Freebies

  • Pampers Gifts to Grow – 10 Free Points

    You can receive another 10 free points from Pampers with the a new Gifts to Grow code!

    This code is different from the previous codes I have given.

    Use Code:  FAC1111PYWFNXRD

    The code didn’t have an expiration date but they usually expire in a few days so be sure to add it to your account soon!

    You can save up the rewards to purchase gifts!

    For more information about the Pampers Gift to Grow Program and how you can start earning Pampers “Gifts to Grow” Rewards for your family go to Pampers Gifts to Grow!

  • CVS: Spent $0.70 and $3 ECB’s Back

    CVS Deals

    I went to CVS today to use up a couple ECB’s that were about to expire.  I was able to get the items pictured above for $0.70 including tax and received $3.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.   The CVS didn’t have any of the items I was looking for in stock but they did price match the peanut butter for me and give me a ECB for it.  I was able to stock up on their Halloween clearance snacks and candy.  I have several upcoming events and parties that I have to put goody bags together for so it worked out really well.  I was able to get my free CVS gift card worth $10.00 from a previous shopping trip.  The only coupons I used today were ones from the ECB’s that were expiring today.  I am thankful for an opportunity to get these items at such an amazing  discount so we can share with others (my family will not be eating all this sugar)! 🙂

    You can get great deals even without clipping a lot of coupons.  My receipt shows that as of November 2nd I have saved over $1,700  at CVS this year so you can do it without investing a lot of time into it or being an extreme couponer that empties the shelves.  Over time the savings add up and I have even taken several weeks off here and there while I have been busy or traveling or when our stock pile is full.   All of the items I purchased were on sale or clearance.  The candy was originally $3.99 each, but I was able to get it on clearance even though it is not expiring until late next year.  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 2 – Skippy Peanut Butter for $5.00  ($2.50 each, they price matched this item and I received $3.00 ECB’s back making the peanut butter $1.00 per jar)
    • 1 – $10 CVS Gift Card for $0.00 FREE! (used a $10.00 Gift Card ECB so this gift card was free)
    • 2 – Butterfinger Fun Size (12.5 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 2 – Cookies N’ Cream  (10 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 2 –Milky Way Simply Caramel  (11 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 2 – Nestle Crunch (11.5 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 2 – Wonka Nerds  (12 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 1 – Twizzler Strawberry Twists Fun Pack  (22 oz) for $0.99
    • 2 – Whoppers Snack Packs  (9 oz each) for $1.50 (on clearance for $0.75 each)
    • 1 – Nestle 100 Grands (12.5 oz) for $0.99
    • 4 – Halloween Oreo Snack Packs (9 oz each) for $3.00 (on clearance for $0.75 each)

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $10.00 CVS ECB’s Gift Card Reward
    • Used $20.00 CVS ECB’s

    I received $3.00 ECB’s back today:

    • $3.00 ECB’s for Jiffy Products (my local CVS substituted Skippy for me)

    Today I was able to save $69.18 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons (over 95% savings).

    When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club).  As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS.  Plus you can use the additional ECB’s you receive towards your next purchase.  You can pick and chose what is best for your family.

    I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week!  For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week!  Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household.  In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    I am thankful for a weekly grocery budget on weeks like this past one.  Not only was it a busy week but I went over on my budget.  Looking back over the last several months I am amazed at how many groceries I am able to get for my family for a reasonable amount of money.  I used to think that having a $100 grocery bill was pretty good for our family, now if the grocery bill is above $20 or $30 that is a lot.  One of the main reason I do the weekly budget and update is to keep me accountable.  Like any goal in life some weeks you do well and other weeks…..well they just don’t go as planned.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from CVS, Ingles, Family Dollar, and Save A Lot

    CVS Groceries:

    • $0.09 at CVS for 1 bag of individual Teddy Grahams snacks (18 count), 2 bags of individual Pretzels snacks (24 count each), 3 bags of individual Rice Krispy Treats.  (All the items were on clearance after the Halloween Holiday and will come in handy for school and work lunches.  The Extra Care Bucks were a huge savings help and I only had to pay the tax amount.)

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $14.50 at Ingles for 1 bag Laura Lynn Bread, 2 jugs Lemon Sweet Tea, 5 containers Cherry Chocolate Covered Pretzels, 2 containers Banana Split Mix, 3 containers California Dried Fruit Mix, 1 container Spicy Buffalo Nut Mix, and 1 bag Mini Pumpkins and Paint for Craft / Cooking.  (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance!)

    Family Dollar Groceries:

    • $0.50 at Family Dollar for 1 bag of individual Pretzel Snacks (8 count).  (These individual pretzel bags are perfect for school and work lunches, plus it saves on not having to buy baggies to put chips / pretzels into.  I was able to get these on clearance after Halloween.)

    Save A Lot Groceries:

    • $8.74 at Save A Lot for 1 bag Cinnamon Bagels, 1 bag Plain Bagels, 1 gallon Milk, and 1 family pack Cube Steaks.  (All the items I picked up at Save A Lot were on clearance, the milk was marked down to 99 cents.)

     

    Groceries from Walmart

    Walmart Groceries:

    • $26.77 at Walmart for 1 bag Pepperoni, 2 Smithfields Ham Steaks, 1 block Borden Cheese, 1 block Cabot Cheese, 1 box Blue Bonnet Margarine, 1 bag Great Value Sugar, 1 bag Splenda Sugar Alternate, 1 box Little Hug Drink Barrels (This trip was taken with my family, we originally went into the store for black tights for the girls which they were sold out of.  Even though we did need some of these items it is amazing how quickly the total adds up when the items are not gotten on sale or clearance or with coupons.)

     

    This week I spent $50.60 on groceries.  Even though I went over on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items.  It is weeks like these that make me even more grateful for the budget I have in place to help guide me.  I had a little extra in the wallet to cover the overage, but I really want to get back under the budgeted amount next week.  The Halloween Sales were amazing and the items I picked up on will be beneficial for our family for several months so it was worth a few dollars to stock up the pantry.  I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget.   Thankful for an opportunity to stock up on several items even though I was over this week!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • Pampers Gifts to Grow – 20 Free Points

    Receive another 2 codes for 10 free points from Pampers with the a new Gifts to Grow!

    These codes are different from the previous codes I have given.

    Use Code:  CABRANDSVRNOV11

    Use Code:  FAC1011PR46DYHD

    The codes didn’t have an expiration date but they usually expire in a few days so be sure to add it to your account soon!

    You can save up the rewards to purchase gifts!

    For more information about the Pampers Gift to Grow Program and how you can start earning Pampers “Gifts to Grow” Rewards for your family go to Pampers Gifts to Grow!

  • Free Audio Book: “The Heavenly Man” by Brother Yun

    For the month of November Christian Audio is offering a free download of their audio book .  This month the audio book is The Heavenly Man  by Brother Yun.

    You’ve seen the headlines – government crackdowns on Chinese house churches; mass arrests and human rights violations…But this intensely dramatic autobiography makes it real! Learn how God took a young half-starved boy from Henan Province and enabled him to stand strong on the front lines for Jesus, braving horrific opposition and impossible odds. (information from Christian Audio)

    If you have been wanting to listen to a book from Brother Yun throughout the day or while driving then this is a great opportunity to listen to the book for free when you download it from Christian Audio in November.   Make sure to submit your order by November 30, 2011  to get your free audio book.  Thanks Christian Audio!

  • New Upromise eCoupons for November 2011

    Upromise has posted their new eCoupons for the month of November 2011. Remember to activate your eCoupons to get additional savings. If you have not yet signed up for Upromise you can get more information regarding on our experience or directly at the Upromise website.

    This month they have 29 coupons you can activate for bonus savings. Once you activate your eCoupons all you have to do is scan your rewards card or purchase the items at the store and the cash will be added to your account. You don’t even have to carry any coupons to get the rewards!

    You can go to their website for more information on the Upromise program, it’s free to join.

  • Giveaway: $10 CVS Gift Card

    I am doing another giveaway on Blessings Multiplied!   The winner of this giveaway will receive a $10 CVS Gift Card!  As a Mom, wife and homeowner I am always looking for ways to save a little extra when buying items for around the house and for my family.  It is a great time of year to pick up a few extra items at your local CVS to keep you family healthy especially during the Holiday Season.  If you shop at CVS regularly and use coupons you may be able to stretch this gift card over several trips.  Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

    1. Sign up to follow my blog (if you haven’t done so already) and leave a comment below telling us how you follow Blessings Multiplied.  You can sign up to receive Blessings Multiplied via email.
    2. You can get a bonus entry into the drawing if you leave a separate comment below sharing one of your favorite items you like to get at CVS’s!

    All comments must be made by November 30th at 10:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing.  On November 30, 2011,  I will randomly draw a winner from those who have entered the giveaway.

  • CONGRATULATIONS to Our Lowe’s Gift Card Winner!!!

    The name has been drawn for the giveaway!

    CONGRATULATIONS to Kathryn

    for winning a

    $10 Lowe’s Gift Card!

    Thanks for making a comment in honor of our Giveaway!

    An email has been sent to you with more information*

    Enjoy Your Next Trip to Lowe’s!

    Don’t forget to enter our next Giveaway (the next giveaway will be announced tomorrow morning)!!!

    *Giveaway must be claimed within 5 business days of the prize being announced.  Failure to claim the prize within the allotted time frame means you forfeit the prize.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    It was a fun week with the whole family home, traveling is fun but sometimes it is just as nice to have everyone home for a week too.  Our family has been going through more milk lately so you’ll notice an increase in my milk purchases this week.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles and CVS

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $13.21 at Ingles for 1 bag Laura Lynn Bread, 1 jar Skippy Peanut Butter, 1 package Flour Tortillas, 1 container Vanilla Yogurt, 1 container Fresh Shrimp, 1 bag Oranges, 1 bag Bananas, 1 bag Potatoes, 1 head Cauliflower, and 1 container Lettuce.  (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance including the produce, seafood and diary!)

    CVS Groceries:

    • $18.17 at CVS for 2 A&W Rootbeer (12 packs), 1 Sunkist (12 pack), 1 bag Candy Corn, 1 Mountain Dew (2 liter) and 4 cans Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup (I received $10.00 in ECB’s back on this purchase so if you count that into the savings it is like I paid $8.17 for everything purchased.  The ECB’s I received were $1.00 on the Candy Corn making it free, $3.00 on the 12 packs making them $2.67 each, $1.00 on the Progresso Soup making them $1.00 each, and $5.00 for Beauty Club Reward.  I have not bought soda for several months because we are trying to cut back on how much we drink it in our house, however, we do host family, friends, Community Group and other activities in our home so when we see a good sale we buy a few to stock up on them.
    Groceries from Save A Lot | RiteAid

    Save A Lot| RiteAid Groceries:

    • $7.88 at Save A Lot | RiteAid for 2 gallons of milk and 1 half gallon of milk on clearance.  (We go through a lot more milk now that the girls are a little older, Save A Lot had the best price I could find for milk this week!)

    This week I spent $39.26 on groceries.  Even though I was barely under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items.  I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come under budget.   Thankful for an opportunity to stock up on several items even though I was cutting it really close this week again!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • On the Farm: Recipe for Acorn Cookies

    Fresh Acorn Cookies

    Now I am going to share with you a couple of recipes that you can make using fresh acorns.  To learn more about acorns check out On the Farm: Acorns Are For Squirrels and how process fresh acorns so you can use it in recipes here is a post On the Farm: How to Prep Acorns for Cooking.

    Once you are ready to use your fresh acorn meal or flour here is one of the recipes you can try:

    Acorn Cookies:

    • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
    • 1 cup Brown Sugar
    • 1/2 cup Shortening
    • 1 large Egg
    • 1 cup Acorn Flour
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.  In a larger bowl cream the shortening, egg, and sugar together.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the cream mixture.  Blend in the acorn flour.  Add the vanilla extract until blended well.  Take a medium size ice cream scoop and place onto a greased cookie sheet.   Use a fork to slightly flatten the balls.   Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

    Freshly scooped cookie dough.

    Cookie sheet full of cookies ready to go into the oven!

    The cookies are not as moist as a Chocolate Chip Cookie but not as dry as Shortbread Cookies.  They are a little dryer then I expected but they turned out pretty well.  We shared this recipe with our Community Group and people at Jake’s work.  It was a fun recipe do make and share with others.  I would make sure that those eating do not have a nut allergy.  It provides an interesting conversation started and you are sure to be the only one at the event with Acorn Cookies!  Now if I can just find an acorn cookie cutter.  Stay tuned for some more of our acorn recipes in upcoming posts!

    Recipe adapted from Grandpappy