It's Been One of Those Days...

I've been battling a headache since this morning and just not feeling too great.

Wonderful husband has a work deadline that is fast approaching, so he's been having to go in to work early and stay late for the last several weeks.

Older boys are tired from a full week of school...which means that they have been getting frustrated over the smallest things...lots of little arguments since they've been home from school.

Youngest boy hasn't been feeling the best for the past couple of days...He fell down and scratched his head on one of the gazillion Lego pieces that he'd thrown across the floor. I picked him up to try and see where he got hurt...the tiniest little scratch that will most likely be gone within the hour. I guess he's not feeling good at all because in the two minutes I was holding him, he fell fast asleep. Yes, 5:45 and he's out...what to do...if he sleeps now he'll probably wake up in the middle of the night ready to go, but I just don't have the heart to try to wake him up.

Is it bad that I'm thinking about making the older kids sandwiches, putting on a movie for them and laying down to try to get some sleep?

Surely I'm not the only one who has days like this...:)

'Tis the Season to Stock Up on Baking Supplies

Over the next few weeks we should be seeing some GREAT deals on baking goods. It seems like all the stores put these items on sale between now and Christmas...I guess they know people do a lot of holiday baking during this time of the year.

Since we'll be seeing these items on sale, I encourage you to think ahead...not just to your baking needs around the holidays, but for your baking needs over the course of the next 6 months to a year. You'll be able to stock up now while these items are on sale and save yourself a lot of money over the next few months. We don't see a lot of high value coupons for flour, sugar, etc. so we need to take advantage of the store sales!

How should you store these items that you are stocking up on? I have plenty of Tupperware containers, but nothing that is big enough to hold a stockpile of rice, sugar, flour, etc. I have been on the lookout for LARGE AFFORDABLE containers for awhile.

I ran to Sam's today and found this great set of storage containers that I'll be using this year to store some of my staples. It cost under $20.00 for everything. If you are thinking about stocking up on some of these items and need containers to store them in, this is the best configuration of items for the price I've found!

I'll definitely be taking advantage of some of the sales on baking goods in the next few weeks, and look forward to filling these up!

Albertsons--Even Better Deal on Sugar

Albertsons has Imperial Sugar (4 lb. bag) on sale for $1.69 this week. I found a new coupon that will make for some VERY inexpensive sugar...think about stocking up for all the holiday baking you'll be doing in the coming weeks!!

Imperial Sugar $1.69
-use coupon for $0.50 off 1 Imperial Sugar (found here)(will be doubled)
Final Price: $0.69 (This is a GREAT STOCK UP PRICE!)

Grocery Shopping--October Week 2

Below are pictures of all the groceries that I purchased during the second week of October. I purchased everything below and spent...





$48.91 and saved $249.25. I went over my weekly grocery budget of $40.00 a week, but since I only spent $14.20 last week I had a little extra to work with.

I did the majority of my shopping at Albertsons, but I also picked up a few things at Target, CVS, and Walgreens. Most of these deals are no longer available since Albertsons just came out with a new ad today.

I bought:

3 boxes of Oh's Cereal
20 boxes of Cap'n Crunch
10 boxes of Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
1 NyQuil Sinex
3 DayQuil Sinex
2 EOS Lip Balm
4 M&Ms
3 Twix
3 Snickers
3 Twizzlers
3 Russell Stover Chocolate
1 Pumpkin Halloween Basket
5 Mott's Apple Juice
5 Mott's Fruit Punch
4 Kraft Flavored Mayo
4 loaves of bread
1 box of Flavored Ice
6 SunKist Orange Soda (2 liters)
6 pounds of Ground Turkey
2 Colgate Total Toothpaste
1 Crest ProHealth Toothpaste
10 Reach Toothbrushes
2 gallons of Milk
1 Swanson's Chicken Broth
1 package of Paper Plates
1 Halls Cough Drops

You might look at what I purchased above and wonder how I can feed my family on the products that are shown. Keep in mind that I have been coupon shopping like this for months now, so I have a LARGE stockpile of other staples in our pantry and freezer. I make our meal plans based on what I already have on hand. I am able to spend a small percentage of our grocery budget each week on items we NEED for the week, and the rest I use to continue stockpiling items that are on sale and can be used to create future meals with what I already have in our pantry/freezer.

How did you do this past week?

Totals so far for October:
Spent: $63.11
Saved: $324.25

Albertsons--Red Gold Tomatoes

I found another GREAT deal at Albertsons this week!

Select Red Gold Diced Tomatoes $0.69
-use coupon for $1.00 off 4 Red Gold Tomatoes (found here...you'll need to change the zip code to 43001 to find this coupon)
Final Price: $1.76 for 4 cans (or $0.44 each)

This is a GREAT price for these, so I'll definitely be buying some of these to put back for all the homemade soups and chilis that I make in the fall/winter months!

Coupon--Yoplait

There's a great new coupon available for $0.50 off 4 Yoplait Cups...This is a fairly high value coupon for this yogurt. We usually see them for $0.40 off 6 or $0.50 off 8, so this is a GREAT one to print. Go here to print this coupon.

Albertsons will occasionally put their Yoplait Yogurt on sale for $0.29 or $0.39 each, so I'm hoping it goes on sale again BEFORE this coupon expires. Remember this coupon will DOUBLE at Albertsons!!

Thanks Addicted to Saving!

Albertsons Ad/Coupon Match Up (October 13 - 19)

Albertsons will:
-double coupons up to and including $0.50
-triple coupons up to and including $0.39
-only double/triple up to 4 like coupons per transaction
-accept TWO coupons during a Buy One Get One Sale (as long as each coupon is for $X.XX off ONE product)
-allow you to combine a manufacturer's coupon with a store coupon

GROCERY:

Idahoan Instant Potatoes $1.00
-use coupon for $1.00 off 1 (found here)
Final Price: FREE

Sunny D $0.79
-use coupon for $0.25 off Sunny D (found in 8/8 SmartSource insert)(will be tripled)
Final Price: $0.04

Imperial Sugar (4 lb. bag) $1.69
-use coupon for $0.40 off 1 Imperial Sugar (found in 8/29 SmartSource insert) (will be doubled)
Final Price: $0.89

Good Day Bread $0.69

Always Save Apple Juice $0.99

Shedd's Spread Country Crock $1.99
-use coupon for $0.30 off Shedd's Spread Country Crock (found in 9/26 RedPlum insert) (will be tripled)
Final Price: $1.09

Freschetta Pizza $3.99
-use coupon for $1.00 off Freschetta Pizza (found in 10/10 SmartSource insert and here)
Final Price: $2.99 (In my opinion this is a GREAT price for this pizza!)

Select General Mills Cheerios Buy One Get One FREE
-use coupon for $0.75 off 1 Cheerios (found here, here, here, and here)
Final Price: ?? (Remember to use TWO coupons during a B1G1 Sale!)

Campbell's Chunky Soup $1.25
-use coupon for $0.50 off 2 Campbell's Chunky Soup (found in 10/10 SmartSource insert) (will be doubled)
-use coupon for $1.00 off 2 Campbell's Chunky Soup (found in 10/10 SmartSource insert)
Final Price: $1.50 for 2 (or $0.75 each)

Langer's Fruit Juices Buy one Get one FREE

Red Gold Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies $0.69

Albertsons Large Eggs (dozen) $0.99 (limit 2)

McCormick Spices 50% off
-use coupon for $1.00 off McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract (found in 10/3 RedPlum insert)

Gold Medal Flour (5 lb. bag) $1.50

Nestle Carnation Evaporated Milk $1.00
-use coupon for $0.50 off 2 Evaporated Milk (found in 9/26 SmartSource insert) (will be doubled)
Final Price: $1.00 for 2 (or $0.50 each)

Betty Crocker Muffins $2.00
-use coupon for $0.50 off 1 Betty Crocker Muffin Mix (found here and here) (will be doubled)
Final Price: $1.00

Tostitos Chips Buy one Get one FREE

Gold Fish $1.50
-use coupon for $0.35 off Goldfish (found in Save Big Dream Big Coupon book) (will be tripled)
Final Cost: $0.45

Prego Spaghetti Sauce $1.66
-use coupon for $0.50 off 2 Prego Sauce (found in 10/3 SmartSource insert) (will be doubled)
Final Price: $2.32 for 2 (or $1.16 each)

MEAT:

Albertsons Fresh Boneless Pork Loin $1.97/lb.

Fryer Leg Quarters $0.59/lb.

Sanderson Farms Boneless, Skinless, Fryer Breasts or Tenders Buy one Get one FREE

Albertsons USDA Choice Beef Petite Sirloin Steaks Buy one Get TWO FREE (with in ad coupon)

Albertsons USDA Choice Beef Chuck Tender Bottom Round, Boneless Chuck Tender Steak or Boneless Eye of Round Steak Buy One Get One FREE

PRODUCE:

Autumn Royal Black Grapes $0.99/lb.

Fresh Express Green & Crisp Salad Buy one Get one FREE
-use coupon for $0.55 off Fresh Express Salad (found here)

Fresh Strawberries (1 lb.) Buy one Get one FREE

Fresh Celery Hearts Buy one Get one FREE

Baby Carrots (1 lb.) Buy one Get one FREE

Snow White Cauliflower or Bunch Broccoli Buy one Get one FREE

Fresh Cut Watermelon Bowls Buy one Get one FREE

HEB Ad/Coupon Match Up (October 13 - 19)

I have to say that I'm not seeing a whole lot of great deals at HEB this week. I'll probably take advantage of the Tyson Chicken/Red Baron Pan Pizza Deal, but other than that I'm not seeing too many other deals.

MEAL DEAL:

BUY:
Stouffer's Family Size Lasagna or Chicken Enchiladas
-use coupon for $1.00 off Stouffer's (found in 9/26 RedPlum insert)
GET FREE:
Hill Country Fare Salad Dressing
Fresh Express Premium Garden Salad
Hill Country Fare Garlic Bread
Nestle Juicy Juice
That's a SAVINGS of $6.44 BEFORE coupons!

COMBO LOCOS:

BUY:
3 Tombstone Pizzas
GET FREE:
Wonka or Nestle Big Bag Candy
That's a SAVINGS of $7.00!

BUY:
Quilted Northern Bath Tissue (12 double rolls)
-use coupon for $0.50 off Quilted Northern (found here)
GET FREE:
Brawny Print Paper Towels (2 rolls)
That's a SAVINGS of $3.64!

BUY:
Vlasic Hamburger Chips
-use coupon for $0.55 off Vlasic Pickles (found here)
GET FREE:
McCormick Grill Mates Seasoning
Bumble Bee Chunk Light Tuna
That's a SAVINGS of $2.43 BEFORE coupons!

BUY:
Tyson Any'tizers, Chicken Strips, or Chicken Breast Fillets
-use coupon for $1.00 off Tyson (found in 10/10 SmartSource insert)
GET FREE:
Red Baron Pan Pizza or Pasta Meal
That's a SAVINGS of $5.98 BEFORE coupons!

BUT:
Jennie-O Ground Turkey
GET FREE:
Baguette Bread
Ragu Pasta Sauce
That's a SAVINGS of $3.37!

BUY:
HEB Fully Cooked Chicken Breasts or Chicken Parmesan
GET FREE:
Buitoni Filled Pasta
That's a SAVINGS of $3.79!

BUY:
Gatorade or G2 (6 pack)
GET FREE:
HEB Quench or Quench Fit (6 pack)

BUY:
Healthy Choice Complete Meals
-use coupon for $1.00 off 2 Healthy Choice Meals (found in October All You)
GET FREE:
Healthy Choice Soup Microwave Bowl

BUY:
1 lb. of HEB Chef Prepared Rotisserie Chicken Salad or Hill Country Fare Homestyle Chicken Salad
GET FREE:
HEB Bake Shop Split Top Honey Wheat Bread

BUY:
HEB Premium Quality Pita Bread
GET FREE:
1/4 lb. HEB Premium Quality Cheddar Cheese with Bacon

BUY:
HEB Chef Prepared Small Salad
GET FREE:
HEB Pita Chips

BUY:
HEB Fully Cooked Thick 'N Tasty or HEBuddy Lean Junior Burgers
GET FREE:
Hellmann's Mayonnaise

BUY:
Energizer Max Batteries
-use coupon for $1.00 off Energizer Batteries (found in 10/3 and 9/12 SmartSource inserts)
GET FREE:
HEB Milk (1 gallon)

BUY:
T-Fal 5 Qt. Jumbo Cooker ($19.97)
GET FREE:
Fresh Hill Country Fare Chicken Thighs (value pack)
HEB Soft Drink (2 liter)
Simply Mashed Potatoes or Simply Macaroni & Cheese
Bush's Best Pinto Beans

BUY:
Gain or Tide 2X Liquid Laundry Detergent
-use coupon for $1.00 off Gain Detergent (found in 10/10 Proctor and Gamble insert)
-use coupon for $1.00 off Tide Detergent (found in 9/26 Proctor and Gamble insert)
GET FREE:
HEB Bravo 2X Liquid Laundry Detergent

BUY:
Glass Plus Trigger Cleaner
-use coupon for $0.50 off Glass Plus (found here)
GET 2nd FREE!

BUY:
Infusium 23 Shampoo or Conditioner
-use coupon for $2.00 off Infusium Shampoo/Conditioner (found in September All You)
-use coupon for $1.00 off Infusium Shampoo/Conditioner (found in 9/12 SmartSource insert)
GET FREE:
Infusium 23 Repair & Renew Leave-In Treatment

BUY:
Revlon Ionic 1875 Watt Pink Dryer or Revlon Perfect Heat 1 Pink Straightener
GET FREE:
Revlon Pink Nylon Brush

BUY:
HEB Opti-Meal Shakes
GET FREE:
Soyjoy Single Bar

BUY:
HEB or Hill Country Essentials Mouth Wash
GET FREE:
Hill Country Essentials Toothbrush

BUY:
Seventh Generation Baby Jumbo Pack Chlorine Free Diapers
-use coupon for $1.00 off any Seventh Generation Product (found in 8/8 RedPlum insert)
GET FREE:
Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Baby Wipes

OTHER DEALS:

Hill Country Fare Split Chicken Breast $1.00/lb.

Hill Country Fare BBQ Seasoned Leg Quarters $1.00/lb.

Trident or Trident Layers Gum (single pack) $0.79
-use coupon for $1.00 off 3 Trident Gum (found in 9/12 SmartSource insert)
Final Price: $1.37 for 3 packs (or around $0.45 each)

Large Cantaloupe $1.00

Sweet Potatoes $0.77/lb.

Season's Select Gold Potatoes $2.87/5 lb. bag

Jonagold Apples $1.00/lb.

Texas Oranges $1.77/4 lb. bag

Walgreens--Make Money Buying Toothbrushes

If you have been coupon shopping for several months, then you have probably found out that there are items that you will probably never have to spend money on again...toothpaste and toothbrushes are on the top of that list. Once you learn how to combine coupons with in store promotions (Register Rewards and Extra Care Bucks) you will be able to get these items for FREE!!

This week at Walgreens you should be able to make a little money buying Reach Toothbrushes.

2 Reach Total Care Toothbrush $3.99 each (WOW...can you believe that toothbrushes are so expensive?)
-use coupon for Buy one Reach Toothbrush Get one FREE (found in 5/16 RedPlum insert)
-use coupon for $1.00 off Reach Toothbrush (found here...click on Personal Care to find it quickly and in 10/10 RedPlum insert))
-use in ad coupon for $2.00 off Reach Toothbrush/Floss...will deduct $4.00)
Final Cost: -$1.01...you will have $1.01 in OVERAGE!!

Walgreens will not pay you overage, so in order to get this to work, you MUST purchase other items that will take on that overage:

You could also purchase:
Crest Pro-Health toothpaste $2.49
-use coupon for $1.00 off Crest Toothpastes (found in 9/26 Proctor and Gamble insert)
Final Cost: $1.49...plus the $1.01 in overage:
You should pay $0.48 for 2 Toothbrushes and 1 tube of toothpaste (sure beats $3.99 for ONE Toothbrush) AND you'll receive a $1.50 Register Reward for purchasing Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste!!

Please remember that you need to hand the cashier the manufacturer's coupon FIRST and then the Walgreens in ad coupon...if you don't the register will most likely beep and it can cause all sorts of confusion. :)

CVS--Deal Scenario If You Are Just Starting Out

If you have put off shopping at CVS because it seems intimidating, or if you are new to coupon shopping and have never tried CVS then this week could be a GREAT week to start. Even if you have ZERO coupons you'll still be able to take advantage of some great deals.

Transaction #1:
2 Colgate Total Toothpaste $2.99 each (you will receive a $2.99 Extra Care Buck for each Toothpaste you buy...limit 2)
Final Cost: $5.98 (and you'll receive a $5.98 Extra Care Buck)

Transaction #2:
2 gallons of Gandy's Milk $2.99 each (you will receive a $1.00 Extra Care Buck for each gallon of milk you buy...limit 2)
Final Cost: $5.98...but instead of paying with cash, pay with the Extra Care Buck you earned from Transaction #1...
Final Cost: $0.00 (and you'll receive a $2.00 Extra Care Buck)

Even if you have ZERO coupons and ZERO Extra Care Bucks, you'll still be able to purchase 2 gallons of milk and 2 tubes of toothpaste for $5.98...and have an additional $2.00 in Extra Care Bucks for your next trip to CVS.

If you bought the newspaper on Sunday, there is a coupon for $1.00 off Colgate Total Toothpaste in the SmartSource insert. You can use 2 of the $1.00 off Coupons to get your total for Transaction #1 down to $3.98...an even better deal!!

Note...If you have a small family, and don't want to buy 2 tubes of toothpaste and 2 gallons of milk, you can always purchase 1 tube of toothpaste for $2.99 (receive $2.99 Extra Care Buck) and in your second transaction purchase 1 gallon of milk (pay with $2.99 Extra Care Buck and receive an additional $1.00 Extra Care Buck).

Of course there are a lot of different scenarios you can do at CVS, but I wanted to point out one where you can still get a GREAT deal with NO coupons AND be able to purchase items that are probably already on your grocery list every week (milk).

Albertsons--Last Day for Stock Up Prices

Just wanted to remind all of you that today is the last day that you should be able to buy Ground Turkey for $1.00 for 1.2 lbs. at Albertsons. This is a GREAT STOCK UP price...seriously, I have never seen it lower than this. The last time that Albertsons had ground turkey priced this low was back in April...It is normally almost $3.00 for 1.2 lbs.

If your family uses ground turkey, then I would definitely stock up on this and freeze it. If your family doesn't use ground turkey it would still be a great idea to purchase several packages of it and give it to a family in need! Meat and fresh produce are usually the most expensive items in any grocery budget...items that many people have to cut back on when budgets are tight...so what an awesome way to bless another family!

Also, I was at Albertsons today and asked if the Quaker sale would still be going on tomorrow, and the manager told me today would be the last day. Sometimes special promotions go on for 2 weeks, but it sounds like this one ends today. $1.00 is about the cheapest I've ever been able to find Cap'n Crunch Cereal and Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (my hubby loves both...seriously, would eat a whole box of the granola bars in a day if I don't hide them :).

If you are interested in stocking up on any of these items you'll need to make a trip out tonight...definitely something I'd take advantage of if you haven't already!

Coupon--Kikkoman Soy Sauce

There's another coupon available for $1.00 off Kikkoman Soy Sauce! Go here to print this coupon.
There is also a coupon for Buy one Kikkoman Soy Sauce Get one FREE found here.
If your store allows, you might be able to use both of these coupons and get them extremely cheap!!
Note...Wal-Mart will not allow you to use a B1G1 coupon with an additional dollar off coupon, but I've never had a problem doing it at Target...use the Buy One Get One coupon for the item you get FREE and the $1.00 off coupon for the item you purchase.
I believe that this Soy Sauce is normally priced between $1.50 and $2.00, so this is a GREAT coupon to print...even if your store doesn't allow you to use both coupons together!