This weeks looks to be a little better at CVS as far as the deals go with several freebies! Here are all of my favorite deals that start Sunday, Oct. 30!
Get $3 ECB when you buy (3) American Greetings or Hallmark Greeting cards (limit 1)
*makes $0.99 cards FREE if they are included!
Get $1 ECB when you buy Crest Complete Toothpaste, 4.2 oz @ $2.99 (limit 1)
-$2 off Crest Complete toothpaste (SS 9/11)
*makes it FREE!
Get $4 ECB when you buy Schick Quattro for Men or Women Razor Refill, 4 ct. @ $8.99 (limit 1)
-$4 off Schick quattro for Women refill (SS 9/25)
*makes it $0.99!
Get $2 ECB when you buy Listerine Zero, Advanced, or Total Care 500 ml @ $3.99 (limit 2)
-$2 off Listerine Total Care Zero (RP 10/09)
*makes it $0.99!
All Cover Girl Cosmetics B1G1 50% off, starting at $3.49
-$8/2 Cover Girl face products (PG 10/02 - EXP 10/31)
*makes all items $4 and under FREE!
Jif Peanut Butter, 18 oz @ $1.67
You can see the rest of the CVS weekly deals here!
Let me know if you come across any other good deals in store!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Weekly Menu 10/23 - 29
Here's a look at what we'll be eating this week!
Each week, I like to post what we'll be having so you can see that, even if you're couponing and shopping store sales, you CAN eat normal meals!!! I try to feed my family healthy food, though we do splurge every now and then - yes, we even let our daughter buy lunch at school every once in a while! I also like to make meals we like in bulk and put them in the freezer to save cooking time later on! Each week I plan to make a few things just to go into the freezer for future meals!
Sunday
Breakfast Basket (kids choose something for themselves out of a basket I keep filled with cereal bars, poptarts, fruit, muffins, etc.)
Lunch out!
Marinated Baked Chicken Breast / Baked Potatoes / Corn on the Cob
Monday
Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Lunchable (from recent sale at Kroger) / Yogurt
Lasagne Casserole (from the freezer) / Salad / Bread (from the freezer)
Tuesday
Cinnamon Rolls (from recent sale at Kroger)
PB Sandwich / Pretzels / Banana / Cookies
Chicken Nuggets / Macaroni & Cheese (This is a kids-only meal. Hubby has a ballgame so I won't be cooking a "family meal.")
Wednesday
Cereal
Turkey Sandwich / Chips / Cheese Stick / Fruit Roll Up
Dinner out! (Kids have a late appointment for a hair-cut, so we're going to eat while we're out. Anyone know where kids eat free on Thursdays?!)
Thursday
Scrambled Eggs / Toast
School Lunch
Roast Sausage (from the freezer / Green Bell Peppers & Onions / Hashbrown Potatoes (from the freezer)
Friday
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins (from the freezer) / Fruit
School Lunch
Dinner out! (A Friday tradition for us!)
Saturday
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes (from the freezer)
Hotdogs / Chips / Fruit
Dinner at Halloween Party!
Freezer Cooking Plan
Meatballs
Taco Meat
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins (adapted from Tuesday's bread)
Each week, I like to post what we'll be having so you can see that, even if you're couponing and shopping store sales, you CAN eat normal meals!!! I try to feed my family healthy food, though we do splurge every now and then - yes, we even let our daughter buy lunch at school every once in a while! I also like to make meals we like in bulk and put them in the freezer to save cooking time later on! Each week I plan to make a few things just to go into the freezer for future meals!
Sunday
Breakfast Basket (kids choose something for themselves out of a basket I keep filled with cereal bars, poptarts, fruit, muffins, etc.)
Lunch out!
Marinated Baked Chicken Breast / Baked Potatoes / Corn on the Cob
Monday
Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Lunchable (from recent sale at Kroger) / Yogurt
Lasagne Casserole (from the freezer) / Salad / Bread (from the freezer)
Tuesday
Cinnamon Rolls (from recent sale at Kroger)
PB Sandwich / Pretzels / Banana / Cookies
Chicken Nuggets / Macaroni & Cheese (This is a kids-only meal. Hubby has a ballgame so I won't be cooking a "family meal.")
Wednesday
Cereal
Turkey Sandwich / Chips / Cheese Stick / Fruit Roll Up
Dinner out! (Kids have a late appointment for a hair-cut, so we're going to eat while we're out. Anyone know where kids eat free on Thursdays?!)
Thursday
Scrambled Eggs / Toast
School Lunch
Roast Sausage (from the freezer / Green Bell Peppers & Onions / Hashbrown Potatoes (from the freezer)
Friday
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins (from the freezer) / Fruit
School Lunch
Dinner out! (A Friday tradition for us!)
Saturday
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes (from the freezer)
Hotdogs / Chips / Fruit
Dinner at Halloween Party!
Freezer Cooking Plan
Meatballs
Taco Meat
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins (adapted from Tuesday's bread)
Friday, October 21, 2011
Easy and CHEAP Chore Chart!
While I was looking around at moneysavingmom.com today, I saw a post about an adorable ice cream cone chore chart for kids. I thought this was a great idea and something that could be done very inexpensively! I am definitely planning on making this, but, instead of fabric, I'm going to use posterboard and laminate the pieces. That way, I can use a dry erase or overhead marker to write the chores on the back of the "scoops." They can then be easily erased and changed when needed.
I'm also thinnking I'll attach magnets to the back of the pieces so the kids can "build" their ice cream cones on the refrigerator!
Don't need a chore chart? Think about using it as a behavior chart (child earns a "scoop" for good behavior) or as a way to track achievements (child gets a scoop for each Bible verse or multiplication fact they learn), etc.
Any other ideas for how we could use this cute idea?
I'm also thinnking I'll attach magnets to the back of the pieces so the kids can "build" their ice cream cones on the refrigerator!
Don't need a chore chart? Think about using it as a behavior chart (child earns a "scoop" for good behavior) or as a way to track achievements (child gets a scoop for each Bible verse or multiplication fact they learn), etc.
Any other ideas for how we could use this cute idea?
Thrifty Thursday 10/20
I have to admit that this wasn't the thriftiest Thursday I've ever had. My Kroger trip included only 2 coupons! (I know, I can hardly believe it myself!) And, I made a quick trip into Big Lots for some bath mats and ended up splurging on some treats for the kids which threw my budget off quite a bit. However, my CVS trip and a few Food Lion deals helped to make up for it!
CVS had Almay cosmetics on sale this week, and I happened to have a $5/2 Almay Cosmetics CVS coupon AND a $3/1 Almay Cosmetics CVS coupon AND a $3/$10 cosmetics purchase coupon, so I had quite a money maker on my hands this week! I used the extra ECBs I earned plus a $5 store coupon to buy some pull-ups and diapers!
Total value: $43.72
Total spent oop: $1.82
Total saved: $41.90 or 96%!
(I used $4 ECBs on this purchase and got back $12! A $8 money-maker!!)
I also made a trip to Food Lion yesterday. I am beginning to find that I like Food Lion's produce section much better than Kroger's. Plus, they tend to have a lot more meat marked down than Kroger does. This week, they happen to be having their "cart buster" event - which is basically the same as a "mega sale" at Kroger. When you buy 10 things, you get $5 off your total purchase.
One GREAT deal they had was on single rolls of Brawny paper towels. They were on sale for $1 and, if you purchase 10 participating "cart buster" items, you get them for $0.50. There happened to be a $0.50 coupon for Brawny paper towels in the 9/25 SmartSource insert, which made them FREE! I ended up getting 9 rolls (I only had 1 other "cart buster" item I wanted to buy) & I had coupons for 4 of them, making it $2.50 for 9 rolls of paper towels! Not bad!
Total value of all purchases at Food Lion: $59.59
Total spent after sales and coupons: $26.38
Total saved: $33.31 or 56%!
How did you do on your shopping trips this week?
CVS had Almay cosmetics on sale this week, and I happened to have a $5/2 Almay Cosmetics CVS coupon AND a $3/1 Almay Cosmetics CVS coupon AND a $3/$10 cosmetics purchase coupon, so I had quite a money maker on my hands this week! I used the extra ECBs I earned plus a $5 store coupon to buy some pull-ups and diapers!
Total value: $43.72
Total spent oop: $1.82
Total saved: $41.90 or 96%!
(I used $4 ECBs on this purchase and got back $12! A $8 money-maker!!)
I also made a trip to Food Lion yesterday. I am beginning to find that I like Food Lion's produce section much better than Kroger's. Plus, they tend to have a lot more meat marked down than Kroger does. This week, they happen to be having their "cart buster" event - which is basically the same as a "mega sale" at Kroger. When you buy 10 things, you get $5 off your total purchase.
One GREAT deal they had was on single rolls of Brawny paper towels. They were on sale for $1 and, if you purchase 10 participating "cart buster" items, you get them for $0.50. There happened to be a $0.50 coupon for Brawny paper towels in the 9/25 SmartSource insert, which made them FREE! I ended up getting 9 rolls (I only had 1 other "cart buster" item I wanted to buy) & I had coupons for 4 of them, making it $2.50 for 9 rolls of paper towels! Not bad!
Total value of all purchases at Food Lion: $59.59
Total spent after sales and coupons: $26.38
Total saved: $33.31 or 56%!
How did you do on your shopping trips this week?
Busy Bag: A Cheap and Easy Way to Entertain the Kids!
A couple of months ago, I was introduced to the idea of "Busy Bags." Immediately I had one of those "why didn't I think of that?!" moments. (That happens to me a lot, actually!) :)
Have you ever been cooking dinner...at the last minute....when you're supposed to be somewhere in an hour....when all of a sudden your kids melt down? In my house, the kids usually play together BEAUTIFULLY until the very minute the pasta boils over or something HAS to come out of the oven before it burns. You've been there....It's like the minute you step into the kitchen, a fight breaks out, a boo-boo needs attention, or a drink is spilled, etc.
This is EXACTLY when a Busy Bag can save the day! They are, in a nut shell, zip-top bags filled with simple, inexpensive, and age-appropriate activities that will keep your child busy for a short period of time! Since I learned about them, I have been creating Busy Bags and placing them in a plastic tub in the floor of the kitchen. Then, if I'm in the kitchen and the kids start to get rowdy or bored, I tell them to choose a Busy Bag to play with. They go to the box, pick out a bag, and sit at the table and play with it while I finish cooking dinner. I mean, just the sound of the bags being pulled open is like hearing a giant "SIGH" in my home!
Can you hear it?! :)
Even if you think you're not a crafty or creative person, you CAN make your own Busy Bags! Most of the ones I have made include materials I either already had in the house or that came from the Dollar Store.
Let me give you an example...
The newest Busy Bag I made was for "Lacing Shapes." All of the materials I used for this Busy Bag came from the Dollar Store.
Here's what you need:
-foam shapes (I found rectangle and flower shapes at my store. If you can't find the foam shapes, you can buy a piece of posterboard and cut it into shapes yourself.)
-shoelaces (I found a package of 8 sets of shoelaces in the "beauty" aisle at my Dollar Store)
-a hole punch
Here's what you do:
-Use the hole punch to punch holes all around the edges of your shapes.
-Take the shoelaces and tie a knot in one end of each one that is big enough so the laces can't be pulled through the holes.
-Place the hole-punched shapes and the knoted shoelaces into a zip-top bag.
-When your child is ready to play, show them how they can pull the laces through the holes.
INSTANT FUN!
Here's how mine turned out...
I'll be bringing you some more busy bag ideas in the future. In the meantime, if you have any ideas for fun, kid-friendly activities, I'd love to hear them!
Have you ever been cooking dinner...at the last minute....when you're supposed to be somewhere in an hour....when all of a sudden your kids melt down? In my house, the kids usually play together BEAUTIFULLY until the very minute the pasta boils over or something HAS to come out of the oven before it burns. You've been there....It's like the minute you step into the kitchen, a fight breaks out, a boo-boo needs attention, or a drink is spilled, etc.
This is EXACTLY when a Busy Bag can save the day! They are, in a nut shell, zip-top bags filled with simple, inexpensive, and age-appropriate activities that will keep your child busy for a short period of time! Since I learned about them, I have been creating Busy Bags and placing them in a plastic tub in the floor of the kitchen. Then, if I'm in the kitchen and the kids start to get rowdy or bored, I tell them to choose a Busy Bag to play with. They go to the box, pick out a bag, and sit at the table and play with it while I finish cooking dinner. I mean, just the sound of the bags being pulled open is like hearing a giant "SIGH" in my home!
Can you hear it?! :)
Even if you think you're not a crafty or creative person, you CAN make your own Busy Bags! Most of the ones I have made include materials I either already had in the house or that came from the Dollar Store.
Let me give you an example...
The newest Busy Bag I made was for "Lacing Shapes." All of the materials I used for this Busy Bag came from the Dollar Store.
Here's what you need:
-foam shapes (I found rectangle and flower shapes at my store. If you can't find the foam shapes, you can buy a piece of posterboard and cut it into shapes yourself.)
-shoelaces (I found a package of 8 sets of shoelaces in the "beauty" aisle at my Dollar Store)
-a hole punch
Here's what you do:
-Use the hole punch to punch holes all around the edges of your shapes.
-Take the shoelaces and tie a knot in one end of each one that is big enough so the laces can't be pulled through the holes.
-Place the hole-punched shapes and the knoted shoelaces into a zip-top bag.
-When your child is ready to play, show them how they can pull the laces through the holes.
INSTANT FUN!
Here's how mine turned out...
I'll be bringing you some more busy bag ideas in the future. In the meantime, if you have any ideas for fun, kid-friendly activities, I'd love to hear them!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
DIY: Ranch Salad Dressing and Dip!
The hubby and I have been watching our diets as of late and I've found that often times I miss just being able to MUNCH on something without having to think about how many I ate or how many calories it was.
That's why I was so excited to find this Ranch Dip recipe! It's simple to make and very healthy for you! In fact, if you're on the Weight Watchers diet plan, you can have 2 tablespoons of this with veggies for 0 points! (And, for dip, 2 tablespoons is a lot!)
And, of course, it's CHEAP to make! :)
Here's what you do:
Ingredients
5 tbsp dried minced onion
7 tsp parsley flakes
4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
-Mix all the ingredients stogether and store in an air tight container. (I used a small jar I had on hand.)
To make dip:
Mix 2 tbsp dry mix with 2 cups fat free sour cream. Allow to chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving so all flavors blend well.
To make salad dressing:
Mix 2 tbsp dry mix with 1 cup mayo and 1 cup buttermilk or sour cream. Allow to chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving so all flavors blend well.
What a yummy, healthy, and CHEAP treat! It's great to keep on hand as something you can easily whip up when company is coming over. Plus, you can make as much or as little at a time as you like, so half of it doesn't end up being wasted!
I also think this would make a super cute gift for family, friends, teachers, etc. Just tie a tag around the jar with directions for how to make the dip or salad dressing!
If you try this recipe, let me know if you like it! You can see the original recipe here.
That's why I was so excited to find this Ranch Dip recipe! It's simple to make and very healthy for you! In fact, if you're on the Weight Watchers diet plan, you can have 2 tablespoons of this with veggies for 0 points! (And, for dip, 2 tablespoons is a lot!)
And, of course, it's CHEAP to make! :)
Here's what you do:
Ingredients
5 tbsp dried minced onion
7 tsp parsley flakes
4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
-Mix all the ingredients stogether and store in an air tight container. (I used a small jar I had on hand.)
To make dip:
Mix 2 tbsp dry mix with 2 cups fat free sour cream. Allow to chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving so all flavors blend well.
To make salad dressing:
Mix 2 tbsp dry mix with 1 cup mayo and 1 cup buttermilk or sour cream. Allow to chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving so all flavors blend well.
What a yummy, healthy, and CHEAP treat! It's great to keep on hand as something you can easily whip up when company is coming over. Plus, you can make as much or as little at a time as you like, so half of it doesn't end up being wasted!
I also think this would make a super cute gift for family, friends, teachers, etc. Just tie a tag around the jar with directions for how to make the dip or salad dressing!
If you try this recipe, let me know if you like it! You can see the original recipe here.
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