Meal Planning

Monday: Lunch:  Left over Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan  Dinner: Baked Teriyaki Chicken DessertBlack Bean Brownies-I cooked black beans in the crockpot on high for 4 hours and they turned out great!

Tuesday: Lunch:  Leftover Chicken  Dinner: Pickup Subs on our way home.  If not possible then soup and bread at home.

Wednesday: Since we might be at home due to the snow.  Lunch:   Dinner: Breakfast dinner

Thursday: LunchDinner: Tysons chicken strips

Friday: LunchDinner: Something mexican?

Saturday:  Lunch Dinner Not sure yet on the plans

Sunday: Lunch Dinner Not sure yet on the plans

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Snow! Snow! and no Internet?

Thanks to my wonderful husband two years ago deciding we should have a generator.  He put one together and of course during this storm we haven’t had to use it. Thank heavens!

However to our surprise we lost our cable which is also our internet connection.  I can survive without the television (even though we had TIVO recordings) but without the internet it is shocking to the system!  I have my new fancy cell phone which helped a lot but I was still missing features that I can only get from my laptop and the internet.  Who knew we rely so much on it?  How did we live without it?

I’m back and ready to post.  Will be home tomorrow with the little one.  We had over 20 inches of snow and it is excepted to snow again on Tuesday?  Wow!  What a winter!

I hope to maybe go to Rite Aid this week because I’m interested in doing the P&G deal and use my Fall Gift of Savings certificate.  Any suggestions?

FREE Visa Reward Card After Rebate
P&G

Purchase Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) Worth of Any Variety for a $5.00 VISA Reward Card OR
Purchase Fifty Dollars ($50.00) Worth of Any Variety for a $15.00 VISA Reward Card OR
Purchase One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) Worth of Any Variety for a $35.00 VISA Reward Card:
• P&G Products Brands
include: Always, Aussie, Bounce, Bounty, Braun, Cascade, Charmin, Cheer, Clairol, Clear Blue, Cover Girl, Daily Definitions, Daisy Razors, Dawn, Downy, Dreft, Duracell, Era, Fibersure, Fixodent, Gain, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Infusium, Ivory, Joy, Luvs, Max Factor, Metamucil, Mr Clean, Oil of Olay, Olay, Old Spice, Oral B, Pampers, Pantene, Pepto Bismol, Prilosec OTC, Pringles, Puffs, Safeguard, Scope, Secret, Swiffer, Tag, Tampax, Tide, Vapo Steam, Vaporub, Venus, Vicks (excludes Vicks Vaporizer), Vitality, Wetjet Cleaner, Zest, Zooth.
Offer valid 01/15/10 – 02/11/10 in select California stores and 01/17/10 – 02/13/10 in all other stores.
LIMIT ONE (1) REBATE
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Big Lots Shopping Trip 1/31/2010

I’m a huge Big Lots fan!  I’ve mentioned this before but I’ll say it again.  I love Big Lots.  Before I got into using coupons I would go to Big Lots on a regular basis.  If you decide you don’t want to use coupons I strongly suggest shopping at Big Lots as a great way to save.

Now, I will admit my family and I went a little over board!   We were so excited to use the 20% off the entire purchase spent much more then I had planned.  It happens to the best of us.

The best part about Big Lots and their 20% coupons is they apply to EVERYTHING in the store!  So if you want to buy furniture, software, games, TVs, electronics, or diapers you can with this coupon!

My husband pointed out that one of my wishes was to buy a Cricut machine.  They are expensive!  I love scrapbooking as another hobby of mine but admit that this is a luxury and cool item!   With the coupon it came to $103!   Not bad!  I also picked up 2 cartridges for $24 each.

Here is a picture of all of the things we bought.  I will definitely consider this my weekly grocery shopping and then some.  I went a little over the $40 weekly budget.  Included we also bought some clothes, socks and a chair for my daughter.

Other good deals when using the 20% coupon.

Garbanzo beans $1.00 after coupon $.80 a can

Albacore Tuna $1.00 after coupon $.80 a can

4 – Pasta Sauce $1.50 after coupon $1.20 a jar

Men’s Polo’s $4.00 after coupon $3.20 each

Calgon Water Softener 64 oz $4.00 after coupon $3.20

Hanes 6 pk socks $4.00 after coupon $3.20

2 – 7 pack Infant Socks $4.00 after coupon $3.20 each

Note:  I buy a lot of socks!  New Moms out there make sure you buy lots of socks!  My daughter loves socks so much she carrys them around with her.  I’m not kidding!  The cool thing I learned is the “in” thing now is for girls to wear mis-matched socks!  We went to Disney and found a store that sold these type of socks for $4 a sock (not pair)!   Crazy!  Buying them at Big Lots or other discount places is the way to do it.

4 – Mr. Clean 2 pk Wiping Cloths $1.00 after coupon $.80 each package

Note: I’m crazy about these cleaning cloths!  To eliminate using as many paper towels around the kitchen I found these Mr. Clean Wiping Cloths to be the best replacement!  I found them a month ago and I’m so happy with them.  Using this coupon it costs $.40 each and they last.  It says it can be washed in the washer about 100 times?  I use it to clean the dishes and counters.  The best part it can capture crumbs with ease! Then it drys quickly unlike sponges.  I love them!   Thanks to MoneyWiseMom’s suggestion to use White Wash cloths. I use tan washcloths so after dinner we clean up the baby’s hands and mouth and then her highchair.  I usually put it in a plastic bag near the exit of the kitchen and eventually take it to the laundry room to get cleaned.

3 – Sparkling Cide $2.00 after coupon $1.60 each

2 – Fiddle Faddle $1.00 after coupon $.80 each

Corn $.65 after coupon $.52 each

2 – Huge Jars of Natural Applesauce $3.00 after coupon $2.40 each

4GB SDHC Memory Card $12.00 after coupon $9.60

Note:  This is a very good price.

A lot more food but way to much to type!

Total Discount $72.88

You might note that after all of that I spent quite a bit!

Total:  $303.98

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Victoria Secret Outlet – Amazing deals – $14.99 bras and $1.50 panties

When my family and I went on vacation a couple weeks ago, we hit a couple outlets including the Prime Outlets in Orlando, Florida so if you live or visit near there I highly recommend going.

They currently are offering ALL bras at $14.99 and ALL panties at $1.50 (10 for $15) in addition Sports bras are $9.99 and night wear are all $9.99 each.  I’m not sure how long this is going on at their outlet stores but they had a huge inventory so it seems to me that it would be available for sometime.

Good news is for the NOVA area that we will be getting a Victoria Secret outlet soon at Potomac Mills!

Here is a list of items I found to be great deals, I admit I snagged quite a few.

All of these are $14.99 at the outlet!  These bras are usually $45 or more.  Wow!  That is a 66% off to 82% off!  Selection varies of course but this is what I found.

The Perfect One Bra

IPEX

BioFit

Very Sexy

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Shoppers Food Warehouse – Triple and Double Coupons possible for Bull Run Plaza 2/11/10-2/17/10

Thanks to Laura from Frugal Friends for posting this:

UPDATE: I just spoke with a manager the evening of 2/4/10 at the Bull Run Plaza store and he said that he *thought* the Triple/Double promotion is scheduled to also take place the following week 2/11/10 – 2/17/10. I wouldn’t say that this is definitely going to happen again next week (he didn’t give an affirmative on that), but that the manager said he thought it would, so it is possible. Time will tell if he is right.

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Shoppers Food Warehouse Deals- 2/4/10-2/10/10 – Triple and Double coupons! Up to $.50 at select stores this week ONLY!

Thanks to Laura from FrugalFriends.wordpress.com -

3 Northern VA & 2 MD Shoppers Food locations are doing a special Triple/Double Coupon Promotion this week (2/4/10 – 2/10/10).
Those stores include:

  • Centre Ridge store located in Centreville, VA
  • Bull Run Plaza store in Manassas, VA
  • Sugarland Crossing store in Sterling, VA
  • Freedom Village store in Sykesville, MD
  • Westminster store in Westminster, MD

Manufacturer coupons up to and including $0.50 will be tripled; manufacturer coupons from $0.51 up to and including $1.00 will be doubled. No limit on the number of coupons you use per transaction/day. For more information read my original post here.

UPDATE: Check out my updated Coupon Match-up Spreadsheet. Click here for the version sorted by insert date. Click here to view version sorted by final price.

Some good in-ad coupons this week – make sure you pick up the circular and in store circular.
The In-Ad coupons – all expire 2/10. They are manufacturer’s coupons, not store coupons. NOT stackable.

Tribe Natural Hummus has an internet printable coupon for $0.55 off here: http://www.tribehummus.com/coupon.html = $1.89 each!  Thanks to Laura from FrugalFriends!

$1.50 / 2 Kraft salad dressings = $1.38 each
$1 / 2 Kraft Singles = 2 for $3
$1 . 2 Kraft shredded cheese = 2 for $4
$2 / 3 bags Pepperidge Farm Goldfish = $1 a bag
$1.50 / 1 Kraft Mayo or Miracle Whip
$1 / 1 Maxwell House $5.99
Pepsi 12 packs 4 for $10
Johnsonville bratwurst, smoked or ground sausge, or breakfast links 4 for $10
$1 / 2 Oscar Meyer meat or beef franks
$1 / 2 Oscar Meyer bacon – $3.49 each
$1 / 2 Planter’s peanuts
$2 / 2 ore Idea potato bags
$1 / 2 Kraft Cracker Barrel cheese

and in the in-store ad:

$3 off any Huggies Big Packs

Breyer’s Ice Cream $3
Red Baron Pizza $4 $1 / 1 from 12/06/2009 SS = $3
Nabisco crackers $2 $2 / 2 printable Print Your Coupon = 2 for $2
Ball Park Franks $1.89 .75 / 2 from 01/10/2010 RP = 2 for 2.28
Pace picante sauce $2 .40 / 2 from 01/31/2010 SS = 2 for $3.20
Orville Redenbacker popcorn $1.77 $1 / 2 from 01/24/2010 SS = 2 for 2.54
Season All $2.99 $1 / 1 from last month’s coupons.com = $1.99
Kraft parmesan cheese $3.79 $1 / 1 printable super valu= $2.79
Philadelphia cream cheese bricks $1.25 $1 / 1 printable super valu = .25 each
Daisy sour cream $1.99 .60 / 1 from 12/13/2009 SS = .79
Velveeta $3.49 $1 / 1 printable Print Your Coupon = $2.49
Fast Fixins Chicken strips ( frozen ) $5.99 .75 / 1 from December All You = $4.49
Tribe hummus $2.99
Butterball turkey breast lunch meat $2.99 .75 / 1 from 01/10/2010 SS = $1.49
Kings Hawaiian bread $3.29 $1 / 1 from 12/13/2009 SS = $2.29

Thanks to WeUseCoupons.com!

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I got my Newspaper early!

This morning when my daughter and I were playing around the house I looked outside wondering if the snow would fall and to my surprise I got my Sunday Coupon inserts early!  I got our shoes on and we walked outside to get it.  My daughter was so excited to go outside she wasn’t interested in coming back in.  Took some persuasion to get her back in the house.

I’m so excited because my newspaper delivery person didn’t deliver the coupon comic insert section last weekend I believe because of the snow fall that we had.  I definately forwarded that complaint.  Now, I will forward a complement since this is before the snow fall.  It makes me think I might keep my newspaper service after all.

They recently wrote this in an email to Sunday subscribers:

Washington Post – Home delivery prices are going up to $1.85 for the Sunday edition, but with this limited time offer you can lock in your savings and get all 7 days of the newspaper for just $1.99 per week. That’s 69% off the newsstand prices!

I got the following 4 inserts!

  • Red Plum
  • Smart Source
  • P&G brand Saver
  • General Mills

They have several B1g1 coupons in the P&G brand Saver expire 3/31/2010.

Free Olay Quench Body Lotion when you buy any Olay Pro-X product

Free Secret Deodorant when you buy any Olay Pro-X product

Free Olay Body Wash when you buy any Venus Embrace or Venus Breeze Razor

Free Covergirl face product when you buy any Covergirl face product

Free Herbal Essences styling product when you buy an Herbal Essences shampoo, conditioner, or styling product

B1G1 Buy any one Gillette Anti-Perspirant/Deordant Get 1 Geillette Body Wash FREE

Buy 2 Vicks products and get 1 Puffs FREE

Buy any swiffer starter kit get one free refill

Buy any 1 Febreeze Flameless Luminary Starter kit get 1 Febreeze Flameless Luminary Refill Free

Buy 1 Get 1 Free Buy 1 tide detergent 75oz or larger, get 1 free tide stain release 10ct-18ct duo pac, 20-36oz liquid, 14-26oz powder or any “limited time offer” pack

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How to Defrost Chicken

I’m spending the day with my daughter today inside since it is snowing!  We’re trying to relax but that’s not easy when she wants to run around.   Right now she is napping and I’m taking a break!

She wasn’t interested in playing when I was preparing the crockpot for the  Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan,  it took several attempts at distracting her in order to defrost the chicken and get all of the ingredients  into the pot.   I found a great tip on how to defrost chicken without making it rubbery.

Tip: Check it out HERE! This is for one chicken breast.

Put it on a piece of foil while you heat your oven to 200 degrees. When it reaches 200, turn off the heat, throw the chicken and foil in the oven, and wait twenty minutes. This will thaw your chicken without cooking it, or creating those tough, over-cooked bits that you get from microwave defrosting.

I was defrosting 4 very large chicken breasts that were in the original packaging so this is what I did.

1.  Heat the oven to 200 degrees and leave it on.

2. Take a cookie sheet and put foil on it.

3.  Place chicken on the foil and then place another piece of foil on top of that.

4. Put it in the oven on the bottom rack.

5.  Since these were very large chicken breasts I gave them 20 minutes and then flipped them over and gave them another 10 minutes.  There were only a few parts that were still frozen!  I then continued with my recipe.

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Menu Planning

Organizing Junkie

I’ve been thinking more and more about my goals for this year, besides 2010 Financial Challenge goals there are several organizational goals I would like to achieve.

One of them is to start menu planning!   I’ve been reading about Monday Menu planning from so many bloggers that lead me to - I’m an Organizing Junkie.

I know it is late in the week but we have a big snow storm coming to the Washington D.C. area so I thought I need to meal plan for this weekend and it is a perfect excuse to start meal planning.  Here it goes:

Thursday: Lunch:  Leftover Soup & Potato Fries  Dinner:  Papa John’s Pizza  (Hubby asked for a treat!)

Friday: Lunch: Trader’s Joe’s French Onion Soup and Leftover Soup  Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan and Homemade Bread in Bread Machine

Saturday: LunchTuna Sandwiches Dinner: Spinach Pie

Sunday: Lunch: Frozen Pizza  Dinner: Bean Dip or Salsa with Homemade Bread in Bread Machine;  Meatballs from freezer in Slow Cooker

Monday: Lunch:  Left over Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan  Dinner: Baked Teriyaki Chicken

This weekend I will start planning for next week and re-post it on Monday.

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Bottom Dollar Food – 2/3/10-2/9/10

Make sure you enroll in the Bottom Dollar Food Member Card program.  You can sign-up in the store or sign-up online and get the temp. card instantly. They will mail you a card in a week.   Here is Bottom Dollar’s Coupon Policy.

“Our 2010 calendars are in with $120 in coupons Get Yours today!”- 2010 Calendar for $8.98!  – $10 off a $40  Get yours today!

Don’t forget to use your February coupon – $10 off a $40 purchase – expires 2/28/10!

BAKERY

Food Lion Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns – 2 FOR $2 (valid until 02/09)

French Hoagie Rolls White or Wheat – $1.99 (valid until 02/09)

BEVERAGES

Barefoot – $9.77 (valid until 02/09)

Bud Light, Miller Lite or Coors – $13.44 EA. (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Cranberry Juice Cocktail – $2.88 (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Hot Cocoa Mix – 95¢ (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Orange Juice – $1.77 (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Purified Drinking Water – $2.87 (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Seltzer, Club Soda or Tonic Water – 58¢ (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Sodas – $2.18 (valid until 02/09)

Heineken – $11.95 (valid until 02/09)

Nestlé Pure Life Water – 87¢ (valid until 02/09)

Pepsi Products – $2.38 EA. (valid until 02/09)

Smart Option Soda – 95¢ (valid until 02/09)

Sunny D – $2.17 (valid until 02/09)

CANNED & PACKAGED

Armour Corned Beef Hash – $1.66 (valid until 02/09)

CONDIMENT & SAUCES

Food Lion Marinades – $1.88 (valid until 02/09)

CONDIMENT & SAUCES cont.

Kraft BBQ Sauce – 2 FOR $2 (valid until 02/09)

DAIRY

Food Lion Butter Quarters – $1.87 (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion French Onion Dip – 2 FOR $2 (valid until 02/09)

Kraft Shredded or Chunk Cheese – $1.87 (valid until 02/09)

DELI

Food Lion Deli Salads – $1.69 (valid until 02/09)

FROZEN

Food Lion Chicken Snack Wings – $3.97 EA. (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Ice Cream – $4.97 (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Lasagna – $9.97 (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Meatballs – $1.97 (valid until 02/09)

TombStone Pizza – 2 FOR $5 (valid until 02/09)

Tyson Chicken Wings – $10.48 (valid until 02/09)

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Healthy Accents Hand Sanitizer – $1.59 (valid until 02/09)

Healthy Accents Mouth Rinse – $2.88 (valid until 02/09)

INGREDIENTS

Food Lion Evaporated Milk – 99¢ (valid until 02/09)

MEAT & SEAFOOD

73% Lean Ground Beef – $2.29 LB. (valid until 02/09)

NEW PAGE

MEAT & SEAFOOD cont.

Ball Park Meat or Beef Franks – BUY 1 GET 1 FREE (valid until 02/09)

Bar-S Bologna – 87¢ (valid until 02/09)

Boneless Sirloin Pork Chops – $2.47 LB. (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Imitation Crabmeat – $1.77 (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Peel & Eat Cooked Shrimp – $4.97 EA. (valid until 02/09)

Hillshire Farm Cocktail Smokies – $1.87 (valid until 02/09)

Pork Back Ribs – $3.47 LB. (valid until 02/09)

Pork Spare-Ribs – $1.27 LB. (valid until 02/09)

Sea Best Tilapia Fillets – $2.19 LB. (valid until 02/09)

Semi Boneless Ribeye Steak – $3.88 LB. (valid until 02/09)

Sirloin Tip Roast or Value Pack Steak – $3.28 LB. (valid until 02/09)

Split Chicken Breasts – 99¢ LB. (valid until 02/09)

PAPER & PLASTICS

Bounty Napkins – $3.28 (valid until 02/09)

Home 360 Party Cups – $3.19 (valid until 02/09)

Reynolds Wrap – $3.67 (valid until 02/09)

Smart Option Bath Tissue – $2.38 (valid until 02/09)

Smart Option Paper Towels – $1.77 EA. (valid until 02/09)

PASTA, SAUCES, GRAIN

Pillsbury Idaho Spuds – $2.77 (valid until 02/09)

PET SHOP

Smart Option Cat Litter – $3.77 (valid until 02/09)

PRODUCE

Celery – $1.79 EA. (valid until 02/09)

Gala Apples – $2.47 (valid until 02/09)

Hass Avocados – 75¢ EA. (valid until 02/09)

Large Vegetable Tray – $6.98 EA. (valid until 02/09)

Peeled Baby Carrots – $2.89 (valid until 02/09)

SNACKS

Food Lion Microwave Popcorn – $2.68 (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Mixed Nuts – $3.18 (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Snack Mix – $1.68 (valid until 02/09)

Food Lion Tortilla Chips – 2 FOR $3 (valid until 02/09)

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats – $2.57 (valid until 02/09)

Lay’s Chips – $1.88 EA. (valid until 02/09)

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