Reuse Ideas

In keeping with the theme for this month of Earth Day today’s topic for Money Saving Monday is REUSE IDEAS. One of the best things you can do to save money is to reuse items instead of tossing them after one use.

REUSE IDEAS

One item that I reuse a bunch is plastic zip baggies. Most of the time I put things like muffins to freeze or snacks in these. I simply wash them out and let them dry and use them again. I will do this several times before being tossed. This helps reduce waste in the landfill and also helps my budget by not having to buy baggies as frequently. As I have said before I hate spending money on things that get used once and then are throw away.

Another item I may use twice is aluminum foil. If I am baking biscuits or something that really doesn’t stick to the foil. I will wash it off and reuse it again. Then I will fold it up and place it in the drawer and then flip the sheet over and use the other side. I normally use foil on my baking sheets, so the baking sheets stay nice and clean and provide an even baking surface all the time.

If you are a couponer and you print lots of coupons like I do, you have a lot of left over pieces of paper. I will take these and save them for the kids to color or to make additional craft projects. These little pieces of paper are stored by the art supplies and can be used for cards or whatever they can imagine. We always have scrap paper for a project.

 

Have you seen these fabulous things people have made using toilet paper tubes? I have been in awe myself. I even made this fabulous little mirror for around $3.00. Here is the link to my toilet paper tube mirror project. I think when summer is here I will have more time to make some of these little projects. We will see.

One last awesome reuse idea is to repurpose clothes. This is another thing I am pinning a lot of lately. Taking old t-shirts and using them to make skirts, shrugs or tanks. These are awesome little one hour projects that look so cool and easy to make. I can't wait to give these a try.

Is there anything you reuse to save money? I would love to hear from my readers. Leave a comment below. If you have a recipe or crafty linky party, share your links on my Linky Parties Page.

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How I Save Money by NOT Eating Cereal for Breakfast

I rarely buy cereal any more. There are some great cereal deals out there right now and I just don’t feel the need to buy cereal when I have great items I can make for breakfast ahead of time and freeze.

Here are a few items I like to make pancakes, muffins, french toast and hard boiled eggs and sausage. I make extra on the weekends and freeze these to eat throughout the week. Just simply pop them in the microwave for a minute or two and you have a quick and easy breakfast. 

Cinnamon Swirl French Toast - $1.44 for a family of Five

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins - Fruits and Veggies in a muffin

Make Your Own Muffin Mix  - Don't buy prepackage muffins, make your own to have on hand at anytime

Healthy Smoothies for Kids - My kids think they are getting Ice Cream for breakfast $0.50 per serving
Then kids were lucky enough I made the Cinnamon Swirl French Toast and Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins last week for them to choose for breakfast.

My grocery money for high carb cereal is now going towards wholesome ingredients such as multigrain pancake mix, eggs, fruit and whole wheat flour while trying to stay within my budget of $50.00 a week for a family of five.


Do you have any great breakfast ideas other than cereal for breakfast?


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Recipe Cinnamon Swirl French Toast

I normally get the Cinnamon Raisin Swirl bread loaf at Kroger when it is in the discount section for $1.00. I take it home and freeze it right away. This recipe will feed all five of us for one meal; However, I like to make this on a weekend afternoon on my electric griddle and freeze it, so the kids have this for breakfast instead of cold cereal. I warm it up in the toaster on a higher setting and press the frozen button. This past week they were lucky enough to have freezer muffins and Cinnamon Swirl French Toast to choose from.

If you do not have an electric griddle here is one from Amazon that is very similar to mine. This makes an awesome gift too.

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Cinnamon Swirl French Toast

1 loaf Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

4-6 Eggs

½ Cup of Milk

1. Toast both sides of the Cinnamon Swirl bread on and electric griddle set for 350 degrees for a couple of minutes on each side or until starting to turn golden. After the bread is toasted allow to cool for a few mintues. Otherwise the bread gets too soggy.

2. Take 2 eggs and crack them in a large flat bottom bowl and add ¼ cup milk. Mix well.

3. Dip the bread in the egg mixture and let it soak a minute or two on each side. The egg should soak into the bread. Keep dipping pieces until the egg mixture is gone. Once gone add another couple of eggs and the remaining milk until all bread is soaked and on the griddle.

4. Spray electric griddle with spray oil and lay the egg soaked bread on the electric griddle. Let fry for a couple of minutes. The egg will get brown around the edges of the toast. Flip and let the other side brown.

5. Once complete serve with powdered sugar, apple butter, apple sauce or syrup.

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Last time I made Cinnamon Swirl French Toast I only used four eggs and a little milk. This costs me $1.00 for the bread and $0.44 for the eggs. So for the main part of the meal I spent $1.44 to feed a family of five for breakfast. This meal includes protein, carbs and a fruit.

How much do you spend on breakfast for your family?

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Recipe Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

2 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour (I used 2 Cups 100% Whole Wheat & 1/4 cup Buckwheat)

1 teaspoon Baking Soda (I add a little more, since I am using Whole Wheat)

1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

½ teaspoon salt

2 Eggs

2 cups Sugar (You can use less. These turned out very sweet)

1 Cup Canned Pumpkin (I used pumpkin I had pureed in the freezer)

½ cup Vegetable Oil

1 cup dried cranberries

1. In bowl combine the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

2. In a separate mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar; then add the pumpkin and oil mix well.

3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until moistened. Then fold in the cranberries.

4. Fill greased muffin tins ¾ full.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan.

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The Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins have a great blend of tartness of the cranberries and the sweetness of the pumpkin that blends well together. They were very moist and almost melted in my mouth when we ate them.  The sugar caramelized to make the edges a little crispy.They still are very moist and delicious after you freeze them. I know you will enjoy these.


I let them cool on a wire rack. Then I place  Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins  in a large gallon freezer bag and freeze for the kids to take out and enjoy every morning before school. Pop 2 of them in the microwave for about a minute. Let me know if you try these delicious muffins.

I have switched all of my flour use to 100% Whole Wheat flour. The biggest difference I have noticed it is more dense than regular white four and a little more grainy in texture. The kids don't seem to mind. The flavor is great. The whole wheat flour has little more nuttier flavor than the bland white flour. There is  more nutrition in using whole grains than processed and bleached products and your body can digest this better. I would recommend going whole grain before going gluten free.

I am thinking of adding a linky to my Wednesday recipe posts. Let me know if you would be interested in a recipe linky?


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Tips 4 Tuesday - Why I Never Shopped at Walgreens. Until TODAY!

One thing you have to realize when you are first starting to coupon is you can’t always get all the deals all the time. There are just too many stores and the amount of gas you would use would offset the saving you were getting anyway. That is mainly why I never shopped at Walgreens. It was too far away for me to justify making a trip out that way to get just a few items each week. Even if it was FREE. Since most of the time the FREE item was gone off the shelf by the time I got there. So all I did was waste gas and drive around for nothing. I spent time planning my scenarios, gathering my coupons. Instead of being excited about the awesome deals I was about to get, all I got was disappointment. This was not worth my time, gas or energy. I did this on several occasions. I vowed I would not go to Walgreens anymore.

Until now! I just realized that there is a Walgreens close to my son’s preschool, since this is on my way and I won't waste any gas money. I thought to myself “How can I now add Walgreens into my shopping rotation?” I stopped by there today, and the cashiers were so much nicer than the Walgreens closest one to my house. Someone in the aisle even asked if I needed help. They even had a ton of the sale items still in stock, and it was Tuesday. I was very impressed and I will go back to this store.

My new plan of savings is to hit Walgreens and CVS on Tuesdays. Then do my grocery shopping at Tom Thumb, Kroger and Sprouts on Thursdays. This way I will not waste any gas, since all of these are on the way home from my son’s daycare. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the closest to when the new sales cycles start for those stores. Woo Hoo more savings!


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Money Saving Monday - Maximize Savings on Clearance Items at Tom Thumb

Just a few things first. My DI team made 6th place at our tournament. We are thrilled with the results. The team worked so hard and they are excited they placed this year. Now I can focus a little more time on my blog.

Second; don’t miss out on my giveaways. They are both ending March 1st. If you haven’t registered do it now before it is too late. There will be 3 winners for Purex Laundry Detergent FREE product coupon and 3 winners for Purex Ultrapacks FREE product coupon. For a total of 6 possible WINNERS! Super easy entry.

Lastly, I just love yogurt and I hate paying full price for it. I have to say Yoplait is my favorite yogurt. It is just thick and creamy and I love most of the flavors they make. I am always looking for ways to get this stuff cheaper. I like to shop the clearance bins for maximum savings.We eat yogurt pretty quickly around here so it won’t ever go to waste. I can usually buy what we will eat before it expires. Here is a scenario you can try to get any clearance items even cheaper at Tom Thumb.

~  ~  ~

Using Coupons on Clearance Items at Tom Thumb

In each store, there are several clearance bins for items reduced for quick sale. One in dairy, meat, dry goods and produce. If you are a newbie, you should start trying to familiarize yourself where these little gold mines of savings are located at each of the stores you shop. You can really score some great deals in these areas. Check the product thoroughly and make sure it is in good condition before you buy it. Also check the expiration date on perishable items to see if you will use this or freeze it before the expiration date. It is also a good idea to find out what day they move certain items to the clearance bins to get them when they first hit the sales rack.

Tom Thumb has several clearance bins throughout the store to shop. Notify the cashier you have a clearance item(s) before they begin to check you out. It is best to set these aside or have them ring them up last, so you can pay attention to how they do it. The clearance item is supposed to be rung up first at full price, then scan the red clearance bar code. Always check this when they are checking you out, and . If not done this way your item may still ring at full price. You may experience some problems if the product is not scanned correctly.

Since they scan the product at full price then take the discount off after, you can still use a coupon to maximize your savings. This is great when it can also be a coupon that can be doubled or tripled.

~  ~  ~

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I haven't had any problems trying this scenario at Tom Thumb. Now I am testing this at Kroger. I have used it on a couple of items with success. Have you had any successes using coupons on clearance items at Kroger?

Tips for Tuesday - Make Ahead Muffins

When I first started my extreme couponing journey a year ago, I loved the thrill of getting things for free or really cheap. However, when I really looked at what I was buying, it was a lot of junk food or unhealthy food. I really didn't want to be feeding this to my growing children. I wanted to feed them nourishing food for their growing bodies.

We were spending way too much on food, since we were now on a single income.  I needed to also stay on a strict budget. When I was looking at what I could do, I knew I needed to cut back on the grocery budget. When I was a single mom a few years back, my daughter and I survived on $20 a week for all our meals. I thought I would try to do the something similar with a family of five. I would spend $10 per person per week for my grocery budget.

I like the fact of buying muffins in the package and opening them up and pouring a few ingredients in then baking them. Ta Da you then have muffins. I also realized in order to provide better food I needed to get back to the basics and start cooking more things from scratch. I was staying at home now, so I had the time right? So I thought. I was just as busy if not busier. How could I provide good food and save time?

I remembered my "Joy of Cooking " cook book had a recipe for making muffins by listing the dry ingredients then telling you what to add to make variations of these muffins. Here is the simple recipe and a few variations you can use:

1 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour (I use whole wheat, I haven't noticed to much of a difference)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Sugar

2 Teaspoons double-acting baking powder (I use a little more, since I use whole wheat)

I simply make a few ziplock bags with these dry ingredients in there. Then I have a little print out of the wet ingredients:

Dry Ingredients for Muffins:

Beat in 2 eggs

2-4 Tablespoons butter melted

3/4 cup milk

Combine all the ingredients and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Blueberry or berry muffins add:

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup berries

Pumpkin:

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup Pumpkin

Then I have my own prepackaged muffins I can whip up whenever I want. 


I must say the best gift for a new bride would be "Joy of Cooking " cook book. It is very educational and has a recipe for just about anything you would want to make.  

Learn couponing strategies by reading my

How to Start Couponing Beginners Guide

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Do you have any great time saving tips? How do you save time during the week?

Money Saving Monday - BOGO deals & Coupons

BOGO DEALS & COUPONS

Buy One Get One Free

One of the best coupon deals is a BOGO deal. Most people don't realize you can still use a coupon on the item that is full price. Check with your stores coupon policy to see if you are allowed to do this. 

Here is how it works, if there is a BOGO store sale and you have a coupon for B1G1. That would make both items for free. One item is a store deal and one is a manufacture deal. Since the store deal is for a free item, the the one you are purchasing is with a coupon. You are getting that one free from the manufacture of the coupon.

You can also use a coupon and a B1G1 coupon. If you have a $0.50/1 coupon and a B1G1 coupon you can use both. The $0.50/1 will be off the full price item and then you are getting one for free. *

With a store BOGO deal sometimes you can use two coupons, one for the original priced item and one for the free item. If you have 2 coupons for $2/1 you may be allowed to use them both on both items. This may make both free. This is may not be the case at most stores. After the extreme couponing show aired many stores changed their coupon policy to not allow this type of transaction. Please check with your store before trying to do this scenario. Most stores around me have canceled this type of transaction.*

If your store does not allow you to use two coupons, you are still allowed to use a coupon off two items. These coupons are usually higher in value and you can get some even better deals. If the store offered a BOGO deal and you also had a coupon for $2 off 2 items then you can still use this coupon with your purchase. *

I am not an expert, and don't know everything, but I love to share what I have learned with you. I hope this helps clear up some confusion on using coupons with BOGO deals.

*Be sure to check and read your stores coupon policy carefully before you try to do any of these scenarios. All stores are different and have different coupon policies. These are possible scenarios at different stores. Most stores will not allow you to do all of these scenarios.

Learn how to cut your grocery bill in half. Checkout my

How to Start Couponing Beginners Guide

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Friday Finals - Kroger, Tom Thumb, CVS and Sprouts

I have been super busy this week. I am planning my stepson’s birthday party. We are hosting a Wii party this year at our house. I can’t wait to share the pictures of all the things I have made to make this a great birthday for him. There was not a lot of stuff out there for Wii party ideas, so I had to come up with a few of my own. I will take lots of pictures and share on Wednesday.

I am also a team coach for my daughters DI team. DI is a great organization where the kids put on a skit based on criteria provided and also have an instant challenge. It teaches leadership and developing new skills. Any and all schools can participate, even homeschooled children. You just need to get a team together. We are in our build phase for our set and I have been having girls over at my house painting, sawing, drilling. Whatever it takes to get the job done. Needless to say I am exhausted.

With these two events going on this week, my life has been a little chaotic to say the least. I did manage to get some shopping in. My grocery bill is a little over budget, but some of these items are for the party. As you may also see, it is mainly snacks. We had run out of just about everything except crackers. So I made sure we stocked up. We will see how long this holds us over.

Tom Thumb 01/23/12

3 Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers $1.00 each

            -Final $1.00 each

1 Pepperidge Farm Naturals crackers $2.50 - $0.50/1 Pepperidge Farms Natural doubled

            -Final $1.50

4 Boxes Nature Valley Granola Bars $1.77 – 2 $0.75/2 Nature Valley Granola Bars

            -Final $1.40 each average – WE LOVE THESE

4 Betty Crocker Simply Fruit roll ups $0.99 must by 4 – 2 $0.50/1 Betty Crocker Fruit Roll ups, one doubled, one did not

            -Final $0.62 each average

1 Package Black Beans $0.99

2 Pace Picante sauce $1.99 - $0.50/2 doubled Pace Picante Sauce

            -Final $1.49 each

2 V8 Fruit Fusion $1.99 - $1/2 V8 Fruit Fusion Printable

            -Final $1.49 each

1 V8 Fruit Smoothie $1.99 - $1/1 V8 Fruit Smoothie

            -Final $0.99

1 Pillsbury Frosting $1.99 - $0.35/1 Pillsbury Brownie or frosting

            -Final $0.94 – This is for the party

2 7 Ups $0.88 each – This is for the party

1 Starkist Tuna $1.19 - $0.50/1 Starkist Tuna pouch

            -Final $0.19 – Great Deal! STOCK UP!

2 Bear Creek Soup B1G1 $4.49 - $1/1 Bear Creek Soup

            -Final $1.75 each – Unadvertised deal

3 Kleenex Tissues $0.85 each - $0.50/3 doubled Kleenex tissues

            -Final $0.52 each

1 Loaf French Bread $1.99

I spent $32.68 and saved $51.06 on $83.74 worth of groceries and products for my family. I found several unadvertised deals at Tom Thumb this week. Some are good until the end of February.

Kroger 1/24/12

5 Boxes Barilla pasta $1 each – 5 $0.55/1 Barilla Whole Grain Pasta

            -Final $0.45 each

2 lbs. Kroger Cheese $2.99 each

2 Bags Tortilla Chips $1.00 each – One for the party

4 Progresso Soups $1.00 - $1/4 Progresso Soups

            -Final $0.75 each

4 Brawny Paper Towels $1 each – 2 $1/1 Brawny Printable, 2 $0.55/1 Brawny Printable

            -Final $0.23 each

4 Angel Soft Bath tissue $1 each – 4 $0.45/1 Angel Soft Bath Tissue

            -Final $0.55 each

I spent $16.59 and saved $18.71 on $35.30 worth of groceries and products at Kroger.

Tom Thumb 01/24/12

1 Pepperidge Farm Naturals crackers $2.50 - $0.50/1 Pepperidge Farms Natural doubled

            -Final $1.50

1 Starkist Tuna $1.19 - $0.50/1 Starkist Tuna pouch

            -Final $0.19

1 Whonu cookies $2.50 - $1/1 Whonu cookies

            -Final $1.50

4 Mrs. Bairds Natural Bread B1G1 $3.19 - $0.55/1 Mrs. Bairds Bread

            -Final $1.32 each

I paid $8.47 and saved $13.07 on $21.54 worth on retail groceries. I am able to make two Tom Thumb trips each week, since this is on the way home from my taking my son to his Mommy’s day out program at my church.

Sprouts

4 Voskos Green Yogurt $2.00 each

           

I spent $8.00 on my favorite yogurt this week at Sprouts.

CVS

2 Gallons Milk $3.29 – 2 $1/1 Oak Farms Milk, $1 ECB

            -Final $1.79 each, Received $2 ECBs

I spent $3.58 on really good milk at CVS this week and saved $3.00.

This is everything for the week. I spent $69.32 and saved $85.84 on $155.16 worth of groceries and necessary items my family needed this week. I am over budget, but I did buy several things for the party this week. It doesn’t look like there is much I want for next week.

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How did your shopping trips go this week? Leave a linkup below and share a comment.

Tips for Tuesday - Quick and Easy Breakfast

Most of us are looking for a quick and easy way to start the day. Let’s face it if the morning starts off bad, the rest of the day goes with it. Breakfast can be one of those moments where you can save a little bit of time and money. Cereal coupons are not always easy to find or always a good buy. Most of the time cereal is packed full of sugar and carbohydrates and not the most nutritious way to send the kids off to school. They will be on a sugar high and it will be difficult for them to focus during the morning. They will be hyper at first and then hit that crash after about an hour or more.

How can you reduce your morning stress, save money,

and provide good nutritious food for your kids in the morning?

One thing you can do is prepare a nutritious breakfast for the kids ahead of time. On the weekend try cooking a double batch of what you are eating on the weekends. Then you can take the leftovers and have those during the week. This provides the kids with options for breakfast.

Instead of making one pound of breakfast sausage, make two. One for eating on the weekend and put the leftovers in a container to heat up during the week. If you like bacon, make the entire package of bacon. Drain and let cool, then freeze it. Take it out as needed and pop it into the microwave for 30-60 seconds. This is also great for instant bacon bits. Bacon freezes great and comes out crispy in the microwave. This will save time and provide a great protein for the morning. 

There aren’t many people I know who like dirty dishes or like to cook a big breakfast on school mornings. A quick idea for making scrambled eggs is to spray a coffee cup with cooking spray. Then crack the egg and scramble it up in the cup and cook for 1 minute in the microwave. As soon as you get it out. Cut it up some more. This is quick and easy. You could also mix it with some of the sausage, a little cheese, put it in a tortilla and have a quick breakfast taco.

Make a double batch of muffins on the weekends and place the leftovers in the freezer. As soon as they come out of the oven put them on a cooling rack. Once they are cooled place them in a freezer bag and then in the freezer. To thaw and eat, take two out and place in the microwave for 1 min. They usually come out perfect. I use whole grain wheat and a fruit to make this a heartier muffin. I normally make them from scratch for pennies a piece. 

Pancakes are so easy to freeze and to have ready for the kids on school mornings . To add more protein to your pancakes add a half cup or whole cup Greek yogurt to your batter and decrease your liquid. Another bit of nutrition, add some frozen berries or pureed fruit to the mix. If you do both you are providing a protein and a fruit along with the carbs to make the pancake a complete meal. This will keep your kids full longer and avoid the carb crash later. I also use a multigrain pancake mix. Make a double batch. Once the pancakes are done, place them on a cooling rack to cool. Then place them in the freezer. I find they don’t stick together nearly as much after they are frozen. Then you can pop them in the toaster or microwave to thaw. Instead of syrup to top them off with some powdered sugar. It gives them the sweet taste, but they will not eat as much sugar.

If you start doing these things for your morning routine, you will find that you will not only save time, but you may also find you save money too. I have a pantry full of cereal that has not been eaten in while. The kids love the muffins and pancakes and little do they know it is good for them too! Do you any great time saving tips for the morning?

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Friday Finals - 01-20-12

I am still recovering this week from my nasty cold and trying to get caught up on the loads of housework that needs to be done. But I feel so much better. Did more shopping this week and more savings. I scored FREE theraflu this week at CVS see below. I could have used this last week. 


Here are the links that were the clickiest from last week. Stop by to see their awesome savings and say Hi:

My Road To Savings

Couponaholic

Saving Myself Silly 

Kroger

10 Bush Beans $0.57 each average (they were $0.54 & $0.59 each)

1Gallon Milk $2.38

4 Libby’s Veggies $0.62 each - $1/4 Libby canned Vegetables RP 11/13/11

            -Final $0.37 each

1 Package 12 K cup coffee $7.69 - $2/1 Millstone K-Cup RP 10/23/11

            -Final $5.69

Total spent $15.25 and saved $12.23 on $27.48 worth of groceries this week. I bought more beans for pantry stock up items. This was mainly a pantry stock up trip.

Tom Thumb 1^st trip 01/15/12

1 Fritos Scoops $1.99 sale – We had Fritos pies for dinner. YUM

2 18 Count Eggs $1.99 each

1 Sweet Potato fries $2.19

1 Potatoes O’Brian $2.19

1 Milk $2.38

2 Hormel Lunch Meat $2.49 – 2 $0.50/1 (One doubled) Hormel Lunchmeat SS 01/08/12

            -Final $1.74 each average

3 Hunts Snack Packs $0.99 sale – $0.45/3 doubled Hunts Snack Pack SS 01/01/12

            -Final $0.69 each

2 Quaker Oatmeal instant $3.39 B1G1

            -Final $1.70 each

1 Pillsbury Brownie Mix $0.99 sale - $0.35/1 tripled Pillsbury Brownie or Frosting RP 11/06/11

            -Final FREE – I LOVE FREE

4 Chef Boyardee $0.89 sale - $0.50/4 doubled Chef Boyardee SS 01/01/12

            -Final $0.64 each

I used $2.00 off my next purchase and a $1.00 off my next purchase catalinas that printed last time. So I basically got my milk for free this week.

I spent $20.92 and saved $22.88 on $43.80 worth of groceries this trip. I have been going to Tom Thumb more, since I can use double and triple coupons. I have been finding better deals at Tom Thumb vs. Kroger.

Tom Thumb 2^nd Trip 01/17/12

3 Sliced cheese $2.00 each

1 Imperial Margarine $0.69

1 Hormel Lunch meat $2.49 - $0.50/1 doubled Hormel Lunchmeat SS 01/08/12

            -Final $1.49

1 Pillsbury Brownie mix $0.99 sale - $0.35/1 tripled Pillsbury Brownie Mix or Frosting RP 11/06/11

            -Final FREE – I LOVE FREE and I got two boxes

I paid $8.19 and saved $7.19 on $15.38 worth of food retail this trip. I went back mainly for the lunch meat and brownie mix.

SPROUTS

2 Bell Peppers @ $0.49 each

5.23 lbs Onions @ $0.49 lb.

            -Final $2.56

I spent $3.54 on produce this week.

CVS

5 Theraflu 8count $1.99 each

1 Pediacare Fever reducer $4.99

1 CVS Double Pack Womens Multi-Vitamin -$8.99

Used:

5 $2/1 Any Theraflu product SS 12/04/11

1 $1/1 Pediacare Product Printable

1 $2 ECB

1 $1 ECB

20% off my order $1.91

Received $2 ECB

OOP:

I spent $8.02 and saved $15.91 on drug store products this week. I got 5 packages of Theraflu for FREE this week. A total of 40 pills for free!

Altogether I spent $55.92 for the week and saved $58.21 for the week on $114.31 worth of food and health care needs. I am little over budget, but I didn’t get out much last week due to being sick. So it will all work out in the end. I still had more saving than half this week.

I feel my pantry is pretty stocked right now. In February it will be a year since I have started extreme couponing and my pantry is stocked more now than it ever has been. I like that I have food to cook at any time. I can also make just about any meal or snack, since I already have most of the ingredients for anything I may want to cook. Even if the kids suggest something I usually have the ingredients to make whatever they want. This has allowed me to stay at home and still cook nutritious meals and snacks for the kids.

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How did you do this week? The best way to learn is to visit others sites to see how they save. Please leave a comment if you don’t have a blog to share or just leave a comment. I love to hear from you.