Family Finances

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of July 20 – 26, 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 this month and continued their sale so it is a  great time to stock up on several items (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 coupon

    Doritos, 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 coupon

    Splash 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.

  • Travel & Vacation: Road Trip to Charleston

    We recently went on a road family road trip to Charleston, it technically was a work and family fun trip combined. I am thankful for a wonderful time together exploring Charleston.  A lot of great memories were made that week!

    Brina and Karlie in Charleston!

    This is the pier near the Waterfront Park, you can get a good view of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge from the pier.

    Brina enjoying the slide!

    The girls loved the Waterfront Park, thanks Janet for telling us about this great park!  The park is directly under the large Arthur Ravenel Bridge.  It is great having the park under the bridge because the majority of it is shaded even during the hottest parts of the day.

    Karlie fun at the Waterfront Park.

    Karlie climbing on the jungle gym at Waterfront Park.  If you look above her head you can see the cement from the bridge above us.  You can hear all the traffic going along the bridge as you are playing on the playground.  It’s a great park and if you go they charge $0.50 per hour to park (they take cash, coins, credit / debit).  I was never able to get the credit / debit to work so I would suggest making sure you have cash or coins prior to going to the park.

    Brina spinning at the park.

    The girls do better at spinning then I do.  They thought this was so much fun standing and twisting around!

    Karlie doing her workbook at the hotel.

    Karlie and Brina thought it was great doing a few pages of their workbooks in the hotel.  They did really well!  Karlie made her own desk out of an end table and used the cooler for her chair, she was so proud of her “creative” desk.

    Brina on the Waterfront slide.

    Back at Waterfront park for more fun.  The girls loved the park so much they wanted to show Daddy so we got pizza, ate a picnic at the park and let the girls play so more.

    Karlie on the slide.

    Karlie having a blast on the slide at the park.

    Brina spinning.

    The girls thought these were awesome.  No matter how you sat in these stools you would spin.  I was surprised at how long they could spin, Mommy didn’t last nearly as long!

    Karlie still dazed from a big spin.

    These seats were hilarious.  Karlie lost a shoe on this spin!

    Daddy and Brina on the double swing.

    They had double swings under awnings along the pier.  It was beautiful and cool sitting together enjoying a swing!

    Mommy and Karlie swinging on the other side!

    We had a blast in Charleston.  The first day we spent exploring a little bit and enjoying some time playing at their beautiful park.  Thankful for a great time with the family creating memories!

    “A Vacation To Remember” series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Go with a good attitude and looking for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!

  • Walgreens: 10 Gifts for $1

    Walgreens Clearance Deal

    I went to Walgreens to stock up on some of their deals this week.  Once again the best deal I got was in their clearance aisle where they had their Bandit O’s (Silly Bands) on clearance.   I had a Register Rewards that was expiring soon so it worked out well.   I spent $0.67 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 silly bands will be great for upcoming birthdays, activities and maybe even stocking stuffers.

    • 10 – packs of Bandit O’s (originally on sale for $0.99 each, marked down to $0.49 and on clearance for $0.25 each)

    The total was $2.67 with tax before using discounts & coupons.  Here are the coupons I used on the ten items.

    • Used $2 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.

  • CVS: Spent $2 and Got $12 ECB’s Back!

    CVS Deals

    CVS has a few good deals this week.   I was happy to stock up on some items including toothpaste and shampoo this week while utilizing a few of my coupons.  Today I was able to get the items for $2.49 including tax and received $12.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 1 –  Pantene 2-in-1 Shampoo for $3.49
    • 1 –  Pantene 2-in-1 Clean Shampoo for $3.49
    • 1 – Oral-B Toothbrush for $1.99
    • 1 – Zantac 150 for $8.99
    • 1 – Crest Baking Soda Toothpaste for $1.99
    • 1 – Crest Toothpaste for $1.99
    • 2 – Paper Mate (Blue 10 pack) for $0.50
    • 2 – Paper Mate (Black 10 pack) for $0.50
    • 2 – Paper Mate (Red 10 pack) for $0.50
    • 1 – Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Mauve for $10.99
    •  1 – Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Plum for $5.49
    • 1 – Gillette Fusion Shave Gel for $2.19
    • 2 – Colgate Regular (Twin Pack) for $5.29
    • 2 – CVS Sanitizer Hand Spray for $1.94 ($0.97 each on clearance)
    • 1 – Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder for $1.99
    • 2 – Suave Professionals 2 in 1 for $5.14 ($2.57 each)
    • 1 – Tums Ultra (72 Count) for $4.99

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $3.00 Revlon Manufacturer Coupon (peelie on the lipstick)
    • Used $3.00 Revlon Manufacturer Coupon (peelie on the lipstick)
    • Used $1.00  Pantene Pro-V Manufacturer Coupon (Smart Source Coupon, not sure which date)
    • Used $1.00 Pantene Pro-V Manufacturer Coupon (Smart Source Coupon, not sure which date)
    • Used $1.00 Colgate  Manufacturer Coupon (Kroger Home Mailer)
    • Used $5.00 Zantac Manufacturer Coupon (Smart Source printable coupon)
    • Used $0.75 Crest Manufacturer Coupon (PG 7/3 or PG 6/5)
    • Used $0.75 Crest Manufacturer Coupon (PG 7/3 or PG 6/5)
    • Used $2.00 Oral-B Manufacturer Coupon (PG 7/3)
    • Used $2.57 Suave Professionals Free Product Coupon (received free product coupon in mail)
    • Used $2.57 Suave Professionals Free Product Coupon (received free product coupon in mail)
    • Used $1.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
    • Used $5.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon (Revlon)
    • Used $5.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon (Cosmetic)
    • Used $2.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon (Johnson & Johnson)
    • Used $2.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon (Tums)
    • Used $5.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon (Health)
    • Used $17.99 ECB coupons from prior purchases

    I received $12 ECB’s back today:

    • $2.00 ECB’s for Crest Products
    • $2.00 ECB’s for Pantene Pro-V Products
    • $3.00 ECB’s for Zantac Products
    • $2.00 ECB’s for Colgate Products
    • $2.00 ECB’s for Gillette Products
    • $1.00 ECB’s for Oral-B Products

    Today I was able to save $83.55 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.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    This week was a little different doing our Groceries $40 for 4 because we were on the road for part of the week.   It was a great road trip with the family, we traveled over 40 hours in a week and were able to spend time with family during our trip.  Thankfully the girls travel well and slept well in the van.  I packed a lot of fun activities and snack food for the trip.  We came home to a house that was 90 degrees inside, clean, and had an empty fridge since we had eaten or packed pretty much all our perishables.  This week I spent most of the grocery budget on restocking items in our fridge and pantry.

    Groceries from Walgreens, Ingles, and BiLo

    Walgreen Groceries:

    • $4.07 at Walgreen’s for A & W Root Beer (2 liter), Domino Sugar, Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix, Betty Crocker Brownie Mix, Frito Lay Stax BBQ, Frito Lay Stax Original, Frito Lay Stax Sour Cream & Onion, Daisy Sour Cream, Cream Cheese, 4 packs of Ranch Flavored Sunflower Seeds (on clearance for $0.89 each, usually the best price I can get is $1.00 so stocked up on a these for upcoming road trips).   I used $10 in Register Rewards that were expiring this week to bring this total down to $4.

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $4.13 at Ingles for 1 bag Laura Lynn Bread (on sale for $0.98), 30 packs Wylers Cherry Drink, 5 packs of Strawberry Cheesecake Yogurts (on clearance for $1.00 each), 1 package of Pork (reduced for quick sale), 1 box of Pretzel Lean Pockets (free with coupon), 6.5 pound bag of banana’s (clearance for $1.49),  4 packs of Raspberry Yogurt Covered Pretzel (on clearance for $0.99 each, normally $6.83 per pound), 1 package of Strawberries (on clearance), 1 package of sliced Mushrooms (on clearance), 1 package of whole Mushrooms (on clearance.  I used a gift card I had been given a few months ago for part of the amount and paid for the rest.  All of the items were on sale or clearance so it really was a great shopping trip to Ingles.

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $12.92 at BiLo for 1 gallon of Skim Milk, 1 gallon of 2% Milk, 1 bag of splenda Sugar (store brand and on sale), 1 bottle International Delight Coffee Creamer (free after coupon), 2 boxes of Banquet Pasta Carbonara (on closeout for $0.50 each). 

    I am excited to be back doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget again after our big road trip for the summer.  I was surprised to see the milk prices spike even more since I bought it last, however, I was pleased to get some great clearance items this week in my shopping trips, (especially at Ingles).   This week I spent $21.12 on groceries.  Even though I was under budget on my amount for the week  I was still able to stock up on several items.  Thankfully I was able to keep the amount within reason so I had little extra left over for those weeks when I find a really good deal or go a little over.  We were out of town for a part of this grocery week so it was a little different from our usual events.

    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: Easy Blackberry Cobbler

    A good friend made a delicious cobbler earlier this week which inspired me look up my Aunt Pat’s recipe.  I have made for years.  The recipe calls for blackberries but you can really use any type of berries.  It is a great dessert to make for the family or share with others.

    Easy Blackberry Cobbler:

    • 1 cup Sugar
    • 1 1/2 tablespoon Cornstarch
    • 1 cup Water
    • 2 pints drained Blackberries (fresh or frozen and thawed)
    • 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
    • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon Nutmeg

    Crust:

    • 3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
    • 1 cup self rising Flour
    • 1/2 to 3/4 cup Milk
    • 1/2 cup Sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Extract
    • 1 teaspoon Nutmeg

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  For filling put 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a sauce pan.  Whisk in water.  Boil for 1 minute or until mixture is clear.  Stir in blackberries and remaining filling ingredients.  Pour into 1 1/2 quart greased baking dish.  For crust mix all crust ingredients and pour over filling.  Bake for 24 to 30 minutes.  Serves 4 to 6.

    Photo by JeffreyW

  • Summer Activities: The Children’s Museum of the Upstate

    A few weeks ago we purchased a local Playcation Package which included four tickets to The Children’s Museum of the Upstate.  Our family spent several hours one Saturday exploring our local Children’s Museum.  We had a lot of fun learning, playing, building, and spending a relaxing Saturday together. If you have not been to the Greenville Children’s Museum you should check it out.  It has a lot of neat activities for kids of all ages.

    Karlie and Brina taking Daddy for a ride!

    After putting items in the recycling truck the girls and Daddy decided to drive the truck, so much fun!

    Daddy explaining how glasses work.

    This was a neat room filled with light waves and all kinds of fun stuff to learn!

    Brina and Karlie looking through the lenses!

    They had a variety of lenses of various colors and distances that you could look through.  Very fascinating!

    Love their facial expressions, the amazement of how everything works!

    Karlie and Brina working the color spectrum.  They were thrilled at all the colors they were able to create.

    Daddy, Karlie and Brina enjoying the giant "Light Brite"!

    Neat idea!  I think we noticed several different creations during our time in the museum.  This piece captured the attention of kids and adults!  Daddy did an outline of Karlie while Brina made her own creation.  It was a lot of fun!

    Karlie creating her own stain glass master piece!

    I was surprised at how long she worked on making a pretty stain glass window.  She actually got quite a big section finished.

    Brina carrying a large load of bricks!

    Brina working hard making bricks!  The girls loved filling the wheel barrow with bricks and putting them back on the belt.

    My three construction workers.

    This one was harder then it looked.  The girls had Daddy help on this activity.

    Built a house.

    The girls thought this house was so funny because it had one wall!

    The seat cushions quickly become a number rainbow, simply amazing to a six year old!

    They were quite proud of putting this together!

    Daddy helping Brina put together a memory box.

    They had a workshop where you could sign up and build something.  Today was working on a memory box.

    Daddy helping Karlie build a memory box.

    I was originally helping Karlie but since Daddy and Brina finished first Daddy volunteered to help out.

    Karlie and Brina looking down at Mommy from the top of the jungle gym.

    The girls had a lot of fun on the jungle gym in the middle of the Children’s Museum.

    It was a great summer activity going with the family to the Children’s Museum.  Thankful for the opportunity to spend a day together exploring.  Thrilled that Greenville has such a wonderful place for families to go.

  • 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.