Wednesday, December 7, 2011

25 Days of Christmas - Blog Share

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

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December 1, 2011

Featured Blog - By the Brook Designs

Here is my mantle currently

I love it!

I wanted to do a little more though.

I love to change with the season and usually add a new sign but I am adoring the silver platter in the middle so I decided to paint it with chalkboard paint so that I could write whatever seasonal saying I would like.

Read the remainder of this post from By the Brook Designs!

Do you have a Christmas blog post you would like to share with our readers? Sign up on our linky below to share your posts! Or if you are one of our readers just click on the Linky to see more Christmas posts to check out!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

25 Days of Christmas Day 6 - Blog Share

Join Parga's Junkyard as we Share Christmas with some of the web's best bloggers!

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December 6, 2011

Featured Blog - Parga's Junkyard

Do you either host your own Christmas Parties and/or Open House or attend at least one during the holidays where you feel compelled to bring a dish? Do you like to find something new and exciting or do you tend to stick with the old reliable recipes your mother passed down to you?
 

Let's face it, any Holiday Party is only as memorable as the food served!
Well, other than the stories about who drank too much and who sat on who's lap, that is! But what should you serve this year that will be the talk of the town as we round the corner towards 2012? What can you cook that will be any different from the rest of the parties and open houses your guests will be attending this year? Are you looking for some new recipes? Other than the usual and much used party crackers with pepperoni and cheese why not try some fresh new ideas?

Monday, December 5, 2011

Money Saving Monday - Christmas Budget


Christmas is time for giving gifts, but don’t get into debt by giving. There are a lot of ways to start saving for Christmas by using a budget. One thing I like to do is to have a budget for each person and keep a total on how much I spend. This way I know I am being fair to each person.

If it is difficult for you to keep a budget for each person, you can make individual envelopes and put the dollar amount you want to spend in each envelope and only spend that amount on that person. Keep your receipts and gift receipts in the envelope of that person after you have spent the money. When it comes time for Christmas you can take out all the gift receipts and had it to them, in case they need to make an exchange. When the money is gone there are no more gifts to buy. It helps you get to that stopping point. This is hard when you are shopping for someone who is easy to shop for.

Also try shopping all year round for people on your list. I have quite a few people to shop for and I said I was going to do this in 2011, but once again I did not. Next year in 2012 I am. I now have a better understanding of sales cycles work, and how to stretch my dollar to the maximum. Everyone will be crossed off by November next year. I will keep you guys updated on how this goes.

Next I try to make gifts for those who I don’t have a budget for such as teachers, friends or someone else. These can be made for very little money and they always appreciate these gifts. I much rather do that then, buy something they are not going to use or need. I am planning on making peppermint cocoa as gifts this year. I got a great deal on cocoa at Tom Thumb last week. And this just sounds wonderful on a cold night.

Right now it is very cold here in Texas. We almost had snow today, but it started to warm up right before the snow line got to us. Some people got nearly two inches. That is a lot for us here in the south. It has been raining for three days now and I am a little tired of the rain. And to top it off we are all sick. I can’t talk right now because I have lost my voice. My husband posted on my Facebook page, “Finally some peace and quiet around here.” I just gave him a sneer.

Remember to have a budget and stick to it. I don't have all the answers, I just try to share some ideas that work for me. Find a system or method that works the best for you and stick with it. Now go and shop, shop, shop.

25 Days of Christmas Day5 - Blog Exchange

Welcome to our Blogshare...



 Gather 'round, grab a chair and join me in making a wonderful Christmas memory...A Christmas ornament that can be made to fit any style or decor using almost any family treasure. Our family has been making our heirloom ornaments for over 50 years, and now I would like to share a tutorial so you can make your own family heirloom for Christmas!  ( Mouse over image below)
A Sample of what you can do!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

25 Days of Christmas day 4 - BLOG SHARE

It's the perfect time of year to enjoy any thing that combines mint with chocolate!
Don't these Mint Chocolate brownie bites look delicious?  The mint green icing with red sprinkles make it look so festive ~ Perfect for all those holiday parties your planning and attending this month.
Head over to Happy Go Lucky to get this fabulous recipe.
The hardest part about this recipe is eating just one and you might not want to share!

25 Days of Christmas - Blog Exchange

The Christmas season is thought of as "The most wonderful time of the year". But often times, once that time has arrived, we feel unprepared, stressed out and over burdened! We pack our schedules with parties, shopping and baking. 
We feel pressure to out do everyone around us with creating the best ever moments, traditions and memories.
This can all be incredibly overwhelming!
And the next thing you know Christmas is a few days away and you haven't done all the things you were hoping to fit in, much less enjoy the activities did accomplish. 
I know for myself, especially with young children I want to provide my children with all the magic that this time of year brings, but in the past I have watched the holiday come and go with nothing crossed off my to-do list and feeling disappointed in myself for falling short.
So how can we fix this??? How can we ensure we enjoy the holidays and accomplish the things that really matter to us?

Here are a few things that you can do NOW to prepare for Christmas. These are things that will take only a few minutes and ANYONE can do (even if you're not an organizing pro):

Friday, December 2, 2011

Friday Finals 12-2-11

I am taking part of a Blog Share Exchange were we all feature one article on our site each day about Christmas until Dec. 25th. Please stop by and visit these awesome blogs. Each has a thought or craft idea for Christmas. I will be featured next Friday. I can't wait to share my craft with you and all my new readers.


Please take a moment and vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs. One click = One Vote. I would love to try to get five votes today. Thanks in advance for voting for me. 


Stop by these wonderful blogs to see how they shop. Here are the clickiest views from last week:


Saving A Bundle
The Intentional Momma
Coupon Story

I seemed to do a lot of shopping for not really needing anything. Goes to show you should NEVER shop while you are hungry. I will usually grab one or two free cookies or snacks they have out to help curb my appetite while I am there.


I took one big picture of everything I got instead of individual pics of each store. I will update throughout the day a breakdown of each store. So stop back by.


Kroger


2 French Style breads $0.50 each Manger Special
2 Kroger Tortilla Chips $1.00 each
1 Carnation Dried Milk $2.00 - $0.50/1 Carnation Dry Milk RP 09/25/11
1 Whole Wheat Bakery Bread $1.00 Manager Special
2 Whole Wheat Tortilla $1.50 each - I love these whole wheat tortillas
2 Nutrigrain Bread Whole Wheat BOGO $4.09
     -Final $2.05 each


I spent $12.59 and saved $4.59. I mainly purchased discounted manger's special bread and tortillas, so my savings is much greater, but it is not listed on the receipt. I have been going lately and they have not had as much bread in the discount area. I was surprised. That is probably why I bought so much. Most Kroger purchases are on the right hand side of the picture.


Sprouts 


.48 lbs Cherry Vanilla Granola @ $1.99lb
     -Final $0.96
.80 lbs Dried Cranberries @ 2.99lb 
     -Final $2.39
1.28 lbs Whole Wheat Flour @0.69lb
     -Final $0.88
1 Package Rosemary - $1.25
1 Arrowhead Mills Buckwheat Pancake Mix $3.00 - $1/1 Arrowhead Mills product Printable
     -Final $2.00
1 Arrowhead Mills MultiGrain Pancake Mix $3.00 - $1/1 Arrowhead Mills Product Printable
     -Final $2.00
4 Packages Black berries @ $0.69 each
1 Celery Stalk $0.89
5 Hass Avocado @ $0.69 each
2.67 lbs Zucchini @ $0.77 each
3.81 lbs Tomatoes @ 0.69 lb
2.61 lbs Sweet Potatoes @ $0.69 lb
3.28 lbs Yellow Onions @ $0.49 lb


I spent $24.68 and saved $2.00. I purchased a lot of fruits and veggies. I plan on making some soups and freeze them this weekend. I might have the crock pot and the stove going all weekend. The cold has set in here in Texas. I like to cook and bake to keep the house warm. I make multigrain pancakes and I mix different pancake mixes together to provide higher protein pancakes so the kids don't have a carb crash at school after eating the pancakes. I am making sun dried tomatoes in the dehydrator this weekend. YUM!


Tom Thumb
1 Hershey Cocoa Powder $1.54 (Manager Special) Nothing wrong with package
2 Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggies $2 each - $0.50/2 doubled SS 11/13/11
     -Final $1.50 each
1 Sea Pack Fish Sticks $4.99 - $2/1 WYB Birds eye Veggies Store Coupon
     -Final $2.99
2 Grands Biscuits $0.99 each - $0.30/2 tripled GM 11/13/11, $0.99 Price Store Q
     -Final $0.54 each
1 Oscar Meyer Deli Fresh meat $2.49 - $2.49 Store Q


I spent $11.10 and saved $13.46 on Groceries. I even picked up some Cocoa on Managers Special. I didn't see any thing wrong with the cocoa. I inspected it and Exp is in 2013. I plan on making some homemade cocoa for gifts this year.


Walmart


1 Pull Ups Huggies $9.47 - $2/1 Walmart 11/06/11
     -Final $6.47
1 Benadryl Cream $3.88 - $2/1 Any Benadryl Product RP 06/19/11
     -Final $1.88


I spent $10.17 and saved $4.00. I purchased diapers on this visit. This will soon be my last purchase of diapers we are ALMOST there. Little face has #2 down and will tell me when he needs to go. We are working on #1. He always goes when I sit on the potty, but he just doesn't tell me when he needs to go. Someday soon he will make the connection. I just know it! Any words of encouragement are greatly appreciate here.


I spent $58.54 Under Budget!


So how did you do this week? I can't wait to see what others have purchased this week. Be sure to come back to visit someone else's shopping trip to see if you can learn something new too!



25 Day of Christmas - BLOG SHARE

Okay, so everyone knows that Christmas is wonderful. I love it. It's my favorite holiday. I love the music, the snow, the lights, the traditions, the food, the presents, the love, the family, but especially....THE EGGNOG!!! I am very picky about my eggnog. Seriously. It has to be just so, or I refuse to drink it. I can't have the stuff that they sell in the stores, because it is so thick that it could stop a bathtub drain in it's tracks. I know that there are others out there who feel the same way, and simply refuse to drink it. I actually won't drink it alone, unless I seriously thin it down. But, I am also a bartender and because of this, I present to you, A Southern Christmas. Don't be scared...we're gonna talk about how to make the perfect Christmas Eggnog, but with a vodkaandmotherhood twist.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

25 Days of Christmas- Blog Exchange

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As we get ready for Christmas we, as a family, try very hard to emphasize the importance of the celebration of the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. This starts at the beginning of the month with an observance of Advent, focusing on the joyful anticipation of his coming. Quite a few years ago I decided to create a countdown chart that would ultimately focus on this true meaning of Christmas. I originally saw this idea on a Christmas card and decided to incorporate it into our celebration. 
I started by painting a Christmas tree onto poster board:

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tips 4 Tuesday - Frugal Exercise


I did it! I finally purchased my first few gifts today, and I already have  return. I bought a couple of things for the kids, since it was a good price and it was the last one. However, when I went home to read the reviews, they were not so good.  I will just bring it back and get something else. This is where I cash in for the holidays. I always keep my receipts and bring it back if it goes on sale somewhere else or if I don't like it after I have purchased it.
Elastic Exercise Bands


I don't know about you, but I ate my way through Thanksgiving. My husband is originally from New Orleans and that is where we spent our Thanksgiving. We had all kinds of traditional food, so we packed on a few pounds from that wonderful Thanksgiving meal, now we need to lose all those tasty pounds we consumed. How can you sneak in a workout, since you don't have any time?


I personally don't like to go to the gym to work out. I would rather do things at home. If this is you too, you can combine shopping and walking. Before you head to the store or department you are going to, take a quick lap around the mall or store before you start your shopping trip. If you do this a couple of times a day you are working off a few extra calories and slimming those thighs in no time.



Exercise while you are cooking. I do this all the time. Do a few leg lifts or simply march in place while you are browning your meat or chopping onions. This also helps improve your coordination, since you are doing two things at once. 



If you have stairs take the toys or clothes up stairs one at a time. You are getting a stair master workout, and you are not at the gym. For a quick ab workout sit on the edge of your bed and do some leg lifts about 20 or so before you get all the way out of bed in the morning. 


A video game is a great way to burn calories and have a great time with your kids. We have a couple of fun games to do with the kids, like Just Dance 2 or Wii Sports. You are making memories while burning calories. I love multitasking, especially if you can get the kids involved.


Sneaking in a few extra exercises throughout your day will also give you more engery this holiday season with out caffeine. Who couldn't use a little extra energy. Now if I can find a way to give me more time I will be set!


Do you have any quick fun exercise you do or would like to share? Leave a comment below to share your fabulous tips with others.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Money Saving Monday - Cyber Monday Shopping

This is cyber Monday today. I have listed several sites I recommend to get some great deals today. I love all my readers and to show me how much you care if you could take take one second and support me at Top Mommy Blogs that would be wonderful. It is very easy. One click = One vote. Thanks for taking the time to vote for me here


Coupons
New week = New Coupons be sure to print yours now. HOT $0.75/1 International Delight Coupon. PRINT NOW. This one won't last long.


Guys - Hard to Shop for
I find it is so hard to buy for guys in my family. I found this company last year and they have great deals going on right now on hundreds of items even for guys. I just Love, Love, LOVE this place.  I find buying something personalized for a guy is a great gift to give. Especially if it is something they are going  to use. My husband frequently travels, so I got him a small travel bag with his initials on it. He loves it and enjoys using it on all his trips. They have so many neat things to shop for here. I know you will find something for at least one person on your list. They have gifts for everyone. It looks like nearly everything is on sale, too!


PersonalizationMall.com 
Coupon Codes for Today ONLY! Order now!

PMALL5D - $5 Off Orders of $25 or More
PMALLSHIP75 - On-Site Deals - Today Only!
PMXMAS10 - 10% Off Holiday Orders


Gift Card Ideas


Here is a great site where you can shop for many different Gift cards at the same time and location. They will send you a bill and you can pay securely through your bank. You are not giving your account information to several different retailers risking your personal financial information getting stolen. This is a more safe and secure way to shop this holiday season. You can even earn up to 10% cash back on each gift card purchase. Then you can do a little shopping for yourself. Happy Holidays to you!



Friday, November 25, 2011

Friday Finals - Times 2

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! We sure did. I did not do any grocery shopping this week, but I would love to hear how you did this week. I am also posting an additional link to see how you guys did shopping on Black Friday. 


Macy's had a great coupon for $10 off $25. I love the create your own sale coupons, since you can combine those with any other items already on sale. I even buy my coffee when I get these coupons.



First is GROCERY LINK UP:






BLACK FRIDAY LINK UP:

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thoughts for Thursday - Thanksgiving

I hope everyone is having a happy Thanksgiving today. I am thankful for being able to celebrate this thanksgiving with my family. We are going to eat lots of turkey and all kinds is sides today. I love all the kids will have a chance to play with their cousins and create their own thanksgiving memories.

I have several questions today. You can choose to answer one or all. It will be fun to see what everyone is doing.

What are you thankful for today?

Are you eating a lot today to build your strength to go shopping tomorrow?

If you are going shopping tomorrow what is the store you are hitting first and what do you hope to get?

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving y'all from Texas.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Tips for Tuesday - Black Friday

It is almost here, Black Friday. I really like finding out the history of things. Most people don't know why it's called Black Friday. This is the day of the year most retailers go from operating "in the red" (a deficit) to operating "in the black" (making a profit). Thus Black Friday. This is a big day for retailers, and I think it should remain to just Friday. Let the employees enjoy their thanksgiving with their families and not be so greedy to make them work on thanksgiving. Ok that is my two cents. If you agree please do not shop on Thursday.

Here are a few of my tips for surviving the day. Do your research on the items that are going on sale to make sure that is the item you want. Sometimes it is last years model at a deep discount to clear the shelves. The item may not be the quality you really want.

Just like grocery shopping, you should have a plan and a budget and stick to it. Start by planning which stores are open earliest and have the item(s) you really want.

If you can convince someone to go with you, divide and conquer. Have one person go to one store while you go to another to get the most out of the time limited deals.

Don't worry if you don't get the deal you wanted. Another deal will come along during the holiday season.

Remember to:

1. Research

2. Have a plan and budget and stick to it.

3. Divide and conquer

4. Don't worry if you don't get the deal, another one will come along.

I enjoy shopping online and staying with my family on that day. I really don't like the crowds, but I would love to hear from my readers and I will have an additional black Friday linky for you to share your great deals you find on that day. I can't wait to hear from you.

Whatever Wednesday - Cake Mix Whatever Cookies

Cake mix whatever cookies - Pumpkin Spice Cookies


This is a great stockpile recipe. You should have everything on hand you need to make these fabulous cookies. These are my favorite since you can put whatever you have on hand in them and they still turn out fabulous


1 cake mix - you can use whatever you have on hand. I used Spiced cake mix
Oil - I used the puréed pumpkin instead of oil. This makes the cookies softer, less crunchy, let  them bake a couple more minutes if you use fruit or pumpkin




Egg
1 1/2 cup of whatever:
Chocolate chips
Oatmeal
Butterscotch chips
Pecans
Almonds
Raisins





Mix all the ingredients together. It is great if you have someone to help. 


Spoon mixture on to baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 9-11 min. This makes 3-4 dozen cookies. I like to make mine small, so I can eat two and not feel too guilty. These are great in time for thanksgiving and super easy the kids can help.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Money Saving Monday - Stockpiling


I wanted to write about stockpiling today, since we are in another season where it is good to stockpile items. If you have noticed all the baking supplies in the stores have gone on sale. It is baking season and it is time to stockpile on all your baking supplies. Each season has different items you want to stockpile.

Here are a few items that are on sale right now at most stores and have great coupons to match:

Yeast
Sugar
Canned Soup
French Fried Onions
Corn Starch
Flour
Chocolate chips

The time you want to stockpile and item is when it is FREE or 70% off retail price. I will be making a list and publish it soon of what I found to be my rock bottom or stockpile price for an item. I started my extreme couponing hobby in Feb. of this year and I have now seen all four seasons and I am more familiar when to stockpile an item and when to wait. I used coupons before, but I would only clip the ones I was going to use and when I went to the store the next time I would buy that item. I shopped at Walmart so the prices didn’t change. Or so I thought. Walmart does change their pricing and they do have sales on items. Especially this time of year. Walmart will change prices about once a month or once a quarter depending on the season and the item.

At first this is difficult creating a stockpile. You need to manage having enough food for your family to eat each week and create a stockpile. You may wind up spending more in the first month, but once you acquire a lot of coupons and a lot of variety of items and learn the sales cycles, you will be a pro in no time. If I can learn how to do this, so can you. After the second and third month you should start to see a significant savings in your grocery budget. You will find your list of items you need will decrease, and you spend more money on less expensive items. Saving you money all around.

In order to stockpile you will need a large number of coupons to combine them with the sales. The more coupons you have the easier it is to match up with the items on sale. The general rule of thumb is to purchase as many papers as there are members in your family. I purchase 4 papers and clip the coupons from those in order to match them with the sales when they come along. I print additional coupons on items I really think my family will eat. But normally four papers will do it for us. I can then purchase four of the sale item and create my stockpile when that item is at its rockbottom price and this will be enough to last me through the next time this item will go on sale. You don’t need to clear a shelf of an item. That item will go on sale again and it will have a coupon to match.

I am now at a point where I have a great variety of food to where I can buy at the rockbottom price and still have enough to eat. This takes around four to six months before you have a wide variety of food in order to do this. Stockpiling takes time. If you are like me trying to stockpile and are on a very strict budget it is difficult to accomplish both, but I like a challenge.

Here is what my stockpile looks like.
My pantry
Canned and Baking goods

Boxed items, cereal, breakfast items, Boxes meals, Pasta

My laundry room shelf with juice, Paper towels, a few other items

A shelf in my closet with my bathroom items


Friday, November 18, 2011

Friday Finals Kroger- Mega Event, Tom Thumb, Walmart 11/18/11


It has been a busy week for me. I have done two weeks worth of shopping this week. I will not be shopping next week, but I will still have a shopping linky. I might have two, one for grocery deals and any Black Friday deals you want to share. Let me know if you would like to see two to see other deals people have gotten.

Visit these ladies sites to see other great savings trips. TOP Three Visited Sites Last Week:


If you are still new to couponing, now is the time to stock up on all your baking needs for the year. This is when you will find your lowest prices and great coupon matchups on items like sugar, corn starch, baking powder, yeast and more. Be sure to check expiration dates when stocking up for a long time. There is no sense in buying something to last a year even if you have a coupon, only find the expiration date is 6 months out. However, items like sugar never expire, so grab what you can to stock up now. I was so excited when I saw Tom Thumb had really great store coupons for the month of November that matched with a lot of regular coupons I had for baking items making them FREE or really cheap. Remember Tom Thumb will double or triple one coupon. So I had to make a couple of trips. This store is on my way to take my son to school, so I didn’t feel like I was wasting any gas making the extra trips. I am trying to stock up for the rest of the year for all my baking needs now and stay within budget. This is challenging.

I have decided I am not going shopping in the grocery stores next week. It will be way too crowded, so I doubled my budget for this week to make up for it. Since I am still working on growing my stockpile, I am a tinsy bit over budget. But I did a lot of shopping this week. Here are the results:

SPROUTS 11/15/11

1.71 lbs Whole Wheat Flour @ $0.69 lb - $1.18
1.11 lbs Broccoli @ $0.77 lb - $0.85
1 32 oz Stonyfield Yogurt $2.50 - $1/1 Sprouts magazine
            -Final $1.50
1 32oz Stonyfield Yogurt Vanilla $2.50 - $1/1 Sprouts magazine

I spent $4.98 and saved $2.05 on $7.03 worth of produce and yogurt this week. If you use your own bags at Sprouts you get a $0.05 credit for each bag you use.

Tom Thumb 11/14/11

1 Safeway Mac and Beef $0.99 – Catalina Print FREE Safeway MAC and BEEF
            -Final FREE – I LOVE FREE
1 Wesson Best Blend oil $3.99 – Store Q $0.75/1, $0.30/1 tripled
            -Final $2.34
2 Philadelphia Cream Cheese $1.99 – B1G1 Store coupon
            -Final $0.99 each
1 Wheat Bread $1.50

I spent $5.83 and saved $6.74 on $12.57 worth of food. I went because the mac and beef coupon was about to expire. I will probably donate this when my daughter has a canned food drive this Feb. at school. We have enough Chef already at our house.

Tom Thumb 11/15/11

1 Crisco Shortening Sticks $3.39 – Store Q $0.50/1, $0.50/1 Doubled
            -Final $1.89
1 Betty Crocker Cake Mix $1.79 – Store Q $.50/1, $0.75/ Cake and Frosting purchase
            -Final $0.92
1 Betty Crocker Frosting $1.69 - $0.75/ Cake and Frosting purchase
            -Final $1.32
2 Kraft Parmesan Cheese Tubs $2.50 – 2 $1/1 Peelies found at store
            -Final $1.50 each
2 Philadelphia Cream Cheese $1.99 – B1G1 Store Coupon
            -Final $0.99 each
1 Mission Tortillas $2.19 – Store Q $1/1
            -Final $1.19
2 Dole Tropical Fruit $1.25 – Store Q $0.99 each, $0.50/2 Doubled
            -Final $0.49 each
1 Argo Corn Starch $1.39 – Store Q $0.50/1, $0.30/1 tripled
            -Final FREE – I LOVE FREE
1 Safeway Marshmallows $1.09 – Store Q $0.50/1
            -Final $0.59
1 Fleischman’s Yeast $1.79 – Store Q $0.50/1, $0.30/1 Tripled
            -Final $0.39
2 Bisquick 40oz $2.99 – Store Q $1.00/2, 2 $0.50/1 Printable 1st Doubled
            -Final $1.99 each
1 McCormick Vanilla 1oz. $3.39 – Store Q $1.50/1
            -Final $1.89
I spent $19.46 and saved $25.97 on $45.43 worth of retail groceries this week. The receipt printed all weird and different on this transaction, so I did my best trying to make it all match up. The regular price for the item printed all at once, then the Reward Card savings printed, then the Store Q, then the Manufacturer Q’s. It was hard to read, but it looked like every transaction took. I went back to the same Tom Thumb later in the week and it printed fine.

Tom Thumb 11/17/11

1 Marshmallows $1.09 – Store  Q $0.50/1
            -Final $0.59
2 Cans Pineapple $1.25 – Store Q $0.52/2, $0.50/2 Dole Pineapple
            -Final $0.49 each
1 Fleischman’s Yeast $1.79 – Store Q $0.50/1, She missed my coupon here $0.40
            -Final $1.29
1 Crisco Stick Shortening $3.39 – Store Q $0.50/1, $0.50/1 Crisco Product Doubled
            -Final $1.89
1 McCormick Vanilla 1oz $3.39 – Store Q $1.50/1
            -Final $1.89
1 Argo Corn Starch $1.39 – Store Q $0.50/1, $0.30/1 Argo corn Starch tripled
            -Final FREE

I spent $6.63 and saved $8.76 on $15.39 worth of groceries. I am stocking up for the holidays and on baking items for the rest of the year. I may do one more small trip to Tom Thumb this week to get the free or close to free items.

Kroger 11/15/11 MEGA EVENT
MEI = Mega Event Item $0.50 off of item

2 Gallons Milk $1.99 each
2 18count Eggs $1.88 each
1 Turkey Bacon $2.00
1 Bananas $1.18
10 Del Monte canned Veggies $1.00 – MEI
            -Final $0.50 each
3 International Delight Creamer 32oz $2.49 – MEI, 1 $0.75/1 Kroger E-Q, $1/2 Int’l Delight creamer
            -Final average $1.40 each
2 I Can’t Believe it’s not Butter $2.49 – MEI, 2 $1/1 ICBNB Q
            -Final $0.99 each
4 Hormel Turkey Pepperoni $2.99 – MEI, $0.55/2 Hormel Pepperoni Products
            -Final $2.22 each
4 Pringles Cans $1.49 – MEI, $1/4 Pringles Q
            -Final $0.74 each
1 Cool Whip $1.49 – MEI
            -Final $0.99
1 Hillshire Farms Lunch Meat $3.49 – MEI, $0.35/1 Hillshire Lunch Meat
            -Final $2.64
3 Kleenex Tissue $1.49 – MEI, $0.50/3 Kleenex boxes
            -Final $0.82 each
2 Honey Grahams $2.97 – MEI, $1/2 Nabisco Products
            -Final $1.97 each
2 Ritz Crakers $2.00 - $1/2 Nabisco Products
            -Final $1.50 each
2 Kroger Tuna $0.69 - $0.40/2 Kroger E-Q
            -Final $0.49 each
1 Heluva Dips $1.50 - $0.75/1 Heluva Dips
            -Final $0.75 each
1 Carnation Dry Milk $2.00 - $0.50/1 Carnation Dry Milk
            -Final $1.50
2 Nutri Grain Bread B1G1 $4.09
            -Final $2.05 each

I spent $55.50 and Saved $48.45 on $103.95 worth of groceries retail. This should have been more.  As I was reviewing my receipt I noticed a few price discrepancies that should have made it more like 50% savings. I am now stocked up for the winter on baking and canned goods, which is something my pantry was lacking. I can’t wait until the frozen veggies go on sale in a few months. I really would rather buy frozen, but canned it good when you need something fast.

Walmart 11/17/11

2 Huggies Slip on diapers $9.47 – 2 $3/1 Slip on diapers
            -Final $6.47 each
1 Millstone coffee $11.88 - $2/1 Millstone K-cup
            -Final $9.88 each
1 Celestial seasonings Chai Tea $2.28 - $1/1 Celestial Seasonings Tea
            -Final $1.28
1 Eight o Clock Coffee $4.88 - $0.75/1 All You
            -Final $4.13
1 White Chicken Chili Pack $1.08
2 Minute Maid Juice $2.98 – 2 $2/1 Minute Maid Boxes Printable
            -Final $0.98 each
2 lbs Sweet Potatoes $0.65 - $0.33 lb. TIME TO STOCK UP. You can cook these and freeze them
1 Marzetti Pepperocini $1.72 - $0.50/1 ALL You
            -Final $1.22
1 Ovaltine Malt $3.48 - $1/1 Ovaltine
            -Final $2.48
4 Libby’s Veggies $0.75 - $1/4 Libby’s Veggies
            -Final $0.50 each
2 Nestle Cocoa 6 pack $1.00 - $0.55/1 Printable
            -Final $0.45 each

I spent $40.02 and saved $17.35 with coupons for $57.37 items at Walmart. There were a few coupons on items that I wanted and didn’t want to wait to try to fit them into the budget, so I just got them without having to keep coming back and work them into the budget each week. Some of the coupons were close to expiring, so I used them instead of wasting that coupon.

GRAND Totals for the week. I spent $132.42 and saved $109.32 on $241.74 worth of grocery and household items this week for two weeks worth of shopping. I am a little over, but I can make that up in the next weeks.

How did you do this week? Did you stock up on baking items? Share your results below, so others can learn from your savings trips.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Great Gifts

I found the website Personalization Mall.com last year and I fell in love with them. They have gifts for every occasion all year round.  Their prices are reasonable. I ordered something for everyone in my family. I just love personalized gifts. It means more to me when the gift was picked out for me and it has been personalized just for me. 


PersonalizationMall.com
Last year I ordered the Can and Bottle wrap for all the men in the family in their favorite teams color and put their name on it. To this day this is my husbands favorite can wrap and he uses it all the time. I also ordered a monogrammed cutting board for my brother that he loved!


What better gift to send than a personalized gifts this season. I am glad I can offer this great deal to my readers. There are also a couple coupon codes you can use:


SHOPEARLY before 11/20/11 for 15% off
PMALL15D before 11/20/11 for $15 Off $75


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