Publix Deals 4/29/09-5/5/09

Smart Balance Spread BOGO $3.09
-Buy One Spread Get One milk free coupon in the 03-08-09 insert

-$1/1 coupon found in the 04-19-09 insert

=$.54 each (plus free milk if you have the first coupon)

General Mills Cereal Buy 2 Get 1 Free $4.99 (if the $1.99 Cheerios are included, they are $1.99, which would make it a good deal)

plus, get a free gallon of Publix milk with in-ad coupon

=$1.32 each (if the Cherrios are included)

Dannon Danimals Smoothie BOGO $2.49

- $1/1 coupons found in the 03-01-09 insert

=$.24 each

Farm Rich French Toast Sticks BOGO $3.29

- Use the $.75/1 PRINTABLE coupon

or -$1/1 coupon from All You Magazine, may possibly have ones printed in the following magazines: Women's Day, Ladies Home Journal, and Family Circle

=$.64 each

T. Marzetti’s Dressing BOGO $3.99

-$1/1 coupons from the 04-05-09 or 02-01-09 insert

or -$1/1 PRINTABLE coupons

=$.99 each

Pace Chunky Salsa or Picante Sauce BOGO $2.79

-$.50/1 coupons found in the 04-26-09 insert

or the $4 printable coupon that is now gone (I used this coupon last week at Publix, and wish that I would've saved it to get 2 for free plus overage!)

=$.39 each after coupons (if your Publix doubles up to $.50, which mine does!)

Kellogg’s Special K Cereal, Raisin Bran, or All-Bran BOGO $3.99

-$1/1 coupons from the 04-05-09 insert

or -$1.50/2 Raisin Bran PRINTABLE coupon

=$.99-$1.24 each

Northland 100% Cranberry Juice BOGO $3.89

-$1/2 coupon found in the 02-01-09 or 01-25-09 insert

or -$1/2 PRINTABLE coupon

or -$.50 coupon from ? insert (sorry, but I have no clue, but it's in my stash!)

=$.95-$1.45 each

Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn BOGO $3.19

-$.40/1 coupons from the 04-19-09 insert

=$.80 each

Keebler Sandies Shortbread Cookies BOGO $4.11

-$.55/1 coupons found in the 04-05-09 RP insert

=$1.50 each

BOGO With Out Matchups:

Chachies Salsa BOGO $2.99

Old EL Paso Dinner Kit BOGO $2.79

Back to Nature Granola BOGO $3.49

Pillsbury Cake Mix BOGO $1.69

Sun-Maid Dried Fruit BOGO $2.59

Entemanns Donuts BOGO $4.29

Dentyne Ice BOGO $3.29

Tostitos Tortilla Chips BOGO $4.99

Klondike Ice Cream Bars BOGO $4.07

Breakstone Sour Cream BOGO $1.03

Other Good Deals:

Yellow Corn 8/$2

Red Globe Grapes $1.29 lb.

Medium White Shrimp $4.99 lb.

Bay Scallops $6.99 lb.

Mangos 10/$10

Publix Oven Roasted Turkey Breast $4.99 lb
Kashi Entree's are 50% off

Red Delicious Apples 3 lb. bag 2/$5
8th Continent Soy Milk 2/$5

-$1/1 coupon found in the 03-29-09 insert
DiGiornio Pizza 2/$10

-$1.25/1 PRINTABLE coupon
Contessa Restaurant Quality Meals $4.99

-$1.50/2 PRINTABLE coupon
Wheat Thins 2/$5

-$1/2 coupon found in the 03-15-09 insert

Essentials:

Publix Premium Ice Cream 2/$5

American Cheese 2/$3

Small Glazed Creme Cake 2/$6

Cheerios $1.99

Publix Family Size Mixed Veggies Frozen $1.69
Publix Milk $2.89
Quaker Instant Oatmeal $1.99

-$1/2 coupon found in the 02-08-09 insert
Stouffer's Family Size Entrees $3.99

-$1/1 coupon found in the April ALL YOU Magazine
Suave Naturals Shampoo $.99

-$1/2 coupon found in the 03-29-09 insert

Rite Aid 04/25/09-05/02/09

It's been a while since I've shopped at Rite Aid, mostly because I haven't seen any amazing deals. This week looks... pretty good. The best part about Rite Aid is that they have this $5/$25 coupon, which can be used to make a profit, or carried over to get other items for free. This one is only good through 04/30/09, so hurry!

Mini Drops Eye Therapy--$6.49

-$1/1 printable coupon

-$6.49 Single Check Rebate

=FREE plus overage

Sinovium Pain Relief Gel 3 for $15

-$2/1 coupons from the 10/26/09 insert

-$10 Single Check Rebate when you buy 3

=FREE plus overage

SaltAire Sinus and Allergy Relief $6.99

-$1.50/1 coupon from the 1/25/09 insert

or $1/1 printable here

-$6.99 Single Check Rebate

=FREE plus overage

Skintimate Shave Cream $2.99

-$0.75 coupon from the 4/26/09 insert

-$2.24 Single Check Rebate

=FREE

VO5 Shampoo or Conditioner--on sale for $0.69

- $1/4 printable here

=$0.44 each

Electrasol/Finish Quantum Tabs (12 ct.) $4.49

-$2.50/1 coupon from the 4/19/09 insert

-$1.50 Single Check Rebate

=$0.49

Earthbound Farm Reusable Bag

Earthbound Farm is still offering a free reusable bag for taking their pledge. Just go here and take the pledge. Good for this week only.

Dove Dimensions

Dove Dimensions is a new program where you can get free samples, coupons, and more. Go here to join.

Redbox code for 04/27/09

Today's code is 4CW33N. Use it at any Redbox location for one night's free movie rental. Return the movie by 9:00 pm on Tuesday to avoid an extra day's charge.

Getting things for free...

I went through my bathroom closet last night, which is where I keep all of the extra free stuff that I find every week, because it was literally overflowing. I decided that I am going to gather up all of this, to show everyone what I have been able to get for free, or profit, this year.

A little FYI, I started this stash in January of this year, these are all items that I have gotten for free or profit, and this isn't everything. These are the things that I haven't given away yet (yet being they key word,) used personally, or put in my own private stash. These also don't include any food items, which I also frequently get for free.

I also want to talk a little bit about the whole idea of getting stuff for free. It's truly addicting! Literally, I could get a lot more than I do, but I don't find it prudent to do so. I'm constantly reevaluating so that I don't get caught up in the thrill of a deal. I set a couple of base rules for myself, with the help of my husband.

1) Don't get anything that I/we wouldn't use. I have a small stockpile of items that I KNOW we use. I try not to let it get too crazy, not buying more than is peaceful to stock, no matter how good the deal is. This is something that everyone has to evaluate personally. I have seen pictures of entire rooms dedicated to stocking up on great deals. This is neither something that we can do, nor something that would be peaceful for us to do.

2) Don't get anything that I/we wouldn't use, unless I know someone specifically who could use it. I have gotten quite a few things for my mother or my brother, etc that I know they could use. I also started collecting a large stash of these free things (lotions, bodywash, make-up, toothpaste, air freshener systems, etc) to give away to my family. I got the idea from someone who posted at Christmas that they make boxes of this stuff to give to family members as Christmas gifts. My Mom and my aunts all thought this was a WONDERFUL idea, so I've been collecting for that, but I am going to have to do it twice a year I think, because there's just so much! I also have been getting health related items, like the glucose monitor money-makers at Walgreens this week, to donate. I have heard of many people who do this as a ministry, recruiting others to do the same, and giving the items to shelters, or needy members of their church. I love that concept and would really like to get something like that going here someday, but God hasn't told me it's time yet.

3) Don't get anything that I/we wouldn't use, unless I know someone specifically who could use it, or unless I can make money off of it. My husband, who HATES (not a strong enough word) any kind of clutter, actually was the one who suggested this, which floored me! He said that I could just throw it away after I made money off of it, but I consider that highly wasteful, and not in keeping with what God would want. (I think he was just kidding by the way... mostly...) I will find somewhere to donate it to, even if it's just Goodwill.

Honestly, I try to look at all of this couponing stuff as a means that God has given me to bless not just my family and our budget, but others as well. I'm still praying about how he wants me to use all of this, including this blog, but right now, this is what I do with it.

ps. The picture will have to come later. I have a VERY unhappy baby.

CVS 04/26/09-05/02/09

Here are some of the best deals at CVS this week:

Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner, or Styler $2.99

-$2 ECB

-$1/1 coupon from the 1/4/09 insert

=FREE

Crest Cavity, Tartar, or Baking Soda & Peroxide toothpaste or Oral B Indicator toothbrush $1.99

-$1 ECB (Limit 2)

-$0.75/1 coupon from the 4/5/09 insert

=$0.24

Tresemme Products 3/$10, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 2)

- 3 $1/1 coupons here

=$0.67 each

Mennen Deodorant (2.3-3.5 oz.) $3, buy 2, get $3 ECBs (Limit 2)

-$0.75/1 coupons from the 4/26/09 insert

=$0.75 each

Schick Intuition Plus razor at $8.99

-$4/1 coupon from the 3/22/09 or 4/26/09 insert

-$4 ECBs

=$0.99 after coupon and ECBs

*Possible good deals, depending on the scenario and number of coupons:

Spend $15 on Nivea skincare, lip care, body wash; Nivea For Men; or Eucerin products, Get $5 ECB (Limit 1)

-$1/1 coupon from the 2/8/09

Buy $15 worth of Colgate or SC Johnson cleaning products, Get $5 ECBs (Limit 1)

-$1/1 Fantastik coupons from the 3/29/09 insert
-$0.25/1 Palmolive coupons from the 4/26/09 insert

Spend $20 on select products listed on page 18 of the ad (see list of items on here), Get $10 ECBs (Limit 1)

-$1/1 Band-Aid product coupons from the 3/15/09 or 4/26/09 inserts
-$3/1 Visine coupons from the 1/4/09 or 3/15/09

Spend $30 on ROC skincare products, Get $10 ECBs (Limit 1) Prices starting at $3.99
- $3/1 coupons here

Spend $15 on participating Dove, Vasoline, Axe and Sunsilk products, get $5 in ECBs back

-$1 Axe Shower Gel or Detailer Shower Tool V from 4/5/09 insert

-$1 Vaseline Lotion product 200 mL +, excludes Renewal or Glow V from 4/5/09 insert

-$1.25 Vaseline Lotion Product, 200 ml + except Renewal or Glow V from 3/1/09 insert

-$1.50 on Dove lotion found in the SmartSource Wednesday ad mailer

Walgreens deals 04/26/09-05/02/09

Here are some of the best deals for Walgreens this week:

Rimmel make-up BOGO

-coupon for free Rimmel mascara April All You magazine

=2 for FREE

Campbell's soup $0.59 (with in-ad coupon)

- $1/2 printable coupon

=$0.09 each

Visine $3.99

-$3/1 coupon from 3/15 paper insert

=$0.99

Starbucks ice cream 2/$6

- $1/1 printable coupon

=$2 each after coupon

REGISTER REWARDS DEALS

Bayer Breeze or Contour Blood Glucose Meter $14.99

-$30/1 coupon from 3/1 or 3/22 paper inserts (coupon will be adjusted down)

-$5 register reward

=FREE plus $5 in overage

*note, if you don't have the coupon this, this meter also has a full manufacturer's rebate on the box, so you could still get it for $5 overage after rebate

Ecotrin Tablets (45 ct.) $2

- $2.25/1 printable coupon

-$2 register rewards

=FREE plus overage

*I did this today, and they wouldn't take the coupon because it was for more than the price of the product, so I (reluctantly) bought two, used the coupon, and still got $.25 overage after the register reward. It's not as good as I wanted, but still good.

Nivea Body Wash $4.99

-$4.00 Register Rewards

-$1/1 PRINTABLE coupon

or -$1/1 coupon in the 04-19-09 coupon insert

=FREE

Rembrandt Toothpaste or Mouthwash $5.99

-$5.99 register rewards

=FREE

Listerine 2/$8

-$4.00 register rewards when you buy 2

-$2/1 coupon from 03-15-09 coupon insert

=FREE

Bayer Quick Release Crystals $2.49

-$2.49 register rewards

-$1 coupon found on display at CVS (I have some extra if anyone wants one)

=FREE plus overage

Bic Soleil Razor or Cartridges BOGO $6.99

- $2/1 PRINTABLE coupon

Huggies Jumbo Pull-Ups or Diapers 2/$20

-$2 register rewards when you buy 2

-$2/1 coupon from 03-22-09 coupon insert

=$7.00 each

Unilever rebate

There is a Unilever rebate that came out in the paper a couple of weeks ago (I have an extra one by the way, if anyone wants it,) and I wasn't even sure if I was going to do it, because it didn't look like a good deal, but I clipped it out and I've been working...

The rebate is for a free turkey or ham (up to $20) when you purchase $40 in Unilever products. That seems like a HUGE amount of money to spend on products for a free turkey or ham, but here's what I came up with.

My AWESOME CVS trip a week and a half ago was a HUGE help. See here if you missed that: http://www.providentandresourceful.com/2009/04/my-cvs-trips.html .

From that trip, I was able to purchase the following:

Vasoline Mens lotion $2.99 (x2, total =5.98)

Dove Ultra Clear deodorant $3.50

Dove Go Fresh Shampoo (BOGO) $4.99

The total for all of my CVS stuff that day was $.69, even though I got a TON of other stuff, I'll add that cost to my total Unilever cost.

Personal cost so far=$0.69

Unilever total so far=$14.47

Then at Walgreens last week, I bought 6 Dove Deodorants (travel size) for $.99 each ($5.94 total), and got back $6 in register rewards, so those were free.

Personal cost=$0.69

Unilever total=$20.45

Plus CVS is having a deal this coming week with ECBs back after Dove Body Lotion. I plan on the following:

Dove Body Lotion $6.00 (x3, =$18)

-$1.50 coupons on any Dove Lotion (x3)

-$5 in ECB when you purchase 3

-$4/20 purchase CVS ECB (will add a free after ECB and coupon Garnier Styler to hit the $20 mark and use the coupon)

=$4.50 out of pocket for all three Dove Body Lotions (which will be stocking stuffers at Christmas!)

Personal cost=$5.19

Unilever total=$38.45

I also plan on going to Walgreens once more to get 6 more Dove deodorants, but using three coupons that I didn't have before. The transaction will look like this.

Dove Deodorant travel size $.99 (x6)

-$1.50 coupon off of any two Dove Deodorants (does NOT exclude trial size) (x3)

-$6 register rewards

=$4.50 profit (which cancels the $4.50 cost of the Dove Lotions, so I'm back to a $0.69 personal cost)

My grand totals will be as follows:

Total value of Unilever products=$44.45 (which hits the $40 mark needed)

Total personal cost of Unilever products=$0.69

Total savings (with rebate on cost of turkey)=$63.76

So basically I will pay $.69 for a $20 turkey and $44 in Unilever products. I'll take it!!!!!!

FREE Aveno sample and reusable tote

Aveeno is offering a free sample and reusable tote in honor of Earth Day. It's a limited edition AVEENO® ENVIROSAX® reusable organic cotton bag and a sample of the new AVEENO® NOURISH+ Hair Care Collection shampoo and conditioner. Also, for each bag given away, Aveeno will donate $10 to Global Green USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing climate solutions by creating green homes, schools and communities.

Limited quantity. Good today only. Click HERE to register!

Free 100% recycled aluminum Reynolds Wrap

Reynolds Wrap is offering a mail in rebate for a free wrap in honor of Earth Day. This is for their wrap that is made from 100% recycled aluminum. Rebate form will be available starting at 4:22 am EST today on their website. It's up and running, so grab yours! Click HERE for the rebate form.

Publix BOGO for 04/21/09-04/28/09

Here is the list (just published) for the BOGO deals at Publix this week. I'm pretty tired, so I'm going to do coupon match-ups tomorrow hopefully, but I wanted to post these asap to allow for everyone's shopping plans. Here are this week's BOGO deals:

Atlanta Braves Home Game Tickets (considering this for Father's Day!)

Blue Diamond Almonds (I know I have printable coupons for these)

Campari Tomatoes

Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers (definately going to get some of these, my boys LOVE them!)

Del Monte SunFresh or Orchard Select Fruit

Entemann's Little Bites

Glade Candle (pretty sure I have coupons for these somewhere)

Hunt's Tomato Ketchup

José Olé Taquitos

Kellogg's Pop-Tarts (YES!)

Kraft Easy Mac Macaroni & Cheese Dinner

Margaritaville Shrimp

Marie Callender's Entrees

Nabisco Teddy Grahams Snacks

Ocean Spray 100% Cranberry Juice

Pasta Roni or Rice A Roni

Post Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal

Quaker Cereal

Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner (also I KNOW I have these too)

Shout Laundry Stain Remover

Skippy Peanut Butter

Snickers 6 To Go Bars

Starkist Chunk White Tuna

Starkist SeaSations Fish Fillets

Weiman Cook Top Cleaner

Wise Potato chips

Wish-Bone Dressing

Yoplait Go-Gurt Portable Yogurt

Well, there they are! The BOGO are always the BEST deals at Publix, in my opinion anyway, when you're able to combine them with coupons. I will get up coupon match-ups tomorrow, but for now, it's bed time! Goodnight all and God Bless!

FREE tote and 10-15% off Walgreens purchase TOMORROW

On April 22, 2009 (tomorrow,) Walgreens is offering a free reusable tote bag with any purchase. Print your coupon here. The coupon is also good for 10-15% off on select items, including Walgreens brand items. Remember, this is ONLY good tomorrow!

FREE pasta product coupon from All You Magazine

To receive a FREE product coupon for a NEW pasta dish that is easy to prepare in just minutes! Free from All You magazine!

Click HERE!

Foodsaver, a company that manufacturers vacuum sealing systems, is offering 10 free freeze and steam bags. No purchase necessary, and expect delivery in 6-8 weeks. Offer expires May 31, 2009 or while supplies last.
Click HERE.

Red Plum coupon inserts mailed for FREE

Vlassis, the owner of the Red Plum inserts in the Sunday paper, will send Red Plum inserts directly to your mailbox for free! Sign up HERE for your free inserts!

Redbox code for Monday 04/20/09

The code for today's free rental is M6FR97. Use this at any RedBox before midnight and get one night's free movie rental. Be sure to return the movie by 9pm on Tuesday to avoid the $1 per night charge.

Once again, I'll be enjoying a free date night tonight with this!

101 Ways to Save Money on Homeschooling freebie

Today's Homeschooling freebie is a pdf of '101 Ways to Save on Homeschooling' by Carletta Sanders. It looks like a great way to start homeschooling, without a big expense. *COUGH**HOLLY**COUGH*

http://www.homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/?p=842

CVS trip

I had a pretty good trip to CVS this week. It wasn't quite like last week, http://providentandresourceful.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-cvs-trips.html , but it was not bad!

Transaction #1

6 Tresemme 24 hour body hair products (3/$10)

Subtotal=$20 (plus tax)

-$4/20 beauty purchase CVS coupon (emailed to CVS card members)
-$1 off Tresemme 24 hour product (x6)
-$10 ECBs received for Tresemme products

=FREE

Transaction #2

Aveeno Positively Ageless SPF 70 facial sunscreen $9 (x2)
Aveeno Positively Ageless SPF 50 spray sunscreen $9

Subtotal=$27 (plus tax)

-$4/20 beauty purchase CVS coupon
-$10/3 PRINTABLE
-$10 ECBs for buying $25 of Aveeno products

=$3 (plus tax) or $1 per item

Transaction #3

Bayer Aspirin Quick Release Crystals $2.00
Crest Pro Health Rinse $2.88 (x2)
Edge Infused Comfort Shave Gel $2.89
CVS gummie mulit-vitamins BOGO $5.49 (x4)

Subtotal=$21.63 (before tax)

- $2 ECBs for Bayer
-$1 Bayer quick release crystals tearpad coupon
-$4 ECBs for Crest rinses
-$2.89 ECBs for Edge
-$4/20 purchase CVS coupon (printed off the receipt from the previous transaction)

TOTAL=$7.74, which isn't free, but it did include 4 things of my children's (and mine, I'm not gonna lie, they're REALLY good!) vitamins, two things of the mouthwash that my husband loves, and free shaving gel and Bayer.

All in all, I'm pretty happy.

CVS 04/19/09-04/25/09

Bayer Aspirin Quick Release Crystals $2.00
- $2 in ECBs
- $1/1 coupon found in the 03/22 insert
or $1/1 tearpad coupon found near the shelf
=FREE plus overage

Crest Pro Health Toothpaste, Rinse, or Floss $2.88
- $2 in ECBs
- $1 Toothpaste or Rinse coupon in the 04/05 insert
=FREE plus overage- Limit 2
Edge Infused Comfort or Hydrate Shave Gel $2.89
- $2.89 in ECBs
=FREE- Limit 1

Tresemme 3/$10
- $5 in ECB wyb 3
- $1/1 24 Hour Body PRINTABLE coupon
=Buy three, use three coupons =$.66 each

Aveeno Skincare, Haircare, or Sun Products (starting at $4.99)
- $10 in ECBs when you buy $25 worth
- $2 PRINTABLE coupon
or $2 PRINTABLE, the $5/2 PRINTABLE, or the $10/3 PRINTABLE
or $1 coupon found in the 04/05 insert
=FREE or very cheap

Accu-Chek Aviva Diabetes Monitoring Kit $9.99
- $9.99 in ECBs
=FREE- limit 1

Natural Dentist $6.99
- $4 ECBs
- $2 PRINTABLE coupon
- $10 Mail in Rebate when you buy 2 PRINTABLE
=FREE with profit of $8.02 - Limit 5

Walgreens deals 04/19/09-04/25/09

Physicians Formula Makeup 40% off
- $1 coupon found in the 04/19 or 03/22 inserts
- Easy Saver rebate for $10 wyb $10 worth of Physicians Formula products
=FREE or very cheap

Reach Dental Care Floss or Prevent Toothbrush $.99 with in-ad coupon
- $3/3 coupon 03/15 insert
=FREE when you buy 3

Mitchum Deodorant $2.99
- $2 in Register Rewards
- $.75 coupon 03/22 insert
=$.24 each

Revlon Cosmetics BOGO (starting at $3.99)
- $2 coupon 03/15 insert
=FREE or very cheap

Post Trail Mix Crunch Cereal $2.50
- $2 PRINTABLE coupon
=$.50 each

Natures Bounty Products BOGO
- 2 $2/1 printable coupons here
=FREE or very cheap vitamins

Just For Men hair care products $8.29
- $2 printable coupon here
- $1.50/1 Easysaver coupon (page 11)
- full rebate
=FREE with $3.50 overage

Skintimate Shave Gel $2.99
- $2.99 in register rewards
=FREE

Edge infused/energy shaving gel $3.59
- $3.59 register rewards
=FREE

Wal-itin (Walgreen's brand Claritin) $6.99
- $6.99 Easy Saver Rebate
=FREE

One a Day Multi-Vitamin Drink Mix $1.49
- $1.49 Easy Saver Rebate
=FREE

Weekly menu for last week

Once again, I have a target price of $5 for dinner, which includes my husband and myself, plus our 2 1/2 and 1 year olds. Ok, here's what we had for dinner this week, with costs:

Sunday: dinner at my in-laws, which I highly recommend

Monday: Sloppy Joes
These were half of a batch that I made up a couple of weeks ago http://providentandresourceful.blogspot.com/2009/04/freezer-meals-cont.html and froze. All I had to do was pull it out of the freezer and add buns! It's REALLY good too!
Total Cost: (about $3 for the meat mixture, and the buns were free (bread truck)) =$3

Tuesday: frozen pizza (I was running errands and needed a FAST dinner)
Total Cost: $3

Wednesday: Breakfast Burritos
I used leftovers from some breakfast hash (potatoes, onions, peppers, etc) that I had made a few weeks ago for a Lenten dinner and frozen, added scrambled eggs, sausage, and cheese, and put it all into tortillas for burritos.
Total Cost: (leftover base=free because I had already figured the total cost into my previous meal, eggs=$.80, sausage=$1, cheese=$.60, tortillas=$.45)=$2.85

Thursday: cereal (I am so embarassed, I did a lot of yard stuff this week and didn't feel like cooking much this week.)
Total Cost: less than $1 (I buy the good cereal on sale, with coupons, so it cost about $1.20 a box, and we definately didn't eat an entire box.)

Friday: HUGE Calzone (I kinda made up the recipe, but it was SOO good! Even the 2 1/2 and 1 year olds loved it!) I used the 1/3 of the calzone/pizza dough that I had made earlier this week. The rest are frozen for super easy meals in the future. REALLY GOOD!
Total Cost: (dough=$1, meat=leftover from previous meals, tomato and pesto sauces=$.30, cheese=$.15)(strawberries for desert=$1.10)=$2.55

Saturday (here's where we make up a little for the rest of the week's inexpensive dinners): Pork ribs, veggies, mashed potatoes and strawberries
Total Cost: (ribs=$4.50 on sale, veggies=free (actually $.50 profit, but I'm not counting that), mashed potatoes=$.60, strawberries=$1.10)=$6.20

I usually only include dinners on here, but fyi, breakfasts this week were poptarts (bought for $.09 a box), muffins that I made earlier this week (SO good, making more today hopefully!), cereal, and bananas (a huge staple for us right now.)

CVS primer

This is from Fish Mama's website (Life as Mom,) and it is a VERY easy and simple primer for CVS.

CVS for Beginners, April 12 - 18

If you're new to the whole get-great-deals-at-CVS-thing, it can be a little confusing. ECBs? What are those? And what in the world do you do with them?

Here's a step by step plan for the deals that are going this week, April 12 -18th at CVS.

1. Go to CVS.

2. Sign up for an Extra Care card if you don't already have one.

3. Pick up a weekly ad. Check the dates to make sure it's the right one.

4. Look through the flyers for items that say "free after ECB's" or those that give back ECBs. Are any of these items that you or someone in your family will use? If so, choose two to three items to start.

When you get to the checkstand, make sure you use your Extra Care card and have them run it before they run the items.

Don't forget to double check the ad with the items to make sure you got the right brand, style, and size of the item on sale.

In this week's ad, there aren't too many "freebies," but let's go with what's there.

Purchase:
1 Softsoap scrub Body Wash $4.99
1 Colgate sensitive Toothbrush $3.99

Your total should be $8.98 + tax.

You will pay out $8.98(+tax), but receive back on your register receipt coupons or "Extra Care Bucks" (ECBs) totalling $8.98.

One will be for $4.99 and the other for $3.99. You basically got those products for "free."

The ECBs are good for about a month's time. Don't lose them! Now, if you spend your ECBs wisely, you will continue to save money on your pharmacy purchases. If there are other items on sale that you need or will use eventually, purchase those. If you have manufacturers coupons, so much the better. Try to buy things that you have to have or items that generate more ECBs. This is called "rolling your ECBs."

Now, you could do the following:
Buy another Colgate sensitive Toothbrush $3.99 (there's a limit of two)
Your total will be $3.99 + tax
Pay with the $3.99 ECB coupon.
Pay the remaining tax.
Get back another $3.99 in ECBs

This means that after the two transactions, you've shelled out $8.98 (+tax) out of pocket.
You have 1 body wash, and 2 toothbrushes, and still have $8.98 in ECBs to spend on future transactions. That is a great bargain!

It took some time and some cash on hand (*note from Sarah, initial cash, you will find that very little will come out of your pocket once you get started), but you got those items for FREE!

It takes a little practice (and a lot of math) to get the swing of things, but after a few tries, you'll be gathering all you need in toiletries, OTC meds, and other drugstore items for very little money.

Homeschool Freebie: Paul Revere

Homeschool Freebie of the Day has some great freebies up for today (and all weekend) about Paul Revere, whose 'Midnight Ride' took place on April 18, 1775 - exactly 234 years ago tomorrow.

"Listen My Children"-FIRST UP up this a great half hour audio story about Revere’s life and influence,including the events of that fateful night, as originally dramatized on the radio program “Cavalcade of America”, in December, 1952…

"Listen My Children" listening guide-NEXT you’ll want to use our PDF “Listening Guide” that accompanies the audio program…

"Paul Revere's Ride"- Next, we have a SECOND classic audio for you… a great dramatic reading of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s classic poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride” as performed by Frederic March. This is an excellent dramatic reading of this classic American poem and runs about 10 minutes.

AND FINALLY, as an extra bonus resource, we also have this neat art study guide focusing on paintings & sculptures depicting Paul Revere as well as the Minutemen, courtesy of Yes You Can! Publications. This is lots of fun and a great way to combine history with art appreciation & study. Check it out!

My CVS trips

I went to CVS and did three seperate transactions, and I made out SOOOO well! Here's what I got:

Transaction 1:

Vasoline Mens lotion $2.99
Vasoline Mens lotion $2.99
Garnier Nutritioniste Cleaner Towlettes $5.00
Garnier Nutritioniste Moisturizer $12.00

Subtotal: $22.98

-CVS ECB coupon for $10 off of any $20 skin care purchase (AWESOME)
-$4/$20 CVS ECB coupon
-$1 off any Garnier Nutritioniste cleanser/moisturizer
-$1 off any Garnier Nutritioniste cleanser/moisturizer
-$1 off any Vasoline lotion
-$1 off any Vasoline lotion

Got back $5 ECB for buying $15 of Garnier Nutritioniste products

=$.02 profit before tax (plus I have $6 in products to submit for the Unilever free turkey/ham WYB $40 in products rebate, more about that later)

Transaction #2

Dove Ultra Clear deodorant (also part of the Unilever products for the rebate, plus it's my favorite deodorant) $3.50
Airwick Freshmatic Mini $4.99
Airwick Freshmatic Mini $4.99
Airwick Freshmatic Mini $4.99
Gilette Shampoo $4.49

Subtotal=$22.96

-$4/$20 purchase CVS ECB coupon
-$1.25 off any Dove Ultra Clear Deodorant coupon
-$4.00 off Airwick Freshmatic Mini
-$4.00 off Airwick Freshmatic Mini
-$4.00 off Airwick Freshmatic Mini
-Free Gilette Shampoo, Conditioner, or style product (-$4.49)

=$1.22 before tax (paid by CVS giftcard from transferred prescription)

Transaction #3

Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste $3.99
Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste $3.99
Softsoap Body Wash Apricot Scrub $4.99
Dove Go Fresh Shampoo (on sale for BOGO) $4.99 (Unilever product)
Dove Go Fresh Conditioner FREE
Adult Tee (to make a Father's Day present) $2.50

Subtotal= $20.46

-$4/$20 purchase CVS ECB Coupon
-$1.50 off Dove Conditioner coupon
-$1.00 off Dove hair product coupon
-$1.00 off Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste online coupon
-$1.00 off Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste online coupon

Got back $7.98 in ECB for the toothpastes
Got back $4.49 in ECB for the Softsoap body wash (should've been 4.99, but I let it go because I love my CVS cashiers, and I want them to keep loving me!)

=$.51 profit


Grand Total for $71.39 in products cost $.69 WOOHOO!

Baking Day

I read all the time about these amazing mothers who have these baking days. They pick a handful of things to make (more sometimes), and spend the day baking breads, doughs, dinners, snacks, etc to put into the freezer for another day. This is SO awesome. While I'm not in a place in my life where I can quite do that yet, I do little spurts when I am especially inspired by them. Lately, I baked a dozen of these super power muffins, which were REALLY tasty! H asked for the recipe, so here it is:

Super Power Muffins:
1 cup brown sugar (unpacked)
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 banana
1/2 cup of apple sauce
1/2 cup carrot puree (baby food is an easy way to add this; only carrots and water in them)
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients well and set aside. Blend everything else and then sift in dry ingredients. Bake in a greased muffin tin for 15-18 min. Makes 12.

These were really good, kinda desert-like. Next time I am going to add more of both the apple sauce and the carrot puree, which I already changed in this recipe.


I also made calzone/pizza dough in the bread machine, which took NO effort at all. Here's the recipe from Life As Mom (with my changes):

Pizza or Calzone Dough
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup olive oil
4 1/2 cups bread flour (I did 2 cups whole wheat flour, and 2 1/2 cups bread flour)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbso yeast
(I also added some seasonings directly to the dough: Italian, Garlic Powder, and a little pepper, to give the dough some flavor)

Place ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturer's directions. Most machines tell you to add liquids first, then dry ingredients, then flour with a little well at the top for the yeast to sit. Make sure to scrape down the sides while it's mixing. Check consistancy and add flour or water as needed. At the end of the dough cycle, remove from pan to lightly floured or oiled surface. Divide into six equal portions (for Calzones, or three for pizzas) Place in an oiled 9x13-inch pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (The cold rising gives the dough great texture, nice and chewy.) Freeze or use as needed.

FREE 2 year subscription to Parents Magazine

Go here to sign up for a free 2-year subscription to Parents magazine.

I've done a TON of these in the past couple of months and gotten like 6 magazine subscriptions for free. I already have a Parents one though, so hopefully someone else could use it!

Walgreens deals 04/12/09-04/18/09

WEEKLY DEALS

Mentos Gum 2/$2 (must buy 2 to get this price

-two $1/1 coupons from the 3/1 SmartSource insert

=FREE

Just For Men hair care products $8.29

-$2/1 printable coupon here

-$1.50/1 Easysaver coupon

Submit for the full rebate

=FREE plus $3.50 overage after coupons and rebate

Excedrin Pain Relief 24 ct. tablets or Express Gels BOGO $4.79

-2 $2/1 coupons here

=$0.40 each

Chex Mix Snacks $0.99

-$0.50/1 coupon from 2/22 insert

=$0.49 each

Coffee Mate 16 oz. liquid $1.50

-$1/1 printable coupon here

=$0.50 each

Skippy Peanut Butter BOGO $2.29

-$1/2 coupon from 4/5 RedPlum insert

=$0.65 each

Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner BOGO $2.99

-two $.75/1 coupons from 3/15 insert

or $.75/1 coupon from http://www.homesolutionsnews.us/offers.shtml (they also have a lot of other great coupons there too!)

=$0.75 each

Printer Cartridge Refill $10 (black or color)

Submit for $7.50 Easysaver rebate

=$2.50

REGISTER REWARDS DEALS

Colgate Max White or Max Fresh Toothbrush $3.49

-$3.49 Register Rewards

- $1/1 coupon here

or $0.75/1 coupon from 3/29 SmartSource insert

=FREE plus overage

Chapstick 100% Naturals or True Shimmer Lip Balm or Butter (.15 oz) $1.99

-$2 Register Reward (not advertised in the weekly ad, but is reported to be a monthly deal)

=FREE

Scunci Elastics 18 pk. $2

-$2 Register Rewards

=FREE

Fiber Choice 10 ct. Tablets at $2.49

-$2.49 Register Rewards

=FREE

APRIL FREE-AFTER-REBATE DEALS

One-A-Day Multi-Vitamin Drink Mix 2 ct. $1.49

-$1/1 One-A-Day coupon from the 3/22 SmartSource insert

-$1.49 April EasySaver Rebate

=FREE plus overage

Buy 1 Wal-Itin Allergy Relief 30 ct. at $6.99Get $6.99 EasySaver rebate (offer #10)Free after rebate

Get 1 printer cartridge refill at $7.50Get $7.50 EasySaver rebate (offer #28)Free after rebate

Home School freebie of the day- Hand Sewing Lessons

Homeschool freebie of the day is a three year course on hand sewing! Very cool if you don't have a sewing machine, but still want to be frugal by making/fixing clothing.

Hand Sewing Lessons (PDF ebook) - This vintage course, originally published in 1905, is a great THREE YEAR course in hand sewing basics designed for home or school instruction. This is quite different than the sewing resource we offered months ago. Lots of helpful instructions for the teacher, with many projects and ideas for teaching. Check it out if you are interested in teaching this largely neglected but eminently practical skill.

Click here for today's resource:

http://www.wholesomechildhood.com/April/April14.html

CVS weekly deals 04/12-04/18

Here are some of the best deals for CVS for this upcoming week, more to follow:

Softsoap Scrub Body Wash 18 oz $4.99, get $4.99 in ECBs, limit 1
- $1 Softsoap body wash coupon from 03/29 paper insert
--$1.50 Softsoap Brand Scrub Body Wash from Reinventing Beauty CVS Magazine
=Free + overage with coupons and ECBs

Colgate Enamel Protect, sensitive whitening toothpaste 6oz or 360 sensitive toothbrush $3.99 get $3.99 ECBs, Limit 2
- $1 Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste
- $.75 coupon for Colgate Adult or Kids Toothpaste from the 02/22 insert
- $.75 coupon for any Colgate Toothpaste from 03/29 insert
=FREE + overage with coupons and ECBs

Vitamin water 10 20 oz 10/$10
- $1.00 coupon for any 20 oz vitamin water from 04/05 insert
=FREE after coupon

Airwick Freshmatic Mini Automatic Spray $4.99

-$4/1 printable here

=$0.99 each

Kellogg's Cereals $2

-$1/1 coupon from the 4/5 RedPlum insert

or the $1/1 Raisin Bran coupon here

=$1 each

Natural Dentist $6.99, get $4.00 ECBs

- $2/1 PRINTABLE coupon

Submit for the $10.00 manufacturer's rebate when you buy two PRINTABLE

=over $8 profit when you buy two and use coupons/rebate

Freezer Meals cont.

Sorry that I haven't followed up on this post yet. The past two days were a little hectic. I did end up making both of the meals that I had planned on. I doubled the recipe for both the sloppy joes and for the mini meatloafs and they turned out pretty good.

The sloppy joes were WONDERFUL!!!! I thought that I had a can of Manwich in my cubbard, which is why I was going to make sloppy joes in the first place, but I was wrong. By the time I realized that, my heart was set on sloppy joes, so I found this great recipe online and they were SO much better than the stuff in a can! I will always make them this way from now on! I froze half of it for an easy dinner later, just add buns!

Here's the recipe, with my variations, if anyone's interested.

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
1 1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup bbq sauce
4 teaspoons brown sugar

1/2 cup quick cook oats
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.

Stir in the remaining ingredients; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

The mini meatloafs were pretty good. I used a new recipe that I had found online under a freezer meal category, but I think that next time I will use my own meatloaf recipe and modify the cooking time for the smaller loaves. One thing that the recipe instructed, which I thought was a great idea, was to use a muffin tin to seperate the loaves, so they were like little meatloaf muffins. It was very easy, and much less messy than trying to fashion a dozen little loaves.

Freezer Meals

One of the BEST ways to save time and money is to make extra portions of a meal, and freeze later for a quick meal. This is a great way of using up food that you are able to get a really good deal on, before it hits the expiration date. My goal is to have one baking/cooking day a week, with the majority of the food being put away for quick meals later. Today I am making sloppy joes and mini meatloafs... will post results later!

Redbox code for Wednesday 04/01/09

Redbox has been offering codes for free movies on Wednesdays for the past month, and I guess they are continuing it for April as well. Take this code to any Redbox location for a free night's movie rental.

Today's code is MMM401.

Free Home Made Simple coupon booklet

This is a free coupon booklet of P&G coupons by Home Made Simple. Just sign up and they'll mail it pretty quickly. It has a TON of coupons in it, and they're pretty good ones too. Click below to sign up.

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/100603/captureAddress.iphtml?item=100603&pk_guid=12.165.82.68.75251193257013914&source=SSIGLB

Free Basil Seed Pack

Tomato Heirlooms is offering a free pack of basil seeds when you register at their site. No purchase necessary, registration is free, and supplies are limited. Included in the pack are three varieties: Sweet Italian Basil, Purple Basil, and Lemon Basil. These are valued at $6.00.

I am starting an herb garden this year, so I was really excited to see these! Sign up fast to get yours!

http://www.tomatoheirlooms.com/login.asp?message=To+access+your+account%2C+please+enter+your+e%2Dmail+address+and+password+below%2E