Provision and this week's menu (a rather random post, I suppose)

I often feel a bit crazy for making the decision to stay at home with Ada rather than work. Not because I don't see the importance of being at home with Ada, and not even because I think that working would be so fulfilling and fun (I am not that naive, I promise), but because it seems like such a simple way to add some money to the ever tightening budget.

Just yesterday on the way to church, as Scott and I discussed lunch options, money being the deciding factor, I looked at him and said, "Am I crazy for staying at home, am I?" and I really meant it. I needed some confirmation. He quickly confirmed that, no, I am right where I am supposed to be, and I trust his affirmation as the leader of our family.

Just when I begin to wonder if we are not making the wisest decision regarding our family and our finances, God reminds me that he will provide. And, he has. Over and over and over.

This month it seems that our income is needed everywhere but in our checking account. Do you know what I mean? There are, of course, bills to pay, and there is that little thing called a mortgage. But those are the constants. This month we also had a root canal and Ada's birthday and car tags and leftover car troubles and the list could go on and on and on. (By the way, I am very thankful that here in the south, Labor Day does not mean fall weather, simply because Ada's wardrobe isn't ready for that.)

But on top of all of the extras that are asking our money to stretch and stretch and stretch, there is a little thing that I am learning about called coupon overage, and it is really helping us out this month.

Let me tell you about my grocery trip on Saturday. I was quite excited.

Here is what I bought at Publix

1 deli sandwich (Scott was hungry for lunch) 2.50
Arnold Whole Grain Bread BOGO 1.85
1 carton of blueberries 2.00
1 pack of Hormel bacon 3.00
Cottonelle Aloe and E toilet paper, 6 pack 3.99
-.50 off Aloe and E mnfctr (equals 2.99 for 6 pack)
1 bag of baking potatoes 1.99
4 packs of Knorr sides .74 each
-2 .60 off two Knorr sides mnfctr coupons (equals .44 each pack)
4 bottles of Sundown Folic Acid 3.79 each
2 bottles of Sundown Vitamin D 2.99 each
-3 6.00 off two Sundown Vitamins Publix coupons
-3 5.00 off two Sundown Vitamins mnfctr coupons (equals Free +++++)
1 box of Splenda packets 2.59
1 box of Orville Redenbacher popcorn BOGO 2.45
-.60 off Orville popcorn mnfctr coupon (equals 1.85 for box of popcorn)
1 carton of eggs 1.29
1 pack of Italian Sausage 2.00
4 packs of Cover Girl powder puffs 2.49
-4 2.00 off Cover Girl store coupon
-2 2.50 off Cover Girl mnfctr coupon (equals free ++++)

total before coupons and sales=76.66
total after coupons and sale=11.85!!!

thank you, overage!!!

So, I went back today, and things didn't go quite as well

Here is what I bought

1/2 gallon of milk 1.79
1 big box of Huggies size 5 19.99
-3.00 Publix coupon
-1.50 man. coupon (= 15.49)
Kleenex Cottonelle Aloe & E 6 pack=2.99
-1.00 off Cottonelle man. coupon (=1.99)
2 Cover Girl eye shadows 2.99 each
-2 2.00 off Cover Girl Publix coupon
-1 2.50 off 2 Cover Girl items man. coupon (= free ++++)
Baked Cheetos 100 calorie packs 2.00
1 Sundown Vitamin D 2.99
1 Sundown Vitamin A 3.29
-6.00 off 2 Sundown Vitamin Publix coupon
-5.00 off 2 Sundown Vitamin man. coupon (= free ++++)

total before sales and coupons=43.67
total after sales and coupons=19.67

Really, I was hoping for a lower total today, and I should have bought more items to produce overage in order to lower the total, but you live and learn, right? Still, I am thankful for 31.52 as my grocery total when the budget is 100.00 a week. That is money saved, ya'll, and that is what we need this month, more than most months even.

So, what will we be eating this week based on the purchases above and my stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer?

Sunday night= homemade waffles and bacon
Monday night=sausage and potatoes italiano, broccoli, bread
Tuesday night=spaghetti, bread, green beans
Wednesday night=Chicken and rice in the crockpot, broccoli, bread
Thursday night=lasagna, veggie, bread
Friday=frozen pizza

Lunches=hummus and triscuits, ham sandwiches, PB & J, fruit, leftovers
Breakfast=yogurt and granola, eggs, peanut butter toast
snacks=yogurt, fruit

for more menu ideas, check out Organizing Junkie.

Weekly grocery post

The couponing continued this week. Publix was a huge success. Kroger was a huge flop. But you live, you learn, right?

Here's how Publix went.

2 bags of Wise potato chips
4 packs of Hefty plates (I feel guilty a/b this purchase b/c I am thinking the styrofoam plates are terrible for the environment, but washing dishes is terrible for my pregnancy exhaustion, so I decided to stock up)
1 bag of hostess powdered donuts (again, I blame this impulse buy on the pregnancy)
4 bottles of Lawry's marinade
4 cans of Bush's baked beans
4 boxes of Starkist Seasations fish (I have never had these, but they were free after coupons, so we are giving them a try)
6 kiwi
1 loaf of Arnold whole grain bread
2 bottles of Mott's apple juice

I paid 25.74 OOP
I saved 59.71

So then we headed to Kroger, and things went very down hill.

Kroger

2 4 packs of Dannon Activia
2 bags of Kraft cheese (part of buy 10, save 5)
1/4 lb of Boars Head White American cheese
1/2 lb of Boars Head honey maple chicken
3 bottles of Juicy Juice apple juice (buy 10, save 5)
1 lb of ground beef
2 bags of Kroger brand frozen chopped onions (I cannot cut up onions. My eyes burn for hours afterwards, so I just buy frozen)
2 cartons of Daisy sour cream (buy 10, save 5)
2 bags of Pepperidge Farm cookies (buy 10, save 5)
1 box of Velveeta shells and cheese
1 box of Kroger brand peanut butter and crackers
1 carton of strawberries
Oatmeal breakfast bars
Jimmy Dean frozen sausage and biscuits (buy 10, save 5)

I paid 41.88 OOP
I saved 15.43

So, 142.76 worth of groceries for 67.62.

Much of what I planned to buy was out of stock, but I needed to buy 10 of the sale items to get the 5.00 off, so I ended buying lots on impulse, which caused my total to sky rocket. Plus Ada was tired at this point, so she was whiny, and I couldn't think. It was some what of a disaster. Luckily I still stayed around my total goal price, but I wanted to spend less than that at Kroger.

Here is what we are eating

Sunday lunch= slow cooked pinto beans, corn casserole
Sunday dinner= BLT's with fresh tomatoes (yum!!)
Monday= spaghetti, bread, salad
Tuesday= chicken and rice in the crock pot, squash

And Wednesday, Ada and I head to Alabama so I can finally finish with the dental work. This also means that I officially begin second trimester on Wednesday--woo-hoo.

We will conclude the weekend with the big 2nd birthday--Elmo birthday cake, balloons, and all. Actually, the celebration will be quite small. I think Ann and I are going to take all the cousins to McDonalds (Ellie, Luke, Andrew, and Ada), and then we are going to eat cake and ice cream at Ann's house afterwards. And since they are all so young, I will be bringing a gift for Ellie and Luke so that everyone can share in the party. I actually never gave either one of them a gift on their actual birthdays, so that's what the gifts are for. And I thought it would be more fun for everyone. One big cousin celebration. Of course I will post pictures.

Ironically, I also spent my second birthday at McDonalds, followed by a Cookie Monster birthday cake (can you confirm that, mom?), so the tradition continues with the new generation. McDonalds and Sesame Street, does it really get any better for a toddler?

Oh, one last thing.

After the grocery trip on Saturday, Scott and I cleaned out and took inventory of the pantry. In doing that, I discovered that I have 13 boxes of pasta and 9 boxes of cake mix. So...does anyone have any good pasta recipes or cake mix recipes? I don't really love to just make a cake, so I am hoping for recipes that use the cake mix. Seriously, please send recipes my way.

Still Couponing, Still feeling like a newbie

I really feel like I am starting the whole couponing thing over. I am clipping and sorting and matching, but I am missing out on lots of deals because of the weeks that I just couldn't find the strength to care.

But...a miracle has happened over the past week, and I feel like a new person. I am re energized, and nausea, what's that? Thank you, Lord. I have never appreciated feeling normal so much in my life. And I am still two weeks away from second trimester. It truly is a gift from the Lord.

However, with the nausea gone, my appetite has arrived full force, and I have gained my first pound of the pregnancy. If nothing else, I am thankful that the sickness stopped the scale from rising before now. With Ada, I gained ten pounds!!!! first trimester, so things are looking much better this time around. I am channeling all of this new found energy by walking and jogging on a nearby, very shaded, walking trail. I will exercise and not feel so yuck with this second pregnancy. I am determined. (and by jogging, I mean so slowly that a normal person could walk beside me, but jogging I am)

Anyway...I really logged on to tell you about how I am doing with the coupons and the meal planning. Just to keep myself accountable and excited about the deal finding.

Dinner this week looks like this

Monday--"cheater" chicken pie, broccoli
Tuesday--Cheeseburger Pie, a veggie from the local farmer's market (I will buy on Tuesday)
Wednesday--chicken salad sandwiches, fruit, chips
Thursday--jambalaya, black beans
Friday--frozen pizza, salad

And of course the usuals for breakfast, snacks, lunches--eggs, blueberries, strawberries, peanut butter toast, turkey sandwiches, etc. etc. etc. and the always Ada favorite, Activia yogurt

So here is the how the grocery trips went

I started at Kroger where they are having the buy 10, save 5.00 sale. I can't remember all of the price/coupon details, but here is what I bought

2 juicy juice
4 carolina pride smoked sausage
1 box of rice krispies (for rice krispy treats!! my favorite!!)
1 box of fruit loops
4 Tombstone frozen pizzas (for 2.50 each. you can't beat a meal that feeds the whole family for 2.50!!!)
1 bag of marshmallows
1 pack of blueberries
1 loaf of Sara Lee honey wheat bread
5 bottles of Loreal Pro-vive shampoo (1.00 each after coupon)
4 bottles of Loreal kids shampoo (.75 each after coupon)
4 bottles of Garnier Fructis shampoo (1.00 each after coupon--my stockpile of shampoo was non-existent, and now it is re-stocked!!)

total spent=41.97
total saved=52.74

And today I went to Publix

2 New York brand frozen breadsticks
2 Quaker chewy granola bars
4 packs of Women's quattro disposable razors (16 razors total!! It was a great deal)
4 cans of Bush's black beans
Publix frozen pie shells
New York brand croutons
2 bags of goldfish (free b/c they were on sale BOGO, and I had a BOGO coupon)
3 boxes of crayola crayons (.33 each!!)
2 bags of Cape Cod potato chips
1 bottle of flintstone gummies
Publix frozen peas and carrots
1 gallon of Publix milk (on sale for 2.00, and I had a coupon for 1.00 off, so I paid 1.00 for a gallon of milk!!!!)
1 lb of ground beef

total=38.04
total saved=42.10

so far this week I bought 174.85 worth of groceries for 80.00

my friend Bethany blows my numbers out of the water, but I am happy with these numbers while I am getting back on track. What I have learned from Bethany (and Tutti for that matter) is to concentrate on overage and that really gets your numbers low, but I will talk more about that as I figure it out myself.

I still plan to go back to Kroger for a few more items, mainly Tyson split chicken breasts. They are on sale for .99/lb, and I have 4 1.00 off fresh Tyson chicken coupons. I am hoping that combined with a store coupon will equal free chicken. I'll let you know.

Back to the Basics

CVS is where my couponing addiction began. I used to know the workers by name, and then, before I knew it was happening, Kroger and Publix and even Walgreens began to steal my attention. In fact, it's been several weeks since I have even done any CVS deals. I mostly shop at Publix these days. Well, I started thumbing through the CVS flier today after I got my Sunday paper, and I decided that it was time for CVS and me to reunite, so I am headed that way in just a few minutes.

Here is my plan

1 Fructis Shampoo @ 2.99

-2.00 cpn (Kroger mailer)

=.99 OOP, and I will receive 2.00 in ECBs

15.00 worth of Eucerin lotion (I plan to purchase the lotion containing SPF 15 for the upcoming beach trip and for the summer)=not sure of prices, but I have 4 1.00 off coupons, and I will receive 5.00 in ECBs

1 Schick Intuition Razor @ 8.99

-4.00 CPN (from today's paper)

=4.99 OOP, and I will receive 4.00 back in ECBs

I am then going to combine all of my ECBs and splurge on a 16 pack of Charmin toilet paper (I love Charmin toilet paper, but I rarely buy it b/c of the cost), and I will receive 2.00 in ECBs from that purchase. The toilet paper is on sale for 9.99, so I should walk out of CVS with 4.00 in ECBs. We'll see how it goes.

I am also headed to Publix for the penny item, which is bottled water, something I can definitely use more of!! And Kroger has a deal that if you buy 3 cases of diet coke, you receive 2 free bags of Kroger brand potato chips, so I am also stopping by there. Unfortunately we love both diet coke and potato chips around our house. What can I say, we are quite the health nuts;).

Okay, time to do some couponing. I will chat with ya'll later.

And to keep the fam interested, here's a picture (or three) of little missy playing at the park. She is all confidence and spunk these days, and she is keeping my hands full.

While we're on the subject of hip

Have you heard? These days, couponing is the hippest of hip among the stay-at-home mom set;) So, I am here to share my couponing plan for this week.

Remember, I have spent time stockpiling, so that my list consists of 90% sale items and 10% need items. Also here you will find my go to source for all things couponing. That is where all of the information below came from. Check it out. I highly recommend it.

So here is this week's plan minus the few necessities I will add after figuring out the menu plan. I will be back with the details of that later.

Publix

Kellogg’s Pop Tarts, 8 ct, at $2.39
-$1/2 Pop Tarts RP 4/05 (makes it .69¢ ea)

Skippy Peanut Butter or Natural Peanut Butter at $2.49
-.40/1 Skippy Peanut Butter RP 4/05 or printable (makes it .44¢ ea)
-$1/2 Skippy Peanut Butter RP 4/05

Nabisco Teddy Grahams, Ritz Bits or Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Crackers, at $2.99
-$1/2 Teddy Grahams, Ritz Bits, or Mac & Cheese Crackers SS 3/01 (makes it .99¢ ea)
-$1 off any Nabisco snack printable (Target) (use both together makes it FREE)

Stouffer’s Family Size Entrees, 27 to 40 oz, $3.99 ea
-$1 off any Stouffer’s Family Size April All You or printable (must register)

Alavert Allergy & Sinus 12ct $6.99 ea
-$4 off any Alavert Green Advantage Buy Flyer (exp 4/24)
-$2 off any Alavert RP 4/19 (use both together makes it .99¢ ea)

Pine Sol Cleaner $2.49 ea
-.50/1 off any Pine Sol RP 4/05

Kroger

Lawry’s 12oz Marinades $1 ea
-.50/1 Lawry’s Marinades RP 4/05 (makes it FREE)
-$1/2 Lawry’s Marinades RP 4/05

Huggies Baby Wipes 40ct $1 ea
-$1 off Huggies Bath and Body product printable or SS 4/19 (works! & makes it FREE)

McCormick Grill Mates $1 ea
-.50/1 off any McCormick Grill Mates or Rub
RP 4/19-$1 off any McCormick Spice RP 3/15 (either coupon makes it FREE)

Pillsbury Brownies $1 ea
-.35/1 Pillsbury Brownies RP 3/29

Barilla Pasta .75 cents ea
-.50/1 Barilla Whole Grain Pasta SS 3/29 (makes it FREE)
-.50/2 Barilla Whole Grain Pasta SS 3/29 (makes it .25 cents ea)

Carolina Pride Entire Line B1G1 Free
-$1.50/2 Carolina Pride Sausage or Smokies SS 4/19, 2/22

Botched Grocery Trip

That grocery trip did not go as planned. I made some serious rookie mistakes, and I am no rookie when it comes to couponing.

Here are my totals

Publix=32.13 oop
35.17 saved

Kroger=49.98 oop
53.91 saved

and at the Farmer's Market, I spent 7.82

So grand total=89.93
But I bought 179.00 worth of groceries.

Still, I wanted to stay below 40. Oops. It's okay. I have had tutoring hours in abundance, so we will work out the money spent over budget, but we hoped that we might reach the end of this month and actually have extra money. I have to really buckle down with the couponing, get organized, and stick to budget.

Here is where I messed up. I bought lipton organic green tea, thinking it was B1G1. It was not. So, I spent about 6.00 on that, when I planned to spend around 2.00 after sale and coupons. I forgot to take my sargento cheese coupons, and I forgot to use a 2.00 snuggle fabric softener coupon. What was I thinking, really?

I did get 2 packs of Huggies for less than 4.00 each after sales, paper coupons, and e-coupons, so that was the highlight of the trip. Anyway, I do plan to get it together and get the grocery budget back on track.

Saturday's Grocery Plan

It's 4 am. I can't sleep. Who knows why, really. I don't even have anything on my mind. I just woke up, and I couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to get out of bed and be productive. I have loaded and started the dishwasher, and I have completely prepared for today's grocery shop. Plus, I have realized that I have a lot of coupon organizing that needs to be done. I have been going through coupon burn out, so I slacked off for a while. Now, as a result, I am drowning in coupon paraphernalia. So...this week I am getting things back in order.

The grocery trip is looking good. I am doing Publix and Kroger, and I am hoping to stay under 40.00.

Last night, Tutti and I went to the Dekalb Farmer's Market. It was my first time there, and it was amazing. I was a bit in awe, just taking it all in. I didn't plan to make any big purchases since it was my first time. I mainly wanted to see what options I had there. I did walk away with three bags of organic mixed greens for less than I could buy a bag of Fresh Express at Publix. (each was less, not all three together less) I also bought a pound of fresh asparagus, and Tutti shared some of her fresh dill with me. We are hoping to make the Farmer's Market a regular thing. Tutti is a serious health nut, and we both realize that couponing doesn't allow for a lot of "clean" eating, so we are hoping to supplement all of our money saving with trips to the Farmer's Market. Scott, and I are going to have a big salad for Sunday lunch, using my mixed greens with chicken on top (.79 lb for a whole chicken at Publix!!). I can't wait, and I am hoping for enough left over chicken that I can have more salad for lunch during the week. Perfect for my bathing suit diet, right?

Here is tomorrow's grocery plan. I'll let you know how it goes.

Publix

2 boxes of Raisin Bran
2 Boxes of Oatmeal to Go
2 boxes of Lipton tea bags (hoping for organic green tea)
2 4-packs of yoplait yogurt
2 containers of Lysol wipes
2 bottles of Spray n' wash stain remover
2 containers of grape tomatoes
1 pack of Keebler cookies
2 kashi frozen meals
1 whole chicken
1 snuggle fabric softener
1 pack of Angel Soft (no more free toilet paper at Kroger. I am in mourning)
1 pack of Sparkle paper towels

Kroger

1/2 gallon of milk
10 stouffer's paninis (part of the buy 10, get 5.00 off promotion, and I have coupons)
8 scotch brite sponges (also part of the promotion)
2 sargento shredded cheeses
2 packs of Huggies (on sale for 9.99, 2 5.00 coupons, 4.99 EACH!!!!)

Our Cupboards are Stocked and the Freezer is Overflowing

I spent a painful amount of money on groceries this week. Scott and I are re-thinking the way we do our budget each month. Instead of having a certain amount of money each week, we are using a certain amount each month (the amount stays the same; we are just distributing differently). This gives me a bit more freedom to stock up when the sales are especially good, or when the cupboards are getting a bit bare.

We have been living off our stockpile for a while now, only buying absolute necessities and fillers, and I was feeling the need to do a major grocery trip. That happened this weekend. Though I spent more than usual, I feel really good about the deals that I got, and I think that I can keep costs to a bare minimum for the rest of the month.

Here is the breakdown.

I started at Kroger because the Publix sales weren't that great

4 Lean Cuisine Pizzas
4 Stouffer's Paninis
2 packs of Activia Yogurt plus cereal
1 pack of Kroger flour
2 boxes of Pillsbury Toaster Strudel
1 bag of dried 16 bean soup
1 box of Kroger brand ranch dressing mix (3 packs in a box)
1 bag of Kroger brand cheddar
6 loaves of Pillsbury garlic bread
4 Freschetta Pizzas
1 loaf of Arnold whole grain sandwich bread
2 bags of Fritos corn chips (to go with Taco Soup)
1 bag of Kroger hashbrowns (for corn and potato chowder)
1 pack of Kroger taco seasoning
1 pack of Tyson split chicken breasts
2 cans of Kroger black beans
1 lb of ground beef
1 pack of stew meat (marked down for quick sale--I was super excited!!! We haven't had beef stew in AGES)
2 cans of Glory brand butter beans (I really love these, so I bought them just to have on hand)
2 cans of Kroger pinto beans
3 cans of Kroger corn

Total OOP=86.93
Total Saved=56.00

Obviously, the spending/saving ratio is not nearly as good as what it usually is at Publix, but Kroger was having a great frozen food sale, so I used this week to stock up on things that I normally don't buy.

Okay, so next I went to Walgreens for the AMAZING Huggies deal that is going on right now. If you haven't already, you need to print your 5.00 and 3.00 Huggies coupons and head to Walgreens.

So at Walgreens

2 packs of Huggies diapers @ 10.00 each
1 pack of Huggies wipes @6.00
2 Red Baron Pizzas @2.50 each
4 cases of Diet Coke @3.25 each

-1 5.00 Huggies cpn
-2 3.00 Huggies cpns
-1 1.00/2 Red Baron coupon
-1 2.00/4 Diet Coke coupon

Total OOP=32.36
Total Saved=30.91
AND I got back a total of 13.00 in Register Rewards
10.00 from spending 25.00 on Huggies
and 3.00 from buying 4 cases of Diet Coke. This is the best part of all. Publix allows you to use Walgreens Register Rewards at Publix, and I already had 10.00 worth of RR from buying eight trial size Dove Deodorants last week. This means, I went into my Publix trip with 23.00 worth of RRs on top of the coupons and BOGO deals.

Okay, final grocery trip, Publix

2 Ora Idea Steam in Mash Potatoes
2 Yo Crunch Yogurts
1 gallon of Publix Milk
3 cartons of strawberries
2 boxes of Chex Mix bars
2 bottles of Ken's Steak House Ranch Dressing
2 bags of Ruffles potato chips
1 box of Maxwell House coffee
1 jar of Jiff Peanut Butter
2 boxes of Banana Nut Cheerios
1 pack of Publix cookies (penny item)

Total OOP=8.18
Total Saved=61.91

Okay, so grand totals

OOP=127.47
Total Saved=148.82

I got 276. 29 worth of groceries for 127.47. I LOVE couponing. Our cupboards are stocked, our freezer is overflowing, and I am feeling good about the month's budget. Things are looking up, ya'll. (And the beach is only a couple of months away--woo-hoo!!!)

It's Publix time again

Ya'll, I have truly converted. I am such a Publix girl these days. I mean, we run into Kroger every once in a while, but Publix is by far my store of choice. The deals there are so incredible--they blow me away week after week. And I must say, it truly is a pleasure to shop there. The customer service at Publix far outweighs all other grocery stores. Can you tell that I like Publix?

Well, one reason that I adore Publix (I am smitten, ya'll) is that they accept competitor coupons, and this brings the already low price even lower. For example, you can go here to print a 5.00 of 20.00 Rite Aid coupon, and you can use it at Publix!! That's 5.00 off of your total in addition to all of the other wonderful coupons you use. Seriously, it's a bargain. Hurry, though, because it can only be used Friday and Saturday.

And remember check out Southern Savers where you will find a sale list matched with coupons. You will also see a preview of what will be in Sunday's paper. It's looking like a pretty good week--one SS, one RP, one PG!! I'll take it!

Deals are up!!

The Publix BOGO deals are posted over at Southern Savers, and it's looking like it will be a good week. I am especially excited about the possibility of Huggies bath products for less than .20 each. It's baby gift stock up time, ya'll!! I plan to buy as many as I have coupons for. It also looks like there is the possibility of getting Progresso chicken broth for around .50 each, so again, stock up!!!

Here is the full list of deals.

Conquering my fear of chicken leg quarters

I have always been rather squeamish when it comes to raw meat, and chicken especially makes me squirm. Therefore, in the past I chose to only cook boneless, skinless chicken. My mom would always tell me that she wished we (my sister and I) would learn to cook chicken that was still on the bone because it was so much more flavorful. Well, thanks to my new hobby/obsession of finding the lowest prices possible at the grocery store, I ventured out of my comfort zone and bought chicken leg quarters at Publix. At .59 lb, I decided it was worth a shot.

After much discussion with my mother both over the phone and through e-mail, and after googling baked chicken quarters, this is what I did-- I rinsed the chicken off, I placed it in a baking dish, and I poured marinade over it (that I bought for a few cents at Publix, BOGO). I let it sit all day, so that it would really soak up the flavor. I told my mom that I wanted the outside to be crispy, so I put the chicken in the oven for an hour on 350 (I think? mom correct me on this, if I am wrong), and then for the last 30 minutes (?) I turned it up to 425 (?). Really, mom, if you reading, tell me if this is right. It was a hit!! We all loved it. So, I headed back to Publix to buy some more since it was such a great deal.

The second time I cooked the chicken, I used my friend Tutti's method. I browned the chicken on both sides in a bit of olive oil. Then I put one cup of raw rice in the crock pot, I layered the browned chicken on top, and I poured two cups of chicken broth over all of it. I cooked it in the crock pot for four hours on high, and it was oh-so-yummy. The chicken was falling off of the bone, and the rice was very creamy and flavorful. I added some broccoli, and it made for a very easy, nutritious meal.

And to answer your question, Amy, split chicken breasts are still on the bone and the skin is still on. It's cheaper than buying the boneless, skinless, and it really is more flavorful. I baked the chicken breasts, then I took the chicken off the bone, and I used it to make chicken tacos, but it would have been good as is.

A beneficial side effect of the couponing obsession, is that I am learning to cook new things. It is pushing us out of our dinner comfort zone, and the results have been good so far.

Good Day for Saving

I bought all of the above for 31.91, and that is my grocery total for the week. A far cry from the 100 that I used to spend, and it was always a struggle to stick to the 100 dollar budget. I am so thankful for blogging and coupons and all that I have learned about saving money at the grocery store.

Here is what I bought.

At Publix

8 packs of Knorr sides
1 bag of Pita chips

Earth Grains whole grain bread
3 cans of cinnamon rolls

Publix taco seasoning
Mission Flour tortillas

5 boxes of Jolly Time popcorn (FREE!!!!)

4 boxes of Pillsbury Reduced Sugar cake mix(.04 each!!!!!)

total before sales and coupons=43.89

total after sales and coupons=12.10

have I mentioned that I love Publix?

Then at Kroger

Kroger sour cream

2 Pepperidge Farm loaves of garlic bread

1/2 gallon of Kroger milk (marked down to .70!!!!!!!!)

2 bags of Sargento cheese

Guacamole

Kroger black beans

Tyson split chicken breast (.99 a lb!!!!)

2 packs of Hillshire Farms deli Ham

Sargento string cheese

Total before sales and coupons=33.42

Total after sales and coupons=19.81

As soon as we got home from the grocery store, Ada was begging for some lunch. Again, against my better judgement, I sat her lunch in front of her and let her dig in, so that I could put the groceries away while she ate. At least this time her lunch was a bit healthier than spaghettios. Here she is with her pasta, pears, and hummus all mixed together--yummy. After lunch we took her straight to the bath tub. This is becoming quite the trend at our house.

You guessed it, Meal Plan Monday

It's Sunday night. I am home from Auburn. Ada is in bed, and Scott is asleep on the couch. I have told him probably five times to go upstairs to bed, and every time he says okay, and goes right back to sleep on the couch. I have to tutor online at midnight tonight, so I am up for a while.

Yes, you read that correctly, midnight. I slept for two hours this afternoon in preparation. The online hours have been few and far between since the new semester began. I have a sneaking suspicion that it has a bit to do with the economy. I have been missing online hours for the past two weeks, so in an effort to be "gazelle intense," this week I just took what I could get, even if that meant midnight.

I plan to work my tail off until summer comes, and hopefully at that point our budget should be looking at some breathing room, and I will be ready to relax all summer since the kids will all be out of school. At least that is what I keep telling myself when I don't really feel like tutoring at, say, midnight on Sunday night. Yuck!

Anyway...back to the matter at hand. This weekend's grocery trip and the meal plan for the week. I shopped at Kroger and Publix, and I had some okay numbers. The savings were good, but I spent more than planned.

At Kroger I spent 47.00 (5 towards some highschoolers who were bagging groceries to raise money for their school), and I saved 62.53.

At Publix trip #1, I spent 18.40, and I saved 32.58. That was the trip that involved Ada standing up in the buggy, me playing tug of war with her for my grocery list and coupons, and the "car buggy" getting stuck on every single aisle. It was sort of a nightmare, so we cut the trip short.

At Publix trip #2, I spent 36.52, and I saved 54.86. Scott came with me this time, and he drove Ada in the car buggy in circles around the store while I shopped. On this trip, however, the cashier accused me of copying my Rite Aid coupon, wish really did a number on my pride.

So, that is 251.89 worth of groceries for 101.92. Not bad, right?

However, I wanted to stay under 50.00. I have a stocked freezer and pantry, though, so I am going to see how long I can go without going to the grocery store. It's to the point that I am running out of room to put things. It's hard for me to ignore the deals that are going on each week, but the whole point of stockpiling is to save money, so I am going to spend the next month relying heavily on the stockpile, and then I will begin to build it back up. I imagine there will be a few necessities that I need to buy each week, but I want to keep the grocery spending to a bare minimum. There are usually freebies each week, so I will take advantage of those. We'll call it the stockpile experiment. How long can I go without buying groceries?

Here's the plan for this week

Monday: 16 bean soup, cornbread
Tuesday: Chicken leg quarters, rice, and veggies in the crockpot
Wednesday: Chicken in vodka sauce over pasta
Thursday: leftovers or cereal--tutor/bible study night
Friday: frozen pizza
Saturday: pinto beans and sausage with rice
Sunday--most likely I am headed home for baby Andrew's birth!!!!!!!!! Woo-hoo...so exciting.

lunch--ham sandwiches, chips, fruit, leftovers
breakfast--fiber one bars, grits, waffles, fiber one pop-tarts

Our freezer is absolutely overflowing with chicken, so we are looking forward to when red meat of some kind goes on sale. We are becoming a bit chickened out, you could say.

Remember that you will find many more menus over at Organizing Junkie.

Helpful links

I will be back later today for a longer post about all the deals I will be taking advantage of this weekend. I have my list made, now I just need to coupon match. Until then, though, I wanted to pass along a few links to some good deals and helpful information.

The first link will take you to the fabulous "mommy and me" deal that is happening at Atlanta's aquarium. 20.00 pays for parking and admission for a mom and up to four children under age five. For more details, go here. I, for one, really want to take advantage of this deal. Any other moms want to join me?

The second link is to a blog I love, which matches Publix deals with both printable and newspaper coupons. It's my favorite resource for putting together my weekly Publix shopping trip. Here is where you will find this great blog.

And, finally, this is the 5.00 dinner blog. The mom of this blog makes dinner for her family every single night for less than 5.00. She includes the ingredient list and price breakdown.

Happy bargain shopping and budget living everyone!

Publix Wins, hands down

Here is my loot from today's trip to Publix. I paid 43.00 OOP. I saved 85.00 with sales and coupons combined!!!!!!!!! It really was a record day. My grocery cart was very full, and I did not have a calculator with me, so I was very nervous about the total. The total before coupons was 60-something, so I was already okay with that total (I only bought sale items), but then it dropped even lower after the cashier scanned my large stack of coupons. (I had a coupon for everything that you see above). The guy behind me was watching all of this take place, and he turned to his wife and said, "we need to start clipping coupons." I wanted to turn to him right then and there and give him a quick lesson on how to get started. I managed to refrain.

So, what you see above is this

4 cartons of chicken broth
2 cartons of beef broth
2 tombstone pizzas
2 Juicy Juices
2 bottles of Electrasol Dish Detergent
2 boxes of Kotex
6 bags of frozen veggies
4 boxes of cheerios
2 bags of chips
4 jars of Ragu
2 boxes of wheatable crackers
2 bottles of Lysol bathroom cleaner
6 boxes of whole grain Kraft mac and cheese

And, onto Kroger, which was sadly a bummer after the Publix trip.
Here's the list

2 boxes of brown sugar (.29 each)
2 boxes of confectioners sugar (.29 each)
1 pack of Pampers
1 pack of Luvs
1 gallon of milk
2 tubes of Pillsbury Biscuits
2 bags of dry beans
3 4-packs of Cottonelle (.49 each)
1 lb of ground beef
1 pack of chicken (BOGO)1 pack of Oscar Meyer deli chicken
1 pack of Keebler cookies (I have been craving cookies all week, so I threw them in the cart)

Okay, the total was a disappointing 47.42. I made several careless mistakes--I went overboard with the sale items, instead of purchasing what I needed for the week first (milk, ground beef, diapers, etc.), and then purchasing sale items based on how much was left in the budget. I also didn't pay close enough attention to the sales paper. I purchased the deli chicken, for example, because I thought it was on sale 2/4.00. Actually, that sale was only Thursday from noon-8pm. The deli chicken was actually over 4.00 for the pack. Compared to the prices I normally pay per item, that was quite expensive!! Anyway...I stayed under the 100.00 we budget per week, but my goal is to consistently stay near 50.00. I have stocked up enough that my grocery list mainly consists of sale items rather than need items, which allows the budget to stay low.

So, the numbers for Kroger just don't add up. The biggest savings seem to be at Publix. Here is the key to "playing the Publix game." My list consists 90% of BOGO items, and I always buy 4 copies of the Sunday paper. That way I am paying only one price for two items, but I am using two coupons to lower that one price. You follow me? Also, if I have four copies, when items I need go on sale, BOGO, I can stock up on four of that item at rock bottom prices. Stocking up is KEY to saving money. It has given me the freedom to only buy items when they are at rock bottom prices. Sales always run in cycles. So if you collect multiple copies of coupons, and stock up when items are at rock bottom, by the time you run out of the item, the sale cycles back around, and you can stock up again at rock bottom. I now plan meals solely based on what's in my pantry already and what is on sale that week.

For more money saving advice, check out Frugal Friday.

I'm feeling disloyal

As you all know, Kroger won my heart a long time ago. By doubling coupons and offering such great deals with the Kroger plus card (not to mention .10 off gasoline), I thought Kroger and I would be together forever.

Here's the thing. Lately, Publix is catching my eye. They are wooing me with there BOGO deals. And this week was the clincher. As I was making my grocery lists today for tomorrow's shopping trip, I realized that the Publix list was longer than the Kroger list. It looks like I am crossing over. Don't get me wrong. I am by no means breaking it off with Kroger completely, but I do think we have to take it down a notch. I need to make room in my life for Publix, after all.

p.s. Juicy Juice is back on sale BOGO. I mean, who wouldn't be won over by that?

Back to the daily grind

All of the following was written yesterday morning before I posted about CVS.

I have so much I want to post about Thanksgiving--all the fun had with family, the incredible excitement over CVS deals, and the mad house that Toys R Us was on Black Friday, but before all of that, I must, must, must figure out the meal plan for the week. Combining money spent on the trip home and Christmas shopping on Friday, it is crucial that I stick to the grocery budget this week. Scott and I travelled home late last night, while Ada slept soundly in the back seat. We finally stumbled into bed at 2 am this morning, and slept until the late hour of 8:30 am. He quickly got ready and took Ada to church, leaving me here in my pajamas recovering from that late night (and an icky stomach due to medication being accidentally left in McDonough).

So, I am in my favorite gray lounge pants and orange Auburn hoodie (War Eagle, anyway, I say. I believe in Auburn, and I love it despite the nightmare of last night's game), surrounded by coupons and sale papers, and I am about to recipe search. So here I am to menu plan for all the world to read.

Sunday night--crossing my fingers that we will have family photos this afternoon, but it is not looking good as it is currently cold and drizzly. I might scream. If we are out in the cold taking photos, I plan to have warm, cozy bean soup cooking in my BRAND NEW crockpot when we come home. And hopefully, once Ada is tucked into bed at 7:30, Scott and I will transform this living room into a winter wonderland AKA as yet one more thing for Ada to get in trouble for

yet again, the pictures did not happen due to rain. It's becoming quite ridiculous. We are now scheduled for Friday at 4. I am not counting on anything, though.

so, tonight--Bean soup, cornbread

Monday--pork tenderloin (from the freezer), rice, veggies (all things I already have on hand)

Tuesday--chicken spaghetti, salad, bread (I will be using shredded cheese instead of velveeta. Also, I already have chicken breasts, spaghetti, and the cream soups)

Wednesday--chicken enchiladas, spanish rice (thanks Lindsay!!)

Thursday--corn chowder, corn bread or biscuits

Lunches--leftovers, pb&j and chips, stouffer's pizza (BOGO at Publix), slow cooked beans

Breakfast--peanut butter toast, Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies (BOGO at Publix), eggs (.99 from 12-8 on 12/4 at Kroger)

snacks--popcorn (BOGO at Publix), pears

I spent a total of 64.00 on groceries, and I shopped at Kroger, Publix, and Walgreens. I also spent 21.00 at CVS earlier in the week, so that came from this week's budget. So, 85.00 dollars, which I am fine with because we budget 100.00.

I won't go into the nitty gritty of what I bought, but I will share a few numbers. I spent 26.80 at Publix, and I saved 38.86. Not bad!! I spent 36.76 at Kroger, and I saved 23.13. And at Walgreens--well, I don't have the receipt--but I bought two bottles of All detergent for 1.79 each, minus coupons on each. I think my total was around 3.00, and normally one bottle of detergent costs about 3.00 (the bottles were small), so a 50% savings. I was pleased with the day's savings.

As always, check out Organizing Junkie for more meal ideas.

And I will leave you with a picture of this little stinker from Thanksgiving day, when miracle of all miracles she kept her bow in for an extended period of time.