Our Newest Morning Routine

I am NOT a morning person. If it were up to me, the world would not start until at least 10:00 am. But, the school system and corporate world refuse to listen to my requests.

So, now I have a kindergartner who MUST be at school and in her seat by 8:00am. I've been struggling to get us both out the door and her to school on time, and me to work with some hair left on my head. You see, my 5 year-old is extremely picky and opinionated about everything. I know she could give any Hollywood diva a run for their money. We've had multiple morning melt-downs over what she is wearing, how her hair is fixed, what she's eating for breakfast and lunch, etc. After some months with summer camp as a "dry run" for the mornings and lots of trial and error, here is what is working for me now.

1.) Clothes. The night before, we pick out and lay out EVERY single piece of clothing she is going to wear the next day, dress, shoes, jacket, etc. My goal is to not be looking for any missing shoes or sweaters as we're trying to get out the door.

2.) Hair. We discuss and decide how her hair is going to be done the next day, pigtails? a bow, just leave it straight? And it the morning, it's non-negotiable.

3.) Breakfast. We discuss what she is going to have for breakfast the next day, AND we lay out whatever we can (bowl, spoon, cereal box, vitamins). I've even started pouring milk pre-measured into a small container just for her,and leaving it in the bottom shelf of the fridge so that she can get it and make her own cereal. Eating breakfast has been a big struggle for us. But, having it already layed out seems to be doing the trick.

Now, I know many parents may disapprove of this routine, but, I let her watch TV while eating her breakfast. This just works for us. It allows me time to finish getting ready for work, and it gives her a chance to really wake up and be ready for the day.

4.) Backpack and lunch box is packed and ready to go the night before. I try to make sure that everything that needs to go back to school (lunch money, teacher notes, etc) is already packed and ready so I don't have to think about it in the morning.

The running theme in all these steps is letting her be involved in the process. I'm very glad that my daughter is becoming so independent, but it's and adjustment for a and inpatient mom who just likes "to do it and move on".

This is what's working for me right now. Do you have any nifty tricks to get your kids out the door in the morning? I would love to hear them. I'm always looking for new and better ideas for home and time management.


This is linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are That Family.

Nashville area Whole Foods: Complete Picnic Package for $20

I love this promotion! Starting tomorrow, September 1, you can get a great deal at the Nashville area Whole Foods on all the cookout foods you'll need for the upcoming Labor Day holiday.

For $20 bucks, you get:

8 quarter-pound burgers
8-pack of buns
8-pack of Cabot cheddar cheese slices
2 cantaloupes
2 1/2 -pound bucket of tailgate coleslaw.

We bought this package when they offered it over Memorial Day weekend, and it was fabulous! Everything is very fresh and wholesome. And, you certainly could not buy all these quality items individually for $20.

This is a local Nashville Event. The Cool Springs and Green Hills stores are the ones I know personally are participating. If you're not a local, you may check with your Whole Foods to see if they are running anything similar.

The promotion runs through Tuesday.

Target: School Supply Clearance Starts!

I was at Target today and found that the clearance sale on school supplies has begun!

Most items that are clearanced are only at 30% off, which is not a great deal. Unless you are looking for a specific item that will go fast, such as thermoses or a particular lunch box, I would hold out.

There were a few things that were 50% off, like the stretchy book covers.

If you find any good clearance deals, please let me know!

FREE or Very Cheap Mahatma Rice

There is a new .50/1 printable coupon for Mahatma Rice on Redplum right now. And it was in the Redplum insert on Sunday (8/29).

This will make for very cheap rice or even FREE in some places, if your store doubles. Right now, Publix has the small bags of Mahatma Jasmine rice for .89 cents. The coupon would make it free plus overage.

Menu Plan Monday

Last week was the first week I had a menu plan in several weeks, and things went so much more smoothly at dinner time. Menu planning takes a little time, but it really does make my home run smoother. Most of my meals are $5 or less because I purchase the ingredients when they are on sale and with a coupon to get them at their rock bottom price. When I find an item at the rock bottom price, I try to buy as many as possible to stock up so that I do not have to buy it again until it's on sale.


Monday -- Spaghetti w/ Italian Meat Balls

Tuesday -- No Roll Mexican Rice Enchiladas

Wednesday -- Salmon w/ Steamed Veggies and Rice

Thursday -- Simple Supper - mac n cheese from a box, green beans, corn

Friday -- Vegetarian Chili in Crockpot, corn muffins

Saturday -- Grilled Burgers and fixins

Sunday -- leftovers, or pizza

My Kroger List

I think I may actually skip Kroger this week because the sale is pretty much the same as last week and I really want to hit up Whole Foods and the Farmer's Market.

Kroger is still having their "10 for 10" sale. Remember, that you do NOT have to buy 10 items to get the sale price. They each ring up for $1.00.

A few points about Kroger:
1.) Use your Kroger Plus card to get the sale prices. The card is free at customer service
2.) Kroger will double coupons valued at .50 cents or less
3.) Some Krogers will accept competitor coupons, check with your store.
4.) There are e-coupons that you load onto your Kroger card. Go to cellfire, shortcuts, and Kroger.com
5.) You can use an e-coupon and a paper coupon on the same item
----------------------------------------------------


Better Oats Instant Oatmeal (5 packs per box)
Sale Price: $1.00
- B1G1 Facebook Printable
= .50 ea

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers
- .75/1 Kroger e-coupon
= .25

Kroger Cottage Cheese, sour cream, dip
Sale Price: $1.00


Minute Maid Frozen Treats 4 ct
Sale Price: $1.00
- .75/1 RP 7/25
= .25 ea


Produce:
Cantaloupe — $1.88
Yellow Peaches — $.99/lb
Corn on Cob - $.33 ea


Other:

Quaker Instant Oatmeal
Sale Price: $1.98
- $1/1 8/29 RP
= .98 ea


For more coupon matchups with sales visit Faithful Provisions (local) or Southern Savers (not local - so her prices may not exactly matchup, but close and the meat and produce sales are usually differnet in her area.)

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken & Vegetables

There is an Asian restaurant that I frequented when I worked at a former job several years ago. They had the best Teriyaki Chicken with rice and steamed vegetables that I've ever eaten. I have tried for years to replicate the recipe, and have failed miserably. But after many different variations I finally came up with one that is the closest that I'm probably going to ever get. The one big difference is they grill their chicken while my recipe calls for baking it in the crockpot. The crock pot is a busy mom's best friend!


Ingredients:

Sauce:
1 TBS cornstarch
1TBS cold water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp black pepper

Chicken
1 lb of your choice cut chicken ( I use whatever I've found on sale, thighs, breast, legs etc)

Vegetables (this can be whatever you prefer)
2 carrots grated
1 stem of brocoli cut up
1/ 4 head of cabbage cut up

Directions:
1.) Combine all the sauce ingredients in small sauce pan. Let simmer, stir frequently until sauce thickens and bubbles.

2.) Lay chicken in crockpot and pour Teriyaki sauce over top of it.

Note: you can marinate the chicken in part of the sauce over night, but I never think to do that ahead of time. The marinating it does in the crockpot is plenty, in my opinion.

3.) Cook chicken on low for 7-8 hours (less time if the chicken is boneless) or high for 4 hours.

4.) Prepare Rice per directions on package. Note: I prefer jasmine style rice for this recipe, but use whatever you have.

5.) Prepare fresh vegetables. Shred carrots, slice cabbage and cut broccoli into florets. Note: as a timesaver, I often do this the night before and put my chopped veggies into a ziplock bag and keep in the fridge so all I have to do is dump them out in the steamer when I'm ready to serve dinner.

6.) Steam vegetables for 7-8 minutes.

7.) Serve chicken on a bed of rice with a side of veggies. Spoon extra sauce over veggies and rice. Yum!


Linked to Recipe Swap at the Grocery Cart Challenge

Weekly Shopping Wrap up

It was a light week for me at the grocery stores, but that's always good for the budget.

A few of the things you see in the picture (Shout and Honest Kids Juice packs) are rainchecks from prior weeks sales. Because of my work schedule, I tend to shop at the end of the sale cycle. And sometimes they are out of a sale item. You should always ask for a raincheck. Publix is always very good about giving a raincheck, but often they will limit you to 6 same items (or less). Kroger can sometimes be a little harder to get a rain check out of, but I took the issue to the manager and he agreed.

Here are my weekly Grocery totals:

Kroger: $32.14 See my list w/ coupons here
Total Savings: $19.84
% Saved: 40%

Publix: $13.12 See my list w/coupons here
Total Savings $21.87
% Saved: 62%

Total for week: $45.26
Yea! 2 weeks under budget!

JC Penney $10 off $25 Purchase

JC Penny has released a sweet printable coupon. $10 off $25 purchase.

Or you can use the code: BESTEVER to get the savings online.

It can be used on clearance and sale items. It's good today through tomorrow, August 28.

Happy Shopping!

Sunday Coupon Preview

Check out Sunday Coupon Preview for a list of coupons that are supposed to be in this Sunday's paper.

Remember that coupons vary by region. To get the most coupons, you should get the largest circulated paper for your area. For the locals,that is the Tennessean.

Right now, Kroger is selling the Sunday paper for $1.19 on Sundays and then the price is dropped to $1.00 on Monday.

Walgreens Coupon Policy -- in Writing! Wow!

The devil must be freezing his tail off today because Walgreens has a written coupon policy on their website! Whoo hoo!

Go here for the policy. And, you may want to print it off to take with you on your next visit, because the Walgreens employees are always the last to know about store policies.



Thanks Southern Savers.

Regal Cinemas: FREE small Popcorn

Going to the movies?

Check out Regal Cinemas Facebook page and "like" them to print off a coupon for a FREE small popcorn. The coupon is only good for August 27 - 29.

Get good deal on movie tickets through Groupon here. You must purchase the Groupon this weekend to get the good price, but you don't have to use it this weekend.


Thanks Thrifty Mama!

Nashville Flea Market this Weekend

The Nashville Flea Market is this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday 8am-5pm
Saturday 7am-6pm
Sunday 7am-4pm

Admission is Free, parking is $4.00.

Happy Treasure Hunting!

Nashville Zoo: Half Price Day on Friday

This Friday the Nashville Zoo is celebrating the opening of their new Flamingo Exhibit with Half Price Admission!

Coupons and discount admissions to the zoo are hard to come by, so take advantage of this deal if you can.

My Publix Shopping List

Here's my Publix shopping list for the week: Short and sweet.

A few points about Publix:

1.) They will double coupons .50 cents and under.
2.) BOGO items ring up at half price, and you only have to buy one item to get the discount.
3.) You can use a coupon on each BOGO item.
4.) Most Publix will accept competitor coupons, check with your store to see who they consider a competitor.
5.) You can stack a Manuf. coupon with a Publix coupon or competitor coupon for additional savings

----------------------------------------------------------

BOGO Deals (the price I list is 50% off)

Campbells Select Harvest Soup
Sale Price: $1.19
- $1/1 Printable
= .19 ea

Morning Star Veggie Burger or Entrees
Sale Price: $2.00
- $1/1 Printable
OR $1/1 from package
= $1.00 ea

Yoplait Fiber One 4-pk
Sale Price: $1.25
- .50/1 SS 7/11, SS 8/8 or printable
= .25 ea

Cascadian Farms Granola
Sale Price: $2.00
- $1/1 Printable
- $1/1 Whole Foods Coupon (if your store considers them competitor)
= $1.00 or FREE if you can use both coupons.


Produce:
Zucchini - .99/lb
Yellow Squash - .99/lb
Green Beans - .99/lb
Eggplant - .99/lb

Other - Non BOGO
Purina Dog Chow 17-20lb bag
Sale Price: $9.99
- $2/1 Printable
= $7.99

Whiskas Dry Cat food 2.7-3.3 lb bag
Sale Price: $2.99
-1.50/1 RP 7/11
= $1.49 a bag

Harris Teeter *Hot* Deals for Nashville Stores

There are some hot deals at Harris Teeter this week. I think these are just for the Nashville area stores -- because the ad says "Hey Nashville!". But if you're in a different area, you might check your store too.

*note you must use your VIC card to get these deals. It's free from Customer Service.


Hot House Grown Red Tomatoes on the Vine
Sale Price: .69/lb

Skippy Peanut Butter (limit 2)
Sale Price: .99/ea
-.40/1 8/1 RP
= .19 Each

Capri Sun 10 pack (limit 3)
Sale Price: .99
- 1/1 Capri Sun 100% Juice (if included) Aug '10 Kraft Food & Family
= possibly Free if 100% juice is included in sale

Harris Teeter Yogurt 6oz (limit 12)
.16 ea


For more deals at HT this week, check out Faithful Provisions

Publix Penny Item

I know my friend Jayson is soooo excited about this one!

The Publix mystery penny item today is: 4-pack of Greenwise Toilet Paper.

Some points about the penny item:

1.) It's only for the first day of the new Publix ad (for the locals - thats Wednesday)

2.) You must purchase $10 (BEFORE COUPONS) of items to get the penny item

3.) Some store require the penny item coupon that comes in the Wednesday paper (check with your store).

Qdoba- Awesome Printable Coupons

We really love Qdoba in my family. So, I was really excited to see that they have a new promotion going on right now. Go to their site, and create a meal. Then you can print a coupon. Folks are reporting varying coupons. Mine was for 50% off one meal. So, it's a great deal. You can come back once a day and print another coupon.

Just make sure you do it when you know you will be going because my coupon expires in 3 days. We may not make it there this time.



Thanks Money Saving Mom!

Aldi Produce Deals

A few points about Aldi:

1.) Bring your own bags, or purchase them for .10 ea at the register.
2.) Must deposit a quarter to use a shopping cart (you get it back when you return the cart)
3.) Aldi does not accept credit cards. But they do accept debit cards, check, and cash.
4.) Aldi does not accept coupons.
5.) Most products are house brands

------------------------------------------

Here are the produce deals at Aldi this week.

Celery - .69/bunch

Corn on Cob 4-pack - .99

Green Grapes - .99/lb

Red Grapes - .99/lb

A couple of other items worth mentioning:

Sweet Harvest Mandarin oranges 11 oz - .49/can

Sweet Harvest Applesauce, 25 oz - .99/jar

Making Money when You're Unemployed

When my husband was laid off, very unexpectedly several months ago, we had to make alot of adjustments very quickly. Obviously, one of the first things we did was to try to find alternative sources of income while he was on the hunt for a permanent job. Here are some of the things we did.

1.) Contract Work. Fortunately my husband has IT skills that are in demand for small businesses and home users. He printed up some business cards on the home computer and bought some small ads in some community newspapers to get customers. He also made postcards from the home computer and mailed them (using the postcard postage rate -cheaper than the regular mail rate) to small businesses offering his services.

2.) Part-time Job. I was able to work out a deal with my former employer to come back and work part-time, my husband and I worked out our schedules to trade off child care duties.

The above items are really what kept us afloat during this time, but we also looked to less obvious ways to make some extra income.

1.) Sell! Sell! Sell! We sold several things on Craigslist and Ebay. Extra computer parts, an extra microwave, and a quilt that I never used for my child's room. I also participated in a children's consignment sale and sold some clothes to a local consignment shop.

2.) Working, temp & odd jobs. I have worked at a flea market selling jewelry, babysat, and other odd jobs here and there.

3.) Work the Election Polls. This is an election year, and did you know that the poll workers were paid? I didn't. I thought it was purely volunteer. But poll workers do get paid a small amount (around $125 in my county) for their service. It's a very long day, over 12 hours, so it's not even minimum wage when you work it out hourly, but it was some money for one day's work.

4.) Rent out garage space. One thing that I love about our house is that it has a 2 car garage -- I've never lived anywhere that had a garage. And I love being able to park my car inside. But, in tough times, that is a luxury that I could go without. We rented out our garage as storage space for someone that was trying to stage their home for sale. We knew this person, and so there was a comfort level with both sides, it may not be for everyone. I don't know that I would want to rent out to a stranger and be obligated to let them have access to my garage (and therefore my home since the garage is attached).


None of these items single handed made us alot of money. But the way I began to look at it was, "this will pay the light bill this month" and "this takes care of the groceries for the week". It was a little mind game I played with myself, that helped to take the pressure off a stressful situation. And, so far, we've never missed a payment and we have not missed a meal.

Have you come up with a creative way to make some extra cash? Please let me know! We're not out of the woods yet, and I'm always looking for a new source of income.


This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are That Family

Otter Creek Consignment Sale starts Friday!

One of favorite consigment sale starts this Friday. Otter Creek Consignment sale never disappoints. Tons of great stuff for your kids.

Friday, August 27, 8 -6pm

Saturday, August 28, 8 - 2pm *Half Price Day*

Go here for details and directions.

FREE Pet Exam at Banfield & Petsmart

Now through August 31, you can get a FREE pet exam at Banfield Animal Hospital inside select PetSmart stores. Go here to fill out a short form and print a coupon for the free exam. The coupon does not cover meds, products or shots. It's good for cats or dogs.



Thanks I Heart Saving Money!

Menu Plan Monday

After a long absence, I am going to try and start posting my weekly menu again. Something happened over the summer, and I just couldn't get to it. But, I'm taking back control of my house!

Most of my dinners cost $5 or less. I am able to do this by matching coupons to sale items and getting them at their rock bottom price. Then I stockpile so that I do not have to buy that item again until it's on sale (and hopefully I have coupons).

Monday -- Crockpot Teryaki Chicken w/ Rice & steamed veggies

Tuesday -- Italian Vegetable and Asiago Bow-tie Pasta

Wednesday -- Cous Cous with Spaghetti Sauce and mixed veggies (this is a new one, we'll see if it makes the cut!)

Thursday -- Simple Supper: Grilled Cheese & Soup

Friday - Pizza from the freezer(End of the work week -- mama doesn't want to cook!)

Saturday -- No Roll Mexican Rice Enchiladas

Sunday -- Veggie Burgers w/ fries.


Sorry, I got on a Betty Crocker kick and didn't realize almost all my recipes are from there this week.

Linked to Menu Plan Monday on Orgjunkie

My CVS Trip

Had a good trip to CVS today. I hadn't been in at least a month, and the cashier knew that (um, is it bad that the cashiers know me??)

And, this is why you should ALWAYS scan your card at the little CVS kiosk scanner, usually located in the front of one of the first aisle. I scanned my card earlier and out popped a $5 off $15 CVS coupon. This coupon can be used along with manufactuer coupons - just make sure you always give the $$ off purchase coupon first!

Also, if you have not done so already, register your Extra Care Card at CVS.com. You will soon start receiving $ off $$ purchase coupons via email. Earlier this week, I received a $5 off $25 coupon. I used both coupons today in separate transactions (you can only use one $$ off purchase coupon per transaction)

Here was my transactions:

Purchase:
3 John Frieda Root Awakening Products $5 each sale
1 Crest Pro-Health for the Gums Toothpaste $3.49
Used:
- $5 off $15 CVS Coupon
-(3) $3/1 off John Frieda Root Awakening SS 8/22
-(1) FREE any Crest Pro Health (from previous Crest rebate offer)

= $1.00 OOP
Received: $7.50 ECBs ($5 for John Frieda purchase, $2.50 for Crest)

2nd Transaction:
2 Charmin 16 pack, $9.99 ea
6 Puffs tissue, .99 ea
Used:
-$5 off $25 CVS Coupon
-$7.50 ECBs (from 1st transaction)
- (2) .25/1 Charmin P&G 8/1
- (2) .25/3 Puffs P&G 8/1

= $12.42 + tax OOP
Received: $10 ECBs

Total OOP: $13.42+tax AND I have $10 ECBs for my next visit.
Just for giggles, I figured up the normal retail value of the products I purchased today: $63.68, that's a savings of $50.26. And, that's why I coupon!

My Kroger Shopping List

Kroger is having a big 10 for $10 sale this week. All that means is that the items ring up for $1.00 each, you do not have to buy 10 to get the discount.

A few points about Kroger:
1.) Use your Kroger Plus card to get the sale prices. The card is free at customer service
2.) Kroger will double coupons valued at .50 cents or less
3.) Some Krogers will accept competitor coupons, check with your store.
4.) There are e-coupons that you load onto your Kroger card. Go to cellfire, shortcuts, and Kroger.com
5.) You can use an e-coupon and a paper coupon on the same item
----------------------------------------------------


Kroger Canned Vegetables
Sale Price: .33 ea
*note there is a limit to 9 per transacation

Better Oats Instant Oatmeal (5 packs per box)
Sale Price: $1.00
- B1G1 Facebook Printable
= .50 ea

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers
- .75/1 Kroger e-coupon
= .25

Kroger Cottage Cheese, sour cream, dip
Sale Price: $1.00

Kroger Whipped Topping 8 oz
Sale Price: .88

Ocean Spray Juice Cocktail
Sale Price: $2.00
- $1/1 Ocean Spray Blueberry Printable
= $1.00 for blueberry flavor

Produce:

Peaches - .99/lb
Broccoli - $1.50/bunch
Honeydew Melons - $2.50/ea
Organic Grape Tomatoes - $2/10ozpack

Meat:
Laura's Lean Beef 25% off
- $1/1 Printable (sign up on their website)
= varies


It's a short list for me this week. For more coupon matches to sale items, check out Faithful Provisions (local) and SouthernSavers (not local but very thorough list).

Walmart: DS Games 2 for $20

Right now, on Walmart.com, you can get 2 select DS games for $20.

Note: I scrolled through the list and many of these games seem geared towards older kids or adults, alot of excercise games. But there are a few that younger kids might enjoy.

Thanks Leslie!

Free Day at the Frist on Sunday

I love Free Day at the Frist! Lots of activities for the kids - ArtQuest is awesome

And this time we get a chance to see the much talked about Chiluly Exhibit.

Date: August 22
Time: 1:00 -5:30 pm
Admission: FREE!

Go here for all the details and a list of the activities.

Sunday Coupon Preview

Check out the Sunday Coupon Preview for a list of upcoming coupons. This week, we expect to get 2 inserts, 1 SmartSource, 1 Redplum. The $3 John Frieda coupons should make for a great deal at CVS this week!

Inserts and coupons vary by region. To get the largest selection of coupons, you need to get the largest circulated paper for your area. For the locals, that's the Tennessean.

For cheap Sunday papers, try Dollar Tree. And Kroger sells the Sunday paper, starting on Monday for $1.00.

Weekly Shopping Wrap Up

It's been a while since I posted one of my weekly shops. But here is this weeks shopping trip to Publix and Kroger.

Publix: See my list with coupon matchups here
Total Retail Value: $56.06
- Sales and Coupons: $46.59
Total Out of Pocket : $9.47


Kroger - see my list with coupon matchups here
Total Retail Value: $84.92
- Sales & Coupons: $48.99
Total Out of Pocket: $35.93

Total for week: $45.40
A savings of 67%

Good Deal: Sara Lee Bread for .95/loaf

Right now, you can get Sara Lee Whole Grain White Bread for .95 a loaf at WalMart.

Thanks Kyndel for alerting us to the good deal!

Have you found a good deal? Let me know and I'll post it.

Kohls: $10 off $20 Coupon

Check your paper today. There was a Kohls $10 off $20 purchase coupon stuck on the front page of my newspaper.

The coupon is valid for a week, August 19 - August 28 and is good on regular, sale and clearance merchandise. It could make for a great deal on some markdown items.

Happy Shopping!

My Non-Frugal Habits

I read alot of frugal mommy blogs and have gotten some great ideas. Sometimes though, I feel like they are perfect keepers of their home and finances, where I am soooo very not! But, then I thought that if you don't know me personally, you may think from reading my blog that I am a perfect keeper of finances. Inspired by The Coupon Teacher's post today, I am going to share some of my not-so-frugal bad habits.

1.) Eating Out. Somehow we got off track this summer with our eating out only once a month rule. I confess I've been very lax on my menu planning, and with the heat and all the activities of the summer, I just didn't want to cook! But I vow to start doing better.

2.) Wasting Water. Another confession. Sometimes, I let my 5 year old run the bath water longer than she should and fill up the tub so she can "swim". She likes it, and it keeps her occupied while I do something else.

3.) Let the coupons pile up. I hate filing. Whether it is filing bills, work stuff or coupons. And sometimes I miss a good deal because the coupon is on the bottom of the pile.

4.) Plastic baggies. They are such a waste. I'm working on trying to use re-usable containers for all items. But those little baggies are just so convenient. I tried washing them and re-using the bags, but I wasn't good at that either.

5.) Letting food go to waste. Oh! I hate when I do this. But sometimes I don't get all the fresh produce used up or chopped and frozen before it goes bad. I really hate doing that. And my husband hates it too, so I have to hear about it from him also.

6.) Smartphone. Oh! I want one so bad! I've almost convinced myself to pay the huge data fee that comes with a smart phone plan. "Everyone else has one!". I'm such a kid.

Do you have a suggestion on helping me overcome one of my bad habits? Please share!! Or, Do you have a not-so-frugal habit? Please share! No judgements here.

My Publix Shopping List

Not an awesome week for me, but I am excited about the cheap peanut butter!

A few points about Publix:

1.) They will double coupons .50 cents and under.
2.) BOGO items ring up at half price, and you only have to buy one item to get the discount.
3.) You can use a coupon on each BOGO item.
4.) Most Publix will accept competitor coupons, check with your store to see who they consider a competitor.
5.) You can stack a Manuf. coupon with a Publix coupon or competitor coupon for additional savings
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOGO Items (I list the price at half off)

Hunts 100% Natural Tomatoes 14.5 oz cans
Sale Price: .69 ea
- .45/3 SS 8/1
= .39 ea

Mt. Olive Pickles 16 - 46oz
Sale Price: $1.39
- .50/1 SS 8/1
= .39 ea

Barilla Pasta
Sale Price: .64
- $1/2 Barilla Whole Grain Printable (if included)
= .14 ea

Ocean Spray Juice Cocktail
Sale Price: $2.00
- $1/1 Blueberry flavor Printable
= $1.00 for Blueberry flavor

New England Ground Coffee 9-12oz
Sale Price: $2.89
-.50/1 Printable
= $1.89

Peter Pan Peanut Butter 13 or 16.3 oz
Sale Price: $1.25
-.60/1 SS 8/1
-$1/2 Publix coupon School Day Savings Book (I could not find this book)
= .65 ea OR .15 ea if you stack the manu. & Publix coupon!

Lysol Trigger Spray Cleaner, 4 in 1 All purpose
Sale Price: $1.34
- $1/1 SS 8/8 or .50/1 printable
=.34 ea

Lysol Neutra Air Spray 10 oz
Sale Price: $1.80
- $1/1 Printable
=.80 ea

Glass Plus Glass & Multi-Surface Cleaner 320z
Sale Price: $1.80
- $1/1 Printable
= .80

Other (non-BOGO)
Excedrin Pain Relief 20-24 ct
Sale Price: $1.24
- $1/1 SS 7/11 or Printable
= .49



For a full list of sale items with coupon matchups, visit Southern Savers.

Groupon: $50 of Gap Apparel for only $25

Wow! This does not happen often, this is a nation-wide offer, so everyone can get this deal.

Groupon's Deal of the Day 8/19: Get $50 worth of GAP apparel and accessories including sale items for only $25!

The fine print: Expires 11/20/10. Limit 1 per person. Valid in-store at US and Canada Stores Only. Not valid on online purchases, previous purchases, GAP Outlet, GAP Factory, or GAP Generations. See site for more details.

Publix Penny Item

The Publix mystery penny item today is: 1 roll Greenwise Papertowels.

If you're not into papertowels like me, this is a great donation item to a local school. They always need papertowels.

Some points about the penny item:

1.) It's only for the first day of the new Publix ad (for the locals - thats Wednesday)

2.) You must purchase $10 (BEFORE COUPONS) of items to get the penny item

3.) Some store require the penny item coupon that comes in the Wednesday paper (check with your store).

Aldi Product Deals

A few points about Aldi:

1.) Bring your own bags, or purchase them for .10 ea at the register.
2.) Must deposit a quarter to use a shopping cart (you get it back when you return the cart)
3.) Aldi does not accept credit cards. But they do accept debit cards, check, and cash.
4.) Aldi does not accept coupons.
5.) Most products are house brands.


Here are the best produce deals:

Strawberries 16 0z - .99

Plums - .25 ea

Nectarines - . 25 ea

Peaches - .25 ea


Sale runs Wed, August 18 - Tuesday, August 24

Buying Organic Meat on a Budget

Trying to eat all natural and organic on a small budget is tough. But not impossible. It takes some planning, discipline and getting to know your options. If you read my grocery lists or Weekly Shopping Wrap Ups regularly, you'll see very little meat on them. That's because I try to limit our meat consumption to once or twice a week. The meat that we do eat, is usually all natural, organic and hopefully free-range. Same for our eggs and dairy (as much as possible). Here are the ways I get our organic meat for cheap(er).

1.) Look for Manager Markdowns at the Grocery. This is the easiest way I've found so far. Get to know your butcher at your grocery store. After speaking with my butcher, I learned their markdown schedule. He also told me how much it would be marked down. In the case of one of my stores, I know to look at the sell by date and I know that organic free range chicken that normally sells for $14 a pack, will go on markdown the day BEFORE the sell by date. The butcher also clued me in on what time of day they do the markdowns. He told me everything must be marked down by 4:00pm, but I've found that most of the time, the markdowns are done before noon. Also, another helpful tip: If you have a grumpy butcher that doesn't want to share this information, look for another one. I had this happen to me. I simply kept asking until I found a friendly, chatty butcher.

Whenever I run upon a great markdown deal on organic meats, I buy as much as my budget will allow and then freeze the meat for later.

2.) Check out the farmer's market. Often you can get some good deals from small family farmer's on their organic/free range and LOCAL meat. Some farms will offer a sample pack that will contain a variety of cuts of meat. The sample pack price often works out to be much less per pound than if you bought the cuts of meat separately. I recommend bringing your calculator (unless you're a math genius) and shop around the farmer's market before making a purchase. The prices on the same cut of meat can vary widely from farmer to farmer.

3.) Warehouse Clubs. I can't say I have any real experience with purchasing organic meat from a warehouse club because we let our membership expire a long time ago when I discovered the joy of couponing! But I've read others' blogs and heard from friends that Costco, in particular, has some good deals on organics. If you're a member, you should definitely compare prices.

Have you found a good way to get organic meat or other products for less? Please let me know! I'm always on the lookout for a good organic deal.




Linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are That Family.
and The Coupon Teacher's Thrifty Thursday

My Kroger Shopping List

Kroger is doing their Mega Deal again this week. Buy 8 particpating items and get an automatic $4 off your total. There are some great catalina deals that you can pair with the mega deal to get some awesome deals.

A few points about Kroger:
1.) Use your Kroger Plus card to get the sale prices. The card is free at customer service
2.) Kroger will double coupons valued at .50 cents or less
3.) Some Krogers will accept competitor coupons, check with your store.
4.) There are e-coupons that you load onto your Kroger card. Go to cellfire, shortcuts, and Kroger.com

Mega Event Items (prices listed are after the .50 discount):

Del Monte Canned Fruit or tomatoes
Sale Price: .79
- .75/3 Kroger Home Mailer
= .54 ea

Quaker Quakes Rice Snacks
Sale Price: .99
- $1/2 Printable
= .49 ea

Progresso Canned Soup
Sale Price: $1.19
- .50/2 General Mills insert 8/8
- .50/2 Shortcuts & Kroger e-coupon
= .44 ea when you stack the paper with the e-coupon
* Note:there is a catalina deal on Progresso.
Buy 4 and get $1 off your next order
Buy 6 and get $2 "" ""
Buy 8 or more and get $3 "" ""

Nature Valley Granola Bars
Sale Price: $1.99
- .75/2 Granola Bars SS 8/8
- .50/1 Cellfire
-.75/2 Shortcuts
= $1.24 ea when you stack paper coupon with e-coupon
Note: There is a catalina deal on Nature Valley
Buy 3 get $1.50, Buy 4 get $2.50, Buy 5 get $3.50 off your next order

Nature Valley Nut Clusters
Sale Price: $1.99
- $1/1 SS 8/8
- $1/1 Cellfire and/or Shortcuts
= FREE when you stack paper with e-coupon

Yoplait Yo-Plus Yogurt 4 pk
Sale Price: $1.79
- .50/1 GM insert 8/8
= .79 ea

Green Giant Steamers
Sale Price: $1.88
- .50/1 Printable
= .38 ea

Kleenex Box Tissue
Sale Price: $1.19
-.50/2 Kleenex Anti-Viral, Lotion or Ultra Soft Facial Tissue (These are included in the sale), SS 7/11
= .69 ea

Pedigree Dentastix
Sale Price: $2.49
- $2/2 RP 8/15
= .49 ea


Produce:
Organic Grapes $1.68/lb

Zucchini & Yellow Sqash $1.00/lb

Broccoli $1.50/bunch

Other:
Healthy Life Bread
Sale Price; $1.29
- .25/1 SS 5/23
= .79

Sunday Newspaper (on Monday or after)
$1.00


This is my list, for a complete list of items on sale with coupon matchups, visit Southern Savers.

Walgreens: Free 8X10 photo Today Only

I am really excited about this Walgreen's deal, I plan to use it to the max to get all the dance recital pictures I want for free or little money. I knew if I waited for the right time, I would get a good deal on dance photos.

This week, Walgreens Photo is having 7 Days of Deals. Today's deal is a FREE 8x10 photo. No other purchase is necessary. The photo must be uploaded and ordered by midnight tonight to qualify.

Have you got a picture that you want enlarged? Now is the time to do it! Go here to start.

Homemade Italian Meatballs

I didn't plan on posting this when I made it, but I got such great reviews from the family, that I thought I'd share. When my picky 5 year old tells me it's the best thing she ever ate, I know that it's post-worthy.

This recipe came from an old cookbook for sandwiches (yea, there are cookbooks for sandwiches!). I modified it some and made a dinner version of their meatball subs. You can use canned sauce too, but I haven't been able to find any great coupon deals on canned sauce that we like lately, so I've started making my own -- it's probably healthier.

Sauce: (modified from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook)

4 8oz (or 24 oz total) cans of tomato sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs basil
1 Tbs oregano
1 Tbs rosemary
Salt & Pepper to taste

Sauce Directions:
Combine all ingredients in sauce pan. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Meatballs:
1 lb of lean ground beef
1/2 cup regular breadcrumbs
1 egg
oil
1 cup of spaghetti sauce (canned or use homemade recipe above)

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2.) In mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce with ground beef, bread crumbs and egg. Mix well.
3.) Brown the meatballs on each side in skillet.
4.) Place meatballs in baking dish.
5.) Cover meatballs with remaining sauce
6.) Bake in oven approximately 15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink inside.
7.) Serve with your favorite vegetables and garlic bread!




Linked to recipe swap on The Grocery Cart Challenge

Dollar General: $5 off $25 Purchase

Dollar General has put out a $5 off $25 coupon on Facebook. It is good only for this weekend. Go here and "like" DG and then print the coupon from their "FB Fridays" Tab.

This coupon could make a great deal on sale and summer clearance items.

Sunday Coupon Preview

This week we should get 2 coupon inserts, Redplum and SmartSource. Go here to see the list of coupons expected. I'm excited about the $2/1 Purina Pet Food. Should make for some really good deals eventually.

In order to get the most coupons, you should get the largest circulated paper in your area. For the locals, that is the Tennessean.

Also for cheap papers, check out Kroger on Monday. They sell the Sunday paper for $1.00 on Monday. I've understand that Dollar Tree sells them for $1 also.

EZ Deal: Half off at Vittles

Vittles in Brentwood has been one of my favorite's for years. It's a great meat & three restaurant. Even my grandmother loved it when I took her there a few years ago.

So, I was really excited to see today's EZ Deal. Purchase a $20 certificate for only $10! That will get you a great meal for at least 2.

Go here to sign up and get your EZ Deal for Vittles.

Target Coupons

Check out the new coupons that Target has released on their site. The $1 off Produce that I was so happy to see a few days ago, appears to be gone. But there are some new ones that are pretty good.

$1.00 off bed pillows (some of their pillows start at $2.59, and many are on sale this week)

$1.00 off Shower Curtain liners (I'm hoping these will go on sale soon to make a great deal)

Several $$ off select furniture items, school supplies, and Target brand grocery items, you're sure to find some great deals with these coupons.

Cold Stone: 2 Ice Creams for $5

You can print a coupon here for 2 "Like It" size ice creams from Cold Stone for only $5 bucks! Good deal.

I think I'll use this as we celebrate my daughter's first day of Kindergarten.

Amazon: Melissa & Doug Crafts 70% off

I love Melissa and Doug products, I think they are very high quality toys and activities. But they are a little pricey, so we don't get them very often. That's why I was very happy to get an email about this!

Right now, Melissa & Doug craft items are as much as 70% off on Amazon.

Check it out here

Harris Teeter Super Doubles

Starting today, Harris Teeter will be having Super Doubles (August 11 - August 17). That means they will double your coupons valued at a $1.98 or below.

Whenever Harris Teeter does one of these coupon promotions, they clean out of all the free and super cheap items fast. If you don't make it on the first morning of super doubles, my advice is to wait until Saturday morning, when they have had another truck delivery and restock. My friends and I have had better luck doing it this way.

The rules around the number and type of coupons you can use vary from store to store. Check out Southern Savers (is based out of S. Carolina and prices may not match up exactly) and Faithful Provisions (will have local prices) for coupon matchups and the rules surrounding the super doubles.