Meijer - Free International Delight Creamers!!

Sorry! It appears the coupon is for the 32oz bottle and the 16oz bottle is the one on sale for .99. I didn't realize this and I usually check the coupons, but for some reason, this one got past me. I'm really sorry!! I guess I was just so excited to have some yummy hot chocolate!! I did use 4 of them last night and they didn't beep. I don't know why they didn't, but they should've. Again, I'm sorry.
International Delight Creamers are free this week at Meijer after coupon!! Use the .55 off 1 coupon from the 10/12 Redplum insert and when it doubles it will be free!! Remember Meijer only doubles two identical coupons per order, so if you have more than two coupons, be sure to separate them into different orders so all of your coupons will double!!

I love to add this to hot chocolate to make it extra creamy!! Yummy!!

I went shopping tonight at Meijer and Kroger and I'll post all the deals I found tomorrow.

Thrifty Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving dinner can be very expensive if you're not careful.  I am hosting the dinner for my husband's family.  All together there will be 5 adults and 4 children.  I am also making 2 pies and bringing corn and green beans to another dinner at my parents house earlier in the day.  When I host, I like to provide a nice amount of food.  I know it's way more than any of us can eat, but I like to have everything there.  Here's the menu I have planned:

Turkey

Gravy

Dressing (stuffing)

Corn

Green Beans

Crock-pot Cranberry Sauce

Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

Biscuits

Pumpkin Pie

Pecan Pie

Pilgrim Pies (yummy little pumpkin cakes made into sandwiches with cream cheese filling, our family favorite for 3 years now!!!)

Oatmeal Cookies (we omit the cinnamon and raisins and add walnuts!)

And for my parents House:

Pumpkin Pie

Butterscotch Pie

Corn

Green Beans

This is the compiled list of ingredients I need to accomplish this and their corresponding prices.  All of these were done using sales, coupons and shopping at Aldi's.  The orange colored items are things I had to specifically buy for this dinner.  Everything else I had on hand from my stockpile.  

• 12lb Turkey - 7.73 (.59 per lb)
  
• 5lb Potatoes - 1.25 (2.50 per 10lb bag)
  
• 3 Cans of Sweet Potatoes - 2.07 (.69 each can)
  
• 1 Bag of Marshmallows - .79
  
• 2 Bags of Frozen Corn - 0
  
• 1 Bag of Cranberries - .99
  
• 2 Boxes of Stove Top Stuffing - 0
  
• 1 Stalk of Celery .10 (.69 per bunch)
  
• 1 Carton of Chicken Broth - .67
  
• 4 1/2 C of Bisquick - .40  (1.50 per box)
  
• 4 1/2 C of Milk - .63 (2.25 per gallon)
  
• 2 Cans of Evaporated Milk - 0
  
• 4 Cans of Green Beans - 1.32 (.33 each)
  
• 3 Cans of Pumpkin - 2.37 (.79 each)
  
• 15 Eggs - .86 (.69 per dozen)
  
• 6 1/2 C Brown Sugar - .81 (.50 per 4C bag)
  
• 1/2 tsp Ginger .05
  
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg .05
  
• 4 Refrigerated Pie Shells 3.40
  
• 6 sticks of Butter - 1.50 (1.00 per 4 stick box)
  
• 3 Tblsp + 1 Tsp of Vanilla - 2.67 (1.99 per 2oz bottle)
  
• 5 C Flour - .35 (1.33 per 5lb bag)
  
• 2 Tsp Baking Soda - .05
  
• 3 C Oats - 0
  
• 1 C Walnuts - 1.70
  
• 1 C Dark Karo Syrup - .30 (1.79 per bottle)
  
• 1 C Pecans - 2.10
  
• 4 Tsp Salt - .03
  
• 4 Tsp Pepper - .05
  
• 1 C Vegetable Oil - .48
  
• 1 Tblsp Pumpkin Pie Spice - .05
  
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder - .03
  
• 4 oz Cream Cheese - .13
  
• 4 C Powdered Sugar .50 (.50 per 4C bag)
  
• 1/2 C Orange Juice .07 (1.09 per frozen concentrate)
  
• 1/4 Tsp Cinnamon .02
  
• 1 1/2 C Sugar .13 (1.00 per 5lb bag)
  
• 1 Container of Cool-Whip - 0

Now the grand total for how much this dinner technically cost is 33.65.  That may seem like a lot for one dinner, but it's Thanksgiving!!  You could easily cut out a lot of this and halve the bill.  Like I said, I like to serve a lot of food!!  Most of the ingredients I already had on hand anyway, so it really only cost me 24.17 to complete the meal (and 7.73 of that was the turkey alone!!).  And remember two of the pies and half of the veggies are going to another dinner so that's probably 4 dollars or so of the total.  So if I subtracted 4.00 from 33.65  I'd have 29.65 for the big dinner which will feed 9 and that comes out to 3.29 per person, which is still cheaper than a Combo Meal at a fast food place!!  And I'm sure we'll have tons and tons of leftovers!!!

Well that's the plan for our dinner, feel free to share any tips, recipes or ideas you have for Thanksgiving dinner!!!

Kroger & Meijer - Deals for the Week of 11/16

I shopped Meijer and Kroger and found some great deals that I thought I'd share. Here's what I found, first Meijer and then Kroger:

Del Monte canned vegetables are .50 each. Use the 1.00 off 4 coupon from the 11/16 Redplum insert to pay 1.00 for 4 cans (.25 each).

Del Monte 50% Less Salt canned vegetables are also .50 each. Use the .30 off 1 coupon from the 11/16 Redplum to get them free!!

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers frozen vegetables are .89. Use the 1.00 off 1 coupon from the 11/16 Smartsource insert to get those free!!

Betty Crocker boxed potatoes are 1.00. Use the .35 off 1 coupon from the 11/16 Smartsource insert to pay .30 each.

McCormick Gravy Mixes are on sale. Some are .45 each and some are .89 each. Use the .25 off 2 coupon from the 11/2 Redplum insert to pay .40 for two (.20 each) or 1.28 for two (.64 each).

Keebler Pie Crusts are 1.33. Use the .25 off 1 coupon from the 11/9 Redplum insert to pay .83 each.

Pillsbury Refrigerated Sweet Rolls are 1.25. Use the .30 off 1 coupon from the 11/9 Smartsource insert to pay .65 each.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese is 1.25. Use the .50 off 2 coupon from the 11/2 Smartsource insert to pay .75 each. Plus there is a catalina deal on these (coupon that prints at the register to use on your next order). I bought 6 and got a 3.00 catalina. This also works at Kroger which is a better deal because if you buy 6 and use 3 coupons, at Meijer only two coupons will double but at Kroger all three will double and you'll still get the catalina. At Meijer after you consider the catalina, it's like paying .33 each at Kroger it's like paying .25 each.

Progresso Chicken Broth (in the carton) is 1.67. Use the 1.00 off 1 coupon from the 11/16 Smartsource insert to pay .67 each.

Knorr/Lipton Pasta and Rice Sides are 1.00. Use the .75 off 2 coupon from the 11/16 Redplum insert to pay 1.00 for two (.50 each).

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Like I mentioned above Philadelphia Cream Cheese is 1.25. If you buy 6 and use three .50 off 2 coupons you'll pay 4.50 and get back a 3.00 catalina which makes them net only .25 each.

Tennessee Pride Sausage Gravy is 1.00. Use the .55 off 1 coupon from the 11/16 Redplum insert to get them free!!

Betty Crocker Frostings are 1.50. Use the .50 off 1 coupon from the 11/16 Smartsource insert to pay .50 each. Plus you can load a .55 off 1 coupon here to your Kroger Plus Card and get one free after paper coupon and e-coupon!!

Green Giant Boxed Vegetables are 1.00. Use the .50 off 2 coupon from the 11/16 Smartsource insert to pay 1.00 for 2 (.50 each). Plus you can load a .50 off 2 coupon here and pay .50 for two boxes (.25 each) after paper coupon and e-coupon.

Bird's Eye Steamfresh frozen vegetables are 1.00. Use the .35 off 1 coupon from the 10/12 Smartsource insert to pay .30 each.

Kroger has their turkey's on sale this week also. If you buy a Riverside, Honeysuckle or Butterball turkey you can get 7.00 off for a turkey that weighs between 10 and 16lbs or you can get 12.00 off for a turkey that weights more than 18lbs. I got two one for our Thanksgiving dinner and one just for another dinner down the road. I got an almost 13lb Riverside one for 7.73 and an around 11lb one for 5.78. Those come out to about .59 a pound.

Fresh celery is .69 each.

Those are the deals I found while shopping this past two days. If you found more, please share with us!!!

I'll have my Thrifty Thanksgiving post ready tomorrow, so stop back for that!!! Have a good week!!

Kroger, Meijer, CVS & Thanksgiving - A Cornucopia of Info!!

This picture has nothing to do with this post and since I didn't really have a picture that did go with this post, I thought I'd just share this one!! These are paper mache frogs (well paper mache covered tissue boxes!!) that we made while reading Aesop's Fable, The Frogs Who Wished for a King!! Aren't they cute???


Just A Note:

Kroger is doing the Mega Event again this week, so if you still have coupons, head on over to there and get some more great deals. There were a few coupons in this past weeks paper that you can use, like Tylenol Rapid Release Gels and Hormel Pepperoni.

I made a quick look over Meijer's ad online and didn't see a whole lot. They have Bob Evan's Frozen Breakfasts on sale 1/2 price and with coupons that could be a good deal. Also certain Lysol cleaning products are 1/2 price, and again you could use coupons on that for a good deal.



I will be shopping on Friday this week, so after that I'll know a little more about what's out there. I should have my list ready sometime tomorrow, and I'll share that so you can see what I'm planning to purchase.



Other than that, you can stop over at CVS for Palmolive dish soap .24 after coupon and ECB, a free bottle of Smart Water (after ECB) and a Garnier Shampoo or Conditioner free after coupon and ECB.



Have a great week!!!

PS: I'm working on a Thrifty Thanksgiving post, as I've now decided to undertake my first full Thanksgiving meal for my husband's family. This should be interesting!!!

Kroger - A Few More Deals for the Mega Event

I went back to Kroger tonight and found a few more deals for the Mega Event they are having.  If you haven't seen all the great deals to be had there yet, click here for a big list!!  

Oh, and I went to the Kroger Marketplace in Lebanon and they were surprisingly stocked up on almost everything in the sale.  I got more Tylenol PM, Betty Crocker Potatoes, Carnation Evaporated Milk and a few others and found them all to be very stocked up.  The only thing I couldn't find was the cereal.  I wanted to get one box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (my son's favorite!!) and they were out of that, but overall I was thrilled with the stock!!  I was preparing myself on the drive there to just deal with them being out of most things, but I was pleasantly surprised!!

So anyway, you may have already read these on other blogs, but just in case here's what else I found:

Scotch-Brite Nail Saver Kitchen Sponges are free after the sale price, event and coupon (1.00 off 2 from the 10/26 Redplum insert).

Hunt's Large Can of Tomato Products (Crushed or Diced Tomatoes and Tomato Sauce) are priced at 1.50 and then will be 1.00 when you buy 10 items in the event.  You can use the .40 off 2 coupon from the 9/21 Smartsource and load the 1.00 off 5 from Shortcuts.com.  So if you buy 6 you'll pay 6.00 before coupons and if you three .40 off 2 and the 1.00 off 5 e-coupon you'll pay 2.60 for 6 very large cans (.43 each).  Thanks to Heather for informing me of this one!!

Dove Ice Cream Bars are priced at 2.50 and then 2.00 after you buy 10 items.  But the best part is, most of the boxes have coupons inside for 1.00 off another box of the bars and 2.00 off any container of Dove Ice Cream.  You can use both of those coupons for the Mega Event and get some really cheap ice cream!!

Well that's it for today!!  Let's Go Krogering!!!

Coupons - A Fellow Blogger Explains

Are you new to "couponing"??  Are you confused about what a Redplum is, or where you can find a Smartsource???  Well fellow Ohio blogger, Marcy @ Stretching A Buck, is doing a great series on explaining all the different sources of coupons.  She begins it today with explaining all the different inserts found in Sunday newspapers.  So click here and learn a ton!!  Thanks Marcy!!

Kroger - Deals for Week of 11/03 - It's a Mega Event!!!

Here it is!! My Kroger haul for today!! I ended up going to two Krogers (only about 8 miles apart and since I only paid 1.86 for gas yesterday I could afford to visit two!!!) and did a total of 3 orders. They are doing a Mega Event where you get 5.00 off your order automatically when you buy 10 participating products. So basically you get an extra .50 off each item when you buy 10. You're allowed to do 3 sets per transaction which is 30 items. So I did a two orders with 30 items each and one order with 20 items for a total of 80 items. I also found a few other great deals as well. Go ahead and make your guess now as to how much all this cost me. I'll reveal the total at the end!!

First the freebies:
12 3L Ice Mountain Waters - free after sale and coupon (1.00 off 2)
10 Tylenol PM - free after sale and coupon (2.00 off 1)
2 Tylenol Rapid Release Gels - free after sale and coupon (2.00 off 1)
12 Quaker Oats - free after sale and coupon (.50 off 1)
4 Carnation Evaporated Milks - free after sale and coupon (.50 off 2)
4 Colgate Toothpastes - free after sale and coupon (.75 off 1)
8 Bic Silky Touch Disposable Razors 10pk - free after sale and coupon (2.00 off 1)
*Not part of the Mega Event: 10 Mighty Dog Cans - free after get one free coupons and 1 Hamburger Helper - free after coupon found on box of Betty Crocker Potatoes for a free Hamburger Helper when you buy 3 Potatoes.

Total Amount of Free Items = 63!!!

Second - Items under .50 after sale and coupon:
8 Dial Soaps - .40 each after sale and coupon (.30 off 1)
2 Swiss Miss Hot Chocolates - .25 each after Shortcuts.com coupon (.50 off 2)
4 Betty Crocker Potatoes - two .30 each and two .20 each after sale and coupon (.35 off 1 and .40 off 1 printable).

Total Amount of Under .50 Items = 14

Third - All the Rest!
4 Toaster Streudels - .80 each after sale and coupon (.35 off 1)
4 Bags of Nestle Morsels - 1.00 each after sale and coupon (.50 off 1)
2 two packs of Duracell Batteries - 1.25 each after sale, paper coupon (.75 off 1) and P&G E-coupon (.50 off 1).
2 5lb Bags of Domino Sugar - 1.00 each after sale and coupon (.50 off 1)
2 Tony's Pizza - 1.50 each after sale (no coupon).
*Not part of Mega Event - Kroger Saltines .97 and 1 gallon of Organic Milk for 1.00 (expires today) which I plan to make homemade yogurt with and probably some pudding!!

Total of These Items = 16

Total Amount of Items All Together is 93. Regular Price for all of these items would total 220.73 and I paid...........


$24.55!!! For a savings of 89%!!!!

Wow thank you Lord for such bountiful blessings, I am always amazed at how good you are to me!!!!

PS: Thank you too Kroger for running a great sale, I appreciate you!

Meijer - Deals for Week of 11/02

I stopped by Meijer this afternoon and found some pretty good deals! Here's what I found:

All Glade Air Care Products are 1/2 off. We got coupons today (11/02) in the newspaper for lots of different Glade products. I got the aerosol sprays for free after coupon and the carpet deodorizer free after coupon.

*Note, on Friday a Catalina deal will begin with Glade products (buy 3 get 2.00, buy 4 get 3.00 or buy 5 and get 4.00 off your next order). The picture shows the Scented Oil Plug In Warmers, Scented Oil Refills and the small glass candles. So you may want to save your coupons until Friday to take advantage of this deal. It runs until 11/30.

Purex Fabric Softener is 2.49. Use the 1.00 off 1 coupon from the 9/28 Smartsource insert to pay only 1.49.

Welch's 100% Grape Juice is 2.50. Use the 1.00 off 1 coupon from the 10/5 Smartsource insert to pay 1.50.

Barilla Pasta Plus is 1.50. Use the 1.00 off 2 coupon from the 9/14 Smartsource insert to pay 1.00 each.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese is 1.25. Use the .50 off 2 coupon from today's insert to get two for 1.50 (.75 each).

Trident Gum is .79. Use the .55 off 1 coupon from the 9/21 Smartsource insert to get them free!!

Red and Black Grapes are .88 per pound.

Gallon Milk is 2.29. This is cheaper than Kroger's price for next week.

Well that's what I got today. But stay tuned for tomorrow's post because Kroger is looking really good!! They're having another Mega Event and I'm going first thing in the morning!!!

Meijer - Our Shopping Trip - 10/31

Let me tell ya, on trick or treat night, the stores are empty!!! We stopped by Target and Meijer after we did one hour of the two hour trick or treat time and found both stores eerily quiet!! But alas, at Meijer we got a few more deals before the week was over. Here's what we got (I did one order and my husband did another):

*2 Steamfresh Frozen Vegetables. We used one 1.00 off 2 Meijer Frozen Food Insert Coupon and two .35 off 1 paper coupons.
*2 Taco Bell Salsas. We used two 1.50 off 1 Meijer Mealbox Coupons
*4 Jell-O Boxes (I forgot my coupons for these, but they're still worth it with the catalina deal)
*2 Fleischman's 3pk yeast packs. We used two .45 off 1 coupons.
*2 Velveeta Shells and Cheese. We used one 2.00 off 2 Meijer Mealbox Coupon.
*3 Johnson's Buddies Soaps. We used one 3.00 off 3 coupon.
*2 Aunt Millie's Whole Grain Muffins. We used two .50 off 1 coupons.
*2 Breyers Ice Creams. We used one 1.00 off 2 Meijer Frozen Food Insert Coupon and two .50 off 1 coupons. (these are not pictured as they are refreezing as I type!)
*2 jars of Cinnamon.

Plus we used a total of 5.50 in Catalinas from previous orders. My husband paid 1.03 for his order and I paid 2.63 for a total of only 3.66!! And if that wasn't good enough, we got back another 5.00 in Catalina's, a 3.00 off 3 Johnson's coupon and a 4.00 off 20.00 in general merchandise coupon (good for Christmas presents!!)

Just to recap, because I was pretty proud of this one!! We paid 3.66 and got back 5.00!! We came out ahead 1.34 and brought home all these products!! Now that's what I'm talking about!!

Fall Family Fun Day - An Update

This was taken during our nature walk in the field and trails behind our house. It was pretty muddy after a day of rain so we had on our old pants and shoes, but it was so beautiful and sunny out and we found lots of leaves to make rubbings and cards with. It was very nice and very frugal!!

Here's my pie. It turned out very delicious!! I used the recipe on the back of the can of pumpkin from Aldi's. It was

1 15oz can of pumpkin

2 eggs slightly beaten

1 cup of brown sugar (it says you can use white sugar if you want to)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsps cinnamon

1 can evaporated milk (12oz)

1 9-in unbaked pie crust

You just mix all the ingredients and pour into the unbaked crust. Bake at 425 for 15 and then at 350 for 45 minutes. It really was delicious. We all enjoyed it!!

And here's the kids with their carved pumpkins. My son chose Mater from Cars and my daughter chose Pluto!!

Overall it was a very nice day. We did all of our "scheduled" activities and enjoyed some yummy food. I would definitely recommend a day like this when life is just crazy and you want to take time to be with the ones you love. It's so worth the $20 bucks!!

Yay, I got all three of my posts done tonight!! If you haven't seen the other two yet, just keep scrolling down!!!

Kmart - Double Dollar Days Until Nov. 1st

My Aunt Tricia emailed me to tell me that the Kmart in Springboro was participating in the Double Dollar Coupons Event. They are doubling coupons up to and including 2.00!!!! Here's a few rules I saw today when I was there:

1. If your item is priced under 4.00, you will only get the value of the item off, no overage.

2. You can only use 4 like coupons in any order.

3. You can only use 75 coupons in any order.

4. It runs until November 1st

My total today was $99 before coupons and $26 after (and I got a 3.69 toy for my son!!). Here's some of the deals I got:

• Oust Air Spray - free after coupon
• Dove Shampoos and Conditioners - free after coupon
• Lifesaver Gummi Savers - free after coupon
• Johnson & Johnson First Aid Gauze Pads - free after coupon
• Pepcid 8ct - .99 after coupon
• Resolve Carpet Cleaner - .99 after coupon
• Sunmaid 6pk raisins - .67 after coupon
• Welch's Grape Juice - 1.33 after coupon
• Hunt's Snack Packs - .25 after coupon
• Colgate Kids Toothpaste - .49 after coupon
• Purina Busy Bone Mini dog treats - .49 after coupon
• Glade Fabric and Air Spray - .79 after coupon

If I had more time I probably would've found more, but I spent an hour and half looking for these!!! And I just have to say that in the past I have been pretty disappointed in the condition and stock of most Kmart's I've been into, but this one was pleasantly stocked and looked very nice. I'll definitely stop by there again!!

It's located right off I-75, I think it's exit 39 (rt 73). Other stores may be participating, so you can call and ask, but I know this one is!!

Target - Glade Scented Oil Warmers

Alright, I'm going to post the Target one first because it's quick!!

If you buy 4 Glade Scented Oil Warmers in holiday scents (mine was apple) @ 2.50 each and 1 In Style Magazine @ 3.59, you can get a $5 Target gift card to use on your next purchase. I had 2.00 off 1 coupons for the warmers that I found in blinkie machines at Kroger and Kmart this past week or so, if you haven't gotten those yet, you should definitely check when you're at the store this week!! So I paid 5.59 and got back a 5.00 gift card.

You can also buy the Plug-In Refills @ 2.50 and use the buy one get one free coupon from the 9/28 Smartsource insert to pay 5.00 for 4 and 3.59 for the magazine for a total of 8.59 and then get back a 5.00 gift card.


Three tips:

1. Inside the warmer packages are more 2.00 off 1 coupons. So you could do this deal again if you wanted to using those coupons.

2. The cashier rang up the 4 warmers and before she rang up the magazine, it prompted her to ring up the gift card. So eventhough the sign said I had to buy all 5 products to get it, it appears that you need only to buy the 4 warmers!!! I went ahead and bought the magazine today. It's up to you to try, I can only let you know what happened today when I went through!!

3. If you do buy the In Style Magazine, there is a 1.00 off 1 Glade air product Target coupon in there that you could use on another order if you choose to do another order. Because it's a Target coupon you can combine it with a manufacturer coupon.

Stay Tuned - More Deals to Come!!

I have three posts I'm trying to get out in the next 24 hours so stay tuned!!  I'm going to post:

1.  Springboro Kmart is doing the Super Double Coupons and I went there this morning, so I'll share the details and some of the finds I got.

2.  Update on my Fall Family Fun Day complete with the requested pumpkin pie recipe.

3.  I stopped into Target today and saw a great Glade deal.  I'll share that as long as a little tip I found out as well!!

I'm trying to get to them, but I need to make dinner, clean up my house and fold some laundry!!  Please bare with me!!!  Hopefully late this evening or early tomorrow I'll have them finished!

I've been tagged - 3 times!!

Ok, I've been tagged by 3 different people!!! I've never done this before so bare with me!! I have to first acknowledge those who've tagged me. First Amy @ TipsFromAMomof3 Second Cheapsk8mom and Third Jessica @ JourneytoStayingHome.

Here's the official rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share seven facts about yourself.
3. Tag seven people, listing the links to their blogs.
4. Let the seven people know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Ok, so next is seven facts about me:

1. I went to Spain with a group from my high school. It was lots of fun!!! We visited Madrid, Seville, Toledo, the Mediterranean Coast, the Alhambra, the Royal Palace and even took a one day excursion to Morocco where I ate camel-kabobs (didn't know it at the time, I thought it was beef!).

2. I've lived all of my almost 30 years in Ohio, except for 3 and 1/2 years which were spent in the foreign land of Texas!!

3. My family and I travel to Walt Disney World at least once a year (10 times since November 2002) and have also visited Disneyland twice in that time!!

4. I worked for seven years at McDonald's!! I started when I was 14, took a year off around 18, and then came back and worked until I was 21!!

5. My favorite foods are Olive Garden's Chicken Alfredo and Outback Steakhouse's Victoria's Filet with a Baked Sweet Potato. When I'm being cheap I love me some Hamburger Helper (my family hates it though!!) or Campbell's Potato Soup!!

6. I love the fall!! I decorated the main living areas in my home to the colors of fall. We have golden yellow walls, red stained hardwood floors, copper colored cabinets in our kitchen, sage green sofas and rugs and curtains with all the colors combined. I love the warmth those colors generate. I also love anything to do with pumpkins!!

7. I love to scrapbook. I haven't done it much lately because I've kind of replaced the time I used for it with my couponing, but I'm hoping to get some going soon. I was a Creative Memories consultant for a few years and mainly did it to get discounts on my own products!! I love their products. Hopefully I'll get caught up in my lifetime!!

Ok, now I tag:

1. Amy W. @ AmytheCouponQueen - NeverPayFullPrice!
2. FrugalDr.Mom
3. Marcy @ StretchingaBuck
4. Catherine @ CatherineWheels
5. SavingSisters
6. Andrea @ MommySnacks
7. GlimpseofSonshine

Ok, now I'm off to leave my comments. I hope I did it right!! Thanks to those who tagged me, I appreciate being thought of!!

Meijer & Kroger - Deals for the Week of 10/26

Tonight I did some shopping. I made a stop at Kroger and Meijer. Here's some deals I found:

Meijer:

If you buy 3 Jell-O's which are on sale for .50 each, you can use the 1.50 off 2 coupon from Meijer Mealbox (they may or may not adjust the coupon down to 1.00 because that's what the actual price for two is) so you'll pay either .50 of 0 and then you'll get a 2.00 catalina (coupon that prints at the register for use on your next order). So you'll be ahead either 1.50 or 2.00!!

Fleischman's 3-pk yeasts are on sale for .95. Use the .45 off 1 coupon from the 10/5 Smartsource insert to pay only .05 each. And then you'll get a catalina for .50 off your next order, so you'll be ahead .45!!!

Birds Eye Steam Fresh Frozen Vegetables are 1.33 each. Use the 1.00 off 2 Meijer coupon in the Frozen Food Insert found at the front of the store plus use two .35 off 1 coupons from the 10/12 Smartsource insert to pay .26 for two (.13 each)!!

Breyer's Ice Cream is 2.50. Use the 1.00 off 2 Meijer coupon in the frozen food insert and use two .50 off 1 coupons from the 10/26 Redplum insert to pay 2.00 for two (1.00 each!).

So if you bought 3 Jell-O's, 1 yeast strip, 2 veggies and 2 ice creams, you'll pay 2.31 (or 2.81 if they only take off 1.00 for the Jell-O's) and get back 2.50 in Catalina's!!!

Kroger:

Tyson Frozen Chicken Nuggets are 2.50. Use the .55 off 1 coupons from several different inserts and pay only 1.50.

Quaker Instant Oatmeal is 2.49. Use the .50 off 1 coupon from the 9/7 Redplum to pay only 1.49 each.

Purex Laundry Detergent is 1.99. Use the .50 off 1 coupon from the 8/10 Smartsource inserts to pay only .99!!

Halls Cough Drops are 1.00. Use the .50 off 1 coupon from the 10/26 Smartsource to get them free!!!

Sunmaid 6pk raisins are 1.50. Use the 1.00 off 2 coupon from the 10/5 Redplum insert to pay 2.00 for two (1.00 each).

Purell 2oz Hand Sanitizers are 1.00. Use the .60 off 1 coupon from the 7/27 Smartsource insert to get them free!!

Betty Crocker Frosting is 1.50. Use the .50 off 1 coupon from the 10/19 Smartsource insert to pay .50. Plus you can load a .55 off 1 coupon at Shortcuts.com to get one for free plus .05 overage!

Celestial Seasonings Tea is still 1.00. Use the 1.00 off 1 coupon from the 10/5 Smartsource insert to get those free!!

Those are the best deals I found today! I hope it helps and you have a great shopping week!!

$20 = Fall Family Fun Day!!

$20.00 - One trip through the Drive-Thru or a Whole Day of Fall Family Fun??? I choose Fall Family Fun!!

Here's our plan for this Saturday:

*note, if you haven't seen it, I posted a few more Meijer deals for this week below this post. I just don't want you to miss them!!

Breakfast: Pumpkin Spice Pancakes & Sausage Patties

-pancake mix .50

-milk .12

-egg .05

-oil .03

-can pumpkin .40

-spices .05

-butter or margarine 0 (I rarely pay for butter or margarine spreads, which we'll use here)

-syrup .50

-sausage 1.00 (Tennessee pride rolls from Kroger!)

Total = 2.65

After breakfast we'll venture out to the forest of trees behind our house and collect fallen leaves. Then we'll use those leaves to make leaf rubbing cards that we'll send to the grandparents and aunts and uncles. We'll only need to pay for the stamps (1.68 for 4) for this fun activity!

As a snack on our nature walk, I'll make my own Harvest Trail Mix which consists of:

-peanuts .50

-candy corn 0 (from CVS!)

-raisins .17

-cheerios .07

Total = .74

Lunch: Parmesan & Pea Noodles

-2 packages of Knorr Parmesan Noodles 1.00 (.50 each from Meijer)

-peas .33

-butter 0

-milk .16

-applesauce .80

Total = 2.29

After lunch we're going to watch a movie in our home theater. (Yes we have a home theater in our basement, but it was definitely done on a dime. The projector and screen together = the cost of a big t.v. and we bought recliners from Big Lots to use as seats. This was the big thing my husband wanted when we built our house and he got it!! I like to think that it actually saves us money now because we wait for movies to come out on DVD and watch them at home instead of going out to see them!!)

We're going to try Redbox for our movie rental this time. If you sign up here you can get a code for a free one night rental. Plus there are tons of codes out at different times for a free one night rental. It's a great way to watch movies cheap!!

Movie Snack:

-microwave popcorn .15 (1 bag from the .59 boxes or Orville Redenbacher at Meijer a week or two ago)

-soda 0 (got free from Snyder deal at Meijer this week. See post below for more details)

-juice for kids - .20

Total = .35 (For a movie and a snack, not bad!!)

Dinner: Roasted Pork Tenderloin

-pork tenderloin .22 (Remember the Bigg's meat/pierogie deal?? I got this roast from that!!)

-potatoes .60 (for mashed potatoes)

-milk and butter for mashed potatoes .08

-stuffing mix 0 (got on sale sometime at the beginning of the year)

-gravy 1.00

-green beans .33

-cranberry sauce .79

Total = 3.02

A Special Treat - Desert!! Pumpkin Pie!!

For Crust:

-flour .07

-butter 1.00 (have to use real butter for this)

-sugar .03

Total = 1.10

For Filling:

-pumpkin .79

-eggs - .10

-brown sugar .11

-spices .10

-evaporated milk .49 (Meijer deal this week, scroll down to next post for details)

-Kroger brand whipped topping .30

Total = 1.89

Pie Total = 2.99

And after dinner we'll carve our two pumpkins we got from Aldi's for 1.99 each. We already have tools and patterns from previous years, so we're only out the cost of the pumpkins which is 3.98.

And we'll end the day with bubble baths and a bedtime story (We're reading the Wind in the Willows at bedtime right now) which is free!!

So my total for the whole days worth of meals, snacks and activities is 17.70. We'll use the 2.30 left for drinks for the day (Orange Juice, Milk, 100% Juice and Water) for a total of 20.00!! I think that's a great way to spend 20 bucks and have an awesome family day complete with delicious meals and a desert!!

So, it's your choice, a trip through the Drive-Thru or a day full of fun and memories with your family!!

Meijer - A Few More Deals for This Week 10/19 - 10/25

I went back to Meijer this morning, hoping to get some more Smucker's Uncrustables for free, but they were still out, so I got a raincheck. I'm checking again on Saturday and if they're still out, getting another raincheck, so hopefully I can get a few more of those. Anyway, as I walked around for a few minutes, I found a few more deals to note.

Snyders of Hanover Tortilla Chips are buy one get one free. They are priced at 2.89. Plus most of the bags I saw had a coupon stuck to them for a free Soda (up to 1.00) when you buy 2. So I got two bags of chips and one 2-liter of soda for 2.89 total.

Goodlife Recipe 4lb Dog Food is priced at 4.19. I used 2.00 off 1 coupons from the 8/24 Redplum insert and paid only 2.19 each.

Carnation Evaporated Milk is .99. I used .50 off 2 coupons from the 9/14 Redplum insert and paid .49 each. These will come in handy with my .79 cans of pumpkin from Aldi's for some yummy (and cheap!!) pies!!

I did the Buddies Soap deal which has been around for awhile, but I finally did it!! I got 3 Buddies soaps @ 1.09 each. I used the 3.00 off 3 coupon from the 9/14 Smartsource insert and paid .27 total and then got a Catalina (coupon that prints at the register) for 3.00 off 3 more Johnson products. So I can use that to do the deal again!

Gum Kids Toothbrushes 2 pack (themed on Crayola and really cute!!) are priced at 1.43 and 1.57. I used the .75 off any 1 Gum toothbrush from the 8/3 Redplum insert and paid .43 or .57 each. I usually get great deals on adult toothbrushes at CVS or Walgreens, but rarely for kids toothbrushes, so I got a few packs of these.

I also saw that Oral-B adult toothbrushes are 1.47 and if you use the .75 off 1 coupon from a recent P&G insert to pay only .47 for those. I didn't get those because I have tons of adult toothbrushes right now that I've gotten free, so I left my 2 coupons there for someone else to use!!

Well that's the deals I found today! I hope everyone has a great day!! Thanks for stopping by!

My Shopping Trip - 10/20 (Kroger, CVS, Walgreens, Meijer)

Ok, I went shopping today! I hit Kroger, CVS, Walgreens and Meijer. Here's what I was able to round up. I wanted to stay under my $45 cash allowance and I made it!!!


Kroger:

I got 8 Nesquick Milks. Sale Price 1.00. I used .50 off 1 coupons. Paid 0

5 Celestial Seasonings Teas. Sale Price 1.00. Used 1.00 off 1 coupons. Paid 0

4 Brut Deodorants. Sale Price 1.00. Used .50 off 1 coupons. Paid 0

1 Febreze Noticeable Starter Kit. Sale Price 6.89. Used 5.00 off 1 paper coupon and 5.00 off 1 loadable coupon. Paid 0, got 3.11 in overage.

2 Tennessee Pride Sausage Rolls. Sale Price 2.00. Used .50 off 1 coupons. Paid 1.00 each.

2 Green Giant Frozen Vegetables. Sale Price 1.00. Used .50 off 2 paper coupon and .50 off 2 loadable coupon. Paid .25 each.

8 Cans of Campbell's Kids Soups. Sale Price 1.00. Used .40 off 2 coupons. Paid .60 each.

1 2lb Velveeta. Paid 4.48. (I need it for a recipe I want to try!)

I paid around 7.xx.


CVS:

I got 3 2-packs of Gum Toothbrushes. Priced at 3.99 each. I used .75 off 1 coupons. Paid 3.24 each and got back 3.99 in ECB's for each one (11.97 total).

1 Powerade. Priced at 1.69. Got 1.69 in ECB's back.

2 Brach's Candy Corns. Priced at 1.29. Got back 1.29 in ECB's each (2.58 total).

1 Just for Men Hair Color Kit. Priced at 7.99. Got 7.99 in ECB's back.

2 Excedrin Express Gels 20ct. Priced at 1.99 each. I used two 2.00 off 1 printables and one 3.00 off 1 CRT (CVS coupon at bottom of receipt).

1 3pk of CVS paper towels. Priced at 1.99. I used 1.00 off 1 CRT.

So I ended up spending around 19.00 (18 in ECB's and 1 in cash) and got back 24.23 in ECB's.

Walgreens:

For some reason (ok I really know, it's because it's WALGREENS, when will I ever learn that Walgreens is just too difficult for me!!), not all of my deals worked. I didn't realize it until later and I'm just too tired to worry about it at this point. Oh well. Here's what I got:

4 bags of Mars Candy. Sale priced at 4 for 10. I used two 1.00 off 2 coupons. Paid 8.00 and will submit for 4.00 rebate.

3 Maalox Tablets. Priced at 4.99. I used 2.00 off 1 coupons. Paid 8.97 and got back 8.00 in Register Rewards.

3 bottles of Tylenol Cold. Priced at 4.99. I used 1.00 off 1 manufacturer coupons and 1.50 off 1 coupon from Easy Saver Booklet. Paid 7.50 and got back 5.00 in Register Rewards.

1 Alka Seltzer plus Cold. Priced at 4.99. I used 1.00 off 1 coupon from some booklet I got a while back. Paid 3.99. Was supposed to get back 4.99 in Register Rewards, but didn't!

2 Visine Drops. Priced at 2 for 8.00. Used 3.00 off 1 coupons from All You Magazine. Paid 2.00. Got back 2.00 in Register Rewards.

2 St. Ives Elements Face Cleansers. Priced at 4.99 each. Used buy one get one free coupon. Paid 4.99. Was supposed to get 5.00 in Register Rewards, but didn't!! ($10 total that I missed out on!!)

I used a 5.00 Register Reward from a previous transaction and still ended up with some great deals, so that's why I'm not too worried about it. It's just frustrating that nearly everytime I go to Walgreens, I end up with problems. I guess it's the price I have to pay for the cheap products!! Anyway, I ended up paying 8.00 in cash after coupons, my 5.00 register reward and the balance of my gift card from last month.

Meijer:

6 Boxes of Aunt Millies Muffins. Priced at 2.00 (they raised the price from 1.50 boo-hoo!!). Used .50 off 1 coupons. Paid 1.00 each.

3 bags of Hershey candy. Priced at 1.88 each. I used 1.00 off 3 coupon. Paid 1.55 each.

2 bags of Nestle candy. Priced at 1.88 each. I used 1.00 off 1 printable coupons. Paid .88 each.

3 cans of Manwich. Priced at .99 each. Plus I got a free package of Aunt Millie Hamburger Buns for buying 3 cans.

4 Lipton/Knorr Pasta Sides. Priced at 1.00 each. I used .75 off 2 coupons. Paid .50 each.

2 Domino Brown Sugars and 2 Domino Powdered Sugars. Priced at 1.50 each. I used .50 off 1 coupons. Paid .50 each.!!

2 Domino 5lb bags of Sugar. Priced at 2.50. I used .50 off 1 coupons. Paid 1.50 each.

4 Gallons of Milk (not pictured). Paid 2.50 each.

2 1/2 Gallons of Trauth Ice Cream (not pictured). Priced at 2.74 each. I used 1.00 off 1 coupons. Paid 1.74 each.

1 Loaf of Aunt Millie Bread. Paid 1.19.
2 Smuckers Uncrustables. Priced at 1.49 each. I used 1.00 off 2 coupon found in Meijer insert at the store and two .55 off 1 coupons. Paid 0!!

I used my four 4.00 off your next order coupons from the Glade Deal and paid 21.50 total. I had to break it up into 4 orders to make sure I could double all my coupons and use the 4 Catalinas. I stopped to get me and the kids 1.00 double cheeseburgers from McDonalds (we had free Nesquick to drink!!) and we also got one sheet of the Trick or Treat Coupons. After that lunch and all our shopping, I still have one dollar left!! I'm pretty proud of that!!!

I also wanted to note that Endust is half price at Meijer, making it 1.79. Use the 2.00 off 1 coupon to get it free!! My store was out of them!!

Meijer - Glade Scented Oil Warmers

Have you done the Glade deal at Meijer??? If not, then why not??? Maybe you're just like me and a bit slow!! Well after I saw it mentioned here and elsewhere a few times, I finally decided to figure out what I needed to do to get it and it's such a great deal, I'm so glad I finally got my act together!!

So you go to Meijer and buy 2 Glade Scented Oil Warmers priced at 4.69. Use the buy one get one free coupon from the 9/28 Smartsource insert and you'll pay 4.69 for two. Then at the register you'll get two catalina's (coupon that prints at the register, good for your next order) for 4.00 each (a total of 8.00)!!! Wow!

Now, the next time you visit Meijer you can use them to buy milk, produce or meat (or whatever else you choose of course!!). It's a great way to get things inexpensively that don't usually have coupons.

I only had 2 of the coupons because they came in an insert while I was on vacation. Thanks to my Mom for giving me the two I have!! But I now have 16.00 in coupons to use just using the two that I had!!

So get out and get some Glade Warmers!!!

An Explanation and a Few Kroger & Meijer Deals

Ok here goes:

Unfortunately, I won't be doing as many posts as I used to do. I just simply can't keep up with all the deals and all the other responsibilities I have at home. If I go a day or two without posting something, I feel really bad and I just can't keep feeling that way. I know it's my own fault for these feelings, but alas, I can't seem to help it.

After our vacation, I knew I was going to have to either cut back or let it go altogether and my decision at this point is to make a huge cut back. I get excited when I find those great deals (think freebies or nearly free) and truly want to share those with all of you and so that's what I intend to keep doing. It will most likely just be Kroger and Meijer deals that I post, because CVS and Walgreens deals are plentiful on the web.

Perhaps I'm really slow at it, but the big Kroger, Meijer and CVS posts that I usually do take at least an hour to do each. And while 3 hours a week may not seem like a lot, for some reason, it is just really hard for me to accomplish. So if you're about to head out to the store and want to make sure you don't miss a huge deal, then check here before going out and hopefully I'll have what you need. Otherwise, hotcouponworld is a great place to find all the everyday regular deals.

I hope you understand. After lots of prayer and consideration, it has just become clear to me that I can't do all that I've "signed up" to do at this point and some things need to be cut back so that the really important things can have my most and best attention. Thanks to all of you, I truly appreciate each and every reader out there!!

So anyway, here's some awesome deals I found this morning at Kroger and Meijer:

Meijer:
Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers Frozen Vegetables are on sale for 1.00. Use the 1.00 off 1 coupon from the 10/5 General Mills insert (they were also in another insert, but I can't find the date of it right now) to get them free!!!

Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage and Links are on sale for 1.39. Use the 1.00 off 2 smoked sausage to get two packs for 1.78 (.89 each) or use the .55 off 1 links coupon to get them for .39 each (after coupon doubles)!!! Both coupons are from the 10/5 Redplum insert. That is just an awesome price for those, I stocked up today and Meijer still had tons of them for all of you!!

Orville Redenbacher popcorn is half price making it 1.59. Use the 1.00 off 1 Naturals variety from the 9/21 Smartsource to get that for .59 or use the .40 off 1 coupon from the 10/12 insert to get the regular varieties for .79 each.

Kroger:
Muir Glen Tomato Pastes are on sale for .75. Use the .75 off 1 coupon from the 9/28 Smartsource insert to get it free!!!

Tennessee Pride Rolled Sausage is 2.00. Use the .55 off 1 coupon from the 9/7 Redplum insert to get them for 1.00 each!!

I found clearanced Cascadian Farms frozen vegetables in a bin by the meat department priced at .99. I used the 1.00 off 1 coupon from the 8/24 Smartsource insert to get them free!!! There were lots of them left. They also had other brands of organic frozens on clearance as well. This was at the Maineville Kroger on 48.

Those are the awesome deals I found today. Thanks for being so understanding. If I find more of those great deals, I'll post them, otherwise check the comments section for reader found deals and have a great week!!