Just Be Frugal

Buy a TV on Superbowl Weekend?

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:04:00 +0000

Some experts suggest a great time to buy a big screen TV is just before the Superbowl. Makes sense to me, as there are probably some still in stock from Christmas and retailers are anxious to get them out of inventory. Also, there will probably be some great sales in the few days prior to the big game.

Other great deals for the month of January: cameras, computers, small appliances, air conditioners, Christmas gift wrap and decorations (yes, I still see some in stores--often marked down 75%).

How about thrift stores? Lots of perfectly good clothing and household items were donated after new ones were purchased or received as gifts for Christmas.

Many of the experts I read suggest the best day of the week to buy gasoline is Wednesday (still time tonight to go!) and any day, early in the morning We've seen gas prices go up several cents when we happened to be driving by a station early in the morning, and then later in the day!). So if you head to the gas station early Thursday morning, you'll probably be getting the best price of the week. (Gas prices tend to rise on the weekends.)

More stockpile cooking and "sharing the love"

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:52:00 +0000

Yesterday I finally got to Target to score my 'better than free' Smart Ones Frozen Meals. See details of this awesome offer here. The cashier didn't even realize Target had a $3 off coupon! She said she was going to print it off and use it with a manufacturer coupon as I did.

Then I did some major cooking and baking! Hubby was feeling a bit neglected as we have had NO baked goods in the house since about a week after Christmas! Baked chocolate chip cookies and brownies. Also made yummy salsa-beef chili for dinner last night.

Today before church I started the slow cooker roast for our dinner tonight and then made some absolutely scrumptious turkey and white bean chili and baked lemon chicken with stuffing, both for meals later in the week.

I'm sharing the love this week, in that I'm going to add some canned soup, pasta sauce and pasta to the donation bag we keep handy for our local food pantry, Lamb's basket. (Our church delivers all the donated items we drop off at church).

It's so great to be able to donate even more because we're saving so much more now that we've started stockpiling groceries and cooking from the stockpile.

Tomorrow I'll be at Bible study so we're having Kroger pizza that I scored for $5 (large size, fresh made from the deli, that I froze) and salad for dinner.

Tuesday is grocery shopping night so we'll probably have the chili.

How is your stockpile helping you save money?

Just be frugal,
Mary

Cooking From My Stockpile

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:56:00 +0000

True to my word in my earlier post, Big Stockpiling Step, I have been preparing meals and plan to use recipes based on the items I have on hand.

The other day I fixed in the crock pot, what my husband declared is THE BEST pork loin recipe ever! He raved about it and my son even commented that he didn't need a knife to cut the meat!

I bought a 3.5 lb pork loin on sale at Kroger on Tuesday night, cut it in half and put 1/2 in the freezer. Here's the recipe I fixed:
1.5-2lb. pork tenderloin
1 oz. envelope dry onion soup mix
3 TBS minced garlic (I used a dried garlic mix I had on hand)
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup red wine vinegar (the recipe calls for red wine--I didn't have any on hand)
3 TBS soy sauce

Place pork tenderloin in slow cooker with contents of soup packet/onion mix and garlic/garlic mix. Pour water, wine and soy sauce over the top, turning the pork to coat.

I allowed the tenderloin to sit overnight in the fridge, turned it over in the morning and cooked for 4 hours on low.

I served brown rice with a bit of the liquid from the crock pot and stir-fry vegetables.

Yum, yum, yum.

My husband had a sandwich with sliced tenderloin the next day and even commented how good the sandwich was!

I'm going to chop up the remainder of the meat and freeze it in a zip lock bag. I'll use it a 'throw together' soup or other dish later.

Today, I'm going to cook up the beef roast in the crock pot (purchased on sale this week) and will mix up some white chili using turkey left over from Christmas from the freezer. Finally, will make a batch of salsa-beef chili using 1 lb. of ground turkey we bought on sale.

Signing off so I can get cooking!

Just be Frugal!
Mary

Free Sample Pack - Katz Gluten Free Products

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:11:00 +0000

Get a FREE Katz assorted Gluten Free Sample Pack – Use Coupon Code SAMPLE To Receive It For Free (plus shipping).

Limit 1 Per Customer- Shipping Charges Apply

To see a list of all the items included in this sample pack, visit Stockpiling Moms. Also, while you're there, check out the Gluten Free Coupons list!

Just Be Frugal!
Mary

Chick-fil-A is offering nutritious kid's meals!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:06:00 +0000

Okay, admitedly Chick-fil-A is not the least expensive fast food restaurant around. But if you go for quality, they can't be beat! I admire them as well for adhering to their beliefs and not opening on Sundays.

Now Chick-fil-A is taking another step in continuing to address the issue of childhood obesity by debuting one of the nation’s most nutritious kid’s meals.

Click HERE for details.

Frugal living isn't only about spending less. It's also about spending money wisely. You may spend a little more when you treat your family to an occasional fast food meal, but you will be supporting a company that prides itself on great customer service and delicious food.

Now even children on a restricted, gluten-free diet can enjoy a family night out as a treat!

Big Stockpiling Step

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:02:00 +0000

Can you say 50% off?! Kroger has many 50% off items this week - from frozen vegetables, Kroger frozen breakfast sandwiches (just as good as McDonalds!), salad dressing, hot chocolate mix and so much more! They also had a huge meat sale plus lots of other "regular" sale items.

Kroger is also still running the P&G buy 4 items, get $4 back at checkout!

What a great way to kick off stockpliling in 2012!

We stocked up on:
Spaghetti sauce
frozen vegetables
hamburger helper
beef roast, pork loin, ground turkey, boneless, skinless chicken breast
English muffins
frozen breakfast sandwiches
salad dressing
pasta

We paired many of the 50% off items with coupons to add to the savings. My husband started the shopping trip and called for reinforcements when I got off work. Working together saved us lots of time and our bottom line was about a 43% savings!

Tomorrow I'll be making a trip to Target to buy 10 Smart Ones with the $10 Target gift card my husband got for buying my Kindle there at Christmas. I'll stack the $3 off 10 Target coupon and the $3 off ten manufacturer coupon. I'll get a $5 Target gift card for buying 10 Smart Ones.

Final price for 10 Smart Ones will be $18.90 minus $6 (stacked coupons) = $13.90; minus $10 gift card = $3.90. Plus I'll walk away with $5 gift card. That equals: moneymaker!

My son had started an inventory of pantry items over the weekend. Tonight I used the shopping list to update the list, adding meats, frozen foods, bread and crackers. The lists will be posted and strict instructions have been issued: If you use it, mark it off the list.

Next step: plan menus based on my stockpiled items!

Take Inventory and Make Menus

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:31:00 +0000

In order to know what I need to buy at the store, I need to know what I already have in the pantry and freezer! I had a pretty good idea until the holidays rolled around but now it's a lot more "hit and miss." Way too many phone calls from the store . . . asking if we need this item or that item.

This weekend I will finally put away the last remnants of Christmas and do a "new year inventory" of pantry and freezers. It's a little daunting, but I'll feel so much better when I'm done! And I'll have a much better handle on the items I like to stockpile.

I thinned out all my expired coupons last weekend (many expired December 31). This weekend I'm also going to plan some dinner menus around the items I already have on hand. That will also save grocery dollars. (Yes, we try to eat dinner as a family whenever our schedules allow it, even though our household includes 3 adults.)

I've already started the Frugal Weight Loss Challenge sponsored by Stockpiling Moms -- or as I have grown to call it: The Excruciating De-Tox Eating Plan! If you'd like to join, it's absolutely free and guidelines are simple--no counting or weighing. The challange actually starts on January 9th, so there's still time to sign up.

What are your frugal/organization/challenges for the weekend?

Stockpiling: How Much is Too Much?

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:18:00 +0000

The idea of stockpiling may be a new concept to some. In the past I had visions of every square inch of space in my home overrun with years and years worth of provisions!

Some of the latest reading I've done indicates that sales generally run in 3-month cycles. So, for instance, if a particular brand of spaghetti sauce goes on sale, it will probably be about 3 months before you will be able to take advantage of the low price again.

I also used to only save coupons for items I was used to buying - or thought I preferred. I now ask myself if I would buy something if I could get the price low enough vs. a brand I was used to. That's made a difference in how I coupon!

There are some items I just won't plain need: anything baby-related (until some grandchildren come along), most juices, and several other items. So I don't even worry about coupons for those items. There are also some brands of deoderant, shampoo, etc., that are the "only" brand my husband and son will use.

But there a plenty of other items that I will give up my brand loyalty for. Those are the items I save coupons for. Then I follow the sites that offer coupon match-up deals, like Stockpiling Moms.

I've started a list of items I'd like to stockpile so when they do go on sale and/or I have coupons, I can stock up. Sometimes I feel like I buy the same things over and over every week or so!

By stockpiling I can get the lowest price by combing sales and coupons and save time at the grocery store because I'll only be buying stockpile items and produce!

The quantity of stockpiled you'll accumulate depend upon the size of your family. A family with two adults and several children will obviously stockpile more than my family of 3 adults! By using the 3-month guideline, you can shop wisely.

You may need to start out tracking your consumption patterns before you begin stockpiling. You could start a notebook to track how much your family consumes of each item per month. That will give you a good idea of what a 3-month supply would look like. So with a little planning and you too can stockplie to save time and money!

Just be frugal!

Mary

Frugal Weight Loss Challenge & CVS score!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:35:00 +0000

I was pleasantly surprised by two things during my trip to CVS yesterday! When I scanned my card at the kiosk, I received a $3 extra bucks coupon (didn't realize I had earned any!) that I applied to my first transaction. I also received a coupon for $1 off CVS brand cold medication ($5 or more) and $2 off Breathe Right Nasal Strips! I had added both of these items at the last minute to my shopping list as they were requested by family members!

I ended up saving 34% on my first transaction and over 65% on my second transaction!

The other surprise is that I met a very sweet lady in CVS with both CVS and Kroger sale fliers and an envelope of coupons. (A kindred spirit!) She looked a little overwhelmed and I don't remember how we struck up a conversation, but we chatted about how to maximize savings -- I shared some of the great tips I've learned from other bloggers. I gave her my blog link, so I hope she'll stop by and let me know how she did! I was thrilled to help out a "newbie" and pay it forward.

Finally, I'm excited that Stockpiling Moms is hosting a Frugal Weight Loss Challenge. Click on the link to learn how to join up! Check back often to learn how I'm doing! I opted for losing 10 pounds in 6 weeks. Hopefully, I'll do even better, but I want to be healthy--and realistic!

Do you have weight loss goals for 2012? Join the challenge! It won't cost you a penny and you'll receive encouragement AND accountability!

Just Be Frugal,
Mary

CVS Stockpiling - Extra Bucks and Donating Food

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:25:00 +0000

Besides Kroger, my two favorite stores are CVS and Target. I don't buy too many groceries at Target, but they do allow coupon stacking, so if I have to run by there anyway, I'll try to bring along a few coupons. They have terrific customer service too.

I like CVS because they offer Extra bucks on many items and a good variety of products. I also like scanning my CVS card at the kiosk in the front of the store to get "instant" coupons and free items.

This week, with four coupon inserts (I bought 2 papers) and 2 inserts we received in a weekly delivery of a local newspaper, I'm really going to stock up on a couple of items and save money in general on some items I need.

Here's my plan for CVS:

Transaction 1) Buy 2 Colgate toothpaste, get $2 Extra bucks, use 2 $1 off coupons

Kellogg's Special K cereal, bars, crackers, chips - 3/$10 with card; plus receive $4 extrabucks reward on 3 and use $1 off 3 coupon or $1 off 2 coupon

Use $6 extrabucks from transaction #1 for

Transaction 2) Nature Made Vitamins - Buy one Get One free: I'm going to use 1 $1 off multivitamins, 1 $1 off B vitamins, 1 $1 off vitamin D .
2a) Clairol Nice N Easy colorblend foam, $3 off
2b) Slimfast 2/$9, use 3 coupons Buy one Get one free
2c) Pringles - 2 for $3 - use 1 $1 off 4 coupon
2d) Chef Boyardee canned pastas - 10/$10 - 2 $1 off 5 coupons
2e) Bayer Aspirin - Buy one Get one 50% off - 1 $1 off 1 coupon
2f) Snack pudding - 10/$10 - 2 $1 off 5 coupons
2g) Swiffer refills $8.99 - 1 $1 off coupon
2h) Fiber One cereal - 2/$6 - 2 $.75 off coupons

We're going to donate some of the canned pastas and pudding to a local food bank. One of the benefits of saving money, is that is gives the opportunity to share with others.

Frual living is about more than clipping coupons!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:35:00 +0000

Being frugal and adopting a frugal lifestyle isn't just about spending less or devoting hours of time on couponing! I spend about 30-40 minutes a week clipping coupons, visiting blogs like Hip2Save, Saving Addiction, Stretching A Buck, Mommy's Wish List, and several others.

These blogs offer match ups with store sales and currently running coupons - so I don't have to spend a lot of time doing it myself. More thank just matching grocery coupons, these blogs also alert readers to on-line sales and coupon deals.

At each of these blogs, you'll also read that to them, living frugally is about more than 'clipping coupons.' The blog, Couponing For Disney was created as a result of one woman's desire to take her family on a Disney vacation. She realized she needed to either make more money (not practicable) or save enough to finance a vacation.

These blogs offer step-by-step ways to change your lifestyle, modify your perspective and achieve your financial goals. It can be overwhelming to dive in head first and try to make the changes all at one time. These ladies can help you pick and choose where and how to start.

I save at least 25-28% on every grocery trip and aim for 33% on each trip -- I've even gotten my husband to use coupons! He has actually achieved our highest percentage of savings @ 44% on one grocery trip! (You can bet he doesn't let me forget it every time I report my latest savings to him.) I could spend more time and probably save more, but it's important to calculate the value of your time. It's really a personal choice. With persistence and good planning, I have raised my expectations on grocery and other savings in the coming year. I'll probably devote a few more minutes a week to my efforts.

One of the most helpful, and I think important, things I did this year, was develop a simple spreadsheet showing when our bills are due - divided into 4 weeks. It was pretty interesting, and also helpful because it helps us determine if we should make and unplanned purchase during the current week, or wait. Even if the item is something you want and is available at a deep discount, it's not a good deal, if buying it means you won't have enough left in the bank to pay your bills or have to put the purchase on a credit card.

This year I plan to build my stockpile inventory with the help of Stockpiling Moms.

What's the smartest thing you've done to live more frugally?

Impromptu shopping can still yield mega savings

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:50:00 +0000

I really did not feel like leaving the house today, but after going through my coupon file, I realized lots of them were expiring today! I checked the Kroger ad on line and then matched up as many coupons as I could.

Many of their items were 50% off or buy one get one free that I matched with coupons: Athenos Hummus (also on sale), candy bars (on sale) (buy 2 get one free), Hillshire Farms Sausage (1/2 price), select Kellogg's cereals (50% off).

I also got 4 bags M&M's on sale @ 2/$6 and used 2-$1.00 off 2 bags coupons.
2 bottles Spice Island Vanilla on sale @ $4.99 each and used $1.00 off 2 spice island products.
Slimrite (Kroger brand SlimFast) on sale for $6.99 - used $1.50 off 8 pack Catalina coupon from a previous visit.

Lunchables were on sale @ 3/$6.

Kroger Wholesome Home Classic Pizzas were on sale @ 2/$10.

I had 5 reusable bags @ $.05 each; used my son's employee discount on Kroger products ($3.17 total)
Finally, I bought bag of bows for 50% off.

My final savings = 35%

To the woman behind me in line at the checkout who wasn't very happy that I asked the cashier to ensure the bows were 1/2 price and then handed him all my coupons: deal with it:-)

Initial total: $179.16
I paid: $113.92!

Not bad for what was technically and impromptu trip to the grocery store!

Finally . . . I used my Kroger 123 Rewards Visa Card - giving me a reward of: 3 points for Kroger brands; 2 points for non-Kroger brands purchased at Kroger. So far we've earned $10 in rewards - and by February, by the time they pay out their rewards, I plan to have at least $20.

I understand tomorrow's paper will have FOUR coupon inserts!! I can't decide if I want 3 or 4 Sunday papers . . .

More non-traditional holiday savings

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:54:00 +0000

Unique ways I saved an extra $8 at Kroger: As a Kroger loyalty card holder, I receive great coupons in the mail periodically. One of the most recent ones that came in handy (and saved me money) was: spend $25 on Hallmark Expressions cards, save $5. I stocked up on greeting cards (and received fuel points).

I also saved $3 for buying 4 participating General Mills participating items - yesterday I stocked up on Pillsbury cookie dough plus used a coupon to save $1/3. I bought 3 rolls of cookie dough and 1 pack of Pillsbury Sweet Moments bit size cheesecake brownies.

I stocked up on other baking supplies (I make most of my holiday baked goods from scratch). Even purchasing expensive items like several varieties of baking chips, brown sugar and other supplies, I saved 22%!

If you know someone (including yourself!) who loves steaks and other great quality food, I just snagged a great deal from Plum District: It's only available for 5 days, so if you are interested, you need to act soon. $75 for The Holiday Festival Package from Omaha Steaks - a $132 Value. Today only, save $30 more by using this code: saturday40. That makes the final price just $45--a 65% savings!!

Did you have lots of Thanksgiving leftovers? I'd love to hear your ideas and recipes? I'll be posting some of mine later this weekend.

Non-traditional Black Friday savings and deals

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:37:00 +0000

I, for one, will NOT be out shopping on Black Friday (and I'm going to try to avoid it on Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving as well)!

That being said, if you are one of those brave souls who will not doubt find amazing bargains, I'd like to offer you some additional great deals! After all, you should be rewarded for helping the economy by "shopping til you drop"!

You have to stop to eat at some point, right? Why not buy one (or more) of these restaurant and other gift cards:
Applebee’s — In-store only: Buy $50 in gift cards, get $10 bonus card.
Arby’s – Buy $20 giftcard, get a FREE Combo meal.
Barnes & Noble — Buy $100 in gift cards, get free $10 eGift card.

To see even more restaurants offering free gift cards, food, or other treats in exchange for gift card purchases, stop by Mommy's Wish List.

Want to get all your gift cards in one place AND save a ton of money on gas for driving from store to store on Black Friday? Through 12/11/11, Kroger is offering quadruple fuel rewards points on many of the gift cards sold at its in store kiosk (excludes Kroger grocery gift cards). That means, if you purchase a $25 gift card, you'll earn 100 fuel rewards points. The rewards points can be redeemed for discounts of up to $0.10 per gallon on fuel at Shell stations and up to $1 per gallon at Kroger fuel centers.

What other "non-traditional" deals do you know about?

Frugal Family Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 01:06:00 +0000

Tonight my husband, son and I went out to eat at Silver Diner. They have a great new menu, but the prices have increased a bit so we really got creative to save 35% on our dinner bill.

We used a $5 off coupon we received via email for being a Silver Diner Rewards Club member (a great perk to belonging to the club is the 'random' coupons we receive periodically in addition to a free meal (including dessert) on your birthday.

Then we had two "free milk shake or dessert" coupons my son and I received the last time we ate there and each filled out a survey.

Our initial bill was $49.40
free milkshake - $5.69 (son)
free dessert - $5.89 (husband)
coupon - $5.00

Total bill: $33.85

Not bad! A little over $10 each and we were all full and happy!

Record savings @ Kroger and more stockpiling

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:55:00 +0000

Today I achieved my personal best savings at Kroger: 58%!

Here's how I did it today:
Coupons:
$1 on 3 Gen Mills Cereals (Also part of buy 4 save $3) (limit rewards per transaction)
$1 on 3 Nature Valley or Fiber One bars (Also part of buy 4 save $3)
$.50 on Pillsbury Refrigerator Pie Crusts (doubled)
2 - $.35 on Bob Evans Refrigerated Side Dishes (both doubled) - on sale for 2/$6
$1 on 2 Idahoan Potatoes (on sale 10/$10)
$.60 on 3 Green Giant FrozenBox Vegetables (on sale for 10/$10)
2 - $1.00 on 2 Reddi Whip (on sale for $2/$4)
$1 on 1 Digorno Rising Crust Pizza (on sale for $5.50)
$1 on Kroger Truly Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookies(on sale for 2/$5) (got this coupon and part of my Bzz campaign)
Buy 3 Stove Top Stuffing, receive $.75 on next shopping order
I also earned a second frozen turkey at $.39/lb for spending $25 (one per transaction)

Tuesday is senior day (I'm barely eligible!) so I got an additional 5% off my total order.

My register total: $113.18 - I paid $66.46 - for a total saving of 58%! Woo Hoo!

Stockpile Items this trip: Stove Top Stuffing, cereal

Of course I used my Kroger 123Rewards Visa Card and earned points toward a Kroger gift card.

Have you made a comment on my previous post to receive a $1 off Kroger The Truly Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Have you started stockpiling to save money and time?

Kroger's The Truly Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookies Really Are! (totally awesome, that is)

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:27:00 +0000

I registerd to be a Bzzagent with Buzzagent.com some time ago and never really became active until recently. My latest BuzzCampaign assignment arrived on Saturday. I received 2 boxes of The Truly Awesome Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies to taste and review.

We absolutely love these cookies! The first ingredient on the ingredient list: chocolate chips! Made with real butter,each of these cookies has 120 calories, 6 gm fat. There are only 8 cookies per box, but the cookies are about 2X the size of Chips Ahoy and other chocolate cookies on the market. The Truly Awesome cookies ar a bit pricey, but i will definitely stock up when they go on sale or I have coupons.

Your family is going to love these, and you for bringing them home. I'm trying them for free because I'm a BzzAgent! I received 4 $1.00 off coupons and I'm giving away one to each of the first three readers who leave me a comment! (Sorry . . . I have to keep one for myself or my family will kill me!)

Exclusively available at Kroger, Fred Meyer and Ralphs stores (the Kroger Family of Stores)

Kroger Mega Event and coupons = 40% savings!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:51:00 +0000

2 frugal transactions on Sunday:
1st stop was CVS:
1st transaction: $1 off 2 jars Smucker jam plus receive $3.00 ECB - total $3.13
2nd transation: 1 Jar peanut butter and 1 bag 75% off Halloween candy - free:-)

Next stop:

Kroger has been running Mega Event savings specials for several weeks now. This week I really prepared my shopping trip. I bought 40 Mega Even items (buy 10 participating items, save $5) so I automatically saved $20 right off the top.

I also used coupons on these Mega Event items for additional savings:
1 - $.50 off 1 Steamfresh vegetables
1 - $2.00 off 5 Healthy Choice entrees
2 - $.55 Pepperidge Farms Texas Toast
2 - $.25 on 4 Campbell's condensed soups (one of my stockpile items this week)
1 - $.50 on 5 cans Swanson broth (2nd stockpile item)
2 - $.40 Pillsbury crescent rolls - also used this purchase toward: Save $3 on Butterball premium w/ purchase of 4 selected items
Used a $2 "thanks for purchasing GE lighting" from my last shopping trip
Also purchased 1 Axe Shower Gel & got one free

Total manufacturer coupons: $17.13
Total bonus coupons (from doubling up to $.50): $2.60

Spent: $84.83 - saved $55.48 or 40%

I also earned 102 fuel points (since our son is an employee, we benefit from his 10% employee discount on Kroger brand products0 this order ($.10 off/gallon for every $100 spent) and paid my bill with Kroger's 123 Rewards Card (up to 3 points per dollar) - $1000 spent = $5 reward.

Pretty happy with myself. We donated some of the soup and broth plus the peanut butter from CVS to the food bank our church supports.

A New Adventure: Stockpiling

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:21:00 +0000

Wow! I can't believe I haven't posted since May!! Life has been very busy at our house, as demonstrated by my lack of posting! I've been busy learning more about couponing and stockpiling though!

I recently discovered Stockpilingmoms.com and have become a huge fan! Melissa and Shelley and two awesome ladies who share their knowledge of stockpiling, couponing, and just generally saving money on groceries and other items.

I've learned a lot, already saved a lot, and recently began their Stockpiling 101 series. This past week I began a new adventure: stockpiling. I'm not talking about stockpiling so much stuff we have to add a wing on our house! These ladies suggest a 3-month stockpile. That works for me. I've started with laundry detergent and toothpaste - because I caught a good sale and had high-value coupons.

I invite you to join me! I'm combining stepped up coupooning with stockpiling to save even more than in the past. I'm using my extra savings over the next year to make some home improvements and maybe even take a nice vacation. What would you do with a few extra dollars in the bank?

I've also posted on facebook that I've purchased several gift cards for half price (one $10 CVS card for $5; two $10 Subway cards for $5 each) through savemore.com. If you visit, please use my referral link.

What are some great sites you visit often?

Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program=free books!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Mon, 23 May 2011 10:33:00 +0000

Who: Barnes & Noble

What: Imagination's Destination summer reading program for children grades 1-6. Details here.

When: May 24th thru September 6th.

Where: Find your nearest Barnes & Noble here.

How: Kids can earn ONE book from Barnes & Noble when they read 8 books of their choice over the summer and submit the list to Barnes & Noble in the form of a Journal.

BONUS: It's available in English (pages 1 & 2 of Passport) and Spanish (pages 3 & 4).

Thanks to Mommy's Wish List!

Target beats out Wal-Mart prices on many items

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Mon, 16 May 2011 22:40:00 +0000

While I've always liked Target a lot, and even found some good prices--plus the fact they "stack" store issued and manufacturer coupons, I was surprised to learn they beat out Wal-Mart in the low-price war!

In an article from Jeanine Poggi at MSN-partner site "The Street"
details:

According to pricing studies conducted by Customer Growth Partners, a consumer research firm, January, February and March all revealed Target's prices were lower than Wal-Mart's. The monthly study, which is conducted in four states, compares products across segments, including 30 fresh, frozen and nonperishable groceries, eight household chemicals, paper and other consumables like detergent, seven health and beauty aids like shampoo and counter medicines, and 10 general merchandise items like apparel and toys.

There is a caveat in the article, though: "According to the Kantar study, Wal-Mart was cheaper in edible grocery items by about 1% and has a 3.4% advantage over Target with non-grocery home goods."

You can read the entire article here. The moral of the story: It pays to compare prices and match coupons with store sales.

Which store do you prefer, Target or Wal-Mart?

33% Off Grocery trip to Kroger

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Sat, 14 May 2011 17:47:00 +0000

It's not secret I love Kroger! Even before my son started working there, I shopped Kroger for the prices, coupons, quality products and discount gas. Now that he is a Kroger employee, we benefit even more by receiving 10% off all Kroger-branded items!

Today I only needed "fill-in" items. I received a pack of Kroger brand coupons earlier in the week (these are generated based on my buying habits - tracked via my Kroger card usage.

I had 5 reusable bags, so saved 25 cents right off the bat! I had a $5 off coupon when you spend $50 coupon and a $1.50 off coupon when you spend $10 on sodas (any brand). I don't usually buy sodas, but the guys like them for their lunches, so stocked up in order to use the coupon.

I had these additional coupons for:
2 packs of Kroger shredded cheese (40 cents each-doubled) (on sale)
1 pack of Frigo Cheese sticks ($1.00)
1 bag Fresh Express Salads (40 cents-doubled)
Kroger brand pizza ($1.00) (on sale for $6.99)
2 Pillsbury refrigerator breads (40 cents-doubled)
Oscar Mayer Hot dogs ($1.00).

Most of my other items were Kroger brand, except for a cucumber, and marked down pork chops (which I will divide into three freezer bags for meals later).

Total before coupons and discounts? $97.43. Amt. paid at checkout: $65.30

My total savings with coupons, discouts and marked down items: 33%!

Coupons and Bonus Savings like Free Money

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Sun, 08 May 2011 11:40:00 +0000

I saved a ton from my trip to CVS. My husband had purchased something earlier in the week and received a "Save $5 on a $15 purchase" coupon at the bottom of his receipt.

I checked the CVS ad on line and found the Maybelline Mascara I use was on sale AND offered a $2 Extra Bucks coupon when you spend $7. I bought the mascara as a separate purchase and my total for the Mascara was $12. 16.

Then I scanned my CVS card and received 2 coupons for savings on Twizzlers and Milky Way bars. (I'm not a big fan of buying candy, but my husband and son get really a little panicky if I don't keep some in the house:-)

I bought
2 cans of Deluxe Mixed Nuts (saved $2.65 each),
2 bags of 75% off chocolate eggs
1 bag of Twizzlers and
Mother's day card for my mother-in-law.
At the check-out I used the $5 off coupon, the $2 EB coupon from the Mascara purchase, $.25 off two Milky Way Bars and $1.00 coupon off Twizzlers (also on sale).

Total paid: $12.42
Total savings: $17.75

I haven't been shopping too much at CVS, but I think I'm going to be more vigilant about potential saving opportunities again!

How have you saved money at CVS this week?

Back to Cooking from Scratch

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:53:00 +0000

I used to cook and bake almost everything from scratch. When I went back to work full time several years ago, that practice gradually fell by the wayside. In my latest "spend less on food" adventure, I've been looking for good, easy, relatively inexpensive meals. Thought I'd share part of tonight's dinner first:

Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dip from All You! May 2011 issue

Prep: 15 mins.
Cook: 40 min. Chill: up to 2 hours
Serves:10 (3 of us finished these off quickly!)
Cost per serving $1.61

Dip:
4 oz. crumbled blue cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 TBS red wine vinegar
1 TBS lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Wings:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cut hot sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot) I used 1/8 of a cup!
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 TBS spicy brown mustard
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 TBS sugar
4 TBS unsalted butter
3 lb. chicken wings, tips removed, wings separated at joints (I bought a bag of these frozen and all ready to go)

Make dip ahead and refrigerate

Preheat oven to 450 deg. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

In a small pan or microwave safe bowl, combine all sauce ingredients, heat until blended. Coat wings. Cook for 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Stay tuned! Coming up: Apricot Round Steak, Hero Joe Sandwiches, Unstuffed Pepper Bake.

One way we've been saving on our grocery bill is to purchase groceries through Angel Food Ministries.

Discount Pizza Codes!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Moss) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 14:14:00 +0000

Ordering Pizza for the big game tonight?

Two for one large pizzas at Domino’s with online promo code access.

Domino’s Free Cinnastix with any order with promo code EBCS.

Papa John’s Pizza - large two topping pizza and two 20 oz drinks for $12.99. Use promo code victory.

Thanks so much to Lori at More With Less Today for these codes!