and another card with 5.00 that I still haven't used. So really, today's trip was FREE for me!

FREE Cartidge refill!

2008-03-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

Remember this post? Well, the day has arrived! I opened my Walgreens flyer today, and on page 5 is a coupon for a FREE ink refill!

Be sure to pick up your newspaper today to get your too.

Unfortunately, Canon and epson cartridges are excluded from the deal. :(

Offer is valid on April 2 ONLY!

$30.84 Ralphs, CVS, & Trader Joe's

2008-03-29T13:55:00.002-07:00

CVS-
1 Sunday edition LA TIMES-$1.50
2 Pencils-.51 cents
3 Lypsil-$8.97
2 rolls Paper towel-$3.38
1 Kitchen Utensil-.49 cents

TOTAL- 16.07 with Tax

CVS $5/$15 coup
used ECB-6.00
used ECB (adj from 4.00) $3.85

TOTAL OOP: BIG FAT ZERO!
Earned $8.97 for next time!

Trader Joe's

Sliced Cremini Mushrooms-$2.19
Marinara Sauce-$1.69
Marinara Sauce w/ olive oil-$1.49
(I will use this on my pizza. The sauce turns out to be less expensive than my homemade, so I am going to see if the taste can compare.)

TOTAL: $5.37

Ralphs

(8) 8oz blocks of Monterey Jack Cheese -$6.93

(side note: after checking out, I double checked my receipt and
noticed that one of the blocks rung up at $2.50 instead of the marked .99
cents. I took it to the manager to adjust the price, and she refunded the
$2.50 and gave me the cheese FREE!!! I insisted on paying, and she said
that the price guarantee is the store policy! WooHoo!)

(5) 2-Liter bottles of Soda $4.81 with the CRV & tax
1 package if Eggroll wrappers-$1.99
1 bag coleslaw-$1.69
1.23 lb brown onion-.62 cents
.55 lb roma tomato- .83 cents

My splurge- 1 box of Stevia ( I am really trying to eat better. I have been told that this is way better for you than splenda)-$6.99

TOTAL: $25.47

Ok, so here is the deal with some of this weeks groceries. Last night we went to Denny's. I really just needed a break from cooking. (although I am ashamed to admit that we still have plenty of leftovers in the fridge from Easter) I had a coupon for BOGO burger with the purchase of 2 drinks. We ordered a mushroom Swiss burger (Delicious, buy the way!) a classic cheese burger, and a french toast kids meal. Azriel really wanted the rocket cup (1.99) so I let her get it. After all, we rarely go out. (If I went on Tuesday, the kids meal would have been free!)

So, before the Coupon the total was $26.22
Less the coupon...................................$17.93
TIP..........................................................$4.00

TOTAL COST:......................................$21.93

My DH is very frugal, and was a little opposed to going out. And once the bill came, I admittedly was disappointed in my self. So I decided to recreated the Denny's meal at home so see what the cost would be. I will cook it tonight, right down to the drinks. I will, of course have to deduct the price of the rocket cup. So the total to compare will be...$19.94. After, I think I am going to post the Denny's receipt, and my own calculations on the refrigerator for a reminder for my Lazy days!

2008-03-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

I love The "Cent"sible Sawyer. She is always so helpful in making the most of CVS. Here a quote from her blog for the CVS deals for this week.

Scenario #1
Buy Maybelline Superstay Lipcolor Or Gloss at $8.99
Buy 2 Listerine Smart Rinse for Kids $2.99 each
Buy 1 Lumene Body Aktiva small tube $1.99
Total: $16.96
Use $5/$15 CVS coupon
Use $2/1 Maybelline Coupon from 2/10 Red Plum insert
Use 2 $1/1 Listerine coupon here
Final: $7.96
Use $5 ECB's from last week or pay $7.96 OOP
OOP: $2.96
Earn $16.96 in ECB's

Scenario #2
Buy 2 Glade air freshener sprays $0.99 each
Buy 2 Bic Soleil Razors $5.99 each
Buy 1 Lumen Body Aktiva small tube $1.99
Total: $15.95
Use $5/$15 CVS coupon
Use 2 $2/1 Razor coupons here
Use $1/2 Glade coupon here
Final: $5.95
Use $2.99 and $1.99 ECB's from Scenario #1
OOP: $0.97 + tax
Earn $8.99 in ECB's

Scenario #3
Buy 2 Nivea products at $2.99 each
Buy 1 Bic Soleil $5.99
Buy 1 Pro Health Night Rinse $3.49
Total: $15.46
Use $5/$15 CVS coupon
Use $2/1 Razor coupon here
Use 2 $2/1 Nivea coupons here
Final: $4.46
Use $3 ECB from Scenario #3
OOP: $1.46 + tax
Earn $8.46 in ECB's

Scenario #4
Buy 4 Clean and Clear products at $4.29 each
Total: $17.16
Use $5/$15 CVS coupon
Use 4 Clean and Clear Coupons here
Final: $1.16
Use $1 ECB from Scenario #2
OOP: $0.16 + tax
Earn $5 in ECB's

Scenario #5
Buy 1 Bic Soleil razor $5.99
Buy 3 bags of
Hershey's Kisses, Eggs, or Miniatures $4.50
Buy 1 Lypsyl Lypmoisturizer $2.99
Buy 1 Lumene Body Aktiva small tube $1.99
Total: $15.47
Use $5/$15 CVS coupon
Use $1.50/3 hershey's coupon
Use $2/1 Razor coupon here
Final: $6.97
Use $5 ECB's from Scenario #4
OOP: $1.67 + tax
Earn $7.98 ECB's

Scenario #6
Buy 4 Dove Cream Oil Wash $3.99 each
Total: $15.96
Use $5/$15 CVS coupon
Use $3/$15 CVS beauty coupon
Use 4 $2/1 Dove Coupons here
Final: -$0.04 + tax
OOP: .04 + tax
Earn $5 ECB's

After all transactions you will have $35.44 ECB's TO TAKE HOME for next
week (this does not count the ones you made and used for these
transactions)!!!!!You will have spent $7.22 OOP if you had $5 ECB from last
week.If you are a newbie and this was your first time you will have spent $12.22
OOP (still not bad to have $35.44 in your pocket for next week!)PLUS - Now you
have lots of new stuff to take home!!! :)

Come back next week to see new CVS scenarios (I do these every week) :)
I personally would have done deal scenario # 4 first. This would have given me the least amount out of pocket (OOP), and the most return in extra bucks (ECB'S)
Still don't have the $5/$15 coupon? Go here to find out how to get it! You may print out as many as you like, so print out a few!

Baskin Robbins!

2008-03-21T14:37:00.000-07:00

Baskin Robbins is hosting a 31 cent scoop night on April 30th from 5-10pm. This is a perfect chance to get the family together, or maybe a date night for you and your spouse!

Join us for 31 Cent Scoop Night at Baskin-Robbins®and help us honor
America’s firefighters. Participating stores will reduce prices of
small icecream scoops to 31 cents. At some locations, you may also
have an opportunity to make a donation to your local fire charities.

You can also go to the Baskin Robbins website for more info.

Free DINO BITES

2008-03-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

I finally got to Walmart, (I avoid that store like the plague) and got in on the FREE Dino Bite chicken nugget action. This is probably the easiest deal I have done yet. I found out from another blog that there are $1.00 off coupons at the Fast Fixin Website. WalMart sell these for 2/$2.00.

The sweetest part of this deal is that Fast Fixin put 5 coupons onto each page!!! WOOHOO!

Sentisible Cents says:

Go to the Fast Fixin' website here to print your very own coupons. Just sign up for their Fanatics club,
and they will send 5 coupons to your printer. Go back and refresh the page to
print 5 more! Then, look around on their site, and there is a
place to print another coupon. Again, backspace and refresh the page and
you'll get yet another. That makes a total of 12 coupons

!
When printing internet coupons, you are only allowed to print it twice. After that the website will block it. So, no fear, refreshing the page is totally fine!