Picture Wagon

My friend Tonya, (Thanks Tonya) sent me this and I thought it was worth passing on. She found this info in Parents Magazine. Picture Wagon is an online photo processing site. If you go to http://www.picturewagon.com/?registration and use the code 50free to get your first 50 pictures free. The link is also advertising $.05 pictures which is a pretty good price. Tonya also mentioned that you may be able to use Parent50 and get a 2nd 50 free (we're not sure though). She has not tried the site yet.

Anyway - it sounds like a pretty good price on prints.

I would also love to hear from any of you that come across any great deals. Let me know so I can pass it on!

Winegar's Anniversary Sale - triple coupon days

I heard through the grapevine that Winegar's was offering some great deals during their anniversary sale. I called the Roy store to verify this today. Here are a few of the details.

• They will triple coupons on Tuesday, 7/1 and Saturday 7/5
• They will only accept mfg coupons
• There is a limit of 3 of the same mfg coupons in one transaction
• This sale will be the same at the Roy, Clearfield and Bountiful stores

Watch for the ad - it should probably be in Sunday's newspaper. I wanted a little more info on exactly what triple coupon meant and this is what they told me.

Example:

• If you have a $.25 coupon you will get a total of $.75 off the item
• If you have a $.50 coupon you will get a totoal of $1.50 off the item
• If you have a coupon more than $.50 they will give you the $.65 or $.75 off (whatever the initial value of the coupon is) and then take an additional $1.00 off the item.

I'll see you there!

$5 off any $20 or more in-store purchase at Walgreens (Friday 6/27/08)

http://www.walgreens.com/hotbuys/default.jsp?ec=hn557_getcoupon

New Thomas the Train coupon (6/24/08 - 6/26/08)

It appears that Toys R Us is not longer accepting the old coupon (too bad) :(

They have issued a new coupon for a different train - see link below:

http://toysrus.rsys1.net/servlet/website/ResponseForm?mhRlE0y1_VTTBTZVX_0ohtHlEde.267zfvfF57avvD9vf

Rocky Road Brownies

We went camping this last weekend - okay so we only stayed for dinner and the fire. I'll be honest, I'm not a camper. It was our ward campout and I was asked to bring a dessert. I love to make desserts and it also gave me the opportunity to use some of those marshmallows I bought a few weeks ago. Get ready because this recipe makes a ton of brownies, so it was great to bring them to a big get together like this. Here's the recipe and a few pictures along the way.

Rocky Road Brownies

2 cubes butter

2 C sugar

2/3 C cocoa

2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

1 1/2 C flour

1 C chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time until fluffy and then add the flour and nuts. Spread this mixture onto a greased cookie sheet (one of those big ones that are about an inch deep) and bake for 25 minutes.

Add one bag of mini marshmallows to the top of your hot brownies and bake for an additional 3 minutes.

Allow brownies to cool before frosting.

Frosting

2/3 C butter

1/3 C cocoa

4 C powdered sugar

1/3 C milk

Mix frosting ingredients in a seperate bowl and spread over marshmallows.

Now you can cut, share and enjoy.

Something I didn't know before: I stocked up on a bunch of marshmallows a few weeks ago, because I learned that you can freeze the bag of marshmallows. Yep - you pull them out and they are as fresh as when you originally bought them - just let them warm up to room temperature.

This weeks grocery trip

So I went to Albertson's again - sorry this is my favorite store! I got some great deals and wanted to share a few with you.

This was the sale starting 6-18 through 6-24. So here goes.....

Red seedles grapes $.99 lb - I got them for $1.63

I bought 2 gallons of chocolate milk (mmmm definately a treat for us) - they were $5.49 a piece.

If you bought 2 gallons of milk you could get certain General Mills cereals for $1.19 a box. I bought 5 boxes, 2 Lucky Charms, 2 Reeses Puffs and one Honey Nut Cheerios).

I paid $.64 for each of the Reese's and the Lucky Charms and I only paid $.54 for the Cheerios. I had 4 coupons for $.55 off a box and 1 coupon for $.65 off. - great savings on cereal!!!

Orville Redenbacher popcorn $1.50, I paid $1.10 per box and also recieved two, 2 liters of Albertson's soda FREE.

Albertson's also had a Kraft promo running. You had to purchase 5 items (in their ad) and you would save $5.00 instantly on meat or produce. (So basically I got my grapes for free and a few other fruits and veggies that aren't pictured). For this Kraft promo I bought:

Doritos $3.00
Kraft Salad Dressing (pictured) $2.50, but I got this for FREE with a coupon
Kraft Miracle Whip $1.13, I paid $.58 with a coupon
Kraft Mayo $1.13, I paid $.38 with a coupon
Sara Lee Bread $2.00 a loaf (we were in need of bread can you tell????)

Gerber Graduates were buy 3 for $6.00. I paid $1.00 each because I had 3 $1.00 coupons.

Albertson's cheese 8 oz blocks $2.99 each, I paid $1.99 each - I had a catalina (register coupon) from a previous shopping trip.

Zout stain remover $4.35, but I have a mail in rebate that will make this FREE

Bagelfuls (never tried them before, but wanted to). The offer was B1G1 free (each box was $2.79). I actually purchased 6 boxes (I only show 2 boxes in the picture). I had 3 coupons, one was for a free box and the other two were for $1.00 off. So I paid $3.58 for 2 boxes and got 4 boxes FREE

Ken's Lite Accents (not pictured - failed to grab them), 2 for $4.00, I got 2 of them for FREE with a coupon

I hope this inspires you to shop the deals at your favorite store. With prices on gas and other necessities soaring, a penny earned is a penny saved with coupons!

****** Free Thomas Train (up to $12.99 value)

I just came across this coupon. When you open up the link make sure your printer is working because it will only let you print it once and won't allow you to go back.

This is for Toys R Us and is good through 6/19/08 to 7/5/08. I just called the Layton store and they verified that it is legit! What a great present for Christmas, birthday party, rewards (for me it will be a reward for my 3 year old who is still potty training - He loves Thomas)!

http://www5.toysrus.com/Our/tru/prom/2008ThomasRC2/922426.cfm

Products getting smaller - price staying the same

I've noticed this on quite a few items (ice cream, paper towels, cereal). There have been several articles about this in the last few months. I've attached an article from KSL as well as a link to a video on ABC's website talking about this very issue. If you don't already, this would be a great time to start couponing. If the package is getting smaller and the price is staying the same what better way to help offset the difference? I can always help in showing some of the easiest ways to get the best deals in town. Let me know if you're ready for a class!

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3561208

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4512922

Krispy Kreme

Don't forget as your kids get out of school, you can take their report cards to Krispy Kreme for a free 1/2 dozen glazed donuts. We did this with my daughter last quarter/semester and she loved it. If you go while the red light is on - you can also enjoy a free warm one! It seems like they always have the light on about 7 or 8 at night. Makes for a cheap and fun trip out of the house.

Fruit Pizza Recipe - From Rhodes Bake-N-Serve

This is truly one of my most favorite desserts. I came across this recipe and decided to share it. I haven't tried this particular recipe (I usually use sugar cookie dough), but this looks good too.

Fresh Fruit Pizza
Savor the flavors of fresh summer fruits with this dreamy whipped cream fruit pizza.
9 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls or 6 Rhodes Texas™ Rolls, thawed and risen

1-2 tablespoons milk

1-2 tablespoons sugar

8 ounces strawberry cream cheese spread

1 cup whipped topping

fresh fruit as desired

Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Combine rolls to form a ball and roll into a 13-inch circle. Place on a sprayed 12-inch pizza pan. Build up edges slightly. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Poke crust several times with a fork to prevent air bubbles from forming. Bake at 350°F 10-15 minutes until light golden brown. Set aside to cool. Combine cream cheese spread and whipped topping and mix well. Spread over cooled crust. Top with your favorite fresh fruits.

Servings: 4 Serving size: 1/4 of pizzaAmount Per Serving: Calories 638, Calories from Fat 414, Total Fat 47gm, Saturated Fat 24gm,Cholesterol 140mg, Sodium 494mg, Total Carbohydrate 54gm, Dietary Fiber 2gm, Sugars 8gm, Protein 9gm,Vitamin A 28%, Iron 14%

$5 off any $20 toy purchase @ Kmart

Here's the link - click on the circle in the upper right corner. The offer goes from 6/1/08 to 7/31/08.

http://www.bk.com/hulk/pdf/Hulk_BK_online1.pdf

Food Storage tip of the week

I just got an email from the guy in our ward that is in charge of our ward prepardness/food storage etc....

He stated that Maceys is currently selling Butane stoves for $14.88 and the butane cans were $1 a piece. This is a great price on this item. I've seen these used for cooking before and what an easy resource for preparing a quick meal. Remember that if you go and the store is out of the items you are looking for - ask for a rain check. I'm on my way to get these items now. I've been waiting for a really good sale on these for quite some time!

Here's a picture of the butane stove and cans. The sale goes through this Saturday (June 14th). This would also make a great Father's Day gift.

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all you great Dads out there!!!

I have a few fun websites that I subscribe to that come up with some pretty clever ideas around the holidays. Here are a few of those sites that have food and gift ideas. I hope you like them.

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/

http://familyfun.go.com/parties/holiday/minisite/fathers-day-main-ms/

http://www.brightideas.com/index.jsp

I also noticed that Family Dollar and Macey's carry the DADS rootbeer if that's something you'd like to get.

I hope these links provide some fun ideas for you.

One Day Sale at Albertson's

So, I had to visit Albertson's again today. My cart was so full earlier in the week that I couldn't fit all the things I really wanted into one cart. So I went again to pick up the last few things I still had coupons for on this sale.

While I was there, I noticed they were advertising a one day sale for Thursday, June 12th. I went to their ad online and did not see this information posted - so I thought I would post it today. I usually get my Smith's and Albertson's ads on Tuesday, but for some reason they weren't in the mail today. Maybe they'll come tomorrow.

Anyway, here's what's on sale for the 12th.

• Red Seedless Grapes $.88/lb
• Fresh Beef Round Rump Roast or Village Market Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $1.49/lb (First 8 lbs)
• Pepsi Soft Drinks 12 pk, 12 oz cans 4 for $10 (First 4)
• Albertson's Chunk Cheese 8 oz - select varieties 4 for $5 (First 4)
• Albertson's Farm Fresh Large Eggs 18-ct. Grade AA $1.59 (First 1)
• Starkist Solid White Albacore Tuna $.77 (First 4)
• Fresh Chicken Tenders in the service deli $3.99 (First 4 lbs)
• Breyers Ice Cream 48-56 oz select varieties $2.77 (First 2)
• Gatorade, G2 Sports Drink, Tiger Thirst Quencher or Propel Fitness Water 20-32 oz Bottle select varieties $.69 (First 4)
• Hershey's Candy Bar 1.4-2 oz select varieties 5 for $2 (First 5)
• Huggies Baby Shaped or Supreme Big Pack Diapers 54-104 ct select varieties $19.99
• Corona Beer 24 pk, 12 oz bottles select varieties, plus deposits where applicable $23.77

Watch the grocery smarts link (see Free class offer to the right) to get the updated list. I'm sure these items will show up in the next day or so - showing any coupons that may be associated with the sale price.

Baskin Robbin coupon

When I come across a good deal I will post it here. I always love a good deal, so I'm on the hunt all the time. Here's one for Baskin Robbins. You get a free pre-packed quart of ice cream with a $15 minumum cake purchase. Just click on the link for the coupon. The coupon is good through 6/30/08.

http://www.baskinrobbins.com/coupon/dgquart.html?cid=45384&jid=5022411&mc=142&eid=1042805&utm_source=Dads_And_Grads_Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=Quart_Offer&utm_campaign=Dads_And_Grads_Email

Confusing Sale

Don't get me wrong - I love the sales from Albertson's, but this week there were a lot of items on sale and it was a little confusing. It seriously took me about 2 hours to get my shopping done! I had to put the kids down and was gone shopping from 10 pm to 12 am. I usually don't spend that kind of time, but this was a good sale. So here's my whole shopping trip - yes, I got home at a little after midnight and then took a picture of my trip. I was pretty excited though.

As I start taking pictures of my shopping trips, you will get to see a lot of my kitchen. I will just mention a few of the really great deals I got. I hope you looked at the ad as well. I got 4 packages of bandaids for FREE (Yes - I will be the mom wearing Dora, Scooby Doo (2) and Spiderman). I got 2 packages of Albertson's Split Chicken Breasts w/ribs for $.96 lb. I paid $2.13 for one and $1.94 for the other. The chicken is hiding under the bananas. I got 6 boxes of Scotties tissue for $.62 each. I had 20 boxes of cereal that I paid about $1.00 for each box (there were several different sales going on with cereal). The grapes were also $.96 lb and I paid $1.86 for mine.

These are just a few of the deals I got. I also had $12 taken off of my total, due to the number of items I purchased in their sale categories. On top of that, I also earned $10 off of my next shopping trip because I spent $50 (on select items) between the dates of 5/28 to 6/24. All in all I spent $117.37 and saved $119.02 - pretty good for a 2 hour trip.

Doing this a little backwards

So, as I've been working on my blog, I've gotten a little behind in publishing my great deals. I'm playing catch up. As you will probably notice, my favorite place to grocery shop is Albertsons. It's not the closest store to me (I live about 3 miles from the nearest Albertsons), but I know the layout of the store, I like most of the employee's and most of their sales include things my family uses often. Below you will see a few of the things I got on sale when I went shopping on 5/31/08.

Nectarines were $.98 lb - I paid $.90

John Morrell smoked sausage was $6.99 but with the sale and the in store coupon, plus the mfg coupon I paid $3.49 for each pkg.

Mission Chips were $4.19, but with the sale and the mfg coupon I paid $1.65 for each bag.

Yoplait yogurts (6 pk) were $3.49, with the sale and coupons, I paid $1.00 for each.

Cereal (General Mills) were $3.79 a box, with the sale and coupons I paid $1.10 for each box.

Cinnamon rolls were $2.39 each, but with in-store coupon, it made them $1.00 for each pkg.

Salad mix was $4.49, but with the in-store coupon it was $1.99.

Lastly - I forgot to put the potatoes I also purchased in the picture. I picked up a 5 lb bag of russet potatoes with their in-store coupon for $.99, it was regularly $2.29.

This was not everything that I bought, but it shows the great deals I came home with. I hope by showing you some of the deals I've come across, it will inspire you to want to save at the grocery store as well.

On your mark, get set - GO!!!!

Yea!!!! I'm trying out this new blogging thing. It seems to be the lastest craze. I am really new to this, so bear with me as I work on making this page look better.

Introduction

I quit my job in January of 2007. I was expecting my third child and have enjoyed being a stay at home mom (for the most part). As a new stay at home mom - I found the days to be challenging, especially with a new kindergartner and a three year old to entertain. I sort of lost a sense of who I was and wanted a hobby that allowed me to so some of my favorite things - like spend money that I didn't really have.

Shortly after my third child was born, I was invited to a Grocery Smarts class. I fell in love with how easy couponing could really be. I had tried to save money in the past by trying to coupon, but was never really successful at it. Once I was shown how simple it could be I found my newest hobby. You can't beat the idea of shopping and saving money at the same time.

I have always enjoyed grocery shopping (call me crazy), but now it's like hitting the jackpot every week! It's my newest challenge - to see how much I can save vs. how much I actually spend. I really love the freebies!!!!! - who doesn't?

I've been couponing with Grocery Smarts since early last fall. In May of 2008, I started to teach classes for Grocery Smarts. I think with the economy the way it is today, it is important to make your dollar go as far as it can. I truly enjoy teaching people how easy it is to get the lowest price for their everyday groceries. The best part is that the Grocery Smarts website is totally free and very simple to use.

Hopefully you will check in frequently and see where I've come across some great deals in town. It would also be nice to hear from you and your greatest finds! I'd love to post your shopping tips, the "freebies" you come across or any other great information you may have or want to share with all the other shoppers out there. Thanks for checking in!