The Obsessive Shopper

I've Moved!

2008-11-24T15:02:00.004-07:00

Today I am laying to rest this blog and have moved to my new .com home. Please see all the excitement at http://www.theobsessiveshopper.com/

Be sure to change your book marks and feeds to the new address. If you are subscribed to the newsletter everything has already been taken care of for you.

If you have any question please email me.

Sweet Savings

2008-11-15T19:25:00.004-07:00

After last weeks Budget Buster I took a break and stayed below my weekly budget stocking up on one thing and getting just the things I needed*. Here are the details:

Smiths

8-5 lbs C&H white sugar @ $1.65 each, 2-1 lbs Land-O-Lake butter @ $1.65 each, 2-1 lbs Kroger Cheese @ $3 each, 1 dozen eggs @ $1.25, 1-2.67 lbs Rump Roast $5.33, Quick Barley $1.69, Agave Nectar $3.59, 2.41 lbs Naval Oranges $1.66, 2 lbs Cameo Apples $2.58, 1.78 lbs Banana's $1.23, 2 Grandma Sycamore bread @ $1.67 each

Total Spent: $44.67
Total Saved: $38.18

*If you're new here you might wonder how I could possibly feed my family of five on only those items. You see, I have been building my pantry with all the things my family typically uses. I now have enough in storage that when I need something for a recipe I can just go and shop from my pantry. These items are just the things that I either needed this week, like the fruit, barley, and eggs, or the items I choose to buy to re-stock my pantry or freezer; sugar, bread, roast, cheese. If I can do it so can you!

Budget Buster

2008-11-10T01:36:00.002-07:00

Updated! (I couldn't help myself! My husband gave me permission to go over budget by $100 on Tuesday night, so I've got to keep my word right? I am not stopping until I at least spend $100, which is under budget $50. Don't you love how I have justified it!)

I found the laptop amongst the moving mess just to post what an awesome trip I had today. I don't have pictures yet because I can't find the camera, cord and half of my food is in a borrowed freezer until mine is up and running!

I have to admit that when my alarm went off at 4:45 AM. I realized then that I truly am an obsessive shopper! My shopping buddy, mom, and I pulled into the Albertson's parking lot at 5:30 AM realizing that we were not alone! When I saw the already full carts of lotions, shampoo's, deodorant's, and detergent, my heart started pounding and I harnessed all that is obsessive and started shopping. So here are my total's.

11 Knorr/Lipton pasta or rice Sides @ .13 each
2 Lipton Soup Mix@ .50 each
5 Progresso Broth 32 oz. FREE
4 All Liquid Detergent@ .67 each
10 Green Giant boxed veggies @ .28 each
3 Knorr Side Plus Veggies @ .24 each
2 Progresso Broth 32 oz. @ .34 each
2 Betty Crocker Cookie Pouches @ .09 each
10 Suave Kids shampoo @ .47 each
4 Dial Hand soaps @ .69 each
8 Tic Tac's @ .23 each
Fresh mushrooms sliced $1.69
Broccoli Slaw $2
Salad Mix $1.47
Fresh Spinach .97
15 Betty Crocker Cake Mixes @ .50 each
4 Gold Medal 5 lb flour @ $1.25
6 Skippy Peanut Butter @ .88 each
2 Betty Crocker Muffin Mixes @.80 each
1 Best Foods Mayo @ .65
4 Toaster Strudels @ .90 each
4 Degree Deodorants @ .75 each
6 All Liquid Detergent@ $1.17 each
2 El Monterrey Family pack burritos @ $3 each (I lost that coupon somewhere in the store or I would have saved another dollar.)
4 Green Giant boxed veggies FREE
5 Vaseline Lotions FREE
2 Q-Tips 500 ct @ $1.25 each (I didn't use the coupon-should have though!)
5 Suave Lotions @.50 each
5 Suave Deodorants @ .09 each
Cotton balls ( needed them, not on sale) $1.19
1 Purina Dog food 40 lbs. @ $2.99 (used the $15 coupons for this one!)
Kung-Fu Panda DVD $19.95
2 Pop-Tarts FREE
1 Lipton Pasta side FREE
1 bottle of Ginger $3.85 (lost mine in the move, then found out husband lent it to neighbor when it was returned with a plate of cookies yesterday! I will add it to my food storage I guess.)

Total Spent: $108.52
Total Saved: $351.43

Budget Busters come along about 3-4 times a year. I am feeling pretty good since my budget is $50 and this week we bumped it up to $150. I am under budget $41.48 this week! Now it is time to take a breather, at least until the new ads come out!

If you where an obsessive shopper like me this week I would love to hear about it! (that actually might make me feel less crazy:) Post in the comments your spent vs saved or email it with a photo at theobsessiveshopper@live.com and I'll dedicate a special post to you lovely shoppers!

My Western Family

2008-10-29T20:41:00.008-06:00

While at a class in Ogden, Saturday, the hostess was telling me about the FREE stuff she was getting from Western Family. I looked into it a bit more and found this site, My Western Family. After you watch a little video you get to print a coupon good for a FREE item (this changes weekly). This week it is Western Family Apple Sauce. To find a store participating in this great deal click here (this looks like it may be available to most of the western US).

Thanks Katrina for letting me about this!

~If any of you out there know about any other great deals and would be willing to share either post a comment or email me and I will post it.

Oh, and by the way Applesauce is an awesome substitute for oil in your baking. I just add the same amout of applesauce that the recipe called for oil. It doesn't flavor it it just makes it moist AND lower in fat! LOVE IT!

On My Own

2008-10-29T19:57:00.006-06:00

This week I did something I have never done before. I went shopping on my own budget! For those of you who haven't read the About Me on the side bar I may need to explain. My family and I have been living in my parents basement since December '07. Officially we move into our own place on November 1st. Today I went out and bought food for our single family and not combined with my parents. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I not only met my budget (okay, I was $2.13 over but hey I used the change in my purse to cover it and besides in the past I never dreamed I could get this much for that amount!!) but saw the results. How grateful I am for GrocerySmarts. I never thought I could purchase groceries and household items for $50 a week while still building and maintaining a food storage!

For this week I did actually go to three different stores. Here are the breakdowns:

Smith's

2 Purex Laundry Detergent @ $1.49 each, Cache Valley Cheese String Cheese $5.84, 1 Doz. Large eggs $1.29(not shown), 4.78 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts $8.08, 2.91 lbs Organic bananas $2.01

Albertsons

4 Campbell's Beef Gravy @ .50 each, 2 Barilla pasta sauces @ $2 each, Barilla pasta FREE, Hot dog buns $1.19(totally meant to buy hamburger buns-sloppy joes on hot dog buns can work:), 2 Progresso soups @ .15 each, 4 Hunts tomatoes @ .50 each, 20 cans of Libby's vegetables @ .49 each

Lee's

2 Farm Bread @.99 each, hot dogs .99, bacon $1.37, sour cream .99, 2 Nerds boxes @ .25 each (consumed by children before photo was taken), 4 Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner @ .99 each, White Rain Body wash .91, candy pumpkins .72 (got to decorate some cookies!)

Grand Total Spent: $ 52.13

Grand Total Saved: $63.50

How to Use GrocerySmarts.com

2008-10-21T16:49:00.002-06:00

Thanks to the help of the awesome gals at Food Made Easy I have this simple video to help teach you how to use GrocerySmarts.com

Trick of the Trade #2

2008-10-16T11:37:00.006-06:00

As promised I am letting you all in on the 2nd Trick of the Trade when it comes to coupon use.

Maximize Your Coupons

Did you know there is a right way and a wrong way to use coupons? In my previous coupon use I would happily clip the coupon for the product I wanted, go to the store with great thoughts of savings and find what I wanted on the shelf only to be disappointed that even with my coupon savings the generic of the product I wanted was cheaper! Has that ever happened to you?

Let me illustrate this with my favorite example. We use Campbell's Cream soups as a staple in many recipes.

Wrong:

I would have gotten my coupon which was a savings of 10 cents on a can. Went to the store and saw the can I wanted was $1. With my coupon my end price would be 90 cents. The generic next to it was 69 cents so of course I would choose generic in order to save.

Right:

I organize my coupons like I explained in this post. I look on the Grocerysmarts website at the stores I want to shop at that week and what do I see? A screaming stock up deal on Campbell's cream soups at 50 cents a can but if I spend $10 I save another $3 instantly at the register. With all these saving I get *20 cans for $7 or 35 cents each. Now I use my 10 cent off coupons, (remember I know where they are because I used the Grocerysmarts website and filing system) and I get the same soup for 25 a can!

This example is true to life and actually happened to me a month ago. By Maximizing your coupons, and using them the right way you are enabling your self to Buy in Bulk and save more money!

*Trick of the Trade #3 will explain how I got so much at such a low price

Calling all Shoppers!

2008-10-07T20:42:00.006-06:00

Next week is UEA in Utah and I would love to come down south anywhere between Ogden and Provo to teach a couple classes. On Wednesday or Friday after 11 AM with my evening classes starting either at 6 or 7 PM. If any of you out there are interested I have some wonderful gifts to offer.

For my hostesses I am offering a hanging file box to get you started organizing your coupons and a $10 gift card for every 5 moms new to Grocerysmarts (or who have never attended a class before). These classes are FREE, the website is FREE! I teach Enrichment nights, moms groups, family, and friends. (This is what I offer all my hostesses by the way!)

If you can get excited about saving hundreds of dollars on your household items and groceries then I can teach you how!

You can contact me at theobsessiveshoper@live.com or call me at 435-881-7387.

Four Score

2008-10-05T19:01:00.002-06:00

This week's paper had four packets of coupons. Be sure you pull all four out before recycling or you'll be sad when sale day comes and you don't have the coupons listed!

Trick of the Trade #1

2008-10-01T08:19:00.004-06:00

One of the things I teach at my classes is tricks of the trade with coupon usage. The first trick of the trade is:

BUY IN BULK

You will typically save 10-15% when you buy in bulk at big warehouse stores. When you use coupons and combine them with sale prices at your grocery store you can expect to save 50-70% and even up to 100% at times!

I am not the only one who recommends buying things in bulk when they are on sale. I was excited to see in the Procter & Gamble booklet this past Sunday(found in the Sunday paper, once a month). They had tips from John & Kate Gosselin from TLC's John & Kate plus Eight (I love this show by the way) on how to save money. One of the tips was buy in bulk.

"If your family has must-haves, make sure you keep them in the house and buy them in bulk on sale to save."

I am not saying that Kate uses coupons to save, I have no idea. However I have found that when you can combine sale prices with coupons you save ton's more.

This is where the FREE Grocerysmarts website comes in. The website takes all the store ads and lists the sale items from each store while also listing a coupon if one is available so you get the best price possible (look for the 4-5 star items). Then you can make the decision on what your family uses and buy as much as you can while it is on sale. In one of my previous posts (you can view it here) I explained how I organize my coupons so I can find them using the code from Grocerysmarts. That information is helpful too when using Grocerysmarts.

Watch for 2 more tricks in upcoming posts.

What Happens in Vegas....

2008-09-25T11:01:00.000-06:00

......Save in Vegas using Grocerysmarts!

If you live in the Las Vegas area you are in luck! If you would like to learn how to use the Grocerysmarts website or host a class please contact Colette Bomsta at (702)948-7200.

Visit Colette's blog

Sugar, Sugar

2008-09-24T14:47:00.005-06:00

At a class last week a discussion was started about pantry staples on sale and if Grocerysmarts can help those who cook from scratch. One of the products mentioned was sugar. It was discussed if or even how using coupons or the website would help get a good a deal on such staples. Well, I was very pleased to see this great deal on sugar at Albertson's this week.

C&H granulated sugar 5 lb. on sale for $2.50 use this special to get the best price of $1.75, Save $3 instantly when you for every $10 you spend on participating items. Mix or Match.
then use this coupon: C&H Sugar product, 2 lbs. or larger .35/1 (10-31-08) RP-8/17
Your bottom line would then be $1.40 for 5 lbs.

If you had 5 coupons you then could buy 25 lbs. for $7!

I thought that was an awesome deal and worth mentioning. See you can use Grocerysmarts and coupons for more than just prepared foods!

Did you know that sugar is a necessary item for your long term food storage?

It is recommended that you store 39 lbs of granulated sugar per person in your household. Sugar will keep two or more years at room temperature. It's often used as a preservative, so it's no wonder that it lasts a long time. Store it in an airtight container to prevent it from hardening and clumping.

If you don't know what your family's long term needs are, I suggest you visit this awesome post from FoodStorageMadeEasy.net be sure to watch the video it is very helpful!

Freebies 9/24-9/30

2008-09-24T09:27:00.005-06:00

It has forever since I have done this post. Sorry! Here is a list of possible free items for the week.

Albertsons

*****
"Powerade ZERO" 32 oz. Limit: 6 on sale for .69
Use coupon: Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8 and SS-7/13
FREE

*****
Muir Glen tomatoes on sale for 1.00
Use coupon: $1/1 printable coupons at this link
FREE

*****
Nabisco snack crackers 7-10 oz.
With in-ad coupon and $25 purchase.
FREE

*****
Duncan Hines "Carrot" cake mix 18.25-18.5 oz. (**Careful, we're not sure if "Carrot cake" is included in the sale!) on sale for $1 or when you spend $10 on specified items you get a $3 discount making the price .70
Use coupon: $1/1 printable at this link.
FREE

*****
Ken's Lite Accents 7 oz. on sale for 2.00 or save $3 instantly when you for every $10 you spend on participating items making price $1.40
Use coupon: Ken’s Lite Accents Salad Dressing Spray, any 7 oz. $2/1 (9-30-08) SS-8/3
FREE

Maceys

*****

Zone Perfect Power bars on sale for $1.00
Use coupon: ZonePerfect, any single bar or multi-count box $1/1 (10-31-08) SS2-9/7
FREE

Reams

*****

Powerade Drinks 32 oz. Limit: 6 on sale for .69

Use coupon: Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8 and SS-7/13

FREE

What Do You Think?

2008-09-18T10:12:00.004-06:00

I've been reading my coupons and there is one little tinsy sentence that has me thinking deeply as I try to use and encourage you all to use coupons ethically and lawfully. Tell me what you think about this sentence commonly found on most coupons.

"Void if altered, copied, sold, purchased, transferred, exchanged........"

The Best Week Ever!

2008-09-16T20:32:00.005-06:00

I wanted to post our Best Week Ever!! I probably need to add so far, as it has only been since March that I have been shopping using Grocery Smarts.

2 Home Erasers @ $1.19 each, 5 Clorox Wipes FREE, 6 409 cleaners @ $2 each, 3 Clorox bleach FREE, 7 Quaker Simple Harvest oatmeal's @ $.50 each, 20 Quaker Instant oatmeal's @ $.50 each, 3 Quaker Oatmeal To Go Bars @ $.95 each, 4 Purina Wholesome Medley dog food 7.5 lbs @ $3.99 each, 2 Clorox hard surface cleaners @ $1.25 each, 1 Cantaloupe $1.30, Green Beans $1.46

Total Spent $50.33

Total Saved $188.58

As you can see I am NOT the one who bought ALL the Electrasol before 6 am on Wednesday morning!

And NO we will not be eating oatmeal for every meal for the next year. That is what I love about this awesome way to shop. I stock up on things that our family WILL eat when they are at the most awesome price, that way we will have them around until they go on sale again. By using multiple coupons (see my side bar for multiple coupon offers) I am able to stock up on tons of food which allows enough for consumption AND food storage.

FYI: Manufacturers generally put products on sale once every three months and they usually put a coupon out about a month before the sale.

Helping Others

2008-09-09T13:22:00.003-06:00

Coupon Moms are joining together to help orphans!

Did you know you can help orphans simply by shopping at Albertsons?! A fellow bargain-hunting-coupon-loving mom co-founded One Heart Bulgaria , an organization in aid of 22 Bulgarian orphanages. Bulgaria is a little-known country with one of the highest orphan rates in all of Europe. You can help support this effort and the Bulgarian orphans simply by registering your Albertsons Preferred Savings Card under One Heart Bulgaria. Once you do this, Albertsons will donate 4% of your eligible savings to One Heart Bulgaria in addition to giving you your own usual discounts and savings. It only takes a few minutes, here's what you do:

1.) Go to: https://shop.albertsons.com/eCommerceWeb/CommunityAction.do?action=beginCommunity (or copy and paste into your browser)

2.) click on the "Albertsons community partners" logo on the right hand side

3.) select the "shoppers" option

3.) login by using your preferred card number and the phone number your card is registered under

4.) click on "my account" on the right side of the page

5.) enter the ID # 49001013666 and select "add a partner"

Now, in this small way, whenever you buy food for yourself you will also be putting food in the belly of an orphan and love in their hearts.

Win Win

2008-09-03T17:54:00.008-06:00

Box Top Sale at Albertsons this week is a win win situation. You save money on products you and your family will use and your schools earn cash! Here is how it works:

-Save $5 instantly when you buy ANY 10 participating General Mills Products PLUS earn 20 Bonus Box Tops for Education that print out on a store certificate.

-Get $5 off your next shopping trip when you buy $20 worth of participating Kimberly-Clark Products, coupon and Box Top Certificate will print at check out.

When looking at the items on sale always remember that it is not a good idea to stock up on 3 star or less items.

Here is what we got today:

10 Sun Maid Raisin 6 pack @$.50 each (RC), 5 Totino Pizza rolls @ $.50 each (RC), 4 Hormel Compleats @ $1.50 each, 6 Old El Paso Enchilada sauce @ $.50 each, 6 Pillsbury Sweet Rolls-Variety- @$.50 each, 6 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls @ $.50 each, 3 Betty Crocker Muffin Mix @ $1.05 each. 4 Nature Valley Granola Bars @ $.90 each, 6 General Mills cereal @ $1 Each, 1 Scott Bath Tissue FREE, 1 Real Living Magazine (a girls got to read!) $4.95, 7 Dove Extra Hold Hairspray FREE, 1 Portfolio folder $.10, 1 Lbs sliced Pepper Jack cheese $3.45, 1 Lbs sliced Marble Jack cheese $3.35

Total Spent: $51.82

Total Saved $129.86

Making my day happy PRICELESS!

To learn more about Box Tops and how they help your childs schools go to this website.

Last Minute Shopping

2008-09-02T18:43:00.003-06:00

Today I went out for some last minute shopping before the sales change tomorrow. (The stores where getting ready for the new sale tomorrow and I can't wait to see what the red star items will be Click Here for a sneak peek!)

4 Hormel Compleats @ $1.50 each, 8 Scott Bath Tissue FREE, 3 Smart Rinse Listerine @ $2.50 each

Total Spent: $12.95

Total Saved: $32.03

Do you have......

2008-08-31T17:44:00.001-06:00

I am looking for the coupons for Hormel Compleats meals, SS 8/17. I would be willing to trade another coupon for as many of these ones as I can get. I will be glad to pick them up from you! Email me at theobsessiveshoper@live.com. And yes, shopper is spelt wrong, so much for being obsessive!

You Are What You Eat

2008-08-27T10:54:00.003-06:00

I had a question asked of me this week that has really been on my mind. At a class on Monday one gal asked me what we eat. I told her we try to eat semi-vegetarian. What I mean by that is that when I cook I try to only have meat every other day. We eat a lot of veggies and fruit. Cheese and milk for cereal are the basis of our dairy but not consumed in huge amounts. Truthfully some weeks we eat better than others. It depends on the work load at home, the places we need to be each night and/or my mood!

I love trying new foods and recipes-I hate repeating meals and especially having left overs. When I cook I like to try to please everyone without cooking seven separate meals, however this is almost impossible so to make it justifiable in my mind I try to customize my cooking for my family making someones favorite one day and another's the next. I want our family to cut down on processed foods and meats so instead of start World War 3 I just settle with vegetarian every other night or at least twice a week. (I sometimes just pick the meat out of my food or I don't have that piece of steak that everyone else is enjoying.)

I guess the reason I am sharing this is to tell all of you out there that you know your families best and you must be able to choose for yourselves what to feed your families. I am lucky I don't have very picky eaters and my husband is extremely supportive and rarely complains over our food choices. He told me once he really doesn't feel like he can complain since he doesn't do the cooking as long as he is fed he is happy! (I know his least favorites and I do try to keep those choices to a minimum just to be nice.)

I will share with you a few things that have really helped me in meal preparation but please feel free to do what works best for you:

Keep a list of favorite meals in a note book, recipe book, white board etc... when your in a pinch you can always start there to decide what to make. I broke mine down into categories like: Meatless, Beef, Chicken, Pork.
Stock up on the things that you need to make these meals. I love, love, love this Excel worksheet from the website foodstoragemadeeasy.net it helps with breaking the meals down, giving you an idea on what you need to store for 3 months.
Instead of planning meals then looking for what is on sale I look at what is on sale or in my pantry and ask, "What can I make with that?" I use websites like Kraft, Food Network (my favs are Ellie Kreiger and Robin Miller), Family Fun and Betty Crocker as well as Google.
I never plan what we will have on a certain day, something always comes up or maybe we (I) don't feel like Italian that night. Instead I just make a list, usually on the back of my shopping list, of meal ideas for the week. I make sure I have all the ingredients to make the meals then plug them in when I can. I only plan about 5-6 meals to make room for left over night(sometimes you just can't avoid the dreaded lefter night!) or eating out.

I hope this helps someone out there. If you have some tips that help your family please share!

I guess if it is true you are what you eat then I would say our family has multiple personality disorder!

Smelling Twice as Nice

2008-08-22T11:49:00.004-06:00

Thanks to another Obsessive Shopper, Megan, telling me about this deal we can all have sweet smelling homes and fatter wallets!

At Wal-Mart Regular Price $4.13, with the coupon found in SS 8/3, $4 off one regular Plug-In, Expires 9/13/08

With the savings and the product your home will be smelling twice as nice!

Thanks Megan.

If any of you ever see a great deal like this let us know. You can email me or you can post it as a comment.

Focus on Food Storage

2008-08-22T11:06:00.004-06:00

This week I noticed a lot of items on sale that would be wonderful for food storage. I did not want to overwhelm you all but I also don't want to make the decision on what was useful for your families. I decided to just highlight the food storage products on sale this week at Macey's. These items are most likely useful for your long term storage. If you are faint hearted and get overwhelmed easy, take a deep breath and just keep in mind your personal budget and the items your family uses.

Please go to the store list and look for other items that would be great with food storage. I am only showing you the items that are 4 or more stars, which means they are a great buy for Maceys.

I asked my friends at Food Storage Made Easy to help give suggestions regarding this sale.
This was their suggestion:

We would probably suggest for "beginners" to look at the following items:
-Morning Moo's Wheat 45 lb. Pail hard Red or White (3 star, but very necessary - red has a stronger taste, most people prefer white in breads)
-Morning Moo's Rolled Oats Quick or Regular 50 lb. Bag (4 star and versatile)
-Morning Moo's Vital Wheat Gluten 27 oz (4 star and great for helping make bread fluffier)
-Morning Moo's Corn Meal 72 oz. (4 star and can be used in a lot of recipes)
-Saf-Instant Yeast 16 oz. (4 star - for the bread)
-WF Sugar 25 lb. (4 star - for the bread)

We have found the first place people tend to start is figuring out how to make bread at least. You could sustain yourself for not much money with ingredients for bread. For people who are more experienced and have more of the basic needs covered, there are a lot of other food storage items such as: freeze dried fruits and veggies, potato gems, sour cream powder, honey power, egg whites, dry milk.

If you don't know what your families long term needs are I suggest you visit this awesome post be sure to watch the video it is very helpful! Thanks Julie for your help!

Freebies 8-20 thru 8-26

2008-08-20T10:41:00.003-06:00

Albertsons

*****
Ken’s Lite Accents Salad Dressing Spray, 7 oz.
2.00
Ken’s Lite Accents Salad Dressing Spray, any 7 oz. $2/1 (9-30-08) SS-8/3
FREE

*****
Beech-Nut Stage 1 Cereal, 8 oz
.40
Beech-Nut Cereal Product, any $1/1 (9-30-08) SS-6/15
FREE

*****
Powerade 32 oz.
.69
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8 and SS-7/13
FREE

Harmons

*****
Powerade, 32 oz
.79
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8 and SS-7/13
FREE

*****
Pert Plus "With Botanical Extracts" 2 in 1 shampoo, 13.5 oz (**Careful, We're not sure if "With Botanical extracts" is included in the sale)
2.50
Pert Plus with Botanical Extracts Shampoo Plus Conditioner, any excluding trial size $3/1 (8-31-08) SS-6/29
FREE

Maceys

*****
Powerade 32 oz.
.69
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8 Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 oz. or 32 oz. bottle $1/1 (11-30-08) SS-7/13
FREE

Reams

*****
Powerade 32 oz. assorted drinks
.60
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8 and SS-7/13
FREE

Oh Happy Shopping Day

2008-08-13T22:04:00.004-06:00

Here are the details from today's shopping.

Albertsons

5 Jolly Time Better Butter Popcorn $.20 each (the store did not allow us to use all of our coupons and have an overage on this one :(, 5 Kraft BBQ Sauce $.50 each, 2 Lipton Dry soups $1 each, 2 Wisk Laundry Detergent $1.75 each, 2 Bertolli Frozen Entrees $3 each, 4 Cottenelle Toilet Tissue $5.24 each, Bounty Paper Towels $3.99, 16 Yoplait yogurts $.35 each, 1.87 lbs Grapes $1.83

Total Spent: $51.54

Total Saved $62.10

Extra, Extra II

2008-08-13T11:14:00.003-06:00

This was a bonus week in the Sunday paper. We had two Smart Source books a Red Plum and a General Mills book. You will see the code for the General Mills book like this GM 8/10.

Treats for your 72 Hour kits

2008-08-09T09:17:00.000-06:00

This week you can pick up bags of Life Savers Candy for $.75 a bag after coupon at Albertson's. I like to put these in each of my 72 hour kits. Let me explain why, it gives me a good reason to rotate my kits. You may ask why, this is what I do (at least try to do). At conference time we pull out our 72 kits and update them, check expiration dates, etc. To get the family involved I let them eat the candy that I packed the last time and replace it with the new stuff. This way everyone wants to help and we can see what we have, need and update.

Check this website, Foodstoragemadeeasy.com out for more ideas on how to make a 72 hour kit and to rotate and store them.

Shopping Day

2008-08-08T08:43:00.004-06:00

Albertsons

4 Jolly Time Popcorn's FREE, 2 Curves Cereal @ $1.25 each, *Tide Detergent $7.49, 4 Kraft BBQ Sauce @ $.50 each, 6 *Pringles @ $.75 each, 3 *Puffs Tissues @ $.50 each, 4 Softsoap handsoap @ &.65 each, 8 Lifesavers @ $.75 each, 2 pkgs Grip pens (not shown) $1, 2 pkgs Wheat Pita Bread @ $1.50 each (not shown), 90 ct corn totillas (going to seperate and freeze) $ 2.49

Total Spent $36.26

Total Saved $61.38

*Bottom Line prince includes a $5 coupon toward our next shopping trip

Smith's

8 Malt-O-Meal Cereals FREE, 2.13 lbs of red grapes $2.13, 2 Pampers Jumbo Diapers @ $7.99 each, 4 Pampers Easy Ups @ $7.99 each, 6 loaves Grandma Sycamore Wheat bread @ $1.50 each,

Total Spent $61.61

Total Saved $61.33

Come see me at the Cache County Fair!

2008-08-07T01:06:00.001-06:00

This weekend I will be at the Cache County Fair with a booth just for teaching people how to save money on their groceries and household items.

Come visit and enter a drawing for $100 in free groceries. Sign up to be a hostess and enter twice!

I can't wait to see you all there.

Freebies August 6-12

2008-08-06T22:10:00.001-06:00

Here is the list of free items this week:

Albertson's

*****
Powerade 32 oz.
.69
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8 and SS-7/13
FREE

*****
Bic Round or Classic stick pens, 10 ct
.50
1.00 off 2 Printable at Group A print it twice
Free

****
Rubbermaid Produce Saver 5 cup
3.00
In-ad manufacturer's coupon: Buy 1, get a FREE Rubbermaid TakeAlongs 3-4 pack
3.00 + free item

*****
Jolly Time Popcorn, 3 pack (to make the most of this freebie follow the instructions on the list regarding the Mega Sale. This coupon used in conjunction with the Mega Sale creates an overage of 50 cents you can use on the other items*)1.00/.50
1.00 off 1 Printable at this link
Free

Smith's

*****
Promo: Buy 4 bags of these cereals, get $4 off instantly Limit: 8 Bags Malt O Meal Cereal: "21 oz Marshmallow Mateys", "22.5 oz Tootie Fruties", "25.5 oz Golden Puffs", 27 oz Frosted Mini Spooners"
2.00/1.00
1.00 off 1 printables at this link and this link **Don't Photocopy printable coupons, it's fraud and you can be prosecuted!
Free

Harmon's

*****
Powerade, 32 oz
.59
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8 and SS-7/13
Free

*****
-All month long- Pert Plus "With Botanical Extracts" 2 in 1 shampoo, 13.5 oz (**Careful, We're not sure if "With Botanical extracts" is included in the sale)
2.50
Pert Plus with Botanical Extracts Shampoo Plus Conditioner, any excluding trial size $3/1 (8-31-08) SS-6/29
Free

Macey's

*****
Powerade 32 oz.
.79
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8 and SS-7/13
Free

Ream's

*****
Powerade Energy Drinks 32 oz.
.69
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8 and SS-7/13
FREE

*Subject to store policies

Extra, Extra

2008-08-06T11:50:00.003-06:00

In this Sunday's paper there was an extra book of coupons from Kellogg's. This is what it looked like:

If you haven't already pulled it out be sure to do so before you send your papers out for recycling. I am going to file this on in my fourth hanging file folder with Sunday's date on it. It will show on the lists as KLG. If you don't have a clue what I am talking about go to this post for an explaination or email me to schedule a sit down where I can explain it all to you!

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

2008-07-31T11:03:00.004-06:00

Okay, so I am going to be very real with you all today. We are having serious storage problems. The problem lies with the fact that most of my family's earthly belongings are combined with my parents' in the storage room actually meant for food. Now that we are stocking up on food and household items our shelves are literally spilling over. My goal is in the next few weeks to get these shelves organized with a tracking system of sorts for our food storage. I am sharing this with you all today hoping some of you may have some suggestions, sympathy or a good laugh at my expense.

The GOOD

It's like going to the store I love it!

The BAD

There is no rhyme or reason, but at least everything is on the shelf, well, except the two boxes on the the floor!

The UGLY

Seriously do I have to say more?

If your storage situation is worse or nearly perfect then mine email your picture I may have a reward for you!

I can't wait to hear your comments.

Happy Shopping

2008-07-30T22:59:00.002-06:00

This week I decided not to go shopping for a couple reasons, I'm going out of town and most of the great deals are repeats from last week. This is one of the great things about having my pantry so full -I don't have to shop every week.

I would love for you all to comment on a great deal you found this week and if you want you can email me the pictures with the total spent and saved I would be happy to upload them on the blog.

Happy Shopping!

Free Classes in St. George Area UPDATED

2008-07-28T08:48:00.005-06:00

It's not too late if you would like to meet with me Friday afternoon or Saturday afternoon in St. George or Hurricane please call me. (visit this site for my phone number)

I had so many responses from the the St. George Area that I decided I would come myself and teach as many of you as I can this Friday and Saturday. I will be giving each hostess a hanging file box ready to store your coupons and for every 5 mom's at the class the hostess will also receive a $15 gift card. If you are interested in hosting or coming to a class please call me (click the link for my number) or email me ASAP!

If you can not come to a class with me this weekend please let me know and we will get you set up with the other teacher that is coming August 15th and 16th.

This is a wonderful opportunity for yourself, Enrichment Groups, Mom's Groups, family and friends.

Comments

2008-07-25T23:26:00.001-06:00

See what people are saying about saving money and using the method I teach for FREE!

Feel free to post your success story here too!
*By posting your comment you are giving me permission to use your story in my classes or in emails

Rice Recipes

2008-07-24T15:35:00.000-06:00

So for the fun of it I am posting a few of my favorite recipes using rice with a request that you will post your favorites in the comment section. Feel free to post as many as you want.

From previous posts click here.

And I found these too.

Rice and Black Bean Bake

1 15 oz can black beans rinsed
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 8 oz jar picante sauce
2 cups cooked rice
1 8 oz sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a bowl combine first four, stir in rice, sour cream, 1 cup cheese. Transfer to a greased 13x9 baking dish sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake uncovered @ 350 for 20 minutes.

Rice and Meds

2008-07-23T17:44:00.000-06:00

This week's Food Storage spotlight is rice and Medication. This is a good week to pick up these two items if you have the coupons that go along with them.

We paid $2.15 for each of the rice shown here and $.50 for each bottle of Advil shown.

Rice Recommendations: Rice falls in the long term storage for grains. It is recommended that you store 55 lbs of rice per person for 12 months. I like to vary the kinds of rice I store. Some of my favorites are Basmati (long and fragrant) , Botan (short and sticky), Minute Rice Brown Rice (easier than traditional brown rice and better for you), and of course the traditional long grain.

Medication Recommendations: This will be personal for each family. I would suggest looking at what you use on a monthly basis and try to get as much as you can to stock up. This may be difficult for prescriptions using insurance. If that is your case then try to keep a list with the amount and the family members who use them handy, with a copy stored in your 72 hour kits also.

Another non traditional method for medications is becoming educated about herbal remedies and aromatherapy. For more information about essential oils visit this website. You can Also view this quick instructional document I put together for you all here.

Saving Money Is So Fun!

2008-07-23T13:26:00.005-06:00

We got all of this for $89.21!

Smith's

4 Betty Crocker Cookie Pouches $.50 each, 4 boxes Kelloggs Rice Crispies with Strawberries FREE, 2 Lysol Kitchen Cleaner $1 each, 2 Lysol Bathroom Cleaner $1 each, 4 Soft Scrub $1.50 each, 3 Pledge Furniture Cleaner $1.50 each, 1 Kraft Velveeta Cheese $2.79, 1 Kraft Parmesan $4.29, 7 Advil 20-24 count gel caps $.50 each, 4 Skintimate shave cream $.95 each, 2 Meadow Gold Whipping Cream $.99 each, Rolls $1.99, Deli Shaved Honey Ham $3,

Total Spent $40.80

Total Saved $84.45

Coupons from register for next shopping trip $2.00 (courtesy of Pledge)

Albertsons

5 Purina Healthful Life Cat Food FREE, 6 Lucky Charms $1.00 each, 2 Nilla Wafers $3.49 each, 1 LBS Bananas FREE, 6 *Windex Cleaner $.49 each, 5 Wonder Rice $2.15 each, 2 Toaster Strudels $.50 each, 4 Toaster Strudels $1 each, 5 Reeses Puff Cereal $1.00 each, 2 Kix Cereal $.75 each, 2 Lemons $1.78, 4 bags mini carrots $3.98, Watermelon $3.25, 2 Cantaloupes $2.31

Total Spent $48.41

Total Saved $114.37

Coupons from register for next shopping trip $2.00 (courtesy of Post)

*Bottom line price includes 3 $1.50 off coupons for our next purchase)

How I Organize My Coupons

2008-07-17T09:25:00.001-06:00

I've gotten this question a lot lately. So for those of you who are wondering if I take hours cutting and filing coupons you would be sorely mistaken. When the Sunday paper comes I take the coupon books out write Sunday's date on the front and put them in a hanging file folder. That is it! You're now asking where will I know to find the coupons I want to use? That is where the Grocery Smarts website comes in. On the website when I choose the store I want to shop at a list will come up matching the store ad with the manufacturers coupons.

You will see something like this:

**** Tide 40 load $5.99 Tide 40 load or larger $1/1 $4.99
RP 4/15 (Expires 7/15)

The stars mean that it is an awesome price and that if I can stocking up on this item would be ideal. Five to Four stars are awesome, Three to Two are comparable to a good regular price.

The item from the store ad will be noted next.

The sale price is then listed.

Then the coupon description and where to find it listed. I have four hanging file folders labeled for each of the coupon book companies and for misc. coupons from magazines, the Internet, stores, mailings, etc..

RP= Red Plum
SS= Smart Source
PG= Procter and Gamble

The last column is for the end price with coupon and other applicable discounts.

On my shopping day I print out the shopping list from the website. I look at what is on sale and ask myself, "Does our family use this?" I write next to the item on the list the amount I intend on getting then I circle the coupon code if there is one. I can usually do this while the kids are eating or while I'm on the phone. Then I just grab the coupon books by date, from my hanging file folders, look for the coupon I need, cut them out, and put them in a page protector (like for reports or scrapbooking), "shopping sleeve", with my list, shove it in my purse and go shopping when it is convienent for me. You can see a PDF file that explains this by clicking here. I toss the old coupon books out when the date reaches five months. By then everything in them has expired. I am sorry if you are disappointed about the simplicity of the system. That is the point though, to make it easy and not take all my time. Don't we all have better things to do?

Hopefully this helps if you still have questions feel free to email me or comment on the post.

Making the most of this blog

2008-07-16T16:25:00.003-06:00

To make it easier to get right to business I moved these instructions from the top of the blog into a post all to itself. Now you wont have to scroll down forever. But just in case you are new this is also a great intro to the blog and its features.

Welcome to my blog! I am so excited to share with you the things that I am doing to; Save Money, Build food storage, and Have fun while grocery shopping using this website. Here are a few things to help you get the most of the blog:

Labels:
Comments-Comments, success stories, connecting with other obsessive shoppers. To post a comment go to the Comment post here.

Exchange-Here you can request or look for coupons to exchange with other shoppers. You will have to contact one another.

Food Storage-Look here for various ideas on how to build your food storage as will as links and recommendations.

Freebies-Need I say more?

Fun Stuff-Because I am obsessive I have to throw some fun in the mix to stay grounded. I am not sure what this will be but I am sure it will be fun!

Great Buy-My favorite great buy of the week. Usually under $1

Info- Find updated information, contact info, etc.

Q and A-Here you will find answers to questions that I have been asked. To ask me a question email me here. I will post your question with an answer as well as email you personally.

Recipes-Every once in a while I would like to post a recipe that can be used with sale items for the week.

Savings-This will be a representation of the products bought and what I saved and spent.

Appointment Book:
At the bottom you will see my appointment book if you would like me to teach you how I am having all this fun with shopping feel free to set up an appointment. Scheduled appointments will be shown in red. The ochre-yellow color are the available or pending times I have. Just click on the date you want, fill in the info and your on the books! You can even invite guests by email right from the appointment page. If you don't see a date that works for you email me or call me and we will come up with a time that works best for the both of us. I promise I will make it worth your time!

Newsletter:
A free newsletter is sent out each Friday to keep you updated on my most recent posts. You will find the sign up in the side bar.

Instructional Quickies:
Video instructions and How too's COMING SOON!!

Movie Ticket Update

2008-07-12T09:08:00.003-06:00

I have been getting a lot of questions about the movie tickets. (see these posts http://thecrazyshopper.blogspot.com/2008/07/rockin-savings.html, http://thecrazyshopper.blogspot.com/2008/07/free-movie-tickets.html I just learned something really awesome especially for you who do not have a theater in your area. (Cache Valley etc..) If you have gone to the Fandango Site and entered your zip code and there are no theaters in your area there is an Option 2 that you can use. You click Option 2, fill out a form and Fandango will send you in 7-10 business days a $25 Visa gift card that you can use at your local theater!

Freebies July 9-15

2008-07-11T15:18:00.000-06:00

Albertson's

The General Mills sale is purchase 10 participating items get two free movie tickets (to learn more about this deal visit my posts here and here). When you calculate the value of the movie tickets as a savings on these products there are a few that end up making you money! Visit the complete list for more great prices.

*****
Fruity Cheerios, 10.7 - 12.25 oz
1.99
.75 off 1 printable at Group A print it twice
-.16
*****
Cheerios (Select Varieties), 10.7 - 18.25 oz
1.99
Cheerios, Frosted, Fruity, Apple Cinnamon, or Yogurt Burst .75/1 (8-2-08) SS-6/22
-.16

*****
Nature Valley bars, 5.3 - 8.9 oz
1.99
.60 off 1 printable at Group A print it twice
-.01
*****
Curves bars, 5.3 - 8.9 oz
1.99
.75 off 1 printable at Group A print it twice
-.16

*****
Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad, 4.6 - 7.75 oz
1.49
Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad Mixes, any flavor .50/2 (Expires: 7-12-08) SS1-5/18 and SS-6/29
-.16
*****
Pop Secret Popcorn, 3 pack
1.49
Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn, any flavor/variety boxes .50/2 (8-23-08) SS-6/29
-.16
*****
Chex Mix, 8 - 8.75 oz
1.49
Chex Mix, any flavor 4.5 oz. or larger or 100 Calorie Chex Mix .50/1 (8-9-08) SS-6/15
-.41
*****
Chex Mix, 8 - 8.75 oz
1.49
$1/1 printable coupon at this link.
-.91 (that is almost a dollar extra toward your other groceries!)

*****
Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad, 4.6 - 7.75 oz
1.49
.40 off 1 printable at this link
-.31
*****
Hamburger Helper (Or Tuna, or Chicken)
1.49
1.00 off 3 printable at this link
-.23
*****
Hamburger Helper (Or Tuna, or Chicken)
1.49
Hamburger, Tuna, or Chicken Helper Home Cooked Skillet Meals, any flavor .75/3 (8-2-08) SS-6/8
-.16

Below are items that you buy then get something free. Use your discretion when purchasing things this way. It may not be the best deal. It all depends on the price of the item that you are buying.

****
Buy 5 Dannon Frusion Smoothies 10 oz.
5/5.00
Free item: Dannon DanActive drink 4 ct.
5/5.00 + free DanActive

****
Buy 2 Jell-O Fruit Passions refrigerated gelatin, 19-24 oz.
2/6.00
Free item: Cool Whip aerosol topping 7 oz.Manufacturers coupon: Jell-O Fruit Passions, any .75/1 (7-31-08) SS2-5/18
2/4.50 + free Cool Whip

****
Buy 2 Jell-O refrigerated Rice Pudding, 19-24 oz.
2/6.00
Free item: Cool Whip aerosol topping 7 oz.Manufacturers coupon: Jell-O Rice Pudding Snacks, any .75/1 (8-31-08) SS-6/1
2/4.50 + free Cool Whip

****
Buy 2 Jell-O refrigerated Dark Chocolate pudding, 19-24 oz.
2/6.00
Free item: Cool Whip aerosol topping 7 oz.Manufacturers coupon: Jell-O Dark Chocolate Pudding Snacks, any .50/1 (8-31-08) SS-6/1
2/4.50 + free Cool Whip

***
Buy 2 KoolAid Jammers 10 pack
2/4.00
Free item: Nabisco Carry Me Packs 2 oz.
2/4.00 + free Nabisco

***
Buy 2 Albertsons drink mixes or packets (See ad)
2/5.00
Free item: Spring! water 6 pack
2/5.00 + free water

***
Buy 2 Barilla Pasta sauce 26 oz.
2/5.00
Free item: Barilla pasta 16 oz.
2/5.00 + free pasta

***
Buy 2 Bulls-Eye BBQ sauce,18 oz.
2/4.00
Free item: Albertsons Pork & Beans, 31 oz.
2/4.00 + free beans

***
Buy 2 Hershey's candy 10.5-17.25 oz.
2/5.00
Free item: "A coupon at checkout for a FREE box of movie theater candy, up to 1.00"
2/5.00 + free candy

***
Buy 2 Kraft salad dressing 24 oz.
2/6.00
Free item: Albertsons croutons, 6 oz.Manufacturers coupon: Kraft Salad Dressings, any .75/2 (7-16-08) SS-6/15
2/5.25 + free croutons

***
Buy 2 McCormick Grill Mates seasonings
2/5.00
Free item: MCormick Grill Mates marinade pouch Manufacturers coupon: McCormick Grill Mates Blend, Marinade or Spice Rub, any .25/1 (8-31-08) RP-5/4
2/4.50 + free marinade

****
Buy 2 Oroweat Bread: "100% Stoneground", "Health Nut", "Whole Grain & Oat", or "Whole Grain & Flax bread" 24oz.
2/5.00
Free item: Albertsons grape jelly or jam 32 oz.Manufacturers coupon: .40/1 printable at this link.
2/4.20 + free jam

**
Buy 2 Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn: "6 ct. regular" or "10 ct. mini"
2/7.98
Free item: Crunch 'n Munch - chocolate, regular, or caramel, 4 oz.
2/7.98 + free snack

***
Buy 2 Pam Cooking Spray, 5-6 oz.
2/7.00
Free item: Van Camp's Pork & Beans, 15 oz.
2/7.00 + free beans

***
Buy 2 Sara Lee Classic white or wheat hot dog or hamburger buns, 8 ct.
2/5.00
Free item: Albertsons potato chips, 11 oz. Watch for possible in store manufacturers coupon near the buns
2/5.00 + free chips

***
Buy 1 Maxwell House ground coffee, 33-39 oz.
8.99
Free item: Coffee-Mate creamer, 15 oz.Manufacturers coupon .75/1 printable at this link.
8.24 + free creamer

***
Buy 2 DiGiorno Ultimate pizza
2/12.00
Free item: Albertsons ice cream, 1.75 qt.
2/12.00 + free ice cream

***
Buy 3 Eggo Pancakes or Muffin Tops
3/6.00
Free item: Welch's grape juice, 11.5 oz.
3/6.00 + free juice

***
Buy 4 El Monterey Quesadillas, 12 oz.
4/10.00
Free item: Tio Pepe's Churros, 6 oz.
4/10.00 + free Churros

***
Buy 2 Healthy Choice Panini 6 oz.
2/5.00
Free item: Healthy Choice soup, 15 oz. Manufacturers coupon: $1/2 printable at this link.
2/5.00 + free soup

***
Buy 2 Old Orchard Premium Pomegranate Blends, 12 oz.
2/5.00
Free item: Albertsons frozen waffles ,12.3 oz.
2/5.00 + free waffles

***
Buy 3 Rosetto Ravioli or Tortellini or Steam 'n Eat Ravioli, 18-25 oz.
3/10.00
Free item: Pepperidge Farm Texas Toast, 11.25 oz.Manufacturers coupon: $1/1 printable at this link.
3/8.00 + free toast
*****
Buy 1 Easy Off BAM 24 oz.
2.99
Free item: Easy Off Oven Cleaner, 16 oz.Manufacturers coupon: Easy-Off BAM Product, any $1/1 (7-13-08) SS2-5/18
1.99 + free Oven cl.
****
Buy 1 Easy Off BAM 24 oz.
2.99
Free item: Easy Off Oven Cleaner, 16 oz.Manufacturers coupon: Easy-Off Bam Product, any .75/1 (8-24-08) SS-6/29
2.24 + free Oven cl.
****
Buy 1 Easy Off BAM 24 oz.
2.99
Free item: Easy Off Oven Cleaner, 16 oz.Manufacturers coupon: .50/1 printable at this link.
2.49 + free Oven cl.
****
Buy 2 Windex Glass cleaner, 26 oz.
2/4.00
Free item: Homelife Awesome paper towels, 60 ct. roll
2/4.00 + free towels

Smith's

*****
Powerade, 32 oz
.69
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8
Free

*****
Oral-B Advantage Toothbrush
1.00
Oral-B Pulsar, CrossAction, Advantage Toothbrush, any $1/1 (7-31-08) P&G-7/6
Free

Maceys

*****
Powerade 32 oz.
.69
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8
Free

Reams

*****
Powerade 32 oz. assorted
.60
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8
FREE

Food storage that is not food?

2008-07-09T14:21:00.006-06:00

My food storage spotlight this week is not food. I really don't know what to call it but really I want to be clean if disaster strikes or if financial stress creeps up don't you?

The Proctor and Gamble sale at Smith's the week is really great! Here is an example of what we got:

2-Oral-B Advantage Sensitive toothbrushes FREE, 4-Oral-B Advantage toothbrushes FREE, 6-Oral-B Stages toothbrushes, $.50 each, Crest Pro Health Night Time toothpaste $.94, 5 Crest Pro Health clean mint toothpaste $.94 each, 12 Old Spice High Endurance AP &D $.79 each (Christmas present for Grandpa!), 6 Secret AP & D $.79 each, 6 Herbal Essence shampoo and conditioner $.50 each.

Total Spent: $26.91

Total Saved: $87.02

Rockin' Savings!

2008-07-09T10:39:00.005-06:00

I am finally coming down from my excitement this morning! I don't usually go early but this morning was the only time me and my shopping partner, my mom, could go together so at 7:30 AM we ventured out. Our first stop today was Albertson's. I posted a preview of the sale yesterday explaining the details, go here if you haven't read it. Let me just say that if you do not plan on going to a movie before August 31st be wise as you decide what to buy, the bottom line prices on the list reflect the savings from the movie tickets! Also please check BEFORE you go shopping for a theater near you or in an area that you plan on visiting soon. You can check for locations here. Oh, and one more thing, the tickets are for ANY new release movie, not just Batman.

I am just going to post the total's and not take a picture because it would take me hours to stage a photo with the amount of stuff we bought today!

8 Toaster strudels
4 Betty Crocker Muffin mix
1 Albertson's sour cream
7 Betty Crocker Brownie Supreme mix
10 Bisquick Shake and Pour
16 Fruit Snack Variety
10 Nature Valley Granola Bars
3 Go-Gurts (I freeze these it makes a great on the go breakfast and is less messy frozen!)
2 Trix yogurt
4 Pop-Secret microwave popcorn
5 Minute Rice ready to serve
2 Chex mix
5 Betty Crocker Warm Delights (these are good for the bad days when you need something chocolate and know you will eat a whole pan of brownies yourself if your not careful!)
3 red peppers

Total Spent: $124.56
*Total Saved: $209.21
*includes $98 worth of movie tickets which is 7 vouchers with a conservative value of $14 a piece (7 vouchers with a maximum value of $25.50 would actually be a savings just in tickets of $178.50 which works out be $12.75 a ticket)

We got a voucher for 2 free movie tickets for every 10 items that we bought that where included in the sale. We did not have to go through the line in separate transactions.

-A tip on the tickets: You can purchase the tickets in advance not just for the day of. Once you choose a theater you can then select the day on the drop down menu.

Free Movie Tickets

2008-07-08T18:30:00.004-06:00

I am so excited about this deal! So here is the scoop: Between July 9th through July 15th, Buy 10 participating General Mills items, get a code on your receipt for 2 Free movie tickets on Fandango for any NEWLY RELEASED movies of your choice! If are already planning on going to a movie this is an awesome deal!

Click here for the Albertson's shopping list with participating items.

I've had questions about how this list appears. If you were to take in account that the movie tickets cost you either $7 for an adult or $5 for a child (this is general assumption it could be more or less but to make things easy I will stick with these amounts), you are getting 2 free which is either a $14 value or a $10 value. The list shows the deals calculated as if you where getting a ticket for $7 or $5 a piece. Like this:

***** Bisquick Baking Mix, 20 oz 1.49 N/A 1.49
$7/ticket, cost is .09 ea
$5/ticket, cost is .49 ea

***** Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad, 1.49 Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad Mixes,

1.24 4.6 - 7.75 oz any flavor .50/2 (Expires7/12/08) SS1-5/18 and SS-6/29

$7/ticket, cost is -.16 ea

$5/ticket, cost is .24 ea

Now lets break down the first item (remember you can mix and match you just have to buy 10 total participating items) which is Bisquick Baking Mix, 20 oz on sale for $1.49. I buy 10 (just to make it easy to explain here) and pay $14.90, at the register I get a code for 2 movie tickets, I am going on a date with my man, I would typically pay $14 for the two of us right? Well, if I take the $14 movie ticket value and subtract it from the $14.90 (plus tax I guess we better mention that) then I would have gotten the Bisquick for .90 or .09 cents a box.

Now lets say you have a coupon for one of the items on the sale. Lets look at the Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad, 4.6 - 7.75 oz on sale for $1.49, with coupon costs $1.24, I buy 10 for a total of $12.40, subtract my ticket value at $14, I got the salad for -$1.60! I made .16 cents a box. Cool huh?

Here are some important things to consider:

Movie tickets are good only through August 31st.
Only participating theaters. Check here, Fandango, with your zip code and or city to see if you have a theater in your area.
You will have to sign up for a free Fandango account, if you already have one you can use it.
If there is not a theater in your area will it be worth your gas and time to travel to the next closest town for a night out? (If I am already going to be in a town that has a theater that is participating I think it would be worth it for me)
I am not sure if you can get more than two tickets. (so before you buy 20 boxes of stuff ask at the customer service desk if you can get more than two)

Find Six Differences

2008-07-07T18:07:00.004-06:00

Free For All!

2008-07-05T12:22:00.000-06:00

Okay another cool feature I just discovered is the Free Items list. You can check it often for updates. What it is is a list of coupons for free items. These coupons simply say that the item is free. Since there is no need to use the coupon when the item is on sale, these coupons will work at any store. To limit redemption liability, manufacturers state a "Maximum price" on thier coupon ("Up to 4.49" -for example).To get the item free, make sure that your store's price really is under that amount.

Great tip for using the online lists

2008-07-04T00:14:00.000-06:00

I am so excited that I figured this feature out. Okay so say I want to see only the "good stuff" or the 4-5 star items, this is what you do.

Choose your store
Click the Start button in the top right of the page
Click the Star right about the Stock up scale
Click Shrink in the top right of the page

Now you can print or view only the 4-5 star items!

You can practice this by using this All In One list which shows all of the ads on the site.

Food Storage Items this week

2008-07-03T01:54:00.001-06:00

There are 2 things I would put in my food storage na sale this week. The first is Hershey's Chocolate Syrup Buy 2 Get 1 free which works out to be $4/3. Have you ever tried drinking reconstituded dry milk? This chocolate syrup will come in handy!

Second thing, this is more serious. It is water. At Albertson's you will be able to get Spring water 24 pack for $2.99, Smith's had Arrowhead 24 pack for $2.99 with a limit of 6. Here is what I know about water storage.

Want to know what the American Red Cross recomends? Click here

Freebies July 2-8

2008-07-02T11:49:00.004-06:00

Thanks to a great new feature on the website called ALL In One I can be a little more inclusive without working too hard! So here are this weeks freebies across the state:

Harmon's, Macey's, Associated Foods

*****
Powerade, 32 oz. bottle
.69
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8
Free

Harmon's

*****
Ken’s Salad Dressing, 16 oz
2.00
Ken’s Dressing, any 16 oz. or larger $2/1 (6-30-08) SS-5/4
Free

New Helpful Food Storage Site

2008-07-01T17:27:00.004-06:00

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with food storage? Are you afraid to start or don't know where to start? Have you felt that food storage is only for the "Big One" and that is a long way away?

I have felt these things at times too and let me just say that having a food storage brings so much peace and comfort. I know because I have had to use my food storage to feed my family three times in the last 4 years. I know the peace that comes when my children are hungry and all I have to so is go to the basement and pick something out to feed them with. I have seen other's struggle and suffer because a lack of food storage. Please start today even if you only budge $10 a month you will certainly be blessed as you set your intention and move forward!

Few......I will step down from the box now and let you know of a great website that just launched today. It was developed by two young moms trying to build their food storage using baby steps. To check it out go to http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/ Check out the side bar for more helpful food storage websites.

Freebies June 25-July 2

2008-06-25T20:33:00.002-06:00

I will always get the free items even if our family doesn't use them. If that is the case we either donate it to the food pantry or give it to someone who we know will use it.

Albertson's
*****
Buy 2 Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn 3 pack
3.00
Store Promo: Buy 2 Orville Reddenbacher popcorn, get 2 Albertsons 2 liters soda FREE. Also use 2 Manufacturers coupons: Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popping Corn, any 2-pack or larger, any variety .40/1 (6-30-08) SS1-5/18
2.20 + for 4 items

*****
Jet Puffed marshmallows 10-10.5 oz.
1.00/.75
**Buy 3, get a checkout voucher for 3.00 off your next shopping order. -Will only work once, so only buy 3. (Makes them free)
.75

*****
Chocolate clusters Honey Bunches of Oats 13-18 oz.
2.50/1.87
$2/1 printable coupon for Chocolate Honey Bunches of Oats at this link or this link.
Free

Lee's Market Place, Macey's, Associated Foods:
*****
Powerade 32 oz.
.50
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8
Free

Food Storage Items

2008-06-25T16:33:00.000-06:00

Here are two food storage items on sale this week. Click here and here for the stores.
Can you really ever have too much chocolate? I love having brownies on hand. You can try new recipes from the back of the boxes or search on the web. Here is the link to Betty Crocker for some great idea's on using your brownie mixes.

Pasta is a long term food storage staple. It is recommended that you have a total of 300 lbs of grains per person for 1 year, pasta counts in the grain category. Pasta's stored correctly can last up to 30 years! Click here for storage conditions and suggestions. I like to buy the kind of pasta's our family uses often. Click here for some recipes we like to use with pasta. Don't forget that the box of mac & cheese counts too!

Pasta Recipes

2008-06-25T09:50:00.000-06:00

Hamburger Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef
1 package egg noodles
1 med. onion chopped
1 tsp garlic powder or 1-2 cloves of garlic crushed
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom
1 soup can milk
6 oz sour cream
salt and pepper as desired
optional- 1 can mushrooms or fresh

Brown beef with onion, salt and pepper, garlic. Cook pasta following package directions. Add to the beef the soup, milk, and mushrooms. Simmer for 5-8 mins. Remove from heat and add sour cream.

Chicken Cashew Bow Tie Salad

1 cup red grapes sliced
3-4 cups cooked, cubed chicken (canned would work too)
12 oz bow tie pasta cooked and cooled
8 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 can chopped chestnuts, drained
1 cup chopped celery
2 green onions chopped
2/3 cup Craisins
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
Combine all the above them mix together:
8oz Coleslaw dressing
1/2 cup mayo
Stir in and let rest overnight. Right before serving add 1 small can of cashews.

Wanna Be Firehouse Pizza Pasta

1 package penne or other tube pasta
1-2 bottles Alfredo sauce(depending on how saucy you like it)
1-2 grilled chicken breasts sliced
4 slices of cooked bacon crumbled
2 green onions sliced
1 tomato chopped
2 cups of cheese-we like to use Cheddar and mozzarella
1 cup fresh or canned mushrooms

In a greased 9x11 pan layer cooked pasta, sauce, chicken, mushrooms, bacon, green onions, tomatoes, and cheese. Bake in oven at 350* 20-30 min or until cheese is melted and bubbly. I like to order Focaccia bread from Firehouse Pizzeria to go with this dish.

Say Thank You!

2008-06-24T13:06:00.000-06:00

When I first started shopping like this I was so amazed at how kind the store workers where to me. The checkers did not complain when they saw my pile of coupons. The stock people have always been courteous and willing to help me find the items on my list. I recommend making their day by saying thanks!

After one midnight run to Albertson's. I came home so appreciative to the night head checker. She made sure I got all the printed coupons I was trying for even when it was closing time. I think I was more frustrated and upset than her. I just kept thinking that she was probably so annoyed but she did not show it at all. The next day I made a phone call to the store. I asked if they have a comment line that I could be connected to. The person who answered said she didn't know and then put me on hold. Like I expected she must have thought I was calling to complain so when the phone was picked up I was not surprised to hear that it was the manager. Then I had to go into my story and ask him for a comment line to call headquarters and give some good news for a change. He gladfully gave me the number. I called it and again gave the person on the other end a big surprise when instead of ranting and raving I was praising and thanking. Needless to say that made my day and hopefully theirs as well.

The moral of the story is that when someone does a good job please remember their name and be sure to do all you can to let them know. If we all did that more often we would live in a much better world!

Challenge: Call the store you frequent and ask for the customer comment line and make their day.

When do I go shopping?

2008-06-19T08:12:00.002-06:00

I got this email today:

dear shauntell,
i had a question, but couldn't get it onto your blog. anyhow, what day and time do you recommend to go to the grocery store? when i go it seems that all the sale stuff is gone.
thanx haley

I used to get so upset when this would happen to me that I started going shopping as soon as I could on Wednesdays so I could get my stuff! Now I try not to sweat it as much. If the store is out of what I wanted I get a rain check. This post on Rain Checks will be helpful.
Really shopping should be fun, easy, and fast. I think it gets that way after awhile, especially after you've gone though the stock up phase. That is the 3-4 month period when you first start using coupons that you are building your pantry up so that you can start shopping out of your pantry then simply replacing the items you use when they go on sale again.

Food Storage Item

2008-06-18T18:48:00.003-06:00

I like to have canned meats in my food storage. If there is a disaster then really my freezer full of meats is not going to be that helpful over the long run. Having a shelf stable back-up is a great option. What if money gets tight and I can't afford to buy as much meat at the butcher? Again something from the shelf will come in handy. See this post for recipes using canned chicken.

Canned Chicken recipes

2008-06-18T16:51:00.004-06:00

Here are some of our favorite recipes using fresh cooked or canned chicken. Feel free to add your own in the comment of this post

Hawaiian Hay stacks:

1-2 cans cream of Chicken soup
1 can of milk or evaporated milk
Salt and pepper to taste
cooked chicken

Warm through then serve over rice with these suggested toppings
shredded coconut, shredded cheese, sliced green onions, La Choy crunchy noodles, pineapple tidbits, diced tomatoes, raisins, almond slivers, mandarin orange slices, be creative.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can diced green chiles
2 cups cheese shredded
3 chopped green onions
8 oz sour cream
1-2 cups cooked chicken diced or canned
12 corn tortillas

Mix all except tortillas and 1 cup of cheese. Spray a 9x11 pan with non stick cooking spray place 6 tortillas in bottom of pan, you may need to tear some of them up to fit without overlapping too much, then spread 1/2 chicken mixture on top, repeat tortillas and chicken mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake at 350* for 30-40 min until bubbly.

2 Weeks Worth

2008-06-18T16:29:00.004-06:00

Last week we didn't get to the store. This week we took our $50 budget and added it with last weeks. This is two weeks worth of groceries:

2 Trix yogurt $1 each, 5 Valley Fresh Chicken chunks $.65 each, 2 Pork and Beans $ 1.50 each, 6 Hunts Manwich $.80 each, Sara Lee Hot dog buns $2, Sara Lee Hearty Hamburger buns $2.50, bulk sausage $3.69, Pot Roast $8.22, Shoulder Steaks $3.82, Pork ribs $11, Boneless/skinless chicken breast $16.73, Bacon $2.99, Bacon $2.88, 3 pkgs organic mini carrots $.99 each, 4.98 lbs red seedless grapes $4.93, 10 boxes GM cereal, 2 Gallons milk FREE,

Total Spent: $105.20

Total Saved: $100.83

This Week's Freebies June 18-June 25

2008-06-17T20:01:00.007-06:00

Maceys and Lee's Market Place(sale ends Saturday, June 21)

*****
POWERade 32 oz. .69 Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8 Free

Albertson's (Sale ends Tuesday, June 24)

****
2 gallons of any milk (including soy, organic, chocolate)
Varies
Store Promo: buy 2 gallons of milk get up to 5 General mills cereals for 1.19 per box Limit 5 boxes (Curves Whole Grain Fruit Nut or Crunch, Curves Honey Crunch, Cocoa Puffs Combos, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Cheerios, Reeses Puffs, Fruity Cheerios) **A good deal if you already were going to buy milk.
1.19

*****
Shedd's Country Crock margarine 15 oz.
2/3.00
Buy 2, get FREE eggs, up to $2.50. .Shedd’s Spread Country Crock Omega Plus, any .55/1 (8-10-08) RP-5/18, 55/1 printable coupon for Country Crock Omega Plus at this link.
Varies + free item.

*****
Ken's Steak House salad dressing 16 oz. or Lite Accents 7 oz.
2.00
Ken’s Dressing, any 16 oz. or larger $2/1 (6-30-08) SS-5/4, Ken’s Lite Accents Salad Dressing Spray, any 7 oz. $2/1 (6-30-08) SS-5/4
FREE

*****
Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn, 3 pack
1.50
Store promo: "Buy 2, get 2 Albertsons 2 liters soda instantly".Also use manufacturers coupon: Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popping Corn, any 2-pack or larger, any variety .40/1 (6-30-08) SS1-5/18
2/2.20 + 2 free sodas

****
Air Wick Scented Oil refills
2.50
($2.00 after 20% discount) Manufacturers coupon: Buy one Air Wick Scented Oil Refill and get a FREE Air Wick Warmer Unit (6-29-08) SS2-5/18
2.00 + free warmer

Free Stuff!

2008-06-11T18:10:00.006-06:00

Almost every week there is a coupon that is the same as or more than the product is on sale at the store. When this happens the item is free, well with the exception of sales tax. I never pass up free stuff even if I don't use that product. If that happens then I donate it to the food pantry or give it to someone else who could use it.

Here are this weeks freebies:

Maceys: (sale ends Saturday night!)

*****
POWERade 32 oz.
.69
Powerade or Powerade Zero, 20 or 32 oz. bottle .75/1 (10-31-08) SS-6/8
Free

Albertsons: (Sale ends Tuesday, June 17th)

*****
Band-Aids 20-60 ct 10/$10 (I saw a huge basket in the Logan store still marked with this price, this was a sale from last week so I don't know how long it will last)

Band-Aid Product, any $1/1 (8-31-08) RP-5/18
FREE

*****
Zone Perfect nutrition bars
1.00
Zone Perfect Nutrition Bars, any single, 5-count box or 8-count Snack Size box $1/1 (6-30-08) SS-3/30
FREE

Smiths: (Sale ends Tuesday, June 17th)

*****
Ken's Dressing, 16 oz
1.50
Ken’s Dressing, any 16 oz. or larger $2/1 (6-30-08) SS-5/4
FREE
*****
Ken's Lite Accents Salad Dressing Spray, 7 oz
1.50
Ken’s Lite Accents Salad Dressing Spray, any 7 oz. $2/1 (6-30-08) SS-5/4
FREE

Thursday Night Class

2008-06-10T09:35:00.007-06:00

YOUR INVITED!

This week due to a change in my schedule I am teaching a class at my house June 12, at 7 PM. You can click here for my contact info. Bring as many people as you want to learn how I am saving so much money and time on my grocery shopping! It will be fun and definitely worth your time!

Left over coupons needing a home!

2008-06-04T15:25:00.000-06:00

I have tons and tons of $5 off Pet med coupons 4 for Albertsons and 1 for Smith's Expiration's ranging from 7/02-7/31 2008

1 Degree Men Absolute Deodorant $1/1 exp 7/13/08 from RP 5/18

1 Nestle Good Start $7/3 exp 7/05/08 Smiths only

1 Papmers Cruisers $2/1 exp 7/9/08 Smiths only

1 Dream non Dairy frozen deserts $1/2 Smiths only

1 Pampers + Formula reward Buy Pampers large pack and any baby formula in the same shopping trip until 6/10/08 and get a coupon for $5 off your next shopping trip. Albertsons only

Tell your friends and don't forget to post your extras on the comment portion of this post.

Shopping is fun again

2008-06-04T14:52:00.005-06:00

I know I've complained a lot about the past two weeks being not so great. It was wonderful to go and have fun again (I did have fun Megan after it was all said and done!). I met and made some friends along the way.

At Albertson's:

2 Capri Sun Water $.90 each (had $1/2 coupon from Kraft Foods Magazine sign up here), 2 Jet Puff Marshmallows $.70 each, 2 Kashi Frozen Entree(I had to try these they look interesting!) $.34 each, 2 Bertolli Frozen Dinners $1.50 each, 4 20pk Electrasol $2.05 each, 3 Sugar Free Kraft pudding $.70 each, 2 State Fair Corn Dog pkgs $1.75 each, 4 South Beach Diet Granola Bars $ .75 each, 4 Degree Deodorants $2.50 each, 2 Schick Titanium Quatro Razors FREE, 1 box Bandaids FREE (got a rain check for 4 more which include some character boxes), 2 Gillette Foam Shave Cream $1 each, 1 lb organic Baby Carrots $.99.

Total Spent $51.01

Total Saved $88.33!

Finally Time To Shop

2008-06-03T14:36:00.006-06:00

I put off shopping last week until the very last moment. I took the kids and really it wasn't worth the wait. Here are a few deals I got. I really can't wait for tomorrow. I hope Albertsons will re-stock the GM cereals. I've been waiting for almost a month to redeem one of my rain checks. I really haven't had to wait as long on other things just the GM cereals. I may have to drive to Brigham City.

At Macey's:

4 Juicy Juice 8ct-$1 each w/coupon

6 lbs WF sweet cream butter 3/$5

Cameo Apples .99/lb

Banana .69/lb

Cauliflower .79/lb

Garlic 3/$1

Red Seedless Grapes $1.29/lb

4 Solo Heavy Duty Paper Plate 44 ct .29 each with coupon and Rain Check

Total $ 25.58

Saved $12

At Smith's

8 Powerade @ .50 each

2 Smuckers Ice Cream topping @ $2.79 each

5 Mt. Dairy Ice cream 56 oz @ $1 each

4 Go-Gurts @1.29 Each with coupon (I freeze these and the kids love them)

1 Gallon Skim milk $2

Total $19.01

Saved $15.67

The Ice Cream is my great buy for the week. Mainly because of the fact that Russ is having an Ice Cream Party for his soccer team and I was able to get it for so cheap right when I wanted it! Yee Haw!

Rain Checks

2008-06-01T01:00:00.002-06:00

A rain check is something you can ask for when the store is out of a product. Each store has a different policy on rain checks. You will have to ask them what their policy is. If you do not know if the store offers rain checks go to the Customer Service Desk and ask. They can usually help you right then and there.

When you get a rain check keep the coupons that go with it together.
When redeeming your rain checks be sure to hand them to the checker first, you can add the coupons with the rest of them.

Long Term Food Storage

2008-05-30T10:09:00.004-06:00

I was looking at this weeks sales and noticed that Clorox Bleach 60 oz was on sale at Smith's. (click to go to list page, click on Smiths from the drop down.) Bleach is a great long term food storage item as it can be used for cleaning and water purification, although the later must be done carefully. One recommendation is 1 gallon of bleach per person in the family. 1 Gal=128 oz so what I have done is just used this equation to figure it out: (keep in mind I truly stink at math so if this doesn't make sense please post an easier way for all of us by commenting on this feed!)

# Family member's x 128 oz = total ounces needed divide that by 60 to get the total bottles to purchase.

What's for dinner?

2008-05-28T12:04:00.008-06:00

I was looking at the updated ads today to see what is on sell and how i can use the items for dinners this week. Here are some ideas I've had so far. Feel free to post your ideas to the comment board. Don't forget the recipes!

Steak, baked potatoes, salad -sell items: Mrs. Dash marinades, A-1, Kraft Salad Dressings, bagged salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, russet potatoes, propane exchange

Grilled Chicken, broccoli, Alfredo-sell items: chicken breasts, broccoli, Kraft dressings (I marinate the chicken in Zesty Italian then grill), propane exchange

Thai Mang o, Pineapple Chicken Salad-sell items: chicken breasts, mango, Jicama is really good in salads, bagged salad, Kraft salad dressings if you don't want to do the thai one found in the recipe link

Potato Bar, salad-sell items: russet potatoes, broccoli, bagged salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, Kraft salad dressings, bacon

Grilled Cheese-Stuffed Turkey burgers-sell items:ground turkey, tomatoes

Pork Chops and rice, salad-sell items:pork chops, bagged salad, Kraft salad dressing, tomatoes
Season and brown 4 pork chops, set aside. Mix 1 can cream of chicken soup, 2 cans water, 1 pouch onion soup mix, 1 cup rice, put rice mixture in a 9x12 baking dish place pork on top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for one hour or until rice is tender.

Since our pantry and freezer are well stocked we can pull items that we need in the recipes that are not on sell right now. It is great!

Food Storage Calculator

2008-05-27T11:18:00.000-06:00

Here is a link to a long term food storage calculator from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Calculator

Provident Living Website

Pamphlet Regarding Food Storage

Cool Website

2008-05-27T11:12:00.001-06:00

My cousin Amy recommended this website for exchanging things like coupons, clothes, etc...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Utah-IdahoFreecycle/

Free Rice

2008-05-27T11:06:00.000-06:00

Thanks to my friend Megan she had this link on her blog. I thought since it had something to do with food I would include it here. My best score was 40. Feel free to post your score using the comment. No cheating! do not use a dictionary Just see how smart you are.

http://www.freerice.com/

Favorite Purchase This Week

2008-05-24T22:59:00.000-06:00

Here is my favorite deal this week. Thanks to Albertsons we have Sunday dinner all planned plus some.

2 Flavored pork loins- B1G1 $9.99

8 boxes Pepperigde Farm Naturals crackers-Get 2 free with every $5 spent on meat

1 2 liter Coke Product- $1.50

1 bag of salad or coleslaw- $1.74

1 Country Crock Side Dish- $3.99

In Store coupon- $6 off

Total $11.47 with Tax

Shopping for week 10

2008-05-24T22:40:00.000-06:00

This week my mom, dad and I went shopping. We had fun. I think it was especially fun for my dad to what we are doing each week. I love the way it makes me feel to have him excited and so supportive. When you see all of this please remember we are family of 7 with 4 being adults and we are still in the stocking up phase. Also my parents do not have a limited income like most of us out there. I still think the savings are awesome even though the amount spent might be a little higher than what I would spend on my own.

Here is the run down:
Total
Spent: $161.96
Saved: $176.74
Earned in store coupons for next purchase: $7.50

Typically we don't go to more than one store. This week however I didn't think that there where a whole lot of great things in just one store. I was surprised at what we finally purchased considering that when I printed the list I didn't see anything special this week.

Smiths: 12 ears of corn $3, 4 Dole fruit bowls @ $1.74, 4 Dole fruit parfait @ $1.24, 4 Hormel Compleats @ $1.24, 1 Sour Cream $1, 5 12 packs of Coke products $12, 2 Cheez-It crackers FREE Savings: $37.64

Albertsons: 4 Bertolli pasta sauce* @ $1.25, 4 Ken's salad dressing* FREE, 8 Pepperidge Farm Naturals crackers FREE, 4 Bush Baked Beans FREE, 1 2 Liter Sprite $1.50, 10 12 pack Pepsi products $24, Cinderella book*** FREE, 4 Zone protein bars FREE, Country Crock Side dish $3.99, 2 Hormel flavor crusted pork loin B1G1 @ $9.99, Bag of coleslaw $1.79, Deli Potato Salad** $12, Deli Sliced smoked turkey** $13.30, Deli Sliced ham $2.15, 2 24 pack Spring waters @ $2.99, Redbox Movie Rental FREE, Savings: 135.10

*used rain check from previous shopping, *** Had a coupon for $5 towards children's books, **Lesson learned this week. The sell was buy 1 lb Sara Lee deli meat get $1 off Deli salad. We should have had the meat separated into 1 lb bags because we only got 1-$1 off. Plus we bought way too much salad! Oh well with company this weekend we were able to eat it all up.

Macey's: 2 WF hamburger buns @ $.89, 2 WF Hot dog buns @ $.89, 1 Gal Skim milk $2.89, 10 Yoplait yogurt @5/$3, 2 lbs Cache Valley cheese loaf $7.99, 4 Sausage links and rolls @$.25, Cream Cheese $ .99, 2 Shredded Cheese @ $2, Cameo Apples $1.67, Banana's $1.86, 2 heads lettuce @ $1.49, Pineapple $5.60, grape tomatoes $2.99, Seedless watermelon $4.85

Savings: $4

Catching up with our savings

2008-05-22T00:59:00.000-06:00

From here on out I will be taking pictures of our shopping and posting the results each week. I really don't feel like looking through the past receipts and pulling the items out of storage to show you the past so instead just to catch you up I will just tell you what we Spent and what we saved. ~Keep in mind we are a family of 7, and are still in the stocking up phase, plus we were spending over $300 a week instead of the following.

Week 7: Spent $180.54 Saved $196 (this week we stocked up on Tide-We have now almost 9 months worth!)
Week 8: Spent $36.09 Saved $56.37
Week 9: Spent $160.43 Saved $151.35

Exchange Coupons

2008-05-21T23:10:00.000-06:00

Do you hate to see coupons go to waste? If you are looking for something or want to help someone get a good deal on something you don't use, this is the place to network. I will not be able to facilitate the exchanges so you will have to contact one another not me please. If anyone out there has a better idea on how to contact each other let me know. For now this will have to work.

KaChing!

2008-05-21T22:16:00.001-06:00

Okay so for the fun of it I thought I would share with you all the receipts from our shopping over that past 7 weeks. So here it goes:

WK 1: Spent $129.57 Saved $67.73 No coupons used, about 2 weeks after we learned about this site

WK 2: Spent $103.65 Saved $102.01

WK 3: Spent $104.33 Saved $185.83

WK 4: Spent $27.36 Saved $180.81 Used gifts cards (ask me how to get these)

WK 5: Spent $197.21 Saved $207.37 Bought 20+ lbs of meat for reunion, also got 4 movie tickets free!

WK 6: Spent $121.68 Saved $91.90

Awesome huh? We are still in the stocking up stage which takes 3-4 months. We are also shopping for a family of 7. Our storage room looks amazing. Russ and my dad commented that now there is finally something good to eat! They are also very kind to say that they are so proud of my mom and I for building the storage and saving money at the same time. See this really works. I would love to teach anyone who wants to know how to do this!

No coupon books in the paper

2008-05-21T13:00:00.000-06:00

Okay so I freaked out the first week I got the papers and there where no coupon books in them! I thought for sure someone stole them. With a phone call to the paper I learned that on some holiday weekends they don't have coupon books. Good to know! To check out what coupon books you should get and how many, go to my webpage and in the bottom right hand coener there is a list.

This is what it looks like:

Did my Sunday newspapers have all the coupons: The following is a partial schedule of what to expect each Sunday.Also, look for P&G packets, and ANY OTHER packet the "same size" as SS or RP as long as it has manufacturers coupons in it. This list is only Smart Source and Redplum, there are sometimes 2 different Smart Source packets in one Sunday paper (SS1 or SS2). Also, some Sundays may have packets with a different name on them (like Kellogs or General Mills), so pay attention and keep them all.
2008 Sunday paper dates:
Has at least 1 coupon packet of:
5/4
SS and RP
5/11
SS and RP
5/18
SS and RP
5/25
None
6/1
SS and RP
6/8
SS and RP
6/15
SS only
6/22
SS and RP
6/29
SS and RP
7/6
None
7/13
SS and RP
7/20
SS only
7/27
SS and RP

For a complete and up to date list go to the website.

Slow cooked Southwest Pork Loin

2008-05-21T09:33:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago we got salsa for cheap and a boneless pork loin, that I swear was as long as my arm, for $8.88. We made this easy main dish recipe with our find. Thanks to Stephanie who gave me the recipe!

Slow cooked Southwest Pork Loin

1 boneless pork loin
2 16 oz jars of salsa (we used the Frito Lay Peach and Pineapple Salsa)
1/2 cup brown sugar

Add to crock pot and cook on HI 6-8 hours until done.

We served it over rice.

Grocerysmarts

2008-05-03T21:17:00.000-06:00

I am so excited! This week I started teaching people how to save money on their grocery shopping. I am an independent instructor for Grocerysmarts.com If you want to learn about the method please let me know. The link above will take you to my webpage and from there you can get my contact info. For those of you who are familiar with this method you can use my passcode g84cso. The website and classes are totally free. Our family saves over $100 a week using the Grocerysmarts simple couponing method. Click this link for a pdf instruction sheet. If you are already familiar with Grocerysmarts.com I would love for you to *post your success stories here.