New Year's Resolutions

I know it has been a while since I have posted, but I actually have a little time so I thought I would write something up. I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season, and didn't overspend too much.

During this time of the year, many people make New Year's resolutions. Some decide to get healthier and lose weight while others decide that they want to makeover their financial situation. This year I have resolutions to do both.

I need to get my butt in gear and get this weight off. I want to do this not only so I can lose the weight and wear smaller clothes, but also so that I can feel healthier and have more energy. Both my husband and I have gym memberships, it is just a matter of getting there. It is relatively cheap and it is open twenty four hours a day. So, this should make it easier to get there, but getting the inspiration to leave and go has proved difficult. I am going to start trying to go in the morning before work. If this doesn't work, then I will start doing 30 Day Shred several times during the work week and just go to the gym on the weekends.

Financially, I have some really big goals for the coming year. Fortunately, we found out yesterday that my husband's unemployment will be extended until at least April. So that is good news. If it hadn't been extended, it would have run out in the middle of February. That would have meant a month and a half of saving every last penny we could get our hands on. This would have given us about $1500 (or more) in our savings to help pay bills with. I figured that with this amount and our current bills we would have to use a little less than $400 of it each month.

I still want to get that $1500 in the savings account and get some of our credit cards paid off. So, here are my financial goals for 2010 and how we will achieve them:

1. Save $1500 in our emergency fund. This is also what Dave Ramsey suggests you do before you start paying off the bills. I have already devised our budget for the next 6 months and figured out that by the middle of February we will be at this amount. Although we will have reached our goal at that time, we will continue taking out $25 a week and having it automatically placed in our online savings account.
2. Build up our food stockpile. I would like to have enough food for 4-6 months (with only having to buy perishables). This would help in case of lower income or any other reason we couldn't get to the store. I will be taking a weekly inventory of what we have so I know what we need more of in order to have a 4 month supply. I will then stock up when I get a deal of those foods.
3. After our EF is fully funded, we will start snowballing our credit cards. Although I think it might be a little bit smarter to pay the highest interest debts off first, I think it gives you more motivation if you pay off the smallest balances first. As previously stated, I have done up a budget for the next 6 months and have already figured out how much I will be using to pay off debt each week. After getting the first debt paid off, I will take the payment I normally paid on that debt, plus the extra and put it on the next smallest debt.
4. After our credit cards are paid off I will be concentrating on paying off our van early. We own our explorer so we don't have to worry about paying that off. I will then concentrate on getting my school loans paid off.

So what are your New Year's resolutions? I would love to hear. Leave them in the comments.

It's Been Rough Around Here

Since starting work a few months ago, I have really been slacking in the coupon clipping category. I'm lucky if I get the coupons even clipped each week, never mind getting them organized in my binder. I also haven't made getting all the best deals a priority. I just don't seem to have enough time. Why couldn't there be more hours in a day? I just haven't been interested in running to Rite Aid or Walgreens to get the good deals. I still cut out the ones I think I will need, but mostly I am using them at Tops, Target and Walmart.

We have been really bad when it comes to eating out lately. My husband is still laid off so he's the one who cooks dinner during the week. Unfortunately he has not been doing this like he should. Not only are we spending a lot by eating out but we are not eating the best foods for us. My plan for this weekend is to do up a meal plan for the week for him, because obviously he needs one and won't do one for himself. I would also like to cook up some foods to stick in the freezer. I am thinking some macaroni and cheese with broccoli and chicken, pizza crust, homemade bread, and maybe some chili.

We have also been slacking in the cleaning area. On the weekends it just seems like I am cleaning all the time. Lots of laundry and dishes, and I never seem to get caught back up. I need to somehow make the essential cleaning a priority for my husband. I don't know exactly how to do that. I am thinking that maybe if I start saying I'm not going anywhere until certain things get done, that might work. Any ideas?

I really need to get things under control, before the holidays and before my classes start in spring. I have an independent study and an online class, and the one is going to be quite a challenge and take up a lot of my free time. Of course, after that I will be graduating and will not have to do this whole working and going to school thing. I can't wait. If you have any ideas on how I can get things in order, please live it in the comments.

AND THE WINNER IS......

Tanya. I will be emailing Tanya tonight to get her address so that I can send her the envelope of coupons. Congratulations Tanya.

As many of you may have noticed, I have not been posting on here much. Between work, my classes and family, I just don't have the time. I get home from class on Mondays and Wednesdays and just crash. The rest of the weekdays I spend a little time with the kiddos and then crash as soon as they are in bed. I am really exhausted.

As much as I love writing in my blog, I just can't keep up with it. So, I will post when I can, but I make no promises. I have been having trouble even getting my Tops deals and shopping trips posted (I went last weekend, even took pictures, but never found the time to post them). So, I will leave everything up and active, and just post when I have the opportunity.

It Pays to Eat Pasta Sweepstakes!

This contest is pretty cool, so I just had to share it with you all. Go to It Pays to Eat Pasta, and enter their sweepstakes today. They are giving 8 lucky people free groceries for a year ($5200) and 42 people $200 in groceries. Pretty awesome huh? I know we could certainly use either of those, and with 50 chances, that ups the odd of winning. So, go over to site and enter.

Coupon Contest - Win over $150 worth of coupons

I have A LOT of coupons right now. I have been given a lot of coupon inserts in the last few weeks and really there are more coupons than I could ever think about using. So, instead of letting them expire, I have decided to share.

So, one lucky winner will win over $150 in coupons. Some of the products include:

• Tide
• Scott toilet paper
• Cascade
• Kid Cuisine
• Banquet Meals
• Manwich
• Act II popcorn
• Huggies Pullups and Pure and Natural Diapers
• Cookie Crisp cereal
• Listerine
• Windex
• and much, much more
  

All coupons expire after September 10. Since I will not have much time to advertise this contest, I will be giving more entries for people who get the word out about this contest. Here are the ways you can get entries:

• 1 Entry - This one must be done in order to enter the contest. My husband is having trouble making dinner (he is currently the stay-at-home parent). To get your first entry into the contest, let me know ideas and tips he can use to make getting dinner on the table easier. Also please leave your email or blog address, so that I can get a hold of you if you win.
  

To get more entries:

• 2 entries - Subscribe to my blog via email. Please leave me a comment with your email address.
  
• 3 entries - Add my badge to your blog or site. The code can be found on my sidebar. Please leave me a comment letting me know you did this, along with the address.
  
• 3 entries - Twitter about my contest. Please leave a separate comment stating you did this, with the link or your Twitter name.
• 3 entries - Emailing at least 3 friends telling them about this contest. (Please put me on cc - couponqueenofcorning at hotmail dot com), and leave me a comment letting me know you have done so.
  
• 5 entries - Blog about this contest. Please leave a comment with the address link.

Contest Ends August 26 at midnight EST. I will be drawing a winner and post the name on the 27th. I will also email that person. Winner has 48 hours after receiving email to get back to me or I will have to choose a new winner.

Good luck! Bonne Chance!!

Contests

Here are a couple awesome giveways that I just wanted you all to know about:

• Table4Five, on conjuction with GoodNites, is running a giveaway that ends tomorrow. Click here to go the post and you have a chance to win a 100 gift certificate to PajamaGram.com, a $50 gift certificate to Borders, a blanket, a bedtime journal, and a tote to hold it all, worth approx. $250.00!
• FrugalUpstate has partenered with Nestle to give away a $500 gift card to Walmart. How cool is that! Head on over to frugalupstate.com to enter before tomorrow also.
  
  
  
  
  

Coupon Tips - Where to Get Coupons

Wondering where to get extra coupons? Do you ever feel let down by the coupon inserts in the Sunday paper? Well, the Sunday paper is not the only place to get great coupons that will save you tons of money. So, where do people get coupons? Listed below are some places that you should try looking.


The Sunday Newspaper

This is the first place I look for coupons. You can get anywhere from 1-3 inserts in most Sunday papers. Coupons in the paper can vary depending on where you live. I have noticed that when I look at other blogs of couponers that are in the South that they have better coupons than ours. Or they will get certain ones for $1 off 1, whereas we get a coupon for $1 off 2. Also keep in mind that on holiday weekends they do not have coupons in the Sunday paper.

Ask family and friends if you can have their coupon inserts. This way you can have extra of all the coupons. You can even go out and buy extra papers if the coupons are really great. Ask local stores what they do with their extra newspapers and ask if you can have the inserts.


Off the Internet

There are so many coupons on the Internet that you can print and use at your local stores. You will need to check with your store to see if they accept Internet printables. Tops, Target and Walgreens takes Internet printables. I have not checked with other stores, but if you know of other stores that take them, please let me know in the comment section.

Target will take an Internet coupon plus they will also take coupons printed from their site. So, you can save even more by stacking your coupons. Here's a list of coupon sites for you to print from:

• Smartsource
• Red Plum
• Coupons.com

Catalinas

Sometimes when you buy certain products, a store coupon will print for you to use on your next visit. Sometimes these are for a certain amount off a product or even a certain amount off your total order. I've gotten these at the grocery store for products such as cereal, yogurt and coffee. Walgreens has these also, but they are called register rewards there. When you buy a certain number of a certain product, you get a coupon for a certain dollar amount to be used on your next visit. By using your register rewards for your next purchase and buying products that have more register rewards, you can save a lot of money.

In the Stores

Sometimes, when you are going through your grocery store, you can find coupons. The coupons that are in those red little boxes are called blinkies. Even if I don't need that product today I will grab a couple coupons to use at a different time, maybe even a different store. These are manufacture coupons, so they can be used anywhere. The only downfall to the blinkies is that usually you can not double them, so if they are for a small dollar amount, you may just want to pass.

Other coupons found in the stores are peelies. These are coupons that are attached to the product to entice you to buy it. If the price is good and you want to buy the product, it may be worth it. But many times I have noticed that these peelies are not on the products that are on sale. Recent peelies I have seen have been for products such as iced tea, rice, pasta, and cereal.


In the Mail

Getting coupons in the mail seems to be decreasing with the advent of Internet printables, but you can still get coupons this way. If you write or email a company, many times they will send you coupons in the mail. Do not hesitate to send an email or letter to a company to compliment a product you like or to complain about one you disliked. If you are going to have a baby or have one already, sign up for formula and diapers in the mail from the manufacture. I also signed up for a baby gift registry when I was pregnant, and I get baby coupons from Target, that can be stacked with regular manufacture coupons to increase savings.


From Other People

Besides asking people you know for inserts you can also trade or buy coupons. Several websites, like Frugal Village have coupon trains where you sign up to exchange a certain number of coupons a week. You get rid of the coupons you won't use and get ones that you hopefully can use. You can also have a coupon party with your friends where you get together over a meal (at someone's home, preferably) and exchange coupons with them.


I am sure there are a lot of other ways to get coupons. Please leave me a comment if you would like to add anything else to my list.

Tops Trip and Rite Aid Trip 8/8

We ran to Rite Aid (the new one in Horseheads -it is really nice and the associates are very friendly) and then to Tops to get some much needed food. Last week, money was pretty tight so we needed to get quite a bit this week. I also want to run to Aldi's later this week and get rolls and fresh fruit. Here's what we bought.

Rite Aid Trip 8/8

• Venus Spa Breeze Razor. Regular price $9.99, on sale for $7. Used $2 coupon and there is a $5 rebate so this will end up being FREE AFTER REBATE
• Garnier Fructis shampoo. Regular price $4.19, on sale for $2.99. Used $1 coupon and there is a $2 rebate so this ends up being FREE AFTER REBATE
• 4 1-liters of Crest Pro-Health Rinse. Regular price $6.49 each, on sale for $5 each. Used 4 $1 coupons and there is a rebate for $10 when you buy 4. This brings the price down to 4/$6 after rebate

Original Total: $42.53
Amount Saved: $34.14
Total Paid: $8.39 (saved 80.3%)

Tops Trip 8/8

• 6 2-liters of Diet Pepsi. On sale for $1 each + deposit .05 each (.48)
  
• 6 4-packs of Hunts snack packs. On sale for $1 each. Used two internet coupons for $1 off 1 4-pack and another coupon for a free 4-pack when you buy 3. So, these ended up being 6/$3
• Quaker rice cakes on sale for $1.50. Used $.50 off 1, which doubled to $1, making these $.50
• Kellogg's Strawberry Mini Wheats -on sale for $2.50. Used $.75 coupon (from back of regular Mini Wheats box) which doubled to $1.50, making these $1
• Kellogg's Fruit Loops on sale for $1.99.
• 2 bags of single size M&Ms. On sale for $.50 each. Used 2 Free chocolate Friday coupons to make these FREE
• Wishbone salad dressing $2. Used $1 off 1 internet coupon to make it $1.
  
• 4 packets of Knorr Rice sides on sale for $1 each. Used two $.60 off 2 coupons, which doubled to $1.20 off 2, making these $.40 each
• 2 jars of Skippy peanut butter $2 each. Used coupon for $1 off 2, making these 2/$3
• 2 boxes of Tops instant oatmeal (need to check at Aldi's and see if they have them again) on sale for $2 each.
  
• Jiffy popcorn $1.47
• flip flops for my daughter's birthday on sale for $3.
• 2 boxes of Playtex gloves on sale for $1.50 each. Used two $1 off coupons to make these $.50 each
• 8 ears of cob $2
• 3 pounds of potatoes $3.99
• 2 pouches of Margerita pepperoni slices on sale for $2 each. Used two $.75 off 1 coupons, which doubled to $1.50 each, making these $.50 each
• 4 1/2 gallons of Turkey Hill iced tea on sale for $1.50 each. Used two $1.00 of two coupons, making these $1 each
• Tops gallon of skim milk $1.69
• Boneless Skinless Chicken breast $1.88 a pound = $8.27
  
• 80% ground beef $1.99 a pound = $9.89

Original Amount: $113.33
Amount saved: $57.13
Total paid: $56.96
Grocery Challenge Amount: $52.68

I am working on this week's Tops deals tonight. As you may be able to tell, some of the items I got on sale are on this week's sales and some are last week's. I guess this is one of the perks to going shopping on a Saturday evening. I will post the deals as soon as I can.

Happy Saturday Morning

It's Saturday morning and the kids aren't up yet, so I thought I would use the opportunity to get some posts done. It has been a very hectic week. I really need to get on a better schedule and devote a few hours a week to blogging. I will be starting a job that involves more hours and a little but more a drive starting on the 17th, and then my one class will be starting the next week after that (an accounting class). So, I am hoping to be able to keep up on here. I have two posts about couponing ready to be posted and I want to write up some more this weekend.

My husband has been doing a lot better this week in regards to keeping the house clean. He has been keeping the dishes washed each day and the house picked up. So, that is a plus. We still need to work on him making dinner though. I am going to go downstairs and take inventory of everything in our inventory and freezer and then we are going to figure out meals that he can make, hopefully utilizing a good majority of what we already have. Need to get him in the cooking everyday habit this week because the next week I will not be getting home until 5:30.

Now, I need to be getting off this computer. I have TONS of computers that still need to be put in my binder (I had 5 papers' worth of coupons last week and there were a lot of coupons in each one!) so I will be working on that before we go shopping today. I need to inventory stockpile, make a meal plan and make a list for shopping. Then, of course, there is a lot of clothes to be folded, plus I need to do another load of mine and the kids' clothes. So it is going to be a very busy weekend. I am leaving you with some deals and coupons that I found this morning.

Coffee-Mate coupon
In my email today I received a link to a coupon for Coffee-Mate, so if you use this in your coffee, you can click here to go to the site. You must either log in or register. Supposedly it is a $1 off 1, but I have not had the opportunity to print this yet. I know that there is a $1.50 off 2 that you can print more than one time on that site also.

Rite Aid coupons
I don't know how many other people got an email from Rite Aid today, but supposedly, if you watch some videos, you can get coupons to print and use at Rite Aid. Click here if you'd like to go to the site and see what it's all about.

Kraft FirstTaste $100 in Groceries
Kraft is having a promotion where you can win a $100 grocery card. Go to Kraft FirstTaste and either sign in or register. They are giving away one of these cards every day until September 1, so sign up NOW for your best chance to win.

Coupons
I found a pdf with several coupons. Click here to take you to it. It includes coupons for Dixie plates and bowls, BagelBites, Sharpie Highlighters, and Tide Stain Release. Print a few of these and then check out Target and Walmart in the next few weeks for prices on the highlighters at less than $1.

Restaurants.com
Would you like to be able to go out and eat for 80% less! Restaurants.com has coupons for local restaurants and right now if you use the code PORTION you can get a $25 gift certificate for only $2!! Offer ends August 13.

Tops Deals 8/2-8/8

I'm sorry I didn't get this done sooner. Sunday we were gone most of the day, yesterday I worked and last night I went to bed early with a migraine. There really aren't too many good deals this week at Tops. If you have a P&C near you, you may want to check out their ad for this week. I always look at their ads and usually their sales are just awful, but this week is actually pretty good. So here's the deals I see this week.

• sweet corn 4/$1
• fresh boneless chicken breast or center cut pork chops $1.88 a pound
• fresh lean ground beef $1.99 a pound
• Pepsi 2 liters $1
• All laundry detergent $3.99. Use $1 off coupon from Sunday's insert, making this $2.99
• Margerita sliced pepperoni $2. Use $.75 off coupon, which doubles to $1.50, making it $.50
• Turkey Hill iced tea 2/$3. Buy 2 and use $1 off 2 coupon, making these 2/$2
• Hunt's snack pack pudding $1. Use $1 off 1 from Con Agra site, to make this free

If you would like to see more coupon and store matchups, head over to BeCentsAble.

Making Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

For those of you who may be newer readers, I wanted to explain my absence for the last few days. As many of you may know, my husband was laid off in March. Since then money in our savings has been dwindling and I had to start looking for a job. Luckily, I was able to get one, and it's even something I enjoy doing. I started on Monday, and it's really an awesome job and the people there are really awesome.

So, as I am transitioning from being a full-time stay-at-home mom with loads of time to do everything I want, to a full-time working mom, my blog may sometimes get overlooked. I have a new banner ready and will need to change the colors and background of my badge, so I need to set some time aside for that. I am hoping to get on a little better schedule this next week and maybe get some posts written for when I am really busy. I will be posting on the Tops deals, no matter what. I have to look through the ad each week anyway for my own shopping, so it really isn't too much more time-consuming to type the deals in a post. I also want to keep doing the meal plans on Mondays. Those are my priorities right now and if I find more time, I will work on Words of the Week Wednesday and Frugal Meal Friday. I also have a couple couponing posts I will start posting and I would like to write a few more to go with the series. So, bear with me through this transition and we will all be happier soon!!

Now, on to those wonderful oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I mentioned in the title. I am a baker! All week, I have wanted to bake something, but really have not had the energy nor really the time to bake after I got home from work. I found I really miss it. So, this morning I made a double batch of chocolate chip cookie dough. Some of it will be baked later tonight (when it cools down) and the rest will be put in the freezer. Here is the recipe if you are interested:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
4 sticks of butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups oatmeal
about 6 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 bag chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to about 350 degrees.
2. Soften 4 sticks of butter in microwave (use a low power) in a large bowl. Add sugar and brown sugar and mix well.
3. Add eggs and vanilla and mix again
4. Add oatmeal, 4 cups of flour, salt and baking soda. Swirl around with spoon to mix those 3 things. Then mix well. Add in about 1-2 cups more flour. This is an approximation. You may need to add a little more flour if you use larger eggs or like your dough pretty dry.
5. Add chocolate chips
6. Scoop dough onto cookie sheets, making sure there is enough room for them to expand. I usually try to put 9 or 12 on a sheet depending on the sheet's size.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until brown. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes and then, using a spatula, place them on a paper towel.

I hope you try the recipe and like it. My family does! I am off now to make up some zucchini bread. Then I have to make some dinner (I'm thinking homemade sloppy joes with frozen tatertots and a veggie) and then I will be making homemade bread for the week. I am also thinking about making some pasta salad for a cookout we are going to tomorrow. I already have most, if not all, of the ingredients and it sounds good. Have a wonderful weekend.

School Clothes on a Budget

With the start of a new school approaching, you may be concerned with how you will pay for clothing for your kid(s). Keep a list of what you have and what you still need. Keeping this list in your purse or wallet will ensure that you don't end up with 20 t-shirts and only 3 pairs of pants. Here are some tips to help you save money during this expensive time of the year.

Shop Throughout the Year.

This is really the most economical way to shop for your kids' clothes and what I try to do. If you can buy clothing for the next year when it is on clearance you will save a lot of money. The best times to buy clothing on clearance is in August/September for summer clothing and January to March for winter clothing. I buy the next size up and the clothes usually fit the kids fine the next year. For the little ones, my maximum price for clearance clothing is $3 a piece, although once in a great while I will find an awesome outfit I just love, especially for my daughter, and will splurge a little, but I still get it for a significant savings. For my older son I look for jeans for less than $15 (though I often find them from $5-$10) tshirts for $5 or less and long-sleeved shirts for $10 or less. As of right now, I have enough pairs of pants and tshirts for him to start the new school year. I may have to buy him a few long-sleeved shirts but will watch for sales and coupons to do that.

Sign up for Stores' Newsletters and Emails.

By signing up with the stores, you will get coupons and ads in your inbox and sometimes your mailbox. I am signed up with several companies and I get coupons several times a week in my email and at least once a week in my mailbox. Many times I do not use them, but it's nice to have them in case I need to buy school clothes for the kids or new work clothes. Several times a year I receive a $10 off $10 coupon from JCPenney and other department stores. I, of course, make sure I use these coupons and keep the price as close to $10 as possible. I usually use this as an opportunity to buy something nice for myself, which I so seldom do.

Watch for Sales and Coupons in Weekly Ads.

Each week, the Sunday paper has weekly ads for store sales. If you need certain things, take advantage of the sales and get them then. Why pay full price for anything? With school starting soon, there will be lots of deals on school supplies and clothes. Just have patience and wait for the good sales.

Rummage Sales and Thrift Stores.

Sometimes you can find high-end clothing for yourself and your kids second-hand, sometimes even with tags still attached. Look for rummage sales in nice areas or when communities have area yard sales. Most kids will not even know the difference between the new and used.

Don't Forget about Craig's List, Ebay.

Check out Ebay to find both used and new clothing for your kids. You can even find high end clothing on there. Craig's List is awesome because you can buy a bunch of clothes cheap and you don't have to dig though the clothes like you would at a rummage sale. I have gotten bags of clothes for the kids for around $20 each bag. You're also keeping money in your local community by buying from your neighbors.

Use Rebates and MyPoints.

Sometimes you will find rebates or rewards for products you buy. Make sure you send in all pertinent information and do it as soon as you can, that way you do not forget to do it. Keep copies of everything you send in, along with the date sent and company information. This will help in case you do not get your refund and need to get a hold of the company. MyPoints is awesome if you do shopping online. You get a certain amount of points for every dollar you spend at participating sites. When you reach a certain amount of points, you can cash them in for gift certificates to restaurants or stores. You can get points by shopping at Barnes and Nobles, Target, and Amazon, among many others.

I hope this helps you save money this school year. If you have any other ideas on how to save money on buying clothes at this time of year, please leave them in my comments.

Words of the Week Wednesday 7/29

It is Wednesday again and time to provide my readers with links to sites that I found interesting in the last week. Since I have been concentrating on eating healthier and making more meals from scratch I thought I would share some recipe blogs and sites this week. Also, cooking delicious foods at home instead of eating out saves you money.



Project: Domestic Bliss



This is an awesome blog for those who like to cook. Nikki makes wonderful food and not only shares photos of them, but also the recipe. So, you can also make these yummy foods. Recently she has made such foods as homemade tortillas for burritos, steakhouse steak, Barbecue chicken pizza, and more! Nikki is a fellow participant in the All You Grocery Challenge, so go check out her blog and start cooking!



Gourmet Finds



This site is awesome for any self-proclaimed foodie. It has awesome recipes listed and some really great pictures of food.

Tammy's Recipes



Just looking at this site makes my mouth water. The food looks so delicious. Lately her recipes have been centering around what is coming out of the garden. Since this is the first year we have had a garden, I am finding this site very useful. I was thinking about what we would do with SO many beans, but her garlic green beans sound tasty.

Menu Plan Monday 7/27

If you want to save money on groceries, meal planning is key. Every weekend I plan out my meals for the next week. When I have my menu planned for the week, I save money and I save time. I share it with you, to give you ideas of how we eat on a limited budget. Hopefully, this inspires you to plan your own menu for the week.

This is going to be a tough week. I went back to work today and hubby is home with the kids. That means that he will be doing the cooking. So, I am 100% sure that the meal plan will not be strictly adhered too. I can dream though, can't I? Here is my meal plan for this week:

• Monday
  
  • Breakfast - pancakes (leftover from dinner Saturday), fruit
    
  • Lunch - canned pasta, fruit
    
  • Dinner - panninis, green beans and pudding
    
    
• Tuesday
  
  • Breakfast - cereal / oatmeal, fruit
    
  • Lunch - peanut butter and jelly on homemade bread, fruit
    
  • Dinner - we are going to my mom's as soon as I get out of work, so we will either eat with her or go out to eat down where she lives
    
    
• Wednesday
  
  • Breakfast - strawnana muffins (made a few days ago and froze), fruit
    
  • Lunch - grilled cheese, fruit
    
  • Dinner - ham steak, veggie, maybe a potato or pasta salad?
    
    
• Thursday
  
  • Breakfast -cinnamon toast on homemade bread, fruit
    
  • Lunch - dinner leftovers, fruit
    
  • Dinner - cheeseburgers on grill, corn on cob, maybe a side?
    
    
• Friday
  
  • Breakfast - cereal / oatmeal, fruit
    
  • Lunch - canned pasta, fruit
    
  • Dinner - homemade sloppy joes, tater tots, pudding or jello
    
    
• Saturday
  
  • Breakfast - fake quiches, fruit
    
  • Lunch - peanut butter and jelly on homemade bread, fruit
    
  • Dinner - leftovers
    
    
• Sunday
  
  • Breakfast - homemade waffles, eggs and toast
    
  • Lunch - grilled cheese, fruit
    
  • Dinner - tuna casserole with peas (I will make a double batch and freeze one), fruit dessert
    

All You Grocery Challenge Week in Review

Sunday - Day 14

Today was one of those lazy Sundays where no one really wanted to do much, including me. LOL. At least we only spent $1.25 today. When hubby went to get a paper, he took the little princess with him, and they ended up getting 5 of those 25 cent granola bars (my daughter calls them 'bars'. lol).

For breakfast we had cereal and the little man had oatmeal. We also had yummy strawberries. For lunch we had grilled cheese sandwiches and canned pineapple chunks. Dinner was breaded pork chops, corn and scalloped potatoes. I also made a chocolate cake which was supposed to be for my mom's birthday Tuesday, but somehow I got persuaded to get out frozen strawberries and whipped topping, and we ate some of it. Oh well. I guess I will just have to make another one tomorrow night when I get home.


A Week in Review

This is our second week of participating in the All You Grocery Challenge and we are still doing pretty well. I had been hoping to only spend $50 this week on groceries, but my local store had some really good deals this week and I ended up spending a little over $50 in one day (but that was 3 different stores). I also needed to get some more meat and a few other things later in the week and ended up spending a little over $10 on that trip.

So, I didn't make my goal budget, but I was still well under the All You budget. Here's a chart and graph showing my week 2 spending:

As you can see we spent $74.13 out of the budgeted $125.00, and had $50.87 that we could have spent if we wanted to. My goal for this next week is again $50. I need to buy some chicken this week, so I am hoping to still be able to stay under this amount. It may be difficult because I will be going back to work this week and hubby will be preparing the meals during the weekdays. We shall see.

Weis deals 7-23 to 7-29

Since the deals at Tops have been really lacking lately, I am considering driving a little farther and going to Weis. The weekly deals run until Wednesday of this week:

• Green beans, eggplant, squash or zucchini $.99 a pound
• Ball Park hot dogs Buy One at $4.99 Get One Free - comes out to $2.50 each
• 2 liters of Pepsi $1 each
• Chef Boyardee pasta $1 (I have a coupons I printed off the ConAgra site)
• Hamburger or Tuna Helper $1
• Manwich $1
• Barbeque split chicken breast - 3 pounds or more $1.29 a pound
• Kunzler bacon Buy One at $4.99 get one free - $2.50 each
• From the Smokehouse ham slices Buy One at $3.99 get One Free - less than $2 each
• Yoplait yogurt $.50 each. Use $.50 off 6 internet printable, to make them 6/$2.50.
• Yoplait Fiber One yogurt $2. Use $1 off internet printable, to make it $1.
• Weis Best Thing Since Butter $1 (worth a try)
• From the Oven english muffins $1
• Knorr sides $1 Use $.50 off 2 coupon from 5-17 insert, to make these $.75 each
• select General Mills cereal 3/$6. Use $1 off 3 coupon from 6-28 insert to make these 3/$5
• Arnold Country Classics bread Buy One at $3.99 Get One Free - less than $2 each

Tops deals 7/26 - 8/1

Not the greatest deals this week, but here are the deals at Tops this week:

• Pork spareribs $1.69 each
• Seedless grapes $1.29 a pound
• General Mills cereal $2.50, you can use $1 off 3 from 6-28 insert to make them 3/$6.50
  
• tops 6-8 oz shredded cheeses $1.79
• La Yogurt $.40 each
• Split chicken breast $1.69 a pound
• Oscar Meyer hot dogs Buy One Get One Free
• Lloyds $4.49, use $.75 off coupon from 6-28, which doubles to $1.50, making it $2.99
• Perdue short cuts $3.99. Use $.75 coupon from 7-12 insert, which doubles to $1.50, making it $2.49
• Heleva Good chunk cheese $2. use $1 off 2 coupon from making it $1.50 each
• Smart Balance spread 2/$5, use $1 off 2 coupon from 6-21 making these 2/$4
• Sensational 8" tortillas Buy One Get One Free
• Post cereals 2/$5. Use $1 off 2 coupon from 7-26 to make these 2/$4
• Keebler chips deluxe cookies $1.79. Buy 2 and use $1 off 2 internet printable, making these $1.29 each
• Fresh pork tenderloin. Buy One Get One Free

If you would like to see more coupon and store matchups, head over to BeCentsAble.

All You Grocery Challenge

Thursday - Day 11

It's been a pretty uneventful week on the food front this week. We had cereal for breakfast on Thursday with cut up bananas. For lunch, the husband and kids polished off the last of the deli meat that was left over from Saturday. I ate while I was out shopping (see below). We had these on homemade bread with lettuce and strawberries for dessert. For dinner, we had chicken and biscuits (has veggies in it) with strawberry shortcake for dessert. I made up several pizza crust doughs tonight. I baked two of them, one will be used on Friday for dinner and the other was wrapped and put in the freezer. I also put some dough in the freezer after the first rising.

Spending: Today I spent a little bit of money. I took my friend Yan with me shopping for clothes for my new job. I actually did really good and spent only a little over $200, and I ended up getting a few things on clearance for the kids. We were going to go to Friendly's in the mall but after waiting 15 minutes for a waitress to even come ask us what we wanted to drink, we left. We were pretty thirsty by that point, so we grabbed drinks at Aunti Anne's for $3.33 for both, which I paid for. We ended up going to Salasaritas for lunch. Yan had never had Mexican food and I had never eaten there before because it's only been there a few months. We ended up getting a chicken quesadilla to share and two soft tacos. We didn't get any drinks because we still had our drinks from Auntie Anne's. They gave use a discount because we had never been there and we ended up paying $6.30 for lunch for two. Yan gave me $3 towards lunch, reducing my cost to $3.30. It was very good and Yan really liked it.

I almost forgot. I stopped at Tops on the way home to get a couple things I had forgotten the other day when we were there. I ended up buying 2 ham steaks at $2 each, severeal pounds of boneless pork chops for $1.99 a pound, and 8oz of mozarella cheese. My total spent at Tops was $11.92.

Total Spent Today: $18.25
Amount Saved at Tops: $10.39

Friday - Day 12
For breakfast we decided to have eggs and toast and then some blueberries and strawberries in yogurt. Lunch was leftover italian pasta from a couple nights ago with fruit cocktail. For dinner I made a homemade pizza with sausage (from Aldi's), pepperoni, peppers and onions. It was very yummy, as always! We had green salad with dressing with it and chocolate pudding for dessert.

Spending: no money spent today.



Saturday - Day 13
We still have a lot of cereal (bought cheap) so we had that for breakfast with strawberries and blueberries. For lunch we had grilled cheese sandwiches with green beans from our garden and a can of peaches. I was trying to get a lot done, because I start work on Monday, so I wanted something quick and easy. I decided to make pancakes with chocolate chips (these were the ones bought on clearance a week or so ago), eggs and toast. For dessert we had jello with fruit cocktail in it.

Spending: no money spent today

Frugal Meal Friday 7/24

Every Friday I will be sharing with you a frugal recipe. These meals will average $5 or less for a family of four, and many will give you lots of leftovers for lunches. If you have any recipes you would like to share with others, please feel free to email it to me at: couponqueenofcorning @ hotmail.com and I will include it in my Friday's posts.

I found today's meal over at The Finer Things in Life. Now, I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it is quick and easy, and it looks yummy. It's one of those meals that can be thrown together at the last minute. A great way to avoid eating out for dinner or when money is really tight. It's actually very similar to something my mom used to make when we were kids, except she added ground beef instead of hot dogs. Go check out the recipe on Amy's blog and check out the rest of the site while you are there.

Hot Dog Skillet

Ingredients

1 package hot dogs - $1.50
6 (or so) large potatoes - $1.25
1/2 onion - $.25
cooking oil
salt and pepper
ketchup (optional)
salsa (optional)
vegetable - $1


Directions

Scrub, quarter, and thinly slice the potatoes. Heat oil in large skillet. Cook potatoes on medium heat, stirring frequently. Chop onion. Add to potatoes. Slice hot dogs and add to the mixture. Cook until potatoes and hot dogs are lightly browned and potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with salsa or ketchup. Add a vegetable (fresh or frozen) to round out the meal. I think this would also be good with a little garlic thrown in there.

All You Grocery Challenge Update

Monday - Day 8

Breakfast was cereal. We have a lot of it and it needs to get eaten up. Adults had Frosted Mini Wheats and the kids ate Life. Lunch was ham and turkey sandwiches on homemade bread with strawberries.

It was hard to come up with something for dinner since we hadn't been to the store yet, and we are out of chicken and almost out of ground meat. I ended up making Italian Chili with cornbread and fruit cocktail for dessert. We hadn't had this in a while and it was very tasty.

Tuesday - Day 9

Today we had eggs and toast for breakfast because our daughter asked for it. It was very good though. For lunch we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on homemade bread and bananas. We ended up eating Italian Chili leftovers for dinner before heading out to the store. When we got home, we all ended up having a yogurt.

During the day I ended up making a double batch of Strawnana bread, and only did up 2 trays worth, so I will be doing up more on Wednesday so that I can freeze them. I also had 3 more bananas that were pretty far gone, so I peeled them and put them in the freezer, for future use.

Wednesday - Day 10

Today for breakfast we had oatmeal with cut-up strawberries. For lunch we had grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup and oyster crackers. Dinner was homemade mac n cheese and hot dogs. Also today was a baking day. I made up the rest of the muffins and then froze them. More on that in a future post. I also made up pizza dough. I froze one after the first rising, and froze the other two after I had baked the crust for about 20 minutes. I was a baking fool! LOL.

Coupon Binder

I recently decided that my little coupon holder wasn't working well enough anymore. So, I decided to start a binder for my coupons. I already had a binder that will work for a while, although if I find one of the nice ones with zippers and pouches cheap during the back to school sales I may get one of those. I bought one set of 35 baseball card protector sheets, but that wasn't enough and hubby grabbed some more the next time he was at Walmart. I only have 2 dividers right now, but the coupons are in the same order that they were in when they were in my coupon holder, so I can still find everything pretty easily. I am sure I will be able to pick up some divider CHEAP during the next month. Ok, so here are the pictures of my coupon binder, in case you are curious or are thinking about using this method yourself.

Shopping Trip 7/21

We ended up doing our grocery shopping tonight and we did pretty well. We went to 3 stores, all within a few miles of each other. We still need to go get ground , chicken and some fresh vegetables later this week. I went over my intended $50 budget for the week, but it was unavoidable. The last few weeks, Tops has not had that great of deals so I didn't stock up on much.


ALDI'S

Our first stop was Aldi's. I shop at Aldi's for things that usually don't go on sale or for things that are cheaper no matter what. These are usually baking goods, and they have really good prices on milk and eggs.

• 2 sponges with green scrubby surface $.99 (+.08 tax) - non-food
  
• 2 containers of Parmesan Cheese $2.39 each
  
• 3 lbs of unsalted butter $.99 each
  
• flour tortillas $.99
  
• 4 boxes of corn muffin mix $..35 each
  
• 4 5 lb bags of flour $1.59 each
  
• 3 packets of taco mix seasoning $.33 each
  

Amount Spent: $18.56
Approx Amount Saved: $11+
Grocery Challenge Amount: $17.49

TARGET

We then headed over to Target. I wanted to look at some of their frozen meat and dinners. I have several regular manufacture coupons which combined with the Target coupons, could have saved us some money. Upon looking at the prices at the store, I decided to wait and buy them at another time. I am hoping that they will go on sale. Upon looking at my receipt when I got home I noticed that the cashier rang in $1.30 instead of taking $1.30 off as a coupon. I am not sure what I am going to do about this yet, if anything.

• 4 boxes of Kraft Mac N Cheese $.52 each = $2.08. I had a coupon for buy 3 and get one free and I believe this is where the cashier made the mistake by adding in the $1.30. Otherwise, I would have gotten 4 of them for $1.56
  
• Kashi cereal on sale for $2.99 (hubby wanted it lol) and I had a Target coupon for $1 off, making it $1.99
• Ghiradelli chocolate chips (yummmm) On clearance for $2.33 and I had a Target coupond for $.75 making it $1.58
• International Delight $1.57 and I had an internet printable for $1 off one, making this $.57
• 1 Degree fine fragrance deodorant and one spray. $3.64 each = $7.28. I had 2 target coupons for $2 off one, and a manufacture internet coupon for $1 off two. So, I ended up paying $2.28 for two. This is great since I really love the smell of these! -non-food
  
• 2 Aquafresh Extreme Clean toothpaste sample size $.97, these were free after two coupons for free sample. -non-food
  
• 10 bottles of Sobe Life Water (hubby's idea)on sale for $1 each and received a $5 gift card to be used on a future visit
• 3 boxes of Kleenex with aloe 130 ct on originally $1.58 each, on clearance for $1.08 per box = $3.24. I had a $1 off 3 target coupon and a $.50 manufacture coupon which made them 3/$1.74 or $.58 each - non-food
  
• 24 ct of Crayola crayons $.27. - non-food
  
• 200ct of straws $1.00 - non-food

Original Amount: $45.70
Amount Saved: $22.35
Amount Paid: $23.35
Grocery Challenge Amount: $17.02

TOPS

Our last stop was Tops. By this time it was 6:40 and hubby was getting anxious because his baseball game was going to be on in 25 minutes! Nothing like being rushed through the store. So, needless to say I forgot a couple things. I had wanted to get a ham steak that was on sale for $2 and some pork chops that were on sale for $1.99 a pound. I guess I will just get it later in the week when we are in the area again. Here is what we bought:

• Spongebob pinata for birthday party. Original price $15.99, on clearance for $1.99.
  
• 5 2-liters of various Diet Pepsi on sale for $1 plus $.05 NY deposit
• 2 cans of Bumblee tuna on sale for $.89 each. Used internet printable for $1 off 2 to make them $.39 each
• box of Tops brand diapers, originally $18.89. On clearance for $9.44.
• 2 boxes of Tops instant oatmeal (Aldi's still doesn't have any) on sale for $2 each
• 2 kids character chairs (one pink with princess and the other red with Lightning McQueen - for the little kids) originally $6.99 each, on clearance for $3.49
• 4 Breyer's yogurts $.60 each. Used 2 Breyers coupons that said $1 off any 2 Breyers products, making these $.10 each
• 2 gallons of skim milk. $1.99 each
• 9 Weight Watchers yogurts 6/$4= $6, used 3 internet printables for $.55 off 3 which doubles to $1.10 each, making these $.30 each

Original Amount: $79.17
Amount Saved: $42.15
Amount Paid: $37.02
Grocery Challenge Amount: $17.53

I also wanted to let you all know that there are some coupons for Hunt's Snack packs, Chef Boyardee, and more, click here.