Christmas Break...

So you will not be hearing from me for the next 2 weeks or so. My husband and I are leaving tomorrow for our dream vacation...2 weeks in Paris and London:) We are so excited to go spend some time with his sisters and brother-in-law who are living in Paris as missionaries, and we are also excited to do some exploring in some places we have both always wanted to visit. Just an encouragement to all of you savers out there...it does pay to live frugally. This vacation is paid for already as a result of us living on almost nothing the past 6 months or so. It is nice to have something to work toward and now we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor:) I must admit, I did make a budget for our trip, but it is MUCH more generous than anything we've done before. I hope you all have a very merry Christmas with your families and will see you again after the new year!

Giveaways Galore!

'Tis the season for giveaways, and I will try to keep you updated on the ones I discover.
If you like to sew, go over to Burdastyle here and enter each day to win different craft books or items. You have to register for the site, but they have lots of great resources for you there. Today's giveaway is Betz White's new book Sewing Green

The Dave Ramsey 24 days of giveaways are still going on...Today's giveaway is $3000. I could sure think of some ways to use that! Go here to enter.

Hallmark Gold Crown Stores: $5 off any purchase!

Go here to print a coupon for $5 off any purchase at Hallmark Gold Crown stores. I was informed that they have wrapping paper for around this price so if you need some for Christmas presents, here's a great way to get some for free or almost free.
The coupon is good through December 24, 2009

Bloom Super Doubles

Through tomorrow, December 8, Bloom is doubling coupons up to $1.99. If the get the Greenville  Newspaper, there was a $10 off a $40 purchase coupon for Bloom last Wednesday  that can be used either at Bloom or Publix.

Nature Valley: Try me free offer

Nature Valley is offering a chance for everyone to try their dark chocolate and nut chewy granola bars. Buy the bars, go here to print out the rebate form, and send in the rebate form to get a check back for the purchase up to $3.39.
Thanks, SavingAndGiving!

Giveaways Galore!

Dave Ramsey is hosting 24 days of giving and is giving away different products/ money each day thru Christmas Eve! Today's giveaway is an Amazon Kindle. Go here to enter to win and find out more info.

MoneySavingMom is hosting 24 hours of giveaways and is posting new giveaways all day today for you to enter. She has some great stuff to giveaway! Go here to look thru the giveaways and learn how you can enter.

Social Darling Frock Giveaway at Grosgrain

Social Darling Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

Free Aveeno Tote Bag

Go here to get your free Aveeno tote bag compliments of Martha Stewart Living Magazine...Hurry, this offer is only available while supplies last.
Note: You will have to wait 6-8 weeks for your bag to be delivered. I actually really like this because I sign up for lots of free samples and such and will forget about them. Then is fun to get things in the mail when I'm not expecting them:)

20% off Vera Bradley

You can get 20% off at VeraBradley.com by entering the coupon code 20offsale when you check out.Go here for more details.

Free Christmas Music from Amazon

From December1-25, Amazon.com is offering one free song download per day. If you miss a day, you can download the previous songs as well. So far they've had some nice songs. Go here to download your free mp3.

Monday Grocery Madness...finally!

So I may be the world's worst blogger. I do apologize for my extended absence...does the excuse that it's been the holidays make up for it? Ok well I am finally bringing to you the grocery deals from this week. We found some great deals at Publix this week but had to pick up some essentials not on sale:( at Walmart so that throws off our total a bit this week. However, we are good for those items for a while so hopefully I can find them on sale for the next time. I have pictures ready for you but the computer I am using today at work will not let me upload them so you will have to wait...so sorry.
Publix:
Total before savings/coupons: $39.22
Total spent: $10.71
Percentage of savings: 73%

(this pic includes the milk from aldis and the ham from wal-mart: thanks to my wonderful hubby for taking pics:)
Walmart: Total spent $17.67

Aldis: Total spent $4.38 (just had to pick up some milk as you will see in the pics coming soon)

No Super Shopping Trip

We have decided to visit my husband's family for Thanksgiving, and as a result, I did not go grocery shopping this week. We have enough food to cover the few nights we're eating at home and can use the food money to help pay for the gas for our trip. Because I am leaving for TN tomorrow, you may notice my absence the remainder of the week. I will try to post some links to Black Friday deals for those of you interested. I myself am not a huge Black Friday fan...too many crowds...but I will let you know of any amazing deals out there that I become aware of.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

More photo deals!

As if the 100 free photo cards weren't enough, SeeHere is offering 50% off photo books and photo gifts today, November 23, 2009 only! They are also offering free shipping. Go here to choose and design your photo books and such and then enter the coupon code 2day when you check out to get the 50% discount and free shipping.
Thanks, MoneySavingMom!

Free Photo Book Shipped!

Go here and get a free 20 page photo book (a $39.95 value) for free with free shipping if you are one of the first 25,000 to enter the code BONNIE at checkout. I really wish I were at home now so that I could take advantage of it. I need a wedding album! Hopefully they will still be available when I get home.
Thanks, MoneySavingMom!

Another EarthFare freebie!

I found this one in my inbox this week so if you want to be aware of these Earthfare freebies as soon as they come out, sign up for their email updates. Go here to get a coupon for a free pound of shrimp! No purchase necessary. This coupon is good thru November 22, 2009.

SC Johnson Rebate Reminder

I got my 3 $5 checks from the SC Johnson rebate deal in the mail yesterday and thought I would remind you about the deal. To get the rebate form and info go here. Remember this is good for a while so if you buy any of the products make sure to send in for your rebates!

100 Free Holiday Photo Cards!!

Remember the 50 free photo cards available from SeeHere I blogged about here? Well MoneysavingMom just let me know that you can get another 50 free photo cards by entering the coupon code newbaby when you check out. You go here to set up an account, create, and save your cards. Check out with the coupon code. Then log back in and use the code from Freebies4mom and get another 50 free....
That's 100 free photo cards with free shipping! You have until November 30, 2009 to get yours...

Such a cute maternity frock giveaway!

The Hop, Skip and a Jump Maternity Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

So I'm not expecting but would still love to win this dress for the future because it's so cute! Go check it out.

Monday Grocery Madness

This week I decided to take a semi-break from grocery shopping because we have a stockpile that needs to be consumed. However, I couldn't resist taking a quick trip to Publix just to pick up some a few things that were great deals.
Publix:
Total before coupons/savings: $37.95
Total spent: $11.04
Percentage of savings: 71%

Free games at Target

Target has a BOGO coupon on their website here (on p.5)  for Habro Monopoly Deal or Scrabble Slam card games. Pair that with the manufacturer's BOGO coupon from the USA weekend in last Sunday's paper to get both games for free!
Thanks, SavingandGiving!

Free Sample of Lipton Green Tea

Go here to request a free sample of Lipton Green Tea....You will have several different types of flavors to choose from once you click on the get a free sample button on the top right of the page.
Thanks, SavingandGiving!

Just for fun:)

I was browsing through our online newspaper yardsale ads to see if there will be any good ones this weekend and ran across this ad. I just had to share it because it made me smile. Guess they've drunk the koolaid and gotten on the bandwagon. I'm glad that others are joining us on the quest to spend less, save more, and be good financial stewards! Enjoy:) Oh and this looks like a good sale to hit if you're interested.

N Main Greenville - 11 Northwood Ave Fri & Sat, 11/13 & 14, 8-4. Dave Ramsey says sell! Multi-family. Home decor, kitchen items, linens, some furniture, fabric, light fixtures, books, costume jewelry, women's clothes, shoes & belts, yard tools, planters & pots, shutters, cosmetics.

20 Free Downloads at iTunes

The Facebook freebies continue to roll on...Go here to become a fan of iTunes on Facebook and receive 20 free song downloads.
Thanks, SavingandGiving!

EarthFare: Free Cranberries

Wow, another EarthFare freebie! Go here to print a coupon for a free pound of fresh cranberries at EarthFare with any purchase. There is no minimum purchase so when I did this deal with the apples, I paid 50 cents for some bananas and got the freebie. The coupon is good thru November 17th, but I would suggest going over there sooner rather than later because sometimes they stop these deals early or run out of the product.

50 FREE Photo Cards with FREE Shipping!

I may just have to actually send out Christmas cards this year...Freebies4Mom is offering a sweet deal for 50 free 5x7 or 4x8 photo cards with free shipping. You have until November 30th to redeem this offer! This offer is good for any type of photo card, not just Christmas cards. Go here to get the details on this offer.
Thanks Savingand Giving!

Butterball Turkey Coupon

Are you stocking up yet for Thanksgiving? Well if you are, go here to print a $2 off coupon for any Butterball turkey- fresh or frozen. Walmart is supposed to have turkeys marked way down so hopefully you could score a good deal with this coupon.
Thanks, SavingandGiving!

Great Old Navy Deal Today Only!!

Remember the 30% off  coupon for Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic that I posted about here. Well I just found out how you can use that to score some pretty inexpensive jackets. Old Navy has all outerwear 50% off thru Today, Thursday, November 12 ONLY. Pair that deal with the 30% off coupon that begins today and you can get a great deal on outerwear!
Thanks, SavingandGiving

Another giveaway for some cute little girl's patterns

http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2009/11/handmade-dress-patterns-guest-giveaway.html

GIVEAWAYS....

Layla Grayce Blanket Set GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic 30% off coupon

Go here to get a coupon for 30% off anything at Old Navy, Gap, or Banana Republic. The coupon is good from November 12-15 and can also be used at the Banana and Gap outlet stores! You only need one coupon because they let you keep it and use it as many times as you want during those 4 days! I'm thinking you could pair it with some sales and find some good early Christmas presents!

Monday Grocery Madness

So it's late again, sorry. Let me tell you catching up after being out of it for 2 weeks can be a bit overwhelming! I'm trying to make myself take it one thing at a time but that is hard for me to do:) Anyway here are the totals for this week. It was not a great week at Publix which meant shopping at some other stores too, blah. But not too bad overall considering I had to buy some extras for some party food I need for this weekend.
Aldi: Total spent: $10.57

Publix:

Total before savings/coupons: $32.88

Total spent: $13.73

Percentage of savings: 58%

Bilo:

Total before savings/coupons: $14.48

Total spent: $6.64

Percentage of savings: 54%

I also made a quick trip to the bread store for some bread (not pictured) so all total I spent $34.24 this week. However, I did have some leftover $ from last week and did not go over my alloted amount. I've got a lot of stuff stockpiled and am considering doing an "eating from the pantry" soon and skipping grocery shopping for a week. It'd be nice to take a break...we'll see what the deals shape up to be next week.

$5 Barnes and Noble gift card for reviews

You can earn a $5 Barnes and Noble gift card if you write 5 product reviews for Viewpoints. This is a very easy way to earn $5 toward one of my favorite stores:) You could get a discounted book for very cheap or even some of the smaller items for free. The reviews must be written by November 13th and must be 900 characters long. Go here to register with Viewpoints and then pick out your products to review. If you want to look at the different review categories available go here. Even if you don't like Barnes and Noble, these type of things are great to add to Christmas gifts! It's never too early to start thinking of ideas!

Thanks, SavingandGiving!

$1 Scarves at Old Navy

On Saturday, November 7th, Old Navy is selling their fleece scarves for $1. I'm going to try to pick some up to make some inexpensive Christmas gifts. However, with anything Old Navy does, you will probably want to go pretty close to opening time in order to be able to take advantage of the deal before they run out. There's a limit of 5 scarves per person.

No more Bloom triples:(

Well I guess Bloom didn't like how the tripling worked out because they decided to quit as of last night. Sure wish I had know that because there were some good coupons I was waiting to use until I got a chance to get out there. They may decide to continue with doing the triples once a month, and if so I will definitely let you know. Hope you all benefited from it while it lasted!

Monday Grocery Madness

Wow, I can't believe I've been out of it this long. It has been a long time since I have been sick like this. Apparently Thursday's respite was false hope and Friday I crashed down again into extreme fatigue and flu. However, after having been forced to do nothing but relax and sleep (by my loving husband) for the last several days, I think that I am finally over the worst of it! I just hate being sick and not getting things done!
So even with being sick I did make it to the grocery store on my good days to take advantage of those amazing general mills deals this week!
Thursday Publix trip:
Total before coupons/savings: $24
Total spent: $1.25!!!
Percentage of savings: 95%

Monday Publix trip:
Total before coupons/savings: $37.42
Total spent: $8.41
Percentage of savings: 78%

Tuesday Publix trip:
Total before coupons/savings: $40.06
Total spent: $9.15
Percentage of savings: 77%
( Our internet was down all weekend and after getting it fixed tuesday afternoon, I found the coupons reset for the frosting and the veggies. I wasn't going to make another trip out, but since I actually made money on these with the general mills deal, I decided it was worth it, especially after being home ALL day "relaxing":)

Oh and just in case you added it up and realized we were still under our $30/week budget, let me tell you what we did with the extra. Normally if we have extra, I add it to the next week's $, but since I'd been sick and haven't been cooking, we decided to splurge and stop by Subway on our way home for a $5 footlong...it was a very satisfying little extra and we have quite the stockpile growing in our pantry and freezer so I know I don't have a lot of necessities to buy for next week:)
I hope to be back here with regularity bringing you deals and freebies now that I'm on the mend...

Publix deals this week!

Update: I went to Publix last night and was able to get $25 worth of groceries for $1.25!!! I'll show the pics when I upload my grocery shopping on Monday but you really need to check out the link below with scenarios because it really worked!!
Check out SouthernSavers post here  to see the great deals you can get at Publix this week. It involves a 4/4 coupon for general mills products that Publix put in their ad this week. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, she has given you some scenerios that will work well. Now, I couldn't find any Muir Glen products at my Publix last week. Anybody know a Publix in Greenville that sells them? Happy Shopping:)

Monday Grocery Madness

I know this is thursday, and I do apologize for my absence the last several days. I got sick Monday afternoon and have not been able to do much since then. Thankfully, I feel like a human again today and am finally able to get caught up on everything.
Here are the shopping totals for last week. (Pics coming soon!)
Ingles: Total before savings/coupons: $18.87
Total spent: $8.60
Percentage of savings: 54%
I am so excited about this one because as you will see by the picture (uploaded soon I hope!) all but $1 of this was poultry. I stopped by ingles friday night to take advantage of the 1.78/lb chicken breasts and also found some thighs marked for quick sale 60 cents/lb! I am very happy with the amount of meat I got for the price paid.

Publix: Total before savings/coupons: $25.68
Total spent: $9.34
Percentage of savings: 64%
I was also very pleased by this sale because I got some normally high priced items for either free or very cheap!

Bloom: Total before savings/coupons: $22.16
Total spent: $11.27
Percentage of savings: 49%
I don't have a picture of this one because I took most of the food directly to someone's house where it was consumed. It's not a great percentage because I had to pick up some things for a party and didn't have time to wait for them to go on sale:( But I was able to get some frostings for 10 cents each, turkey bacon for 30 cents, and ground turkey for $1-It was supposed to be free but the cashier made a mistake-always watch while they ring up your food!
So all in all, it wasn't too bad of a week. I spent right at my $30 limit even with having to pick up some more expensive items.

Free Chick-fil-a sandwich today, October 26th only!!!

I just found out that if you bring in a church bulletin to any Chick-fil-a restaurant tonight, they will give you a free chicken sandwich!! Oh I just love all the freebies Chick-fil-a gives out! I recommend that you call yours to make sure they are participating. I called the one by my house, at Cherrydale, and they are participating. Hope you can go get some free sandwiches tonight!

Just for fun: Book sale finds:)

I just thought y'all might enjoy a picture of the books we found at the book sale this morning. Okay, okay so maybe you don't care that much but I have to share. You might as well know that I have 2 fetishes in life. One is books...I mean being an English teacher, you should expect that to go with the territory. I just LOVE them and I do read them too...My dream house has a library complete with a sliding ladder along the bookshelf-covered walls. I do have to be oh so picky at these sales now, however, because we live in a pretty small space and don't have room for many more books (but how can you pass up classics for 50 cents I ask?) So I did go through my boxes of books I found several times to cull out the least important books until I had it down to the bare bones of what I couldn't pass up. Our grand total....37 books for $21.50...  We did get a few more for gifts but I don't want to give anything away here so I have not included those in the total or picture.
FYI...my other fetish...shoes:) But I'll steer clear of that topic since I've rambled enough today.

Greenville Friends of the Library Book Sale

One of my favorite bi-annual events is taking place this weekend. The friends of the library are having their book sale that they host every fall and spring! The book sale will take place at the Merovan Center on Woodruff Rd across from Sam's Club. Hours are Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 12-4. Most paperbacks are 50 cents and hardbacks are $1. On Sunday everything is 1/2 off! I just love this sale. You can really find some good books. I've been to this sale one too many times so I have to be very selective about the books I find. (Seriously how can you have too many books, I ask?) Hope to see y'all there:)

Free Cookie and Hot Chocolate at Barnes and Noble!

Yay, coupons for my favorite store! Go here to print a coupon for a free small cookie and kid's-sized hot chocolate! So get a book and curl up with your free hot chocolate and cookie. Sounds like a great inexpensive date for us:) Coupon is good for Saturday, October 24th only.
Thanks, MoneySavingMom!

Free Cookbook

Go here and take a short survey about your cholesterol, and in return, they will send you a free low-fat cookbook. I'm always in need of new recipe ideas so I'm happy to answer a few questions...The survey is only about 5 questions for those of you in a time crunch.

Bloom Deals for 10/20-10/27

Thanks to Bethany to finding some Bloom deals for us this week.

Go to http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.butterball.com/promotion/butterball-ground-turkey  to print off .75/1 coupons for Butterball ground turkey. Bloom has packages for $1.99 so it should be free plus overage after coupons.
Remember to go to the Betty Crocker website and print the frosting coupons to get it for pennies.
Coupons from paper:
.55/1 Mentos gum (free after coupon)
.55/1 Butterball turkey bacon (on sale 2 for $4 so 30 cents after coupon)

More Muir Glen Coupons!

Go here to become a friend of Muir Glen on facebook and then click on the link under their picture to print your coupon.
Also go here to print another one...
Looks like we'll be getting a lot of free tomato paste this week at Publix:)

*HOT Betty Crocker Coupons!

Go here to print off some Betty Crocker coupons. Here's some coupons to look for...
Betty Crocker frosting .50/1. The frosting is about $1.65 normal priced at Bloom and you can get it for about 15 cents after the coupon triples!
Muir Glen product $1/1...The tomato paste or sauce is on sale for $1 at Publix this week making it free after coupon! Go here to get the run-down of all the Publix deals this week.
Remember to hit the back button on your computer to be able to print these 2 per computer.

Jack in the Box Free Grilled Sandwich with large drink purchase today only

Today, October 20, 2009, Jack in the Box is offering a free grilled sandwich when you buy any large drink. No coupon necesary! Go here for more details

Candy Coupons!

For those of you in need of some candy, here are 2 GREAT coupons. Go here to print off $2/1 Nestle and $2/1 Wonka coupons for any bag 24 oz or larger! These won't be available long so print while you can!

Free Sample of Frizz Ease Night Serum

Go here to sign up for your free sample of Overnight Creme Serum. Make sure you read the fine print and click that you don't want to be signed up for the free magazine subscription as well if you are not interested in that.

$20 off $30 at Goodyear Auto Service Center

Go here to get your $20 off a $30 purchase at Goodyear Auto Service Center.

Monday Grocery Madness

Whew, like I mentioned last week, I am now teaching 2 more classes on Mondays and that really adds to my work load. I am grateful for the extra money but am finding it hard to keep up with everything right now...just gotta figure out my schedule and stick to it!
Without further ado, here's the shopping totals from today:
Publix (not as big of a savings percentage because I bought some things on sale without having a coupon..gasp:) but I am happy with the amount of meat/frozen meals/veggies I am getting stocked up on in my freezer)
Total before coupons/savings: $42.14
Total spent: $12.01
Percentage of savings: 66%

Aldi: total spent: $8.45
I did splurge and get the pumpkin...I wasn't going to but we need one for a young married's activity this weekend so I figured I'd better find one early. Now it can sit on my porch for a week and look festive:)

Feel free to comment and share any good deals you were able to get this week!

Free Chick-fil-a Calendar!!

***I have been informed that this was a false advertisement...sadness:( So do not give them your email address because it's just some sort of email gatherer. ***


Starting Saturday, October 17th, Chick-fil-a is giving away 100,000 free calendars that contain coupons! On Saturday, click here to get the link to the free calendar...not sure when this starts on Saturday but I'm gonna try to get mine because we love Chick-fil-a here at our house and are always excited at a chance to get coupons for them!

Printable Coupons

.50/1 Gold Medal Flour here (this is good on Whole Wheat Flour, Organic Flour, Self Rising Flour, Harvest King Better for Bread Flour, or Unbleached Flour)


1/1 Blue Bell Ice Cream here

1/1 Progresso High Fiber Soup here  (refresh the page until the square pillsbury ad changes to the progresso ad...paired with a sale, this should net you either free or very inexpensive soup)

Thanks, MoneySavingMom!

Snapple Coupon

Go here to print a .55/1 coupon for Snapple. Pair these with a sale at Bloom or Bilo (who doubles coupons 60 cents and under) and you could snag a pretty good, if not free deal.

Just for fun: thrifty clothing finds:)

So I just happened to stop by Old Navy on my way home because I noticed they had a sign out that said all their woman's clearance is an extra 50% off...got my attention with that one:) Normally I don't find much on these trips but today I hit jackpot. I got 2 pairs pajama pants, 1 pair yoga pants, 5 tank tops, and 1 shirt for a grand total of...dum da dum...$17.13! The tank tops were all $1, shirt $1.50 and pants $3.25...Now lest you think I am just buying tons for myself, let me tell you that I try to use these sales to stock up on presents I know that I will need to buy. It just so happens my sister's birthday is next month so I got a pair of pjs  and some tank tops for her. We both wear tank tops with EVERYTHING so finding them for $1 is very exciting. I am also in desperate need of more workout clothes and am very happy with the yoga pants find. I left plenty for the rest of you so feel free to go out and find some deals for yourself! But no snitching to my sis about her presents, ok?
p.s. I did have self control and passed up the pink moccasins because they were still $11 and I couldn't justify them...but pink shoes...I really need some of those! (yeah right:)

Cheese Coupons...finally!

It seemed like a few months ago, there was an overabundance of Kraft cheese coupons but recently these have been no where to be found. Never fear, another one has surfaced! Go here to print a coupon for $1/2 packages of Kraft Natural Cheese. Remember to use the back browser on your computer after printing and you should be able to print 2 coupons per computer. This cheese goes on sale pretty regularly so you should be able to snag a pretty good deal using sale and coupons.

Free YoCrunch Yogurt

Mail in any candy wrappers during the 2 weeks following Halloween and receive a coupon for a free YoCrunch yogurt. Go here to get the mailing address and fine print details. Only one submission per household.

Wacky Mac Coupon

Go here to get a coupon for 75/1 Wacky Mac packages. If you live near a Bloom that triples, you can get these for free or pennies after the coupon.

Monday Grocery Madness

After the craziness of last week, this week is a smaller week partly due to the sales and partly due to my need of a break. Also my teaching job has changed a bit to where I am adding 2 classes on Monday mornings and therefore will have less time to do my Monday grocery shopping. Now I will just have to be extra organized and ready before I leave in the morning.
Publix:
Total before savings/coupons: $22.79
Total spent: $5.81
Percentage of savings: 75%

Bilo:

Total before savings/coupons: $18.05

Total spent: $7.89

Percentage of savings: 56%

Aldi: Total spent: $8.97












 If you do the math, you can see that I've only spent $22.67 out of the $30 that I have for this week. Later tonight we have a meeting at our church and I will make a stop by Bloom to get some dish soap and more chicken that is on sale so that I can stock up on some more meat.