~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 :)

~UPDATE~

There is only 1 Smartsource coupon insert in the paper today.

Happy Clipping!

~My Kroger Trip~

My Kroger trip last week. This sale is good through Tuesday, unless they extend it another week. They have been doing that a great deal in the past 6 months of sales.



Promo:
Buy 4 participating Kellogg's products for $10, get a 2 FREE milk!

2 NutriGrain bars
1 Raisin Bran
1 Special K
=$10
-$1.50/2
-$1/2 q
=$7.50

2 Milk=FREE! (PRETEND there are 2 milk in the picture)

Grapes-$1.49 per lb
Red Pepper-$1
Carrots-$1

Pace-$1

2 Sara Lee Bread
BOGO Sale
$2.99
-.55 q
-.55 q
=.94 per loaf!

~Dinner-Friday night~

I did it! Finally, I attempted something that I never thought I would...MEATLOAF! It is was my husbands favorite meal that his mother made. Honestly, the idea of it really grosses me out. So, I just thought it would be a meal that I would never even attempt. Well, I got brave and tried it yesterday. I'm pretty sure I didn't do it exactly as it should have been done, but my husband LOVED IT! He had 2 servings and wants to eat the rest today. He was soooooo excited when he came home last night!
No, I didn't eat it (my mom is laughing). Yes, I will make it for him again ;)

Total cost of the meatloaf was around $1.50.

~.75 Goldfish Coupon!~

Go HERE for a .75 off Pepperidge Farm Goldfish coupon!
This is a very exciting coupon for at least 90% of my readers :)

Happy Saturday!

~2 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

Sunday, Feb.28th there are 2 coupon inserts scheduled:

Smart Source
Red Plum

Happy Clipping!

~BabiesRus & ToysRus 3 Day Coupons!~

There are some great BabiesRus and ToysRus coupons valid on Friday, Feb. 26-28th only. Go HERE to print!

~Tip of the Day!~Beverages~

These are 3 simple tips for saving money in 2010!

1. Make your own coffee!
Try making your own coffee at home. I know it is not fancy, but it will work. Some (lots) of people spend $200+ per month and don't even realize it at the local coffee shop. Cut that out of your budget or limit it to once per week.

2. Buy your beverages!
If you love cola, then buy 2 liters when they are on sale and make a to-go cup before leaving the house. It is incredibly cheaper than stopping and paying double for one cup than an entire 2 liter.
Example: Large soda at McD $1.79 or 2 Liter on sale for .95 (that will fill up several large cups)

3. Drink filtered water!
We use a water filters on our kitchen faucet and fridge and have great tasting water. It is so much cheaper than bottled water. Anytime I leave the house I take along my handy PBA free plastic container too. Great little investment for taking water to go. That container is saving the environment from tons of plastic bottles and saving me tons of money from buying those plastic bottles!

Hope everyone has a great day!

~Walgreen's Photo Deal of the Day!~

The Walgreen's photo deal for today (Feb. 24) is 50% off Canvas (online only) & .99cent film rolls developed (in store only).

Have a blessed Wednesday!

~Walgreen's Photo Deal of the Day!~

The photo deal for today (Tuesday) is 50% 11×14 Posters.

~What's cooking at my house?~

Saturday I thawed out some steak that I purchased several months ago. It was not great quality of steak, so grilling it was out. There were a couple of ideas I had, but I decided to try something new. I marinated it, seasoned it and put it in the fridge on Saturday night. Sunday morning I added 1 cup of water and carrots and put it on the 4 hour setting in my crockpot. It was ready when we got home from church and was very tender and good. We added a salad and baked potato with it. The entire meal cost less than $3.

But the best part....I had enough steak leftover to put it in my beef stroganoff for dinner tonight!

~Walgreen's Photo Deal of the Day!~

This week Walgreen's will be having a different photo deal each day!

Today (Monday, Feb. 22) they are offering 40% off prints.

~Menu Monday!~

It's Monday...do you have your menu planned for the week?
My dear friend Rebecca and I just spoke on this topic last night at a church class. We sometimes forget the importance of feeding our families well balanced foods each day.
Here is challenge...Are you up for a challenge??? Can you prepare dinner each night for one week without eating out at all (this also means no take out)? It may sound like a big task, but if you have a plan it is easier than you may think.

Best of luck! I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Blessings~
SHO

~Yesterday's Deals!~

Yesterday I had an appointment in a neighboring town that has a Tom Thumb & Albertson's. So, I did a few minutes of preparation to make my game plan and ran in. I was only going to go to Tom Thumb, but then had to run into Albertson's to return a Redbox movie anyway. Of course, I took a second to look at the circular!


Tom Thumb:
Grapes-.99 per lb
Apples-.99 per lb

Campbell's soup
Sale .50 each
-.40/2 q (doubled)
=.10 each!

5 lb Russet potatoes
.99!

Kraft cheese (24 slices!)
$1.49 (w/ ad coupon)
-.50/2 q (doubled)
=.99 each!

Colgate
.99
-.50 q (doubled)
=FREE!

Target:
2 sponges
Reg. $1
Sale .50 each

6 Johnson's soap
.99
-$1 q
=FREE!

Albertson's:

Fresh Express Salad
2.99
-$2 (coupon on bag)
=.99

~3 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

There should be 3 inserts in the Sunday paper:

1 SmartSource
1 Redplum
1 Procter & Gamble

Happy Clipping!

~How Do I?~Homemade Fabric Softener!~

Ever wondered how to make fabric softener? Well, here is a recipe if you want to give it a try! I have not made this, but I will once I run out. If you try this please let me know how you like it. This is one of my blog friends recipes. She makes this and loves it!

Homemade Liquid Fabric Softener

1 cup baking soda
6 cups distilled white vinegar
8 cups water
10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil scent. (lime, orange, or lavender are some favs)

You will need a one gallon container.
1. Add the baking soda to the container.
2. Add 1 cup of water.
3. Slowly add the vinegar to the bottle as the vinegar and baking soda will start to fizz. Don't be scared :)
4. Add the rest of the water swirling around & cover venting the top a few times.
5. Add the essential oil.

Place 1/2 cup in your final rinse cycle for each load. Be sure to shake the bottle well to stir up the essential oils (if you are using them).

Good luck!

~Pamper's @ Walgreen's~

For those of you who swear by Pampers...Here is a deal at Walgreen's this week!

Pampers Jumbo Pack Easy Ups or Baby Dry Diapers
$8.99
Earn $1 in Register Rewards
-$1.50 Coupon (2/7 P&G insert)
Pay $7.49 out of pocket
Get back $1 in RRs

Total=$6.49 after coupon and RRs

~How Do I???~Budget!~

Continuing with the "How Do I" series, today I'm writing about how I budget. Please remember that this is how I do it, not how everyone should do it. Please read my words carefully to make sure that you understand. If you have any questions, please leave me a comment or email me.

There are many ways to budget from simple paper methods to complicated spreadsheets. A few years ago I tried the paper method and it did not work for me. I'm sure it is great for some, but I needed something that I could move and play with more easily.
Currently, I'm using a spreadsheet format. It is VERY detailed! I encourage people to put categories that you actually spend money on, not what you "hope" it will look like. Example: I have a category for my hair and other salon services. It varies month to month because I don't get my hair done each month. On the months that I don't get my hair done, that money goes into another category (if needed) or it goes into the savings category. This month my electric bill was about $99 higher than I anticipated. Since I'm not getting my hair done this month, I simply moved that money over there and it almost covered the difference. Worked out beautifully. In your budget you need to be able to move some things around. Your bills (unless you are on an average) are not going to be exactly the same every month. So, you will need to plan for the cold months and, if you are a fellow Texan, those super hot summer months too.
Crown Financial has an envelope system that they promote. Again it works, however it was not my favorite. It may be the solution for you. Regardless, it is a great bible based study and you should check it out! Go HERE to learn more about Crown Financial.
The Dave Ramsey Plan...you all know that I heart Dave! He is big on having a written budget. I'm pretty sure 100% of financial advisers are. He just makes it easy to understand. He also promotes a cash envelope system. Go HERE to learn about the Dave Ramsey Envelope Plan.
Can I be honest??? We don't use cash...I know SHOCK! I have this problem of losing cash. Weird, I know. You are probably thinking that I am the cheapest person and yet I can lose something like CASH! Most recently I found $900 cash that had been lost for almost 2 years. I change purses and bags so often that I just can't keep up with it.
Luckily, my hubby and I are the 1% of people who can use a credit card and NEVER have a balance. So, we use a cc and a debit card and pay the cc off every month. We use a card that pays us cash back and has no annual fee or penalty for paying it off each month. In the event that we do get penalized or they want to charge a fee, then we will stop using the credit card completely.
I'm not promoting this is a good idea for anyone who is in debt. You should stop using your credit cards, for sure! However, if you are not in debt and make up the other 1% of people then it is not such a terrible thing. I agree with Dave when he says that credit card companies are like snakes just waiting for you to slip up. I've had a credit card since I went to college at 18 and have NEVER HAD A BALANCE that I didn't pay in full each month, so I'm confident that we are okay.
Why not just use the debit card?
Last year we were able to purchase new tires for my car with the cash back money that was built up from the credit card. It works for us. Again, I am not promoting cc usage if you are in debt or carry cc balances. Please understand that.
We do abide by the "envelope system", but in a different way. My envelope comes out of each category in my budget. Example: When the budget is down to zero on the eating out column, we don't eat anymore! Same concept of when the envelope is empty, you have no more cash to spend. Am I making sense?

I hope that how I budget did not confuse any of you. Budgeting takes a few months to conquer. Don't get frustrated and quit after the first month. You can do it! It takes some moving around and being honest about the money that you spend. I encourage you to sit down with your spouse and make sure you both agree and understand how it is going to work. In our family, I am the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) because it is a gifting that I have. We have switched off this role a couple of times in our marriage. It just works out where I enjoy it and feel like God has given me the gifting to do it well. That doesn't mean that my husband doesn't know what is going on. He knows where all of the money goes because he looks at the budget too and helps me pay bills. There is nothing that comes in or goes out that he doesn't know about. We are a team and partners in this! I've found that if you are on the same page and have the same game plan that there isn't a need to argue about money. Isn't that great!

Just remember that budgets never fail us, we fail our budgets! Best of luck to you all. I can't wait to hear about your success!

In His Grace~
SHO

~Island Dreaming!~

I guess I must be island dreaming already! Actually, I live in a state of island dreaming :) This weekend I was craving a club sandwich....you know the one that I can only get at the resort in Cozumel?! I told Jeff how good it sounded. He asked where he could get me one (yes, he is that thoughtful of a husband). I told him in Cozumel! He just smiled and then offered to attempt to make one. So, he did and it was AMAZING! It was so good that I requested it again the next day!!! It was a bit time consuming, but well worth it. Have you ever noticed how good food taste when you are not having to make it???
I'm not really sure how to even tell how much the meal cost, I just know it is pretty cheap.

Bread-FREE (finally used up all of the free bread)
Turkey-less than .30
cheese-.25
lettuce- less than .20
bacon-.50 ??(I'm not sure how much he used, but it couldn't have been much)

As you can see, it was an inexpensive meal. Thank you to my sweet husband. You are the best!

~My Walgreen's Trip~

Walgreen's is having the same sale they did a couple weeks ago. My husband swears by Dayquil and Airborne when he starts to feel bad. So, I always keep plenty on hand.



Here is the deal:

Buy $20 worth of Vicks (DayQuil or NyQuil) @ $5 each, Earn $10 in Register Rewards
or
Buy $15 and Earn $5 RR


Nyquil or Dayquil
Sale $5
-$2 q
=$3 each

Puff's
$2.49
- buy 2 Vick's products get a FREE Puff's!
=FREE!

*Spent $20 in Vick's products before coupons, so I got $10 RR back!

Total=$12
-$10 RR back
=$2 for 4 Vick's products & 2 Puff's plus! Basically, I paid .33 each for everything in the picture. Woohoo!


Oh, and the best deal in the picture is the sweet Valentine's that my daughter made for me at church :)

~How Do I???~Menu Plan!~

There are several different ways you can do this, all of which work. I will explain each way and tell you what I know about it with an example of the person that I know that uses the technique.

1.) Menu plan off what you already have...This is the technique that I use as well as many other couponers. If you are a seasoned couponer, then your fridge, freezer and pantry are all well stocked and you can operate under this method.
I love to get my husband involved in this! Since he will be eating what I prepare,I think it is nice to let him have a say in it. What I do every 2 weeks is ask him to write down 2 weeks worth of meals that sound good to him. He is happy to do it and loves the fact that I asked him!

2.) Menu plan off the sale circular each week...This is also another method used by some couponers. This method is perfect if you are new to couponing and are working on building up your stockpile. However, the down side of this method is that you will be limited to what is on sale each week. Example: Beef may be the only thing on sale that week. I don't know to many people that want to eat hamburger meat for 7 meals. That is why is best to build up your stock with a variety of chicken and beef when they go on sale so you are not stuck with just one type of meat. Variety is the key! It think this method is best for the short term. Remember, we ALWAYS shop the circular...we just don't always menu plan off of it :)

3.) Menu plan with what sounds good to you each week...This is not the most economical way of doing it, but it does work. (I know you are shocked to have just read this!) It works if you have an ironclad menu that you do not depart from at all. You go to the store one time and ONLY purchase what is needed for those meals and then you walk out. I have a friend that is not a couponer and does this method. She is able to stay within her budget by only buying her menu items. She is unlike any other person that I know and is able to stick to her menu exactly each day. I once asked her what she did if the meal she had planned for that week did not sound good on that day. She said that she just thought about it all day and made it sound good. I'm glad she can do that, but I'm not that good!
This method works if you are a VERY organized person and can truly plan and budget. The other difference between this and #1 is that you have to have a much larger budget (typically) for this method. My friend buys a lot of organic and gourmet types of food and by doing so, she spends around $800 per month on her groceries.


Well, that is the basic explanation of the three methods. I'm sure there are many other ways of menu planning, these are just the methods that I have used. I hope you can find a method that works for you!

~My CVS deal this week~

Aussie Spray
$2.99
-$2 ECB
-$1 q (from 2/14 insert)
=FREE!!!

This is the quick deal I ran in for yesterday. I may do the Cover Girl deal later in the week if I have time. I'm not a fan of their make-up, so I'm not sure I will even bother.

~Happy Valentine's Day!~

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!

~Ho Do I Series!~

In the next week or so I'm going to be starting what I'm going to call a "How Do I?" series of posts. Basically, I will try to address some of the questions that I am asked frequently. I will also address the types of questions that I ask my financial mentors. Everyone has their own way of doing things. I'm a believer that if it isn't broke then don't fix it. However, we all need a tune up from time to time. I am always looking for ways to improve how I operate. If someone offers information, I listen up! I will be letting you know what is working for us. I should probably also mention the things that didn't work in the past!

As I was typing the line "If it isn't broke, then don't fix it", I was reminded of a time that I was trying to be thrifty when I was pregnant. I desperately wanted one of those expensive ($120) slings to carry my precious cargo. So, I went to all of the boutiques to try them on and to try to figure out how they were made. Simple enough, I thought. I went and bought the fabric and everything else needed for the project. The man in line behind me asked what I was making. Looking back, I'm really not sure why he even cared enough to ask??? Anyway, I told him a baby sling. He asked what pattern I would be using and I told him that I didn't need one. His response was "Do you really think you need to reinvent the wheel?" I'm cracking up as I type this because it is funny NOW....Not so funny at the time!


The pink leopard sling did not turn out exactly as planned, but it was still super cute and did the trick. I was still using it when my baby was over a year. All for less than $10! The picture was taken on a very hot day at the Texas State Fair :)

~1 Insert Scheduled~

Looks like there is only 1 Red Plum coupon insert scheduled for this Valentine's Day Weekend.

Hope you have a sweet Valentine's Weekend! We are having a white Valentine's Day here in the Dallas area.

~Dinner Totals~

Beef Stroganoff, Garlic Bread & Spinach Salad

Beef-.50 (I presort my meat before freezing and make smaller batches for meals like this that don't require much meat....less meat=less $$$)
Stroganoff noodles & other ingredients-$1
Garlic Bread-FREE (used the FREE loaf from Kroger from a couple weeks ago that I had frozen...Thawed it, put butter, garlic and heated it up)
Spinach Salad-.50

So, for around $2 we had one of my husband and daughter's favorite meals. It is one meal that they never get tired of!

Again, I'm not making fancy gourmet meals. However, we eat nice meals together that we all enjoy and don't repeat the same meals too often. I've said it before, but variety is what keeps us eating at home. When we first got married (almost 9 years ago) I'm pretty sure I made the same 5-7 meals over and over and over again. That got old quickly! Luckily, I branched out and started collecting recipes from family, friends and the internet. Now, I have a large variety to choose from and it makes cooking less of a chore.

Hope this is inspiring you to get in there and cook :)

Blessings~
SHO

~Walgreen's 15% Coupon!~

Go HERE to print a 15% off coupon on your Walgreen's purchase good on Friday, February 12th only!

~Dinner Totals~

Baked Ziti, Spinach Salad w/ Sourdough bread

noodles-.50
sauce-.80
2 cheeses-$1
other ingredients-.25
spinach salad-.50 (probably not even that much)
bread-.25 (used a portion of the $1 sourdough bread I bought at Kroger)

The total for this meal was around $3.05 and it made enough for 2 dinners, so technically it cost me around $1.50 per dinner.

This is our favorite Italian meal!

I ended up making 2 of the ziti & bread and taking one to a friend who just had a baby. If I would have gone to an Italian restaurant and purhased 2 baked ziti meals it would cost around $20. It feels really great to be able to bless another family with a nice meal and it not cost a fortune!

~Dinner Totals~

Baked BBQ Chicken-$1.25
Baked Potatoes- .75
Spinach Salad-.50 (spinach, lettuce, cheese, dressing & croutons for 2)...it is really hard to say how much salad cost due to how much comes in such a large package.
The package cost me $2.33 and we will get more than 10 salads out of it, plus will have enough to put on several sandwiches.

Total=$2.50

*This was a very filling meal that was super yummy and it only cost me $2.50 to make. Yeah!

~Aveeno FREE sample!~

This is an awesome sample because it is a FULL SIZE BOTTLE of Aveeno Stress Relief Lotion. Woohoo!
Go HERE to sign up for it!

I heart free samples :)

UPDATE: The server is overloaded at the moment, so you might want to try this later today.

~Philadelphia Cream Cheese Printable~

Print your coupon HERE for .55/2 Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

~My Groceries for the Week~

This is what my grocery trip looks like for the week. Since I have a stocked pantry, fridge and freezer, I don't have to really buy anything other than fruits & fresh veggies. The beauty is that I can choose what I want to buy and still spend less than $25 for the week.


Total for everything in photo= $15.34
($10.46 of the $15.34 came from the fresh fruit & produce section)

Here are a few of my deals:


Taco Shells
Reg. $1.99
sale $1.25
-.50 cellfire q
=.75

Blk beans
$1.99
-.50 cellfire q
-.50 q (doubled)
=.49

Mexican Rice
$1.99
-$1 catalina deal (when you buy 3 products)
-.50 q (doubled)
=FREE!

2 Suave Shampoo
Reg. $1.09
Sale $1.00
-.50 (doubled)
=FREE!

1 Suave Deo.
Reg. $1.19
Sale $1.00
-.50 (doubled)
=FREE!

Softsoap
Reg.$1.59
Sale .88
-.35 (tripled to sale amount)
=FREE!

Have a blessed Tuesday!

~Denny's FREE Grand Slam!~

Tuesday (Feb.9th)stop by Denny's between 6 a.m.-2 p.m. and get a FREE Original Grand Slam! No purchase or coupon required.

~Monday~

Well, January has passed and February is here. Where did January go??? I hope you all were able to accomplish your January financial goals. I am happy to report that I hit my savings goal for the month! Actually, I went over it a bit even. Which is probably good since February might be a stretch due to the electric bill doubling. Yikes! I will post my results each month. It is so true that if you put your goals on paper, then there really is a purpose. God provides abundantly more than we actually need. Never before did I think that I could reach a hefty savings goal like the one that I have set, even when we were a two income family making plenty. Now, to think what I could have been doing with my salary....Well, it sort of makes me sick! Hindsight.........20/20..............so true!

What are your financial goals for 2010? It is not too late to set goals! If you have a hard time or feel defeated, set small goals first. Start out with weekly goals. Goals such as:
Not eat at a restaurant for 7 days
Plan a menu out for 2 weeks and stick to it
Only spend $50 per week (or less) on groceries
Limit boxed (pre-packaged) foods in your home
Try 2 new recipes per week for one month
Set aside money each week for your vacation
Start selling items that you don't need on the internet
Only buy sale items at the grocery store
Make a list and stick to it!
Make fewer trips around town...saving time and gas=$$$
As you can see, you can set small attainable goals and succeed. If you have set a goal and want to share, please email me at coachoshields@hotmail.com.

Also, sorry if the posts have been a bit lacking this past week. I have been sick and have had zero energy. You know you are sick when you don't feel like getting on the computer! I'm hoping to be back this week with my menu totals, since so many of you have commented on how much it inspires you. Thank you again for the kind words from my faithful friends, readers and students. I am blessed.

~The Limited Coupon!~

Go HERE to print another The Limited coupon for $15 off any purchase. Last time I posted this, I went and got a shirt for $19.50 and only had to pay $4.50 out of pocket after the coupon! I love coupons like this! The coupon is also good for $30 off of $100 and $50 off a $150. Coupon expires Feb. 10, 2010.

~4 Coupon Inserts Scheduled!~

Get your scissors ready! There are 4 coupon inserts scheduled this Sunday. Woohoo!
*2 Smart Source inserts
*1 Red Plum
*1 Procter & Gamble

Happy Clipping :)

~Bath & Body Works Coupon!~

Get a Signature Collection Body Care Item FREE (up to $12) with a $10 purchase. Go HERE to print coupon!
*These coupons for FREE items are great to use to set aside for gifts!

~Shutterfly 3 FREE Photo Cards!~

Shutterfly is now offering 3 FREE 5×7 photo greeting cards! Use code 3FREECARDS at checkout. Shipping is .99.
This would be a nice Valentine's gift for family members!

~Kroger Mega Event Sale~

Here are a couple of my Kroger trips this week. I could have done better, but my printer is not working. So, all of these q's were from the paper or magazine (2 came from All You).
Also, this sale is a great time to stock up on the items like cheese and canned goods. I freeze my cheese & butter, so anytime I can get a good deal on them I buy plenty. I did not photo all of my deals, these are just to show you some of the items I got. Hope this helps!

Rotel
Reg..99
Sale .49
-1.00/4 coupon (Dec 09 All You Magazine)
=.25 each

Hunts Canned Tomatoes
Reg.$1.15
Sale .65
-1.00/4 coupon (Dec 09 All You Magazine)
-.45 shortcuts
=.28 each

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
Reg. $2.20
Sale $1.49
-.55 coupon
=.94

Kraft Cheese
Reg.$3.49
Sale $1.49
-1.00/2 coupon 1/24
=.99 each

Goldfish
Reg. $1.99
Sale .88

Turkey
Reg. $4.39
sale $2.50
-$1 q
=$1.50

Kellogg's cereals
Reg. $4.39
Sale $2.77
-$1/2
=$2.27 (family size boxes)

Velveeta Cheese
Reg. $4.99
Sale $3.99

Ground Beef
Reg. $3.37
Sale $2.34
-$1.50
=.84
*I found a $1.50 off coupon in the store for meat if you purchased Velveeta & 2 cans of Rotel!

Retail: $50.04
Paid: $21.33
Saved: $28.71


I Can't Believe it's Not Butter
Reg. $2.49
Sale .99 each
-.50 off q (doubled) or 1.00 off coupons 11/15
=FREE!!!

Nature Valley Nut Clusters
Reg. $3.79
Sale $2.19
-.50 off coupon 1/03
-$1.00 off Cellfire e-coupon
=.19

Turkey
Reg. $4.39
sale $2.50
-$1 q
=$1.50

Select Kraft Cheese
Reg. $3.49
Sale $1.49
-1.00/2 coupon 1/24
=.99 each

Kellogg's cereals
Reg. $4.39
Sale $2.77
-$1/2
=$2.27 (family size boxes)

Maruchan Noodles
Reg. .99
Sale .89
-$1 q
=FREE!

Retail: $29.91
Paid: $8.21
Saved: $21.70

~CVS Deals~

This is what I picked up at CVS for this week:

Colgate MaxFresh Toothpaste
$2.99
-$1 coupon (1/31 Smart Source insert)
Receive $2 ECBs
= FREE!

Dove Men+Care: $5.49
-$1.25 coupon (1/31 Red Plum insert)
Receive $5.49 ECBs
=FREE + $1.25 overage!

~40% off Justice Coupon!~

40% off Justice coupon HERE! Enter code 775 at checkout. You may have to click on the link twice to see the coupon.

~BOGO Clarification~

Some of you are confused as to when you can use BOGO coupons. This is the best way I know to explain it:

If a store is running a BOGO sale(Buy 1 Get 1 FREE), you CAN use 2 coupons.
(Example: Loreal BOGO makeup $10 each...you can use (2) -$3 coupons on those 2 products being purchased, which would make the total $4 for 2 Loreal makeup)

If you have a BOGO coupon (the store is not running a BOGO sale), then you can NOT combine it with another coupon.
(Example: Loreal makeup sale $10 each...you can use a BOGO coupon, which would make your total $10 for 2 Loreal makeup)

I hope this make sense and helps you figure out your deals.

Many blessings~
SHO

~Update on Razor Deal~

I've spoken to several of you regarding the razor deal at Walgreen's this week (I posted a few days ago). It seems as though Walgreen's makes up the "rules" as they go. On Sunday when I was there they decided to put a limit on the razors, even though a limit was not stated in the ad. Literally, the manager was making up the rules as he went. This is why I do not prefer Walgreen's. I do minimal shopping there due to the lack of customer service and the attitude given to the consumer. I make it a point to be beyond nice to every employee I encounter in the store.
Testing my theory to see if they would not honor the deal now, I went to a different Walgreen's on Wednesday night to try the deal. The lady at the register got very nervous and said that the manager would come and explain to me about the razor deal. He came over and explained that he could (rather would) not honor deal. I explained that the other Walgreen's honored it and he said they didn't know what they were doing. Ha! I told him thank you, but I would not be needing the razors. I only came in to get the deal.
Most places honor the deals that are printed in their ads. I'm SHOCKED that Walgreen's is taking this stance. This is not the first time I've heard of them doing this. So, if you went in to get the deal and they denied you...Sorry!

Please don't get upset with the cashier or manager. They are only doing what someone has told them to do. Yes, it is annoying...However, you will not get very far or be very successful at couponing in the future if you throw a fit. I've seen it happen before and I was super embarrassed for the lady. I'm pretty sure she will have a label for life at that store with all of the employees.
Remember me writing about how important favor is when you are a couponer? There are many times my coupons will beep for some reason, but the cashier will put it through because they know I am honest couponer. Sometimes coupons will beep for no reason (even if you have the exact item that is listed and pictured). Each cashier has the right to deny any coupon. If you are nice, 9.99 times out of 10, they will push it through. A friendly smile goes miles!
No free razors or free anything is worth losing your creditability. I always think about how I would want to be treated if I were behind the register. I promise, Jesus would not throw a fit over not getting FREE razors!
Many blessings this rainy Friday :)
SHO

~2 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

There are 2 coupon inserts scheduled for Sunday, January 31st:

1 SmartSource
1 RedPlum

Happy Clipping!

~What Stocking Up Looks Like!~

Some of you have asked how much I buy of something when I'm stockpiling. Below are examples of cheese and chicken. I did not use coupons on either items, but I did buy them at their lowest sale price available. Now I will have enough to last until they go on sale again! That is the beauty of stocking up...You are in control of how much you spend. You can wait for an item to go on sale and purchase it on your terms, not be frantic because you ran out and have to pay full retail prices.

*Kroger shredded cheese (mixed varieties)

*Tyson Split Chicken Breasts (100% Natural & Hormone Free)

Have a blessed Wednesday!

~Tip of the Day!~

If you don't have money to pay for it (cash), then don't buy it until you do.
This is a tough one! We all want things on our own time, not usually when we can afford them. I'm part of this crew too! However, my sweet hubby and I don't take any vacations or make any purchases unless we have the money to pay for it now. It would not feel like a "vacation" if we had to pay for it when we returned. No thanks on that!
The funny thing is that so many times while you are waiting and saving for that item, you realize that you really didn't want it that much anyway or you find a different one you like better. Trust me, you appreciate everything sooooooo much more when you know what it is like to want and dream of it!

Happy Tuesday!

~FREE Post-It Sample!~

Go HERE to get your FREE Post-it sample!

~Walgreen's Yesterday~

Walgreen's has a couple of items that I could not pass up this week. Remember to get a rain check, if they are out of the item! My Walgreen's had tons of these razors. However with this deal, they will probably go quickly. Again, ask for a rain check if they are out :)
My cute hubby went in to purchase a few of these too. Once he got back into the car with us I asked him how it felt to check out and the total to be $0.00? He said "That was AWESOME!" I like to share my joy with him and let him experience it too!

Bic Disposable Razors
Buy 1 at 6.99 Get 1 FREE sale
-B1G1 Bic Disposable Razors q
=TOTALLY FREE! Woohoo!


Sure for Men Deodorant
$1.50 with in-ad coupon
-$1.50 q (from the 1/24 SS)
FREE after coupon!

Have a great Monday!

~Procter & Gamble Coupon Booklet!~

Go HERE to sign up for a booklet that has $15 worth of Procter & Gamble coupons in it from Save-a-lot.

~Big Lots 20% Off Coupon!~

Go HERE to print a 20% off Big Lots coupon! Valid Jan. 23-Jan. 31st.

~2 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

2 coupon inserts are scheduled for the Sunday newspaper.

1 SmartSource
1 RedPlum

Happy Clipping!

~Another chosen!~

More exciting news...another reader got chosen for the diaper study! Yeah Rach!!!

~Dinner last night~

Tacos w/ Pinto Beans

Last night I was tired and so I went to my "go to" meal...Tacos! Easy to make and we all like it ;)

Taco meat-less than $1
Pinto beans-.79 (1 can)
Tortillas-.30 (used 3 from a $1 package of 10)
cheese-.25

Total=$2.34....Plus there is enough left to eat for lunch today!

~The Limited Coupon!~

Go HERE to print a coupon for The Limited! It is for $15 off any $15 purchase, $30 off $100 or $50 off $150. Coupon is valid through Feb. 3rd. You could get something super cheap or possibly FREE with this coupon!

~$1 Baked Lays Coupon!~

Go HERE to print a $1 off Baked Lays coupon!

~Tip of the day for Thursday!~

Eat at home!
If you read my blog, you probably are already eating at home a great deal. However, eating out at restaurants is the #1 budget buster. So, to stay on task for 2010, set a realistic dining out budget and stick to it. Yes, we do eat out...that is a reality. I love to dine with my little family, so we have a column in our budget for that.
Thursday Blessings~
SHO

~$10 Betty Crocker Coupon Booklet!~

Go HERE to sign up for a $10 coupon booklet from Betty Crocker!

~Milk Coupon!~

Enter a drawing to win FREE milk for one year. Even if you don't win, you still get a great coupon to print! Go HERE to print a coupon for a free gallon of milk with any $100 grocery purchase.
*This coupon can be used for Organic Milk too!

!Graco Stroller Recall!

Graco Recalls Strollers Due to Fingertip Amputation and Laceration Hazards!!!

Go HERE to see if your stroller is one of them!

~Dinner last night~

Tuesday Night Dinner Totals

Tonight I tried something new and it turned out AWESOME! This is what I put in the dish:

1 chicken breast (cut into little pieces)-$1
1 can cream of mushroom soup-.30
2 cups Velveeta-?$1??
1 bag of broccoli-FREE
1/2 can of milk-FREE
1/2 can of Rotel-.25
1/2 bag of noodles-.50

Total= Around $3 bucks for a really yummy meal. Plus, I made enough for my hubby to take with him for lunch on Wednesday. He ate enough for 2 people tonight...he liked it that much! ;)
You could easily make this into a meal for a large family just by adding more chicken and noodles. I make a similar (mexican)dish when we have our families come to visit us. There is always plenty to go around.
If you have any questions about this recipe you can email me or leave a comment.

Wednesday Blessings~
SHO

~Tip of the Day!~

Use less meat!

I always use less meat than a recipe suggests. I have found that if a casserole calls for 4-5 chicken breasts, 2 will actually do the trick. The less meat you use, the more money you save!

~My Walgreen's Trip~

2 Wet Ones Antibacterial Wipes
$2 each
-TWO $1.50/1 Wet Ones (Printable Coupon)
= $1
Get back $1 in RRs
FREE after coupons and RRs!

4 Vicks NyQuil/DayQuil product
$5 each
2 Puffs Tissues
$2.49 each
-$2/1 Nyquil q
-(3) $1.50 Nyquil q
-(2) Free Puffs when you buy 2 Vicks products coupons from the 12/27 P&G
Pay $13.50
Get back $10 in RRs

So,after coupons and Register Rewards I paid $3.50 for all of this! It would have been even better if I had (4) $2 off coupons. Since I didn't, I used the $1.50 off instead. A great deal anyway you slice it ;)

~Family Circle Magazine FREE!~

Sign up HERE to get 3 FREE months of Family Circle Magazine! I get FREE magazines all of the time now. It's great!

~My Kroger Trip~

5 Birds Eye Steam fresh Veggies
Reg. $1.89
Sale $1
-.35q (tripled)
=FREE!

5 Pillsbury crescent rolls
Reg.$1.59
sale $1
-(4).25 q (tripled)
-.50 (doubled)
-.40 shortcuts
-.50 shortcuts
total for 5=$5
paid .10 or .02 each!

4 Pillsbury cinnamon rolls
Reg. $1.59
sale $1.00
-.40/2 q (doubled)
-.40/2 q (doubled)
-.40 shortcuts
=.50 each

Tony's Pizza
Reg. $2.33
sale $2
-.50 q (doubled)
=$1

Gatorade
$1
-.50 (doubled)
=FREE

Sun Chips
$3.79
-$3.79 q
=FREE

2 Pillsbury brownie mix
Reg. $1.99
Sale $1
-.40 q (doubled)
=.20 each

2 Hunt's sugar free pudding
Reg. ?
Sale $1
-.30/2 q (tripled)
=.55 per package


Peter Pan peanut butter
Reg. $2.69
sale $1.50
-$1 q
=.50

2 Maruchan noodles
Reg. .99
Sale .89
-.50 q
=FREE

2 Barilla pasta
Reg. $1.49
Sale $1.39
-.75/2 q
=$1.01 per box

Total= $44.51
Paid= $7.12
*That is a savings of 84%!
*The FREE items! I heart FREE stuff!

~Target Special K Deal~

Ran into Target today and noticed they were having a Special K deal. Buy 2 Special K cereal (other Special K items were included also) on sale for $2.39 and get a FREE box of Special K Fruit Crisps.

2 Special K cereal
Reg. $3.24
Sale $2.39
total $4.78
-$1/2 Target q
-$1/2 man. q
=$2.78 or $1.39 per box!

Special K Fruit Crisps
Reg. $3.24
Sale $2.39
FREE!

3 Johnson's buddies
.97
-$1 q
=FREE!

Retail=$12.63
Paid = $2.78
*Saved 78%!

~Dinner-Friday night~

Breakfast Burritos

Tortillas-.50
sausage-$1.50
eggs-FREE
Cheeses-$1
other ingredients-.50

Total was $3.50, but made enough for us to eat twice. Basically, I made my hubby's favorite meal and it only cost me around $1.75 per dinner. Yeah!

~Thursday Night Dinner Totals!~

Baked Ziti, spinach salad w/ garlic bread

noodles-.50
sauce-.80
cheeses-$1
other ingredients-.25
spinach salad-.50 (probably not even that much)
bread-FREE! (used the white bread that I got for FREE at Kroger and put some butter & garlic on it and put it in the oven for 8 minutes)

The total for this meal was around $3.05 and it made enough for 2 dinners, so technically it cost me around $1.50 per dinner.

This is our favorite Italian meal!

~2 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

There should be 2 coupon inserts in the Sunday paper.
1 SmartSource
1 Procter & Gamble

Happy Clipping!

~Johnson's Baby Coupons!~

Looking for Johnson's baby product coupons? Go HERE to the website and look on the right side of the page.

~Tip of the day for Thursday!~

Set a budget! This seems like it would be such an easy task, well it isn't! It may take a couple of months to get the budget finalized. It is KEY to living within your set amount each week/month. You must keep track to stay focused. Make every penny count. On paper, on purpose. It is amazing how far money will go when you are purposefully spending it.

Happy Budgeting!

~Wednesday Dinner Totals!~

Wednesday night dinner menu:

Chicken & Beef Enchiladas

8 tortillas-.80
burger meat-.50 (leftover from something else)
chicken-$1
enchilada sauce-.75
sour cream (only used on half)-.25
cheese-.50
pinto beans-.70

I made enough for 2 meals (dinner & lunch) for both of us. Total was $4.50 for 2 dinners or $2.25 per dinner.

~Walgreens photo deal~

TODAY!!!
Wednesday, January 13th only, use code FANFREE and get a FREE 8×10 photo collage from Walgreens.

~Another Kroger Trip!~

Made a quick trip to Kroger again yesterday for the last day of the "Crazy Meal Deal". My hubby LOVES Special K, so I stocked up. Here are my deals:

CRAZY MEAL DEAL:
Buy 3 Special K products for $7 and get a free milk, eggs, bread & gravy!

4 Special K
Reg. $3.69
Sale $2.33
-$1/2 q
-$1.50/2 q
=$6.82 total for 4 boxes

Milk
Reg. $2.99
FREE!

Bread
Reg. $1.00
FREE!

Eggs
Reg. $1.59
=FREE!

Gravy
Reg. $1.69
=FREE!

Chocolate Milk
$2.99
-$2.99 q
=FREE!

Total= $25.02
Paid = $6.82

~Tip of the Day for Wednesday!~

Open the blinds! When it is cold and the sun is shining, open the blinds and let the sun warm up the room. This really does work well in the winter! The back of my house has 8 windows that are in the master bedroom, dining room & living room. The sun warms those rooms up in the afternoon during the winter.

Have a blessed Wednesday!

~Quaker Oats $1 Coupon!~

Quaker Oats $1 printable coupon HERE!

Offer good until 4/31/10!

~Tip of the Day!~

Don't keep the road hot! Try to plan your trips out so that you are not wasting a bunch of gas (and time) running around every day. It feels so good to not be running crazy everyday. Make a list, get a plan of attack before you leave & go save some money!

~CVS Deals~

I'm probably not going to CVS this week. However, I did want to share a few good deals that were in the ad.

GE Reveal Light Bulbs (4-pk)
2 for $6
- (2) $1/1 coupons from 1/3 Smart Source insert
Receive $2 ECBs
Final Price = $1 each

Pantene Shampoo or Conditioner
Buy 2 for $6.97
- $3/2 coupon from 12/27 P&G insert
Receive $2 ECBs
Final Price = $.99 each

Scope Outlast Mouth Rinse
$3.49
-$1 coupon from 12/27 P&G insert
Receive $1 ECB
Final Price = $1.49

Another student/reader just got the call to be part of the diaper study. Yeah Jamie! Nothing beats FREE diapers! Woohoo :)

~Monday Night Dinner Totals!~

Menu:
Chicken, steamed broccoli, rice w/ carrots & mashed potatoes

Chicken (cooked in slow cooker all day)-$1
Steamfresh broccoli-FREE!
Rice w/ carrots-FREE!
Mashed Potatoes-.40

As you can see we had an entire meal for 3 of us that cost me less than $1.50! Plus, I cooked extra chicken to make enchiladas tomorrow night.

Woohoo, I love saving money and having a plan!!! Have you started figuring up how much each meal that you prepare is costing? If so, how is it going? You can always leave a message or email me at coachoshields@hotmail.com, I love hearing from you all!

Be Blessed!

~My Little Peach~

My conversation today while eating lunch with my 3 year old.

"Mommy, where did you get these peaches?"
Me: "At Kroger"

3 yr old: "Were they on sale?" (with brow raised)
Me: "No"

3 yr old: Looking shocked with big eyes!
Me: "But, I used a coupon on them"

3 yr old: (Sigh of relief) "Oh, okay Mommy"

I love that at 3 years old she is already understanding certain concepts of money. I also love that she wants to buy things on sale and get a good deal. She will ask me often if we got a good deal on something. When I say yes, it makes her very happy!

~Redbox Movie Code~

We heart Redbox at our house, especially FREE movie codes!

Use code: RBXLUV10 and get one FREE movie rental.

Offer expires 1/11/10.

~My Kroger Trip Yesterday~

My Kroger trip this weekend was pretty good. I had gone earlier in the week for fruits & veggies. I love these small trips!

3 Maruchan noodles
Reg. .99
Sale .89
-.50 (doubled to sale price)
=FREE!

Budding Turkey
Reg. $4.39
Sale $2.20
-$1 q
=$1.20

Grande Chips
Reg. $3.49
Sale $2
=$1 q
=$1

5 Johnson & Johnson bars
$1.09
-$1 q
=.09 each (could have gotten these for a few cents cheaper elsewhere, but not worth the trip & needed to use these coupons before expiring)

CRAZY MEAL DEAL:
Buy 3 Special K products for $7 and get a free milk, eggs, bread & gravy!

3 Special K
Reg. $3.69
Sale $2.33
-$1/2 q
=$6 total for 3 boxes

Milk
Reg. $2.99
FREE!

Bread
Reg. $1.00
FREE!

Eggs
Reg. $1.59
=FREE!

Gravy
Reg. $1.69
=FREE!

Total $34.64
Paid $8.65
*That is a savings of 75%, not bad considering I got milk, eggs & bread too!

~Monday Tip of the Day!~

Save Water!
Turn off the water when washing your face & brushing your teeth. This saves on your bill and the environment :)
Wait until the dishwasher is full to run it.
Wash large loads of clothing. Try to wash as much as you can in cold water rather than hot. That will save you money too!

Happy Monday!

~2 Coupon Inserts Scheduled~

Expect 2 coupon inserts this weekend.

1 Red Plum
1 Smartsource

Happy Clipping!

~Dinner-Friday night~

Chili w/ beans

beans-.70
meat-.50 (didn't use much)
chili seasonings-.65
tomato sauce-.50
cheese-.25
corn bread-.40

Total=$3.00

~Awesome Deal!~

Target has a BabyBjourn baby carrier for $24.99 plus free shipping in Chocolate brown. I have never seen one this cheap! I've been told that Wal-mart has this same one for $80 right now. So, if you are in the market for one or want to give someone a nice gift this is for you! I'm sure these will be gone fast!
Go Here to see product!

~$5/5 Healthy Choice Coupon!~

$5 off 5 Healthy Choice frozen meals coupon HERE!

~Tip of the day for Friday!~

Light Bulbs:

Switch light bulbs to energy efficient bulbs. Check the watts on each lamp and make sure you are not using a 100 watt when a 60 watt is needed. Wasted energy!
I try to use as much natural light in my house during the daytime. If I only need a small amount of light, I plug in a lamp with a low voltage bulb.

Saving money is really about changing habits. If you can change your habits then it is easy. Most of my "Tips of the Day" are simple things to do. Sadly, most people would rather complain than do them. My challenge to you is to decide to make some changes in 2010 to save your family money!

Have a great Friday!

~Smart Balance Coupons!~

Smart Balance printable coupons HERE!

*This one is for you Denise ;)

~Thursday Dinner Totals~

Chicken-$1
Noodles w/ broccoli-.50
Garlic Mashed Potatoes-.89

Total meal less than $2.50.

~Tip of the day for Thursday!~

~Tip of the day~
Use less product! I am bad about this. Personally, I use too much much shampoo, conditioner, dish soap & laundry soap. I'm aware of this problem and am working on it. We all would automatically save money if every member in our household were using the correct amount of household items. I encourage you to do an inventory check of how much each person is using and see where you can cut back. This may take educating your family on what the correct amount actually is.

Do you have a pre-teen/teenager that has a particular expensive personal product that they love & use too much of? If so, you might consider making them pay for that item one month out of their allowance. Sometimes we all just need to know the value of an item. My guess is after that, the product will last a great deal longer!

~$2/2 Nabisco Coupon~

Get your $2 off 2 Nabisco cracker coupon HERE!

~Dinner last night~

Last night was awesome because my hubby made dinner for us! Always a treat ;)

The menu consisted of breakfast for dinner:

Eggs-.25
Bacon- $1.25
crescent rolls-FREE

So, we ate for around $1.50 again. Plus it was super yummy! Thank you to my sweet husband. You're the best!

~Dinner last night~

Dinner menu last night:

Tacos w/ guacamole & pintos

Taco meat-less than $1
guacamole-FREE!
Pinto beans-.79 (1 can)
Tortillas-.40 (used 4 from a $1 package of 10)
cheese-probably .25 worth of the package

Total meal = less than $2.50! Plus I had enough taco meat & pintos for us to eat it again for lunch today! So, technically the meal was less than $1.50. Woohoo! This is why eating at home saves BIG!!!!

I encourage you all to have a list of what I call "go to meals". They are quick, easy meals that you ALWAYS have on hand. For me, tacos are one of my favorite "go to meals". I have several variations of how I make the tacos and different types of meat that I like to use. That way my family never gets tired of them :)

I hope this is helping you all. Several of you have asked me how I feed my family so inexpensively. We eat really good food and it rarely comes out of box! I try to make my time in the kitchen as efficient as possible. I don't really enjoy cooking, but I love feeding my family good food! Blessing them, blesses me.

~Tip of the Day!~

Tip of the day is something else new I'm going to be posting on my journey to save you money in 2010....I'm going to list some things that I already do and may have posted about previously, but since this is a new year, I thought it would be a good time to start thinking about saving in every way....not just by using coupons!

Tip of the day:
*Turn down the thermostat in the winter! We keep ours at 65 (yes, it is a bit brisk), but we just wear cozy clothes when at home and it is fine. By doing this, my electric bill is $75-$250 cheaper than my neighbors with the same floor plan. Plus, it helps with my daughter's allergies to not have so much dry air. It seems like having a warm house would do the opposite, but it is really hard on people with allergies.
Also, your body does adjust to the temperature. It really isn't cold, just brisk at times. My daughter is never cold. Actually, she takes her socks off because her feet are hot every day. So, I never feel bad about keeping the thermostat on 65 :)
This will be an adjustment for those of you in the 70's. Do it a couple degrees at a time. If you keep it at 72, then do 70 for 2 days before dropping into the 60's.
I'd love to hear from those of you willing to try this. I promise, you will save so much money by doing so.

Wednesday Blessings~
SHO

~Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon!~

Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon HERE!

~Something New!~

I'm excited to be telling you about one of the new things that I am going to be doing in 2010! I'm going to be listing my dinner menu, but also listing what the entire meal cost me to make for my family. This may be a bit tricky at times, so it won't be down to the penny. However, it will be very close! I'm doing this to encourage you to eat at home more in 2010. It really is so much cheaper and so much healthier than fast food.
Menu last night:
salad w/ spinach leaves added (paid $1 for salad kit and then just over $2 for the large bag of spinach, both will last for at least 6 salads)
baked chicken (marinaded with Lowry's...paid .50 for the entire bottle)
rice & broccoli (FREE after coupons several months ago!)
salad dressing- Paid less than .10 for the entire bottle

*We had large salads with the baked chicken chopped and served on top. The rice & broccoli was the side dish. By chopping the large piece of chicken, I was able to use only one large breast.

Total = $2.00 or less

This was a really good and healthy meal that only cost me $2.00 at most. Can't beat that! Plus, it was easy to make ;)

Happy cooking!

~CVS Photo Deal!~

CVS is offering 50 FREE prints for new registrants. Go HERE to sign up!

~Wal-green's Free Electrosal~

Electrasol Powerball Tabs (20-pk)
$3.49
-$2.50 coupon from 1/3 Smart Source insert
Get $1 Register Reward
Final Price = FREE!

*I did not get this deal because I have an energy star dishwasher that does not clean well (at all) with these tabs. I can use regular Electrasol and it is fine, but there is something about these tabs that doesn't do well with my particular dishwasher. Anyway, thought it was a great deal and still wanted to pass it on!

~My CVS deal this week~

This is what I got at CVS for the week. I love these light bulbs!

GE Energy Smart Light Bulb (1 pk)
$2.99
-$1 coupon from 1/3 Smart Source insert
Received $2 ECBs (good on next purchase)

Final Price = FREE!!!

~50 Prints for 50 Pennies from Snapfish!~

Great Snapfish photo deal! 50 prints for 50 pennies by using code NEWYEAR50...go HERE for details!

I just ordered my Christmas photos last night. It feels so good to already have them ordered. I'm going to try to be better about that this new year.

Happy Monday morning!

~5 Inserts Scheduled Sunday!~

This is super exciting to start the new year off with 5 coupon inserts!!! Be sure to buy a paper or two or three. This is a great way to start saving big in 2010!
Coupons scheduled:
1 General Mills
2 SmartSource
2 Red Plum

Happy Clipping ;)

~Happy New Year!~

Happy New Year!
Thank you to all of my faithful readers, students & friends. 2009 was a great year of saving BIG! Wishing 2010 to be a year of financial breakthroughs for you and your family.
I'm going to be changing up a few things on the blog. So, be sure to check in and get excited!

In His Grace~
SHO

~Payless Shoesource Coupon!~

Get a 15% off Payless Shoesource coupon HERE! There is also a $10 off $50 on-line purchase coupon!
*Offers expire Jan. 17, 2010

~Financial Goals for 2010!~

Let's talk about New Year's Resolutions. I am making several financial resolutions in 2010. My cute hubby and I have sat down and came up with a number that will be a challenge to save, but I'm certain it can be done if we stick to our plan. We also want to travel more during the summer (pre-paid travel...it is not a vacation to me if you have to pay for it when you get back!). All of this will be possible if we purpose every dollar (as we have been doing). We budget down to zero each month and that has been key to saving. We have 2 categories that don't get touched and are non-negotiable. 1. Tithe 2. Savings...These 2 come off the top. They are considered our "first fruits". Tithing has been something that we have done since we first got married. We believe it is why we are so blessed. God is honoring the sacrifice of our 10% and making the other 90% go above and beyond. We also live within our budget and don't EVER buy anything unless we can pay for it then. Things are so much more enjoyable when you know there is not a payment plan involved!
Couponing has been the key to us putting money into savings each month. I know that if you set your mind to it, you can save and reach your financial goals. As Dave Ramsey says "On paper...on purpose". I never truly understood this until I started doing it.
I would love to hear about your resolutions. Many of you are new to couponing, so I know you have set some goals :)
I hope this blog is helping you and your family save money and live a more financially blessed life.
Wishing you a very Happy New Year's Eve!

In His Grace~
SHO