Give Away!

Hello friends! I hope we are all having a lovely Sunday Morning.. I have a red lab staring me down.. She wants out for the third time already! I guess I am not that interesting until I have a few cups of coffee in me!

I have some good news for my pocket book.. I counted the weeks and I counted all my formula... I officially have my last can of formula bought! Yes! And, with coupons, I estimate I saved between $7 and $10 per tub. That's at least $40 a month! Good deal!

So, to celebrate, I have over $40 in coupons for Enfamil Formula that I will give to the first person who emails me a paragraph/guest blog on how you have used coupons to help you stay within or below budget! Thanks guys! I  will close this giveaway when I receive the first one! Email is Rachar_Layman@mail.com

Enjoy your day!

Deals for this weekend!

Upcoming Deals and Steals!

• Old Navy  Additional 15% off a single Item! Also I heard that if you bring in a bag/box of clean clothes and donate them until Sunday, May 29th, you will get an additional 30% off your total!
• Old Navy Flip Flops $1 this weekend. I think in store only.. but still, that is awesome!
• Sherwin Williams 30% off Paint and Stain Sale May 22nd-30th. Use This for an additional $10 off $50 or more!
• If you need some diapers and want a good deal, sign up for Amazon Mom and buy These luvs diapers for a decent price. Works out to $0.11 a diaper. I personally do not like loves, but if you do, good deal!
• Another Amazon Deal Pampers Splashers has a coupon on Amazon. Go to the Amazon Coupon Page here. Select the $1.50 off Pampers Splashers. Then search and add to your cart the Pampers Splashers. Make sure you have signed up for Amazon Mom. This gives you free shipping(free Amazon Prime) and 15% off all diapers and wipes. Select Subscribe ans save, This gives you another 15% off. If you do not want recurring orders, just set it for 6 months out and then make sure you go in and cancel the subscribe and save after you receive your order.
• Today only, the first 100,000 to download the iMapWeather Radio for iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad will get it for free. With all the crazy weather the south has seen lately this is pretty awesome!
  It is normally $9.99 so this is a great one to grab while it’s free. Just download the app from the app store onto your device.

New Day.. New Deals.. New Design..

Okay, so most everyone who knows me knows that I am a total idiot when it comes to computers.. I can type stuff in, make it look great with word, excel, even quick books and I have become friends at times. But, my computer is possessed. It deletes things it shouldn't, changes layouts, won't talk with my keyboard unless it wants to.. It isn't a virus, its been checked, scanned daily and shown to a professional (Go Montie Montgomery!). It has been certified with a clean bill of health. He even has said it wasn't me.. it was the computer, but he was probably trying to make me feel better seeing as the same man told me about 5 years ago that a computer is only as smart as its operator.. oops. Bet my computer could spit out a wealth of information on breast feeding, pumping, couponing, saving money, oh, and def. on all things horse research. It could probably even barrel race..

All that said.. HTML coding is not for me.. Seriously. It's like speaking a foreign language and seeing as we live in MI the closest foreign languages we have to need to learn is Yupper  and Canadian.. And they are pretty much the same thing, just a bit different dialects. So what I needed to spruce up my blog was help. I found(finally after much searching) a website that does free templates, well, many of them, but none of them fit me.. Until this one. I don't even know where I found it, but it is awesome. I think I searched for free cute blogger templates.. I may have begged my computer to cooperate (not really, anything involving the Internet I am actually quite good at, just not this..) So the one thing that I want to do is find a tool bar navigator thing.. Shabby blogs has an awesome one.. I want it.. but I can't find it, or the code.. Any computer geniuses out there want to help?

Oh and guess what Little Man found last night? His puppy act.. complete with drinking out of Gem's water dish.. Gross.. She's like, you idiot.. give me the sippy cup then.. Kids..

Just a thought...

I'm sitting here at PT in the Fluido waiting for the buzzer to go off. I'm heading to Walgreens and Rite Aid after, going to hit up some good as getting some free and really cheap items. Just wanted to post a thought for you... When you are all stocked up for a few months and have a few extra coupons what do you do? I have enough body wash and deodorant to last Jason around a year probably. The most it cost me was probably $1 a bottle. What should I do with all these awesome BOGO coupons that have come in the inserts lately? Make a donation Box! My new goal for myself is to follow through with my New Years Goal I made back in January.. To Give Back. I still can't afford to make large cash donations, but I an and will, start using my coupons tostart a donation box. Body Wash, Deoderant, maybe some fod staples, PAPER products, even formula that I can get cheaply, all this will go in the donation box. Once a month I will set a goal to get ahold of Donna Williams or Pastor Jack to drop off at Joseph's Store House at Beaver Lake Community Church to help out. Even if it is only $5 +" I can do it! Anyone else want to take the pledge to donate somewhere?

Good Saturday Morning!

Good Morning all! I am sitting here in my recliner with a cup of warm coffee contemplating the day. Tomorrow I Mother's Day. I just hope to be able to sleep in. The kids have been getting up at 6:30 the last few mornings and that's not even daycare days! I'm definitely needing the coffee!

Sorry I haven't posted much this week, it has been busy! My aunt and cousin's gf and their daughter came up north and we all met at my Aunt's cabin in Cheboygan. It was a fun, relaxing weekend during the week. Poor Little Miss got tortured by Little Man.. He was in love I think! Kept hugging her, laying on her, following are everywhere..She was obviously annoyed. He was either in love or just loved to annoy her. Yes, he is all male.

When we got back, I had a pile of work on my desk. The guys were cranking out the service while I was gone(for those of you that don't know, I run my dad's well drilling business). I was happy. Made a nice deposit. Worked alot, It was good. So the only think I got to do on here was to figure out how to add a second page, which is now our own Coupon Database. Deal Seeking mom keeps it up! Yeah!

Also this week I sold my travel system to a friend. It was sad!  Which I was surprised by. I am not an emotional person, I don't really get attached to things. As a child, I didn't have a lovey, blankie, or teddy. Even now, I don't like stuff cluttering even though it seems I can't get away from it.  So when I decided, with Jason that I was going to get the Implanon (BC that goes in your arm lasts for 3 years), I knew I would have to get rid of some stuff.. The travel System expires in 2015, so in 3 years it will be 2014 and even if we got preggers right away, we just would be cutting it close. So it was sold. The point of this is you don't realize what you get attached to when you have kids. Maybe it was one of their favorite toys, a blankie, a favorite shirt. For me, I was heart sick that the carseat that had faithfully carried my newborns home from the hospital, the stroller that had taken many trips, and the bases that held my children safe and tight were gone.  It will keep a new baby safe, but I was still going to miss it. I don't know. Issues..

So, I think we all need to realize this mother's day what is truly important, what or love for our children are.Happy Mother's Day My friends.. Now my cup is empty and the baby is crying!

Oh My! I just found this awesome site! Ana White! Check it out!

Ana White is an amazing Designer! Most of these pieces will cost you half the amounts if you went in a bought them! Check it out!

I am so making these chairs for the kids.. Abby's will have flowers and ponies all over it and Logan's will have.. you know what.. Lightning McQueen! Red and race cars!

I think I may use this in my soon to be mud room.. It will be perfect!

Paired with This!

Now I may head off to Home Depot and just buy some stuff, set it in the garage with directions and tell Jason to get to work this weekend.. what do you think?

Coupon Fraud, Just because you can do it doesn't make it right!

I was going to wait till tomorrow, but the kids are asleep, the hubby is asleep, and the dogs and cat are actually behaving, it's a rare opportunity of peace here in the Ruczynski household.

I am a member of a group on Facebook, a coupon swapping group. It's awesome, helpful, and a group of awesome women. But either from ignorance of desperation, it happened. I got a fraudulent coupon! The thing is I didn't even look close enough to see that it happened! Someone, and I don't even know for sure who it was, had printed me off Enfagrow coupons 2 of them.. I just know that I had $20 worth of Enfagrow checks, and 2 $5 off Enfagrow coupons. I went to Walmart with a plan. I matched Meijer's ad for prices with the 1 Enfagrow (lowered the price by a dollar, and $4/10 Beech Nut 3rd foods for Abby and I also price matched 2 Tubs of enfamil. My plan was to buy 2 Tubs of Enfagrow. Didn't happen. As I was going through the Tobacco Aisle check out (easiest when you have coupons, the Managers are right there and they usually get called) the Manager and I were checking off my coupons when she noticed it. My Enfagrow coupons, they were the same. All the numbers, letters, everything. I had been Frauded, I almost frauded them! I explained myself, and luckily this Manager has seen me there before and I am always honest and thankful for the help and time I take, she understood. I got lucky! It is an arrestable offense! I am just hoping that now they are not "watching" me closer. I didn't mean to do it and I corrected it as soon as I realized what had happened. But still, I felt embarrassed, guilty, and upset.

So, Today I am talking about this. Coupon Fraud is the same as theft. If you copy, change, or alter the coupon in any way, shape, or form, you are essentially stealing from the store. If you get caught, not only are you chancing charges being filed, you are also taking a chance on your luck to be able to use coupons at that store again. If to many people commit coupon fraud, eventually the stores are going to get stricter and stricter on their coupon policies, making it more and more difficult to save money. When you pass on copied or altered coupons, you can hurt someone else's chances of being able to coupon properly.

While I am extremely grateful for these wonderful ladies in the group I am in, I was also disappointed that this could happen. I am hoping that it is just plain ignorance that allowed this to happen . In the mean time, I will be double and triple checking any coupons that I receive!

Link of all you Mom to be's!

This is a helpful link for all you Mom-to-Be's out there. There are so many of you I know of! Congrats! Maybe us moms can comment on what we found extremely helpful for the first year!

http://assets.babycenter.com/ims/Content/baby_registry_product_checklist.pdf

I know that I couldn't live with out my Jumperoo made by Fisher Price! Once the kids turned about 4 months old, it was the thing to have. They like the excersaucers also, but you will love the jumperoos! When they are fussy, put them in and let them fuss, hyper? they jump around and scream with Joy! I don't have many door jams to hang a jumper, and they scare me anyway, but these jumperoos are mobile and safe!

For diaper rash creams, desitn is great, but Boudreaux's Butt Paste  is the best yet! It still smells a bit, but it dosen't seem to sting as does the desitin. For my Breast Pump, I much loved my Medela Pump in Style. It worked well, stayed steady, and replacement parts were very reasonable! I just recently sold it, but, if in a few years, Jason and I are blessed with another baby, we definatly plan on investing in another, hopefully the Freestyle which actually allows you to walk around!

Anyway, I hope this is helpful to you Moms-to-Be!

Turn To Spartan, Neiman's Matchups and Ideas

Thanks to Stephanie Wilds and this lovely storm we are currently having, my day has opened up wide and clear! Well, not so clear, but nothing going on, that's for sure! Stephanie Wilds had sent me a message Via Facebook (what an awesome site!) that she has found a ton of luck with Turn to Spartan.com in order to get some decent deals at Neimans on the Spartan products! I finally had a chance to check this out and figured I would share some of my findings with you for this week.

Meat Counter

• Split Chicken Breasts $0.88 a Lb

Produce

• Grapes, $0.99 a lb

Boxed Goods

• Post Cereals $1.99
• Printable coupon for $3 off 4 boxes, equals $4.96 for 4 boxes.. Deal!
• Taco Bell Dinner Kits 2/$4
• $1/2 Taco Bell Product, exp. 4-30-11  
• Total OOP 2/$3
• Taco Bell Shells and Sauce 2/$3
• $1/2 Taco Bell Product, exp. 4-30-11  
• Total OOp 2/$2
• Tomb Stone Pizza 3/$10
• $1.50/3 Printable Coupon
• Total OOp 3/$8.50
• Spartan Dressings
• BOGOF!
• General Mills Cheerios 2/$6
• $1 off 2 Printable.
• Vitamin Water
• 10/$10
• Gatoraid 2- 8 packs for $10
• Spartan Breakfast Blend Coffee $2.89
• $-1.00 Printable Spartan Coupon
• $1.89
• Viva Paper Towels $7.49
• $0.50 Printable Coupon
• International Delight $1.79
• Printable coupon for 0.55 off,
• $1.24 oop
• Milk, $2.89 a Gallon
• Spartan Biscuits 2/$1
• Coke Products 10/$10 on the 2 L
• Ballpark Hot Dogs 2/$6
• $0.55/1 Printable
• Print2, Get $1.10 off
• Keebler Townhouse Crackers 2/$5
• $1 off 2 Printable Q's

Well, That's Pretty Much it for this week.. Nothing really special, but those chicken breasts.. good deal there! And the grapes! Yum!

New Excell Document Shopping Predictor

Hey Everyone! Here Is my work in progress.. My Shopping List helper! I put in my item, the price, the amount of coupons I have, what RR is earned, and  Whala! Everything is figured out for me! my Total Out Of Pocket, My RR earned, everything. It may need some edits here and there, but let me know what you all think!

Equestrian Coupons and Deals

So for today, I thought maybe my equestrian friends would like to have some hints, tips, and savings passed there way. So here we go!
 
Here are some excellent coupons for Farnam Products.. I know one girl (Mary Miller) who could defiantly benefit with the Brite and white Shampoo! But all these coupons are a great value to help us stock our Vet boxes for spring, our bath boxes for bat season, and even get our saddles ready!

Got to Horse.com and use coupon code CTHRDW11. Get $10 off your order of $100 or more! also use coupon code for CJHSH129

Use those with  This and get your horses new weatherbeeta blankets at even more of a deal!

Prefer Valley Vet Equine? Here you Go! They have lots of decent deals, like, who uses Cortaflex? Well, if you buy 1 Gallon, you get a free quart! Or my favorite deal I saw, buy select Ariat boots, get a free gift. There was a $40 breyer horse for free!

What About State Line Tack? I signed up for Upromise, which gives me coupons, points, and money back. I can get 3% of my order back, which I can then deposit online into a college savings program for the kids..so not only do I get stuff for the horses, I also am saving, while spending money, for the kids education.  And they have a ton of stuff in their winter clearance section!

Smith Brothers, as a barrel racer, is one of my favorite sites. Here are some of the coupon sales they have going on now.. be sure to look at the clearance too!

So, My horsey friends, I didn't forget you! Here is some fun stuff to look at today while we wait for spring to finally arrive. Maybe it is here seeing as it is raining? April Showers bring May Flowers! Talk to you All soon!

Walmart's New Coupon Policy

Walmart officially released a new coupon policy yesterday! There are a few changes that are pretty fun. Please remember that this will take time for cashiers to learn, so it is best to print the policy and keep it with you if you are a regular Walmart shopper.

Two big changes:

You should now be able to use Walgreens Register Rewards (they are a "Catalina" manufacturer coupon)! This may take a while to catch on.. best bet is to print off the coupon policy and take it with you.

"Coupons may exceed the price of the item. Change may be given or applied toward the cost of the basket purchase."

One other thing to note: They state that they accept competitor coupons that have an actual price for an item. This is not a $1 off coupon, but a coupon that states that the item costs $1. We get A LOT of coupons like this in the Walgreens weekly ad. This is not technically new, just want you to understand what they mean. An example of this is the ad in the Walgreens that listed Palmolive dish detergent at $0.89, which is a deal, or  the wipes deal.



Walmart Coupon Policy
Walmart accepts the following types of coupons (see guidelines below):

• Manufacturers’ coupons Print-at-home Internet coupons Must be legible, have "Manufacturer Coupon" printed on them, have a valid remit address for the manufacturer, valid expiration date, and have a scannable bar code. Competitors’ coupons that feature a specific item for a specified price for example, $2.99 Soft drink container caps Checkout coupons (also called "Catalina's") that are printed at our competitors’ registers, have "Manufacturer Coupon" with specific requirements printed on them, a valid remit address for the manufacturer, valid expiration date, and a scannable bar code.

Walmart does not accept the following coupons:

• Print-at-home Internet coupons that require no purchase Competitors’ coupons for dollars/cents or percentage off, buy one get one free, and double- or triple-value coupons

The following are guidelines and limitations:

• Only one coupon per item is permitted. Coupons must have an expiration date and be redeemed prior to expiration. Coupons may exceed the price of the item. Change may be given or applied toward the cost of the basket purchase. Walmart only accepts coupons for merchandise that we sell. Coupons must be presented at the time of purchase. We accept the following with Customer Service Supervisor/Management approval: 40 or more coupons Any coupon over $20 or $50 or more in coupons in one transaction

**Information taken from The Coupon Swap Facebook Group and Southernsavers.com with some add in information by me, Rachar!

Deals this week... WAGS

Walgreens (ends 4-30)

These are some deals this week that I have found. Some are for RR, some are for sales, some are for mommas that like deals!

• Nestle Candy Bars.. On Sale for $0.39.. Deal
  
• StayFree Maxi Pads
  
  • $2.99-$2.99 RR on Next Purchase= Free!
    
  • There are also some $1 off q's out there, making it a $1 Money Maker.
    
• NexCare Bandaids..
  
  • Buy 1@ $2.99, Get a $2.99 MIR, Final Cost (after Rebate) FREE
    
  • Luster White Tooth Paste
    
    • Normal Cost $4.99-$4 RR earned -$1.50 SS coupon found in SS 4/3= $0.51 Overage..
      
    • Super good deal on tooth paste. They are paying you!
      

    Here's a good deal if summer ever gets here!

• Hawaiian Tropic
  
  • Regular Cost $8.99, buy 2 bottles at $17.98, Get $5 RR, or Buy $20 worth, get $8 RR!
    

Hair Supplies

• Aussie, Herbal Essence, or Head and Shoulders Shampoos and Conditioners.
  
  • Buy 1 @ $5.99, Get $1 RR, use a Herbal Essence Coupon or Pantene coupon for $1 off 1 product, $3.99 total
    
  • This is the 14.3 to 33.8 Ounce bottles
    

Cosmetics

• Covergirl BoGo50% off, Many Q's to go with this in the inserts. Also, you can find pintables for them. 5 Minutes and you could save yourself 75% off your makeup!
  
• L'Oreal foundation, concealer, powder, blush, or lip cosmetics bogo 50% off
  
  • -$2 L'oreal Infallible Le Rouge Lipstick coupon
    
  • -$2 L'oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base
    
  • -$2 L'oreal True Match Roller
    
  • -$2 L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara
    
  • These coupons are found in the Spring Savings Coupon Beauty Book. Ask for it at WAGS
    
• Revlon Foundation, Concelor, Powder, Eye cosmetics, or Blush, BOGO50%
  
  • Coupons in Spring Savings Beauty Book from WAGS
    
    
    

Household

• Walgreens Pure Honey, $3.99 with in ad coupon
  
• Starbucks Coffee $6.99 for 12 oz. Decent deal, I also have a $1.00 off coupon. Yumm…
  
• Viva Paper Towels $5.99 for a 6 pack I believe. Also a $1.00 off coupon from the paper.
  
• Red Baron 12" Pizza's, $3. Do not know if this is a good deal, I don't buy them.
  
• Post or Quaker Cereal or Pop Tarts, $1.99
  
• Palmolive Dish Soap
  
  • 10 oz for $0.89 with in ad coupon
    
• Kleenex Facial Tissue, $1.09 with in ad coupon.
  
• Huggies or Pampers Wipes $2.50
  
  • Minus Coupon valued at $0.75 is $1.75 for a diaper bag size wipes package.
    
• Huggies or Pampers diapers, Jumbo Packs
  
  • Pampers $8.99-$3
    
  • Huggies
    
    • $8.99-$2 WAGS Infant Care Coupon-$3 printable q from coupons.com=$3.99 for a package of diapers
      
    • That's $0.12 per diaper for Huggies size 3s.
      

  
   

 

Great Day!.. NOT!

I was really excited today.. See, yesterday was Easter! So today should defiantly be spring, right? Yeah, well in Northern MI Mother Nature is laughing her silly little ass off. Yes I said it. But I'm kind of PO'd at her. She should have given us spring! Not the 5 days of rain she is threatening us with. Doesn't she realize that I want to ride my old girls? See if Rose feels like kicking her heels up? Well, if I can get on them, stupid foot. I am far from normal, even though PT is helping.

And Next Weekend, I am meeting my Aunt Cindy, Sarah, and Adds up in Cheboygan with my mom to relax and have a girls (and Logan) few days. Wine and relaxation. Ahh.. And Adds and Logan to hopefully entertain each other, if they don't get mad. I would love to let him take up his little tykes car so he can run around, but after a week of rain, it's going to be way to muddy. I am quite sad about this weather thing. Just so you now Mother Nature!

Happy Easter a few days early!

I got some wonderful news today! My cousin who has been married for a few years, has a great, stable job, a husband who has a good stable job, a house, a dog, a cat... Well they will finally be adding to their wonderful family come November with... A wonderful baby! I am so happy for her! It really makes me feel as if spring has truly sprung! I am wistful, happy, and almost wishing for another miracle myself... Almost. I think I wait another few years and decide then!
In the mean time.. My kiddos and animals will keep me busy.. Our red lab, Gemma, who is about 8 months old has discovered her bird dog side.. Yes, she caught herself a bird yesterday.. And proceeded to eat it in front of me... Gross.. I about puked everywhere. Sick.. Anyone want a nice red lab? (not really but she was about out the door yesterday..)

I did Easter cards this year.. First time! They went out in the mail today (oops)! I used the pictures our wonderful friend Amy did.. Seriously guys, call Amy Boyd for photos.., and a deal off fuji film to do Abby's photo cards (25 free cards, just pay shipping) that cost me about $7. &?4 3$1? Walmart because I couldn't get my mom's computer and cc at the same time to do his.. They turned out really cute and are in the mail as we speak/type..

Any way, everyone have a wonderful holiday, remember what it truly stands for, and enjoy your family!

Happy Easter!

Carters Coupons!

Hey Friends! I found some good Carter's Coupons thanks to Facebook and Coupon Diva's.
Here it is!Carters Coupon's Links

Carseats, Is More Money really worth it?

So, once again and more personal blog/question for you. We all must have them, well the kids; we must spend the money on them. We like them to look cute, manly, and stable. Mostly we like them to be safe.

    So is there really that much difference in the quality of a $50 car seat versus a $500? I don't know. Is it truly worth it to buy a $500 car seat? Is Britax really that much better of a quality than Graco? Is the safety that much different between an Evenflo and a Britax?

    I mean, I always want my kids to by safe, but do I really need to drop $349 for a carseat that last them to 65lbs when they want kids in them till they are 100lbs? I really don't think so. I have made my decision. I am getting Abby a My Ride 65 by Graco. It's a nice seat, highly rated by people like me (the one lady has her "dream truck" that is s ¾ ton Dodge Diesel.), that will keep her rear facing till 40 lbs or 2 years (or until I go crazy). I have the Graco Nautalist for Logan, a super seat that is front facing only but will take him all the way through to a backless booster. I really like the Graco brand, heck, Abby's crib is a Graco! While I love my Chicco carseat, it was a great seat for the kids to get them through to this point; I haven't seen an as highly rated front facing carseat as the Graco brands for the price.

    What do you all think? What is your favorite carseat? What do you look for when looking at carseats?

Walmart Deals 04-21 (Ends Saturday on specials...)

Morning all! I have found some decent Walmart deals I figured I would post of you all if you are interested.

First off, thanks to Dealseekingmom.com, I have found these following specials...

• Grapefruit... On Sale for $3 for a 5lb
  
• YoBaby Yogurt $2.32 Each
  
  • - $1 Printable Coupons Use zip 33133
    
    • As Low as $1.32 after q...
      
• Destin Cream $3.78
  
  • -$0.75 coupon from Smart Source insert
    
  • Or $1 Destin Printable
    
    • As Low as $2.78 each
      

Thanks to Money Saving Mom, The following deals, which are Awesome, are as stands.

• Nivea Body Wash for Women – $3
  
  • Use $3/1 coupon from the 4/17 Red Plum insert
    
    • Free after coupon
      
• Nivea Body Wash for Men – $3
  
  • Use $3/1 coupon from the 4/17 Red Plum insert
    
    • Free after coupon
      
• Frigo String Cheese Singles – $0.33
  
  • Use $0.50/1 printable
    
    • Free after coupon
      
• Reach Floss – $0.88
  
  • Use $1/1 printable
    
  • $1/1coupon from the 4/17 Smart Source insert
    
    • Free after coupon
      
• Degree Women's Deodorant – $0.97
  
  • Use $1/1 coupon from the 4/17 Red Plum insert
    
    • Free after coupon
      
• Lysol Wipes – $1.89
  
  • Use $1.50/1 printable
    
    • $0.39 after coupon
      
• Johnson Red Cross First Aid Kits – $0.97
  
  • Buy 2 and use $1/2 coupon from the 3/13 Red Plum insert
    
    • $0.47 each after coupon
      
• Parkay Sticks – $1
  
  • Use $0.50/1 printable
    
    • $0.50 after coupon
      
• Dannon Greek Yogurt – $1
  
  • Buy 2 and use $0.50/2 coupon from the 4/17 Smart Source insert
    
    • $0.75 each after coupon
      
• Allegra (5 ct) – $5.94
  
  • Use $2/1 printable
    
  • Or use $5/1 coupon from the 4/17 Smart Source insert
    
    • As low as $0.94 after coupon
      
• Lipton Recipe Secrets – $1.28
  
  • Buy 2 and use $0.60/2 coupon from the 4/17 Red Plum insert
    
    • $0.98 each after coupon
      
• Aquafresh Kids Toothbrush – $1.98
  
  • Use $1/1 coupon from the 4/17 Red Plum insert
    
    • $0.98 after coupon
      
• Edy's Smoothie – $1.50
  
  • Buy 2 and use $1/2 coupon from the 4/17 Red Plum insert
    
    • $1 each after coupon
      
• Hungry Jack Pancake Mix, $1.98
  $0.55/1 Hungry Jack Mix printable
  $1.43 ea. after coupon!
  
• Hungry Jack Syrup, $2.58
  
  • $0.75/1 Hungry Jack Syrup printable
    
  • $1.83 ea. after coupon!
    
• Emerald Breakfast on the Go, $3.98
  
  • $1/1 Emerald Breakfast On the Go! Product printable
    
  • $1/1 Emerald Breakfast on the Go! printable
    
    • $2.98 ea. after coupon!
      
• Cap'N Crunch Cereal, $2.38
  
  • $1/2 Cap'n Crunch Cereal, exp. 8-31-11 (RP 04/17/11 #2)
    
    • $1.88 ea. wyb 2 after coupon!
      
• Lawry's Marinade, $2.26
  
  • $0.50/1 Lawry's Marinade, exp. 5-15-11 (RP 04/17/11)
    
    • $1.76 ea. after coupon!
      
• Zatarain's Spanish Rice, $1.18
  
  • $0.75/2 Zatarain's Rice Mix printable
    
  • $0.75/2 Zatarain's Rice Mix, exp. 6-12-11 (RP 04/17/11)
    
  • $1/4 Zatarains Rice Mix, exp. 4-30-11 (RP 02/13/11)
    
    • As low as $0.81 ea. wyb 2 after coupon!
      
• Wheat Thin Stix, $2.98
  
  • $1/1 Wheat Thins Crunch Stix printable
    
  • $1/1 Wheat Thins Crunch Stix printable
    
  • $1/1 Wheat Thins Crunch Stix, exp. 6-26-11 (SS 04/17/11)
    
    • $1.98 ea. after coupon!
      
• Ritz Munchables, $2.48
  
  • $1/1 Ritz Munchables printable
    $1.48 ea. after coupon!
    
• Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, $2
  
  • $0.50/2 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, exp. 6-11-11 (SS 04/17/11)
    
  • $0.50/2 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, exp. 4-30-11 (SS 03/06/11)
    
    • $1.75 ea. wyb 2 after coupon!
      
• Miracle Whip, $3.46
  
  • $0.75/1 Kraft Mayo or Miracle Whip, exp. 5-8-11 (SS 04/10/11)
    
    • $2.71 ea. after coupon!
      
• Ortega Taco Sauce, $1.77
  
  • $2/3 Ortega Product, exp. 6-30-11 (SS 04/17/11 #2)
    
    • $1.11 ea. wyb 3 after coupon!
      
• Fiber Plus Bars, $2.50
  
  • $1/2 Kellogg's FiberPlus Chewy Bars, exp. 6-12-11 (RP 04/17/11)
    
    • $2 ea. wyb 2 after coupon!
      
• Fiber Plus Cereal, $2.50
  
  • $0.70/1 Kellogg's FiberPlus Cereal, exp. 5-29-11 (RP 04/17/11)
    
  • $1/3 Kellogg's Cereal, exp. 5-29-11 (RP 04/17/11)
    
    • As low as $1.80 ea. after coupon!
      
• Rice Krispies Cereal, $2.94
  
  • $1/2 Rice Krispies printable
    
  • $1/3 Select Kellogg's Cereal printable
    
  • $1/2 Rice Krispies or Cocoa Krispies, exp. 5-29 (RP 04/17/11)
    
  • $1/3 Kellogg's Cereal, exp. 5-29-11 (RP 04/17/11)
    
    • As low as $2.44 ea. wyb 2 after coupon!
      
• Crisco Olive Oil, $4.68
  
  • $1/1 Crisco Olive Oil, exp. 7-31-11 (RP 04/17/11)
    
  • $1/1 Crisco Crisco Olive Oil, exp. 4-30-11 (RP 02/06/11)
    
  • $0.75/1 Crisco Olive Oil, exp. 4-30-11 (RP 02/06/11)
    
    • $3.68 ea. after coupon!
      
• Lawry's Seasoning, $1.64
  
  • $0.50/1 Lawry's Spice Blend, exp. 5-15-11 (RP 04/17/11)
    
    • $1.14 ea. after coupon!
      
• Kings Hawaiian rolls, $1.98
  
  • $1/2 King's Hawaiian Product, exp. 6-19-11 (SS 04/17/11 #2)
    
  • $3.50 off Kings Hawaiian Rolls, Pork AND Charcoal, exp. 5-15 (SS 03/13/11)
    
    • $3.50 savings wyb all 3 products!
      
• Starburst Jelly Beans, $1.78
  
  • $1/2 Starburst or Life Savers Jellybeans, exp. 5-15-11 (SS 04/03/11)
    
  • $1/2 Starburst or Life Savers Jellybeans, exp. 5-15-11 (RP 04/10/11)
    
    • $1.28 ea. wyb 2 after coupon!
      
• Nestle Nest Eggs, $2.68
  
  • $0.55/1 Nestle NestEggs printable
    
    • $2.13 ea. after coupon!
      
• Corn,
  
  • $0.50 each
    
• Bell Peppers
  
  • $0.88 Each
    
• Spiral Sliced Ham
  
  • $1.67/lb
    
• Frozen Tilapia Fillets
  
  • 2 lbs for $6.98
    
• Frozen Salmon Fillets
  
  • 16oz for $4.95
    
• Frozen Bone in Turkey Breast
  
  • $1.38lb
    
• Fresh Whole Fryer Chicken
  
  • $0.88/lb
    
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• Ball Park Franks, $3.48    
  
  • $1/1 Ball Park Franks Product printable
    
  • $1/2 Ball Park Product, exp. 5-25-11 (RP 03/27/11)
    
  • $0.75/2 Ball Park Product, exp. 5-25-11 (RP 03/27/11)
    
    • As low as $2.48 ea. after coupon!
      
• Treasure Cave Feta Cheese, $1.58
  
  • $0.50/1 Treasure Cave Cheese Product printable
    
    • $1.08 ea. after coupon!
      
• Frigo Parmesan Cheese, $2.32
  
  • $0.50/1 Frigo Cheese Product printable
    
  • $1.82 ea. after coupon!
    
• Jimmy Dean Sausage Rolls, $2.98
  
  • $1/2 Jimmy Dean Sausage Rolls, exp. 6-15-11 (RP 04/17/11)
    
  • $0.55/2 Jimmy Dean Sausage Rolls, exp. 6-15-11 (RP 04/17/11)
    
    • As low as $2.48 ea. wyb 2 after coupon!
      
• Jamba Juice Smoothies, $2.48
  
  • $1/1 Jamba All Natural Frozen Smoothies printable
    
    • $1.48 ea. after coupon!
      
• Freschetta Simply Inspired Pizza, $5.86
  
  • $2/1 Freschetta Simply Inspired Pizza printable
        $3.86 ea. after coupon!
    
• DiGiorno Pizza & Cookies, $7.50
  
  • $1.25/1 DiGiorno Pizza & Cookies, exp. 6-30-11 (RP 04/17/11)
    
  • $6.25 ea. after coupon!
    
• Eggo Fiber Plus Waffles, $2.74
  
  • $1/1 Eggo Fiber Plus Waffles printable
    
  • $0.75/1 Kellogg's Fiber Plus Eggo Waffles, exp. 6-12-11 (RP 04/17/11)
    
    • As low as $1.74 after coupon!
      
• Sister Schubert, $2.92
  
  • $0.50/1 Sister Schubert Product, exp. 5-27-11 (SS 02/27/11)
    
  • $1/1 Sister Schubert's Product, exp. 5-27-11 (SS 02/27/11)
    
    • As low as $1.92 ea. after coupon!
      
• Juicy Juice Drink Mixes, $3.08
  
  • $2/4 Juicy Juice Products printable
    $2.58 ea. wyb 4 after coupon!
    
• Kotex U, $3.78
  
  • $1/1 Kotex U Product Kotex U Product printable
    
  • $1/1 Kotex U Pads, exp. 5-28-11 (SS 04/17/11 #2)
    
  • $1/1 Kotex U Tampons, exp. 5-28-11 (SS 04/17/11 #2)
    
    • $2.78 ea. after coupon!
      
• L'Oreal Eye Shadow, $4.64
  
  • $2/1 L'Oreal Paris Eye Product, exp. 6-12-11 (RP 04/17/11)
    
  • $2/1 L'Oreal Cosmetic Face Product, exp. 5-1-11 (RP 03/06/11)
    
    • $2.64 ea. after coupon!
      
• Head and Shoulders Shampoo, $4.72
  
  • FREE Head & Shoulders Conditioner wyb Shampoo, exp. 5-31 (RP 04/17/11 #2)
    
    • $2.36 ea. wyb 2 after coupon!
      
• Olay Regenerist Face Wash, $5.97
  
  • $3/1 Olay Regenerist Moisturizer/Cleanser, exp. 5-31 (RP 04/17/11 #2)
    
  • $3/1 Olay Regenerist Moisturizer/Cleanser, exp. 4-30 (RP 03/13/11)
    
    • $2.97 ea. after coupon!
      
• Aveeno Lotion (2.7 oz.), $2.97
  
  • $1/1 Aveeno Product, exp. 5-15-11 (SS 03/27/11)
    
  • $3/2 Aveeno Product, exp. 5-15-11 (SS 03/27/11)
    
    • As low as $1.47 ea. wyb 2 after coupon!
      
• Lysol Wipes, $1.89
  
  • $1.50/1 Lysol Disinfecting Wipes printable
    
  • $1/2 Lysol Disinfecting Wipes printable
    
    • As low as $0.39 ea. after coupon
      

  
   

 

Building a Grocery Stock Pile Equals Money in the Budget!

Hi Everyone!

Have you seen the show on TLC Extreme Couponing? Its crazy isn't it! We can't really do that here in Alpena. It is difficult, but I don't think I will ever be able to get out of Neman's with over $1000 worth of groceries for less than $50. I love Niemen's but they do not double coupons, the do not put out that many store coupons. These things make it impossible in this town to do this, and seriously, who needs 64 bottles of mustard!

Today I am going to talk about Grocery Stockpiling. I'm not talking about getting 6 to 8 months ot more of groceries stocked up. But about 6 to 8 weeks is a good number to strive for. Sales make circles. Pasta might be on sale (different brands) every 4 to 5 weeks at 10/$10. This is a good price. But say it is Barilla Pasta. In your coupon binder you have 5 buy 2 boxes, get $10 off. You just lowered your price on those boxes from 10/$10 to 10/$5. A 50% savings! Now if you had 10 of these coupons (buy buying inserts off Ebay or getting coupons from your friends and family members) you could get 20 boxes of Barilla Pasta for $10. If you eat pasta dishes twice a week (summer is coming, pasta salads, yum!) that is 10 weeks of pasta!

Step #1 Getting Started

• Take a look in your panty or your grocery lists. What non-perishables do you buy the most? Pasta? Salad Dressings? Mustard (ok.. I will stop with the mustard..)?
  

  
   

• Write it down. Write or estimate the approximate amount that you should or would go through in about 6 to 8 weeks time. This also depends on you storage space available. I am Lucky enough to have a large walk in pantry. My garage is being overtaken by diapers, wipes, and personal products (I am far from the extreme couponers)
  

  
   

• Look ahead. You get the Neman's Circular on Saturday. I am hoping to get a sneak peak the week before the ad comes out. If I do, I will try and keep you posted. See what is going to be on sale. Do they have 10 /$10 Pasta? Or juice? Eggs? Cheese? Sale on Frozen Veggies? Stock up! Think how Walmart gets before Alpena gets an inch of snow.. Yeah, go crazy! Before you actually shop, look up on a coupon database. See what coupons are available for that product. Pintables are great, but save your inserts! Buy a Detroit Free press! They have all 4 normal inserts (2 Smart Source, 2 Red Plum) and a P&G Brand Saver when they come in(only quarterly I think)
  

  
   

Step #2 Prepare

• Make a Plan. What do you have in the pantry? What is on sale that week? If you have a freezer or deep freezer (Awesome!), What is in there? Plan some meals with what is on sale and what is in your pantry.
  

  
   

• Make your Store Plan. Say Neiman's has Pasta, pasta sauce, and bread on sale that week. How much, honestly, can you store without taking over your living space or adding on to your house? If you have a deep freezer and you can get bread, decent bread, for $.99 a loaf, why not grab 10 loaves of bread and filling up a shelf or a tough Rubbermaid tote full of bread, throwing it all but what you will eat that week, in the freezer. I recommend totes because if, like me, you have a chest freezer, bread tends to get smushed.. Though Logan really like the funny shaped Almond Butter and jelly sandwiches they make..
  

  
   

• Make a list, Stick to it, and Do Not Go when you are hungry! Even if this means you must eat something before you go, do it..     
  

  
   

  • Write it down, seriously. Kind of like this..
    

Product		Sale Price		Coupons available		Price after coupons	Total Amount buying	Total Price
Bread, Aunt Millies Hearth Bread		.99 a loaf		$.50 off 5		$0.89	10 loaves	$8.90/10 loaves
Lunch Meat, Deli, Sarah Lee Ham		$1.49 lb		$0.50 off 1 lb		0.99/lb	5 lbs	$4.95/5lbs (freezes well)

 

Step #3

• If you build it, you will save! Every time a sale and a coupon match up, get it. You may spend more money a week initially, but just think, the week will come when all you have to do is buy 2 gallons of milk, some lettuce and fresh veggies for salad, and maybe some chicken, if its cheap, just because you know you need it. Guess what? You just got your groceries for $30 a week! That's 10lbs of chicken @$0.89, 2 Gallons of milk, close to $3.00 a gallon, and $29 worth of fresh produce!
  

 

• The Trick is to buy large amounts during a sale and have a coupon to match up. Say Oreo's are on sale. $2 for a package ( I think I saw some for 2/$5 last week) You have a super craving, like the worst pregnancy craving every. You have 4 $0.50 coupons. Buy all 4 packages for $1.50 each. Yeah, you won't eat them that week, but if you are preggers, you will have a similar craving. Get it?
  

  
   

Step 4

• Organize it. Don't put the freshest stuff at the front, put it in the back. Date it. I have a permanent marker hanging from a piece of yarn in my pantry (things disappear with a 2 year old..) Date it as you unload it; put it in the back of the shelf. You don't want to be eating 2 week old cheerios when there are 3 month old ones in the back..
  

  
   

• Chest/Deep Freezer. If you have one, you are in luck! Uprights (they have awesome things called shelves!) are great for organization, but cost a bit more to run (supposedly, I have used both, they both raise your electric bill about the same), but chest freezers freeze better. So you got 20 lbs of chicken at $0.69lb at Perch's? get yourself a vacuum packer, place in portions your family will eat, vacuum pack and freeze, making sure you label what it is and date it (once pulled out Venison, after it thawed, I realized it was the heart.. boy were the dogs lucky that night.. blech!)
  

  
   

Step 5

• Go Slow! Don't go out and spend $300 the first week! Spend $50 more than your normal, if you can. Use that $50 to buy extra of what you need that is on sale. It is not worth spending the money to stock pile without going slow. It may take you a while.
  

Step 6

• Enjoy! Once you are stocked up, why not hit those big sales and donate it, if you can? This is my eventual goal, to not only be able to get by on $40 to $50 a week for all necessities, but when I see a big sale and I don't need it that time by, to buy it anyway and donate it! That is why Extreme Couponing grosses me out. These people are more shopaholics than anything. They should donate anything that is over, say on the high side, 6 months more than they would need. There are people out there that truly need the food.

A Bit more Personal This Afternoon!

Well, first off in the next day or so, I will be posting some good deals at Walmart with coupons! Help us save money there also!

Next. Today was bill paying day. Yuck. We know how that works. We get up, grab some coffee, balance the check book, online versus our screwed up (if you are like me) missed check balance book.. We screetch, either  in joy or disgust (depends on whether your hubby had the checkbook/ debit card)... and we start paying.. Writing those checks gives me both a sense of accomplishment and the mortal feeling of disgust. Watching the balance go down and down really makes me sick. Am I going to have enough to pay everything? Buy groceries for the next week? Get Logan a special present because he thinks the potty is fun? Hopefully, after all the bills are paid, the final check is signed, dated, envelope licked and stamped, there is just a few dollars left for a yummy coffee.

Power is going up I feel. I compared my April 2010 bill with my April 2011 bill.. Ouch, almost $20 difference.. Probably mostly because it is still cold (dang Michigan Weather) and my heaters for my Automatic Waterers (for the horses) are still running, Jason had to plug in his truck last night and Daisy's bucket is plugged in still (out door beagle..). I am afraid to look at my propane tank. It was just filled up in January or February. $703 later and the stupid furnace (we mostly rely on an outdoor wood burner for heat and hot water) had to heat the house because it was so warm during the day the outdoor wood burner would smolder out! Danged if you do, Danged if you don't..

Then Gas.. Shit.. That's all that needs to be said.

So basically our budget is stretched tight. I am expanding it by coupoining, selling extra things (thank you Kristy for buying my Breast Pump!) and trying to cut back on those oh so delicious, yummy, satisfying but addicting Cabin Creek coffees.. Even though I would love for them to have another location, my budget is glad they don't.. and if they ever do a drive thru I am so screwed! I am also trying to limit Jason (and myself) on take out. We don't have much to choose from in the boonies, but even when we run to town, it adds up!

I guess that is my motto this year.. Cut back, trim the fat, and watch my ways.. wow, this could apply to the diet too! and now I get to go figure out if the budget can squeeze me a bag of Rice Bran for the boys(horses) and dig out my awesome birthday gift certificate for Cabin Creek. I deserve one after paying the bills!