Living on a Budget
Fresh & Healthy: Our Garden – Green Beans, Summer Squash, Lettuce, Cucumbers, Purple Beans, and a variety of Tomatoes!
We are loving the fresh vegetables from our garden! This week I only have one picture from the garden because we were traveling for part of the week. The good news is we were able to take some of our goodies from the garden to share with family along the way and we came back to some more fresh ones ready to be picked. Also, while we are gone my brother and his family get to pick any of the produce that is ready for themselves or to give away so I didn’t get pictures of the items they picked while we were out of town.
Here are some of the fresh veggies we were able to eat and share this week:
Fresh Garden Vegetables! We were able to pick this all in one day fresh from the garden. Fresh Summer Squash, Green Beans, Cucumbers, Cherry Tomatoes, Roma Tomatoes, Whole Size Tomatoes, Big Yellow / Orange Tomatoes, Fresh Leafy Green Lettuce, Purple Beans, Banana Peppers, Green Pepper, (some are not pictured because they were given away prior to the picture being taken). We were able to share some of the veggies this week with family and friends! Thankful for a garden that we can share!
What are you eating out of your garden this week?
CVS: Spent $7 and Got $32 ECB’s Back!
CVS Deals CVS has a few good deals this week. Even though I didn’t get to CVS until midweek I was still able to pick up several deals. I was happy to stock up on some items including school supplies and shampoo this week while utilizing a few of my coupons. Today I was able to get the items for $7.82 including tax and received $32.49 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase. Here is what I purchased this week.
- 1 – John Frieda Shampoo for $7.39
- 1 – John Frieda Conditioner for $7.39
- 1 – John Frieda Repair for $6.89
- 7 – Caliber 2 Pocket Folders for $0.70 ($0.10 each)
- 2 – Caliber 1 Subject Notebooks (70 sheets) for $0.67 ($0.33 or $0.34 each)
- 2 – Caliber 10 x 8 Notebooks for $0.67 ($0.33 or $0.34 each)
- 1 – Pilot Easy Touch Blue Pens (2 pack) for $1.00
- 1 – Pilot Easy Touch Black Pens (2 pack) for $1.00
- 1 – Complete Multi-Purpose Solution (12 oz) for $7.99
- 1 – Tampon Refresh Brilliant (18 count) for $6.79 (used rain check and coupon)
- 2 – Scrabble Card Game for $4.14 ($2.12 each) (clearance product)
- 1 – Card Game for $2.12 (clearance product)
- 1 – CVS Calcium for $1.50 (clearance product)
Here are the coupons I used on the items.
- Used $2.00 John Frieda Manufacturer Coupon
- Used $2.00 John Frieda Manufacturer Coupon
- Used $2.00 John Frieda Manufacturer Coupon
- Used $1.00 Tampon Manufacturer Coupon
- Used $3.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
- Used $5.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
- Used $4.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
- Used $20.99 ECB coupons from prior purchases
I received $32.49 ECB’s back today:
- $10.00 ECB’s for John Frieda Products
- $7.99 ECB’s for Complete Products
- $7.00 ECB’s for Tampon Products
- $5.00 ECB’s for Beauty Rewards
- $2.50 ECB’s for Spring Savings
Today I was able to save $59.80 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons.
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.
Walgreens: 30 Books for $2
Walgreens Deals (books on clearance) I went to Walgreens to stock up on some of their deals this week. The best deal I got was in their clearance aisle where they had a bunch of their books, coloring books, and activities books on clearance. Since I went a little later in the week not all the advertised products were available and I had several Register Rewards that were expiring this week so it worked out well. I spent $2.27 including tax at Walgreens for this transaction. I picked up a couple other items (including food which you will see in a later post this week) but this was my best deal at Walgreens this week. The books will be great for upcoming road trips and other fun activities with the family.
- 10 – Disney Books (on clearance for $0.49 each)
- 10 – Disney Activity Books (on clearance for $0.29 each)
- 10 – Disney Coloring Books (on clearance for $0.29 each)
The total was over $11 with tax before using discounts & coupons. Here are the coupons I used on the thirty items.
- Used $9 Walgreens Register Rewards
Walgreen’s Register Rewards will expire two weeks from the date they are printed so you will need to make sure to use them before their expiration date. I always keep the ones that are expiring the soonest on top of the stack to make sure to use them first.
Another important fact regarding Walgreen’s Register Rewards you will need to know if you haven’t used them before is you can only use 1 coupon per item. If you use a manufacturer’s coupon for every item you are purchasing you will not be able to use any Register Reward for that transaction. If you do have a coupon for each item then check Walgreen’s weekly ad because they will have items on sale each week for pennies up to $1 that you can use as “filler” items but they won’t raise your total too much. Once you get started using coupons and rewards you may discover, like I did, how to purchase many of your health and beauty items for nothing or very little. Since using coupons and reward programs I rarely pay full price for any of our health and beauty items plus I usually have extra to share with guests visiting us or to give away.
For those of you who shop regularly at Walgreens I encourage you to 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 at Walgreens.
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of July 13 – 19, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. Save A Lot is introducing their “Save A Lot Today” brand products and have several at great stock up prices (no coupons necessary to get the Save A Lot Today prices). Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Fairgrounds Meat Hot Dogs (12 oz) – $0.69
Fresh Chicken Wings – $1.49 per lb
Gwaltney Pork Sausage (12 oz) – $1.00
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).
Fridge and Freezer
Popsicle or Fudgsicles – $1.00
American Basics American Cheese Slices – $1.00
Save A Lot Today Orange Juice – $1.99
Save A Lot Today Party Pizza – $0.99
Save A Lot Today Pizza Rolls – $0.99
Save A Lot Today Imitation Shreds – $1.00
Household
Save A Lot Today Bath Tissue – $0.89
Save A Lot Today Laundry Detergent – $1.99
Produce
Cherries – $1.99 per lb
Salad Mix (12 oz) – $0.99
Idaho Potatoes (5 lb bag) – $1.49
Grocery
Budget Gourmet Fettuccine Alfredo or Mac N Cheese – $0.69
Campbell’s Original O’s (26 oz) – $0.97
Kool Aid – $0.10
Use B2G1F coupon from the July All You Magazine (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.50/5 coupons from Kool Aid Facebook Page
As low as $0.00 each after couponDoritos, Cheetos, Fritos Scoops – $1.00
Nabisco Cheese Nips Snack Crackers – $1.00
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 6/19 Smart Source (Expires 7/30/11)
$0.50 each after couponSplash Out Gallon Drink (128 oz) – $1.00
Hungry Jack Mashed Potatoes – $1.00
Sundia Fruit Cups – $1.00
Save A Lot Today BBQ Sauce – $0.79
Save A Lot Today Ranch Dressing – $0.89
Save A Lot Today Apple Juice – $1.19
Save A Lot Today Toaster Pastries – $0.99
Save A Lot Today Pancake Mix – $0.49
Save A Lot Today Pancake Syrup – $0.99
Save A Lot Today Mashed Potatoes – $0.79
Save A Lot Today Biscuit Mix – $0.79
Save A Lot Today Brownie Mix – $0.99
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
Book: “A Dog’s Life: Autobiography of a Stray” by Ann Martin
Since we have been traveling a good bit this summer we have been able to check out a few audiobooks for the family to listen to on the road trips. One of the recent audio books we listened to was “A Dog’s Life: Autobiography of a Stray” by Ann Martin. The book follows a young dog named, by her mother in the traditional way of naming a pup, after the most important things in her life. Her name is “Squirrel” and her brother’s name is “Bone”. It is full of touching stories as well as the adventures and perils of being a stray. The book is simple enough for children to follow yet engaging for the adults to enjoy as well.
Family Recipe: Grandma’s Six in One Oatmeal Cookies
Grandma Willa makes a delicious oatmeal cookie. She calls it her Six in One Oatmeal Cookies because they are loaded with amazing ingredients and you can make 6 different types of cookies (or more) with the base cookie mix. It has been nice having cookies to take with us on our various road trips. The girls have enjoyed the sweet snack and it has been neat sharing the recipes with others along the way (although not all of the cookies made it to each destination).Six in One Oatmeal Cookie Recipe:
- 1 cup Shortening
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/2 cup sifted Flour
- 3 cups Quick Cooking Oats
Add in 1 or more of the Following Ingredient Options to the Cookies
- 1/2 cup chopped Nuts
- 1 package Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 2 tablespoons grated Orange Peel
- 1 cup Raisins
- 1 cup cut up Gum Drops
- 1 cup cut up Dates
Cream shortening and sugar thoroughly, add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Sift together flour salt and soda. Add to creamed mixture and blend well. Add oats and one or two of the choices above. If desired divide dough into several portions adding something different to each one. Form dough into small and drop from teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 35o for 15 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from cookie sheet and place on wire rack to cool. For a special treat, try adding both nuts and chocolate pieces. Or combine dates and orange peel. For a crackly glaze dip balls of dough first into milk then in sugar prior to baking on cookie sheet, bake sugar side up.
More Ingredient Options you can add to the Cookies (these are variations we have tried in our family):
- 1 cup M&M’s
- 1 cup Cranberries
- 1 cup Butterscotch Chips
- 1 cup White Chocolate Chips
- Add another one of your favorite cookie ingredients!
Makes 6 dozen.
Photo by Lara604
Teaching Our Children: Encouraging the Kids to Read During Summer Vacation
Our reading tree! I was trying to come up with a visual prompt in our home that encourages our children to read this summer. The girls LOVE it when they are read to and could do it for hours but since they are starting to read on their own I wanted to find something that would help motivate them to read a little more. I came up with the idea “Spring into Reading” since we technically started it in the Spring and I wanted to boost the girls reading skills.
My Mom graciously made the tree for me and my Sister in Law Becky helped cut out a bunch of the leaves. The purpose of the tree is simple find a visual way for the girls to see their reading progress. Each member of our family gets a different color of leaf. When that member reads a book to the girls or they read a book on their own they get to put up their leaf.
We have started to fill out our tree with leaves and hope to get an after summer break picture up for you to see what we accomplished. If all goes well I hope to see more and more of the girls leaves going up throughout the summer as their reading skills increase.
Fresh & Healthy: Our Garden – Zucchini, Green Beans, Squash, Lettuce, Cucumber, Strawberries, Purple Beans, and Tomatoes!
We are loving the fresh vegetables from our garden! This week I only took one picture from the garden because we were traveling. The good news is we were able to take some of our goodies from the garden to share with family along the way. Also, while we are gone my brother and his family get to pick any of the produce that is ready for themselves or to give away so I didn’t get pictures of the items they picked while we were out of town.
Here are some of the fresh veggies we were able to eat and share this week:
Fresh Garden Produce! We were able to pick this all in one day fresh from the garden. Fresh Zucchini, Green Beans, Summer Squash, Cucumber, Cherry Tomatoes, Roma Tomatoes, Whole Size Tomatoes, Fresh Leafy Green Lettuce, Purple Beans, a handful of Strawberries that made it in the picture and a Banana Pepper (not pictured because it was ate by the kiddos). Some of these items we delivered to a good friend since we were traveling and we wanted to make sure they were eaten while they were still fresh.
We were able to share some of the veggies this week with family and friends! Thankful for a garden that we can share!
What are you eating out of your garden this week?
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of July 6 – 12, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. There are a lot of great deals that are continued this week at Save A Lot. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Fresh Ground Beef – $1.99 per lb
Pork Spare Ribs – $1.88 per lb
Chicken Leg Quarters – $0.59 per lb
Sugardale Jumbo Hotdogs (3 lbs) – $2.99
Holten Beef Patties (32 oz) – $3.99
Sugardale Smoked Polish or Hot Sausage (40 oz to 48 oz) – $2.99
Johnsonville Bratwurst and Italian Sausage – $3.79
Use $0.75/1 coupon from magazine 4/20 Kroger’s My Way Magazine (Expires 7/31/11)
Use $0.55/1 coupon from insert 4/17 Smart Source (Expires 6/30/11)
As low as $3.04 after each couponSchooner Tilipia, Whiting, Pollock Fillets (32 oz) – $5.99
Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).
Fridge and Freezer
Buyer’s Best Crinkle Cut French Fries (5 lbs) – $1.99
Minute Maid Orange Juice (64 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.00/1 peelie coupon found on package (Expires 3/30/12)
$0.99 each after couponWorld’s Fair Ice Cream (56 oz) – $1.99
World’s Fair Red, White & Blue Pops – $0.99
Jungle Jammers Twin Pops – $1.99
World’s Fair Sundae Cups – $2.49
World’s Fair Ice Cream (4 quart) – $3.99
Reser’s Potato or Macaroni Salad – $2.99
Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Coupon
$1.99 each after couponJungle Jammers Freezer Pops (24 Count) – $1.99
Morning Delight Jumbo Biscuits – $1.39
Morning Delight Frozen Buttermilk Waffles – $1.49
Snack-A-Tizers Potato Skins – $1.99
Mantia’s Pepperoni French Bread Pizza – $1.99
Country Crock Spread – $2.99
Use $1.00/1 coupon from May All You Magazine (Expires 7/15/11)
$1.99 each after couponHousehold
Charmin Basic Bath Tissue (12 rolls) – $4.99
Use $0.25/1 coupon from insert 6/5 Proctor & Gamble (Expires 7/31/11)
$4.74 after each couponWrightware Napkins (250 Count) – $1.55
Wrightware Foam Plates (40 count) – $1.19
Solo Plastic Cups (20 count) – $0.99
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 6/19 Smart Source (Expires 8/31/11)
$0.49 each after couponRoyal Oak Charcoal – $2.99
Wisk Liquid Laundry Detergent (50 oz)- $3.99
Use $2.00/1 coupon from insert 6/26 Red Plum (Expires 7/31/11)
Use $2.00/1 coupon from insert 6/26 Red Plum (Expires 8/7/11)
Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Wisk Facebook Page
As low as $1.99 each after couponProduce
Fresh Peaches, Plums and Nectarine – $0.89 per lb
Seedless Watermelons – $3.49
Hot House Tomatoes – $0.99 per lb
Grocery
Bubba Cola or Crisp Orange Soda (24 pack) – $3.99
Herr’s Potato Chips – $1.67
Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Smart Source
$0.67 each after couponCap’n Crunch Cereal – $1.59
Use $0.50/1 coupon insert from 4/17 Red Plum (Expires 8/31/11)
$1.09 each after couponDomino Granulated Sugar (4 lb) – $2.39
Use $0.50/1 coupon insert from 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 7/31/11)
Use $0.50/1 coupon insert from 6/26 Red Plum (Expires 9/30/11)
$1.89 each after couponKraft Miracle Whip Dressing (30 oz) – $2.49
Use $1.00/1 coupon insert from 6/19 Smart Source (Expires 7/17/11)
Use $0.75/1 coupon insert from 6/19 Smart Source (Expires 7/17/11)
Use $1.00/2 coupon insert from 6/19 Smart Source (Expires 7/17/11)
As low as $1.49 each after couponWorld’s Fair Chocolate Syrup (24 oz) – $1.79
Mrs. Richardson’s Hot Fudge Topping (16 oz)- $2.29
World’s Fair Ice Cream Cones (24 count) – $1.59
Maraschino Cherries – $1.29
BBQ Sauce – $1.19
Crystal Bottle Water (24 Pack) – $2.49
Summerset Ice Tea Mix – $2.29
McDaniel’s Classic Coffee (11.5 oz) – $2.69
Morning Delight Syrup (24 oz) – $1.49
Sunkist Solid White Tuna – $1.39
Bay Mist Tropical or Berry Blend Splash (64 oz) – $1.79
Spice Time Salt / Pepper Shaker Combo Pack– $1.59
Ginger Evans Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix – $0.79
Nature’s Grain Cinnamon Raisin Swirl – $2.49
Nabisco Oreo Cookies – $2.99
Cowboy Billy’s Baked Beans – $1.29
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
Mailbox Goodies: Free Reusable Bag, Vitamins, Ice Cream, Coupons, Magazines & More!
Mailbox Goodies! One of the best parts about getting the mail is when the mailbox full of goodies, especially when they are free! We got some great coupons, free samples, magazines and more stuff in the mail. Some of these deals are still available so if you haven’t had a chance to sign up go ahead and do it now. I will try to keep you posted of some of the new ones coming up as well.
Here are some items we received in the mail:
- Free Udi’s Gluten Free Foods ReUsuable Bag – Udi’s (great for shopping and several stores give you discounts for bringing your own bags)
- Free Information Week Magazine – been getting this one for years
- Free Martha Stewart Whole Living Magazine – Rewards Gold
- Free Practical Horseman Magazine –Freebiz Magazines
- Free Organic Gardening Magazine
- Free Flying Magazine – Mercury Magazines
- Free Sams Club Coupons, including a Free Ice Cream Float – Sign up at your local Sams club
- Free Nature’s Bounty Fish Oil Sample and Coupon (7 Count) – Nature’s Bounty
- Free Organize In Style Coupons (over $35 in Savings) – Homemade Simple(still available)
- Free Newsweek Magazine – Rewards Gold
- Free Better Homes & Gardens Magazine – SheSpeaks
- Free Household, Health, Kid and Beauty Coupon Booklet
- And more free magazines and local coupons!
If you are like me it is nice when you get a mailbox with free coupons and samples in it. The bills will come as well but when you get a mailbox full of free items it helps make the day a little more enjoyable. Plus the coupons and samples are a great way to stretch your budget and share with others!
