A busy, but productive shopping trip!

This week yielded some great bargains in my eyes. I did spend quite a bit of money overall...but that is only because I REALLY stocked up on these amazing deals. They truely were "cheap"...and FREE in some cases...but I just went a little overboard in stocking up. LOL!

Meijer this week...

One of my favorite deals was the Ortega deal. Priced on sale at 20% off this week. There were also Meijer Meal Box coupons for $1.00 off four. So I got 4 seasoning packets at 64 cents each minus the 20% savings putting them at 51 cents each, totaling $2.04...minus $1.00 equals $1.04...divide that by 4...and they come to 26 cents a piece!

I also did this with the Ortega Taco Shells. Priced at $1.42 regular, minus 20% equals $1.13 a piece...minus $1.00 off four...I got them for 88 cents a box.

Hillshire Farms Cheddar Brats were another favorite deal. Regular $3.99 a piece...on sale for $2.00...minus my 65 cents off two coupon...putting them at $1.67 a piece.

Danimals yogurt...regular $2.49...on sale for $2.00...paired with a $1.00 off coupon makes them $1.00.

One of my exceptional bargains was Tyson frozen chicken nuggets and Meijer frozen potatoes...Tyson chicken nuggets are regular $5.99 per bag...I got them on sale for $4.50 a bag and I had a $1.00 off two coupon from the Meijer Meal Box, PLUS a $1.00 off two in store coupon, making them $3.50 a bag. PLUS...they had a deal when you buy two Tyson bags of chicken, you get a free bag of Meijer frozen potatoes!!! That's a $2.29 value for free!

Another great deal was the Meijer potatoes themself. Regular $2.29, on sale for $2.00 a bag. I bought 3 bags totaling $6.00...I had an in store coupon for $1.00 off three and there was also a Meijer Meal Box coupon for $1.00 off three so I got these bags of frozen potatoes for $1.33 a bag. Cool savings!

A really fun bargain was the Stouffer's French Bread Pizza...regular $3.00 a piece. They were on sale for 5 for $10.00 PLUS GET ONE FREE!...making it 6 for $10.00...and I have to add that I had a Meijer Meal Box coupon for $1.00 off three AND an in store coupon for $1.00 off three...SOOOOOOOOOO...I got SIX french bread pizzas for $1.33 a piece.

So...there you have the highlights from Meijer.
I saved 63% on groceries at Meijer.
Walgreens News...
My biggest score at Walgreens had to be the Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil...regular$1.99...on sale for 89 cents...use a $1.00 coupon and you get 11 CENTS BACK FROM THE STORE!
One of my other great deals was the Skintimate Shave Gel...regular $3.99...on sale for $2.99...Register Rewards were $2.99...can we say FREE!!! I got two.
Another great deal was the Hall's Cough Drops...regular $2.50...on sale for $1.39...with my $1.00 coupon...a whopping 39 cents!!! Woohoo!
Bic Soleil Razors...regular $5.97...on sale for $4.99...use my $2.00 coupon along with an Easy Saver $1.00 coupon...I got them for $1.99!!!
WalMart yielded a few good deals for Oreo this week, LOL...
Pounce Cat Treats are $1.52 there...use a coupon for $1.50 off two and you get them for 77 cents a piece!
Friskies Party Mix Treats are $1.42 regular...use a coupon for $1.00 off and you get them for 42 cents.
Oreo is sending up many thanks for these deals. LOL!
Well that's it for now...still gotta make my Family Fare run this week...but until then...Happy Shopping!

Fun Night, Girls Luncheon, Errands, and more!

I feel like I haven't sat down since Friday morning.

It has been non-stop.

I worked all day Friday.

Friday night was Fun Night. We had a really good time. I took the boys and Jam finished up here. We had pizza for dinner there. I worked an hour shift at the "SpongeBob Sponge Toss" while Evan took Nate around and played carnival games. They grabbed some cookies and popcorn and munched on those while listening to the results of the raffle. Nate ended up winning two things! He won a Lego set and a GIANT...and I do mean GIANT...remote control car! It takes NINE batteries total! LOL! We had a really good time. My legs were killing me after running my two miles on the treadmill and then retrieving all those sponges. It was like doing hundreds and hundreds of squats! LOL! Oh well...I got my exercise in that night...and for a good cause too.

Then on Saturday, I went out to lunch with a bunch of old friends from highschool. We had a blast. We met at Olive Garden at noon and we stayed until 4:00pm!!! I'm surprised they didn't kick us out! LOL! It was as if no time had passed. It was me, Jess, Tara, Kim, Carolyn, and Candi. I think we caught up on not only our own families, but everyone we ever knew in school and church! LOL! People probably thought we were nuts because we were laughing so hard. LOL! We had a great time and plan to do it again soon.

Came home and we had errands to run. I promised to get Nate some "Crocs"...so we got him a cheapie pair at WalMart. I had my eyes on a cute brown/orange pair that I thought would go with alot of outfits...but he had to have the bright neon green/yellow pair. LOL! Who am I to argue? LOL! They look darling on him and now he wants some "jibitz" to go on them. Then we had to get Evan some new sweatpants for Track practice. He lost his other pair at school...long story. Luckily we found some for $6.00. Grabbed some TacoBell for dinner. That was an ordeal in itself. We waited and waited and waited. We finally get up to the window to pay after placing our order...and we hear, "You're fired!". I guess they were having employment issues and were also understaffed. They appologized immensely. We also ended up with a free burrito and Cinnamon Twists due to some misunderstandings and their appologies for inconveniences. Hey, it was worth the wait afterall! LOL!

Proud of myself!

I am so proud of myself! I have started back on my exercise routine...again. I'm not even beating myself up that I start, stop...start, stop. The good thing is...that I keep on keepin' on!
I have been running on the treadmill (TWO MILES A DAY!) every day this week!
AND...
I've been doing crunches on the AbScissors too.
I've really been pushing myself this time.
Usually when I start an exercise routine...I do it...but I don't really push hard.
I have been REALLY pushing it. Upping my speed on the treadmill daily, adding time, etc.
My abs are killing me.
My thigh muscles ache soooooo bad.
And today I thought I was going to keel over...my shins were absolutely burning while I was running.
But I just kept on going!
I'm so proud of myself.
I am trying sooooooooo hard to get this 12 pounds off and get back to my pre-wedding weight!

Today's savings...

While I didn't particularly jump up and down over this week's deals at Meijer, they did have a few "ok" deals.

Ok, don't laugh at this one...

I got some "Marcal" toilet paper. I've never bought it before...and the only reason I bought it was because it was only $2.69 for a four pack and I had a $1.00 coupon...making it $1.69. Supposedly, this tissue is "environmentally friendly", "saves trees", "recycled", and a whole bunch of other "green" wonders. LOL! You all know I'm NOT a "greenie"...I just bought it because it was cheap. Let's just hope it's not like sandpaper and make our skin chaffed. LOL! Sorry...hope that wasn't tmi...LOL!

Heinz gravy...regular $1.71...on sale for $1.50...and a coupon for Save $1.00 on three...taking them down to $1.16 a piece.

Heinz ketchup...regular $4.38...on sale for 3 for $5.00...with a coupon for $1.00 off two...taking it down to $1.33 a piece!

Yoplait Trix yogurt...regular $2.59...on sale for $2.00...with a coupon for $1.50...I got it for 50 cents!

Purex detergent...regular $4.49...on sale for $2.50...paired with a $1.00 coupon...I got it for $1.50!

Dove body wash...regular $4.49...on sale for $3.33...paired with a $1.50 coupon...I got it for $1.83!

Wisk detergent...regular $5.69...on sale for $3.50...with a coupon for $1.00 off...I got it for $2.50.

Snuggle fabric softener...regular $4.19...on sale for $3.50...I had a $2.00 coupon...making it $1.50!!!

You can never go wrong when they put their milk on sale for $1.97!!! Woohoo! I've gotten to where I refuse to pay anymore than $2.00 a gallon! I will search out a deal! LOL!

Red Barron frozen pizza...regular $5.59...on sale for $3.33...I had two $1.00 off coupons to use...so I got them for $2.33 a piece. Not bad!

This is always a favorite...Breyers ice cream...regular $3.67...on sale for $2.50...use a $1.00 coupon...and get it for $1.50!!! Yes!!!

I've gotten to the point where I "TRY" ever so hard to stock up on anything and everything all the time, so that when I "DO" need it...it's there and I don't have to pay full price. This week though, there were a couple items I needed...for example baby cereal for daycare...I was completely out...had no coupons...there were no sales...it nearly KILLED me to pay full price! LOL! Even though it was only $1.67! LOL! But to buy it without a coupon...EEEEEK!

Walgreen's run today...

Today I did my Walgreens run...they didn't have a whole lot of deals...but the ones I DID get, I felt pretty good about.

Here's the rundown...

I got a tube of Colgate Total Toothpaste on sale for $2.50...add a store coupon for $2.50 off...PLUS manufacturer's coupon for $1.00...the store PAYS YOU $1.00 to take the Colgate off their hands! Woohoo!

Loreal Vive Shampoo and Conditioner...$4.99 on sale for Buy 1, Get 1 Free...making it $2.50...use a $1.00 coupon taking it down to $1.50...which makes them 75 CENTS EACH! Yes!!!

Got a pretty good deal on my son's Zyrtec allergy medicine as well. It's normally $12.99...but they had it on sale for $9.99 and I added a $2.00 off coupon, taking it down to $7.99...not bad for expensive allergy medicine.

I was totally bummed that they were out of the razors I wanted...but you can expect a $9.99 razor for 99 cents to go fast...maybe I can check back later this week and catch one.

I cringed!

As I stood in line at the grocery store today...I cringed as I watched the woman in front of me pay for her groceries.

Why?

Because I used to be just like her.

She waited as the cashier scanned and totaled her groceries. She handed the cashier a bottle return slip and a couple coupons.

Her total was over $117.00...and she didn't have that many groceries.

EEEEEEK!!!

I cringe when I think about it...this was me a couple months ago.

I "THOUGHT" I was using coupons to the best of my ability.

But until I discovered SavingsAngel and all these other awesome couponing blogs...I wasn't NEARLY using them to their fullest extent.

I shuddered as I watched this woman pay $5.97 for a bottle of Head & Shoulders shampoo. OH MY GOSH!!! Nearly $6.00 for shampoo?!?! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!! I have bought name brand shampoo every single week for PENNIES!!! And sometimes it's completely FREE and the store is PAYING ME MONEY BACK!!!

I nearly died when I saw her pay $7.97 for hair color. That was me a couple months ago. The last two boxes of hair color I've bought cost me $1.99...and we're talking the best of the best!!!

Some people just don't know.
Others just don't know HOW to do it.
And yet more JUST DON'T CARE!

To me...it's like throwing money out the window.
Flushing it down the toilet.

Maybe if I had more money I'd be this way?
NO!!!
This is too much fun.
I LOVE SAVING MONEY!!!

Last minute deals at Meijer...(Super Saturday)

Today was Super Saturday at Meijer. They had quite a few really good deals!



One of the things I've learned from my thrifty friends is...it's cheaper to buy "block/chunk" cheese and grate it yourself. That being said...

I got...



Meijer Chunk Cheese...regular $5.09 for $2.49 a piece! I got two blocks. They were 16 oz. blocks. Now you figure an 8 oz. bag of shredded cheese is usually anywhere from $2.77 to $3.09 a bag. I got DOUBLE that (16 oz.) for only $2.49!!! That's less that a bag of 8 oz.!!! I am planning to shred it myself and then freeze it in ziplock bags.



I also got Lysol Disinfectant Spray...regular $4.89 a can. It was on sale for 1/2 price, $2.44...plus I had $1.00 coupon making it $1.44!!! Picked up two on that deal.



They had deli ham on sale for $2.99 a pound. I had gotten a register coupon from Meijer a couple weeks ago for $3.00 off any fresh meat purchase...so they paid me a penny to take a pound of ham off them! LOL!

Totino's Pizza Rolls...regular $1.99...always a bargain at 90 cents!

Aunt Millie's Hotdog & Hamburger Buns...regular $3.19...on sale for 90 cents!

Michelina's Frozen Entrees...regular $1.25...a steal at 90 cents...couple that with a manufacturer's coupon for $1.00 off five AND a Meijer Meal Box coupon for $1.00 off five and you're getting them for 50 cents a piece!

Always...regular $3.29...on sale for Buy 2, Get 1 FREE...add a $1.00 off coupon...you're getting them for $1.86 per package!

My totals ended at:
Regular price of groceries...$99.19
I paid...$52.07
Savings$47.12

It was a great shopping trip.

A few more bargains...

Ran into FamilyFare one more time tonight while we were out picking up Chinese for dinner.


Wanted to pick up some more ground chuck while they had it on sale. They had it for $1.98 a pound this week. So I got three more pounds to put in the freezer.


They also had Old Orchard juice blends on sale for two for $3.00. Combine that with a "Save $1.00 on two" coupon and I ended up getting them for $1.00 a piece! Not bad!

And lastly, I had sent in for a FREE Diet Dr. Pepper coupon. It finally arrive in the mail this week. So I got the boys a Diet Dr. Pepper 2 liter for FREE!

I'd love to share the link to the FREE Diet Dr. Pepper...just fill in the appropriate information and they will mail you your free coupon!
The link is:
http://www.freedietdrpepper.com/

Happy Spring!

Happy Spring indeed! Well, the sun is shining...but it is still VERY cold here! It is amazing to me that it can be 70 degrees one day and 26 the next. It makes laying out clothes for the following day a constant challenge, that's for sure!
Today has been a rather quiet day. We're all glad it's Friday. There has been so much illness between my boys, the daycare kids, and their parents it's not even funny. I am PRAYING next week EVERYONE comes back healthy!
We finally have all of our Easter decorations up. Maybe I'll take pictures of those tomorrow and post them for my entry. They're always a welcome addition after my snowmen have been up so long. It's nice to see bunnies, chickies, and flowers sitting everywhere.
I'm looking forward to doing NOTHING this weekend. Sleeping in on Saturday has become the ONE thing I look forward to every weekend. How lame am I? LOL!
And of course, there's always the thrill of clipping coupons and searching the sale ads. Teehee.
I think the older I get, the less it takes to make me happy...which is a good thing.
Until next time...

A grateful day...

Today was a good day. Didn't start off great...had to deal with one sick daycare child, whom ended up going home early. But it got better.
I tried a new recipe for dinner from my "All You" magazine. I varied it a little and put my own little twist on it. It's a layered pasta dish. You take frozen ravioli (I used beef)...and according to the recipe that's the only pasta you use...but I decided to mix things up and add cheese tortellini as well and it was appreciated by all. So anyway, you layer the pastas with spaghetti sauce, mozerella cheese, and parmesean cheese. The recipe actually called for a box of frozen spinach as well...but I omitted that knowing full well my boys wouldn't touch it if I added it.
Sure enough, I was right. Without it...they gobbled it up! It was super yummy and easy! Just bake till brown and bubbly! Served it with garlic toast.
Had a good night at church. It was missions week. Several missionaries spoke. I always love hearing them. Gives me chills/goosebumps...all their stories. Makes me so grateful for their work and thankful for my religous freedom.
Came home and watched American Idol results...and was happy with the results.
All in all...a great day! Doesn't take much to make me happy! LOL!

Crazy savings at FamilyFare!

I told my hubby, that we need to quit...LOL! I don't have any more room! LOL! I think my new goal for the grocery store and SavingsAngel is going to be at least 60-75% savings or we don't buy. I'm not even touching 50% savings...unless it's a staple we are in need of.
I have stocked up now...on...everything.
It's good though.
Going into summer...we really needed to do this. Our income always drops some in the summer due to some of our clients schedules. So this WILL really help then.
But I've got to prioritize now.
Today I went to FamilyFare for TRIPLE coupons! Yep you heard right...TRIPLE coupons.
I got some really amazing deals.
I got $110.99 worth of items for $56.87!!!
Isn't that crazy?!?!?!
Some of my highlights...
Life Maple Brown Sugar Cereal...regular $3.39...I paid $1.15 a box.
Cinnamon Chex Cereal...regular $3.29...I paid $1.04 a box.
Colgate Total Toothpaste...regular $2.99...I paid 74 cents.
Renuzit Air Fresheners...regular $1.00...I paid 45 cents.
Sure Deoderant...regular $2.49...I paid 24 cents.
Degree Deoderant...regular $3.09...I paid 84 cents.
Purell Hand Sanitizer...regular $3.19...I paid $1.54.
Bob Evans Sausage...regular $3.00...I paid $1.35.
Tyson Anytizers...regular $3.99...I paid $1.74.
French's French Fried Onions...regular $2.19...I paid 69 cents.
Whiska's Cat Treats...regular $1.99...I paid 40 cents.
Temptations Cat Treats...regular $2.49...I paid 79 cents.
French's Yellow Mustard...regular $1.39...I got it for FREE plus 10 cents back!
Noxzema...regular $3.19...I paid $1.54.
Jello Pudding...regular $2.79...I paid 54 cents.
Hormel Chili...regular $1.85...I paid 67 cents.
These were just a few highlights. It was an amazing shopping trip!
I don't know HOW people pay full price for groceries...it truely baffles me.

Meijer this week!

My trip to Meijer this week was very successful! And now that I have my freezer, I'm even more excited because I have space to freeze things! Now, if I could just somehow figure out how to add pantry space! LOL!
Anywho...
I got $130.64 worth of items for $56.25...that's a savings of $74.39!!!
I am so excited!
Here were some of the highlights that I got excited about.
Well, they had their usual Buy 10 (at $1.00), Get 1 Free sale going on. So basically 11 items at 90 cents each.
I got 30 items at $1.00 plus all my freebies that go with those.
Now on top of that...I added coupons to some, giving me even greater savings!
Some of those highlights were:
Crest toothpaste...regular $2.29...for 90 cents...plus my coupon, I got 10 cents back!
Betty Crocker Warm Delights...regular $1.99...for 90 cents...plus my coupon, I got it for 40 cents!
Aqua Fresh toothpaste...regular $2.17...90 cents...plus my coupon, I paid 15 cents!
My next stop...Family Fare!
This week is TRIPLE coupons!!!

My fellow coupons buddies will be happy to know...

I went out and purchased a freezer today!
Wooooooooooohoooooooooo!!!
I am so excited!
Every since I started SavingsAngel and following all these coupon and money-saving blogs, I have been stockpiling like crazy!
My poor freezer is so jam-packed I can't even find what I need.
Now...
I can purchase as much as I want and freeze it without having to worry if I have enough room!
Yeehaw!

Today's bargains!

Ok!!! Today I made three stops.

I had some really good bargains on my list, thanks to "Deal Seeking Mom's" blog. Unfortunately, my Walmart didn't carry many of the items.

But all in all...I still had a great trip out.

First stop was Walmart.

I bought $37.47 worth of items. Paid $20.12. Not bad overall.

Everything I bought, I used coupons on.

Some better than others.

Here are the highlights...the best of the best.

Mentos Gum- Regular $1.28...with coupon I paid 28 cents.

McCormicks seasoning packets- Regular 50 cents...with coupon I paid 38 cents.

Celestial Seasons Tea- Regular $1.88...with coupon I paid 88 cents.

Luden's Throat Lozenges- Regular $1.22...with coupon I paid 22 cents!

Johnson's Baby Lotion (trial size)- Regular 97 cents...with coupon I got it for FREE PLUS 3 CENTS BACK!

Suave Hand Lotion (purse size)- Regular 97 cents...with coupon I got it for FREE PLUS 3 CENTS BACK!

Suave Naturals Shampoo & Conditioner- Regular 97 cents...with coupon I got it for FREE PLUS 3 CENTS BACK!

I had many other bargains and coupons as well...those were just my biggies!

At FamilyFare...

Breyers Ice Cream- on sale for $2.88...with Register Rewards from my last trip I paid $1.88!!! What a deal for Breyers!!!

At Meijer...

Now many of you were aware of the Johnson's Buddies coupons going on. I tried getting these bar soaps at Walmart and they would have been completely FREE PLUS 4 CENTS BACK because their full price is 96 cents. But they were completely out. I didn't want to wait on them to decide to stock their shelve because some of these stores are aware of these coupon deals going on and intentionally pull items from their shelves temporarily.

So I went to Meijer where they had PLENTY!!! Now theirs were $1.17 but I didn't mind that. So I had to pay 17 cents for a Johnson's My Buddy bar soap! Whoop-de-doo! I'll take that!

So here was my highlights...

Johnson's My Buddies bar soap- Regular $1.17...with coupons I paid 17 cents per bar and I got ELEVEN of them!!! Woohoo!!!

Shick Women's Razors- Regular $6.29...with sale and coupon I paid $3.29. Not bad!

The Goodlife Recipe cat food- Regular $5.25...with coupons I paid $2.25.

Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast- Regular $9.99...on sale for $3.99...with coupon I paid $2.99!!! WOW!

So that was the highlights of this weeks trip. I bought alot more than I posted, but those were the ones I was proud of.

All in all here were my percentages of savings...

Walmart...saved 54%!!!

Meijer...saved 56%

FamilyFare...I can't find the original price for the icecream...but hey $1.88 for Breyers? Who cares what the percentage is...that's outlandish savings!

Can't wait till tomorrow's coupons and sale ads come out!

Until next time...

Happy couponing!

You guessed it! More kitty pictures! LOL!

You guessed it! More adorable kitty pictures! I don't know if there is anything more fun, sweet, crazy, naughty, or calming as my kitty Oreo! I love that cat with all my being! LOL!

Today was a crazy day. More like awful.

Evan woke up sick. He puked all day long. Non-stop. He hasn't eaten all day long. Couldn't keep any liquids down. I don't know what this is he has, but it is not the same strain that everyone else around town has had. Everyone else had one bout of vomiting then it was done. Not my Evie. It's been all day.

I have never cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized so much in all my life.

As if that wasn't enough.

Then one of my daycare babies had the worst diaper explosion I have ever seen in eleven years of childcare. It was literally head to toe. I had to bathe the child. I had to wash her clothes. I have never seen so much poop! Sorry...tmi. But it was soooooo bad.

I have to say...this day has been up there on one of my worst days ever. I am exhausted from cleaning up vomit, poop, disintecting/sanitizing...it was soooo bad.

"We're not into brand names..."

Recently when telling someone about SavingsAngel, they said to me, "We're not really into brand names, we're fine with generic or store brands."

You know what? Just a few short weeks ago, I too was "fine" with generics and store brands. In fact, I HAD to be. I was so tired of my grocery bill being so high, I had resigned myself to buying all store brands and generics.

But here's what people aren't "getting" about SavingsAngel and couponing blogs...

I AM PAYING LESS FOR NAME BRANDS THAN I CAN FOR GENERICS AND STORE BRANDS!

I can't GET generics and store brands for as cheap as I'm getting these name brand items!

So how do they figure???

I'm consistently paying 50-90% less on groceries...sometimes they're even FREE!!!

Please tell me WHY I'd want to buy store brand and generics and pay MORE?!?!

I'll take that Colgate toothpaste for 24 cents and you can pay $1.50 for your generic.

I'll take that Garnier Nutrisse hairspray for FREE AND have the store PAY ME BACK 54 cents and you can pay $1.99 for your generic.

See what I'm saying?

Do you GET it now?

I just don't think people are getting it.

More great deals at FamilyFare!

This afternoon I went to FamilyFare. Only picked up a few items from there this week. Not a ton of exceptional deals, but the ones I DID get were really good.
I got:

Betty Crocker Mashed Potatoes...regular $1.39...on sale for 99 cents...use a manufacturer's coupon for 40 cents...my cost 59 cents!!!

Breyers Ice Cream...on sale for $2.88!!! That in itself is a bargain!!! I had a coupon for Save $1.00 on two. So I paid $2.38 a piece! WOW! We're talking Breyers!

Soft Soap Body Wash...on sale and with my coupon...$1.99!!! Yea!!!

Is it Sunday yet? I live for this stuff!

I need a freezer and more cabinets!

It's official.

I've run out of freezer and cabinet space! LOL!

It's official.

I am not just a Coupon Queen.

It's official.

I am an addict.

LOL!

This SavingsAngel has become an addiction for me.

How pathetic is it when one of your favorite things is waiting on the Sunday paper, grabbing the sale ads, getting online, and seeing what the greatest deals/coupons are this week? LOL!

I've flipped.

Gone off the deep end.

But hey...

We will not go without! LOLOL!

By the way...if you still haven't, but want to join SavingsAngel...

My referral code is: 22398

Come on...

You know ya want to! Teehee!

This week...

This is our "million" piece, "million character" Disney puzzle! LOL! Nate has been addicted to this puzzle for as long as I can remember. It used to take him weeks to put it together when he was little...but he wouldn't give up! That's one thing about Nate...he NEVER gives up, till he gets something right! Well, then he got it down to a week...a few days...now he puts it together in a day...sometimes within a couple hours, OR LESS! It's a really fun puzzle. It has all the old Disney charcters in it. All the traditional ones. It was mine when I was little.

Not alot else going on this week. Nate is back to school after being off yesterday. All the daycare kids are back.

I had two good SavingsAngel shopping trips this week. I already posted about my Walgreens trip. Meijer was good too...$125.55 worth of items for $74.32. Not my best or least expensive trip by far...but I got some really good deals. I have questioned my methods with SavingsAngel and wonder, "Am I still spending too much?" But then I look at it as, I'm spending WAAAAAY less than I was without it and I'm getting WAAAAAY more groceries! So YES, it is working! For example I used to spend around $130.00 a week on groceries. Even at $74.32 this week, that was a savings PLUS I got TONS of items! Honestly, it's getting to the point where I don't know WHERE to put everything! LOL! We are working on getting a freezer, but my bigger problem now...is cupboard/cabinet space! LOL! I cleaned out my linen closet and only put what sheets and towels we use on a regular basis in there, freeing up four shelves. Well...IT'S FULL! LOL! Jamie keeps asking when I'm going to quit bringing home toothpaste. LOL! But how can I not, when it's anywhere from 25-75 cents?!?! LOL! And cereal...don't even get me started. I have 15 boxes of cereal! LOL! Seriously! But when cereal is anywhere from $3.00-4.00 a box...how can I pass it up when it's $1.67?!?! You get the picture. I keep telling Jamie, "Well, if we ever fall on really hard times...we'll be prepared." LOL!

Lazy weekend...

Didn't do a whole lot this weekend. Just enjoyed being home.
Got all the laundry, dishes, and dusting caught up.
Had Fricano's pizza on Saturday...yum...my favorite!
Saturday was "Spring Ahead"...which always messes me up. We ended up sleeping in and staying home from church. It was another lazy day.
I caught up on all my coupons and SavingsAngel. Ran to Walgreens, because if you don't go on Sunday...they are ALWAYS picked over and never restock their sale items. So I went out in the pouring rain and got $53.31 of items for $19.27!!! Can't beat that. It was totally worth the trip in the rain...although they didn't have one item on my list...the Glade Sense & Spray. But that's ok...I'm sure the refills are expensive anyway.
It has been raining all day long. We even got a little thunder and lightening...which I love!
Nate is off school tomorrow, but Evan has to go. He is not liking that and is a little jealous of Nate.
I already have four kids absent for daycare tomorrow. It will be a nice break.
We'll just have to keep Natee busy tomorrow, LOL! He'll be bored by 9:00am. LOL!

Back on track!

Back on track is right! I always feel guilty for stopping and starting diet and exercise. But they always say it's better to keep restarting than to just quit and never start again. True.
So I think it was alot of stress, anger, and upset that led me back to it. But hey, whatever it takes, right?
I just exercised on the Gazelle for 30 minutes and killed myself. I had a yogurt and water for lunch.
So far so good.
Meals are not my problem. I don't overeat at meals. It's the snacking at night. Oh, and television! Tv is killing me. I just want to sit and snack while I watch tv. I need to start knitting another scarf or something to keep my hands out of the potato chip bag!
But anyway...I am determined to rid myself of this gut by spring/summer. I'd love to lose 10 pounds. That's always my goal. But I am REALLY determined to get there now!
Wish me luck!

I almost forgot...

I forgot...I also got a great deal at Target too!

They had Garnier Nutrisse hair color regular $6.99 on sale for $4.99. Now that in itself is a good deal. But pair with that a $2.00 off coupons...yep, you got it! I got it for $2.99!!!
The lady at the check-out could hardly believe it.

The best part about this whole SavingsAngel thing...is...
I don't even HAVE to buy GENERICS or STORE BRANDS anymore!!!
Not that I had a problem with that.
The thing is...
When you learn how to use the sale ads and coupons...you get top brand items for CHEAPER than generics and store brand!

Are you ready to sign up yet?
My code is: 22398

My trip to Meijer!

I KNOW you want to hear about my latest shopping excursion to Meijer, don't you!?!?!
Teehee!
Well, tonight...I cut my grocery bill by 53%!!!
I got $83.99 worth of groceries for $44.49!!!
How cool is that?!?!
Some of my best deals were...

Kellogg's cereals...3 for $6.00...use a "Save $1.00 on two" and a "Save 70 cents on one", and that gets you down to approximately $1.43 a box. But wait there's more! You get THREE FREE Dannon yogurts (worth 67 cents a piece) with your cereal purchase. Soooo...when you figure in the cereal and the yogurt, you're getting $10.92 worth of cereal and yogurt for $4.30!!!

Pepperidge Farms cakes...regular $3.69 a piece...on sale for $2.00...use a coupon for "Save $1.00 on two"...and you're getting them for $1.50 a piece!!! Woohoo!!!

Colgate Total Advance toothpaste...regular $3.27...on sale for $2.50...use a coupon for "Save $1.50"...and you get it for $1.00!!! Are you getting this???

DanActive drinkable yogurt...regular $2.50...on sale for $2.00...use a $1.00 coupon...and get it for $1.00!!!

Gillette Satin Care shave gel...regular $2.57...on sale for $2.00...use a $1.00 coupon...get it for $1.00!!!

Pounce cat treats...regular $1.39...on sale for $1.11...use a coupon for "Buy 2, Save $1.00"...get them for 61 cents each!!!

And let's done forget all the other "deals" they had without coupons...
Milk was $2.00 this week.
The Works toilet bowl cleaner 74 cents.
Shredded cheddar cheese $1.50.
Chuck Roast and steak $2.19 lb.
Aunt Millies hamburger and hotdog buns $1.00.

These were just a few of my steals!
Couponing is not only saving me money...it's become a hobby...an ADDICTION!!!

I'm doing it! I'm a COUPON QUEEN!!!

Well, what do you think? Think I've got enough groceries stockpiled? LOL! This is my accomplishment since I started SavingsAngel three weeks ago. I am now on week four and just loving it! To me, this service, even though I pay a small fee for it, is worth every penny and more! With the economy the way it is, and being in a line of work where there are highs and lows and fluctuations all the time...I think this is an awesome way to prepare for the future if there ever came a situation where money were extremely tight.

Well let's face it...money is always tight.

And getting groceries for pennies and FREE at times is helping immensely. Now I know and feel confident that if and when times get really tough, we can provide the basics for our family...i.e. food, toiletries, household items.

At a time when we're reading daily about how many thousands of people are getting laid off, losing jobs, homes, etc...it feels good to know, at least I've got cupboards, cabinets, and a freezer full of groceries.

Thank-you SavingsAngel!

Just me and my guys...

Here we are...just me and my babies...hangin' out and havin' fun. These are the kind of nights I love.

Saturday afternoon, we went to The Golden Corral for the first time for lunch. MY!...What an experience that was! Soooooo much food! And pretty darn good too! If you love buffets, that is one you might want to check out, LOL!

We didn't do a whole lot this weekend. It's nice now that I've started doing my shopping through the week to have our weekends free.

Saturday night, Jam and I watched "27 Dresses".

Sunday was church.

And that was about it!

Not a whole lot happened this weekend!

That's the way I like it! LOL!