Monday, February 28, 2011

Menu Inspiration? :)

Hummm...HT I don't know if my menu's will be inspiration for anyone, but I am more than willing to share! :) Since I said I only needed one comment, I will share this week's menu with you all. Please share some of your favorite things to eat and what you are eating. Leave it in the comments section so we can all get ideas!
This week's Dinners:
Monday:  Chicken Quesadillas (homemade), raw carrots, celery & light ranch dressing as the dip, leftover homemade applesauce (this was yummy)
Tuesday: (Leftovers for me as I don't eat red meat or pork for that matter), But, I will make Beef Tips, rice, & steamed broccoli
Wednesday: Turkey Tacos (we make this with: corn, ground turkey meat, seasoning and sometimes beans), served with Tortilla chips. I try to make these whole grain & or at least low fat--not that it makes it much healthier ;). Served with a mixed salad on the side or the meat on top of the salad. Salsa is the dressing and there is no sour cream or other added stuff. The other side is strawberries.
Thursday: I will eat leftover turkey meat mix (I'll add extra hot spices to it for me though!). Then, I will cook steaks, baked potatoes, & have a side salad.
Friday: Homemade Pizza, Mix up of fresh raw veggies with light ranch dressing as a dip, fresh fruit
Saturday: Out to dinner
Sunday: Homemade Chicken Parm. (if the new recipe turns out good I will let you know and post it), pasta, pasta sauce, and a mixed salad. Possible dessert: Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies (they are already made and frozen) or fruit smoothies.

Little man will be eating red meat twice this week! I bet he says something about that--it's not normal in our house.

Money Saving Monday--the challenge (2/28)

Let the challenge begin! Today starts the Month challenge of shopping at only one food store (Darrenkamps) while spending only $20 per person per week on food.

Actually, I did today's food shopping yesterday. I wanted to hit Darrenkamps for Chicken. Our supply was getting low. It was on sale last week and not on sale (or at least not listed in the flyer for this week). So, I went ahead and did it on Sunday instead of my normal Monday. I don't like to food shop on Sundays. But, I didn't want to pass up that savings. Plus, they had some fruit on sale that we wanted this past week.

I bought more than my $60 worth of food this week. But, we stocked up on a few things. I got stuff to make homemade items this week that I am putting in the freezer for us for the next week or two or three. So, I think it will even itself out over the month.

We will see. I must say though I got a lot of food for what I paid and even bought some organic. It wasn't a bad shopping trip--as good as shopping on Sunday can get. I prefer to shop on Mondays. But, after Sunday's trip I do have some ground to make up over the next few weeks. This should be interesting.

I heard that people want to hear more of what we are eating while on this challenge. So, here you go...
Sunday Night's Dinner:
BBQ Grilled Chicken
Salad
Homemade Applesauce--made just today.
Grillin' Baked Beans
Homemade Bread
*NOTE: We usually don't have that many sides.* Does anyone want a weekly menu for our Dinners? If I hear a yes please, I will post. If not, I will just throw them on here when I think of it.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Darrenkamps Deals Week of 2/28

Darrenkamps deals start on Mondays. Here is the list for some of the deals that are happening this week (2/28/11)

All Natural Whole Chicken Legs $.69lb

NY Strip Steaks $4.99lb

Country Style Pork Spare Ribs $1.89lb

Bone in Pork Chops $1.89lb

BOGO Free Ragu

Sweet Golden Pineapples $2.99 each

12 for $5 Yoplait Yogurt

5/$5 Surfine applesauce

5/$5 Furmano Whole, Stewed or Diced Tomatoes

BOGO Snyders Grande Tortilla Chips & Salsa

BOGO on Many Breads

Pears $1.49lb

Broccoli Crowns $1.69lb

To see more deals visit Darrenkamps or other Family own markets home page here

Giant Deals Week of 2/27


Use $1.50/2 Wish-Bone Salad Dressing printable
or use $0.50/1 Wish-Bone or Western Dressing, exp. 2-27 (RP 1/30/11)
or use $1/1 Wish-Bone or Wish-Bone Western Dressing, exp. 2-27 (RP 01/30/11)
or use $1/2 Wish-Bone or Wish-Bone Western Dressing, exp. 2-27 (RP 01/30/11)
As low as $.67 each after coupon
Use $0.60/2 Prego Italian Sauce, exp. 3-31-11 (SS 01/02/11 #2)
or use $0.35/2 Prego Italian Sauce, exp. 3-31-11 (SS 01/02/11)
As low as $1.17 each after coupon WYB 2
Use $1/2 Kellogg’s Pop Tarts Toaster Pastries, exp. 4-3-11 (RP 02/06/11)
or use $0.75/2 Kellogg’s Pop Tarts Toaster Pastries, exp. 4-3 (RP 02/06/11)
As low as $1.17 each after coupon WYB 2
Use $0.40/1 Land O Lakes Spreadable Butter, exp. 4-2 (SS 02/06/11)
or use 0.50/1 Land O Lakes Spreadable Butter, exp. 4-2-11 (SS 02/06/11)
As low as FREE after coupon
$0.50/2 Puffs Product, exp. 3-31-11 (P&G 02/27/11)
FREE Puffs wyb Vicks Product, exp. 3-31-11 (P&G 02/27/11)
$0.25 off Puffs Tissues, exp. 3-31-11 (P&G Rebate Book)
As low as $.50 each WYB 2
Use $1/1 Danimals Product, exp. 4-26-11 (SS 02/27/11)
$1.00 each after coupon
$1/1 Danonino Cups, exp. 4-26-11 (SS 02/27/11)
$.79 each after coupon
Use $0.50/1 Pepperidge Farm Bread or Bagels, exp. 4-10-11 (SS 02/13/11)
or use $0.40/1 Pepperidge Farm Bread or Bagels (SS 02/13/11)
As low as $1.99 each after coupon
Buy $15.00 worth of select Kraft products and get $5.00 off instantly. 

WEIS DEALS ( Week of 2/27)

WEIS DEALS: To See more deals check out forthemommas.com
FREE - With the purchase of 1 Mrs. Paul's Seafood
Use $1/3 Birds Eye Vegetables, exp. 3-13-11 (SS 01/23/11) 
or use $1/3 Birds Eye Steamfresh Varieties, exp. 3-13 (SS 01/23/11)
As low as $.66 each after coupon WYB 3
 
FREE Bird's Eye Vegetable with purchase
Select - Frosted Mini Wheats MUST BUY 4 
Use $1/2 Select Kellogg’s Cereals, exp. 3-20-11 (RP 02/06/11) 
As low as $1.50 each after coupon WYB 4
Use $1/2 Tony’s Original Crust Pizza, exp. 4-30-11 (SS 02/13/11)
or use 0.50/1 Tony’s Crispy Crust Pizza, exp. 4-30 (SS 2/13/11)
or use $1/2 Tony’s Pizza printable
As low as $1.00 each after coupon WYB 1
 
Use $1/2 Marie Callender’s Dinners, exp. 3-31-11 (ALL YOU Jan ‘11) 
As low as $1.75 each after coupon WYB 1
 
Use $1/1 Marie’s Product printable
$1.00 each after coupon
 
Use $0.50/2 Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Pastries, exp. 5-7-11 (GM 02/13/11)
or use $0.60/2 Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Pastries printable
or use $0.50/2 Pillsbury Toaster Strudel, exp. 3-26-11 (GM 01/02/11)
As low as 1.50 each after coupon WYB 2
 
Use B1G1 Gillette Deodorant, exp. 2-28-11 (P&G 01/30/11)
also get FREE Gillette Bodywash wyb Deodorant, exp. 3-31-11 (P&G 02/27/11) 
As low as $2.00 each with coupon WYB 2
 
BOGO 
or use $1/2 Arm & Hammer Laundry Product (SS 02/13/11)
 
Use $1/2 Ken’s Dressing, exp. 2-28-11 (RP 01/09/11)
or use $1/1 Ken’s Dressing, exp. 2-28-11 (SS 01/09/11)
or use $1/1 Ken’s Dressing, exp. 2-28-11 (SS 01/09/11)
As low as $.50 each after coupon
 
Use $1/1 DanActive Multipack, exp. 2-28-11 (SS 01/09/11 #2) 
or use $1/1 Activia Dessert, exp. 2-27-11 (SS 01/30/11)
As low as $1.00 each after coupon
 
Use $1/1 Cracker Barrel Cubes printable 
or use $1/2 Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese, exp. 2-28-11 (SS 01/23/11)
or use $1/1 Select Kraft Cheese Items, exp. 2-27-11 (SS 01/23/11)
or use $0.75/1 Select Kraft Cheese Items, exp. 2-27-11 (SS 01/23/11)
As low as $1.00 each after coupon
 
Select - Cheerios, Total Whole Grain, Trix, Golden Grahams, Cocoa Puffs & Kix 
or use $0.50/1 Total Cereal, exp. 3-5-11 (SS 01/23/11)
or use $1/2 Select General Mills Cereals, exp. 3-12-11 (SS 01/30/11)
As low as $1.00 each after coupon
 
MUST BUY 4 
As low as $.50 each after coupon
 
Use $1/1 Classico Pasta Sauce printable
or use $1/1 Classico Pasta Sauce printable
As low as $.99 each after coupon

Arm & Hammer Coupon


This $1.25/1 Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent Printable Coupon is available again.
Thanks for the Heads Up Living Rich with Coupons!

What's in Season? (A Rare Saturday Post!)

We all talk about eating what is in season to save money. But, what is in season?
I searched to find a chart for all of you. Here is what I came up with:

sustainabletable.org (This is where you plug in your state and it tells you by month what is local and fresh!)

A graphic of information can be found by going here. I plan on printing this and keeping it in my meal planning binder. :)

Field to Plate link helps you find some to your local region.

Pick your own link provides you with places that you can go and pick your own food.

Hope these links prove helpful. Have a great weekend!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Kids and Money...

We are doing our best to make Little Man wise on his choices with money. Sometimes, this can lead us to be a bit embarrassed. (Read  here --you'll have to scroll down--to find out one moment in time where putting him on a budget made me slightly red in the face.)

But, we know that by teaching him about money at an early age we are helping him later in life. We involve him in making decisions about money. He gets into the coupons and finding the best deals with me. We have him save in 3 categories: Savings, Spending and Giving.

Here are a few links for you all. Either to confirm that you are doing things OK. (I do like those confirmations every now and then.) Thanks for the article, Angie. It was great confirmation for me!!! Or to help you get started.
Dave Ramsey on kids and money video (About 5 min)
Teaching Your Kids About Money Article
You can also google Dave Ramsey and kids and money and find more. :)

For the adults that want help in setting a budget. Check out: Dave Ramsey Budget Forms we have our own and I suggest that you make the budget your own. But, these forms can certainly serve as a starting point!

WINNER of BLOG HEADER!

Krisy, it's your lucky day!! You were the only one to respond and take me up on my offer. The new blog header is yours! I will be in touch next week to discuss the details. :)

Photo Tip (Aperture)

The guest blogger is going to have some major sharing to do once we get the computer glitches out of the way. Technology--sigh!
But, to hold you over I thought we would have a discussion on:

Aperture or “F-Stop.”
We adjust the aperture to control the amount of light reaching the sensor. We also adjust it to how much depth of field we want. Do you want the background to be blurry or sharp?
*If you want that blurry look to your background and keeping your subject sharp in front, then you want a larger aperture (smaller number, F1.4 or 2.8).
*Want more of the background to be sharp and not blurry then use a smaller aperture (higher number, F5.6 or higher).
Take the time to experiment with these. Remember there is a learning curve. Making mistakes can lead to greater understanding, so don’t give up. Also, remember to be patient with yourself. Once you have your shooting style all the settings will become second nature to you and you'll know just what to do without even thinking! :)

I am hoping to get videos on here for you dealing with these things. Would that be helpful?? Chime in and let me know.
The winner of the design? Well, that's coming up....

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Dr. Oz Show segment on Organic on the Cheap

can be found here
Enjoy!!!

Homemade Pesticide Wash

Not buying everything organic? Make a wash for those items.

Dr Oz’s Pesticide Wash Solution Recipe

Dr Oz said that if you are going to eat non-organic fruits and vegetables, you can help to wash your produce off by mixing together the following ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 TB baking soda
- 1/2 lemon
Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray your produce.  Let the solution sit on your fruits and veggies for about 5 minutes before rinsing it off.  Vinegar is anti-bacterial and lemon is a natural astringent. 
Thanks, Dr. Oz!!!

The Mission of Motherhood

The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart of Eternity
Photo from Amazon.com

A while back, I came across this quote and knew I needed to read the book.
"The Fundamental mission of motherhood now is the same as it always was: to nurture, protect, and instruct children, to create a home environment that enables them to learn and grow, to help them develop a heart for God and his purposes, and to send them out into the world prepared to live both fully and meaningfully." -Sally Clarkson from The Mission of Motherhood.

I read that and said YES, EXACTLY that is my mission! It was at that moment that I said I am reading that book. I didn't read it at that time. I talked about it with a friend and we decided to read it together. So, we can have a discussion about it because you know when you read a good book you really want to talk about it. So, why not read it and get together to discuss it. Perfect idea, right? Well, we are finally going to get this thing started. As I thought about it, I wondered would anyone like to read along and we can discuss here on the blog once a week? If not, no big deal. But, if you want to join us. Let me know and I will make a day to post about it and open it up to comments. Thinking this will start the week of the 7th or 14th of March. Reading only one chapter a week. Anyone game?? You can get your own copy here.
Happy Reading!

Where do I get coupons?

This was a question this past week at the Mom's group that I spoke at and so I decided to put a link up to the Frugal Find's answer to this. I think it's comprehensive and you will get all that I would say over there. Be sure to check out her site. It is wonderful!!!
where to get coupons link

Also, the guest blogger will be back with pictures. But the PC needs a tune up...sigh....

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Organic Coupon Link and the Dirty Dozen...

Organic Food Coupon Link: here
The Dirty Dozen: I got this information from a comment on Money Saving Mom by Jaycee
This year’s Dirty Dozen.
1. Peach
2. Apple
3. Bell Pepper
4. Celery
5. Nectarine
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes (Imported)
11. Carrot
12. Pear

Here are the ones that are not as high in pesticide content:
The Clean 15 (lowest in pesticides)
1. Onion
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet Peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomato

She got this from http://livingmaxwell.com/the-dirty-dozen

One thing worth mentioning:
We don't eat all organic but we do buy some. We do eat a lot of whole foods. Yes, you can eat whole foods on a budget. Just remeber that your budget just might look different. But, like others have said you just have to be creative to save. We all do what works for us and our families and do the best we can. We must remember to allow ourselves some grace. :)

Want to see more of a discussion on Saving on Natural and Organic? Check out this post on Money Saving Mom. link I love that she is transparent and honest. That wins big in my book! :)

Words on Wednesday (quote)...

Do not repeat anything you will not sign your name to.  ~Author Unknown

I also say, don't say anything behind someone's back that you wouldn't say to their face. For if you would not say it to them, should you say it at all?

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Questions about my $239.64 food shopping month

that were asked outside the blog. The answers are for all of you here. We can all benefit from these answers, right?
1. Did you guys eat a lot of the same things for that month?
Nope, I even tried new recipes! Some we really liked and will go into the recipe file to keep. Others (well, one of them) flopped big time and that will not be made at my house again.
2. Did you feed them Mac and Cheese and/or hot dogs a lot?
Nope, I don't think Little Man had even one hot dog (although he might have one day for lunch--I'd have to look back) and nope, no Mac and Cheese.

So, no we didn't live on PB and J, Mac and cheese, hot dogs and noodles. Little Man did have some PB sandwiches for lunch. But that was per his request. We ate well.  We ate a lot of fruit, veggies and lean meats. We also had rice, pasta, potatoes, tortillas, etc. We had a lot of variety and I even made desserts!!! I asked my husband if he felt deprived this last month. No way--in fact he was quite happy with what we had. 

Do you have questions for me? I am more than happy to answer. Ask away--you can leave comments without a name. Just incase you don't want to share yours.
 Also, what do you want me to tell you about the next challenge? I know you'll hear the struggles and successes. But, what do you want me to share? Recipes? Meal Plans? You tell me...I want this to be as helpful as it can to all of you! Happy Savings.

Keeping it real...The $20 Challenge that happened behind the blog...

The $20 challenge behind the blog this past month. Read about this adventure and about the one that is up next. Did I do it? Can I do it? Am I ready? Are you ready to join me?

February 2, 2011--I enter into this not knowing really. How so? Well, I read about it after I had already gone to the store and I've already stock piled items. I wasn't planning my $20 per person per week deal at that time (1/30). I just wanted to stay within and cut my already lowering food budget. Plus, my wonderful husband has his superbowl tradition of wings, pizza and soda and toss in some sweet. All totally unhealthy and not the way we normally eat. Not to mention, those wings and pizza have to be from a pizza shop. So, that goes into my cost as well. YIKES! Honestly, I am not sure if I can make it. But, I am going to try. You'll know by the end of the post if I did or not (no skipping ahead)! Because, I am not posting until it is all over. That's right. This little post is being written in segments behind the scenes. So, we can see if at the end of it all I average $20 per week per person. Is it possible while feeding my family whole foods??

February 7, 2011-- If I only had the $20 per person this week I would have made it. But, I had less than this because I stocked up and because of Superbowl Sunday and the pizza and wings. I am starting to doubt that I can make it in for the month at the $240 amount. But, if I just give up now, I will never know how close we can come. So, I continue to strive forward. I will use stock up items from the pantry and freezer. But, I will NOT feed my family in a way that isn't up to our nutritional standards of lots of fresh fruits, veggies and lean meats. I want the fuel for our bodies to be good fuel. If that means I spend more than $20 per week per person--well so be it. I don't want our food budget to be outrageous but, rather just the cheapest I can  for the way we eat. (Healthy whole foods that will make our bodies healthier.) I want to prove that you can eat healthy, whole foods on a budget. So, this week Darrenkamps reduced items were my saving grace.  We will see how next week goes.

February 14, 2011-- Sales--can I mention how much I love them? I do. I also love CVS bucks. Doing the drugstore game can be fun. Sure it can be frustrating too. But, overall, it's more fun that frustrating.
This week, I don't have much to buy in way of food for our menu. But, there are some good sales on some things that I would like to stock up on. Stocking up can be hard on this $240 a month deal. But, I am determined that it can be done. Stocking up one week leaves you a lot less the next. It's really hard when you spend around $10 a week on milk. That leaves $50 for the rest of the food (stockpiling, fresh fruit, veggies, meat, grains, etc.) When I write that, it sounds like a lot and yet I feel it gets "eaten" rather quickly. I talked it through with a friend and I saw how it does get "eaten" and how much my planning is helping us come close. We are hanging in there. Barely!

February 21, 2011-- Transparency, I expect it from others, so I will give it to you. I went into this week with around $18 left for food, not the $60 I should have. But, I stockpiled earlier and that means those weeks, I was spending more out of pocket to save later. Could I do it? I will tell you, $18 isn't much. Well, after all calculations were made from food shopping. I came in at $239.64 for the month. The goal was $240.  But, that did not include the Valentine's Celebration below--my other Transparency. I am done buying food for this month, so I can now post this mega post!

Other transparency: We did have our valentine's celebration and that was NOT included in this ($239.64). We took that out of spending because that was our gift to eachother. But, if we were being true that should have come out of the food budget. I got creative and took it from spending. We had the money in that part of our budget. But, it should have come from the food budget since it was food. I need to mention that our food budget also includes anything out. Dinners out, quick stops through the drive through, a coffee out. Anything that is food or drinks that go into our bodies goes into our food budget.

Can I make it on $20 a week per person every month? That's something that I will have to wait and see. I am not sure. We eat lots of raw fruits and veggies. We eat lean meats. We eat some organic products. Our diet is (ok we try to be) really healthy. Can I make this work? I think it comes down to VERY careful planning, knowing the prices and keeping the goal in mind. I am not sure that we can do this and eat out weekly. Acutally, I am quite sure we can't. I do like a night off cooking every now and again. Even if it is just a pizza. So, we will look and readjust things. Perhaps, we add a certain amount in our food budget for that every month. I am not sure, I am just trying to figure this all out. But, one thing that I know helped is that almost all of my meals were made from scratch this past month. Yes, me cooking from scratch--scary! :) Master cook I am NOT!

I am letting you in on my next challenge!

My next challange: I am putting this out there for all of you to follow as I will be posting about this for the next month. $20 a week per person while only shopping at one food store the whole month and the drugstores.  I mostly do the drugstores for toothpaste and such. But, a few times food items slip in as well. But, you can't make me give up my drugstore game. ;)

My foodstore of choice for this challenge? Darrenkamps of course! Follow along with me as I share my successes and trials with all of you. I will be updating my thoughts, feelings, successes and trials in real time for this challenge. It's going to be crazy and challenging--at least I think so. But, it should be entertaining for all of you! I think this will allow me to know Darrenkamps prices inside out. Perhaps benefit me after this month. Someone asked if I would do this at Giant the next month. Nice idea, but I already know I can't shop for food without Darrenkamps! So, that's a no go--at least I think so...I may change my mind. We'll see.
This adventure starts for me on February 28th. It lasts 5 weeks because we have a 5 week month. So, while the monthy total will be higher, the budget per week will be the same. $20 per person, per week. Follow along...Anyone want to join me on one or both of these challenges? Needless to say, I will be posting the Darrenkamps prices and best sales in the upcoming weeks. And yes, I will still link you to the Weis and Giant deals! I can't leave you guys just hanging out there!

What do you want to hear about this challenge? What do you want me to blog about? I want it to benefit all of you, so let me know.

Happy Savings! And remember comments are welcome--it lets me know that people are reading. :)

Monday, February 21, 2011

Menu Planning...

 Crafts and Sutch has another wonderful idea. Go figure! You already know I love her blog. But, really you should go over here to check out her menu-organizer-and-recipe-holder idea. So cute!

Don't forget about the giveaway...

found here.
You have until 2/25 to enter. :) The winner will be chosen by random.org. Unless K is the only one entering. Then, it's easy! :)

Money Saving Monday (2/21)

Giant Deals:
The Giant deals can be found here thanks to For The Mommas link
Weis Deals:
The Weis deals can be found here thanks to For The Mommas link
Darrenkamps Deals:
Chicken Breast Tenders $1.39 (STOCK UP PRICE)
Red Seedless grapes $1.29
Dannon Yogurt 6oz. 2 for .88 (There is a coupon that was in the paper at some point that gives you $1.00 off 10).
Turkey Hill Teas and Drinks $1.88 a gallon
San Giorgio Pasta .88
Hanover Silver Line Frozen Veggies BOGO
80% Lean Ground Beef $2.29lb
Southern Style Pork Spare Ribs $1.99lb
Shurfine Deli 95% Fat Free Smoked Turkey Hamm $2.69lb
Strawberries (USA grown) lb. 2/ $5.00
Peaches, plums Nectarines $1.99lb
$1.99 5lb bag Russet Potatoes
CVS Deals: (Thanks to frugalday.com) Click on the link to see more deals

CVS Freebies

Cadbury Single Eggs 1.2 oz. or Mini Eggs 1.5 oz. $0.75 each
Limit 1 (Sunday – Tuesday Only)
Get $0.75 in ECB
Final price: FREE after ECB
Colgate Maxwhite or Maxresh 6 oz. or Colgate Total  4 oz. $2.77-$2.99
Limit 2
Get $2 in ECB
Use: $1/1 Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste, exp. 2-28 (ALL YOU Jan ’11)
Use: $1/1 Colgate Toothpaste, exp. 2-19-11 (SS 01/30/11)
Use: $1/1 Colgate Total Toothpaste (Diabetes & You, Winter)
Final price: FREE after coupon and ECB
Gold Emblem Jelly Beans 9 oz. $0.99
Limit 1
Get $0.99 in ECB
Final price: FREE after ECB
Mars or Wrigley’s Singles 1.08-2.17 oz. 4 for $2
Limit 2
Get $1 in ECB
Use: FREE Snickers Peanut Butter Bar wyb Snickers, exp. 2-27 (CVS CRT)
Use: FREE Snickers Peanut Butter Squared wyb Select Items (RP 01/23/11)
Final price: FREE after coupon and ECB

CVS Extra Care Bucks

Revlon Foundation, Powder, Blush or Concealer
Limit 1
Get $8 in ECB wyb 2
Use: $2/1 Revlon Face Product, exp. 2-20-11 (SS 01/16/11)
Final price: Varies
John Freida, Biore, Jergens, or Curel
Limit 1
Buy $10, Get $3 in ECB
John Freida Hair Care $5
John Frieda Lumious Color Glaze 6.5 oz. $8
John Frieda Full Repair 1.7-2 oz. Go Blonder Spray 3.5 oz. $8
John Frieda Frizz-Eae Serum Spray $8
Biore Cleanser 5-5.7, Towelettes 30 ct., Pore Strips 6-8 ct. $6
Use: $2/1 Biore Product printable
Use: $1/1 Biore Product printable
Jergens 16.8-21 oz. $6
Use: $1/1 Jergens Product printable
Use: $1/1 Jergens Product, exp. 3-5-11 (SS 01/16/11)
Curel 7.5-13 oz. $6
Use: $1/1 Curel Product, exp. 3-5-11 (SS 01/16/11)
Aussie or Herbal Essences Hair Care  2 for $5.97
Limit 1
Get $2 in ECB
Use: $1/2 Aussie or Herbal Essences Product, exp. 2-28-11 (P&G 01/30/11)
Use: $1/1 Herbal Essences or Aussie Product, exp. 2-28 (P&G Book)
Final price: As low as $0.98 each wyb 2 after coupon and ECB
Pampers Diapers $8.99
Limit 1
Get $2 in ECB
Use: $1.50/1 Pampers Easy Ups or UnderJams, exp. 2-28-11 (P&G 01/30/11)
Use: $1/1 Pampers Diapers, exp. 4-30-11 (P&G Everyday Savings Book)
Use: $2 off Pampers Diapers/Pants AND Wipes, exp. 2-28-11 (P&G 01/30/11)
Final price: $5.49 after coupon and ECB

CVS Store Deals

Palmolive Dish Soap 10 oz. $0.97
Limit 5
Kellogg’s Pop Tarts $1.79
Purex Ultra Concentrate Detergent $1.99
Use: $1/1 Purex Ultra Concentrate Liquid Detergent, exp. 4-16 (RP 02/20/11)
Final price: $0.99 each after coupon
Purex 3-in-1 Sheets $3.99
Use: $3/1 Select Purex Products, exp. 3-19 (RP 02/20/11)
Final price: $0.99 after coupon
Finish Jet Dry Or Quantum $2.99
Use: $2.25/1 Finish Quantum, Powerball/Gelpacs, exp. 2-21-11 (SS 01/02/11)
Use: $1/1 Finish Quantum Automatic Dishwasher Detergent Product printable
Final price: $0.74 after coupon
(THESE can be found at Target with coupons for free.) For the Mommas has the deal on here site. :)
Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner, or Styler 3 for $10
Limit 6
Use: $1/1 Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner or Treatment printable
Use: $1/1 Garnier Fructis Hair Care Item, exp. 5-6 (RP 02/06/11)
Final price: $3 each after coupon
Kellogg’s Cereals $1.99
Limit 4
Use: $1/2 Select Kellogg’s Cereals, exp. 3-20-11 (RP 02/06/11)
Use: $1/2 Select Kellogg’s Cereals printable
Final price: $1.49 each wyb 2

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Thursday Playroom Moms (bonus post just for you)

You never hear from me on a Saturday, but this is for you, Kim. :)
I have my own cleaning list that I made up--which I am willing to share if you want me to. But, you can look at the household forms on Money Saving Mom by clicking here and see her cleaning schedule. Use this to get your own started as it will give you a general idea.  I always say use it for your own ideas, because what works for you can be quite different. I have felt since breaking up the cleaning over days during the week that it is much more manageable than trying to do it all at once.  Same with Laundry, but I know that others may feel differently. The point is to figure out what works best for you! Good Luck and keep me posted!

Friday, February 18, 2011

Guest Blogger will post his pictures...

as soon as we can. We had fun today and we've been having some computer issues lately. It will be up when we can get it all uploaded and such.
Have a great weekend!

Guest blogger will be later...EDITED

with his pictures. Little Man took it Thursday and will be editing it Friday Morning.

But, now I am doing a little give away. A blog header for ONE lucky winner. You give me the photos, text you want and we'll get a blog header put together for you. :) It will be chosen by Random.org unless I have only one reader respond and then well, it will be easy to pick. You know, come to think of it. This might not be fair to the readers without blogs, so let's say a blog OR notecard layout for you. Whatever you choose, it will be sent to you in jpeg format. I'll edit the photos a bit if you request it. :) All you have to do is leave a comment to be entered. I will be picking the Winner on February 25th.

Have a great Friday! Back later with the Guest Bloggers picture...

Thursday, February 17, 2011

What a great Thursday!

It's beautiful outside, I spent my morning talking to other Moms, and I have a long weekend with Little Man. It doesn't get any better than that! Honestly, I really needed all these things to come together. How wonderful that HE made that happen.

I wanted to thank both groups of Moms that I spoke to this week. I just loved talking with all of you. I hope that those of you that follow along will find the money saving tips on mondays helpful, as well as, the other tips and Mama stuff through out the week. After all, we are all here to support each other.

A Mama today mentioned a few other money saving blogs that she finds helpful and so do I. So, here is the short blog list. Let me know if you have others you love. We can always use a new idea. I do need to get these on a side bar soon!

Money Saving Mom: link here
Dearly Domestic: link here
For the Mammas: link here
Frugal Find: link here
$5 Dinners: link here
Frugal Families: link here
Krazy Coupon Lady: link here
The Thrifty Mama: link here
Super Healthy Kids: link here
Dave Ramsey: link here

Up next my list for favorite craft/scrapbooking/photo sites. :) (Not sure when that will be posted).
Off to enjoy the rest of this AWESOME DAY!

Fireproof...

It was Valentine's day on Monday. (Actually, if I am being really transparent (as I like to be), it's still Monday here as I type this--because of the week I am going to have, I need to blog when I can.) But, for the rest of you it's Thursday and I have a suggestion for you, it's just a suggestion.

Have you seen the movie Fireproof? It came out a few years ago. It's a great movie. Here is a clip Fireproof. It's a funny thing, people think that this movie is just for marriages in trouble. It's not. It's for everyone. If you have not seen it, my suggestion? See it--with your partner. 

Want your own Love Dare? Get a copy of it here.

A song from the movie...Words I would say...

And one last thought for today: (So fitting for my life right now)
God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless.  ~Chester W. Nimitz
Happy Thursday everyone. :)

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Words on Wednesday (Quote)

To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice.  ~Confucius

For those Playroom Moms...

It was great hanging out with you this morning! I am putting a few links up here for you on coupons. Sorry for those that already follow along, as these items could be repeat. But, they are good repeats. :)
1. The coupon binder link: here
2. The coupon class link: here at the frual find this is a great time investment.
3. Organic deals link: here  Money saving Mom has some natual and organic deals listed almost monthy.

Take little steps and let me help. Ask questions in the comments section and I will do my best to get you an answer. We are all in this Mom thing together!
Have a great day!
Amy

Thoughts on Wednesday--Population Me....

I told you this week would be short and sweet...


Oh how easy it is to live when it's just population you.
But, is that God's plan for you?
What if you are missing out on your greater purpose?
I suggest you listen...My Own Little World
Now, I ask are you going to search for your greater purpose or live in population you?

Let me also link you up to a sports video. This teams coach did something that's perhaps out of the ordinary. But, then to see what happened because of it. Is well, heart warming, amazing and wonderful.
Not just about basketball

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Short posts...

This week will be full of them. I am spending 2 mornings this week speaking to other moms about coupons, saving money, organization and whatever else suits their fancy. So, my blogging time is shortened as those other things are taking up time. But, it's time well spent. I love the place I am going to. I was part of this Moms group when Little Man was younger. It brought me to a core group of women that I know I can call on at anytime for anything. It's wonderful to have those friends. I am fortunate.

For today, a freebie that I found thanks to Money Saving Mom.
Download a free Betty Crocker Soups, Stews and Chilies ebook.


Enjoy!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Money Saving Monday (2/14)

Happy Valentine's Day! :) Now, what you really came here for...

CVS Deals: here at Money Saving Mom
Check it out, you can score some free toothpaste (after ECB) and other items that you only have to pay pennies for. Oh the drugstore game. Shall I do a post on what tips I am finding in playing this game??

Giant: First, don't let the guy in produce tell you that the $1 bag of 3lb potatoes were last weeks sale. Or that you are just totally confused and don't have your ads straight. Just smile, nod, and go grab the ad to show him. Then you'll realize you won't find him. So, you go to customer service and get yourself a rebate. Not like that happened to me or anything ;) To point out, once I had the ad another man in produce was VERY helpful in trying to find them for me. Wish I caught his name. Yes, these potatoes are a great deal. Better than the BOGO deal. But, depends what type of potatoes you want.
More of giant deals can be found at for the mommas

Darrenkamps: Has some great deals this week. Their ground turkey is on sale for $1.79lb. Did I mention their service comes with a smile and a very helpful hello. :) Again, I LOVE that store.

Weis: They have some good deals also. Check it out again at for the mommas. She also posted about the weis catalina deal. Remember sometimes stores do this in addition to manufactures. Have to look out for both and see if they can fit in with your monthly plan.

I shortened the post this week, because I wanted to share a quick story. We try to make Little Man responsible with money. We help him in understanding the importance of saving for things that you want. He has 3 banks (charity, savings and spending). We explained when we started them about the importance of each. But, if you watch him most of the money he gets goes to savings, then charity and then spending respectfully.

When we have opportunities to get him involved in making decisions with money, we allow that to happen. We feel that teaching him while he is young to understand money will help him in the long run.

So, he had a party to go to and we set a budget amount that he could spend on his friend. If he had money left over from the budget, he could give that as cash or get another gift. So, he did have money left over and gave it as cash. He carefully considered all the options that he could buy him and then weighed the cost of the items. (My child loves to give to others, so setting a budget is key.) But, as we were at the party, Little Man exclaims when the kid opens the card. That's all we had left. My face turned bright red. Oh my! We did have a chat on the way home about not saying those things and that some of that we have to keep to ourselves. Of course, he said I didn't know I shouldn't say that. I said I know and that he was just being honest. One of the things I love about him--his honesty.

So, how to you involve your kids? What are some ways you are teaching them about money? Share your thoughts and ideas so we can all benefit.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Sorry for the delay...Guest Blogger...

Today, I gave the guest blogger a day off. We talked about it and there were other things that filled our week this week and so, we made the choice to post an old picture.

This was from last year and it was a picture that he felt so good about because someone asked him for note cards for their son for this. Thanks S! :) It meant to him that people were looking at his work. That they liked what they saw and thought it was good enough to share with others. We all look for the reassurance. I am anxiously waiting for us to be able to go out and see the green grass like this and enjoy the warm fresh air.

He'll be back next week with a new picture. Until then, enjoy the old one. I say, it's an oldie but a goodie! :)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

EXPOSURE!

Nope, I am not talking about skin people. Although, I feel summer is coming too quick and my skin seems to be getting more and more pale. This is about that camera and your exposure. People often want to know how to have great pictures. Well, it all starts with a proper exposure.

So, now you ask how can I get that? Sometimes my pictures come out so dark and sometimes they are too light. Well, that's because you are leaving the settings up to your camera. Your camera isn't human, it can't see things like we do. So, it's bound to make a mistake. Oh sure, we make them too. But, when you make them on your own, you can learn about that mistake and try not to make it again.

So, what do you do? Move that dial over to manual. I know it's a scary place to be. You have to control things. But, of course if you like to be in control, this is the place for you! :) Once you have learned how to shoot in manual, you will better understand your camera and get better results.
A few simple starter steps:
1. Get that camera out and move that dial over to M. Great, that's the 1st step.
2. Get someone or something to use as a subject and find a shady part of your yard, house, park, alley, whatever pleases your soul. If it's overcast, anywhere will do just fine. (More about that another time).
3. I don't care if you have a Nikon, Olympus or Canon, put your lens opening to 5.6 (f/5.6).  Now, adjust your shutter speed until you see that you have correct exposure. Then, focus on your subject and ta-da you just made your first manual exposure!

Photography is still about good light. A good exposure is making sure the right amount of light is hitting the sensor.
There are four ways to change the exposure:
1. Change the fstop on the lens.
2. Change the shutter speed.
3. Change the iso (film speed)
4. Change the lighting.

More on all of that another day!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

THE PANTRY (organization)

1. Clean out your pantry by going through all the items and throwing out items that are too old.
2. Organize items like they do in the grocery stores.
3. Stack your cans and items for easier storage.
4. Store all your baking items separately. It might be good to store them in containers so that you can take them out and put them back without having them take up precious room on your kitchen cabinets.
5. Need more space? Get some adjustable shelves. I didn't have a pantry and when I stocked up on items didn't have space besides our basement to keep them. Well, that just wasn't working. So, we got coat hangers for our coats that were in our downstairs closet and put them up in the laundry room. (WORKS great!) and then changed our downstairs closet to a pantry. Bought some adjustable shelves and yipee! I got the pantry I always wanted.  OK, so really a walk in one would be delightful. But, this will certainly serve it's purpose.
6. Don't be afraid to take items out of their boxes to store them.
7. Clean your pantry on a regular basis.
8. Rotate your stock oldest always in front.
9. Keep an inventory list.
10. Realize that your pantry is always a work in progress. Don't get discouraged and do what works for you!
 
Also, I found the following resource for you to help with pantry organization:
frugal families  (They have budget sheets, pantry sheet, expense tracking, etc. Good resource page.)

 

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Tasty Tuesday---Chili (Homemade)

I am always on the lookout for new recipes to try. Here is one that we recently tried and liked. Do you have any favorite meals that you'd like to share your recipe for? If so, get in contact with me and we'll feature yours on here! This can help us all take the pains out of menu planning.

Wendy’s Chili

Please note: While Wendy’s may use grilled hamburger patties, I suggest that home cooks used ground meat for convenience.
2 lbs. fresh ground beef--I personally use ground Turkey
1 qt. tomato juice
1 (29 oz.) can tomato puree
1 (15 oz.) can red beans, drained
1 medium onion (1 1/2 c.), chopped
1/2 C. celery, diced
1/4 C. green pepper, diced
1/4 C. chili powder (you may want to use less, some people find this is too much--I don't I find it fine and might use more next time)
1 tsp. cumin (if you like real flavor, add more)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. each: black pepper, oregano, sugar
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (I use the super hot kind and my husband and I still have to add hot sauce. But, it's the perfect heat for Little Man just this way)

In a frying pan, brown the ground beef; drain. Put the drained beef and the remaining ingredients into a 6-quart pot. Cover the pot; let it simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
So you all know I found this here.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Money Saving Monday (2/7/11)

A large part of saving money on your food is due in part to careful planning. Both in the menu and where to shop. Here are a few things that might be helpful.

Dinner Meal Planner forms can be found:
here at Family Fun. It's cute.
super healthy kids (Wonderful site)
Or there is a free online service to help you Eat Real Good
and also at this new site I found netmums.com
My friend Angie suggested I share this on the blog. e-mealz There is a cost with this one.
Please know, I have my own form that I created for my family that is always being revamped to suit our needs better for meal planning and shopping. I am happy to share that with all of you. If you want it, just let me know.

Weekly Deals:
Darrenkamps:
I shopped their reduced produce, bakery and meats this week. I also got ground turkey (not in the reduced section) for $1.99lb that is their normal for a larger amount of ground turkey. I have a dish this week and next that I will use that for. They also have Chicken on Sale this week $1.49lb for boneless skinless breasts. I love this store!
Find the CVS deals here.
Find Giant deals here thanks to for the mommas
Find Weis deals here thanks to for the mommas

Sorry, I took the short way out this week. But, I try to get this up on Sunday's for you to have first thing Monday morning and well, it is the Superbowl weekend! :)

Thanks to everyone that is following along on this blog via email, feeds or just checking in. I am always amazed to see how many of you do click on over here and are stopping by. Thanks!

Friday, February 4, 2011

You are not alone...(bonus post on Friday)

So this morning I was off to a friends house to talk coupons, sales and such and another friend was coming to join us. What a great morning this was going to be. I know sounds funny talking coupons and sales could be so great, but you have to understand that being around these friends is awesome and wonderful nomatter what we are doing.

Anyway, on my way there, I saw a woman that was stuck on the side of the road. How awful I thought. I was already realizing that I would just be on time to meet them and I hate being late. But, my heart said Stop and help and so I did. I stopped. I've grown to listen to this heart of mine, even when it takes me off my plans.

Well, I found out she was an 81 year old woman and she was so kind. As I tried to push this car out, I realized there was no way I was doing this alone. Instead of giving up, we kept trying and I started praying (Should have done that first I know). I watched as others drove by wondering how they could drive by as we were chipping ice and trying to get it out. The lady was thanking me for stopping and trying to help. She had given up that I would get her car out. I told her, well I don't give up that easily. So, we chipped away at some of the ice and then tried again. I was praying and saying I couldn't do it alone. Just then another woman stopped to try and help us. What is it about us women?

While we were both trying to get her out, she began praying just as I was minutes before. I'd like to say that we were able to free that car, but we were not. However, I don't think that it was about freeing her car. There was a deeper meaning to this experience. It was the human spirit and the caring outside yourself. Showing love toward others. I cried out to God for help and he sent another woman who would stand beside me and push and pray. It was showing us that even when you are going through the trials in life (how big or how small) that he sends people to walk beside you. You may not be brought out of that trial right away, but you will have someone to carry the burden with you. Yes, there was a greater purpose this morning and even if it was only to have 3 women realize that there still are those people out there that care outside of themselves. It was worth it.

Guest Blogger Friday: Topic: Valentines...

Just so you all know this idea was originally from: the crafting chicks. This year he is doing something different for the valentines and today's post.

To complete this he had to:
1. Take a picture of my phone.
2. Photoshop that picture and learn some new things in the process.
So, this week, I taught him more in photoshop than photography. I walked him through the steps by showing him. Deleted what I did and had him recreate it. He's proud of his valentines. He should be he worked hard on them and he was excited to learn new things in the process.



Incase you missed the details in this picture:
The calendar was changes to February 14th, time 2:14PM, the photo was changed, and it had his name for the network. But, since this was going to be online and I only refer to him as Little Man, I deleted that. There are cut out around the phone part.

The treat part of them is melted crayons. He made girl colored ones for the girls and then tried to make sure he did favorite football team colors for the boys. I love how thoughtful he is. :)

One last thing he wants me to post: GO STEELERS!!! :) And he asks that you all cheer for them.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Valentine's Day lunch notes!!!

Valentines Day Lunch notes!
Because something this cute needs to be shared. Just so you all know, I do lunch notes still. I will do them until Little Man tells me that he doesn't want them anymore. Oh how I pray that doesn't happen. After all, it's my only way of communicating with him during the day!

As for the notes, sometimes I find cute jokes or such on the computer. Other times, I make my own. More often than not, I make my own. Sometimes it's just words, sometimes it's a picture too. But, I came across these at Crafts and Sutch and had to share!
Crafts and sutch idea


 How cute are they?!?!? Want your own? She is so kindly allowing you to print from her blog. Just go here and print off your own sweet set. There is even a set for that someone special in your life! :)  I simply can't resist sharing awesome things with you all and when I find other blogs that are truly inspiring and have something like this to share, I want to let you know about them too! :)

Word to the wise, when you hit the print, hit print preview and change the orientation to horizontal and you'll be delighted! :) Don't have kids in school yet? Then, you need to save a copy for sometime in the future. These are too cute not to use.   

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Additional Tips for Cutting that food budget...

Here is an article on Ten Tips to Trim your Budget.
Interesting read. What are some ways you cut your budget?
Those of you trying to subscribe by email. I notice a few of you are not fully subscribed. Meaning either you didn't click on the welcome email or you never got it. One reader S said that she had trouble at first too and then she tried to subscribe again and then got the welcome email to click on the link in there to subscribe. Hope that helps you all.
Wow, this has been the week of short posts. You'd think I had nothing to say. Then, you'd catch me out or call me and realize I am that same blabber mouth that I always am. :)

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Budgeting ideas and links

Let's make this short and sweet today!

So a while back, I listened to a Mom state that you could budget $20 per week per person in your family for food. Granted she also said this depends on your personal eating styles, etc. So, there is wiggle room is what she was saying and she also said this would be low for some and high for others. Consider this...
Given this for a family of 3, for the month you should spend about $240.
Now, can a family of 3 do this while eating whole foods? Lots of fruits and veggies? Lean meats? Even some organic foods? Having a dinner out once a week or once ever two weeks? After all, a Mama needs a night off. This doesn't happen without careful planning that's for sure. So, what's your thoughts? Does your family eat for $20 a week per person?

For other budgeting tips that you might find useful--check the links below:
Dave Ramsey on Life and Money and Budgeting
Dave Ramsey Budget Forms