Family Finances

  • 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!

  • 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 coupon

    Gwaltney 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 coupon

    Minute 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 coupon

    Totino’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 coupon

    Banquet 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 coupon

    Produce

    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 coupon

    Knorr Side Dishes – $1.00
    Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 5/22 Red Plum (Expires 6/19/11)
    $0.75 each after coupon

    Hamburger 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 coupon

    Save 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 coupon

    Woeber’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 coupon

    Hawaiian 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.

  • 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!

  • 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!