Heads-up on a super cheap diaper/training pant deal at Walgreens!

For the week of 6/29 – 7/5, Walgreens brand diapers and training pants will be on sale for $5.99.  There’s also a coupon in the upcoming July EasySaver book for $5/2 WAGS brand diapers, training pants, or formula.  AND the week of 6/29 – 7/5 there’s a $5 Register Reward when you buy 3 participating items (WAGS diapers/wipes/formula; J&J lotion & wash; Desitin; Children’s Tylenol or Motrin). 

So this should work as follows:

$17.97   3 packs WAGS Comfort Stretch Training pants

- 7.50     Easysaver coupon ($5/2) ~ it will usually give you the discount for all the packs)

$10.47 OOP

- 5.00   Register Reward earned

Like paying $5.47 for 3 packs of training pants, which comes out to 7 cents each!  We’ve been using the WAGS brand training pants this week with our 3 year old, and they’ve contained the nightly flood well.  (Thanks to kooki’s mama & irishlass at Hot Coupon World for the upcoming ad and EasySaver scans!)

Angel Food, June order

Today was Angel Food Ministries distribution day for our town.  We got the basic $30 package, plus the $16 box of 10 lb of chicken breast strips (not pictured above).  Here’s what we got and how I plan to use it:

• 6 quarter pound hamburgers (on the grill for dinner)
• 2 lbs chicken breast tenderloin fritter (looks like there are enough here to do 2 meals, baked in the oven, as sandwiches or with pasta salad)
• 4 -6 oz beef ribeye steaks (grilled with a baked potato and salad or veggies)
• 4 lb chicken leg quarters (I’ll cook the whole bag in the crock pot one day.  We’ll have some for dinner that night, and freeze the rest as shredded chicken to use in enchiladas, etc.  During cool weather I use these for chicken & noodles.)
• 2 lb pork riblets (I’ll probably do these up in the crockpot with BBQ sauce and serve with mashed potatoes or rice.)
• 1 deluxe pizza (Quick lunch or light dinner)
• 1 lb mild italian sausages (These would be good in beans & rice,  as a breakfast, or grilled.)
• 2 lb tater tots (Either with the burgers, chicken breast tenderloins, or hot dogs)
• 1 bag frozen carrots (as a side)
• 1 bag mixed veggies (as a side)
• 1 shelf stable milk (We’ll probably use this camping later this month.)
• 1 pancake mix (Breakfast for dinner is a quick meat-free option.)
• 1 dozen eggs (Use with the breakfast dinner and hard boil any remaining for snacks.)
• 1 box macaroni & cheese (As a side.  Sometimes I’ll add a veggie puree to this to increase the health quotient.)
• 1 can pork & beans (DD absolutely LOVES these, so they’ll be a dinner side with leftovers for her lunch.)
• 1 24oz Hunt’s ketchup
• 1 8″ peach pie (We don’t eat dessert too often, but this sounds summery and would be good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.)
• Special #3: 10 lb breaded chicken breast strips (We use these in place of eating out on days/nights when it’s really busy or I haven’t planned menus ahead.  The kids also enjoy them for lunch.  We’ve had these before, and they’re very similar to the chicken strips that a lot of family restaurants serve.   There’s a pretty good portion of white meat in each strip under the breaded coating.  Instead of deep-frying, we bake them in the oven.)

Our family of 2 adults and 2 toddlers should be able to use this as the bulk of 10 meals, and maybe have a bit leftover for lunches if we watch our portions. 

Is Angel Food for you?  Maybe!  If you have a lot of food allergies or have to avoid processed food, it’s probably not the best choice.  Compared to just going to the store and buying the same items, you’ll save money.  If you’re a hard-core couponer, you might be able to get the items for less, but spread out over different stores and sales.  Angel Food has the convenience of bringing it home in one box.  If you receive food stamps, those can be used to order Angel Food boxes and specials as well.  Even if you wouldn’t eat enough of the items to merit ordering one for yourself, consider donating one to a family you know who is a bit strapped for cash.

Stockpiling at Walgreens and Walmart

This was a big shopping week.  We budget monthly for household, grocery, and baby items rather than weekly.   Payday is once a month, so this fits us well and gives the flexibility to stock up on things when we see good sales.  This week was filled with stockpiling rice (20lbs), cereal (15 boxes), batteries (52), band-aids (8 boxes), and diapers!

All together on grocery, baby items, and household items we spent $157.08 out of pocket, but earned $27.70 in rebates and unspent RR.  Value of the items purchased?  $354.87!  Here’s the breakdown:

Walmart:  Spent $28.89  Saved $52.00

Free after coupons:

• 1 Honey Bunches of Oats Chocolate Clusters $1.98 – $2/1 coupon
• 6 boxes Live Active Nut Harvest cereal $2.98 ea – 6 $3/1 coupons
• 1 French’s spicy brown mustard $1.00 – $1.00 coupon

Coupon savings or clearance deals:

• 20 lbs rice (Riceland 1 lb boxes on clearance at $.25/lb)
• 4 lbs Farmland ham @ $2.88/lb -$1/1 coupon
• 9 cans Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes $1.32/can – 9 $1/1 coupons
• 1 Suddenly Salad $.99 – ..40 coupon
• 1 Kashi blueberry waffles $2.12 – $2/1 coupon
• 1 French’s honey dijon mustard $2.58 – .75 coupon
• 1 stain stick $2.00 – .75 coupon
• 3 40-ct Snuggle dryer sheets @1.87 – 3 $1/1 coupons
• 1 bottle Spray n Wash $2.52 – .75 coupon

Regular price

• 1 canola oil  $2.78
• 1 bag pretzels $1.18

Walgreens transaction #1:  Spent $10.80, Saved $18.48, Earned $7.50

• 4 Smart Start Cereal 4/$10 – 2 $3/2 coupons, earned $2 RR
• 2 Oral B refills $11 – $5.50 BOGO coupon, earned $5.50 RR

Walgreens transaction #2:  Spent $4.34, Saved $8.48, Earned $5.50

• 2 Oral B power toothbrushes $11 – $5.50 BOGO coupon, earned $5.50 RR
• Used $2 RR from cereal in payment

Walgreens transaction #3:  Spent $26.77, Saved $24.23, Earned $11.50

• 3 Huggies jumbo packs $28.47 – 3.50 coupons, earn $2 RR, $5 MIR + $3.00 Caregiver’s rebate
• 1 Lil’ Swimmer’s pack $6.99 - 1.25 coupon, earn $1.00 CG rebate 
• 1 Cottonelle wipes 3.49 – 1.49 WAGS coupon – $1 coupon, earn $.50 CG rebate
• 2 boxes envelopes for $1.99
• Used 2- $5.50 RR from Oral B in payment

This was a pricey trip, but gives us Huggies diapers at cheaper than Walmart generic prices.  Not the best possible price at 12.5 cents per diaper, but that’s one item that we consistently use with a 1 year old.

Walgreens transaction #4:  Spent $11.58, Saved $25.58, Earned $4.00

• 4 Smart Start cereal 4/$10 – 2 $3/2 coupons, earn $2 RR
• 1 Crest Healthy Radiance $7.99 – $3 EScoupon – $3 mf coupon
• 1 All Free & Clear 12 load $1.99 – $1 coupon (will use in gift basket)
• 2 Huggies Natural Care 80-ct wipes 2/$5 – 2 $1/1 coupon, earn $2 RR

Walgreens transaction #5:  Spent $43.51, Saved $21.58, Earned $15.20

• 4 packs Duracell batteries (2 -16pk AA, 1 -16pk AAA, 1-4pk 9V) @8.99 ea – 4 – $1/1 coupons, earns $13.20 in WAGS rebate
• 2 bottles children’s ibuprofen @$2.99 ea
• 2 Huggies Natural Care 80-ct wipes 2/$5 – 2 $.50 coupons, earn $2 RR
• Used $2 RR from cereal in payment

This was the other pricey trip, but we’re now stocked on batteries for a LONG time!  After coupons and rebates, the per battery price for the AA/AAA was $.29 for Duracell coppertop. 

Walgreens transaction #6:  Spent $0.53, Saved $33.59, Earned $5.00

• 4 cans Planter’s peanuts 7.98 (were on BOGO sale) – 2 $3 coupons, earned $5RR
• 6 boxes Kraft macaroni & cheese @.69 with WAGS 7-day coupon
• 8 boxes Band-aids @.99 (with raincheck) – 7- $1/1 coupons, .75 coupon
• 2 J&J first aid kits @.99 (with raincheck) – 2-$1/1 coupons
• Used 3-$2 RR Huggies in payment

And, lastly, a trip to HyVee:  Spent $29.05, Saved $13.95

• 1 GUM toothbrush @.99 – $1 coupon
• 2 Zooth kids’ toothbrushes 2/$4 – $2 BOGO coupon
• 2 Lipton 24ct family size tea bags 2/$3 – $1/2 coupon
• 1 Dole salad $1.67 – $.55 coupon
• 2 lbs red grapes @ .99/lb
• 1 cantaloupe $1.50
• 2 lbs baby carrots $1.88
• 1 gallon 1% milk 2.57
• 6 pork & beans @.29/can
• 3 bags chips @$1/bag
• 1 BBQ sauce $1
• 1 natural applesauce $1.77
• 1 french fry $2.08
• 1 Miracle Whip $1
• 2 bread @1.49ea

 

 

 

Friday Felicities

It’s a good day to end by focusing on the joy in life, because frankly, my own attitudes really brought today down. I tried to blame it on a hurt toe, fussy kids, and (what I perceived as) judging hubby, but it really was ALL ME. Nattie knew this, and looked to the happiness in life whenever possible. So here goes the reset button:

• the chocolate layer on Dove ice cream (made even better by the fact that it was on sale!)
• a new (to me) blouse
• getting the split ends trimmed off my hair
• watching my 1 year old “dance” to music
• listening to my 3 year old giggle at her daddy
• hearing the cashier say while scanning my coupons “Are you going to pay anything at all tonight?” and paying only $.53 out of pocket for 8 boxes of band-aids, 2 tiny first-aid kits,  4 cans of Planter’s peanuts, and 6 boxes of Kraft macaroni & cheese, while earning $5 back for my next trip
• friends who have been through the mud too
• a husband who somehow manages to put up with my funks
• my cobalt blue glass filled with ice cold water
• a Savior who is paid the price even though I didn’t deserve it

And maybe best of all, new beginnings.  Tomorrow is another day.  I pray that I will make the most of it, and end it with few regrets.

This week’s deals

My 5 cent breakfast this morning: scrambled Egg Beater Garden Vegetable & fresh strawberries from the garden. Yummy!

This week’s shopping had some some good planned and unplanned deals.

Top on the list of unplanned deals were 10/$1 Egg Beater Garden Vegetable cartons (these usually run around $3 each!) and Dannon Light & Fit 4-packs at my local Hy-Vee! (thanks Cheryl!) For the past few weeks, they’ve had lots of Dannon products near their sell-by dates at a super cheap clearance on Fridays. The Egg Beaters can be frozen, and for use in smoothies and such, so can the yogurts! I’m going to remember to move my Hy-Vee shopping day to Friday just in case, and try to make friends with the dairy manager!

Our local Hy-Vee in NE Missouri also has a great deal on the Malt-o-Meal cereal this Friday/Saturday. Several varieties are priced at $2, and there’s a $5 off of 3 coupon in the local ad flier and paper! That makes 3 bags for $1!

On my last Walmart trip I got for free with coupons: Live Active nut harvest cereal, Purina cat chow small bag, 3 packs Kotex liners, 2 trial size Old Spice bodywash, 1 Honey Bunches of Oats chocolate clusters cereal and a Colgate toothbrush. Super cheap after coupons were 5 cans of Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes (.22 each), Johnson’s soft lotion trial size (.23), and Dove deodorant trial size (.23).

We enjoyed a cheap lunch out at Taco Bell, thanks to the free Frutista printables that give a free Frutista Freeze with any purchase. The kids and I had one of the value menu options for an easy lunch.

Today’s trip to Walgreens is planned for:
cheap shave gel or a raincheck for the SatinCare shave gel if it’s out of stock (will use next week ~ won’t earn RR, but will still be super cheap!), 4 12-packs Dr. Pepper: $11, use $2 in IP coupons (from Dr Pepper Indiana Jones game on their website), and earn $3 in RR ~ like paying $6 for 4 12-packs!

Keeping an eye peeled for Reynold’s foil and Band-aid coupons for sales next week at Walgreens, too! 20-foot rolls of foil will be on sale for 89 cents with a 7-day coupon, adding a manufacturer’s coupon ($.55, or $1.50/2) will make it super cheap! Band-aids are on sale for $.99, and there are $1/1 coupons floating around, making them free!

What to do with all those expired coupons?

Do you have a whole stack of expired Procter & Gamble coupons from May? Wish you could do something other than just throw them in the trash?

I recently learned that they can be used at overseas military bases for several months after the expiration date! Shipping rates to an overseas base are no more expensive than sending to the next state.

Here’s one place to start if you’d like to donate coupons:

Overseas Coupon Project

You can also search the various coupon forums for individuals at overseas military bases who can use these coupons. It’s an easy way to support overseas military families even if you’re on a limited budget yourself, especially if several people pool their expired coupons together and share the postage. Depending on the amount of coupons you have to send, flat rate packaging may be your best bet!

Insight from the strawberry patch

I’ve spent a lot of time weeding in the strawberry patch these past couple weeks, after not touching it last year. That was a mistake! When I ventured out to take a look, creeping charlie and (some type of) violets had grown up amongst the strawberry plants. Both of these are extremely difficult to weed in the midst of berry plants, since the violet plants closely resemble a strawberry leaf on a stalk and grow right up in the berry plants. Creeping charlie sends runners, as do strawberries. No easy yank and pull here, but close examination to make sure I wasn’t pulling out the berry plants.

As I went through this painstaking process, God gave me a little nudge:

This is the way your sin gets intertwined in your life. Just as you grab a little end of the creeping charlie and only a bit breaks off, that’s what happens when you try to eradicate sin yourself. See how this time you pulled at the center of the creeping charlie and long, long runners of it pulled free? That’s what happens when you follow MY direction instead of your own ~ you get to the heart and core of the sin, and not just the outlying fringes of it.

And oh, how I’ve been guilty of attacking the outlying fringes of my sin myself! I make lists, multi-point plans of attack, join groups, research, read books ~ but it’s all ME, not GOD. Honestly, I’m not even sure how to begin to do otherwise. But I know it begins with prayer, time to be in the Word, and my relationship with Him.

See how the violets masquerade as strawberry leaves until you get up close? From a distance they look just as green and fresh, but left unchecked they’ll choke out the berries. Think about it ….. what in your life is threatening to take over if it’s not cut back?

That was a hard one. There are too many things that I allow to “take over”, even if for a short time. Sometime they are good things, but when they’re done to the exclusion of all else or in great excess, it’s detrimental. There’s a reason that sins of excess (such as gluttony) are listed right in amidst the sins we like to think are bigger.

God sure reminded me this morning how much sweeter His fruit is than anything the world can dream up! Even a not-quite-ripe fresh from the garden strawberry is so much sweeter and juicier than the brightest, reddest berry packed in a plastic clamshell from the store ever could be. So maybe instead of writing out my list of June goals, I’ll go tackle that strawberry bed instead and continue the conversation that God started.
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Cheap diapers (or chocolate & movies) with Walgreens $10/$30 coupon

There’s a new coupon out for $10/$30 purchase at Walgreens, good only on Friday, May 30. At my Walgreens I just need to make sure that the total after all Walgreens coupons is $30 ~ manufacturer’s coupons can bring the total lower. If for some reason that wouldn’t work and I needed to have $30 after all coupons, I’d add in one of the free after rebate items from the Easy Saver rebate book.

Here’s how I plan to put it to use restocking our diaper supply:
Updated after shopping trip: The coupon didn’t want to go through at first, but the manager was able to get it to credit eventually. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get credit for Caregivers Marketplace, since instead of a rebate receipt they gave a printed copy of the journal log. Even without that extra $3 rebate, this is cheaper for diapers than I normally pay! The Hershey’s were now marked $2.99 each, but might still be ringing up at $2/4. Sometimes they go ahead and change the price tags for the new month a little ahead of time, but the old ones are still in the computer until the current month ends.

Given the difficulty of the rebate receipt, I think I’ll send hubby out to do the following for our 3 year old:

28.47 – 3 packs Pull-ups @ 9.49 ea
+ small filler to make $30
-10.00 WAGS $10/$30 coupon
-5.50 in manufacturer’s coupons (2-$2/1 from Pull-ups.com, 1-$1.50 from paper)
$12.97 OOP on pull-ups
- $3.00 Caregivers Marketplace rebate
$9.97 for 3 packs of Pull-ups (78 pull-ups @ $.13 each!)

$28.47 – 3 packs of Huggies diapers (@ 9.49 each)
+ small filler to make $30 so that I can use the coupon
-10.00 – $10/$30 WG coupon
- 4.00 – Huggies coupons from paper & mailer (2-$1.50/1, $1/1)
13.47 out of pocket

Then it gets better! I’ll be sure to ask for a rebate receipt and send in for 2 rebates:

$5.00 Huggies MIR - Buy 3 on same receipt, get $5 back
$3.00 Caregiver’s Marketplace rebate @ $1 per pack (will combine with previous purchase of Cottonelle wipes to get 5 items required for submission)

$6.47 for 3 packs of diapers after rebates! In size 3 diapers, that’s a cost of only $.05 – $.06 per diaper, which beats even the Parent’s Choice diapers at Walmart that we normally use ($.13 per diaper).

Another scenario that could be done is this:

$18.00 – 9 bags Hershey minis @ 2/$4, choose ones with movie points on them
1.79 – 2 Ajax dishsoap (after 7-day WAGS coupon)
.99 – 1 Colgate wave toothbrush (after 7-day WAGS coupon)
1.98 – 2 bags Chex mix (if turtle, check to make sure it rings up right)
1.19 – 2 packs Wrigley’s gum (after 7-day WAGS coupon)
1.99 – 1 Walgreens maxipads
9.95 – 5 Excedrin 24ct @ $1.99
$ 35.89
- 10.00 $10/$30 WAGS coupon
- 4.50 ESR on Hershey’s (from new June booklet begins 5/30, $1/2 top of page 3)
- .20 Ajax from paper
- 1.00 Colgate IP toothbrush
- 2.00 2 – $1/1 Chex mix IP
- 1.19 BOGO Wrigley’s gum from paper
- $6.00 Excedrin coupons (1- $2/1 IP, 4-$1/1)
$11.00 Out of pocket

EARN:
$7.70 in rebates from May Easy Saver ($5 on Hershey’s, $2 on pads)
and
$22.50 – 3 Hershey’s megamovie tickets (worth $7.50 each at our local theater)

Budget time

We’ve been busy these past couple months. Too busy! I realized the other day that it had been almost 6 weeks since I’d really sat down and balanced the checkbook. We’re lucky to be in a position right now where we can let things go for that long without having major consequences, thanks to a decision we made several years ago. At that time we were both working as teachers, and were paid bi-weekly. Twice a year we would receive three paychecks in a month instead of the normal two. Usually this went towards paying down our credit card debt, but one year we decided to do something different. Instead, we’d keep the money in our checking account and when the beginning of the next month rolled around we’d pay ALL of our monthly expenses at the beginning of the month instead of waiting for the mid-month paycheck. This was the beginning of a turnaround in the way we approached our finances.

Instead of always having to race home to get the paycheck deposited by 5pm on Friday so that checks wouldn’t bounce, we could deposit it over the weekend since we’d already paid for that month’s bills. It was an automatic slush fund in our accounts. When our first child was born and we dropped down to one salary, doing this was especially important. We moved cross-country and now received only one paycheck, once a month. We set it so that the September paycheck actually is used for October expenses. Having a month’s slush fund in the account is critical to avoiding overdrafts!

But we did face the temptation of spending it ahead of time, since we knew the extra money was there. For a long time I tracked our budgets with Quicken. It was thorough, but made it tough for my husband and I to stay on the same page since he’s very visual about finances.

That’s when we found a program that works well for both of us. Budget, by Snowmintcs, is available for Mac or PC.

As an envelope budgeting system, we set it up each month so that a paycheck is divided up into “envelopes” for different expenses. This can be as simple or complex as you want. For instance groceries could be set at $250 for the month. As money is spent, it’s entered under the right envelope and will show how much is left. Hubby likes it since he can see at a glance how much is left to spend in a category. I like it because I can easily have multiple accounts and sub-accounts set up and transfer between them. It’s made our regular budget discussions go much more easily.

As it was, when we took a look at the numbers from the past two months, we discovered that couponing and such paid off even in the midst of very busy months. We spent more than in a normal month in a couple categories, but gained such a good stockpile that the next couple months should come in well under budget. We won’t have to buy dishsoap till after Christmas! LOL We also have a nice rebate coming in on the Walgreens gift card that will be the equivalent of a pre-coupon month’s expenses for household items.

The Broken Crock

The package arrived in the mail just before Christmas from my mom.  I’d say that we put it under the tree, but I’m not even sure that we had a tree that year.  Christmas morning came and I anxiously opened the box, finding all the makings for a pasta dinner nestled into a stoneware crock.  Earlier that year I’d asked my mom to keep an eye open for a crock, for I had fond memories of meals served in them as a child.  The older I got, the more I found myself appreciating the things I’d taken for granted and had left behind in a cross-country move.  As I reached into the styrofoam packing peanuts to pull out the crock, however, I pulled out a triangular shaped shard.  It was  .  . . BROKEN! 

Just like me.

A week earlier I’d had a third miscarriage, and was devastated.  For a year and a half we’d been trying to start a family.  At the beginning, we thought we had it all planned out ~ when we’d conceive for the best birth date to match up with the school calendar so that I could have the best combination of maternity leave and summer vacation before returning to my teaching job in the fall.  I was confident that I could control this aspect of my fertility as easily as I’d prevented children for the first years of our marriage.  The stack of books beside my nightstand grew as I read every book our local library had on conception and pregnancy.  I was ready ~ or so I thought.

Our first pregnancy came six months after we’d made the decision to start a family and we were overjoyed.  Before I could even make it into my first doctor’s visit, it ended.  I consoled myself with the thought that “at least we know we can become pregnant” and continued on somewhat less confidently than before.  Four months later we again had an early loss.  This time I comforted myself with statistics (surely after two in a row the next one would stick!) and the thought that the timing wouldn’t have been “right” to mesh with my teacher’s schedule.  Eight long months later we conceived once again, and made it further into the pregnancy than before.  We were hopeful, despite a roller coaster of conflicting signs.  A week before Christmas, that pregnancy ended.  This time there was no confident reassurance of statistics, no self pep-talks.  A year and a half after deciding to start a family we were further away than when we’d begun.  All my best plans had failed.  I was simply . . . BROKEN.

It was at that point that I could finally lay aside enough of myself to hear that God had been speaking to me for many months, but that I’d been too sure that I knew where I was going to listen.  As I pulled shard after shard of broken crock from the packing peanuts, the tears rolled down my face.  This was me ~ I was in pieces too.  One day over Christmas break I spread newspaper out on the kitchen table, and painstakingly glued the crock back together with super glue.  I couldn’t mend my brokenness, but I could fix that crock ~ that was my thought process.  That Christmas break was the beginning of my restored relationship with God as well.

For the longest time I felt guilt about the crock.  I didn’t want anyone to know that it had broken (even fibbed to my mother when I called to thank her for the gift!), and tucked it away in a cupboard.  As God has put me back together these past few years I’ve come to realize the powerful gift He has given me, and what a tangible reminder of that the crock is.  It’s going to be moved from its hiding place in the cabinet and set out in the open as a reminder to me of just how powerful God’s healing hand is in our lives.

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Note:  This post has been surfacing for some time.  This powerful story of broken pottery and healing is the inspiration for putting my story into words.  If you haven’t yet read the story of little Audrey’s short life and her parents’ faith throughout it all, bring a box of tissues and prepare to have your heart touched.