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!