Randalls Deals for the week of 1/6-1/12

At my Randalls store (Texas), they double the face value of one ‘like’ coupon up to .50 and triple the face value of one ‘like’ coupon up to .39. Check with your store for details on their policy for doubling and tripling coupons.

Here are the highlights of the Randalls ad this week:

*Campbell’s Select Harvest Soup – Buy one (priced at $2.49), get one free – $1.49 for 2!
.50/2 Campbell’s Select Harvest Healthy Request soup – 1-3 SS (should double)

*Doritos Tortilla Chips – Buy One, Get One Free

*Fresh Express or Eating Right salad mixes – Buy One, Get One Free

*Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers – 2/$6 – $1 each after coupons!
$2/1 Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers – 1-3 SS2

*Lean Cuisine or Eating Right meals – $1.79/each (must buy 5 to get this price)

*Special K cereal or bars – $1.99/each (must buy 3 or more to get discounted price)
$5/4 Kellogg’s cereals printable here (click on “grocery” at the left) = $2.96 (.74/each) when you buy 4!
$1/2 Special K Crackers – 1-3 RP
$1/2 Special K cereal bars, fruit crisps, or Bliss Bars – 1-3 RP

*Softsoap liquid hand soap – $.99/each – FREE after coupons!
.35/1 Softsoap liquid hand soap – 1-3 SS2 (will triple)

*Yoplait Yogurt – 10/$5
.40/6 Yoplait yogurt cups (should double) – 1-3 GM insert

SATURDAY SPECIALS:

*Capri Sun – $1.49/each

*Hormel Natural Choice lunchmeat – $1.99/each – $1.24
.75/1 Hormel Natural Choices lunchmeat printable here

*Hostess Multi-packs or 100 calorie packs – $1.89 – $.99 after coupons!
.45/1 Hostess family packs – 12-6 RP (should double)

*Large cantaloupe melons – 2/$3

*Nabisco tray packs (12-15 ct) – $2.99

*Pillsbury brownie mix – 10/$10 – $.20/each after coupons!
.40/1 Pillsbury brownie mix – 11-8 RP

*Quaker chewy granola bars – $1.99 – $1.44/each after coupons!
.55/1 Quaker Chewy Granola bars – 1-3SS

*Ragu pasta sauce – 2/$3 – $.95 each after coupons (when you buy 2!)
.60/1 Ragu pasta sauce – 11-15 RP
.50/1 coupons.com loadable here

*Rice a Roni or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese – 10/$10 – $.67/each for Rice a Roni (when you buy 3!), $.75/each for macaroni and cheese (when you buy 4!)
$1/3 Rice a Roni – 1-3
Buy 3, Get 1 Free – 12-13 SS

BUY 1, GET 1 FREE MIX & MATCH: Pictured in ad ~ Fantastik, Scrubbing Bubbles, Pledge, Windex, Spot Shot, 2000 Flushes, Glade Sense & Spray, and Scotch Brite

BUY 5, SAVE 5 MIX & MATCH: Pictured in ad (priced reflect the instant discount, so you must buy 5 to get these prices) ~ Oscar Mayer sliced bacon – $2.99, Oscar Mayer Deli Shaved Lunchmeat – $2.79, Oscar Mayer Beef Bologna Lunchmeat – $2.79, Oscar Mayer Two Pack Lunchables – $1.79, Oscar Mayer Beef Franks – $2.99, Oscar Mayer Deli Creations – $1.69
.75/1 Oscar Mayer bacon – 11-15 SS
$1/2 Oscar Mayer cold cuts – 12-13 SS

SUPER COUPONS: (must spend $20 BEFORE coupons to use these)

*Chef Boyardee canned pasta – $.79 (limit 4)

*Dole fruit bowls – $1.49/each (limit 3)

*Frito Lay variety pack – $4.99

*Kellogg’s Pop Tarts – 3/$3 (must buy 3)

*Lucerne Creamery Fresh or Safeway SELECT ice cream cups – $.49/each

*Lucerne string cheese – $1.99 (limit 1)

*Mrs. Baird’s Bread – $1.49/each

*Ozarka water -2 /$4 (must buy 2) – 2/$3 after coupons!
$1/2 printable here

*Safeway Select or O Organics pizza – $2.99 (limit 1)

*Signature Cafe garden salads – $3.99/each

*Skippy peanut butter or Welch’s grape squeeze jelly – $1.49/each (limit 4) – $.69/each after coupons!
.40/1 Skippy peanut butter – 11/15 RP (should double)

*Totino’s pizza rolls – $2.99 (limit 1)

*Van de Kamp’s seafood selections – $3.99/each (limit 1)

Thrifty Thursday: Start a change jar


About a year ago, my husband and I took Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University class and it was life-changing for us. One of Dave’s big recommendations is that you use a “cash only” system for paying for things. At first this was an adjustment for us, but we quickly realized how much money we had LEFT at the end of the month when we started doing this. It was powerful.

Going to a “cash only” system meant that we did a “cash only” vacation last year (we used some of our cash to purchase gift cards beforehand so it was a bit “safer”) and that was the first vacation where we’ve ever come home with money left (it was $150 to be exact if I’m remembering correctly).

We also managed to do a “100% Cash Christmas” this year and I shared in my post here that we plan to do the same thing again this year. Planning for a 100% Cash Christmas means you need to start NOW. Some of you may be thinking “No big deal. We’ll set aside X amount of money each month and that’s how we can save for Christmas.” We tried that. But for us, I found that each month, Christmas seemed pretty far away and we needed that money from our monthly paychecks NOW for other things. Sound familiar? We decided that in saving up our cash for Christmas, we weren’t going to touch our monthly paychecks. We managed to do this last year and it worked and I’m hoping we’ll be able to do it again this year.

One of the things that we decided to do this year was to start a change jar. Using cash only to pay for things, we found out that sometimes we ended up with a lot of change at the end of the day. To be honest, I found myself leaving it in my car so that I could treat myself to a $.99 Sonic drink from time to time in the mornings or using it to buy a “treat” from the vending machine at work from time to time. With my new weight loss plan, I decided I don’t need to be doing those things anymore anyway. So, about a month ago, my husband and I decided to start a change jar.

I counted the change yesterday and I was surprised at how quickly those pennies, nickels, and dimes could add up! We had almost $30 in there already! Our plan is to just let the change accumulate throughout the year and then “cash it out” in early November so we have the money for our Christmas spending. I know several people who have found that they can easily save $200-300 throughout the year by doing this.

If you decide to take on this challenge, let me know how it goes!

Do you have your own Thrifty Thursday tip to share? Feel free to link up below!

For more thrifty ideas, check out The Coupon Teacher and Life as a Mom.

Weight Loss Wednesday

MamaNotes

I realize that my blog typically focuses on “bargains” and that this post is not bargain related, but one of my goals for 2010 is to get in shape! I’m also always striving to find some sort of balance in my life, and I figure that there are others out there who are in the same boat that I’m in! So, I plan on having a weekly “Weight Loss Wednesday” post. I figure it will help me to be accountable. If one of your goals for 2010 is also to get in shape and you’re blogging about it, feel free to link up below!

My post today is inspired by the “Body After Baby” challenge that Mama Notes has started.

Here are my initial goals: (I’d like to set much higher goals, but I also want to be realistic and I don’t want to get discouraged early on)

*Exercise a minimum of four times per week
*Lose 10 pounds by 2/14/10

Here’s my plan:

*Commit myself to Weight Watchers ~ My weight has always been a struggle for me and Weight Watchers is the only program that has really “worked” for me. About 10 years ago, I became a lifetime member and I managed to keep the weight off….until I had my first baby. After two babies, I’m read to get back on track. My first goal is to just TRACK consistently so I actually know what I’m eating and by tracking, I also know that I’ll be less likely to “cheat.”

(On a side note, if you’re wondering, I have a monthly pass so I can use the online tools, but I can also attend meetings. I love being able to use the online trackers and being able to put in my recipes and calculate the points values, but I also do best when I have the accountability of actually attending a meeting).

If you’d like to try Weight Watchers, they are waiving the registration fee right now (that IS bargain related!)

*Drink more water – I never drink enough water! I plan on taking a huge water bottle with me to work and filling it up a couple of times each day. I know that is one of the keys to weight loss (for me at least).

*Create an exercise plan for each week – Exercise tends to be the thing that gets pushed aside when other things come up, but I’m an “emotional” eater and I know that when I exercise, it helps me deal with those other issues. I also know if I make a plan, I’m more likely to stick to it! Eventually, I would like to do a 5K so in an effort to prepare for that, I am using the “Couch Potato to 5K” plan as part of my work-out.

I started this plan on January 1st and so far it’s working out well. A few things that have been helped me to stay on track? Crystal Light and carrots (carrots are a zero point food on Weight Watchers, so when I have a craving, I pick up a few carrots instead and Crystal Light helps me get all of that water in)

Do you have a goal to lose weight this year? How’s it going so far? If you’ve blogged about it, feel free to share your link below!

Kroger deals for the week of 1/6


Here are the Kroger deals for the week:

*Boneless Chicken Breast or Tenderloins – $5.99 (3 lb frozen bag)

*Campbell’s Soup – 10/$10 – .60/each after coupons (when you buy 2!
.30/4 Campbell’s Condensed “Great for Cooking” soups – 11-8 SS (should triple)
.40/2 Campbell’s Condensed soups – 1-3-10 SS

*Freschetta Pizza – $3.99 – $2.99 after coupons!
$1/1 printable coupon here (you must register, you can print 2 per computer!)

*Hot Pockets/Lean Pockets – $1.78/each – $1.45/each after coupons (when you buy 3!)
$1/3 Lean Pockets & Hot Pockets – 10-25 SS
$1/3 Hot Pockets or Lean Pockets printable here (this is a manufacturer’s coupon found on pg. 5)
.55/1 Hot/Lean Pockets loadable – Cellfire.com

*Kroger Drinking Water – 2/$5 (this is a great “stock up” price!)

*Large navel oranges – 5/$1

*Lay’s Baked Snacks or Sun Chips – $2.75 – $2.20 after coupons!
.55/1 Baked Lays – 1-3 SS

*Lean Cuisine Entrees – $1.78/each – $1.45/each after coupons (when you buy 3!)
$1/3 printable coupon here (this is a manufacturer’s coupon, it is on pg. 6)

*Libby’s Vegetables – 2/$1 – FREE after coupon!
.50/2 printable here (should double!)

*Nature’s Bounty Vitamins – Buy One, get One Free
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, so you can print two by clicking on the back button on your browser. There are also $1 printable coupons here. Remember, you can use two coupons on BOGO free items!

*Progresso Light, Low Sodium, or High Fiber Soup – 4/$5
.25/1 Progresso High Fiber Soup – 11-15 GM insert (should triple)
.50/2 Progresso soups, any – 12-6 SS (should double)
.50/2 Progresso soups loadable on cellfire.com
.50/2 Progresso soups loadable on shortcuts.com (one expires 1-27 if you loaded it previously, newest expires 2-27)

SCENARIO:
Buy 4 Progresso soups (at least 2 High Fiber)

Use 2 $.25/2 High Fiber soup coupons – will deduct $1.50 Use .50/2 Progresso soups coupon (any) – will deduct $1 – .50/2 Progresso soups loadable (Cellfire.com) – .50/2 Progresso soups loadable (shortcuts.com)

Total OOP = $1.50 ($.38/can!)

*Quaker Instant Oatmeal – $1.88/each

*Ritz crackers or Nabisco 100 calorie packs – 2/$5
Use the $2/2 printable here and get them 2/$3!

*Texas grapefruit – $2.99 (for a 10 lb bag)

*Thomas English Muffins – Buy One, Get One free

*Tony’s pizza – 2/$4

*Tyson boxed chicken -2 /$5 – $1.95/box after coupons!
.55/1 Tyson frozen breaded chicken (box) – 10-11 SS

*Yoplait Yogurt – 10/$5 – $.37/each after coupons (when you buy 6!)
.40/6 Yoplait yogurt cups (should double) – 1-3 GM insert

CRAZY MEAL DEAL: Buy any combination of 3 Kellogg’s items (includes Nutri-Grain bars, Special K bars, or Kellogg’s Special K cereals) 3/$7, get free Kroger milk, Kroger white bread, Kroger large eggs, and Tennesse Pride sausage gravy

Use the $5/4 Kellogg’s cereals printable on Target.com (this is a manufacturer’s coupon with a Target logo) and get all of this for $4.33! That’s what you’d spend for just the milk, bread, and eggs anyway!

PROCTER & GAMBLE PROMOTION ~ SPEND $25 on participating products, get $5 off INSTANTLY! pictured in ad ~ Tide laundry detergent or powder – $11, Charmin bath tissue – $10, Bounty paper towels – $7, Dawn dish detergent – $2
**Check your 12-27 PG insert for coupons to match up with this deal!

Instant Win Wednesday: Fuddruckers, Honey Nut Cheerios, Kraft

Here are some instant win games for the day! Good luck!

Fuddruckers (valid through 1/31/10) ~ Play the Patty Launcher game here for an opportunity to win free burgers for a year!

General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios Sweet Rewards (valid through 3/9/10) ~ Click here to enter to win $5 instantly. Use this code to play: K30FR-H4F3H-7720

Kraft Foods Game Day Greats (valid through 2/8/10) ~ Play the instant win game here daily for a chance to win one of the following prizes:

Instant Win Prizes:
First Prize: (5 winners) 52″ 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (ARV $2,300).
Second Prize: (20 winners) Cookware set (ARV $119.99).
Third Prize: (50 winners) $100 check.
Fourth Prize: (1,000 winners) Gameday Greats football jersey (ARV $25)
Fifth Prize: (20 winners) Touchdown serving platter (ARV $24.99)

Use this UPC to play: 4400001947