Menu Plan Monday

It's that time again to share some of the yummy food we'll be having over the week! As always, everything we eat is purchased on sale and usually combined with coupons to maximize the savings.

Breakfast: James doesn't usually eat breakfast, instead usually grabs a so-healthy-for-him soda on the way out the door. Now that I'm pregnant I try (operative word here is try) to eat something healthy every morning. Usually my breakfast consists of some oatmeal and a yogurt or like this morning some leftover breakfast sausage, a biscuit, and frozen pancakes I nabbed on sale at Publix.

Lunches: The nature of James' job isn't conducive to bringing lunch with him so he usually hits a fast food joint (again oh-so-healthy) or, if he has time, stops home for lunch. Since I'm home, my lunches usually consist of leftovers or sandwiches made with leftovers. Of course, this doesn't count last Wednesday when I was craving a burger...not just any burger, but a Chili's Smokehouse burger and made my sweet, wonderful husband go get me one at lunchtime to satisfy my so-specific cravings. Not exactly good for the budget, but it sure tasted great!

Dinners for the week - You will see a couple I didn't get to make last week due to those lovely pregnancy cravings and James being sick and wanting chicken noodle soup one night.

Monday: Roasted turkey breast (not on sale, but cheap at Publix last week) with mashed potatoes (boxed & on sale with coupon at Winn-Dixie the week before) and mixed vegetables (Steamfresh frozen veggies free with coupon and sale at Publix 2 weeks ago).

Tuesday: Pork roast (bought on sale B1G1 at Winn-Dixie a few weeks ago) cooked Cuban style with mojo, black beans and rice, and fried plantains. Remember people, I'm Cuban!

Wednesday: Marlboro Man's Second Favorite Sandwich. We didn't get to try this recipe last week because James really wanted chicken soup that night because he was sick. Now I know he was truly sick because my husband does not like soup normally; only when he is under the weather! Again, we will be having this artery-clogging, but delicious sandwich with a side salad.

Thursday: Meatloaf, using my own secret recipe my husband adores and swears is better than his own mom's (sorry Jody!), with scalloped potatoes (Betty Crocker boxed, again with coupon and on sale at Winn-Dixie), and corn (Steamfresh frozen veggies free with coupon and sale at Publix 2 weeks ago and i really stocked up!).

Friday: Enchiladas. I will probably make a mixture of beef and chicken using an Old El Paso kit that I bought BOGO and with a coupon at Publix last week. We will have this with Zatarain's Spanish rice, bought this week BOGO and with a coupon at Publix.

Saturday: Fend for yourself leftover night! We'll have plenty of leftovers from the week as I have never learned to cook for two which is good for lunches and leftover nights for the rest of the week!

Sunday: Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich. I can't wait to finally try this recipe! It looks so yummy!

Check out more great menu's and wonderful organizational tips at: http://orgjunkie.com/

Freebie Friday!!

It's been a busy week, and I so haven't posted like I should, but that will all change this weekend. I will be posting daily from now on and you will all be benefiting from my fabulous frugalosity! Sarcasm and a made-up word are a great combination. Anyways, on to the fabulous freebie's I've found this week!

Free Yogi tea sample pack

Free John Frieda Luxurious Volume

Free Huggies Supreme Diaper & Baby Lotion

Free Kotex LightDays sample

Free Stride gum. Click on settle. It's so funny, too!

Free Wendy's twisted Frosty (or coupon!)

Free GoodNites sleep pants sample

Free Ice/Heat pack

Free custom fruit roll-up

Free Aveeno Positively Ageless

Free Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis

Free Betty Crocker Potatoes

Free Purina Yesterday's News Cat Litter

Free Huggies Supreme Diaper & Baby Lotion

Free Nicorette Starter pack

Menu Plan Monday 09/08/07 to 09/14/08

I'm sorry I've disappeared, but I hope to start posting on a daily basis now that I'm settling in to this pregnancy thing a little and life is slowing down some. So far, so good! No morning sickness as of yet, but I have had quite a bit of dizziness, my breasts are huge and sore, and I've had some food aversions, but today was my first serious craving! I wanted sour cream & onion potato chips like it was going out of style! Luckily, my wonderful husband was good enough to stop and bring some home on his way home from work! I'm 8 weeks along and did I mention I'm showing already? It's insane! Of course, many people have said we're having twins, but we will know for sure next week at our first doctor's appointment when they do the ultrasound. If it's twins, well...I'm sure it'll be the thud heard around the world as my husband and I both will pass out from shock!

Let's get back on track! I did a little shopping this past week and even today at Publix, and a little bit at Winn-Dixie, but I was mostly stocked up on everything except for some meat. I think I'm pretty much sticking to Publix from now on for meat because it upsets me that all of Winn-Dixie's BOGO meat deals are outrageously expensive most of the time. I can get a better deal at Publix most of the time paying for both packs and not getting it BOGO! For example, one of the packs of chicken that was BOGO this week at WD was about $14. That was about 3 lbs of meat. So you pay about $14 for 6 lbs of chicken. Most of the WD chcicken I've gotten has quite a bit of gristle on it, too. Publix has a sale every 8 weeks or so where it's $1.99 lb for chicken breasts. I ususally buy about 15 packs at that time to take me through until the next sale and stock my deep freezer. Even if we did the 6 lbs comparison it still works out cheaper at Publix and they usually have a lot less gristle. I just like Publix so much better, too. With coupons and stacking their store coupons with manufacturer coupons, they are cheaper than other grocery stores most of the time. Plus, they are much cleaner and so much friendlier than any of my other grocery stores in the neighborhood! I just can't wait until the end of this month when I finally get an Aldi's nearby!

Now on to the menu!

Monday: Chicken and Dumplings. This is a variation on my mother-in-law's recipe and since she doesn't write things down and I subscribe to the Rachael-Ray-school-of-eyeballing, I have no recipe for you guys. Sorry! I used a pack of chicken left from the last Publix sale, organic chicken broth on sale at Big Lots and a can of crescent rolls I cut up and rolled out into dumpling form as I am lazy today. Hey, I'm pregnant! I'm allowed!

Tuesday: Baked Ziti with meat sauce. This will be using 1 lb of the ground chuck on sale for $1.97 at Publix this week in a meat sauce using Muir Glen organic fire-roasted tomatoes I have gotten for FREE at Publix with coupons. The shredded cheese I will use in the yummy pasta is also from Publix and was free with coupon again at Publix! We'll have this with some frozen garlic bread from the deep freezer...not a clue where I got it.

Wednesday: Tacos night! Not that I didn't already have a gazillion Old El Paso taco kits from the last BOGO sales, but who can resist cheap, cheap, CHEAP dinner kits BOGO with coupons? So yeah, I picked up a couple more from you guessed it...Publix!

Thursday: Marlboro Man's Second Favorite Sandwich. Okay, so I found this website and I absolutely love it. I harbor a secret dream to live in the country growing my own fruit and veggies, getting fresh eggs form my own hens, riding my horse down to my local general store for some flour and generally being a total country girl. Of course, in realit I can't stand being outside for more than a few minutes because of the icky bugs and the heat, love riding horses, but can't fathom grooming them myself, and the garden? Uh yeah, you have seen there are dirt, worms, and bugs of all varieties involved in that activity, right? So I love living vicariously through others! I just love the Pioneer Woman's site and she has lots of yummy recipes! You can check her out here. We'll be having this artery-clogger of a sandwich with a salad...you know, to cancel out the calories!

Friday: Spanish Burgers with Manchego and Chorizo Hash Browns. This is a Rachael Ray recipe that is really yummy! Well...I don't know that yet, beacause we haven't exactly had it before, but darn it, it looks good! Again, I'll be using ground chuck from the Publix sale and the rest of the ingredients will be from things I already have from the pantry and freezer.

Saturday: Leftover night! We should have plenty by then. It will be quick and easy to reheat some Baked Ziti, leftover taco meat and fresh tortillas, extra chicken and dumplings...it will be a nice little smorgasbord!

Sunday: Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich. Yup, you guessed it! It's from that website again. Serioously, check it out. She has some great recipes. We've tried a few already, but I can't wait to try this one! I think even my husband will be drooling over this one! The cubed steak will actually be from Winn-Dixie. yes, I know, you can all pick your jaws up off the ground. I didn't say Publix was cheaper ALL the time now, did I? We'll probably serve these with some potato chips.

Oooh, those Sour Cream and Onion chips are sure sounding good again right about now...

Check out more great menu's and wonderful organizational pics at: http://orgjunkie.com/

Weekly Ad Wednesday!

It's that time again! Here is a brief run-down of what I think are the highlights for Publix this week!
08/27 - 09/03

BOGO

Ball Park Beef Franks [Or Turkey, Assorted Varieties, 12.8 to 16-oz pkg.] (save up to $3.79)
$1/2 blinkie
$1 wyb Ball Park Franks & Sara Lee buns tearpad
.50/1 peelie
COCA-COLA Zero 12-pk FREE (max $4.99) WYB (1) Sara Lee Hot Dog Buns AND (1) Ball Park Franks or Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage blinkie

Lenders Pre-Sliced Bagels [Plain, Egg, Onion, Cinnamon Raisin, Blueberry, or Wheat, 6-ct. bag (Found in the Dairy Aisle.)] (save up to $1.95)
.75/1 Publix Store coupon Toss4Cash booklet
(not found in my Florida version)

Smart Balance Spread [Assorted Varieties, 13 or 15-oz or 2-pk. 7.5-oz tub or Spray, 8-oz bot.] BOGO (save up to $2.79)
$1/2 8/10/08 RP
$1/2 6/8/08 RP x 8/31/08
.50/1 home mailer

Breyers Ice Cream [Assorted Varieties, 48 or 56-oz ctn.] (save up to $5.19)
$1/1 Market Basket booklet
.55 off Smucker's Toppings WYB Breyer's Ice Cream, 1.5 qt+ blinkie

Green Giant Frozen Vegetables [Assorted Varieties, 14 to 24-oz pkg.] (save up to $3.49)
$1.50/1 peelie
$2 off Green Giant Frozen Products wyb 5 participating General Mills Products tearpad

Hellmanns Mayonnaise [Assorted Varieties, 30 or 32-oz jar] (save up to $5.49)
$1/2 Market Basket booklet
.60/1 7/27/08 RP Hispanic
$2.00 on Deli meat wyb one Hellmann's Product (18 oz+) not sure of source

Wish-Bone Dressing [Assorted Varieties, 16-oz bot.] (save up to $2.69)
.60/1, $1/2, .75/2 6/29/08, 8/17/08 RP
.65/1 7/27/08 RP Hispanic
$1/1 Unilever booklet
.55/1 hangtag

Campbells Select Soup [Or Select Harvest, Assorted Varieties, 18.6 to 18.8-oz can or 15.3-oz bowl] (save up to $2.29)
$1/4, .50/2 8/17/08 SS
$1/1 peelie

Barilla Pasta [Selected Varieties, 13.25 to 16-oz box (Excluding Barilla Plus and Lasagna.)] (save up to $1.45)
$1 wyb Barilla Pasta & Barilla Sauce jar home mailer
$1/3 Barilla piccolini printable (if included in sale) bricks.coupons.com
$1/2 Market Basket booklet

Lawrys 30 Minute Marinade [Assorted Varieties, 12-oz bot.] (save up to $2.85)
.50/1, $1/2 6/22/08, 8/17/08 RP
$1/1 hangtag
$2 off Meat wyb Lawry's Mexican Chile & Lime Marinade And Any Other Lawry's Marinade
hangtag
$1 off Meat, poultry or fish wyb 2 Lawry's Marinade hangtag

Mt. Olive Sweet Relish [Or Pickles, Selected Varieties, 16-oz jar] (save up to $2.19)
.50/1, .75/1, $1/1 8/17/08 SS
$1/2 hangtag
.55/1, .75/1 blinkie

Glade PlugIns Scented Oil Refill [Assorted Varieties, Value Pack, 2-ct. box] (save up to $5.49)
B1G1 Glade Plugins Scented Oil Refills , Up To $5.49 (Equal Or Lesser Value) 8/24/08 SS
$1/1 8/3/08 SS
$1/2 Parents mag April, May '08
$1/1 peelie
$1/2 home mailer
$1/2 booklet

Other Sale Items

Publix Enriched White Bread [20-oz loaf Limit four.] $0.89

Ground Chuck [Publix Beef, USDA-Inspected, Ground Fresh Several Times Daily] $1.97 lb

Publix Print Paper Towels [Big Roll, 1-roll pkg. Limit four.] $0.89

Publix Orange Juice [Original or With Calcium, 100% From Concentrate, All Florida, 128-oz cont. Limit four.] $2.49

Publix Milk [Grade A: Whole, 1% Milkfat Lowfat, Fat Free, or 2% Milkfat Reduced Fat, 1-gal bot. Limit four.] $3.59

General Mills Cheerios Cereal [8.9-oz box Limit four.] $1.99

Large White Shrimp [Previously Frozen, Farm-Raised, 31 to 35 per Pound] $5.99 lb

12-Pack Selected Pepsi Products [Limit one deal per coupon per customer. Customer is responsible for all applicable taxes. This coupon is non-transferable.] buy 4 get 1 free 4/$10

Pork Spareribs [Publix Pork, All-Natural, Full-Flavor] $1.99 lb

Boston Butt Roast [Publix Pork, All-Natural, Full-Flavor] $1.99 lb

Shoulder Roast [Boneless, Publix Premium Certified Beef, USDA Choice] $3.99 lb

Whole Chicken [Publix All-Natural, USDA Grade A] $1.19 lb

Publix Shredded BBQ Beef or Pork [With Sweet BBQ Sauce, 16-oz pkg.] 2/$5

Publix Extra Thin-Sliced Meats [Ham: Cooked or Honey or Turkey Breast: Oven Roasted, Smoked, or Honey Smoked, 10-oz pkg.] 2/$6

California Peaches or Nectarines [Or White Flesh Varieties, Hand Picked and Packed for Peak Flavor] $1.49 lb

California Plums [Black, Red, Purple, or Green Varieties] $0.79 lb

Corn [Yellow, Bi-Color, or White Varieties, Great for Grilling, each] 10/$2

Deli Iced Tea [Sweetened, Unsweetened, Raspberry, Peach, or Diet; or Green Tea With Ginseng and Honey: Regular or Diet, Cool and Refreshing, half-gal jug] $0.89

Kraft American Cheese Singles [Yellow or White, 12-oz pkg.] 2/$4

Boston Market Home Style Meals [Assorted Varieties, 9.7 to 16-oz box] 5/$10

Purina Friskies Dry Cat Food [Indoor Delights, Seafood Sensations, Signature Blend, or Adult Feline Favorites, 3.15-lb pkg.] $3.49

Purina Friskies Selects Indoor Cat Food [Assorted Varieties, 5.5-oz can] 4/$3

Freebie Friday!

Sorry I've been a little MIA lately after promising new posts daily, but I promise it's for a good reason! I just found out that I'm pregnant! My husband and I are extremely excited and happy beyond belief as this will be our first child.

**does a little happy dance**

Okay, I'm good now.

Now, for the freebies! I've compiled a list of fabulous frugal freebies (say that 3 times fast!) and samples you can send off for below:

Freebies:

Get your free sample of Cascade Complete All-in-One and Mr. Clean Eraser here.

Free puppy training DVD kit and coupon

Free resource on better bone health

Free 2GB of picture storage from Nikon

Free pocket Constitution and Declaration of Independence

Free Arm and Hammer toothpaste sample

(thanks to MoneySavingMom.com!)

Scott Extra Soft toilet paper (Walmart)

Bounce Awakenings dryer sheets

Snausages dog treats

New Home Made Simple P&G coupon book

Dove Energy Glow Moisturizer & Body Wash (Spanish)

Dove Advanced Color Care hair products (Spanish)

Neutrogena Oil-Free Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub

Weekly Ad Wednesday!!

I've scoured both ads for Publix and Winn-Dixie to see the best sales for this week. These are the highlights for both stores and let me tell you, I'm pretty excited about some of these sales! Remember, the item on sale is in purple and the coupons matching are in red!


Sale for week of 08/21 - 08/27

BOGO (Buy One Get One Free):

Oscar Mayer Beef Franks [Regular, Light, No Fillers Bun Length, XXL, or Jumbo, 16-oz pkg.]
Free OM Hot Dogs WYB 3 K/NAB/OM products tearpad
Free OM Hot Dogs WYB 3 K/NAB/OM products All You mag

Kens Steak House Dressing [Or Lite Accents, Assorted Varieties, 7 or 16-oz bot. (Excluding 8-oz Salad Dressing.)] (save up to $2.99)
$1/1 hangtag $1/1, $1/2,
.35/1 8/3/08 SS
Lite Accents: .55/1 hangtag
$2/1, $1/1 8/3/08 SS

General Mills Cereal [Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Reeses Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Kix, 11.25 to 17-oz, Golden Grahams, 16-oz, or Breakfast Pack, 9.14-oz box Quantity...] (save up to $3.99)
B3G1, B2G1 peelies (various, see DB for details)
.75/1, $1/1, $2/3 peelie
$1/2 7/13/08 SS
$1/2 home mailer
.55/1 printable bricks.coupons

Kens Steak House Marinade [Or Buffalo Wing Sauce, Assorted Varieties, 16-oz bot.] (save up to $2.79)
$1/1 hangtag $1/1 8/3/08 SS

Motts 100% Apple Juice [Or Motts for Tots Fruit Juice and Purified Water, Plus Kids Health, or Plus Light, Assorted Varieties, 64-oz bot.] (save up to $2.89)
$1/2 8/10/08 SS1 $1/2 printable bricks.coupons.com

Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Cake Mix [Assorted Varieties, 17.52 to 18.5-oz box (Excluding Angel Food and Carrot Cake Mix.)] (save up to $1.57)

Tostitos Tortilla Chips [Assorted Varieties, 15.5 or 19-oz bag (Excluding Baked!, Light, and Natural.)] (surprisingly low price)
FREE Tostitos Dip wyb (2) Tostitos 9 oz+ peelie
$2 wyb bags of Tostitos (10oz or larger) AND (2) jars of Tostitos dip (15oz or larger) tearpad, peelie
$1 wyb Tostitos Brand Tortilla Chips 9 Oz. + And One 15 Oz. + Jar Of Tostitos Dip x 8/23/08 6/8/08 SS
.55 wyb Tostitos Brand Tortilla Chips 9 Oz. + And One 15 Oz. + Jar Of Tostitos Dip x 8/23/08 6/8/08 SS
.55/1 6/8/08 SS x 8/22/08
$1.25/2 home mailer

Kotex Security Tampons [Selected Varieties, 18-ct. pkg. or Lightdays Pantiliners, 40 to 64-ct. pkg.] (save up to $3.39)
$1/1 All You July '08
$1/1 printable bricks.coupons.com
.75/1 home mailer, booklet
$1/1 mfr Publix "Celebrate the Spirit " coupon sheet
.75/1 7/20/08 SS

Tostitos Dip [or Fritos, Lay's or Ruggles: or Tostitos Queso or Salsa 15-15.25 oz jar] (save up to $3.69)
FREE Tostitos Dip wyb (2) Tostitos Chips 9 oz+ peelie
$2 wyb bags of Tostitos (10oz or larger) AND (2) jars of Tostitos dip (15oz or larger) tearpad, peelie
$1 wyb Tostitos Brand Tortilla Chips 9 Oz. + And One 15 Oz. + Jar Of Tostitos Dip x 8/23/08 6/8/08 SS
.55 wyb Tostitos Brand Tortilla Chips 9 Oz. + And One 15 Oz. + Jar Of Tostitos Dip x 8/23/08 6/8/08 SS

Not BOGO, but still good deals!

All Small & Mighty 3X Laundry Detergent [Or All 2X Ultra, Concentrated, Assorted Varieties, 32 or 50-oz bot.] $3.99
$1/1 All You mag Aug. '08 $1/1 printables: www.befresh.com www.all.com

California Plums [Red, Black, Purple, or Green Varieties, A Good Source of Antioxidants] $0.79 lb

Large Shrimp Skewers [Made With Large Peeled and Deveined Shrimp, Previously Frozen, Farm-Raised, each] 10/$10

Split Chicken Breast [With Ribs, Publix All-Natural, USDA Grade A] $1.69 lb

Whole Fresh Picnic [Publix Pork, All-Natural, Full-Flavor] $1.29 lb

Progresso Soup [Assorted Varieties, 18 to 19-oz can or 15.25-oz bowl] 4/$5

Frenchs Mustard [Classic Yellow Squeeze Bottle or Spicy Brown Bold Deli Flavor, 12 or 14-oz bot.] $1.19
.50/1 printable HomeSolutionsNews®: Special Offers

Fresh Express Salad Blends [Assorted Varieties, A Healthy and Convenient Meal Solution, 5 to 12-oz bag] 2/$4

Winn-Dixie ad for 08/20 - 08/26

BOGO:

Hickory Sweet thin-sliced bacon - up to $3.49

GM Cereal - up to $4.39 (cookie crisp, resse's puffs, total cranberry, raisin bran)
B3G1, B2G1 peelies (various, see DB for details)
.75/1, $1/1, $2/3 peelie
$1/2 7/13/08 SS
$1/2 home mailer
.55/1 printable bricks.coupons

GM Cereal - up to $4.59 (Lucky Charms, Apple cinnamon, frosted, or Honey nut cheerios)
B3G1, B2G1 peelies (various, see DB for details)
.75/1, $1/1, $2/3 peelie
$1/2 7/13/08 SS
$1/2 home mailer
.55/1 printable bricks.coupons

Sara Lee Soft & Smooth classic white bread - up to $2.49
Free Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Bread (up to $3.49) SS 08/17

McCormick Grill Mates marinades - up to $2.59
Free McCormick Grill Mates wyb any McCormick Grill mates tearpad exp 08/31

10 for $10

Dole classic iceberg or cole slaw 16oz

Bunch broccoli, large tomatoes, white mushrooms, mangos, del monte fruit naturals, large plums

Michelina's Entrees
$1 off 5 www.michelinas.com 30 day rolling expiration
.55 off 2 blinkie exp 10/05/08

Bird's Eye veggies

Handi-Snacks putting or Kool-Aid gels

Suddenly Salad
$1/2, .55/2 06/29/08 SS
.40 off 1 www.bettycrocker.com

Hunts Pasta sauce 26oz

Horizon organic reduced fat milk singles
$1 off any 2 Horizon Organic product in Go Organic! Publix booklet exp 08/31

Other Great Deals!

Pert Plus Shampoo or 2in1 13.5oz 5 for $10
$2 off 06/29 SS and 08/03 SS
Juicy Juice 2 for $5
.50/1, $1/1, $1/1 08/03 RP
$1/1 Harvest Surprise www.juicyjuice.com

3-Bar Dial Soap 2 for $3
.60/1 05/18 SS exp 09/01

Eating your veggies

So I've never been into vegetables...ever. I like salads (mostly lettuces and cucumbers) and love corn and even broccoli as long as it's drenched in cheese, but let's face it. I'm a Cuban woman who loves her arroz con frijoles (beans and rice) and lechon asado (roast pork), and nowhere on any menu growing up was there a plethora of veggies. My parents didn't eat them (other than corn and yucca, of course) and neither did their parents and so on and so on.

My husband on the other hand LOVES vegetables and I cringe at his love of celery sticks. I mean seriously, it tastes like what I imagine grass tastes like! But, as a 33 year old woman trying to eat healthy, lose weight, and hoping to get pregnant soon, I know that I need to eat my veggies. So the question became, how do I get my veggies in without gagging and drowning them in cheese or dressing?

I'm sure most of you have heard about Jessica Seinfeld's book "Deceptively Delicious" since her appearance on Oprah made the book almost impossible to get and also due to the controversy from some other author who said Seinfeld copied her book. I ordered the cookbook after watching her appearance on Oprah and like many others, was intrigued by Oprah's amazement at how good all her recipes were and that the veggies were pretty much impossible to detect in them. For those who haven't heard of it, Seinfeld's book shares recipes using vegetable purees hidden in all kinds of foods in order to trick your kids into getting their veggies, but still making it taste great. I'm not a kid, but I sure need to find ways to trick myself into getting my veggies!

So ever the skeptic, I tried a couple of recipes and I was amazed at not only how delicious the food was, but also at how I couldn't detect the veggies by taste! The first thing I tried was the chicken nugget recipe. I mean seriously, chicken nuggets with broccoli puree as part of the batter? Can we say "ewww!"? But they were so tasty and I couldn't detect a hint of broccoli!

My husband never even realized the extra veggies I added to his favorite meatloaf or even the brownies I made! I'm sure that even he, ever the veggie lover, would have balked if I had told him that there was carrot and spinach in his brownies! Even Sunday morning scrambled eggs had cauliflower puree added and all he commented on was the extra creaminess of the eggs!

As a frugal woman I would never advocate spending full price on a cookbook, but if your local library doesn't stock this cookbook (always my first resource) and you need a ways to get some more veggies into your diet, then definitely splurge and get this cookbook. It's a great investment in the long run and Amazon has it on a nice discount here.

Of course, being the frugal nut that I am, all my veggie purees are made with sale veggies and I just stocked up again at Publix with frozen Bird's Eye veggies at 50% off and bought with a matched coupon!

Frugal Living: a Husband's View

So now that you've joined the wonderful world of "couponing" and living frugally, what does your other half think about it? Frugal in Virginia offers a hilarious post from her husband on how it feels to be married to what he refers to as "a frugal". This article is a total must read and I found myself laughing out loud at a lot of points and immediately forwarded it to my husband.

Check out this fun read here.

Organizing your coupons

So you've got a lot of coupons now, but how do you organize them? It's honestly up to you. There is no best way to do it, just whatever way is easiest and most convenient for you.

My way is honestly the lazy way. I have a coupon filer where all of my clipped coupons are. Then I have a tote bag filled with all of the newspaper inserts. On those inserts I write the date it came out in black marker on the front so I can easily see which insert I need for a coupon. When it's time to start my list I take a blank envelope and write my shopping list on a separate envelope for each store I am going to. I then put the corresponding coupons in each envelope, with the item listed on the front indicating how many of each item I need.

Others have all of their coupons clipped and filed in some type of storage container for easy access and portability. Some super organized people have binders with their coupons stored in easy to see trading card inserts that they can take a long and easily flip through. I wish I was this organized!

How you organize your coupons is entirely up to you. I've included a few pictures showing my method, but find whatever method is easiest for you. The one thing I do recommend is sorting them by type. My purple coupon organizer has different compartments for paper goods, frozen foods, spices and condiments, meats and cheeses, toiletries, cat stuff, medicine, breads and grains, beverages, packaged foods, sweets and treats, and a miscellaneous category for items that don't fit into the other categories. I try to clip my inserts as often as possible, but as you can see by the picture of my full tote bag, I haven't had much time for it recently.

The main thing to remember is to make your organization system easy for you to use and to make it portable. It's not always easy to stay on top of the clipping as you can see by my example, but by keeping it all organized in a way that's simple for me to find what I need, I can make my lists and match the coupons in a short time.

What are your favorite organization tips? Leave a comment and let me know!

Coupons Basics 101

Okay, so you've decided to try to save money and look into the wonderful world of coupons...but, how do you start? What are the essentials? Will all stores take coupons? How many can you use? Can you combine them? Relax, it's really quite simple although a little time consuming at first, but once you get the hang of it you'll wonder why you didn't start doing this sooner!

The Coupon Commandments

1) Buy the Sunday paper! This is perhaps the most important thing you can do. Almost every Sunday (holiday weekends are slim pickings) the newspaper is full of coupons. Red Plum and Smartsource are the most common inserts and they contain a huge variety of coupons from groceries to toiletries to cleaning products. You will also see coupons for medicine and sometimes even rebates and other special treats. Buy multiple papers, or even better, get friends and familiy who don't utilize their coupons (yes, these crazy people do exist!) to save you their inserts. The more coupons you accumulate, the better.

2) Surf the internet. There are loads of coupons you can print online. Now some stores don't take IP's (Internet Printables), but many do. I suggest you set up a separate email address to use for this purpose because a lot of sites you print coupons from will spam you with different offers, but trust me, the coupons are worth it. I have a separate email address that I use specifically for submitting to these sites so my regular email is not clogged with crazy spam emails. You'll find a list of my favorite websites on the side of this site under links for printable coupons.

3) Start a coupon organization method that is easy for you. I have a separate post that deals specifically with organizing your coupons that is a must read. Everyone organizes their coupons in a different way and you just have to find the way that is easiest for you.

4) Always bring all your coupons with you to the store. Yes, if you have a huge amount like I do it can be a little burdensome, but it's the only way to make sure you don't miss out on unadvertised specials or clearanced items.

5) Always be on the lookout for coupons. You may never have noticed them before, but almost everywhere you can buy something, there are coupons to be had. The grocery store is the most logical place to look. Check turnstiles at the entrance which usually hold coupons as well as sales fliers, displays with special promotions, peelies on merchandise, tearpads by items, and of course those blinkie machines set up by items all over the store. Your local drug stores have coupons in and on their displays as well as on merchandise. Also look by the beauty counter and the pharmacy counter for special coupons. Even gas stations have coupons by some of their items inside their little convenience stores.

6) If there is a product you really like, write a letter or email, or even call the company to tell them. Most of the time their gratitude is expressed by offering to send you some coupons for the item you praised.

7) Clip coupons for things you may not even think you'll use. Yes, this sounds like a complete contradiction to the whole saving money thing, but it's not. Sometimes you will see a sale on an item you don't use, but that you can get for free or almost free with a coupon that either someone else you know can use or that gives you a reward for purchase. A perfect example is a blood glucose monitor I recently purchased. I am not a diabetic, but my sister-in-law is. It was on sale for $19.99 and I had a coupon to get it free. On top of it being free and being able to give it to my sister-in-law it also generated $10 in Extra Care Bucks (ECB's) that I could use for a future purchase at CVS for things I actually needed. So my sister-in-law got something free she could use, and I got $10 to spend on items I could use! (More on CVS shopping later!)

8) Look for store specific coupons. Product manufacturers put out coupons regularly, but so do certain stores. Let's use Target as an example. Target regularly publishes printable coupons on their website that you can use at their stores. The best part? If the coupon doesn't specify otherwise, you can combine a manufacturer's coupon and a store coupon to double your savings! For example, recently Target had a store coupon for The Good Life Recipe cat food for $2 off. Combine that with the manufacturer's coupon also for $2 off and you just saved $4 on a bag of cat food! Grocery stores such as Publix do this regularly also. Always check the fine print on the store coupon to make sure it can be combined though.


You know where to find your coupons now, but where can you use them? Most grocery stores take coupons, and if you're lucky enough to live where stores double or even triple coupons you can save even more! But, those of us in Florida are out of luck as this state no longer offers coupon doubling. Many major chains like Target and Wal-Mart take coupons and let's not forget your local drug stores such as CVS, Walgreen's, and Rite-Aid. If you have Big Lots nearby, they do have wonderful deals, but they do not take coupons. Something most people don't realize is that Dollar General does take coupons and this can lead to big savings and even some free items! Even stores like Macy's and Kohl's regularly put out coupons on their websites and weekly sales ads.

If you are unsure of your store's coupon policy, call them or check out their website. Most stores have a customer service department that is happy to help you with any questions you might have. Remember, coupons are a good thing and most stores realize this. Manufacturer's reimburse the store for the full face value of the coupon plus 8 cents handling fee so the store is not losing any money by honoring your coupons. You're actually doing them a favor by patronizing their store and buying their merchandise!

Welcome!

I have been bargain hunting and clipping coupons since I was a teenager, but it's only been in the last year or so that I have been doing what I call "extreme bargain shopping". I scour the weekly sales ads, combine them with coupons and shop clearance for the best possible deals. Not only is it economical and saves me hundreds and hundreds of dollars a year, but I also think of it as a game. It's fun to see how much I can stretch a dollar and just how much stuff I can get for as cheap as possible!

Now, my family is small. It's just my wonderful husband, James, myself, and our 3 cats, Sirius Black (yes, he's a black cat!), Jayne "baby cat", and our newest little cuddle-cat, Ianto. Kudos to anyone who can figure out where their names came from, by the way! But, although my family is small, we still spent a lot on groceries, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. until I started shopping the way I do. We've drastically cut our budget and have accumulated a nice little stockpile of reserves. My only problem is I can't pass up a good deal, so my stockpile keeps growing!

Whether your family is small like mine or very large, I'm sure you'll find some tips and advice that will be worth your time and that will save you a lot of money. I have several blogs and websites that I highly recommend that you will see linked on this site, and I strongly suggest you use all available resources to stretch your dollar the furthest. I will be posting daily (maybe even more) to show not only the best deals, but also to share my own ongoing struggle and learning process to get the most out of my own family's money to reach our goals. My own personal goal? Well, my husband and I both want to have children in the very near future and we both would love it if I could be a stay at home mother. In this oppressive economy it's difficult to do so, so we're trying to make this a reality before we even have children.

I welcome all of you to this site and hope you enjoy the information I share and learn a few ways to stretch your own dollars.