Wal-Mart Shopping trip on 2/27/09

We done awesome last night at Wal-Mart. My dear puppy was outta food, so I had to get her some anyway and there was a great 3.50 off any purina dog food IP so we printed it, and went to Wal-Mart.

Here is a breakdown of what we got

(4) 4pd bags Purina Dog Chow 4.94 each

- (4) 3.50 off IP coupons

= 1.44 a bag

(1) Bayer Breeze2 Blood Glucose Meter (hubby is diabetic) 18.82

- (1) MQ for up to 30.00 adjusted to 18.82

= FREE

(1) sauve 3 oz hand lotion .97

- (1) MQ for 1.00

= +.03 overage

(5) 12 packs schick disposable razors 1.97

-(5)MQ for 2.00 any schick razor

=+.03 overage on each pack

Total before coupons would have been 49.40

Total after coupons (- tax) was 5.58

tax was 4.57

Grand total was 10.15

I am please with this trip!!

I included a pic of the stuff we got, and one of Midnight the dear Pug puppy (so you can see how cute she is and that she so deserved her puppy food!!)

Walgreens

I went to my wonderful Wags yesterday, was kinda scared to go back after all the trouble I had the last time I went in with the fusion gamer razors, but thats a whole other story.. Yesterday our fav wags employee Ashley was working (love ya girl, you just rock, and I will continue emailing wags about how awesome you are!!) so we went and got our 5 reynolds aluminum foil, and our ten candy bars, and a diet mt dew for me, and we were off running around the store, trying to find out where Ashley was working so we could go threw her line. We finally found her over at the cosmetics counter, so we went back there, and waited for her to check us out. We got all the items for 2.16 or something like that, and was tickled pink. She told me she was going to have to learn how to do the couponing, and told me about another girl in the area that does it besides me and my friend Crystal, and when I got home last night I realized that it was a sister to a girl that me and Crystal went to school with, lol... small town here. Anyhow I gave Ashley my blog address, and hopefully she can go threw my blog and pick up on the whole process a little, cause with someone as nice as her, she deserves to be getting this stuff for free too!! Again, hats off to our awesome Wags Checker girl Ashley, she rocks!! If you are from Scott County and go in there, ask for the manager and let him know how awesome she is, I guarantee that if she is your checker, you will be treated with respect, and have the best couponing experience ever!

Eating on a budget

You know, I read all this stuff all the time about how to cook cheap, and what to cook to keep on a budget... Well, maybe my family is just plain jane and likes the old fashioned stuff, so I find it easier than most I guess.. don't really know, but for me, 5-10 bucks for one meal for the family is alot of money..Heres the way I do it, may not be the healthiest, which might be why it costs others to stress over the budget, but we make do.

I buy my meat in bulk at the local grocery store that is day old. We have ate it for years now, has not killed us yet, so I do not expect it to. I usually get a whole freezer load of meat for 30-50 bucks. That includes hamburger, steaks (filet minons and ribeyes and new your strips) roasts, pork chops, ground sirloin, and cubed steak. I buy 4-5 packs of chicken leg and thigh pieces, around here you can get a big package of this for 2-3 bucks, and can easily use one package for 2-3 meals. And that takes care of our meats.

Secondly, I can and freeze my vegetables. We do work in the summer, all summer long, and then I have fresh, homegrown veggies to do me all winter long. I canned 120 quarts of green beans this past summer, and we have nearly went threw them this year. (hubby loves em)

I buy flour, corn meal, cans of cream, and big ole bags of tators, and I cook from scratch. We eat pinto beans and corn bread, gravy and biscuits, roast with potatoes and carrots, we have good home cooked meals, and it doesnt cost me 5-10 bucks a meal to do that. Now thats just me, my hubby likes the homemade stuff, and me being the somewhat skilled cook, we eat well, and the food tastes good, and it does not have all the additives and fillers that the stuff out of the store has in it.

I myself will take homemade anyday over store bought. I make all our desserts, breads, beans, noodles, gravy's, all from scratch, and we seem to enjoy it more. Heck I can get 5-10 pans of biscuits out of a five pound bag of flour, a little shortening, a can of cream, and some time and effort, and that would feed us many many meals of biscuits and gravy, and it would only cost me about 4 dollars to do it. Know why? Cause I use the cheapest things I can find to bake with, and make it all from scratch... get alot more, alot better food, for alot cheaper. Me and my husband could eat well off 100 a month before I started couponing, so now that I use coupons, we literally are eating for pennies a meal!!

Just thought I would share that, if anyone is interested in learning how to get back to the basics and cook stuff from scratch, let me know.. I can help you learn. I did not always know how to do it myself, but with the desire to learn, I got very good at it, and now at family dinners, or church dinners, I hear everyone asking, hey did Wendy make that, I want some if she made it... kinda makes ya feel good!

Awesome Printable

Does your family love Mac and Cheese? I know mine does. Go here to get a 1.00 brick IP. Remember hit the back button to print two.

A fellow Frugal shopper has been featured in Redbook

Wow, this is just amazing. This lady and her husband were featured in Redbook magazine about their frugal lifestyle. You can read all about it on her blog. Just go HERE. To celebrate her success she is hosting a 50.00 gift card giveaway. Head on over and check it out!!

Wow Awesome Giveaway

I just read a post on Coupon Mommies Blog about an awesome giveaway that Southern Savers is having. Its a giveaway for 2 gift cards 50 each for two different people to their fav. Store. How awesome is that!! I know for one its certainly something I could use right now, as pennies are very tight.. So head on over there and check it out and register, who knows we might just win one! I sure hope so!

Woooo Hoooo I won a giveaway!!

I am just tickled pink. I was just looking at Becky over at Nickle and Dimes blogs for yesterday, Cause lets face it guys, this woman just absolutly rocks, I love her and all her great deals and finds... she is a couponing genius. Well I saw that the Yoplait giveaway had ended, and I thought, hmmmm wonder if I might have won?? Sure enough, It has my name listed. To those of you that did not watch that video, you really missed out, that little boy of hers is a heart melter.. I was just smiling from ear to ear watching him eat the yummy yogurt.. how precious was he!! Anyway, thanks so much Becky your awesome, and the readers and myself over here at my little ole blog sure do like all the awesome tips that you post!!!

Homemade Sugar free Pies

Well, I am very happy at the moment, I got a wild hair to try to make my husbands fav pies with splenda since he is a diabetic. Its been nearly 2 years since he has had a slither of the pies I make because he was diagnosed about 2 years ago, and love his big ole heart, he looks so sad when holidays come around, and everyone else is getting to enjoy his wife's desserts, and he isn't. Now mind you, I have always made him the sugar free nanar puddin, and sugar free pumpkin rolls and such, but just was not confident enough with the whole splenda thing to waste nearly half a bag trying the pies. Well today I got bored, and hubby is working late, and since we moved he has really been pulling his share at the house... all that combined made me decide to try and make him his pies with the splenda I had. Now mind you I was scared to death that I was going to flub it up, and waste a 6 dollar bag of splenda, but I done it anyway, and they turned out better than the ones with real sugar do. Made his a Chocolate cream pie and a coconut cream pie, and well I always make my crusts from scratch, so it all is fresh and pipin hot right now. Just took the last batch of homemade filling off the stove and poured it over into the pie shells. I can not wait for him to get home and see them, hes a big ole guy, and food makes him happy, and I just know having some of his fav childhood desserts are going to make his bad day at work go away and give him some happiness. Just wanted to share my thoughts with you guys, I am very happy right now.. If you want to see my recipes for these, then head on over to my recipe blog and check it out!! I will post pics of the pies after he gets home tonight, gonna have him bring home some cool whip for the topping.

2009 Coupon Inserts

Wanna know how many inserts will be coming out each week? Well I certainly wanted to, so I went to read BeCentsAble's Page and she had the entire list on it.. Awesome right. Well I thought so, enough to share that link with you, so just click here, and you can see it too... Enjoy

Upcoming coupon Preview for week of 2/22/09

Hey guys, well to be honest with you, this weeks papers do not look like they will have anything worth jumping up and down about... 2 Inserts, none of the coupons really made me get excited about them. You can go here to see whats coming out. Myself, I won't be buying more than 2-3 papers this week because I do not see any coupons in them that really look like something we would want to purchase.

Some of the ones listed

Valassis Preview
Angel Soft Tp (6pk double roll rolls or larger) .50/1
Carefree Pantylines 1.00/2
Hostess Snack Cakes (DND-5) .50/1
Kelloggs Cereal 10 oz or larger .70/1
Pop Tarts 8oz or larger 1.00/2
Uncle Bens wholegrain Rice .75/2

Smart Source Preview

Ban Anti-perspirant Deoderant .40/1
Cherrio's or Chex Mix Snack Mix .50/1
SoyJoy Bars bogo up to 1.39
Sunlight Dish washer liquid .35/1
Wrigleys Gum Get one Free up to 1.19
Niagra Spray Starch .25/1
Glade carpet and room deoderizer 1.00/1

So there you have it, a small glimpse into what to expect this Sunday. Happy Coupon Clipping everybody!

We finally got an Exercise Program going here

Well, yesterday after Sunday School Bryan and I decided we were going to go threw with all the talk about getting out and walking for exercise. We have talked about it all winter but it was warm enough yesterday to do it. I would say we walked close to half a mile or so. Not really good, but hey its a start. It was nice to, just the two of us out in the open air walking and sharing time together. I really enjoyed it. It helped my leg muscles too. As many of you know, my knee is damaged bad, and I have a terrible time trying to walk most of the time because of it, but it was not hurting yesterday, so we took advantage of it, and went as far as my legs would allow. We took our time, because my asthma was trying to kick in, but we went ahead and did not stop. We have planned on walking every evening when Bryan gets home from work (weather permiting) and to increase our distance a little more each day. I felt so good after we got back home, I could feel that my leg muscles had gotten a work out, and thats what I needed. Keep us in your prayers that we can continue this and hopefully get on track to loosing weight and getting back healthy!

French's Worchestire Sauce on sale at Krogers

Okay so there is a great sale right now at Kroger on this stuff and I use it in everything. It is on sale for 1.19 and there was a .50 MQ that came out in the last month or so that you can use that will make this stuff .19 a bottle. Go on out and get yours while its on sale cause that price rocks!!

Today is Nickle -N-Dimes half a birthday

Yep, thats what I said.. she has only been blogging for 6 short months. I know, it inspires me too!!! Just to think, she started all this six sort months ago. Guys that puts a whole new perspective on this, if we do as she has done, and work hard at this, we can make a difference in peoples lives just like she has. She takes alot of time on her blogs, finding us great deals, and telling everyone out there in the world how to do this. I for one am very thankful I found her, everyone go on over to her site HERE and show her some appreciation for all the hard work she does for all of us out there. THANKS BECKY!!!

Church Dinner Ideas

So this Sunday my church is having a dinner for the pastor cause its his birthday. Well I love to cook, and bake, and love to do it all from scratch, but I need to take something that reheats well, because we always have sunday school and church before the dinner. Well I was thinking about making my new fav recipe of homemade meatballs with rice and mushroom gravy.. but I need to take something else with it. Now everyone always makes the usual side, corn, green beans, mashed potatoes, so I am wanting to make something that others do not usually think of, and that will of course reheat well. I was thinking about doing some sort of casserole side dish, but then I thought, sheesh, bout the only ones I know how to make are hashbrown casserole and sweet potato casserole, neither would go well with the meatballs. So my question to you guys is... what else could I take? Do you have an awesome recipe that you would not mind giving me for a totally awesome tasty side dish? I just want his meal for his birthday to be special, as we have one of the best, most kind hearted preachers a church could ask for. So hows bout it? Can ya give me some ideas here? Please

My Friend Jennifer has made it big!!

Hey guys and gals, as you all know I have a totally awesome friend, Jennifer over at Coupon Mommie that has inspired most of my blogs, and she totally rocks this couponing game. Well guess what, she got accepted as a "Myblogspark Member"!! So what does that mean you ask?? Well it means she will be getting awesome stuff from General Mills to give away to us!! Yeah you read that right, FREE STUFF FOR US!! So just go on over to her website, leave her a comment and start following her blog so you can get entered for the awesome giveaway she has going!! Congrats Jennifer, Love ya girl!

Coupon Preview for this week

Okay so Becky over at Nickle and Dimes always gives a heads up on the upcoming coupons for the week. So here is your eyeshot of the ones I found from her website. This is a good week for coupons guys. 4 Inserts this week guys, 2 ss, 1rp, 1pg. Can not wait. We are getting between 5-6 papers this week, cause the coupons look good to me. Just wanted to give you a heads up on the preview.

Oklahoma deals and steals at homeland this week

They have these things on sale and with coupons, might get some of them free.

yoplait yogurt 2/1.00
use the .40/6 coupon
makes it 2.20 for 6 yogurts. Not to bad

Knorrs Liptons side items 10/10
There was a coupon a few weeks ago for .35 off
that would make these .30 an item

General Mills cereal on sale 2/5 ( not as good as the sale going on here, but hey.. still cheap)
Go threw my printable coupon sites, and see if you can find some good coupons for these, I am sure there are some.

Folgers Coffee on sale 5.99 ( Deb, do you drink this? If so I will see what I can do about getting you some coupons on it, just let me know)

So homeland isnt doing anything heartstopping this week. Maybe next week. Love ya all my family in Oklahoma!!

Kroger deals and steals shopping trip for 2/2/09

Okay, so Bryan went to Kroger last night, we are lovin' us some Kroger right now.

Here is what he got.

5 boxes of Multi-Grain Cherrios Reg. price 3.20 on sale 1.67 a box

-.50 off MQ doubled =.67 per box

3 boxes of Trix Cereal reg price 2.90 on sale 1.67 a box

-1.00/3 MQ =1.33 a box

3 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios reg price 3.20 on sale 1.67

-1.00/3 MQ =1.33 box

(also had an additional 2.00 come straight off cards from my cellfire and shortcut coupons for these cereals that were preloaded on my card.)

so that makes each box total out to be.84 cents a box... GREAT DEAL

6 Totino Pizza rolls reg price 1.99 on sale 4/5

-.35 MQ doubled =.55 each

(also had 1.00 that came off card from shortcut and cellfire. )

this made each box about .39

2 Dial handsoap reg price 1.63 on sale .88

-.35 MQ doubled =.18 each

1 speedstick deoderant (this was suppose to be on sale 2/3 but it rang up wrong, so Bryan is taking it back to get a scan guarantee) 3.69

-.75 MQ=2.94

6 cans manwich on sale 10/10 and 3 off if you buy 10

-.50/2 MQ doubled

-.30 off can for 3/10 sale

=.20 a can

4 banquet frozen meals on sale 10/10 (also part of the buy 10 get 3 deal, so we got these to fill up the 10 items)

-.30 for sale=.70 each

yoplait reg 2.38 on sale 2/4

-.50MQ coupon Doubled

=1.00 for a 6 pack (.16 a cup)

yoplait reg 2.49 on sale 2/4

-1.00 MQ coupon

=1.00 for 6 cups (.16 a cup)

(also got an additional 1.00 off my card from cellfire)

made it 1.00 for 12 cups of yogurt or about .08 a cup.. I can live with that, lol

3 packages of Cottonelle TP reg price .99

-.50 IPQ doubled

= Free

( I also got an additional .25 off with my cellfire coupons on my Kroger card)

final price was .25 profit for 3 packs of TP

total for everything

21.07

+3.32 tax

__________

24.39

total saved was 49.96

70 % savings.

Not to bad!

-

Homemade Chicken and Dumplins

Casey over at Save a dime asked me to post my chicken and dumplin recipe, so here ya go.

Start out cooking either a whole fryer hen or a big package of leg and thigh quarters
after chicken is boiled, take out, remove meat from the bone and place back into your stock.
Add about 5-6 chicken bouillon cubes and a couple cans of broth, unless you have a really good hen that made a really yellow broth when you boiled it, if that happened, you will not need the broth, just the cubes. Put one stick of margarine in broth, salt and pepper to taste.

Now you are going to want to get you a few cups of that broth out for the dumplins.
Put about 4-5 cups of plain flour in a big bowl, about one serving spoon full of shortening, and then salt and pepper. Now mix this up with the broth until you get a smooth biscuit like dough.
Next you need to flour a counter top, and pour that dough mixture onto it. work the dough really well, until its a little more firm than biscuits, but not as firm as a pie crust would be.
Flour a rolling pin and roll that dough out as thin as you can get it, without putting holes in it. Take a pizza cutter or knife, and cut the dough up in small strips. About a inch wide and a inch thick.. give or take a little bit.

Make sure your broth is at a rolling boil, and then begin to drop the dumplins into the broth. Drop a few, stir, drop a few stir. Make sure to stir from the bottom as they will stick. After you get all the dumplins dropped, just cook a few minutes, making sure to keep them stirred good so they don't stick to the bottom of the pot, and then remove from heat, and they are done. Simple simple meal, and delicious.

Small hint to keep the mess down with the dough. I flour my cutting board, take a small amount of the dough and roll it out on it, make the dumplins out of that, and then repeat this until I have used all the dough up, that way you do not end up with a floury doughy mess all over your counter top and flour. Hope you enjoy!!

Cooking Dinner's the ole Fashioned way

Well, tonight for supper I had planned on making deer meat, mashed potato's homemade biscuits, and homemade gravy. I was getting ready to go peel my tators, and got to thinking.. Alot of women in todays generation has not ever learned how to cook from scratch.

I picked it up at an early age, cause my momma is a wonderful cook, and makes everything from scratch. Then when I married my husband, his granny, whom I have adopted as my own granny now, also is a wonderful cook, and a excellent baker.. She has taught me how to make all my desserts from scratch, everything from all sorts of homemade pies, all the way up to cakes from scratch. I can make anything you ask for, from scratch thanks to these two wonderful ladies in my life. Thats a trait I realize alot of women did not get growing up. So, why am I telling you all this?? Well, I want to pass along my cooking skills to anyone that would like to learn. Send me an email, and I can send you fail proof recipes for what ever it is you want to make.

My family rave and beg for my homemade dishes, because other than my mother, noone else in my family makes anything homemade, its all from scratch, and my momma even begs me for my chicken and dumplins, and my homemade desserts.

So I am off to my new kitchen to make my first pan of homemade biscuits and get the potato's peeled for tonights dinner.. If you decide you want to know more about homemade meals, meals that stick to your ribs and don't break the bank, shoot me an email at wendygambler@hotmail.com and I will be more than happy to assist you with your recipes for good wholesome food for might near nothing.