Family Finances
CVS: Spent $14 and Got $5 ECB’s Back (Saved Over 90%)
CVS Clearance Deals I made a quick trip to CVS late last week on the way home from a couple meetings. The trip was primary to use up a couple ECB’s that were about to expire and see if they had anything on clearance that we could use. I was able to get the items for $14.20 including tax and received $5.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase. The CVS I went to had items marked down to 75% to 90% on clearance so I was able to get the girls new sunglasses, gifts, chew toys for Skipper, and several items for Operation Christmas Child boxes. Here is what I purchased this week.
- 4 – Lint Rollers (50 count) on clearance for $0.25 each (total of $1.00)
- 4 – Foam Puzzles on clearance (ABC’s, 123’s and Measurements) for $0.25 each (total of $1.00)
- 2 – Sets of Laundry Dryer Balls (2 per set) on clearance $0.75 each (total of $1.50)
- 2 – Dog Tennis Ball Toys (set of 2) on clearance for $0.25 each (total of $0.50)
- 18 – Sunglasses on clearance (90% clearance) for $0.59 to $0.89 each
- 2 – Dog Rope Toys on clearance for $0.25 each (total of $0.50)
- 2 – Model Magic Presto Balls on clearance for $1.49 each (total of $2.98)
- 2 – Ice Cream Stamps with Bubble Gum on clearance for $0.25 each (total of $0.50)
- 2 – Necco Candy Dot Strips on clearance for $0.25 each (total of $0.50)
- 1 – Revlon Top Speed Fingernail Polish $4.99 with $3.00 ECB’s back
Here are the coupons I used on the items.
- Used $2.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
- Used $5.00 CVS ECB’s
I received $5.00 ECB’s back today:
- $2.00 ECB’s for Summer Spending
- $3.00 ECB’s for Revlon Products
Today I was able to save $162.59 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons (over 90% 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.
Blockbuster Express: Coupon Codes for FREE DVD Rentals
Are you looking for a fun way to relax with your family this week or over the weekend? Blockbuster Express has FREE rental codes available right now:
- Code – 7650BW8
- Code – 65DWTM7
- Code – 73MAYB6
- Code – 74ABDP3
- Code – 97KRFT5
- Code – 63SLRH5
- Code – 49WHZS3
- Code – 24NCCC7
The above Coupon Codes are good through midnight Thursday, October 13, 2011.
The coupon codes can be used to get DVDs from your nearest Blockbuster Express kiosk. Some codes may only work online so make sure to reserve your rental before picking it up. A credit card required to rent. The codes are valid on $1 movies not on Blu-rays or new releases. Make sure to return you DVD on time to avoid paying any late fees.
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
It was a “girls week” at our house with Jake being gone to California. One of the “special activities” the girls requested to do for our girls week together was to go grocery shopping with Mommy, makes me smile! They had a blast although I bought more then was on my list. Guess it is okay to splurge a little on the kids especially if they are on their best behavior while Daddy is away. Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Walmart and BiLo Walmart Groceries:- $8.29 at Walmart for 2 Oscar Mayer Lunchables, 1 Simply Kraft Sour Cream, 1 bag Great Value English Muffins, 1 bag sandwich Bread, 3 boxes General Mills Cocoa Puffs Cereal (I was able to get several of these items marked down – bread, priced matched – Lunchables, or on clearance – Cereal, it was $1.00 per box on clearance!)
BiLo Groceries:
- $12.41 at BiLo for 1 bag Wonka Splashberries Gummies, 1 bag Wonka Puckeroom Gummies, 1 can Del Monte Stewed Tomatoes, 1 can Contadina Tomato Paste, 1 can Hunts Tomato Sauce, 1 can Hunts Diced Tomatoes with Jalapenos, 1 box Good & Fruity, 1 gallon Milk, 1 container Southern Home Sour Cream, and 1 pound Strawberries (I went in for milk…….as you can see the girls found a couple extra items which were marked down at closeout prices. Everything, other than the milk, was marked down on clearance including the fresh strawberries. The girls know that the “purple” tags in BiLo mean closeout prices so we better at least look at it! I used reusable bags to get a 5 cent per bag credit. My total before savings was $44.10 minus $31.69 in savings making it $12.41 for that trip and without using any coupons! Love the closeout deals!)
My big "splurge" in the grocery budget this week at Ingles after my attempt at multitasking did not work out so well. Ingles Groceries:
- $5.48 at Ingles (YIKES!!!) I know I spent almost $6.00 on this amazing 4 cake sampler this week. WHY you ask!? Those in my church’s Community Group already know the answer but for the ones who want to know why I would spend that much on a dessert I will share a little insight into my crazy life with you. I was up at 4 am on Sunday morning to take my sweet husband to the airport, went to church, ate lunch with the girls, did some activities around the house (probably should have taken a nap instead), made the dessert for Community Group that night then I started helping the girls with their Awana lessons (completely forgetting about the Mint Chocolate Chip Smore’s Brownies in the oven). After awhile Brina went to get a drink from the kitchen and when she came back she said “Mom, it smells really good in the kitchen but it is a little cloudy.” My immediate response “THE BROWNIES!” Needless to say they were past presentable and eatable from the looks of it too at that point. So on my way past Ingles after dropping the girls off at Awana I splurged on this cake. It was delicious and I am thankful for the extra wiggle room in my grocery budget this week, but would like to not make a habit of these extra splurges. Thank goodness for grocery budgets and having wiggle room for emergencies no matter how big or small. (FYI: this cake was on sale this week too, normally it is $6.48 so even though it was an emergency I was still able to save a little bit) Note to future self: When your already running on fumes focus on one task at a time!
This week I spent $26.18 on groceries. Even though I was a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items. Thankfully I had extra wiggle room this week to cover the expense of my multitasking mistake (see Ingles grocery splurge above). I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come under budget.
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.
Recipe: Whole Roasted Chicken
As I was going through the deep freezer earlier this week I pulled out a whole chicken that was purchased a couple months ago on sale. The chicken was over 4 pounds and I was able to get it marked down for $1.37. I love being able to get meat at a great price especially when the meat can be used for multiple meals. The chicken came out juicy, tasty, and delicious! The girls even ate several pieces for dinner. There was plenty of chicken leftover for another meal plus a few more pieces to make chicken salad sandwiches.
Whole Roasted Chicken:
- 1 (3 to 4 pound) Whole Chicken
- 3 tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon minced Onion
- 6 tablespoons Butter or Margarine
Preheat oven or roaster oven to 350 degrees
Remove giblets from the inside of the chicken and place the chicken in a roasting pan or pyrex dish.
Mix mayonnaise and poultry seasoning together (if you do not have poultry seasoning you can use Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper). Spread the mayonnaise mixture all over the outside of the chicken.
Put 3 tablespoons of butter and minced onion inside the cavity of the chicken
Slice the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter or margarine and place over the outside of the chicken.
Bake the chicken uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes. (The chicken should be 180 degrees internally.)
Remove chicken from heat, baste with the juice in the pan from baking, and cover with aluminum foil for 30 minutes prior to carving.
Photo by The Culinary Geek
Living on a Budget: You CAN Walk Away with Empty Hands
You can walk out of a store without buying anything…..really it’s okay! Earlier this month I went into Walmart with the intention of purchasing an item. I had received a $5 coupon for a particular item in the mail and a few weeks earlier I noticed that item for $6. When I went in they no longer had it at the same price and the least expensive item of that brand was over $10 so I decided it just wasn’t worth it.Walmart is one of those stores it is hard to walk out of empty handed, but since the item I went in for wasn’t within my budget and I didn’t need anything else I left without purchasing anything. The store was on my way home so I didn’t waste any extra gas in going to the store. In some ways it was empowering to walk out of the store without anything except my purse in my hand. There was a time in my life it would have been a lot harder to do that. I am thankful for a husband who helps me stay accountable with the budget so we can have the opportunity to share with others.
Are there any stores you find hard to walk out of empty handed? Is it easy for you to do?
Photo by StopNLook
Fresh & Healthy: Sharing the Garden Goodies
Fresh Produce from the Garden that we gave away. We have been blessed with a wonderful garden this summer. It was a great learning experience for the girls. They enjoyed planting, watering, picking, washing, eating, and giving away the produce. The weed pulling wasn’t a highlight for them but they did pitch in and help a few times. I am thankful for how well the vegetables and fruit produced.
We recently replanted the garden for Fall Harvest so we are in between stages right now. The tomatoes are slowing down but still producing a few. Our four okra plants have been consistently producing as well. The above basket was one that we were able to give to several people at Jake’s work. It has been a tremendous blessing being able to share the garden vegetables with others.
Did you grow a garden? What produce did you have in your garden?
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of October 5 – 11, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. This week they are doing a big sale with a lot of great 10 for $10 products for you to stock up on. You can mix and match any number of the 10 for $10 items and you are not required to buy 10 items in order to get the products for $1. 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 Franks (16 oz) – $1.00
Butterball Turkey Bacon (6 oz) – $1.00
Ocean Market Fish Fillets (4 oz) – $1.00
Gwaltney Rolled Sausage (12 oz) – $1.00
Chicken Breasts – $1.49 per lb
Ground Beef (73% lean) – $1.99 per lb
Pork Roast – $1.49 per lb
Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage (12 oz) – $1.99
Boneless Chuck Roast – $2.99 per lb
Schooner’s Pollock, Whiting, and Tilapia Fish Fillets (2 lb package) – $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
Eckrich Bologna (16 oz) – $1.00
Budding Deli Cut Lunch Meat (3 to 4 oz) – $1.00
Fisher Boy Fish Sticks (6 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.75/1 printable coupon from Fisher Boy
$0.25 each after couponOscar Mayer Lunchables – $1.00
Use $0.55/1 coupon from tearpad found in stores
$0.45 each after couponHormel Sandwich Sliced Pepperoni (3.5 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.55/2 printable coupon from Hormel
$0.73 each after couponSchooner Imitation Crab (8 oz) – $1.00
Colburn Farms Grade A Large Eggs (1 dozen) – $1.00
Tony’s Crispy Crust Pizza (Pepperoni or Supreme) – $1.00
Pillsbury Grands Flakey or Buttermilk Biscuits (16.3 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 8/7 General Mills (Expires 10/29/11)
Use $0.30/1 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mills (Expires 12/3/11)
Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 8/7 General Mills (Expires 10/29/11)
Use $0.40/2 coupon from insert 10/2 Smart Source (Expires 12/24/11)
Use $0.30/2 coupon from insert 8/7 General Mills (Expires 10/29/11)
Use $0.30/2 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mills (Expires 12/3/11)
Use $0.40/3 coupon from insert 10/2 Smart Source (Expires 12/24/11)
As low as $0.67 each after couponBanquet Brown & Serve Sausage (6.4 oz) – $1.00
Tropicana Fruit or Berry Punch (64 oz) – $1.00
Mr. P’s Pepperoni Pizza Bites (9 oz) – $1.00
Banquet Dinners (4 to 10 oz) – $1.00
Borden American Singles or Grilled Cheese Melts (12 oz) – $1.99
Produce
3 Pack Tomatoes – $1.00
Carrots (2 lbs) – $1.00
Celery – $1.00
Red or Yellow Peppers – $1.00
Caramel and Candy Apples – $1.00
Red and Gold Delicious Apples (5 pounds) – $2.99
Klondike Rose or Goldust Potatoes (5 pounds) – $2.50
Yellow Onions (3 pounds) – $1.49
Household
Puffs Facial Tissue (100 count) – $1.00
Use $0.25/3 coupon from insert 10/2 Proctor & Gamble (Expires 10/31/11)
$0.92 each after couponAngel Soft Bath Tissue (4 count) – $1.00
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 8/14 Red Plum (Expires 11/14/11)
$0.50 each after couponBounty Basic – $0.99
Use $1.00/1 coupon from Ebony Magazine (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.25/1 coupon from insert 10/2 Proctor & Gamble (10/31/11)
As low as FREE (or with OVERAGE back if your store allows it) each after couponBounty Select A Size – $1.79
Use $1.00/1 coupon from Ebony Magazine (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.25/1 coupon from insert 10/2 Proctor & Gamble (10/31/11)
As low as $0.79 each after couponMardi Gras Paper Towels (3 count) – $2.49
Sparkle Paper Towels (6 count) – $4.49
Luster Facial Tissues – $0.99
Quilted Northern Bath Tissue (12 double rolls) – $6.99
Use $1.00/1 coupon peelie from packages found in some stores (Expires 11/30/11)
$5.99 each after couponAngel Soft Bath Tissue (12 rolls) – $3.39
Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 8/14 Red Plum (Expires 11/14/11)
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 8/14 Red Plum (Expires 11/14/11)
$2.89 each after couponCharmin Basic Bath Tissue (4 rolls) $2.39
Use $1.00/1 coupon from Ebony Magazine (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $1.00/1 coupon found in some packages (Expires 8/31/12)
Use $0.35/1 coupon from insert 10/2 Proctor & Gamble (Expires 10/31/11)
Use $0.25/1 coupon from insert 10/2 Proctor & Gamble (Expires 10/31/11)
As low as $1.39 each after couponSave A Lot Today Bath Tissue (4 rolls) – $0.89
Grocery
Hampton Farms Roasted and Salted Peanuts (10 oz) – $1.00
Sundia Fruit Cups (8 oz) – $1.00
Kaskey’s Family Size Condensed Chicken or Tomato Soup (26 oz) – $1.00
Chef Boyardee Canned Pasta (14.5 to 15 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.50/2 coupon found in package (Expires 5/31/12)
Use $0.50/2 coupon from September 2011 All You Magazine (Expires 11/15/11)
$0.75 each after couponToast Em’s Toaster Pastries (14.7 oz) – $1.00
Mrs. Freshley’s Sugar Mini Donuts or Brownies (6 to 16 count) – $1.00
Very Fine Juice Drinks (Fruit Punch or Pineapple Orange) (32 oz) – $1.00
Chex Mix (8 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.50/2 coupon from peelie found in some store (Expires 1/30/12)
$0.75 each after couponM&M and Mars Candy (3 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.50/2 coupon from September 2011 All You Magazine (10/31/11)
Use $1.00/2 coupon from 8/28 Red Plum (Expires 10/31/11)
As low as $0.25 each after couponPasta Roni (Assorted Varieties) (4 to 6 oz) – $1.00
Rice A Roni (Assorted Varieties) (6 to 7 oz) – $1.00
Betty Crocker Seasoned Mashed Potatoes (4 to 6 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Betty Crocker
Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mill (Expires 11/5/11)
Use $0.50/3 coupon peelie found on package (Expires 3/1/12)
As Low As $0.67 each after couponHeinz Gravy (Beef or Turkey) (12 oz) – $1.00
Red Gold Ketchup (32 oz) – $1.00
Use $1.00/4 printable coupon from Red Gold
$0.75 each after couponKraft Marshmallow Creme (7 oz) – $1.00
Chips Ahoy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Assorted Varieties) (13 to 15 oz) – $1.99
Welch’s Juice Cocktails (Concord Grape or Orange Pineapple Apple) (64 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.00/1 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.75/1 printable coupon from Welch’s
Use $0.75/1 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
As Low As $0.99 each after couponRemember 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.
Travel & Vacation: Great Parks in the Charleston, SC Area
Cool moving bridge at Center Park We found a cute little park on Daniel’s Island, SC with a lot of shade and water fountains (thankfully since it was over 107 and humid that day) only a couple miles down the road from where Jake was working. This was the most entertaining part on the whole jungle gym! It was a moving bridge! You could get on it at one location of the jungle gym and either have someone push you across or you could stand at other side and spin a wheel that pulls you across to the other side of the jungle gym. The girls (and Mommy) where fascinated by this cool moving bridge and it provided quite a bit of entertainment for all of us!
Karlie sitting on the wall! Karlie thought this wall in the park was awesome! She would climb up, sit for a few minutes watching everyone and talk anyone nearby then get down. I think she liked being up higher and over looking the park!
Brina coming through the blue tunnel at Center Park. She thought it was hilarious going through the random tunnels and would giggle when she “caught” me watching at her! So sneaky!
Brina saying "hi" to her new friend These bubble blowers were such a HUGE hit! It was so cute seeing Brina just checking out it’s face, it really was a bug friend to her!
So....when I blew through here bubbles come out?! I tried to find these again this year but they must have sold out. When you blow through the tail of the dragon fly the silver wings spin and a lot of bubbles come out of the dragon fly’s mouth.
Mommy's about to get blasted with dragonfly bubbles This was shortly before a wave of bubbles came my way. Brina thought it was awesome blowing dragonfly bubbles my direction!
Karlie on the run at Waterfront Park under the Arthur Ravenel Bridge The Waterfront Park under the Arthur Ravenel Bridge is one of our favorite parks to hang out at in Charleston. It always has shade from the bridge and has very clean restrooms and a cold water fountain.
Brina playing at Waterfront Park in Mt Pleasant / Charleston, SC The Waterfront park is a great place to hang out before going into Downtown Charleston. You can play in the park, walk on the pier, enjoy ice cream from the snack shop or watch free movies in the evenings during the summer months.
Sitting on the slide at Waterfront Park Brina and Karlie taking a few minutes to cool down and talk while sitting on the slide. They thought it was such a cool place to sit!
Karlie relaxing on the boat's railing Karlie content to relax for a few moments against the boat’s railing. This little park is in front of the Information Center for Daniel’s Island right next to a pier. The girls really liked this park even though it did not have a lot of shade, a restroom or water fountain they still requested to go to this park to walk the pier and “pet” their turtle friends.
Karlie and Brina driving the little white boat The girls thought it was very cool having the boat in the park.
Hanging out with Daddy on the boat. Karlie is laughing at Daddy, while Brina and Daddy look at the camera. The girls thought this park was so much fun that they had to take Daddy by to check it out too!
Talking about the boat. An inside shot of the boat. The girls and Daddy were having a fun decision about boats by the time I got their. Jake had to be melting that day, it was well over 100 degrees and he was in pants and a long sleeved shirt. Thankfully he was okay going to the “turtle park” to have a picnic with his girls over lunch despite the heat.
- One of the turtles
They named each turtle and every time we go back they catch on their friends.
My two little monkeys on top of the jungle gym! Karlie and Brina on the top for the jungle gym at a park across from one of the Daniel Island schools. I was thankful for the higher railings at the top since they one was a good distance up. They thought it was so funny how little Mommy looked from WAY up high! It was over 108 degrees that day and no one else was brave enough to play on the jungle gym (or maybe they were smart enough to stay inside). This park had really nice restaurants but the water fountain was broken.
Brina bringing their flip-flops over This is the Mt. Pleasant Palmetto Islands County Park. It has a wide area with the rubber padding. The girls loved playing at this park. You could also rent paddle boats, go to a Water Park or go on a hike.
Caught Karlie sneaking down the long slide. The girls loved being “big” enough to climb up to the top of the tallest jungle gym and go down the long slide. It took them several tries to work up enough courage to get up the climbing wall or pole but it was well worth it!
Spinning in the yellow tire swing. The girls liked spinning and spinning in the yellow tire swing. It made me sick just spinning and watching them after a few minutes. They thought it was hilarious to jump off and run across the playground after spinning for several minutes!
Karlie riding on another one of the spinning items at the park. She could spin herself but her preference was to have me stand beside her and spin until she said that was good.
They literally wore out their flip-flops on this Charleston trip. Since we were staying in a different location we were able to visit several parks and they girls played hard. We tried to meet Daddy over lunch most days to take him on a picnic to one of the cool parks the girls have discovered, if we didn’t get a chance to go with him over lunch they would insist he check out the parks after dinner in the evening. The girls were very good despite the heat during our visit to Charleston that week! Although they would crash by the time we got back to the hotel at night, they were ready to head back out at the break of dawn! What amazing memories we made during our park explorations in Charleston! We are already looking forward to our next trip together!
New Upromise eCoupons for October 2011
Upromise has posted their new eCoupons for the month of October 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 31 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 Lowe’s Gift Card
I am doing another giveaway on Blessings Multiplied! The winner of this giveaway will receive a $10 Lowe’s 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 the yard. It is a great time of year to pick up some fall flowers, pumpkins, mulch, or many other home or garden items from Lowe’s. Here’s how to enter the giveaway:
- 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.
- You can get a bonus entry into the drawing if you leave a separate comment below sharing one of your favorite supplies you like to get at Lowe’s!
All comments must be made by October 31st at 10:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing. On October 31, 2011, I will randomly draw a winner from those who have entered the giveaway.
