Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Shoes, Shoes and More Shoes

21 days till the kids return to school :)

This year I'll have 4 kids in school and all 4 of them need everyday shoes and gym shoes for school. We spent the morning trying on shoes to see who would need what. After going through our shoe tote we were able to find each child a pair of gym shoes that fit and Sapphire a pair of NEW shoes that I bought previously off of a clearance rack for a few bucks. That left us needing 3 pairs of NEW shoes (for Otis, Reagan and Elliot). Last year I went to Payless Shoes in hopes of finding Otis & Reagan new shoes for under $20. Last year I hit a home run and ended up with 2 new pairs of shoes for $13 (read about it here).

I found a text coupon in a magazine for 20% of your entire purchase at Payless and currently they are running their B1G1 1/2 off sale and the two deals can be combined!!

If you are interested in the 20% text coupon - text BRASH to 747474 and you'll receive a coupon code to give the cashier. (BRASH is a new line of fragrances & makeup that Payless is carrying but the 20% off coupon is good on the purchase of anything in the store)


I packed the 6 kids up and we headed to Payless on a mission to spend no more than $40 on new shoes. Let's just say that this year we didn't hit a home run...instead we hit a GRAND SLAM!! We knew we needed 3 pairs of shoes but with the B1G1 1/2 off sale we were on the look out for a 4th item to purchase and it was up in the air as to who was going to get that item depending on who could find the cheapest 4th item that was also an item we could use.

Otis found these: $26.99 on sale for $9.00


Reagan found these: $22.99 on sale for $7.00


Elliot found these: $29.99 on sale for $5.00


4th item - Willow found these: $17.99 on sale for $4.00


Orig Price: $97.96 before tax
Sale Price: $25.00 before tax
Final Price (after B1G1 1/2 off & 20% off text coupon): $15.20 before tax


84% SAVINGS!!!
I don't think I could have gotten the kids ONE pair of shoes for this price even at Walmart. If you're in need of new shoes for your kiddos I'd hit your local Payless first :)

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Back 2 School Shopping @ Target

Target has some awesome deals on school supplies this week! I went there yesterday and was able to stock up on FREE Scotch Tape and FREE Bic Pens. I also found Sapphire & Reagan some 'back 2 school' jeans for way cheap! If you haven't already I'd recommend checking out Target.com and printing some Target coupons because a deal can't get much sweeter than this!

2 pairs of Mossimo Skinny Jeans for Sapphire
$19.99/ea on clearance for $4.98/ea
Used (2) $3 off 1 pair of Men or Woman's Denim coupons found on Target.com
Final Cost: $1.98/ea

2 pairs of Cherokee Jeans for Reagan
$8.00/ea on clearance for $4.00/ea
Used (2) $2 off 1 pair Infant/Toddler/Kids Denim coupons found on Target.com
Final Cost: $2.00/ea

12 pks of Bic Pens
(Isn't 12 pks of pens a little much you ask? With 6 kids and husband who can't keep a pen in his possession to save his life these will be gone before the school year ends next spring)
$0.99/ea on sale for $0.50/ea
Used (2) $1/2 Bic Products coupons found on Target.com and
Used (4) $1/2 Bic Products coupons found on Coupons.com (if you print this one you'll want to select a 2nd coupon to print with it otherwise it prints a HUGE ad instead of the actual coupon)
Final Cost: FREE!!

4 rolls of Scotch Tape
$1.00/ea on sale for $0.50/ea
Used (4) $0.50 off 1 Scotch Tape item coupon found on Target.com
Final Cost: FREE!!

Retail Cost: $71.86

Sale Cost: $25.96

After Coupons: I paid $7.96 (before tax) - 89% SAVINGS!!

Friday, July 15, 2011

WIC Cooking Class

Today I was blessed to have Sarah (a representative from the local WIC office) come over to share with me a few recipes and show me how easy it is to cook something new. When they called and offered me the class I made sure they knew I 'do' know how to cook and it's more of I don't know 'what' to cook and we eat the same 3-4 meals over and over and over. She said that was not a problem and asked what protein we prefer. I told her we purchase ground beef at a rock bottom price from my Dad's work so we always have TONS of ground beef and we like to stock up on chicken when it's on sale. She said we'd focus mostly on beef and chicken then. Perfect! She asked a few more questions and came up with Chicken Stir Fry and Beef Quesadillas. Then for something sweet she decided we'd make Pumpkin Pancakes and Black Bean Brownies. She ran down the ingredient list on the phone with me and anything I didn't have she brought! How cool is that!! She also brought her own pans and griddle but I told her she didn't need to drag them in the house we had those clean and ready for her. We got to cooking right away!

Black Bean Brownies


Ingredients:

1 box brownie mix
1 can black beans
1 cup water
*optional* cinnamon, chocolate chips, nuts, vanilla, powder sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven as directed on your brownie mix box. Drain & rinse your black beans. Add black beans and water to your blender. Blend until smooth (you'll still see parts of the black beans outer shell but it won't be chunky). In a mixing bowl mix the brownie mix & the blended mixture together. Stir well. At this point you can add some texture/flavor to your brownies if you'd like.

My kids chose to add about 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and a small handful of chocolate chips.

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and pour mixture in. Bake as directed on your brownie mix box. Top with powder sugar if desired.

Our finished product:

These were sooo yummy! They have kinda like a fudge texture but aren't nearly as sweet as fudge is. I hope David likes these because I could see myself making brownies like this from now on. Plus they are healthier for you because you are eliminating the eggs and oil.

Pumpkin Pancakes


Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 TBSP baking powder
2-3 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 TBSP canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP water
*optional* chocolate chips

Directions:


Mix all the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cook desired size of pancake at 300 degrees on a griddle or medium heat in a frying pan. Add a few chocolate chips to each pancake if desired. Flip when tops are bubbly.
*Since these are freezable we made a double batch so we didn't waste any pumpkin.

Our finished product:

We made about 1/2 of the batch with chocolate chips and 1/2 without chocolate chips. The kids were eating these plain right off the griddle and calling them cookies LOL!! They were so tasty they didn't even need syrup!

Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients:


4 boneless chicken breast cut into strips
1 bag frozen veggies of your choice
(2) 1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp garlic
salt & pepper to taste
(2) 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce or soy sauce (or any other Asian inspired sauce of your choice)
*optional* 1/4 cup cabbage, 1/4 cup onions, 1/4 cup celery, sesame seeds, nuts
(2) 2 TBSP oil
1/3 box spaghetti

Directions:


Cook & drain spaghetti. In a pan heat 2 TBSP of oil. You want your oil HOT so the chicken sizzles when you place it in. Once hot add chicken and season with salt & pepper to taste. When chicken is almost completely cooked add 1 1/2 tsp ginger and finish cooking. In a wok (or a large frying pan) heat 2 TBSP oil (again you want this HOT). When hot pour in your veggies (we used onions, cabbage, celery and green beans) and 1 1/2 tsp ginger. Stir until cooked thru (approx 3-5 mins). Add up to 1/4 cup sauce (we used teriyaki) and mix with the veggies. If you'd like to add sesame seeds or nuts you would do so at this time. Add cooked chicken and 1 tsp garlic. If it seems too dry you can add a bit of chicken broth or if you have the opposite and it seems too runny you can add a bit of corn starch to your mixture. Turn heat off and add your spaghetti and mix well. Once mixed add up to 1/4 cup more of your desired sauce and serve.

Our finished product:

This is probably the best looking dish that has come out of my kitchen in a LONG time. It was so easy to make and tasted great! We're having this for dinner tonight and I can't wait to eat even though I'm stuffed from all the taste testing.

Beef Quesadillas

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 pkg taco seasoning
1 tsp garlic
shredded cheese
tortillas

Directions:

Preheat broiler to high. In a frying pan brown ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning and garlic to your ground beef - heat and stir for about another minute. On a cookie sheet lay out tortillas. Top with about 1/4 cup meat (depending on the size of your tortillas), sprinkle with cheese and top with another tortilla. Place under broiler for about 3 mins (keep a close eye on them). Flip quesadilla and cook an additional 3 mins. Remove from broiler, cut and serve.
We served them with a side of salsa and sour cream.

Our finished product:

Quick & simple!! We ate these for lunch today and the kids enjoyed them so much they even had seconds :)

Sarah from WIC took my email address and said she'd email me additional recipes in the next week! I can't wait to try more recipes and I'll share them as I get them! We also did a lot of chatting about being frugal while cooking and I was able to share some tips with her. She was thrilled to learn about homemade dishwasher soap and took my recipe down for herself :)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

$105.57 saved at Pick N Save !!!

Today is Double Coupon Day at Pick N Save!! We've been doing a lot of 'clear the pantry/fridge/freezer' eating so there's not a lot of 'whole' meals here but more staple items to complete a meal and snacks for the house.

This was a LARGE shopping trip in comparison to the last few weeks of shopping. I had 3 transactions totaling 68 items and 35 coupons. I had too many coupons today to list all the scenarios but if you have a question on how I got something for a price just ask and I'd be happy to answer :)

Here we go!

(2) boxes of Cookie Crisp...retail $4.79/ea - I paid $2.29/ea
(2) boxes of Cocoa Puffs...retail $3.89/ea - I paid $1.39/ea
(1) box of Trix...retail $3.29 - I paid $2.29
(5) boxes of Emerald Breakfast To Go Pouches...retail $3.49/ea - I paid $0.50/ea
(8) boxes of General Mills Fruit Snacks...retail $2.85/ea - I paid $0.72/ea
(2) Dannon Light n Fit 4pks...retail $2.29 - I paid $0.00 FREE!!
(2) Jays Potato Chips...retail $3.99/ea - I paid $1.50/ea
(1) Garden Delight Pasta...retail $1.99 - I paid $0.00 FREE!!
(4) Kraft Shredded Cheese...retail $3.79 - I paid $1.50/ea
(2) Oreida Sweet Potato Fries...retail $3.15/ea - I paid $1.90/ea
(4) boxes of Lipton Onion Soup Mix...retail $1.29/ea - I paid $0.99/ea
(1) 16oz Kemps Sour Cream...retail $1.95 - I paid $1.20
(2) Kemps Box Ice Cream...retail $3.99/ea - I paid $2.25/ea
(1) Tostitos...retail $3.29 - I paid $2.74
(1) can Chicken Breast...retail $2.89 - I paid $0.89
(3) Powerade 8pks...retail $6.49/ea - I paid $3.33/ea
(1) Gallon Kemps Chocolate Milk...retail $4.29 - I paid $0.00 FREE!!
(2) Suave Hair Sprays...retail $2.99/ea - I paid $0.00 FREE!!
(1) Suave Lotion...retail $3.29 - I paid $0.00 FREE!!
(8) 32oz Roundy's Ketchup...retail $1.95/ea - I paid $1.25/ea
(6) cans Cream of Mushroom...retail $0.59/ea - I paid $0.59/ea
(6) cans Cream of Chicken...retail $0.59/ea - I paid $0.59/ea
(1) 200ct Napkins...retail $1.29 - I paid $1.29
(1) 300ct Paper Plates...retail $4.09 - I paid $4.09
(1) Hula Hoop...retail $2.49 - I paid $1.24
*Reagan's been wanting a Hula Hoop ALL summer but even at Walmart they are $5.99 WHAT?? As we were heading to the check out Rea spotted these and they were cheaper than Walmart to start with but BONUS they had all the summer toys marked down 50%! She was a super helper this morning so she was rewarded for her services!

Retail Cost of everything: $181.76 before tax

After my Roundy's Card & Coupons I paid: $76.19 before tax

Total Savings: $105.57 or 58% !!

PLUS - I received a catalina for a FREE Gallon of Milk ($3.75 value) on my next purchase because I bought 5 General Mills Cereals!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Target 79% savings


(2) Room Essential Standard Pillows $2.50/each
Used (2) $2 off 1 Room Essential Pillow Coupons from Target.com
Final Cost: $0.50/each

(2) pkgs Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs $1.69/each
Used (1) $0.75 off 1 Oscar Mayer Hot Dog from Target.com
and stacked it with a $1/2 Oscar Mayer printable coupon (no longer available)
Final Cost: $0.82/each

(2) 12pks Sierra Mist $4.49/each on sale for $2.50/each
Used (2) $1 off 1 12 pk Sierra Mist from Target.com
and stacked it with a $1/2 Pepsi product coupon that comes weekly with David's paycheck from Pepsi
Final Cost: $1.00/each

(2) 24oz bottles of Up & Up Hydrogen Peroxide $0.62/each
Used (2) $0.75 off 1 Up & Up First Aid Item from Target.com
Note: because this item was under $0.75 the register adjusted the price of the coupon to $0.62 off
Final Cost: FREE

(2) 2pks Sharpie Black Permanent Markers $1.54/each on sale for $1.00/each
Used (2) $1.00 off 1 Sharpie product from Target.com
Final Cost: FREE

(1) pkg Huggies Wipes $2.39 on sale for $2.00
Used $0.75/1 pkg Huggies Wipes from a Huggies mailer
Final Cost: $1.25

(5) rolls of Scotch Magic Tape $1.00/each
Used (5) $1 off 1 Scotch Magic Tape coupons found HERE (note this coupon is a PDF and has unlimited prints)
Final Cost: FREE

(2) pkgs Papermate Pens $1.02/each
Used (2) $1 off 1 Papermate Writing Utensil coupon from Target.com
Final Cost: $0.02/each

AND 1 Snickers bar *this was NOT on the shopping list but a little 3yr old by the name of Elliot decided to open the Snickers bar and take a nibble out of it while we were waiting in line to check out*
Final Cost: $0.79

Retail Cost: $31.90 (before tax)

Final Cost after sale prices & coupons: $6.71 (before tax)

TOTAL SAVINGS OF: 79%


Target.com coupons are found on Target's home page about 1/2 way down on the left hand side under 'Coupon Savings' Most of their coupons allow for 2 prints each. The coupon will disappear once you've used your allowed amount of prints.

Happy shopping!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Mailbox Madness

This week was another GREAT week of FREEBIES :)

Tuesday

- $1 off NEW Life Savers Mint 85ct Bottle

Wednesday

- 12.6 oz Similac Sensitive - FULL size sample - retails for around $14
- 1.45 lb Similac Advance - FULL size sample - retails for around $24
- PLUS Similac included (4) $5 Similac Checks
Approx Retail Value of this Similac Pkg is $58 - WHOA!!!
- coupon for 1 FREE 18oz bottle of Suave Naturals Body Lotion (max value $3.50)

Friday

- Gillette Fusion Proglide shaver and the pkg included
$2 off Any Fusion Proglide Cartridge & $2 off Any Pro Series Product

Saturday

- 13.2oz FULL size sample of NEW Downy UnStopables in-wash scent booster from Vocalpoint
(You should check Vocalpoint out - I've gotten TONS of FULL size samples from them and it's FREE to sign up)

- ANOTHER mailer from Similac including (2) $5 Similac checks

What was in your mailbox?

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Charmin Toilet Paper CHEAP!!

If you're headed out today and near a Staples you can snag a GREAT deal on toilet paper!

Staples has 16pks of double roll Charmin Basic Toilet Paper on sale for $4.99 (reg price $8.99) this week (unadvertised in their sale ad). This is an AWESOME price considering this is the toilet paper we use/prefer and pay $5.50'ish for a 12pk at Walmart. On top of the AWESOME price of $4.99 Staples has a 20% off one item coupon available thru today HERE. Pair the 20% off coupon with the $4.99 sale price and you can score this toilet paper deal for $3.99 plus tax! That's SUPER cheap!! We made a stop this morning and grabbed our family 2 pkgs (2 separate transactions)!! I wish I would have caught this deal earlier in the week but hey I'll take the 2 we got today and be happy to have at least scored on this deal!