WFMW: Bedroom Door Lock

Hubs & I decided that all parents should have a locking bedroom door for, well....er...obvious reasons. Upon determining that we wanted one, we didn't want to actually go buy one. *Insert frugal solution here!* Our master bathroom DID have a lock on it and since only Hubs and I use that bathroom, it really wasn't too critical to have the lock. So we performed a switch-a-roo and in about 15 minutes changed our bedroom door lockset for the bathroom one. So, if you don't have a locking bedroom door, you might be able to "shop" in your own home for "new" door knob.

Visit We are THAT Family for more Works for Me Wednesday!

What a Quarter {or a couple} Will Buy

All of these deals were found at my local Wal-Mart. I think one of the best things we can do as saavy grocery shoppers is to know where, in each store we shop at, the discount groceries are located. For example, at my Wal-Mart, the clearance groceries are found in the "Seasonal" aisle and at Woodman's the discounted items are in shopping carts at the front of the store and in carts in the produce section. What's even better is if you have a coupon for an already deeply clearanced product; it usually means free or next to free!

So, even in today's economy, a quarter can buy more than just a gumball from a vending machine. See:

:: Crystal Light On-the Go Packs - 25 cents ::


:: Big Bag of stuffing - 50 cents ::


:: 4 pound bags of sugar - $1 ::


:: Ground Fair Trade Coffee - $2 ::

Not pictured:
Generic Crystal Light Drink Mix - 25 cents {!!!}
Dented Box of Pasta - 50 cents
Gatorade Mix {for Hubs} - $1

The craziest deal was probably the Crystal Light On-the-Go Packs. Even the check-out ladies were Oohing and Aahing, when I was paying. It's not something I normally buy as they are too expensive for my budget at $2.50 per box. I figured since I am pregnant & drinking a lot more, especially on the go, they will come in quite handy. {Oh, and I bought some for a friend too!} The rest are all items I would've bought sometime in the near future, so it really is a long-term savings for my budget. All my goods will go hang-out in my basement pantry until I'm ready for them.

When One Store Closes.....

...another one opens.

Isn't that how the saying goes? *grin*

I was only slightly dismayed to find that my local {and when I mean local, I mean the only one within about 15 miles} Blockbuster was closing. Economy, I suppose. I probably spent too much of my meager funds there anyhow, even at only 1 or 2 rentals a month. This means I will have to use more free Redbox codes, as well as my shiny new library card, for DVD rentals. Fine by me!

The opening?

Walgreens! That gets a big WHOOT! WHOOT! from me. I'll be checking out the weekly deals now, in hopes to build my stash of personal care products for free or very little. I'm pretty excited about this one. Not as excited as if it were a CVS {gotta love those ECBS}, but I'll take what I can get.

Both the closing & the opening are great blessings as they will help me improve my finances in '09. Off to look at Walgreens deals now.....

Homemade Yogurt: The follow-up

You domestic divas are surprisingly more interested in homemade stuff than I thought! Andrea asked about cost comparison and the taste factor, so here goes:

1 quart milk: $.60 {at about $2.40/gal)
1/3 c. non-fat milk powder: $.28 {box costs $3.36 and has 12 1/3 c. portions}
starter: $.20 {my Yo-Baby costs $.60 each & I used about 1/3 of one}
Splenda: maybe $.50 worth?

Total for 1 quart: $1.58 at the most
W/o milk powder & using current batch to start next batch: $1.10

The non-fat milk powder is optional, but I read it makes a thicker yogurt. My Dannon Light & Fit cost $2.19 for 1 quart @ Woodmans, but it's next to impossible to find it at WM/Meijer/Jewel for that price; more like $2.99 and up. Not sure about Aldi's pricing, although I never liked the taste of their low-fat version anyways. This is all besides the fact that homemade yogurt is superior in quality.

Taste? Hmm. What exactly taste-wise are you looking for? To me the biggest issue is sweetness, which is easily adjusted. My batch tastes richer. I'm guessing it is because of the 2% milk. Next time I will probably use skim, as I'm trying to watch my waistline. I would also say that the tanginess is more pronounced. Unsweetened, I would describe the taste as pretty tart sour cream. Comparatively, to my taste, commercial yogurt, particularly low-fat, has a chalky or slightly funny aftertaste, somewhat reminiscent of some artificial sweetners. My homemade batch tastes cleaner, if that makes any sense. {Phew! You're really putting my palate to the test here!}

**insert break to actually go taste the yogurt again to see if I'm missing anything**

The texture is thicker in my batch as well. My yogurt falls into thick ribbons from a spoon. The actual yogurt remains in the ribbon shape on the surface, instead of being thin enough to just immediately flow back into the jar. Thickness can be controlled by the length of culturing time, ranging anywhere from barely set to flan/custard-like.

Even I didn't think yogurt could be described so in-depth. Hope this helps! Any more questions?

Farewell Dannon!

I won't be needing you anymore. You served me well while I kept you around. You satisfied me with many a low-fat breakfast. You showed up in smoothies now and again. Even my husband, daughters & baby love you, bless their hearts. I might invite you back, time and again, if I am in a crunch. The reason I won't need you anymore is because I learned how to make my own homemade yogurt.

Yep. I'm just domestic like that.

{pictured here with homemade granola & berries}

This homemade stuff is thicker, richer, and better for you. Did I mention that it's cheaper too?

Cooking notes: I pretty well followed the instructions found here {I used the crockpot method, although I filled the crockpot about halfway with water}. I scalded my milk to 180° F, then cooled it to 110° F before adding the starter. The linked directions to not instruct this, but I've read that it is necessary for good results. After the yogurt cultured, I added 1/3 cup Splenda. That was the perfect amount of sweetness for me. Without sugar, the yogurt could be used {and tastes a bit} like sour cream. It can also be left to drain in a strainer lined with cheesecloth; you will end up with a cream cheese-like product but much lower in fat. I used Yo-Baby vanilla yogurt as my starter {my local WM did not have plain with live active cultures}. Live active cultures {six are present in the Stonyfield farms brand, as opposed to only 2 in other brands} are like good bacteria for your digestive system. Kinda like all those probiotics that are showing up everywhere. {Get your kids eatin' yogurt with live active cultures. They are great for the immune system!} You can always freeze the store-bought starter in an ice cube tray & then use one cube per starter. I have read that the longer you culture it, the tarter & firmer it gets. If you're not watching the waistline, you can also add heavy cream to your mix for ultra-richness. Try steeping the milk mixture with different ingredients too: vanilla bean, lavender, rosemary, etc. or adding stuff in after culturing. For more reading, a simple google of homemade yogurt will satisfy your curiosities.

Ever had a yogurt making adventure? Let me know if I've gotten you interested!

A Frugal Date

...well, only if you live around these parts.

Have you ever used Restaurant.com ? The website offers discounted gift certificates to participating restaurants. Typically a $25 gift certificate costs $10 (already a discount in its own right), but until October 26th, you can get them for $4 by using coupon code: SAVOR. {Read about it here.} Many of the restaurants have restrictions, so look carefully before selecting. One local restaurant without any restrictions {except for 18% gratuity} is Joey T's on the Fox. {I previously purchased two certificates for Dunhill's & was going to suggest that for this frugal date. In the two days I've worked on this post, it appears that those are no longer available; limited number per restaurant.} You print the certificates on your computer & they are validated at the restaurant location. I have not actually done this {I have printed them, but not used them}. As mentioned, I have purchased some certificates myself, so I have put "my money where my mouth is", so to speak.

Show up for lunch, where lunch salads are around $8, lunch pastas around $9, and lunch entrees around $10. After lunch, take your lunch date over to Barnes & Noble where you can browse through books & magazines & enjoy a free cappuccino, by printing your coupon here. This coupon is only good until 10/31/08.

Total cost: $4 {certificate} + $5 tip {20% gratuity on a $25 check} + free cappuccino = $9

Need gifts?
The restaurant.com coupons are good for one year from the date of purchase. Restaurant locations are all over the country, so you could even purchase them for long distance friends & family. Sounds like a frugal Christmas gift idea to me :>)

Think I'm gonna go purchase some Joey T's certificates now.....

Frugal Love: Post-Its

How about leaving your man some little notes of affection/appreciation/desire in unexpected places? Try his underwear drawer, leave a whole bunch covering the shower door or his computer monitor, stuck on his morning cereal box, or tucked in his Bible or current reading selection. If you're not feeling the love this weekend, it doesn't have to be anything too sentimental. I'm sure he would love something simple like "Thanks for taking out the trash without complaining" or "You are a great provider for our family". It'll only take a minute or two. Your marriage is worth it!

Frugal Love

Hubby and I have, as of late, been returning to the "first things" in our relationship. You know. All the little acts of love and kindness that you express to show you are head-over-heels for another person, which, somehow frequently get lost along the road called marriage. I have received several cards in the mail from my Beloved over the past few weeks, complete with little romantic sketches inside {something Hubster would frequently do while we were dating}. So in an attempt to keep things frugal on my part, here is the little card set I created for him:


I made the envelope as well, using a template I found online. I reduced the size by 50% so that it would fit into his wallet & used a sticker to close the envelope. {You could also probably use a tiny bit of double-stick tape as well}. The card was made from leftover scrapbooking supplies. Perfect for all those really small scraps! I think I'm gonna make about 10 or so at once to use whenever the mood strikes! I scheduled a text message to be sent to him while he was out, including the location of my little surprise.


Total cost: $.10 for the text message {free if your plan includes them}

A Frugal Find

In an attempt to change a certain behavior, I am giving myself some rewards along the way {kind of like a sticker chart for grown-ups}. My first reward? A hair cut {needed} and an eyebrow wax {the reward part}. Total cost: $11 {$10 for the cut + free wax with a coupon + $1 tip} . I discovered this great deal at a local beauty school. And I realized two things 1) part of your money at a salon pays for THE experience and 2) if you are willing to forego the experience, you can get yourself some great deals on beauty treatments. If you are interested, I went here. If you have never received beauty school treatments {this was my first time}, enjoy my candid information & tips based on my experience:

Make an appointment. This school accepts walk-ins, but only if they have enough students to accommodate. Otherwise, you'll be waiting.

Plan LOTS of time. It took nearly 2 hours for the cut & wax.

You are basically their practice. If you are overly fussy about your style, don't have a lot of patience, or have lots of disposable income, then this frugal find probably isn't for you. These students have been in classes for several months before they ever arrive at the cutting chair. The students have your cut approved by an instructor before they make the first snip. An instructor also double-checks the cut after the student is finished to see if any areas needed touching up. My cut did not.

This is NOT a spa. Remember: this is more like a college classroom than anything, hence sometimes the chatter & atmosphere reflects that.

Not only for cuts. The school I went to offers lots of services, basically anything you'd find at a full-service salon. So if you're too nervous to have them come at you with scissors, maybe a frugal manicure or pedicure would suit you. Highlights? Up-do for a special occasion? Take your daughter for a mommy/daughter treatment?

Will I go again? Most definitely! {My student was Mallory, in case you decide to go soon.} Ya just can't beat the price for some really great beauty treatments {unless of course you did it yourself......}

Ever received beauty school treatments? Got another frugal beauty find to share?

Party Notes + Giveaway

I survived our first ever kids-only party, thanks to the help of my uber wonderful hubby & my dear neighbor, the mom of one of our guests. She helped me hold down the fort for about half the time. I think that was about as much girly-energy as this house has ever seen. There was screaming, there was dancing, there was water-fun, there was one really happy birthday girl.

My personal pizza idea didn't go over as well as I expected. The girls *loved* making them, but they didn't get gobbled up like I thought they would. Maybe other girls don't love pizza {or homemade ones?} as much as my kids do. Or maybe the pizzas were just so big that they were scary. I don't know. The cupcakes on the other hand, I think are just beeeaauutiful. They look {at least to me} like they came from some NYC bakery. I think I will be making these often. I think they're pretty enough to bring to a gathering. Maybe with different pastel shades of frosting. The delicate sprinkles are just the right touch, yes?


They tasted as good as they looked, although one girl was just a frosting-eater & one girl told me that her & her other little friend "didn't really like them". {My ego was only slightly bruised.} The low-cost goodie bags came together nicely, thanks to my little creation, the Target dollar spot {pencils}, as well as a great CVS deal I happened to come upon right before the party. {I spent 1 penny on seven gargantuan Hershey's bars, a package of eight mini-Reese's and a 3-pack of Trident gum. Willy Wonka would be proud.} Total cost per goodie bag: about 50 cents, including the bag!

:: all dressed up & waiting to go ::

And in honor of all this party fun & frugal creativity, and since I'm sure you are tired of reading about the hair clips I thought I'd share some of the goodness here. I am giving away this pretty little thing:


Simply leave a comment with your favorite low cost party tip by midnight on Wednesday, August 6th & a random winner will be drawn and announced on Thursday.

Good luck, ya'll.

P.S. I've been playing with Photoshop to enhance the photos. Likey?

Feeling the Squeeze

We all know the economy is bad & gas prices are high, which makes food costs higher, which puts the squeeze on...well.....everybody! How are ya'll coping out there? Everybody hanging in? We are feeling significant strain because of past choices & Sweetie's new business which isn't generating as much as we need. We are thinking that one of us may actually have to get a job outside the home. We are currently working through part of our business plan, and perhaps, God willing, it won't have to come to that. Building a business can be a scary thing. I just pray that God would spare us from foolishness {this prayer comes in handy for many other situations as well. Feel free to use it. } I share this not for sympathy or pity, but maybe someone else reading this is going through a really hard time as well and sometimes it is comforting to know you are not alone. Not only that, but maybe we can weather these rocky roads together! Here are some things that I am doing this week to stretch the dollars:

• Cooking from the pantry. I made a batch of Corn Chowder since I had all the ingredients on hand. I did let a bunch of asparagus go bad though. Need to plan better use of fresh produce.

• Shaving in the sink, instead of the shower. Sweetie suggested this. Kind of a pain, but I'll get used to it.

• Not traveling as much. Combining trips. I am giving up shopping at my *beloved* Woodman's as the gas to get there and back pretty much cancels out any savings I would get. I will also be combining the trip to Sienna's karate class with an Aldi run.

• Price-matching at my new local Super Wal-Mart to compensate for not shopping at Woodman's.
  

• Selling stuff. Hubs is mostly doing this, but I've also sold a special order notepad holder ;>)

Anyone trying anything new this week to stretch the budget? Or continuing with something that you've found that really works?

Steals & Deals for the Week

No.....Thank you!

I got this $5 Starbucks Gift Card in the mail yesterday as part of a Catalina** promotion they were running. If you bought a bag of Starbucks coffee at participating retailers, you receive a Catalina with a special code to input online. My dad bought the coffee, noticed the Catalina & saved it for me. What a great dad! Also FYI: If you register your Starbucks gift card online, you can get extra benefits at participating Starbucks locations, such as free refills on your coffee & free extra syrup flavors.

**Catalina: a coupon that prints at the register from a separate machine after you check-out

Jewel: Last weekend I took advantage of their General Mills deal. If you buy 10 participating items at $2 each, you get an instant $10 off your order, making the items $1. You had to buy them in multiples of $10. Adding some coupons with that {they take expireds so I was saving them for such an occasion as this}, I was able to purchase 12 boxes of cereal, 4 bags of Cheerios/Chex Snack Mix, 4 boxes of Nature Valley Trail Granola Bars, and two packs of gum {for the Hubster} for a grand total of $11.73!

CVS: I haven't been CVSing as avidly as I did when I first started {March} as a) I have a decent stockpile beginning to build up and b) would rather devote the necessary time/energy to other things. They had a sale on Oral-B products {Buy $20, Get $10 ECBs} and hubster has an Oral-B Vitality Toothbrush. At $17.99 for a pack of 3 replacement heads, I thought it would be a good time to get them now. I also picked up a box of Crest Toothpaste, 2 boxes of Aquafresh, and some Schick shaver refills {$8.88, get $6 ECBS + I used $4 Q}. I ended up spending $10 OOP, but that was fine with me, since the refill heads alone cost nearly double that!

Pick up any goodies last week? Get any free samples in the mail?

Good Deals

Here are some good deals I see to be gotten this week. I am not including any CVS ECB deals, as maybe you're not into that sort of thing.

CVS
Herbal Essence Hair Products are BOGO. {Price at my local store is $4.29} Combine that with coupons from recent inserts for $3/2 = $1.29 for two bottles. I just had hubby stop by and do this deal today. I had two coupons, so I got 4 bottles of shampoo/conditioner for $3.18!

Cereal
If you don't have enough in your stockpile, there's a few good buys out there. Kmart has General Mills {select varieties} for $1.50 a box, if you buy 4. Combine that with coupons that are nearly always in the inserts for $1/2 or $1/3. I have 2 $1/2 coupons so that works out to $1/box. An even better deal is at Valli Produce {if you live near me & get the flyer, you could always Price Match at WM} for $1.25 a box, if you buy 4. Combined with the aforementioned coupons works out to 75 cents per box. I am comping this deal at SuperWM either tomorrow or Saturday. {I am also comping a few other things from Valli as well, such as Dean's half-gallons of milk for 99 cents. Combined with a insert coupon for 50cents/2 works out to $1.50 for one gallon!}

For you health nuts {or aspiring health nuts like me}, you can read all about how to get Kashi for 50 cents a box. Now that's a sweet deal! {FYI: these coupons from "bricks" never work for me in Firefox, only in IE. If you attempt to print it in Firefox & it doesn't print, you will be out of luck. YMMV. Remember to hit your back button on your browser after printing the first one so that you can get the limit of two.} Edited to add: Regular price at SuperWM is $2 box, which means free Kashi, ya'll!

Jewel
Suave Hair Care Products are 89 cents. Combine with a coupon from last weeks insert for $1/2 works out to 80 cents for 2 bottles.

Did you know some Jewel stores accept expired coupons? I am going to call the store that I would go to & find out of mine does. If you do your regular shopping there, you can read all about how to earn yourself some free movie tickets.

What deals are you getting this week?

BOGO x 2

BOGO = Buy One, Get One a.k.a B1G1

I always wondered what would happen if a store had a buy one, get one promotion & you had a BOGO coupon for the same items. In my mind, I figured you would buy one item and get TWO free. Not so. After reading this thread, I learned that essentially the store pays for the free one that they are promoting & the coupon/manufacturer pays for the other free item. Instead of buy one, get one, it's buy none, get two!! Sweet!! Usually these types of deals don't overlap with the coupons, for obvious reasons {free stuff, ya'll}. I tried it today at CVS and it works! I was actually kinda shocked. I purchased two Covergirl face products featured in this week's CVS BOGO promotion. I had a Covergirl coupon for "Buy any Covergirl foundation, get a Covergirl face product free". I bought a foundation for $5.99 and a face product for $7.99. The $5.99 came off for the store promotion since it was the least expensive item and the cashier just had to enter the amount for the facial product {blush} which was $7.99 for the coupon. All I paid was the tax. Now that's a sweet deal!

Wal-Mart's Price Matching Policy

Ok. I feel vindicated! After a comment on a previous post alerted me to Wal-Mart's price matching policy, I attempted it last week with milk. Meijer had their house brand of milk on sale for $1.99, so I brought my ad in to my local WM expecting to be able to get their house brand for that price. Request denied. My cashier even asked another cashier and they both chimed in together with, "Oh no. We don't do that here. See. It's the MEIJER BRAND of milk on sale." I tried to explain that I'd "heard" that WM does do it, but to no avail. I paid $3.29 for the milk I needed anyway. I did call their corporate office, but had not received a response. Until today. The manager from my local store called to answer my questions. He said that it really didn't happen that often, but that they had had a meeting & they will match house brand to house brand. *Insert Hallelujah chorus here* I was very nice about the whole thing & just said that maybe their cashiers weren't aware of the policy. I also asked who they considered a "competitor", as there really aren't any other major competitors in that small town. He said, "Bring in any ad." He even mentioned some southern stores {Publix?} & said to just bring in my ad. Needless to say, this guy's name is burned into my memory. Now I/you can get more things in one place! This week I even had a nearby SuperWM match the Airwick Freshmatic Mini that CVS has on sale for $4.99. Add a $4 coupon {click "print now" under Money Saving Coupons ~ requires registration} to that and you've got a great deal. My cashier was so funny. She just kept saying, "Wow. Now that's a great deal."

Cheap Cereal

So, now that I've learned more about using coupons, my new limit for cereal is $1/box, unless it is something really special, like Kashi. This good cereal deal on Malt-O-Meal falls into my new guidelines. Malt-O-Meal is kind of a generic brand of some popular cereals like Cheerios, Fruit Loops, Lucky Charms, etc. It was rumored that Wally World carried Malt-O-Meal cereal bags on rollback for 2/$2, but I've been unable to find it there. Supposedly there are boxes of it as well at WM, but I didn't have a chance to look & price it out {anyone?}. Meijer carries this product at a standard price of $1.99 per bag. This $1.50 coupon doesn't expire until 8/31/2008. So print yourself some {use more than one computer if you have to} & the next time you go by a Meijer, pick up some 50-cent cereal. There is also a $1 off coupon which would still be a good deal at $1 a bag. Don't like all the sugar for your kiddos? Give it to your local food bank!

Edited to add: I found the cereal at a local Super WM today in a bin in a main aisle near the groceries. It was $1. I had one $1.50 coupon and two $1 off coupons, so I earned 50 cents overage for three bags. Sweet!

P.S. Just wanted to mention that is a bricks.coupon which I can never get to print in Firefox. I always have to use my back-up IE. YMMV.

Start Shopping CVS for Less Than $1

If you are considering shopping the CVS method {or are trying to convert someone}, this might be a good time to start. Here is a beginner scenario to get you started:

Buy 5 Excedrin for $1.99 $9.95
Use 5 $2 off coupons {here, here, or here} -$10.00

Just pay the tax and get $5 ECBs for your next order! {You might want to throw in a candy bar so they don't look at you like you're a coupon criminal!}

This scenario is great for several reasons:

#1 - It's super simple!
#2 - It doesn't involve any of the elusive free-after-ECB items such as the CVS Pain Relief Gelcaps or the Softsoap Spa Radiance {am I the only one who can't find any???}
#3 - Super low OOP {out-of-pocket}
#4 - It doesn't require any CVS coupons or coupons from previous newspaper inserts

Let me know if you have any questions or are giving this scenario a try!

P.S. There are boxes of Excedrin that are shrink-wrapped together that are a special "get one free" package. These also "work" for this deal, so if you can find them, you could get 10 boxes, instead of 5!

Saving $$ on Groceries: the month in Review

I'm hooked. It's partly due to the fact that I recently lowered my grocery budget by $100 per month. It's really mostly due to the inspiration at Money Saving Mom. I *love* this blog. She's got all the sweet deals already worked out for you, every week, broken down by store, complete with links to online printable coupons. Could saving money get any easier??

This month concludes my first month shopping the deals at CVS. Now that I am fully stocked up on toothpaste and deodorant, I have started a give-away box for those who need it, whether that be friends who are too busy to shop the deals {need some goodies? email me privately!} or someplace local that accepts donations. I have slowly whittled my ECBs down to $3, but thanks to a friendly CVS cashier, have a raincheck for some Listerine Smart Rinse for Kids, that when combined with $1/1 coupons will give my ECBs a little boost. Hooray for rainchecks!

This week I got some great deals at Meijer, thanks to their 10/$10 deal. According to my receipt, I got $75.92 worth of groceries for $39.33. Not too bad for just starting to work the deals! It's a shame that my local Meijer doesn't double coupons or I could've gotten many goodies for free. My favorite part of the deal was for I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. It was part of the 10/$10 deal and there is online printable for $.75/1 making them $.25 each! You could either get a 15 oz tub or two smaller 7.5 oz tubs. I picked up several for myself and my grandma as well, who is on a fixed income. I also got some Life cereal for $1/box by combining their deal for 5/$10 on Quaker brand items with a $1/1 coupon. These deals run through Wednesday, in case you were hitting your local Meijer soon and hadn't gotten these goodies!

I've called many a grocery store in the suburbs east of me, in the area that I am most familiar, looking for coupon-doubling stores, but to no avail. Why don't any of those stores double??? Lo and behold, after consulting with a dear friend that I consider my local area resource {whom I will be buying Starbucks for tomorrow as a thank you}, I was turned on to not one, but TWO, grocery stores in the major city near me that double. One is Hilander {Kroger} and the other is Logli {Schnuck's}. I am planning a trip tomorrow to one of them that is running 10/$10 deals as well & will be getting some {nearly} free Green Giant frozen veggies and free Totino's pizza rolls. Once I confirm another money saving strategy at Kroger, I will post about it here.

Another great addition to my bookmarks has been the Sunday Saver circular. {This is the link for Illinois, but there is a drop down box where you can select your state.} It has links to all the stores divided by category. Then you can just look up each store to compare the deals. This has been invaluable to me in planning my shopping trips.

I also can't stop reading the forums over at Hot Coupon World, especially the ones about CVS. I like the CVS forum because you can also see previews of the upcoming weeks sales {Huggies diapers, ya'll} so you can plan your purchases accordingly. Check out the forum for your local grocery store to save yourself some moola.

We went to dinner at the home of a church family last Friday and the wife started mentioning how her and her husband were discussing how to lower their grocery budget. WELL, let's just say she got an earful ;>)

Let me know if you find something I've mentioned interesting. Any other online sources of inspiration for getting good deals?

Deals for the Day: FREE STUFF!

Here are my scores for today:

The Johnson & Johnson Buddies soaps were from Target. They are kinda cool as they are a bar of soap within a scrubbie net. They were $.94 each. Combine that with two $2/2 coupons & that means I made $.06 per bar. They are $.99 at CVS, in case you will be shopping there soon. I'm sure that they are probably available at Wally World as well. You can find the $2 coupons here, here, and here. Get your kiddies some free soap!

CVS purchases were:
Transaction #1
(2) Irish Spring 3-pack bars $4.98 ~ Buy $10 of Irish Spring, get $5 ECBs
(2) Irish Spring deodarant $5.98
(2) Charms Blow pops $ .66 ~ filler

Irish Spring Coupons - $1.35
ECBs -$9.98

Total OOP: $.37
ECBs earned: $5

Transaction #2
Fructis Shampoo $2.99 ~ Get $2 ECBs
Fructis Leave-in Conditioner $2.99 ~ Get $2 ECBs (
2) Nivea Mens' Shave Gel $5.58 ~ Buy $5 of Nivea, get $2 ECBs

Fructis Coupons -$2.00
Nivea Coupons -$4.00 ECBs from Trans #1 -$5.00

Total OOP: $1.04
ECBs earned: $6

Just as a heads up, next week, March 16-22, CVS will be featuring Listerine Smart Rinse {for kids} for $2.99 with $2.99 in ECBs. There is an online $1/1 coupon available here. Plus, there is a tear-pad at the Listerine display with a mail-in rebate. If I am calculating correctly, not only will these be free, but you will get back $4 per bottle. {I'm still new at this though, so I could be wrong.} Limit 2 on this deal, I believe. Super money-maker!!

I have been having a hard time finding a place to use my $2 off a box of Honey Bunches of Oats with Chocolate Clusters {new product} coupon. My local {dinky} Wally World doesn't carry it & low and behold my beloved Woodman's does not accept internet coupons. {BOO!} I called Meijer tonight since we will be heading out that way tomorrow & she told me that Post cereal will be on sale for $2 per box. Free cereal ya'll!! Stock up!

Any other great deals you're getting this week?

Round Two

DING! While visiting my dad in the big city over the weekend, my little daughter came down with the sniffles and needed some cough/cold medicine. Now which pharmacy should I purchase this medicine from?? I pondered. Aha! CVS, of course! {Wouldn't you know it that the nearest CVS is only 1 city block away?! There is also a Wal-Greens about half a block away, along with a Hancock Fabrics & a Dominicks with a Starbucks kiosk right across the street. Uh, Dad? When can I move in???} Since I needed the medicine, I used up some of my ECBs to pay for it.

Round #2

Triaminic Thin Strips $4.99
Chicago Tribune $1.79
CVS Smarties Candy $ .99
Cadbury mini-eggs (3) $2.97
Oral-B Toothbrush (2) $9.98

CVS Candy Q -$ .99
Oral-B Q -$2.00
Hershey's Candy Q -$1.50
ECBs -$14.95

Total OOP: $1.46
ECBs for next visit: $9.98 {plus $1 leftover from very first visit}

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. I need to learn to read my coupons a little more carefully though. After scanning my CVS card, I thought the coupon said $3/$10 purchase, but in reality, it was $3/$10 CVS products purchase. Yeah. Big difference. Anyways, I plan on keeping one toothbrush & one of my toothpastes in my overnight bag {along with my new Venus razor} so that I don't have to keep repacking these items since we've been traveling nearly every weekend. I plan on sewing up a cute little satchel for all these toiletries, when I finally get a little time. Right now, an Easter dress for the littlest daughter is at the top of the priority list.

P. S. Need a free sports bra? I ordered mine here after reading this post.