Deals & Giveaways
Book: “There’s a Wocket in My Pocket” by Dr. Seuss
Our family enjoys quite a few of Dr. Seuss’s books! His book There’s a Wocket in My Pocket! by Dr. Suess has been a favorite for a long time. When Jake and I were dating in college I purchased this book and a small stuffed frog for his “Zillow on his Pillow”. We have read the girls the book and told them the story of Daddy’s “Zillow” many times. They now have “Zillows” of their own after reading the book and hearing Daddy’s story. It is a great kids book that’s fun to read with them!
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 freezer and pantry so we should be good for awhile. I stocked up on a mix of perishable and 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!
Aldi’s Groceries Deal:
- $30.02 at Aldi’s for Graham Crackers, Tator Tots, Vidalia Onions, 4 Cotton Candy, 3 packs 93% Lean Ground Beef (on clearance), Sandwich Wheat Bread, Celery, Ice Cream Cups, 3 packs Easter Frosting, Cheese Sharks, Baby Carrots, Cucumber, Parmesan Cheese, 2 cans Cut Green Beans, and Watermelon.
I am excited to be back doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget again. This week I spent $30.02 on groceries. Even though I was close to budget I was still able to stock up on several items. Thankfully I was able to keep the amount within reason although I would like to see a little extra left over for those weeks when I find a really good deal or go a little over.
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.
CVS: Spent $0.26 and Got $7 ECB’s Back!
CVS Deals CVS has a few good deals this week, however, I didn’t get to go to the store until the end of the week. I was happy to stock up on some items including toothpaste and diapers this week while utilizing a few of my coupons. I was able to get a couple of good clearance items this week too. For the items I was not able to pick up because they were out of stock I got rain checks. Today I was able to get the items for $0.25 plus tax ($0.01) making my out of pocket cost $0.26 and received $7 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase. Here is what I purchased this week.
- 1 – Wet & Wild Craze Purple Glitter Nail Polish for $0.99 (on clearance)
- 1 – Huggies Supreme Jumbo Pack of Diapers for $8.99
- 2 – Colgate Max Fresh Toothpastes for $2.79 each (total $5.58
- 1 – Clear Plastic Wrap 100 SF for $1.00
- 1 – Premium Jordan Almonds for $0.74
- 1 – CVS Chest Congestion Medicine for $1.95
Here are the coupons I used on the items.
- Used $3.00 Huggies Manufacturer Coupon
- Used $3.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
- Used $13.00 ECB coupons from prior purchases
I received $7.00 ECB’s back today:
- $1.00 ECB’s for Green Tag Reward (every 4th visit you use your Green Tag you get a $1 ECB)
- $4.00 ECB’s for Colgate Products ($2 Each)
- $2.00 ECB’s for Huggies Products
This week I was able to save over $32 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.
Summer Activities: The Girls First Greenville Drive’s Baseball Game
Greenville Drive Stadium - Fluor Field We were able to get tickets to a Greenville Drive Baseball through a work contact so we decided to take the girls to their first Greenville Drive’s Baseball Game. The Greenville Drive is an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox’s Team. Like with any outdoor event such as baseball you are subject to the weather conditions. The girls were super excited but after the game got delayed followed by wind, rain, hail, and thunder they had to cancel the game for the night. Although it was a fascinating experience watching the workers drag the huge tarp out onto the field the game being cancelled was a disappointment. The girls handled it fairly well and we were managed to squeeze in a few minutes of another special activity. We were able to get another set of Drive tickets for a double header so their first Drive game was postponed temporarily.
Having fun on the playground at the Greenville Drive Stadium! 
Saying "HI" to Reedy the Greenville Drive mascot before the game! 
You guessed it! The girls first Greenville Drive baseball game and was pouring rain and hail. The giant tarp was not coming off the field that night! 
Brina had a moment of sadness because it rained and the baseball game was cancelled. 
Daddy trying to cheer up Karlie despite her obvious disappointment that the game was rained out! 
Since the game was cancelled we managed to squeeze in ice cream sundaes and a little bit of play time at McDonald's indoor play area! Can you find them? (Hint - look at the ceiling) 
WAY up high! 
They like to be up in the high towers, can you tell! Fun Activities on the Last Few Days at School
I was able to go spend a morning volunteering at the girls school recently. Thankful that I have had a number opportunities throughout the year to participate in their classroom. One of the benefits to having twins in the same classroom is you don’t have to split your time between several different rooms. The girls LOVE it when Mommy hangs out with them at school and Mommy is excited they still want to have me be a part of their school group. The last several days of school are always busy with extra activities. One of the days I was able to help out with was their annual Field Day which is a full day outside competing in a variety of kid games.
Karlie working at a picture for one of her friends! 
Brina thrilled that Mommy is taking a moment to watch her draw while helping with their class! 
Karlie and Brina resting in between games on Field Day! 
Brina's turn to carry the bean bag in the relay for her team on Field Day! 
Karlie was one of the few kids that made it all the way hopping down and back without losing the ball between her knees. I was pretty impressed, probably couldn't do that myself! 
Brina doing the sack race, she was a trooper for her team! 
Almost to the finish line! Go KARLIE Go!!! It is hard to believe the school is done and they are out for the summer. We have many fun activities already planned for the summer and I know we’ll come up with even more stuff to do. They have already listed several things that we did last summer tat they want to do again (guess that’s good because last summers memories were positive)! Glad they enjoy hanging out with Mom because I love these months at home with the kids!
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of June 8 – 14, 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 for $1.00. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Eckrich Hot Dogs or Bologna (16 oz) – $1.00
Carolina Ground Turkey (16 oz ) – $1.00
Butterball Turkey Bacon (6 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.65/1 coupon from insert 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 7/10/11)
$0.35 each after couponGwaltney Pork Sausage (12 oz) – $1.00
Fresh Pork Tenderloin – $3.88 per lb
Boneless Chicken Breast – $1.88 per lb
Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs – $0.88 per lb
Half Boneless Pork Loin Roast – $2.49 per lb
80% Lean Ground Chuck – $2.88 per lb
Simmons Buffalo or BBQ Boneless Wings (32 oz) – $6.59
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
Oscar Mayer Lunchables – $1.00
Reser’s Assorted Salads & Coleslaw – $1.00
Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Coupon Web
Free after each couponMinute Maid Lemonade or Fruit Punch – $1.00
Tony’s Crispy Crust Pizza – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/31/11)
Use $1.00/5 coupon from insert 4/17 Smart Source (Expires 7/9/11)
Use $1.00/5 coupon from insert 3/20 Smart Source (Expires 6/11/11)
Use $0.50/4 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 8/13/11)
As low as $0.67 each after couponTotino’s Pizza Rolls – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/31/11)
Use $0.50/4 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 8/13/11)
As low as $0.66 each after couponBanquet Dinners – $1.00
Fisher Boy Fish Sticks – $1.00
T. J. Farms Sweet Potato Fries – $1.00
Party Treats Ice Cream Sandwiches (4 count) – $1.00
Tombstone Brick Oven Pizza – $2.49
Curly’s BBQ Pulled Pork or Beef – $3.99
Crisp Frozen Lemonade – $1.19
World’s Fair Sundae Cups – $2.49
Household
Poly Steel Sandwich Zipper Bags (50 count) – $1.00
Joy Dish Liquid – $1.00
Bounty Basic Paper Towels (6 count) – $5.99
Use $2.00/2 coupon from insert 4/10 Red Plum (Expires 6/30/11)
Use $1.00/1 coupon from insert 4/10 Red Plum (Expires 6/30/11)
As low as $4.99 each after couponProduce
Iceberg Lettuce – $1.00
Fresh Tomatoes (3 pack) – $1.00
Baby Carrots (16 oz) – $1.00
Seedless Watermelon – $3.99
Fresh Strawberries – $1.99
Valencia Oranges (3 lb) – $1.99
Vidalia Onions (4 lb) – $1.99
Grocery
Pringles (Original and Sour Cream & Onion) – $1.00
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 6/30/11)
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Proctor & Gamble (Expires 6/30/11)
As low as $0.50 each after couponKnorr Side Dishes – $1.00
Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 6/19/11)
$0.75 each after couponHamburger Helper Dinner – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/22 Smart Source (Expires 7/16/11)
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Smart Source (Expires 6/25/11)
Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 4/17 Smart Source (Expires 6/11/11)
Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 5/1 Smart Source (Expires 6/25/11)
As low as $0.67 each after couponSave A Lot Apple Juice (64 oz) – $1.00
Sundia Fruit Cups (8 oz) – $1.00
Red Gold Ketchup (40 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.50/2 printable coupon from Red Gold
$0.75 each after couponWoeber’s Mustard (24 oz) – $1.00
Kurtz Sweet Relish – $1.00
Shasta Soda (4 pack) – $1.00
Deer Park Spring Water (3 liter) – $1.00
Crunch & Munch Butter Toffee – $1.00
Dippables – $1.00
Mantia’s Pasta Sauce – $1.00
Shelby’s Grove Sliced Peaches – $1.00
J Higgs Pretzels – $1.00
Chicken of the Sea Chunk White Tuna – $1.00
Allure Zero Calorie Sweetener – $1.00
Jade Dragon Soy Sauce – $1.00
Kellogg’s Cereal – $1.88
Use $1.00/2 printable coupon from Kellogg’s
Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Kellogg’s
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 5/15 Red Plum (Expires 6/26/11)
As low as $1.38 each after couponHawaiian Punch (1 gallon) – $1.88
Baumann’s Best Barbeque Sauce – $1.19
Cowboy Billy’s Baked Beans – $0.79
Bakery
Mini Cupcakes (12 count) – $2.49
Bundt Cake – $5.99
Bakery Fresh Cherry or Apple Pie – $2.99
Sliced Loaf Cake – $2.99
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.
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.
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.
Free Audio Book: “A Place of Healing” by Joni Eareckson Tada
FREE Audio Book Download
For the month of June Christian Audio is offering a free download of their audio book “A Place of Healing” by Joni Eareckson Tada. This audio book is about “wrestling with the mysteries of suffering, pain, and God’s sovereignty”. If you want to read the book then this is a great opportunity to listen to the book for free when you download it from Christian Audio in June. Make sure to submit your order by June 30, 2011 to get your free audio book. Thanks Christian Audio!
