Castle Rock Coupon Queen

Spaghetti Sauce

2010-10-15T15:56:00.003-06:00

It really isn't that hard to make your own spaghetti sauce and the difference in taste is HUGE! Also you can freeze it to pull out for a quick dinner later. This recipe is my mom's basic recipe that I have changed to fit my families taste and to hide a few more veggies in it. It is one of our favorite meals. I will say once you try making your own sauce you can't go back. Consider yourself warned!

Spaghetti Sauce
1 can tomato paste
½ t dried parsley (or 1 1/2 t fresh)
1 heaping t dried basil (or 1 T fresh)
1 heaping t dried oregano
1/2 t ground dried rosemary
2 cans tomato sauce
Salt & pepper to taste
1 zucchini, diced small (optional)
2-3 Carrots, diced small (optional)
4 oz. fresh mushrooms, diced small (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (optional)
1 lb. Ground beef (or homemade meatballs)
½ onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
¼ green pepper, finely diced
1/2-1 C water or beef broth
¼ C brown sugar
1 C Parmesan cheese, grated

Combine the first 11 ingredients in a large heavy bottomed pot and place over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer. In a large skillet brown ground beef or meatballs. If you are using ground beef go ahead and add the cooked beef to the sauce. If you are doing meatballs set the browned meat balls aside on a paper towel to drain. Add the onion and green pepper to the pan you browned the beef in (adding some olive oil if needed). Saute over medium heat a few minutes until softened. Add the garlic and continue to saute another 3-4 minutes. Add the sauteed veggies to your sauce. Return the skillet to the heat and turn the heat up to med-high heat. Add the water or beef broth to you pan and use a whisk to deglaze the pan. Make sure to scrape up all of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. That is where the flavor is. :) Add the deglazing liquid to your sauce. Stir sauce well. If you are adding meatballs now would be the time to add them to your sauce. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for 1-3 1/2 hours until thickened. Be careful not to break up your meatballs when stirring. If it starts to thicken too much you can add more water or beef broth to thin it. Add the sugar and cheese the last 5 minutes of cooking. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve over hot noodles. This sauce freezes beautifully once it is cooled.

Weekly Menu

2010-10-15T15:03:00.003-06:00

The sales are a little ho-hum this week so we are mostly eating out of our storage. I also have my kiddos home this week for fall-break so that will affect my menu a bit as well. Here is what we are having this week.

Breakfast
Cereal & Fruit
Pumpkin Spice Muffins (I am trying out a new recipe I will post it if it turns out yummy)
Breakfast Burritos
French Toast (made earlier in my freezer) & Fruit
Banana Berry Smoothies
Scrambled Eggs & Toast

Lunch
Crescent Mummy Dogs
Lots of Left Overs

Dinner
Dinner @ Friends
Creamed Beef Gravy over Mashed Potatoes
Creamy Sunday Chicken, Rice & Roasted Asparagus
Beef Stew (will tweak this a bit to fit our taste) & Bread Bowls
Spaghetti & Meatballs, Spinach Salad & Bread sticks
Cream Of Broccoli Soup
Crockpot Chicken Tacos & Homemade Refried Beans

Snacks
Graham Crackers
Cheese Sticks
Yogurt
Pineapple
Bananas
Apples
Pears
Plums
Granola Bars
Bell Pepper Slices
Carrots
Cucumbers

Dessert
Carmelitas (didn't get to make these last week)

Carmelitas

2010-10-09T15:00:00.003-06:00

This recipe was passed to me from my mother in law. After she made it for me one time I had to have the recipe. They are so delicious. I am always so excited for fall to come so I can make these each year. Now that I am couponing it was extra hard to wait for the caramels to go on sale.lol But they are sooooo worth the wait!

Carmelitas
(Preheat 350 degrees)
¾ C packed brown sugar
1 C flour
¾ C melted butter or margarine
1 C oatmeal
½ t baking soda
¼ t salt
1 C pecans, chopped
1 C chocolate chips
50 caramels
½ C evaporated milk

In a double boiler melt caramels in evaporated milk stirring frequently until smooth and completely combined. You can also do this step in a microwave safe bowl on high for 2 minutes, then in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until the mixture is smooth. Cool Slightly. Combine remaining ingredients except chocolate chips and pecans in a large mixing bowl. Press half of the mixture in a 9x13 pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans over crust. Pour caramel mixture over top and spread to cover evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture and bake 15-20 minutes. While these are delicious warm they cut into squares a lot better if you let them cool completely.

Weekly Menu

2010-10-09T14:43:00.006-06:00

My menu this week is a little on the boring side.lol. We have a lot of nights where we are not eating at home so it will be short and sweet. :) Here is what we are having.

Breakfast
Cereal & Fruit
French Toast(made earlier in my freezer) & Fruit
Oatmeal & Fruit
Scrambled Eggs & Toast
Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Lunch
Pretty much all leftovers.

Dinner
Chicken Spaghetti, Steamed Broccoli and Homemade French Bread (recipe to follow)
Creamy Tomato Soup & Cheese Toast (never made last week)
Breakfast Burritos
Maple Pork Tenderloin, Creamy Chive Mashed Potatoes and Wintergreen Salad
Birthday Dinner @ my Brother and Sister in laws ( I haven't had someone cook me birthday dinner in like 7 or 8 years! I am so excited to not have to cook on my b-day!)
Dinner at Church
Left Overs

Snacks
Watermelon
Canteloupe
Apples
Pears
Bananas
Grapes
Carrots
Radishes & Ranch
Cheese sticks
Yogurt
Granola Bars
Applesauce

Dessert
Carmelitas

What are you having this week?

Weekly Shopping Trip

2010-10-06T16:48:00.006-06:00

Sorry I am late getting this one up. This week was a little crazier than usual. I had to break up my shopping into two days and I didn't finish till Monday. Here is what my trip looked like.

I got all of this...

including this

this

and all of this.
for a total of $58.77 OOP!
without coupons and sales I would have spent $185.40
That is a savings of 68%!

September Totals

2010-10-04T13:37:00.003-06:00

Can you guys believe it is already October?! It seems like September just flew by for us. It is that time again...time to see what my totals for this month are. Here are the numbers from this week

My total OOP for this month was $211.31
Without coupons and sales I would have spent $521.80
My total % saved this month was 60%!

Looking at these totals I am pretty pleased. Although I did go over my weekly budget a little, I was able to stock up on some things that we were quite low on (like meat). Because I was trying so hard to stay in my budget I did shop at Wal-Mart, Sams and Sprouts for things although maybe not on sale I needed and were cheaper there. This definitely brought down my % saved as they do not figure in savings from those stores. Overall a good month.

Next month I have a little bit extra money that we are allocating to our grocery budget. So if there are some good sales (specifically on meat) I can stock up. So I am not sure if I will stick to my $50 a week next month or not. I think my goal will be to try to still stick to it as much as possible. :)

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

2010-10-01T15:04:00.002-06:00

This recipe is a staple at our house. I love it because it is super simple, almost everyone likes it and it can feed a crowd very inexpensivly. The original recipe was one I found online but I have changed it a bit to fit our tastes.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

4-6 frozen chicken breast
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can corn, drained (or frozen equivalent)
1-2 C salsa
chipolte chili pepper (my go to mc cormick seasoning)to taste
garlic salt to taste
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 C cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 C cilantro chopped (optional)

Spray a crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place frozen chicken in crock pot and sprinkle with a bit (about 1/2 tsp.) both garlic salt and chipolte chili pepper. Add beans, corn and salsa to the crockpot. Cook on high for 3-5 hours (depending on your crockpot) until chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken using two forks and taste. Adjust the seasoning if needed. Add cream cheese to the top and place the lid back on Let it sit (turned off) for 30 minutes (or until the cream cheese is nice and soft). Mix in the cream cheese until chicken mixture is creamy. Sprinkle the top with cheese and cilantro to serve. This dish doesn't look all that appetizing but tastes so yummy. The cheese and cilantro help it to look more appetizing. :) Serve with flour tortillas and all the taco fixings. This mixture is wonderful left over. We use it to make nachos, tostadas and quesadillas. It freezes well too.

Weekly Menu

2010-10-01T14:02:00.002-06:00

Here is what's on the menu at our house this week. As always a few repeats from last week we didn't get to.

Breakfast
Cereal & Fruit
Breakfast Sandwiches
Gorilla Bread & Hash Brown Quiche (new recipe...I will post if it turns out yummy)
French Toast (made ahead & in my freezer)

Lunch
Left Overs pretty much all week

Dinner
Cowboy Calzones & Salad
Home-made Creamy Tomato Soup & Cheese Toast
White Chicken Enchiladas
Ribs, Baked Potatoes & Wintergreen Salad
Mexican Pizza
Breakfast Burritos

Snacks
Cheese & Crackers
Popcorn
Granola Bars
Yogurt
Apples
Plums
Peaches
Watermelon
Bananas
Pears
Carrots
Radishes & Ranch
Bell Pepper Slices

Dessert
Apple Dumplings

Also really quick I have to let you guys all in on a new feature that Springs Bargains in doing. It is called "What to do with what is on sale" It is awesome when trying to plan a menu based on whats on sale. Lots of people post recipes and ideas. I really like it. Here is the link to this weeks post.

What are you having this week?

Weekly Shopping Trip 9/28/10

2010-09-28T11:23:00.004-06:00

This week was a little hectic and I ended up doing my shopping on a couple of different days. I also had a get together at my house and my daughter's birthday is this week so it is possible that I may have gone over my budget a little this week. I will have to reign it in a little next week to make sure that I am under to make up the difference. Here we go...

I got all of this...

this

and all of this.

for a total of $31.94 OOP!

without coupons and sales I would have spent $116.59!

That is a savings of 73%!

Much better than my numbers last week. Although it does not look like I have gone over my budget, I did have to make an earlier Wal-Mart run for some things I had to have for the get together this week. I will post that trip later today. :) Safeway is having some great deals this week! My savings % there was a whopping 84% AND I still have a $2.00 CAT to use next week. I would highly recommend getting there this week (today is the last day) if you can. Check out Bargain Blessings and Springs Bargains for the logistics on how to score their great deals!

Weekly Menu

2010-09-25T12:51:00.004-06:00

Here is what's on our menu this week.

Breakfast
Cereal & Fruit
Pancakes & Fruit
Oatmeal & Fruit
Eggs & Toast
French Toast (made earlier and in my freezer) and Fruit

Lunch
Lots of Left Overs
Tuna Salad Sandwiches

Dinner
Chicken Noodle Soup
Cowboy Calzones
Southern Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Garden Salad and Buttermilk Biscuits
White Chicken Enchiladas
Left Overs
Fettuccine Alfredo, Fruit Salad and Garlic Bread

Snacks
Bananas
Apples
Plums
Peaches
Pears
Carrots
Radishes and Ranch
Bell Pepper slices
Cracker and cheese
Cashews
Yogurt

Dessert
Dirt Cake

What are you having?

King Soopers 9/17/10

2010-09-19T18:01:00.004-06:00

I got all of this

for a total of $11.37!

Without coupons and sales I would have spent $34.97!

That is a savings of 58%!

Overall the savings for this week were not as good as some. Also I went way over my $50 a week budget. Interestingly though I am only about $5 over my budget for this month so far because I was under budget the past two weeks. I will try to make that up in the week to come. I am overall pleased with my shopping though. I was able to stock up on some things I have been out of as well as some meat and raspberries to make some more jam for the winter. (we already ate all that we made earlier in the season.)

Safeway & Sprouts

2010-09-19T17:51:00.002-06:00

I got all of this

for a total of $11.54!

Without coupons and sales I would have spent $34.97!

That is a savings of 67%!

Not bad considering Sprouts does not figure in savings. :)

Albertsons 9/17/10

2010-09-19T17:43:00.002-06:00

I got all of this

for a total of $24.93!

Without coupons and sales I would have spent $69.81.

That is a savings of 64%!

Thank goodness for a sale of chicken breasts. Now if they would just go down to a stock up price. I am starting to wonder if this is the lowest they will go. I will hold out a little longer before stocking up just in case ;)

Target 9/17/10

2010-09-19T17:32:00.002-06:00

I got all of this

for a total of $22.81!

Without sales and coupons I would have spent $42.82.

That is a savings of 47%!

Well that % is definitely getting a little better. I am actually surprised it is not higher. $1.44 for butter is an excellent deal for this time of year as well as the french bread at $0.39. I guess the kisses at full price ended up killing me.lol.

Sunflower Market & Sams 9/17/10

2010-09-19T17:20:00.002-06:00

This week was a big shopping trip. It seems like almost every store had something I am out of or wanted. I will post in separate posts this week for each store. This is what my trip to Sunflower and Sams Club looked like this week.

I got all of this

for a total of $18.76 OOP!

without coupons and sales I would have spent $28.91!

That is a savings of 35%.

In my opinion the savings % really stinks. However this was partly Sams Club purchases and they do not figure in savings although there prices were a lot cheaper than other stores on the items I bought. I guess it will have to do.

Pumpkin Spice Bars

2010-09-16T08:56:00.003-06:00

This recipe was one that I got from a friend of my mother in law. I love that the cake (bar) is super moist, and the cream cheese frosting...oh the frosting. It is sooooo good. Probably one of the best I have ever had. The combination is pure heaven in my opinion and the perfect fall treat.

Pumpkin Spice Bars
4 eggs
1 2/3 C sugar
1 C oil
1-16 oz. can pumpkin
2 C flour
2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 t cloves
1 t baking soda
½ t salt

In a mixing bowl beat together eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, coves, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly. Bake in an ungreased jellyroll pan for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting. Top cake with chopped walnuts or pecans if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting
3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ C butter, softened
1 t vanilla
2 C powdered sugar

Beat mixture until creamy. You can add a little milk if desired to make the constancy more spreadable.

Weekly Menu

2010-09-16T07:59:00.007-06:00

This is whats on the menu this week at our house. Once again there are a few repeats that I did not get to making last week.

Breakfast
Cereal & Fruit
Eggs & Toast
French Toast (made earlier and frozen) & Fruit
Oatmeal & Fruit
Waffles & Fruit

Lunch
Left Overs pretty much all week

Dinner
Grilled Chicken Bruschetta, grilled veggies and garlic bread
Southwestern Eggrolls
French Dip Sandwiches, baked french fries and Wintergreen Salad
Chicken and Asparagus Pasta & Garden Salad
Chili & Cornbread
Cowboy Calzones
Left Overs

Snacks
grapes
apples
pears
oranges
peaches
plums
granola bars
chex mix
yogurt
carrots
cheese & crackers
red pepper slices
applesauce
cashews

Dessert
Pumpkin Spice Bars

What are you having this week?

Weekly Shopping Trip 9/13/2010

2010-09-13T14:45:00.003-06:00

I didn't get to go shopping on my usual Friday last week so I am playing catch up this week by going today. I did hit Sprouts for their sweet weekend Sale they were having and used up basically the remainder of my gift card. So it didn't contribute to my monthly spending this week. I didn't however get a picture of that trip sorry. Just imagine that there is lots of yummy produce in the picture below. :) This week I shopped at Kings, Safeway and Wal-mart (and Sprouts of course) Here is what my trip looked like this week.

I got all of this

including this...
and this.

for a total of $23.13!

without coupons and sales I would have spent $59.69.

That is a total savings of 62%!

If you are wondering why my savings % isn't particularly high this week, it is because I shopped at Wal-Mart. Although their prices on the items I bought were a lot cheaper than Kings or Safeway they do not list the actual savings on your receipt. Therefore I didn't have a number to add from my Wal-Mart receipt. Although the % is low, I am happy I am at less than half my budget for the week. That will give me a little wiggle room another week when there are some good stock up prices. I am so ready for a good sale on Chicken Breasts. My stockpile is down to the end. :)

If you would like to know how to get the sames deals that I did check out Bargain Blessings or Springs Bargains for a detailed list of the deals this week. If you do not see one of the deals that I got on their site please feel free to ask me and I will tell you the particulars.

Weekly Shopping Trip

2010-09-10T16:00:00.004-06:00

I am obviously a little late to post my shopping from last week...sorry about that. I also went to take my pictures and realized my camera was dead. So these pictures are missing all of my freezer and refrigerated items.

I got all of this

including this...

and this.
the following are not pictured.
1 gallon milk
3 containers cool whip
7 # pork baby back ribs
3 dozen eggs
2 pkg. ball park franks
2 pkg. dannon-nino yogurts
2 Del Monte Ready to mix Smoothies

I spent a total of $41.83 OOP!
Without coupons and sales i would have spent $130.04!
That is a savings of 68%!

Weekly Menu

2010-09-10T15:30:00.004-06:00

Here is what we are having at our house this week. You will see a few repeats as I didn't cook as much as I planned last week.

Breakfast

Cereal & Fruit

Sticky Pull Apart Buns & fruit

French Toast (made earlier and frozen) & Fruit

Oatmeal & Fruit

Eggs in a basket

Lunch

Lots of left overs

Panini's

PBJ & Apples

Nachos

Dinner

French Toast, Sweet & Smoky Bacon ( I add a little chipolte chili pepper too)

Left Overs

Dinner @ friends

Grilled Chicken Bruschetta, noodles, grilled veggies and garlic bread

Grilled Ham & Smoked Cheddar Paninis & Salad

Terriaki Chicken Bowls & Eggrolls

Chili (recipe to follow) & Cornbread

Snacks

apples

bananas

red pepper slices

cantaloupe

honeydew

plums

peaches

carrots

yogurt

graham crackers with peanut butter

granola bars

chex mix

banana bread-homemade

Dessert

not sure yet. will update when I figure out what I am making. :)

Chicken Stew

2010-09-10T15:12:00.005-06:00

This recipe originated once again from my sister in law Rachel...can you tell she is a fantastic cook? It is the ultimate in comfort food. It is kind of a mix between a chicken pot pie and chicken noodle soup. So YUMMY! One of my very favorite foods!

Chicken Stew

1/2 the meat from a whole roasted chicken (either store bought or home made)
1/2 onion, diced
3 ribs celery, chopped
3-5 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 cloves minced garlic
2 cartons chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 pkg. frozen egg noodles
2 C frozen corn
1-2 C frozen peas
6-9 frozen biscuits
salt & pepper to taste
rosemary, thyme and chipolte chili powder to taste
olive oil

Heat olive oil over med-high heat in an oven-safe stockpot or dutch oven. Saute onion, garlic, carrot and celery until softened. Add chicken, soup and broth to the veggies. Heat mixture to boiling. Once boiling add the egg noodles and continue to boil until they are cooked (see package directions for approximate times). The stew should have thickened to a consistency a little thicker than a soup. Season to taste...be careful with the chipolte chili powder (it is hot). I only add a dash or two of this, just enough to give it a smoky flavor. Check the consistency and add more broth if needed or cook a little longer to thicken more. You want it to be thick enough that the biscuits you are about to place on top will not sink straight to the bottom but be thin enough that it will not be like glue after the biscuits soak up a little of the moisture. Add frozen veggies and heat until bubbling again. Place biscuits gently on top being careful not to crowd. If they do sink a little don't worry, they will still bake up. Preheat oven according to biscuit directions. Place the pot in the middle of your preheated oven. Bake according to package directions or until biscuits are golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy .

Awesome BBQ Chicken

2010-09-02T16:32:00.004-06:00

My sister in law Rachel makes this fantastic tangy sweet chicken that has become a family favorite. I am posting the recipe here so I never lose it. :)

Awesome BBQ Chicken

3-4 # chicken pieces (we like skinless thighs and drumsticks)
the following measurements are all approximates. Rachel's says to just add it till it smells good
1 T garlic salt
1/2-1 t cumin
1-2 t poultry seasoning
1/2-1 t chipolte chili pepper (seasoning made by mccormick)

Mix all seasoning in a small bowl and rub into chicken pieces. Place seasoned chicken on a foiled covered pan (we use a cookie sheet with a lip)sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover with foil and bake at 450 degrees for 45 minutes or until chicken is done. While chicken is cooking. Mix

1-11/2 C BBQ sauce (we like sweet baby rays)
5 T brown sugar
5 t honey

Transfer the chicken to a grill and baste with BBQ sauce. Grill just until sauce starts to glaze the chicken (about 1-3 minutes). Turn chicken over and brush with remaining sauce and cook an additional 1-3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Weekly Menu

2010-09-02T16:10:00.006-06:00

Here is what we are having this week

Breakfast
Cereal & Fruit
Breakfast Burritos (we just stuff it in tortillas) & Fruit
french Toast(leftover from night before) & Fruit
waffles (from the freezer) & fruit

Lunch
Tuna Melts
Smoked Cheddar and Ham Paninis & Apple Spinach Salad (so we made these last week and my hubby went crazy over them...who knew. So at his request we are having them again.)
Bean Burritos (with leftover refried beans)
Ham Sandwiches
Left Overs

Dinner
Marinated Steak, baby red mashed potatoes and grilled mushrooms (camping)
Tacos & Crockpot Refried Beans-never made last week
BBQ Chicken, Baked Potatoes and Spinach Salad
Chicken Stew
French Toast & Fruit
Terriyaki Chicken Bowls with Steamed Veggies

Snacks
Granola Bars
Peanut butter crackers
chips and salsa
celery sticks
carrots
bell pepper slices
watermelon
bananas
grapes
plums
oranges
applesauce

Dessert
Brownie Sundaes with Hot Fudge Sauce (recipe to follow)

What are you having this week?

Monthly Totals

2010-08-30T17:21:00.004-06:00

It is that time again! I am so excited to report that my total for groceries, toiletries, paper products and cleaners this month was a whopping $138.84!!! That is definitely a record for me. At the beginning of this month I challenged myself to try to stick to a $50 per week budget instead of my normal $100 per week. My actual weekly average ended up being $34.71! I was under budget! I am totally surprised!

Now that the month is through I will share with you my inspiration for this budget cut. My husband lost his job last month and we were not sure how long we would be unemployed. Thankfully we were able to find a job in just three weeks, but we will still have some catching up to do as a paycheck still won't be coming until next month. I thought I would try to cut our food $$ in half for a few months until we got caught up. To be honest I wasn't sure I could cut it in half yet again. I still am so surprised that I was able to spend less than I gave myself. I really love couponing!

I love that no matter what your budget, this system works to feed my family.
Any of you out there who are not sure that it can really work. I am here to tell you it can. It does take some time each week, but being able to feed my family while we are out of work and figure out a way to live within our means is definitely worth that sacrifice to me. :)

Safeway 8.28.10

2010-08-30T12:49:00.004-06:00

Here is what my Safeway trip looked like this week.
I got all of this...

for a total of $4.96 OOP!

without coupons and sales I would have spent $13.88

that is a savings of 64%!

That puts my grand total of spending for the week at $56.42. I am $6.42 over budget, however I was a little under budget last week so it equals it out a little. I am so excited that I have been able to stay in my budget and can I just tell you all it has not been as hard as I thought it would be. :)

King Soopers 8.28.10

2010-08-30T12:36:00.004-06:00

Here is what my King Soopers trip looked like this week.

I got all of this...

(plus a 5# bag of potatoes not pictured)

for a total of $25.82 OOP!

without coupons and sales I would have paid $48.47!

That is a savings of 47%!

Not spectacular this week but I will take it. I am not going to post how I did each deal as I am realizing that it is really time consuming and the gals at Springs Bargains and Bargain Blessings already put it together for you each week. So if you want to score the same deals check out their Kings posting for this week. If there is something you do not see there that I bought always feel free to ask me. :)

Albertsons 8.28.10

2010-08-30T12:32:00.003-06:00

We happeed to be on that side of town so I figured I would make a quickstop at Albies...they were having some great deals this week.

I got all of this...

for a total of $25.64

without coupons and sales it would have cost $50.47!

that is a savings of 49%!

My total actually was a little higher than it should have been ($2.48) because I had a checker who didn't know how to discount a few items correctly and I didn't notice till we left. I will try to have them correct that on my next visit.

Apple Spinach and Pecan Salad

2010-08-27T14:51:00.003-06:00

This recipe was shared with my most awesome sister in law Becca. It has soon become a favorite in our family...especially in the fall.

Apple Spinach Salad
1 big bunch spinach, washed 1 C toasted pecans
¾ C dried cranberries 2 whole gala apples, chopped
Dressing
2 T red wine vinegar ½ C canola oil
½ t salt ¼ C sugar
1 t red onion, chopped 1/8 t dry mustard

Combine all salad ingredients and set aside. Combine all dressing ingredients in a salad dressing shaker and mix well. You can either serve dressing on side or toss with salad right before serving.

Green Bean Bundles

2010-08-27T14:05:00.005-06:00

This is a recipe that my mom (who is a fantastic cook) passed on to me. It is something we like to serve a lot at holidays because they are a little bit more special than just your typical green beans...and they can be mostly made up ahead of time and baked just before serving. Enjoy!

Green Bean Bundles

24 fresh or frozen green beans approximately the same length.
2-3 T butter, melted 4 T brown sugar
garlic salt to taste 2 pieces Bacon

Trim and wash green beans. Boil in boiling water until beans are tender crisp, making sure not to overcook as they will continue to cook in the oven . Spoon beans into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and preserve the color. Once cool, drain. Cut the bacon slices in half. Wrap each half slice of bacon around the center of 5-6 green beans bundled together. Place on a baking sheet with the end part of bacon on bottom. Repeat until you have 4 bundles. Place 1 T brown sugar in the center of bacon slice on top of each bundle trying to keep most of the sugar on top. Drizzle melted butter over bundles and sprinkle generously with garlic salt. Bake 15-30 minutes in an oven preheated to 425 degrees until bacon is crisp, but green beans are not shriveled.
**This serve 4 people with 1 bundle each.

Weekly Menu

2010-08-27T09:58:00.005-06:00

Hi Everyone! Sorry I never got to posting my shopping from last week. Things got crazy before I left town. I will update my totals at least with my last weeks spending. On to the menu.

Breakfast
Cereal & Fruit
Scrambled Eggs & Toast
Waffles(from the freezer) & fruit

Lunch
Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Lots and Lots of Left Overs

Dinner
Sloppy Joes, Corn on the Cob and Watermelon
Crockpot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Bundles (recipe to follow) and Rolls
Smoked Cheddar & Ham Panini's, Apple Spinach Salad (recipe to follow)
Hawaiian Haystacks
Grits Eggs & Bacon with Biscuits
Tacos & Homemade Refried Beans

Snacks
Mango's
Watermelon
Peaches
Plums
Apples
Bananas
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Red Pepper Slices
Granola Bars
Popcorn
Cheese Crackers
Graham Crackers

Dessert
Cherry Chocolate Cake

What are you having this week??

Weekly Menu

2010-08-21T09:39:00.003-06:00

I am going to be out of town this week, so half of the meals are ones that my hubby can prep on his own.

Breakfast
waffles (from the freezer) & fruit
cereal & fruit

Lunch
Apple & Cheddar Panini's (never made last week)
Grilled Hot Dogs & Carrots
Chicken Noodle Soup & Apples
Ham & Cheese Sandwiches
Lunchable
Left Overs

Dinner
Jerk Chicken, grilled veggies and watermelon (never made last week)
Hamburgers, Corn on the Cob and Fruit
Grilled Pork Chops, new potatoes and salad
Chicken Tacos (freezer meal)
Frozen Pizza & Carrots
Scrambled Eggs & Bacon
Pizza & Salad

Dessert
Banana Splits

Snacks
cantaloupe
watermelon
peaches
plums
apples
cucumbers
carrots
red bell pepper slices
granola bars
yogurt

What are you having this week?

Sprouts 8.13.10

2010-08-14T16:11:00.003-06:00

Here is what my shopping trips to Sprouts looked like this week.

3 onions
$0.50 per #

4 avocados
$0.49 each

1 red pepper
$0.88 each

4 limes
$0.20 each

1 bunch fresh thyme
$1.69

.27 oz. allspice
$0.33

I do not have my receipt for my exact total but it was around $7.00 for everything. I did not have to spend $$ OOP because I bought a $100 gift card from them last month for $89. I still have quite a bit left on it so this will continue to help me stay within my $40 a budget. :)

Target 8.13.10

2010-08-14T15:52:00.007-06:00

There were a few deals that I picked up at my local Target this week.
I got all of this...

for a total of $0.35 OOP!
without coupons and sales ( and I $5 GC I had to use I would have spent $27.29!!
That is a savings of 99%!!!!

I am pretty sure that is a new record for me!

Here is how I did it.

1st transaction
2 pledge multi surface cleaners
$3.99 each

1 pledge fabric sweeper
$4.64

*used BOGO pledge cleaners MQ
*1 $2/1 fabric sweeper target printable
*1 buy 1 sweeper and 2 pledge products and get a $5 GC

My cashier couldn't figure out how to get the gift card coupon to work so she just gave me a $5 discount. My total was $1.40 which I used my $5 gift card I already had to pay for

2nd transaction
2 dannon activia yogurt
$1.66-$1.00/1 MQ
FINAL COST $0.66 each

2 pkg. cesar dog treats
$2.99-$2/1 MQ-$1.00/1 Target coupon
FINAL COST-FREE!!

4 Shout (travel size) wipes
$0.97-$2/2 coupons (they only took of $0.97 per coupon :()
FINAL COST-should have been FREE, but ended up being $0.49 each

My total cost for this transaction was $3.95
I used the remaining $3.60 on my gift card and paid my $0.35 OOP!

King Soopers 8.13.10

2010-08-14T15:05:00.006-06:00

Here is what my trip to King Soopers looked like this week.

I got all of this

and this
for a total of $20.89 OOP!
without coupons and sales I would have spent $73.53.
That is a savings of 72 %!

Here is the breakdown.

The following items are all apart of their buy 8 items save $4 mix and match promo they have going on so that is what I mean by promo discount.

1 container kroger deluxe ice cream
$1.88-$0.50 promo discount-$0.50 e-coupon
FINAL COST $0.88

1 pkg. lean pockets
$2.18-$0.50-$1.00 CAT coupon I got a while back
FINAL COST $0.68

2 pkg. pillsbury toaster strudels
$1.99-$0.50 promo discout-$0.50/2 MQ-$0.50/2 e-coupon or here
FINAL COST $0.74 each

4 Sobe Drinks
$0.99-$0.50 promo discount-(2) BOGO IP
FINAL COST $0.36 money maker each!!! (they took off the full cost on my 2 free items)

1 pkg. Old El Paso Taco Shells
$1.49-$0.50 promo discount-$0.50/2 MQ-$0.60/2 e-coupon or here
FINAL COST $0.19

1 pkg. OEP Fiesta Rice
$1.49-$0.50 promo discount-$0.50/2 MQ-$0.60/2 e-coupon or here

FINAL COST $0.19

2 cans progresso soup
$1.69-$0.50 promo discount-$0.50/2 MQ there is also a $0.50/2 e-coupon now available here
FINAL COST $0.69 each

3 cans Del Monte Fruit
$1.29-$0.50 promo discount-$0.75/3 mailer coupon
FINAL COST $0.47 each

3 boxes kleenex tissue
$1.50-$0.50 promo discount-$1/3 MQ
FINAL COST $0.66 each

2 bottle welches grape jelly-reduced sugar
$1.99-$0.50 promo discount-$0.50/1 MQ
FINAL COST $0.49 each

2 bags chex mix
$1.99-$0.50 promo discount -(2) $0.50/1 MQ-(2)$0.50/2 e-coupon here and here
FINAL COST- FREE!!

1 bag gardettos snack mix
$1.99-$0.50 promo discount -$0.50/1 MQ-$0.50/1 e-coupon or here
FINAL COST- FREE!!

2 smart balance sour cream
$1.99-$0.50/1 promo discount-$0.50/1 MQ
FINAL COST $0.49 each

The rest of these are not part of the promo

1 bunch green onions
$0.50

1 head romaine lettuce
$1.00

1.83 # red grapes
$1.00 per #

1 seedless watermelon
$3.88

2 zucchini
$0.88 per #

Safeway 8.13.10

2010-08-13T18:03:00.004-06:00

Well this week was week one of a new challenge I have given myself. My new goal in weekly spending is going to be $40. This is a whole $60 less than what I am used to but hey...sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. And to be honest I am up for a good challenge.

Here is what my Safeway trip looked like this week. HOLY MOLY do they have some great deals going on! If you are looking to stock up on snack foods and cereal...now is the time to do it.

I got all of this...

including this

and this.

for a grand total of $15.58 OOP

without coupons or sales I would have spent $155.09!!!

That is a savings of 90% folks!!

I would say I am off to a great start!

Now let me start off by saying to get these particular deals it is not for the faint of heart. I did 6 separate transactions over 2 days. However I feel it was well worth it. If you think so too...keep reading and I will break it down for you, so you can score the same deal. Most of these items have printable (IP) and e-coupons available. I am not going to link all of them but if you would like specific links check out this posting or this one on my two favorite local coupon bloggers. The post links for every deal that safeway has right now. I will note if there are IP or e-coupons available though so you know where to look. :) Also keep in mind on the cereal, granola bars and fruit snacks there is a limit of 20 per day (why mine took 2 days). Ok...here we go!

transaction #1

5 pkg. betty crocker fruit snacks

$1.99 each-$5.00 instant savings wyb 4 or more-(2) $0.50/2 coupon (IP available)-(3) $0.50/2 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.29 each

Total OOP was $1.45

Then I got a $3.00 CAT for buying 5 that I will use on my next transaction

transaction #2

5 Fiber One Granola Bars

$2.49 each-$5.00 instant savings wyb 4 or more-(4) $0.50/1 IP coupon-$0.50/2 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE $).59 each

2 Boxes Trix cereal

$2.49-$2.00 instant savings wyb 4 or more-(2) $0.55/1 IP

FINAL PRICE $0.49 each

1 can tomato paste

$0.69

used $3.00 CAT from last transaction

Total OOP $1.42

I got a $3.50 CAT for the Granola bars wyb 5 that I will use on my next transaction

transaction #3

5 Kraft Deli Select Sliced Cheese

$1.99 wyb 5 (only through 8/17) -(5) $1.00/1 blinkies found in store

FINAL PRICE $0.99 EACH

use $3.50 CAT from last transaction

Total OOP $1.81

I got a $5.00 CAT for buying 5 kraft cheese ( I believe this ends 8/15 but not sure)

transaction #4

2 Boxes general Mills cereal (Reeses and Chex)

$2.49- $2.00 instant savings wyb 4 or more-$1.00/2 MQ-$0.55/1 e-coupon (reeses)

FINAL PRICE $0.72 each

2 boxes trix cereal

$2.49-$2.00 instant savings wyb 4 or more-(2)$0.55/1 IP

FINAL PRICE $0.49 each

5 Nature Valley Granola Bars (sweet & salty nut)

$2.49-$5.00 Instant savings wyb 4 or more-$0.50/1 MQ and IP-(2) $0.50/1 e-coupons-(1) $0.75/2 e-coupons

FINAL PRICE $0.14 each

1 bottle Tide Laundry Detergent

$6.99-$1.00 in ad coupon-$1.00/1 MQ-$2.00/1 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE $2.99

1 bottle Tide Stain Release Detergent

$6.99-$1.00 in ad coupon-$2.00/1 MQ-$3.00/1 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.99

5 Kraft Deli Select Sliced Cheese

$1.99 wyb 5 (through 8/17)-(5) $1.00/1 blinkies

FINAL PRICE $0.99 each

used my $5.00 CAT from previous transaction

Total OOP $8.16

I got a $3.50 CAT for buying 5 NV granola bars and another $5 CAT from buying 5 Kraft Cheese

transaction #5

5 NV Granola Bars

$2.49-$5.00 instant savings wyb 4 or more- (2) $0.75/2 MQ and (1) $0.50/1 IP

FINAL PRICE $0.99 EACH

1 Pillsbury Sweet Moments Desserts

$2.49-$0.50 in ad coupon-$1.00/1 MQ-$1.00/1 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE-FREE

used my $3.50 CAT from the last transaction

TOTAL OOP $1.24

I got another $3.50 CAT for buying 5 NV granola bars

transaction #6

2 gallons milk

$1.98 each

1.51 # bananas

$0.46 per #

5 # pork loin chops

$0.99 per #

used my $5 CAT from transaction #4 and my $3.50 CAT from transaction #5

Total OOP $1.41

Making my grand total of $15.58 for everything. The reason for the multiple transaction is so you can spend the least amount OOP as possible by using the CATS that you earn to pay for the rest of your shopping. Also if you want to have more than 5 granola bars or fruit snacks in order for your CAT to print you have to do it in separate transactions. I know this can be confusing so if you have any questions just ask. I would be happy to break it down so it is a little easier to understand. HAPPY SHOPPING THIS WEEK!

Weekly Menu 8/13-8/19

2010-08-11T14:15:00.005-06:00

I am so sorry for the long hiatus in posting. This summer has been a little crazy for my family. Although I have continued my couponing I have not been organized enough to post about it. I am anxious to get back into the routines our family thrives on. This means a weekly menu again...YAY!!! Here is what we are having this week.

Breakfast
Cereal & Fruit
Waffles & Fruit
Triple Berry Muffins & Fruit
Eggs in a Basket & Fruit

Lunch
Toasted While Grain Apple,Cheddar Panini's
Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
Lots of Left Overs

Dinner
Grilled Pizza & Salad
Terriyaki Chicken, Rice & Broccoli
Dinner @ Friends (bring Baked Beans-recipe to follow)
Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad
Baked Ziti, Salad & Garlic Toast
Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken (a new recipe I am trying), Grilled Veggies and Watermelon

Snacks
Yogurt
plums
nectarines
pineapple
blueberries
cantaloupe
watermelon
oranges
apples
bananas
cucumbers
red pepper slices
carrots
celery
cheese crackers
granola bars
trail mix

As the weather is FINALLY heating up I would welcome any meal ideas not using my oven. What are you having this week?

Chicken Fajita Marinade

2010-05-30T21:28:00.004-06:00

This recipe comes from my sister-in-law Sarah. It is super easy and very flavorful. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Chicken Fajita Marinade

¼ cup oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1½ lb. chicken breast

Mix marinade in a ziplock bag and marinade 8-24 hours. Grill meat and slice thinly.

UPDATE: So I decided to tweak this recipe a little to see if I could improve it with a few little additions and I really really liked the results. I added about 1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro, the juice of 2 limes, I substituted dried chipolte chili pepper for the chili powder and substituted white whine vinegar for the red. I will be making it this way from now on. YUMMY!

Weekly Menu 5/31-6/6

2010-05-30T21:10:00.003-06:00

I hope you will all be patient with me as I get myself into summer mode with my family. I am still trying to get back on my regular shopping schedule and it is not working so far. :( I will eventually get to posting my shopping trips again but for now it looks like menus might be all I can do. This is what we are having this week. I hope to be back to some sense of normal soon.

Breakfast
cereal & fruit
pancakes & fruit
waffles(from my freezer)& fruit
scrambles eggs & fruit

Lunch
spinach salad
hot dogs and cherries
grilled cheese and carrots
bean burritos and apples
PBJ & bell peppers
lots of leftovers

Dinner
Cheeseburgers, broccoli salad & roasted corn on the cob
grits & eggs
chicken fajitas (recipe to follow) & refried beans
mexican pizzas
sticky finger salad
terriaki steak bowls
bbq chicken, baked potatoes and spinach salad

Snacks
carrots
cucumbers
bell peppers
celery & peanut butter
cherries
apples
bananas
pineapple
granola bars
gogurt
cashews
crackers and cheese

Dessert
Raspberry Cream Trifle

April Totals

2010-05-24T19:05:00.002-06:00

I am sorry I am getting this up halfway through the month of May. Our vacation and me being sick are definitely to blame. My spending last month was very low I am happy to report. But I must also mention that I was trying to stay within a smaller budget so that I could have a little more spending money at Disney. I love having the flexibility from couponing to still get everything my family needs but lower our spending when I need to. Here are the final numbers

Total OOP for April $210.76!!

Without coupons and sales I would have spent $657.45 OOP

My % of savings this month was 68%!!! (anyone else noticing a trend here?)

No matter what my spending each month my savings percentage seems to stay in the high 60's which I am completely happy with. It would be fun to step it up a bit and see if I can do better, but that may have to be in June as this month is already halfway over and I shopped my first time all month today.lol. I will try to get my shopping trip up a little later today. I am so happy to be back. :)

Gooey Chocolate Caramel Cake Recipe

2010-05-24T17:13:00.004-06:00

This is a favorite recipe of my husbands. He asks for it almost every year for his birthday. This year is no exception. :) It is very rich but very yummy!

1 German chocolate cake mix prepared as directed
1 bottle Mrs. Richardson’s Butterscotch Caramel Topping
1 can sweetened condensed milk (can use fat free)
1 container (8oz.) cool whip

Bake cake and let cool completely. Poke holes in it with the back of a wooden spoon about every 2”. Pour the sweetened condensed milk on top and spread to let it go evenly into all of the holes. Repeat this step with the butterscotch caramel topping. Frost the top with cool whip and refrigerate at least 2 hours or longer. Serve as is or top with crumbled heath candy bar or chocolate curls. Enjoy!

Weekly Menu 5/24-5/28

2010-05-24T16:05:00.005-06:00

This weeks menu is a little short. I am planning to get back on track with my weekly shopping on Friday this week but I needed a few things to get me by until then. Plus my hubby's b-day is this Thursday so I am cooking a few special things per his request. Here is what we are having this week.

BREAKFAST- cereal & fruit, breakfast burritos (from my freezer), homemade waffles with buttermilk syrup (recipe to follow), hardboiled eggs and fruit.

LUNCH- turkey & cheese sandwiches with grapes hot dogs bean burritos grilled cheese sandwiches chicken nuggets and lots of left overs.

DINNER- crockpot chicken tacos & homemade re-fried beans, chicken nachos (made with leftover chicken taco meat), hamburgers & chips, (B-DAY) BBQ ribs,snow crab legs, grilled asparagus, baked potatoes & strawberry spinach salad ,date night-hot dogs for the kids

DESSERT- Gooey Chocolate Caramel Cake

SNACKS- grapes, carrots, granola bars, celery & peanut butter, bell peppers, bananas, apples mangos cashews gogurt

I am sorry I still haven't gotten my last months totals updated but I will do that as soon as I can. Does anyone else feel like the end of the school year is CRAZY?!

King Soopers, Safeway and Sprouts 4.26.10

2010-04-27T14:03:00.005-06:00

I finally made it to the store this week. The sales that I took advantage of are ending tonight and I am packing and cleaning like a mad woman so I am not going to give you the details of how I scored these deals but you can check my fav sites Bargain Blessings, Spring Bargains and Denver Metro Moms to see how to get these deals if you are going tonight and see something you are interested in. Here is the mini-breakdown of my spending yesterday.

I got all of this

including this...

and this.

I spent $24.71 OOP
I would have spent $129.25 without coupons and sales

That is a savings of 81%!!!

Here is what I got

King Soopers

3 pkg. mentos gum-FREE!

1 bottle tobasco-FREE!

1 speed stick deodorant-FREE!

4 tubs kroger sour cream-$1.00 each

4 boxes wheaties cereal-$0.04 moneymaker!! (will be a $0.79 MM after my ecoupon dispute)

Safeway

2 boxes Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal- $0.90 each

1 bottle kraft mayo ( I am out)- $1.89

4 cans ravioli-$1.00 each (forgot to use my $1.50 off coupon)

6# ranchers reserve beef 7 bone roast-$1.39 per #

1.62 # bananas-$0.46 per #

2.03 # red grapes-$0.99 per #

1 bag mixed lettuce-$0.99

2 Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Spray Starter-$2.02 money maker!

2 Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Spray Refills-$0.50 each (should have been a $2 MM)

4 bottles windex-$1.04 money maker!!

Sprouts

1 # vine tomatoes-$0.49 per #

1 avocado-$0.69

1 green pepper-$0.77

It was definitely not the perfect trip. I forgot coupons. Some e-coupons I had to dispute and a manager entered the wrong amount for 2 BOGO coupons but I am still happy with my savings. I will be posting my monthly totals as soon as I get back in town.

Happy Couponing while I am gone! :)

Weekly meal Plan 4/23-4/29

2010-04-23T18:11:00.002-06:00

Sorry I was a little late in getting this up. I had to be a kinda flexible this week with my shopping and menu planning. My menu this week is shorter than usual (we will be going out of town) and very uninteresting. We are trying to use up what we have so nothing goes to waste and that means (carbs carbs and more carbs) a lot of biscuits and potatoes. (the biscuits were a money maker a few weeks back and the potatoes were $0.49 for the 10# bag). I think my family will most likely not want to see another biscuit for a long time after this week.lol. Here is what we are having this week.

Breakfast
biscuits & gravy(recipe to follow) and fruit
cereal & fruit
pancakes (from my freezer) and fruit
banana berry smoothies
hard boiled eggs & fruit

Lunch
baked potatoes
mini pizza's & fruit
lots of left overs

Dinner
creamy beef, mashed potatoes (recipe to follow),green beans and biscuits
taco salad
grits & eggs & biscuits
grilled chicken salad

Snacks
granola bars
grapes
strawberries
apples
cuties
chips & salsa
carrots
celery & peanut butter
gogurt

Dessert
cherry almond streusel danish

What are you having this week?

Is couponing really cheaper than shopping Sams or Costco?

2010-04-16T17:44:00.010-06:00

I have been asked this question a lot by those who are wanting to try to save money by couponing, but are not sure whether it is worth the time it takes. I thought I would put some comparisons up for you to give you (and me) an idea of how much you can save by couponing over just shopping at the big warehouse stores. Let me just say right now. I have nothing against Costco and Sams Club. I actually have a membership to both at this time and think they are perfectly fine establishments. I just want to dispel the myth (that I also believed a year ago) that for the most part you cannot beat their prices on items you and I buy most.

Costco does not post their prices for most of these things on line, but I have found that for the most part that Sams and Costco are pretty similar in pricing. If anything, Sams is cheaper on most things. So I will be posting Sams current prices. The prices that I will show as a "coupon price" are prices I have actually paid in the past 6 months for items. Keep in mind the "couponing" price is not something you will always see advertised in a sales ad. Sometimes you will have 1-3 coupons (store+e-coupons+manufacturers coupons) you can stack on a single item to get the prices to those I will list here.

I feel another benefit to coupon shopping vs. shopping at the big warehouse stores is that you can usually find smaller sizes (that are easier to store) and you can find more variety (like light sour cream or different scents in cleaners). However for this comparison I will just multiply things to match the sizes offered at Sams Club. Ok...on to the comparison

Tide HE detergent

SAMS CLUB PRICE $19.58 for 110 loads

COUPONING PRICE $8.80 for 110 loads

Bounce Dryer Sheets (or similar name brand)

SAMS CLUB PRICING $8.08 for 250 sheets

COUPONING PRICE $3.09 for 250 sheets

Downy

SAMS CLUB PRICING $12.48 for 195 loads

COUPONING PRICE $2.39 for 195 loads

Dawn Dish Liquid

SAMS CLUB PRICING $7.48 for 90oz.

COUPONING PRICE $2.21 for 90 oz.

Finish Dishwashing Tabs (for the dishwasher)

SAMS CLUB PRICING $13.78 for 90

COUPONING PRICE $4.45 for 90

Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner

SAMS CLUB PRICING $7.98 for 75 oz

COUPONING PRICE- FREE

Bounty Paper Towels

SAMS CLUB PRICING $18.48 for 22 rolls (regular size)

COUPONING PRICE $5.34 for 22 rolls (regular size)

Charmin Bath Tissue

SAMS CLUB PRICING $17.38 for 72 rolls

COUPONING PRICE $8.35 for 72 rolls

Iams Dry Dog Food

SAMS CLUB PRICING $29.98 for 44 lbs.

COUPONING PRICE $19.58 for 44 lbs.

Peanut Butter (Jif or Skippy)

SAMS CLUB PRICE $7.98 for 80 oz

COUPONING PRICE $2.80 for 80 oz.

Nature Valley Granola Bars

SAMS CLUB PRICE $8.32 for 30 bars

COUPONING PRICE $0.75 for 30 bars

Goldfish Crackers

SAMS CLUB PRICE for $8.42 for 65.6 oz.

COUPONING PRICE $4.15 for 65.6 oz.

Ritz Crackers

SAMS CLUB PRICE $5.82 for 48 oz.

COUPONING PRICE $1.50 for 48 oz.

Frosted Flakes Cereal

SAMS CLUB PRICE $7.24 for 61.9 oz.

COUPONING PRICE $0.91 for 61.9 oz.

Honey Nut Cheerios

SAMS CLUB PRICE $6.38 for 49.6 oz.

COUPONING PRICE $1.42 for 49.6 oz

Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup

SAMS CLUB PRICE $10.14 for 8 cans

COUPONING PRICE $2.00 for 8 cans

Canned Diced Tomatoes

SAMS CLUB PRICE $5.98 for 8 cans

COUPONING PRICE $3.92

Dole Pineapple (Canned)

SAMS CLUB PRICE $8.78 for 8-20 oz. cans

COUPONING PRICE $3.52 for 8-20 oz. cans

Canned Coke or Pepsi Products

(Coke in this comparison but they are similar)

SAMS CLUB PRICE $8.85 for 32-8oz. cans

COUPONING PRICE $5.33 for 32-8oz. cans

Activia Yogurt

SAMS CLUB PRICE $10.32 for 24-4oz. cups

COUPONING PRICE $3.78 for 24-4oz. cups

Yoplait Go-Gurt

SAMS CLUB PRICE $7.32 FOR 32 ct

COUPONING PRICE $2.56 for 32 ct

Fresh Eggs-Large grade A or better

SAMS CLUB PRICE $3.78 for 2-18ct

COUPONING PRICE $1.83 for 3-18 ct

Sour Cream

SAMS CLUB PRICE $3.77 for 3 lbs.

COUPONING PRICE $3.00 for 3 lbs.

Philidelphia Cream Cheese

SAMS CLUB PRICE $6.05 for 48oz.

COUPONING PRICE $1.80 for 48 oz.

White Sugar

SAMS CLUB PRICE $15.57 for 25 lbs.

COUPONING PRICE $9.95 for 25 lbs.

All Purpose Flour

SAMS CLUB PRICE $5.79 for 25 lbs.

COUPONING PRICE $4.00 for 25 lbs.

Butter

SAMS CLUB PRICE $7.72 for 4 lbs.

COUPONING PRICE $5.42 for 4 lbs.

Nestle Chocolate Chips

SAMS CLUB PRICE $8.78 for 72 oz.

COUPONING PRICE $5.94 for 72 oz.

Ketchup (Heinz or Hunts)

(I have heard this can go lower but haven't been

couponing through a summer yet when it does)

SAMS CLUB PRICE $6.52 for 3-44oz. bottles

COUPONING PRICE $5.50 for 3-44 oz. bottles

Extra Virgin Olive oil

SAMS CLUB PRICE $13.98 for 68 oz.

COUPONING PRICE $10.03 for 68 oz.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

SAMS CLUB PRICE $13.79 for 7 lbs

COUPONING PRICE $11.13 for 7 lbs.

Jimmy Dean Pork Breakfast Sausage

SAMS CLUB PRICE $4.38 for 2 lbs.

COUPONING PRICE $1.00 for 2 lbs.

Extra Lean Ground Beef

SAMS CLUB PRICE $24.80 for 10 lbs.

COUPONING PRICE $16.90 for 10 lbs.

Bacon

(I could not find a thick sliced comparison on Sams so I am comparing the regular bacon from sams to premium thick sliced from the butcher)

SAMS CLUB PRICE $7.46 for 3 lbs.

COUPONING PRICE $5.01 for 3 lbs.

Huggies Diapers (size 1)

SAMS CLUB PRICE $37.98 for 264 diapers

COUPONING PRICE $14.49 for 264 diapers

Crest Toothpaste

SAMS CLUB PRICE $10.98 for 4/8oz. tubes

COUPONING PRICE $2.11 for 4/8oz. tubes

Mens Shaving Gel name brand (edge or Gillette)

SAMS CLUB PRICE $6.87 for 3/9.5 oz.

COUPONING PRICE $3.58 for 3/9.5 oz

Womens Shaving Gel name brand (skintimates or satincare)

SAMS CLUB PRICE $6.48 for 3/9.5 oz. +2.75 oz. travel size

COUPONING PRICE $3.93

Gillette Fusion Manual Razor Refills

(I have found on couponing it is cheaper to buy brand new razors rather than the refills so I am comparing refills at Sams to the equivelant brand new razors)

SAMS CLUB PRICE $41.58 for 16

COUPONING PRICE $7.92 for 16

Gillette Venus Embrace Razor +Refills

( same comparison as above)

SAMS CLUB PRICE $26.05 for Razor +10 refills

COUPONING PRICE $13.70 for Razor +10 refills

WOW!!! I knew I was saving money over the Sams shopping I did a year ago but I had no idea it was this much! To be honest I was pretty shocked at some of these price differences!

So lets just say that you bought just half of these products each month at Sams and decided to switch to couponing to try to save a little money. How much would you save over the course of a year?

$1584.12!!!

I know you are saying...I would not go through this quantity in one month. You are probably correct, but this is just a small snapshot of items. You most likely buy more products than what I have listed here on this comparison.

I know that you are all probably tired of hearing this but I will say it again for those who are new here. I saw my budget drastically lower within 1 month of shopping this way. I used to spend $700 a month on groceries, toiletries, paper products and cleaners. I was having a really hard time staying within that budget. We were having to cut all kinds of "luxuries" that my family likes. Now I spend an average of $400 each month and we are enjoying those "luxuries" like steaks, baby back ribs, flushable wipes, mouthwash, and a nice variety of snack foods, as well as building a storage of items my family uses. Not something I thought I could do on my meager $700 a month but am now doing on $400 a month So I guess a more realistic look of how much you can save would be by my example. If I keep up my average of $400 a month I will have saved over a years time

$3600!!!

That is a huge chunk of change in my book.

If you want to learn more about how to shop smarter leave me a comment and I would be happy to contact you and tell you more. :)

I have been slacking...

2010-04-16T17:05:00.004-06:00

I have made a few trips to various stores throughout the week and my crazy life got in the way of me taking pictures (sorry). Despite my slacking I wanted to update my totals for the month with what I spent. The totals in parenthesis are what I would have spent without sales or coupons

4/14- Safeway OOP$5.07 ($5.07)
4/14-Sprouts OOP$4.63 ($4.63)
4/12-Target OOP $7.30 (39.34)
4/13-Costco OOP$10.00

Total for all of these stops
$27.00 OOP ($59.04)

4.16.10

2010-04-16T14:22:00.005-06:00

Today I shopped Safeway and King Soopers and got some pretty good deals. I wasn't as organized as I like to be so I did miss a few coupons that would have saved me more...but I guess it goes that way sometimes.lol.

I got all of this

including this

and this.

I spent $54.95 total but used the remainder of a gift card that I got for transferring a prescription. I also had one $10 P&G CAT that didn't print so I will have to email them to have them send it. Figuring in all of that my total OOP was $29.30!
without coupons and sales I would have spent $144.70
That is a savings of 80%!! YEEHAW!

Here is how YOU can get the same deal
KING SOOPERS

2-2liter bottles of 7up
$1.00-$1.00/1 IP (previously available)
FINAL PRICE-FREE!!

1-2 liter bottle A&W Rootbeer
$1.00

1-2liter Country Time lemonade
$1.00

1 jar skippy peanut butter
$1.88-$0.60/1 insert coupon
FINAL PRICE $0.88

1 bunch green onions
$0.50

2 pkg. smart balance dozen eggs
$1.34-$0.50/1 insert coupon
FINAL PRICE $0.34 each.

1 pkg (80 ct) Snuggle dryer sheets
$3.99-$3.00/1 insert coupon
FINAL PRICE $0.99

SAFEWAY
The following items are all part of the buy 5 save $5 promo

4 boxes Reeses Puffs Cereal
$1.50-$1.00/2 IP-$0.55/1 e-coupon
FINAL PRICE $0.86 each

3 boxes poptarts (camping season is coming up!)
$1.00-$1.25/3 insert coupon
FINAL PRICE $0.58 each

3 boxes quaker oatmeal
$1.50-$1.00/1 peelies
FINAL PRICE $0.50 each

1 Danonino Yogurt
$1.25(marked down for clearance)-$1.00/1 insert coupon
FINAL PRICE $0.25

2 secret deodorant
$2.99-$0.50/1 insert coupon-$3/2 e-coupon
FINAL PRICE $0.49 each

1 roll plastic wrap (not a great deal but I needed it)
$2.79

1 loaf 100% whole wheat bread
$0.99

2 lunchable sub combos
$1.00-$1.00/1 insert coupon
FINAL PRICE-FREE!!

The following items are part of the P&G promo going on at Safeway right now. When you spend $25 (after all coupons-per the small print) you get a catalina for $10 OYNO. To get the most for your money try to have your total be as close to that $25 requirement as possible. I have heard that some are having success with still getting the CAT when their total was $25 BEFORE coupons. Joanie over at KCL spoke with the CAT company and they confirmed that you do not have to spend $25 after coupons but it may be regional. I have yet to confirm this so YMMV. I tried one of my transactions this way and will let you know what I find out from the CAT company. I should hear back in 2-3 days. My final prices below reflect the savings being $25 after coupons.

1 (17.5# bag) Iams Dog Food
$18.99-$3.00/1 mailer coupon-$3.00/1 e-coupon
FINAL PRICE $7.79 (after CAT discount)

2 pkg. charmin toilet paper (12 double roll pack)
$7.99-$0.25/1 insert coupon
FINAL PRICE $4.49 each (after CAT discount)

1 bottle Dawn Hand Renewal Dish Soap
$2.49-$1.00/1 mailer coupon
FINAL PRICE $0.89 (after CAT discount)

1 pkg. (120 ct) Gain Dryer Sheets
$4.99-$1.00/1 in-ad coupon-$1.00/1 e-coupon
FINAL PRICE $1.79 (after CAT discount)

1 Febreze Air Effects Aerosol air freshener
$2.50-$1.00/1 insert coupon-$1.00/1 e-coupon
FINAL PRICE $0.30 (after CAT discount)

1 (8pk) AA duracell batteries
$5.49-$1.00/1 e-coupon
FINAL PRICE $2.69 (after CAT discount)

1 bottle (24oz) Dawn essentials dish soap
$2.49-$0.50/1 insert coupon-$0.50/1 e-coupon
FINAL PRICE $0.59 (after CAT discount)

Cascade Gell Pacs Dishwasher Detergent (20pk)
$4.49-$0.50/1 in-ad coupon-$0.50/1 insert coupon-$0.50/1 e-coupon
FINAL PRICE $1.49 (after CAT discount)

Also now that I have spent my $50 in P&G products I can submit for this $100 book of P&G coupons.

Overall a pretty good trip. Stay tuned as I will be spotlighting a friend of mine that tackled her first coupon shopping trip. :) Happy shopping this week!

Wintergreen Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

2010-04-14T23:37:00.005-06:00

This has got to be one of my favorite salad recipes!!! My friend Jen brought dinner to me when I had my second baby and it (along with everything else she brought) was quickly inducted into my family file of recipes.

½ head or 1 bag torn romaine lettuce
½-1 cup shredded swiss cheese
½ cup cashews
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 pear, cubed

Dressing (can be made ahead to blend flavors)
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice ( do not use bottled...trust me)
1 t onion powder
½ t Dijon mustard
¼ t salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1½ t poppy seeds

Place all dressing ingredients in a jar and screw the lid on tightly. Shake until well combined and the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until needed. I usually don’t use all of the dressing. In a large serving bowl combine all ingredients and toss gently Just before serving pour dressing over salad and toss to coat
**tip-if you make this ahead of time you can store your sliced pears in the dressing to keep them from turning brown.

Baked Potato Soup Recipe

2010-04-14T23:26:00.004-06:00

This recipe was passed to me from my sister in-law Sarah. It is not the best meal for watching your waistline, but it is definitely worth the splurge once in a while.

4-6 large baking potatoes
4 green onions, diced
2/3 cup butter
12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2/3 C flour
6 cup milk
1 ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
¾ t salt
8 oz. Sour cream
½ t white pepper

Wash, dry & prick potatoes with a fork. Bake 400 degrees for 1 hour or until done, cool. Cut ½ lengthwise. Scoop out pulp. Set aside. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add flour stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk & cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add potato pulp, salt & pepper. 2 tablespoons of green onion & half bacon & 1 cup cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream & extra milk if necessary. Serve with remaining green onion, bacon & cheese. Make 10 servings

Weekly Meal Plan 4/16-4/22

2010-04-14T23:09:00.004-06:00

Here is a list of what we are having this week. What about you?

Breakfast

toasted english muffins & fruit

french toast, bacon and strawberries

cereal & fruit

pancakes (from my freezer) & fruit

banana berry smoothies

hard boiled eggs, toasted english muffins & fruit

Lunch

ham & cheese croissants

mini-pizzas (freezer meal) and carrot sticks

chicken nuggets & grapes

grilled cheese sandwiches & celery sticks

lots of left overs

Dinner

marinated sirloin steaks, baked potatoes and green beans

baked potato soup (recipe to follow) & rolls

creamy crockpot chicken, rice and wintergreen salad (recipe to follow)

left overs

BBQ chicken drumsticks, homemade mac & cheese and wintergreen salad

ham and cheese omelets and toast

taco salad

Snacks

gogurt

granola bars

crackers & cheese

raisins

rice cakes

cucumber slices

red pepper slices

carrot sticks

celery sticks

sugar snap peas

apples

grapes

bananas

strawberries

Dessert

blackberry cobbler and vanilla ice cream

What are you having this week?

2010-04-10T17:35:00.005-06:00

Here is what my trip to Safeway looked like today.

I got all of this for a total of$14.35...BUT

I spent $0 OOP because I got a $30 GC for transferring a prescription last week.

I would have spent $46.52 without sales or coupons

That is a savings of 69%!!

Here is how you can score the same deals

5 boxes Quaker Instant Oatmeal

$1.50 (wyb5)-$1.00 peelies

FINAL PRICE $0.50 each

1 jumbo pkg. huggies diapers

$9.99-$2.00 in-ad coupon-$3.00/1 e-coupon-$3.00/1 IP

FINAL PRICE $1.99!!!!!

1 gallon lucern milk+2 pkg. oreo cookies

milk-$1.99

cookies- $2.75 each

$7.79 for all- use free cookies when you buy cookies and milk(took off full price $3.29-no longer available)

FINAL PRICE $1.50 each for milk and 2 pkg. cookies

1 box snack bags (we are out)

$1.49

2 Lunchables (not pictured...my kids ate them. ;) )

$1.00 each

1.75 # bananas

$0.46 per #

Although there are not many deals this week (IMHO) you can check out what else is on sale at Safeway this week at Bargain Blessings or a new site that I found called Denver Metro Moms.

Creamy Chicken Salad

2010-04-07T22:04:00.004-06:00

This is a recipe that is a favorite in my family. It was given to me by my step-mom and we changed it a little to suit our tastes.

CREAMY CHICKEN SALAD

4 ½ C chicken, cooked and diced

½ - ¾ Celery, diced
1 ½ C green grapes, sliced

1 ½ C mandarin oranges (see substitution below)
Sliced almonds (optional)

¾ C mayonnaise
¾ C sour cream

¼ C parsley
1 ½ T onion, diced

½ T lemon juice
¼ t salt

¼ t pepper
½ -1 T Good Seasonings dried Italian salad dressing (no substituting)

Mix sour cream, parsley, onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper and dressing mix in a small bowl. Combine remainder of ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and toss to coat. Serve with croissants or on a bed of lettuce.
*** I substitute 1 ½ C red grapes for the oranges. You could also use diced apples.

Fresh Berries with Maple Cream

2010-04-07T21:55:00.004-06:00

I got this recipe from my sweet friend Andrea who used to make it all the time for me before she moved :(. It is super delicious and just screams summer to me. Now is the perfect time to try it too with berries coming into season. I promise you won't be sorry.

Fresh Berries with Maple Cream

2 1/2 C fresh berries (any mix. I like strawberries, blueberries and blackberries)

3/4 C fat free or light sour cream

1/4 C real maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

Rinse and hull your berries. In a small bowl combine the syrup and the sour cream and whisk until well blended. Spoon about 2/3 C berries into 4 dessert glasses. Spoon approx. 1/4 C cream mixture over fresh berries and enjoy!

Crockpot Refried Beans

2010-04-07T21:35:00.005-06:00

Here is a recipe that we like for making refried beans. It is easy because you make it in the crockpot and very YUMMY! Keep in mind that this makes a lot! I have heard that you can freeze the leftovers but I haven't tried it yet.

Crockpot Refried Beans

1 lb. dried pinto beans (rinsed very very well)

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 T butter or margarine

1 1/2-2 C shredded cheese (your preference)

1 1/2 t salt

pepper to taste

seasoned salt to taste

cumin to taste

1/2 lime, juiced

water

Soak beans in large bowl of water overnight. In the morning drain water and pour beans into a large crockpot. Fill crockpot with clean water to cover the beans and then some. In my large 6qt oval crockpot I cover the beans plus add an additional 3-5 inches of water. Throw in the onion and garlic a sprinkling of seasoned salt and a dash or two or cumin and cook on high for 5-10 hours or until beans are very soft. Drain most (but not all) of the water in a separate container and set it aside. Mash beans with a mixer or potato masher , adding reserved bean water to reach desired consistency. Add butter, salt and pepper and continue mashing until you get the consistency you like. I like it to still have a chunkier, but creamy texture. Keep in mind the mixture will thicken as it stands a little.Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve.

4.7.10

2010-04-07T21:16:00.004-06:00

So I shopped a little early at Sprouts and Target this week so I could hit their double-ad Wednesday.

I got all of this

for a total of $20.55 OOP.

I saved $2.00 (on the wipes at Target).

I am not going to even calculate my savings % as Sprouts doesn't figure it in.

Here is the breakdown if you would like to score the same deals.

SPROUTS

2.15 # mild cheddar cheese

$1.99 per #

1 # dried pinto beans

$0.99 per #

1 bunch cilantro

$0.33

1.82 # yellow onions

$0.99 per #

1 pkg. blueberries

$2.00 (not a great price but I needed them)

1.71 # pink lady apples $0.88

2 red bell peppers

$0.88

3.75 # red grapes

$0.88 per #

0.83 # roma tomatoes

$1.19 per #

1# pkg. strawberries

$1.25

(the strawberries, peppers, cilantro and cheese prices are only good today)

TARGET

2 pkg. Kandoo Flushable Wipes (42ct)

$1.65 (regular price)-$1.00 MC

FINAL PRICE $0.65 each (Thanks Jennie)

Weekly Meal Plan 4/9-4/15

2010-04-07T21:02:00.002-06:00

This week the sales are kind of BLAH! I would say the least amount of good deals since I started couponing! So...we are cooking mostly from our storage this week. Here is what we are having.

Breakfast
Cereal & Fruit
Hard boiled Eggs & Fruit
pancakes (from the freezer) and fruit
breakfast burritos (from my freezer) and fruit
banana berry smoothies

Lunch
macaroni & cheese and cucumbers
peanut butter and honey sandwiches and celery sticks
hot dogs and fruit
bean burritos and carrots
turkey cheese and crackers (our version of lunchables) and bell peppers
lots of left overs

Dinner
crockpot chicken tacos (we shred up the meat)and home-made refried beans (recipe to follow)
chicken nachos (with leftover chicken taco meat)
coke chicken, rice and veggies (didn't make last week)
hamburgers, frozen french fries and strawberries
lettuce wraps (also didn't make last week)
ham and cheese omelettes and fruit
chicken salad sandwiches (recipe also to follow)

Dessert
berries with maple cream (recipe also to follow)

Hope you guys are having a great week! :)

2010-04-07T19:58:00.003-06:00

I am so sorry that I did not get to this last week but with it being a holiday weekend my shopping day was a little more intense. I had to break my shopping day into 2 parts and my camera battery died. I will spare you all of the details but obviously I am late getting these up. I also failed to get a picture of my Target and my Kings trip which were both on the bigger side so the following doesn't look like much for my total.

I am going to bunch my whole trip into one post just for convenience and I am not going to bother to break down how I got my prices as the sales are now over (sorry guys.) Here are my totals

TOTAL OOP $104.20

TOTAL W/O COUPONS AND SALES $255.39

TOTAL % SAVED 59%!

Here is my Albertsons trip

This was Sprouts

Safeway

Sorry again for getting these up so late. I will be posting my new menu for next week soon. :)

Monthly Totals

2010-04-07T19:31:00.005-06:00

It's that time again! I updated the month of March's totals on my sidebar. But here they are for my own record keeping.

Total OOP $446.88
Total I would have spent w/o coupons or sales $1313.22
SAVED 66%

My savings % was a little lower than last month, but still higher than some of the months previous. I have been shopping at Sprouts market a lot this month which doesn't figure in your savings. This brings my %'s down quite a bit so I am happy with that. Also, my total this month was a little higher than I'd hoped (over $400). This is also something that I feel ok about considering I have REALLY built up my storage. I am set on flour for the year I think, also I have a LOT of pasta. I am hoping to post some pictures soon of what my storage is looking like these days, as well as start an inventory. All in all a good month. I am hopeful that this month I can keep it below $400.

Weekly Meal Plan 4/2-4/8

2010-04-01T23:04:00.002-06:00

Does anyone else ever feel less than inspired when it comes to what to make for dinner? I am definitely having some issues with that this week. Nothing sounds good to me at the moment because I am feeling like we always have the same old things. The things I do make my family has been less than enthusiastic about. So I am calling in my markers. I NEED some new ideas! If you have some tried and true recipes that your family enjoys I would really really love it if you shared them (my family would appreciate it too). :)

Now...here is what we are having this week.

Breakfast
Cereal & fruit
Banana-berry smoothies
gorilla bread and fruit
hard boiled eggs and fruit
pancakes and fruit
bacon egg and cheese biscuits and fruit

Lunch
chicken nuggets and baby carrots
strawberry spinach salad
frozen meals (lean cuisine)
left overs

Dinner
Coke chicken, rice and frozen veggies ( repeat from last week)
Chinese takeout
Ham, Creamy herbed potatoes and homemade rolls
Steak Fajitas and Refried beans (leftover from last week from the freezer)
lettuce wraps
frozen pizza and salad
left overs

Snacks
yogurt
granola bars
apples
cuties
pears
strawberries
cheese & crackers
cut up veggies
carrots
celery sticks
cashews
bell peppers
popcorn
peanut-butter crackers

Summer Pasta Salad

2010-03-28T22:10:00.005-06:00

Here is another recipe from my menu this week. This is one that was given to me by my sister in law, Rachel and soon after became one of my favorites. Although she doesn't usually have formal recipes. She is one of "those" cooks. You know the ones that make ridiculously delicious food and when you ask them for the recipe all they can tell you is what was in it. As far as the amounts they just add until it tastes good.lol. Well I bugged her a lot for this one because it really is super delicious. Luckily she obliged me and sent me this one through email. She is so great that way. ;) The great part about this one is that it can be changed to fit whatever veggies you have on hand. Ok, I will quite talking and just get to the recipe. Here it is, but I warn you. Once you taste it you may develop a strong addiction to it that will tempt you to make it once a week. If you are lucky your family will welcome your addiction. I was not so lucky, but I make it anyway. Soooo YUMMY!

Summer Pasta Salad

1 lb cooked penne pasta – make sure to salt the water when cooking to flavor the pasta
1 lb low fat sausage
1 small onion diced
1 clove garlic diced (optional)
½ package of Hidden Valley Ranch dry dressing
About ¼ cup olive oil
1 cup corn kernels – frozen or fresh
Assorted chopped fresh/raw veggies (peppers, asparagus, green beans, peas, avocado, tomatoes, are my favs but you can use whatever you have on hand)

Brown sausage, add onion, garlic, peppers and corn and cook until lightly caramelized. Add any vegetables you want to sauté. ( I add the asparagus at this point) Drain pasta and add to large bowl. Add enough olive oil to lightly moisten pasta. Add ranch dressing mix and whatever other seasonings you want to add ( I like dried chipolte chili pepper, rosemary and garlic salt. Add meat and vegetables and adjust seasoning to your taste. I like to add frozen peas which will thaw just by the heat from the meat and veggies. I also stir in my diced or cherry tomatoes and diced avocado at this point. This salad is great served as a warm pasta for a main dish or cold as a side dish. it also reheats wonderfully the next day.

As always I would love for you guys to have some of your recipes with me. I love trying new things. If you have one you want to share email me at jennifer.blackford@comcast.net.

Grilled Chicken Salad

2010-03-28T22:01:00.005-06:00

So here is the chicken salad recipe that I promised you guys from last week. It is a great summer meal and very easy to make. It is so easy I wouldn't really call this a "recipe" but it is a family favorite at my house.

Grilled Chicken Salad (serves 4)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 head of lettuce (your choice...i like green leaf for this)

1-2 tomatoes, diced

1 cup canned black beans, drained & rinsed

1 cup corn

1-2 avocados, cut into chunks

1 cup fritos or crushed tortilla chips

Season each side of your chicken breasts with salt and pepper and grill until done. Remove from heat and slice into strips. Place all other ingredients in a bowl or onto serving plates and top with warm chicken. Serve with the dressing of your choice. Although I prefer it without dressing my family likes it with ranch. Enjoy!

Albertsons & Target 3.26.10

2010-03-26T21:40:00.003-06:00

This week there seem to be some good deals this week. Despite having company, I am hitting more stores that usual this week, including Albertsons and Super Target.

I got all of this

including this...

this...

and this.

I spent $98.55 OOP
without coupons and sales I would have spent $265.92
That is a savings of 63%

Here is how you can score the same deal.

TARGET
10 SoBe Lifewaters
$1.00-BOGO IP-$0.50/1 Target printable-$5.00 GC wyb 10
FINAL PRICE $2.50 money maker!!!
(unfortunately I had already used the BOGO and couldn't see the target printable so I paid $0.50 each but that is still a good price in my book)

2 tubes crest kids toothpaste
$1.49-$0.50/1 insert coupon-$1.00 target printable
FINAL PRICE-FREE!!!

2 monopoly deal card game and 1 Scrabble Slam card Game
$5.24 each-(2) $5.00/1 IP-B2GO insert coupon
FINAL PRICE $0.16 each

2 bags Ore Ida Steam & Mash (on sale B2GO)
$2.50-$1.00/1 IP
FINAL PRICE $1.50 each

1 bag Ore Ida French fries
$2.50-promo discount from B2GO
FINAL PRICE-FREE

ALBERTSONS
(they are doubling and tripling coupon up to $1.00 again this week)

20-5# bags gold medal flour
$1.00 each!!- there is a limit of 10 so I brought my dad so I could do a second transaction. We probably wont see this price again until Thanksgiving/Christmas.

5 (24oz) bottles hunts ketchup
$1.00 each

8 cans Dole Pineapple
$1.00-$0.50/2 insert coupon
FINAL PRICE $0.50 each

2 boxes Marcal Facial Tissue
$1.00-$1.00/1 insert coupon
FINAL PRICE- FREE!

4 (12pk) Coke
$2.50 each -$1.00/2 peelie (from a while back)
FINAL PRICE $2.00 each

2 albertsons sour cream
$1.00 each

2 boxes gogurt
$1.88-$0.40/1 IP
FINAL PRICE- $0.88 each

4 Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers
$1.00-$0.50/1 IP or here
FINAL PRICE -FREE!!

6# (93% lean) ground beef
$1.99 per #-not a stock up price but I was out

8# pork baby back ribs
$2.49 per #

3 # red bird ground chicken
$1.99 per #

3.25 # bananas
$0.39 per #

Although I see my total for the month creeping a little higher than last month I realize that I have bought quite a bit of meat as well as almost got my years supply of flour. I am hoping it will still be a good saving month.

King Soopers 3.26.10

2010-03-26T20:43:00.004-06:00

For those of you who missed the Kings mega-event last week it is on again this week so you can still score some of the sweet deals going on....and there are quite a few. Here is what I got today.
Some of this
including this...
and this.
My total OOP was $28.76

without coupons and sales I would have spent $92.89

That is a savings of 69%!

Here is the breakdown, if you would like to do the same deals.

6 cans Grands Biscuits

$0.98-$0.30 insert coupon-(2) $0.30 e-coupon-$4.00 CAT (wyb6)

FINAL PRICE $0.09 overage each!

(don't need 6? Check here to see how to make this deal work for you.)

5 dozen large eggs

$0.88 each

2 snickers bars

$0.50-$0.50/2 insert coupon

FINAL PRICE-FREE!

Land O Lakes Butter

$1.99-$0.50/2 insert coupon

FINAL PRICE $1.49 each

2 Pantene Shampoo/Conditioner

$2.97-$3.00/2 insert coupon

FINAL PRICE -$1.47 each

2 pkg. Nestle Morsels

$1.88-$0.50/2 printable (no longer available but there are some others here, here and here)

FINAL PRICE $1.33 each

1 can chipolte peppers in adobo sauce

$1.99

The following items are all part of the buy 8 save $4.00 mega event good through Tuesday

3 bags Tostitos tortilla chips

$2.79-$1.00/1 peelies-$0.50 promo discount

FINAL PRICE $1.29 each

4 boxes Ronzoni smart taste pasta

$1.50-$0.75/1 IP or here -$0.50 promo discount

FINAL PRICE-FREE!

1 bottle Simply Orange OJ

$2.99-$0.50 promo discount

FINAL PRICE- $2.49

1 mini Scotch Lint Roller

$1.50-$1.00/1 insert coupon-$0.50 promo discount

FINAL PRICE-FREE!!

2 Scotchbrite Sponges

$1.00-$0.75/2 insert coupon-$0.50 promo discount

FINAL PRICE-FREE!!

5 cans Del Monte Diced Tomatoes

$0.99-$0.50 promo discount

FINAL PRICE $0.49

If you have any questions about how I did things let me know.

Weekly Meal Plan 3/26-4/1

2010-03-26T20:31:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone!! I have company in town and have been shopping all day so I will be brief. Here is our weekly meal plan for the week.

Breakfast
cereal & fruit
buttermilk pancakes & fruit
scrambled eggs & bacon
banana muffins and fruit
hard boiled eggs & fruit

Lunch
Bean burritos (made with leftover refried beans...super yummy recipe!)
Turkey sandwiches and carrots
macaroni & cheese & apple slices
lots of left overs

Dinner
summer pasta salad (never made last week)
dinner out
ribs, potato salad and spinach salad
french dip sandwiches, frozen french fries and wintergreen salad
left overs
coke chicken, rice and steamed veggies (a new one I am trying from my SIL)
Homemade pizza and green salad

Snacks
granola bars
cheese & crackers
snack mix
cashews
raisins
apples
cuties
bell pepper slices
go gurt
applesauce
hard boiled eggs

Dessert
chocolate chip cookies

What are you guys having this week?

2010-03-19T18:44:00.003-06:00

Last week before I went out of town I couldn't help but make a quick trip to Safeway and King Soopers for some of the AWESOME deals they had going on. I love it when things all line up where you can stack a great sale price+a MF coupon+ an e-coupon+ a catalina. It doesn't happen all the time but when it does I get so excited. That is what happened last week. I won't list out all of the individual prices as these deals aren't still going on, but lets just say that last weeks sales is why I coupon. Deals like this keep me going when I am tired of clipping and sorting and filing and putting my list together.

Here is what my Safeway trip looked like

That is -

10 boxes of fruit snacks

24 boxes of cereal

and a mix of other things

I spent $16.63 OOP
Without coupons and sales I would have spent $127.03

I also received a $4 and a $2.50 CAT (that I used this week on my purchase)

That is a savings of 87%!!

This is what my King Soopers trip looked like.

I spent a total of $9.13

Without sales and coupons i would have spent $45.68!

That is a savings of 80%

I hope we see more sales like this in the near future. If we do hopefully I can get them posted so you can go and take advantage of them while they are still going on. ;)

Safeway 3.19.10

2010-03-19T17:56:00.004-06:00

In my shopping today I also stopped at Safeway for one more round of the March Frozen Food promo going on and for a few other deals that were going on.

I got all of this.

including this...

and this.

for a total of $16.51 OOP

without coupons and sales I would have spent $103.76!

That is a savings of 84%!!

Here is how you can score the same deals.

My first transaction was all frozen food that is part of the month long promo. My final prices reflect the 40% savings of the promo

2 pillsbury toaster strudels

$2.69- $0.55/2 IP- $0.55 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.84 each

2 Sarah Lee frozen pound cakes

$3.99-1.00/1 IP

FINAL PRICE $1.39 each

4 cartons Breyers Ice Cream

$2.99

FINAL PRICE $1.79 each

4 scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner

$1.99-$2/2 peelies-$4 CAT wyb 4

FINAL PRICE-FREE!!

I used my $10 CAT from my last frozen food purchase as well as a $2.50 and a $4.00 CAT from my cereal run last week (which I will post soon)

In my second transaction I had

1-24 pk. Safeway water bottles

$2.99-$0.30 in ad coupon

FINAL PRICE $2.69

3 pillsbury cake mixes

$1.29- $0.60 in-ad coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.69 each

1 quart buttermilk

$1.99

6 (35 ct) clorox wipes

$1.99-$1.50/2 peelie that I got a while back)

FINAL PRICE $1.24 each

1 pkg. Safeway english muffins

$0.99 each

4 pkg. Budding Lunch Meat (12 oz)

$2.99-$1.22 in-ad coupon- $1.00/1 IP (available to zipcode 32606)

FINAL PRICE $0.77 each!

*I noticed when I got home I forgot to use 2 of my coupons making it $1.27 each...BUMMER!

On this transaction I used the $10 CAT that printed from my last FF transaction and my $4 CAT from my last scrubbing bubbles transaction.

Let me know if you have any questions! Happy Shopping this week!

King Soopers & Sprouts 3.19.10

2010-03-19T16:25:00.006-06:00

There are some pretty great deals at King Soopers this week, especially with their mega-event they have going. Here is what I got at King Soopers and @Sprouts this week.
All of this...

including this...

this...

and this.

My total OOP was $64.41

without coupons and sales I would have spent $145.92

That is a savings of 56% (not too bad since Sprouts does not figure in savings.)

See something you like? Here is how you can score these deals too.

KING SOOPERS

2 loaves oro-wheat family style bread

$1.67 each

2 bags Dole Salad Blends

$3.19 on sale BOGO-$1.00/1 coupon from King Soopers optimum wellness booklet (found in the produce department)-$0.75 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.22 each

4 snickers candy bars

$0.50-$0.50/2 insert coupon

FINAL PRICE-FREE!!

4 kiwi

$0.17 each

2 # clam strawberries

$3.88

2.22 # bananas

$0.46 per #

2 # 80% lean ground beef

$1.69-$1.50 wyb 2 classico sauces insert coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.19 per #

The following items are all part of their buy 8 items save $4.00 mega event which I think will still be going on next week as well. I also think there are more products than are listed in their ad ( I found a few in the store) so make sure you check next weeks ad to see what else might be included. My final prices reflect the savings for this event of $0.50 per item

2 bottles listerine smart rinse mouthwash

$4.00-$2.00/1 coupon from my dentist office

FINAL PRICE $1.50 each

3 bags Tostitos tortilla chips

$2.79-$1.00/1 peelies

FINAL PRICE $1.29 each

4 boxes Ronzoni smart taste pasta

$1.50-$0.75/1 printable coupon

FINAL PRICE- FREE!!

4 bottles Classico Pasta Sauce

$1.99-$1.00/2 printable coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.99 each

*I also used the $1.50 off beef wyb 2 jars classico sauce. you can use both since one is for the sauce and one for the beef. I will reflect that savings in the beef.

4 scotchbrite sponges

$1.00-$0.75/2 insert coupon

FINAL PRICE-FREE!!

2 bottles Dial Complete foaming hand soap

$2.00-$0.35/1 insert coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.80 each

1 Scotch mini-lint roller

$1.50-$1.00/1 insert coupon

FINAL PRICE- FREE!!!

9 delmonte diced tomatoes

$0.49 each

2 bumblebee tuna pouches

$0.99-$0.50/1 insert coupon

FINAL PRICE- FREE!!

2 Planters Peanuts (16 oz)

$2.49-$1.50/1 printable coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.49 each

SPROUTS

1.17 # dry pinto beans

$0.99 per #

1.45 # raisins

$1.29 per #

2 # mild cheddar cheese

$1.99 per #

11.5 # chicken drumsticks and thighs

$0.77 per #

5 # box of clemetines (not pictured)

$2.99-$1.00/1 insert coupon

FINAL PRICE $1.99 (that is $0.40 per #!!!)

2 cucumbers

$0.50 each

5.14 # fuji apples

$0.77 per #

2 red bell peppers

$0.88 each

1.34 # roma tomatoes

$0.77 per #

1 head romaine lettuce

$0.77 per #

That about does it. If you have any questions let me know.

Weekly Meal Plan 3/19-3/25

2010-03-19T16:05:00.003-06:00

I am back in town and back in the swing of things. Although I still have a quick shopping trip from last week that I made to post I figured I would start with this week first since you guys cant go shop the deals from last week. ;)

Our menu this week (as usual) has a few repeats due to sickness. Hopefully we can get through at least one week without anyone getting sick.lol. The kids are all home this week for spring break and my Dad will be coming later this week so my menu is taking all of those things into account. Here is what is on our menu this week.

Breakfast
Cereal & Fruit
Gorilla Bread & Fruit (from last week)
Pancakes & Fruit (will make extras to go in the freezer)
Oatmeal & Fruit
Banana Muffins & Fruit (from the freezer)
Scrambled Eggs, Bacon & Fruit

Lunch
Turkey Sandwiches & bell pepper slices
Grilled Cheese & carrots
BBQ Chicken Quesadillas and cucumber slices
lots and lots of leftovers

Dinner
Dinner @ friends house
Grits & Eggs (repeat from last week)
Terriaki chicken, rice and steamed fresh veggies (also a repeat)
Spaghetti, Wintergreen Salad and Garlic Bread (ditto)
Grilled Chicken Salad (recipe to follow)
French Dip Sandwiches and Spinach Salad
Navajo Tacos and homemade refried beans (never tried this one...will let you know)

Snacks
granola bars
cheese & crackers
go-gurt
cashews
cheerios snack mix
applesauce
raisins
peanut butter & crackers
carrots
cucumbers
red bell peppers
cuties
apples
kiwi
strawberries

Dessert
Cookies & Cream Brownies -to take to our friends house for dinner...soooo yummy!
Sugar Cookies-taking these to my primary kids this week as a take home treat.

What are you having this week?

2010-03-08T10:59:00.003-07:00

I almost forgot that I made a quick trip to Target for a few good deals, which turned into a few great deals. My cashier was very generous in the coupon department. I am not sure if she doesn't know it but Target's policy is typically to adjust coupon amounts to match the price of the item if there will be overage. She just pushed them all through without adjusting making for some sweet overage!

I got all of this.

for a total of $7.75

+ I will submit for this $5 rebate making my total $2.75 OOP!!

I also had a little amount left on some gift cards from the

deals a few weeks ago so I used that to pay

without coupons and sales I would have spent $37.47

That is a savings of 93%!!!

I was happy to be able to get a few things for the girls easter baskets too.

Here is a breakdown of what I got.

1 clorox toilet wand starter kit

$9.69-$5.00IP-$3.00 peelie-$5.00 rebate

FINAL PRICE $3.31 money maker!

*The peelie was also a MC that the cashier said she could still use with my printable...not sure she understands but I guess I won't complain.

1 Aquamarine DVD

$5.00-$2.00 IP

FINAL PRICE $3.00

2 loafs of bread (not pictured)

$1.50 each

4 gold bond ultimate healing lotion (trial size)

$0.99-$2.00/1 insert coupon (no sizer restriction)

FINAL PRICE $1.01 moneymaker!

2 oral b stages toothbrushes

$1.99-$1.00/1 TP-$1.00/1 insert coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.01 money maker

1 bottle of sunsilk conditioner (on clearance)

$1.28

2 boxes kids (20ct) bandaids

$1.87-$1.00/1 Target printable-$1.00/1 insert coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.13 money maker!!

2 necklaces and 2 bracelets

$1.00 each

2010-03-07T22:04:00.003-07:00

Safeway is having a fantastic frozen food promotion that is going on all month long. When you spend $25 in participating products then you get a $10 CAT ONYO. The ad says it can be used on your next order but the actual CAT that printed said it was to be used on your next "frozen foods" purchase. I think I would keep a copy of the ad just in case. :) There are a number of coupons that coincide with the participating products. (there are many). The best way to maximize your savings is to have your transaction be as close in price to $25 as possible. Then do multiple transactions and roll the CAT. This is what I did today. I did a total of 3 transactions.
I got all of this...

including this...

and this.
for a total of $53.17
Without sales and coupons I would have spent $133.42
That is a total savings of 60%!!
Also I have another $10 CAT to use on my next trip

Here is the breakdown of my trip. The prices in parenthesis are after the promo discount.

4 boxes pillsbury toaster strudels
$2.50-$1.00/1 IP- $0.55 e-coupon from here and here
FINAL PRICE $1.22 each ($0.23 after promo discount)

2 boxes Smuckers Uncrustables
$2.50-$1.00/1 IP
FINAL PRICE $1.50 each ($0.50 each)

2 pkg. Yoplait Yogurt Smoothie Mix
$3.00-$1.00/1 insert coupon
FINAL PRICE $2.00 each ($0.80 each)

4 Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowls and Dlight Bowls
$1.25 (markdown)- $1.00/2 insert coupons
FINAL PRICE $0.75 each ($0.25 each)

10 smart ones frozen meals
$2.50-$5.00/10 IP
FINAL PRICE $2.00 each ($1.00 each)
there is also a $2 WYB 4 coupon from the Safeway Healthy Heart flyer found in stores. I couldn't find it...but it would make these $0.60 each! and there are some insert coupons that I dont seem to have that could make this deal even better.

2 pkg. family size El Monterey Burritos
$3.00-$1.00/2 IP (will print immediately)
FINAL PRICE $2.50 each ($1.30 each)

2 bags Pillsbury Frozen Biscuits
$3.99-$1.00/1 IP and $0.75/2 e-coupon ( I had an extra I loaded earlier as well)
FINAL PRICE $2.24 each ($0.65 each)

2 boxes Foster Farms Corn Dogs
$5.99
FINAL PRICE $5.99 each ($3.59 each)
This is $0.22 each Sams Club price $0.26 each

9 pkg. Safeway pasta
$0.50 each

4 bottles (48oz) vegetable oil
$2.99-$1.00/1 in-ad coupon
FINAL PRICE $1.99 each

4 pkg. Grand Jr. Biscuits (10ct)
$1.49 each-$0.30/2 insert coupon-2 $0.30/2 e-coupon from here
( I had one loaded from a while ago too)
$4.00/WYB4 instant discount
FINAL PRICE $0.04 each!

1 # fresh asparagus
$0.99-$0.50/1 IP
$0.49 per #

That does it for this week. I will only be doing a quick produce run next Wednesday before I leave so until I get back in town. I hope you guys have a great week. Hopefully I won't miss deals that are too great while I am gone. :(

Sprouts 3.06.10

2010-03-07T21:49:00.007-07:00

Here is what I got at Sprouts market yesterday .

I spent a total of $15.49.

They do not list savings on their receipts so I don't have a savings but here is the breakdown.

7.36 # boneless skinless chicken thighs

$0.99 per #

1 tomato on the vine

$1.99 per #

2 # fuji apples

$0.88 per #

1 yellow and red pepper

$0.88 each

2 lemons

$0.33 each

2 avocados

$0.88 each

4 yellow onions

$0.19 per #

1 large head romaine lettuce

$0.19

King Soopers 3.6.10

2010-03-07T21:20:00.004-07:00

Here are the details of my quick trip to King Soopers this week. I have been pretty sick this week and it shows in my shopping prep. I had a couple of e-coupons and printables that I misread, forgot to print or didn't load which affected my savings, but not too badly.

I got all of this

for a total of $6.59 OOP

I would have spent $15.00 without sales and coupons

That is a savings of 56%!

Here is the breakdown

1 betty crocker cake mix

$1.00-$0.50 IP that I forgot to use. :(

FINAL PRICE- FREE(my price was $1.00)

1 betty crocker frosting

$1.50-$0.50 e-coupon (that I forgot to load)

FINAL PRICE $1.00 ( I paid $1.50 )

2 Old Spice Deodarant

$1.88-$1.00/2 insert coupon

FINAL PRICE $1.33 each

1 pkg. gogurt

$2.00-$0.35/1 insert coupon-$0.80/2 e-coupon (I misread and thought it was on one)

FINAL PRICE $0.90 wyb 2. ( I paid $1.30)

2 pkg. hamburger buns

$0.88 each

1.72 # bananas

$0.46 per #

Safeway 3.2.10

2010-03-07T20:57:00.004-07:00

I was able to hit Safeway FINALLY on Tuesday this week, and one more King Soopers hit for cereal and milk. Although I was sick and tired...it was a very good trip.

I got all of this...

including this...
and this...

for a total of $24.35 OOP

I would have paid $94.93 without sales and coupons

I saved a total of 74%

I also walked away with a $3 CAT for Kings for my next shopping trip.

I am not going to list everything out because the sales ended that evening but I was happy that I went despite how bad I felt. :) 74% savings helps make my totals for the month

look a little better. :)

Weekly Meal Plan-Sort Of...

2010-03-07T10:22:00.006-07:00

This weeks meal plan will be just a little bit different. I realized when I sat down to plan it that I will be leaving town next Thursday and won't be here to shop next Friday. Also, my family will still be here and Dad will be in charge of meals so I had to plan out some things for him to prepare while I am gone. I decided to go ahead and plan a menu for 2 weeks and then just make a quick trip out next Wednesday before I leave for fresh produce for next week. Also please keep in mind once again you will see a few repeats from last week (AGAIN!). We have still been pretty sick this week and haven't been cooking all that much. Here is what is on our menu the next two weeks. :)

Breakfast
Fast Sunday
Breakfast Burritos (from the freezer) and fruit
Cereal & Fruit
Oatmeal & Fruit
Gorilla Bread & Fruit
Scrambled Eggs & Fruit
Banana Muffins (from the freezer) & Fruit
Banana Berry Smoothies (from the freezer)

Lunch
Macaroni & Cheese & Apples
Chicken Nachos
Chicken Nuggets & Cuties
Bean Burritos & Pepper slices
Chicken Noodle Soup & Fruit
Home-made lunchables & Apples
Peanubutter & Honey Sandwiches and Carrots
Lots and Lots of Left Overs

Dinner
Hamburgers & Kettle Chips
Chicken Parmesan, Pasta and Iceburg Wedges with homemade Ranch Dressing
Cowboy Calzones and Green Salad
Summer Pasta Salad
Terriaki Chicken, Rice and Steamed Veggies
Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Spaghetti (from the freezer) & Green Salad
Frozen Pizza and Salad
French Dip Sandwiches and Wintergreen Salad and Baked Home-Made French Fries
Grits & Eggs
Honey Chicken, Rice and Steamed Veggies
A couple of Left Over nights

Snacks
Apples
Cuties
Pears
Bananas
Grapefruit
Cucumber Slices
Bell Pepper Slices
Carrots
Celery & Peanut Butter
Trail Mix
Granola Bars
Cheese & Crackers
Rice cake Snacks
Applesauce
Yogurt
Popcorn
Cashews

Dessert
Gorilla Bread (thanks to the SUPERcheap biscuits @ Safeway this week :) )

I am going to post the recipe for the Summer Pasta Salad this week. It is so yummy and easy to make! Happy cooking this week. :)

2.28.10

2010-02-28T22:54:00.003-07:00

I am sorry it has taken me a few extra days to update the rest of my shopping. Blogger has been down and I was unable to log on. It seems to be working at the moment so I will do my best to update you.

Here are the details of my trip to Sams Club and Albertsons. I apologize for not getting a picture. Once again I didn't have access to my camera. here is the breakdown...

I spent $55.09 OOP

Without coupons and sales I would have spent $73.63

That is a total savings of 25%

Not such impressive savings, but keep in mind that Sams Club does not figure in savings. Although my savings was not huge this week I was happy to still keep my total spent for this week under $100. Here are the details.

ALBERTSONS

4 jars skippy peanut butter

$1.00 each

3 bags tortilla chips

$1.00 each

3 dozen pkg. eggs

$1.00 each

2 suave deodorants

$1.00-$0.75 insert coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.25

2 # bag jumbo raw shrimp

$3.99 per #

3 # bag clementines

$2.99

1.32 # bananas

$0.49 per #

SAMS CLUB

1 quart heavy cream

$2.68

1 jar beef bouillon cubes

$4.87

4 boxes of butter

$6.76 ($1.69 each)

3 # shredded aged Parmesan

$9.93

25 # long grain rice ( I was out)

$8.59

and that is about it. Nothing too exciting. I do still need to make a trip to Safeway hopefully before Tuesday ends. I will update you guys when I do. :)

2.26.10

2010-02-26T13:11:00.007-07:00

I was able to make a quick trip to Sprouts and King Soopers this morning to pick up a few things on my list. This weeks shopping I think will have to be done in shifts with my little ones not feeling well. Just a note to those who haven't heard yet. King Soopers is having a fantastic deal on cereal and milk. If you need either of those things this is the week to stock up! Remember milk freezes if you have room for it. I actually ended up not needing the milk (we are plenty stocked and my freezer is pretty packed), but it was part of the cereal deal so I just bought it and gave it to a friend of mine who could use it. You can read more about the deal and the specifics on Carrie's post here. Although it says that some have had problems with the catalina printing, it printed for me here in CR.

I am sorry I do not have a picture of this shopping trip. Our camera has mysteriously gone missing again. grrrrrr... Here is the breakdown from my shopping trip

My total OOP was $24.11
The total I would have spent without sales or coupons is $45.73
(keeping in mind sprouts doesn't figure in savings. :(
My total % saved was 47%.
(the total does not look great because of the sprouts savings but I am happy with it.)

King Soopers

4 boxes Kellogg's Cereal
$1.50-$1.00/2 blinkie coupons found in the store-$3.00 catalina
(that prints to use on your next order- I just did the cereal deal first and then did a second transaction for the rest of my shopping and used my catalina on that)
FINAL PRICE $0.25 each

2 gallons milk
$2.19 each-FREE with cereal promo

5 containers Kroger sour cream
$1.00 each

2 loafs earthgrain bread
$1.99-$0.55 insert coupon
FINAL PRICE $0.99 each

SPROUTS

1.75 # bulk dried cranberries
$2.99 per # ( a little more than sams club but you will not have to buy a huge container and these are nice and plump)

1.8 # Bulk Wild West Trail Mix
$1.99 per # (sams club price is $2.61 per #)

.32 # bulk whole walnuts
$3.99 per # (same price as sams club but we don't want the big bag...I don't use walnuts all that much)

1 bunch chives
$1.69

1 head iceburg lettuce
$0.77

1 bunch parsley
$0.39

1 red bell pepper
$0.77

1.43 # pears
$0.77 per #

1 head garlic
$0.54

As always if you have questions please feel free to comment and let me know :).

and the total is....

2010-02-26T12:57:00.011-07:00

I am happy to report my totals for the month of February. My monthly amount spent on groceries and toiletries, etc. continues to go down from when I first started couponing. The best part of this is that I am buying things we never would have had money in the budget for before, which makes my carnivore husband very happy.lol. Here are the totals for the month

My total OOP (out of pocket) this month was $323.31

The total amount of food I bought was $1052.78

My total savings for the month was 69%!!!

The best part is I am spending now less than half of what I used to spend 8 months ago. My budget is $700 per month for these things so that means a savings of $376 that I get to use for something else. :) I never in my wildest dreams thought that I could do that with coupons! If you are new to my blog and want to learn more about how I do this leave me a comment with your email and I will get in touch with you. :)

Weekly Menu 2.26-3.4

2010-02-26T09:18:00.004-07:00

I do not foresee myself getting to go shopping today as I have 2 sick kiddos at home. However I thought I would at least update the blog with our menu. This is what we are having at our house this week

Breakfast

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (didn't make last week) and fruit

Breakfast Burritos and fruit

Cereal & Fruit

Oatmeal and fruit

Lunch

Grilled Cheese and Carrots

Peanut Butter and Honey sandwiches and Apple Slices

Ham & Cheese Wraps & Cucumber Slices

Chicken Noodle Soup

lots of left overs

Dinner

Date Night-Strogonoff and broccoli for the kids (didn't make last week)

Maple Pork Tenderloin, Sweet Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash and Creamy Herbed Potatoes (ditto)

Chili & Indian Frybread

Cowboy Calzones and Iceburg Wedges with Ranch Dressing

Chicken Parmesan, repeat salad and dressing from day before

Honey Chicken, Rice and steamed veggies (also a repeat from last week...we had a lot of left overs okay!)

Snacks

bell pepper slices

cucumber slices

carrots

cuties

pears

apples

bananas

yogurts

cashews

granola bars

cheese & crackers

Sugar free pudding

rice cakes

Dessert

Chocolate Mousse

If I am sitting around with the kids later I will maybe post a few recipes from my menu for you guys. Happy eating this week!

Shopping 2.19.10

2010-02-19T19:38:00.008-07:00

This week was shopping trip was definately...um...memorable. Because Safeway is having some great deals on their P&G products I was very excited about shopping this week. After an extremely frustrating trip to Safeway I am not sure if the money I saved was worth my frustration. What should have been a pretty quick and easy shopping trip turned into an hour or two of headache. I will spare you the details. however I will suggest that if you plan to do this deal, I would recommend verifying BEFORE you shop if the store is requiring that your total of P&G products hit $25 before or after your coupons. My understanding (per the ad) is that it should be before coupons are deducted. however the store in Castle Rock apparently didn't know which end was up and they just gave me whatever explanation they thought sounded good at that moment...none of which were actually true. Needless to say I will be speaking with the general manager at my store on Monday about the $8.53 that they owe me. If it goes well I will continue to shop there...if not I will drive to extra 3 miles to go to the one in Castle Pines. It is just not worth it to shop at a store where you are not treated as you should be. Ok...I will get off my soapbox. On to the deals this week.

I got all of this

Including this...

this...

and this.

My total OOP was $76.31 (should have been $67.68)

Without coupons and sales i would have spent $206.15!

That is a savings of 67%!!

Overall it really was a good week, despite the frustration. I shopped at Sprouts, Safeway and Target this week which means I was able to stay in Castle Rock. I am really enjoying having a sprouts here in CR. It makes the distance I have to travel for decent produce a lot shorter. Here is what I got. I know this is a little ridiculous but I am having the hardest time getting blogger to let me have spaces in my listing so I am going to try to color each item a different color to give you a way to differentiate. Sorry if it gives you a headache. I am hoping to figure out why blogger hates me soo so I can fix it. :(

Sprouts

4 bags (16oz) pasta

$0.75 each

1.24 # acorn squash

$0.69 per #

2 bunches of asparagus

$0.88 per #

1.78 # braeburn apples

$0.69 per #

1 Cantaloupe

$0.50

1 yellow pepper

$0.69

1 tomato

$1.69 per #(thought it was $0.69 per #...misread the sign)

1 pineapple

$1.99

1 bunch fresh rosemary

$1.69

1 bunch celery

$0.88

Target

3 tubes Colgate Total (4.2oz)

$1.67 (price match King Soopers)- $1.50/1 coupon (at pharmacy in Safeway)

FINAL PRICE $0.17 each!

SAFEWAY (Grrrrr....)

these are all part of the P&G promo going on. To maximize your savings you can use the $10 catalina that you earn from the first transaction to pay for your second, and so on. That lends to less OOP. All my final prices are including the promo discount which works out to be about 40% off the sale price.

4 bottles dawn Direct Foam dish soap

$2.49-$1.50/1 mailer coupon (from the homemade simple mailer)

FINAL PRICE- FREE!

1 bottle tide HE (32 load) laundry detergent

$5.99-$0.35 insert coupon -$0.35 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE $2.54 (this is $0.08/load. Sam's Cost is $0.18/load)

1 bottle downy fabric softener (34 oz)

$4.99-$1.00 store coupon-$1.00/1 insert coupon-$0.50/1 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.49 (that is $0.02/oz. Sam's price $0.07/oz)

2 bottles Fabreze Air Effects

$3.00-$1.00/1 insert coupon-$1.00/1 e-coupon (only on 1)

FINAL PRICE $0.30 each (Sam's price $2.25 each)

1 (8pk) Duracell AA Batteries

$5.49-$1.00/1 insert coupon-$1.00/1 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE $1.29 ($0.16 each. Sam's price $0.37 each)

6 Dawn Hand Renewal Dish Soap

$2.49-$1.00/1 mailer coupons or $0.50/1 insert coupons-$0.50 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE- $0.41 each

24 double roll Charmin bath tissue

$12.99-$0.25/1 insert coupon-$1.00/1 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE $6.24 ( $0.26 per double roll. Sam's price $0.48 per double roll)

12 Big Roll Bounty Select-a-Size Paper Towels (same as 16 reg. rolls)

$12.99-0.25/1 insert coupon-$1.00/1 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE $6.29 ($0.39 per reg. roll. Sam's price is $0.85/roll)

1 Bounce Dryer Bar

$4.99-$1.00/1 store coupon-$1.00/1 e-coupon

FINAL PRICE $0.99

These items are not part of the P&G promo

1 Betty Crocker Frosting

$1.39-$0.50/1 printable coupon-$0.50/1 e-coupon and another from here

FINAL PRICE- FREE + $0.41 money maker!!

1 Betty Crocker Cookie Mix

$1.25-$0.40 printable coupon- (2)$0.40 e-coupon also from here (not really sure how all 3 of these came off in 1 transaction, but I guess I won't complain.)

FINAL PRICE-FREE + $0.75 money maker!

1 pkg. (24 slices) Kraft Singles

$4.49-$3.00/1 store coupon from ad

FINAL PRICE $1.49

1 loaf orowheat family style 100% whole wheat bread

$1.99

5 Sanderson Farms Whole Chicken (approx 5# each)

$0.69 per #

1.5 # bananas

$0.49 per #

2 # red seedless grapes

$0.99 per #

Well that does it for this week! If you decided you want to do the P&G deal go to Castle Pines I am thinking you might have better luck with their catalina printer. Let me know if you have any questions or need help putting your deals together. :)

Weekly Meal Plan

2010-02-19T19:10:00.004-07:00

Once again a few repeats from last week. Here is what we are having this week.

Breakfast
Cereal & Fruit
Breakfast Yogurt Parfaits
Cinnamon Rolls and Fruit
Scrambled Eggs & Fruit
Breakfast Burritos (homemade, frozen previously)

Lunch
Quesadilla's & Bell Pepper Slices
Paninis & Salad
Lots of Left overs
Turkey & Cheese Wraps
Chicken Nuggets & Grapes
Peanut butter & Honey Sandwiches & Cantaloupe

Dinner
Date Night -Left overs for the kiddos
Turkey & Cheese Panini's & Spinach Salad from (repeat from last week)
Ribs, Roasted Asparagus and Spinach Salad (ditto)
Strogonoff & Steamed Broccoli (ditto)
Chicken Stew & Green Salad
Maple Pork Tenderloin, Sweet Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash and Scalloped Potatoes
Honey Baked Chicken, Rice and Steamed Veggies

Snacks
Bananas
Apples
Cuties
Grapes
Cantaloupe
Pineapple
Yogurt
Carrots
Celery & Peanut butter
Granola Bars
Chips & Salsa
Bell Pepper Slices
Cheerios Snack Mix

Now...lest you should all think that I am a Pioneer Woman stalker let me assure you, I most definately AM! My sister in laws and I have been trying out many of her recipes and have yet to find one that disappointed (except for the red velvet cake which I am sure was due to the high altitude here...sigh). I will keep ya posted as I forge through her cookbook and website. Have a great week!

2.12.10

2010-02-12T21:36:00.016-07:00

Let me just apologize in advance for the HORRIBLE pictures! My hubby took the camera with him today so I had to use my cell phone. 2MP camera? I think NOT! I guess you can get a general idea of what my trip consisted of this week, but that's about it...sorry. When putting my menu together this week I was really excited that I only needed a few things for our actual eating this week. I mean like 4 things! The total I had to spend this week was a mere $5.35. This is why I love couponing. Eating for a whole week on $5.35! Now keep in mind the way we do things here, I don't only buy what I need unless I have to. The idea is to spend my budget on things that are super low prices and stockpile them till you need them. This week I shopped Target, King Soopers, Sprouts Market and Safeway. Sprouts just opened in Castle Rock today and they are having fantastic sales. I was just excited to do all of my shopping in CR this week. :) Just beware if you plan to visit Sprouts this weekend for their deals. it was CRAZ-Y! Well worth it though. The bagged my entire order in FREE reusable shopping bags! Love that!

Here are a few pictures of my loot :) (sorry again for the poor quality)

For all of this I spent a total of $63.48. In turn I got a Target gift card worth $7.57 to use on my next trip. I also plan to submit for this rebate for $15.

Making my total OOP for this trip $40.91!!!

Without sales coupons and rebates I would have spent $223.44!

That is a savings of 82%!

A very good week!

Also interesting is that sprouts receipt did not figure in savings so these figures are assuming that Sprouts prices were not sales, which they most definitely were. I would guess that would boost my totals even more.I finally fixed the formatting (I think) so I am going to list it out for you. Happy shopping this week. :)

SPROUTS

1 pkg. Robinson Cottage Cheese

$1.99

2 dozen eggs

$0.99 each

1 # Pepper Jack Cheese

$2.06

1/2 # Havarti Cheese

$2.07

1 bag blue corn tortilla chips

$0.99

1 # asparagus

$1.33

1.4 # broccoli

$0.77 per #

1 cantaloupe

$0.49 each

2 # fuji apples

$0.77 per #

1 yellow pepper

$0.49 each

1 red pepper

$0.49 each

2 pints grape tomatoes

$0.99 each

2 red mangos

$0.77 each

1 red onion

$0.69 per #

3/4 # roma tomatoes

$0.49 per #

1 very large head romaine lettuce

$0.88

2 (1# clams) strawberries

$0.99 each

2 (8oz) pkg. mushrooms

$.99 each

1 bunch spinach

$0.88

ok...obviously I am still have problems. I will keep working on it and get the rest up later sorry. :(

Weekly Menu- 2.12.10

2010-02-12T21:23:00.002-07:00

Another week, another menu. You will notice a few repeats...again. Still not feeling too great this week, so I haven't wanted to cook as much, plus we ended up having left overs more than planned. Here's what we are having this week.

Breakfast
Breakfast Burritos (from the freezer) & Fruit
Cereal & Fruit
Oatmeal & Fruit
Waffles (from the freezer) & Fruit
Hard Boiled Eggs & Fruit
Banana Bread & Fruit

Lunch
Turkey & Cheese Wraps
Peanubutter & honey sandwiches
Pizza-for Naomi's b-day party
Lots and Lots of Left overs

Dinner
Haystacks (didn't make last week)
Strogonoff (ditto) & Steamed Broccoli
Chicken Enchiladas (ditto)
Dinner Out (Valentines Day)-Chicken Nuggets and Bell Peppers for the kiddos
Spaghetti & Green Salad
Baby Back Ribs, Roasted Asparagus and Spinach Salad
Turkey and Cheese Panini's & Spinach Salad

Snacks
Strawberries
Cantelope
Cuties
Apples
Oranges
Bananas
Bell Pepper Slices
Mushrooms
Grape Tomatoes
Granola Bars
Yogurt
Sugar Free pudding
Crackers & Cheese
Goldfish Crackers

Dessert
Rainbow chip cupcakes (Naomi's b-day party)

I will post my shopping trip this week soon. Have a great week!

2.05.10

2010-02-08T15:41:00.009-07:00

There are quite a few good deals to be had this week. I decided to start off my shopping day at Albertsons, Sunflower Market & Target. Here is a breakdown of my trip.

I got all of this...

(yes those are baby back ribs...don't tell my hubby they

are in my freezer or they will disappear. lol.)

for a total of $79.72 OOP!

Without sales & coupons I would have spent $195.75!

That is a savings of 59%!