Buying the newspaper

Have you been buying the paper to get your coupons? I was too. And some weeks I would buy several copies as well. However, my local paper is now $3. Some weeks there isn't even $3 worth of coupons. And it always seems like another area of the country was getting the coupons that I really wanted anyways. So, how to fix this??? Well, I started trying out the clipping services. These are companies that clip the coupons and mail them to you. You do not pay for the coupons, but the service that they are providing. There are pros and cons to ordering your coupons.

#1) I love getting the coupons on Sunday so that I can take part in sales early in the week. (con)

#2) I also love getting coupons that I will actually use and already clipped (pro)

#3) You have to use paypal or a credit card to order (con)

#4) The service/clipping fee can be very minimal (pro)

#5) The popular coupons can sell out very quickly (con)

#6) You can order exactly what you need in quantity and not have to dispose of all the papers (pro)

So I have been buying one paper each week and checking out the coupons and seeing if it will make back my $3 as an experiment. And I have also been ordering coupons. This week I got 52 coupons for under $5 when I ordered. And most of the coupons will double making my savings way higher than they would be if I had spent that money on a newspaper.

However, ordering can be kind of tricky. It is hard to know exactly what you will use, how many, and when. If you order you have to wait for the envelope to show up in the mail before you can take part in the sale. Plus you have to know or try to predict if sales will come up before the coupon is out of stock.

I have made lots of mistakes as a new person ordering.

#1) I ordered a coupon that was about to expire and didn't get it in the mail quick enough
#2) I ordered a coupon without reading the details and they were for the wrong product
#3) I have ordered too many coupons and wasn't able to use all of them before the sale ended or coupons expired (great time to share with friends or leave at store for others)

Overall, I have really liked ordering my coupons. I have saved way more money and had the chance to start stocking up again after depleting many of our resources.

Here are the sites I have been using:

West Coast Clipping Services (no minimum and ship really fast)

Coupon DeDe's (there is a minimum purchase amount but they have a wonderful selection and always ship really fast)

Kuntry Klippers (I believe you order in multiples of 20...so only use this one if you really need lots of a coupon)

What do you think? Have you tried any other companies that we should add to the list?

More recent pic of Love #3

Here he is with all of his chubby wonderful self showing.

Book Review: I Love You To God and Back

Before baby #3 arrived, I received this book from Book Sneeze in return for my honest review.

I chose I Love You to God and Back by Amanda Lamb. On the website, I thought the book looked like a children's book. So I  thought I would get the book and read it with my loves before we did our prayers. However, the book was really more for mommies in my point of view. The mother that wrote this started to copy down the prayers that her little Chloe said each night. I believe that Chloe was about six at the time. I could feel a real connection listening to hear prayers since I have a six year old my self. Each prayer was then followed by the thoughts from the mother which we refreshing to read as well since this whole mommy thing is really an adventure.

The book might not have been what I expected, but it was fun to read. Plus, when I got to the end there were some great tips for doing your own prayers with the babes at night. Overall, I really did enjoy this book.

Little Love #3

Here is a picture of my Love at three days old. Now, this picture is many weeks old now, but I feel like I just haven't had time to share or post much of anything. I took on too many jobs when I should have been resting and healing (and couponing and blogging and ...) Anyways, I am still hoping that life will slow down a little and give me a chance to take a breath. I hope you are all doing well.

A few current Wegmans deals

I am sorry that my posts are so few and far between.  With a new born and several part time jobs that don't give maternity leaves, I am finding it hard to find time to even get dressed. But I am trying to keep up with my couponing and have started to make a few trips to my Wegmans. Here are a couple that I noticed.

Dove chocolate bars $0.69
use $0.50/2 from coupons.com
doubles to make each $0.19 wyb 2

Yoplait Granola Parfait $1.99 until 5/26/12
use $0.75/1 from coolsavings.com or smartsource.com
doubles to make it $0.49 each

Keebler Cookies $1.99
use $0.75/2 from 4/15 RP
doubles to make it $1.24 each wyb 2

Chewy Granola Bars 2/$4
use $0.75/2 from 4/29 Pepsi Moments
doubles to make it $1.25 each wyb 2

I know there are more that I am forgetting. So as I go through my coupons I will post.

Book Review: My Own Worst Enemy

Here is my latest free book, sent in return for my hones review. I received My Own Worst Enemy by Janet Davis from the Bethany House Publishers.

I loved the quote on the back of this book, "Sometimes your biggest obstacle is yourself."

This book was about women's struggle with feelings of insecurity, self-doubt, fear, etc. and how these feelings get in our way of doing great things.

One of the things I loved about this book was that it connected present day women with their current struggles and women from the Bible that faced similar obstacles. It was so encouraging to read from the Bible that God does have great purposes for all of us and that it is ok to use the gifts He gave us to do His will.

Each section of the book ends with questions as well. So this book makes a perfect addition to a Bible Study or Women's Group. The questions are great platforms to get discussion and growing started. 

I encourage you to check out this book. See if you might be part of an unlived life, the unworthy live, or the unimagined life. And then see how you can make the change to live your life to the fullest and accomplish all the great things you are capable and worthy of doing.

Have you joined smiley360?

I was recently checking out the current missions on smiley.360 and noticed that there was a message that they are currently looking for more females. I have been receiving products to try and share about for a long time through smiley.360 And what is great about this company is that it is soooooo easy to participate!

If interested you can go check it out here.

Hill's® Science Diet® Ideal Balance™ cat and dog food

I have another bzzcampaign to share with you. I love getting useful products to share with you as a bzzagent.

I had been hearing so much about using a grain free pet  food, that I said yes as soon as I was asked to try this product. And our loving doggie seems happy to be grain free.

Here is some info on the products for you:

Hill's® Science Diet® Ideal Balance™ cat and dog food contains the perfect balance of natural ingredients to keep your friend in tip-top shape — no wonder it has the PetMD seal of approval.

NEW Hill's® Science Diet® Ideal Balance™ cat food Features fresh chicken as the 1st ingredient Contains fruits and veggies, including cranberries Free of corn and artificial flavors and preservatives Just hit store shelves in December Available in Kitten, Adult, and Mature Adult varieties

NEW Hill's® Science Diet® Ideal Balance™ Grain Free cat food All of the benefits of Ideal Balance™ in a Grain Free formula for easier digestion for sensitive cats Free of corn, artificial colors and preservatives

  NEW Hill's® Science Diet® Ideal Balance™ Grain Free dog food Formulated for easier digestion Features fresh chicken as the 1st ingredient Free of corn, artificial colors and preservatives Free of artificial colors and preservatives Noticeably improves your dog's skin and coat


Do you want to see how your current pet food compares? There is a great resource you can check out here: http://hillspet.com/idealbalance

Book Review: The Scent of Cherry Blossoms

I have been getting books in the mail all the time lately. And with my larger belly, it has been nice to relax and read. This particular book was sent to be from the Blogging for Books program through  Waterbrrok Multnomah Press.

I have been given the chance to read several of Cindy Woodsmall's Books. Each of them usually focus on Old Order Amish life and I have really enjoyed each one. However, The Scent of Cherry Blossoms, was by far my favorite.  The story is a typical love story, one that reminds me of Romeo and Juliet. We have an old order Mennonite girl, Annie, who can't seem to find a place where she belongs. So she returns to live with her grandfather, Daadi Moses. Since the Mennonites are allowed to use electricity, Moses has been helping run a diner with an Old Order Amish family. The families have always been friends and helped each other. So when Annie returns to her grandfather's place she also helps out at the diner like she had in the past. However, this time it is different. The friendship that had been developing over the years between Annie and an Amish boy, Aden, quickly turns to love.

Although Old Order Mennonite and Old Order Amish are allowed to be friends, there are strict rules on marriage and love. For Annie to be with Aden, one would have to break their vow of faith and leave their family. Which could also lead to Moses dissolving his business relationship and the Amish family closing the diner.

I loved the way that this book switched between who was telling the story. It was great to get a feel for each character, their feelings, and their desires through the story. And there was so much more to it than just the forbidden love. We saw the struggles that any typical family would go through with the Old Order twists. And it was a great reminder that no matter what faith you follow, the same life problems will strike and cause you to make tough decisions.

I thought this was a great book for any female in middle school and up. It was a delightful easy read that brought out a lot of emotion out of this preggo mama.

Wegmans: Cheap Sorrento Products

I was super excited to see a quick sale on some Sorrento cheese products at my Wegmans. And the expiration dates were in May on the cheese. So I bought enough to last until then!!!

I believe that these deals are good only until April 7th!!!!!

   The 16oz block cheese is on sale for $2.99
                           Use the $1/1 from the 2/12 SS
                           makes this $1.99 each   (Wegmans brand is over $4!!!)

                           The Ricotta was the same price and there should be another $1  coupon in that same insert

                           to get it for $1.99


And my favorite find: My Wegmans also had the shredded mozzarella that is new from Sorrento marked to $2.99. There was a recent $2/1 coupon. So these were only $0.99!!! I cannot find the coupon in any of the databases, but it was in an insert with Ken's dressing on the front for me and it was very recent!

Book Review: The Coming Revolution

All of a sudden I had tons of books to review. So I apologize that there will be a ton of these for a little bit as I have finished a few of the books. But some of the books were absolutely amazing. So I am excited to share as well.



The book that I have to share with you is The Coming Revolution, by Dr. Richard G Lee. I received this book for free from Book Sneeze in return for my honest review.

As I read the beginning of this book, I was brought back to History class. Much of the book is dedicated to stories and examples of the incredible making of our country. It was fun to go through some of the  stories that I had forgotten or didn't have totally clear in my head.

Reading over what foundational ideas this country was built on was a great reminder of how hard the American people have worked in the past to get the freedom and liberties that we have today. Dr. Lee uses much of this history combined with a comparison of what other countries are doing to start his argument that we are now heading in the wrong direction.

When I chose this book as my next Book Sneeze request, I was actually thinking how much my husband would enjoy this because he shares many of the same views as Dr. Lee and loves History. But in the end, I actually enjoyed reading this book as well. If I were to read this book again, I would have my husband read it along with me because it is a great discussion starter. Whether you agree or disagree with what the author has to say, it gets you thinking about our past, our present, and the future of this country.

More IP match-ups for Wegmans

Here are some deals if you are willing to print a coupon or two. :)

Healthy Choice Complete Meals $2.99
use $1/2 print here
to make it $2.49 each

Seapak item psa $5.99
use $1/1 facebook coupon
prices vary

Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner 13fl oz $2.49
use $0.75/1 from coupons.com
doubles to make it $0.99

Carefree 20ct liners $0.99
use $1/1 printable here
makes this free

KC Masterpiece BBC $1.89
use $0.50/1 from coupons.com
doubles to make it $0.89

Clorox Bleach 96oz $1.99
use $0.25/1 from coupons.com
doubles to make it $1.49

Starkist Pouch psa $1.39
use $0.50/1 from facebook
doubles to make it $0.39

Kraft Homestyle Mac n Cheese $2.49
use $0.75/1 printable here
doubles to make it $0.99

Lucky Charms cereal 2/$5
use $0.60/1 from pillsbury website
doubles to make it $1.30 each

Naked Juice 15.3oz $2.99
use $1/1 from facebook
makes this $1.99

Arnold Health-Full Breads

As a bzzagent, I am sent all sorts of interesting products to try and bzz about. This has been one of the most delicious.

 I don't know why, but the pictures of the beautiful deli sandwiches that have been everywhere always make me hungry. And I think that a good sandwich starts with a good bread.

Sometimes I think that the healthy breads that are out there can sometimes be over powering. It is like they are too think for the rest of the sandwich and all you get is a bite of bread.

So I was excited and intrigued to try out Arnold Health-Full bread through BzzAgent.

I decided to try the Nutty Grain bread. It was soft and delicious. I couldn't believe the great flavor and the way it mixed so well with the roast beef and cheese I had selected. It was the perfect thickness as well. So when I took a bite, everything was in proportion. Now, not only is this bread delicious, it is also healthy. Here is some of the bzzz about the bread:

• 80 calories per slice, so you can focus on toppings and not on calories
• Excellent source of fiber, with 4 – 5g of fiber per slice
• 5g of protein per slice
• No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
• Available in four delicious varieties including 10 Grain, Nutty Grain, Hearty Wheat, Flax & Fiber
• Found in the bread aisle of all major supermarkets (check our product locator on loveyourbread.com for available varieties in your area)
• Online at LoveYourBread.com/recipes — visit the site for delicious sandwich recipes to help you fall in love with lunch again

I look forward to my next Health-Full sandwich!

I might actually make a stop at Tops this week!

So, I have been looking over some of the current deals at Tops and actually found some that might make a trip inside worth my time. Here are some of the items I might check out:

Ricola Dual Action Cough Drops 2/$3 until 3/31
use $0.75/1 from 1/1 SS
doubles to make it free

Olay Bar Soup 4ct $2.99
use $2/1 from P&G
makes this $0.99 each

Barber Stuffed Chicken $3.50
use $1/1 from 2/26 SS
makes this $2.50 each

Furmano's Diced Tomatoes $10/10
use $0.50/2 from
doubles to make it $0.50 each

There are other items on sale and I will update if any of them jump out at me....




And you might just want to take a look at the candy asile. I heard that some of the kit kats and other candies had $0.75/1 peelies on them. I believe that they may have been or are on sale for $1.50. So these would be free after doubling!

My past two Wegmans stops!

Well, I have not posted a picture in a long time. I haven't really had a chance to do any great couponing in a long time. But with the baby coming in a couple weeks, I think it is time to start stocking up on easy to grab things from the cupboard. Not that we eat like that all the time, but I am going to need all the help I can get.

So, here are some of the items I grabbed last week. I bought multiples of most, but it is easier to just put a couple in the picture.

A bunch of the items had coupons that were expiring that day. And I apologize that I didn't notice the deals before the day of. :(

Q-tips 375 pack $2.59

used $0.50/1 from RP expired (doubled to make $1 off)

stacked this with the $0.50/1 in the Wegmans winter savings coupon booklet

made these $1.09

Italian dressing (had a $0.70 off coupon that expired 2/26 and doubled)

Lipton tea $1.39

used $0.40/1 doubled/expired

made this $0.59

Knorr noodles $1.09 each

used $0.50/2 doubled/expired

made these $0.59 each

Lipton soup recipes $1.69

used $0.60/1 doubled/expired

made these $1.09 each

Dole fruit in juice $2.39

used $0.75/1 from 1/8 SS

doubles to make it $0.89

(I think there is a $0.50/1 printable here)

Yoplait with granola $1.99

used $0.75/1 from 2/5 GM

doubles to make it $0.49 each

Purina Chew-eez $0.99

used $4/4 coupon from 12/4 SS (expires today I think)

made these totally free

And the pyrex dishes were on sale with coupons hooked right on to them. They were $3.99 and then the $1 off made them $2.99. There were plenty of other sizes available on sale as well. I have a strange addiction to pyrex dishes. I love them and prefer them over tupperware. So I am always glad to get more on sale!

All in all, I only saved about $40 total from that trip. It wasn't great but it was better than I have been doing.

So I went back to Wegmans today, bound and determined to do a little better.

And I did, but it still wasn't great. In the end I saved over $70 in this trip. Most of what you see above was bought in quantities of 4 because Wegmans will double 4 like coupons in a trip. I try to stick by the rules, so there may be stores where you can use more, but as it was I handed the poor girl about a thousand coupons with some that were for free items. So I didn't want to put her through anything else. Not to mention that my cart was totally full. So I will go back with the remaining coupons I still have to continue to stock up. Some people might think it is weird to buy 4 jars of jelly at once, but remember you want to get it at the lowest price possible and stock up so that you never pay full price!

Welch's jelly $1.99

used $0.55/1 from 2/12 RP or you might be able to print from here

double to make it $0.89

More of the yogurts I mentioned above at $0.49 per package

Lucky Charms 2/$5

used $0.50/1 from smartsource.com or from couponnetwork.com

doubles to make this $1.50 each





Stouffer's Mac and Cheese Family Entree $4.99
used $2/1 from 1/29 RP #2
makes this $2.99 each

French's Fried Onions
used $.50/1 from 2/12 SS
doubles to make it

Duncan Hinse cake $3.39
got this free from a coupon a company mailed to me :)

Blistex Chapstick $0.99
used $0.35/1 from  1/22 SS
doubles to make it $0.29 each

Keebler Dark Stripe Cookies $1.99
used $0.55/1 from  2/19 RP
doubles to make it $0.89 each
(I just found that you can print a $0.70/1 from snackpicks which would be even better. )

Obviously to save over $70, there were some other purchases, but I thought that these were the most notable.

Have you seen any great Wegmans deals lately?

Finally a decent diaper deal!

Well, I will be headed to Rite Aid tomorrow for some diapers. Finally there seems to be a decent price.

I have heard that the buy $30 get $10 +up deal is printing after only purchasing $29.97. I don't know if I am brave enough to try. I might add a Vick's item or some wipes.

But for those of you that are brave enough, here is the deal:

Buy 3 packs of Pampers $9.99 each ($29.97)
-use 3- $1.50/1 from coupons.com or $2/1 from the P&G home mailer

At best you would pay $23.97 out of pocket after coupons.
Then you would get $10 +up for spending $20
and get $5 +up for monthly deal (only until 3/6).

So that would be $8.97 at the least after the $2 coupons and the plus ups. That is less than $3 per pack. Too bad this is a limit of one per household. I would love to do it twice!!!

I am also going to see if I can pick up some of the free softlips while I am there. But since it will be  Monday, I have a feeling that deal will be gone. :(

Family Updates

Oh my goodness! I looked over at the picture I have of my loves at it sooooo old. My son looks totally different now. So, for anyone interested, here are some current pics of my three little loves. The one of baby #3 was taken a couple weeks ago. So I am sure you can imagine just how big the belly is now. Supposedly I have have 6 weeks left. Haha... I am so big already, I don't know if there is any way I will make it that far!

This is my oldest love. She is going to be taller than me soon. Everytime I look at her she seems taller.

And here is baby #2 at his 3rd birthday party. Don't mind the cheese puff lips. Can you see the nice nig boy hair cut? I think my husband did a pretty good job for his first attempt and cutting the little man's hair!

Trying to live a Frugal Life

Baby number three is almost here and prices of everything are going up. And, at least in my area, the coupon deals have not been that great. So we have been searching for ways to save money. One of the things we did were purchase clippers for out "male" hair cuts. My husband seems to be the hair cut expert in the house. He has now cut everyone's hair at least once.

Pampers Gifts to Grow Codes

Here are a couple of codes to add to your Pampers Gifts to Grow points.

FBPRE9BD99DAY12

FBFAMDBD99KAY12

Remember that sweet big wheel bike my son got for free??? Save up your points to get little or big items from Pampers!!!!

Book Review: Everything Romance: A Celebration of Love for Couples

"I can live without money, but I cannot live without love."
                                   ~ Judy Garland

Once again, I was pleased to receive a great new book in return for my honest review from Waterbrrok Multnomah Press.

Everything Romance is a cute little hard cover book perfect for setting out on the coffee table or the bathroom this time of year as Valentine's Day approaches.

I like to use this book kind of like  I would a daily scripture reading. It isn't like a novel, where you would sit down and read chapter after chapter. Instead, it is just short sweet pieces that get you thinking about love, romance, and your special someone.

It is filled with quotes, stories, and little ways to have fun. I loved reading the ideas for cheap dates that would be fun and fit into anyone's budget. And there was also some fun trivia and facts that just made me smile.

For example, on page 20, the Romance Trivia shared that a man who kisses his wife goodbye when he leaves for work each morning averages a higher income than those who don't. And on top of that they usually live 5 years longer as well. I wish that this was true for us in the money sense, but I will take the 5 extra years together over the money any time!!!

And one of my favorite "cheap" dates was on page 79, where they described a night alone where you and your love cook dinner together. I love this idea and had even been talking with the hubby about taking a cooking class together if we could fit it in with the baby coming. The only problem is trying to fit two people in my kitchen.

All in all, this book was fun, sweet, romantic, and it took the focus off the money and put it back on the love. It was one of my favorite books thus far and makes a great Valentine's Day gift.

A few Wegmans Match-ups I will be looking for...

Here are just a few match-ups that I noticed based on coupons I have:

Blistex .15 oz $0.99
use $0.35/1 from 1/22 SS
doubles to make it $0.29 each

Carvel Game Day Cake $9.99
use $2/1 from 1/22 SS
makes this $7.99

Snackwells Bars $2.79
use $0.75/1 from 2/5 SS (says DND on coupon, but my Wegmans usually doubles anyways)
doubles to make this $1.29

Chewy Granola Bars $2.39
use $1/2 from 2/5 SS
makes this $1.89 each wyb 2

Emerald Breakfast to-go $2.99
use $1/1 from 1/29 RP (some may have gotten $0.75/1... lucky ducks)
makes this $1.99

Vick's Nature Fusion $6.49 (with SCC)
use $3/1 from 1/29 P&G
makes this $3.39

Reynold's Wrap recycled 50 sq ft $2.99
use $0.75/1 from 1/22 SS
Doubles to make it $1.49

Franks Redhot $1.29 for 5oz
use $0.75/1 from 1/22 SS
doubles to make it free

or buy 120z for $1.99
doubles to make it $0.49

Lipton Soup Secrets psa $1.59
use $0.50/1 from or $0.60/1 from 1/29 RP
doubles to make it $0.39- $0.59 each

Barilla Pasta Sauce $2.49
use $1/1 from 1/8 SS
makes this $1.49 each

Soft Scrub psa $2.99
use $0.50/1 from 1/22 RP
doubles  to make it $1.99

Dole Parfaits $2.29
use $0.50/1 from 1/29 SS (some may have gotten a $0.75/1... again you lucky ducks)
doubles to make it $1.29

Zone Perfect Bars $1.29
use $0.55/1 from 1/22 SS
doubles to make it $0.19

Softsoap 12oz Bodywash $1.99
use $0.75/1 from 1/29 SS
doubles to make it $0.49

Wish-Bone Dressing $2.19
use $0.70/1 from 1/29 RP
doubles to make it $0.79

Knorr Rice and Pasta Sides psa $1.09
use $0.50/2 from 1/29 RP
doubles to make it $0.59 wyb 2

Furmano's tomatoes $1.59
use $0.50/2 from 1/29 RP
doubles to make it $1.09 each

Q-tips 170ct $1.99
use $0.50/1 from 1/29 RP
doubles to make it $0.99

Carefree Liners $0.99 (18-22ct)
or 54 ct $1.99
use the $0.50/1 from  1/8 SS (excludes 18-22ct)
or I have the $0.50/1 from a mailer that says 20ct or higher
doubles to make this free to $0.99 depending on size and coupon


Kraft Parmesan Cheese 8oz $3.49
use $0.55/1 from 2/12 SS
doubles to make this $2.39 each

Got2b hair stylers $3.99 (same price as the drugstores this week)
use $3/1 from 2/12 RP
makes this $0.99 each

Some Wegmans match-ups

Here are some of the best deals I can find right now at Wegmans. Wegmans has so many products that I will continue to look at add to this list. This is just a start!
Wegmans Brand

1 gallon of Milk $1.99 - $2.09
Sour Cream 16oz $1.49
Shredded Cheese 8oz $1.99
8oz blocks of cheese $1.99
Crushed Tomatoes 32 oz $0.79 (tomato sauce and tomato puree at same price but diff size)
Mac and Cheese $0.49
Tomato Soup 2/$1
64 fl oz juices $1.99
Whipped Topping $0.99
1 liter oral rinse $1.40

Non- Wegmans Brand

Snacks

Nestle Toll House Morsels $2.49
use $0.50/2 from verybestbaking.com
doubles to make it $1.99 each wyb 2

Wilton Sprinkles $0.99

Little Debbie Swiss Rolls $1.99

Little Debbie Nutty Bars or Cosmic Brownies $1.49

12pk Coke products 4/$12 or 1/$3

2-liter Pepsi products 4/$5

Lays potato chips, Doritos,  $2.19

Tostitos $2.99

Triscuit, Wheat Thins, Town House Crackers $1.99

Cheez-it 2/$5

Gold fish 2/$3

Betty Crocker Brownies $1.25

Toiletries

2 ct Reach Crystal Clean Toothbrushes

Arm & Hammer Ultra Max Deodorant 2.8oz $0.99

Aquafresh 3.5oz $0.69

Colgate 6oz $1.99
use $0.50/1 from 1/29 RP
doubles to make it $0.99

Crest Complete 6.2oz $1.99
use $1/2 from 1/29 P&G
makes this $1.49 each wyb 2

Groceries

Hormel Pepperoni $2.49
use $1/2 from 1/15 SS
makes this $1.99 each wyb 2

Hillshire Farms Little Smokies $2.99

Canned and Packaged

Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes $0.99

Goya Beans and Chick Peas $0.89

Rinaldi Pasta Sauce $1.29

Progresso Soups 4/$5
$1/4 in 2/5 GM
makes this 4/$4 or $1 each

Chucky Campbell's Soup 4/$6
use $0.50/2 printable
doubles to make this $1 each

or $1/2 or $1/4 from the 1/8 SS if you don't print

Manwich 15.5oz $0.99

Hunt's Diced Tomatotes 3/$3
Sign up for newsletter and get $1/3 coupon here
makes this 3/$2

Heinz Cocktail Sauce 12oz $1.49

Heinz Homestyle Gravy 12oz 2/$3

Special K Cereal 2/$5
use $1/2 from 1/1 RP
Makes these $2 each wyb 2

Special K Fruit Crisps 2/$5
use $0.75/2 from 1/22 RP
doubles to make it $1.75 each

Special K Cracker Chips 2/$5
use $1/2 from 1/1 RP
Makes these $2 each wyb 2

Fiber One Browniess 2/$5
use $0.40/1 from smartsource.com
doubles to make it $1.70 each
(there are many others to use if you don't have this one)

Karo Corn Syrup $1.99
use $0.40/1 from 12/4 SS
doubles to make it $1.19

Frozen

Tony's Party Time Pizza $0.99

Stouffers Craveable Recipes (mac and cheese) $1.99

Eggos Waffles $2.19
(there are some coupons insides of specialy marked kellogg's cereals)

Pets

Fancy Feast 3oz cans 4/$2

Chew-eez Dog Treats $0.99

Free Carefree Panty Liners at Wegmans

I was in Wegmans for just a couple minutes and tried to eyeball the bins near the registers for any good deals. I saw carefree panty liners for $0.69. If you have the $0.50 off coupons, these should double and make them free.

 I hope to have more Wegmans match-ups soon.

Book Review: Alienation

I have found another great company that offers free books to bloggers for their honest review. I recently joined Book Sneeze, and they sent my Alienation, The C.H.A.O.S. Triology 2, by Jon S. Lewis.

I have enjoyed this book and all the action packed scenes. Colt, a 16 year old boy is the last hope for Earth to fight off an alien invasion from a group called the Thule (shapeshifters). He joins an academy to train for his new position, but as he begins his training he learns that a key leader is trying to have him killed. He, accompanied by his brilliant friend Danielle who can hack into any system, and his incredibly talented friend Oz, work together to get through this new trial in life and get ready for the oncoming invasion.

When I first started to read this book, I felt really lost. It moved fast and I couldn't keep up with all the bits and pieces to the story. Then I realized that it was the second part to a triology. So if I had read the first part, I would have been able to jump right in. Either way, after a couple of chapters I was caught up to speed and able to enjoy all the many challenges that Colt faced as he was constantly being attacked by Krone. The attacks came at any minute and the way he and his friends responded was quite remarkable.

As I read this story, I instantly thought of my middle school boys. This story is is filled with gun names that I cannot picture, but I know my husband could instantly tell me what they look like and are used for. Each chapter is so exciting it is hard to find a place to stop and take a break. It has action sequences like a movie or video game that would instantly appeal to young men. I can see my students grabbing this book and not putting it down.

To check out a free exerpt from the story you can go to amazon and read here.

Offer from Bzzagent

Bzzagent is one of my favorite companies to test products for. They recently sent me an email that they are looking for new people to test an electric shaver. Unfortunately, I don't fit the requirements for this one.

They are looking for 13-20 year old males. If you fit the criteria or know someone that does send them to www.bzzagent.com/go/shaver to sign up.

Frugal Fun: Using your local schools

Whether you home school, have children too young for school, or maybe your child attends a private school, you still may want to check out the opportunities at the local public schools. My daughter does attend a public school, so I get regular newsletters and notes sent about special activities. However, most schools also post these on their website, which you could book mark to keep an eye on.

I have noticed that her school has many programs in the evenings and weekends that have little to no cost, lots of potential for fun, and might be educational as well. This particular picture is from a Rain Forest presentation that we attended on Friday night. It was a free show for my son and my daughter was $5! You did not have to attend the school and the all the children there were able to meet incredible animals and even touch some of them.

You can see that my children are much braver than I am. There is no way I want to put a finger on that python.

Check out your local school's website and see if there are any great opportunities waiting for you!!!

Wegmans: Consistent Low Prices (CLPs)

In 2011, Wegmans decided to offer many of their items at a great low price through December 31, 2011. I wasn't sure what would happen as the new year started, but was very happy to see that they are continuing to offer a similar program through 2012.

There is a new list of items that will be kept at the same price no matter what, through April 28th. You can check out the items on the Wegmans website.

I am most excited to see that the chicken and ground beef are going to be kept at their previous prices from 2011!!!

I also noticed some produce and pasta sauces on the list. You can go to the website and enter your sip code to see the prices for your area.

New Year = New Organization

I mentioned earlier that I was soooo sick during the holidays. It started with the kids and then finally hit me at the end. The part that really stunk: I spent hours getting back to the couponing mess I had created because I just hadn't had time clip. I went through all of my inserts and organized all my coupons. I clipped all of the 12/31/11 expiring coupons and created a list of the things my family needed and that I could stock up on with a store by store break down. So then, after all the time and hard work.... I had to throw it all away. I was too sick to go to the store and do it! And there is no way I could ask my husband to take on the task. He barely remembers to hand the cashier a coupon or two... although he has gotten better. :) So now, they are expired and my time and hard work is basically for nothing.

However, it did get me thinking. I was great at keeping my coupons organized throughout the summer. I only had the family, house and part time job to take care of. This made couponing and blogging easy. Now add in the full time job and I am insane... So what am I going to do???

Well first, I am going to start this January fresh. Every compartment of my coupon bin is getting trashed (since they are from 6 months ago anyway...haha). And from this point forward, all coupons are going in their weekly folder with the date as soon as I get them. No more leaving it out in hopes that I get 5 minutes to clip it. If anything else, with a third babe coming  and a crazy life, I need organization. I need ultra organization!!! And for my family, that is going to be the focus for our 2012. Our goal: finding space for our every increasing family.

Now this is not my only goal for 2012, but the only one I am ready to share. Haha. My getting back into shape goal has to weight until April anyways... as we welcome baby #3. :)

Any New Year's Resolutions you'd like to share?

(I'll post pics of how I organize my coupons later for anyone wanting ideas. You can also go to the archives in the "getting started" category to see other posts on keeping coupons organized to help get you started. I personally think that the way you organize is personal to you. I have seen great ideas that when I tried just didn't work for me. So go out and find the one that works for you!!!)

Book Review: The Canary List

It sure seems that everytime I get back to blogging and couponing, something happens. My family has been so sick the past few weeks. From pneumonia to stomach bugs, we have been plagued by it all. I am really hoping that when I am off from my full time job for a little while, I can get back to business.

Anyways, while up late at night with sick ones, I did manage to get in some light reading. I review free books from Waterbrook Multnomah Press in return for my honest review.

My latest book is The Canary List, by Sigmund Brouwer.

(Here is a picture from Amazon.com of the book.)

This book was a Fiction -Suspense about a young foster girl running from evil. Jaimie, the foster child, has an uncanning ability to pick up on evil in other people around her. The problem is that is seems to be chasing her. And it is.

She finds comfort in running to her teacher for help. The problem is that her teacher is an attractive young single male. So showing up at his house late at night when she was afraid of the evil that follows her ends up opening up trouble for her and Crockett Grey, the teacher who wants to help.

This novel is filled with so many twists and turns. It starts as a very simple story in California and travels all the way to the Vatican, and includes the Pope and even a tale about a shark rescue....

I was drawn in by the fact that it involved a teacher trying to help a troubled student, since that is how I spend most days as a middle school teacher. However, this book was so full of twists and unbelieveable plots that it was hard to stay as interested in the end. I read it over a few sick nights and one terribly sleepy day for my sick kids. So it is a light and easy read. And for those of you that like constant changes to the story and where it is headed my find it very entertaining. Be ready for an unbelievable journey and some very strange motives and you read The Canary List!