~Let's Talk Freezer Items!~

Today I'm going to write about items that I freeze. Since couponing, I've learned of many items that freeze well that I would have never thought to even put in the freezer. Honestly, there was never a need since I only had on hand just enough for the time. Never before did I have an overstock of butter! he he Times have changed :)

Items I freeze:
salsa
guacamole
avocados
butter
cheese (slices, blocks & shredded)
okra (from the garden)
lunch meat (ham, turkey, bologna, any kind)
hot dogs
pancake mixes
bread
bacon
sausage
coffee
soups (leftovers)
chips...Yes, chips can be frozen! My friend (and STAR student) Jamie tried this and it worked. We don't keep chips around long enough to freeze, but if you do this is for you ;) Thanks Jamie!

Hope this helps! I'm sure I forgot to list some items. If you have any questions, please email me or leave a comment. Thanks!
SHO

~Think Easter Baskets!~

Go HERE to print a FREE Signature Collection shower gel from Bath & Body Works with any $10 purchase. This would be great to go in an Easter basket for teens (or momma's)!

~A Very Sassy Student!~

This is from a Sassy Savings student, Christy, that has a family of 5. I'm so proud of her! My hubby ran into her hubby the other day and he said "Your wife has turned my wife into a machine!" My hubby thought that was funny. It is always fun to have your hubby excited about how much you are saving too!
**********************************************************
I am having a great time and my husband is definitely a fan! When I buy groceries he wants me to go over what I bought and how much I saved. Then I get even more pumped! I was spending about $120-$150 per week for a family of five on groceries and household items. Now I have been spending around $60 per week. This week I did spend about $80 but that included items for our 10 year old's birthday party!
This has been a blast and I love the challenge!
Thanks!
Christy

~Kroger Promo Sale!~

The sale prices below reflect the promo sale price at Kroger. The promo is "buy 8 participating items, get $4 off". I love promo sales! I got a lot more stuff, but these are the deals that I wanted to share.
2 NV Nut Clusters
$2.29
-$1 Cellfire
-$1 Shortcuts
-.40 q (dbl)
-.40 q (dbl)
=.49 each

NY Croutons
Reg. $1.69
Sale $1.49
-.55 q
=.94

2 Powerade
Reg. $1.69
Sale .50
-$1/2
=FREE!

Lysol Bowel Cleaner
Reg. $2.49
Sale $1.79
-.50 q (dbl)
=.79

2 Pam Spray
Reg. $3.19
Sale $1.99
-.50 q (dbl)
=.99 each

Lunchable (not in pic)
Reg. $2.19
Sale .99
-$1 q
=FREE!

4 Ken's Dressing
Reg. $3.39
Sale $1.49
-$1/2
=.99 each

2 SKNR Pasta
Reg. $1.29
Sale .50

2 Sarg. Cheese
Reg. $3.39
Sale $1.67
-$1/2
=$1.17

1 Sarg. Cheese
Reg. $3.39
Sale $1.67
-.35 q (tripled)
=.62

1 Kraft Cheese
Reg. $3.49
Sale $1.67
-$1 q
=.67

3 Ritz Crackers
Reg. $3.28
sale $1.99
-$1 q
=.99 each

4 Irish Spring Soap
Reg. $2.29
Sale .99
-.50 q (dbl)
=FREE!!!!

*Pretend the wipes are not in the pic ;)

Retail: $67.82
Paid: $16.25
Saved $51.57 or 76%!

~Walgreen's Photo Deal!~

Get 20 FREE 4x6 photos from Walgreens! Enter code 20FREE4X6B at checkout. Be sure to select "in-store pickup", so you don't have to pay shipping. Sounds like a deal to me!

~Betty Crocker Printables!~

Here is another source for printable coupons! There are not tons of coupons, but it is still good! You will have to sign in to the Betty Crocker site (create a password).

~3 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

There should be 3 coupon inserts in the Sunday paper:

2 SmartSource inserts
1 RedPlum insert

Happy Clipping!

~JBF Sale~

Wanted to invite everyone to the JBF spring sale. It is huge this year! If you are pregnant or have any children in your life, this is an awesome sale to shop.

Just Between Friends
Children's Consignment Sale

Dallas, Texas

March 25-28, 2010
*(open to the public)

Located at the Mesquite Rodeo Exhibit Hall

For more information click HERE!

~How Much?~

How much is too much?

This is a question that I get asked all of the time. People ask how much to purchase while stocking up? My answer varies. If it something that you can freeze, then I usually get enough to last for several months (or whatever my freezer will hold). I only stock up when I know it is at the very lowest price.
When I stock up on cereal (which I did this month), I am always mindful of what we will eat before it expires. Nothing is a good deal if it gets tossed in the trash!
Every family size varies, so buy what you think your family will use. Again, if it is something that you can freeze, then buy as much as possible.
I've seen stockpiles that are so big that it makes me nervous....Seriously, I think that some people consider couponers "HOARDERS". Honestly, some are. Not me, I'm just a home economist doing what is best for my little family. I have NEVER had to throw anything away. I don't get crazy and buy 88 boxes of ANYTHING!
If you live to coupon, then you might burn out pretty quickly. I tell people that I coupon to live. I don't go all over town getting every deal, I don't go to other towns to get deals, etc. I want to have a life and it not all be about coupons. Having said that, coupons allow me to have a pretty great life! I am blessed.

Many Blessings & Happy Savings!
SHO

Several of you have asked to see my stockpile. So, here are a couple pics. More to come soon!

*Hand soaps (all were FREE!)

*Shampoo & sprays (Everything in photo was FREE, except the red bottles)

*Salsa, Avocados & Guacamole (All were FREE!)

*We eat at least 3-5 cheese slices per day, so this isn't a huge stockpile of cheese.

*Everything in this photo was FREE! My stock here is a little low because of donations at Christmas.

~Coupon Booklet Offer~

Go HERE to get a $30 savings booklet from Home Made Simple mailed to you. These are typically really good coupons!

~Sassy Saver Spotlight!~

Laura is one of my Sassy Savers who did AWESOME last week! I asked her to share her numbers with us. Here they are!

CVS
Spent- $12, Value- $77

Walgreens
Spent- $8, Value- $75

Brookshires
Spent- $27.50, Value- $57

Kroger
Spent- $56, Value- $110
*The Kroger purchase also included bread, milk, etc.

Laura~ I'm so proud of you!!!

~Walgreen's Diaper Deal~

The Deal: Purchase 3 Huggies Diapers at $8.99, Get $5 Register Rewards
-(3) $3 Huggies Diapers printable coupons
-Stack with $1/1 Huggies Diapers/Pull-Ups coupon from the Walgreens Activity Book (should deduct $3)...Be sure to ask someone behind the cosmetic counter about this coupon to be sure to get it. I have not seen this book, but they are always good about knowing where to find them.
=$14.97 plus tax
Get $5 Register Rewards back

FINAL=$3.32 per package after coupons and Register Rewards

*Remember to be sure to ask for a rain check if they are out of these diapers. If I had a child in diapers, I would not want to miss out on this deal!

~CVS Deals~

Here are a few CVS deals that I like this week:

Colgate Total Advanced or Sensitive Toothpaste
$3.99
-$1 coupon (3/7 Smart Source)
Receive $3.99 ECBs
= FREE plus $1 overage

Pampers Diapers
$8.97
-$2 coupon (2/21 P&G)
Receive $3 ECBs
= $3.97

Scope Outlast Mouthwash
$3.99
-$1 coupon (2/7 P&G insert)
Receive $2 ECBs
= $.99

~Only 2 Inserts?~

Did you all get 3 inserts or only 2? My sources all said we were getting 3, but only 2 came in my paper today. Hmmm. Please, let me know what you ended up with.
Have a great Sunday!

~$3 Huggies Coupon~Again!

Go HERE to print 2 more $3 off Huggies coupons! If you printed the other coupons, then you should have (4) $3 off Huggies coupons. There should be some pretty awesome deals in the next couple weeks! Stay tuned :)

~Dave Ramsey Special Offer!~

The Dave Ramsey Store is offering an AWESOME deal (Buy 1 Get 1 FREE)
on select Dave Ramsey products! Go HERE to order!
These books would make great graduation, wedding, Christmas or birthday gifts.

~A Great Kotex Sample Pack!~

Go HERE to sign up for a FREE sample pack from KOTEX. You get to click on and choose which samples you would like to receive. Most of the samples have 4-5 products in them. Definitely worth signing up for!

~3 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

There should be 3 coupon inserts in the Sunday paper:

2 SmartSource
1 Redplum

Happy Clipping!

~$3 Huggies Coupon~

Be sure to print the $3 Huggies coupon from my coupons.com sidebar. Click on "see all coupons" and scroll down. This coupon will go fast!

~Diaper Deal Coming Soon!~

Upcoming diaper deal at CVS! This is very exciting to all of you Pampers lovers out there. $3.97 for a package of diapers! Looks like an awesome deal to me. Even if you don't have a baby, this is the price to buy a package and give as a gift. I don't know anyone who doesn't like to get diapers as a baby gift :)

Pampers Diapers Jumbo Packs
$8.97
Get $3 ECBs (Limit 2)
-$2 Pampers Cruisers Diapers q (P&G 02/21/10 insert)
-$2 Select Pampers Diapers q (RP 03/14/10 insert)
=$3.97 after q's and ECBs!

This deal starts on Sunday 3/21!!!

Hope you all had a wonderful day and wore green!

~FREE Photo Book!~

Here's an awesome deal on a photo book. Go HERE and get a FREE 5X5 pocket photo book and only pay $1.99 for shipping if you have them ship it to your local Target photo center. This is a value of $9.99!
Be sure to enter the code “TGTFREEBOOK”. Code expires 3/21/10.

~Betty Crocker Deal~

There is a BC catalina deal going on at Kroger until 3/21. Here are the details:
Buy 3 get $1.50
Buy 4 get $2.50
Buy 5 get $3.50


BC Fruit Snacks
Reg. $2.69
Sale $1.79 X 6 boxes =$10.74
-.40 shortcuts
-.50/2 q (doubled)
-.50/2 q (doubled)
-.50/2 q (doubled)

=$7.34 -$3.50 (catalina) =$3.84 or .64 per box!

*The sale is good through Tuesday for sure, unless they extend it another week.

~Kroger Catalina Deal~

There is a catalina at Kroger good until 3/21/10. Here are the details:
Buy 2 get $1
Buy 3 get $2
Buy 4 get $3

NV Bars
Reg. $3.19
Sale $2.29
-.40 Cfire q
-.50 q (doubled)
=.89 per box!
$3.56-$3 catalina = .56 or .14 each!!!

*After the catalina I paid .14 per box! Woohoo!

When I checked out the catalina didn't print. The cashier didn't know what to do and his shift manager was not any help. So, I went back to the customer service desk today and they fixed it for me.
Don't forget to load the coupons from Shortcuts & Cellfire for these bars!

~Tom Thumb Deal~

Prices are after the Tom Thumb promo sale:
NV Bars
$1.50
-.50 q (doubled)
=.50

4 Post cereal
$1.50 X 4 = $6
-$1/2
-$1/2
=$4
*Got back a $3 Catalina, so the cereal was $1 or .25 per box!

Once I realized the catalina deal, I went back and did the same transaction again. The young man checking me out said "How are you doing this??? Are you making money?" I just laughed. He then went through it all and figured it out pretty quickly. I told him he was a quick study. Then, I giggled all the way to the car!

~Where's the Beef?~

It's at my house!

Tom Thumb is having a great sale on the 93/7 ground beef right now. It is $1.99 per pound. I made a special trip for this and some cereal. I now have enough meat to make 88+ meals (not including leftovers) for my family. Several large amounts are set aside for hamburgers to grill. Many of you asked how much I buy of something when it goes down to a great price. Well, here is your answer! I actually ran completely out of ground beef this week, so this sale could not have come at a better time. Now I have enough meat for several months. Thank you Jesus!

*8 Family packs of 93/7 ground beef.

*After I spent a very long time separating it all....88 bags later!
Tip: Sort the meat into portions that you will need for cooking. Press it flat so that it is easy to stack in the freezer and doesn't take up much room.

I spoke with the manager (he just happened to be in the meat department) and explained that I had driven from another town specifically for this meat and that I planned on stocking up. He said to get as much as I wanted that they could always grind more up for me. If you get there and they appear to be running low, be sure to speak to someone in the meat department and they can get you more from the back. They were so nice. I really enjoy nice people ;)

~2 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

There are 2 coupon inserts scheduled for Sunday.

Happy Clipping!

~Coffee Filters~

Today's post is all about coffee filters. They are super cheap and some say better than paper towels. Enjoy!

Coffee filters....
1,000 pack sold at the Dollar Tree.

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome...Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them.. It soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom.. They make great "razor nick fixers."

15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car..

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..

25. Use them in the coffee maker, as intended ;)

A special thanks to 2 of my readers, Tiffany & Tina, for emailing this to me!

Have a blessed Thursday~
SHO

~Know when to hold 'em~

Know when to hold 'em....Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away....Know when to run.

Yes, I heart The Gambler! I've found that these lyrics are very useful when making reference to coupons.

Wanted to take a moment and address a few things. First off, couponing will save you money when done correctly. I've said it before that if I went after every "deal" that I come across, I'd be broke! You must be very careful as to what you buy and what price you pay. Sure .25-.50 toothpaste is cheap, but it's not FREE. I like to use toothpaste as an example because it is an item that everyone uses and can be over $3 per tube. Since couponing, I've not paid a penny for it! We have an assortment of tubes in the stockpile...All of which get the job done.

Once you get the hang of it all, you will see huge savings. Even if you only used coupons for toiletries (I do not recommend this), you would save money each month that would add up to a substantial annual savings.

Hoping you are saving BIG and having fun while doing it!

~$1 Kraft Coupon~

Go HERE to print a $1 Kraft cheese coupon. These make for some great deals when it goes on sale!

~Printable Coupons!~

Go HERE to print coupons from the Save-A-Lot site. Be sure to only print the coupons that are not exclusive to Save-A-Lot (if you are in my area and don't have a close by Save-A-Lot). There are some good coupons here! I'm printing the coupons for the pudding and the Hunt's! The tuna coupon is good too. There doesn't appear to be a printing limit, which is really AWESOME! I printed 4 of each coupon.
Why do I think these are so good?
Example: The .50/2 Hunt's coupon pasta sauce will be doubled to $1. When Hunt's goes on sale for $1, it's like getting the second can for FREE!

*You will have to install the printer, but it only took about 30 seconds.

~It's That Time Again!~

It's that time of year....Income Taxes are here!
What are you going to be doing with your return? Debt snowballing? Vacation fund? Saving for your emergency fund? Whatever you decide to do, I hope you are good stewards with the money. I encourage you to take this money and use it to secure your financial future. Yes, I realize that most of us are not talking about getting back a huge amount of money. However, every bit is nice to get back :)

If you are getting back a large return, you should (so says Dave Ramsey) talk to your employer and have your withholdings changed so that the government is not holding onto your money for you. You will be bringing more home in your check and then getting less back in a return. You should be investing that money and make it work for you instead of getting a large refund. Makes sense to me! If you are interested in learning more about this, please click HERE.

What are we doing with our return? Saving it....I know, no surprise ;)

We have witnessed several people who have suffered job loss during this tough economic time. If they would not have had an emergency fund (not just the $1k, but a real emergency fund of 3-6 months living expenses) they would have lost EVERYTHING. Luckily, they were able to sail through and be able to make it. However, none of them were able to get new jobs that paid them anywhere near their previous salary. That is why it is so important to live BELOW your means. Sure the bank says that we can all afford WAY more than we actually can. They forget that some of us like to eat. Ha!
We were just watching one of those home shows with first time home buyers and the female said that it seemed like a lot of money that the bank was willing to lend them. Then male said "Well, the bank wouldn't lend it to us if we couldn't afford it!" My husband and I laughed so hard at that statement, I think I may have been rolling on the floor! Literally, we kept rewinding it to hear him say it again. Once I stopped laughing at the ignorance, I suddenly felt really sorry for the couple. Do they really not know what they can afford?
Then I take a look around and most people do not know what they can afford in general. How many people do you know that have credit card debt? Expensive car payments? House Payments that are more than 20-25% of their income? Large student loan debt that they will be paying on forever because the minimum is the only amount paid each month?
Just remember that if you could "afford" the purchase then you would be able to pay cash for it right then. If not, it really does a body good to know what it is like to want for something. Yes, a foreign concept in the society we live. We are all so blessed and should be content with what we have without constantly wanting more.
I'm not saying be lazy and never strive for more. I'm saying the opposite...Aim high, but enjoy the moment that you are in and make the most of it.

Happy Monday!
SHO

~Walgreen's Today~

Ran to Wal-green's today, but wasn't able to get everything on my list. They were sold out of the many of the items I wanted. However, I got rain checks for when they come in.

Purex 50 oz. Laundry Detergent
Sale=Buy 1 @ $5.99 Get 1 FREE
-B1G1 Free coupon (2/21 Red Plum)
=2 FREE after coupon!

Revlon Matte Eyeshadow – $4.99
-$3 Instant Savings
-Use $2 coupon (2/21 SS)
=FREE after coupon and instant savings

Dentyne Gum – 69¢ with in-ad coupon
-$1/2 Dentyne Coupon (2/28 SS)
19¢ each after coupon

Nivea Lip Care – 99¢ with in-ad coupon
Use B1G1 Free coupon (2/7 RP)

I also got a rain check for the Tylenol PM that is on sale. It will be .49 after coupon and sale. Today is the last day of this sale. Plus, don't forget to pick up the FREE Reach toothbrushes too!

Happy Saturday!

~3 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

There should be 3 coupon inserts in the Sunday paper! This is a great week to purchase multiple papers ;)

* SmartSource
* RedPlum
* Procter & Gamble

Happy Clipping!

~Printable Coupons!~

Go HERE to print coupons from the Save-A-Lot site. Be sure to only print the coupons that are not exclusive to Save-A-Lot (if you are in my area and don't have a close by Save-A-Lot). There are some good coupons here! I'm printing the coupons for the pudding and the Hunt's! The tuna coupon is good too. There doesn't appear to be a printing limit, which is really AWESOME! I printed 4 of each coupon.
Why do I think these are so good?
Example: The .50/2 Hunt's coupon pasta sauce will be doubled to $1. When Hunt's goes on sale for $1, it's like getting the second can for FREE!

*You will have to install the printer, but it only took about 30 seconds.

~How Do I??? ~Save Money~

~This picture is of me with 2 of my financial mentors. This is my mom and dad!

~Saving Money~

This is a foreign concept to so many people. I'm a saver by genetics. My parents are AMAZING with their finances. My mom is constantly saying that the biggest tool to saving money is SELF DISCIPLINE. She is a firm believer that very few people apply that tool to their situation. My mom is the most disciplined person that I know financially. It was really annoying at times, just being honest. However, it is inspiring now. To see how she and my dad have built a legacy by making good financial decisions has been a great life lesson.
My Savings Background:
I had my first job when I was 14 at Big Splash Water Park in Tulsa, OK. The hourly rate was really pitiful, but it was such a fun job! At 14, who doesn't want a job that pays you to get a tan?! Anyway, my point here is that I saved all of the money that summer that I made. I only made 1 purchase at the end of summer and it was perfume. I was so proud of myself. I kept that momentum up each summer with my jobs until I went to OU. By doing so, I was able to have $10,000 saved to put toward my college. That helped out tremendously!
I did have to get some student loans, but not a huge amount like others that I hear. I worked all throughout college and that helped too. Without working, I would have really racked up the student loans! Fast forward to college graduation...By then I had met the love of my life and we were about to be engaged to be married. Luckily, I landed a job as the Director of Sales/Marketing just before I graduated. I lived very inexpensively with 4 other sorority sisters who were all getting their Masters Degrees. I was able to save enough money to pay cash for our wedding, put money towards the house we were building and still have plenty in the bank.
However, I fell into the trap of living paycheck to paycheck after we were married. Did we live above our means?? No. My husband was in school full-time and working also, but the school was expensive and we tried to pay it as he was going. So, there was not any money left over to save! Plus, we used all of our savings to pay for it.
Would I change the way we did it? No. We learned how to survive on very little and had a blast being newlyweds! However, the constant stress of money was not something that I want to revisit.
Fast forward a few more years and we were able to sell our precious home that we had built and make a substantial profit to move to Texas! We were able to put some money toward the new home and do some updating. Fast forward 3 years and we had sold our "dream home" (because I wanted to be a full-time mommy) and made a very nice profit. God is so good! By this time I was on the Dave Ramsey plan. We used the money to pay off the 1 car loan and our students loans. Plus, we put a down payment on our current home and paid cash to remodel the entire thing. Boy, did that feel good!
Today, I'm a couponing wife & Mommy who is back to my roots of savings money and loving it! I had forgotten how good it feels to have money in the bank. It is such a sense of freedom and security for me.

Can't figure out how to save money?
Do without things that you "want", but don't "need". There are so many things that we think we need, but that are actual wants. Before I purchase anything I stop and think do I need this or can I do without it and put that money toward my island vacation?

How can I bring in extra money?
*Sell items on Ebay (I should do this more)
*Sell things to friends
Example: we sold 2 sofa sets from our last home (had 2 living rooms) and were able to pay cash for our new set.
*Have a garage sale (I usually make at least $200 at each sale that I have)
*Consign clothing
*Sell baby equipment to friends or at a local children's sale (I'm getting ready to do a big sale in Dallas)

The best piece of advice I have to saving money is to simply say NO! When you are presented with a situation where you have the option to choose, say NO. It is hard to do, but worth it if you are truly trying to save money. Just yesterday some of my girlfriends at church were all getting take-out and it sounded SO GOOD, but I remembered that I had brought my lunch and so I said no thanks. Did I want the Mexican food? YES!...Did I need it? No! Was it in my budget? It could have been, but I would rather put that money toward going out to eat with my cute hubby. So, I did without.
On the way home as I was listening to Dave's radio show he spoke of taking his lunch most everyday. Does this guy have to bring his lunch? No way! Does he still want to be a good steward with God's money? Yes. I did not think that it was a coincidence at all that he discussed that on the very day that I declined one of my favorite restaurants ;)

Long story, well long...I hope that you all can find ways to start saving money for your family.

Mom & Dad~
Thank you for setting such a good example financially for me. You taught me how to not overspend and how to live below my means. You taught me the importance of saving money and of a college education. Most of all, I thank you for teaching me (by example) the importance of tithing. That was such a blessing to see you put the check in the basket each Sunday morning. At the time I was unaware of the importance of it all, but I fully understand now. Each time we pay our tithe I feel like I am not only honoring God with His money, but that I am also honoring you. Thank you again. I love you both!

Many Blessings~
SHO

~Monthly Review~

February is now over and it is time to give you my monthly savings report. This month we bought a glass top for our table, car tag & paid the higher than usual electric bill. However, I still more than hit my savings goal!!! I'm so excited!
2 months down and 10 to go ;) I am really motivated now that it is March and summer vacation is going to be here soon. I heart summer vacation!

Are you starting to make your summer vacation plans?

Here is a challenge (I know, I'm always coming up with challenges...go with it)
Next time you want to eat take-out instead of cooking a quick meal, think about putting that money toward something fun for the summer. Then eating at home won't seem so bad after all ;)


"Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow."
~Proverbs 13:11~

~What's cooking at my house?~

Sunday morning I started 2 crock pots of chicken. I normally don't make that much chicken in one day, but it was a large family pack that was already thawed. Crock pot #1 was marinated with BBQ sauce, garlic & onion. Crock pot #2 was marinated with Lawry's Mexican Chile Lime, which is perfect for Mexican dishes.

My menu game plan includes:
Salad topped w/ chicken (lunch)
Foil pack chicken w/ rice
Shredded BBQ chicken on bun

If there is enough left we will have chicken tacos or chicken nachos one night. We can eat chicken 3 nights in a row as long as it in different dishes. The beauty is that the chicken is already made so half of the battle is already won ;)

What's cooking at your house?

~Redbox Movie Code~

Get a FREE Redbox movie today with the code RBXLUV4U. Offer valid 3/1 only!

~Sassy Saving Seminar/Party!~

Saturday afternoon I headed out to do a Sassy Savings Party at my friend Jennie's house. Let me just tell you how much fun we had! We laughed so much and had such a great time. It ended up taking over 4 hours due to how much fun we were having! Thank you to everyone who was there. I look forward to hearing of your success!

*A special thank you to Mandy for organizing the event. Thank you so much to Jennie for opening up her precious new home for us!


*Me with my little Sassy Saver on my way to the party! Yes, she dressed herself :)