Slow-Cooker

I love my slow-cooker. I use it all the time for a number of reasons.

I use it for the days that I work, when I want to come home and eat a nice home-cooked meal but don't have all night to fix one.

I use it on the days that we have soccer at the time that I would normally be cooking dinner, that way it is ready when we get home.

I use it to keep from heating up my house in the summer. For me, there is nothing worse than having the oven on in the summer. Especially since the sun shines all afternoon on our kitchen which makes it the warmest room in the house anyway, without the oven on.

I have make spaghetti dishes, pork roasts, beef roasts, whole chickens, sourkraut and sausage, you name it, I have made it.

Most recently I made chicken legs. I added no water, simply placed them on the bottom, covered the lid and cooked. About half way through I covered them in barbeque sauce.

When they were done, they were delicious. I made a couple different vegetables and some rice to go with it and dinner took 10 minutes.

That definately works for me.

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

Favorite Frugal Book

This past Christmas my husband bought me a book. He thought he was buying me a new book, as it showed up on Amazon when he was ordering another book for me. Turns out it is the same book I already owned.




However this book has been updated to include prices of today. This book has been read, hilighted and dogeared to many times. My first book is falling apart, and now I have a new one!
 
In 2005 when I first bought this book and started looking into living a bit more frugally, I could not put it down. I read it cover to cover. Then I read it cover to cover again, highlighting everything that I thought was a good tip.
 
This book has so many tips in it, even though it was originally written in the 1990's it is still applicable today. Like I said she went back and updated it so that it is current with the day.
 
Tips on saving money at the grocery store, cooking, baking, and entertaining kids. She has something she calls her eleven guidelines. You have to read it, it is my all time favorite frugal book.

Deals, deals and more deals!

The coupon fairies were definitely smiling upon me today! I found everything I was looking for with a coupon today!

The kids and I had to drop off my oldest to soccer camp this morning, so since we were up and out the door by 8:30, I figured I might as well run some errands.

First stop was to Target to make a return. I bought some shirts and they were too big! Yeah me! While there, I got some deals.

I stumbled upon a markdown of the Tide free and clear. It was on markdown for $5.14, I had three $1 Target coupons so $4.14 for the 26 load isn't bad, especially for the high efficiency detergent. I also got:

3 Lysol wipes on markdown for $1.89, minus $1 coupon each, so 89 cents a piece

3 Lysol toilet bowl cleaners for $1.89, minus three 75 cent coupons, so  $1.14 each

Mr. Clean eraser (I ran out and really needed them) $2.59 minus 75 cent coupon

2 Pampers wipes, $2.39 each, minus two $2 coupons, 39 cents each

Then I went to CVS, again I found everything that I was looking for!

I didn't do the deals correctly, I wasn't thinking. I was trying to hurry so that I wouldn't be late to pick up my daughter from soccer camp. Had I been thinking I would have done multiple orders so that I didn't have to pay so much out of pocket. However, I did buy 3 packages of diapers and still earned $23 in extra care bucks to use on my next purchases. Here is what I got:

6 Renuzits air fresheners, 88 cents each, minus B3G3Free coupon, so 44 cents a piece!

2 Gillette body wash, $4 each, used B1G1Free coupon and earned $8 in ECB's so they paid me $4 to buy them

2 John Frieda conditioner, $5 each, used two $3 coupons and then earned $3 in ECB's when you spent $10 on John Frieda products, so they were 50 cents each

1 Colgate Pro Clinical toothpaste, $3.99, minus $1 coupon, earned $2 in ECB's so 99 cents

3 packages of Huggies diapers, $8.49 each, minus 2 $3 coupons and one $2 coupon, so $5.49 and $6.49 each

1 Schick Hydro 5 razor, $8.97, minus $4 coupon, earned $4 ECB and will send in for rebate for it, so I made $7.97 on that deal

1 Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor, $9.97, minus $5 coupon and earned $4 in ECB's so I paid 97 cents

1 pack of binder clips, 99 cents and earned $1 ECB for it (I had a rain check from this)

Stay tuned for Super Saver Saturday when I post about my Meijer deals!

Kroger Deals and Losing My Freezer Food

So Monday morning my husband and I go to leave for work. As we walk into the garage, my heart sank. Our freezer door on the top of our refrigerator was standing wide open!

Now sometimes it pops open if you slam the refrigerator door too hard. After much arguing discussion on who was out in the garage last, we decided it didn't really matter. All of the meat I had just bought at Kroger was soft and ruined. I didn't think it was safe to eat anything that had sat all night and allowed to thaw. Since we had no idea how long it had been thawed.

We lost a six pound roast, 5 lbs of hamburger, two of which was grain fed organic. Six porkchips, 2 pounds of frozen fish, 2 lbs of ground turkey. Yes, I know, it is hard to bear!

So we decided that I would only keep things in the garage that would be okay if they had thawed like frozen waffles, icecream, frozen vegies, beans and popsicles!

So my Kroger trip consisted of the following (no photo as I had to rush home and put it away before I had to do preschool pickup).

3 skim milks $2.28 each
cat food $10.49
gum $1.29 (29 cents after coupon)
Oxy steam cleaner for our carpet steamer $10.49
Simply Orange OJ $3.00
Chuck Roast $6.03
Chuck Roast $5.83
cube steak $5.08
ground chicken (grain fed and hormone free) $2.49
ground turkey $2.49
grain fed, hormone free organic ground beef $4.29
italian salad dressing $1.24(free with coupon)
2 soy milks $2.99 ($1.99 each with coupon)
ham lunch meat $6.71
orange big K cola 99 cents for a 12 pack!
Kashi cereal $2.99 (free with coupon)
lettuce 99 cents
navel oranges $1.99
poptarts $3.69 (request from husband!)

Total $81.33

Aldi (from last week since I forgot to post it):
cat litter $3.69
10 lb potatoes $1.99
4 cans corn 55 cents each
4 cans green beans 55 cents each
4 cans diced tomatoes 55 cents each
4 cans tomato sauce 25 cents each
2 Skim milk $1.88 each
2 bouillan cubes $1.29 each
2can kidney beans 59 cents each
soymilk $2.49
2 salad mix 99 cents each
navel oranges $1.29
2 cans diced tomatos with green chilis 55 cents each
napkins $1.49
2 boxes thin spaghetti $1.99
turkey bacon $1.99
sliced bacon $1.89
celery 99 cents
carrots $1.29
green peppers $1.29
bananas 72 cents
gallon storage bags $1.69
2 pack toothbrushes $1.69
2 bnches brocolli crowns $1.29 each
1 can tomato paste 39 cents
2 can chili beans 59 cents each
2 tubes cinnamon rolls $1.49 each
red grapes $1.98
2 cans baby peas 69 cents each
2 loaves italian bread $1.19 each
oyster crackers 99 cents
fig bars $1.15
hot dog buns 69 cents
shortbread cookies $1.19
jar spaghetti sauce $1.09
2 taco mix (incase I didn't have time to make mine from scratch) 33 cents each
2 box crispy oats cereal $1.59 each
corn chex cereal $1.99
tissues 99 cents
2 cans refried beans 69 cents each
box of raisins $1.49
box of prunes $1.99
2 bags pretzel sticks $1.29
Total $79.68

I had to buy no diapers this week and hopefully put in my last formula order to a tune of $95 dollars or so.

This post is linked to Super Saving Saturday.

My Grocery Deals for January 26

Here is what I got at Kroger. I spent $21.93 and saved $27.16, so that is a savings of over 50%. Not too shabby.

I did buy two things that I had no coupon for but coffee creamer and International Coffee Swiss Mocha are necesseties.

3 Quaker Quakes--99 cents, minus 75 cent coupon that doubled to 99, all FREE
7th Generation Dish Soap--FREE with coupon
Finish gel packs--$2.99, munus $2.25 coupn so 74 cents
General Foods International Coffee--$3.61
2 packs Lays chips--$1.68 each
2 Kellogs fruit snacks--$1.49 each (had no coupon but not bad price, for kids snacks, I only buy these when they are on sale)
2 Zesta crackers $1.69--these are our favorite and is a great price
Coffeemate creamer--$3.29
2 hotpockets--$1.78 each (hubby loves these for lunch)
Crest Pro-health toothpaste (hubby is very picky about toothpaste)--$2.50, minus $1 coupon, so $1.50

Not my best, but not horrible either. I wish that I could figure out a way to not buy chips. But my family loves these in their lunches. I will admit that I eat the occasional chip as well, but never pack them in my lunches.

Most of these items (except the coffee stuff) are things that I am trying to get rid of. I would love to make my own fruit snacks, since the store bought kind are loaded with sugar, but they take too long. For me anyway, who works part of the time.

Now for my Aldi trip.

2-Cinnamon rolls--$1.49 (for the rushed mornings I don't have time to make them from scratch)

pickles--$1.49

3 cans manderin oranges--49 cents each

2 cans green beans--49 cents each

2 cans chili beans--59 cents each

1 bag navel oranges (there were 10 in bag) --$1.29 (these are delicious!)

3 cans tomato paste--39 cents

2 2 lb. boxes thin spaghetti--$1.59

2 honey--$3.79 each

3 chees blocks--$1.79 (these were cheaper at Kroger but forgot to get them there)

scoopable cat litter--$3.69 (new for me, anxious to see if it works well)

4 frozen orange juice--$1.19 each

1 can baby peas--49 cents

2 pack green peppers--$1.49 (not in season but it was what my 4 year old asked for, better than asking for cookies!)

Celery $1.49

Whole Grain bread--$1.29

3 lb. bag Gala apples--99 cents

cinnamon raisin bagels--$1.39

head lettuce--79 cents

bananas--88 cents

2 bags pretzels--$1.29 each

cookie dough icecream--$2.69 (this is so good)

carrots--$1.29

oats--$1.79

2 boxes lasagna noodles--$1.29 each

corn chips--89 cents

mocha cappuchino mix--$1.99 (new to me, anxious to try)

2 salad bags--99 cents each(girls love to eat as snack)

tissues--99 cents

jar spaghetti sauce--99 cents (for my work days)

cake mix--89 cents (to mix with can of pop for quick, low fat cupcakes)

fig bars--$1.15 (I buy one every two weeks for kids)

shortbread cookies--$1.19 (I buy one every two weeks for kids)

onions--99 cents

For a total of $69.47.

Not bad, I bought no meat this week, we are still pretty stocked and I didn't see any amazing deals.

I also bought diapers from Target online.

2 boxes of 82 count diapers for $13.69 a piece, so $37.38 total. I am trying to get down to buying diapers once a month. Have no clue now long this will last me. But buying once a month will give me an idea of what I spend on them. I also buy nighttime diapers but currently didn't need any.

This was my OfficeMax purchase on-line.

3 pack of pens, printer ink cartridges and a large file folder. All FREE with a $51 gift card that I had earned from another deal.

That takes my total so far to $128.78. Not bad for this month. I am counting this toward my February total, because I bought most of this stuff for that month. Not to mention I didn't keep track in January, this is something new I am trying.

I am anxious to see how much I spend. I am hoping I really cut my spending so that we can continue to pay down our little bit of debt. We need new windows this year and want to pay cash for them. We will see how well we do! Wish us luck!

This post is linked to Frugal Friday and Super Saving Saturday.

Grocery Trips, Deals and Being Held Accountable

In the spirit of true disclosure, I am going to start posting what I get at the grocery store and how much I spend. I am always being asked what I buy, how I get my deals and what I make for my meals. Plus, I love seeing what people buy at the grocery store and the deals they have scored.

So I thought I would start posting this. I had a good system when I was still pregnant with my fourth baby. I would go to the store every other week and then when I came home I would create a 2 week menu plan.

Well, with the baby and well, life, I got out of that routine. It seems I was always needing something and was making multiple weekly trips to the store.

Since one of my goals for this year is to cut back on my spending, I am going to start keeping track of what I buy. I am hoping that by posting it on my blog, it will help to hold me accountable.

I have started a few things differently. You see I have found that one of my weaknesses is the Dollar Spot at Target and anything clearance there as well. So I have decided to start ordering my diapers on-line. I love the Target brand diapers and they are much cheaper than any deal I can find with my coupons. The best part is the diapers have free shipping, so it is no different than going to the store. Except they get delivered to my home and I save money by not buying things I don't need!

So look for my posts on what I bought this week. I know that I will also have to order some formula tomorrow as I am down to only 5 bottles. We only have about 1.5 months left hopefully of the hypoallergenic formula. Or as we like to call it "liquid gold" because of how expensive it is.

Huge Announcement!

I interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you an important message. My van is paid off! My husband did the last on-line bill pay the other day for my van. Now we are simply waiting on the title.

We have no car payments right now. Yes, you heard that right, no car payments. What a wonderful feeling!

Now, on to the next debt! Have I mentioned that I hate debt?

This totally works for me!

This post linked to Works For Me Wednesday and Finer Things Friday.

Saving Money by Avoiding the Stores

So, I know all the rules, shop with a list, don't shop hungry, take cash, by the cheapest one, use coupons, you all know the list. I know the list, however, I don't always follow it.

You see, I have a problem, I blame my mother. When I was growing up, our pantrys and freezer were always so stocked full we could have gone months without going to the store, and still had food to eat. My mother is the one that even though we had a family of 6, she would cook enough that when unexpected guests stopped by, we always had enough to go around for dinner. Yes, I totally blame my mom.

I also blame my "be prepared" mentallity on being a Girl Scout. That's right, I am blaming an innocent girls group on my hangups. I have a big problem with "just in case". I have to buy this 48 roll of toilet paper that costs $12, because what if our other 48 roll at home runs out and we have no toilet paper. So I buy the toilet paper. Or I can't remember if I need sugar, it isn't on the list. But what if I go to make muffins this week and have no sugar? So I buy the sugar.

And before you know it, my trip to buy diapers, sandwich bags and AA batteries has turned into another $100 shopping trip.

And here's the thing. I don't live in a remote town, where I only get to the store once a month because it is so far away. I live 1-2 miles from WalMart, Target, Kroger, Biggs and Walgreens. So if Heaven for bid, I actually run out of toilet paper, I can easily run to the store.

So the solution I have come to is this, just don't go to the store. We are very well stocked on everything right now. Except we are down to only 2 oranges and 1 gallon of milk. But for fruit, I am going to move on to what we have canned in the pantry and for milk, I am going to stop at the local gas station to pick up 2 gallons of milk.

On Tuesday it will have been 2 weeks since I went to the grocery store and I am going to try and make it last longer. I am going to try a new concept. I think I am going to try an go to the store and do the bulk of my shopping only every 3-4 weeks. If I can get down to a month, that would be awesome.

Yes, I might miss out on some great deals, but when those deals cost me an extra $70 on stuff I think I need, are they really deals? Then I actually spent $70 to save $5. If I stayed home, I could have saved the $70. I'm no math wiz, but I would rather save $70. Plus this way, I don't have to blame my mother, or the Girl Scouts.

So that is my game plan right now. Stay out of the stores. This fits perfectly with my "Eat from the Pantry Challenge".

This post is linked to Super Saver Saturday, Frugal Friday and Works for Me Wednesday.

Eat From the Pantry Challenge

I have decided to do the Eat from the Pantry Challenge that Crystal from MoneySavingMom.com and  FishMama from LifeasMom.com.

This is a good time for me to do this as I have a huge problem. My problem is that even though I go to the store every week or every other week, I still feel the need to have 6 cans of greenbeans at a time, same with diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and corn! I am always stocked up.

Same with the freezer, If I have less than 4 pounds of ground beef, I am running low!

So here is a photo of my pantry (cereal is kept in another cabinet and we currently have about 10 boxes. So are the pretzel and chip type snacks, those are kept on top of my fridge.

Here is what is currently in my kitchen freezer:

1 whole turkey

5 pounds frozen skinless chicken breasts

3 boxes waffles

1 bag wheat germ

1 package frozen sandwigh things

2 packages of frozen homemade pizza dough

2 ham bones

3 freezer bags of Vinnie's pasta sauce

1 gallon bag of cut up onions

1 gallon bag of cut up green peppers

3 bags of stir fry vegetable

2 bags frozen broccoli

1 container of homemade chicken rice soup

1 container of taco soup

2 packages of goetta (made by my mom)

3 frozen OJ's

1 frozen apple juice

2 packages of bacon (turkey and regular)

2 frozen stir fry steaks

And in my overhead freezer in the garage refrigerator:

6 pounds ground beef

3 pounds ground turkey

3 quart size bags of stew meat

1 frozen peas

3 frozen burritos

3 zip loc bags of homemade pumpkin puree (in 2 cup portions)

1 package of egg/dairy free waffles

Ice cream bars--regular and soy

Ice cream--regular and soy

6 baggies of shredded zucchini in 2 cup portions

popsicles

1 bag frozen tilapia

4 turkey burgers

2 bags of black beans

So that is what I have in my freezers, it is too long of a list to tell you what I have in my pantry, but it is quite alot. I am hoping that this challenge forces me to come up with new recipes. I have been in a rut lately and feel like I keep making the same couple of recipes.

I have not been doing a good job of following my meal plan, with my back hurting I have been making easier recipes. Last night we had taco soup with homemade honey wheat bread. I made 2 small loaves and there were only 3 pieces left.

So tonight I put stew in my crockpot and was asked by my kids to make more of the honey wheat bread, this is definately a keeper. And of course, this is all from my pantry and freezer.

Number 4 on My Thursday Thirteen Ways That I Save Money

Number 4 on my Thirteen Ways That I Save Money--Watching Sale Ads

Click on the links to read about the first three Buying in Bulk, Planning Ahead and Using Coupons.

So, number 4--watching sale ads. As I stated in the Using Coupons post, I watch sale ads.

Around here, my grocery ads are delivered on Saturday. This works out well, as Meijer, Bigg's and Jungle Jim's (a local health food store and specialty store, they sell everything there) sale ads start on Sunday. Kroger ads start on Monday. The Sunday paper will have Target (but I don't get that until Wednesday's when I see my mom).

I spoke of this before, but I will go through the ads and circle anything I think might be a good price. Then I will go back through and see if I have a coupon match up for any of those items. If it is something I need, I get it without a coupon. If it isn't something I need, I will probably pass, unless it is a  super sale.

Some weeks I only shop Aldi and Walmart, some weeks I will hit 3 stores, it depends on the deals for that week. I usually will not drive to a store for just one deal, I will only go if there is a couple.

I will then make a list for each store. I will list what I want to buy, how much it costs and how much the coupon is for. Then I will paperclip the coupons to  that list. I also bring my coupon organizer with me, incase they have any unadvertised deals.

Not only does this allow me to save money by planning ahead, but I save time by not buying things at the last minute.

I will also watch sale ads for non food items that I have purchased and will go back and get a price adjustment.

I will be honest though and tell you that some weeks I don't look at the ads at all. If we don't need anything and it is a particular busy week for us, I might not even go to the store. Sometimes the best way to save money is by not going into the stores at all.

This post is linked to Frugal Fridays.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

So, about a month or so ago, my friend Jeannie and I made the homemade laundry detergent. Can you just say that I am in love? I am so in love with this laundry detergent.

I believe I stated here how senstive my skin is. I have only been able to use the free and clear versions of laundry detergent. Add to that the fact that we have the new front loader washer and dryer and now I also have to use the high efficiency detergent. That can get quite expensive. I was using organic detergent that I bought in a huge jug at Sams, not horribly priced, but I didn't feel like my clothes got that clean. After a while they started to look dull and never really "felt" clean.

I had been wanting to try making homemade for quite some time, but honestly, am embarrassed to say that I was a little embarrassed by it. I mean, who makes their own laundry detergent? Like many of you, when you think of someone that does that, you think of either a nature nut or someone who cannot afford not to.

I always thought they were nature nuts. I do love natural products and being kind to the environment. But I also drive a minivan, live in a suburb, send my kids to public school, have a love/hate relationship with Lands End and eat frozen pizza on occasion. And not the good kind, the cheap, not sure if it is real cheese kind. So, you see, I am not the typical "nature nut."

I remember when I told my sister that I did some canning this past summer, when the tomatoes were in season. She jokingly said, "next thing you know, you'll be making your own detergent" well, little did she know that I was hoping to do just that.

I have mentioned my friend Jeannie a few times in earlier posts. I feel like we are long lost sisters! She too loves Lands End, lives in the suburbs,  will eat the occasional frozen pizza and loves natural products. She too made her own cleaning supplies. And in a simple conversation, we learned that we had both been longing to try making our own detergent.

So we set up a time and did just that. She came to my house and my husband took my 3 older kids to her house! We had just the baby, who slept most of the time. We based our recipe loosely on a few different ones we found. We mainly used the one here. I completely forgot about taking photos, I was so excited to get started!

The recipe that we used was this:

1 cup Borax
1/2 cup Super Washing Soda
1/3 bar of Fels Naptha soap
1 bar of Dove Sensitive Unscented bar soap (Jeannie used Ivory)

Simply grate the Fels Naptha and bar soap, I used my food processor. It was interesting to grate the different soaps. The Ivory soap grated super fast, as it was super soft. My Dove took longer to grate.

Melt the grated soap on the stove top in a pan along with 6 cups of water. Once the soap has melted, pour that along with 4 cups of hot water into a bucket. We used old cat litter containers that we(Jeannie) washed out. Mix that together. Once that has all come together, add 22 cups of water to the bucket and mix.

This has to set up for 24 hours before you use it. This will separate some and some will be jelly like and some will be liquid. Mine didn't separate, it stayed together in a very jelly like state. Maybe because I used the Dove, but Jeannie's did and she used Ivory. I use 1/2 to 1 cup of this detergent depending on how big my load is.

I have seen this recipe made without the additional bar of soap and only the 1/3 Fels Naptha. I have also seen this made with a whole bar of Fels Naptha.

I have been using this for 2 months now and I love it. My whites have never been brighter. Our clothes smell nice and are super soft.  I don't know that I will ever go back to store bought. The savings is phenominal, and you know exactly what is in your detergent, I like that.

And having sensitive skin myself, one child with eczema and a baby, we have had no problems using this detergent. So what are you waiting for? It only takes minutes to make and is so  worth it. Try different combinations and see what works for you.

Do any of you make your own laudry soap? If so leave a comment and tell me your recipe and whether or not you love it too!

This post links to Works for Me Wednesday, Frugal Fridays, Ultimate Recipe Swap, and Tackle it Tuesday.

Wishbone Salad Dressing Coupon--Could mean free dressing!

Coupons.com on my side bar has added some new coupons. Including one for Wish Bone salad dressing. If you pair it with a sale, this could equal free or very cheap salad dressing. Thanks to Money Saving Mom for bringing this to our attention.

I prefer to use olive oil and vinegar on my salad, but I love to use the store bought Italian dressings for marinating chicken. It makes it so moist and yummy, especially when you grill it!

Ways I Save Money, Number 3 on my Thursday Thirteen Post

Number three on my list of ways that I save money is by using coupons. As I mentioned before, I was not always frugal and didn't use coupons until about 4 years ago. So, around 4 years ago, I first purchased the following books.

Miserly Meals: Healthy, Tasty Recipes Under 75¢ per Serving

Frugal Families: Making the Most of Your Hard-Earned Money

Cheap Talk with the Frugal Friends: Over 600 Tips, Tricks, and Creative Ideas for Saving Money

 Greatest Secrets of the Coupon Mom


For those of you new to the frugal bandwagon, these books are a plethora of information! I read them cover to cover and just tried to soak it all in. Coupons seemed to be one thing that I could easily try. So I gave it a shot.

I have tried many things over the years, from cutting out every coupon and having a huge plastic container to hold my coupons, to having a small organizer in my purse, to what I have now, a nice cloth envelope type organizer with slots for my coupons. I bought it at Meijer.

Most people organize their coupons by type: baby, frozen, baking, meat, cereal, etc. I tried it that way, but I had so many that I ended up having envelopes in each slot to help me seperate them and make it easier for me to locate. After a while I realized that didn't work.

Then I read this book Shop, Save, Share. In her book, she talks about organizing her coupons in alphabetical order. So I tried that and it totally works for me! It is much easier to find Pampers diapers in the "P" section rather than the "baby" section. Kellog cereal would be in the

"K" section, not the "cereal" section. You get the picture.

Now, here is a secret, I do not pay for coupons. I used to have the Sunday paper delivered to our house. But some weeks we would not get our paper and we would have to go out to buy them anyway. Not to mention our subscription kept slowly going up. So we cancelled it and if I know there are going to be alot of coupons that I will want, we will go buy a paper, but that rarely happens. I get my coupons from my mom. She only cuts out a few coupons and usually for things that I don't buy anyway. I will print coupons from Coupons.com (which is on my sidebar) and from anywhere else that I find them. MoneySavingMom.com will always list the latest online coupons, I check her site multiple times a day.

So, I cut out any high value coupons and anything else that we will use. Even if it is something we can't use, with the high value coupons, if I am able to get it free, or for pennies, I will buy it and then donate it or give it to family and friends who can use it.

Once I cut them out, I then organize them in my coupon organizer.

When I get the sale ads delivered, at our house, that is Saturday morning, I will sit down and go through the ads and circle anything that might seem like a good deal. At this point I am not matching up to the coupons yet. Once I am done going through my ads, I will then go back to the ads, armed with my coupon book and see if I have coupons for anything that I circled. If I do, I will pull it out and start making a pile.

I do this for each sale ad. I will also check out MoneySavingMom.com, as she will list the links that will list deals at the stores that I shop.

After I make this pile, I will then write a list of everything I want to buy at the store. How much it costs, how much my coupon is for and what the final cost will be after sale and coupons (sometimes doubled). I do this for every item I have a coupon for. In addition to that, I will add items that I need to the list, also checking to see if I have a coupon for it. This comes from my running list on the fridge. When I run out of something or am getting low, I add it to my grocery list on the fridge.

So, armed with my grocery list, I head to the store. I also take my coupon organizer with me, incase they have an unadvertiesd sale.

But I don't just buy something because I have a coupon: No matter how good a deal it is, if you still have to pay something out of pocket and will not use it or can't donate it, then it isn't a good deal.

Since I don't buy alot of processed foods or cleaners, I mainly use coupons on toiletries like shampoo, toothpaste, personal items, etc.

As for toiletries, usually CVS will run items that are Free after Extra Care Bucks. I always buy those and when paired with a coupon, they turn into a money maker. I then roll those Extra Care bucks into another deal, or buy formula with them.

Using coupons is a great way to save money, I have been able to stock up on lots of things. For instance, I probably have enough disposable razors to last myself and all three of my daughters until they are grown and on their own. I still have about 20 bottles of shampoo and conditioner that I got for free or pennies. Not to mention the 20 or so bottles of lotion, also free. Same for panty liners, I am set for years with my free Kotex! I just ran out of toothbrushes, I haven't had to pay for any for about 4 years!

I used to keep a price book, but have gotten to where I just know in my head if it is a good price or not. Plus, Aldi's has the lowest price in town on staples. If something is more expensvie than Aldi, even with a coupon, I will not buy it.

There are however many things that I cannot buy with a coupon simply because I cannot find them. I have to have them anway, due to my daughters food allergies. So using coupons to save on one thing, allows me to spend the extra on the others.

Currently we are buying diapers and formula, so I am not sure what our grocery costs are right now, as we spend about $100 a week on formula alone. However, before the formula and diapers, we were spending $150 for 2 weeks, I would go to the store every two weeks. Not bad for a then family of five, including one with special dietary needs.

I am hoping that once we are done with formula that I can get back to the $150 for two weeks grocery bill. We'll see how it goes.

How do you organize your coupons?

This post links to Frugal Friday and Works for me Wedesdays.

Coupon.com

COUPONS!

It is the first of the month, which means the coupons have been reset at Coupons.com!  The $1 off any Muir Glen organic product is back! This will enable you to get free or almost free tomato products if paired with a sale! or if you have luck with getting Walmart to take computer coupons, I do not have suck luck.

There is also some $5 off Playschool coupons listed! This is an awesome deal for those of you that still need to buy Christmas gifts! I used these at Target last month and got some great deals on gifts for my little guy.

You will see these coupon on my side bar on the left. All you have to do is click on the Quick Print button. You should be able to print each coupon twice. You can scroll through the coupons on my site, or click on a coupon to take you to Coupons.com.

Happy Saving!

Amazon Deals!

For those of you that don't know, Amazon is running some great deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This is great for those of you that don't want to go out to shop! Just click here to see the list of deals. This same link provides both the deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

I ordered a couple things this morning that will go under my tree! They have great prices right now on dvds. Including Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (Single-Disc Edition) which I cannot wait to see.

It looks hilarious and I know it will be a great family night movie. The first one was a great movie and this one has been very anticipated in our house.

It doesn't come out until December 1st, but you can preorder it right now for a very low price! Check it out.

Black Friday Anyone? More Like Red and Green.

I know many of you cannot wait to wake up in the middle of the night, or even not go to bed at all and go out shopping. I too have done it a few times in the past.

One year I stood outside for hours in line to be able to get my husband a widescreen, flatscreen computer moniter for Christmas. The price was awesome, then since the box was open when I went to pay(after being in line again for an hour or so) they took another $50 off the purchase price since there weren't any more left. It was totally worth it for that one thing. Yes, he loved it of course. But it made for a very long day, and since I went by myself, not nearly as fun as if I had gone with friends.

This year however, my husband works, so unless I want to either go out and try to be home by 7:30 when he has to leave, or take all 4 kids with me to try and snag some deals, I will be staying home. Yes, I take my 4 kids with me all the time. To the grocery store, Target, Sams Club, the zoo, etc. However, taking them to the store to stand in line for hours, with the chaos and keep an eye on them and keep them safe and right next to me, um, no thankyou.

We will be spending Black Friday sleeping in.  Sleeping in for me is sleeping from anywhere between 5-7:00 a.m., or until my 8 month old decides it is time to get up and feed him! Depends on the day, he isn't sleeping that well lately, working on getting some teeth! So far he only has one.

Then as the other three slowly trickle out of bed, I will ward off the inevitable question while I drink a cup of tea. You all know the question . . . "mom, when are we going to put up the Christmas tree?" And why is it that you have so many helpers putting up the Christmas tree, but they all seem to scatter when you have to take it all down?

I do love putting up holiday decorations, I love listening to music, drinking hot chocolate, still wearing my pj's. It just makes the house so warm and cozy.

However this year we have a new little helper, he is an 8 month old destroyer. He loves getting into anything that he isn't supposed to. He goes right for the plugs, wires, dvd shelf, tissues, cats and dogs.  So you all know that a 7 foot tree that has lights and shiny decorations on it are going to be his favorite thing!

I am hoping that it atleast stays verticle. It might not have any lights or ornaments on the bottom half of the tree but hey, that's okay. We are used to it mainly because we have cats that like to climb the tree, a great dane/lab mix, who's tail can be quite destrucive. Not to mention the German Shephard mix that loves to chase the cats, you guessed it, under the tree.

I will post photos of my tree tomorrow after we are finished and you will notice a design flaw that I failed to notice when I purchased the new tree a few years ago. I didn't notice it at all, but my husband did and loves to point it out every year! Gotta love it.

Swagbucks Holiday Gift Card Blowout!

I recently read on the Swagbucks Blog that starting on Black Friday, November 27, and through January 1, they are going to offer a different gift card every day at a drastically reduced price. There’s no way to tell which cards will be discounted each day, so you'll just have to check every day to find out. Two of the bargain cards can be "purchased" each day.

I first posted about Swagbucks here, it is a wonderful opportunity to earn points, which in turn earns prizes, just for searching, which we all do anyway. I love this site and cannot say enough about it.

Click on the link above to go to Swagbucks and get started earning points!

Aldi

I am going to talk today about Aldi's, my favorite grocery store. I had always thought that Aldi's was a store that sold outdated food, food that was going bad and that only "poor" people shopped there. Plus the ones in that were near me at that time were in not to great neighborhoods. Then they finally built one a couple miles from my house, in a very nice part of town.

I kept hearing about it from the blogs that I frequent. The bloggers were constantly singing the praises of Aldi. And on this new frugal mission, I thought I should give it a try. Well, in June of 2008 I finally went and I was shocked at the prices, they were that low.

They only sell their store brand, so instead of 12 brands of pasta, there is just one. Same for tissues, icecream and flour!A few things to note is you need to put a quarter in the cart to get it out and need to bring your own bags (or pay for theirs) and then bag the items yourself.

I started off slowly, just buying a few things and only one of each, just to try, that way if we didn't like it, I didn't have 10 of them sitting in my pantry. If it was something my family didn't like, I simply didn't buy it the next time.

They do sell soy milk, but for the other soy products for my daughter with food allergies, I do have to shop else where. I buy all of my staples there and their produce is great.

I am going to list some of the items that I routinely buy there and the prices, prepare youself to be amazed!

canned green beans 49 cents
Quick oats (large container) $1.79
canned tomato sauce (8 ounces) 25 cents
tomato paste (small can) 39 cents
gallon of milk $1.25-$1.79 depending on kind, we buy skim, so $1.79 for us
diced tomatoes (large 28 ounce can) 89 cents
can of sauerkraut 55 cents
spaghetti 2 pound box $1.59
10 pack of powdered drink mixes 89 cents
ground turkey (frozen) 1 lb $1.19
Italian bread $1.19 a loaf
white or wheat bread 60 cents a loaf
Their prices on fruit and vegetables vary but I cannot beat their price anywhere.

I also know that most of thier store brands are made by top notch name brand companies. We have loved all of the products that we get their. I get all my staples there, it really stretches our grocery money.

I have not noticed a flaw in the name brand. Even their store brand Cheerios taste just like the name brand ones. And I am a Cheerio snob, they are hard to match.

So what are you waiting for? Try it out, you won't be sorry, I promise.

This post links to Frugal Friday, Super Saving Saturdays and Works for Me Wednesdays.

Can I Get A Shout Out for Leftovers?

Does anyone else love leftovers? I love them! The possiblities are endless.

It wasn't always this way. When we had food leftover, they would get thrown out if they weren't eaten as is as a leftover meal.  Usually those would be eaten my myself on the days I am home, or packed for my lunch on a day I worked.

But in my quest not to waste things and be more frugal with our money, I have changed the way I look at leftovers. Now I rethink everything. Dinner is a poop shoot, we either have no leftovers at all or lots, depending on how many helpings my oldest child eats. Sometimes it is one helping, other times it is 3-4, depending on how much the dinner is liked and how hungry she is!

We have some form of veggies every night with our meal, sometimes even two. I grew up with a complete meal consisting of a meat, vegetable and a starch. So that is what we have most nights, it is  rare that we do not. But I never thought of keeping them and reusing them as a completely different meal.

Now when we have veggies and there are some left, they go in a freezer bag that is labeled. Corn in the corn bag, grean beans in the bean bag, you get the picture. Left over mashed potatoes go in a bag labeled as such. Leftover blueberries get frozen, so do strawberries, bananas, I freeze almost anything. Even left over spaghettis sauce and rice!

What do I make with them you ask? Well I'll tell you, all different kinds of yummy things.  With the veggies I will make homemade soup, shephards pie or a pot of hash.  The mashed potatoes are also used for shephards pie. The leftover rice I will keep for chicken stir fry. The spaghetti sauce gets kept to make homemade pizza with.

As for the fruit, the strawberries will get made into a slushy. Blueberries into muffins, bananas turn into chocolate banana muffins.

Not only that but I plan on a night where we will eat leftovers for dinner, add a salad or some applesauce and dinner is complete.

This is a great way to save money and reduce the amount of food that is thrown away. I just hate being so wasteful when there are many people that do not eat as well as we do. So what do you use leftovers for?

This post links to Frugal Friday and Finer Things Friday.

Deals for the week of November 15-21

Here is a listing of links for you to get the scoop on the sales combined with coupon deals!

For those that shop at Bigg's you're going to want to visit Miss Know It All for the listing of savings.

For CVS deals, visit The Thrifty Momma.

If Walgreens is your store, head on over to My Litter for the listing of deals.

For Aldi deals click here.

For Kroger deals, matched up with printable coupons, click here.

Go here for Meijer deals.