Thanksgiving Savings: Ham

The second post in this Thanksgiving Series is my husbands favorite.. the Ham!

Like the turkey there is NO REASON to pay full price!

$2.00 off HORMEL CURE 81 Boneless Ham HERE

If you didn't pick up the aluminum foil coupon posted on my first post. Grab it HERE to save $0.75-$1 off. 

 My husband loves pineapple cooked on his ham. Save $1 on 4 cans of Libby's fruits in last Sunday's paper. 

TOTAL SAVED ON HAM: $4

Thanksgiving Savings: Turkey

This is the second year that I will be doing all the cooking for our families Thanksgiving dinner. Being as cheap frugal as I am I want to do this for as little as possible. This is the first of several posts that I am going to try to do on Thanksgiving dinner.

This post is all about the Turkey!

Save $3 off Butterball Turkey www.coupons.com 
Print and submit $5 Rebate (I believe it comes as $5 in coupons) www.butterball.com/savings
Save a total of $8 on your turkey!!! 

Now lets save on ways to cook that yummy bird!

Save $0.75 On ReynoldsWrap Aluminum Foil
Coupon in last Sunday's Paper or for print HERE


Save $0.50 on Reynolds Turkey Size Oven Bags (love these things)
Coupon in last Sunday's paper.

TOTAL SAVINGS ON ITEMS FOR YOUR TURKEY $9.25

Deer Hunters Stay Warm with this Cozy Coupon!

Hey all you deer hunters out there, stay warm with this Cozy Coupon!

Last week in the Sunday paper there was a $1 off any ThermaCare Heat wraps. Price will vary as the size of the box, but you can usually get these for just a couple dollars for the two packs.

Use $1 off any 2 count or larger ThermaCare Heat wraps found in last Sunday's paper.

I know this isn't for it's "intended purpose" but man they sure feel good under those coveralls. You'll be all nice and Cozy and ready to snag that big buck.

Deer meat donations graciously accepted for this information. :)

FREE Kids Haircuts Every Sunday at JcPenny

In August JcPenny offered free haircuts for kids. They are now offering FREE haircuts to children every Sunday permanently. They are by appointment and I'm sure that they will fill up fast so get your appointments early.

What a great program. The economy is horrible and I know so many families who are struggling yet a simple thing like a new haircut can give a child the confidence they need at school.

Halloween: Candy Coupons

 

Halloween is less than a week away. Candy is expensive, but I have a couple ways to make it a little sweeter. :) 

CountryMart

Select candy on sale 2 for $5. INCLUDING several MARS brands (M&M's, Snickers, TWIX and more) 

Use $1 off any 2 coupon available at www.coupons.com

Makes them $2 a bag! Great Price

Dollar General Also has some great deals on candy including MARS brands to use this coupon. I'm not 100% sure if our local store has the smaller 9-11oz bags BUT they do have the larger 19-20oz bags for $5 use the $1 off 2 coupon and get them for $4 a bag! 

Remember.. Coupons.com allows 2 prints per computer so go ahead and print two of them and grab 4 bags. The little ghosts and goblins will be glad you did.

Retink Shopping

With the upcoming presidential election there is all kinds of talk floating around about the economy. Whose fault it is, who can fix it, and so on. I know this might shock some of you, but maybe it isn’t ALL our government.. Maybe, just maybe WE have forgotten how to shop. We have become a bunch of entitled brats and we really just don’t know how to shop anymore. The economy stinks right now, but we can do something about it. If not on a large scale, then our own little piece of it. To do so we are going to have to rethink shopping. We need to go back a couple generations.

 How did our parents, our grandparents, and maybe a few of you youngsters (our great-grandparents) shop during the depression and after the depression? Guess what folks, they used COUPONS! Couponing is BIG right now! It is THE thing to do. It is becoming the popular thing to do because people are searching for ways to save money and ways to keep their family afloat during these hard economic times. Sound familiar? I bet if you asked a few older folks around it would. 

When I was little my mom used coupons. Not because it was cool, but because she was trying to feed two teenage boys and younger daughter. My dad hunted and we also grew a big garden. We traded meat and eggs for milk and butter from the neighbors. We didn’t run to a big box store for neatly packaged, overpriced items. We ate fresher foods and mom followed seasonal and sale items at the grocery store to save every penny she could. Sure times were hard. Some of you are facing just as hard of times now, but without the skill to know how to fix it. 

Sometimes we need to think outside the “box” or in this case the big box stores. We need to learn how to shop in these modern times. We live in a pretty rural area so big gardens and fresh meat isn’t completely out of the question here, but we can shop smart even without that. 

If you are new to couponing and really want to start seeing a difference in your grocery budget alone here are some ways to start. I NEVER spend over $100 a week on grocery and toiletry items combined. Honestly we could live on a lot less than $100 but that includes our extra items as well. Your budget can be half of that or twice that amount, but have a budget and stick to it! 

Once you know how much money your family can afford for groceries, cleaning supplies and toiletries it’s time to make a plan. Do not head to that store without a plan especially if you are taking your children and/or husband. You’ll leave with 5 bags of chips and 3 packages of cookies and nothing to eat the rest of the week. I know this from experience. First sit down with the local grocery store ads. Find out what is on sale and where. Build a menu around this. For example potatoes were on sale for an AMAZING price this week so my weekly menu has several items that involve them. 

While you have the ads out, double check to see if you have any coupons that matches up with sale ads. This is how we get the very BEST deals. My family LOVES pizza rolls for a quick lunch. This week they were on sale for $1.50. I also have a coupon for $0.40 off that will double at CountryMart  making it $0.80 off. This is the best situation, a coupon AND a sale price. 

Once you have a budget, and a menu filled with items you can get on sale and items you can use coupons for, are there any amazing buys that your family uses a lot of? For example my family goes through a lot of tomato sauce. I use it in my chili and the boys love macaroni noodles and tomato sauce. A couple weeks ago it was on sale for $0.15. Since this is half of the price it normally is, I bought up several extra. I do the same thing when I get good sales on sugar, kool-aid and anything else that our family uses a lot of.

 The idea is to stock up on items so you don’t have to pay full price later. How many you buy depends on your budget, how quickly it goes bad and how great of a deal it is. I always buy a year’s worth of Kool-aid at the beginning of summer because it is the lowest price it will be all year long. For just a few dollars I can buy enough to last my family an entire year saving myself tons of money throughout the year. 

These are all ways our parents and grandparents shopped. My Aunt says when her boys were little she always bought cereal on one Saturday a month because the local grocery store would have it on sale and she could use a coupon that they would double. 

Couponing isn’t new. We have just forgotten how to do it. Start small. Shop smart. Make a plan and try to match up sales and coupons. This isn’t a reality TV show. This is real life and your money. You aren’t buying 1000 boxes of cereal that is going to expire before you can use it all, you are buying things your family will use and you are saving a ton of money doing so.

$2 For All This!

 Okay so I never can remember to get all my items I buy with coupons. Apparently I left the shampoo in the bag with the paint I bought. GRR.

NOT PICTURED:
Garnier Fructis Shampoo
After coupon $0.03 MONEYMAKER

Triscuit Reg $2.50
Used FREE 9oz box received  in the mail.

(2) Renu Contact Solution Reg $1.44
Used 2 coupons for $2 off ANY Renu
Total $1.12 MONEYMAKER

Gillette Proglide Razors $6.97 (Note these are located in the travel section BUT they are the EXACT same razor as in the reg section. Ones in the reg razor section are over $10!!)
Used $4 off coupon from P & G
Total $1.97

Chap Stick Reg $0.98
Used $1 off any 2 chap stick
Total .96 for both

Rubberband balls Reg $1
On clearance for $0.30
No coupon just a good deal. :)

TOTAL $2.38 for almost $20 worth of items :)

Harbor Freight and Staples for less than $0.50

Had a Dr appointment yesterday. Decided I would grab a couple things with coupons. Would have loved to have gotten more, but I'm always really tired after they do a lot of blood work.

Here's what I got..

 ALSO GOT A FAT NOTEBOOK BUT FORGOT TO INCLUDE IT IN THE PICTURE :(

Here's how it worked..

Staples:

Notebook (not pictured) $1

Cardinals Book Cover On sale $2.90

Glass Wipes $1

Duster $1

White Out Board $1

Pink :) Scotch Tape $1.49

Paper Clip Ball $1

Wet Wipes: $1

Total before Tax $10.39
Used $10 off any $10 or more purchase at Staples
Total $0.39 + $0.03 tax = $0.42

Harbor Freight

Hubby dropped his drill off of the barn this week and broke it. He decided to go get a new one while I was at the Dr. He gladly took my coupons with him. Saved him $10 on his drill PLUS he grabbed this tape measure for FREE! 

25 ft Tape Measure $6.99
FREE used Free 25 ft Tape Measure coupon with any purchase. :) 

ALSO want to mention we had lunch at Hu Hot! LOVE Hu Hot and I had a $10 coupon for there as well! :) 

Crafting Coupons!

I try to post local stuff mainly, but I LOVE Michael's and Hobby Lobby! Here are a couple great coupons for this week only!

Just Click on the Coupon for the link. :) 

Stocking up for around $5

We are continuing our project to try to build up our stockpiles, without breaking the bank. Here is my most recent $5 shopping trip. The retail value of all of my items was close to $25 ($23.??) I think.

First I want to say STOCK UP ON BABY WIPES THIS WEEK! If you want to pick just one item a week to stock up on this week would be baby wipes! Coupons are everywhere!

Canned tomato sauce Orig $0.33  ($0.40 at CM I think)
On Sale this week at Country Mart for $0.18
NO COUPON NEEDED
Savings of $0.15
May not seem like a great deal, but I use these a lot! They are half their orig price at CM (I price comped atWM)

iD Gum
Orig $1.28
Use BOGO coupon from last Sundays paper
Total Saved $1.28 ($0.64 each)

Huggies Baby Wipes Orig $1.18
Use $1 off any Huggies Wipes excludes trial sizes. These are everywhere All You, web, paper..
Let me explain this. These are the diaper bag cases. They come with 18 wipes in a hard case. They are in the diaper aisle. The trial size is in the trial size aisle and only come with 6 wipes. They are only $0.97 and the coupons are not good on those. Hope this might clear things up.

Halls Orig $1.17
Use $1 off any 2. 17 count or larger. This coupon was in All You mag if I remember correctly..
Stock up Cold season will be here soon!

Pull-up's flushable Wipes Orig $1.68
Use $1 off any Pull-ups flushable wipes HERE


Dry Yeast orig $1 on sale for $0.70
Use $.40 off any found in All You mag

Country Bob's Orig $3
Used FREE 13oz Bottle got in the mail
NOTE: I will be having a couponing party soon and giving these coupons away!! 

TOTAL was $6 for $23 worth of stuff
Total Math may be a few pennies off I can't find my receipt, but you get the point.)

Ended up spending $6. Only $5 on coupon items, but I wanted to include the $1 worth of tomato sauce because it's a good buy!

Happy Shopping!

$5 Off At Dollar General TODAY!

It is Saturday! You know what that means? The very best day to shop at Dollar General! Why? Because of their super $5 off coupon. YEA!

These coupons come out most every week. They print as a Catalina in the store (meaning it prints on the bottom of your receipt) So if you shopped at Dollar General any this week you probably got one.

Didn't get one? That's okay. Head over to www.dollargeneral.com (just click on the link or the picture) and print yous. They also have some great other coupons to print.

One more thing... The Cozy Coupon fully recommends you shop at the Dollar General in Mtn.Grove. I assure you that you should not run into any trouble using your coupons at this store. If you can't shop at this location.. that's okay, just bring a smile and some patience...and your coupons of course :)

Tyson Ground Chicken only $1

 

Ground chicken for only $1 at Walmart! I don't normally cook much with ground chicken, but this deal is too good to pass up. Plus it will finally give me an excuse to use some of that white chicken chili seasoning packets I got with a coupons awhile back haha. 

Stock up on these! It is rare to find meat for $1! 

Here is how the deal works

1lb Tyson Ground Chicken on Rollback for $2

Use 1 $1 off and Tyson Ground Chicken Coupon

Total paid $1

Like, always with most online coupons there is a limit to 2 prints BUT they had this for print before and reposted them so if you printed it before, like me, you can print them again!

FREE Back To School 5x7 Print at Walmart!

Right now at Walmart you can get a FREE 5 x 7 Print of your favorite Back To School Picture. Limit 1 Per Child. This means you can get one for each of your kids!One hour or Instant Print!

No Coupon needed. See associate for free offer.

International Talk Like A Pirate Day Freebies!!

Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. (one of my hubby's favorite holidays) In honor of International Talk Like A Pirate Day I'm posting some great deals to help keep your budget from walking the plank!

* FREE piece of Fish at Long John Silver's Restaurants when you either talk or dress up like a Pirate!
* FREE doughnut at Krispy Kreme when you Talk Like A Pirate
* FREE DOZEN doughnuts at Krispy Kreme when you dress up like a Pirate! 
* FREE Book Download (for Amazon Prime Members only) Blood and Treasure
* FREE Pirate Stories book PIRATE STORIES
* FREE Kindle Game APP PIRATE STASH 
* LOTS of FREE crafts, coloring pages and other great ideas on PINTEREST
* And if all else fails Top 10 Pick Up Lines for International Talk Like A Pirate Day!  

There ya go Matey. You are now all set for International Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Dairy Queen Buy One Get One for $0.99!

Still a few days left in Dairy Queen's Buy One Get One for $0.99. A great deal to snag a great treat.

*** I want to note that I was such a nice wife when hubby ordered a weird pineapple, coconut one tonight, and then didn't like it, I traded him my yummy M & M one. Aren't I nice. :)

$5 Challange

I sometimes hear people complain that they can't coupon or build a stockpile because they don't have the money to buy anything extra. Trust me I understand that, but I promise you that you can build a stockpile with just $5 or less a week! I'm not kidding. Yes, it will take a little longer, but with just $5 you can have a well rounded stockpile in just a few months!

Most of us live in the real world. We aren't going to build our stockpiles with one large insane haul like on the popular TV shows. Guess what people.. That's TV! They spend months getting ready and the show insures that they have access to the very best coupons and LOTS of them. Again.. That's TV. This, my friends, is the real world.

I use lots and lots of coupons each and every week on items I use every single day, but when it comes to items I just need to "stock-up" on I try to limit my spending. Again, I want to note that I buy a lot of items that I donate or give away, but my point is you don't have to. You can build a stockpile for $5 a week!

What are the advantages of this method?
* You don't spend hours upon hours cutting out coupons and looking up sale items. You focus on just a couple items each week.
* You don't have to buy a bunch of Sunday papers. You can simply print them (for free) and use what you have.
* You build a stockpile slowly and you save money by having items on hand and NOT having to run to the store and pay ... full price.. gasp!

 I'm not done with my shopping for this week. I made a quick run to Dollar General and CountryMart tonight before class. There are several items that they didn't have that I want to pick up later this week, but here is a $5 example.

 

So lets talk about what you get. 

* 2 Bottles of Deodorant. So a good couple months worth, unless you are like me and put it on several times a day. lol

* 12 Razors. That should last awhile. These are better than the cheapo ones so honestly you are looking at a good 3-6 months. Longer depending on how long you use them. 

* 8 Sponges (they are 2 pack) So Again if you open one pack a month. They last awhile I run mine through the dishwasher to clean and sanitize them.

* Dental Floss. I use a lot of dental floss! Ever since my last few visits to the dentist I'm an avid dental floss fan. Just one package, so this isn't really a stock up but would last awhile.

* Kool-Aid this item isn't really a stock item for me as we use it really fast, BUT if you bought an extra 8 packs (on sale 8/$1 this week) you could have some extras stocked up.

* Cookie Mix. I use this as a stock up because I normally make homemade cookies, but these are GREAT to have around for a late night snack when hubby wants me to make some and I may be out of stuff to make them from scratch. 

RETAIL VALUE:  $24.50 

My Cost $5.50 (ya I know I went over $0.50) 

So, a few things to stock up on and maybe a few things that are everyday use. Either way you go is great. By only buying these items, you have saved almost $20 ($19 to be exact), you will have them on hand when you need them and have only spent $5.50.

 Now that you have a couple months worth of Razors, Deodorant, and Sponges, plus have a few extra treats, next week you can pick something else to stock up on.

Happy Shopping!
Amanda

Importaint Announcement!!!! Dollar Tree!

So sorry for my lack of posts. My life is just so busy that it's hard to sit down and post, but yes I AM STILL COUPONING!!

In Fact I have some REALLY exciting news to share! THE DOLLAR TREE WILL START ACCEPTING COUPONS Aug 26th 2012! 

SWEET! I see so many GREAT Deals coming out of this!

Check out the terms and conditions HERE

Compare & Save Swiffer Wet Jet VS's O'Cedar Spray Mop

I recently made the switch from my Swiffer Wet Jet to a new O'Cedar Spray Mop. First let me say, I loved my Swiffer. I love how it cleans and I love the smell of their solutions. What I don't love.. the price.

Here's the breakdown..

First the Swiffer:

 

Here's the Cost:

Swiffer Mop:  $19.97 

Disposable Refill Pads: $12.97 for 24

Cleaning Solution: $9.42 for 2 Pack

4 AA Batteries: $3.77

Cleans very well. The bottles are NOT refillable. You have to use their cleaning products, which are good products, but expensive, All of the pads are disposable and pretty costly. 

So if you have to replace all of the disposable products every month (note they probably last a little longer than a month) you are looking at $26.16 every time you have to restock up. 

Just to make it fair we will throw in coupons: I occasionally get coupons for around $1 off Swiffer products. Only once did I get some for $2 off. So you might be able to save a few $$ if you stock up when you have coupons.

Still pretty expensive, but like I said before. It cleans well and I love it. 

Next the O'Cedar Spray Mop: 

Spray Mop: $19.98

WASHABLE Microfiber Pad Refill: $7.48 

OR Simi-Disposable Refills $6.98 10 Pack 

First you can use your own solution! You just simply refill the bottle that comes with the mop. I've even used my Homemade laundry Detergent. Cleans well and smells great! 

Also the pad that comes with the mop is WASHABLE! You can reuse it over and over again! I bought a second one just to have on hand if I'm busy washing mine. 

Even the disposable pads are semi-disposable. This means they can be washed up to three times before being tossed. So your pack of 10 is like a pack of 30. I love this because I still wanted the option of being able to throw away the pads for times when I'm moping around the toilet and such. 

There is no extra cost. Buy the mop, use whatever products you have. No need to buy refills until yours just wears out! Cleans just as well, if not better than my Swiffer. 

Hand's down my vote goes to the O'Cedar Mop. It's cleans better, is much cheaper, Better for the environment "Greener Product" and I never have to worry that I'm going to run out of supplies. 

So the next time you head to the store to pick up ANOTHER box of refills... It might be just as cheap and save you so much more money in the long run to pick up the new O'Cedar Mop.

Dollar General $5 Saturday Coupons

One of my favorite things about Dollar General is their Saturday coupons. If you have never noticed the $5 coupon on the bottom of your recipes, you need to take a look. Coupons commonly print on the very bottom of your receipt and are good for $5 off any purchase of $25 or more. They are always good for the following Saturday only.  Don't have a coupon? That's okay. You can print one HERE for free! :)

This is a great coupon to use on products that you don't normally have coupons for such as milk, toilet paper or other products. These coupons are available each week so take advantage of this and more coupons at www.dollargeneral.com

I love Dollar General. The staff are always so friendly, they never mind taking my coupons, they have big brand products and their prices are very often the lowest around.

Shop your local Dollar General today.. and don't forget that coupon!

Half Price Shakes TODAY ONLY Sonic!

Sorry I didn't get this posted sooner, but Sonic Shakes are half price ALL DAY TODAY!!

Using up those coupons..

Today I had a couple coupons that were getting ready to expire so if you printed either of these coupons when they were available make sure to use them today!

Walmart:

Chef Boyardee Soup
Reg $0.96
Used $1 off of 4!
Total paid $0.71 each.
GREAT deal for these!

Baby Wipes We ALWAYS need baby wipes. I haven't been buying ANYTHING since the Hubz left his job. We were down to GASP.. our last pack!
Reg $1.97 (If you shop at Richards Bro's they are on sale there for $1.99) Still cheaper at Walmart, but I know some of you, like me, hate to shop there.
Anyway...
Reg $1.97
Used $0.75 off coupon (60ct or larger)
Paid $1.22.
Baby Wipe coupons are among my favorite!

So I saved a total of $3.50. It all adds up!


Coupon Fairy has been out.... Today I left some coupons in Lawn and Garden for Off and Cutter Products. There's a couple GREAT ones for Cutter. $1 and product and they have some spray for $1.97 making it less than half price! 

Country Mart 10 for $10 Sale

Today, Friday and Saturday CountryMart is running their 10 for $10 add. Stack these savings with your favorite coupons and stock up on some great products!

To see these great deals and more of the 10 for $10 items visit www.tcmarkets.com

FREE Fishing Days!

The Missouri Department of Conservation will hold it's annual FREE fishing Days June 9th & 10th. This means that you may fish without a permit on all Missouri waters.

What a great way to spend the weekend!

Go to http://mdc.mo.gov for more information.

Springfield News Leader

I want to remind everyone that there will be NO coupons in the Sunday paper this week.

Also, I'm a little frustrated with the Springfield News Leader. I haven't bought a paper in a few weeks, I have heard that the price of the Sunday paper has INCREASED! GRR! Not only that, but now they are starting to charge for full access to their online content. Guess I will be reading my new stories elsewhere!

Here is a link that tells about the new charge for online content. There is not mention about the newsprint price increase. I will try to check that out and see how much it is.

http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=632992

FREE Milk-Bone Dog Treats

Head over and request your free sample. I love getting free stuff in the mail. CLICK HERE

Best Buy Reward Zone

I am so glad I noticed an e-mail from Best Buy this evening. Today was the last day to use my Best Buy rewards. We live an hour from the nearest Best Buy, but after checking I confirmed that my rewards could be used online! Sweet!

Not familiar with Best Buy Reward Zone? Her's how it works..

Pretty simple. For every dollar you spend at Best Buy you get 1 point. When you get to 250 points you get a gift certificate for $5. Sometimes items qualify for double points and extra points. Just depends on the promotion. Rewards are great because you earn them on stuff you were buying anyway. 

Last year at Christmas time hubby and I bought new Toshiba Thrive Tablets. Love It! Plus we bought some other Christmas gifts there as well. I printed out our reward certificate a couple months ago, but never had the chance to use it. So, when I discovered that it was going to expire after today I told hubby to find something to order. No sense in throwing away FREE money!

So I left the buying up to hubby. This is what he ordered me with our $15 in free Rewards.

A new light-up fan for my computer. - After my computer unexpectedly crashed the other day hubby noticed, among other things,  that my main fan was not working and was causing my computer to over-heat. We knew I needed a new fan, but money is tight with hubby not working, so it just wasn't going to happen.

An HDMI cable for my tablet- This will allow us to hook our tablets up to the TV. Just how cool is that. I'll now be able to check my blog on a 46' flat screen TV.

An adapter for my "new" video card- Hubby got a new video card months ago and was going to put his old one in my computer, but it required an adapter. Never wanting to spend the money on one, it has set in the box.

All this and FREE SHIPPING! 

YEAH! New stuff ALL FREE!

Do you have Best Buy Reward Zone Yet? Get it HERE..

Cheap Cookies!

These Nabisco coupons were floating around last week. The coupon was for $1 off of 2. Of course the picture showed the big packages of cookies but the coupon said ANY! The best deal is to use these coupons on a smaller size. These cookies To-Go packs were $1. By using the $1 off 2 coupon I was able to get them for $0.50. They make great snack for the kids, and the husband, and the containers are great to reuse snacks in later. I was able to get 8 packages for the cost of one package of cookies.

Here's the math..

Nabisco To-Go Cookies Reg $1
Use $1 off any 2 coupon
Total paid $0.50 per cup.

Top Item This Week

Do you know that you don't have to use coupons to create your stockpile? Many times you can stock up your stockpile by just using the weekly store ads. Sometimes it's difficult to pick out what's a good deal in the weekly ad and what isn't. I've decided to try a weekly section on my favorite in-store ad. Each week I will pick 1-2 items that are my favorite of the week and tell you if it's a good price to stock up on.

Let's take a look at this weeks ads.

CountryMart: 
Kool-Aid 10/$1. This is defiantly a stock up price for two reasons! First. It's a GREAT price. Kool-aid is usually $0.20-$0.25. Second Kool-aid only goes on sale once a year during the late spring early summer months. It will most likely not be back on sale until this time next year! Stock up now.

For a close runner up.. Post Cereal for $1.88! Match this up with the $1 off 2 coupons available at www.coupons.com for a fantastic stock up price!

Richards Brothers:
Honestly not much to write home about. Oranges are pretty decent buys but nothing in this weeks ad alone that I would consider a stock-up price. :(

70% Off Eaaster Stuff at Dollar General

I snapped this photo at Dollar General in Mtn.Grove today. 

 

Easter stuff is 70% off at Dollar General. This is just one side of the display they had. They also had cups, napkins, coloring books and more. Don't miss these great deals. Stock up on Easter stuff for next year or even stuff to use this summer.

Three FREE items plus cheap Toilet Paper

One thing I wish I had in my stockpile is toilet paper.. No such luck. Toilet paper is one item I don't normally purchase the cheapest brand of, normally but Angel Soft which is fairly cheap, but at this point I'll take whatever I can get. The toilet paper was the only item I paid anything for.

Here is my totals.

(2) Olay Body Wash (my favorite) $0.97
Used $1 off ANY Olay Body Wash
Total for both was $0.06 Money Maker!

Lubridurm Lotion $2
Used $2 off any Lubridurm Lotion
Total FREE!

White Cloud Toilet Paper $2.08
Used $1 off any White Cloud product
Total $1.08

Total for all items..
Retail: $6.02
Total Paid $1.02

All You FREE Samples

I've wrote about All You magazine before, but I want to remind everyone about the samples on their website. Just go down to about the middle of the page until you see the picture above and click on it. Every day they have a new FREE sample. For example today's free sample is of dog treats. The samples range from food items, HBA, restaurant giveaways, cleaning supplies and more.  They usually take a few weeks to arrive, but are worth the wait.

There are two reasons I love All you Free Samples:
1. It's a FREE product!
2. Usually when the product comes in the mail it also has Coupons!

What's not to love about FREE!

FREE Article #1 FREE Dinner Out!

Last week as I mentioned in my Previous Post, my husband lost his job. This means that we have absolutely no income. What this means for you, as my reader, is that you are about to watch as we embark on a journey of FREE! If it's not Free.. I can't afford it.

Here is my first post on a FREE Dinner out!

Note: This wouldn't normally be my choice of a dinner, but it's what my darling husband and children came up with while I was in college classes last week.Daddies are allowed to do this type of thing. :)

Today's Tip: Take advantage of those report cards and school rewards!

5 Free Hamburgers - Used Report Card at McDonalds. Receive 1 FREE hamburger per A up to 5 A's
Domino's Cheesy Bread- Used coupon for FREE Order of Cheesy-bread received from playing a Spelling Game at school.

Amount Spent.. $0

Lost job, but not lost hope.. Our Story.

Let's pretend for a moment that you suddenly lost your job. That your family was suddenly without any income what so ever! What would you do?

Well, let me say for us.. this isn't pretend. This is reality! Last week my husband and the sole provider for our family lost his job. We have around $2000 worth of bills and zip, zero.. no income! I'll admit I'd scared to death! I don't know how we are going to make it, but I trust in God and I know we will.

Why is this important? Couponing has been a luxury. It's fun. It's like a game, but now it's life! If it isn't free I can't buy it.. plain and simple! The next few weeks, I'll try to do more blogging. Update my faithful readers on our situation and how we are going to survive this.. We will survive this.

As for now, it's couponing and living off my stockpile! My stockpile is like a convoy of hope! As most of you know I don't keep a real large stockpile as we make many donations and I only pay rock bottom for things.. My way of thinking and my stockpile may grow after this experience.

What I do know is that I won't have to purchase dish soap, toothpaste, razors, shaving creme, cake mixes, baby wipes, cleaning supplies, laundry soap, Body wash, band-aids, feminine products, Juice, cereal, and such.. for at least 6 months to a year. While this won't help us with our bills I can rest assure that my children will have food and basic necessities allowing for any money we make along the way to be used for bills alone. I'm so thankful to have my stockpile. I wish it were ten times as bis and filled with a much larger variety of items, but I'm thankful to have what I have.

Thank you all for your love, support and prayers. We're going to be okay, somehow.

Love,
Amanda

Show-Me Green Sales Tax Holiday

In need of a new washer, refrigerator, air conditioner or other major appliance, then you should check out the Show-Me Green Sales Tax Holiday April 19-25.

The holiday exempts state sales tax on ENERGY STAR-qualified new appliances, up to $1,500 per appliance starting April 19 through April 25

 This is a good time to use that tax refund to save money now on your purchases and later on your energy bill. .

Easter Sale!

Don't forget to grab some great deals on Easter candy right now. I was at Walmart today and they still had several bins up front full of Easter stuff for around $0.50. Now is a great time to stock up on those candy items!

FREE iPhone or Android MoDOT Travelers info Map

 

Last nights rain brought many flooded roads in our area, including my driveway,  Stay informed with MoDOT. MoDOT's website offers a variety of tools including their newest Smart Phone app. Download the Travelers Information Map App as well as text message alerts and other up to date information HERE

Dollar General Deals!

Right now there are some sweet clearance deals at Dollar General!

• 90% off all Valentines Day Candy and Decor! SWEET DEAL! I got a bag of suckers for the kids, a couple bath salts and more for a dime a piece! 
• 50% off all St.Patrick's Day items. ~Go GREEN with the Irish! :) 
• 50% Misc grocery basket. Few odd and end stuff. 
• $3 and less Winter Wear. Thermal Undies, Gloves and more. Stock up now! 
• B1G1 Yellow Dot Summer Clothes. Some great deals! 

Can 15 Minutes Really Save You Hundreds On Car Insurance?

First let me say that I do not recommend taking financial advice from a green lizard! Second, it really is worth taking a few minutes to check out your insurance policy.

We've had State Farm insurance for awhile.. and let me say I've disliked every single second of it. We thought they were the cheapest. We were wrong! A few months ago I left after paying our bill I told my husband that I would never again walk in that place! It would either be mailed or he would do it! Seriously you can't go in there without them trying to sell you something. They must get the exact same training as the crazies that run the carnival games!

So long story short, we paid our bill annually.. Apparently that equals 9 months. Whatever after a brief argument with them we were in the market for new insurance!

We saved $1000 a year by switching to Farmers Mutual through Steven Hall! Our car insurance was close to the same, but  our house we got the exact same coverage as at State Farm, same deductible, Same everything except the price! We switched over every single policy we had.

Moral of the story.. Call around. See what's available. What could you do with $1000?

Which Costs Less Hand Washing or the Dishwasher??

 This post was made by SeMaNo Electric Cooperative. "Like" Them HERE

Fact or Fable? Using a Dishwasher Is More Expensive Than Hand Washing

This is a Fable. It is a common misconception that dishwashers are convenient, but use more water and energy than hand washing. In fact, dishwashers can help you to conserve water and save on energy bills.

Cleaning the average load of dishes in a dishwasher uses 37% less water than washing dishes by hand. This can save the typical household nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year. According to ENERGY STAR, the average household with an electric water heater saves $40 per year by using a dishwasher, and the average household

 Save Money and your hands! Use that dishwasher!

Homemade Fabric Softener

I promise I will never post a recipe that I have not tried and don't love. If for some reason there is a need to I will always inform you. I love my readers and I will not endorse something that I don't love..

Okay that out of the way.. I LOVE this! lol This is homemade fabric softener for about $.50 a bottle. Not too bad considering most good fabric softeners are $4 a bottle or MORE. UGG!

I put off making this recipe for awhile for one simple reason.. I TOTALLY DISLIKE VINEGAR!! YUCK! There are few things that smell as bad to me as vinegar, But I'm cheap. or maybe just poor.. maybe a little of both. That and I already had the stuff in my cabinets to make it.

Guess what?? I love it. I can still smell the vinegar a little, but it's not horrible. It leaves my clothes soft. It doesn't have a real strong smell once it comes out of the wash, but might have just been the scent I used. Still smells super fresh. Plus it didn't clog up my fabric softener dispenser. I recently bought a store brand that clogged my entire dispenser! Not happy!

Here's what sold me... I do laundry on Tuesdays. Like clockwork I do every single solitary item in the house. I pile it all on the couch until after scouts and then I come home and fold like a crazy woman while I watch shows like The Biggest Loser and others that I've recorded all week. Well, last week I forgot a load! I'm usually really good about getting them all, but somehow a load got left in the washer... all week! YUCK! Oh my did they smell! If you've ever done that before you know how hard it is to get that smell out. I rewashed them using my homemade laundry soap and my homemade fabric softener. Just one wash and they came out smelling fresh and new. Yep.. I'm Sold!

Side Note: only thing I noticed was that there were a few bubbles around my dispenser once I finished with the wash. Not sure why. Doesn't seem to hurt anything. I took the dispenser out and checked it all over. No clogging, no yucky buildup, no big sudsing nothing just a few cute bubbles. Just thought I'd let you know.

So here is the recipe..

Homemade Fabric Softener Liquid OR Homemade Dryer Sheets! 

Ingredients:
6 cups water
3 cups white vinegar
2 cups hair conditioner ~ Any Brand. I used Suave it was less than $1

Directions:
1.  Mix water and hair conditioner in a large container until conditioner dissolves
2. Stir in Vinegar
3. Stir. Do not shake it; it will cause foaming.
Use the same amount you normally use in a rinse cycle, dispenser or fabric softener ball or spritz it on a wash cloth and throw in dryer to use as a dryer sheet.

This Week= 15 FREE ITEMS!

 

So very sorry for the lack of posts lately. Life and college have just been so busy! I know this post is late and I'm so sorry but I somehow lost my darn receipt!  I hate when that happens. The good news is that I know pretty much what I paid for everything. The bad news is I don't remember where I got the coupons as I normally write it on my receipt.

A big majority of the FREE items came in the mail from P & G. LOVE getting boxes in the mail!

Counting all samples as $1, sometimes they are higher but for blogging purposes we will count them as $1,
Total Retail 28.91
Total Out Of pocket: $4.79
Total Saved: $24.12

Total Saved this year: $407.82

Happy Leap Day! McDonalds deal.

Happy Leap Day Everyone!

Here is a great deal going on today only at our local McDonalds. Buy one get one free Big Mac and Quarter Pounder with cheese.

Sorry about the lack of a picture. I'm posting from my tablet and wasn't able to get the picture from the website.

Week 9 Saved Over $80!

I lost my receipt for this week darn it. Totals may be a few pennies off but for the most part I remember what I paid. :)

Angel Soft Toilet Paper. Reg $5.97
Used FREE coupon from Angel Soft -received in the mail
Total Saved $5.97

(3) NERF Vortex Praxis Guns Reg $24.95

Clearance for $10

 Used $5 Coupon from Hasbro 

Paid $5 Each ($15 total)

Total Saved $59.85

(2) Ky Reg $2.84
Used coupon for $3 www.coupons.com
Saved $6 (total of $0.32 Money Maker!)

(3)American Greeting Cards Reg $0.47
Used Buy 2 Get One Free 
Paid $0.94 or $0.31 each ~Great Price for Birthday Cards!
Saved $0.47

(8) Hormel Dinners- These are great for hubby for lunches and for care packages because they don't need refrigerated  , which by the way seems odd to me..
Reg. $1.72
Used $1 off coupon
Paid $0.72 each
Total Saved $8

(2) Country Crock Butter ~my favorite :) Reg. $1.68
Used $1 off coupon
Paid $0.68~ great price for butter)
Saved $2

TOTALS: 

Price BEFORE coupons: $105.03

Paid Out Of Pocket: $22.74

Saved $82.29

Total Saved This Year:  $383.70

Nerf For Almost Nothin'

My Boys insisted on being in the picture! :)

Remember those Hasbro coupons I told you to print?? Did you?? I hope so because there is one AWESOME deal right now!

Nerf Vortex Praxis is on clearance at Walmart, up by the front of the store, for $10! These are marked down from $24.96 (upwards of around $30 at Christmas if I remember right).

There was a $5 off Hasbro Nerf Vortex Praxis coupon available to print back in January.

Combine the clearance sale with the coupon and these high dollar and high fun toys are only $5! My boys LOVE Nerf! I bought one for all three of them. (my 2 sons and one for my husband)

Details:

Nerf Vortex Praxis Reg. $24.95
Clearance Price: $10
- $5 coupon
=$5 Each! 

Let's just say these were in the boxes long enough for me to snap a couple pictures. When my husband arrived home it was all out Nerf War! lol

Week 8 Only spent $0.75

The last few weeks have just been crazy busy for me. I have had zero time to shop. Thankfully I have my stockpile to keep me going, but I have to get back to couponing soon!

I only got 2 different items this week with coupons..

Tylenol Pain Patches Reg $5.47
Used $5 coupon from Sunday paper
Paid $0.47

(2) Tasters Choice Coffee Reg $1.28
First one came in the mail as a free sample (6 total)
Second set I bought using the coupon that was with the samples for $1 off
Paid $0.28

Total before coupons: $8.03
Total paid: $0.75

Savings $7.28
Savings This Year: $303.41