CVS Good Deals Dec. 30-January 5th

A New Year of Savings!

Unadvertised special: Buy $20 in Pepsi Co. products and get $10 Extra Bucks
Pepsi 12 packs are 3 for $10
Buy 6 packs for $20
Use this $3 off $15 printable coupon
Pay $17 and get $10 back
Makes the Pepsi packs only $1.16 each

Other items that work for this deal: Propel, Quaker stuff, Doritos

Soy Joy Deal: Buy One Soy Joy bar for $1, get $1 ECB (LIMIT 20)
Buy 20 Soy Joy Bars
Use 2 of these $1 off 4 Soy Joy Bar Coupons (if you have more than 1 computer you can print more but it limits the printing of these coupons to 2 per computer)
Or coupons from the 10/07 inserts
Use the $3 off $15 above
Pay $15 (or use your $10 ECB from Pepsi deal and pay $5) and Get $20 Extra Bucks back

Diaper Deal: Playskool Diapers and Wipes (Buy one get one 50% off)
Diapers are $13.99, $6.99
Buy 2 packs for $20
Use the $3 off $15 above
Print 2 of these $2 off diapers coupons
Pay $13 for 2 jumbo packs of diapers

My scenarios:
Transaction 1- Soy Joy, Pay $15, earn $20
Transaction 2- Pepsi Deal from above plus 1 Nine Pack Charmin TP $3.99, Pay with Soy Joy $20 Extra bucks, earn $10
Transaction 3- Playskool Diaper deal above , use $10 Extrabucks from Pepsi Deal, Pay $3

So, $18 out of pocket for 20 Soy Joys, 6 packs of Pepsi, 1 pack of toilet paper, and 2 packs of diapers! Not to shabby!

For a good deal on Nature's Bounty Vitamins visit Crystal's "Money Saving Mom" blog.

New to CVS? Intimidated by CVS? Read on!

Understandably CVS can be new-charted territory for beginning couponers or for those of you who just haven't ventured into the "Land of Extra Bucks". Trust me, I know! I have now been shopping CVS for about 3 years and it only gets better! I have learned so much about getting good deals there that I probably haven't paid for toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrushes, shampoo, or make-up for at least 2 years. I consistently get my Health and Beauty items plus many name-brand food products for less than half of their retail price. "Doing" CVS allows me to have more wiggle room in my grocery budget to buy healthy products that my family enjoys- like Simply Orange Juice and Organic Milk.

So, if you are new to CVS begin here:

Step 1: Get a CVS Extra Bucks card. They are free at all CVS stores. Simply fill out the registration form and begin using it.

Step 2: Make sure you are registered on CVS.com with your Extra Bucks card number. Simply go here. If you have a new CVS card click on the "Join ExtraCare" link. If you already had an Extra Bucks Card click on the "Update Info" link. The advantages of doing this is that they will email you printable coupons to use and sometimes they send samples with coupons attached to your snail mailbox.

Step 3: Learn the Lingo
An Extra Buck is a coupon that prints out after your transaction that you can use like cash on your next purchase. For example, suppose Colgate toothpaste is on sale for $2.00 and the ad says you earn $2 Extra Bucks for your purchase. You have the store scan your card, then pay your $2.00, when you get your receipt you have a coupon for $2.00 off your next order. You can then use this $2 ExtraBuck to buy another $2 tube of toothpaste and pay nothing for it, but still earning another $2 ExtraBuck

A CRT is a coupon that is for a specific product that prints at the bottom of your receipt. For example, last week I received a $4 off when you buy $10 in health or nutrition products coupon.

A $/$$ coupon is for a specific amount off when you purchase a specific amount. These are usually $2/$10 or $4/$20 or $10/$50.

A printable coupon is one that is either sent to your email or you print from a specific site like http://www.smartsource.com/.

The coolest thing is you can combine all of the above coupons on a transaction!

Step 4: Check your local CVS ad for good deals. Usually there is at least one product that is completely free after Extra Bucks. Each month there are also monthly Extra Buck Specials that run the entire month.

Step 5: Use http://www.thriftyfloridamama.blogspot.com/ to plan your purchases. I usually post the good deals on Sunday or Monday. I almost always "try out" the deals before I post them. Another great source for CVS deal information is http://www.moneysavingmom.com/

So, there is CVS in a nutshell. Try it this week! You'll be hooked just like the rest of us!

January Challenge Step 1: Where to store your coupons

Thrifty Florida Mama's January Challenge is to help you get your coupons together and organized so you can take advantage of all the great sales at CVS, Walgreens, Target, etc. My method, though not fool proof, allows you to use your coupons without the stress of spending hours cutting them out and filing individual coupons. I simply remove the inserts from the paper each week and file the entire insert in a hanging file folder. It is an easy method but works fantastically well. If you are like me with kids, household duties, jobs, etc. this method may be for you!

Step 1: Buy or Recycle a File Folder Box that holds hanging file folders

This one is at Staples for $12.99 Or you could use this:

This is at shoplet.com for $10 Or you could find a box or crate at your house and recycle it!

Step 2: Buy or recycle hanging file folders

These are for holding individual weeks of coupons, plus printed coupons for Target, CVS, etc.

I try to keep the last 3 months worth of insert coupons on hand so I use 15 hanging file folders.

Step 3: Label the first file folder: Target.com coupons, Label the second file folder: CVS printable coupons, Label the thrid folder: misc. Internet Printed Coupons, Label the fourth folder: December 30, 2007 and put your today's inserts there. The 5th folder will be labeled next week.

Now, you have a week to accomplish this task. Next week's challenge will be aimed at putting the printable coupons to use.

When you get your coupon box and file folders finished let us know by leaving a comment here. If you have any questions or input leave a comment, too! Together 2008 is going to be a great year for couponing and saving money.

In the life of a Couponer, the NEW YEAR begins today!

That's right, today is the first day of the New Year of Insert coupons. And I'm making this my blog's January Challenge: Help You and Me get Our Coupons together in an organized way!

In today's Sunday paper: The January Edition of the Proctor and Gamble Saver

Some of the great coupons today:
Get one free Kandoo product when you buy Pampers
Dawn dishsoap $1/2
Fusion Razor $2
Herbal Essence $1
Pampers $1
Tampax Pearl $1
Plus lots more!

So, go buy your papers (I try to get at least 4 newspaper inserts each week) and find the inserts. Next post I'll tell you how to begin getting the coupons organized. Stay tuned, I'll be posting it in a few minutes.

Free Combo Meal from Zaxby's, Captain D's, and . . .

I put these on my "Free Things I've Ordered" List but now that I know they actually are legit, I would like to share them with you! These came to my email address about 24 hours after I registered.

Zaxby's One Free Combo Meal Click the join the Zaxby's Z-mail club, next you can sign up your kids for Zaxby's kids club and they will get a coupon for a free cookie and a free meal for their birthday.

Captain D's $3 off one Meal Click on the left side where it says Join D's club. Again, kids can sign up for a free meal for their birthday.

Free Buffet Meal at one of these restaurants: Old Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet, Country Buffet, Ryan's, or Fire Mountain (For my local readers there is a new "Old Country Buffet" opening January 3rd in Lake City)

And from Donna at Helpful Homemaker:
Get a free appetizer or desert when you join Red Lobster's club. There are often coupons for $5 off 2 meals in the Sunday inserts. Combine these for a great date!
Thanks Donna!

Enjoy!

Good Deals at Publix 12/27-01/02

Publix has some good deals this week, especially buy one get one (BOGO) frees that have available coupons.

Here are the best deals I see:

~~~Juicy Juice BOGO $2.79 Use this $.75 printable coupon **If you use 2 coupons the total price for each juice would be $.65 UPDATE: coupon no longer working but there is a coupon the website for the "Healthy Harvest" variety.

~~~Nabisco Toasted Chips Garden Harvest Variety BOGO $2.99 Use this $1 printable coupon **If you use 2 coupons the price for each box is only $.50

~~~Lysol Disinfectant Cleaner BOGO $3.59 There were coupons for this in the 11/04 Sunday paper. Also a $.50 printable here.

~~~SeaPak Shrimp BOGO $5.99 Use this $1/2 printable coupon

~~~Chex Mix or Bugles BOGO $2.37 Click here for printable coupon for $.60 off 2

Other BOGO items:

Kellogg's cereal

Lipton Side dishes

Lay's Chips

Crystal Light

Ragu

Get Ready for Target Day After Christmas Clearance

The day after Christmas at Target has become a favorite shopping trip of the year for me. I love hunting for good deals on stuff we can use all year long. For those of you not familiar with Target's After Christmas Clearance here are the details as best I can remember (although last year they changed some of their rules regarding the clearance).

The day after Christmas all holiday stuff is 50% off. This lasts one week at 50% off.
After the 50% off week, everything goes to 75% off for the week. Then after that week it will go to 90% off.

There is usually a lot of stuff like wrapping paper, decorations, etc. for the 75% off week but Christmas trees will usually be gone the first day. I wait for 75% to buy anything decorative.

So, what do I buy the day after Christmas?
Here is a list of stuff I'll be looking for:
Holiday Scented Glade Candles, Airwick air freshener, etc.
Anything made by Proctor and Gamble with winter patterns on the packaging. This typically includes Ziplock bags, Cascade dishwasher detergent, Glad Press and Seal paper, Clorox Wipes, Listerine, Softsoap, trashbags, paper towels, etc.
Candy
Pillsbury holiday cake mixes, frostings
Ghiradelli Brownie Kits
boxed razor gift sets
boxes Oil of Olay gift sets
perfume gift sets

I will buy only stuff I know that I can use all year long on 50% off day.

If you decide to venture to Target the Day After Christmas, they will open all stores at 8 am, instead of 9 on this day. If you get some good deals, please share with us how you did.

CVS Deals for the week of Dec. 23-29th

CVS has a few good deals that begin today but to take advantage of the battery deal you have to get to CVS today because of an expiring coupon.

Here are the details:
1. The buy $15 in Energizer get $5 Extra Bucks is alive again this week. Use this $5 printable to get a pack of batteries for $.29. Do three transactions and pay only $.87 and earn $5!

2. Palmolive dish detergent is on sale again. Buy 1 at $1.49 and get $1 back. Here is a link for a $.40 off printable coupon. So dish detergent for $.09

3. If you haven't done some of the monthly deals, this week would be a good time to get them.
**Buy 5 bags of CVS cough drops at $.99 each and get back $.99 for each. FREE after ECB
**Buy Oasis mouthwash for $5.99 and get back $5.99. FREE after ECB (limit 5)

4. Here is a scannable coupon for $5 off a $15 order.


Scenario #1=
1 Energizer Battery $5.29
1 Johnsons Baby Wash $4.29
1 Oasis Mouthwash $5.99
Total: $15.57
Use $5 off $15
$5 off Energizer
$2 off Johnson's
$1.50 off Oasis
$1 off Energizer peelie on package
New total: $1.07
Get $5.99 and $1 ECB back!

Saturday Only, $5 off $20 purchase at Wal-greens

Here's the link to the coupon. (Tomorrow (Sunday) this link will give you a $10 off $30 coupon)

Other coupons and items on sale of interest:
Deal or No Deal Hand-held Game or Soduko Hand-held game $7.49 each
Dr. Scholl's foot spa $9.99 Normally $22.99
Dr. Scholl's Full Cushion Massager $9.99 Normally $21.99
Norelco Cordless Razor $29.99 Normally $59.99
Remingto Titanium Personal Groomer $9.99

Also, walgreens has the deal of buying 4 packs of Coke Products for $11 and getting $4 back in register rewards.

My plan:
1 Dr. Scholl's cushion massager $9.99
4 packs of Coke: $11
total: $21
minus $5 off $20 coupon
Pay $16 and get $4 back

Free Crank-style Weather Radio with Cell Phone Charger

While this won't be here by Christmas you can use this radio to start a gift stockpile for next year or if you are like me and live where there could be bad weather it will make a nice item for your storm supplies.

Here are the details:
First, you need a google.com account. Go to www.google.com In the upper right hand corner it will say "sign in". Click there. Now you will see a screen with a log-in box and underneath it "Create an account now". Use one of your email addresses to create an account. You can have as many google accounts as you have emails.

Next, click this link to go to buy.com and put the weather radio into your shopping cart.

Last, you want to go to checkout. Click on the link under the product that says "New Google Checkout Customers. Continue checking out with google checkout. Enter your credit card info and choose the free shipping option. (When you get to the final order screen change the 3-5 day shipping to the free shipping)

Get your free radion in the next 2 weeks!

Banana Pudding that's to die For!

This week I hosted a potluck get together with friends from work and my good friend Erin brought this wonderful banana pudding made from a Paula Deen recipe. It was the hit of the party and I made sure I kept a bowl for my dear husband Chris who loves him some banana pudding. He said it was the best he ever ate!

Here's the recipe for "Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding" from the Food Network Site.

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies (can use Lorna Doone cookies)
6 to 8 bananas, sliced 2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

$2 off a Poinsettia at Home Depot

Print coupon here for $2 off a 6" or larger Poinsettia.

As we get closer to Christmas these will probably go on sale. These grow well in Florida all year long. My grandmother who has a definite green thumb has one side of her house's fence planted in poinsettias that are over 6 feet tall. She adds a new one to the row each year.

Congratulations to My daughter Christin!

Christin won 1st place in our 5th grade science fair. She was so excited. She did a great job learning the scientific method and learned about the sense of taste and sight. Thanks to her teacher Mrs. Stahler for guiding her through it all!

She will now go on to the county science fair to compete against other elementary students. I love you Christin! We are sooo proud of you!

Oh, she made it into the school spelling bee today too! That will be in January.

2-ingredient Fudge!

I saw this posted under "Fish Sticks" at fishingfordeals.com and made it this past weekend. It turned out soooo good. Much easier than any fudge I've made before. It wasn't sticky, gooey, soft, or brittle. Just right.

How to do it?
Buy 1 12 oz. bag of baking chips (chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter, etc.)
Buy 1 can of cake frosting (not whipped)

Microwave the chips in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir in frosting. Spread into a greased square pan. Chill for 1 hour.

Some variations:
peanut butter chips, milk chocolate frosting
cherry chip frosting, white chocolate chips
white chips, lemon frosting (wouldn't that be pretty for Easter?)
strawberry frosting, chocolate chips

See what you can whip up. YUM

A short post from me! And a reminder about the Mrs. Claus cake

Just to let my readers know that I have not fallen off the planet! Like many of you I am very busy with the activities of the season, not to mention that now at almost 33 weeks pregnant I am so very tired. Sleep has become impossible! And stress is at an all time high with doctor's appointments, school activities, and holiday stuff.

Don't forget that Saturday is the first day of Winter and the optimum time for the "Mrs. Claus" cake. I posted about that here. My kids get a special cake from Mrs. Claus' North Pole bakery on this day. I need to call and order it tomorrow. I will put it in the freezer for a few hours on Saturday so it gets all icy and sparkly and then it will arrive on the doorstep with a note from Mrs. Claus. Santa's just too busy these days with last minute toys to make. This would be great with some peppermint ice cream! Yum!

I'm working on a few future posts-including the "Day after Christmas" extravaganza at Target! One of the best shopping trips of the year!

For some great deals on getting free candles at Target this week please visit Crystal's blog at www.moneysavingmom.com

Tata for now,

Angie

Good deal on Candy at Walgreens

I did a small shopping trip to Walgreens today. Here are the details:
1 Polly Pocket activity kit $4.99 (used $5 printable Polly coupon=free)
1 Gallon Milk $3.59
5 Boxes of Post cereal $10 (used 2 $1/2 coupons)
2 Whitman Sampler Boxes of Candy (used walgreen coupon making them $4.99 each and then two $2.00 coupons from today's newspaper)= $2.99 each
Total before coupons: $43
After coupons: $18.XX
Plus I got back $2 in register rewards for buying 5 boxes of cereal!
And I will send in for a $4 rebate on High School Musical 2 DVD (which I bought at Amazon). This rebate is on the Post cereal boxes for buying the DVD and 2 boxes Post

Here are the coupons I used
$5 polly pocket
$1 off 2 Post coupons
$2 off Whitmans (in today's paper)
Walgreens coupon from their flyer today for the Whitman's

Printable Coupons

Bertolli http://www.villabertolli.com/registration_bacchus.aspx
Bertolli meals http://www.villabertolli.com/registration_medstyle.aspx
lots of stuff here http://www.purell.com/coupons.aspx
more purell http://www.pfizerch.com/purell/content/purell-scent-sell.html
oust http://www.oust.com/coupon/2007-10-DRTV/
Johnson's Baby shampoo http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=seqlcnr7800289&bt=wi&o=9994&c=JB&p=jV9WG0wA&xpsp=xpsp2
Glade Flameless candle BOGO http://www.gladeflamelesscandle.com/coupon/2007-10-DRTV/?hs225=fireflybogo&hs227=hptout
Johnson and Johnson First Aid Kit http://www.jnjfirstaid.com/coupons.jsp
Renu http://64.34.165.25/
Tylenol http://www.tylenol.com/page.jhtml?id=tylenol/news/subpcccoldmed.inc
Clean and Clear http://www.cleanandclear.com/cool-stuff.jsp;jsessionid=HsLoSnQp2Ez344yFg7t-4Pweqng
glucerna http://diabetescontrolforlife.com/ After you sign up look at the left hand side of the home page to a menu that has a listing "diabetic plans" , click that it takes you to a page where the $10 coupon is
And don't forget about http://www.coupons.com/

Target coupons http://stockpile101.com/targetmain.php

These Target coupons are expired but many Targets take their own expired coupons. I'm going to ask next time I'm at Target.

For currect Target coupons go to www.afullcup.com and click on Target coupon generator. or got to www.target.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Supertarget coupons. All Targets are susposed to accept these coupons.

Update to why you should join Upromise.

I was just adding a new CVS card number to my Upromise account and discovered that new members who join by Dec. 31st and shop online through many of their retailers will get an automatic $25 put into their Upromise account. That is awesome!

So, if I were a new member (which I think my dear husband is about to get his own account!) I would join, buy something through the Upromise link at Target.com, use 10% off code "TGTAFLAF" and get $25 back. It doesn't seem to have a minimum amount you have to spend. This would make a great deal!

Where are the grocery deals?

Winn-Dixie has nothing on sale that excites me at all this week.

Here are a few things on sale:
Split Chicken breasts BOGO
Boston Butt $.99/pound
Apples $.99/pound
Chips Ahoy! BOGO
Blue Bell Ice Cream $3.33
Cooked Shrimp BOGO (I will stock up on these)


I'm very sad at the selection this week since I have a $10 off $50 purchase coupon for the week! I always get the $10 off $100 which I never use but I found this one in my shopping cart.

A review of Upromise College Savings Plan

Upromise has been around on the Internet for many years and I have been a member since 2000. Most of the time I forget that I'm a member but every once in awhile I check my balance there.

What is Upromise?
Upromise is a free Internet sign up program that offers you free money for college for doing things you already do- like shop at CVS!!!

How does it work?
You sign up and register with an email address. Then add your shopper discount card numbers for various stores- like CVS, Winn-Dixie, Food Lion, etc. Whenever you make a purchase of participating products at these stores (and many others) you receive a small refund of the purchase price back into your Upromise account.

You can also register your debit and credit cards and receive money back from purchases made with those cards.

You can also refer your friends and family members to join you and register their card numbers to your account. Then when granny buys Charmin toilet paper at CVS your precious little boy or girl gets money in their college account.

Are there any catches?
None that I can tell.

How much money can I save for college this way?
Well the possibilities are endless but it depends on how much you shop and the more people you can link to your account the better.

How do I sign up?
I put a direct link to Upromise on the right sidebar of my blog. Click there and register. After you register you will have to confirm your email address and then register at least one card store or credit card to begin earning. I currently have 3 debit cards and 3 shopper cards linked to my account plus those of 5 other family members. In the past 5 years I have earned a little over $600 for college costs. I know that it will at least buy my kids a college textbook or two and I did relatively nothing to earn it.

What if I don't have kids?
Sign your grandkids, neices, or friends up or if you have student loans the money you earn at Upromise can be sent directly to the loan holder to help pay your previous college debt. If you still don't know anyone to sign up and would like to help my kids' accounts email me with your email address and I will provide a referral!

A Freebie to go with the free Battery deal at CVS

Mail in 3 UPC Proofs of Purchase and the register receipt for 3 packs of Energizer Batteries and get this nice tote for free by mail.

If you are unsure of what the free battery deal is check out the post of CVS Good Deals for 12/9-12/15

Here is the form for the free tote!

CVS Deals and Scenarios for 12/9-15

I have a little one at home sick this morning (cough and cold) so I am getting this posted early. There are a few great deals to be had this week.

First, print these coupons:
(3) of these $5 off Energizer batteries
Free CVS tissue
(3) of these $2 off Johnson's Baby Product
(2) of these $3 off Robitussin
$4 off $20 purchase
$2 off $10 purchase


To get the most for your money with as little out of pocket as possible you will need to do 3 seperate transactions. I do them all back to back and they don't mind. I just tell the cashier I'm doing 3 orders.

My First scenario:
4 Packs of Cokes 4/$12 (Earn $3 ECB)
1 Energizer Battery pack $5.29
1 CVS tissue $1
1 Johnson's Baby Product $1.99
$20.28
Minus these coupons:
$4 off $20
$2 off $10 (my CVS let's me stack these, they will scan)
$5 Energizer Battery CVS
$1 Energizer Battery (from today's Sunday paper)
$1 Free CVS tissue
$2 CVS Johnson's Baby
Total after coupons: $5.28
Earn $3 from Cokes

My 2nd deal scenario:
1 Energizer Battery Pack $5.29
1 Gillette Fusion Razor $9.99 (Earn $6 ECB)
2 Robitussin $9.98 (Earn $5 ECB)
1 Johnson's Baby product $1.99
Total: $27.26
Minus these coupons:
$4 off $20
$2 off $10
$5 Energizer Battery
$1 Energizer
(2) $3 off Robitussin
$2 off Johnson's
$4 off Fusion Razor (from last week's newspaper)
Total after coupons: $3.26
Pay with $3 from Coke deal abover
Out of pocket $.26
Earn $6 Fusion, $5 Robitussin

My 3rd deal scenario:
1 Energizer Battery Pack $5.29
1 Johnson's Baby $1.99
2 Bag's Hershey's Kisses $5 (Earn $2.00 ECB) I'm using these in a recipe this week. I'll post it.
And fill-ins to add up to around $25 out of pocket. Things I'm considering (gift boxes, baby wipes, etc.)
Total before coupons: $25.XX
Minus these coupons:
$4 off $20
$2 off $10
$5 Energizer batteries
$1 Energizer batteries
$2 Johnson's Baby
Total after coupons: $11.XX
Pay with my ECB from Deal #2
Out of Pocket=$0 plus I'll earn another $5 from the Energizer Deal

Total for the week:
Merchandise Value: $72.XX
Out of Pocket: $5.XX
Still left to spend from earned ECB: $5
Net out of pocket $.50???

Hope this helps!!!!

What are you still in search of for Christmas?

Are you still looking for a good deal on a gift for a child, a teacher, a spouse, yourself?
Leave me a comment and I'll try to help you out. I love searching for good deals!

Since I am just about finished with my own list I'm having good deal syndrome where I want to just keep shopping and buying even though I know I should be done. So, helping you will be helping me and my budget!

Some Really Cool Freebies! Sign up today

First, free tissue from CVS. If you have a child in a school please share these coupons with their teachers! They will love you for it.

Free 120 count tissue from CVS

Another version Free 120 count tissue from CVS

Freebies from Wal-mart includes Garnier, Dove Hair Care, Purina Cat Food, Nutrasweet

Free Slim Fast Kit

The J.M. Smucker Company1 Strawberry LaneOrrville, Ohio 44667-02801-888-550-9555.(9-7 EST Monday-Friday)By contacting them you can receive a coupon for up to 3.00 for a jar of Jif peanut butter.

I called and asked for a Jif Coupon. It's on its way!

What do you want for Christmas?

I was on the phone with a good friend and homeschooling mom to 2 precious, totally boy boys last night about Christmas. She said she really wants replacement blades for her Schick Intuition razor. I can so understand that! She has no needs for fancy clothes (she plays and teaches on the floor all day), no need for fine jewelry, and certainly not gift certificates to fancy restaurants where her boys would run wild. She would be perfectly content with those razor blades.

This reminded me so much of myself and what I want for Christmas. It usually has everything to do with my life as a mom, teacher, or my household. Besides the always treasured and cherished handmade and "I found it in the house already" gifts from my kids (do your kids do that? My kids find stuff in their rooms and wrap it for me! I love it!) What I really want for Christmas is colorful, hard to break, Fiesta Ware dishes and coordinating serving items. I have wanted Fiesta Ware forever! I currently have mismatched dishes consisting of some Corelle, some Wal-mart buy me for a $1 plates, and some nasty, cracked melamine plates that came from who knows where.

So, I told my husband my desires and he looked at me like I was crazy! This of course is the man who already has his gift of a new Xbox 360 to the tune of $400!!!!!!!!!

I logged into my husband's Amazon account and put 8 place settings of Fiesta Ware into his shopping cart. On Monday I found out that all Fiesta Ware was buy 3 get 1 free at Amazon. I called him and told him to click "purchase". So I am happy to say that my Fiesta Ware is on its way! I am thrilled beyond words.

It will be wrapped and placed under the tree and as the kids unwrap their toys and gadgets, my husband unwraps some xbox games and tools, I will unwrap the dishes and they will look at me like I'm crazy and all will be good in the world.

Of course, if you are reading this dear husband, you can always buy something nice for me that comes in a small box that sparkles and shines! Hint, hint!

So, what do you want for Christmas ladies? What will bring you joy to receive?

Good Deals @ Winn-Dixie (thru Dec. 11)

This looks like a horrible week! Not many deals at all. So here is what I do see:

Friday-Sunday 5 pounds sugar for $.99 (limit 2)
F-S Ground chuck $1.49 per lb. (limit 4 packs)

Okay, seriously that's it!

I've been tagged!

Bonnie at Such a Time as This has tagged me to play a question and answer game. Thanks Bonnie! I love your blog! So here are the questions and my answers:

1. What did you accomplish this past week? Wow! That's a hard question for this very pregnant girl. But, I have completely decorated the inside and outside of my house for Christmas and have started our Christmas countdown. This is the first year that I have successfully convinced my dear husband to put lights on our house and he did it! I guess I accomplished motivating him to finally do this. I also made a large purchase last Saturday at CVS using my "friends and family" discount. Before coupons my total was $215, after coupons and rebates my total will be $5.

2. Did anything not go as expected? Well yes. I was susposed to put my pork chops into the crockpot Monday morning before heading to work with some barbecue sauce. LOL! I did that but I neglected to turn the thing on!

3. What was the highlight of your week? Sunday afternoon I took my girls to see an amateur version of "The Nutcracker Suite". It was performed by a local dance academy who is owned by a young lady that I once taught. She and her entire family are such wonderful people. The show was great and my girls and I enjoyed it. The cost was only $5 per person as opposed to $30 a person for a professional performance.

4. Did anything exciting happen that you did not expect? Yes! Praise the Lord! Yesterday I received a baby shower invitation for a friend from high school. She and her husband have struggled for over 10 years with fertility and health issues and I am soooooo excited for them. I can't wait to see her next week at the shower! What a wonderful blessing.

Now you are it! I'm tagging these ladies' blogs. Please visit their blog to see how they respond.

Keepers of the Home by Jennifer McNeese

Mrs. Marcos at How Many Licks Mr. Owl?

Are you acting your wage this Christmas?

Dave Ramsey has a saying that I've adopted, "Act your Wage". I guess it's a spin off of "Act your Age". So many times we, as adults, don't act our wage when it comes to Christmas. I have a weakness for Christmas decorating! I want my home to be a virtual Holiday Wonderland for my kids, my dear husband, and of course any friends who stop by. I see all the "pretties" in the stores with the professional decorating touch and my insides scream, "Buy Me". Well, I was very inspired by my friend S. last night and thought I'd share with you how she has inspired me.

The week of Thanksgiving, S and her family suffered from a fire in their yard that destroyed most of their stuff like sheds, their camper, etc. S being a smart shopper has been buying things for Christmas all year long when she found a good deal, unfortunately most of those things were hidden in the camper or shed. All GONE!! Along with most of their family's Christmas decorations.

Now everyone is okay and they are working with their insurance company (which is a whole other story) so they will have Christmas but S could not bring herself to pay full price for a new tree or full price for new decorations. She knows they will be at least 1/2 off after Christmas and just couldn't make herself buy them now. Way to go S! I know that I probably could not have restrained myself, as decorating for Christmas is a weakness for me.

This is why it is good to have frugal friends and like-minded family. We can help each other remain frugal and "Acting our Wage" during times like these.

So, are you Acting your Wage this season or are you acting like a little child who wants and demands everything right now!? Think about it!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday- Shredded bbq pork sandwiches, potato chips, pickle strips ( I made boneless porkchops yesterday and had a lot leftover so this morning they are going in the crockpot with some homemade bbq sauce and when I get home I will shred the pork for sandwiches.)

Tuesday- Creamy Italian Chicken, peas, garlic bread
Recipe for the Chicken:
Serve this flavorful crockpot chicken recipe over rice or noodles.
INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1/3 cup water me
1 package (8 ozs.) cream cheese, softened
1 can (10 3/4 ozs.) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (4 ozs.) mushroom stems and pieces, drained (MY KIDS DON'T EAT THESE SO I LEAVE THEM OUT)
Hot cooked rice or noodles

How to cook it:
Put the chicken, salad dressing and water into a crockpot and cook for 3 hours. After three hours, combine the cream cheese, soup, and mushrooms and put into crockpot. Cook on low for another 2 to 3 hours. Serve over rice or noodles.

Wednesday- Homemade chili, crackers, and cheese

Thursday- Grilled cheese sandwich, corn and potato chowder

Friday- Kids Cook Nite- chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, mixed veggies

A Yummy Christmas Treat! Double Layer Peppermint Bark

This turns out so pretty and tasty that you can gift it. I kept some Christmas tins from candy I received last year and I will put some of this bark into the tins for my two closest neighbors; an easy way to spread holiday cheer!

This is Williams-Sonoma quality ya'll!

(From the DIY Network website)
12 oz. quality white chocolate, finely chopped (I used white chocolate chips)
30 red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies, coarsely crushed (about 6 ounces)
12 oz. bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped (again, I used chips)
1/2 cup whipping cream (I used half and half because I didn't have whipping cream)
1 Teaspoon peppermint extract

Aluminum foil
Cookie sheet
Packaging: glass jar
Packaging: ribbon, tag, ornament, etc.
Note: This recipe makes around 1-1/2 pounds.

Line the cookie sheet with a 12" length of foil.
Combine bittersweet/semisweet chocolate, whipping cream, and peppermint extract in a bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until chocolate is melted and smooth. ( I put mine in the microwave at 50% until melted. Stir often)
The chocolate will feel warm to touch.
Remove from over water. Pour the chocolate onto the foil.
Using the rubber spatula spread an even layer of chocolate over the foil.

Sprinkle half of the crushed peppermints over the chocolate. Chill in the refrigerator until set, about 20 minutes.

Remove the chocolate and peppermint from the refrigerator. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until chocolate is melted and smooth. (The chocolate will feel warm to touch.) Remove from over water. (Again, I melted mine in the microwave)

Pour all of the white chocolate over the chilled chocolate and peppermints. Using the rubber spatula spread the white chocolate in even layer.
Top with the remaining crushed peppermints.
Refrigerate until very cold and firm, about 25 minutes.

Once hardened, use your hands to break the bark into chunks
Allow bark to stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving. (Note: This recipe can be made 2 weeks ahead and chilled in an airtight container.)

For gift giving, package the peppermint bark in clean glass jars. Glue stick wrapping paper scraps to the metal lid. Attach a bow, ornament and a tag.

This Week's CVS Good Deals

This looks like a pretty good week at CVS! You definitely need to buy multiples of today's Sunday Newspaper with coupon inserts because there are some good ones to combine with this week's sale.

Pepsi Products- Spend $15 on PepsiCo products and get $7.50 ECB!
This is the most ECB back for soda I've ever seen.
Here is a printable coupon for BOGO Sierra Mist two liters.
Here is a printable coupon for B2GO Mug Root Beer two liters.
If you are not a fan of Pepsi, this sale also include Propel water, Gatorade, Doritos, and Quaker Oatmeal Products.

Gillette Fusion Razor- Buy 1 @ $9.99 and get $6 ECB
There is a coupon for $4 off in today's paper, making this item free.

Covergirl Lip Products, some are BOGO (Incredishine or incredifull)
There are coupons in today's paper for BOGO, so both are free with sale and coupon

Proctor and Gamble Products- Spend $20, get $5 ECB
(Tide ($4.99), Pampers ($8.99), Charmin ($2.49), Bounty ($6.49), Duracell ($5.29), and CoverGirl (BOGO)
Coupons for all of these in today's paper.
Printable coupon for $1 off Tide here.

For other deals at CVS this week go here.

Here's my plan:
1st Card:
2 Pampers- $17.98
2 Cover Girl Lip- $7.49
1 Gillette Fusion- $9.99
Pepsi Products- $15.00
Total- $50.46
Minus- $10/$50 from a receipt tape
minus- $7.49 Covergirl coupon
minus- $4 Fusion coupon
minus-1 $1 Pamper, 1 $1.50 Pampers
minus- 2 BOGO Sierra Mist coupons
New Total- $23.47
Use ECB $7.00
Pay out of pocket- $16.47, Get back $18.50

A Great Deal on Games At Amazon.com (Dead)

Right now at Amazon.com they have a special where when you buy 2 select Hasbro games you get "Monopoly Here and Now" for free. There are some Hasbro games on sale that make this a great deal.

Here's one scenario:
Buy 1 Dora ABC game
Buy 1 Upwords game
Buy 1 Monopoly Game
Total will be $10.78 and you get free shipping

Here's another scenario:
Buy 1 Dora ABC games
Buy 1 Pictionary Jr.
Buy 1 Monopoly game
Total will be $9.97 and you get free shipping

I did scenario #1. This will make great gifts for classroom teachers from kids. Teachers always appreciate board games with a learning connection. They would also be a great gift for those of you participating in "Angel trees".

Click on the link at right to get started and then just search for the game titles I've listed.

NOTE: It won't take off the price of the Monopoly game until you are in the actual checkout page. You want to add the Monopoly Here and Now game that is $16.44, I don't think the one on the right is the correct one. I'll try to fix it.