~Menu Wednesday!~

Menu Wednesday is finally back! The past few weeks of life have been super busy for us. It seems like the days and weeks are just flying by! Can you all relate? I'm not complaining because that means we are closer to our island vacation!!! Woohoo!

Here is what is cookin' at my house:

Mexican Chicken Pasta
Taco Soup
Fish, roasted potatoes & veggies
Steak, baked potatoes & green beans
Beef w/ Asian Noodles & broccoli
Pizza w/ spinach salad

We are having just the BEST spring weather here in the Dallas area! I'm thinking the grill is about to get used a lot in the near future. The only problem is that I've been banned from the new grill. Did you all know that a grill can actually catch itself on fire??? Trust me on this one!

Blessings~
SHO

~When is enough really enough?~

I get this question regarding stock piling often. My answer is that you should stock up enough so that you will not run out until the next "rock bottom" sale. Usually, that is 6-8 weeks worth of product. The goal is to NEVER pay retail again!

Don't be afraid to sit back and enjoy your stock pile. If you have a nice supply of items, take a break and "live off the stock" as I like to say. If you have a month of extra expenses, this is a great way to stay within your budget.

My point here is to not be a slave to your stock pile. Don't be so concerned with having 250 rolls of toilet paper that you forget that you can stop and simply enjoy having plenty of toilet paper for now. Couponing is not meant to be stressful or a "job". It is meant to save you money and to give you more freedom with your budget to have life experiences, not just pay bills and to be broke.

Hope this blesses someone today and encourages you to relax and start enjoying that stock pile.

Tuesday Blessings~
SHO

~My Albertson's Trip!~

We went to Albertson's this weekend mainly for the cereal deal, but then I looked at the ad and found a few other good deals. I do have to put out a warning about Albertson's...WATCH them ring you up. Several items rang up wrong, the BOGO FREE items did not come off, and every coupon was questioned. To say the least, it was annoying! I'm glad I got these deals, but quickly remembered why I don't shop there!

Purex (not in pic)
$1.99
-$1 q
=.99

Watermelon
$3.99

Grapes .99 per lb

Peter Pan
.99

2 Gorton's Fish (Buy 1 Get 1 FREE sale)
$7.49
-.50 q (doubled)
-$1 q
=$5.49 for 2 ($2.75 each)

Farmland ham
$1
-.75 q
=.25

2 Planter's
.88
-$1/2
=.38 it what I should have paid, however the cashier couldn't fix the mistake of them ringing up for $1.38. Anyway, I ended up getting them FREE due to his mistake. I'm not complaining :)

Items below were part of the "Buy 4 get $4 off Promo":


8 Cheerios
$1.50
-$1/2
=$1 each
*anytime I get cereal for $1 per box, I stock up*

16 Nature Valley Granola Bars
$1.50
-.75/2 q
=$1.12 per box

Retail= $117.44
Paid= $42.07

Happy Monday!
SHO

~Dallas JBF 1/2 Price Sale TODAY!

The Dallas JBF Half Price Sale is TODAY!!!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
noon- 6pm

For more information about the Dallas JBF Sale, go HERE.


Sunday Blessings!
SHO

~My Tom Thumb Trip!~

Ran into Tom Thumb last night to use the $5 off $15 frozen food purchase coupon from the ad. I wasn't sure what I would get, but I knew that I could easily find $15 worth of frozen food to make this coupon worth using. This is what I got:

1 Stouffer's lasagna (party size)
Reg. $11.99
Sale $9.99
=$1 q
=$8.99

2 Eggo Waffles
Reg. $2.79
Sale 2/$4

Ore-Ida
Reg. $3.50
Sale $1.99

Retail= $21.07
Spent= $9.98 (after my coupon & the $5 coupon in the ad)

Hope you are able to get out and enjoy this beautiful weather today!

Saturday Blessings!
SHO

~JBF this Weekend!~

Don't forget about the JBF sale this weekend!

Saturday March 26th
10am-8pm

Sunday, March 27, 2011
noon- 6pm
Half Price Sale!!!

Be sure to bring a laundry basket to shop!

For more information about the Dallas JBF Sale, go HERE.

Can't wait to hear about the deals you find!

Happy Saturday!
SHO

~My Kroger Trip~

I ran into Kroger last night to pick up some milk and I couldn't pass up getting a few of the promo event sale items. Kroger is still running the "Buy 10 participating items, get $5 off" promo. The prices below reflect the sale price after the promo discount.

3 Annie's mac & cheese
Reg. $1.99
Sale .49

2 Pace picante sauce
Reg. $3.19
Sale $1.99
-.50/2 q (doubled)
=$1.49 each

2 Crystal Light
Reg. $2.68
Sale $1.99
*makes it the same price as the Kroger brand*

2 Planter's peanuts
Reg. $3.19
Sale $1.99
-$1/2 q
=$1.50 each

2 Marachun noodles
Reg. .99
sale .88
-.50 q (doubled)
=FREE!

Cuties
Reg. $5.99
Sale $2.99
-.35 q (tripled)
=$1.94

Oscar Mayer hot dogs
Reg. $3.69
Sale .99

2 Milk
Reg. $2.99
sale $2.19
-PROMO DEAL (see below)
=FREE!!!


This is a great promo deal! Buy 4 participating Kellogg's items and get 2 FREE Springdale milks!!

4 Nutri-grains
Reg $3.59
Sale $2.69
-$1/2 q
=$1.89 each
*That makes them cheaper than the Kroger brand equivalent, PLUS you get 2 FREE milks which is a value of $5.98!

Retail $59.68
Spent $21.92
That is a savings of over 64%.

The best news...I have a new camera lens!!! I'm still going to get my broken one fixed, but I didn't want to be without my camera for 4-6 weeks. I'm loving my new lens :)

Friday Blessings~
SHO

~3 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

There should be 3 coupon inserts in the Sunday newspaper:

*1 RedPlum
*2 SmartSource

Happy Clipping!
SHO

~JBF is Open!~

Make plans now to attend the Just Between Friends Sales Event Dallas/Mesquite!

You just have to see it to believe it! 36,000 square feet!!!

Find great deals on everything you need for babies & children including:

cribs • joggers • strollers • nursery items • baby & children's clothing • maternity
toys, toys, toys! • books • family DVDs • dress-up clothing • play sets • and more!

For more information go HERE!

Happy Thursday!
SHO

~Old Navy 30% Off!~

Click HERE for an Old Navy 30% off in-store printable coupon! Coupon valid 3/17-3/24.

SHO

~JBF is HERE!

Good Morning Sassy Savers!

I spent 2.5 hours last night at the JBF drop-off. Let me just tell you all that I have never seen so much stuff at any sale! This is my 3rd time to consign and 4th time to attend the event. The 36,000 square foot room was filled with items to choose from in every department! If you are needing/wanting ANYTHING, you must attend this sale!

Good Morning America will be there today following 3 shoppers. All of the local Dallas news stations will also be covering the event at some point today. Be sure to tune in!

Just Between Friends Dallas
March 24-27, 2011
Mesquite Rodeo Exhibit Hall

For more information, go HERE!

Happy Wednesday!
SHO

~JBF Starts Tomorrow!~

JBF Dallas is this week! I'm excited, are you? Remember this is a great way to shop for your kiddos at a fraction of the cost. Plus, everything is under one roof!
Do you remember my friend Christy? She outfits all 3 of her kiddos from head-to-toe for the entire year at JBF. She was able to completely outfit (pajamas, shoes, accessories, socks, gloves, coats, jeans, all school clothing) for 3 kids for $250. That is $83.33 per child! That is pretty AWESOME!

Clothing:


All of the outfits Christy bought are from Baby Gap, Old Navy, Babys R Us, and Children's Place. She paid $20 for these at the JBF sale. If you figured each outfit at the store at $15 (probably cost more) that would make the retail $75. That is a savings of $55!

Bows:

Christy bought 14 bows, which sell for $3 at Kid to Kid. That would be $42 at the store. Christy paid $3 for all of them!

Shoes:


Christy paid $42 for 14 pair plus $5 for a brand new pair of Heely's. Some of the brand names include Buster Brown, Gymboree, Children's Place, Old Navy, and Sketchers. If she had paid retail for these, the price would have been over $180!!!

Are you ready to shop JBF now? I am! For more information regarding the JBF Dallas sale, go HERE!

Just Between Friends Dallas
March 24-27, 2011
Mesquite Rodeo Exhibit Hall

Happy Tuesday!
SHO

~Sale Ads Make Couponing Easy!~

Has anyone noticed that the ads are doing the coupon match-ups for you? I started noticing it in several ads a few weeks ago. Pretty great if you don't like to figure out the scenarios on your own!

They are making couponing easy now :)

Happy Monday!
SHO

~Happy Spring!~

It is officially Spring!

Happy Sunday!

SHO

~JBF v. Garage Sale~

As promised earlier in the week, today I'm going to post about the benefits of JBF v. Garage Sale.

1. JBF gets thousands of people looking at your clothing, which makes it more likely to be sold. You never know how many lookers you will get at a garage sale.

2. JBF sells your stuff for you, instead of you spending days preparing for and working a garage sale. Now, there is time spent making JBF tags. However, it is a much easier process than setting up and working a 2 day garage sale!

3. JBF has a better selection. JBF items are inspected so that nothing with holes or stains makes the sale. Anything goes at a garage sale!

4. JBF is an indoor facility. Rain or shine, JBF goes on!

5. You get more money out of selling at JBF than a garage sale. Example: a nice Easter dress will be sold for $8-$10 at JBF and only $1-$2 at a garage sale. People shopping JBF will spend more because they are expecting better quality clothing.



Sale Dates:
March 24-27, 2011
Thursday-Saturday 10am-8pm
Sunday (1/2 price) noon-6pm

For more information on the Dallas JBF Sale, go HERE!

Happy Saturday Sassy Savers!

SHO

~My Tom Thumb Trip!~

Yesterday I ran into Tom Thumb and got a few deals. However, when I got home to take a pic of it all my lens on my Nikon broke! I was just sick over it (still am). Luckily, I called Nikon and found out that I have a 5 year warranty on it. Now I just pray that whatever is wrong with it will be covered under the warranty. So, this post is not very exciting without the pic...

2 Kellogg's cereal
$1.99 (with in-ad coupon)
-$1/2
=$1.50 each

Fuji apples .99 per lb (sale)

3 El Monterrey Burritos
$1.99 (with in-ad coupon)
=$1 q
=.99

Kraft dressing
$1.49 (sale)

Veggie dip
$2.99 (sale)
-$1 q
=$1.99

I purchased several items and my total was only around $10. It was a good shopping trip :)

Blessings~
SHO

~Steinmart Coupons!~

Click HERE for a $10 off $50 purchase or $20 off $100 purchase coupon at Steinmart.

Blessings~
SHO

~2 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

There should be 2 inserts in the Sunday newspaper:

*1 RedPlum
*1 SmartSource

Happy Clipping!

Sorry the posts have been a little off this week. I have been enjoying Spring Break with my hunky hubs! Today I got to use my Christmas gifts (massage & facial). Can I tell you that it was as wonderful as it sounds! I'm so relaxed that I'm just worthless now. Such a great feeling...the relaxed part, not the worthless part! Ha!

Happy Friday Sassy Savers!
SHO

~JBF Reminder!~

Sale Dates:
March 24-27, 2011
Thursday-Saturday 10am-8pm
Sunday (1/2 price) noon-6pm

For more information on the Dallas JBF Sale, go HERE!

Blessings~
SHO

~Happy St. Patty's Day!~

My little Legacy did something wonderful on Saturday! At 4 years old she donated her hair to Locks of Love! We are so proud of her. Just wanted to share with my Sassy Savers :)
BEFORE:

AFTER:

Our sweet friend and hair stylist Mrs. Allyssa :)


The BIG cut...over 10 inches!

Mini-me LOVES her new hair! She is so excited to wear it down now.


Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. They meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses we provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.

~Snapfish 100 prints only $5!~

Snapfish is offering 100 prints for just $5 shipped! Use coupon code PADDY20 at checkout. Offer valid until March 21st, 2011.

Hope you all are having a great Wednesday! We have been on the road all day, but are home now :)

Wednesday Blessings~
SHO

~JBF Items Sold!~

Question: What items are sold at JBF?

Answer: Almost everything related to children!

*Baby gear (car seats, strollers, bouncy seats, bumbos, high chairs, pack & plays, etc)
*Baby furniture
*Pumps & nursing related items (boppy)
*Toys (hard plastic)
*Outdoor Play Equipment
*Clothes (children & maternity)
***Only the best clothes that are stain free will be sold. All clothing is inspected!***
*Books (I'm selling all my pregnancy type books this time)
*Shoes (I've had great luck selling my daughter's shoes...Only shoes in good condition will be accepted. All shoes will be inspected this year too!)

These are just a few of the items sold at the Dallas JBF Sale! For more information go HERE. Don't forget the sale is next week!

Happy Tuesday Sassy Savers!
SHO

~JBF is Next Week!~

Good Morning Sassy Savers!

Hope everyone is enjoying Spring Break! I spent several hours yesterday working on my JBF items that I'm taking to the sale. Often people ask me if it is worth the work? Yes, Yes, Yes it is! I'm going to be doing a post this week on the benefits of JBF v. a garage sale.

Sale Dates:
March 24-27, 2011
Thursday-Saturday 10am-8pm
Sunday (1/2 price) noon-6pm

For more information on the Dallas JBF Sale, go HERE!

Happy Monday!
SHO

~2 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

There should be 2 coupon inserts in the Sunday paper:

*1 RedPlum
*1 SmartSource

Happy Friday and the beginning of Spring Break!

Blessings~
SHO

~$25 off $50 Gap Purchase!~

Gap is offering $25 off $50 purchase if you enter your cell phone number HERE! They will send you a text with a code that you can show at the store to get the discount. If you swear by Gap jeans, this would be the time to buy them basically half off!

*Offer valid 3/10-3/16 for in-store purchases only. Be sure to read the coupon if you have any questions.

Happy Friday!
SHO

~My Mexican Lasagna Recipe!~

Several of you want to know about the Mexican Lasagna that I posted on Menu Wednesday. I'm going to do my best to remember what I put in it. It was one of those meals that I just sort of threw together! My mom does that all the time and is always coming up with something yummo :)


Bottom layer:
tortilla
refried beans (used fat free)
ground beef (used 93/7)
shredded cheese

Middle layer:
tortilla
refried beans
Mexican rice
ground beef
salsa

Top layer:
tortilla
refried beans
shredded cheese

Then I baked it for about 20 minutes on 350. There are so many different variations of this that can be made. I'm sure they would all be good!

Happy Day!
SHO

~JBF Re-Fashion Project!~

My mind is on JBF since it is only 2 weeks away! I wanted to share with you all a re-fashion from one of my JBF purchases in the fall. Finding deals like this is just one of the many reasons why I HEART JBF!


It was a plain camo jacket when I purchased it for $5 at the JBF sale. I sewed the pink trim & ironed on the angel wings. Total investment was less than $15! If I would have bought this at a craft sale (Canton) or boutique it would have been well over $40.

Here are some pics without the adorable model:



For information on the upcoming JBF Dallas sale (located in Mesquite) click HERE!
Blessed~
SHO

~Menu Wednesday!~

Mexican lasagna (that is what I like to call it)

Steak, baked potato & green beans

Spaghetti, spinach salad & sourdough bread

Vegetable beef & noodle soup

Taco Soup (I've been making this each week and eating for my lunch. It's easy, tastes good and I know how many WW points it has!)

That's what is cookin' at my house! What's cookin' at your house?

Wednesday Blessings~
SHO

~100 prints for $5 at Snapfish!~

Get 100 prints from Snapfish for just $5 shipped. Upload your prints to Snapfish, then order 100 4×6 prints and use coupon code STPATPRNT .

Happy Tuesday!
SHO

~JBF is 2 Weeks Away!~

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! The JBF sale is only 2 weeks away!!! Are you getting excited?! I am! If you live in the Dallas area, you must check out this sale. It is a great place to shop for EVERYTHING!


*This is a Gymboree skirt I picked up at the sale for $3.50. It looks brand new and is in perfect condition! This is just one example of high quality clothing at great prices.

For more information about JBF, go HERE!

~February Budget Review~

How did your Feb. budget end up looking??
How did you do?
How much did you save?
Are you sticking to your budget?

My savings was not where I wanted it to be this month. We had to replace a toilet & pay someone to install it. Not fun! Literally, it is like watching money go down the drain...TMI??? Ha!


When we bought this home it needed a new master toilet since the lid was gone. However, no one ever goes back there and it was something that could wait. Well, that was until it started leaking! My hubbs replaced all of the "guts" of the toilet, but it still leaked. So, a new toilet was the answer! The leaking started impacting our water bill ($15-$20 per month). We are now (not so proud) owners of a Kohler water efficient toilet. Okay, enough toilet talk!


My point here is that things come up and sometimes you can't hit your savings goal. It is okay. Don't give up...Don't fall off the wagon...Pick yourself up and get started on saving again!

Monday Blessings~
SHO

~Chick-Fil-A FREEBIE!~

Chick-fil-a FREEBIE!

Today (2-4 pm)if you mention the new Heinz Dip & Squeeze Sauce, you will get one FREE medium order of waffle potato fries! These are the only details that I have. If you have any questions, call your local Chick-fil-a. They are the nicest people!

I HEART FREE!
SHO

~2 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

There are 2 inserts scheduled for the Sunday newspaper:

*1 SmartSource
*1 RedPlum

Happy Clipping!
SHO

~JBF is 3 Weeks Away!~

JBF is 3 weeks away!!!

Spring 2011
Children's & Maternity Consignment Sale in Dallas
Just Between Friends Dallas
March 24-27, 2011
Mesquite Rodeo Exhibit Hall

Join as a consignor and make 65% on your items that sell. Volunteers get to shop FIRST and make 70% on sold items.

Admission is $3 on Thursday, March 24 ONLY
all other days are FREE!

For more information click HERE to enter the site!

Happy Thursday Sassy Savers!
SHO

~How to Save Money~Part 7~

Today I'm posting about how to save money on entertainment. Entertainment to me is something that is not "needed", but a desire to have fun. Several people get confused on the budget and put way too much money in this category. If you are in debt, honestly you should not have this category in your budget probably. We have not always had an "entertainment budget". We have a very small amount in it now. We try to make the money stretch by doing the following:

Dining Out
*This is said to be the #1 budget buster! Either don't eat out at all or plan before you go. Have a budget in mind and work within it. Don't be afraid to split a meal. The portions are so large there is usually plenty to share. We often split fajitas and order extra tortillas. We always leave full and save the cost of an extra meal (usually $10-$14).
*Use Restaurant.com gift certificates! We use one of these per month. It is so nice to be able to get such a nice discount! Be sure to read the fine print before you go so that you know the amounts that you need to purchase. We only buy certificates to the places with $35 minimum.
*Call ahead and find out who is offering FREE kids meals. If you have multiple children, that can save BIG!
*Clip the coupons in your "junk mail". We saved almost $7 at Taco Bueno the other day just by taking the coupon with us from the junk mail.
*Ask for gift cards to your favorite restaurants for your birthday or Christmas. We started doing this and the person buying the gift card loves that they know exactly what you want and everyone is happy. We just enjoyed The Cheesecake Factory last weekend and used a gift card we got for Christmas. (Thanks Cory!)

Rent movies
*We rarely go to the movies, but we love to watch movies. So, we rent from Redbox. Usually we have a FREE movie code!

Dates
*Swap childcare with a friend and you have zero out-of-pocket expense for babysitting!
*Again, get creative! We have a weekly date night after our daughter goes to bed. It is our time to reconnect and have fun. Going on a date doesn't have to mean spending lots of money or even leaving the house...Quality time and full attention make the best dates!
*Have a themed date at home each week. Your spouse will love that you took time to plan something just for the 2 of you. This doesn't have to cost anything (bubble bath date, spa themed date, etc).
*Ask for childcare as a gift! If you have a birthday coming up and a friend asks what you want, tell them a date with your honey (alone).


Hope this blesses someone today or inspires someone to try something new in order to save money and still be entertained!

Wednesday Blessings~
SHO

~My Kroger Trip~

Kroger trip:

This is a typical week just after our new month starts (we get paid monthly). Usually it involves the most expensive trip for the month. Not everything has a coupon or is name brand. My rule is that it needs to be cheaper than the store brand with the coupon for it to be worth my time and effort.

3 Mentos gum
Reg. $1.59
Sale $1
-.50 q (doubled)
=FREE!

5 Suave Shampoo
.91
-.50 q (doubled)
=FREE!

New York Croutons
Reg. $1.79
Sale $1.50
-.50 q (doubled)
=.50

2 Eggs (large)
Reg. $1.69
Sale $1

2 Milk (not in pic)
$1.99

5 Beans .68

Bakery Bread
Reg. $1.29
Sale $1

Spinach $2.29
Broccoli $2.49

Mission Tortillas
Reg. $1.69
Sale $1
*This is a stock-up price! These things can be frozen.

2 Uncle Ben's Rice
$2.19
-$1 q
=$1.19

Ranch packet .59
Taco seasoning .47
Chips $2

Welch's juice
Reg. $4.59
Sale $2.99
-$1 q
=$1.99

Nature Valley
$2.51
-.50 q (doubled)
=$1.51


Retail= $40.77
Paid=$21.62 - $3 catalina =$18.62

Happy Tuesday!
SHO