Free Sample- Simplistick

These are so cute- can't wait to try one in my girls' room to see how it works!  Go here for a free sample of Simplistick- a fun way to decorate without damaging the walls!

Whole Foods and Trader Joes Deals- 9/30

As you may know, Whole Foods has been a bit of a mystery to me as far as matchups and deals are concerned.  There's not really a "sale circular", but there kind of is.  Sales vary by state or region.. and sometimes store- and there is no official coupon policy that I know of- best to check with customer service of the store you shop at.  The best list for deals I have found is over at The Thrifty Mama!

Faithful Provisions has a great list up for Trader Joes also. (I loooove that store!)  Be sure and check out "Trader Joes 101" here.  Honestly, I didn't realize that TJ's would take manufacturer's coupons (makes sense though).  I will start adding their deals on my list of stores to cover!

Take the Starbucks VIA Challenge- Oct 2-5

Mark your calendars!  On October 2-5, Starbucks is inviting us to take the "Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Taste Challenge"!  You can taste the VIA next to the Pike's Place coffee and see if you can tell a difference.  Just for taking the challenge, you will get a coupon for a free Tall brewed coffee and $1/1 Starbucks Via purchase.

Go HERE for more details!

Thanks Ambra!

Publix Deals- 9/30

Here are a few of my Publix favorites this week thanks to Southern Savers!  You can check out the remainder of the deals here.  If you live in Williamson County, be sure to check out the Review Appeal that came out yesterday.  Not only is there the usual HG Hills $5/50 coupon, but a lot of other great manufacturers coupons including one I mentioned below on Kraft Cheese! 

B1G1 Deals

Lender’s Bagels, 12-16.5oz., at $1.99 (.99¢)
.75/1 Lender’s Bagels “Toss for Cash” booklet (exp 9/30) (makes it .24¢)

Mayfield Ice Cream, 48oz., at $4.99 ($2.49)
-$1 off Mayfield Ice Cream SS 9/13 (on ebay)
-$2 off any Mayfield Ice Cream SS 9/13 (on ebay)
(makes it .49¢)

Pace Chunky Salsa or Picante Sauce, 16oz., at $2.79 ($1.39)
(excludes specialty sauces)
-.75/2 Pace Salsa or Sauce 15 oz + SS 8/30
-.40/2 Pace Salsa or Sauce SS 8/30
-$1/2 Pace Salsa printable (manuf. coupon) (makes it .89¢)

Juicy Juice 100% Premium Juice, 64oz., at $3.65 ($1.82)
-$1/2 Juicy Juice RP 8/09, June All You Mag. or printable
-$1/2 Juicy Juice printable (log in first)
-.50/2 Juicy Juice RP 8/09

Lysol Disinfectant All Purpose Cleaner, 40oz., at $3.19 ($1.59)
-.75/1 Lysol All Purpose SS 9/13 
-.50/1 Lysol All Purpose SS 9/13 or printable (makes it .59¢)

Other Deals

Kraft Chunk, Shredded or Cube Cheese, 5-8oz., $1.67 ea

-$1.75 off salad wyb Kraft Shredded Cheese & Oscar M. Bacon printable 
-$1.50 off salad wyb Kraft Shredded Cheese & Oscar M. Deli Strips or Cut printable

**$1/1 Kraft Cheese in Williamson County "Review Appeal" on HG Hill ad

Aldi Produce Deals 9/27-10/3

Aldi has some great produce deals right now on salad stuff!

Multi-Colored Peppers, 3-pk- $.99

Little Salad Bar Bagged Salad, 12-oz- $.49

Green Peppers, 3-pk- $.69

Yellow Onions, 3 lbs- $.79

Tomatoes, 3 pk- $.99

Walgreens- Free Photobook

Go HERE and become a fan of Walgreens on Facebook- you'll get a free 5x7 photobook! (small shipping fee will apply)  They will provide more details on Oct. 2nd!

Tuesday's Timesaver- Beans, Beans the Magical Fruit

I suppose today's timesaver tip is more about saving money than time, but maybe it will help demolish the myth that it takes FOREVER to cook dried beans.  Its really not that bad when you use the "quick soak" method.. and its not like you have to stand there for two hours watching them soak :)

Dried beans are a frugal food, and so convenient to keep on hand when cooked!  Cooking and freezing beans is something I love to do because it makes it so easy to toss into your dinner dish or soup.  One of my favorites are garbanzo beans that I can put in the blender to make hummus or as a nice addition to my salad. Yes, up front it takes longer to cook than it does to open a can, but having these on hand in the freezer is so easy and much less expensive.

You always want to start by sorting through the beans and rinsing to make sure there are no small stones or debris in the mix... I don't know about you, but I don't like crunchy chili. :)  Put your beans in cold water (about 4 cups to every 1 cup of beans) and bring them to a rapid boil.. then cover and remove from the heat for 1-2 hours.  Throw out the soaking water, replace with fresh water and then cook!

Here's an easy-to-follow chart I found here: (you can click on it to enlarge it)

By flash freezing the beans, they won't stick together in your bags.  Drain the water out and lay in a single layer on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.   Freeze for about an hour and then put them in your freezer bags.  Enjoy!

Target Deals- 9/27

Here is a favorite deal from Target this week- you can check out an entire list HERE!

~GIFT CARD DEAL~

Get a $5 Target Gift Card when you buy 2 Fusion Manual or Venus Embrace Razors or Cartridges:

Gillette Fusion Manual Razor - $7.94/ea
Use $4/1 in 9/27 P&G insert
Final Price = $3.94/ea

Gillette Venus Embrace Razor - $7.94/ea
Use $2/1 in 9/27 P&G insert
Final Price = $5.94/ea
*Note: there is also a $2/1 cartridges in the same insert

Deal Idea:

- Buy 2 Gillette Fusion Razors = $15.88
- Use 2 - $4/1 coupons from 9/27 P&G insert = ($8.00)
- Pay $7.88 for both razors ($3.94/ea)
- Get a $5 Target Gift Card (It's like getting 2 razors for $1.44/ea)

Monday's Meal Plan- The "Bring the Restaurant Home" Edition

I am changing things up a little this week :)  I am going to try to "bring the restaurant home" in some of my meals.  We have been SO busy that the times we do have to just enjoy family, we try to get out of the house.  Many times that will include a cheap meal out... but as we all know, even a cheap meal out is more expensive than just eating at home.

So.. In 3 of the meals this week, I'm going to make them more fun by creating meals that are similar to a few of our fav places to eat!

Monday: Fish Tacos (alaskan cod is on sale at Kroger this week... also cabbage is in season right now) with homemade salsa and chips (Blue Coast Burrito)
Tuesday: Homemade Mac and Cheese with ham, big salad (feta, red onion, mushrooms, spinach and an olive oil and apple cider vinegar dressing.. our fav!)
Wednesday: Grilled Burgers and Homemade fries... (5 Guys)  Not sure if they have milkshakes or not at Five Guys, but we'll do those too :)
Thursday:  Chicken Salad Sandwiches (chopped chicken from the freezer, grapes, walnuts, celery, mayo, salt/pepper)
Friday: Cheese Fondue, mushrooms with a cream cheese filling and Chocolate fondue (The Melting Pot).. still looking for yummy recipes!

What restaurant would you "bring home" for your family to enjoy?

Publix Penny Item- 9/27 & 28

The Publix Penny Item for Sunday and Monday is:

Publix 6-pack Water (with sport top)

Florida and some Georgia stores do not participate in this promotion.. sorry :(

You are eligible to receive the penny item when your total hits $10 before you hand over your coupons. Many of our local stores do not require that you have the penny item coupon (found in the weekly ad), but I have heard change is happening in a few places, so take the coupon just in case.

Kroger Deals- 9/27

Go HERE to see a good list of this weeks Kroger match ups.  Not a ton of deals this week, but there are some good deals in the meat and produce departments!

Drug Store Deals- 9/27

Here are some drugstore match ups for this week- lots of great deals!

Go here for Walgreens deals

Go here for CVS deals- Be sure to check the clearance items!  Yesterday I found a 4 pack of kids cups for $.19 and Huggies Little Swimmers diapers for $.89!!

Printables Round-Up (Cheap V.S. Panties!!)

There are some GREAT printables available now!

General Mills/Publix coupons- Thanks Faithful Provisions!

$1/1 Musselman's Healthy Pick or Totally Fruit Applesauce- Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

10 Victoria Secret Pink panties for $25 (you have to join "Pink Nation" to print)- Offer good only through 9/28 so hurry!  Thanks Common Sense With Money!

$2/2 Pull-Ups Wipes (these are at Walmart for $1.64- this would make them $.64 each.. Just got some tonight!)

Free Sample- Kotex Overnight

Go HERE for a free Kotex Overnight sample from "All You"!

Saved 74% on Organics- Coupons CAN Work For Your Family!

Since triples at Kroger and Harris Teeter are over, I won't go through each item here, but wanted to give you a picture of how couponing can work for your family, even if you eat lots of organics and produce.  I got all of these organic products worth over $19 for $4.12!  I want to point out that I didn't use regular everyday coupons for any of this (although organic/all natural coupons are becoming more popular).  I used coupons from a Kroger home mailer and the Mambo Sprouts booklet.

A common myth is that "there are never coupons for food we eat".  Stay open minded about finding coupons that work for your family and trust me, you'll find them!  Between printables, mailers, inserts, and even just calling your favorite organic companies to inquire about coupons, you are bound to find ones that work for you!

Lowe's Kids' Workshop 9/26

On Saturday, September 26, don't forget to take your kids by Lowe's @ 10am to build a fire truck!  Go HERE for more info!

Coldstone Creamery- 8th Annual Ice Cream Social 9/24

Head over to Coldstone Creamery, make a donation to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and get a free 3oz "Jack's Creation."  Offer only good on Thursday, September 24 @ 5-8pm.

Go HERE for more info!

Museum Day- Free Admission!

Go HERE for information on free admission to participating museums on this coming Saturday, September 26th!

Thanks Julie!!

Winkflash- Flatrate Book Sale

Winkflash is offering a Flatrate Book Sale right now-- All 10x8 Classic Cover Books up to 100 pages are $19.95.  The offer expires Oct. 7- use coupon code FLATRATE with your online order.  Go HERE to get started.

Saturday's Seed to Sow- The Tuesday Edition

I know its not Saturday, but something came through my inbox that I wanted to share. :)  Its an opportunity called Join My Village to bless women and girls in Malawi through General Mills and CARE (a poverty fighting organization).

Malawi is both densely populated and underdeveloped.  According to this email, the life expectancy there is just 44 years of age and they experience about 89 deaths per 1000 in infancy.

When you visit Join My Village, you can impact lives through just doing simple things like quick online quizzes, telling a friend, etc.  When these things are done, $1 is unlocked from General Mills to benefit Malawi through CARE.  You can do up to 3 a day.  There is also a match program in place for donations.

Go HERE for more info!

Walmart Freebies

A big thanks to Centsible Savings and Faithful Provisions for this list!  Lots of Walmart freebies to be had this week.  Remember that coupons and Walmart prices vary by region, but this will give you a good list to work from.  Go HERE for more deals.


Tide packets (travel size) - $0.97
Use $1.00 off any size coupon from 8/30 PG (exp. 9/30)
FREE after coupon

Johnson and Johnson Buddies Soap Bars -$0.97
Use $1.00/1 coupon from 9/13 RP (exp. 12/15)
FREE after coupon


Bengay Patches -$1.50
Use $2.00/1 coupon from 8/2 SS (exp. 11/30)
FREE + possibleoverage after coupon

KY trial size -$2.57
Use $3/1 coupon from 6/22 RP
FREE + possible overage after coupon

Reach toothbrushes 2 pk - $2.00
Use $2/1 coupon from 6/14 SS
FREE after coupon

Reach Floss - $0.97
Use $1.00/1 coupon from 8/2 SS (exp. 12/31)
FREE after coupon

Hartz Crunch N’ Clean Cat Treats - $1.98
Use $2.00/1 coupon from 8/30 SS (exp. 10/11)
Free after coupon

Clean & Clear (travel size)- $0.97
Use the $1.00/1 coupon from 8/2SS (exp. 10/18)
FREE after coupon
(you can also get these free at CVS if you need a filler)



Schick Slim Twin Disposable Razors 10+2 Bonus Pack - $1.97
Use the $3/1 coupon from the 8/16SS (exp. 9/27)
FREE + possible overage!

Reach toothbrushes 2 pk - $2.00
Use $2/1 coupon from 6/14 SS insert
FREE after coupon


Healthy Choice Frozen Meals - $1.67 – $2.00
Use the $2/1 coupon from here
FREE + possible overage!
Kotex pads - $1.00
Use $1.00 coupon from 8/23 SS (exp. 10/18)
FREE after coupon

Sun Chips - $0.88-$0.99
Use the $1.00/1 coupon September issue of All You magazine
FREE after coupon

Hartz Crunch N Clean Cat Treats 3 oz - $1.98
Use $2.00 coupon from 8/30 S (exp. 10/11)
FREE after coupon

Renu Fresh Lens Comfort travel size - $1.47
Use $2.00 printable coupon
FREE plus possible overage after coupon

Glade Fragrance Collection soy candles (4.9 oz) - $3.00
Use $3.00 coupon from the August issue of All You magazine
Or use $3.00 printable coupon
FREE after coupon

Reese’s Candy Bars - $0.50
Use $0.55/1 coupon from 8/23SS (exp. 10/31)
FREE after coupon

Reach Floss 55 yd - $1.00
Use $1.00 coupon from 8/2 SS (exp. 12/31)
FREE after coupon

Glade The Fragrance Collection Soy Based Candle 2 oz
Use FREE coupon from 8/9 SS (exp. 10/3)
FREE after coupon

Publix Deals- 9/23

Head over to Southern Savers for a great list of Publix matchups this week!  I was going to pull my favorites, but there are too many!

Food Lion Deals- 9/23

Here are the Food Lion deals this week- a few good deals to be had!  Remember with Food Lion, sales tend to vary by region so check your ad before running out the door if you aren't local to me (middle TN). Most stores allow 2 coupons on a B1G1 deal (or you can just buy 1 at 50% off), and they don't double coupons.

B1G1 Deals (Limit 2 Free)


Purex Detergent, 24-32 Loads- $4.99
$.35/1 Purex Detergent in 8/16 SS insert
$1/2 Purex Detergent in 8/16 SS insert
Final Price: $2-2.15 ea Great Price!


Quilted Northern, 6 double rolls- $4.85
$2/2 Quilted Northern in September "All You" Magazine
Final Price for 2- $2.85 Great Price!


Smart Balance Butter Blends, 16oz- $3.49 ea
$1.50/1 Smart Balance Butter Blend Sticks in 9/13 RP
$1/1 Smart Balance Butter Blend Sticks Printable
Final Price- as low as $.14 Great Price!

Scotties Tissues, 60-132 ct- $1.73

$1/5 in 8/9 or 9/13 RP inserts (makes it $3.35 for 5)

$.50/3 in 8/9 or 9/13 RP inserts (makes it $2.11 for 3)

Birds Eye Steamfresh Lightly Sauced Veggies, 12 oz- $2.50
$1/3 Birds Eye Steamfresh in 9/13 SS insert
$.50/1 Birds Eye Steamfresh in 9/13 SS insert (makes it $.75 ea)
$1/4 Birds Eye Vegetable product Printable (not sure if this will work for Steamfresh)


Aunt Jemima Pancakes and French Toast, 12.5-14.8 oz- $2.79
$1/2 Aunt Jemima Pancake items (frozen) in 8/16 SS insert
Final Price: $1.80 for 2


Jennie-O Turkey Tenderloins, 24 oz- $9.99
$1/1 Jennie-O Turkey in 9/13 SS insert
Final Price- $4 ea

Ken's Salad Dressing, 16 oz- price not listed

$1/1 Ken's in 8/2 SS insert

$1/2 Ken's in 8/2 SS insert

FL Mixed Nuts or Cashew Halves, 9.25-12 oz- $2 ea

Pepito Corn Tortillas, 84 ct- $4.19 ea
Nathan's Beef Franks, 16 oz- $5.29 ea
Minute Maid Ades and Punches, 64 oz- $1.99
FL Large Cooked Shrimp, 41-50 ct- $10.99

Simply Potatoes, 20 oz- $2.59

Other Deals:
Pillsbury Grands, 8 ct selected varieties- $1.25 
$1/2 Pillsbury Grands Printable
$1/1 Pillsbury Grands Printable
$.35/1 Pillsbury in 7/12 SS inserts
$1/3 Pillsbury Grands in 7/12 and 8/9 SS inserts
$.30 or $.40/2 in 8/9 SS insert
Final Price: varies


FL Pasta- $.59 ea


Quaker Instant Oatmeal, 11.2-15.6 oz- $2.50
$1.25/2 Quaker Instant Oatmeal or Old Fashioned Oats in 8/30 RP insert
Final Price- $3.75 for 2


Pringles, 6.38-6.42 oz- $1.50 
$1/2 in 8/30 P&G insert
Final Price- $2 for 2

"Switch and Save" 

FL Macaroni and Cheese Dinner- $.10 (Limit 10)

Smart Option Paper Towels, 8 rolls- $4.99

Smart Option Napkins, 120 ct- $.99

FL and Home 360 Diapers, 35 ct- $7.99

FL Frozen Veggies, 24-32 oz- $1.88

FL Frozen Fries, 20-32 oz- $1.88

Home 360 Baby Wipes, 400 ct- $7.99

FL Shredded, Chunk Cheese or Singles, 8-12 oz- $1.50

Produce: 
3lb Bag Golden Apples- $2.99
Red or White Onions- $.99/lb
1 lb bag Peeled Carrots- $1.99
Peaches- $.99/lb

Meat: 
B1G2 Free
Great American Catfish Fillets- B2G1 Free- $5.99
Final Price (wyb 3)- $2 ea


Value Pack Ground Chuck- $1.68/lb
Bone-in Pork Chops- $1.99
Chicken Drumsticks- $.87/lb
Chicken Thighs- $.77/lb
Deli Turkey Breast- $3.99/lb


Purchase Kinsford or Match Light Charcoal ($9.99-$11.99)and get
Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage (14-16 oz) Free. (retail- $3.19 ea)
$2/1 Kingsford Charcoal Printable
Free KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce wyb Kingsford Charcoal Printable
Final Price: As low as $7.99 for charcoal, sausage and BBQ sauce

Tuesday's Timesaver- Soup!

Are you ready for another timesaver tip?!  I loooooove this one!  Last night (per my weekly menu plan) was supposed to be "fend for yourself night".  I have a mild head cold and just didn't want to cook.  I forged ahead anyway and in 15 minutes I had a DELICIOUS soup on the table!  Soup is a great timesaving dinner idea- here's how I did it:

I went to my freezer and pulled out corn, peas, chopped chicken, and broth (I always freeze the broth when I boil any kind of chicken- such a great money saver).  Then got some rice out of my pantry.  Thaw the broth at least half way, then toss everything in the pan including some salt and pepper.  As soon as your rice cooks, its done!  And it was so yummy!!  I could have added some other veggies, but again, I was going for ease last night :)

I did this the other night with tortilla soup.  Start with the chicken base, add corn, blackbeans, chopped chicken from the freezer, chili powder, cumin, salt/pepper- serve with cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips or chips and cilantro.. YUM!!!  You can also add some tomato sauce or salsa to the cooking soup as well.

Just get creative with that broth in your freezer- its a great base for so many yummy meals! Some other chicken based soup ideas include:

• Chicken Artichoke (one of my favs!)
• Chicken and Dumplings (not exactly soup, but close.. and easy!)
• Cream of Chicken
• Chicken Noodle
• Thai Chicken Curry Soup- use coconut milk, chicken stock, green peppers, chicken and green curry to create a quick yummy thai-type soup that you can serve over rice.  Let me know if you find an actual recipe for this one that is easy!

What other timesaving soup ideas do you have (besides opening a can :)?

$5 in Coleman Natural Meat Coupons

Go HERE to take a super quick survey with Coleman Natural (all natural meat products) to receive $5 in coupons!  The image to click on is in the lower left hand corner of the page.

Thanks Bargain Briana!

Target Deals- 9/20

Go HERE for a great list of Target deals for this week including free dog food, cat food, string cheese, soap and more!

$5/$25 at CVS!

Go HERE to take a short quiz about the flu and print a $5/$25 coupon!  You might say, "I would never spend "$25 at CVS!  Yes you would, and here's how.  Make sure your total is over $25 pre-tax, hand them that coupon FIRST.  Then hand the rest of the coupons.  Hopefully you made a good list before going and bought things that would give you ECB's back.  You could easily end up making money on that trip!

Also, as listed on the site, each person that gets a flu shot will get a coupon book with $100 in coupons in it!

Thanks Faithful Provisions!

Monday's Meal Plan

Just an average busy week here in our household this week, but I'm not feeling especially creative so there's not a whole lot to get excited about here, haha.  Thankfully our fridge was fixed and we have been able to get back into the groove of normal life!  Here is the plan for the week!

Monday: "Fend For Yourself Night" haha.. we ate a late lunch and this is what we call it when mommy doesn't want to cook.  Of course I don't make my 3 and 5 year old fend for themselves, but you get the idea :)
Tuesday: Chicken Noodle Soup, Cornbread (from the homemade mix I made a couple weeks ago) & Salad
Wednesday: Taco Pizzas (pizza stuff on a tortilla), cut up veggies
Thursday: Grilled Chicken, Twice Baked Potatoes, Salad
Friday: Baked Ziti (making same meal for someone that just had a baby.. its my go-to recipe... thanks Ambra), Steamed Chard from the garden

Lunches: Quesadillas (found a GREAT new Tortilla recipe HERE.  I added more water than it called for and used oil instead of shortening), Mac and Cheese, Tomato Sandwiches, Chicken Salad
Breakfast: Bagels, cut up apples (they are cheap right now!), Oatmeal and Toast,

Walgreens 30 Prints for $3

Walgreens is offering 30 4x6 prints when you order online HERE through Saturday September 26th!  Use the coupon code APPLE30.

You can also get 25% off posters- just enter the code BASKET at checkout.

Free Samples- Diapers, Tea and More!

Here are some freebies today:

Honey Nut Cheerios (you may have already done this one, but posting again in case you haven't)
Teasta Sample- Put sample in your cart, use code "TRYME" and they will send you a sample for free!  Looking forward to trying this one!  Hurry though- probably won't last long. (thanks Freebies 4 Free)
Zyrtec
Prilosec OTC
Huggies Little Movers Diapers

Kroger Deals-9/20

Here are a few of my Kroger favs for this week.  Lots of great deals to be had, especially since triples will continue through Tuesday night @ 11:59pm!  Go HERE to see the remainder of the matchups!

Del Monte Fruit Naturals, 8 oz cup — $1/ea
- $1/1 Del Monte Fruit Naturals Cups printable
Final Price:  FREE

General  Mills Cereal — $1.77/ea  (GREAT PRICE, even w/out coupons!)
Honey Nut Cheerios 12.25oz, Multi-Grain Cheerios 9 oz, Cookie Crisp 11.25 oz
- $0.55/1 Honey Nut Cheerios printable ($.11 during Triples, ends Tuesday)
- $0.75/1 Select Cheerios Cereal printable (FREE during Triples, ends Tuesday!)
- Load $0.75/1 Select Cheerios Cereal via Cellfire
-  $1/2 Cheerios printable
-  $1/2 General Mills Cheerios printable
-  $1/2 General Mills Select Cereals August All You magazine
- $1/3 Select General Mills Cereals in SS  9/13 or 8/9
Final Price:  FREE and as low as $1.27/ea

Colgate Plus Toothbrush, 1 ct. — $.94/ea
- $0.40/1 Colgate Adult or Kids Manual Toothbrush in SS 8/30
Final Price:  $.14 (or FREE during Triples, until Tuesday)