Saving made Simple

Extreme Couponing & News Paper deals for all Grocery Smarts States

2011-06-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

The show extreme couponing has introduced a lot of new faces and interest into the couponing world. If you are new and would like some help entering this fun world of coupons or if you have tried before and need help getting started again please give me a call. I can help you get started right over the phone and get you set up with great deals on the Sunday paper (the one with the all the coupons!) in any of the states that grocery smarts has operating lists.

Also, just so you know couponing does not have to take the mass amounts of time they show the people on TV taking. You can make couponing very, very simple and still save big at the grocery store.

2 More days for Smith's Promo

2011-02-27T23:14:00.000-08:00

If you haven't checked Smith's list in the last couple weeks go look now! Smith's has been running a fabulous promotion for the last two weeks and you have 2 days left to shop it. I went last night completely filled my shopping cart and walked out only paying $50. Gotta love a great promotion!

Johnson & Johnson First Aid to go $.22 at Wal-Mart or $.24 at Target

2011-01-09T23:11:00.000-08:00

We are currently working on updating our 72 hour emergency kits in our home so I was excited to see a coupon for $1.50/2 any Johnson and Johnson Red Cross product. These little kits are only $.97 at Wal-Mart or $.99 at Target. Use this coupon and it makes them as little as $.22 and perfect for emergency kits.

Toys & Babies R Us Clearance Deals

2011-01-03T22:09:00.000-08:00

Hi! Its been awhile since anything has been posted here. Life has been very busy over here in Ashby land but I saw this deal and thought you all should see it. Toys R Us is my FAVORITE place to shop for infant and toddler clothes because I find awesome deals in the clearance section. If you go into your local Toys R Us and ask for the tote pictured above you get an additional 40% off any clearance clothes and shoes you put in the bag. I went tonight and I snagged some supper cute shoes for only $1.20 and outfits from $1-$2.50. Happy clearance shopping! : )

P.S.- The new year is a great time to get your grocery budget under control and a grocery smarts class can help give you a jump start to a year of savings. Call or e-mail to set up your class.

5 Tips for Shopping a Case lot Sale

2010-09-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

Its Smith's Case Lot sale time. The case lot sale began Wednesday and is running through the next two sales weeks. Here are some tips for shopping a case lot sale:

1) Don't forget to be PICKY ABOUT PRICE! Just because a product is part of a case lot sale does not mean its a great price. My price point for canned items such as vegetables, fruits, and beans is $.50 or less. Decide your price point and use the star ratings in Smith's list to help you decide which deals are worth it to you.

2) ONLY BUY WHAT YOU WILL USE! If you don't normally buy or eat canned kidney beans I don't care how cheap they are unless they are free, don't buy them!! Also there is not point in buying a 2 year supply of a product if its all going to expire in 4 months. Buy in quantities that you will USE BY THE EXPIRATION date printed on the can.

3) Contrary to some rumors, items are not, I repeat NOT, put in the case lot sale for the store to get rid of products that are about to expire. The case lot sale is not a clearance sale! (Trust me a clearance sale would have better prices!)

4) YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY A WHOLE CASE! While it is called the case lot sale and whole cases are placed at the front of the store if you go back to where the items are normally shelved you can buy them in singles for the same price per item as the case. The benefit to buying in singles is that if you have coupons for the items you can use more of them. You can also better control your quantities.

5) DON'T FORGET YOUR MONTHLY BUDGET! Yes the case lot sale only comes around twice a year but that's still no excuse to completely forget your families budget.

One more day of Albertsons Super Savings

2010-09-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been really busy getting ready for my oldest to start 1'st grade and prepping for the start of my new preschool year. This morning we ran out of cereal, shocking for those who know us so I went and took a quick look at the lists and was so happy that I did. Albertsons is running two great promos with exactly what I needed for my family and preschool.

For everything pictured behind my cute 4 year old (who insisted on being in the picture):

I Saved: $119.94

and

I Only Spent: $44.51

Some tips if you'd like to shop this today:

*Use $5/5 Kraft cheese here making the 8oz bags and bars FREE

*Use $1/1 Crystal Light here (its part of the Kraft promo) to make the final price $.50

*You need to split your transactions up if you would like to do the kraft promotion more than once. If you do split up your purchases so you can do the promotion more than once you CAN use the $5 catalina from your previous transaction to help pay for the next transaction.

Smith's $1 Coupon event AGAIN!!

2010-08-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

My reciept from Smith's Saturday night stated that Smith's $1 coupon event is coming back again starting on Wednesday. Yippy!!

FREE Cereal Starting Wednesday

2010-08-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

~~Jen from over at Grocery Geek gets to see the Smith's and Albertsons add early each week and she posted this picture on facebook from the add:~~

~~Use the printable coupons from Group A and Group B to score some free cereal. Use the $1/3 from the General Mills insert 8/8 to make it $.22. I love good cereal sales! : )~~

The add was a misprint. Smith's have retractions in all their stores. Sad : (

Are you still looking for a preschool?

2010-08-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

I don't often blog here about my preschool adventures but as the new school year is almost here for the first time since I began teaching preschool, 4 years ago, I find myself with a very small 4-5 year old class enrollment. If you have a child just one year away from kindergarten and are still looking for a preschool for them to attend might I suggest me? : )

I have a preschool website here with some basic information and I welcome any calls or e-mails with questions you may have.

Free Bowling Coupon for Saturday 8/7

2010-08-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday is National Bowling Day and several locations around Southern Nevada are participating. Go here to sign up for your free coupons and find a location near you.

Free Audio Books

2010-08-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

There is a website I found while looking for free books called Books Should Be Free. There are hundreds of free audio books ranging from the classics...

To something for the whole family.
So if you are looking for something new to listen to on a road trip this summer or just around the house while doing chores I would recommend checking it out.

Smiths Continues to Bring the House Down With Rock Bottom Prices

2010-07-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

I was able to make it in to smiths today for a last minuet trip before their dollar days ended(every coupon under a dollar is given the value of $1) . Also this week is the Proctor and gamble promotion buy 4 P&G products and save $4 instantly on non P&G products in your purchase. I have to say I was tempted not to go because things have been pretty busy lately, but it was well worth the trip. I tried to organize my purchases in to one photo but ended up with to much so I split it all up. Dairy and Meats

Yoplait Whips were priced @ $.60 ea. I used 2 $.55/2 making them only $.10 ea.
Yoplait Greek cups priced $1.19 ea. I used 2 $.30/1 making them $.19 ea.
Jennie-O 90% lean ground turkey was on sale 3 for $5

Fresh Produce

Cantaloupes were $.99 ea
Limes 5 for $1
Bananas $.52 lb

This is a very important part of our diet in the Frederick household. I know many people start scaling back on fresh produce as a simple way reduce their budget. But I have found that you can have the good stuff and still stick to a strict budget.

Household Items

Tide Stain Release priced for $10.99 I used $3/1 Coupon from P&G and loaded a $3/1 smiths coupon to my card. This was also one of the items in the P&G promotion this week saving me and extra buck bringing the final price to $3.99

Downy Dryer Sheets Priced for $ 4.99 I used a $1/1 from P&G loaded a $2/1 smiths coupon to my card add in the P&G promotion saving the extra dollar final price $.99

Bounty Paper Towels 2ct priced 2.99 used a $.25/1 then factor in an additional $1 off for P&G promotion final price $.99

Olay Total Effects Body Wash priced $6.89 I used a $4/1 from P&G and loaded a $1.50/1 smiths coupon to my card final price $1.39

Everything Else

Hunts Ketchup priced $1.79 used $.20/1 SS final price $.79

Wacky Mac Pasta priced $1.59 used $.50/1 SS final price $.59

Eggs on sale for $.89 a dozen

Freebies!!

Soft Soap priced for $1.07 used 2 $.35/1 final price $.07 ea

I pulled these items from my other photos every thing in this photo was free except the soft soap. All the other coupons were from coupon inserts except for the ivory body wash I loaded a $.50/1 to my smiths card.

When all was said and done I spent a total of 61.80 and saved 95.93. The break down of my savings was as follows.

MFG Coupons $43.28
DBL Coupon Promo $18.62
Fresh Values $34.03

That is over a 60% savings!
Divided among all of my items I spent about $.86 an item!
You really can not get savings like this with out coupons.

Are you ready to shop?

2010-07-29T23:47:00.000-07:00

Alright everyone I just got back from vacation and thought I would just sit back and let the week go by with no shopping because good grief there have been so many good sales what could possibly drag me out to the stores? Well how about coming home to TWO stores running double coupons!!!

That's right Smith's is running their $1 coupon days again (so every coupon is worth up to $1 ex $.25/1 = $1/1) and Albertsons is running double coupons (every coupon valued up to $1 will be doubled ex $1/1 = $2/1!)

Now if you have never shopped an Albertsons double coupon event before here are some extra tips and rules:
*The double coupons are found on the back of the Albertsons coupon booklet found inside your store
*You can only use 2 doublers per transaction (you can do as many transaction as you like)
*Coupons can only be double that have a face value of $1 or less.
*The Double Coupons are good through August 10 this time : )
Calling All Super Savers has a good list of extra coupons to use on this event here.

Smith's Coupon event is the same as just a couple weeks ago. Any coupon valued at $1 or less will be honored as if it was worth $1. So like their add says $.25=$1, $.50=$1 etc. Nice thing about Smith's coupon event is you can use as many coupons as you'd like. Down side, the $1 days only last Thursday-Saturday. There is a great list of extra coupons to use for this event at Pinching Your Pennies here.

Smith's Second Chance

2010-07-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

Didn't get a chance to hit Smith's Mega Sale last week? Well you're in luck because its running for a second week in a row. I am glad because I was planning on going yesterday but had to change my plans when my van had to go in for repairs. Sometimes we just have to be flexible and I'm glad I can still use my shopping list I got ready yesterday : )

Even MORE Coupons for Smith's

2010-07-18T01:04:00.000-07:00

Misti is the amazing Smith's list maker. Did you know that if you have questions or find extra deals you can contact Misti on Pinching Your Pennies? This week Misti has tons of extra coupons posted on the Smith's list link plus the details on a Kraft promotion that begins Monday. Smith's just keeps getting better : )

Extra Coupons For Smiths Mega Event This Week

2010-07-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a few extra coupons and possible catalina print outs that will boost your savings this week even more!

Use $1/1 Miracle Whip HERE final Price = Free

Use $1/1 Aquafresh toothpaste HERE final price= Free

Use $2/1 Tombstone pizza HERE Final price=$0.49

Use $1/1 Welch's Juice HERE final price = $1.49

Use $1/1 any Sara Lee frozen dessert HERE final price= $1.79

Use Command Hooks $1/1 HERE final price=$0.50-1.00

Use $1/1 Scotch-Brite Bathroom Solutions product HERE final price= $1.00

Possible Catalina print outs

Lean Cuisine Single Serve Entrees, 5 - 15.5 oz.
7/12 - 8/8
Buy 5 - 7, get $3.00 for your next purchase
Buy 8 or more, get $4.00 for your next purchase

Kraft Cheese & Dairy products
7/19 - 8/15
Buy 5 or more, get $5.00for your next purchase

Happy Shopping

Catrina

Smith's is on FIRE

2010-07-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Smith's is on fire with their sales lately. This week there is another great promo! Buy 10 participating items get $5 off instantly. I love these kinds of sales because you don't have to deal with any catalinas just buy the amount in the promotion and get the discount instantly. Go here to make your list. If I find any extra deals or coupons to match I will let you know : )

UPDATE: Las Vegas on a Dime has some great tips for some free stuff from the Smith's Sale.

FREE extra inserts

2010-07-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who just e-mailed me this:

I found a whole bunch of Sunday's papers dumped in the recycling bin at the school I work at. So I took all the coupon inserts I could find and came up with 73. I am offering them up to whoever wants some. Just let me know how many you want and when you can come get them.

If you would like some of these and they aren't all gone e-mail me and I will pass you along Judy's information.

Judy is also looking for JoAnn coupon inserts from this last Sunday paper to help with a project she and her mom are doing so if you are looking for some of those inserts and have an extra JoAnns coupon to spare please let her have it ; )

Smith's Trip (plus a few extra tips)

2010-07-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

I ran by Smith's this afternoon. It seems like Smith's has been my store for the last little while : )

A couple extra savings I found:

Corn is on sale for $.25 a piece
Pepsi 2 liter products are on sale for $.88! (Sierra Mist, Pepsi, Mt. Dew etc.)
All Coopertone products are on sale for $5.00 (as the list shows). Use this $1/1 coupon here to make it even sweeter deal.

I split my trip up into three transactions when I checked out so I could do the General Mills Cereal promotion 3 times. Once everything was paid for I bought $130.90 worth of groceries for only $51.22!!! I saved $79.72 (that's 61% savings!)

General Mills Cereal Deal at Smith's

2010-07-08T13:55:00.000-07:00

Have you looked at the new grocery store adds this week? If you like General Mills Cereal this is a great weekend to go to Smith's. Smith's is doing a three day sale 7/8-7/10 and part of that is a General Mills promo. Buy 4 save $6 instantly. You are limited to $6 off per transaction so if you'd like to buy more than 4 just split your trip up into separate transaction on the belt. The coupons that match this sale are printables from Group A and Group B.

Huggies Pull Ups $2.50 and Diapers for as little as $1.50!! @ CVS

2010-07-06T01:41:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the CVS list this week? Pull Ups is one of the things on my list that I am always on the look out for great deals on. They are so expensive and I am a "brand snob" about them. I love the velcro like sides and my poor little six year old insists that if she must still wear pull ups than they MUST have a princess on them : ) This week at CVS you can score really cheap Huggies Pull Ups for $2.50 (and diapers if you need diapers for $2.00 or $1.50!!!) Go here to see CVS list and scroll down to the section of products that you spend $20 and get $10 ECB.

I'm Back

2010-07-06T01:22:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend. My family and I (like I'm sure many of you did) traveled last week which is why there has been a lack of posts. We're back now! : )

Extra Smith's Deals

2010-06-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

I've been browsing the deal blogs out there to see if anyone came up with anymore great deals for Smith's and I found a few that you might like if you are planning on heading to Smith's:

Old El Paso Taco Seasoning: $.89
Use $.50/1 Group A Coupons
Final Price: Free plus a little overage

Scotch Brite Copper Pad: $1.19
Use $1/1 here
Final Price: $.19

Colgate Toothpaste: $1.00
Use $.75/1 SS 6/27
Final Price: FREE

American Beauty Pasta: $1.00
Use $.50/1 here
Final Price: FREE

Sunny D (the kind that looks like a soda bottle, they don't carry this kind at my store): $1.00
Use $.25/1 here
Final Price: FREE

Weber Seasoning Marinade Mix: $.89
Use $.50/1 SS 6/27
Final Price: Free plus a little overage

Blue Diamond Almond: $.99
Use $.50/1 here
Final Price: Free

Wacky Mac Pasta: $1.25
Use $.50/1 SS 5/16
Final Price: $.25

Michalinas Entree: $1.00 (I'm not positive on this price)
Use $.50/1 or $1/1 SS 5/9
Final Price: Free

Ok I have to go volunteer at school now. There are lots of great deals out there. Special thanks to lasvegasonadime.com, callingallsupersavers.com, and grocery smarts alphabetical coupon index ; ) for helping me find more extra deals!

Two More Days

2010-06-28T02:10:00.000-07:00

You have two more days, today and tomorrow, to take advantage of the current grocery store sales at Smith's, Albertsons, Vons, and Food 4 Less. This is because grocery store sales adds run from Wednesday-Tuesday. Other stores, like CVS, Walgreens, and Target run their sales adds from Sunday-Saturday. To make your list go here.

P.S.-It is the end of the month so don't forget your budget while you are out there ; )

2 Inserts Today 6/27 UPDATE: I WAS WRONG

2010-06-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

~~Today is a two insert weekend (because next Sunday is a holiday weekend which equals no coupons).~~ Mark both inserts 6/27 file them whole and than watch for SS 6/27 to come up in the weekly lists. : )

UPDATE: I was wrong about this past weekend being a two insert weekend. I didn't get to my papers last night and could only find the one. Next Sunday 7/4 there will no coupons though for sure because it is a holiday weekend. Sorry for the wrong info!

Have any of you had a great shopping trip this week? Send me a picture and what you spent and saved and I'll post here for everyone to see.

Saving At Smith's

2010-06-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

I put together my Smith's list today while my 6 year old was at kindergarten. I'm really happy with how my trip went. I spent $86.61 and saved...$109.23!!! I also got a free redbox code from the soda and $3.50 off my next order catalina from the fruit snacks.

Here are some extra deals that I added on to my trip that aren't part of the sales add this week:

Dole Salad Kit: $.99 (managers special)

used $1/1 Dole Salad Kit (only valid at Smiths) Group A

Final Cost: FREE!

Soft Soap Hand Soap: $1.00

used $.35/1 Here

Final Cost: FREE! (after Smith's Coupon event)

Valasic Del Relish: $1.00

Used $.55/1 June All You Magazine

Final Cost: FREE!

Ronzoni Smart Taste Box: $1.00

used $.75/1 Here

Final Cost: FREE!

Bounty Basic Single Paper Towel Roll: $1.09

used $.25/1 PG 6/6

Final Cost: $.09

Sun Detergent: Clearanced for $1.79 liquid or $1.49 powder

used $.50/1 RP 5/23

Final Cost: $.79 or $.49

Hormel Peperoni: $2.39

used $.55/1 SS 5/2

Final Cost: $1.39

Ziploc Freezer Bags: $2.50

used $.40/1 SS 5/16

Final Cost: $1.50 (I really needed freezer bags!)

Also Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, Stickers, Fruit Roll Ups etc. are part of the Daytona 500 Promo. Pinching Your Pennies pointed out their is a catalina deal on these as well. Buy 3 get $1.00 off your next purchase. Buy 4 get $2.50 off your next purchase. Buy 5 get $3.50 off your next purchase. I used 2 pintable coupons from Group A and loaded 1 coupon from Shortcuts to my Smith's card.

I really do love great sales! : )

Target Shoping trip for only $.95

2010-06-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law Catrina put together this awesome target trip.

1 Scrubbing Bubbles Extend a Clean Power Sprayer $6.99

$6.99-$5.00 coupon from right@home.com HERE= 1.99
$1.99-$3.00 from target coupons HERE
= $1.01 overage (I bought 2 so I had a 2.02 overage)
Look for $1/1 OR $1/2 Target Coupon Peelies found in Some Stores (bright green)

Buy 6 Old Spice Body Wash ($3.99) = $23.94
-$11.97 (use 3 B1G1 Old Spice Body Wash 5-02 OR 6-06-10 PG OR 4-18-10 RP)
= $11.97 – $10 (Get Back two $5 Gift Cards for Buying 6)
=1.97
-$3.00 If you find the $1/2 Target Coupon Peelies found in Some Stores (bright green and are found in store on the product)
= $1.03 overage for 6 after coupons and Gift Cards.

Sobe Life Water 10 for $10.00, earn a $5.00 gift card when you buy 10. Use .50 Target printable coupon. Can only print two.
$10.00-$1.00 in target coupons= $9.00
$9.00-$5.00 gift card = $4.00

$4.00- 3.05 overage= $.95 for everything

Catrina is an awesome couponer, grocery smarts instructor and is going to start co-blogging with me. Yeah!!! : )

Have you seen the new lists? Smith's is AMAZING!

2010-06-23T23:10:00.000-07:00

There are some really great sales this week at every store including CVS, Walgreens, Target. For the grocery stores there are some incredible deals this week too. Smith's has a great coupon event this week. Any coupon under $1 will be valued as $1. So if you have a coupon for $.25/1 it will be valued as $1/1 etc. Cool huh? Also the Daytona 500 promo buy 10 save $3 instantly has some awesome deals! Yippy, see you at Smith's.

For some extra Smith's coupons you can load your Smith's card here with some digital coupons (coupons that are loaded to your card and you don't have to print.) Using this you can get some A&W 2 litter root beer for $.40 and Country Time drink mix for $.49.

Wal-Mart Price Matching

2010-06-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

Do you like price matching at Wal-Mart? Did you know that grocery smarts can make price matching VERY easy? Here's how:

1) Go to Nevada's Grocery Smarts home page here and select the All in One List.

2) Click start, (this will shade all the lines gray). Click the items that you would like to price match. (remember 4 and 5 star items are the best deals of the week and appear in red like this *****.) Also make sure you click the store name. Than you have the prices in one place and if the cashier needs the add you know exactly which stores add to grab.

3) Once you are happy with your list hit shrink in the upper right hand corner (its in red). This will shrink in your list down to just the items you've selected. Click Print Now and there's your list all ready for you to take and price match. Don't forget your coupons that match up to the sales items, they are listed in the 4'th column : )

A few last suggestions for making your price matching trip a success:

Walmart will only price match regular sale items that appear in a stores regular weekly circular. They will not price match promotions like buy 5 save $5.
There price matching policy says you need to have the add to back up the price match. They won't always ask you for this especially if they can see you have your official grocery smarts list but to make things go faster if they do I recommend after selecting your items that you circle them in your add just in case you have to show your add.
Be patient. Some cashiers are better at price matching than others
Be courteous to shoppers behind you and warn them if you are going to be price matching several items.

Questions? Please feel free to call or e-mail me.

First Day of Regal Family Movie Festival 2010

2010-06-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of Regal Cinemas 2010 Movie Festival. Take your kids to the movies for FREE every Tuesday or Wednesday from now through August 19 : ) Movies start at 10am.

Today at the Village Square Stadium is showing: Doogal or Hotel for Dogs

Colonnade Stadium 14 is showing: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs or The spy Next Door

See all the dates and movie titles on my post here.

Simple CVS Trip for only $4.19

2010-06-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

You can get some great deals by shopping at the drugstores. Here in Southern Nevada we have CVS and Walgreens. These stores have their own rewards programs. CVS has extra care bucks (ECB's) and Walgreens has register rewards (RR's). In an advanced class I teach you how to shop these stores successfully without too much stress. Here is my first rule:

When you're new keep it SIMPLE!!

Here is a simple trip you could do this week at CVS:

Transaction #1: Buy 1 Colgate Total on sale for $2.77

use $1/1 SS 6/6

Pay $1.77 out of pocket get $2 ECBs (limit 1)

this is like you just got Colgate Total for FREE!

Transaction #2: Don't get back in line just inform the cashier that you will be splitting your purchase into 2 transactions : )

Buy 1 Post Cereal on sale for $1.88

use $2/1 printable coupon here

Buy as many Glade Air Freshener Sprays as you'd like on sale for $1

use $1/1 from SS 6/6 or $1/1 Group A

Buy 2 Nestle Pure Life Water 24 pk on sale for 2.77

use $1/2 Group A

Use your 2 ECB's from transaction #1

Pay $2.42 TOTAL (pre-tax)!!!

Total out of pocket for all of this is $4.19!

Want to learn more? Host a class and get an invite to one of my advanced classes.

Advanced Classes

2010-06-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

Do you feel like you have the basics of saving money with coupons down? How would you like to attend an advanced couponing class? I really appreciate all of you out there who help grocery smarts continue to be FREE by hosting free classes and to return the favor I am offering my home and time to you. To do this I am once again going to be teaching advanced couponing classes. I'll teach you how to save even more at the store, how to be successful playing "the drug store game" at CVS and Walgreens and you can ask me all the questions you've been building up. To be invited to one of my advanced classes all of you have to do is host a free grocery smarts class in your home (or where ever you'd like me to go). Contact me to schedule your class:

553-2080

lvsavingmadesimple@gmail.com

Stawberry Freezer Jam

2010-06-18T23:49:00.000-07:00

2lb packages of Strawberries are on sale for $1.99 at Vons right now. I love strawberries. I love eating them plain, I LOVE dipping them in chocolate and I also love home made strawberry freezer jam. Every year during strawberry season I wait for strawberries to go on sale for $.99 a pound and than I make a years worth of freezer jam. Freezer jam is super easy (and when I say easy I mean REALLY easy) to make. This year my sister-in-law and I decided to make jam together.

To make strawberry freezer jam you will need:

1 box Sure-Jell

2 Cups crushed/pureed Strawberries (about 1 1/2lbs)

4 Cups Sugar

several small tupperware

All the directions are in the Sure Jell box it truly is easy.

1)Clean and cut the tops off the strawberries.

2) Chop/Puree strawberries in blender or food processor

3) Mix Strawberries and 4 cups of sugar together in larger bowl. Let stand 10 minutes stirring occasionally

4) Mix 3/4 cups water and sure-jell pack together. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute.

5) Add sure-jell mixture in with the strawberries and sugar. Mix constantly for 3 minutes.

6) Poor into containers. Let stand for 24 hours than refrigerate or freeze.

Once frozen freezer jam is good for 1 year : )

FREE Fun With Legos at Toys R Us

2010-06-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

I just received an e-mail from Toys R US that they are doing a Family Creation Challenge with legos tomorrow. Go here to search for a store near you.

Teachers Needed

2010-06-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

Do you love Grocery Smarts? Would you like to help others learn how to save money using this free website and understanding how to shop smart at the stores? Could you use a little extra money each month? Grocery Smarts is looking for new instructors to help spread the word and teach classes. If you would like to be considered please contact me! I am now working with new instructors to help get them certified and trained. Call or e-mail me for more details.

National Flip Flop Day = Free Smoothie 6/18

2010-06-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is National Flip Flop Day (I don't know who decided that) but if you wear your flip flops into any Tropical Smoothie Cafe tomorrow you can get a free smoothie and I am all for nice freebies like that in the summer heat! To find a store by you go here.

June is Dairy Month at Albertsons! UPDATE

2010-06-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

update: I went to Albertsons this afternoon and NV Albertsons are not participating in the dairy month : ( Sad I know. Also the General Mills promotion does NOT generate a $5 off you next order it only gives you 50 box top code (which is worth $5 dollars to your local school)

~~I noticed on Albertsons list link to Pinching Your Pennies that June is Albertsons Dairy Month.~~ ~~When you buy 5 participating products you will get a coupon for $5 off your next purchase.  I did a little looking around and found a complete list of the participating products~~ ~~here. This week there are 3 different items in the sales list that match up with the dairy promo:~~

~~Tropicana 50 Orange Juice, 59oz         $2.49~~
~~use $1/1 in the RP 6/6~~
~~with Dairy promotion final cost: $.49!!!~~

~~Yoplait Delights 4pk                           $3.00 (or shop the general Mills promo and make it only $2.25)~~
~~use $1/1 in~~ ~~Group A~~ ~~coupons~~
~~with General Mills Promo AND dairy promotion final cost: $.25!!!~~

~~Yoplait YoPlus, 4pk                           $3.00 (or shop the general Mills promo and make it only $2.25)~~
~~use $1/1 in~~ ~~Group A~~ ~~coupons~~
~~with General Mills Promo AND dairy promotion final cost: $.25!!!~~

~~Amazing huh!! Have a fun shopping week!~~
~~Have questions shoot me an e-mail or give me a call. : )~~

Need Milk? Go to Smiths! UPDATED 6/17

2010-06-16T23:29:00.000-07:00

Update: There was a mistake in the Smith's list this week. The great milk prices are in Utah not here in Nevada : ( The list should be fixed now.

~~We go through milk really fast here in Ashby Land so milk is often a weekly need item. As I was just looking through the new~~ ~~lists~~ I am really excited that Smiths has Mountain Dairy Gallon milk on sale for really great prices this sales week (Wednesday 6/16- Tuesday 6/22). Here's the break down on the different types of Mountain Dairy Milk on sale this week:

~~Skim $1.59~~

~~1% $1.69~~

~~2% $1.79~~

~~Whole $1.89~~

Also if you are heading over to Smiths this week there are a couple other really sweet deals in the lists this week. Ivory 3pk soap is only $.50 after coupon and Dial liquid hand soap is only $.65 after coupon. I also like the Green Giant Frozen Veggies for $.75 after coupon.

FAQ's

2010-06-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

What is Grocery Smarts?

Many shoppers who want to save money at the grocery store spend hours scouring over the ads and digging through piles of coupons to find what matches up. Grocery Smarts puts an end to all of that craziness and simply matches local store ads to current coupons (found in the Sunday paper) in an easy to use list. The list is updated each week as new ads are released and even links you instantly to any online printable coupons that are out there. Using an easy "5 Star" rating system, the list even tells you which deals are the BEST deals! And, the greatest part about these lists is they are free! Free for anyone to use, anytime... and you don't even have to register or fork over your email address to use the service. Nice, huh?

How can I learn how to use the lists?

The best way to learn how to use the store lists is to attend a class. If you haven't ever been invited to one, consider hosting your own! In-home classes work the best, so grab your friends and family to attend and contact me to book one anytime!

What's a class like?

Classes generally last about an hour (depending on how chatty the ladies get). In that time, I teach you the benefits of shopping the sales, show you how to do it, and give you recommendations on how to stay organized. It's not complicated or difficult to learn because the list does all the hard work for you.

How much time will I have to spend clipping coupons?

Virtually none! Seriously, the Grocery Smarts big wigs came up with literally a "5 minute" method that'll keep you organized, yet not feeling overwhelmed. You only cut what you need, when you need it!

Is it really worth it?

It is for me (and lots of my friends and family)! I've been couponing for along time and my budget is in good check and my pantry is full. My favorite part about shopping this way is I actually get to buy nicer brands. No more generics for me... nothing beats a name brand item when it's on sale and has a coupon to boot! Plus, my husband fully supports it, praises me for my trophy receipts (the ones where I save more than I spent) and he LOVES that there is always nice snacks to grab when he gets home from work!

So... What's the catch?

Several other similar online shopping services charge users a monthly membership fee to access their coupon matching service. However, in an effort to be a head above the rest, the founders of Grocery Smarts didn’t think charging a monthly fee to families who are trying to save money made any sense at all. They started thinking outside the box and realized that regardless of what service you use, in order to shop smart and to do it right, you need multiple sets of coupons from the Sunday paper. They thought, "Why charge a fee to the user… when the newspaper sits right in the middle directly benefiting from the concept we teach?" So, the Grocery Smarts big wigs presented their concept to the Review Journal. They quickly realized that when we teach our classes, we naturally refer new subscribers to the paper. So, you can imagine how quickly they jumped on the opportunity to open their market up to moms like us who typically wouldn't be getting the paper at all.

So here's the long and short of it... At the class, as I teach you the concept of shopping smart and show you how you can use the website to save money at the store. And, because having the right amount of coupons (1 set for each person in your household) is such a key part of saving big, it makes sense for me to hook you up with the papers you need at the class. I offer the Review Journal at amazing prices to anyone not currently taking the paper, plus can get you up to 4 more additional Sunday papers delivered to your door for less than a buck a week! And that's why the class is free... I make money based on how many new subscriptions I turn into the Review Journal. So, I guess we can all thank them for stepping up, getting involved and helping Grocery Smarts keep the classes and website FREE for everyone!

My Trip To Albertsons

2010-06-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

I made a quick trip to Albertsons this afternoon. They didn't have everything I wanted (like the angel soft toilet paper!) but I still did pretty well especially after combining my coupons with Albertons double coupon offer. This trip cost me $24.25 and I saved $38.17! Yeah!!!

FREEBIES in Vons Promo

2010-06-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

I was blog hopping and came across Las Vegas on a Dime and she pointed out how to get some freebies from Vons promo buy 8 save $4 instantly running through 6/15. Go see her post here for how to get some nice freebies!

Did you notice the Freebie on the front page of your RP 6/6?

2010-06-12T00:20:00.000-07:00

The front page of the 6/6 Red Plum is full of ways to get free Frutista or Limade Sparkler! What an awesome way to beat the heat. I've tried them both and think they are both fantastic.

Oh what do you do in the Summer Time?

2010-06-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

I LOVE movies, especially going to the theater. One of my favorite summer programs is about to begin and it involves going to the movies FOR FREE! Every Tuesday and Wednesday starting June 22 and going through August 18 Regal theaters around the country have their family film festival. This is how their site describes it:

We have planned a fun-filled summer of select movies for kids and parents. Regal has proudly offered this free summer fun since 1991. Oh, did we mention that it’s FREE!

Selected G or PG movies start at 10:00am every Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. Tickets and seating are first-come, first-served and are limited to theatre capacity.

The Free Family Film Festival is safe, lots of fun and a great way for kids to spend a weekday morning in the summer. Tickets for our 2010 Free Family Film Festival are exclusively available at select theatres’ box office on the day of the show.

There are two theaters here in town participating in the program. Here is their name, address, phone and summer schedule:

Village Square Stadium 18

9400 W Sahara Ave

Las Vegas ,NV 89117

702-838-0490

06/22-23/2010 Doogal (G) Hotel For Dogs (PG)

06/29-30/2010 Muppets From Space (G) Paul Blart: Mall Cop (PG)

07/06-07/2010 Tale of Despereaux (G) Coraline (PG)

07/13-14/2010 Pirates Who Don't Do Anything (G) Astro Boy (PG)

07/20-21/2010 Charlotte's Web (G) Planet 51 (PG)

07/27-28/2010 Rugrats The Movie (G) Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (PG)

08/03-04/2010 Rugrats In Paris (G) Kung Fu Panda (PG)

08/10-11/2010 Wallace and Gromit (G) Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (PG)

08/17-18/2010 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (G) Monsters Vs. Aliens (PG)

Colonnade Stadium 14

8880 South Eastern Ave

Las Vegas ,NV 89123

702-948-2903

06/22-23/2010 Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs - DP (PG) The Spy Next Door - DP (PG)

06/29-30/2010 Kung Fu Panda - DP (PG) Tooth Fairy - DP (PG)

07/06-07/2010 Wallace And Gromit - DP (G) Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs - DP (PG)

07/13-14/2010 Monsters Vs. Aliens - DP (PG) Night At The Museum II - DP (PG)

07/20-21/2010 Everyone's Hero - DP (G) Hotel For Dogs - DP (PG)

07/27-28/2010 Horton Hears A Who - DP (G) Paul Blart: Mall Cop - DP (PG)

08/03-04/2010 Space Chimps - DP (G) Aliens In The Attic - DP (PG)

08/10-11/2010 Tale Of Despereaux - DP (G) Coraline - DP (PG)

08/17-18/2010 Pirates Who Don't Do Anything - DP (G) Astro Boy - DP (PG)

What to do with your newspapers

2010-06-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

I've heard a lot of people hesitate to get the paper because what on earth are they going to do with it after they get the coupons out? Good question and there are LOTS of answers. Here are some of my favorite solutions to do with your old papers:

1) Recycle them!

In most areas in Vegas and Henderson it doesn't cost anything to add recycling to your trash pick up. Just call republic services and request the the recycling bins. Call 702-735-5151.

2) Save a few for Cleaning

Using newspaper to help shine your mirrors and windows works better than paper towels and is cheaper : )

3) Wrapping Paper

I think especially using the funnies section as wrapping paper is a genius fun idea for wrapping paper!

What do you like to use your papers for after you get the coupons out, (because I know that's your favorite part of the paper ; ) )

Free Family Activites at Bass Pro Shops

2010-06-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

I was just flipping through my adds for this week (you know trying to find my Red Plums) and happened to notice an insert in Bass Pro Shops add about free family activities. They call their program Family Summer Camp and man they have a lot of fun things lined up FOR FREE from now until July 11!

Every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday from Noon-6pm there will be these FREE Activities:
Shooting Gallery (see who can hit the most targets)
Shoot Range (with bows or BB guns)
Casting Pod
Make Smores (5-6pm while supplies last)
Photo (Saturday & Sundays only)
Crafts (Tuesday& Thursday 4-5pm Saturday & Sunday Noon-2pm until while supplies last. Crafts include leather keychain, Wiggle Fish, Camping photo frame, paint animal track, design your own bird house)

Also Try out These Workshops and earn a pin for every workshop you complete:
Archery- Hit the Bull's Eye!
Shooting Basics- Taking Aim!
Fishing Basics-Go Fish!
Bird Watching-Vacation with the Birds!
Plants & Insects- Discover Another World!
Camping Basics- Camping Discovery!
Animal Identification- Discover Scat and Tacks!
Pet Safety- Protecting Your Pet!
Hiking Basics- Trekking Through the Summer!

For a list of times and exact dates see the add in your mail or go to their website here.

Talented Tuesday

2010-06-08T17:25:00.000-07:00

For this weeks Talented Tuesday I'd like to introduce you to Angela Salazar, a VERY talented local photographer. Recently Angela did our family photo shoot and I am so impressed with how great it went. Her fee includes travel to a location, professional 1-2hour photo shoot, digital editing, and after all that SHE GIVES YOU the CD so you have the rights to your photos. She maintains a business blog at angelasalazarphotography.blogspot.com. Here are a few of my favorites from our shoot:

Menu Wednesday 6/2

2010-06-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Happy June! I hope you all had a great memorial day weekend. Looking over the new sales adds for this week I have to say that I am not overly impressed and no one sales add stands out to me. I picked Vons to make my menu shopping list this week. I think their promo has some good deals (even some of the ones marked as 3 stars are decent deals) Anyways so here is my menu for this week, I don't think the adds are going to give me enough for 6 of each meal type but here some ideas I came up with looking JUST AT VONS add:

Breakfast:
Cereal (Part of the Promotion)
Cinnamon Rolls & Nesquick Flavored Milk (Part of the promotion)
If you have Eggs left over from last week: Eggs and hash browns (Use the Ore-Ida potatoes in the promo)

Lunch:
Tuna Sandwiches (tuna is part of the promotion)
Chicken Salad
Sandwiches with lunch meat, cheese, lettuce and tomato
Macaroni and Cheese

Dinner:
Ribs
Spaghetti and Meat balls (Sauce and noodles are part of the promo)
Taco Salad (Chips on sale in the promo)
Grilled Stake

Talented Tuesday

2010-06-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

I'm going to start another new type of post that I'm going to call Talented Tuesday. I've met some amazingly talented individuals here that I think are worth you knowing about (especially ones that aren't heavily advertised) For my first Talented Tuesday post I'd like to introduce you to Becca Mohler.

Becca is a wonderful young women with a talent for being great with kids, especially little girls. For my girls joint birthday party in March, I hired Becca to come to our princess party as Cinderella. Becca did a WONDERFUL job. She took the time to talk to each little princess at the party, she read them a story, danced with them, did each of their make up, took a picture with each girl individually, gave each one their own special ring and gave my birthday girls a crown. She even stayed and sang happy birthday and ate cake with all the little girls. My girls think she really is Cinderella and want to go visit her at Disney Land!

Becca was absolutely amazing and her prices are too! When I contacted her, her rates were $30 for half hour and $50 for an hour. (that is seriously a killer deal!) To contact her you can e-mail kurlykarol@aol.com or call 428-7651.

If you would like to be featured in one of my Talented Tuesday please e-mail me with information about yourself, what amazing thing it is that you do and what my readers should know about you. Next week I am going to be featuring an amazing local photographer.

Easy Memorial Day Slushie

2010-05-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day! Did you pick up a watermelon from Smith's for you celebration today? I picked up a couple, how could I resist for only .25 a pound?! My family LOVES watermelon and I found this supper easy recipe on food networks site here.

Ingredients
3 cups diced watermelon
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup crushed ice
1/2 cup water

Directions
Blend watermelon, lime juice, sugar, ice and water in a blender until smooth.

So Excited!

2010-05-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

Have you had shopping trips that leave you feeling giddy and wanting to ask everyone "How much do you think I just got all this for?" I had one of those days on Saturday.

We had a friend in town and decided to take advantage of Buffalo Wild Wings Bucket deal for the holiday weekend. Vons is in the same shopping center as the restaurant so while I was waiting for our take out I ran over to use a rain check I had gotten almost a month ago on Cheez Its (my four year old has been BEGGING for them) I had a $2 Vons store voucher to use as well and I noticed when I picked up the boxes that some of the boxes were advertising buy 5 get a free movie ticket. In the end I walked out of Vons doing a happy dance because I bought 5 boxes of Cheez Its for $2.95 out of pocket AND earned a free movie ticket!!! My receipt says I spent $2.95 and I saved $14.50 (plus free movie ticket!!!!)

What's one of your favorite shopping moments? I'd love to hear.

No Inserts Tomorrow

2010-05-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

Its a holiday weekend which means no coupons. Sad, I know but not to worry next week there will be TWO inserts in your paper to make up for tomorrow. If you don't want your papers delivered tomorrow because there will be no inserts call the review journal and put a hold on your papers for just this weekend. The customer service number is 383-0400.

Menu Wednesday 5/26

2010-05-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

I heard a great idea tonight from a great coupon gal from Utah that I'd like to try and do here on Saving Made Simple. Wednesday is the start of the new add week for our major grocery stores and if you are just starting your stock pile and building up your pantry supply you might need some ideas for meals based off just what is on sale each week. So here on Wednesdays I am going to try and come up with 6breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas based just off ONE STORES sales add. This week I'm going to go off my pick of the week Smiths.

Breakfast:
Scrambled Eggs x2
Mixed Fruit and Yogurt (Mangos, strawberries, watermelon)
Eggs Sunny Side Up
French Toast
Malt O Meal Cereal

Lunch:
Hot Dogs
Red Barron Pizza
Bologna Sandwiches
Hot Dogs mixed with Baked Beans
Lean Cuisine Entrees
Toasted Cheese Sandwiches

Dinner:
BBQ Shredded Chicken Sandwiches (3-5 chicken breast with 1 bottle sweet baby rays in crock pot for 3-6 hours)
Baked Potatoes w/ Butter, Sour Cream, Beans, Broccoli, and cheese
Grilled BBQ Chicken w/ corn on the cob
Chicken Salad
Marinated Grilled Chicken (Equal parts oil and soy sauce and 1 can pepsi)
Red Barron Pizza

Snacks:
Kool Aid
Pretzels
Nabisco Snack Crackers
Twin Pops

If you were feeding a family a four with this menu including snacks, condaments for the meals and JUST SHOPPING AT SMITHS the bill would be approximately $60-$70! If you did this every week for a month your grocery bill would be only at most $280!! Plus if you start building up a stock pile of things you could use on a regular basis you could cut this number back even more. See how coupons and sales can really help cut down your budget yet?

I'd love to come teach a free class to you, your friends and family and show you how to shop smart, EASILY use coupons, and save hundreds each month! Contact me and we'll find you the perfect spot in my calendar : )

Its WEDNESDAY!

2010-05-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

Do you look forward to Wednesday? I do! Wednesday is the day that the grocery stores new sales adds begin!! I just took a quick glance through all the new 4 and 5 star items at Smiths, Albertsons, Vons and Food 4 Less and I think my store this week is SMITHS!

For me there are a few produce items that I need as well as some snack and meat items that we are running low on. Also if you didn't get your water last sales week it is still on sale this week!

Water Tips

2010-05-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

With summer upon us water becomes very important here in the desert. It helps keep us cool, it keeps all the plants from dieing and turning brown, and we need it to stay hydrated. As you all know water is one of the things we just can not live without. Because of this I want to give you a couple of my tips on 24 packs of water bottles since on sale at Smith's right now for A GREAT price : )

1) During the summer I like to keep a 24 pack of water in the back of each of my cars. This is just in case of an emergency such as my car breaking down and being stuck out in the hot sun with my kids (which has happened and thank heavens we had water!)

2) Its a very good idea to have 72 hour (3 day) emergency kits. One thing many of us forget to included in these are enough water. A 24 pack of water is the perfect amount for one person for 72 hours. I try to make sure, especially during the summer, that I always have 4, 24 packs of water on hand, one for each member of my family. I store them stacked, in the my garage, on top of a special shelf my husband made (because water should not just sit directly on top of concrete).

3) My price point for 24 pack of water is $2.50 or less. Smith's has Nestle pure life water 24 packs on sale right now for $2.99. If you buy 4 packs of water you will get a $5 voucher to use off you next purchase and there is a coupon for $1/2 in the RP-4/11. After the promotion and coupon it only costs $1.24 a pack!! You still have today and tomorrow to go snatch these up.

Advance Tip: Split your Smith's transaction up into two purchases. FIRST transaction: buy your water and get the $5 voucher. SECOND transaction: buy everything else on your list and USE the $5 voucher to help pay for it.

$1 Old Navy Flip Flops

2010-05-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 22 is Old Navy's annual $1 Flip Flop day. I love old navy flip flops so snagging them for $1 is fabulous! A couple notes about this type of sale: 1) get there as early as possible, supplies go fast, especially in favorite colors. 2) you are only allowed 5 pairs

Question: Is there a "best day of the week to shop?"

2010-05-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

A question I'm asked frequently is if there is a best day of the week to shop. I used to think so but the longer I coupon and shop I've decided the best day of the week to shop is the day that works best for you! You can save hundreds a month by shopping the sales, using coupons and it does not matter what day you do it. So for those of you out there (like me) who complain that you don't want to commit to a particular shopping day, don't worry you don't have to ; )

Occasionally if there is a really hot promotion going on and you don't shop the first morning of the sale or right after the store stocks the shelves you might not get everything on your list but I've come to find that really doesn't bother me. Typically I will find in the store the majority of the items that on my list any day of the week. And if they aren't, rain checks are a wonderful thing that make me not stress about it.

Free Ice Cream Right NOW!

2010-05-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

I just saw that today from 4-8pm Haggen-Daz is offering a free scope of ice cream in honor of their annual free flavor day. There are a few shops downtown. Go here to see if there is a shop closer to you.

Groupon- Boot Camp Las Vegas

2010-05-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost here which means time for shorts, pools and the dreaded bathing suit (if you're me). Want to get in shape for this summer swim season? I have an idea for you:

You've probably seen the Boot Campers working out at some of the local parks around town. I know I have. I've always wondered what it would be like and today groupon emailed me one of their daily deals with a FABULOUS offer for Boot Camp Las Vegas. The offer is 20 class pass for only $25! (That's only $1.25 for each 60 minute class)

Boot Camp offers 74 classes a day at several parks around the Las Vegas and Henderson area. Once you attend your first class you have a month to use all of your 20 classes. I think this will be great motivation for me to get those extra winter pounds off ; )

Vons Coupon Policy

2010-05-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

Have you had any frustrating trips to Vons recently? I've had a couple and I've heard from a few more of you out there that have as well. Vons stores can't seem to make up their mind about their coupon policy (especially up North). My Vons has told me that they will only except three of the same coupon per transaction recently but that's about it. That makes it a little frustrating at times but not unbearable. Others have had a hard time getting their cashier to accept ANY coupons! I just saw this thread posted by Sarah Kay on Pinching Your Pennies with a Vons coupon policy printed off for her by a Vons store manager (the SM in the replies part). I hope this helps a little with the confusion. Vons has some great deals and I know how frustrating it can be when a store can't make up their mind about their coupon policy.

Micheals FREE Mother's Day Gifts

2010-05-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 8, Michaels will be hosting two completely FREE mother's day gift activities. The first is card making from 10am-12pm. The second is cookie decorating from 12-1pm. How fun!

Every day this week Michaels is hosting a make-it-take class that involve buying only one product and the rest of the things needed are supplied by the store. Check out Michael's The Knack calendar here

New Moms Sale

2010-05-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

Don't forget the Pickled Pepper Kids, New Mom Sale begins today from 4-9pm!

I'll be there from 6:30-9pm. I'd love if you came by and said hello! Also ***if you book a class with me at the sale I'll give you a personal one-on-one hour of advanced couponing where I'll come to your home (or if you want you can come over to mine) and you get to pick my brain for a whole hour!*** I'll have my calendar with me so come pick your date : )

Kids Eat Free @ Quiznos

2010-05-03T23:04:00.000-07:00

I'm always on the look out for a cheap way to eat out when needed. So I'm excited about Quiznos new Kids Eat Free program, where kids eat free all day, every day starting today (May 3).

To participate you can get one Free Kids Meal with every adult entre purchase.

Kids Consignment Sale

2010-04-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

Its time again for the Pickled Peppers Kids Consignment Sale. If you haven't heard of this before let me tell you a few things about it:

*It is a sale of new and gently used baby, children's, and maternity items. And when I say gently used I mean VERY gently used! Every item is screened before it is put out for sale with A LOT of scrutiny. Nothing with stains, holes etc is allowed in. This grantees a quality sale.

*Admission is FREE and if you have had a child in the last 6 months or are pregnant you can shop before everyone if you register for the new moms sale.

*Anyone can consign (sell) and this event has I think around 200 consignors so there is guaranteed to be a lot of great stuff. Want to try and sell some of your stuff? Its not to late to register. Go here to read about being a consigner and how to register.

*The sale will be from Tuesday, May 4 through Saturday May 8. Go here to see the exact times

My Store Pick of the Week

2010-04-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

There are some great sales this week. After quickly glancing through the all-in-one list my store pick of the week is Albertsons. Albertsons has two promotions running that I like; Kellogg's Cereal Buy 4 Save $4 & Proctor and Gamble Promotion Buy $20 get $5 back and a free Red Box code.

A couple quick notes about the sale:
1) If you don't have time to split your transactions up both vouchers will print if you do them in the same shopping order.

2) Notice that A LOT of the coupons in the P&G sale expire tomorrow! Not to fear though because you should have just gotten a new set of P&G in the mail this week.

3) Need an extra coupon that expires tomorrow? I think I have several of that P&G let me know what you need and I'll tell you if I still have it. If I do and you come and get it, its all yours : )

31 Cent Scoop Night

2010-04-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

Treat your family to a fun night out at Baskin Robins on Wednesday, April 28 from 5-10pm. Each person can get up to 3 scoops for only 31 cents per scoop. : )

Smart Shoppers Pay Attention

2010-04-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Part of being a smart shopper is paying attention. Smart shoppers pay attention to:

*The Sales- The best way to do this is by using grocery smarts' lists to quickly see what the best sales are! Go here to see this week's sales lists.

*Clearance Deals- if you keep your eyes open for clearance deals you can normally find some SWEET deals out there. Clearance sections are normally found at the back of stores or end cases not facing the front of the store.

*The Time- you don't want to be too rushed or it can cost you money and time later if mistakes are made and you don't have time for them to be corrected right then.

*Watching as Items are Rung Up- especially if you are shopping promotions or clearance sales paying attention is key to saving money!

*The Final Cost- Have you ever left a store and not had a clue as to how much you just paid? By knowing how about how much you are expecting the bill to be and how much you actually paid can save you time and money!

Why am I reminding you to pay attention? Because this morning I didn't and I paid for it! I was shopping at Wal-Mart for pre-school tomorrow and at the front of the store ran into two shopping carts full of clearance chocolate labeled 50% of red sticker price. This cart was of course surrounded by all us chocoholics trying to find our favorite chocolates at a great price. When my girls and I went to check out I didn't pay attention as the cashier rung us up (I was busy trying to make sure everything got out of the cart, my girls weren't fighting etc.) and the cashier forgot to take the extra 50% off. I did remember to ask at the end if she had and she tried to fix it but in the end I still didn't get charged correctly and my clearance candy not longer cost me a clearance price and I had no time or clue what my final cost should have been I just knew it was less than what I paid! So for me and for you here is a reminder to pay attention : )

FREE Quaker Oatmeal @ Smith's and Albertsons

2010-04-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

CVS coupon site has a $1/1 manufacture coupon for quaker oatmeal. That equals FREE oatmeal if you shop Albertsons or Smith's quaker promotion this week. : )

Also check out the extra coupons that match this weeks sales links posted on Pinching Your Pennies Smith' Forum.

BEST PRICE IN TOWN!

2010-04-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

Its no secret that by being a Grocery Smarts instructor I get to offer AMAZING prices on the Review Journals Sunday only paper. If you didn't know that before you do now ; )

Well the big news is that the RJ has made two MAJOR changes involving their Sunday papers in the last week. Here they are:

1) The price of the Sunday Paper paper has gone up from $2.50 to $3.00
2) The Sunday paper is no longer available at the dollar store

Now here is the GREAT news for you guys:
Our price HAS NOT CHANGED! You can still get your Sunday paper for as little as $.75an issue!! And for all you dollar store shoppers (yes I know you are out there) I can't wait to help you get your Sunday paper delivered to you for the best price in town. How sweet is that we are getting our Sunday papers for almost 70% off!?!

I am currently booking classes for April and May. Contact me so I can help you and your friends learn how to shop smart, save tons of money and get the best price on the Sunday paper in town!

Call me @ 553-2080
or e-mail me at lvsavingmadesimple@gmail.com

Cheap Swim Diapers

2010-04-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

I just went by Albertsons and noticed in my stores clearance section Baby Basics Swim diapers 12pk are clearance for only $1.75. That's a great price for swim diapers plus the baby basics $4 off coupon has been reset. The coupon states you must buy at least $8 worth of Baby Basics to use the coupon.

How to Get Free Diaper and make $10!

2010-04-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hip 2 Save did a post today on joining a diaper study called Arquest. They make store brand diapers and do regular surveys on their products. If you qualify for the survey they will send you between 1-6 FREE packs of diapers and once you complete the survey also send you a check for $10! That sounds pretty sweet to me! Right now Arquest is looking to survey boys and girls currently wearing size 4 diapers.

To see if you qualify for one of the studies, you’ll need to call 1-888-342-7372 ext. 646 (girl’s diapers) or 1-888-342-7372 ext. 634 (boy’s diapers).

Thanks Hip 2 Save!

Albertsons Double Coupon Question

2010-04-05T21:58:00.000-07:00

Judy e-mailed me a good question about Albertsons Double Coupons (found in the 3/28 paper).
Question:
Do you know if you can double the manufacturer coupons in the albertson's ad? What about the store coupons?

Answer:
Yes, you can use the manufacturer coupons found in Albertsons ad. You can use any coupon labled manufacturer coupon.
No, you can not use store coupons. The double coupon offer specifically states that Ablertsons will double any manufacturer coupon up to $1.

Have a question you'd like answered? E-mail me : )

Freezer Day Reciepes

2010-04-03T21:14:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the recipes we put together yesterday for freezer day:

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese:

Cook 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni in boiling salted water till tender; In saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter; blend in 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and dash pepper. Add 2 cups milk; cook and stir till thick and bubbly. Add 1/4 cup finely chopped onion (optional) and 8 onces sharp process American cheese, cubed (2 cups); stir till melted.

Mix cheese sauce with macaroni, Turn into 1 1/2 quart casserole. Cover and freeze or bake at 350 degree for 35 to 40 minutes or till heated through. Makes 6 servings.

Baked Ziti
1 pound lean ground beef (ground chuck or ground round)

· 1/2 cup chopped onion

· 1 green bell pepper, chopped, about 1/2 cup

· 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

· 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

· 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil, crumbled

· 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled

· 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or small clove garlic, minced

· 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

· 1/4 teaspoon pepper

· 8 ounces ziti or elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

· 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preparation:

Sauté ground beef, onion, and green bell pepper in a large skillet until onion is tender and beef is lightly browned. Drain off excess fat; add tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well; stir in ziti or elbow macaroni and 1 cup of the cheese; transfer to a 2 1/2-quart casserole. Top with the remaining cup of cheese. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
This baked ziti recipe serves 6.

Chicken Roll Ups

crescent dough homemade or store bought
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
8 oz. cream cheese
salt and pepper
1/4-1/2 Cup shredded cheese
In a bowl, blend together cooked chicken, cream cheese and cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll crescent dough out into a circle and cut into triangles or unroll dough if using store bought. Place chicken mixture on the end of each triangle.

Roll fat end of triangle down to pointed end. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until dough is golden brown. Serve with cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup or without a sauce.

If freezing allow to cool and flash freeze on a cookie sheet. Place in ziploc baggies. Great for taking out individually for lunches. Reheat and add sauce.
When I am ready to have these for dinner I will make sauce out of cream of chicken soup.

Lemon Teriyaki Chicken
½ Cup lemon juice
½ Cup soy sauce
¼ Cup sugar
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons water
2 garlic cloves chopped
½ teaspoon ginger
6 chicken breasts
Add all ingredients together in ziploc bag except chicken. Blend together. Add chicken and freeze. When ready to cook, pour everything into a casserole dish and bake or add to skillet and cook over medium.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
4 chicken breasts, cut in cubes
can pineapple chunks (save juice)
one garlic clove, minced
1/4 Cup soy sauce
l teaspoon ginger
1-2 carrots cut in small pieces
1 green pepper cut in pieces
Add all ingredients together in a ziploc bag. Freeze. When ready to cook. Add to saucepan and allow to simmer 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Cook rice to go with the meal.

Freezer Meal Tips: Use a sharpie and write the cooking directions on the foil or zip lock bag to make it even easier when you are ready to bake your meal.

The Results

2010-04-02T22:43:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely exhusted but I feel like for my first try ever at freezer cooking things went pretty well. I could have never gotten through as much as I did with out the help of my sweet sister-in-law. We only had one major catasrophe today and its kind of sad and funny. Tuesday my girls had a joint birthday party. While cleaning up my husband came over to me and said "Don't turn on the oven, I put the big dirty plastic serving platers inside." Well I'm sure you've guessed what happened... I didn't turn the oven on Tuesday but I did today without looking and having totally forgotten about the plastic serving trays. This is what my tray's look like now. The funny part is when the oven started smooking my 4 year old started running around yelling a song I teach in preschool, "Emergency, Emergency 911!"

We made it through most of our list with the exception of Red Sauce enchilladas and taco meat (and I still need to put together my chicken and rice casserole but we did get Catrina's together.) As of right now I have 14 meals and a massive bag of mini banana wheat muffins in my freezer and that's not counting the casserole that I still need to put together or the pan of homemade macaroni we ate for dinner tonight! Yes I think today was a success.

Beginning of Freezer Cooking Day

2010-04-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

Its the beginning of my first freezer cooking day. To start off I am going to do my dishes to make sure I have plenty of space for cooking and all the new dirty dishes I am going to create!

Here's what's on the menu for today:

Homemade Macaroni
Chicken Roll Ups
Baked Ziti
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Red Sauce Enchiladas
Chicen and Rice Casserole
Lemon Terriaki Chicken Marinade
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Banana Muffins
Taco Meat

Its a little ambitious for our first day of trying this but hopfully this will give my sister-in-law plenty of meals for her family and visitors that are coming after she has her baby boy. (He's due any day now! : ) )

I'll come back later and let you know how things are going. Now off to my dishes!

Freezer Meals

2010-04-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

I have heard a lot about freezer meals over the last couple years and its been one of those things for me that when I hear about I think "that sounds awesome, I should really do that!"... and then I never do. Well since its spring break and for once I feel like I have time my sister-in-law and I are teaming up to do a day of freezer cooking. I am not an expert on this so if you are new to this you can learn along with me : )

Today I am preping for our cooking day by:
1) Shopping in my pantry, fridge and freezer. Just like when I cook dinner on a daily basis I cook off what I have on hand and I don't want to spend extra money to make a freezer meal, the whole point is to save money and time. I'm looking for ingredients that I have a lot of that can freeze well.

2) Making my Menu. Based off the ingredients I have on hand I looked for reciepes that I had most of the ingredients for or are on sale this week and are simple reciepes.

3) Shopping for missing ingredients needed.

4) Game Plan for Cooking Day. This is going to be a line up of what order we are going to cook things to help things go as smoothly as possible.

I'll let you know how this new adventures goes. Please, if you have any advice or requests on what you want me to report on this adventure leave me a comment.

FREE Easter Events @ Ethel M

2010-03-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

While I was going through my Sunday paper I glanced at a flyer sent out by Ethel M Chocolate Factory. The add mentioned that this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1-5pm there will be Free Face painting and appearances by the Easter Bunny. This is also up on Ethel M's web page with their address here.

If you don't about Ethel M you can go view their cactus gardens and take tours for free. At Christmas time they actually decorate the garden with THOUSANDS of christmas lights. Its lots of fun and no purchase is required for their free events. (I've never even felt pressured except by my kids to buy stuff : ) )

2 Smart Source Inserts PLUS Albertsons Doubles!

2010-03-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

In today's Sunday paper there are 2 Smart Source inserts and Albertsons must be in a giving mood because they sent out a brand new set of double coupon offers! Make sure you pull these out before you move your papers to the recycle bin.

I'm Back!

2010-03-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yes I am back! I had a wonderful time in Ohio with my best friend and her husband. It was great to just have a week to myself, relax and enjoy a part of the country I've never been to before.

This brings me to some advice that I've been wanting to share: We all need to just RELAX! Its a good idea for our sanity to just take a week off from time to time. I feel so blessed that I was actually able to literally take a week off from my normal life but even if you aren't flying across the country the advice still applies. Don't stress if you miss a week of sales or don't get every deal. They will come again and its actually helpful to your budget if you do take a week off from shopping every once in awhile. It helps you use what you have and frees up time for other things.

VACATION TIME!!!

2010-03-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

I'm in Ohio! I can't believe it! My best friend growing up moved with her husband to Ohio last summer to start med school. My sweet husband promised when they moved that I could go visit her kid free and I took him up on his offer. So excuse the lack of posts for the next few days I promise I will come back ; )

Have you checked the lists this week?

2010-03-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

Have you checked the lists this week? This month is freezer month and if you haven't noticed yet Albertsons and Vons have been running freezer promotion every week and will through the end of March. I've looked over all the 4 and 5 star deals this week and both Vons and Smith's have OUTSTANDING lists this week. Vons has some incredible freezer deals and Smith's just has some great normal non-promotion items on sale. So my advice: If you are up for making a promotion list check out Vons. If you need a little simpler week go to Smith's. : )

The Northern CA Code is Here!

2010-03-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

Horray! The Northern CA code is here! It is: g96sbb

I am really good friends with the gal who has been key in gettting it runnning so if you have any friends or family in Northern CA that would like to learn about grocery smarts please contact me and I will give you Becky's information.

And the Winner is....

2010-03-10T14:06:00.000-08:00

Karli- "Woo Hoo! I'd love the doubles!"

Congrats Karli! I just need you to e-mail me your address and I'll go put the coupons in the mail right now for you!

Procrastination Payoff

2010-03-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

I finally made it to Albertsons today. My procrastination paid off because I was able to use my double coupon offers from Sunday's paper to help make the deals even sweeter! I am leaving for Ohio on Friday and to make life easier for my sweet husband (who is taking the week off work to be with our cute girls so I could go) I got lots of easy meals and snacks for while I am gone. My trip today took a little planning so here's a look at what I did:

MAKING MY LIST

There were 3 promotion running this week at Albertsons and after looking at the list I decided to shop the Just Chill promotion (buy 10 items get $10 off) and the Con Agra promotion (buy $25 worth of product and get $10 off) I wanted to do each promotion twice so I split up my list into 5 parts; 2 just chill, 2 con agra, 1 fresh produce/non promotion items. There wasn't as much in the P&G promo that I needed so I decided to pass.

GATHERING MY COUPONS

I used my grocery smarts list to help locate all my SS, RP and PG coupons. I cliped my double coupon offers from Sunday's paper. I also check my personal misc. coupons (ones I've gathered from the mail and several other places) I found in my misc. coupons a booklet full of con agra product coupons that I could use to help make the promo even better

SHOPING & CHECKING OUT

I had a big list and I needed to split my trip into 5 transaction to best take advantage of the store's promotions & my coupons. Because of this I shopped at a less busy time of day and I only took one of my girls with me. When checking out I informed the cashier that I would have 5 transactions and also anyone who got in line behind me. I already had my coupons split into their groups so checking out when really smoothly. At the end the cashier wanted to see how well I did and added up all my savings for me this is how it all turned out:

Total Value: $191.13

Total Saved: $120.88

Total Spent: $70.25

Percentage Saved: 63%

Albertsons Double Coupon offer in Sunday's Paper/ Coupon Giveaway

2010-03-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

I was busy yesterday so I didn't get around to opening up my Sunday papers until this morning. I was just going to pull out my Smart Source insert and Micheal's add but decided to just glance through the rest of the adds. I'm soo glad I did because I found an extra 3 day sales add for Albertsons that has three double coupon offer at the bottom! The double coupon offer means this: If you give Alberstons a coupon for $.75/1 they will double the value of the coupon to $1.50/1. They will do this with coupons with up to $1 face value. Cool huh? Albertsons has TONS of great promotions running through tomorrow night. Click here to make your list. The double coupons are good until March 16 so have fun making those deals even sweeter!

GIVEAWAY:
I LOVE double coupon offers and feel like doing a give away so if you leave me some comment love I will enter you into a giveaway for one of my Albertsons adds that has 3 double coupon offers at the bottom. I will pick a winner randomly Wednesday at 1:00pm. Good Luck!

Tonights The Night!

2010-03-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

Do you want or need to learn how to shop smart? Do you need a refresher class to get you going again? Than tonights the night! Tonight my friend Heather and I are hosting a class in Henderson @ 6:45pm and if you'd like to come you are invited. Just call me and I'll give you directions. 553-2080

Last night I took my sister-in-law out with me shopping. She and my brother are moving here this week and need lots of grocery to fill their new fridge and pantry.

Last night I bought $129.08 worth of groceries.

I saved $78.48

AND I only spent $50.60!

This really does work. Come tonight or contact me to book your own class so you can learn how to shop smart too!

Awesome Sales @ Vons

2010-03-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

Update: The Vons list is updated. Check out the current list here.

While I was going through my Sunday paper yesterday I took a glance at Vons add. Vons often runs extra 3 day sales or puts in extra coupons in the Sunday paper. Grocery Smarts' list maker for Vons is incredible and often gets these 3 day sales and extra coupons into her list. I don't see them in yet (but it is early Monday morning) and I wanted to give you a heads up. Here's what I see that's new that would be 4 or 5 stars (in my opinion):

*Stawberries 1lb $1.50
*7-up or Pepsi 2liters .49 (with in-add coupon) limit 5
*Skippy Peanut Butter $1.49 (with in-add coupon) limit 4
*Select Kellogg's Cereals $1.17 (with in-add store coupon AND $1/3 any Kellogg's ceral 10 oz or larger coupon found in the RP 2/7 or Group C printable coupons) limit 3
*Oscar Mayer Lunch Meat $.99 (with in-add store coupon) limit 5
*Clorox Bleach $1.44 (with in-add store coupon AND .50/2 Clorox Regular Bleach 82 oz or larger SS1/31)
*Pace Picante Sauce or Salsa $1.74 (with in-add store coupon AND .50/2 Pace Picante Salsa SS 1/31) limit 2
* Cheez-it Crackers $1.88 (with in-add store coupon) limit 4
*Safeway Butter Top Bread $.99 (with in-add store coupon)
*Kellogg's Pop Tarts $.77 (with in-add store coupon AND $1/3 RP 2/7) limit 2
*Cooked Shrimp 3.99lb (with in-add store coupon) limit 4

Possible Free Purex Laundry Detergent

2010-02-28T20:58:00.000-08:00

Walgreens apparently has a BOGO (Buy one Get one Free) sale on Purex Laundry Detergent this month. I don't know how this is riging up at the register but if it really goes through as buy 2 and one gets taken off your total you can use the BOGO Purex Detergent manufacturer coupon from the RP 2/21 to get 2, 50oz Purex 2x detergents, for just the cost of tax. : )

I don't know if I'll make it to Walgreens this week. Let me know if you go and this works out for you.

End of the Month Budget Advice

2010-02-26T13:51:00.000-08:00

Its the end of the month. How is your budget going? The last week of the month can be a little rough if your cash is running low. Here is my advice: PRIORITIZE your list. We have had some great sales weeks over the last month. You should be pretty well stocked up and saved A LOT of money if you have been shopping smart. If your cash is low and you need to go shopping buy only what you really need and will benifit your family the most.

We have had two extra adults to feed during January and February and to stay in our $350 budget I have had to prioritize like crazy and guess what, I HAVE. We've had 4 adults and two kids in our household and $350 has still worked out just fine. I've had to give up a few extra snacks in trade for things like toilet paper and laundry detergent but that's ok. Now that its the last couple days of February I only have about $25 left and we are running low on a few things. I looked through all the lists this week and while Albertsons has a great promotion running, a lot of the 4 and 5 star items are NOT things that I NEED to feed a household of 6. Smith's has what I NEED on sale this week, meat : ) I just used up my last bag of chicken breast and they are on sale this week so that's where I am headed. Here is my grocery list for this week: chicken, roast, bread and milk. I should be able to squeez all that into my last $25.

I'd like to do more personal advice posts over the next month. Is there anything you would like me to write about? Leave me a comment and I'll try to get a post in that answers your question(s).

Leap Frog Movies @ Costco

2010-02-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

I love, Love, LOVE the Leap Frog movies. I teach preschool and I use clips from them to help teach our letters and numbers. The kids love it and Letter Factory helps give young kids visual and auditory clues for helping remember letters and their sounds. New you can normally find the DVD's for around $10. I just went to Costco today and noticed they are selling the Leap Frog movies for $6.98.

My Shopping List for 2/20

2010-02-22T08:25:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered what other peoples shopping list look like? Here is a look at my list that I used this week to go shopping on Saturday @ Vons. To see my list better just click on the image. I'd like to point out a couple things on my list:

1) If you haven't noticed the top of every grocery store's list starts with the fresh produce on sale that week. I tell people not to be scared of three star items and if you notice all of my produce items at the top are ***. I do have an opinion about that though for this week: I think all of these 3 star items for the season we are in are actually 4 or 5 stars. (especially 2lbs of carrots for .99!)

2) Vons is running a P&G promo that they didn't print what items are included in the sale or the prices. When I went to the store I took my current PG inserts and asked for a list of the participating items. I ended up with some great deals but it was a BIG pain to shop the promo and my $10 didn't print so I had to go to customer service and they refunded me $10 cash for each of my promotion transactions. If you are up for an adventure like that try shopping the promo but otherwise I'd just let it go. I promise more promotions will come around. They always do ; )

3) Except for the items that were only on sale Saturday & Sunday everything else is still on sale through Tuesday.

VERY Cheap Olay Regenerist products @ Babies R Us

2010-02-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

I went with my sister-in-law Saturday evening to Babies R Us. She is 33 weeks pregnant and was finishing her registry. I notice while we were walking around that at the front of the store had TONS of Olay products (and other products like venus razor, pads etc) clearanced. I wasn't too impressed by the prices until I found the Olay Regenerist products. Most were marked down to $7.98! I love olay products but it kills me to pay between $20 and $30 for it. $7.98 is a great price even with out coupon but I knew there were several olay coupons in the P&G inserts so I came home and looked it up. I'm going back tomorrow with a $3/1 so hopefully I walk away only paying $4.98, YIPPY!

If you like Olay products I'd grab your coupons and head over to Babies R Us. The one I go to is on Stephanie. Maybe I'll see you there tomorrow. : )

I'm a cash girl!

2010-02-18T17:59:00.000-08:00

There is something very psychological about holding cash in your hand. I know that there really is no difference between using my debit card to pay and cash besides the physical element but when I hold cash in my hand I WANT TO KEEP IT! I watch it closer and I like to try and still have some left at the end of the month. When I just use my debit card I typically will use up my entire budget and occasionally go a few dollars over. With cash I can’t go over because I’d have no money ; ) and I often have more left at the end of the month because I don’t want to be left without any money. Plus what ever I don’t spend I get to spend however I like (that’s the deal my husband and I have) Currently I am saving up my left over grocery budget money to eventually buy a Shark steam mop: )

What are you trying to save up for?

How to QUICKLY see all of the BEST weekly store deals

2010-02-13T11:32:00.000-08:00

There is a quick way to view the best 4 and 5 star sales each week to help you choose which store or stores will best meet your shopping needs. First go to grocerysmarts.com and in the center of the page select the Drop down store lists. At the very bottom of the drop down menu is an All In One option. Select All in One.

Once you select the All in One list it will pull up a huge list of all of the stores grocery smarts makes lists for (except Wal-Mart). Click start and it will shade the entire list gray. To get a qucik view of all the stores and the 4 and 5 star items on sale that week click on the star marked Stock Up Scale.

After you click the star it should highlight all of the store headers and rows with 4 and 5 star items.

Next click on the shrink button in the upper right hand corner (its the only button in red). It will shrink the list down to the store headers and all the 4 and 5 star items on sale that week. (The items remain sorted by store.)

I like to use this tool to quickly view the best sales in the stores each week and do my Store Pick of the Week.

Make a new friend and get more RP and P&G inserts

2010-02-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

FAQ: How can I get more Red Plum and Proctor & Gamble Inserts?

Answer: My answer used to be to ask neighbors if they didn't want theirs or to order them using Coupons & Things by Dede (still think Dede's website is a great option!). I recently got a tip from a friend that I never thought I could do and its so simple. Want more RP and P&G's? Just ask your mail man! If you go down to the post offie they won't give you extra but your mailman can while he is out on delieveries. I introduced myself to my mailman yesterday and just asked and he said it wouldn't be a problem to stick a few extra in my mail box each week. Yippy!

So be nice to your mail man and maybe you can get extra RP and P&G's for FREE each week.

How do you menu plan?

2010-02-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

Heather e-mailed this question to me: "Do you plan your menu around what is on sale? That has seemed easier to me than planning the menu first."

This was my response back to Heather: "I am going to confess to you that I am an AWFUL menu planner. It’s constantly on my list of things to do better. This is how I do plan and how I make dinner and my other meals. I cook based off of what I have. I buy things that I will use when it’s on sale and create a stock pile of ingredients that I need for my most often used recipes. Than when fresh produce goes on sale I make recipes that I have all the other ingredients for. I freeze lots of meats, cheese, lunch meat and even bread so my stash of items I have on hand is really high. Does that make sense? I am cooking based on what I have not necessarily what’s on sale that week."

In addition to my original response back to Heather I'd like to add that yes it is smart and very budget friendly if you are going to do a menu plan for a week to base it off the weekly store adds. I do have several go to recipes that I can cook whenever or need very little supplies that I don't have stock piled and I also have recipes that I wait for the produce to go on sale for.

Here is a new recipe that I just found in the Con-Agra coupon book that I received in the mail that looks yummy and I have all the ingredients for in my stock piles minus 1 green pepper.

Chicken Tortilla Bake

• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion (I think this is optional because I don't like onion ; ) )

• 1/2 cup chicken broth

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup

• 1 can RO*TEL Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained

• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken

• 9 corn tortillas (6 inch), torn into bite size pieces

• 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 325. Spray 8x8 baking dish and medium skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add bell pepper and onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring several times. Stir in broth, soup, undrained tomatoes and chicken; blend well. Bring to boil; remove from heat. Layer 1/3 each of tortilla pieces, chicken mixture and cheese evenly in baking dish. Repeat layers twice more. Bake uncovered 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Free Valentine Offers

2010-02-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

* Don't Forget tomorrow you can take your kiddos to make Free Valentines Cards @ Micheals from 10am-2pm

* Buy 1 Dozen Crispy Creme Doughnuts get 1 dozen Valentine cards with a coupon for a free doughnut

* Print these Chuck E. Cheese Valentines worth 5 tokens

FREE DIAPERS @ ALBERTSONS!!!

2010-02-04T19:48:00.000-08:00

Ok this is a REALLY hot deal that I can't believe I found. Some of Albertsons $7.99 Baby Basic Diapers have been marked down to $3.99 because they are changing their packaging. Use this $4/1 coupon here and the diapers will be free! Print your copon twice for TWO free packs of diapers. At my Albertsons it was only the size two diapers marked down to $3.99 but other stores might have different sizes marked down. $3.99 is a great price for those diapers even without coupon. Also the big boxes of diapers were marked down to $9.99 so if you use the coupon on that you could get 104 diapers for only $5.99.

Make sure you printer is read to go before you click the link because the coupon will print right away!.

Enjoy a Date on Me!!

2010-02-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

In honor and the fun of Valentine's Day I'm offering you a date night to the movies on me if you book a class for the month of February. Classes are free and I have fun new hostess packets with all you need to host a great class and a treat for you : ) In addition to that for booking in February I will also give you for your movie date night two movie tickets and a $10 gift card for popcorn or treats good at any Regal or Cinnemark theater.

Of course my usual incentives apply too. If you have 12 or more new moms attend you and 1 friend will receive an invite to one of my advanced couponing classes AND you can earn free groceries! All details are in the hostess pack.

To book a class contact me either by e-mail or give me a call 553-2080.

Can't wait to hear from you!

My Store Pick of the Week

2010-02-03T14:26:00.000-08:00

Its time for my store pick of the week. There are some great deals at all the stores but my pick is once again Smith's. Smith's is still running the Big Game Promo. Some of the items are the same and some items are new this week. One of the extras bonus finds I found last week was if you buy the arrowhead water that's part of the promotion you will get an extra $2 off your next purchase making the water 3.98 when you buy 3!!! (THAT'S AWESOME!)

$1 Hot Dog on a Stick

2010-02-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

There are lots or restuarants that offer freebies or discounts on Tuesdays. Hip 2 Save found that Hot Dog on a stick is offering $1 hot dogs on Tuesdays for all of 2010 no coupon required! I know there there is a hot dog on a stick at the Galleria Mall and I'm sure there are other locations around the Las Vegas Valley. This could be a fun Tuesday lunch playdate : )