Restaurant.com 80% off deal

Restaurant.com has a new 80% off code MENU available. The $25 gift certificates are normally $10, but are $2 with the code. They also sell $10 certificates for select restaurants for $3, making them 60 cents each with the code.

HyVee Freezer and Free Food

FREE FOOD With Freezer Purchase: Haier 5.3 cu ft @ HyVee $199 with $200 in free food!
HyVee is selling a 5.3 cubic ft capacity chest freezer for $199. When you purchase this freezer you receive coupons for $200 in free groceries. Essentially, you buy the food, the freezer's free.

FYI this freezer sells at Walmart.com for $212.98, so it is a decent deal with out the food coupons.

Here's the list the coupons that are included. Thank you to KissesonlyStan at The Grocery Game dot Com for providing the list.

Mr. Dell's Hash Browns up to $2.79 x 2
Kraft Bagel-fuls up to $2.00
HyVee 4.5 Qt Ice Cream up to $4.48
Dole Fruit Up to $2.99 x 2
El Monterey Enchiladas up to $5.99
HyVee Kitchen Boneless Breaded Tenders $16.98
Jones Meat Products Up To $4.99 x 2
Sea Pack Fish up to $10.99
New York Texas Toast $2.98
Jose Ole Mexican up to $6.99
Healthy Choice Dinners up to $5.49
Marie Calender's Dinners up to $4.32
Bryer's Ice Cream up to $2.68
Kashi Entrees and Pockets up to $2.79
Door County Fruit Crisps up to $5.99
Welch's Juice Cocktail up to $1.25
Mars/Snickers Ice Cream Novelty up to $2.99
Michelin's Frozen Entrees up to $1.18
Farmland Sausage up to $1.29
Birdseye Meal for Two up to $5.48
Digiorno Pizza For One up to $2.50
Old Orchard Pomegranate Juice Blend up to $2.99
Old Orchard Juice up to $1.79
Palermo Pizza $5.98
Farm Rich Snacks up to $8.99
Edwards Single Serve Deserts up to $2.99
Oven Poppers Sole Shrimp Entrees $5.98
Oven Poppers Sole Tilapia Entrees $6.99
Hungry Man Dinners up to $2.89
Cool Whip Topping 12 oz up to $1.99
Jack's Pizza up to $2.67
Tony's Pouches/Larry's Potatoes up to $1.00
Fast Fixin Products $5.00 off x 2
Sheboygan Sausage up to $3.99
Haagen-Daz Ice Cream up to $4.25
HyVee Blue Ribbon Pork $5.00 Off
HyVee Blue Ribbon Beef $5.00 Off
Ziplock Freezer bags up to $1.88

You may notice that almost everything listed is also in their weekly ad at the price given on the coupon.

This is a Three Day Sale at Select HyVee grocery stores, so check online to see if your store is participating at www.hyvee.com.

p.s. The HyVee in Olathe is running this ad! Everyone needs a freezer!!! :)

Gardening Classes

This summer I want to start a garden. I have already planted several blackberry and raspberry bushes thanks to Gordon and Gerri...THANK YOU!!! Here is a gardening workshop schedule for the Kansas City area. I for sure will be at several of these classes and can't wait. Thanks for the info Diana!

2009 Workshop Schedule

All workshops are held at Kansas City Community Gardens from 12Noon until 1:30 p.m. unless otherwise specified. Please call for reservations.
6917 Kensington
Kansas City , MO 64132
(816) 931-3877
contact@kccg.org

February 13 (Friday)

Starting Sweet Potato Plants

Sweet potatoes are easy to grow and are extremely nutritious. Learn how to start your own sweet potato slips (plants) to plant in your garden and how to grow and harvest a great sweet potato crop. Presented by John Williams, KCCG Program Director

February 27 (Friday)

Vegetable Garden Basics

This workshop is perfect for first-time vegetable gardeners and intermediate gardeners! Learn all about growing a great vegetable garden including preparing, planting, maintaining and harvesting. Presented by Ben Sharda, KCCG Executive Director

March 6 (Friday)

Growing Berries in Your Garden

Berry bushes fit easily into the backyard landscape and are easier to grow than tree fruits. Learn how to select, plant and grow berry bushes. Presented by Ben Sharda, KCCG Executive Director

March 7 (Saturday) 10:30 – Noon

“ Schoolyard Gardens ” – How to Make Your School’s Garden a Success

If your school already has a vegetable garden or is considering one, come and learn how to make it a success. You’ll also learn about KCCG’s “ Schoolyard Gardens ” program and the resources, tips and tools it can provide, Presented by Andrea Mathew, Schoolyard Gardens Coordinator and Ben Sharda, Executive Director.

March 13 (Friday)

Planting seeds, Mulching, & Fertilizing

We get many, many questions about these three important areas of garden culture. Come and learn when and how to plant seeds, mulch and fertilize your garden. Presented by John Williams, KCCG Program Director

March 20 (Friday)

Growing Home Grown Tomatoes

Everyone wants to have great tomatoes and now you can! Learn how to have success with tomatoes and learn the differences between hybrid tomatoes and heirloom varieties. Timing, cultural practices and variety selection are some of the keys to tomato success. Presented by John Williams, KCCG Program Director

March 25 (Wednesday)

Rain Barrel Workshop

Create your own rain barrel to take home with you at the end of the class. Put it at the bottom of one of your downspouts, add a garden hose and you can water your vegetable garden from the rainwater you catch! All materials and instruction provided in this class. $45 fee for materials. We must have 20 participants for this class to be held. Presented by Beau Baker from Bridging the Gap. For Frequently Asked Questions about this project, go to www.bridgingthegap.org.

April 10 (Friday)

Raised Bed Gardening

Raised bed gardens have lots of advantages including: 1. more production 2. better drainage and 3. easier garden maintenance. Learn how to build, plant and maintain your raised bed garden. Presented by John Williams, KCCG Program Director

April 17 (Friday)

Growing Winter Squash

Winter Squash are nutritious and versatile but are challenging to grow. Learn how to grow winter squash and how to deal with their inevitable insect problems. Presented by John Williams, KCCG Program Director

April 24 (Friday)

Vegetable Garden Basics

This workshop is perfect for first-time vegetable gardeners and intermediate gardeners! Learn all about growing a great vegetable garden including preparing, planting, maintaining and harvesting. Presented by Ben Sharda, KCCG Executive Director

June 5 (Friday)

Storing your Harvest.

Learn how to store your fruits and vegetables to keep them in good shape and tasting fresh. This workshop will also provide information regarding the pros and cons of canning, freezing and drying to preserve your produce. Presented by Susan Mills-Gray, University of Missouri Extension Service

June 12 (Friday)

Watering Your Garden

Proper watering is extremely important to having a good garden. Learn when (and when not) to water your vegetable garden, as well as how much water your vegetable garden needs. Presented by Ben Sharda, KCCG Executive Director

June 26 (Friday)

Insects in the Garden

Some insects can ruin your garden harvest and some will help your garden grow. Learn how to identify garden pests and beneficial insects. Learn how to safely control problem insects. Presented by Mary Roduner, Children’s Garden Coordinator

July 11 (Saturday) 10:00am

Herb Walk

Basic garden herbs are easy to grow. Take a stroll through our Beanstalk Children’s Garden and get tips on how to grow, harvest and use herbs. Learn how to preserve herbs by freezing and drying. Presented by Mary Roduner, Children’s Garden Coordinator

July 24 (Friday)

Fall Vegetable Gardening

You can plant cool season vegetables in July and August for a great fall vegetable harvest, but timing and planting techniques are tricky. This workshop will discuss what vegetables to plant for fall and how and when to plant them. Presented by John Williams, KCCG Program Director

August 14 (Friday)

Extending the Garden Season

If you have ever wanted to plant earlier in the spring and have your garden last longer in the fall, come and learn how about useful techniques and materials/equipment to extend your vegetable gardening season. Presented by Ben Sharda, KCCG Executive Director

October 9 (Friday)

Composting and Putting your Garden to Bed for the Winter

Every garden needs more organic matter to enrich the soil. Learn how to change your yard and garden waste into useful compost. Discussion will also include information on how to prepare your vegetable garden bed for winter. Presented by John Williams, KCCG Program Director

Lack of Grocery Deals

I just want to apologize for not doing my weekly grocery/coupon deals. I have been a bit under the weather and have wanted nothing to do with the grocery store. Hopefully this will pass soon, but until then maybe you can email me with great grocery deals you have found and I will post them. You can email me at preparedinkansas@gmail.com. Thanks.

Kid Eat Free

In keeping with my theme of eating out, I thought I would find out where in Kansas City you can take your kids and have them eat for free. I don't know about everybody else, but my kids are extremely picky eaters. Because of this, my husband and I never go out to eat with them because we hate spending money on their food when they are likely to not eat one bite of it. So, check out this link for a list of where kids can eat free...or nearly free. If you don't live in Kansas City, then just do a google search, "Kids eat free in ______________" and see what you find. Make sure you call the restaurant first to make sure the kids eat free deal still applies. Have fun!

Shutterfly Free 8x8 photo album

Shutterfly is offering a free 20 page, 8x8 photo album...but you do pay shipping.

To enjoy your special offer:

• Visit www.ck.shutterfly.com/inspire
• Sign up for your free Shutterfly account (or sign in if you’re already a member)
• Upload your photos
• Create an 8x8 photo book
• Enter promotion code CK47-3T9F-5KDN-MCBMT6 at checkout to redeem your FREE* photo book offer

*Offer expires February 28, 2009. Free 8x8 photo book includes initial set of 20 pages. Offer good on all Shutterfly 8x8 photo books with photo cover. All incremental pages will be charged on a per page rate. Premium licensed photo books (including Martha Stewart Photo Books & Adventure Photo Books), as well as leather and padded photo books are not included in this offer. Taxes, shipping and handling charges will apply.

Restaurant.com

Last month I was totally obsessed with coupons and this month I seem to be a bit obsessed with eating out?!?! Anyway, my husband and I have recently found the joys of restaurant.com. Right now they have an 80% off of gift certificates deal with the code DINE available. The $25 gift certificates are normally $10, but are $2 with the code. They also sell $10 certificates for select restaurants for $3, making them 60 cents each with the code. When you buy these gift certificates it is usually works like this: You buy it for $2 and then get a gift card good for $25 off of a $30-$50 purchase. So, you could spend $7 and get a $30 meal. Go to the website and enter your zipcode to see what restaurants they offer in your area.

Ruby Tuesday Deal

I don't know about you, but one of my favorite restaurants is Ruby Tuesday...their salad bar is seriously delish. Here is a link for a buy one entree get one free. I'm totally going!

Using Food Storage Apples

Apple Brown Betty

Pour 2 c boiling water over 4 cups dried apples. Let stand at least 5 minutes.

Topping: Mix the following ingredients well:
1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c oatmeal
1/4 c brown sugar
Then cut in 1/4 c butter

Place the apples and liquid remaining in a greased 9 x 9 pan. Sprinkle the topping over the apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.


I doubled the recipe for the topping mix as I really really like the crunchy stuff. You could also add some chopped nuts to the topping mix if you like.

Valentine's Day Grocery Deals

Hy Vee: (2/13 only)

*Fresh Sliced Pork Steaks .99 lbs
*80% lean ground hamburger 4.77 for a 3lbs roll (1.59 lbs)
*Pilgrim's Pride 3 lbs bag frozen chicken 4.99 (1.67 lbs)
*HyVee butter 1.48
*Top Ramen .13 each

Hen House: (2/13-2/14)

*Hen House gallon of milk 2.49 (Cheaper than Costco!)
*Wonder Bread 1.38
*Eggland's Best doz eggs 1.38
*Kellog's Fruit Snacks 4/5 or 1.25 each
*Red Delicious apples .49 lbs

TGI Fridays Coupon

I found a coupon for a buy one entree and get one free from TGI Fridays. It expires March 1st and is not valid on Valentines Day. It has been a long time since I've eaten at TGI Fridays, but I may have to go give it another try.

Free Pass at Sam's Club

Here is a coupon for a free day pass to Sam's Club...and they will waive the 10% fee they normally charge for this type of coupon. I can't wait to go and stock up on the things that Sam's has but Costco does not. I'll keep you posted as to what I find there!

Free Madagascar Movie

CVS this week is having a great deal...at least if you have kids. If your purchase $20 of P&G products listed in their circular then you can get the movie Madagascar 2 for only $5. AND to make it an even better deal, I found a coupon online for $5 off of this movie making the movie FREE!!! Oh how I love that word! So, I now know what I am getting my kids for Valentine's Day. :) There was also a P&G coupon booklet in this past Sunday paper so look in there for some coupons to use to get even more bang for your buck.

It's Bread Making Time

I am out of bread at my house. Normally this would mean a trip to the grocery store. Instead however, I am going to use this opportunity to learn how to make my own bread. Crazy I know, especially since I am not a natural bread maker. I have however learned one trick of the trade: I use my bread machine (that I bought at Good Will for $6) for the dough cycle. It makes REALLY great dough. I have already tried two recipes that turned out really great (and will be even better with more practice on my part!):

Dinner Rolls

1 1/4 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp yeast
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup oil
5 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Put these ingredients into your bread machine in the order listed above. When the dough is finished, turn onto a lightly floured surface and form into rolls. (for a tutorial on how to do this, click here.) Put into a 9x13 greased dish, cover and let rise about an hour. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 2 doz rolls.

Italian Bread Using a Bread Machine

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 egg
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons cornmeal

Place flour, brown sugar, warm water, salt, olive oil and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Form dough into two loaves. Place the loaves seam side down on a cookie sheet generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise, until doubled in volume about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the risen loaves with egg mixture. Make a single long, quick cut down the center of the loaves with a sharp knife, or make 3 diagonal lines down the loaf (like you see at restaurants).

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.


I will post more good recipes as I find them. Happy bread making!

Weekly Grocery Deals

Hen House:

*Progresso Soups .99 + internet coupon, $1 off 2 or $2 off 4
*Prego Spaghetti Sauce 1.77
*Sargento Shredded Cheese 1.47 + internet coupon $1 off 2
*Bird's Eye Frozen Veggies .88 + internet coupon $1 off 2
*Sargento Salad Finishers 2.99 + internet coupon $1 off 1, Sunday paper coupon too
*Quaker Instant Oatmeal packets 1.88 (see other postings for coupons)
*Wonder Bread 1.88

Hy Vee:

*Strawberries 1.88
*85% ground hamburger 1.79 lbs
*Roma Tomatoes .77 lbs
*Betty Crocker Cake Mix .88

Join the CVS Bandwagon!

Who wants to shop at CVS for free? I do! I do! I have already found the wonder of CVS Extra Care Bucks, but I have just realized that I have not been using them to their fullest potential. Shame on me. I found this website today and love it!!! This is a woman who knows how to work the system to her advantage and I just have to share. Her website is called Centsible Savings and she goes through step-by-step how to save your pennies at CVS. Along with her website, she recommends using another website called Money Saving Mom to truly stretch your dollars.

If anyone wants to do this with me then let me know! The great thing about CVS, is that it is the same in Kansas as it is in other states in the country...at least I think it is, so we can all be one big happy family as we shop with our "free" money.

Deal Alert!

I just got back from the Walmart on K-7 and 135th and found a really great deal. They have their Arm & Hammer Essentials cleaning solutions rolled back to $2 a bottle. If you look on the bottles, they have a buy one get one free coupon on them. When I got home, I did a google search for any coupons there might be out there and found a $1 off coupon from the Arm and Hammer website. So, I will be going back and getting my two bottles of cleaning solution for .50 a piece. I guess this means I have no excuse now for a dirty house?!?!

A Money and Sanity Saver!

Here is the number ONE way I save money at the grocery store! I menu plan. Seriously, it works. I go through my cupboards to see what I have, then I go through the circulars to see what's on sale and base my menus off of that. Keep your menu in a place where you are not going to lose it and where you can access it easily. I have a little calendar-type thing magneted to my fridge. I write my menu on that.

Of course, being a girl, I am slightly fickle. (Hey, changing my mind is totally within my rights as a wife, mother, and woman!) So, I always have two or three backup meal ideas in place just in case I do not want what I have planned for that night.

Then I write out my grocery list and head off to the store. Before I started menu planning, I would go to the store all the time...consequently spending a ton of money. I would think of a meal, and find that I was missing one or two key ingredients. So, I would make a grocery store run for those 2 things and come home with 10. Not terribly cost effective.

Another blessed side effect from menu planning, is that my life has become so much easier. How many of you get a little stressed when dinner time rolls around? I think my mantra for a long time was...and still on occasion is..."What the heck am I going to make for dinner?!?!?" After a long day of chasing around a 2-year old and a 4-year old, the LAST thing I want to think about is what to cook. When I have it written down already, it saves me a lot of headache.

Here are some fun websites that can fill you in on menu planning and enlighten you with new, delicious recipes:

*Real Simple 6-menu planning websites
*Simply Recipes
*Kraft Foods Meal Ideas
*The Pioneer Woman LOVE this website
*All Recipes

End of Season Sales

Old Navy is having a 50% off of their clearance items sale. I just got back from there and was able to buy kids' shoes, long sleeved T's, and hoodies for anywhere from $1-$3 each. I also bought a cute sweater for me for $6. This would be a good opportunity to buy some warm clothes for your 72-hour kits or to stock up for next winter. A smart shopper always thinks ahead and shops the end of season sales to get the items they need for the following season. This is the time to buy boots, coats, gloves, long-sleeved shirts, pants, sweaters, etc...

Grocery Deals

This week is the week for produce at the grocery stores!

HyVee:

Grapes .88 lbs
Red Peppers .88 each
Vine Ripened Tomatoes .99 lbs
Sliced Mushrooms 1.50
Asparagus 1.98 lbs
Dole Celery .59 with HV cpn from circular-limit 1
Dozen Eggs .99 with HV cpn-limit 1
Philadelphia Cream Cheese .99 with HV cpn from circular-limit 1
HV 16-oz sour cream .88

Hen House:

On the Border Chips (my FAV!) 2.50
McCormick chili or Mexican seasonings .50 + .25 off cpn doubled = free!
McCormick Seasoning Grinders 1.37 + .25 cpn doubled = .87
Philadelphia Cream Cheese 1.18 (no limit)
Limes/Lemons 5/1
Red, Orange, Yellow Peppers .99
Betty Crocker Frosting 1.48 + .50 cpn doubled = .48
Edy's Ice Cream 2.88 (their double churned 1/2 fat ice cream is REALLY good!)

Price Chopper:

Deli Shaved Ham 1.99 lbs- sale runs from 1/29-2/1 only
Edy's Ice Cream 2.69

Not much at Price Chopper this week.

Non-Essential Necessities

There is nothing like actually being in an "emergency" type situation to realize the things you are missing. Last year, Todd and I noticed several items we wished we had had in our basement during all the tornado warnings. Here are some minor items that we now keep in our cozy little basement:

*Toys-we keep a little box of toys and books for the kiddos
*DVD player-we charge our little DVD player that usually resides in our car in the basement so the kids can watch a show instead of running around like crazy people
*Treats-for the kids (man those kids require a lot!) :)
*Pillows and blankets
*Camping chairs

Tornado Season Approaches

I don't know about you, but tornadoes kind of scare me. Last year was my first tornado season here in Kansas and I spent about 6-months straight getting my family ready for it. It was quite a stressful time for me. Today I am going to share one of the things I learned that is total common sense, and yet when I read about it I had one of those "ah-ha" moments...and then I promptly slapped my head and wondered at my stupidity for not thinking of that myself. :) So, here is my first tornado tip:

Prepare an emergency box (preferably waterproof) to put in your basement...or wherever you go when the tornado siren sounds. Here are the items I keep in my box:


*Toilet Paper
*Diapers and wipes
*Warm clothes and underwear kept in a big ziplock baggie
*Towel...kept in the baggie with the clothes
*Shoes for each of us (imagine waking up in the middle of the night to a tornado siren and you are in your "jammies" with no shoes on...you're going to want clothes and shoes!)
*Blankets
*An old pair of glasses, a pair of contacts, contact case, contact solution
*First Aid kit
*Crank radio/flashlight
*Batteries
*Bottle for the baby
*Toiletries
*UNO card game

This is NOT my 72-hour kit, although I keep a lot of these same things in those as well. I put everything I can into ziplock baggies in case water gets into my tub. I want all my niceties to stay nice and dry.

Coupons by Dede Referral

If any of you are going to try out Coupons by Dede, then could you please use me as a referral...my customer number is #4042. I would appreciate it. Thanks!

Grocery Spoils

I was so excited today to open up my mailbox and see that my coupons had come. Yea! I really do love to grocery shop and have been waiting all week for those babies. So, tonight I packed up the kids and the hubby and we went to Hen House. Todd could not believe how much I saved and I had to share.



Tonight I purchased:
-10 cartons of Quaker oatmeal
-5 boxes of instant Quaker oatmeal
-3 boxes of Quaker oatmeal squares cereal (plus I got a raincheck for 2 more)
-2 bottles of Aunt Jemima syrup
-2 lbs of fresh chicken breast
-3 packages of Ziplock containers
-Produce: 2 limes, garlic, ginger root, and cilantro

My grand total was $14.28!!! A savings of $67.83 or 85% off. I love it. Now, I did spend $2 on coupons...but I think the investment was worth it.

Rain Checks

I just went to Hy Vee last night to purchase my peanut butter and OJ. I was not surprised in the least to find that the frozen OJ was nearly gone. By the time I took 10 for myself, there was only 3 cans left. I have found that this area is very sale/coupon savvy. It seems like if you don't get out there the day the sale starts, then you miss out. So, here is another tip from me...GET RAIN CHECKS! I get them all the time. You just have to go to the customer service counter with your circular and ask for rain checks for the items they don't have in stock.

Yummy Food Storage Recipe

I thought I would share one of my favorite soups with you. This is a great food storage recipe. The only thing you may not have is the ranch powder. As far as I know, you can only buy this big jar of it at Sam's Club...Costco does not have it. If you aren't a member at Sams, then either find someone who is (we know you're out there), or buy smaller packets from the store...although they are kind of pricey if you do it that way. Enjoy!

Here are the ingredients you will need:



Southwestern Taco Soup

Brown hamburger with an onion. Put into crockpot 2 cans of beans (your choice), 1 can corn, 2 cans tomatoes. Do NOT drain any of the cans first. Add your hamburger and onion, 1 packet of taco seasoning and one packet of ranch seasoning. Stir. Turn on low for 5-6 hours.

If you don't want to use a crock pot, then do everything as stated above but in a pan. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer for 30-minutes.

Top with cheese, sour cream, avocados, onions, olives...basically whatever you would put on your taco. Make sure to have some tortilla chips for some added crunch!

Awesome Grocery Deals!

This week at the grocery store be prepared to save some serious dough on your food storage items. Get excited! (especially if you have coupons!)

Hen House

*Fresh Split Chicken Breasts 1.49 lbs
*Quaker Old Fashioned Oats 18-oz .99 + cpn .60 = .49!
*Best Choice Pure Veg Oil 2.68
*Zip Lock Twist and Lock containers 1.97 + 1.50 off 2 cpn = 1.22 each AND .55 off 1cpn = 1.43
*Hunts Tomato Sauce 3/1 + .40 off 2 cans = .13 each. (they won't double it if it exceeds the value of the product)
*Oatmeal Squares Cereal 1.98 + .50 cpn doubled = .98!
*Quaker Instant Oatmeal 1.98 + .70 cpn = 1.28
*Aunt Jemima Syrup or Pancake Mix 2/4 + 1 off of 2 cpn = 2/3

Hy Vee

*Skippy Peanut Butter (the all natural kind is my FAV peanut butter) .99 + cpn (limit 2)
*80% ground beef sold in 1 lbs rolls 1.49
*Hy Vee frozen OJ .88 STOCK UP!!!! I usually stock up on this when it reaches somewhere around $1...I have never seen it this cheap!
*Kleenex .88 + (I know I have a coupon for this somewhere...I just have to find it!) cpn
*Dole Iceberg Lettuce .59 with HV cpn from circular
*Hy Vee pound of butter 1.28 with HV cpn from circular

Coupons and Things

There is a website out there that I don't use very often, but when I do use it, it is terrific. It is called Coupons and Things by Dede. Sometimes there is only one or two coupons that I need and I don't want to go and spend a fortune buying Sunday papers for a small amount of coupons. So, I go to this website and order the coupons I want in the quantities that I want.

Since Tanner was up at the crack of dawn this morning, I had some time to look over the new circulars for this coming week and they are awesome! I immediately went to Coupons and Things and ordered the coupons I wanted so they would get here before the sales end. This company is usually very quick about getting the coupons mailed out and at your door.

They charge a very minimal fee for each coupon: depending on the coupon value, they charge anywhere from .05-.25 cents per coupons. Today I bought 40 coupons and with the .92 cents shipping, I spent $4.02. You must order a minimum of $3 worth of coupons for them to ship to you.

Here are the coupons I bought this week:

*Quaker Oats .60 off of 1 x 10
*Quaker Instant Oats .70 off of 1 x 5
*Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal .50 off of 1 x 5
*Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats 1.50 off of 2 x 5
*Wholly Guacamole 1 off of 1 x 5 (no sales on this item this week, but they go on sale often and
they are great to freeze!)
*McCormick Spices .25 off of 1 x 10

Now, if any of you from Olathe order coupons from this website, could you please order me 2 Skippy Peanut Butter coupons and I will pay you for them. I meant to order 2 for the sales this week and pressed the buy button right as my brain was remembering this. Aarrgghh!

Emergency Preparedness Tip

This past weekend Todd and I went to Marshalls. I wanted to see if they had any of their winter items on clearance. We needed a few more things for our 72-hour kits. I was able to get nice winter hats for my boys for only $3 a piece. (I had to buy them adult sized hats because they have seriously huge noggins!)

Here are some things that I would suggest you look for now that the stores are clearancing out their winter items to make way for their summer stock:

*Gloves
*Hats
*Thermals
*Scarves

You need a pair of each of these for every member of your family. Next month I am going to be focusing a lot of my energy on getting my family prepared for tornado season, and part of that is updating our 72-hour kits. Plan on lots of blog postings regarding this in the next week or so. :)

How To Freeze Meat

If any of you are snoring just by reading the title, then by all means press the "X" and put yourself out of your misery. For the rest of you, I am going to share how I freeze meat as regulated by the state of Utah. I used to be a program director at a group home in Sandy, Ut and this is how the state told us we had to freeze meat:

Here is the 8 lbs of 93% lean ground beef from Price Chopper in all its ground glory. I only bought 8 lbs because my family is on the smaller side, but if your family is bigger, then I would suggest buying more because this was a great deal. For this you will need, plastic wrap, tin foil, a sharpie and a freezer ziplock bag.
















First divide your hamburger into your desired sizes. Then put one portion onto a piece of saranwrap and wrap it up.















Next put that slab of meat onto the tinfoil and wrap. Make sure you label each piece with the date and the item's name.















Then label your ziplock baggie and put your meat into them. Squeeze as much air out as you can when you close it. Then just pop it in your freezer.

Shopping List

Here is a list of the best deals I found at the grocery stores in the area:

Hen House:

• Roberts Cottage Cheese 1.58 + .50 cpn doubled = .58

• Hormel Chili .98 + .55 cpn when you buy 2 = .70 each

• Macaroni Grill Pasta boxes 2.98 + internet coupon 1.10 = 1.88

• Rice-a-Roni or Pasta Roni .99 + 1.00 off when you buy 4 = .74 per box

• Wonder Bread 1.49

• Home Pride Wheat Bread 1.49

• Yoplait Yogurts .39 + look for coupons from past papers (I already used mine, but I think it was .40 off of 6, that would make the yogurts .25 each!)
  

Hy Vee:

• Pork Tenderloin 1.79 lb-you have to buy this in the family size, but they will cut it and wrap it for you. This is a great deal! (eventually I will post my most FAV way of preparing pork loin...it is to die for and when purchased at such a great deal, it is budget friendly as well!)
  

• General Mills Cereal 2.00 + 1 off of 3 = 1.67 + .75 off of Kix + .50 off of Multi Grain Cheerios bring the grand total to 1.25 per box!

• Oatmeal Squares Cereal 2.00 + .50 cpn = 1.50

• Vaseline Lotion 2.88 + .55 cpn = 2.33

Hy Vee MONDAY ONLY SALE:

• Hy Vee dozen eggs .98

• Hy Vee lb of butter 1.28

• Oscar Meyer Bacon 1.99

• 24 pk water 2.99 = .12 per bottle...great for food storage

Price Chopper:

• Quaker Oatmeal 1.99 + .70 cpn from paper, + cpn from Quaker website (see post below...I already used my allotted coupons from this site, so I can't tell you exactly how much they are for, but it must have been a good one for me to use all of mine!)
  

• 93% lean ground beef 1.99lb

• Roberts Sour Cream 1.29 + .50 cpn = .79

• Aussie Hair Care products 2/5 + 2.00 off of 2 = 2/3! (P&G product!)

Price Chopper MONDAY and TUESDAY sale:

• Best Choice shredded cheese 1.44

• McCormick Mexican seasonings .44 + .25 off of 2 cpn (I love to have fajita seasoning packets in my food storage!)

• Deli shaved ham 2.44 lbs

Later this week I will post on the drug store deals. Just remember that the grocery deals end Tuesday!

Proctor and Gamble Coupons

Proctor and Gamble (P&G) frequently has coupons booklets in the Sunday paper. Today in their booklet, they have a mail-in form where you can get $120 worth of coupons. Getting these coupons is easy: all you have to do is spend $50 in P&G products and mail in your receipts and they will mail you out their coupons. Now, I have to say that my favorite coupon booklet is always the P&G Saver. I love all of their products. You can go to the Proctor and Gamble website to see a list of all of their products...they include, Tide, Tampax, Cascade, Crest, Gillette, Charmin, and Herbal Essence just to name a scant few. I guarantee you will probably spend more than $50 on them before their deadline anyway. This Sunday paper had 3 coupons booklets in it, so you might as well go and get a copy or two regardless of this promotion. I for one will be cashing in on this coupon deal!

• You must make your purchases BEFORE January 31st and have it postmarked by February 14th.

(p.s. I promise to spend more time on things OTHER than coupons, but apparently I have deemed this month "coupon month" with all that I have posted on them! Sheesh! Can you tell I love coupons?) :)

Emergency Lighting Ideas

***This deal has EXPIRED!***

I don't know about any of you, but I worry with two little boys about what we would do if something were to happen in the middle of the night and we lost our electricity. I have plenty of candles, candle sticks and matches on hand, but what if it is a tornado or an earthquake that has caused the lights to go out. I certainly would not want to light a match in a situation like that. So, here are some ideas:

We have several LED headlamps that I keep all over the house. I hang one on our shelf in the basement, one is kept in Todd's night stand, and one is kept hanging in the garage. They are really handy and I love them. I just found an amazing deal on a LED headlamp here. It is $4.99, but if you enter this code (M248002CPPOFF) then it takes $1.50 off making your total $3.49. Plus, there is free shipping. I just ordered one myself.

Another item I store in my basement are touch lights I got from the dollar store. These will be a great, risk free source of light for my family. I also keep plenty of batteries in a tupperware tub in my basement to accommodate whatever items I have stored that require them.

(Once Todd comes back with my camera, I'll post a picture of the lights so you can see what they look like.)

Questions Answered

Here is the deal with Hen House double coupons: The register automatically doubles the coupons and this is true every day of the week; you don't need to ask for them to be doubled. As I said before, they double coupons up to a .50 cent value...so in laymen's terms, if you bring a coupon in for .55 cents, they won't double it.

The grocery circulars come in the Wednesday paper since their ads run from Wednesday to Wednesday. I do not get the Wednesday paper. Instead I just look at the online circulars. Here is a link-list of the circulars:

• Hen House
• Hy Vee
• Price Chopper: look to the left of the screen and click on "Weekly Ad"
  
• CVS
• Walgreens

The drug store circulars come in the Sunday paper because their ads run Sunday to Sunday, but I thought I'd include them in my link-list anyway.

Now, just a word of caution: There have been a few times that I have gone into the grocery store for a deal that I found in their online circular, and the item is not on sale in the actual store. This has only happened 1 or 2 times in the past 7 or 8 months, but just so you know, although uncommon, it can happen.

A Perfect Example

My family loves Quaker Oats...especially the ridiculously expensive instant oats in individual packets. We do buy the cheaper no-name brand, but they never taste as good as Quaker. So, whenever they run sales then I look for coupons and stock up.

This week, Price Chopper has their Instant Oatmeal for $1.99, which is a good deal, but it is made an even better deal with this coupon: Quaker Oatmeal Coupons. You can usually print 2 coupons out before it won't let you anymore.

Now I just need to go get some ink for my printer so I can print and shop!

Coupons...Again!

Okay, I don't want to seem like I am totally obsessed with coupons (even though that is not far from the truth), but they are just the sensible thing to take with you shopping. You'd be crazy to not use coupons to save money...even if it is just .35 cents...it all adds up.

Although this posting is on coupons, it is NOT on Sunday paper coupons. I realize that getting the Sunday paper is not in the cards for everyone. So, I am going to pass along another trick of the trade that I know. I NEVER go shopping for anything until I have done a google search for coupons. I even have Todd getting in on the fun of coupon searching. Here is just one example: I knew that I wanted to get Todd a pair of jeans for Christmas. So, I did a google search for Banana Republic coupons and found a 25% off coupon. That combined with their sale made Todd's Christmas jeans only $25, instead of the $60 they normally are.

This idea holds true for everything from groceries (try The Coupon Mom for great grocery coupons), to clothes, to oil changes, to restaurants. You may or may not find the exact coupon that you need, but at least you tried. It is a good habit to get into...unlike my eating BBQ potato chip habit that I have tried and failed to quit...but that's a topic for some other blog! :)

Here's How It's Done

Okay, I just put together my grocery list for tomorrow. I usually do not get THIS detailed, but I wanted to show you all how easy it is to save some serious dough. Tomorrow (Tuesday) I am going to go to Hen House. I really love Hen House because they tend to have great sales AND they always do double coupons. They will double your coupons up to .50 cent value, taking up to $1 off of whatever you are purchasing. I love it. My list will also show you that Aldi isn't always the cheapest place to buy your food.

• Best Choice Shredded Cheese $1.36 x 10 = 13.60 (I have NEVER seen cheese this low!)
  
• Best Choice Diced Tomatoes .39 x 20 = 7.80
  
• Best Choice Pinto and Kidney Beans .39 x 20 = 7.80
• Juicy Juice 8 pack 2/$3 + .50 cpn doubled = 2/$2
• Red Baron Pizza (great for nights I don't want to cook) 3/$10 or $3.33 per box. I will buy 2 for $6.66 + $1 off cpn = 2/$5.66 (Again, I've never seen it at this price!)
  
• Special K Cereal 2/$5 + $1 off cpn = 2/$4 AND when you buy 2 boxes of cereal, you get $2 off of any size or flavor of milk you choose. So...
• Roberts 1% Gallon Milk, $3.55 + $2 off, + .50 cpn doubled = $.55 cents...for a gallon of milk!
  
• Aero Cool Whip (for the pudding lovers in my house) 1.97 + .50 cpn doubled = .97
• Cottonelle 18-pack Toilet Paper $9.97 + .50 cpn doubled = 8.97
• Viva Big Roll Paper Towels $1.86 + .35 cpn doubled = $1.16

That brings my total bill to $52.76 before taxes. Just for kicks and giggles, I added up what it would be without sales and coupons and the total came to a whopping $104.85!!!

See, easy-breezy. Happy shopping! :)

The Food Storage Planner

There is a great program that my mother-in-law got us for Christmas called The Food Storage Planner that is really neat. It tells you how much food storage you need for the members of your family based on genders and ages and then keeps track of everything for you...as well as MANY other things like menu planning, budgeting, etc... It has been a life saver for us and I highly recommend it.

The Great Depression

I have often wondered if the people alive during the Great Depression could have built up their food storage, what would they, in retrospect, have included. I have done some research on this and here is what I have found. The items that were most needed and most scarce, according to various Internet sources, were as follows: toilet paper (I surely would NOT want to run out of that!), soap, oil, and sugar. I thought it interesting that toilet paper and soap would be high up on the list. You often think of your year's supply of food storage as just being food, not so much the other niceties of life that you wouldn't want to do without.

Here is a list of supplies that I am building up for my year's supply of "food" storage:

• Toilet paper...and lots of it! :)
• Bars of soap
• Dish soap
• Laundry detergent
• Feminine hygiene products
• Deodorant
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Toothpaste, floss, and toothbrushes
  
• Lotion
• Medications of all types and for all ages
• Cleaning supplies: bleach
• Socks and underwear

Every time there is a great sale on any of these products, I stock up. Also, I make it a point whenever I go to Costco to buy something for my food storage. Usually it is a package of toilet paper, or dish soap, or water bottles. It will take me a while to get to where I want to be, but you gotta start somewhere.

The Sunday Paper

I would encourage everyone to get a Sunday paper each week...to read of course...but more importantly, for the coupons! :) On Sundays where the paper has some especially great coupons, then I go and buy 2 or 3 more. Now, for all you "greenies" out there, if you are too cheap (like myself) to pay for recycling each month, then put a tub in your garage specifically for your used papers. At the Walmart on Blackbob and 135th there are recycling dumpsters that I take my recyclables too. It makes me feel a wee bit better for all the trees I am killing for my coupons. :)

On the Kansas City Star website they have a list of where you can buy Sunday papers all week long. Here is the list for Olathe: (keeping in mind I haven't actually checked out these places, so there are no guarantees that the Star website is current!)

7-Eleven		806 W. 56th St., Olathe, KS
7-Eleven		13901 S. Murlen St., Olathe, KS
7-Eleven		951 S. Parker St., Olathe, KS
7-Eleven Rana Inc.		2151 E. 151st St., Olathe, KS
Borders Books		15350 W. 119th St., Olathe, KS
Conoco		15115 W. 119th St., Olathe, KS
Conoco Short Stop		1100 E. Santa Fe St., Olathe, KS
Eckerd		191 N. Parker St., Olathe, KS
Hyvee 1463 (8717)		16100 W. 135th St., Olathe, KS
Kings Super Store		Ridgeview Rd., Olathe, KS
Kmart		2000 E. Santa Fe St., Olathe, KS
Olathe South Citgo (9060)		1449 E. 151 St., Olathe, KS
Osco Drugs #2401 8041		877 S. Parker St., Olathe, KS
Price Chopper #026 8036 Ball's		2101 E. Santa Fe St., Olathe, KS
Quik Trip #206		15650 W. 135th St., Olathe, KS
Quik Trip #182		1301 E. Santa Fe St., Olathe, KS
Quik Trip #212		18619 W. 151st St., Olathe, KS
Texaco 9027 #101		1550 Hamilton Cir., Olathe, KS
Texaco Foodmart 202 9027		11960 Strangline Rd., Olathe, KS
Texaco Star Fuel Center #404 9027		1090 W. Santa Fe St., Olathe, KS
Walgreen's #4183		545 E. Santa Fe Dr., Olathe, KS
Wood Oil		813 S. Claireborne St., Olathe, KS
Wood Oil Co.		211 E. Flaming St., Olathe, KS

I used to buy my extra papers at the dollar store, but just recently found out that they no longer carry them. So, in my quest for coupons, I will let you all know if I come across a place on this list that does not carry them.

And So It Begins

I have wanted to start a blog like this for a long time...mostly for my own benefit. I have so many ideas floating around in my head and I have to put them to print or I will forget them. Also, there is so much I want and need to learn about, so I thought, why not all learn together!

I will frequently post on the great grocery and drug store deals that I find and if I know of any coupons that go with them. I also plan on spending a lot of time on gardening, food storage, 72-hour kits, etc... As a stay at home mom, I will also post quite a bit about ways to save money. I save a lot of money through coupon clipping along with sales. It is not uncommon for me to cut my grocery bill in half with these methods (don't roll your eyes...it can happen!) Also, I love to cook, so I'll have lots of postings on tried-and-true, yummy, budget friendly recipes that your family will enjoy. There will be so much more as well to post about.

So, this blog is dedicated to survival: the things I feel I need to learn and do to be prepared for whatever the future holds.