Friday, March 27, 2009

HT TRIPLES again!!!

I had intended to get this out before now, so you would all have more days to go shopping but I have been too busy shopping ;)
Harris Teeter has revamped their coupon policy AND they are STICKING to it. You now can ONLY USE 20 COUPONS PER CARD PER DAY! This used to be 20 per transaction and I had done up to four on one card in one day. But it is FOR REAL 20 per day now!!! I know this because I went there yesterday with a cart full and four transactions in my mind and I had to leave half my stuff in the cart to come back this morning and purchase. It is not such a big deal that they are actually implementing this policy, but that I was unaware of it and caught off guard. I will just have to adjust how I work my plan and I will have to shop on multiple days now to get all the same deals as before. Thankfully, HT is 2 minutes from my house :)

Also, you can use any left over diaper coupons this week and get $5 back when you spend $25 on ANY brand of Diapers at HT.

Here are this week's deals: I wish I had taken pictures, but I forgot about it until I had put everything away and started this post :( It would have looked cool to see the huge pile of items I got. The list just doesn't do it justice :)

Last night:
5 cans Frosting
3 packs Bar Soap (3 bars per pack)
1 Jet Dry Rinse
3 Wet Ones
1 Snyder's Pretzel Sandwiches
4 Crescent Rolls
6 Grand's Biscuits
2 Pillsbury Creations
18 bags Sargento Cheese (Yes, all this is in our freezer. A great deal for cheese)
4 Dole Jello snack packs (4 per pack)
4 cans Mandarin Oranges (15 oz.)
6 cans Green Chiles
3 packs Guacamole
1 box Frozen Waffles
Total retail: $163.27
Total Paid: $45.87

This morning:
4 Betty Crocker Warm Delight bowls
2 Mahatma Rice packs
8 Hormel Compleat meals
1 Jet Dry Rinse
2 bags Yolk Free Pasta
11 cans Beans (black, northern, pinto, garbonzo)
5 containers Wet Ones
2 bags frozen Meatballs (35 oz. each)
1 pack Bar Soap (3 bars per pack)
3 French's Mustard
2 bags Snyder's Pretzel Sandwiches
2 boxes Pantyliners
1 pkg Guacamole
1 pint Grape Tomatoes
2 Blistex Lip Balm
Total Retail: $119.64
Total Paid: $45.87

Monday, March 23, 2009

Bi-Lo Trip

I had some rain checks to use at Bi-Lo this week and there were a few great deals:

Total Retail: $125.29
Total Paid: $22.09
8 boxes Chinese Family size Meals
8 bottles Dressings
6 boxes Beechnut Cookies
8 boxes Mac-n-Cheese
5 Dial Hand Soaps
12 bags frozen veggies
1 lb. strawberries
2 gallons milk
3 French bread Loaves

Last Day for 17 e-books for $17

Last day for 17 e-books for $17 if you are interested...
go to this post for more info.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Swag Bucks - earn FREE stuff

I have started using a new search engine recently after being referred by another blog. If you sign up to use "SwagBucks" as your search engine, you can earn "bucks" to redeem for free stuff. I currently have 20 "SwagBucks" and I am saving up for something BIG like Wii fit or the like.

Here are some samples of items you can receive...
$5 Amazon.com gift card - 45 SB
$10 Starbucks gift card - 130 SB
$20 Target gift card - 220 SB
They also have many electronics and books in addition to many more gift cards. Check it out.

Go here to register FREE and start earning YOUR own rewards.

I don't usually refer my friends to anything that I don't feel is legit. As I have been using this myself for a couple weeks, I feel it is worth mentioning. I will let you know when I redeem my bucks for something BIG :)

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Recipe Rave - Creamy Fajita Pasta

Here is my attempt at making up my own recipe using the sauce from my Fajita's on Saturday. I have only done this like 5 times in my marriage and maybe 2 times was it a success. The sauce was so tasty, I hated to waste it.

You can use any meat, but I already had sausage in the freezer from several weeks ago, so that is what we used.

16 oz. Mild Sausage ($.39)
Fajita sauce (FREE)
12 0z. Rotini pasta ($.04) yep check it out
1 cup Mexican Cheese ($.39)
3/4 lb. fresh asparagus ($1.35)

Brown sausage or used previously cooked leftover meat. Cook pasta. Add Fajita sauce to meat, heat through. Mix meat and sauce with pasta Sprinkle cheese on top. Or you can bake at 350 degrees to melt cheese. Saute asparagus in EVOO. Serves 6.

Total cost $2.17

Verdict: This was great. Very tasty. The kids said, "THIS is a meal I DEFINITELY want to have again." I think the sausage gave it a nice flavor kick. The only thing was it wasn't very "creamy" maybe I need to change the name :)

Huge discount on 17 $$$ saving e-books

I just had to take a moment to let you know about a great offer from our friends at LivingOnADime.com and MoneySavingMom.com. Many of you are familiar with Crystal, Tawra and Jill's money saving, get-out-of-debt, frugal living and homemaking tips. Pretty much everything I post and use for my own personal savings comes from one of these ladies.

Well, they have just contacted me to let me know that with the rise in the price of groceries, they have decided to team up to offer you their two grocery savings e-courses along with a huge pile of bonus items. Even better, they are allowing me as a loyal follower of their blogs to offer this Savin' O The Green 17 e-book package to my readers for $17, a substantial discount off of the regular price of $75 for these e-books.

I have not actually read any of these books but I have read many other things from both of these ladies and they have been very helpful. I am so excited to be able to get all of these in a package for only $1 each.

The e-books that are included in this offer are:

Supermarket Savings 101 eCourse with audio downloads
Grocery Shopping On A Budget eCourse
Money Saving Meats e-book
Saving On Cleaning Supplies e-book
Eating Healthy On A Budget e-booklet
Is Eating Out Eating You Up? e-book
224 Meals In A Hurry e-book
Grocery Savings e-book
Menus That Make Cents e-book
Plan Ahead Leftovers e-book
Quick Dinners e-book
Menu Planning Made Easy
Simply Centsible Breakfasts
Simply Centsible Suppers
Kids Recipes
Menus On A Dime
470 Crockpot Recipes

For more information on this exciting offer, visit here.

This offer is only good FOR SIX DAYS!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Menu Plan Monday - March 16

We are having our normal breakfast and lunch items from week 3.

Dinners:
Monday - Pork Roast with Mashed Red Potatoes
(I didn't get to this one last week mainly because I forgot to thaw out the pork the day before, then I wanted to keep my other plans for the rest of the week of meals. I have this in my Crockpot now and it smells divine...)
Tuesday - Creamy Fajita Pasta (I am making this one up as I go to use the left over juices from my Saturday Fajitas)
Wednesday - Twice Baked Potatoes with Chicken
Thursday - Dinner with our Care Group, Pizza for the kids
Friday - Pork and Beans to use the left over pork from Monday
Saturday - Enjoy-overs (We are going to the ZOO today :)
Sunday - Manic Meatloaf

Total items on my grocery list from this plan ZERO!!! Yes, I am using all ingredients I have on hand in my stock pile! YEA!

Do you do a menu plan each week? Do you want to learn how? Let me know what you do for your family.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Recipe Rave - Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

I made these last night for another couple we had over for dinner. It was SO easy and very tasty. I think this is a great meal to make for another family, or to have when there is a crowd at your house. You can stretch it pretty far. We only used 4 chicken breasts and fed 4 adults and 5 children. Sorry, I didn't think to take a picture. Maybe I will add one when we have this again.

Chicken Soft Tacos (from my Meal plan Monday last week)
serves 6-8

4 Chicken Breasts
3 bell peppers of different colors
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1 pkg. taco seasoning
Flour or corn tortillas and/or Brown rice

Optional:
cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, sour cream

Put first four ingredients in Crockpot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Shred chicken with forks.

Serve on or with brown rice (for filler) OR on tortillas with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, salsa, etc.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Menu Plan Monday - March 8


I forgot to post last week, but I still had my plan for the week. I love having this accountability. It has saved a lot of stress and panic when 5:00 comes around and I already have a plan...

Monday - Turkey Black-Bean Soft Tacos (another recipe from Clean Eating)
Tuesday - Spaghetti
Wednesday - Pork Roast with mashed red potatoes
Thursday - Enjoy-overs :)
Friday - Chicken Soft Tacos
Saturday - Manic Meatloaf
Sunday - Enjoy-overs :)

$5 dinners has lots of frugal dinner ideas, and you can view TONS of weekly menus at Menu Planning Monday on orgjunkie's blog.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Walgreens Diaper STEAL!

*****UPDATE*****
These coupons have reset. I just printed them twice again. So even if you printed them last week you can print them twice per computer again!

As promised, here is the diaper deal at Walgreens with a couple possible options! Made available from Stretching a Buck.

Buy $25 in Participating Kimberly Clark Products, Get $10 in Register Rewards

* Huggies Diapers or Training Pants, Jumbo pack - $10/ea

* Huggies Baby Wipes (184-232 pk) - $6/ea

Deal Ideas:

Option #1:
- Buy 3 packs of Huggies Gentle Care Diapers (these come in newborn-Size 2)
- Use 3-$5/1 Huggies Gentle Care Diapers at Coupons.com
- Pay $15.00 out of pocket, get $10 in Register Rewards for your next visit
- Complete a rebate form at The Caregivers Marketplace and get $0.75 back per pack of diapers (read more about this program here)


It's like getting 3 packs of diapers for $2.75 after RR's and Rebate

Option #2:
- Buy 2 packs of Huggies Gentle Care Diapers (these come in newborn-Size 2)
- Buy 1 pack Huggies Baby Wipes
- Use 2 - $5/1 Huggies Gentle Care Diapers at Coupons.com
- Use $0.50/1 Huggies Wipes in 3/1 Smart Source insert
- Pay $15.50 out of pocket, get $10 in Register Rewards for your next visit
- Complete a rebate form at The Caregivers Marketplace and get $0.75 back per pack of diapers (read more about this program here)


It's like getting 2 packs of diapers and a pack of wipes for $4.00 after RR's and Rebate

Option #3:
- Buy 2 packs of Huggies Natural Fit Diapers (these come in Sizes 3-6)
- Buy 1 Pack of Huggies Baby Wipes
- Use 2-$3/1 Huggies Natural Fit Diapers at Coupons.com
- Use $0.50/1 Huggies Wipes in 3/1 Smart Source insert
- Pay $19.50 out of pocket, get $10 in Register Rewards for your next visit
- Complete a rebate form at The Caregivers Marketplace and get $0.75 back per pack of diapers (read more about this program here)


It's like getting 2 packs of diapers and one pack of wipes for $8.00 after RR's and Rebate

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For a complete run down of this week's deals at Walgreens, read more here and here.

Monday, March 2, 2009

I WON!!!

LOOK WHAT JUST SHOWED UP ON MY DOORSTEP!!!

I am SO excited that I won something. AND it was such a cool something.
I register all the time for giveaways at my favorite blogs and I actually won one. I signed up here for the giveaway. Then I saw the 3 winners out of over 200 entrants listed here. Now, I didn't get too excited seeing my name at first, because I am aware there may be more than one "Jessica of Charlotte" :) There was no way to be sure if it was me because they use a random drawing generator that doesn't not tell the entrant what their code is. So I waited... to see if it would show up. AND IT DID!

I received a fruit basket with a banana tree (minus the fruit-I already had that, doesn't it look PURDY), a coupon for a FREE box of Banana Nut Cheerios, two cereal bowls, and a bread loaf pan!

Thanks FishMama for the giveaway and the super fun goodies!

I am so excited!!!