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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Piggly Wiggly Deals - September 30 - October, 2009

Here are my recommendations this week:
  • Dannon - $.39/each - $1/10 MC = $2.90/10 or $.29 each
  • Chicken Leg Quarters - $.49/lb on 10 lb. bag

11/$10 Sale Scenarios (I am going to price the items at $.90 each, since you would only by these in multiples of 11!):

#1:

  • 4 Chef Boyardee cans - Buy 3/get one FREE MC = 4/$2.70 or $.80 each
  • 2 Ziploc Easy Zipper bags - $1/2 MC = $.80/2 or $.40 each
  • 2 Del Monte Fruit Naturals - $1/2 MC = $.80/2 or $.40 each
  • 2 Betty Crocker Brownie Mix - $1/2 MC = $.80/2 or $.40 each
  • 1 loaf of bread = $.90

#2:

  • 4 Banquet Frozen Dinners - $1/4 = 4/$2.70 or $.80 each
  • 3 - 16 oz. Freshlike Frozen Veggies
  • 2 - David's Bagels
  • 2 - Barilla Pasta

These are just my thoughts on the deals. You can work it however you like. I did try to list some of the coupon scenarios that you can use. The #1 on would cost you just $6 for 11 items!

Meal plans from these sales:

  • Chicken & Rice Casserole
  • Friday night Frozen dinners (I love these with the kids because they are rare and special to watch a movie with!)
  • P, B, & J French Toast with Fruit and yogurt
  • Homemade Chicken noodle soup
  • I will cook down the chicken, take it off the bone and freeze in the Ziplocs for use in casseroles later.
  • Sandwiches & Chef Boyardee

Monday, September 28, 2009

Host Gift

My kids went on a trip with Grandma to visit their Uncle and young cousins this last week, and I wanted to send a gift along to them. So, we decided to make homemade play dough for the kids (blue for boys!). Here my dear one is mixing in the color for me! Here's the recipe I used: http://fun.familyeducation.com/sculpting/recipes/37040.html. I used the Kool-Aid play dough with food coloring. We then wrapped the dough in wax paper, tied with raffia and a cookie cutter, along with a homemade tag.
Then we put it in a basket with 3 different kinds of our homemade jelly this year! The material is actually a vintage piece of material that was in my Grandmother scrap bag that I've been hording. I think it must be from the 70's or so. I just surged around a rectangle of it to put in there.

Everything is homemade and done with care, so I think that makes it all the more special. I hope it was appreciated on the other end!

Walgreens shopping trip

Transaction #1: Walgreen's advertised savings = $13.81. MC's = $31.50. My total cost was $45.43. My total savings was $45.31! This was more than I wanted to spend, but those razors and lotion were were expensive up front! Transaction #2: Walgreen's ad savings =$5.57. MC's = $20.75 (used Register Rewards from last week and some from this week - you have to be very careful not to use the same RR for the products you are buying, or you won't get the RR on this ticket.) Total Cost = $7.69 I saved $26.32!
Transaction #3: Walgreen's ad savings = $11.08. MC's =$26.75. Total cost $2.59. I saved $37.83! ( I still have quite a few RR left for next week.)




OK - so I did my Walgreen's shopping trip first thing this morning, because I have been having trouble getting all the great free after Register Rewards items later in the week., and now, there is a $5 off $25 purchase Internet printable found here:http://www.walgreens.com/topic/promotion/5off25.jsp. This promotion is good for Tuesday and Wednesday. If I were you, I would try it one of those days. Just a hint, our Sparta Walgreen's does get a shipment on Wednesday, so there may be a chance that they have the items. My first trip was quite expensive, because to get those great rewards, I had to pay for them out of pocket and it really adds up.

For those of you that haven't been using Walgreen's much, you should check it out, because lately, their deals have been very exciting! I haven't been saying much about Walgreen's, just because so many sites are already doing the same thing and I don't want to duplicate them. I just wanted to remind you about Walgreen's, because it tends to be one of my primary sources for deals, especially for cleaning products and health and beauty products. This week, I was willing to spend a little more, to get more. It was more than I expected, but I wasn't thinking about those items you have to pay to get the rewards. They are higher ticket than usual.

I am trying to come up with some ways to give some of the health and beauty supplies in a nice way for Christmas. Aside from sticking them all in a basket, I'm not sure what to do. I have some picky family members, so don't want it to seem like I am dumping things on them for no reason. Please post any comments and link it back to your own sites to let me know any ideas you might have. I would love to get a head start on gifts!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Cheap Potatoes!

I just wanted to let you know that I was driving by Sparta PW and noticed their sign said they have 5lb. bags of Potatoes for $.99! Great time to stock up! Baked potatoes and Potato soup, here we come!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Piggly Wiggly Deals - September 23-29, 2009

Yeah! It's a good week again at PW!! It's about time. Do you think the market is so low they are putting out better deals, or are just back into the fall?



Here are my recommendations (the only question I have, is if the General Mills products on the front page count towards the $5 off the $20):


  • FC Large Eggs - $.29 w/ ad coupon
  • Sun Chef Boneless Chicken Breasts 3lb. - $3.99 w/ad coupon
  • FC 5-qt. Ice Cream - $3.99
  • FC Kidney beans - 3/$2
  • Daisy Sour Cream - $.69
  • Red Gold Tomatoes - $.89
  • Red Leaf Lettuce - $.99/lb.

  • Mix & Match $1.50 each when you buy 10 (here's my plan)-

  • 2 Chex Bars - $.50 MC - $.50 MC
  • 2 Fiber 1 yogurts - $1 MC - $1 MC
  • 2 YoPlus yogurt - $1 MC - $.50 MC
  • 2 Cheerios - $1/2MC
  • 2 Golden Grahams Cereal - $1/2

  • =$15-$6.50 MC = $8.50 or $.85 each!

  • Get $5 Instantly when you buy $20 of General Mills (this is if the $15 above does not count)
  • 3 Hamburger Helper 3/$2.97 - $.99 - $.75/3 MC - $.75 MC (in-store pulls) = 2.22 or $.74 each
  • 2 Betty Crocker Potatoes -4/$5 = 2/$2.50 - $.40 MC - $. 25 MC = $1.95/2 or $$.98 each
  • 6 Pillsbury Grands biscuits - $.99 = $5.94 - 2- $.75/2 in-store pulls = 6/$4.44 or $.74 each
  • 2 Chex Mix - 2/$3 - $.50/2 MC = $2.50 or $1.25 each
  • Cheerios Snack Mix - $1.50 - $.50 MC = $1
  • 2 Flaky Crescent Rolls - 2/$5 - $.50/2 MC = 2/$4.50 or $2.25 each
  • = $20.41 total - $5.15 MC - $5 PW promotion = $10.26 Total or $.65 each!!!

So here are my recommendations for meals:

  • Pull Apart Pizza Bake
  • Chili with Biscuits
  • Chicken packets - from "Once-A-Month Cooking"
  • Individual Chili Biscuit Bakes with salads
  • Hamburger Helper...(yeah - a quick meal when things aren't going well! We also need these when we go camping, which we will be doing the first weekend in October.)
  • Snacks for camping

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

I Have A Teenager!

I'm new to making my own cards, because I figure most people throw them away, but Creative Memories has been promoting card making products more and more, so I have been trying to get into doing them for my own family. What I have found, is that by making my own cards, I save money, because I have the supplies on hand, and can use scraps to make them!

This is the card I made for my new teenager's birthday today - it is sideways, but the top half is a perforated coupon that says "Good for a day of Golf with a Gun." My husband is taking my son for a clay shooting day for a celebration. Here are the directions on how to make it:http://projectcenter.creativememories.com/photos/our_newest_project_ideas/moviecard.html. I just love all the new projects that the company is putting on my website in the project center - www.mycmsite.com/doristowell. You can tear off the end and use it like a coupon!

For my son's birthday, we made him a meal of his choice. We have shying away from throwing the big birthday bashes and moving to just a family event and a special outing for the birthday child. Last month, I took my daughter for a day at the mall and lunch out. Ultimately, it's just what my daughter loves and it's a lot cheaper than having the big birthday bashes.
Believe it or not, my son wanted frozen pizzas for his meal and he couldn't decide on a cake. (I never bake cakes because I don't really like to, so he didn't have much to draw on.) Fortunately for me, Piggly Wiggly had the pizzas on sale (see my past post on this) and I even got free soda to go with. For the cake, I had swayed him to pumpkin bars, but then had a great thinking moment and realized that I had several bags of carrots on hand because they were only $.69! I had also picked up cream cheese at $.99, so it worked perfectly to make carrot cake.
Now, I have never made carrot cake because I thought it would be too many steps. In actuality, it was easier than my pumpkin bars and much more tasty!! You can see above the mix with the carrots all chopped up (I used my Kitchen Aid for that, too.). I found the 1 lb. bag of baby carrots made a generous 3 cups of shredded carrots, which is what the recipe called for. Aside from carrots, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, eggs and oil, it was really simple! While it cooled, I made the cream cheese frosting!

So - here it is all done - yummy! It only cost around $2 to make the whole cake (I'm not adding up flour and eggs and things on hand), and it sure beats the taste of the store-bought cakes! It's not quite as fancy, but hey, nobody was complaining while they cleaned their plates! I figured I at least saved $18 on a cake!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Piggly Wiggly and Internet Coupons

I received a call yesterday from the manager, Todd (I think that was his name) about the Internet Coupons at Piggly Wiggly! He apologized about the balloon that slipped by the printer into last weeks ad stating that they accept ICs. I was very pleased to find that they are trying to work out a way to accept Internet Coupons at their store in Sparta without the store losing money from them. Apparently, they have had them in the past where someone along the way had doctored the dates on coupons, or prices, etc. I'm not sure they are really pointing concerns towards most shoppers, but sometimes they are on the Internet that way. Unfortunately, they have no way to know until after they've accepted them. Needless to say, they are working on it, but it is not in place yet.

As soon as I know that they are accepting them, I will be sure to post it though. I still think that it doesn't hurt to mention it to them when you shop there. For me, the bottom line is the price. If PW advertises the special, and I have an IC for the item, I will go ahead and take it to Wal-mart and have them match the price, and use my coupon... for now, that works. I just wish I didn't have to go through so many steps to get the right price.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Piggly Wiggly Deals - September 16-22, 2009

Here are my recommendations for this weeks deals:
  • FC Butter - $.99 Store ad Coupon
  • FC Canned Vegetables - $.39
  • Yoplait Yogurt - $.39 - $.40/6 MC = $1.94/6 or $.33 each
  • Oak Grove Gallon Milk - $1.89 (don't forget to bring your milk card so you can get one free soon!)
  • 5-lb. Russet Potatoes - $.99
  • Bartlett Pears - $.89/lb.
  • Broccoli Slaw or Baby Supreme Carrots or Carrot Chips - 2/$3
  • FC Pretzels - $.89
  • FC Chunk Light Tuna - 1/$1
  • Azteca Flour Tortillas - 10/$10
  • FC Slice Cheese - 3/$4
  • FC Canned Tomatoes - $.99

There isn't much this week for meals. I am kind of glad that there isn't, because I got a lot of groceries this weekend. I was at Target and got 5 boxes of Fiber One Bars and 5 Fiber One Cereals to get the $5 gift cards with them. Plus I got a whole bunch of cereals, pop tarts and fruit snacks for around $20, plus $10 in gift cards!! Then we went to Festival Foods to get their ad items. Festival had a mailer that came out that begins today, with some good deals for the next three weeks. Now I just need to figure out how to get there without making an extra trip. That might be difficult, since I haven't been there for a few weeks - my husband has a Dr. appointment!

Piggly Wiggly Won't Take Internet Coupons!!!

OK - Sparta Piggly Wiggly is NOT taking Internet Coupons (IC), even though their ad in the paper said they do last week!!! I am asking that anyone that does shop there to comment/question the management when you shop!

The shift manager gave me the reason that there are too many counterfeits out there and it was costing them too much money. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never known them to even take IC! I've talked to the managers at Walgreen's, and they report that they have never had an issue. It seems to me, that Walgreen's management would know about fraud IC, since they actually take them! I am going to be real cautious to only purchase coupon items from PW from now on. I don't agree with their policy on IC and wish they would accept them as they advertise that they do!

I think that the only way that they will change their ways, is if we start to complain and take our business elsewhere. It saddens me that I must advise you in this way, as I prefer to give my purchases to Monroe County and keep it in our community, but it seems that PW isn't interested in our needs. I will keep you posted on this. I plan to talk to the manager or owner myself. I told the shift manager that I would be letting people know my dissatisfaction through my blog! Help me spread the word!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Piggly Wiggly Deals - September 9-15, 2009

I am very excited to point out in this weeks ad that PW has a plug that says they accept Internet Coupons up to $2 Value (some exceptions may apply)! I am going to take them up on this deal this week and see if they honor it for the Quaker Oat deal! I'll let you know how it goes. I know that our PW has been very against internet coupons because they say there is so much fraud with it. I say they would get a lot more business from me if the accepted them!

Here are my recommendations for Piggly Wiggly this week: (* means the item is only on sale for Sept. 10-12)
  • Bananas - $.44/lb
  • Beefsteak Tomatoes - $.99/lb.
  • Barilla Pasta - $.89
  • Whole Frying Chickens - $.89/lb.
  • FC Cream Cheese, Sour Cream or Dips* - $.99 each
  • 7-Up, Coke or Pepsi 2 Liters* - 5/$5
  • Baby-Cut Carrots 1-lb.* - $.69
  • Tombstone Pizza * - 4/$10 - $1/3 MC = 4/$9 + 2 FREE 2 Litters of soda = $2.25 each plus free sodas!
  • Cottonelle TP - 12 pack Double roll - $5.99 - $1 MC = $4.99
  • Quaker products - $3 off when you purchase 7 - 2 boxes chewy granola bars = ($2.98 - $.75/2MC =) 2.23/2 +2 Quaker Quick Oats = ($4.96-$1.25/2 MC =) $3.71/2 = Quaker True Delights Snack Bars = $2.49 (-$1MC =) $1.49 + 2 Chewy Granola bars ($2.98 - $1/2 http://www.redplum.com/ = )$1.98 = $9.41 - $3 off = $6.41!! This is all pending them taking the redplum.com coupon...if not, it will be $7.41, still not too bad for 7 items!

I know this isn't a whole lot this week, but the Quaker purchase makes it worth the trip to the store. These will be supplimenting items in my pantry this week. We have a lot on hand, plus we just bought a pig, so there is plenty there. Some ideas for meals:

  • Oatmeal Pancakes - http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html with side pork (we have this for our main meal about every other week! Very filling!
  • Pizza night
  • Cook up chicken & freeze for future hotdishes this winter!

Savings on My Satellite Bill!!

I don't know if you have done this lately, but my husband mentioned that our satellite bill was getting to be a burden, would I see if there was a way to get it lower. (In other words, I'm the mean one in the family and need to get the price lower.) Well, the company accidentally called today and then asked if I had any questions. I asked if there was any way to get our bill lowered, as we were thinking about looking at other companies if they couldn't get the price any lower. As simple as that, the lady said, "In fact, I can take $10 off your bill for the next 6 months, will that work for you?" After making sure that I wasn't losing any channels, she went ahead and applied that to our next bill!!

Sometimes you just need to ask your companies, phone, cable, satellite, etc that you have been a customer with for awhile if they can give you any specials and they can! It was well worth asking!! I saved $60! The worst case scenario would have been that she said no! I wouldn't have been any worse off than I am right now! Thanks Direct TV!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Piggly Wiggly Deals - September 2 - 8, 2009

Here are my recommendations for this weeks sale ad. There aren't many coupons that match up, although I did find a coupon at the checkouts for the candy bars that are on the Walgreen's monthly deal. The coupons are on a pull-pad right at the front. The deal at Walgreen's is that if you buy two Hershey's or Reese's candy bars, you get a free 20 oz. Coke Zero. The coupon at Piggly Wiggly actually is a BOGO, so when you take the coupon to Walgreen's, you only have to pay for one candy bar at $.89 to get a FREE candy bar and soda! I lucked out and found some of the Reese's bars on clearance for $.45, so I got them much all for $.45!

  • Cauliflower - $.49/lb.
  • Broccoli - $1.18/lb.
  • Sweet Corn - 6/$1 up to 12 ears
  • Creamette pasta - $1 each
  • Cucumbers - 2/$1
  • Dean's Ice Cream - $4.99/Gallon
  • FC Ice Cream - $1.49/half-gallon w/ad coupon
  • FC 6-8oz. Cheese - BOGO
  • FC 28-32 oz. Frozen Potatoes - 3/$5
  • FC Whipped Topping - $.99
  • Lay's Chips - BOGO = $3.99/2 or $2 each
  • Oscar Meyer Wieners - BOGO = $3.19/2 - $1/2 MC = $2.19/2 or $1.10 each
  • PW Hot Dog & Burger Buns = $.69 each
  • Supreme Choice 16-oz. Cooked Shrimp - $3.99 with ad coupon - BUYER BEWARE!! The advertised shrimp was a 29.2 to 34.5 oz. package. PW had an oops sign above the 16-oz shrimp and said the package came in 16-oz. That's half the shrimp and really misrepresentation of the sale!! You may decide to either not purchase it, or complain to management.
  • Wonder Bread - 2/$3 - $.55MC = 1/$.95
  • Watermelon - $1.99 each

Menu Ideas for this purchase:

  • Basil & Shrimp Pasta (if you would like the recipe, please comment on this and I will post the recipe)
  • Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Cheese Soup
  • Hot Dogs, Sweet Corn, Chips & Watermelon
  • Cucumber Salad & Sandwiches ( Peanut Butter & Grape Jelly!)

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Grapes & Canning Season!



It is Canning and Grape Season! I wanted to share with you one of the ways that we save money through the winter is by canning up whatever we can get either out of our garden or cheaply in season here. When we built our house, we put in three bare root vines of Concord Grapes. (Even though they aren't my favorite grape, they are the most successful in our growing area.) Last year we had half of this crop, but this year, we had six Wal-mart bags full of ripe grapes. We have only done jelly in the past, but when we did a triple batch and found that we already had 38 half-pint jars of grape jelly, we decided to try our hand a Grape juice.

Well, we never know how new recipes will work out, so we did two different kinds of juice. The one in the front on the left with the grapes showing is the Easy way - you literally put a cup of grapes in the quart jar, a half cup of sugar and fill the rest with boiling water! Then to drink, you strain out the seeds a grapes. The two on the right front are the other route, where we ran them through our press after cooking them down, added 1/2 cup sugar per quart and then canned. Both methods water boil the jars for 15 minutes. We ended up with 31 quarts of juice! What a savings it will be this winter to not have to buy juice for the kids. The only thing I fear is that there won't be enough for us all! My mom always canned the Easy Grape Juice and it was the most wonderful juice in the world!

Best of all, aside from pectin, sugar, and lids - this can be a very inexpensive way to stock-up! Our grapes were free!! It does take more in labor, so we just make a family event of it. (The kids can now take food preservation to the fair next year.)