Grocery Store Sale Cycles

June 4, 2012 by 2 Comments

What are the rock bottom prices on grocery store items that are on sale now? What items do you need to stock up on during Summer? We are in transition again for seasons and the store will have different products on sale to stock up on now. The Grocery store sale cycle is now in summer mode. Here are some items to keep a look out for when you can get these items on sale and pair them up with a coupon to get that rock bottom stock up price.

It is grilling time so look for brisket and meats along with other grilling items to go on sale around Memorial Day, July4th and Labor Day. You can always freeze it and then have it whenever you want. I do this for hot dogs a lot. Hopefully you stocked up on chili during the winter so you can have chili dogs too!

Hot Dog and Hamburger Buns – $1.00
Hot Dogs –  $1.00 or lower (I try to buy turkey or No Nitrates) or All Beef
Brisket – $1.49 or lower
Soda – FREE, or $0.25 1 liter
Soda 12pk Cans – $2.50 or less
Chips – B1G1, $1.00
Cheese – $3.00 lb or less
Milk – $1.00 ½ Gallon
Creamers – $2.50 or less
Eggs – $1.99 18 count
Yogurt cups $0.30 or less
Ice Cream – $3.00 or less ½ Gallon
Popsicles – FREE, $1.00 or less (I usually make my own)
Strawberries – $1.00lb
Raspberries – $1.00 6 oz tub
Blueberries – $1.00 6 oz tub
Blackberries – $1.00 tub
Mustard – $0.50 or FREE
Ketchup – $0.50 or FREE
Mayo – $1.00
Grapes – $1.00 lb (Freeze them for a great cold snack)
Corn – $0.25 or less an ear
Zucchini and Yellow Squash – $0.88lb

 These are the rock bottom prices in my area. I live in a large metropolitan area. Some of these prices may be higher or lower depending on where you live and the availability of these items. You can use these as a guide until you get to know the grocery store sales cycles in your area to know when to stock up on these items during the summer.

Most grocery store sales cycles are from six to eight weeks depending on the product. The summer grocery sale items listed above may cycle faster at a four week cycle compared to something that is not in season. So keep your eyes open for when the grocery store sale items are at or near these prices and stock up on these items. 

Read my article on how to freeze fresh fruit and vegetables and best storage methods for these fresh items. I know I like that fact that I froze these myself and I won’t have to pay high prices in the winter for frozen berries for any cakes or pies I want to make.

Here are a couple of coupons for a sealer and sealer bags that I use to store my fresh fruit and veggies. 


$10.00 off any FoodSaver Appliance$2.00 off FoodSaver Heat-Seal Bag or Roll

Affiliate links are used in the above article. I may be compensate for clicking on a link or printing a coupon. That’s how this site stays FREE.

~   ~   ~

Enter to win one of four FREE box of cereal Coupons for Honey Bunches of Oats.

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Filed Under: Couponing 101, Stockpiling

How to Freeze Fresh Vegetables

May 14, 2012 by 5 Comments

I just love this time of year, since we get to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. We are trying to grow a garden this year. You can check out my garden posts and ways to go green to get some tips on gardening and creating your own garden this year. 

If our bountiful harvest comes in, what are we going to do with all those fresh vegetables? We will need to put them up and fast. One of the easiest and quickest ways to preserve vegetables, is to freeze fresh vegetables right after they have been picked. First lay them out on a cookie sheet. You can line this with wax paper to make it easier to get them off. Then place in the freezer for an hour or two. Them take them out and put them in a ziplock bag to label and keep in your freezer. Then you can take them out one at a time and enjoy. This is good for peppers, celery, tomatoes and all types of fruit. I like to dice the peppers, celery and fruit before I freeze, so I can take out however much I would like to use. 

For things like beans, broccoli, cauliflower you should blanch them in a little hot water for a few minutes before you freeze them. I usually let them steam or blanch for around 5-6 minutes. This allows them to be a bit under cooked so when you defrost them you can complete the cooking process.  Allow them to cool and place in a plastic baggie and freeze the bag flat. I freeze all my items this way so you can stack more items in your freezer. See the above picture the top shelf is ground meat frozen flat to stack.

Freezeing fresh herbs. Another great item to freeze is fresh herbs. I know I love cilantro, but I never use the whole bunch. Now I will take the remaining cilantro and put it in a blender with a little water and freeze them in ice cube tray. Once frozen pop them out and into a bag. Whenever you need fresh herbs for a dish just pop a couple of herb cubes in there and you have a flavorful dish.

The same with fruit. I love to make healthy smoothies for the kids during the summer. What better way to have a nice cold drink than to have the fruit already frozen. If you blend this with frozen yogurt it comes out like ice cream. The best part is you don’t even have to tell them it is good for them. Click to learn how to make healthy smoothies for kids in a previous post.

Here you can find a list of Freezer Items to keep in your freezer to ensure you have a great quantity of food on hand when you need it. It is also a good idea to have a few freezer meals on hand for those days you don’t feel like cooking and going out to eat is not in the budget. I might suggest having homemade pizza rolls and biscuit empanadas in your freezer for these occasions. 

Do you have any favorite foods you freeze? Do you have any freezer meals that must always be in your freezer? I love to hear from my readers. Please leave a comment below.

Filed Under: Organization, Stockpiling, Time Saving Tips

Friday Finals – Kroger, Tom Thumb, Walgreens, CVS, Sprouts

April 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I have a lot going on this week. I now have 3 Giveaways going on with another one to come tonight! Check back. Check my GIVEAWAYS page for more details.


PRINT Coupons here.



Stop by these sites for more great savings inspiration. The three most clickiest last week were:
Couponing n Cooking
Mrs. Rogers Frugal Neighborhood
Lamberts Lately

Tom Thumb/Safeway

2 Dole Pineapple 8 oz $1.09 B1G1 – $0.50 doubled ALL YOU Mar ’12
            -Final $0.05 each
3 Rosarita Beans $1 each – $0.50/3 doubled Rosarita Beans SS 04/22/12 (Better deal this week at Tom Thumb/Safeway)
            -Final $0.66 each
2 International Delight Creamer $2.49 – $1/2 International Delight Creamer Blinky
            -Final $2.00 each
$0.52 @ lbs bananas 2.08lbs
            -Final $1.08
I spent $7.15 and saved $6.44 on $13.59 worth of food this week. Tom Thumb and Safeway have a better deal this week with Rosarita beans @ $0.79 each. Stock up for Cinco de Mayo. 
Kroger

2 Tortilla Chips $1 each
            -Final $1 each
1 Community Coffee $4.99
            -Final $4.99
2 lbs Kroger Cheese $5.99
1 Green Mountain Coffee Kcups $7.99 – $2/1 K-cups PrintableNLA
            -Final $5.99
1 Tyson Chicken Bacon $2.00 – $0.55/1 Peelie on product
            -Final $1.45
1 Bacon $2.77 – used for cookout
2 Gummy Vitamins for kids $6.99 B1G1 – $1.50/1 Kroger Coupon Mailed
            -Final $2.75 each
I spent $28.90 and saved $18.85 on $47.75 worth of food and vitamins this trip.
CVS
1 Gallon Milk $3.29
1 Kotex U 18 count Regular $3.99
1 Tie Dye egg kit $0.75
1 Physicians Formula Tinted Moisturizer $15.49
Used:
1 $15/1 Physicians Formula Purchase – Little Red Box at CVS
1 $1/1 Kotex U SS 03/25/12
1 $1/1 Physicians Formula SS 02/12/12 R
1 $1.50 ECB
1 $3.00 ECB
1 $1.00 ECB
Received: 
$7.00 – Physicians Formula ECB
$2.00 – Kotex ECB
$1.00 – Milk ECB
OOP:
I spent $1.02 and saved $22.50 and received $10.00. I made $9.00 at CVS this week!
Walgreens
1 U Kotex 18 pack $3.99
4 Kettle Potato chips $2.00 each
Used:
$1/1 U Kotex SS 03/25/12
$1/1 Kettle Brand Chips RP 03/18/12 R
OOP:
$6.99
Received:
$3.00 RR
I spent $6.99 and saved $11.50 on $18.49 worth of groceries and Healthcare items at Walgreens this week.
Sprouts
1 Brown Cow Yogurt $2.50
1 Sesame Tahini $7.49 – I make my own hummus
4 Limes $1.00
4 Tomatoes @ 0.69lb – $0.62
4 Onions @0.49lb – $0.97
4 Black Berries $0.88 each – $3.52 Used Rain Check

I spent $16.00 and saved $0.10 on $16.10 worth of food at Sprouts this week. Sprouts is a farmers Market. The produce prices are way lower than at any grocery store in my area. So I save a lot more just by shopping here.


Altogether I spent $60.06 and saved $59.39 on $119.45 worth of food and other items this week.


Do you want to learn How to Start Couponing? Read my Step by Step tutorial and let me show you How to Start Couponing. I have it organized into simple steps to learn how to save half or more off your grocery bill every week.

Find more great savings deals and steals join Pounds4Pennies on: 

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How did you do shopping this week? One of the best ways to learn is from seeing how others coupon. I can’t wait to see how you did this week. LINK UP below. If you have a LINKY, ADD your LINKY to my

Filed Under: CVS Shopping, Friday Finals, Kroger Shopping, Sprouts shopping, Stockpiling, Tom Thumb Shopping, Walgreens Shopping, Weekly Shopping

Tasty Taco Soup Recipe

February 22, 2012 by 21 Comments

This Taco Soup recipe is a very versatile and great stockpile recipe that can easily be made into a vegetarian version if you wish. There are two ways to prepare Taco Soup. One is on the stove top or you can use a slow cooker. Taco soup is very simple and great on those days when you are super busy and no time at all to make dinner. This almost makes itself. I call it a dump soup, since you simply open a few cans and dump it in a pot and then voila you have a quick and easy meal.

 
 
I don’t like to dirty more dishes than I have to. So I will show you how to make this using only the slow cooker or using only one pot on the stove. 

 Taco Soup

Ingredients for Taco Soup Recipe:

1/2 to Whole Onions
1 Pound Ground Meat

1 Can Stewed Tomatoes
1 Can Beans (I used Black Beans) (Vegetarian add another can of beans)
1 Can Whole Kernel Corn (Or you can use 1 cup of frozen)
1 Package of Taco Seasoning (1/4 cup of taco seasoning, if you make your own)
Salt and pepper to taste
 

Directions for Taco Soup Recipe:

1. Sauté ½ to a whole onion in two table spoons of butter or oil
     Slow Cooker: place on high for 30 – 1hour stirring every 15 min.
     Pot: Saute onions in butter or oil on the stove top in a large pot.
2. Add 1 pound of ground meat to the onions and brown the meat then drain (skip this if Vegetarian)
     Slow Cooker: place on high for 1hour stirring every 15 min.
     Pot: Brown the meat stirring frequently. Then drain.
3. Now open all those cans and dump:
 
1 Can Stewed Tomatoes
1 Can Beans (I used Black) (Vegetarian add another can of beans)
1 Can Whole Kernel Corn
1 Package of Taco Seasoning (1/4 cup of taco seasoning)
Salt and pepper to taste
4. Heat all the way through
     Slow Cooker: Cook for an additional hour on high or turn on low until ready to serve.
     Pot: Let cook for about 20 min. for the flavors to meld.
 
 
 
Serving suggestions:
Serve over rice or tortilla chips
Top with Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt
Top with shredded cheese
Or you can do all of the above
 ~   ~   ~ 
 
Now wasn’t that easy? Anyone can make this Taco Soup recipe. This soup is one of my favorites, because it is so delicious and simple to make. The kids like it too, since it tastes like tacos. Let me know if you try it or have any other easy soup recipes you would like to share. Find more great deals join Pounds4Pennies BlogFrog community or stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook  for MUCH MORE great savings and deals and steals.

Filed Under: 5 Dollar Meals, Recipes, Stockpiling

Friday Finals – Kroger, Tom Thumb, CVS and Sprouts

January 27, 2012 by 5 Comments

I have been super busy this week. I am planning my stepson’s birthday party. We are hosting a Wii party this year at our house. I can’t wait to share the pictures of all the things I have made to make this a great birthday for him. There was not a lot of stuff out there for Wii party ideas, so I had to come up with a few of my own. I will take lots of pictures and share on Wednesday.

I am also a team coach for my daughters DI team. DI is a great organization where the kids put on a skit based on criteria provided and also have an instant challenge. It teaches leadership and developing new skills. Any and all schools can participate, even homeschooled children. You just need to get a team together. We are in our build phase for our set and I have been having girls over at my house painting, sawing, drilling. Whatever it takes to get the job done. Needless to say I am exhausted.
With these two events going on this week, my life has been a little chaotic to say the least. I did manage to get some shopping in. My grocery bill is a little over budget, but some of these items are for the party. As you may also see, it is mainly snacks. We had run out of just about everything except crackers. So I made sure we stocked up. We will see how long this holds us over.
Tom Thumb 01/23/12
3 Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers $1.00 each
            -Final $1.00 each
1 Pepperidge Farm Naturals crackers $2.50 – $0.50/1 Pepperidge Farms Natural doubled
            -Final $1.50
4 Boxes Nature Valley Granola Bars $1.77 – 2 $0.75/2 Nature Valley Granola Bars
            -Final $1.40 each average – WE LOVE THESE
4 Betty Crocker Simply Fruit roll ups $0.99 must by 4 – 2 $0.50/1 Betty Crocker Fruit Roll ups, one doubled, one did not
            -Final $0.62 each average
1 Package Black Beans $0.99
2 Pace Picante sauce $1.99 – $0.50/2 doubled Pace Picante Sauce
            -Final $1.49 each
2 V8 Fruit Fusion $1.99 – $1/2 V8 Fruit Fusion Printable
            -Final $1.49 each
1 V8 Fruit Smoothie $1.99 – $1/1 V8 Fruit Smoothie
            -Final $0.99
1 Pillsbury Frosting $1.99 – $0.35/1 Pillsbury Brownie or frosting
            -Final $0.94 – This is for the party
2 7 Ups $0.88 each – This is for the party
1 Starkist Tuna $1.19 – $0.50/1 Starkist Tuna pouch
            -Final $0.19 – Great Deal! STOCK UP!
2 Bear Creek Soup B1G1 $4.49 – $1/1 Bear Creek Soup
            -Final $1.75 each – Unadvertised deal
3 Kleenex Tissues $0.85 each – $0.50/3 doubled Kleenex tissues
            -Final $0.52 each
1 Loaf French Bread $1.99
I spent $32.68 and saved $51.06 on $83.74 worth of groceries and products for my family. I found several unadvertised deals at Tom Thumb this week. Some are good until the end of February.
Kroger 1/24/12
5 Boxes Barilla pasta $1 each – 5 $0.55/1 Barilla Whole Grain Pasta
            -Final $0.45 each
2 lbs. Kroger Cheese $2.99 each
2 Bags Tortilla Chips $1.00 each – One for the party
4 Progresso Soups $1.00 – $1/4 Progresso Soups
            -Final $0.75 each
4 Brawny Paper Towels $1 each – 2 $1/1 Brawny Printable, 2 $0.55/1 Brawny Printable
            -Final $0.23 each
4 Angel Soft Bath tissue $1 each – 4 $0.45/1 Angel Soft Bath Tissue
            -Final $0.55 each
I spent $16.59 and saved $18.71 on $35.30 worth of groceries and products at Kroger.
Tom Thumb 01/24/12
1 Pepperidge Farm Naturals crackers $2.50 – $0.50/1 Pepperidge Farms Natural doubled
            -Final $1.50
1 Starkist Tuna $1.19 – $0.50/1 Starkist Tuna pouch
            -Final $0.19
1 Whonu cookies $2.50 – $1/1 Whonu cookies
            -Final $1.50
4 Mrs. Bairds Natural Bread B1G1 $3.19 – $0.55/1 Mrs. Bairds Bread
            -Final $1.32 each
I paid $8.47 and saved $13.07 on $21.54 worth on retail groceries. I am able to make two Tom Thumb trips each week, since this is on the way home from my taking my son to his Mommy’s day out program at my church.
Sprouts
4 Voskos Green Yogurt $2.00 each
           
I spent $8.00 on my favorite yogurt this week at Sprouts.
CVS
2 Gallons Milk $3.29 – 2 $1/1 Oak Farms Milk, $1 ECB
            -Final $1.79 each, Received $2 ECBs
I spent $3.58 on really good milk at CVS this week and saved $3.00.
This is everything for the week. I spent $69.32 and saved $85.84 on $155.16 worth of groceries and necessary items my family needed this week. I am over budget, but I did buy several things for the party this week. It doesn’t look like there is much I want for next week.
Want to find more great deals? Join Pounds4Pennies BlogFrog community or stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook  for MUCH MORE great savings and deals and steals.
How did your shopping trips go this week? Leave a linkup below and share a comment.

Filed Under: Couponing, Couponing 101, CVS Shopping, Frugal living, Grocery Sales, Kroger Shopping, Kroger unadvertised deals, Stockpiling, Tom Thumb Shopping, Weekly Shopping

Friday Finals – 01-20-12

January 20, 2012 by 2 Comments

I am still recovering this week from my nasty cold and trying to get caught up on the loads of housework that needs to be done. But I feel so much better. Did more shopping this week and more savings. I scored FREE theraflu this week at CVS see below. I could have used this last week. 


Here are the links that were the clickiest from last week. Stop by to see their awesome savings and say Hi:

Kroger
10 Bush Beans $0.57 each average (they were $0.54 & $0.59 each)
1Gallon Milk $2.38
4 Libby’s Veggies $0.62 each – $1/4 Libby canned Vegetables RP 11/13/11
            -Final $0.37 each
1 Package 12 K cup coffee $7.69 – $2/1 Millstone K-Cup RP 10/23/11
            -Final $5.69
Total spent $15.25 and saved $12.23 on $27.48 worth of groceries this week. I bought more beans for pantry stock up items. This was mainly a pantry stock up trip.

Tom Thumb 1st trip 01/15/12

1 Fritos Scoops $1.99 sale – We had Fritos pies for dinner. YUM
2 18 Count Eggs $1.99 each
1 Sweet Potato fries $2.19
1 Potatoes O’Brian $2.19
1 Milk $2.38
2 Hormel Lunch Meat $2.49 – 2 $0.50/1 (One doubled) Hormel Lunchmeat SS 01/08/12
            -Final $1.74 each average
3 Hunts Snack Packs $0.99 sale – $0.45/3 doubled Hunts Snack Pack SS 01/01/12
            -Final $0.69 each
2 Quaker Oatmeal instant $3.39 B1G1
            -Final $1.70 each
1 Pillsbury Brownie Mix $0.99 sale – $0.35/1 tripled Pillsbury Brownie or Frosting RP 11/06/11
            -Final FREE – I LOVE FREE
4 Chef Boyardee $0.89 sale – $0.50/4 doubled Chef Boyardee SS 01/01/12
            -Final $0.64 each
I used $2.00 off my next purchase and a $1.00 off my next purchase catalinas that printed last time. So I basically got my milk for free this week.
I spent $20.92 and saved $22.88 on $43.80 worth of groceries this trip. I have been going to Tom Thumb more, since I can use double and triple coupons. I have been finding better deals at Tom Thumb vs. Kroger.
Tom Thumb 2nd Trip 01/17/12


3 Sliced cheese $2.00 each
1 Imperial Margarine $0.69
1 Hormel Lunch meat $2.49 – $0.50/1 doubled Hormel Lunchmeat SS 01/08/12
            -Final $1.49
1 Pillsbury Brownie mix $0.99 sale – $0.35/1 tripled Pillsbury Brownie Mix or Frosting RP 11/06/11
            -Final FREE – I LOVE FREE and I got two boxes
I paid $8.19 and saved $7.19 on $15.38 worth of food retail this trip. I went back mainly for the lunch meat and brownie mix.
SPROUTS
2 Bell Peppers @ $0.49 each
5.23 lbs Onions @ $0.49 lb.
            -Final $2.56
I spent $3.54 on produce this week.
CVS

5 Theraflu 8count $1.99 each
1 Pediacare Fever reducer $4.99
1 CVS Double Pack Womens Multi-Vitamin -$8.99
Used:
5 $2/1 Any Theraflu product SS 12/04/11
1 $1/1 Pediacare Product Printable
1 $2 ECB
1 $1 ECB
20% off my order $1.91
Received $2 ECB
OOP:
I spent $8.02 and saved $15.91 on drug store products this week. I got 5 packages of Theraflu for FREE this week. A total of 40 pills for free!

Altogether I spent $55.92 for the week and saved $58.21 for the week on $114.31 worth of food and health care needs. I am little over budget, but I didn’t get out much last week due to being sick. So it will all work out in the end. I still had more saving than half this week.
I feel my pantry is pretty stocked right now. In February it will be a year since I have started extreme couponing and my pantry is stocked more now than it ever has been. I like that I have food to cook at any time. I can also make just about any meal or snack, since I already have most of the ingredients for anything I may want to cook. Even if the kids suggest something I usually have the ingredients to make whatever they want. This has allowed me to stay at home and still cook nutritious meals and snacks for the kids.


Stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook or join me at Pounds4Pennies on BlogFrog community for more great savings.  

How did you do this week? The best way to learn is to visit others sites to see how they save. Please leave a comment if you don’t have a blog to share or just leave a comment. I love to hear from you.

Filed Under: Couponing, Couponing 101, CVS Shopping, Freebie, Frugal living, Grocery Sales, Kroger Shopping, Kroger unadvertised deals, Sprouts shopping, Stockpiling, Tom Thumb Shopping, Weekly Shopping

Friday Finals 01-13-12

January 13, 2012 by 3 Comments
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I still have this nasty cold, I think maybe it has turned into a sinus infection. I am very stuffy at times and other times I can breathe fine. Everyone had been really good, since I have been sick. I have had to let quite a few mommy duties go this week. The clothes are washed, but they are in a big pile in my room. So if anyone needs anything they can rummage through the pile to get it. I hope to get that done today. I went to pick something up for dinner on Wednesday night. I didn’t even feel like making a freezer meal and the hubby was out of town. We made it cheap and ate at a Taco place. The kids loved it. I got my favorite thing, but I could not taste it. With me being sick I am way under budget this week. I went shopping twice and that’s it.
Top Three Clickest last week. Stop by and say hi to these fabulous shoppers:


Walmart 01/07/12
1 White Frosting Mix $1.28
1 Cilantro $0.44
2 Great Value Chick Peas $0.68 each
1 Lime Juice $0.88
1 Golden Butter Cake Mix $1.25
2 Hillshire Farms Cocktail Sausage $2.50 each – $1/2 Hillshire Farms Cocktails Sag. PrintableNLA
            -Final $2.00 each

I spent $9.21 and saved $1.00 for $10.21 worth of groceries here. Doesn’t sound like much, but I forgot to get a few things I wanted. I was trying to make it a quick trip.
Tom Thumb 01/10/12
3 Boxes Rice a Roni $0.89 each
1 Fiber One Granola Bars $1.99 – $0.40/1 doubled Fiber One Granola Bars Printable
            -Final $1.19
1Fiber One 90 Cal Bars $1.99 – $0.40/1 doubled Fiber One Chewy Bars Printable
            -Final $1.19
4 Nature Valley Granola Bars $1.79 each – 1 $0.75/2 GM 01/08/12
1 Frosted Toast Crunch $1.99 – $0.50/1 doubled Cinnamon Toast Crunch Printable
            -Final $0.99
3 Kikkoman Soy Sauce $1.89 each – $1/1 Kikkoman Soy Sauce Found under Product
            -Final $0.89 each
4 Cans Chef Boyardee $1 each – $0.50/4 doubled Chef Boyardee
            -Final $0.75 each (ON SALE $0.89 Fri, Sat, Sun, at TOM THUMB)
1 Pie crust $2.99
2 International Delight Creamers marked 50% off $3.28 – $0.55/1 Int’l Delight Creamer 12/11/11
            -Final $0.27 each (The receipt took off an additional $0.82, I don’t know why)
6 Yoplait Yogurts $0.60 each – $0.40/6 doubled Yoplait Yogurt Printable
            -Final $0.47 each
I spent $24.85 and saved 25.02 on $49.87 worth of groceries at Tom Thumb. The receipt printed differently than it normally does and some coupons were hard to find on the receipt. It seems every time I go to that Tom Thumb I get a different type of receipt and it is difficult to decipher.
Well I spent $34.06 and saved $26.02 on $60.08 worth of groceries this week. I am way under budget due to my cold.
Stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook or join me at Pounds4Pennies on BlogFrog community for more great savings.  
How did you do this week? Share your savings trips below. It is great to see how others save, so you can learn how to save too. Stop by and leave a comment if you visit someone shopping trip.


Filed Under: Couponing, Couponing 101, Frugal living, Grocery Sales, Stockpiling, Tom Thumb Shopping, Walmart shopping, Weekly Shopping

Whatever Wednesday – Meatball Soup

January 11, 2012 by 3 Comments

I have been sick since Sunday. Thank goodness I picked up the Theraflu from CVS last week. I have been drinking it to relieve my stuffy head. I can’t taste or smell a thing. So last night when I was cooking dinner, I added a few spices here and there, but I didn’t know if it had the right flavor or even if it smelled good. I made meatball soup.  My husband and kids thought it tasted good, but it was fail in my book.
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I will post the recipe how it is supposed to be done and not the way I did it last night. This is a great meal to pull from your stockpile.  I didn’t take a picture because, it looked awful. I put the noodles in the slow cooker and cooked them in there instead of cooking them separately and throwing them in at the last minute. They fell apart and were very mushy. It looked like a meat ball mess, instead of meatball soup. It still tasted ok, from what I am told, but it didn’t look so good. We all ate it and little face even had some today for lunch and he ate it all. So he must have liked it. I ate for lunch too, but I couldn’t taste it today either
Soup:
1 Cup pasta 
1 Small Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 28oz Can Whole Tomatoes & Juice
2 Small Carrots
3 Cups Chicken Broth or (1 chicken cube with 3 cups water) 
2 Table spoons Italian herb seasoning
Meatballs:
Or you could use frozen meatballs, print $1/2 Armour Meatballs coupon now!
1 lb Ground Meat
2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg
½ Cup Bread Crumbs (I used Italian for more flavor)
½ teaspoon Paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste
Meatballs:
Add bread crumbs, egg, and parmesan cheese, paprika and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl and let set for a couple of minutes. Then add the ground meat. Roll into small ½ inch meatballs. Cook the meatballs in the oven at 350 for 30 min and then throw them in your pot. I like to bake mine before. They come out much firmer.
Pasta:
Cook your pasta in water in a separate pot. VERY Important step!
Soup:
Cook onions and garlic in oil over medium heat until translucent. You can puree the tomatoes and carrots in a blender or pour them in the pot with onions and garlic and use an emulsion blender to puree the mixture. I like doing it all in one pot. Less clean up. Now pour in the chicken broth. Let simmer covered for 10-15 Minutes.  Then add the pasta and the meat and let simmer for a few more minutes.
I hope you will try this soup. It really is delicious, just don’t try to cut the steps like did. I also tried to make this in the slow cooker, instead of on the stove. I wanted something to be ready when we got home. On the stove it turns out great. Tuesdays are our long days and we don’t get home until 5:00. Dinner pretty much needs to be ready when I walk in the door. I got a slow cooker cook book for Christmas, I should have gotten a recipe from there instead.
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Filed Under: meals, pounds 4 pennies, Recipes, Stockpiling, Stretch meals

Friday Finals 01-06-12

January 6, 2012 by 2 Comments

Friday Finals are here again! I am looking forward to all of your savings this week. Be sure to visit other site so you can learn of other great deals out there. If you are new to Extreme Couponing, one of the best ways to learn how to save money on your grocery bill every week is to look at how others do it.


I went to Tom Thumb right when we got back home New Years Eve to get some milk and a couple of other items. I spent around $11. But I can’t find the receipt. I know I got Martha White Muffin Mix FREE using $0.35/1 tripled RP 11/13/11.



Walmart 01/02/12
1 10 lbs bag of Potatoes $3.77
1 1lb Great Value Mozzarella Cheese – $3.22 – WOW! Great deal with no coupons
1 Baking Soda $0.58
2 Minute Maid Berry Juice Box $2.98 – 2 $1/1 Minute Maid Juice Boxes Printable, NLA
            -Final $1.98 each
2 Carmex Lip Balm $0.98 – 2 $1/2 Carmex, RP 10/30/11
            -Final $0.48 Each
2 Eight O’Clock Coffee $4.88 – 2 $1/1 Eight O’Clock Coffee Campbells Booklet
            -Final $3.88
1 Ovaltine Malt $3.48 – $1/1 Ovaltine printable- Little face loves this
            -Final $2.48
12 Cans Allen’s Trappey’s Beans $0.78 each – 4 $0.50/3 Allen’s products SS 12/11/11
            -Final $0.61 each – Cheaper than GV brand
4 Cans Libby’s Corn $0.75 each – $1/4 Libby’s vegetables RP 11/13/11
            -Final $0.50 each
I spent $35.54 and saved $9.00 on $44.54 worth of groceries this trip. Little face loves warm Ovaltine in the morning. He drinks the Ovaltine Malt with no chocolate. Poor guy is allergic to chocolate just like I was when I was little. I grew out of it, thank goodness. Walmart is the only one who carries it around here.
Tom Thumb 01/03/12
2 Clorox Wipes 35 count $3.79 – B1G1, and $1/2 Clorox Wipes
            -Final $1.40 each
1 Oscar Mayer lunch meat $4.99 – Store Coupon $2.49
            -Final $2.49
I spent $5.51 and saved $7.30 using coupons and store discount on $12.81 worth of products. Just found out you can print the Scotch Bright B1G1 coupons for Walmart. They are $1.60 at Walmart. That makes them $0.80 each. Great deal Print to stock up now!



CVS 01/03/12

1stTransaction
2 Oral B Powered Toothbrushes $5.99 each
2 Oral B Satin Floss $2.99 each
1 Theraflu Warming $6.49
1 Ribbon ½ price $1.49
Used:
2 $3/1 Oral B Toothbrush
1 $3/1 Theraflu Warming Liquid
1 $5/$20 purchase
2 $3 ECBs
1 $2 ECB
1 $2.50 ECB
1 $1 ECB
Received:
$4.00 – For Oral B Toothbrushes
$2.00 – For Oral B Floss
$1.00 – Bag Tag
OOP:
$0.63
2ndTransaction:
4 Nivea Lip balm $2.50 each
Used:
2 $3/2 Nivea Lip care
$4 ECB from previous transaction
Received:
$5 ECB for $10 Nivea Purchase
OOP:
$0.00 + $1.00 Money Maker
I went to my regular CVS and they did not have any Nivea lip balm anywhere. They had several displays completely picked clean. I had to take my son to the dr. later in the week and stopped by a different CVS on our way home to pick up his medicine (not listed since it was a prescription.) I noticed they had the Nivea luckily I brought my coupons with me and my CVS bucks from the previous transaction.  So altogether I spent $0.63 for all the items pictured above. This could have been all free if the first CVS had the Nivea to begin with. The two older kids were excited I gave them the Nivea to put in their backpacks to take to school.
Altogether this week I spent $52.68 for food and necessary items and saved $48.80 on $101.48 worth of groceries and necessary items for my family. Please note I chronicle all food purchases, toiletries and cleaning products I purchase for my family. This goes to show you how to still buy great food and household items on a small budget and save a ton of money.
Stay connected with Pounds4Pennies on Facebook or join me at Pounds4Pennies on BlogFrog community for more great savings. 

How did you do this week? Did you have any fabulous shopping trips you would like to share? LINK UP your savings here. The best way to learn how to save is to see how others do it. I get a lot of tips by visiting my followers who link up here.

Filed Under: Coupon App, Couponing 101, CVS Shopping, Freebie, Frugal living, Grocery Sales, Money Saving Tips, Stockpiling, Tom Thumb Shopping, Walmart shopping, Weekly Shopping
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