Why ask Why...

The Fedex man thinks I'm nuts

2008-11-29T08:58:00.002-06:00

Yes, he does. You see he delivered a package to my house on Wednesday and I started screaming and hollering like I had won the lottery or something. Actually, it was

$500 dollars in Shell Gas Cards!!!!

Yes, you read that right. Now let me take a step back and tell you about it. Have you ever seen those pop ups that say you can win a free $500.00 gas card? Weeeeelllll.....I'm sure not all of them are legit, but Carrie at Money Saving Methods has found some that are. She the master at getting free money I'm telling you. I used her step by step instructions, spent about 65.00 OOP and 8 weeks later here came my gas cards in the mail.

It was such great timing for us. Many of you probably know that Chris is not working right now. Between the oilfield being slow and it being the holidays it's not the greatest time to look for work. Thank God for emergency funds.

Anyhoo, I started screaming and Chris thinks I'm nuts, but I'm now $500 dollars richer! Perfect timing with the price of gas going down ~ I can really make these babies stretch.

I'll be back later with a picture for you. I need to get dressed first don't ya think? ~ lol!

What's up!!?!!

2008-10-26T21:31:00.003-05:00

Just popping in to say Hi!!

All is well in the Faulk household ~ kids are growing right along with my stockpile :)

Just wanted to throw a few things out there for you.

First off ~ I'll be teaching an online coupon class on two different sites starting on Nov 2nd. You can log on, read and send me any questions you have. Check it out HERE starting in Nov. New topics will be posted every Sun, Tues and Thurs evenings until I run out of things to talk about ~ hehe!

Second off~ If you haven't visited Carrie's blog Money Saving Methods it's a MUST DO!! I read about her $500 Gas Cards and have been hooked ever since. She thoroughly details all the great online money making offers that I would never EVER have the guts to do. With her help (and pictures of proof!) I launched my very first offer back in Sept. I spent $78.00 OOP and I'm happy to report that my $500 Gas Cards are now showing ready to ship. By this time next month I'll be posting a pic for ya'll!!

It's really a great deal to check out and I didn't want to miss informing anyone (you know all two of ya'll that still subscribe to my now dormant blog).

I'll be back next month sometime with PICTURES of those beautiful cards!!!

ahhhh...I do miss ya'll

2008-09-22T22:10:00.003-05:00

Hi all!

I'm just sneaking in (not back ~ sorry!) I thought I'd take Ginger's advice and just pop in to let ya'll know how we're doing.

Life is crazy but that's normal here. For those of you who didn't know we live in South La. right in the heart of Cajun Country. It's fabulous ~ except for hurricane season. It makes me wish we lived at Disney World instead - hehehe.

Gustav was rough weather wise, but I was so calm the entire time. The eye passed right over us, but our home sustained no damage Thank God. We lost electricity for about 3 hours. that's much better than the rest of the family that was staying with us. Three days. My house was full and busting at the seams. All I can say is thank you Slemco for finally turning it back on. ~ Family's great but hey ~ it was THREE days!!! :)

Ike, well, that's another story. Those outer bands in the north quadrant made me want to put some of that great night time Robi I picked up at WAGS to good use :) Ike gave us some roof damage, but all is well.

Thank you to everyone who emailed me to check on us and for those of you who said you were praying! As I said I do miss blogging and perhaps I'll pop back in again from time to time.

**For those of you looking for the magazine fundraiser link I said I'd post ~
HERE it is.

Type in NOAH Band, Lafayette, La

next page click on Band

Student name ~ Cade Faulk

**If you're looking for the ALL YOU script you'll find it under Beauty and Fashion.

Thanks for all your support for the homeschool band!! ~ hope to see some of you on Thursday at the coupon class :)

It's been fun but it's time to go

2008-08-22T05:30:00.000-05:00

Well the title really says it all. I started this hobby back in March and it's been a blast, but it's time for my blogging to come to an end. It's come to a bitter-sweet ending for me.

Hubby and I have discussed this at length and we feel it's best for some things to be let go. I love my blog and I love the outlet it gives me. I love how I'm able to help others, but it's gotten to be too time consuming to continue.

When I started this whole adventure I didn't mean for it to get so big. I'm not willing to take it to the next level I guess you could say. I appreciate everyone who's been by and faithful to read. There are many other blogs that I would recommend stalking. Check out the links on the side bar.

If you live in the Acadiana area you can still look me up on Acadiana Moms.com and I will still be offering my coupon class in Sept.

Thanks again for all the love and all the new friends I've made!!

Be Blessed and Happy Shopping!!

Wal Mart is FABULOUS!!

2008-08-21T07:17:00.000-05:00

Today was a great run to Wal Mart. I found some great deals on the clearance rack. Here's the details:

3 Malt O Meal Cereals @ 1.00 each
20 Old El Paso Seasonings @ .57 each
2 Muir Glen Soups @ 1.00 each

Total $15.40

- (10) Old ElPaso 1.00/2
- (2) Muir Glen 1.00/1
- (3) Malt O Meal 1.00/1

Total OOP $1.88

I don't like them but it was so cheap!!

2008-08-21T07:08:00.000-05:00

So most of you know how much I dislike WAGS. There is just no love there ~ lol!

But I had read about the Preparation H deal on MSM and I wanted to buy the Jello, so I ran in real quick. Here's what I got:

2 Preparation H @ 3.99 each

3 popcorn @ .19 each

3 Jello @ .39 each

1 Wheat Thin @ 2.50

Total $12.22

- (2) 2.00 ESR Preparation H

- (2) 2.00 IP Qs Prep H

- Free Wheat Thins WYB 3

Total OOP $2.45

Shot in the dark

2008-08-20T15:01:00.003-05:00

Ok - so I know it's a shot in the dark but here it goes....

I know that there are alot of home school mommies who read my blog.

I'm IDSO a

Horizons 4th grade Math Teachers Guide
(preferably one where the price won't rip out my eyeballs!)

If you have one for sale please - please contact me! Thanks

carliefaulk@cox.net

I stold this I'm telling you!!

2008-08-20T08:21:00.002-05:00

Tuesday when I went to WalMart I was talking with a supervisor and a man walked up with this really nice bike. He said they bike guy was clearancing them and was selling it for $15.00!! What??? Tell me there are some more please!! He said yep - in the Garden Section.

Well off to the Garden section we go! I got back there and none of the bikes were marked. You could tell some of them had been there for awhile because the tags were faded. I've never been one to be deterred so I went and found someone to scan them for me. That someone turned out to be the Co-Manager. She was really nice. I told her what I had heard from the man up front. she said Ok - I'll sell you these for 15.00 each. Sweet!!

I picked up a great Men's Schwinn bike for only $15.00! The chain was broken, but my hubby is Mr. Fix-It so it wasn't a problem. I'm happy and so is he :)

**On a side note right after she told me this the bike guy came of lunch. He said I needed to run with it because he never would have priced it for $15.00 - he was going to mark it $75.00! Show me to the nearest check out please!!!

CVS Run

2008-08-20T07:58:00.003-05:00

As depressing as CVS was this week I still went an picked up a few things.

Contour Monitor 19.99
Colgate 3.49
Batteries @ 1.45 each
Aquify 2.99
Banana Boat Spray 8.49

Total $37.86

- 5/15 (given to me by a friend from a home mailer ~ thanks Nicole!!)
- 19.99 Monitor Q
- 1.00 Colgate CRT
- 2.99 Free Aquify CRT

- 7.00 Banana Boat Coupon (mailed to me from complimenting them!)

Total $2.53 (with tax!)

Made 10.00 back in ECBs!

What to do with all those monitors??

2008-08-20T05:47:00.001-05:00

So it's almost fall right? Well in CVS terms it's called monitor season. For some reason all the diabetes monitors start going on sale this time of year. There good prices and usually they are free after ECBs. Which is great for those of us building up our ECBs to buy Christmas presents.

There are two problems with these sales though.

The first problem is - what do you do with them? It's just plain wasteful to throw them away in my opinion. Someone out there needs them trust me!

So this is what I suggest - DONATE THEM!!!!

Here are places I have personally donated to in the past:

Free clinics
Health clinics
Nursing Homes
The local Diabetes Foundation
Missinonaries (they take them over seas)

So don't throw them away!!!! Put them to good use ~ plus some places will give you a receipt so you can use it as a tax deduction (just a thought for those of you who itemize.)

Second problem - monitor season makes managers and cashiers antsy and suspicious. Not all manager and cashiers though, but many. They don't understand why we're buying them and it's understandable.

I had a conversation with my local DM and this was one of the subjects that came up. He was wondering what we do with them. Mine personally go to someone my MIL knows who takes them to Mexico for a clinic there.

The reason it makes managers suspicious also is returns. I don't know how many times I have to say it but IF YOU MAKE MONEY ON IT DON'T RETURN IT!!!!

It's cheating the system. It makes bad relationships between you and the managers. It makes the rest of us couponers look bad. It's unethical.....there are just so many reasons the list could go on and on. For a more detailed answer on CVS Returns check out this.

Bottom line - you got it for free and they paid you for it. Don't return it please. Donate it.

Tabloid Tuesday Thoughts

2008-08-19T15:56:00.004-05:00

Okay ladies! It's Tuesday!!!! Time for the tabloid review :)

I'm in a great mood, my pounding headache has finally left and I got some FABULOUS deals today. One that is particularly funny and exciting. I'll be sharing it with you tomorrow. I still need to take pics and stuff (oh and mow the lawn .....why can't the lawn mow itself?) ~ lol!!

But - back to the tabloids. A few good deals I'm going to be working this week.

Super 1

Whole Watermelons $3.98

Food Club Mac and Cheese 5/$1.00
Food Club biscuits 4/$1.00
(remember if you are price matching @ WM they will match their brand for Super1's)

All Small and Mighty (32 loads) $2.98
use the $1.00/1 All insert Q (I need to find mine!!)

Albie's

Big Campbell's Mega Sale, but no Q matches that I see.

Conagra Sale~ buy 20.00 and you save 5.00
*Only think I saw great was the Peter Pan @ 1.50 (final price)
They are probably 2.00 each so you'd have to buy 10

10 Peter Pan @ 2.00 each = 20.00
minus 5/20
minus (10) $1.00/1 Coupon (from the All you)
Total OOP $5.00

Not bad but you'd have to order some PB Qs now!!

Also - the General Mills Cereals are 6/$10.00
Use (3) 1.00/2 Qs and come out with six boxes of cereal for $7.00.

***If you wear your LSU Jersey on game day you get an additional 10% off. Am I the only one wondering about UL? helllooooo!???

Adrien's

Surfine Tomato sauce 6/$1.00
good to PM @ WM.

Plums .79 cents/lb

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $1.88/lb.
I also will PM these.

**Note when price matching chicken. Always buy the large family pack - it has 5lbs in it. Also it helps it by the price on the ad you do the multiplication for them. The cashier will have to figure it out anyway so I like to just write it out for them. Like this:

Have fun and let me know if I missed something!!!

From the Husband's Mouth

2008-08-18T15:45:00.004-05:00

I just read the funniest post by a husband about his couponing wife. It's a must read I'm telling you! I'd even print it out and give it to hubby. I'll be he can identify!! ~ lol!

Head over HERE and check it out!

Thanks to MSM for the link.

Sunday Sales Review

2008-08-18T07:35:00.004-05:00

Blah.......I have the shopping blahs this week. Nothing at all looks good.

I was sitting here thinking back to last year. If I remember right it's a funky time of year. It's the in between time. Most of the summer clearance is gone or picked over and I'm loaded up on cheap school supplies. Now I'm just waiting for them to start clearancing out before the Black Friday sales. Oh ~ I can't WAIT for Black Friday!!

So back to the paper. I was terrible - TERRIBLY disappointed in the inserts. We didn't get nothing here. How I wished we had gotten the Sarah Lee FREE bread coupon. But it wasn't to be. I was able to pick up 10 off Ebay this morning for only $4.00. 40 cents a loaf sounds like a good deal to me :)

CVS and WAGS are not inspiring me either. Well - WAGS has .39 cent Jellos. I need to run in and see if they carry Wheat Thins. Then I could buy three Jellos and use my Free Kraft WYB 3 Q.

Target did put out some more Internet Qs. Here's what's out that looks good there:

Kellogg's Pop Tarts - $.50/1
match up with a 1.00/2 Manufacturer insert Q

Sutton & Dodge steakhouse-quality choice Angus beef: Steak or Roast - $2.00/1
I've heard this could make for a great deal. You'll have to go and check it out.

and that's about all folks! If you saw something I skipped over please let me know!!! If not it looks like it could be a slow week for me. Let's hope the Tuesday tabloids look a little better ~ :)

Menu Planning Monday!

2008-08-18T04:05:00.001-05:00

I was going to shake it some this week, but we didn't use a few of our meals last week so I rolled them over. Check out what we have planned and then head over to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie to see what everyone else has going on.

If you've been to my blog before you know that because of my shopping days I plan Fri - Thur.

Friday - Hot Dogs and fries

Saturday - Omlets and french bread

Sunday - Leftovers (Cara and I won't be home - we're going out for a party)

Monday - Pasta Alfredo with Broccoli and rolls

Tuesday - Ham Steaks and Cream Peas

Wednesday - Fried Rice

Thursday - Hamburgers and Potato salad

and the Mary Kay goes to....

2008-08-16T23:19:00.002-05:00

rands 91 and rfhess!!!

Congratulations ladies ~ I'll be in touch soon!!

Thanks everyone for playing!

CVS Scenarios 8/17

2008-08-16T17:18:00.002-05:00

Nothing I'm jumping up and down for this week that's for sure. :(

I'm to the point where I'm just working on rolling my ECBs over and getting the things we need, like milk, bread, eggs and TP of course!

But - there are a few deals I'd like to point out to you.

Here's my plan for this week:

Deal #1

Revlon Mascara 7.99
5 Oral B Toothbrushs 1.99 each
Bread 2.49

Total 20.43

- 2/10
- (5) 1.00/1 Oral B Q (from this months P&G)
-1.00 Revlon insert Q
- 10.00 ECB

Total OOP around 2.50
make back 10.00 in ECBs

Deal # 2

Contour Monitor 20.00
Colgate Toothpaste 3.49

Total 23.49

- 2/10
-20.00/1 contour Q (bought off EBay)
- 1.00/1 Colgate Q

Total OOP about .50 cents
make 5.00 in ECBs

These are great deals, but I blew some of my ECBs last week on milk so I could use a little building.

Check me out next week sometime. I'm writing a post about what to do with all those monitors!!

Then Sings My Soul Saturday

2008-08-16T08:16:00.000-05:00

What a busy weekend! Chris and I hosted a party last night, my oldest has a birthday party today and my DD has one tomorrow. I don't think we'll find time to mow the grass this weekend. :)

I hope you enjoy this song. It reminds me how blessed I am to have wonderful friends!

For more great songs head over to Signs, Miracles and Wonders.

Confirmation on Chick Fil A

2008-08-15T09:15:00.002-05:00

Just an FYI for ya'll ~ I called my local Chick Fil A about the Labor Day promotion I had posted about earlier in the week.

It's a GO!!

Check out the details here.

Grocery Run

2008-08-15T09:01:00.006-05:00

Every two weeks I head to the store and do my major shopping. I always make my menu first and then my list. I like to attach my flyers and my Qs to my list (makes it easier).

This week I did good, but spent more than I have in the last few months. I'm still under budget so I'm good :) My total OOP was just at $75.00 for two weeks of groceries. This includes some items for my stockpile. I also bought some ground chuck that was clearance (this is fine to do as long as you use it or freeze it within 24 hours.) I still have $50.00 put away to work the deals and buy any fruit and veggies I'll need.

Here's what I bought:

It's quite alot so I won't be listing everything individually. However ~ I will tell you what Qs I used.

I used 19 of the Kraft Free WYB Qs. The last of my stash there. Good thing because they expire at the end of the month.

I used (2) 2.00 South Beach Pizza, BOGO Grill mates, 1.00/2 Hunt's Ketchup, (2) 1.10/1 Macaroni Grill Product, (2) 1.00/2 Old El Paso, BOGO Special K and 2.00/2 Fresh Express Salads.

Most of these Qs are ones I've gotten of coupon trains so I can't tell you where they are from. Sorry ya'll!! If you haven't joined a train you should defiantly consider it!

You can check out the one I'm on HERE.

Weekend Giveaway!!

2008-08-14T08:50:00.004-05:00

Yes that's right! I'm having a weekend giveaway!! It starts right now and runs thru Saturday night! I'll announce the winner on Sunday morning.

So what are we trying to win right? How about TWO nice prizes from Mary Kay, compliments of my friend Timberly?

1st giveaway

A makeup bag with the Mary Kay Bamboo and lotus lotion, spray, and body cleanser. $ 40 value

2nd giveaway

A makeup bag, 3 in 1 cleanser, age fighting moisturizer, day solution, and night solution. These are the cleaning products. It is valued at about $100.

Here's the info on how to play:

Leave me a comment! !!

All comments must be made between now and Saturday night 9PM.

The winners will be picked by the Random picker and announced Saturday morning.If you do not have a registered blog (that I can access please) please leave me an email addy so I can get in touch with you. If you do not leave me a way of contacting you and the random generator picks your number I'll have to throw it out and pick another. Sorry ya'll!!

Uhhh...I broke one of my rules!

2008-08-13T09:02:00.002-05:00

I did. I'm ashamed to say it. One of my big rules is buy everything once a week so you don't have to run to the store. Plan ahead right!? My thinking behind this is that if you run to the store you're bound to pick up more than that one item you needed. Thus resulting in overspending right?

We've recently decided to stop buying soda and junk food. We know it's not good for us.

But..... we had company. Ok - it was a cousin but still. We had the envie (craving for you Northerners) for Rice Crispy treats. As everyone knows you can't buy generic marshmallows (at least this is what my hubby says and since he makes them I don't argue too hard!)

The nearest store to our house is about three blocks away. It's called Champagne's (pronounced Shaw-pine's for you non cajun speaking blog readers) :) It's REALLY expensive. sigh.....

Well I figured if I was going - I was getting a good deal some how. Here's what I did since the Jet Puffed is a Kraft deal.

2 Jet Puffed marshmallows @ 1.49 each
(yes - I know they are .88 cents at Wal mart - please don't remind me - it was painful enough)
1 Kraft Pudding @ 1.00
Cheese slices 2.49 (freebies!)

Total 6.47

minus .50/2 Marshmallow Q
minus 2.49 for the cheese ~ Free WYB 3

Total $3.81

So it's not a great total and I paid WAY more than I normally would have, but it was better than just buying the two bags straight out at 1.49 each. Plus the pudding makes me the best mom in the whole world (at least for another day or so - hehe!)

Have no fear though. This will not be a habit I promise. My hips can't take it. :)

But my baby loves it! ~ please don't ask why he's eating it with a spoon. I couldn't figure it out either!

WAGS - Free BIC Pens

2008-08-13T06:12:00.001-05:00

I noticed that the BIC pens were 1.00/2 at WAGS this week. No limit. :)

This matches up really well with the insert Qs for 1.00/2 which make these free!! There are also printable HERE!

I went and bought 20 packs of pens and used 10 Qs. I paid .59 cents OOP for the tax. A couple of the packs I bought had a bonus of two extra pens. We defiantly won't run out of pens for awhile - lol!

CVS Trips 1 & 2

2008-08-12T19:12:00.001-05:00

I went out and hit up CVS bright and early Sunday morning!

Problem is this. I did several transactions but didn't write them down. I did them all "on the fly" so to speak. Don't be mad ~ I'm sorry!!

Since I've already thrown the receipts and the trash man has already come I'll have to just give you the highlights to this trip.

I did the Lamisil first. I rolled 10 ECBs and paid 2.00 OOP.

This transaction generated some great CRTs so of course I had to spend them. I came OOP for the rest of the items about 1.60. Not to bad. I had rolled 4 ECBs also.

This transaction was done on Monday. It's easier to remember since I did just one.

Alavert 5.99
Milk Straws 1.00
Milk 2.69
2 Teas 1.49 each

- minus 2/10
- minus 1.49 BOGO Tea
- minus 4.00 Alavert
- minus 4.00 in ECBS

Total OOP 1.09
made 4.00 in ECBs back

Tabloid Tuesday Thoughts

2008-08-12T15:32:00.002-05:00

Tuesday's are so much fun! I think they'd be better though if I could get my mailman to come around 11 AM instead of his normal 3pm or 4pm. Ya know he wouldn't need to do it everyday. Just Tuesdays :) Yeah - I don't think he'd do it either. sigh.........

so here's what I thought looked good today.

Starting out with Super 1

68 cent medium eggs (limit 3) - 68 cents?? woohooo!!

57 cent Bologna or Franks - .25/1 IP here

98 cent Grands Biscuits (8 count) .50/2 here and here

7/77 cents Kool Aid
(perfect if you have the Free WYB Kraft Qs from the All You!!)

.77 cent Chef Boyardee - 1.00/3 IP here
(I had trouble with the printer instalation - this one's YMMV)

Adrien's (local IGA)

.88 cent Sunny D (48 oz)

.88 cent large eggs (limit 2)

.77 cent/lb peaches or nectarines (I'm price matching these at WalMart)

Albertson's

The have a 10 for 10 running along with others but nothing with a good coupon match up. Plus some of them aren't "really" on sale. YWIM?

1.99/lb Boneless Skinless Breasts

3.99 gallon MILK!!

3 day sale Fri - Sun

5.99/lb T Bones

3.99 Large Shrimp (sold in 2 lb bags)

Piggly Wiggly

4/5.00 Ball Park Franks - there are 1.00/2 insert Qs

**The Pig in Scott has Peter Pan Peanut Butter for 1.99. If you have the All you there is a coupon for 1.00/1.

And that's all folks!! Hope some of these come in handy for ya'll!

Organizing my Time

2008-08-12T06:18:00.001-05:00

There aren't enough days in the week, weeks in a year, minutes in an hour, hours in a day....yadda, yadda, yadda. There's always something isn't it? :)

Where do I get the time to do all the things I do is a big question I got last week. Yes, shopping can be a full time job. I find with some organization I'm able to fit it all in.

Some days I wish my kids were in school so I would have plenty of time to do all my shopping with out them. But they aren't and it's something I've learned to work with. (We're one of those weird homeschooling families in case you didn't know!)

So how do I fit it all in? Well, I have a "loose" schedule.

I get up about an hour before the kids do. I check my mail, publish any comments and make sure my blog posts are ready to go for the day. Then I spend 30 minutes of "me" time on my treadmill with my ipod. It's strangely relaxing and I love it.

From there the kids are up and we're into breakfast. After that we tidy up the house and are ready for school by 9:30 or so. We school from 9:30 to noon and then have lunch.

After lunch is a variety of things. Usually we run errands a couple days a week. Others we're home cleaning up or vegging out. I try to be home by 3:00 everyday so I can have an hour of "me" time. I'll get on the computer and figure out my deals and write some posts.

Hubby is home around 5 and then we eat around 5:30 or 6. We spend the evening different ways. Usually watching a family movie, playing the Wii or playing outside.

The kids are required to be in bed by 8 and lights out by 8:30 (I'm so blessed ~ my kids go to sleep so well) This gives hubby and I plenty of time to hang out or work around the house together before bed. Twice a week he goes to the gym and works out and I stay home. This gives me more time to catch up on my blogging.

Even though it might look like I shop everyday I don't. I might do all of it on Monday and just post them over a few days as I find the time.

Organization is the key I'm telling you. My kids love knowing what's going on. They know what to expect and I don't get to many arguments from them.

So I hope this answers some of your questions. It takes discipline, but I like how everything works and there's time for everything.

Oh -and before you all ask. I clip my Qs every Sunday or Monday night. I try to get it done and finished with before the week starts. I'm usually clipping Qs while hubby watches UFC. :)

See ~ we are normal.............

Menu Planning Monday!

2008-08-11T05:06:00.001-05:00

All right.......

So I've made my meal plan. It doesn't look too bad. I think I'm going to surf the net this week looking for new ideas though. Just to shake it up a bit :)

So check out what we have planned and then head over to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie to see what everyone else has going on.

If you've been to my blog before you know that because of my shopping days I plan Fri - Thur.

Friday - leftovers

Saturday - Omlets and toast

Sunday - Knorr's Chicken casserole
(I'll be cutting up some chicken breasts and throwing them in with a noodle mix. It's defiantly not rocket science, but I love the noodles)

Monday - Stuffed Bell Peppers and Corn (see below for the pepper recipe)
**note - the kids don't eat the peppers but hubby loves them.

Tuesday - Macaroni Grill Pasta and green beans
(we're having the Alfredo one this time)

Wednesday - Hamburger Patties and Gravy over rice with Broccoli

Thursday - Enchiladas and taco dip

Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 small to medium sized green or red bell peppers
Salt
5 Tbsp oil
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 lb of ground beef
1 1/2 cup of cooked rice
1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned (canned in my house, haha!)
1 tsp of oregano
Black pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce
Dash of Tabasco sauce (or a couple depending on where you're from!)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cut top off peppers 1 inch from the stem end, and remove seeds. Add several generous pinches of salt to boiling water, then add peppers and boil, using a spoon to keep peppers completely submerged, until brilliant green (or red if red peppers) and their flesh slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain, set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, add meat, rice, tomatoes, and oregano, and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp. Oil inside peppers, arrange cut side up in a baking dish, then stuff peppers with filling. Combine ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl, then spoon over filling.

Add 1/4 cup of water to the baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes (or longer, depending on how big the peppers are that you are stuffing), until the temperature of the stuffed pepper is 150-160°F.

** I like to sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top also.

Hope you enjoy!!

Sunday Sales Review

2008-08-10T23:29:00.001-05:00

Hey all! So another Sunday ~ another paper :) I was hoping for some great sales, but it doesn't look like they're is anything I'm running out for today.

Office Depot is still running the 5cent sale for erasers and protractors. (but if you've been watching the ads you probably already picked these up ~ how many do we really need?) They are also running .50 cent glue sticks (not bad) and .50 cent Markers (I'll pass - they aren't washable.)

Today was the first time I got a Rite Aid ad. I usually don't get them and I never worried because I'm not a Rite Aid shopper. I skimmed thru it and saw some Q match ups, but I need to surf the boards to see how to work them. I'll get back with you if I find something good.

WAGS (which you all know I H.A.T.E.) had one item I thought was a great deal. The BIC pens are on sale 2/1.00. We have insert Qs for 1.00/2 which make these free!! There are also printables HERE!

Now - as for the Qs. I thought it would be great because we had FOUR inserts, but some of the inserts were disappointing ~ very few Qs but lots of ads. There is a coupon for .30 cents off Cinnamon Rolls that goes well with the Super 1 sale this week (ending Tuesday). Also - there is a 1.00/2 coupon for Old El Paso. This is great because the seasonings are 57 cents at Wal Mart. Buy two and pay 7 cents a packet!!

Free Chick-fil-a Sept 1st??

2008-08-10T08:35:00.003-05:00

Several forums are reporting free Chick-Fil-A Chicken Strips on Sept 1st.

Here are the details:

To receive one (1) free three-count order of Chick-n-Strips while supplies last, eligible participants should visit participating Chick-fil-A locations from 10:30 AM until close on Sept. 1, 2008 wearing at least one visible article of clothing that contains any football team logo or collegiate logo and mention this Promotion.

ELIGIBILITY: Offer available only to legal U.S. residents of AL, AR AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NM, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WV, and WY. Limit one per person.

It's defiantly better than the cow costume right?? Lol! I haven't seen anything on Chick-Fil-A's website, but I'll be calling my local store in the morning to see what they say!

How many Inserts?

2008-08-10T08:02:00.002-05:00

How many inserts today? FOUR!

Taylor Town Preview is showing 3 SmartSource and 1 Valassiss. I think one of the SS will actually be a Red Plum though. Some of these Qs look good to hold onto for grocery sales. I'll be going thru them later this evening (after my date night with hubby!)

Just so you know how many to look for when you pick up your paper!

Link Love

2008-08-10T06:17:00.000-05:00

I'd like to take time to share a great read I've found. If you have time head over and check it out!

Stuff Cajun People Like ~ the name just says it all. This blog is hilarious do you here me? If you ever wondered about Cajun culture ~ here's the place to find out about it. Start off with one of my favorites: the Crawfish Boil!

Hope you enjoy the "peek" into Cajun culture. I love living here. :)

I'm feeling the love

2008-08-09T13:18:00.001-05:00

Yes I am. I'm feeling the love. This week I was proudly given a bloggy award by THREE different people!! Three (at least I know that three of you read my blog ~ haha!)

Thanks goes out to the following:

Jessica @ Spending Smart
Anita @ The Silver Lining
Justine @ Justine's Grocery Brags

Each of these women nominated me for the Award. I feel so loved :) Thanks ladies!!

CVS Scenarios

2008-08-09T07:39:00.001-05:00

Scenarios, scenarios, scenarios. Ok - get the brain in gear here!! There isn't much that we "need" this week, but there are some great deals.

To read up on the details I suggest you visit Erin @ Coupon Cravings.

Here's what I'm thinking for this week.

Deal # 1

2 Lamisil $8.00 each (rough estimate)

Total $16.00

- 2/10
- (2) $4.00 Lamisil Qs (found in 7/20 inserts)

Total OOP $6.00 (in ECBs)
make $10.00 back - moneymaker!
Personally I'll probably throw in a gallon of milk and break even. :)

Deal # 2

Alavert $5.99
Bread or Eggs $2.59
2 Gold Peak Teas $1.49 each (monthly ECB deal)

Total $11.56

- 2/10
- $4.00 Alavert IP
- BOGO Gold Peak Tea $1.49 (tearpad)

Total OOP $4.07
Roll a $4.00 ECB - make $4.00 back.

Deal # 3
(not one I'm working because I don't need this but I'm sure someone does!)

EPT Pregnancy Test $10.99

- 2/10
- $4.00 Insert Q
(03/09 - but I've seen these in several magazines also. Good Housekeeping for one)

Total OOP $4.99
make $4.00 in ECBs

Deal #4

4 ROC Skin Care @ $8.00 each (estimate)

Total $32.00

- 2/10
- (4) $5.00 ROC IPs (You'll need to print from two different computers)

Total $10.00
Roll a $10.00 ECB - make a $10.00 ECB

Then Sings My Soul Saturday

2008-08-09T05:47:00.002-05:00

What a week. It's been crazy with lots of different things going on. No matter how busy I get my family is my first priority. I like living in my frugal shack on a rock. You can keep your sand castles.

I hope you enjoyed this song ~ now go out and spend time doing what's really important!!!

For more encouaraging songs make sure you visit Signs, Miracles, and Wonders for Then Sings My Soul Saturday.

Giveaway Winners

2008-08-08T22:34:00.003-05:00

So I asked for feedback ~ if I should change anything, what you didn't like, etc. I did get a few good ideas I'll be working on in the future. I really-really appreciate everyones great comments. It helps me to know what I need to do better at! :)

Thanks ya'll!!!

Congratulations to:

Liz and Pam

Your Qs will go out in the mail Monday morning ladies!

1 Day Only - Coupon Giveaway!!

2008-08-08T20:04:00.001-05:00

I've recently discovered the wonderful world of coupon trading. It's great and I've gotten lots of great Qs this way. Thing is I won't be able to use all of them.

So ~ I'm giving some away!! But I'm using this as a two fold purpose. I need some feedback. Is there anything you'd like to see changed in my blog or any problems with it? Layout, design, content, etc.

This is your chance to speak your mind (I know you all love to do that!)

Here's what I'm giving away:

2 sets of coupons

Both including the much sought after Kraft WYB 3 and a little potluck!

There will be two Cheese Slices, two Salad Dressing,

two Wheat Thins, Two Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs and 2 Crystal Light!!

Here's the info on how to play:

Leave me a comment and give me some feedback!!

All comments must be made between now and Friday night 9PM ~ the Qs will go out Monday morning bright and early.

The winners will be picked by the Random picker and announced Saturday morning.

If you do not have a registered blog (that I can access please) please leave me an email addy so I can get in touch with you. If you do not leave me a way of contacting you and the random generator picks your number I'll have to throw it out and pick another. Sorry ya'll!!

So talk to me people!!!

Frugal Friday: Clean it out!

2008-08-08T00:27:00.001-05:00

It's one of the worst feelings to me. I take time to make my menu, my grocery list and then I go shopping. Only to come home and "discover" while putting my groceries away that I bought something I didn't need. I didn't need it because I already had it. By the way - this is NOT my freezer! ~ mine is organized now :)

So my Frugal Friday tip today is this: Clean it out!! Know what you've gotten hidden in the back of your cabinets, refrigerator and freezer. This will help you use those items in your menus and it'll save you money!

For more Frugal Tips head over to Biblical Womanhood!

Another CVS Run

2008-08-07T16:56:00.001-05:00

We needed T-Paper. I can't believe I let myself run out! I thought I had a whole other pack in the back bathroom, but when I went to look ~ nothing. Now TP is just not something you go with out ~lol!

I know - I know. I said I wasn't going this week and after what happened here ~ I should have stuck with my original plan.

But - we HAVE to have TP. So off to CVS I go. I had a great scenario worked out, but when I got there I saw some Polident on clearance and just had to buy it. It put my OOP higher but that's all good.

Wanna know what I'm doing with the Polident? Check it out HERE.

So here's today's deal:

Scott TP - 4.49

Toothbrush @ 2.49

2 Polident @ 2.34 each

2 Orbit @ 2/3.00

Total 14.66

- 2./10

- 2.00 CVS Orbit Q (got it in my email)

- 1.00/1 Orbit 3 pack Q

- 1.00/2 Polident Q

- 1.00/1 Toothbrush Q

- 3.00 in ECBs

Total OOP $4.66

made 1.50 back in ECBs

Wal Mart

2008-08-07T15:41:00.004-05:00

I ran to WalMart today to use a few Qs and price match somethings. I had 40.00 left in my budget and wanted to use it for some stockpile items. I spent $31.05 OOP today. I had coupons for everything except one item (hubby wanted it!)

I did 6 of the Kraft WYB 3 get 1 free. I used the South Beach pizzas, the Kraft BBQ sauce and 3 koolaid to get the cheese, Wheat Thins and dressing.

I price matched the Pillsbury and the Michelina's to the Super 1 prices.

I have to run out the door with the kids, but if you have a question about what q I used or where I got it please let me know!

My last Albie's run

2008-08-07T01:26:00.001-05:00

I'm sad to see this sale come to an end but my shelves are full. I went and bought 40 items spending $1.63 OOP. :)

Here's the pic.

Also for those of you wondering where I store it all here's another. This is my overflow area. I have one large cabinet for all my boxed and canned goods. I have a closet that stores all my HBA items and I stash chips in another closet. (For those of you wondering where I stick it all ~ LOL!) Right now my stash is high, but by using it to meal plan and blessing others with some it goes fast. Actually - when you look at the pic it doesn't look like much - it's plenty for us. :)

....and a few more.

2008-08-06T05:46:00.001-05:00

amanda said...
"Wow. Good Shopping. How many freezers do u have in your house?"

One - but it's 22 cubic feet so it's pretty big. Here's a pic for you.

Nicole Street said...
"Sounds very yummy. What is your BBQ Pulled Pork recipe?"

ummm... no real recipe. I stick the pork in my crock pot and cook it all day. When it starts to pull apart I chop it up and mix in a couple bottles of BBQ sauce. :)

Timberly said...
"OK so you plan a week at a time. DO you think it is crazy that I plan two weeks at a time? Is it better to plan one week at a time?"

You're not crazy! I do plan two weeks at a time and I shop for two weeks at a time normally. I just break it up on the blog into one week because it's easier that way.

Thanks everyone for reading my blog. It's such a fun hobby and I love sharing with you all!
and thanks for all the great comments about my new picture!!

I should have skipped CVS

2008-08-06T04:32:00.000-05:00

I had said earlier in the week that I was skipping CVS. Well I decided to go run and do a transaction. I was going to do the Pert and the Cover Girl. They are good deals right? With the appearance of the new CVS 2/10 I felt it's be a good deal. I stopped at my favorite store and did the Cover Girl. It was fine. No problems at all.

I skipped over to a friends house who had another coupon for the Cover Girl so I stopped again at a diffrent store near her house and I was going to do the Pert and the Cover Girl there. Well, that store was a disaster. It was a mess and I should have just walked out, but the manager was so rude and ugly to me.

Back track a minute with me. The Pert is $3.69 BOGO this week. I called Customer Service and talked with a guy about the Qs. Just to make sure I was doing it right. He say CVS does not allow two coupons on a BOGO sale (unless it's a BOGO on a BOGO). The other exception he told me is when the coupon states "Limit One Coupon per Item" It has to specifically state that. Ok - no problem because that's what the Pert Qs say. I was going to use a 1.00/1 and 2.00/1 and pay .69 cents for the two bottles.

Well - the Q beeps. The cashier calls the manager over and the manager is rude. She has this "I don't care - whatever" attitude from the get go. I was really put on the defensive. I tried to explain to her, but she wasn't really interested.

Side note to self** I had heard that this manager was like this - I should have just went to one of my favorite stores (where they talk to me normal!) and by passed this one. So I told her I would call Customer Service. They had already entered all my other Qs. By now there are two customers behind me. I asked her if she could check them on another register while I call customer service. She was like no I won't - void her items. I was like What?!? That's so rude. She had several other cashiers that could have done it easily. She didn't want to do that to her customers she said (umm...I'm a customer too - remember?)

She then told the cashier again - void her transaction. Then she looks at me and tells me I need to leave her store. Ok - that was rude. Rude and totally uncalled for. I was mad by then. I told her I would call customer service and report her and I would never spend another dime in her store. Plus she's on my blacklist now. grrr........

I did call Customer Service again, except this I contacted the comments department instead of the ECB department. Here is the "official" CVS policy on BOGO Qs.

You cannot use two coupons on a BOGO sale. Period. Because the system zeros one out and you aren't technically paying for it. So my advice - don't try it. I know other stores (ie: Walgreens, Albie's and Winn Dixie allow it, but not CVS.)

I ran across town to a CVS where I like the store manager. He's always been a nice guy. Well, come to find out - the district manager was there. The DM and I had a long chat about what happened, couponing in general and what they could do to make things easier - to make it a win-win situation for everyone. He's a nice guy and I can see he's willing to work with everyone.

I did tell him I lost my temper with that other manager. Everyone knows that's my rule of thumb right? Be nice - if it's a total loss just leave and try another store. It's so frustrating to get a different answer from two different CS people. sigh......... I'm disappointed in myself for losing my temper like that. I really try hard to cultivate good relationships with store managers and cashiers. Don't worry ~ I've properly chastised myself and it won't happen again. :(

Now - back to my chat with the DM. He agrees. I would hate to have a few "bad apples" spoil couponing for the rest of us. He wants his stores to be Q friendly and his employees. I have seen a shift in some of the stores and I'm grateful for it. However - it's up to us couponers to make sure we do are part. Read the fine print, make sure the Qs match properly and when in doubt ask a store manager.

On a more shocking note. He asked me if I'd be interested in coming to talk with his store managers about the Extra Care program from a customer point of view. Yeah - I was pretty shocked too. ~ lol.

What do ya'll think? Give me some feedback on this one!!

Tabloid Tuesday Thoughts

2008-08-05T20:04:00.003-05:00

Ok - so I'm exhausted from my CVS adventures today, but I did skim the paper and I've seen a few things I like.

Albie's has .99 cent Sugar and Eggs on the 3 day sale this weekend.

Piggly Wiggly has .99 cent Jumbo Ball Park Franks. Check your insert papers - there were 1.00/2 Qs a few weeks back. They also have the Malt-O-Meal marked 2/3.00. If you couldn't find it at WalMart this would be a good sale for those Qs.

Adrien's has 77 cents/lb peaches and .88 cents head of green leaf lettuce. Personally I'll price match these at WalMart.

Super Once is running a special. Bring in your gas receipt (over 35.00) and get 5% off your purchase. 5% is still 5%!!!

And for my really hot deal this week - Super One! The Pillsbury Grands, Cinnamon Rolls, French loaf, Breadsticks and Pizza Crusts are on sale for 88 cents each. That's great! There are insert Qs that will match up with this. Also check out the Betty Crocker link in the right hand column for more Qs.

Happy Shopping all!!

Buying things you don't need

2008-08-04T21:04:00.004-05:00

Why would you buy things you don't need? Well to give them away of course (and it doesn't hurt when you make or build ECBs with them)! I give away lots of things. You didn't really think I needed 20 Smucker's Jellies did you?!?

Erin @ the Coupon Cravings is hosting a challenge. Here's the specs on it:

"Just post your very best scenario for spending $5 at any of the above stores using actual coupons you have on hand and then link back to your post using Mr. Linky below. Don’t have a blog? Then leave your scenario in a comment. Be sure to include the items, coupons, store and total, along with your email address.

On Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. ET I’ll randomly select a winner and will mail out the $5 gift card on Wednesday morning (so please make it easy as possible for me to contact you quickly for your mailing address). I’d like to do my best to get the gift card to you before the end of the week’s sales. All that I ask is that you take a photo of what you bought using the $5 gift card and either send me a link to the blog post you write about the charitable donation or just email me the photo and charity name.

I’d love to promote your good work.I’m really looking forward to your participation and to working together to help those in need in our local communities."

So if you've every wondered "What can I do with all this stuff?" I hope this is good inspiration for you. I love to bless others and this is a way I can do it. Using my knowledge and skills (and coupons!) to give back. You don't have to participate in the challenge I just thought it was a great idea and wanted to share!

I haven't done my scenarios yet but check back later in the week and you'll find one. :)

Answering a few questions....

2008-08-04T20:14:00.002-05:00

I've been getting a few questions and I'd like to answer them here. Answering them in the comments section is hard because not everyone reads them.

Sandi said...
"I was wondering about freezing the cheese as well. Is this possible?"

Yes, you can freeze it. But it will crumble when you take it out. Which is not bad if you're mixing it in with say broccoli or a casserole. The expiration date on sliced cheese is pretty for out. I think it's December on the ones I just bought. I'm pretty sure we'll use our all up before then ~ lol!

The Bayou Belles and Their Beau said...
"How much cereal can one family eat?"

Actually a lot ~ lol! I limit them to one bowl a day for breakfast. Those boys aren't getting any smaller. :) Plus I have to have a stash of Rice Crispies to make Rice Crispy treats with. Oh - and my Dad keeps coming over and I send him home with some too.

Brandy said...
"Are the Macaroni Grill Dinners good?"

We had the basil one this weekend and LOVED it. It's a step up from Hamburger Helper that's for sure! I'll defiantly buy these. I'm a pasta junkie.

Anonymous said...
"How do you get target CRTs? Do they print on your receipt?"

Yes they do. At CVS they print on the bottom of the receipt. At Target they pop out before your receipt prints and the cashier should hand it to you together.

What I refuse to buy with real cash

2008-08-04T08:49:00.002-05:00

I had to buy milk using cash. It was heart breaking I tell you. I realized how truly spoiled I am - lol! Since I'm skipping CVS this week I bought some milk at the store, but I did use a Q for it :)

So I was thinking about things I just refuse to pay actual cash for. Oh well - maybe a little cash but not much. Here's my short list:

Toilet Paper
Paper Towels
Shampoo and Conditioner
Razors
Toothpaste
Body Wash
Baby Wipes
Cereal

That's all I can think of right now.

What's on your list?

Sunday Sales Review

2008-08-04T07:49:00.003-05:00

I know - it's Monday. I'm a day behind! Yesterday was my son's party and I was so busy. By 8:30 I was asleep! Sorry ya'll!

Here's what I found interesting in my paper.

15% off coupon for Macy's - works on clearance items!!

Target is having two gift card deals. One on the Sobe and Aquafina (No Aquafina Alive in South La btw ~ they don't carry it here....grrrr!)

The other one is for the Fusion razor. With the 4.00/1 Q we got yesterday it's an OK deal. Buy (2) @ 7.94 each and get 5.00 back on a GC. Personally I'm going to save my Fusion Qs and hope for a better deal.

Yesterday's coupons are great! We got some that are higher value than normal. I was very happy. Here are the ones I'm holding onto in search of a good sale.

Fusion 4.00/1 and 1.00/1

Cover Girl BOGO - actually I'm spending these at CVS

Crest 1.00/2, .75/1 and 1.00/1

Dawn .50/1 (that would go good at CVS - the Dawn is .88 cents this week)

Tide 1.00/1 (Heeellllooooo - 1.00/1? Ours are usually .35 cents yeah!!)

Ken's salad Dressing 1.00/1 (this sells for 2.00 or so at Walmart - not a bad deal if you need it)

General Mills Cereal 1.00/2

Schick 4.00/1 (I bet they'll be a sale this month somewhere!)

BIC 1.00/2 (I'm waiting for the School Supply stuff to go clearance!)

Did I miss anything!?!!

Menu Planning Monday!

2008-08-04T05:19:00.002-05:00

I'm so shopped out this week. Last week was a hot week with the Albie's deal, so this week I'm taking it easy. We're taking a little mini-vacation also, so we won't need much. I spent $40.00 total including veggies for this weeks menu. The rest of my budget is going into our weekend getaway. :)

So check out what we have planned and then head over to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie to see what everyone else has going on.

If you've been to my blog before you know that because of my shopping days I plan Fri - Thur.

Friday - sandwiches and fruit

Saturday - Rice and Gravy with Chicken

Sunday - Chili Mac and Cheese ~ see below for recipe!

Monday - White Beans and Ham with Cucumbers and tomatos

Tuesday - Tater-tot Casserole

Wednesday - Baked Chicken and Creamed Peas

Thursday - Taco Salads

Easy Chili Mac and Cheese
(I love this new recipe - I got most of the ingredients at the Albie's sale for FREE!)

1 bag of noodles
1 can of Hormel chili, can be with beans or without beans
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.) Cook the noodles for about 14 minutes, or until they are done.
3.) While the noodles are cooking, put the Hormel chili in a saucepan on low heat let it just simmer while the noodles cook.
4.) When your noodles are cooking and the sauce is heating up chop up the onions, add them to the chili
5.) Then shred the cheese.
6.) Add the sauce to the noodles, mix until its all mixed together.
7.) Spray the pan
8.) Put the noodles in the pan, sprinkle the cheese over the pasta
9.) Put the pan in the oven for 15 minutes, or until all of the cheese is melted.

This weeks groceries

2008-08-03T11:18:00.006-05:00

I didn't need much this week so I ran to Wal Mart to pick up a few things (and get my paper!!) I also picked up some sales at Target and a few things needed for my oldest son's Birthday party. Ice cream Cake!!

I spent right about 40.00 on groceries for the week and his party. That's including two All You Magazines and a newspaper! Plus I got lots of things to share :)

**NOTE**WYB stand for When You Buy. Some of the Qs I used state Buy 3 Kraft items and get 1 specific item for free (excluding single serve) So I bought Kool Aid drink mixes because they aren't single serve and they are cheap. Get the latest All You magazine from Wal mart and turn to page 159 if you'd like some great Kraft WYB Qs too!

My Target run was fun. The cashier was telling me how she loves it when people come with coupons :) Glad she felt this way since I had almost 40! I spent 7.80 OP

20 Jellies @ 1.52 each - minus (20) 1.00 target Qs and (10) 1.00/2 manuf Qs
2 Smuckers Chocolate Topping @ 1.82 each - minus 1.25/2 Peelie (found at Target)
3 packs of Jello @ .70 each
1 pack of Cool Whip @ 1.47 - minus Free WYB (that's why I bought the pudding)
2 Electrasol @ 2.79 each - minus (2) 2.25/1

Wal Mart turned out well. I price matched lots of items and only spent 30.00.

2 All You @ 1.79 each
1 Newspaper @ .99
2 Fresh Express Shreds @ 1.52 each - minus 2.00/2 manuf Q
30 Kool Aids @ 11 each (PM to Super One)
8 OM Hot Dogs @ 2.48 each - minus 8 FREE WYB
2 Wheat Thins @ 2.5 each - minus 2 FREE WYB
1 8oz cheese @ 2.08
1 pack of white beans @ 1.08
1 loaf of bread @ 1.08
5lbs of chicken @ 7.50 total (PM to Adrien's - local store)
Various fruits and veggies - 12.00

Not to bad - total saved this week with Qs and PM came out to be around 75.00!

And ~ for those of you wondering. I made a little over $300.00 on our garage sale. I went yesterday and paid on our bill. It's now down to $500.00 with only 4 weeks to go. We're going to make it and we might even pay it off in the next two weeks!! Yeah!

Sunday Inserts

2008-08-02T23:16:00.004-05:00

So it's always the question: How many insert should I have gotten?

The answer this week is....THREE!!

A Smart Source, a Red Plum and the famous P & G!

It you buy your paper at the store make sure you check it before you leave. That's what I do. You have to make sure all the important things are there. You know - the coupon inserts, the flyers and of course, the funnies. What else do we need? hahahahaha~!!

Oh - and from the preview it looks to be a good weekend. I might pick up a couple papers.

CVS Scenarios 8/02

2008-08-02T21:15:00.000-05:00

I'm skipping CVS this week. Yes. You heard me right. Skipping it. Couple of reasons why. First of all being there are no $$/$$ coupons. Second being - how many tubes of toothpaste do I really need? I mean come on CVS?? ~ lol!

I think I'm going to take a break this week unless I figure out some sort of killer moneymaker, but as for now no. I'm really shopped out from the last week of Albie's so this will be a nice break for me.

If you find something really good be sure to come share it with me!!

I got tagged!

2008-08-02T05:36:00.002-05:00

Here are the rules when you get tagged:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Quirks huh? But I'm not weird ~ whatever ~ hahaha! Thanks Michelle and Kristine!!

1. I love to go to the movies and I have to have popcorn. It's the whole reason for going.

2. My desk is an organized mess and I like it that way. I never did when I worked, but now that I'm home I think I'm more relaxed.

3. Ok - but my Qs have to be organized. No option there. There are too many of them.

4. I hate scary movies but love to read mysteries.

5. I'm a scheduler. I love lists.

6. I can't think of anything else. maybe it's just to early in the morning for me. :)

So here's who's it now ~ I'm cutting the list to 3:

Brandi @ Savin Some
Teresa @ A Life at Home
Pascal @ My Life is a Gumbo Pot

Then Sings My Soul Saturday

2008-08-02T05:08:00.001-05:00

So by now you all have probably figured out that yes my soul does sing ~ it just likes rock :)

This week I'm featuring an old song that wasn't played on main stream radio, but it features two well known artists. Mandisa and Tobymac.

I was recently given a treadmill and this song is great when running. Hope you enjoy it~

I got a call....

2008-08-01T14:33:00.002-05:00

Suprisingly today I got a call from Dwayne with the CVS in River Ranch. For those of you who might not know the CVS in River Ranch has been blacklisted by me. I've had problems there in the past and I usually just skip that store. I had recently written Corporate to complain about some of the incidents that you girls have told me about. Rude cashiers, BOGO problems, etc.

Dwayne and I had a long conversation about the problems and he was very nice. Bottom line, he's ok to people using coupons. Just make sure you're using them correctly. If you have any questions or concerns about the RR store please call him directly. He'll do his best to take care of it.

To clear up the BOGO coupon issue. Yes - you can use a BOGO with a BOGO and get both for free. I think in most stores this issue has been addressed and ya'll shouldn't have any problems in the future. I think these sales catch CVS off guard and it causes problems. (They just need me to research the deals before they publish them ~hahaha !!)

Just remember ~ cashiers are people too. If the register beeps and they have to push the Q thru it could ge them in trouble. Of course their going to be a little nervous! I would be too! BUT it doesn't give them the right to be ugly or accuse you of trying to steal from them. If you have a question about a sale or an ECB deal or about your Q ~ ask them. They know were all just out there to save money!

It's a fine line to walk sometimes, just remember to take the high road. Worst case scenario that you're cashier is just totally funky (great word usage right :wink: ) and you know you're in the right - cut your losses and head to more friendly territory.

**On a side note** He knows who I am and said he reads my blog!

So Hi Dwayne!! No more flying under the radar for me huh girls!? ~ lol!

What do you all think?

No Frugal Friday today....

2008-08-01T08:56:00.003-05:00

Sorry ya'll. I know it's on my schedule, but I'm swamped planning my garage sale. Tomorrow's the big day and nothing is labeled!! Plus I'm doing a pre-sale for all my friends. This should be interesting ~ lol!!

Let's pray I make lots of cash so I can meet my goal. :)

Have I told anyone about the goal? I don't think I have.

Chris and I have a goal. $1,160.00 by Sept the 1st. We're trying to pay one of our last large debts off. So far so good. We've raised $400.00 and according to "the plan" we should make our goal. We're really excited about this. Please pray all goes well this weekend - no rain allowed!!

Thanks all!!

Photography Winner!!

2008-08-01T08:49:00.002-05:00

The winner of my local giveaway with Anne Harb is....

Dani @ Heart Toward Home!!

Yeah - Congratulations!!

Hope you enjoy your sitting with Anne! Be sure to email me so I can see the pics when you're done!

Thanks everyone for participating ~ check back next week when I'll be giving away two sets of Mary Kay!!

Super Savings How-To Books

2008-07-31T10:46:00.009-05:00

I wanted to mention this yesterday but got side tracked. Crystal from Money Saving Moms is offering ALL of their ebooks, downloadables, and audio workshops--including our best-selling Supermarket Savings 101 eCourse--are on sale in one package deal for $8.97.
Yep, you read that right--you get over $100 worth of money-saving products, homemaking helps, and more for only $8.97!

15 BOOKS!! Go HERE to read about and order these great e-books!

Including some of my favorites:

Supermarket Savings 101
Menu Planning Made Easy
Simply Centsible Suppers
Thriving on One Income

If these are topics that you have questions about I would definatly splurge the 9.00 and buy these books. This sale is for TODAY ONLY! Tomorrow thay go up to 11.97 and on Saturday they go up to regular price! Don't miss out!!!

Here piggy piggy!

2008-07-31T08:36:00.000-05:00

Sorry - I couldn't help myself ~ lol!

Today I went to Walmart to use the last 14 Qs I had for bacon. I've got enough to last a whole year. BUT - Wal Mart is deleting this product from their inventory so I won't be buying anymore.

Today I bought all 14 for 2.00 each minus my 14 coupons - Total OOP .54 cents!!

Albie's - Round 3, 4 & 5

2008-07-31T04:56:00.003-05:00

I'm still working the mega sale at Albie's. I was surprised but happy to get a rain check on sour cream at the first store I visited today. I wanted this since sour cream is not freezable this will help me make this deal stretch out even further. Here's how my last three trips turned out:

Round 3

5 bags of frozen veggies 5.00
2 cans of veggies 2.00
3 cans of Hormel 3.00
8 boxes of South beach 16.00
2 bags of Noodles 3.00

Total $29.00

minus (2) 5.00 Mega Sale savings
minus (8) 2.00 South beach Qs

Total OOP $1.88

Round 4

4 packs of Water 4.00
1 Libby Veggies 1.00
5 sour Creams 5.00

minus 5.00 Mega Savings
minus (5) .50/1 Sour Cream Qs 2.50

Total OOP $2.50

10 Sour Cream 10.00
3 Knorr's 4.50
2 Butter 3.00
5 Picante Sauce 7.50
2 Packs of Ground Meat $10.00
Newspaper 1.25
Tomato 1.00

minus (2) 5.00 Mega Savings
minus (10) Sour Cream .50/1
minus 4.00 catalina

Total OOP $18.25

(Please forgive the estimates - I can't find my receipts!!)

Deal 5

3 Fast Franks 2.00 each
6 South Beach 2.00 each

minus 5.00 Mega Savings
minus (4) 2.00/1 South Beach Ips
minus 3 Fast Frank 1.00/1

Total OOP 3.28
made a 4.00 Catalina

10 Libby cans 1.00 each

minus 5.00 mega savings
minus 4.00 catalina

Total OOP 1.10

....and that's not all because I'm still trading for more Qs so you never what else I'll buy!!

NO MORE CEREAL!!

2008-07-30T15:27:00.005-05:00

I don't know what's wrong with me. I've told myself over and over and over....NO MORE CEREAL! But how do you pass it up when it's free? Plus even though I'm running out of space my kids are still eating. They love cereal.

A few months ago I was reading how people in other parts of the US were going to WalMart and getting Malt O Meal Cereal for free. There are $1.00 bags and $1.00 Qs. Well - I wanted some too!! I've been holding onto my coupons just waiting for Wal Mart to get them. Low and behold ~ I went today and there they were. Big boxes just sitting right in the middle of Action Alley. Happy Dance~~!!

I also got some boxes of cereal that my kids have been begging for. WalMart was clearancing them out and I had Qs so today I got free/cheap cereal and I got to be the best mom in the whole world ~ lol!

So here's the low down on what I got today. I'm actually pretty impressed. I bought all of this for just under $22.00. Not bad since the total before savings was over $60.00. Oh, just noticed but there are 4 bags of Green Giant frozen veggie/pasta mix missing from the pic. Sorry!

6 Bags of Malt O Meal @ 1.00 each - minus (6) 1.00/1 Coupons
8 boxes of Malt O Meal @ .50 each - minus (1) 1.00/1 Qs
7 Farmland bacon @ 1.50 each - minus (7) 2.00/1 Qs
7 Farmland Ham @ 2.98 each - minus (7) 2.00/1 Qs
3 Macaroni Grill Dinners @ 2.78 each - minus (3) 1.00/1 Qs
2 Snuggle @ 1.87 each - minus (2) 1.00/1 Qs
2 Kotex @ 1.00 each - minus (2) 1.00/1 Qs
2 General Mills Cereal @ 1.00 each - minus 1.00/2 Q
4 Green Giant Pasta Mixes @ .99 each - minus (4) .25/1 Qs

So where did I get the Q's from right? ~ the bacon and ham Qs come from another region. I traded for them. Same for the Snuggle.

The Malt O Meal Qs can be found here and the Macaroni Grill ones here!

The rest are insert Qs. :)

Happy Shopping!!

We'll have French Fries Forever ~ lol!

2008-07-30T05:55:00.001-05:00

That's alot of potatoes, huh? 24 packages to be exact!

In case you're wondering yes - they're is a Target coupon for the fries. Why else would I buy them? ~ lol! Check the coupon generator @ A Full Cup.

Several of the bags were clearance to $1.14. The little boxes are .99 cents. The other bags ranged anywhere from 2.29 to 2.49. Not bad.

I used a Target IP for 1.00/2 and matched it with a Manufacturer Q of 1.00/2.

Oh - and I got that lonely little bag of grapes and used a 1.00 Target CRT.

Total OOP $17.08

Now I've got fries to last the rest of the year. :) Oh and on a side note. the fries in the microwavable boxes actually turn out really well. Crunch not soggy. Pretty impressive.

CVS paid me - in CASH!!!

2008-07-30T05:54:00.001-05:00

My CVS run this week really reminded me of something. It reminded me that it pays to be honest and upfront with people. Building a relationship with my store's managers and cashiers has really been helpful to me. We all have had a bad experience at CVS from time to time and it's a pleasure when everything works out well.

My trip was good. Everything I needed was in stock, however my deals didn't turn out like I planned. This always throw a red flag for me. Before I left the store I went over my receipt. The Revlon ran up 2.00 more than it should have, two of the Lifesavers didn't ring up BOGO and they didn't go towards my accumulating total for the candy. So I didn't get the ECBs for the candy AND the ECBs for the Revlon didn't print. I went back and double checked my items with the flyer to make sure they were right. Which they were.

I spoke with the Asst manager and told him what happened. I said let me show you the ads. He put his hand on the ad and said "I know you know what you're doing and I know you're honest. Just tell me how much I owe you." Can anyone say SHOCK? But I was so pleased. I always make sure things are good with the store manager if I do something that might be questionable. I've built a relationship with these people and I'm glad I did it.

The total owed to me was $23.08 with tax. I fully expected it to be put on a money card but instead he gave it to me in CASH! CASH!!! I know CVS managers have that option, but I've always been given a money card so I was surprised. Pleased, but surprised.

I'm now down to $7.00 in ECBs but I'm not that worried. I can build it up again. I think I'll treat the family out to lunch with the cash ~ thanks to CVS :)

Here's how everything went:

2 Transactions
$5.85 OOP

Deal # 1

4 Tylenol Sinus @ 6.00 each
1 Suave Body Wash @ 2.20
1 CVS Baby Oil @ 3.79
1 Skintimate Shaving Cream @ 2.59

Total 32.58

minus 5/30 (Sat only)
minus (4) 2.00/1 Tylenol
minus .55 Skintimate
minus 1.00 Body Wash CRT
minus 1.00/1 Suave Body wash
minus 2.00 Skincare
minus 14.00 in ECBs

Total OOP $1.83
made back 10.00 in ECBs

Deal # 2

12 bags of Lifesavers BOGO @ 2.19 each
4 Bags Lifesavers @ 2.19 each (these are the ones that did not ring up BOGO)
Twizzlers 1.50
Hershey's Dark 1.00
Bandaids 2.99
Revlon 11.99
2 Borden's Milk @ 2.69 each
Eggs 2.49
Bread 2.59

Total 49.84

minus 5/30
minus 1.00 Hershey's CRT
minus (8) BOGO Lifesavers 17.52
minus 1.00/1 Revlon
minus 1.00 Bandaids
minus 21.00 ECBs

Total OOP 4.03
made back 7.00 in ECBs ~ WHAT???

That's when I rechecked my receipt. I should have gotten 9.99 for the Revlon, 2.00 for the Bandaid and 10.00 for the candy. 22.00 total. That would have been a pretty good break even deal. Which is what I had planned instead of a moneymaker since I needed milk, bread and eggs.
So as I said the Asst manager handled it so well. I'll be writing a letter to Corporate to tell them how much I love my CVS :)

Tabloid Tuesday Thoughts

2008-07-29T21:41:00.003-05:00

So the tabloids came today and I was suprised but pleased to see I got an Adrien's Ad. I NEVER get and Adrien's ad. I wonder what's up with that? I don't know but I pray it happens every week ~ lol!

This week looks good still at Albie's. the Mega sale is running thru next Tuesday. For coupon match ups head over to A Life at Home. Personally I'm so stocked up I'm running out of space everywhere. Next weeks menu is going to be eating out of the cabinets again. Cheap!

Here's a few things I thought looked good:

Adrien's has ***OH - I JUST realized why I'm getting the ad - the new Johnston St store is close to my house - duh!*** OK - sorry for that side track! Back to the ad - $1.49/lb boneless Skinless Fryer Breasts.

Albie's 3 day Sale this weekend - .99 cent eggs and 1.99/lb Lean Ground Meat (great price there!)

Super One has Pilgrim's Pride Boneless Skinless Fryer Thighs on sale for 3.00/3lb bag. There were .55 off coupons last month in the paper.

Piggly Wiggly has Shredded Cheese (6 - 8oz bags) 88 cents each. has anyone seen the price of cheese lately? The shredded went up to 2.68 at Wal mart!!?! It was 1.88 not to long ago - sigh.

So that's all for now. Happy Shopping and let me know if I missed something good!

Local Giveaway!

2008-07-28T05:10:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies! I'm sponsoring a fun giveaway this week featuring a local photographer here in Lafayette, La. So if you live out of town you'll probably want to skip this one! (Sorry - come back next week. I'm doing Mary Kay!!)

I recently met a very sweet woman named Anne Harb. She is a portrait photographer here in Lafayette. Her and her husband also own a restaurant called Mazens Grill - (right out past the mall). Anne does beautiful portrait pictures. She very passionate about what she does. Here's what Anne had to say:

"I knew when I started my little home studio that I was going make a visit with my studio totally worth every penny! I never could really get all of my kids portraits, and that still

breaks my heart till this day.

That's why at my studio, all children's $75.00 sessions include $25.00 credit, three MySPACE IMAGES and a wonderful slideshow CD of all proofs to keep forever!

Never again will you leave behind your unpurchased images!

I know what you may be thinking....Sure that's fine, Anne, but what can you get for $25.00?

Well, you can get 4 ea. 5x7's or an 8x10 and two 5x7's, or one big 11x14"...now remember, you will have your slideshow CD, and that's yours to watch over and over forever.

It's filled with enhancements and my design artwork applied to your images, a really awesome show."

Anne has so generously offered to a"Wishes" Sitting, which is a value of $75.00, includes a Proof CD Slideshow put to music of the images, three MySpace Images and $25.00 portrait credit. You get full studio use for about one hour, all props and as many changes as your child can do...The smaller families can use this sitting also, up to four. It is only four people. The Sitting needs to be done before November 30, 2008.

Here's the fine print on the giveaway:

You need to live in the Acadiana Area.

Leave me a comment telling me what you think.

All comments must be made between now and Thursday night 9PM.

The winner will be picked by the Random picker and announced Friday morning.

If you do not have a registered blog (that I can access please) please leave me an email addy so I can get in touch with you. If you do not leave me a way of contacting you and the random generator picks your number I'll have to throw it out and pick another. Sorry ya'll!!

So let's play!!

Menu Planning Monday!

2008-07-28T01:26:00.000-05:00

Another week - another menu right. sometimes I get bored of making a menu. Then I remind myself how much money and time it saves me. :)

This week We're eating mostly things I already have on hand. I only spent 25.00 on groceries! (But - I'm using the rest of my money to stockpile with at the Albie's sale!)

So check out what we have planned and then head over to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie to see what everyone else has going on.

If you've been to my blog before you know that because of my shopping days I plan Fri - Thur.

Friday - BLT Sandwiches and Chips

Saturday - Grilled Chicken Salads

Sunday - Tacos and Refried beans

Monday - Spaghetti, Salad and Rolls

Tuesday - Smothered Chicken and Rice with Green beans (see recipe below)

Wednesday - BBQ Pulled Pork and fries

Thursday - Macaroni Grill Pasta (I couldn't find the one I wanted last week so I flipped it to this week)

Southern Smothered Chicken:

2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup flour
1 celery stalk
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tbsp. oil
2 cups chicken broth

Trim away any fat from chicken and discard. Rinse the chicken well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken in plastic or brown bag. Pour the flour into the bag and shake well to cover the chicken all over. Remove the chicken from the bag and dust off the excess flour. Save 1 tbsp. of flour to use to thicken the gravy.

Dice the celery, slice the onions and mince the garlic. Crush the thyme. Heat the oil in a large skillet that has a cover. Add the chicken and sauté over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally to brown evenly. When golden brown, push the chicken to the side of the pan.

Add the reserved tbsp of flour and sauté, stirring, until lightly browned. Add the celery, onion and garlic to the skillet and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the vegetables are tender.

Stir together the chicken and vegetables. Add the thyme and chicken broth. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover, and simmer the chicken for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the juices run clear when pierced.

I serve this with white rice. mmmmmm - good!

Sunday Sales Review

2008-07-27T16:18:00.004-05:00

I have to say I was less than thrilled with my paper today. A few good school supply deals at Office Depot, but most of us are probably swimming in what they're offering.

Nadda at Target, Wags or CVS really.

Only a couple of cool things to mention. The CVS flyer has a $30.00 Transferred Prescription Q on the front and Target has a $10.00 New or Transferred Q in the middle.

There is a Smucker's Q for .35/1 for a squeezable fruit spread. That will match up nicely with the $1.00 off Target Q. The squeezable run $1.69 at my store so by stacking they'll be .34 cents! Pair that with the $1.00 off Target Skippy Q making the PB .89 you got cheap school lunches :) Check the generator for the Qs.

Oh - and the USA Today insert had Qs in the back, but from what I hear it's hit or miss if your insert came with them.

**On a side note: I've heard the Lifesaver deal is all screwed up. Some are saying the sours don't work for the BOGO and they don't count towards the total for the candy. If there is a scanner at your store I would check the different lifesavers and make sure they are stating BOGO on the machine. If you don't have a scanner check them as they're ringing up carefully. The stores won't be able to fix anything, so they'll have to wait until Monday for corporate to reset everything.

CVS Scenarios 6/27

2008-07-26T16:45:00.001-05:00

This will be a challenge because of there being no $$/$$ coupons out there. Plus there aren't that many deals to work, unless you bought a bunch of Lifesaver Qs!! I do have one 5/30 CRT I plan on using this week.

For the CVS Preview please visit Coupon Cravings!

Here's what I'm going to do:

8 Lifesavers BOGO @ 2.19 each
2 Movie candy @ 1.00 each
3 Tylenol Sinus @ 6.00 each
3 J & J Buddie bars @ .99 each
1 Revelon Makeup @ 9.99

Total 41.72

minus 4 Lifesaver BOGOs 8.76
minus (3) Tylenol 2.00/1
minus (3) Buddies 1.00/1
minus Revelon 2.00/1
minus 5/30 CRT
minus 15.00 in ECBs

Total OOP around 2.00
make 29.99

A nice growing opportunity! ~ lol!

I might come up with something else after I think awhile, but for now that's all I've got!

Then Sings My Soul Saturday

2008-07-26T00:26:00.001-05:00

It's always a challenge to narrow it down to one song a week. ONE song and only one! But there are so many good ones out there.

So how about one my kids and I both love listening to? He lifts me up!

Thanks to Amy for hosting Then Sings My Soul !!

Frugal Friday - Homemade Gatorade

2008-07-25T05:07:00.001-05:00

Every summer when it starts to get really hot I go to the store and pick up a couple of packs of Gatorade's to start off our summer with. However - that's all I'll buy for the whole year. We like to "recycle" our Gatorade's. Or refill them.

I realize most people think this is time consuming, but it's really not. It takes hubby and I about 20 minutes to refill all the bottles once a week. They're great for on the go. throw them in a little ice chest and you're off for the day. Much cheaper than buying drinks while you're out.

We fill ours with a packaged drink mix hubby got at work, but you can fill yours with whatever you like. Koolaid (yes - all that from the Planter's and Kraft deal would be put to good use), apple juice, orange juice, tea, water, the options are really limitless. We make ours in a 5 gallon bucket and it fills about 36 bottles or so.

Cheaper than buying them that's for sure. Just think of all the money you can save. Try it and see how it works :)

**Just as an FYI - In case ya'll are wondering. I wrote this post earlier in the week. Well before I knew of the AWESOME Powerade deal @ Albie's. Oh well - look at all the new bottles we can use!!

For more Frugal Friday tips head over to Biblical Womanhood!

Making Preserves Winner!!

2008-07-24T21:05:00.000-05:00

and the winner is......

#10 K & E's Mamma

Thanks to everyone who entered!!

Come back next week - when I'm doing another giveaway!

Albertson's Mega Deal - Round 2

2008-07-24T16:03:00.002-05:00

I'm loving Albertson's sale this week. Here's my run from today. I did it in two transactions of twenty each. I paid 2.63 OOP. Yeah! If you factor in the 4.00 I spent on Powerade Qs it comes out to 6.63. Not too shabby :)

**Side note - I went to a different Albie's today and discovered the large can of green beans was included. Wish I would have known that yesterday.

14 Powerade
12 Libby Can Corn and Beans
2 Fresh Express Shreds (not included in the sale - I just needed them)
8 bags of Broccolli
2 South Beach
4 Hormel Chili

minus 14 Powerade 1.00/1
minus 2 Fresh Express 1.00/1
minus 2 SB 2.00/1 (thanks Crystal!!)
minus 2 Hormel .55/2

Total OOP 2.63!!

Now - on a funny note. My mom owns here own hair salon. She gets lots of free magazines. You know it's bad when you head to your mom's shop hoping someone hasn't pulled out the coupons before you. hahahaha!!

Target = Movie Tickets!!

2008-07-24T05:24:00.000-05:00

Target was so good to me this week. I did spend quite a bit more OOP than normal, but I'm getting 10 movie tickets back so I can't complain. Total OOP was $46.88

1 bag of Chex $2.55 - minus 1.00/1 CRT and .50 manuf.
1 5pk of mac and cheese $2.54 - minus a 1.00/1 peelie that was on the box.
4 Smuckers Jellies @ 1.69 each - minus 1.00/1 target Smuckers Q
2 French's Mustards @ .96 each - minus (2) 1.00/1 peelies
4 Classico Pasta Sauces @ 2.00 each - minus (4) 1.00/1 Target Classico coupons
4 Skippy PB @ 1.89 each - minus (4) 1.00/1 Target Skippy coupons
5 Lean Pockets @ 1.94 each - minus (5) 1.00/1 Target Hot Pocket coupons
10 Electrasol @ 2.79 each - minus (10) 2.25/1 Manuf Qs
10 Ponds face wipes @ 4.89 each- minus (10) 1.50/1 Ponds manuf Q and (10) 1.50/1 Target insert Q

Total before Qs was 122.00 or so with tax.

I saved a little over 75.00 and I got 10 movie tickets form buying the Ponds!!

Plus - the lady behind me (in the really long line - sorry!) was so impressed. She was just in awe. That's one of those priceless moments ~ lol!

This week @ CVS

2008-07-24T00:25:00.002-05:00

What a great week! My deals didn't turn out like my scenarios completely, but they weren't bad at all.

Total OOP was $8.81. I did four transactions to get all of this - burning up that 3/15 before it expired ~ lol. I lost 4.00 in ECBs this week, however I got all that milk and bread which we needed. I call that pretty even. **I just thought about this. When I finish the baby products buy 15 get 5 I will have made a profit in ECBs by 1.00!!

In case you're having problems using the BOGO coupon on a BOGO Q - I would email CVS customer service. Ask their opinion. They emailed me back the following - I printed this out and brought it with me:

"Thank you for contacting the CVS/pharmacy website. We are in receipt of your e-mail regarding using a buy one get one free coupon with a buy one get one free promotion.

Yes, that is correct. You would be entitled to both items free when using a buy one get one free coupon in conjunction with a buy one get one free promotion.

We appreciate the time you have taken to share your comments with us. Thank you for shopping with CVS/pharmacy, we look forward to your continued patronage."

So email CS and get your own copy! Be an empowered customer!

Here's how it went:

Deal # 1

4 BOGO Loreal Vive Pro 4.99 each
2 half gallons of milk 2.69 each
1 Orbit Bubble gun 1.19

minus 3/15
minus 2 BOGO Vive Pro Qs 9.98
minus milk Q 1.00

Total OOP 3.10

Deal # 2

4 BOGO Loreal Vive Pro 4.99 each
1 CVS Baby Wipes 2.00
4 Trident BOGO 1.49 each
Bread 2.59

minus 3/15
minus 2 BOGO Vive Pro Qs 9.98
minus Beauty Q 2.00
minus 2.00 ECBs

Total OOP 1.08

Deal # 3

1 CVS Baby Wipes 2.00
3 Clean and Clear Items 15.17

minus 3/15
minus Skincare 2.00/1
minus (2) 2.00 Clean and Clear Qs
minus 5.00 in ECBS

Total OOP 3.74
made 5.oo back in ECBs

Deal #4

1 CVS Baby Wipes 2.00/1
2 Trident BOGO 1.49 each
1 CVS Pantyliner .89
2 Baby Bottles @ 1.49 each
2 CVS Tampons 1.49 each
1 Benadryl 4.99
1 Orbit Gum 1.19

minus 3/15
minus Skincare 2.00
minus Trident .75
minus Benadryl 1.00 CRT
minus 9.00 in ECBs

Total OOP .89 cents
made back 6.97 in ECBs

My First Albie's run

2008-07-23T14:15:00.005-05:00

I went really quick into Albie's this morning to do one transaction and to see how well stocked the store was. It was REALLY well stocked. I can't imagine them running out. But - time will tell. It's a two week sale.

I picked up a few things today and paid only $2.08 for them. To my surprise I saw the corn for the sale is a big can (28 oz I think) but the green beans were the regular 15 oz can. The South Beach drinks are actually really good, so if someones not using their Qs I'd love to have them (hint- hint, they're printables!) :) ~ lol! I can trade if there's something you're looking for.

Here's what I got today:

2 boxes of South Beach Drink mixes 2.00 each
2 Boxes of KoolAid Singles 2.00 each
4 Hormel Chili 1.00 each
2 cans of Green Beans $1.00 each

minus (2) 2.00/1 South beach IPs
minus (2) Koolaid peelies 1.00/1
minus (2) .55/2 Hormel Chili Qs

Total after Qs and $5.00 savings was $2.08

Not a bad start to my day I'd say. This is going to be a great stockpile sale.

Waffle Cone Wednesday

2008-07-23T08:27:00.002-05:00

For those of you who know me - you know I'm completely addicted to TCBY. Chocolate Soft Serve in a Waffle Cone, mmmm..... What can I say. Everyone has to have something they really love!

Heather at Freebies 4 Moms just made my day with this post. Now all I need to do is call my local TCBY and make sure they're doing this one!

Here's what Heather had to say:

Yes, you can get a great treat for under $1! Introducing "Waffle Cone Wednesday" at TCBY, a summer promotion where you can get a waffle cone filled with frozen yogurt for just 99 cents. This treat would normally cost over $3, so just be sure to ask for it on a Wednesday and get it for the change in your pocket. This is a nationwide promotion, but as always please call your local store to confirm that they are participating. Not quite a "FreebiEvent" but I thought it would be worth posting since moms also want some affordable frozen treats this summer.

Now I need 20 more minutes on the treadmill every Wednesday ~ lol!

Walgreens, Rite Aid and a little CVSing

2008-07-23T05:15:00.000-05:00

I went Tuesday and ran hit a few stores. Have I mentioned to anyone lately how mush I H.A.T.E. Walgreen's? yuck the place just annoys me. But I still got some good deals. Here's how my deals worked out. Total OOP for all three stores was $2.10 and I made a 1.00 ECB (plus got a bunch of CRTs!!)

WAGS

2 rolls of Reynolds Foil @ .89 each
3 Maalox's @ 3.99

minus (3) Maalox's 2.00/1
minus Easysaver Maalox's Q 6.00
minus (2) Reynolds foil .75/1

Total OOP $1.35

CVS

2 Trident Gum @ 1.49 BOGO
1 Baby Wipes @ 2.00

minus BOGO Trident
minus 2.00 Skincare

Total OOP .03

Rite Aid
(used a raincheck)

6 Lysol Neutra Air 2.99 BOGO

minus (3) BOGO Qs

Total OOP .72

You know you're addicted to CVS when......

2008-07-23T03:50:00.001-05:00

I thought this would be fun. I've seen several of these going around. Some I pulled and some I made up myself. Any you'd like to add? Leave me a comment and tell me!

You know you're addicted to CVS when:

- you're adding deals up in your head while lying in bed at night

- when $2.00 seems like a lot to spend in cash

- you get mad at hubby for paying full price for milk at the grocery store

- when you constantly trying to reorganize to store more stuff

- when someone in the family gets sick and you start calculating the ECBs you'll make with the $25.00 gift card, thanks to the new prescription coupon

- when you have to change your printer cartridge every month from printing too many coupons

- when you have enough toothpaste stocked up for a small third world country to use for a year.

- when you have more Depends than you're Grandma

- you have at least 20 Diabetes Monitors that you're saving just to use the batteries out of for your son's next science project

- when your children know the names of all the cashiers

- when you go to run errands your kids ask "How many CVS today?"

- when your baby's first word is CVS or ECB.

- you look at the end of your receipt, looking for your ECBs and realize your not at CVS

- you check your GPS for nearest CVS stores when your on vacation

- when you are desperately trying to invent new uses for shampoo.

- you have 1-800-SHOP-CVS programmed into your speed dial.

Tabloid Tuesday Thoughts

2008-07-22T12:51:00.003-05:00

Ok - got my ads in today and I am doing the happy dance!!! woooohooo!!

Albertson's is having a GREAT buy 10 items and get 5.00 off sale. It's a mix and match. Different things cost different prices. This will be so much fun because not only are there some good items to stock up on, but there are a few coupon match ups.

Couple that I noted - Daisy Sour Cream, Hormel Chili, French's Mustard, Powerade, Hamb. Helper, all the General Mills items and the Bertolli sauces. These have matching Qs floating around. Looks like a great week. I'm not going to match all the Qs, but if you head over to A Life at Home later this evening Teresa should have them up.

OH - did I mention?? IT'S A TWO WEEK SALE!!!! Plenty of time to get all your Qs together and plan your trips. Make sure you're matching the ads specifically and your coupons. Plus - you can only do two 10 item deals in one transaction. So plan for multiple transactions.

Next stop - Super One. looking good over here to. Of course I like to price match because it's too far for me to drive. The sugar is 1.19/4lbs, Honey Wheat Bread (Nature's Own) .97 cents, .88 cent eggs, and the Oscar Meyer Lunch Meat is 2.47/16oz.

Hands down IMO, Albie's is getting my business for the next few weeks. I can't wait to post and share with you all!

Making Preserves Giveaway!!!

2008-07-22T12:25:00.000-05:00

July is such a busy month here. Not only is it my oldest birthday and my anniversary but it's also FIG month! My husband grew up in a family that loves their figs. He has memories far back of going fig picking. We went several times when we got married, but after a few years the land changed hands and the trees cut down. It was sad.

Several years back we meet a man who lives about 25 miles north of us who has a large orchard of fig trees. He never picks them and offered to let us come and pick. He's been so nice to us and we look forward to going out there several times a year. Makes great memories for the kids. :)

So what do we DO with all those figs (it's alot) Well. we make Strawberry Jello Fig Preserves. They're delicious. My Mother in law has been making this recipe for years and she taught hubby how to do it. The preserves are so good and I never have to buy jelly. This year we put up several jars.

So in honor of our FIG month I'm offering not only the recipe (with pictures ~ lol) but - a giveaway.

The winner will receive a Quart of

The Faulk Family Strawberry Jello Fig Preserves!!

Here's how to win - including all the "little fine print":

Leave me a comment telling me what you think.

All comments must be made between now and Thursday night 9PM.

The winner will be picked by the Random picker and announced Friday morning.

If you do not have a registered blog (that I can access please) please leave me an email addy so I can get in touch with you.

If you do not leave me a way of contacting you and the random generator picks your number I'll have to throw it out and pick another. Sorry ya'll!!

and now for the recipe!!

- 6 cups fresh figs
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 (6oz) boxes strawberry jello mix

Prepare figs by cutting off stems, washing, and then mixing in a meat grinder. The best method is to use something similar to a ground-meat grinder. The ground figs can be stored in the fridge for a few days while canning takes place.

Mix the figs, sugar, and jello powder in a pot and bring to a slow boil over medium heat. When the preserves reach this point set a timer to 30 minutes and stir often to prevent sticking. When the timer ends, begin canning the preserves (leave the pot on medium heat).

While the preserves are cooking down place jars, lids, and rings in boiling water to sterilize. Remove from boiling water only when ready to fill with preserves.

The preserves and jars need to be as hot as possible to ensure that the lid seals properly. You will hear the lid pop if everything was done correctly. Small jars seal quicker.

When pouring preserves into jar make sure that no preserves get on the jar threads or lid rubber seal portion. This will prevent the jar from sealing.

When placing the lid on the jar…tighten down all the way and then unscrew the ring about 1/8-turn. Once the seal pops and the preserves cool, the ring can be tightened again.

A 4lb. bag of sugar will make (3) batches of preserves. One batch makes about (2) quarts and (1) pint.

And that's all folks! If something wasn't clear please ask questions!! I'll be sure to ask the Master Fig maker (AKA as my hubby) and let you know the answer.

Now - who wants to win some preserves??!!??

Menu Planning Monday!

2008-07-21T01:14:00.000-05:00

After last weeks's great deals I was fully stocked and ready to go. My menu this week will only cost around 30.00!! Including fruits and veggies :)

So check out what we have planned and then head over to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie to see what everyone else has going on.

If you've been to my blog before you know that because of my shopping days I plan Fri - Thur.

Friday - Fajitas and Taco Dip

Saturday - Fried Rice

Sunday - BBQ Hamburgers and Fries (we didn't do this last week so it's a roll over)

Monday - Macaroni Grill Pasta and salad

Tuesday - Chili and a veggie tray (another roll over)

Wednesday - Omlets

Thursday - Sliced ham, potatos and peas

***We also canned figs this weekend - head over here and check it out.

While you're there enter my giveaway!!

Sunday Sales Review

2008-07-20T14:19:00.004-05:00

Ok - here we go. Our very first Sunday Sales Review. I'll be doing this each Sunday. Going thru my ads and telling you what looks good. This weeks isn't great, but there are a few things worth mentioning.

First up:

WAGS

5cent school supplies including highlighters, mechanical pencils and folders.

19cent school supplies - Rulers, Pencils and erasers

3/1.00 Legal Pads (great for scratching out your grocery trips on!)

10 cent poster boards. (great for stocking up on - eliminating the run to the store at the last minute - why didn't you tell me you had a project due? situations!)

Kashi is 2/5.00 - use the 2.00/1 IPs to make them .50 cents per box.

.89 cents Reynolds Wrap and Wax Paper

CVS

4.99 BOGO Loreal Vive Pro
Obviously we're all about the shampoo this week.

.88 cent Glade - free with overage iff you have the 1.00 coupon that's been in several magazines.

Buy 15.00 get 5.00 babycare ECB deal. Check it out here.

Target

Only good deal I saw in the flyer is the Cherrios Snack Mix. There are 1.00/1 IPs out there that'll make these 1.00 per bag - if your baby love Cherrios this is a good buy.

Sorry our first Sunday sales didn't start off with a great big bang, but you never know what the week will bring :)

The Start of a New Schedule

2008-07-20T06:59:00.004-05:00

Well, it's the begining of a new school year here. That means a new schedule in our house. That will also mean a new schedule for my blog posts. For those of you who might not know this about me, I homeschool all four of my children. I am also a moderator/forumn leader for a great board of ladies called Acadiana Moms. If you have a mom board in your area check it out! or if you don't have one - pop over and check ours out. It's full of great info and support for mommies by real mommies.

Bloging is lots of fun. I enjoy sharing my deals with ya'll, answering your questions (all 500 of them ~ lol!), and just sharing time and money saving ideas. However it can be very time consuming.

So in an effort to give you the most and save myself the most time I'm putting myself on a schedule. Now - for those of you who know me, you know I love schedules and list. I try my best to stick with them, but there's always some "wiggle room" in them. I'm put together a loose schedule of things you'll be seeing, but like always - you never know when I'll find a few minutes to pop something else in there. :)

Here's my blog plan for this fall:

Sundays: Sunday Sales Review - I'll be picking thru my paper and coupon inserts telling you what I see as great deals for the week.

Monday: Menu Planning Monday (with recipes!!) - This way you'll know how I keep my budget for groceries in check and that we don't eat just junk.

Tuesday: Tabloid Tuesday - I'll be standing by the mailbox stalking the mailman to let you know what's going on that week at my local grocery stores.

Wednesday & Thursday: Sales and Answers - These will be my "loose" days. Expect to see answers to your questions and informative posts on all things couponing. Also I'll be posting pictures of how my deals went.

Friday: Frugal Friday - I'm going to continue participating in this in hopes of bringing you a great couponing or shopping tip every Friday.

Saturday: So Sings My Soul and CVS Scenarios - Saturdays will be reserved for a little bit of reflection and my scenarios for the upcoming week ahead at my favorite store, CVS!!

I'd like to take just a minute to thank everyone who's been reading my blog. I'm working on putting a post together about why I do what I do (in case anyone was remotely interested ~ lol!) In a nut shell though I love doing it and I love helping moms realize what a great job they can do to contribute to their families. You guys rock and I hope you're not too disappointed that I'm putting myself on a schedule. This blog will still have most of the great posts and things you love - just in a little more structured manner.

Love you all!!!

CVS Scenarios 7/20

2008-07-19T14:04:00.002-05:00

With today being the last day to use the coveted 3/15 I'm working as many deals as I can using it.

Here's what I've got planned so far:

Deal #1

6 BOGO Loreal Vive Pro 4.99 each
2 half gallons of milk 2.69 each
1 back of Baby wipes 2.00

minus 3/15
minus 3 BOGO Vive Pro Qs 14.97
minus milk Q 1.00
minus Skincare Q 2.00

Total OOP 1.38

Deal # 2

6 BOGO Loreal Vive Pro 4.99 each
CVS Baby Wipes 2.00
3 newspapers 3.75

minus 3/15
minus 3 BOGO Vive Pro Qs 14.97
minus Beauty Q 2.00

Total OOP .75

Deal # 3

4 Trident Extra BOGO 1.49 (2.98 total)
Veet Products $10.00 (estimate)
1 CVS Baby Wipes 2.00
1 Glade .88

minus 3/15
minus Veet 2.00
minus Beauty Q 2.00
minus (2) Trident BOGO 2.98
minus Glade 1.00
minus 4.00 in ECBs

Total OOP .88 cents
make 7.00 in ECBs

Deal # 4

3 Clean and Clear items estimate 5.00 each - 15.00
1 CVS Baby Wipes 2.00

minus 3/15
minus (3) Clean and Clear 2.00Qs
minus Skincare Q 2.00
minus 5.00 in ECBs

OOP 1.00
make 5.00 in ECBs back

Deal # 5

Benadryl 5.00 (estimate)
1 CVS Baby Wipes 2.00
1 CVS Pantyliner .99
2 CVS tampons 1.49 each
2 Baby Bottle Candy 1.29 each
2 Trident BOGO 1.49

minus 3/15
minus Skincare Q 2.00
minus Benadryl manuf Q 1.00
minus Benadryl CRT 1.00
minus Trident BOGO 1.49
minus Trident Q .75
minus 5.00 ECB

Total OOP .80 cents
make 6.97 in ECBs

I'll then pop in and out three stores this week and use my 2.00 Beauty Q to pick up more baby wipes for free. After the 3rd one I'll get a 5.00 ECB. Moneymaker :)

So - that's all for now. If you can think of anything else please let me know!!

And I'd like to thank....

2008-07-19T08:01:00.003-05:00

....as many people as I can think of :) Including my dog. Wait - I don't have a dog. Only boys - hehehe!

Yep - I've been awarded this beautiful webblog award by my friend Daphne @ Three Belles and Their Beau. It's so pretty isn't it?

It was such I nice suprise to get this pretty award. Daphne is one of my real-lfe friends that I see often. She writes a blog about her day to day life here in South Louisiana. If you're looking for a great read I would definatly check her out. Thanks girl!!

So and now to bestow this beautiful honor on a few people.

1. Alicia @ My Life as a Mother, Wife and Woman! She crazy - and very well written :)

2. Nicole @ The Simple Cajun Life. She is a sweet homeschool mother who has a child with SPD and ADHD. She has wonderful insight into those areas.

3. Amy @ Signs, Miracles and Wonders. Such a beautiful woman. And she host this great meme every weekend that I love.

and that's it for now!! Thank you once again to everyone for this fab-u-lous award!!!

Then Sings My Soul Saturday

2008-07-19T05:03:00.000-05:00

So this is how my week went. You should have seen us at Sonic .....sigh......

Let's all pray for a better week next week :) Hope ya'll enjoy my silly song!!

Thanks to Amy for hosting Then Sings my Soul Saturday!

All 5 Days

2008-07-18T11:17:00.003-05:00

This week I ran a series called the 5 Days of Deals. I've put all the links here for you so you can pick which one you want to visit. It was easier than posting all 5 links on The Centsible Sawyer's Blog.

Hope you enjoy - I had a great week!

Monday - Office Depot, CVS, Wags and Albie's

Tuesday - Plato's Closet, CVS and WAGS

Wednesday - Albie's and WalMart

Thursday - Rite Aid, WalMart and CVS

Friday - Albies and Old Navy

5 Days of Deals - Day 5

2008-07-18T10:45:00.006-05:00

Day 5

No CVS today. I forgot my Soilel coupons so I'm skipping CVS. :(

BUT - check you're nearest Old Navy! One of the girls from Acadiana Moms reported back that our Old Navy was doing their additional 50% off clearance sale this weekend. Yeah!!!

I went today and bought 11 items for $26.06

My daughter will be happy. Most of it is for her :)

Next stop today was Albertson's. They're running a 10/10 on the Blue Bunny personals. I still had 5 coupons from the last Blue Bunny sale so I went and used them. I paid .10 cents OOP. If you have the Qs it'll be a YMMV because they say novelty on them, but my cashier said it was good sooo..... I have TONS of ice cream from last week's Super One sale so I think this is all I'll be getting. Plus I'm out of Qs. BTW - there was plenty of BB at Albie's.

So this wraps up my 5 days of deals. It was a fun week, but I think I'm ready to have the kids back. I miss them :)

There are some changes coming to my blog so check in on Sunday for the heads up.

Also - I'm doing a giveaway Monday so be on the look out!!

5 Days of Deals - Day 4

2008-07-17T14:23:00.004-05:00

Day Four

Day Four was a rocking day!!! Mostly because I stopped at my favorite CVS and one of my favorite cashiers (Heather!!!) was there. She's so great!! I blessed her with some qs and she blessed me with some too! It's great to find a nice cashier - plus she's a really nice mom who's fun to talk with. :)

OK - let me start from the beginning. Today was a busy day. I stopped at Rite Aid, CVS, Wal Mart and dropped off some Fig Preserves to sell. Hubby and I always make preserves to sell around this time of year. Speaking of - check back on Sunday - I'm going to list my recipe and I'll be doing a giveaway!!!

So Stop # 1 was Rite Aid. I wanted to buy the Lysol Neutra Air which is on BOGO sale. I had one little BOGO Q I wanted to use, but there were none on the shelf. Zippo. So I asked for a raincheck. I got a raincheck for 6 so I need to be scrounging up two more BOGO Qs. ~ lol!

Stop # 2 CVS
This picture is missing the three photo books I did and a 5 x 7 enlargement. They weren't ready when I need to leave so I'll just swing back by later and pick them up. This deal was done in three transactions which I've listed below for you. I paid 1.86 OOP for everything and came home with the same ECBs. I know I could have turned this into a moneymaker, but I needed all the food so it worked out good.

Transaction # 1

Tostitos 3.00
Tostito Queso 3.49
Photo Book 7.99
5 x 7 1.49

Total 15.97

minus 3/15
minus 5x7 free Q 1.49
minus CVS Photo Book 3.00
minus 8.00 in ECBS

Total OOP .61

Transaction # 2

Photo Book 7.99
2 Baby Bottle Candy 1.29 each
2 Eggs 2.49 each
Bread 2.59

Total 18.14

minus 3/15
minus Kodak 3.00
minus CVS 3.00
minus 7.99 ECB

Total OOP .78

Transaction # 3

Photo Book 3.99
2 Speed Stick 3.99 each
2 half gallons of milk @ 2.69 each

Total 17.35

minus 3/15
minus Photo Book Q 3.00
minus (2) 1.00 speed stick
minus 1.00/2 milk

Total OOP .47

Oh happy me!!!

Stop # 3 is WalMart. I did my bi -weekly shopping today. After purchasing everything I needed for my two week menu I've spent $42.51 so far. I made my menu based on what I already had here at the house. My budget is $150.00 for two weeks. So I'm taking 50.00 and putting it aside for our upcoming weekend getaway, 25.00 is going reserve for fruits and veggies then next two weeks and 33.00 is left to work the sales and stockpile!!!!

I price matched the chicken and the grapes to with Super 1's ad. The chicken is $1.47/lb making it $7.35 for the 5lb family pack and the grapes are .98 cents/lb.

5 Days of Deals - Day 3

2008-07-16T14:23:00.005-05:00

Day Three

Just when I thought it was going good.

OK - let me back track first. I had a couple of questions I'd like to answer.

Plato's Closet takes off brand clothes from what I could tell, but only if it's current fashion. You just throw it all in a bag and take it over. I saw several shirts from Wal mart and Target. They'll go thru it and tell you what they want to buy. You won't make a killing, but you'll get cash. Depending on the sizes you might want to take your clothing next door to Once Upon a Child.

The CVS Beauty coupons have to be adjusted to 50% before they print out. Hit Print Preview and before you hit the print button. That should fix it.

WAGS Qs - Manuf Qs? I saw that on my coupon yesterday when I went to get the Cutters. I've never seen the words Manufacturer Coupon on an ESR, but maybe I've missed that. I'm not sure how to answer you on that one. I will tell you that the store had no problem like usual with using and ESR and a Manuf.

All right back to my day. I went to CVS - No Photo Books. Well - they had the stuff to make them, but all machines were down. So I was not happy. But I did get a rain check on them so I'm happy about that. But no CVS deals today. I wasn't prepared to do it without the photo book so I decided to skip it.

Next stop was Albie's.

I got several things out of the clearance aisle today.

3 boxes of Atkins Bars 2.00 each
2 packs of cutlery @ 25 cents each
2 RStovers candies @ 25 cents each
1 Cliff Bar @ 50 cents
2 packs of OB @ 1.50 each

Total $10.50

minus (2) OB 1.50
minus (3) 1.00/1 OB

Total OOP $5.01

Last stop is Walmart. I had some grocery coupons I wanted to use.

1 box of Just Bunches @ 2.50
4 Yoplait yogurts @ .50 each
1 Farmland Ham @ 2.88
1 Farmland bacon @ 2.50
2 Energy bars @ 1.36 each
1 Watering Head @ 2.00 - clearance
1 toy@ 3.00 - clearance (it's so cool!)
1 Purrell @ 1.36
1 Renu @ 2.63
2 BBQ Sauce @ 1.28 each

Total $28.73

minus (2) cattlemans .75
minus 1 renu 2.00/1
minus (2) Farmland 2.00/1
minus Energy bars 1.50/2
minus Just Oats IP 2.00/1
minus (2) yoplait .50/2
minus Purrell 1.00/1

Total OOP $13.38

If you're looking for some of these coupons check out the Centsible Sawyer's Wal mart post.

5 Days of Deals - Day 2

2008-07-15T16:25:00.004-05:00

Day Two started out good. I was busy delivering some of the Fresh Express coupons to people and then I hit CVS, WAGS, Once Upon a Child and Plato's Closet.

I spent $1.22 in cash today but made 65.00!!

I've never sold at Plato's Closet before but I love it! If you haven't heard of this it's a store for teens and young adults that sells used clothes. They also BUY clothes. Cash - upfront. That's what I'm talking about. I took in 20 items and they gave me $57.00. Yeah!! They paid me in a check because it was over 25.00. All good. It'll cash ~ lol! I normally would ebay my things, but this is soooo much easier. The only hard part is that while they are looking at your clothes you can browse the store. I know I could have just spent that money. They carry really nice clothing at dirt cheap prices. I saw shirts for 4.00 -10.00 and dresses 8.00 - 12.00. Plus nice jeans anywhere from 8 -25.00. Defiantly worth checking out.

After I left there I skipped over to Once Upon a Child and sold some kiddy clothes for 9.00. Not bad - I only had 4 items. They pay cash also.

Ok - back to my CVSing.

Here's what I got at today:

1 Freshmatic Mini 4.99
1 Bayer Heart 4.99
1 Face Scrubbie 2.35
1 Speed Stick 3.99

Total 16.32

minus 3/15
minus 2.50 Bayer Heart Coupon
minus 4.00 Freshmatic Mini
minus 1.00/1 SpeedStick
minus 2.00 CVS Beauty
minus 4.00 in ECBs

Total OOP .42 cents
made 4 ECBs back

Walgreen's

I had to hit several in this deal.

1st store:

Cutter Spray 2/3.00
2 packs of dividers @ .39 cents each

Total 3.78

minus (2) WAGS ESR Cutter 1.00/1
minus (2) Cutter manuf 1.00/1
gave me an overage baby!!

Total OOP - 8 cents

Store # 2

4 Cutter Spray 2/3.00
3 packs of Pencils @ .39 cents each
3 mini highlighters @ .19 each

Total 7.74

minus (2) WAGS ESR Cutter 1.00/1
minus (2) Cutter manuf 1.00/1
gave me an overage baby!!

Total OOP - 36 cents

Store # 3

4 Cutter Spray 2/3.00
1 Calculator @ 1.00
2 candles @ .25 cents each clearance

Total 7.74

minus (2) WAGS ESR Cutter 1.00/1
minus (2) Cutter manuf 1.00/1
gave me an overage baby!!

Total OOP 36 cents again - not sure how that happen. ~ lol!

Yeah - a coupon I really wanted!

2008-07-15T06:33:00.000-05:00

Yep - I'm a happy girl today! I wanted to try the new Macaroni's Grill Home Kit I saw at Wal Mart recently, but was waiting for a good coupons. Well, good things come to those who wait!

$1.00 off Romano's Macaroni Grill Favorites at Home Kit

They sell for 3.00 @ Wal mart. God knows I'd never pay that much for them, but with a coupon - well. It makes it bearable :) I'll have to let ya'll know how they turn out.

Coupon Giveaway! RAOK :)

2008-07-14T21:46:00.005-05:00

I saw today that my new friend Brandy is having a giveaway!!

2 BIG envies of Coupons!!

Just what we all need ~ lol!

Head over to her blog Savin Some and tell her I sent you!!

5 days of Deals - Day One

2008-07-14T15:09:00.006-05:00

This week the kids are in VBS so I've decided to stop at CVS everyday and do a deal. Either a break even or a moneymaker. I'm excited - it's a great week for those 3/15 qs. Today I actually hit several other stores. It's so easy to shop with out them - run in and run out. I'm going to be sooooo spoiled by the end of the week. Plus the CVS people are going to be tired of looking at me - hahaha~!!

So check back every day to see how I did!!

Day One - 4 stores - $9.02 OOP

Office Depot, CVS, WAGs and Albie's

Office Depot

They're having a 1 cent sale!! Yeah!

4 Rulers @ 1cents
5 bags of pencil

Total OOP 10 cents

CVS

2 Sure DO @ 2.89 each
1 Freshmatic Mini @ 4.99
1 Speedstick 24/7 @ 3.99
1 CVS Beauty Wipes @ 3.49

Total 18.25

minus 3/15
minus BOGO Sure 2.89
minus Sure 1.00/1
minus 1.00/1 Speedstick
minus 4.00 Freshmatic Mini
minus 1.00/1 Speedstick
minus 2.00 CVS Beauty Q
minus 4.00 in ECBs

paid $1.10 OOP
made 6.00 in ECBs

PLUS - I got 4 new CRTs!!!

Albie's

The Fresh Express Salads are on BOGO this week - it's a great match up for the 2.00/2 Qs. If you need some check it out here.

4 bags of Fresh Express Salads @ 2.79 each BOGO
1 pack of Bagels @ 2.50 each

Total 8.08

minus (2) 2.00/2 Fresh Express
minus 1.00 peelie on the bagels

Total OOP $3.24

WAGS

4 bottles of Pro Vive @ 4.99 BOGO
3 Sharpies @ .50 each
3 boxes of envelopes @ .50 each
2 packs of pens @ .39 cents each
1 bottle of Maalox @ 3.99

minus (2) BOGO Pro Vive Qs 4.99 each
minus 2.00 Maalox Q
minus 2.00 Maalox ESR

Total OOP 4.48

Questions, Questions. Feedback Wanted!

2008-07-14T08:09:00.005-05:00

**I've gotten tons of questions. I'll be putting together some answers to these and posting them over the next few weeks. Keep your eyes peeled :)

Thanks for all the feedback!!

I need some feedback ladies. I'm revamping my coupon class this week while the kids are in VBS. So I'm looking for question - any question concerning couponing, meal planning, budgeting, etc. The paperwork I have now is good, but there is always room for improvement.

So shoot me some questions that you wish you'd have knowing in the begining or question you want to know the answers to now. No question is too stupid to ask - I promise. I want to make sure I'm covering the bases with my classes so I don't assume everyone knows everything.

Is there anything you wish you would have known to start off with - anything you'd like to know??????

Please...pretty please??? Either leave me a comment or shoot me an email - carliefaulk@cox.net

Thanks ya'll!!!

Menu Planning Monday!

2008-07-14T00:37:00.000-05:00

It's a good week here. I've found lots of sales and so we're just eating what we have. You gotta love it!

So check out what we have planned and then head over to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie to see what everyone else has going on.

If you've been to my blog before you know that because of my shopping days I plan Fri - Thur.

Friday - Garlic Shrimp with Squash and Zucchini Bake

Saturday - Freezer Night

Sunday - BBQ Hamburgers and Fries

Monday - Chili with a veggie plate

Tuesday - BBQ Chicken and creamed peas

Wednesday - Stouffer's Skillet Meal

Thursday - Blackend Chicken Pasta with salad

Here's my easy Chili recipe:

3 cans kidney beans with chili gravy
(Preferably the Trappey's kind if you can find it!)
1 pounds Ground beef, browned and drained
2 cups of Cajun trinity
(celery, onions and peppers - you can buy it in the freezer section at Walmart)
5 tablespoons chili powder
salt, pepper, garlic and Tabasco to taste!

Directions:

Put all ingredients in Crockpot in order listed. Stir once. Cover and cook on Low for 10 12 hours or High 5 - 6 hours.

Fresh Express Coupons For Sale

2008-07-13T08:19:00.005-05:00

I've cleaned thru my coupon binder only to realize I must have bought way too many coupons for Fresh Express off of Ebay. Since we'll never eat that much salad before the 08/31/08 expiration date I'm going to offer them (Ok - my time**) for sale. I could resell them on Ebay, but I'd rather offer them to ya'll first!

These are great coupons $2.00 off and 2 complete salad or salad blends. I use them at Albertson's all the time. For example this week Albie's has the Fresh Express BOGO and they cost $2.79. You can use these Qs and get your salad for 40 cents a bag!! Sometimes they even go 10/10 and I get them for free. :)

I'm asking $1.50 for a set of 5 (that will give you 10 bags of salad!!)

If you're interested please email me at carliefaulk@cox.net ~ I'll be taking cash if you live n my area or Paypal if they need to be mailed. Thanks!!

**Disclaimer note - technically selling coupons is not legal, so really you're buying my time to put them in the envelope. Also - I can verify that these are REAL coupons - not IPs. Thanks!!

Sunday Link Love

2008-07-13T04:22:00.000-05:00

I've been reading some new blogs lately and would like to share some love.

Marin @ Frugonomics 101 wrote a great post about coupon swapping.

Coupon Cravings - the new host of BeCentsables CVS Preview. Check her out every Thursday for a preview of the upcoming weekend!!

Happy to be at Home - I've fallen in love with this blog!! The recipes are great - and they have pictures (for those of us visual learners ~ lol!!)

The CVS drought is OVER!!!

2008-07-12T22:42:00.001-05:00

Yes - you heard me right. I was reading Denise's blog earlier and was thrilled to see this -

a new 3/15 good until July 20th!!!!

Check it out HERE.

Moooooooo!!! The whole herd!

2008-07-12T19:31:00.000-05:00

So we all got in the spirit today. What can I say - it was free :)

Hope you enjoy our pictures as much as we enjoyed doing it.

Happy Cow Appreciation Day @ Chick fil a!!

Then Sings My Soul Saturday

2008-07-12T06:44:00.000-05:00

Today I'm bringing back an old song :)

This song was sung 13 years ago at my wedding and I still love it today.

Happy Anniversary babe!!

Please take time to visit Amy's blog today and hear some SWEET music for your soul!!

Frugal Friday

2008-07-11T20:08:00.000-05:00

My dad had a heart attack when he learned my children didn't know what a TV dinner was. It was so funny! When I was growing up I remember standing in front of the huge freezer case staring at all the options. So many things to pick from and they all tasted great - right? ~ lol!

We don't do TV diners here. Ok - maybe the occasional Kid Cuisine, but not often and only if I can find a blinkie Q for it. :)

What we do is our version of TV dinners. When I make a large meal I freeze individual sized portions. It makes packing hubby's lunch a breeze. Usually there is enough leftovers he just takes it the next day, but sometimes there aren't any (or I tried a new recipe and it was yucky!) So I just dig into my "homemade TV dinners" and find him something.

Consider doing this the next time you have leftovers. After a few weeks you'll probably have enough to just do a leftover night for dinner. Everyone can have what ever they like!

Just make sure you label it with the date!!

For more ideas head over to Biblical Womanhood!