Living on a Budget
Summer Activities: Enjoying our First Juicy Watermelon of the Season

Thanks Daddy for the Yummy Watermelon! Yes I made the girls eat it outside, we know how messy they can get with this juicy treat! As a special treat Jake brought home a watermelon recently! It was our first watermelon of the season so we were super excited to dig into the juicy melon. The last watermelon I purchased wasn’t great but this one was AMAZING!!!! Maybe the key is to have dear hubby pick them out in the future.
Eating watermelon brings back memories…..the first few watermelons the girls ate were the sweet yellow watermelons because we got a bunch on sale at the local Farmer’s Market. When we gave them the regular “pink” watermelon for the first time they didn’t believe us at first that it really was watermelon because it wasn’t yellow! Every summer season we enjoy sharing our first watermelon together, this year we kicked off the season with a traditional seedless pink one. Maybe we’ll have to head to the local Farmer’s Market and get yellow to enjoy soon.

Brina munching away on the sweet watermelon! Too busy eating to even look at the camera! 
Karlie licking off her sticky fingers! Ummm.....Mom where's the napkins? She was more concerned about the mess she was making! Thanks babe for the delicious treat, it hit the spot on a hot day! All of us enjoyed eating our first watermelon of the season and are already looking forward to the next one!
Mailbox Goodies: Free Diapers, Mobile Headset, Zyrtec, Coupons, Magazines & More!

Free 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 Osteo Bi-Flex Sample and Coupon – Osteo Bi-Flex (still available)
- Free American Baby Magazine – Baby Magazine (still available)
- Free Field & Stream Magazine – Value Magazines
- Free 20% Off Bed Bath & Beyond Coupon – sign up at your local Bed Bath & Beyond store to receive these coupons (still available)
- Free Mobile Headset – 1 Sale A Day
- Free Flying Magazine – Mercury Magazines
- Free Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine – Rewards Gold (still available)
- Free Zyrtec Product Coupon (up to $7.00) – Start Sampling (still available)
- Free “Meaningful Morning Checklist” – Florida Citrus
- Free Sears Portrait Studio Coupons – sign up at your local Sears Portrait Studio to receive these coupons
- Free Harbor Freight Tools Coupons – sign up at your local Harbor Freight Tools store to receive these coupons
- Free Think Geek Magazine & $10.00 Off Purchase Coupon – Think Geek
- Free Martha Stewart Living Magazine
- Free Fred’s Kids Baby Diapers and Coupon – Fred’s Kids
- Free $5 Off Publix Coupon – received in my local newspaper
- Free Coupons for Dunkin Donuts, Jack in the Box, Hardees, and MORE – received in my free local Wednesday newspaper
- Free Newsweek Magazine – Rewards Gold
- Free Bottom Line Personal Magazine
- Free AlternaVites Sample – AlternaVites (still available)
- Free Garnier Fructis Green Sample – Garnier
- Free Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Combos Product Coupon (up to $5.00) – Kraft First Taste
- Free Oscar Mayer Sandwich Combos Product Coupon (up to $4.00) – Kraft First Taste
- Free Oscar Mayer Coupons – Kraft First Taste
- 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!
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
Another week of doing Groceries $40 for 4. I was able to stock up on some items for our pantry so we should be good for awhile now. Most of the items I stocked up were non-perishable products this week. A lot of the items we picked up will be great for the upcoming road trips we have this summer! Below are my grocery shopping adventures for the week!

Walgreens Grocery Deals! Groceries from Walgreens:
- $2.71 at Walgreens for 2 Pure Bottle Water Packages (24 count each), 4 Sugar Free Strawberry Jello, 1 Sugar Free Orange Jello, 1 Walgreens Cashew Halves, 1 Celsius Ice Tea, 1 Arizona Tea with Blueberry, 1 Arizona Tea with Pomegranate, 1 Arizona Tea with Raspberry, 1 Arizona Tea with Lemon, and 1 Illy Cappucino Coffee Drink. With upcoming road trips and hot months these will come in handy. I spent $2.71 but received $5 in Register Rewards back to use on future purchases.

Walmart, Dollar Tree, and Save A Lot | Riteaid Groceries Groceries from Walmart:
- $0.90 at Walmart for French Bread on Clearance
Groceries from Dollar Tree:
- $1.01 at Dollar Tree for 1 loaf of Nature’s Own Whole Wheat Bread
Groceries from Save A Lot | Riteaid:
- $21.64 at Save A Lot | Riteaid for 1 Whole Chicken on clearance, 5 packs of Hotdogs ($0.69 each), 1 bag of Carrots, 1 package String Cheese, 1 block of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 1 can Pringles, 1 package of fresh Mushrooms (on clearance), 2 Ham Lunchables, 1 bag Red Delicious Apples, 1 bag Granny Smith Apples
I am excited to be doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget. This week I spent $26.26 on groceries. Even though I was under budget I was still able to stock up on a couple items. Thankfully I was able to keep the amount within reason and I was able to have a extra left over for those weeks when I find a really good deal or go a little over. I am grateful for the coupons and Register Rewards I was able to use this week on the few items I purchased.
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.
Family Recipe: Grandma Willa’s Peanut Butter Cookies
Grandma Willa has a delicious peanut butter cookie recipe. These are great cookies to make for an after school snack or to take with you on a trip or to a picnic in the park. The best part is they are easy to make and you probably already have the ingredients in your fridge and pantry to put them together!
Grandma Willa’s Peanut Butter Cookies:
- 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
- 1/4 cup Shortening
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg, well beaten
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup sifted Flour
Cream Peanut Butter and Shortening together. Add sugar gradually, continue until mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg, sifted flour and baking soda. Mix well. Drop mixture by teaspoon onto a cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes at 350°. Yield’s 4 1/2 dozen.
Photo by Maggie Hoffman
One Stop Plus: 20 Piece Picnic Set 90% Off + Free Shipping ($3.99)
One Stop Plus has their 20 piece “Woman Within” Picnic Set for 4 normally $39.99 is on clearance for 90% + free shipping for a total of $3.99
To get the FREE Shipping Use coupon code: RD19755
Set of 4 place settings in durable plastic & stainless steel, great for your family or as a gift:
- 4- 10 inch Plates
- 4 Knives
- 4 Forks
- 4 Tablespoons
- 4 Teaspoons
UPDATE (6/2/11): This set is now listed as only 75% Off giving you a total of $9.99. It’s still available if you want it just not for the lower price it was yesterday.
Fresh & Healthy: Our Garden – A Variety of Fresh Leafy Lettuce, Summer Squash, Cherry Tomatoes, Snow Peas, Pepper, Spinach, Zucchini, & More…Oh My!
We are loving the fresh vegetables from our garden!
Here are some of the fresh veggies we were able to eat and share this week:

Our very first picks of Fresh Snow Peas, Cherry Tomato, Summer Squash and Banana Pepper! Even though it is only a handful of items (including our first tomato of the summer, ha) hopefully we'll have some more coming soon and throughout the rest of summer. 
Fresh Garden Vegetables - at least 5 Varieties of Leafy Lettuce, Summer Squash, Zucchini, another Cherry Tomato, Snow Peas, Spinach, Sweet Basil (bagged), and Dill (bagged)! What are you eating out of your garden this week?
Bass Pro Shops: Free Family Summer Camp Events (Activities / Workshops / Crafts & More!)
Starting June 4th through July 10, 2011 Bass Pro Shops will be having Free Family Summer Camp Events.
There are plenty of fun activities, games, crafts, and workshops to participate in at Bass Pro Shops. Some variations may occur at the individual stores participating in the Free Family Summer Camp Events.
Free Activities (Tuesdays & Thursdays from 2 PM to 6 PM and Saturdays & Sundays from 12 PM to 4 PM):
- Free Shooting Gallery
- Free Shooting Range
- Free Casting Targets
- Free Photo (on Saturdays & Sundays)
- Free S’Mores Cookout (Saturdays – 7 to 8 PM)
Free Workshops (Tuesdays & Thursdays from 2 PM to 6 PM and Saturdays & Sundays from 12 PM to 4 PM):
- Archery
- Bird Watching
- Shooting Basics
- Camping Basics
- Plants & Insects
- Animal Identification
- Hiking Basics
- Outdoor Pets
- Fishing Basics
Free Crafts (Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4 PM to 6 PM and Saturdays & Sundays from 2 PM to 5 PM):
- Camp Scene Doorknob Hanger – June 4 & June 5
- Camping Photo Frame – June 7, June 9, June 11, June 12
- Leather Keychain – June 14, June 16, June 17, June 18
- Paint a Wiggle Fish – June 21, June 23, June 25, June 26
- Design Your Own Birdhouse – June 28, June 30, July 2, July 3
- Stamping Fun Animal Tracks – July 5, July 7, July 9, July 10
To learn more information go to Bass Pro or to find a location near you!
Bounty: $5 off Coupon for First 5,000 Each Friday in June (Facebook)
Bounty is giving away $5 off Coupons to the First 5,000 people each Friday in June on their Bounty Facebook Page. It starts this Friday, June 3, 2011. The coupon is $5 off ANY of their products so you should be able to get a free item!
New Upromise eCoupons for June 2011
Upromise has posted their new eCoupons for the month of June 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 33 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.
CONGRATULATIONS to Our Target Gift Card Winner!!!

My husband, Jake, drew the name out of a cup for me.
CONGRATULATIONS to Tiffany Frost
for winning a$10 Target Gift Card!
Thanks for making a comment in honor of our Giveaway!
An email has been sent to you with more information.
Happy Shopping to YOU!
Don’t forget to enter our next Giveaway, it will be posted tomorrow morning!!!




