A note for my subscribers

I recently received a few e-mails from subscribers asking why they could no longer read my posts via e-mail. I had set up my feeds to be “short feeds” (meaning you get an intro, but have to click to see the full post) because I got some e-mails saying that the posts were too long. I’m guessing that Google changed the way that the feeds go through because the “short feed” was only including a link to the post.

I have changed this so the full feed is going out again. One drawback to this is if I make a change to the original post, you won’t have that. For example, yesterday I added the Crave-NX spray to the CVS post after the subscription e-mails had already gone out. Today I changed a link in the Target post for the Juicy Juice coupon.

So, if you are clicking on links in your e-mail and they aren’t “working” you may want to check the post on my site because I may have made changes since your e-mail went out.

Thanks again to all of you for reading my blog!

Save 40% at Hobby Lobby!


There is a 40% off printable coupon for Hobby Lobby here! The coupon is valid in stores from 1/4-1/9/09.

Have fun shopping!

(Thanks SheSaved!)

Items to stockpile this week!

I’ve had several readers e-mail me and ask me how to get started stockpiling and also ask how long it took me to get to the point that I’m at right now. I started using coupons almost six years ago shortly after my daughter was born. We were living on one income, my husband was going to school full time, and I don’t think either one of us realized how expensive a baby could be. At that time, my couponing was NOTHING like it is now. I remember being excited because I would use a $5 Toys ‘R Us coupon and a $1 manufacturer’s coupon to get a box of Pampers diapers for $25.

About two and a half years ago, I started “extreme” couponing. I had heard people talk about getting things for free at CVS and I just couldn’t believe it. So, I started scouring message boards and made my first CVS trip. I’ve been hooked ever since and the extreme couponing seemed to come along with that!

As for my stockpile, it’s a work in progress. You’re not going to get one overnight. I plan to post more about stockpiling, but for starters, I’m going to highlight the things that you should stock up on each week. This week, I’ll be posting twice since my grocery ads change on Wednesday. From that point on, I’ll probably post on Thursdays.

Here are some of the grocery items you might want to stockpile this week:

*Freschetta pizzas ~ Both Randalls (if you have a Safeway family store, this may also apply there) and Kroger have these on sale for $3.99 this week. There are $1 printable coupons here (you can print 2 per computer) that make them $2.99/each. Even though I make a meal plan every week, some nights when all is said and done, I just don’t feel like cooking. $2.99 for a frozen pizza is a lot cheaper than anything we could get from delivery or even take-out!

*General Mills Cheerios or Cinnamon Toast Crunch ~ These are $1.49/each when you buy 3 at Randalls this week. Print off two $1/1 coupons for Cinnamon Toast Crunch here and sign up to get the $1/1 coupons from Cheerios here and you pay $.49/box when you buy 3 boxes! There are also $1/1 Honey Nut Cheerios coupons here if they happen to be included in the deal.

*Hunt’s tomato sauce ~ These are $.39/each at Walgreens this week (with the in ad coupon). Print off the $1/3 coupon here (you have to play the game) and get 3 for $.17!

*Juicy Juice ~ This is on price cut at Target through 1/9. There is a $1/1 Target coupon here (click on the groceries tab and then pg. 3) and a $1/2 manufacturer’s coupon here making it .50/bottle!

*Pasta Roni, Rice a Roni or Knorr rice/pasta sides ~ These are 10/$10 at both Kroger and Randalls. There is a .50/2 Knorr Rice and Pasta side dishes coupon from the 11-15 RP insert which should double making these .50/each! (Randalls will double one like coupon per transaction, Kroger will double three) There was a $1/3 Rice a Roni/Pasta Roni coupon in yesterday’s inserts making these $.67/each.

*Rosarita refried beans ~ These are 10/$10 this week at Randalls. If you use the $.50/2 coupon from the 12-13 SS insert, it should double making your beans .50/each (at my stores, you can only double one of these coupons per transaction). $.50 for a can of refried beans is a great price!

*Weight Watchers Smart Ones meals ~ If you’re in Texas, these are $.99/each at HEB this week. Use the $5/10 printable here and get 10 for $4.90 (that’s $.49/each!). If you don’t have an HEB, they are at Target this week. Here’s how that scenario works:

Buy 10 Weight Watchers Smart Ones – $1.89/each

Use $5/10 printable
Use $5 Target gift card (hopefully you keep one on hand to roll into deals!)

Spend $8.90 OOP ($13.90 if you don’t have a gift card to start), get a $5 Target gift card

OTHER ITEMS FOR YOUR STOCKPILE: Once I started stockpiling, I quickly realized that I could get most of my health and beauty items (shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.) and a lot of household items for free or close to free. You can, too! Here are the other items to stockpile this week!

*Finish/Electrasol detergent – These are $3.49, get a $1 RR at Walgreens this week. Use the $2.50/1 coupon from yesterday’s inserts and get it for $.99 (free after RR). Reportedly Target also has some boxes priced at $3.49, so you would get it for $.99 after coupon there.

*GE Reveal 60 watt light bulbs ~ These are $2 at Target this week. Use the $1.50 printable here (click on “household” – you can only print one per computer) and get them for $.50! Use the $1/1 printable here or the $1 coupon from yesterday’s inserts and get them for $1.

*Nature’s Bounty vitamins ~ If you missed out on the sale last week at CVS, they are BOGO free at Walgreens this week. I don’t have specific pricing, but typically things like Vitamin B-12, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D can be found for $5-6. If you join the Nature’s Bounty website here, then go to “Redeem My Rewards Now” and there should be an option for a $2 printable coupon. This is a “bricks” coupon, and you can print six by clicking on the back button on your browser. If you have purchased these vitamins in the past, you can also enter the codes from the vitamins into your account to earn points to print more coupons. Buy one item priced in the $5-6 range, use 2 $2 coupons, and get both of them for $1-2!

*Reach Ultraclean Floss – These are $3.79 at Walgreens this weekBuy 2, Use the BOGO free coupon from yesterday’s inserts and the $2/1 Walgreens in-ad coupon (it will deduct $4) and get these for free!

*Reach Ultraclean Toothbrushes ~ These are $3.99 at Walgreens. Buy 2, Use the BOGO free coupon from yesterday’s inserts and the $2/1 Walgreens in-ad coupon (it will deduct $4) and get these for free!

*Revlon Matte Eye Shadow ~ This isn’t necessarily an item you’d want to stockpile, but if you’re in need of eye shadow, it’s free at Walgreens this week. The price is $4.99. Use the $2/1 Revlon cosmetics coupon from the 12-13 SS insert and the $3/1 Walgreens in-ad coupon and get it for free!

*Stayfree maxi pads ~ These are $5.99/each at Walgreens. Buy 2, Use the BOGO free coupon from yesterday’s inserts and the $3 Walgreens in ad coupon (it will deduct $6) and get these for free!

Menu Planning Monday: my menu for the week of 1/3

You can read more about my $40 weekly budget in this post here. You can see pictures (and the breakdown) from my latest weekly shopping trip here.

If you have blogged a menu plan for the week (or even just a favorite recipe), please feel free to comment and share your link. I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration and will be happy to share a link to your blog if we try your recipe!

If you need inspiration, check out the weekly meal plans here at Organized Junkie.

SUNDAY ~ Cheesy rigatoni bake – this recipe came from this cookbook: Girlfriends on the Go: A Busy Mom’s Guide to Make-Ahead Meals (it can be frozen although I have never tried it that way)

Ingredients:
1 16 oz pkg rigatoni noodles
2 Tbsp butter or margarine (I use light margarine)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 c. milk
1/4 c. water
4 eggs, beaten
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and salt until smooth. Gradually add milk and water. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Add beaten eggs. Spoon into a greased 9X13 pan. Top with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Spoon white sauce over top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
(I prepare this in the morning and refrigerate. I just pop it in the oven when I get home).

MONDAY ~ Cashew Sweet and Sour Pork – I found this recipe on Our Best Bites. We haven’t tried it before, but I’ve heard from others that it’s good and I’m looking forward to trying it out!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. cornstarch, divided
1 Tbsp. cooking sherry or apple juice
1 lb. pork tenderloin or boneless pork chops, thinly sliced
1/3 c. water
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. chopped cashews (or exactly one of those little .99 bags of Fritos cashews at the front of the grocery store)
¼ c. green onions
2 tsp. minced or grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced or pressed
6-8 oz. snow peas, trimmed
1 8-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained

I’m cutting and pasting the directions directly from the blog post here.

Now…to get your pork super thin, you’ll need to partially freeze it. When it’s semi-frozen (or mostly-frozen), you can either cut it very thinly with a sharp knife or pop it into your food processor fitted with the slicing blade. It’s like magic.

When I say trim your snow peas, I mean get the icky hard parts off. Little baby snow peas are very tender and don’t need to be trimmed, but you’ll probably have some bigger ones in there. Just snap the corners off and then tug a little to get the tough string that goes along the side of the snow pea. It’s like a vegetarian version of a fish-gutting. Without the guts. Okay, it’s not really like that at all.

Begin cooking your rice.

Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, sherry, and pork. Toss well.

Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and ketchup. Stir with a whisk; make sure there are no clumps with the cornstarch.

Now collect everything that’s going into the stir fry next to the stove so you can access it easily.

Heat 1-2 Tbsp. canola oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add pork and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add onions, ginger, and garlic.

Stir-fry 1 minute. Add snow peas and pineapple. Stir-fry 3 minutes more. Whisk sauce ingredients again and add to pan

Bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in cashews and serve over hot rice. Garnish with more cashews and green onions if you want.

TUESDAY ~ London Broil (Pot roast style) – slow cooker – I got this recipe from the Babycenter Crock Pot Cooking board. I haven’t tried it before.

Ingredients:
London broil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Baby carrots
2 potatoes, cubed
Garlic powder, salt, pepper (to taste)
1 cup water

Directions: Place the potatoes and carrots at the bottom of the slow cooker. Season the meat with garlic powder, salt, and pepper and place on top of the potatoes and carrots. Pour the cream of mushroom soup and water on top. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

WEDNESDAY ~ Tator tot casserole

Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground beef
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (14.5 ounce) can French style green beans
1/2 (32 ounce) package tater tots
shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef and drain fat. Stir in condensed cream of mushroom soup, water, garlic salt, cheese, and green beans. Pour the mixture into a medium-sized casserole dish and layer with the tater tots. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until tater tots are browned and crispy.

THURSDAY ~ Crockpot chicken and rice

Ingredients:
2-3 frozen chicken breasts
1 pkg McCormick Zesty Herb chicken seasoning blend (sometimes I substitute the Good Seasonings Italian dressing blend if I have it on hand)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 c. hot cooked rice
Grated cheese
Tomatoes
Celery
Bell peppers

Place frozen chicken breasts in the bottom of the crockpot. Mix ingredients for McCormick seasoning according to directions on the packet and pour over the top of chicken. Cook on low for five hours. Shred chicken in crock pot using a knife and fork. Add cream of chicken soup. Let cook for one more hour. Service over rice with additional toppings as desired (we add cheese, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, etc. depending on what we have on hand).

FRIDAY ~ Country style pork loin – this recipe comes from Taste of Home Magazine, is super easy to make, and has become a family favorite!

Ingredients:
1 boneless whole pork loin roast (3 pounds)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 tablespoons canola oil (I omit this)
2 cups chicken broth (I use 100% fat free)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Hot mashed potatoes, optional

Cut pork roast in half. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, onion powder and mustard. Add pork, one portion at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown pork in oil over medium-high heat on all sides. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Pour broth over pork. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until tender. Remove pork and keep warm. For gravy, strain cooking juices and skim fat; pour 2-1/2 cups cooking juices into a large saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice pork; serve with gravy and mashed potatoes if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

SATURDAY ~ Peppered steak – This is a family recipe that came from my mother in law – we love it!

Ingredients:
3 cups hot cooked rice
1 lb lean beef round steak (cut into 1/2 inch thick strips)
1 T Paprika
2 T butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 c. beef broth
1 cup sliced green onions
2 green peppers, cut in strips
2T cornstarch
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 lg tomatoes (cut in eighths)

Pound steak to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 1/4 inch wide strips. Sprinkle meat with paprika. Let stand. Brown meat in butter. Add garlic and brother. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in onions and green peppers. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Blend cornstarch, water and soy sauce. Stir into meat mixture. Cook, stirring until clear and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir gently. Serve over beds of fluffy rice. Serves 6.

Attention K-Mart Shoppers: BOGO free Leapster games!

I don’t have K-Mart stores in my area, but I know that some of my readers have e-mailed me to ask about K-Mart deals, so if you have a K-Mart in your area, I thought I’d give you a heads up that Leapster games are Buy one, Get one Free now through February 8th!

Online, it looks like the prices start at $24.99, but they may be different in the stores.

Print out the $5 coupons here (click on Entertainment on the left) and save big!

Here’s how it works:

Buy 2 Leapster games – $24.99/each
Get $24.99 deducted (free game) Use 2 $5 printable coupons – $10

Spend $14.99 out of pocket for two games (that’s $7.49 per game!)

(Thanks Tabitha!)