Party on a Budget

I had all intentions of starting to shop early for my daughter’s birthday party so I could get everything we needed for free/cheap, but that didn’t happen since I am almost four weeks behind on doing my coupons.  SO… here I am stuck paying whatever I have to pay to get what we need for the party.  Granted there were some things I was able to get for cheap (crackers) I am stuck getting other stuff at normal cost, but that’s OK… my baby is worth it.  I am hoping to still do all the food and stuff for under $100, but we will see how I do!

HT Super Doubles

HT had super doubles start this Wednesday (06/23/10) and I have been twice, but only for things I know were free and I wanted to get before their stock was gone. 

Colgate = 1.50 – 1 Q = FREE

Oil of Olay Body Wash = 3.99 – 4 Q = FREE

Philadelphia Cream Cheese = 1.85 – 1 Q = FREE

Ritz = BOGO @ $3.69 so 1.85 each – 1 Q (matched UPC) = Free

Townhouse crackers (pretzel one side and cracker on other) = 2.69 – 1 Q (matched UPC) = .69

Kraft flavored Mayos = 1.99 – 1 Q = FREE (my store was out of these)

They are remerchandising my ENTIRE store so there are grocery cart up grocery cart filled with clearance items (even 16 of them filled with wine!) and since I have not organized my coupons in three to four weeks I am grossly inept at being able to go and actually shop there right now and really cash in on some deals!  I will get them organized this weekend and do some shopping Sunday night after ALL of my coupons are in order.  Considering I got TWELVE newspapers the week of the P&G insert on 06/06/10 I have A LOT of clipping to do!  But that’s OK because in the end it will be extremely worth it.  Especially when I have all of my free Olay body wash because women’s body wash is never on special at CVS or anywhere to get it free.  Last time was months ago when the Nivea $4 coupon came out!

Oh well, I will be doing a lot this weekend and that will be #2 on the list (can’t tell you what #1 is LOL)

Have a great weekend!

Repeating Orders

There is something to be said for repeating a customer’s order after they order food at a restaurant.  I think the reason for this is simple… so they get it right!!!  I have run across this problem more than once in a day last week and was left feeling extremely irritated.  I go to Bojangles first and order one egg and cheese biscuit, one milk, and a chicken biscuit combo with sweet tea.  She repeated my order back and only said the combo and the additional milk.  I told the lady that I also ordered an egg and cheese biscuit and I get up there and hand her my card and she hands me the receipt from the order and leaves me waiting.  I look at my receipt while I’m waiting and notice that she had put in two biscuits instead of one so I’m paying more than I should but she has my card and is trying to run it.  Another minute or so goes by and she tells me they are having problems with the credit card machine and it’s telling her the line is busy.  OK, so I wait some more.  Another minute goes by and someone comes out of the store and is standing between my vehicle and the wall at the drive thru window.  She asked what they told me, so I told her and also that they got my order wrong so I’m paying too much anyways.  She asked what was wrong and just scribbled on my receipt her name and tells me to come back any time with that and to tell a manager  why I’m there.  Not exactly sure what that’s supposed to do, but whatever.  The lady outside tells the lady inside she got my order wrong and asks her to hand me my food.  She hands me my food and still the credit card machine is not working.  She finally hands me my credit card and receipt another minute or so later and I keep sitting there because I have yet to get my drinks.  The lady outside asks if something is wrong still and I tell her I still haven’t gotten my drinks.  She starts banging on the window again and I finally get my drinks and am on my way.

Some of that frustration could have been prevented had she just repeated my ENTIRE order that she had initially rang in, but that didn’t happen.

Later that same day as a treat I decided we were going to stop by McDonald’s and get the girls milkshakes.  I go through the drive thru and ask if they have kid’s sized milkshakes.  I’m thinking the kid size drink cup they get with happy meals.  She said she could make kid sized milkshakes and tells me my total is almost $6!!!  I was flabbergasted by the cost, but whatever, I love my girls and they deserved a treat for being stuck in the car for most of the day.  I get up there and they are BIG!  They are medium drink size big.  Had I known that I would have ordered one and asked for two kid size cups to split it in and still have had some leftover for mommy (and saved over $3).  Why would you think to tell someone you could make a child size milkshake and it be bigger than four kid size drink cups? 

Where has our common sense gone?  I guess it’s not so common anymore!

Bad at This

I am so bad at keeping up with blogging.  I love to do it but somehow I always find other things that need to get done.  I have not gone to CVS this week (surprised?) and I have made one trip to the grocery store in two weeks and that was only for the basic necessities and a few items I got for free.  I just went last night for the first time in at least two weeks.  Since we have been spending time at the beach I am just not as stocked up on groceries as I should be.  And what better time for HT to come up with super doubles??? 

I went last night to pick up a few things I had to have for the house and a few things that I needed to get to make a sweet treat for work (chocolate chip cookie dough dip… YUM!) and I found a few things that I could get for free as I was headed back to the refrigerated section…

Oil of Olay body wash on sale for $3.99 - $4.00 Q from 6/6 P&G = FREE

Colgate Toothpaste on sale for $1.50 - $1.00 Q from 6/6 P&G = FREE

Philly Cream Cheese for $1.85 - $1.00 Q from Women of Philadelphia website = FREE (sign up and on the homepage is on the bottom right hand side you have to click to get your coupon)

Those were the few free things I grabbed while I was headed down the aisle to get to the refrigerated stuff.  I am going to sort through some coupons tonight and head back to the store to get some more and then hopefully get things stocked back up.  I have to get back on track for getting stocked up on stuff to last through the end of the year so that will help with school and everything else and just not having the time to do everything.  I have to get better at prioritizing and am really thinking about getting one of those calendars where you can put in what you are doing every minute of the day to help organize, but with two kids do you really think that’s going to work… “Mommy can you feed me, I’m hungry?”… “No honey, sorry I can’t.  See right here it says that mommy should be scrubbing your toilet… sorry honey!”  Yeah right, like that’s going to work!  LOL

Oh well, maybe one of these days I will learn how super moms do it but for right now my girls are just going to have to settle on me!

Wags Again

I called a different Wags then I went to this morning and they had all the detergent that I needed (the other one was out of the HE detergent) so I ran up there and bought 6 bottles @ 2.99 each, 3 x 2.00 coupons, and 10 RR and paid $3.33 OOP.  All in all today I spent OOP $15.74 and got the following

·         (8) bottles ALL laundry detergent (32 loads each)

·         (3) Neutrogena face wash

·         (1) Nivea Active 3 Mens body wash

That comes out to roughly $1.31 each and that’s not too shabby for all that I got because normally just for the three face washes would have been about $15 or so at Wal-Mart (home of the everyday low prices!) so I definitely came out on top!  Per the receipts from my transactions I saved $67.50 between coupons and sales at Walgreens!

Sweepstakes

Kroger has a sweepstakes you can play every day on their website here.  Check it out, you can win free stuff to load to your card.  It takes you through the process of signing up if you haven’t done so yet.   

 

Sobe also has one that you can play every day here to win various things.  I won a free Sobe drink coupon.  It will be mailed, but hey!  It was free!

Wags Trip

I am not a big Wags fan since one day I went in to cash in on their Little Swimmers sale and I tore the coupon out of the book I got from Huggies right in front of the cashier and she wouldn’t take it because it had part of the expiration date tore off.  I flat out told her this is why I go to CVS and not Walgreens.  BUT they had a deal on ALL laundry detergent and Neutrogena face stuff (which Hubs uses and I would buy whether or not on sale or had a coupon) so I went this morning…

Transaction #1

Nivea Mens Active 3 Body wash @ $5.99 - $3.00 coupon = $2.99 OOP and earned $6 RR back

(2) ALL detergents, @ $2.99 each – (2) $2.00 coupon = .99 OOP each

Total OOP = $5.90

Earned $6.00 RR

Transaction #2

(3) Neutrogena face wash @ $4.49 each

Used (2) $1 coupons

Used $6 RR earned above

Total OOP = 6.51

Earned $10 RR

All in all I spent $12.41 OOP and ended up with $10 RR so I spent $2.41 on all!  I am going to go back this evening to my Wags by my house and get some more laundry detergent.  I have three coupons for $2 off left, so I can get 6 more laundry detergents… 6 @ $2.99 ea = $17.94 – (3) $2 Qs = $11.94 and then use my $10 RR and only pay $1.94 plus tax on them.  I think that’s a GREAT deal!!

HT Triples

I was looking around and per another website HT is doing triples next week (starting 06/23/10).  This website so far has been accurate every time in advising when HT is doing a coupon special so start getting everything ready and don’t use any of your coupons that are less than .99 face value this week so you can use them next week! 

 

Get Ready HT… HERE I COME!

Windex Coupons

I got an email for Windex Coupons.  Go here and check them out!

Kraft First Taste

If you haven’t signed up for Kraft First Taste, you need to do this today.  They always have a ton of coupons and some for completely free items… very worthwhile!  I got about six free item coupons the other week in the mail and now I just received an email asking that I do a feedback on these items.  Very minimal input for all that free stuff!

House Party

Make sure to go to houseparty.com and sign up to host various parties.  You will get free delivery of all kinds of things depending on what the party is for.  They also have a tab at the top where you can sign up for parties that are only for people 21 or older.  I have gotten to host a few and have ended up with so much free stuff from free pizza, free Ziploc stuff and free Christmas décor!  I have LOVED every single one I’ve gotten and the coupons they include are awesome!

I just got a link to sign up for a Boboli Pizza Grilling House Party… now that sounds awesome especially because hubs loves to cook any and everything on the grill from Pizza Rolls, hot pockets, and anything you normally wouldn’t (like bananas!)!

Dove Specials

Don’t forget to sign up on Dove’s website for their emailed offerings!  I just got an email to print a coupon and save up to $2.00 on Dove Hair and Dove Body Wash or Beauty Bar.  This would be great to pair with a sale that offers ECBs back or a super double coupon time at Harris Teeter!

CVS Photos - .09

 Add any quantity of 4x6 photos to your shopping cart, enter promo code 9WEB, select the pick up in hours option at checkout and get 4x6 prints in hours for .09 each.  Excludes greeting cards.  Promotion no valid with any other offer, discount or program.  Offer good through June 21, 2010

Emails for Today

I am going to post all of the deals that I am emailed today so get ready and see how many I receive in one day… they are about to begin!

John Frieda - WOO HOO!

I am so happy.  I just went to CVS on break and got three of the John Frieda Root Awakening Hair Products… a shampoo, conditioner and a smoothing lotion.  Normally priced at $6.99 each and on sale for $5.00 each.  I used a $5 off a $15 purchase, a $1 CVS coupon (the cashier overrode it for me), and (3) $3 coupons off the JF Root Awakening products.  I paid .70 OOP and then got $3 ECBs back.  I also got another $1 ECB because it was the fourth time I scanned my “bag tag”!

CVS Deals that you can cash in on

Transaction 1

Buy two Rolaids products at $3.99 each

Use (1) $4/2 Pepcid, Rolaids, Mylanta, Dramamine, etc. coupons from this past week’s paper

Spend $3.98 OOP (out of pocket)

Earn $4 ECBs

(“free” after ECBs)

 

Transaction 2

Buy 2 John Freida Root awakening products at $5.00 each

use 2 $3 coupons from this Sunday’s paper (Smart Source)

Price $4.00

Use your $4 ECB

(“free” after ECBs)

get $3 ECBs back

 

Buy 2 Gillette deodorants that are on sale for $3.99 (think the tag says $2.99 since you get ECBs back) and buy 2 Gillette body washes…

Use (2) $3 Gillette deodorant coupons

Use (2) Buy deodorant get body wash free coupons

OOP = $1.98 (plus tax)

Get $2 ECBs back

So “free” after ECBs

 

Now you will have one ECB for $5 (the above two will print out as one)

 

Transaction 3

Buy 4 Windex Multi-surface at $2.50 each = $10.00

Use (4) $1 coupons (from 5/9 or printable – Google it or go to moneysavingmom.com)

Price $6.00

Use your $5 ECB

Pay $1.00 OOP

Get $5 ECB back

 

Transaction 4

Buy 6 Degree or Dove Deodorants

Use (3) $3/2 internet printable coupons for degree or dove (will have to print two of one and one of the other, but print all because you don’t know what they will have in stock)

Price $6.00

Use your $5 ECB

Pay $1.00 OOP

Get $5 ECB back

 

Transaction 5

Buy (6) Playtex pearl or Compaq tampons - $2.97

Use (6) $2.00 coupon from this past Sunday’s P&G insert

.97 each after coupon so $5.97

Use your $5 ECB to pay for these

$.97 OOP

 

For a total of $8.93 (plus some tax) you will have the following…

(2) bottles Rolaids

(2) John Freida Root Awakening products

(2) Gillette Deodorants

(2) Gillette Body washes

(4) bottles of Windex Multi-Surface

(6) Dove or Degree deodorants

(6) boxes of Tampons

 

That breaks down to .37 per item!!

John Frieda Deal at CVS

CVS is running a deal that if you spend $10 on John Freida Products you get $3 ECB back.  Here’s the scenario…

Buy (2) John Freida Root Awakening products at $5.00 each

Use (2) John Freida Root Awakening coupons for $3/1 (from 6/6 SS)

OOP = $4

Earn = $3 ECB

Like spending $1 on two, so .50 each!

However, I am able to sweeten this deal because I have a $5/$15 purchase that printed out last week

I am buying (3) John Freida Root Awakening for $15, using my $5/$15 purchase and (3) $3 coupons…

Price = $15

Coupons = $14

OOP = $1.00 (plus tax), will use an ECB to pay for this but will still have to pay some cents for tax

Earn = $3 ECBs so I will “make” money on this one!!

Walgreens - Mens Bodywash and Deodorant

Did I mention the GREAT deal I got at Walgreens yesterday?  They have Gillette men’s deodorant for $3.99 each so I bought two and paired with $3 manufacturer coupons that I got in the previous P&G coupon insert AND I also used 2 Buy one deodorant and get a body wash free coupons.  So I got two each of the deodorants and body washes and paid $1.98 OOP (plus the taxes on the pre coupon price) and then I got back $2 ECBs!!!  Awesome deal!

Rite Aid Correction

The Lubriderm would have cost $1.00 each after the coupons because I guess my store doesn’t have the same prices as the others BUT the Clean & Clear ended up being a better deal than advertised…

The C&C was $5.45 for most of them.  I got two… a blackhead eraser scrub and a deep action exfoliating scrub.  After the (2) $2 manufacturer internet printable coupons and the (2) $3 in store ad coupons I ended up paying $1.37 for both.  That’s .69 each so I saved 87%.  Not a bad deal. 

I don’t use these items often as I stocked up on some Oil of Olay face wash quite a few months ago (on sale for $3 at HT and used a $1 coupon during super doubles, so got it for $1 each) but these things are nice to use every now and again to get that extra clean “scrubbed” feeling.  Hubs like to use acne fighting face stuff so maybe he would use them.  I don’t know… but I know they won’t go to waste so I got them anyways.

Rite Aid Deals to Snag

I am going to Rite Aid this afternoon and am snagging the following…

 

Lubriderm Lotion - $3.99

Internet $2 Coupon

Pair with $3 Rite Aid in ad coupon

FREE

 

Clean And Clear- $5.69

Internet $2 Coupon

Pair with $3 Rite Aid in ad coupon

OOP @ .69

 

Who couldn’t use some GREAT lotion for cheap (not cheap lotion) and some face wash that they would buy regardless of whether or not it was on sale?  Either way… great steals so go get yours!

AMERICAN EAGLE

American Eagle Outfitters… all T’s, tanks and polo’s are buy one get one 50% off.  You can mix and match.  The one that’s the lesser value will be reduced 50%.  It includes all regular price and clearance items!  This is good in store and online.

(And if you order $100 online you get free shipping)

Old Navy Item of the Week

Old Navy’s item of the week is “fab for him” – working out or hanging out!  Men’s Rec Tech Pullovers $10 (regularly $19.50) starting tomorrow 06/11/10 through 06/17/10 IN STORE ONLY!   

ULTA Online Offer

Now at ulta.com you can get $10 off a $60 purchase WITH free shipping on orders of $50.  AND if you make a $30 fragrance purchase you get a free cooler with grill!  The grill looks like one of the little table top ones and the coolers are the flexible tote type ones and are EXTREMELY cute!  You could really get some Father’s Day deals with this one!

Order him a cologne for $30 and you will get the free grill and flex cooler (girly looking coolers), get some make up for yourself to come up to the $60 and use the $10 off code (coupon code 50116 at check out).  This code is valid through 06/26/10 and is for all regular price, sale and clearance items.  It does exclude some things, but only the super high dollar lines!  OH and you get three free samples with each order!!

Don’t forget to sign up for the Ulta rewards account!!  You can score all kinds of stuff after spending so much.  You can get money off your next shopping trip, free hair cut, facials and all kinds of things.  You get all kinds of coupons and deals in the mail (like five times the points on a purchase).  I’ve only spent $50 there and already have enough points for a free hair cut because I got one of the five times the point coupons!

Not a bad offer… let’s see how many other offers are emailed to me today!

Car 54 Where Are You?

So, I’m sure that some of you don’t remember that show, but I have been lost this weekend.  I have been lost in making great memories with my girls.  I have realized a few things the past few weeks with the primary one being that time flies.  It seems like just yesterday I was pregnant with my girls and now they are both getting so big.  I have realized that the house will always be there, laundry will always need to be done, dinner always needs to be cooked and toilets will always need to be scrubbed.  I have decided that keeping a perfectly clean house should not be my top priority.  Don’t get me wrong our house is always picked up and clean but there is always something that will need to be scrubbed so I have decided that it is more important to make memories with my girls than to worry about whether or not the toilet will get a ring around it during the next few days.

This weekend hubs was working so I had two choices… I could either stay home with the girls and scrub the house down or head to the beach house my in-laws bought and have a great weekend with the girls.  I chose the latter.  I packed the girls up and headed to the beach Friday after work.  Since we have toiletries and all that down there all I had to do was pack a few clothes and since the majority of our time was spent in bathing suits, there wasn’t much to pack.  Although next time I will need to remember to pack panties for the oldest one, but thankfully there is a washer and dryer down there so she didn’t go commando for long!

We had a great weekend and you know what… we got home and everything was still there!  Yes, some things will need to be scrubbed down this week but I got some priceless pictures of my sweet girls having a ball in the sand and water!  It was definitely worth it to spend some time after they go to bed this week scrubbing the house room by room each night.  It might even work out better than doing the whole house one day a week!  Who knows until you try it.

Regardless… we are going to the beach again this weekend!!!  YAY!!!  Sun, shells, water and sand here we come (again)!!!  I am going to concentrate more on the memories with the girls versus how clean the house is.  What do you remember more from growing up… how spectacularly clean the house was or how much fun you had with your parents?  I want them to remember me down in the sand playing with them and having a great time versus “mommy can’t play right now… can’t you see the ring in the toilet?” 

 

What are your plans for the weekend… memories or “other” stuff that can wait?

On the Bandwagon AGAIN!

I am bound and determined to lose the last 20 lbs that plague me!  I have tried just counting calories and it works, but the problem is I just love to eat.  I love food.  SO… now that I see my hubs and how awesomely sexy he is I want to be his equivalent.  Last night I sat down with all the magazines we had in the house that could possibly have work out stuff in it because I am a gym idiot.  I can figure out the machines but want to try the free weights because they also work your core. 

Anyways… I sat down with about twenty magazines last night and started tearing pages out!  I found some sheet protectors I had and started putting the torn out pages in the sheet protectors.  Next, came the tab dividers and I sorted them by body part.  I also found in a Vitamin Shoppe magazine a work out regimen that says you will lose 20 lbs in eight weeks but not just exercise alone will do it.  You have to eat well and then “here, take these!”  They had about five or six things listed that would help you lose weight and since that is the only thing I haven’t tried I decided to jump on full force. 

I got up at 5:30 this morning and went to the gym.  I worked out for 45 minutes, came home, made some coffee, took a shower, got ready for work and left early this morning since everyone in the house was still asleep.  I felt great!

I went to The Vitamin Shoppe at lunch today and got the following…

Lipo 6 Black (for her) – fat burner

Citrimax – appetite suppressor

Tonalin CLA – muscle building/fat loss

Yohimbe – carb blocker

Cinnamon Extract – insulin desensitizer

AND whey protein – to add in my quest to be healthy

You don’t want to know how much I spent, but yes I did have a coupon $10/$50

I attempted the circuit on the treadmill but I just couldn’t run at a speed of 6.2 on the treadmill… I almost made it the whole two minutes at that pace, but alas… I am out of shape.  Super eye opener this morning because a year ago I could have done it no problem.  Just because I haven’t put all of my weight back on doesn’t mean that I’m still in good shape. 

Hubs was impressed this morning that I got up and went to the gym.  I have to say that it felt good but odd being up that early.  Thankfully the sun did come up like it was supposed to!  Tomorrow morning I can’t head to the gym early as hubs will be off to work so can’t leave the girls alone, but I will head downstairs and bring up Time Warner Cable’s exercise on demand channel and pull up a work out that is at least 45 minutes long.  I figure six days a week and then rest on Sunday and hopefully I will be able to get this last bit off. 

Now, the one thing concerning me is how in the world am I going to remember to take all that stuff I got at Vitamin Shoppe when I’m supposed to every day???

CVS Project

I went to CVS again today because they had a deal where I could roll over some ECBs.  Granted I spent a $3.50 ECB and only got $2 back, but I didn’t want it to expire so might as well use it before it does!  This is what I got…

 

Diet Pepsi (4 pack cans) - $1.25

 

Ban Deodorant Solid - $2.99

Coupon - $1.00

ECB Earned - $2.00

End Price = Free

 

Trim Professional Emery Board (2 pk) - $1.99

Coupon - $2.00 peelie

End Price = Free

 

Had to get a Caramel or they were going to reduce the amount of my ECB - .33

 

Used $3.50 ECB towards my purchase

 

Subtotal - .07

Tax -  .51

OOP - .58

$2.00 ECB Earned

P&G Coupon Insert Preview

 P&G 6/6/10
All coupons exp 7/31, unless otherwise noted

 

Keep note of the ones that have the same first five of the UPC… keep these together as they are interchangeable.  Just don’t use all of them in one transaction on the “wrong” items because you will confuse the register.  They don’t expire until 07/31/10 so you have almost two months to use them!

(No certain order)

$2 any Venus, embrace, Daisy razor

$2 any Venus cartridge

55c any Satin Care shave gel

$3 any PUR pitcher or faucet mount

$1 any Prilosec OTC

$3 any Prilosec OTC

$5 any Align

$3 any Metamucil

BUY Old Spice Body Wash or deodorant, get 1 DEODORANT free

Buy Old spice Body Wash or deodorant, get BODY WASH free

Buy 2 Old Spice body wash or red zone deodorant, get 1 Old Spice body spray free

$1 off 2 Old Spice deodorant or body wash, 1.7 oz or larger

Buy Gillette deodorant, get body wash free, 01

$2 Gillette clinical OR 2 deodorants

B1G1 Gillette body wash, 14

$1 any Gillette hair care

$4 Gillette Fusion razor

$2 any Gillette Pro Series Skin Care

$1 any Gillette fusion shave gel

35c any tide

35c any tide to go pen

$1 any Tide Stain Release

50c any Downy

25c any Bounty towels or napkins

$1.50 1 6pack or larger Duracell hearing aid batteries

25c any Charmin

50c any Zest, Safeguard or Ivory body washes or bar packs

50c any Fixodent 1.2 oz or larger

75c any Scope 473ml or larger

$4 any Olay Total effects body wash

Buy Total Effects BW, get FREE ivory body wash, bar soap or hand soap, max $3.00

$10 any Crest 3D white professional effects white strips

$5 any Crest 3D Vivid white strips

50c any Crest toothpaste, 4 oz or larger

B1G1 Oral-B Pulsar manual toothbrush single pack, up to $6.99

$2 any Crest Rinse 946ml or larger

$1 any Crest rinse, 440ml, 473ml or 500ml

75c any Glide floss 35m or more or Glide floss picks 20ct or more

$10 rebate WYB $20 or more Febreze Home Collection products

$1 any Febreze Noticeables starter kit

$1 any Febreze noticeables refill

25c any Cascade

$1 any Cascade rinse aid

50c any Dawn ultra plus

25c any Dawn

25c any Ivory

$1.50 any Pampers diapers or pants

$2 any Pampers wipes 60ct or larger

$1 any Always pad, clean or feminine cleansing cloths

$1 any Always Panti liners, 34ct or higher

$2 any Tampax pearl or compak pearl, 18ct or higher

$1 any Tampax, 18ct or higher

$2 any lash blast fusion mascara

$1 any Cover girl product

$1 any Olay facial moisturizer or cleanser

$1 any Clairol hair color

50c any Secret product

$2 any Secret Sheer Mineral

$1 any 2 Pantene

 

 

Coupon Prep

OK... this Sunday is the greatest day for coupons. This Sunday the P&G coupons are coming out. I have learned the UPC trick of matching the first group of five digits of the coupon to the product. Meaning you can use coupons on the "wrong" item. The first group of five digits on the coupon is the manufacturer code, so the same people that manufacture one thing most likely they make another. Check out the P&G coupon insert that is coming out Sunday here.

I am SUPER excited about these coupons coming out and will probably buy at least ten papers!! Maybe 20!!! All of the coupons expire on 7/31 so I have a while to use them and can break my trips up. I cannot wait to get the $10 off Crest White Strip coupon so I can use that on Tide and get some super cheap good laundry detergent because I'm on my last bottle.

Keep in mind as you look at the list that most of those coupons are interchangable as they have the same UPC code. Take a look at the coupons when you get them and see if the first five digits match... if they do then you can use them on the "wrong" thing. Just be careful... you can't use a lot of the "wrong" coupons in the same transaction as you will confuse the register and it won't know what you're using it on and will beep at you and cause the cashier to check your purchase!

I did try this on multiple occasions and used the $3 Tide Release coupon on Charmin, $2 Downy coupon on Bounty paper towels. I have used the various Kraft cheese coupons on the single slices and the "wrong" shredded cheeses. The Lays coupon for $1 that you had to buy the big packs of the single serving of doritos and such (like 20 ct) I used on the 100 calorie packs of Sun Chips, Doritos, etc. that were on sale for $2 and the $1 coupon doubled, so free. Also, check the cracker coupons because they make snacks too and most of those are interchangable if you check the codes!

There is so much for free that you might want to start clipping all your coupons, not just the ones you think you'll use!

Menu Monday

Well, I have finally worked on the menu for the week and unfortunately, it's not as complete as I'd like it to be but this is what we have...

Monday - home from a mini vaca/long weekend... hot dogs for the girls and baked italian dressing chicken for us with mashed potatoes and beets after the girls were in bed!

Tuesday - Tuna Casserole... this was a FIRST for me as I've never cooked it before!

Wednesday - Breakfast (this was Poot's pick for dinner this week)

Thursday - grilled mystery meat... we bought this MASSIVE chunk of meat about two months ago and it's been in the freezer. I say it's pork and hubs swears it's beef. Regardless, he is going to grill it nice and slow on Thursday!

Friday - nothing planned yet

Saturday - nothing planned yet

Sunday - nothing planned yet

I'm pretty much waiting for the new Wednesday grocery ads to see if we can get something aside from chicken on the menu! We love chicken and we love being healthy but I am so tired of cooking the same things over and over again.

Slacker!!!

Yes, I have been slack on posting anything this weekend but that’s because we took a nice family mini-vacation towards the coast and it was wonderful.  I spent a lot of time with the girls and family on the beach searching for shells, sand fleas and the like!  It was a great weekend!  It’s weekends like these that I cherish and can’t wait for more.

 

It’s also on weekends like these that you find yourself coming up with more things you need to get done because you have plenty of time to think and reflect on things you’d like to do so I came up with a whole new to do list for myself.

·         Need to get Peezy’s big girl room completed

o   Sell stuff on Craig’s List to get it emptied of baby items

o   Paint the walls

o   Search Craig’s List for things for her new “big girl” room

·         Get the house decorated!  We’ve been there for so long already and it only looks like we’ve been there for maybe a year!

o   Our bedroom

o   Our bathroom

o   The office

o   The dining room (which we don’t have but are turning the “family” room into a formal dining room)

·         Clean and purge!

o   Still have a lot of baby stuff hanging around the house that needs to find a new home

o   The garage is a MESS

o   My dresser drawers hold a lot of paper stuff that could stand some purging

o   Hubs’ closet… some of the things he has he has not worn in the four years we’ve been together so that needs to go (may have to tackle that one a single piece of clothing at a time)

o   My wedding dress is taking up much needed space, so do we sell or keep?... SELL

·         The yard needs some loving!  It needs new mulch and some basic TLC

 

That is the beginning of my list so let’s see what I can’t get tackled here and soon!

Chick Fil A Spicy Chicken Sandwich

I received an email last week (after signing up with Chick Fil A) to receive a free spicy chicken sandwich.  This is a new menu item they are advertising and this is my review…

 

GREAT sandwich and what you would expect from Chick Fil A.  It is breaded in a spicy breading and deep fried to perfection as they always do.  The sandwich is topped with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and as always, pickles.  Granted, I removed the pickles as I am not a pickle fan but that does not take away from the deliciousness that is always expected of CFA.  Let me preface this by saying I love spicy foods… this sandwich is not a let down.  It is spicy and has a great bite to it that will leave a sting on your tongue, but it’s been about fifteen minutes now since I finished it and the burn is gone.

 

I do think they should offer ranch or bleu cheese dressing when you order the sandwich as that is normally what goes along with spicy chicken, but the manners and customer service you receive at CFA are awesome and they will gladly hand over whatever condiments you request.  This is a great sandwich and is well within the lines of quality and awesomeness you expect when you visit CFA.

 

As always… “my pleasure!!”