Deals

  • Giveaway: $10 Staples Gift Card

    I am doing another giveaway on Blessings Multiplied!!!  The winner of this giveaway will receive a $10 Staples Gift Card!  School is approaching and it is time to stock up on school supplies again.  As a Mom of fraternal twin daughters I am always looking for ways to save a little extra when buying school supplies for the family.  Our family uses supplies from Staples for school, crafts and the office.

    1. 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.
    2. You can get a bonus entry into the drawing if you leave a separate comment below sharing one of your favorite school / office supplies you like to get at Staples!

    All comments must be made by August 31st at 10:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing.  On August 31st  I will randomly draw a winner from those who have entered the giveaway.

  • CONGRATULATIONS to Our Barnes & Noble Gift Card Winner!!!

    My husband, Jake, drew the name out of a cup for me.

    CONGRATULATIONS to Carrie Loring

    for winning a

    $10 Barnes & Noble Gift Card!

    Thanks for making a comment in honor of our Giveaway!

    An email has been sent to you with more information.

    Enjoy Your New Book!

    Don’t forget to enter our next Giveaway!!!

    Giveaway must be claimed within 5 business days of the prize being announced.  Failure to claim the prize within the allotted time frame means you forfeit the prize.

  • Fresh & Healthy: Community Supported Agriculture (Week 10 & 11)

    It is our tenth and eleventh week receiving fresh produce from our CSA!  Our family purchased a half of share and will be receiving fresh produce, local honey, eggs and more for 20 weeks.   This week we picked up a full share instead of our usual half share because we were out of town last week.   Jake picked up the fresh veggies this week, thanks babe!  It was nice to get our basket again this week after being away for a little bit.

    Week 10 & 11 of Fresh Goodies from our CSA!

    Fresh produce from our local farm!

    Items in our Basket this Week:

    •  1 bag Red Okra
    • 1 bag Green Okra
    • 1 bag Beans
    • 3 Cucumbers
    • 5 Tomatoes
    • 1 container Cherry Tomatoes
    • 4 Green Peppers
    • 6 Eggplants
    • 2 Green Squash
    • Dozen Fresh Eggs

    I am looking forward to eating these goodies this week!  Thanks everyone for the delicious Recipes!!!

    To find out how you can be a part of a local CSA check out this post – Fresh & Healthy:  Community Supported Farms

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    We were on the road only a couple days during this week!  I went over last week so I was trying to keep it within reason this week.  It was a tough week to stay under budget because Jake’s birthday was on Tuesday and I am making a couple meals for people in our church who need them.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles

    Ingles  Groceries:

    • $18.79 at Ingles for 1 bag Ingles Wavy Chips, 1 Laura Lynn Bread (1 1/2 pound for $0.98), 1 container Stonyfield Strawberry Yogurt (on clearance and great for smoothies), 1 container Daisy Cottage Cheese (on clearance), 1 container Biltmore Onion Dip (on clearance), 1 bag Philsbury Caramel Brownies (on clearance), 1 container Crab, Spinach & Artichoke Dip (on clearance), Sirloin Tip, 1 large bag of Banana’s (on clearance), and 1 three pound bag of Yellow Apples (on clearance). The most expensive part was the meat, it was the only item not on sale or clearance but I picked it up for a special dinner.
    Groceries from Dollar Tree and Aldi's

    Dollar Tree  Groceries:

    • $0.50 at Dollar Tree for 2 boxes of Honey Oat Rings Cereal on clearance for $0.50 each

    Aldi’s Groceries:

    • $9.02 at Aldi’s for 2 packages of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 4 cans of Cream of Mushroom, 1 bag of Fresh Spinach and 1 bag of Santa Fe Style Tortilla Strips (on clearance).
    Groceries from CVS and BiLo

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $10.98 at BiLo for 2 large cans of Green Beans and 1 five pound bag of Tater Bites.

    CVS Groceries:

    • $8.02 at CVS for 4 – 12 packs of Mountain Dew (they were on sale for $2.50 each and I found peelies on the packages for $1.00 off 2)

    This week I spent $47.31 on groceries.  Even though I was over my budgeted amount for the week  I was able to stock up on several items on clearance and stay at least somewhat close to the budget.  I REALLY hope to have a better week for my next update, it doesn’t sit well with me going over the budgeted amount two weeks in a row.  I am happy to stock up but need thumped on the head for going over the budget again this week.  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.

  • Fresh & Healthy: Our Garden – Okra, Green Beans, Summer Squash, Lettuce, Cucumbers, Purple Beans,Tomatoes, Zucchini, Peppers and More!

    We are enjoying the fresh vegetables from our garden!  This week we were traveling for part of the week.  We picked some veggies to take with us on a recent road trip to Charleston and came home with an empty basket.  It was nice having the opportunity to share goodies with the people we knew in Charleston.

    Here are some of the fresh veggies we were able to eat and share this week:

    Fresh Garden Produce

    Fresh garden produce this week – green peppers, red tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini, okra (our first one), cucumbers, banana peppers, purple beans, green beans, and lettuce.

    Garden Produce

    A picked a few tomatoes and strawberries earlier in the week and forgot to take a picture.  These were another quick pick on a busy day – okra, strawberry, purple beans, green beans, tomatoes and cucumbers.

    We have had a lot of great tomatoes the last couple of weeks.  If you are looking for a new recipe to try using fresh tomatoes check out the one that my friend Ashley from Reflecting on the Simple Things in Life posted called “Tomato Pie”!

    What are you eating out of your garden this week?

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of July 27 – August 2, 2011

    The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience.   Save A Lot 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.

  • CVS: Spent $0.43 and Got $21 ECB’s Back!

    CVS has a few good deals this week.   I was happy to stock up on some items including shaving cream and toothpaste this week while utilizing a few of my coupons.  Today I was able to get the items for $0.43 including tax and received $21.99 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.  My CVS receipt this week states that as of July 18th I have saved $1,067.08 this year at CVS.  It really does add up!!!  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 2 –  Caliber 1 Subject Notebook for $0.50 ($0.25 each)
    • 3 –  Kleenex Facial Tissues for $2.64 ($0.88 each)
    • 1 – Paper Mate Grip Pens (8 count) for $1.99
    • 1 – Crest Pro Health Rinse for $2.99
    • 1 – Crest Pro Health Toothpaste for $2.99
    • 1 – Skintimate Strawberry Shaving Cream for $2.19
    • 1 – Skintimate Raspberry Shaving cream for $2.19
    • 2 – Schick Xtreme Women’s Razors $15.98 ($7.99 each)

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $0.50 Kleenex Manufacturer Coupon (SS 7/17)
    • Used $1.00 Crest Toothpaste Manufacturer Coupon (PG 6/5)
    • Used $1.50 Skintimate Manufacturer Coupon (Smart Source printable coupon)
    • Used $1.50 Skintimate Manufacturer Coupon (Smart Source printable coupon)
    • Used $3.00 Schick Manufacturer Coupon (Schick Facebook printable coupon)
    • Used $2.00 Schick Manufacturer Coupon (peelie on the razor package)
    • Used $2.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
    • Used $21.00 ECB coupons from prior purchases

    I received $21.99 ECB’s back today:

    • $10.00 ECB’s for Schick and Playtex Products
    • $5.00 ECB’s for Beauty Club Rewards
    • $4.00 ECB’s for Crest and Oral B Products
    • $1.99 ECB’s for Paper Mate Products
    • $1.00 ECB’s for Green Bag Tag Rewards

    Today I was able to save $54.23 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.