I saved $44 on Meat!!

Meat is probably the single most expensive item on my grocery list. Combine that with the fact that you almost never see great coupons for meat means there is no way to avoid the high prices.. or is there??

A couple weeks ago I saved $44 on meat by simply doing a little work myself. I don't know about you but $44 is a lot of money to me!

Here is how.. The single easiest way to save on meat is to do a little packaging yourself. Meat in larger packages is almost always cheaper per pound than meat in smaller packages. The key to making sure you don't waste it is to repackage it into sizes that your family will actually use.

Our local CountryMart had a great sale on meat two weeks ago.(don't worry if you missed it they often run sales similar to this and even if it isn't on sale it's always cheaper to repackage meat) Anyway the deal was amazing.. but here's the catch.. to get that great price per pound you had to buy it in 10lb packages. What are you going to do with 10lbs of meat? Bring it home and immediately separate it into individual bags. Do not put it in the freezer until you do. If you do then it will be next to impossible to separate and you will waste food.. and money!

So here is the breakdown.

First up ground hamburger.. Reg $3.29lb on sale for $1.99lb   Saved $1.30lb 10lbs total saved $13!!

Here is everything you need. Large package of hamburger, Freezer Bags and a Sharpie

Cut the hamburger into sizes that fit your own family. I divided ours into a little over a pound per bag which is what most recipes call for and what I normally purchase in the smaller packages.

Done! Finished product all ready for the freezer! 

Comparison On the right is the package I packaged and on the left is a package I had purchased a few days before. Both have slightly over 1lb making the cost of the one on the left around $2 and the one on the right $3.72! 

Now for the pork. Pork chops are one of my husband and boys favorite meals but it can be expensive! 

Pork Reg $4.79lb on sale for $1.69lb saving $3.10lb  10lbs saved $31!

 Here is the price of the smaller chops

 Here is the package I bought

 

Here are some of the packaged bags. 

 Another great benefit to packaging your own meat is that you can save yourself time later by doing a little prep work. For example I took some of the smaller chops and cut them into small pieces to make pork fried rice out of later. (One of Connor's Favorites) The same could be done with the hamburger. You could make it into hamburger patties, meatballs and such. So it's great all around. It saves you money and it can save you time at dinner time! 

Hope this helps you save the next time you are in the meat department. 

How To Save Big On Clothes

Today I bought a jacket I've had my eye on for over a month and I saved 53% on it! You can REALLY save big on clothes if you know how to shop for them! Every department store has a clearance section. Always check it out first! This is a GREAT place to find a lot of saving on the generic essentials that we all need. If you are able to pay pennies on the dollar for that tank top or under shirt then you'll have extra money for that cute top or pants.

The Duggars always say "Buy used save the difference" Well I am a firm believer that you can buy NEW and save the difference!

Here is a couple ways that I have found to save big on clothing.

1. Check out clearance racks. Like I said before this is a great place to save on clothing.
2. Stock up at the end of the season. I have literally paid $1-$2 for bathing suits at the end of
Summer and $5 and under for coats at the end of the Winter.Another great Winter item to stock up on is hats and gloves. I've bought gloves for as little as a dime after the season!!
3. Last but not least.. coupons.. of course! Many department stores in the Mall along with places like Target often send out coupons. The best deals are when those coupons do not exclude clearance racks! It is not uncommon for Target to release $5 off Denim coupons that can be used on clearance jeans making them Free or close to it!

With that in mind. Let me show off my new purchase! :) I fell in love with this jacket back in December when I helped my dad pick it out for my Aunt for her birthday. I wanted it then but am too cheap frugal to buy it for myself.

The unseasonably warm weather has Walmart and other department stores rushing in new Spring and Summer clothes.This rush also makes them start marking down their Winter clothes. I assure you cold weather is far from over as Mother Nature reminded us just yesterday so now we are able to snag some great deals and still have time to wear them.

Here's my new coat. Sorry the picture isn't great. I've been sick all day :(

And here is the picture I like....

I saved $9.96 and I still got the exact jacket I wanted! Score! :)

What is your favorite way to shop for clothes?

Less than $5

Couponing for less than $5

As many of you know one of my favorite things to do is take a $5 bill and see how much I can buy. I know kinda a crazy hobby but hey some people buy lottery tickets.. well I ALWAYS win! Lol 

So I got all of this for $4. I have somehow misplaced my receipt but I will give you a quick rundown of the products… 

White Cloud toilet paper 4 pack of double rolls. $2.08 used $2 off any White cloud tissue. Excluding 4 pack regular rolls. This means that you CAN use them on the 4 back double rolls. 

BIC Pens. I got the colorful ones J $1 used a $1 off any 2 Bic products. You can never have too many pens especially when they are in pretty colors! Made one of them FREE

Halls Cough drops. It’s cold season! I bought Cherry and Honey-lemon. You can pick your favorite flavor.$1 used $1 off any 2 so that makes one of them FREE!

Last but not least my FAVORITE buy of the day.. NIVEA Lotion! I Love Nivea products! These were almost $3 each! (Around $2.76 I think) I had a $2 off coupon meaning I just paid the change. My hands are nice and soft tonight!  

Not as big of a trip as normal but got some good stuff. 

Happy Couponing!

Welcome New Readers

First I want to say thank you to all of my new readers. I currently do not have great internet access at my new apartment, but I will do my very best to keep my blogging up.

I want to welcome all of you that are new to reading my blog and to some of you that are new to couponing. With the new year upon us come of you are searching for ways to save money, build your stockpile, maybe pay off debt or just spend smarter. I want to spend some time going over a few basics.

First and foremost.. For those of you that have found my blog after watching the TV show Extreme Couponing.. Let me say this. That is a TV show! It is great entertainment and great inspiration. Those shopping trips are not usually realistic. The show insures that they have a large supply of high value coupons. They buy large amounts of just a few products to make their totals crazy high, They spend a crazy amount of time preparing for just one shopping trip. I don't know about you guys, but that isn't me. I'm real. I'm a mom, a college student, and a woman trying to get by.

My first piece of advice is just simply use coupons for things you already purchase! Sounds easy enough, right? Well it is. For example how many of you with little ones buy diapers or pull-ups? By printing pull-up coupons from the companies website I am able to purchase Pull-Ups and wipes for much cheaper than the off brand.

That brings me to my next point. Is the store brand cheaper? Well, if it is then buy it. I often joke that my favorite brand is whatever is on sale! Often times though a coupon will make the name brand cheaper than the store brand. Why buy the store brand if you can have the store brand cheaper!

Watch your sizes. Bigger is not always better! Often times smaller is better when using a coupon. If a product does not have a size limitation buy the smallest one to have the smallest amount of out of pocket expense. For example if you have a $1 off Any Secret deodorant why buy the big bottle that is $3 when you can buy the small one for less than $1 making it FREE! Doesn't get any better than free.

Use coupons in conjunction with sale prices. This is a win win situation. A great sale plus a coupon means maximum savings. For example not too long ago Dawn Dish soap was on sale for $1 at CountryMart. I used a $0.50 coupon found from the previous weeks Sunday paper. CountryMart doubles coupons so it made them FREE! 

Finally my last and one of my most important pieces of advice.. stock up so you don't have to pay full price! If you get a great deal on something buy extra. For example not too long ago I was able to buy bottles of Softsoap hand soap for $0.25. I could have bought just one but instead I bought 5. This way when one runs out I don't have to pay full price for another one. There isn't any need in hording a bunch of stuff you will never use or that will go bad, but buy a few extras to last you until they go on sale again.

Happy Shopping! :)

Casey's Coupons

Sorry for the lack of posts. Life has been busy but as part of my New Year's Resolutions I hope to focus more on my couponing and blogging.

Coupons are everywhere. Right now there are a couple really good Coupons at our local Casey's General Store.

Found on the door of the Soda cooler and in the Candy aisle.
$0.75 off when you buy a 20oz Dr. Pepper and and Milky Way or 3 Musketeers.
These are manufacturer coupons so they do not have to be used at Casey's alone.

At the front counter there are some coupons for Buy one Yoohoo get a free Casey's doughnut.
This is a Casey's only couon so has to be used there.

Also online at www.caseys.com there are some printable coupons for $2 off Large Pizza.

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. :)