Our friends son had his 3rd birthday party yesterday…and although I stayed home with the kiddos (Soph is really sick) Steven was able to go and deliver the goods:
A rocket ship and little wooden spaceman…he fits into his little seat to blast off and explore the universe!
a crayon roll made with green cord and Eric Carle ‘Brown Bear Children’
I didn’t get an update on how they were received, but I hope little N-Man loves them!
Okay everyone….hold on to your hats
I went to two grocery stores today and did two transactions at each. I got $272.71 worth of groceries for…….
$21.61
Which included:
28 jugs of Ocean Spray cranberry juice (free, safeway)
12 jugs of light Ocean Spray cranberry juice (free, safeway)
1 box of Quaker granola bars (.96, safeway)
2 jars of Peanut Butter (free, safeway)
5 boxes of Capri Suns (10 in each) (less than $0.65 each box, safeway)
12 bags of Kraft shredded cheese (2 cups each) (less than $0.28 each, albertsons)
3 boxes of Glucerna cereal (free, 1 safeway, 2 albertsons)
1 6-pack of Glucerna shakes (.99, albertsons)
1 gallon of water (.79, albertsons)
2 boxes Planters Big Nut Bars (.67 each, albertsons)
4 boxes of South Beach cereal bars (.67 each, albertsons)
2 boxes Nabisco 100 cal packs (.67 each, albertsons)
1 2-liter Diet Dr. Pepper (free, albertsons)
2 6-packs Jello Pudding (1.57 each..bah, albertsons)
1 18-count box of Always pads (free, albertsons)
4 packs Carl Budding lunch meat (less than $0.38 each, albertsons)
2 cans of Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner (less than $0.65 each, safeway)
1 overpriced box of bakery cookies for my husband (2.99, safeway)
PLUS: Safeway gave me $2.50 off my next order (for the Glucerna) and Albertsons gave me $3.00 off my next order for the cheese (I figured that into the cost of each bag)! So I did take those off my total. If I would have had more thinking and planning time (sans kiddos) I could have done a bit better (by a few bucks) but I’m not complaining!!!
Here’s a pic..minus the cookiesand bathroom cleaner:
Okay…so I always thought Walgreens was WAY over priced, for the same thing I could get cheaply (or so I thought!) at Wal-Mart or Winco. But then I discovered coupons! 
On friday I decided to try my hand at shopping at WAGS (that’s what the savvy coupon ladies call it..haha) This is what I bought:
2 rolls of Bouty paper towels
2 boxes of Starbucks Truffles
1 bag of Halls Fruit Breezers
1 bag of Hall Defense
TOTAL: $19.77
I paid: $5.65……….Not too shabby.
On Saturday I went back…I got:
2 boxes FiberOne cereal
1 box HoneyNut Cheerios
2 cans Progresso Chicken Noodle
2 cans Progresso Pot Roast
2 cans Progresso Beef & Veggie
2 rolls Bounty paper towel
1 Debrox Earwax removal Kit (Sol has gunky ears and I’m so afraid to use a swab on him)
2 Gillette Embrace razors
1 pack of Extreme3 disposable razors
2 boxes Starbucks chocolate truffles
TOTAL: $86.11
I paid $$27.49 (plus I got $13.00 in register rewards to use on a future purchase this month)
I went back today (haha) I got:
2 boxes L’Oreal Natural Match haircolor
3 boxes Kleenex tissue with aloe
2 cans Oust air freshener
1 bottle Lysol 4-in-1 Bathroom cleaner
1 bottle Lysol Kitchen cleaner
1 bottle Garner Fructis curl spray
TOTAL: $44.10
I paid: $4.27
**PLUS! a few of my items were part of the mail-in rebates, which total $6.59 (5.99 +10% bonus for getting my rebate on a WAGS giftcard) so actually Walgreens is PAYING me $2.32 to take this!!!
Bottonline: Over these 3 transactions I managed to buy $149.98 worth of products for $30.82!!! And it’s all stuff we actually use and would normally purchase!
Total Savings: $119.16
Now where are those Starbucks truffles…?
A few days ago I clipped coupons and went grocery shopping. I usually just go to Winco (typically the cheapest on regular priced items, but don’t take internet printed coupons) but i had some albertsons coupons and internet printed ones, and I know they take those. My husband rolled his eyes while I took in a big recipe box full of my ‘dorky coupons’ (I have since made a coupon binder…it’s cute and more understated than the big red box. Plus is more efficient. Steven approved) So this is what I purchased:
1 can of ground coffee
3 bottles of flavored coffeemate creamer (from the refridgerated section)
1 jar of Skippy peanut butter
2.5 pounds of bananas
1 Jello no-bake cheesecake
1 premade pie crust
2 cans of Purina dog food
I paid……$6.20!
How you ask? Well here were the coupons I had:
3 $1 off any coffemate (printed off the coffeemate website)
3 doubles (up to $1) coupons from albertsons…used these with the coffeemate coupons
1 Buy 3 coffemates get a can of ground coffee free (albertsons coupon)
1 Buy Skippy get up to $1.50 in bananas FREE
1 Buy Jello Chesecake get crust FREE
2 Get one can of Purina dog food FREE
There were also instore ‘members deals’ for the peanut butter, the cheesecake and the coffeemate. So I walked out of there getting completely FREE: Coffee, 3 bottles of Coffeemate, Bananas, Pie crust, and 2 cans of dog food!!!
This is a neat search engine I came across….you earn swagbucks for doing your regular internet searches (use SB instead of Yahoo or Google) and they you can use your SBs to get some awesome stuff! From giftcards (free money!) to iPhones and everything in between. Best of all, it just takes your name and email address to sign up! And they pad your SB account with 5 swagbucks to get you started!! Oh and you cen even recycle your old electronics (iPods, cell phones, etc.) for TONS of SBs! Check it out!! Check the link below!
After sitting down to pay some bills last night (one of which was a $220 electric bill!) I decided I would post some money saving ideas for you all With today’s economy and the high cost of…well…everything, I think we could all use some frugal tips. Post some in the comments!
1. Clip coupons! There are so crazy ladies out there, I wish I was as organized as they are, they get like $100-200 in groceries for, like $15! It’s crazy. Here is a good (FREE) website to search out the deals: aFullCup
2. Stop buying paper products! Instead of buying those 2 rolls of paper towels buy a 10-pack of wash cloths. They are great for cleaning up toddler spills, wiping down counters, etc. Plus, you throw them in the wash and use them again! And that also means less trash you’ll have to put in your can and PAY the city to pick up.
3. RECYCLE! Our city picks up recycling for free, every other week, so it’s a no-brainer. It’s amazing how much space those cardboard cereal boxes, empty soup cans and milk jugs take up in the trash can. Why pay for that? Give the earth and hug and recycle!
4. Stop getting your daily latte. Not only are you driving to get it (gas $$$) but those delightful caffiene jolts really add up! Instead do what I did: Buy a cheap coffee maker at Wal-Mart (10.88…until I accidently turned it on while it was empty and the pot exploded…them the brother inlaw bought me an even better one for Christmas!) Buy and grind your coffee at the grocery store, I only get enough for about a week or two worth of coffee and I store it in a mason jar on the counter. I like it fresh. They have amazing flavors too! This week I was chocolate mint , a little milk and a little Splenda later…you have a refreshing and delicious (not the mention cheap!) cup o’ joe!
4. Plan your meals (a weeks or months worth at a time), make a grocery list and stick to it! No more quick jaunts down to the store to get a few items…those add up fast! Before you know it you’re way over budget!
5. Buy in bulk and stock up when something is on sale. This week I am getting tomato sauce…8 cans for a dollar! But don’t buy something you don’t use, just because it’s on sale. If you don’t use it, you’re wasting it and your money.
6. Don’t shop. This is my husbands favorite suggestion When I was stuck at home for almost 2 weeks because the snow storm we saved about $250! My little trips to Wal-Mart, Joann Fabrics, Goodwill and the grocery store really add up! That opened my eyes and I really try to only go if I’m looking for something specific.
7. Try not to buy anything new! The other day was on the hunt for some organizational furniture for my new and improved craft room. My husband wanted to just go into wal-mart and pick something up…I convinced him to watch the kids while I went into Goodwill to see if they had anything cheaper than WM’s overpriced pressboard. I ended up getting this awesome vintage dresser (7 drawers!) made of real wood, for $10!
8. Breastfeed, if possible. From a purely financial standpoint, it’s the smartest thing to do. Formula is sooo expensive, plus you have to buy bottles, a sterilizer, etc.
9. Cloth diaper. If you have your own washer and dryer this can be the cheaper way to go. The most economical way to do it is prefolds and covers. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON GERBER PREFOLDS. THEY DON’T ABSORB ANYTHING. You can get prefold seconds at Little Lions for $12 a dozen. Start with 2 dozen. Then you need covers, you can go with pull ons (Dappi, 2 pack $4.50) or Prorapcovers that velcro on ($7.50 each). You will want a minimum for 2-3 covers. You don’t have to wash the covers between changes unless they get soiled. Just air one out while you a using the other. To fasten the diaper on your baby you’ll need either snappis(the easiest and fastest! $2.45 each) or go old-school with metal locking head pins ($1.00 a pair or $2.50 for 3 pairs) Whichever method you chose to fasten your diapers you’ll need 1-2 at minimum (I have a tendency to loose my snappis) Also, a lot of moms like to use wool for a diaper cover. It’s breathable and cute…you can make your own covers too! Here are free patterns to sew, crochet and knit. These also don’t get washed after every use, just aired out. You hand wash them went they start to smell a bit (a few weeks) or when they get soiled. You will need to lanolize them, but that’s really easy too! There is also a great pattern for a fleece cover. So just getting the bare minimum you could start cloth diapering for less than $35.00! It’s really not that most time consuming than paper diapers…plus you never run out–so no late night runs to the corner store for expensive pampers! Here are some washing tips too!
10. Make your own baby wipes. Or better yet, if you’re cloth diapering, just use cloth ones!
There are a lot more suggestions I have, but Sol wants to nurse (free!) and I need to clean up the paper our puppy decided to tear apart. Happy Savings!
theurbanwhimsy
