Shopping Deals #7

One of the biggest ways I save money is with couponing. I'm not an extreme couponer by any means, but my goal is to save more than my total payment. With a little time, that's pretty easy to do.

In addition to the thrill I get from watching the savings click up on the register, it's fun to share the great deals I was able to find. It helps keep me motivated!

This shopping trip was to Kroger. They are having one of their Mega Shopping Events, which continues through this week if you're interested. It doesn't seem like I got much, but I was able to stock up on a few items.

One thing that did frustrate me as I matched up my coupons with the deals on this trip was that our coupon flyers don't seem to include all of the coupons that other areas must get. On multiple occasions, I have not been able to find listed coupons from the websites I use (Southern Savers for Kroger). Do you ever find that when you're trying to match up coupons?

Here's what I got:

1 Pagoda egg rolls (2.99, 2.49 wyb 6)
+ free cpn from BzzAgent

5 Ronzoni pasta (.49 wyb 6) ~ I could have gotten these free if I could have found the coupon!

3 Kleenex tissues (.99 wyb 6)

+ .50/3 mfc

3 Sun laundry detergent (.99 wyb 6)

1 Goodnights (8.49 wyb 6)
+ $2/1 mfc
10 Yoplait yogurts (10/$5)
+ $1/10 Kroger ecoupon
+ $1/10 SavingStar credit

My total was $20.62, and the receipt says I saved $20.89 (plus added $1 to my SavingStar total). I barely made my goal of saving more than I spent, but it still counts!

Happy couponing!

Amazon Prime Deal

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Our family has been going back and forth for a while about the best choice for movie streaming. We do not have cable, so it's important for us to have another reliable source for tv entertainment for us and the boys. Until 11:59 PST tonight, Amazon is running a special on their Amazon Prime for $73 in celebration of their recent awards. It is typically $99. We decided to get it and compare it to Netflix, which we currently use.

Shopping Deals #6

Ryan, my husband, needed some new razors, so he kept telling me that I've got to coupon to find some. He doesn't really understand that you kind of have to wait for the deals on specific products. CVS heard him, though!

This week, I was able to score a bunch of stuff for what I consider a pretty good total price. I made three total transactions. Usually beforehand I'll try to put together my combinations, but I've learned that they don't always have what I need, or something else won't work. This time, I waited until I had picked everything out and then went to an out of the way aisle to sort my coupons and figure out the best combinations to put together.

Here is what I used:

Shopping Deals #5

One of the biggest ways I save money is with couponing. I'm not an extreme couponer by any means, but my goal is to save more than my total payment. With a little time, that's pretty easy to do.

In addition to the thrill I get from watching the savings click up on the register, it's fun to share the great deals found. It helps keep me motivated!

Shopping Deals #4

Since we were on vacation, we HAD to go grocery shopping. We make it a habit to come back on Saturdays if we can so that we have a day to recuperate. That left me time to organize my menu, shopping lists, and coupons.

Ryan had football practice, so I braved it with the boys to both Costco and Publix. They were actually very good. It ended up turning into the longest shopping trip ever! I didn't have any make-up on, so of course we ran into a ton of people we knew. At Publix, they were giving out balloons to the kids, and the boys saw a ton of people they knew! Since the Costco items were in the car for probably too long, I didn't get a chance to take a picture of all my great finds before Ryan started whisking them away to the cabinets. So you get the Publix logo!

Shopping Deals #3

One of the biggest ways I save money is with couponing. I'm not an extreme couponer by any means, but my goal is to save more than my total payment. With a little time, that's pretty easy to do.

In addition to the thrill I get from watching the savings click up on the register, it's fun to share the great deals found. It helps keep me motivated!

Shopping Deals #2

It's been awhile since I've had a good couponing trip. We've been trying to adjust our budget, so we've been using what we already had in the pantry. We got that all settled, so I am back to the game!

This was another trip to CVS. I was very happy with the results.

I bought everything with two transactions. I lost my first receipt, but overall, I paid about $8.

My first transaction included the feminine products. I had a $1/1 mfc and $2/$10 CVS coupon. This is the receipt I lost, so I don't remember exactly what the sale was. I do remember that I got $3 in Extra Bucks and $5/$15.

My next one included:

Skittles 2/$5.98 (These were the real reason I was going there. Brady needed them for school.)

Sprite 99¢

Suave Kids Bodywash/Shampoo 2/$4, $1/1 mfc

Irish Spring Body Wash 2/$7

3 Shave Gels $1/1, $4 EB wyb $10

3 Musketeers 99¢, 74¢/1 CVS cpn

I used my $5/$15 and $3 EB from the previous purchase. I also had $5 EB from another trip. My total was $4.18.

I love a great savings trip!!

Shopping Deals #1

One of the biggest ways I save money is with couponing. I'm not an extreme couponer by any means, but my goal is to save more than my total payment. With a little time, that's pretty easy to do.

In addition to the thrill I get from watching the savings click up on the register (Publix is the best, because it displays it!), it's fun to share the great deals found. It helps keep me motivated!

Shopping Trip with Tips

This was from another trip, but I never shared it.  I was amazed when my receipt was taller than Jackson!

I went grocery shopping on Monday, and I got $65 worth of groceries for $7.34! I was on my game for that one. I got:

• 2 family size Stouffers meals
• 5 MorningStar meals
• 4 Progresso recipe starters
• 3 boxes of original Cheerios
• 2 100-count boxes Lipton tea
• 2 Pillsbury crescent rolls
• 2 Yoplait yogurts

Two tips from this shopping trip:

Burgers Not Made of Meat?

Our family got to try a {MorningStar Farms} product through {Bzz Agent} recently.  We previously bought some MorningStar veggie burgers from Costco and enjoyed those, so I was excited to try some different flavors.  I chose Tomato & Basil Pizza Burger, keeping my boys in mind as I looked at the assortment of products.  I have to say, I was very impressed with the variety of items MorningStar has available.  I did not expect to have such a selection.

Preparing the veggie burgers was simple.  It required putting them in a pan over medium heat for about 10 minutes.  The house smelled very good as they cooked!  We also made some homemade fries as a side.

I presented the burgers in the same fashion I would a regular hamburger so that I could get the family's true reaction.  My husband knew what we were having, but the boys didn't.  Ryan is all about eating healthy when we can, so he was all for it.

They were really good!  I loved the flavor I chose, and it went really well on the bun with ketchup. I questioned in the beginning what to add to the buns with the tomato basil flavor of the patty!  The boys also both ate more than half of their burgers without any begging from us or hanging dessert over their heads, a rare occurrence.  MorningStar added some mozzarella and provolone cheese to the other ingredients, which helped seal the deal with their taste buds!

It was also very filling, which was another concern of mine.  I wasn't able to finish all of mine, so I had great left-overs for lunch the next day.  Even reheated, it was delicious.

I would definitely recommend the Tomato & Basil Pizza Burger we had, and our family looks forward to trying other products from MorningStar.

Another Great Way to Save

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.

You know I am all about saving money any way possible.  Now I have found another great resource to help me save even more!  I have known coupon codes exist for online orders, and I've been able to do a search and find some to use (See one experience here). What I didn't tell you is that the code I found for that had already expired, and I had to call the company to make it work.

Coupon Chief is the solution to that!  It's a site that allows you to search for coupon codes that they've compiled all in one place.  I started at the How It Works tab to figure it all out.  They have a video to watch and instructions underneath.  Then I ventured over to the Stores tab just to see how many they really include.  I was amazed!  They're organized by letter, and they have a ton.

This is just part of the list for letter A.

The site allows you to search the store you want the code for.  I will definitely utilize this tool when I'm going to check out of an online store and see the "Promotional Code" box.  It's so easy to open a new tab to do a quick search of Coupon Chief.

You can also search by category.  So if you're looking for something specific, you can see what types of deals others have already found.

Another advantage Coupon Chief has is the ability to sign up for alerts to your favorite stores or products.  Sign up at the top of the site's page.

Once you've explored, it's time to start the saving!  Find a coupon code you want to use, and click on the code.  This copies it for you, and you can paste it into the "Promotional Code" box at checkout.

Simple enough... I'm off to save some money!

Pumpkin Farm Visit

One of my favorite parts of fall is visiting the pumpkin patch. Since moving to Alabama, we found Tate Farms and use coupons through Living Social or Groupon to go for half price.  That's a huge savings for our family!  Tate Farms also has very reasonable prices for their produce, so I am able to pick up pretty much whatever I need without my husband noticing the bill too much :)

They have an awesome area set up at the entrance for a perfect picture op.  My boys had more fun just playing on the tractor!

The farm has a bunch of animals for us to pet.  In addition to the pigs, they have calves, chickens, goats, and rabbits.

 The boys had a blast with the water pumps!

They have a tractor that pulls the kids around in a little train. Ryan went with them last year!

Mama and my boys :)

Funny faces (from Yo Gabba Gabba) with their pumpkins

A rare family picture

The farm has an orange bouncy "pillow" for the kids to jump on.  Jackson and Brady could play on this for hours!

One of Alabama's biggest products... cotton

Brady was finally brave enough to go down the huge tube slide by himself, and we had to bribe him to finally stop!

Our family had an absolute blast, and the best part is we did it for half price.  Happy Fall!

Visit {HERE} to see the link parties where you will find me.  Thanks to all of the wonderful hosts!

Or check them out from the links here: The Prudent Pantry, Here Comes the Sun, Jane's Adventures in Dinner, Project: Inspire, Melting Moments, The Artsy Girl Connection, Confessions of an ADD Housewife, The NY Melrose Family, Someday Crafts, The Dedicated House, Adorned From Above, Organize and Decorate Everything, Six Sisters' Stuff, I Heart Nap Time, Positively Splendid, Heatherly Loves, Kayla Creations, Debbiedoo's, A Stroll Thru Life , The Thrifty Home, Beyond the Picket Fence, Stone Gable, Here Comes the Sun

Free Tools to Get in Shape

I have always been the lucky type whose metabolism keeps me thin and I've never really had to worry too much about the way my body looks.  Then, I turned 30.  Although I'm still not complaining too much about the way I look, I am having to work a little harder to make sure I stay this way.

Along the way, I have found some great resources.  The best part about them is the price tag... FREE!  I am determined to find the cheapest way to do everything, and staying in shape is no different.

The first tool I found to help me was {LoseIt}.  This allows me to track my meals and exercise.  It may or may not work for you.  My husband doesn't have the patience for entering the food, but if you use the app on your phone, you can just scan almost everything in.  (Plus, my husband doesn't have a lot of patience to begin with!)  It totals your calories and calculates how much you can eat based on your weight.  The best part is it lets you know how many calories you have left in your daily budget.  Talk about a reality check!

I don't go to a gym, and we have minimal equipment at our house, so I rely on running for my cardio.  I've signed up for the {Liz Hurley Ribbon Run} in support of Huntsville Hospital Foundation for a little extra motivation.  Brady gets all cozy in his little jogging buggy, and I push him around the neighborhood.  

Recently, I discovered a great tool to allow me to see my stats.  It's called {RunKeeper}, and it works on my smartphone.  It uses the GPS to tell your time, distance, and pace.  It also allows you to set goals and create training plans.

I also download music to my phone.  Get ready for this... Shape magazine has {FREE workout music} (It should be #4 on the selections.) you can download, and they update it each month!  They make it so that all of the songs have the same BPM to help you keep your pace as you exercise.

Another great resource is {Sworkit}.  It is a site that allows you to pick an area of concentration and the amount of time you have for your workout.  It then provides a circuit for you to complete that requires no equipment.
What websites or apps have you found helpful to stay on track with your health?

Visit {HERE} to see the link parties where you will find me.  Thanks to all of the wonderful hosts!
Or check them out from the links here: The Prudent Pantry, Here Comes the Sun, Jane's Adventures in Dinner, Project: Inspire, Melting Moments, The Artsy Girl Connection, Confessions of an ADD Housewife, The NY Melrose Family, Someday Crafts, The Dedicated House, Adorned From Above, Organize and Decorate Everything, Six Sisters' Stuff, I Heart Nap Time, Positively Splendid, Heatherly Loves, Kayla Creations, Debbiedoo's, A Stroll Thru Life , The Thrifty Home, Beyond the Picket Fence, Stone Gable, Here Comes the Sun

UNREAL Candy

I was able to try {UNREAL candy} through {BzzAgent} recently. The best part about these candy bars is that they've taken out all of the "fake" ingredients.  My husband and I had fun trying the different kinds, which includes  nougat bars with and without peanuts, small chocolate candies with and without peanuts, and peanut butter cups.  I got ours at CVS, and they are becoming more widely available, including Kroger, Michaels, Staples, and Walgreens.

Once I got over the fact that they weren't going to taste like the traditional candy I'm used to eating (The m&m's threw me off the most.), I really enjoyed it.  Ryan also liked the taste.  We went through the 5 types we got in about a day!  Can you tell we like chocolate in our house?  That's why I especially like that they've taken out the ingredients that aren't so good for you.  I won't mind sharing these so much with our two young boys, who also have mommy's sweet tooth.

Have you tried UNREAL candy?  What do you think?

Quick and Easy Dinner

I was lucky enough to be chosen by {Bzz Agent} to try the new Progresso Recipe Starters.  I received what looked like a soup can that contained their Creamy Portabella Mushroom flavor.

What was different about this can was that it included a simple, easy to make recipe right on the label.  In addition to that, there is one of those square things you scan with your phone.  (I'm new to the smart phone, so I don't know what it's called!)  You can also go to {progresso.com/recipe-starters} to find over 30 recipes for their five flavors.

I am not a fan of mushrooms, so I knew I would have to find a recipe that hid them.  I also wanted to find something that included ingredients I already had on hand.  I was in luck!  There was a recipe for Mushroom-Swiss Burgers that we were able to try.  This was perfect, because we had just bought a batch of {ground turkey} I needed to prep for freezing.

I made a few simple adjustments to their recipe, and we were good to go.  I cooked them on the stove instead of grilling them.  I also stirred some oil into them instead of spraying them with cooking spray.

The burgers got rave reviews from my family!  That's saying a lot from my picky eaters.  Jackson gave me two thumbs up, and this picture of Brady says it all:

Dinner was quick and easy to make.  Only being around $2.50 a can makes it well worth it for a quick meal.  I'm sure with it being new, there will be plenty of {coupons} floating around for it!  Look for it on the soup aisle if you want to try it for yourself.