I am so Glad I Began CVSing When I Did!

The second week of CVS sales and ECB deals were way more confusing to me than the first week! If I had started this week I think I may have become a bit discouraged. I had a good time saving on milk and diapers my first week playing this game. I am going to be studying and looking and figuring so that I can LOVE CVSing this week too!

(Be sure to check out the new button on the side of my blog if you think you may want to start or continue CVSing as well...)

I studied, I asked, and I am in love!! I have a small stockpile of toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, and body wash. I am still using all my Extra Care Bucks at the end of my trip, so I haven't mastered the whole rolling Bucks from week to week....but I am still getting things we use, for less than I would have if I bought them as I needed them. Bringing home over 40 items for under $40 is an amazing feeling...especially when milk, diapers, and allergy medicine are among the item I bring home!

I had someone say to me that they don't play the Drugstore Game because the drugstores do not have things that they use. Ok, I thought this, too. In the beginning. Until I took some time, sat down with the paper, and looked. I don't wear a lot of make-up...so when there is an Extra Buck deal with make up, I just turn the page! But I use toilet paper, and can I just say that I have noticed that the name brand (bought on sale, with a coupon, and earned Extra Care Bucks) has lasted a lot longer than the cheap-o toilet paper that I use to buy when we were desperate?!

My challenge to you...locate a drug store near your house...scan their sale paper, grab some coupons, check out the internet...and jump in. Why spend more on anything than you have to??? I think you will be surprised at what you have been missing! I have name brand items in my house! Who knew?!

CVS Tips

• CVS has a coupon machine near the door...scan your card and a coupon will printout. I received a $5 off $25 purchase...which I will save (at least until 3/8/11, when it expires). What I was not aware of at the time...you can keep scanning your card until the screen says that you have gotten all your coupons...DOH! I will return and keep scanning...hopefully I can get even more savings next week!
• One of coupons I got from the machine was a $1.00 Kellogg's cereal. I will use cereal as a snack at times...and CVS has cereal single servings for $1.00. Guess what I did!? I used the coupons to get some single serve cereals for the girls...for free! What a great idea! Use the large coupons that do not specify a size and get the smaller/cheaper size for MORE savings...who knew! I am always looking for more ways to save...and Baby Girl likes the "treat".
• Coke was on sale 3/$3...for 2 liters...and if you spent $15 you got back $5 ECB...I couldn't decide how to make $15 with the items that were included...until I saw someone say that they were going to get 15 2 liters. At first, I was "what??? 15 2 liters? That is insane!" But second thought, we drink Coke and we pay more than $1...so why not stock up? I stock up on milk, why not? Savings are savings!!!

CVS Winnings!!

I was getting ready to start playing the Drug Store Game...

I did my research...

I read the "rules"...
I picked CVS as my drug store of choice. (The main reason was that I have one close by, and another reason was it seemed like I understood their program the best, their website answers a lot of questions)

I armed myself with my reusable bags (You can purchase a "Green Tag" that they will scan for you on each trip and on the 4th trip you get $1 in Extra Bucks), my sale flyer, and my price notebook (I have been keeping a running list of the price of the items I purchase the most...and where I purchased it...that way I can keep up with what is a good deal and what is not on any sales I may come across in my shopping).

I enter CVS and fill out the form for a CVS rewards card..and I hit the aisles.

I purchased:

• pack of diapers - on sale for $8.99 with $2 extra bucks
• small pack of Mini Cadbury Eggs - on sale for $0.75 with $0.75 extra bucks
• I planned to get the Colgate toothpaste, but it was out so I got a raincheck for 2...they were on sale for $2.99 with $2.00 extra bucks....the raincheck doesn't expire!!
• I also got 2 cans of Tuna for $0.88 each.

I had no coupons this time so my total was around $13.00 and I had $2.75 in Extra Bucks

My 2nd transaction was:

• 1 gallon Barber's Milk on sale for $3.19 minus my Extra Bucks from the previous transaction.

Now, if you are new to this, please remain seated... I got my gallon of milk for $0.70 TAX INCLUDED!!!!

I am sold and I will be eagerly waiting for next weeks sale paper. I know there are folks out there that get as many Extra Bucks as they can find, on as many items as possible, and whatnot...but I am happy with my 1st trip and I am happy with the diapers and milk for under $15 dollars...plus the other odds and ends...let me know about your trip to the store???

Coupon Game

For the past 2 years I have been mainly shopping at Wal-store....due to being pregnant and tired I stuck with one store. Then having an infant drinking formula and wearing diapers that I found at a cheaper price by going with the store brand...I didn't want to look at store fliers and do much price comparing from store to store...Now I did compare prices from store to store when Baby Girl was a baby (and even before children). Baby Girl was a better shopper that Gator...going to more than one store during a shopping trip was not near the pain that I think it may be now...

I have been studying the rules for the Drug Store Game...and I think now that formula is off our grocery list, I am going to jump back onto the coupon bandwagon....In my studying I have found this website...it is really good...lots and lots of great ideas...remember start small. Her website and blog is amazing, but I feel small compared to all the information that she has there.

I have decided to start with CVS...some of the reasons being is that it is the only drug store less than 30 miles from our house. I have read the flyer this week, and I have made my list, I will look for coupons in the Sunday Paper, and I will be ready to hit the store. Right now, without coupons, I am looking at getting about $16 worth of items...including diapers...and earning back about $8 in Extra Bucks...I am excited just thinking about it!

Then step two will be to take those Extra Bucks and get some more items on sale...I can't wait. I have heard the best way to start this coupon thing is to

1. Pick one grocery store and one drug store
2. stick with it for about 3 months before deciding if it is for you
3. make a system work for you, not the other way....envelopes, binders...you know you best

Well, I am off to find some coupons and start this adventure...

Let me know, do you play the game? How do you play? Got any extra tips for others?

How We Eat and Shop on a Tight Budget

The past few weeks we have been on an even tighter food budget than ever...due to less income thanks to the snow storms. We have depleted our frozen meat selection and continue to eat mainly fresh or frozen veggies. So, with virtually no money to spend ,what have we been eating?? Not Ramen Noodles as you may be thinking...we have eaten some really yummy and tasty meals!

Breakfast continues to be either oatmeal, eggs, pancakes, or yogurt. I buy the plain Quick Oats and microwave as needed...adding extract or cinnamon or Sprinkles to ad taste and variety. Eggs, I buy in 18 or larger packs...and I microwave in one-cup prep bowls-cup prep bowls...I cut in the bowl and wa-la I have easy scrambled eggs. I sometimes sneak in some baby rice cereal for added nutrition. Pancakes are my most labor intensive meal...I buy the just add water mix from the Wal-store..their brand. I make about 8 pancakes at a time and the girls will eat them all...any leftovers get a layer of peanut butter as a snack later in the day. Of course, I keep yogurt, bought in the large container on hand...sometimes plain, sometimes vanilla, sometimes peach...if its plain I add fruit or flavors depending on what I have on hand.

Lunch is either leftovers, or cheese and deli meat, or yogurt or PBJ. Sometimes grilled cheese. Baby Girl eats lunch while Gator is napping. Gator eats when she gets up. Gator usually has veggies...either ones that I have steamed and frozen at an earlier time...or straight from the frozen veggie bag.

Yes, That is broccoli...and she asks for it...begs for it!!

Supper has been Spinach and Cheese Manicotti, Chili Mac, Beef Fried Rice, Moroccan Stew, Chili, Chicken Cacatorri, Shepherd's Pie, Pronto Pasta and Sausage, Turkey Tetrazzini...wow! Hubby has been happy and full...Baby Girl says during every meal...Mama this supper is dood (good)!

I have been taking inventory of freezer and pantry first. Then I grab a cookbook...I find 4-5 recipes that have most of the items already in my freezer or pantry. Then I list the rest of the items that I need...and I don't look and look and look. I open the cookbook and the first recipe that I have the majority of the items I write down and move on to the next...don't make this step hard. I also place a maker in the cookbook so next week I can easily find the recipe that goes with the ingredients.

I made a large batch of chicken broth a few weeks ago with some chicken I found on sale...so I won't need to buy any for awhile...and we had Chicken Caccatorri with the chicken that night. I bought all the veggies I needed in the freezer section (way cheaper than in individual cans...and seems to be lasting longer) During the spring/summer, I like to buy fresh and freeze for later.

I try to only buy meat that has the markdown due to sell-by date...I freeze large packs of meats into smaller bags when I get home...that way I can pull out what I need as I need it...and this is also why I meal plan with what is in the freezer. It is hard for me to watch the sale fliers...and if I only buy markdown meat...I don't know what they will have before hand.

I only take cash to the store...and lately it has been $20-$30...I keep a running tally of the items in my cart..i.e. I grab milk and put in cart...I mark milk off the list...and I add 4 tally marks to the total tally on the side of my list. (I try to round everything up to account for tax) Once I get the items that we HAVE to have...milk, diapers...then I go to the next most needed items, etc until I hit my total that I have in hand. Then we head to the check out...even if there are items left on the list...this is also why I get the MOST IMPORTANT items first!

It takes me a little more time, because I do tend to zig zag the store. I only go to the items that I need and are on our list. No cruising the aisles....go right to what we need and move on...

So, maybe the recipe calls for pork...but I have beef...I'll swap. Maybe the recipe calls for peas and carrots...I may only have one or the other...I leave one out....I do make those adjustments as the week progresses...but this is what has been working for us.

Today I am working near and Aldi...and we NEED milk...I am going to venture into the store I have been wanting to go to forever to try to save more money...the closet Aldi is 30 miles from our house, so it is not a usual suspect on our errands route. I am all about saving money, but gas is high too...so while I may pay a little more for my milk...I save on the gas...adjustments have to be made!!

How do you save? Meal plan? Budget? Any tips to share?

Yummy Yogurt

My girls eat really well. They love yogurt. All flavors, all kinds. This makes me happy. My kids can eat gallons of the stuff. At about $4 for a "large" container of yogurt, this can get costly.

Last summer I can across a post on one of my favorite blogs about making your own yogurt. I thought, wouldn't that be great??? Then the doubter in me worried about would it really save me any cash, or would it just be another thing that I add to my day with no good things as an outcome??

Well, that was last summer. I have had to compromise on yogurt purchases...some weeks we can, some weeks we can't. Have I mentioned how tight money is in our house??

I came across the yogurt thought again, and I did more searching online...one of my favorite past times...(what did I do before search engines??) And I found a crock pot blog, and there was a yogurt recipe you make in your crock pot...yes, I am listening (reading) and well, at the end of her post she had a breakdown of the savings in her area and her costs!

So, in yet another attempt at saving money, I am going to attempt to make my own yogurt. And I will let you know how it all comes out!!! (Soon I hope)

What have you done to impact your budget/save some cash?

(Another thought was to look into making our own pasta, but really, at about $1 a box, I can't ok the thought to ferment in my mind, yet)

More Grocery Winnings

As mentioned earlier in my blog, we had some snow here in the south...and we were unable to get out of our driveway...so dear hubby was unable to get to work. We live on hubby's overtime...so not getting to work led to no overtime, I had no income that week as well...well, as you can imagine...it has led us into a very very very very tight budget (which we usually only have to deal with during the summer...when I work little to none) However, Mother Hubbard opened the cupboard and well...not much.

**Cheap Plug** I grabbed  a recipe card collection that brags about $2 servings...I took a quick inventory of what was in the fridge and the cabinet (which was REALLY quick). I grabbed the shopping list from the recipe card collection...again didn't take long...and took $50...and off the the store we went...after some compromising on chicken breasts, finding zero deals on meat, and skipping the fresh produce for frozen (yikes, I had just gotten really good at perimeter shopping!!)...I was out of the store with enough food for at least the next week,..and real food (well, frozen veggies)...and I got diapers!! Yeah me!

Had any great moments of savings?

Food Budget, Oxymoron?

For months, ok years, we have been trying hard to lower the amount of money we spend...on everything. Who isn't???

I have been focusing on trying to deal with the food bill. Step one - We stopped eating out at sit down resturants. Step two - then we stopped eating as much fast food. Now it is a rare treat (though I tend to pay for it in more ways than just with money)

When you "give up" eating out, you have other options - not eating or cooking. Ok, so not eating is really not an option I'd choose. I love food!! It's yummy!!! I have always enjoyed cooking. So I began focusing on finding the cheaper convinence foods. I only had a few recipes that I knew well and could get ready in a short amount of time. I was still spending more than I would have liked on food and only getting a few bags of groceries, not exactly the plan. I took to the internet for help. I have been trying all sorts of tips that I have come across. Keeping the ideas that work for me and tossing the ones that don't.

Some of the ideas that I have tried are:

• shop only the perimeter of the store (produce, dairy, meat)
• cook from scratch
• have a meatless night
• have a leftover night
• take inventory
• meal plan
• keep the kitchen clean (surpresses the urge to throw in the towel and go out to eat)
• keep a food price diary
• coupons
• price match
• use it, don't toss it

These are just a few of the ideas that I have been trying or tossing...you'll have to keep checking in to see the outcomes and more ideas.

What are some things you do in your kitchen to cut down on food costs??