Coupons
Christmas Giving: 100+ Stocking Gifts under $1.00
Rolled pennies made to look like a candy for stocking stuffer gift
One of the fun parts of Christmas is opening the little items that you get in the stockings every year. I like to put both practical and fun items in the stockings. Many years while doing regular shopping and finding items on clearance or with a coupon I am done with the stockings before December even arrives. In our family we typically open the stockings on Christmas Eve before the girls go to bed that night. It gets the celebrations started and it allows the girls to “savor the moment” as they open their stockings. As they are opening the gifts they will try on new socks, read a book, paint their nails, put a pretty hair barrette in their hair or play with their little toys. As a general rule the items that go in the stockings need to be less than $1.00 and in some cases I can get items for free. Here are some ideas if you are trying to fill that last little bit of the stocking.
100+ Stocking Gifts for under $1.00
- Roll of Pennies from the Bank ($0.50)
- Candy Canes
- Chapstick
- Fingernail Polish
- Gloves
- Small Puzzles
- Coloring Books
- Slinky
- Pack of Gum
- Mints
- Erasers
- Match Box Cars
- Breath Mints
- Hand Sanitizer
- Hand Lotion
- Googly Eyes
- Fuzzy Sticks
- Crayons
- Colored Pencils
- Markers
- Glue Sticks
- Batteries
- Socks
- Jewelry
- Stickers
- Craft Items
- Playdough
- Molding Clay
- Glowsticks
- Small Toys
- Juice Box
- Barrettes
- Bows
- Headbands
- Pom Poms
- Christmas Candy
- Pens
- Pencils
- Paper Clips
- Fingernail Filer
- Scissors
- Body Mist
- Deodorant
- Perfume
- Hairspray
- Wet Wipes
- Individual Packs of Kleenex
- Bouncy Balls
- Small Notebook
- Flashlight
- Screwdriver
- Pliers
- Small Tools
- Mini Calendar
- Highlighters
- Binder Clips
- Watch
- Scarf
- Stocking Hat
- Yo-Yo
- Silly Putty
- Glow in the Dark Stars / Planets
- Kitchen Gadgets
- Magnets
- Small Games
- Playing Cards
- Sticky Notes
- USB Flash Drives
- Cookie Cutters
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Wooden Spoon
- Kitchen Towel
- Wash Cloths
- Small Christmas Cups
- Makeup
- Removable Tattoos
- Flower Seeds
- Vegetable or Fruit Seeds
- Small Book
- Sandwich Cutters
- Small Activity Book
- Key Chains
- Swiss Army Knife
- Tape Measure
- Ruler
- Coffee
- Bath Toys
- Bubble Bath
- Belt
- Underwear
- Facial Mask
- Foot Cream
- Gift Certificates (bought with rewards)
- Stationary
- Leak Proof Drink Bottles
- Ear Plugs
- Chopsticks
- Bookmarks
- Golf Balls
- Bracelets
- Earrings
- Rings
- Necklaces
- Silly Bandz
- Wallet
- Paint
- Paint Brushes
- Coasters
- Small Cookbook
- Recipe Cards
- Small Photo Album
- Packs of Hot Chocolate
- Packs of Hot Apple Cider
- Lipstick / Lip Gloss
- Brush
- Comb
- DVD
- CD
- Baseball Cards
- Ornament
- Sunglasses
- Magazine
- Snacks
- Coupons for Free Items
A lot of what you get will depend on the size of the stocking you are trying to fill. Items like socks are great for filling up the stocking where getting smaller items will take more to fill it up. If you want you could go with a “theme” and get all kitchen items or crafty type items to put into the stocking for someone who would enjoy it. You can get many of these items for free or nearly free throughout the year by checking out the clearance sections, using coupons, and rewards programs (CVS – Extra Care Bucks, Walgreens – Register Rewards, KMart – Rewards, and more).
If you need a few items but don’t have time to shop throughout the year go to Dollar Tree and pick up a multi pack of hair barrettes, chapsticks and other goodies and divide them up among the family members. Another great spot to pick up items if you are on a time crunch is in the travel / dollar sections in stores like Walmart or Target (where they have the mini bottles of items or other things people may need).
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of December 21 – 27, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. You can start stocking up on some great deals for upcoming Holiday cooking. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Sugardale Bone In Hank Potion Ham – $1.17 per lb
Boneless Prime Rib – $4.99 per lb
Pork Boston Butt – $1.39 per lb
Pork Spare Ribs – $1.99 per lb
Cooked Cocktail Shrimp (41 to 50 count) – $4.99
Hickory Springs Bacon (12 oz) – $1.99
Farmington Pork Sausage, Mild or Hot (16 oz) – $1.99
John Morrell Cocktail Smokies (12 oz) – $1.99
Armour Meatballs, Original, Italian or Turkey (14 oz) – $1.99
Sugardale Center Cut Ham Steak – $2.99 per lb
Snow Crab Clusters – $6.99 per lb
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
Colburn Farms Cream Cheese (8 oz) – $1.00
Buyers Best Hash Brown Patties (11 oz) – $1.00
Birds Eye Sweet Kernel Corn or Mix Vegetables (16 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 11/13 Smart Source (Expires 12/30/11)
$0.75 each after couponJeno’s Crisp & Tasty Pizza, Pepperoni or Combination (6 to 7 oz) – $1.00
Blue Bonnet Spread Quarters (16 oz) – $0.69
Minute Maid Pure Squeezed Orange Juice, Orginal or Calcium Plus (59 oz) – $2.99
Kraft Chunk Cheese, Assorted Varieties (8 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.35/2 coupon from pamphlet Kroger’s My Magazine “Giving Back Together” (Expires 1/29/12)
$1.32 each after couponWelch’s Fruit Juice Cocktail, Concord Grape or Passion Fruit (64 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.00/1 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.75/1 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.75/1 printable coupon from Welch’s
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
As low as $0.99 each after couponCreamy Whip Whipped Topping (8 oz) – $0.99
Colburn Farms Sour Cream (16 oz) – $1.59
Wylwood Tator Puffs (32 oz) – $2.29
Snack-A-Tizers Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (8 oz) – $2.49
Save A Lot Today Pizza Rolls (15 count) – $0.99
Take & Bake Pizza Pepperoni or Supreme (33 to 36 oz) – $5.99
Take & Bake Pizza Cheese (33 oz) – $5.49
Produce
Mixed Fruit (4 lbs) – $2.99
California Naval Oranges (4 lbs) – $2.99
Celery – $0.69
Sweet Potatoes – $0.49 per lb
Mini Carrots (1 pound) – $1.00
Household
Wrightware Foam Plates (40 count) – $1.39
Wrightware Napkins (250 count) – $1.69
Poly Steel Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil (37.5 square feet) – $1.99
Max Force Alkaline Batteries – $1.99
Grocery
Sunbeam Bread (20 oz) – $1.29
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, or Assorted Varieties Cereal Bowls (1 to 2) – $1.00
Herr’s Potato Chips (3.75 oz) – $1.00
Southgate Chili (15 oz) – $1.00
Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix – $0.45
Save A Lot Brand Soda, Assorted Varieties (2 litter) – $0.63
Ginger Evans All Purpose Flour (5 lbs) – $1.99
Colburn Farms Evaporated Milk (12 oz) – $0.79
Ginger Evans Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (12 oz) – $2.29
Wylwood Whole Kernel Corn or Green Beans (14 to 15 oz) – $0.59
Kurtz Hot Sauce (12 oz) – $0.99
Mantia’s Lasagna (16 oz) – $1.79
Senora Verde Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies (10 oz) – $0.69
Kurtz Ketchup (24 oz) – $0.99
J Higgs Buttery Rounds (16 oz) – $1.99
So Cheezy Streamin Cheese (8 oz) – $2.59
Senora Verde Bite Size Rounds Tortilla Chips (13 oz) – $1.49
Senora Verde Salsa, Assorted Varieties (16 oz) – $1.49
Crisp Cranberry Lemon Lime Soda (2 liter) – $0.79
Deter’s Ginger Ale (2 liter) – $0.79
J Higgs Snack Mix (15 oz) – $2.79
Wylwood Great Northern Beans (16 oz) – $1.19
Kurtz Wing Sauce (12 oz) – $1.39
LeCour’s Finest Fudge Shortbread (13 oz) – $1.59
Monet Entertainment Crackers (8 oz) – $1.69
J Higgs Peanuts (16 oz) – $3.39
McDaniel’s Classic Roast Coffee (33 oz) – $6.29
McDaniel’s French Roast Coffee (27.8 oz) – $6.79
McDaniel’s Donut Shop Coffee (12 oz) – $4.49
McDaniel’s Enhanced Coffee Creamer (16 oz) – $2.29
Allure Sweetener (100 count) – $1.39
McDaniel’s Coffee Filters (200 count) – $1.39
Bakery
Bakery Fresh Pies – $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.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week was full for Christmas Celebrations, activities, and work travel. I am thankful to have Jake back at home with us and look forward to spending some quality time with my family over the Christmas Holidays. The girls are now out of school so I debated whether or not to do a goal list this week because I want to make sure to spend any “extra” time with them. I am going to try to keep it short this week for that reason.
Here is the update on last weeks goals:
Family Goals
Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everydayRead a book to the girls everydayHave the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week- Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed) – had a couple late nights, really need to work on doing better with this one.
Do the 25 Day of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities with the girls this week
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – did a few days
- Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Thursday – with Jake out of town I stayed up later to work on projects instead of going to bed on time
- Finish reading The 60-Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay – got it started
Start Reading and listen to the next section of Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper
Home Management Goals
Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by MondaySpend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house- Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – it was late a couple nights
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWrap and send out all Christmas Cards / Presents that need shipped or mailed
Business Goals
Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my deskPay all bills that come in the mail this weekWork on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Review my 2011 Business Goals and start planning ones for 2012 – didn’t even look at them this week with all the busy activities going on
Ministry Goals
Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requestsMeet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4- Pay off remaining debt – working on it
- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – finishing up the debt so we can get rolling on this one
Here are my goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
- Read a book to the girls everyday
- Do the 25 Day of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities with the girls this week
- Spend extra time with my family while the girls are on Christmas Break!
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
- Listen to Dave Ramsey’s Dumping Debt audiobook
Home Management Goals
- Get suitcase packed for our business / family trip
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Wrap all the Christmas Gifts
Business Goals
- Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
Ministry Goals
- Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Pay off remaining debt
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results
Pampers Gifts to Grow – 5 Free Points
You can receive another 5 free points from Pampers with a new Gifts to Grow code!This code is different from the previous codes I have given.
Use Code: TWITVJB16CD2011
The code didn’t have an expiration date but they usually expire in a few days so be sure to add it to your account soon!
You can save up the rewards to purchase gifts!
For more information about the Pampers Gift to Grow Program and how you can start earning Pampers “Gifts to Grow” Rewards for your family go to Pampers Gifts to Grow!
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
It was a week full of traveling, work, and Christmas celebrations! I was able to stay under budget and stock up on some goodies, including produce and other fridge & pantry products! I am thankful that South Carolina does not have any tax on groceries, this is very beneficial when I am trying to stay within the grocery budget down for our family. Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Ingles and Dollar Tree Ingles Groceries:
- $12.77 at Ingles for 1 fresh Cantaloupe, 1 bag Grapefruit, 2 bags Brussel Sprouts, 1 bag Broccoli, 1 bag carrots, 1 bag Peanuts, 1 jar Claussen Pickles, and 1 container Honey Ham. (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance. All the produce including the huge bag of grapefruits were marked down to $0.99 cents! The ham was marked down and is perfect for making lunches, the Claussen pickles are my husband’s favorite pickles but I rarely buy them because they are so expensive but since they had one marked down I snagged one for him this week!)
Dollar Tree Groceries:
- $1.00 at Dollar Tree for 1 loaf Nature’s Own White Wheat Bread
Groceries from Whole Foods Whole Foods Groceries:
- $2.14 at Whole Foods for 2 jars Tikka Masala Curry, 2 jars Korma Curry, and 2 jars Jalfrezi Curry. (Used a coupon, part of a gift card, and they were on sale this week especially since I typically do not shop at Whole Foods since it is across town! I was SUPER excited to get six jars of curry for only $2.14. Our family enjoys having curry every few weeks so this will come in handy, plus we have family coming to stay with us who loves curry too. The only thing that I was really disappointed to see was that Whole Foods no longer carries the curry packs like they used to, either way I was still happy to get these for a little over $2! The lady in front of me spent $194.00 which is more than my budget for the entire month on just a few things in her basket and the lady behind me wanted to know how I got all of this for so little. Thankful for an opportunity to save AND share with others.)
This week I spent $15.91 on groceries. Even though I was under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on some items at the same time plus it allows me a little extra to spend next week if I find a great deal. I was thrilled to stock up on produce as well as other great fridge & pantry items this week. Now I am hungry for a “curry” dinner! 🙂 I hope that next week is 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.
Gift Giving: 12 Days of Christmas Appreciation
12 Days of Christmas Appreciation
Last year I did the 12 days of Christmas for the girls so this year as I was putting together the 12 Days for the girls I was thinking about ways I could be a blessing for my husband as well. I wanted to do the 12 Days of Christmas for him but the problem is he is traveling for work several days prior to Christmas. He travels pretty lightly so for me to squeeze in an extra few gifts into his suitcase would be difficult. I thought about doing 12 Days of “Love Notes” but I already send him a folder when he travels with “I Love You” notes from myself and the girls. I eventually came up with 12 gifts and “love notes” for my husband’s 12 Days of Christmas Appreciation that would easily fit into his suitcase.
Here is what my 12 Days of Christmas includes:
Day 1: You stole a “Piece” of my heart! (Reese’s Pieces)
Day 2: We are “mint” to be together! Love You! (Junior Mints)
Day 3: Thanks for being my “lifesaver” so many times! (Life Savers)
Day 4: We know how to have a “jolly” good time together! (Jolly Rancher)
Day 5: You are the brightest “star” in my sky! (Starburst)
Day 6: I call you “sweet”pea because you are the “sweet”est part of my life! (Sweet Tarts)
Day 7: You are an amazing Daddy to our “kids”! (Sour Patch Kids)
Day 8: You have o”fish”ally stolen my heart! (Swedish Fish)
Day 9: You are my “M”agnificant & “M”arvelous life partner! (M&Ms)
Day 10: You are my “Baby”love and my “Baby”cake! (Sugar Babies)
(“BabyLove” & “BabyCake” are two of the nicknames I have for my man, just ask the kids!)
Day 11: You are my smokin “hot” man! (Hot Tamales)
Day 12: I love traveling and going to “Charleston” with you handsome! (Charleston Chews)
Once that was done I wrapped the boxes, put a bow on top, and set it up for him. The neat part about using these boxes is they are all fairly uniform in size so they make putting your 12 Days of Christmas Appreciation stack together really easy. You can put together this entire stack of gifts for under $12 if you paid full price for everything. Walmart sells these boxes for $0.98 each everyday so if you can find some of them on sale at another store or use your Extra Care Bucks at CVS or Register Rewards at Walgreens you could easily put this together for less than $5. If you don’t have time to put this together for Christmas consider doing it for Valentine’s Day (for your “sweetheart”), the month of your anniversary, your spouse’s birthday, or another special occasion. The point is to express your love and appreciation for your spouse.
The girls helped me pick out a couple of the boxes of candy. They were excited about his gifts and told me that “Daddy is nice so he will probably share some of his candy with us.” You know what, they are right! Their Daddy is sweet and generous which means the girls will most likely get a taste of his 12 Days of Christmas Appreciation. Here’s a picture of the wrapped stack:
12 Days of Christmas Appreciation Stack
I am grateful for a loving, caring and hard working man that loves me despite all my craziness. This is just one way to share my love with him not only for the Christmas Holiday but remind him even when he is away from home that I love him dearly. It was a lot of fun putting together the sayings, wrapping the gifts and giving them to my man to put into his suitcase. It is my intention to show appreciation to my husband at least once a day. Thankful for an extra opportunity to say “I love you” to my best friend and life partner!
I received my inspiration from The Dating Divas after seeing her “You stole a “Piece” of my heart!” and “You have o”fish”ally stolen my heart!” After the jump start on the idea I came up with the other goodies and sweet sayings for my hubby.
Gift Giving: 12 Days of Christmas
This year we decided to spread the Holiday Cheer out at our house this year by doing the 12 Days of Christmas again. I did this last year and it was a huge hit. Christmas morning can be so busy and this allows an opportunity to spread the fun over 12 days instead of packing everything into one day. Starting December 13th the girls will be able to open one a day until Christmas. The cost was less than $20 total, including boxes and wrapping paper. Most of the gifts were bought on clearance over the past year. We did a joint stack for both of our girls, however, you can choose to do a stack for each person.
Here is what our 12 Days of Christmas includes:
- Day 1: Christmas Ornament for each girl (purchased last year after Christmas on clearance with rewards).
- Day 2: Two Music CD’s by Suzi Shelton (received CD’s from doing a review and giveaway)
- Day 3: DVD Veggie Tales (DVD was free, but paid a small fee for shipping)
- Day 4: Two Giant Candy Canes, one Princess and 1 Cars (purchased with rewards)
- Day 5: Two Christmas Coloring Books (purchased on clearance with rewards)
- Day 6: Christmas Craft, painting ornaments (purchased with rewards on clearance)
- Day 7: Christmas Flower and Snowman (purchased with rewards on clearance)
- Day 8: Christmas Book God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren (purchased when it was on sale with Swagbucks gift card)
- Day 9: Two Christmas Headbands (purchased with rewards on clearance)
- Day 10: Game (found on clearance at Kmart and used gift card)
- Day 11: Two Hooded Bath Towels (used a coupon and picked them up on Black Friday)
- Day 12: PJs for each to wear Christmas Eve (picked up on sale and used a coupon)
Other Ideas for 12 Days of Christmas:
- Hair Accessories
- Facial Cleansers or Make Up – if you have a teenager just starting to wear makeup or want to update your collection my Mary Kay contact is doing a 12 Day of Christmas set! If your husband is looking for something awesome to get you he may want to contact Ann too.
- Socks or Tights
- Chapstick
- Socks
- Gloves or Scarf
- Card Game
- Construction Paper
- Markers or Crayons
- Matchbox cars
- Small Toys
- Baby Doll Clothes
- Christmas Underwear
- The ideas are endless!
Karlie & Brina excited about their 12 Days of Christmas
I wrapped them in the original boxes or found ones around the house to put the items into. The Christmas paper was purchased on clearance and I used a coupon. Many of the items we purchased on clearance throughout the year and / or used CVS – ECBs and Walgreens – Register Rewards, Swagbucks Gift Cards or Coupons. I cannot remember the price for all the items but with the rewards it may have been under $10 out of pocket for the entire set of 12 gifts and some days had multiple items in them. We did a joint stack for our girls to save money, however, the items we picked match their individual interests (for example the craft with one being princess and the other being cars). When the girls walked into the room and saw the stack of gifts they were super excited.
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of December 14 – 20, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. You can start stocking up on some great deals for upcoming Holiday cooking. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Sugardale Bone In Hank Potion Ham – $1.17 per lb
Boneless Prime Rib – $4.99 per lb
Pork Boston Butt – $1.39 per lb
Pork Spare Ribs – $1.99 per lb
Cooked Cocktail Shrimp (41 to 50 count) – $4.99
Hickory Springs Bacon (12 oz) – $1.99
Farmington Pork Sausage, Mild or Hot (16 oz) – $1.99
John Morrell Cocktail Smokies (12 oz) – $1.99
Armour Meatballs, Original, Italian or Turkey (14 oz) – $1.99
Sugardale Center Cut Ham Steak – $2.99 per lb
Snow Crab Clusters – $6.99 per lb
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
Colburn Farms Cream Cheese (8 oz) – $1.00
Buyers Best Hash Brown Patties (11 oz) – $1.00
Birds Eye Sweet Kernel Corn or Mix Vegetables (16 oz) – $1.00
Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 11/13 Smart Source (Expires 12/30/11)
$0.75 each after couponJeno’s Crisp & Tasty Pizza, Pepperoni or Combination (6 to 7 oz) – $1.00
Blue Bonnet Spread Quarters (16 oz) – $0.69
Minute Maid Pure Squeezed Orange Juice, Orginal or Calcium Plus (59 oz) – $2.99
Kraft Chunk Cheese, Assorted Varieties (8 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.35/2 coupon from pamphlet Kroger’s My Magazine “Giving Back Together” (Expires 1/29/12)
$1.32 each after couponWelch’s Fruit Juice Cocktail, Concord Grape or Passion Fruit (64 oz) – $1.99
Use $1.00/1 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.75/1 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
Use $0.75/1 printable coupon from Welch’s
Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
As low as $0.99 each after couponCreamy Whip Whipped Topping (8 oz) – $0.99
Colburn Farms Sour Cream (16 oz) – $1.59
Wylwood Tator Puffs (32 oz) – $2.29
Snack-A-Tizers Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (8 oz) – $2.49
Save A Lot Today Pizza Rolls (15 count) – $0.99
Take & Bake Pizza Pepperoni or Supreme (33 to 36 oz) – $5.99
Take & Bake Pizza Cheese (33 oz) – $5.49
Produce
Mixed Fruit (4 lbs) – $2.99
California Naval Oranges (4 lbs) – $2.99
Celery – $0.69
Sweet Potatoes – $0.49 per lb
Mini Carrots (1 pound) – $1.00
Household
Wrightware Foam Plates (40 count) – $1.39
Wrightware Napkins (250 count) – $1.69
Poly Steel Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil (37.5 square feet) – $1.99
Max Force Alkaline Batteries – $1.99
Grocery
Sunbeam Bread (20 oz) – $1.29
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, or Assorted Varieties Cereal Bowls (1 to 2) – $1.00
Herr’s Potato Chips (3.75 oz) – $1.00
Southgate Chili (15 oz) – $1.00
Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix – $0.45
Save A Lot Brand Soda, Assorted Varieties (2 litter) – $0.63
Ginger Evans All Purpose Flour (5 lbs) – $1.99
Colburn Farms Evaporated Milk (12 oz) – $0.79
Ginger Evans Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (12 oz) – $2.29
Wylwood Whole Kernel Corn or Green Beans (14 to 15 oz) – $0.59
Kurtz Hot Sauce (12 oz) – $0.99
Mantia’s Lasagna (16 oz) – $1.79
Senora Verde Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies (10 oz) – $0.69
Kurtz Ketchup (24 oz) – $0.99
J Higgs Buttery Rounds (16 oz) – $1.99
So Cheezy Streamin Cheese (8 oz) – $2.59
Senora Verde Bite Size Rounds Tortilla Chips (13 oz) – $1.49
Senora Verde Salsa, Assorted Varieties (16 oz) – $1.49
Crisp Cranberry Lemon Lime Soda (2 liter) – $0.79
Deter’s Ginger Ale (2 liter) – $0.79
J Higgs Snack Mix (15 oz) – $2.79
Wylwood Great Northern Beans (16 oz) – $1.19
Kurtz Wing Sauce (12 oz) – $1.39
LeCour’s Finest Fudge Shortbread (13 oz) – $1.59
Monet Entertainment Crackers (8 oz) – $1.69
J Higgs Peanuts (16 oz) – $3.39
McDaniel’s Classic Roast Coffee (33 oz) – $6.29
McDaniel’s French Roast Coffee (27.8 oz) – $6.79
McDaniel’s Donut Shop Coffee (12 oz) – $4.49
McDaniel’s Enhanced Coffee Creamer (16 oz) – $2.29
Allure Sweetener (100 count) – $1.39
McDaniel’s Coffee Filters (200 count) – $1.39
Bakery
Bakery Fresh Pies – $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.
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
It was a busy week but in between appointments I was able to make it to a couple stores. I was able to stay under budget and stock up on some goodies, including produce and diary products! Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Ingles and Save A Lot | RiteAid Ingles Groceries:
- $10.03 at Ingles for 1 fresh Coconut, 1 container fresh Celery, 1 container fresh Mushrooms, 1 container fresh Cherry Tomatoes, 1 bag fresh Oranges (4 lbs), 1 package Summer Sausage (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance except the summer sausage which was a special treat I bought for my husband this week. All the produce including the bag of oranges were marked down to 99 cents!)
Save A Lot | RiteAid Groceries:
- $22.74 at Save A Lot | RiteAid for 1 bag Bagels, 1 box Poptarts, 1 container Country Crock Spread, 1 box Mrs Freshley Chocolate Cupcakes, 1 container Cool Whip, 1 box Tropical Jr Pops, 2 boxes Yogurt Tubes, 4 cans Cream of Mushroom, 1 container Parmesan Grated Cheese, 1 can Pinneapple Chunks, 1 jar Salsa, 1 two liter Orange Crisp, 1 gallon Milk, 1 bag Carrots, 1 bag Grapefruit (3 lb), and 1 box Cream Cheese. (All the items were on sale or clearance plus I used a couple of coupons! The bagels, Mrs. Freshley Cupcakes, Tropical Jr Pops, and Yogurt Tubes were marked down to clearance “special today” prices.)
Groceries, Household Items, & Other Goodies from Walgreens Walgreens Groceries:
- $0.49 at Walgreens for the grocery items – 4 boxes Baking Soda and 3 bags Chewy Spree Candy. (The total for this entire purchase was $2.06 including tax for 30 items making it $0.07 per item which is how the 7 groceries items cost $0.49 at Walgreens this week.)
Groceries from Kmart Kmart Groceries:
- $1.50 at Kmart for 1 box Saltines, 1 pack Orange Gatorade, and 1 box Ritz Crackers. (Jake ended up getting sick this week so on my way home from a work appointment I stopped by Kmart to pick up some stuff for him. Thankfully, I had a $5 Kmart Gift Card and all the items were on sale this week at Kmart).
Groceries, Household, Baby, Beauty and Gift Items from CVS CVS Groceries:
- $0.21 at CVS for the grocery items – 1 loaf Sara Lee Whole Wheat Bread, 1 loaf Sara Lee White Bread, and 1 box Candy Canes. (The total for this entire purchase was $3.16 including tax for 42 items making it $0.07 per item which is how the 3 groceries items cost $0.21 at CVS this week.)
This week I spent $34.97 on groceries. Even though I was only a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on some items at the same time. I did not anticipate my husband being sick but we had enough flex in the budget and hit the sales to cover the extra expense. I hope that next week is 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.
CVS: Spent $3 and $12 ECB’s Back
Groceries, Household, Baby, Beauty and Gift Items from CVS I went to CVS on my way home from an appointment this week. The CVS had a bunch of cosmetic items marked down 50% to 75% off. I was able to get the items pictured above for $3.16 including tax and received $12.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase. Today I used some store, manufacturer coupons and ECB’s to help pay for the purchase.
You can get great deals even without clipping a lot of coupons. My receipt shows that as of December 6th I have saved over $2,000 at CVS this year (and I don’t even go every week) so you can do it without investing a lot of time into it or being an extreme couponer that empties the shelves. Over time the savings add up and I have even taken several weeks off here and there while I have been busy or traveling or when our stock pile is full. All of the items I purchased were on sale or clearance. Here is what I purchased this week.
- 1 – Cherry Candy Canes (10 count) for $1.27 (FREE plus overage after ECB’s because the Extra Care Bucks did not print when I checked so I ended up getting $2 ECB’s for this item.)
- 1 – Ali Deep Brown Brow Definer for $1.19 (on clearance for 75% off)
- 3 – Lip Smacker Lip Gloss (Clear) for $2.46 ($0.82 each after 75% off clearance, perfect for stocking stuffers)
- 10 – bottles Confetti Nail Polish for $8.20 ($0.82 each after 75% off clearance, another great stocking stuffer)
- 11 – bottles Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish for $9.02 ($0.82 each after 75% off clearance)
- 1 – Sally Hansen Fingernail Clippers for $1.37 (after 75% off clearance)
- 3 – Wet & Wild Mega Silk Glossy Apple for $2.97 ($0.99 each after 75% clearance)
- 1 – Wet & Wild Mega Silk Glossy Berry Burst for $0.99 (after 75% clearance)
- 1 – Wet & Wild Liquid Lip Color Coco for $0.99 (after 75% clearance)
- 1 – Huggies Supreme Diapers Size 1 (40 count) for $9.49 (received a $1.00 ECB)
- 1 – Sara Lee Whole Wheat Bread for $0.57 (on clearance)
- 1 – Sara Lee White Bread for $0.57 (on clearance)
- 4 – American Greetings Cards for (used store and manufacturer coupons and received $3.00 ECBs)
- 1 – Revlon Deluxe Clipper Set for $2.99 (received $6.00 ECBs)
- 1 – Revlon Valupak Emory Boards for $3.59 (received $6.00 ECBs)
Here are the coupons I used on the items.
- Used $5.00 off $20.00 Coupon from CVS Kiosk
- Used $0.99 CVS coupon from Kiosk for a free American Greeting Card
- Used $2.00 manufacturer coupon for American Greeting Card
- Used $3.00 CVS coupon for Huggies
- Used $2.00 manufacturer coupon from Huggies
- Used $1.00 manufacturer coupon from Revlon
- Used $5.00 CVS Beauty Club Reward Coupon
- Used $25.99 CVS ECB’s
I received $12.00 ECB’s back today:
- $6.00 ECB’s for Revlon Products
- $3.00 ECB’s for American Greeting Cards
- $2.00 ECB’s for Candy Canes
- $1.00 ECB’s for Huggies Products
Today I was able to save $109.01 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons.
Here are some more up close pictures of the products I was able to pick up.
CVS had a lot of cosmetic items on clearance for 50% to 75% off
Was able to get 2 loaves of Sara Lee Bread for $0.57 each on clearance!
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.
