Target Trip

My Target Trip yesterday using all target printables except for one $0.50 Nexcare coupon. $14.63 was my total and I used a giftcard for all of it, yay!

Items bought(prices after coupon if used/known):
1 pair womens' Mossimo jeans $1.98
1 pair toddler jeans $3.60
pillow $0.50
Nexcare bandages
Bread and eggs $1.69 for both
Huge package up and up baby wipes $3.64
Orbitz gum on clearance ($.46 X 2--for our big roadie to Indiana)
Animal crackers in house shaped box $.24 each, also for big roadie
Sharpies X 2 free!
Papermate pens X2 $0.04 total!
Up and Up feminine liners

Total $14.63

Bargains this week

$0.38/lb bananas and Free Chocolate Silk Soymilk from Martin's Marketplace.

Albertson's: free lunchables, free garden ronzoni and cheap whole wheat pasta ($0.50 after coupon). I was glad I didn't wait to get a few until doubles came because the store was wiped out on Monday. I got a rain check so I'll get 10 more eventually (we use 1-2 boxes of pasta a week). The French's honey mustard was on markdown for $1.00 and I had $0.75 off coupons. The balloons and streamers were $0.50 on clearance and used for Liv's 2nd birthday yesterday!

Weekly Shopping Trip (loves me some bargains!)

Fred Meyer $21.64

Founders Day is awesome! I printed up and clipped a few coupons and went yesterday and was glad I did. Lots of stuff that was out of stock when my mom went earlier in the week was back in (Skippy PB, Tillamook, etc.). My favorite deal was the Mom's best cereal for $0.25/box after coupon (I used two computers and printed 5 total). Other great deals: free Neutrogena facial soap using instore hanging coupon, Kettle Tias for $1.17 each (bought 4) after coupon, Knudsen Just Cherry Juice for $1.54 after coupon, cheap Tillamook cheese and yogurt and Luna Bars. Also got whole wheat pastry flour for baking since we're out: full price :(.

Rite Aid: $3.70

Notice the try me free on the Smart Start!

39 weeks, 5 days

Today was a busy day for me and the girls. I had hoped that people were right when they said that if you make a lot of plans, baby will come that day. Nope. I took the girls to the store (Safeway for $0.99 pineapple, organic tofu: $0.50 after coupon found in store-see picture below), and marked down natural ground beef), to Ladies' Bible study and then to a friends' house to play. This afternoon I went to an hour long "aqua zumba" class at the Y (my favorite, so fun!)

So, we wait. Somehow I've pulled something in my inner leg, so many movements are painful, which is going to be a bit of bummer when in labor (if it happens soon). Meanwhile, here are some pictures of my shopping trips. I am buying small quantities of things I find good deals so that we don't have a ton of food leftover when baby comes!

Albertson's on the last day of double coupons: total $2.49 (the juices were both on markdown bonus buy).

39 weeks, 2 days

I thought last night might be it because Liv woke up with a horrible cough (and then proceeded to throw up). I guess I have an odd sense of when its all going to happen...thinking that it will be at the worst possible time (after a night of no sleep for example). I know that's not necessarily the case, but am trying to imagine worst case scenario just in case:). But no baby, so the wait continues. And after a rough night, Liv is doing okay. Seems to be just a cold with a noisy cough. I have my 39 week midwife appointment in Seattle today. The drive is not my favorite, but its nice to listen to music and have some time to think on the way over and back (the drive is about 1 1/2 hours). Last night I did some double coupon shopping after the kids went to bed since I can't sleep for the first few hours of the night anyway! I spent just under $7 for everything below and got stocked back up on snacks (we were totally out minus things like fruit and cheese!). 4 bags frozen veggies=free 2 boxes wheat thin stix $0.49/each 5 boxes Ritz crackerfuls 3 free, 2 $0.99 each 2 packs oreos $0.99 each Idaho instant potatoes $0.49 each 1 pack stove top stuffing $0.49 each McCormick spices (all free!) Ritz munchables $0.49 each.

Top Foods Deals

If you have a Top Foods nearby this is a great week to shop there! I was able to purchase:

1 whole chicken
12 cans old orchard 100% juice (frozen)
3 packs tofu (on markdown)
8 1 lb packs frozen veggies
1 Nestle cookie dough (marked down)
2 boxes honey nut cheerios
3 cresent rolls
2 packs large eggs

for just over $16!

I would post a picture but our camera (and my mom's!) are both broken so we are in the market for a new one. If you see a hot deal on one please let us know (under $100:).

Today's Albies deals

Total $4.50

So, I made peace with albertson's today. After feeling terrible a few days ago when several not-nice cashier's were cranky with me, I took a comment card home. I almost sent it in but decided I would try to talk to them first. So today I did...I asked what exactly their policy was with regards to getting and using twice the value coupons. I really want to make things go as smoothly as possible for us and them! And play by their rules. But I need to know what they are! So they said they'd give me one sheet of doublers at a time but that I could leave the store, and come back in to customer service and get another a total of 3 times. Not super convenient, but now at least I know what to expect and to leave enough time if I want to do more than one transaction! So...I feel better about that and things went very smoothly today (except for the torrential snowstorm and continually getting the kid's cart stuck in the parking lot!:)

Twice the Value deals

All of the below at Albies for under $6 last week. Flour, veggies, eggs, oil, bananas, canned peppers, enchilada sauce...

Albies had some very good deals last week and this week is the same with Twice the Value coupons. I just wish the cashiers would treat couponers better here! Oh well.

Diaper Deal at TOP Foods

TOP Foods Diaper Deal (just started today...you still have time!) $31. Spend $25 (or multiples of) and save $10 instantly for each increment of $25! Here are the details, thanks to Coupon Connections NW!

8 packs of diapers and one large wipes and generic bum-paste for $31! Just in the nick of time...we're out of wipes and diaper cream. Not a good thing. Especially when the little bro has to do his very first diaper change (poo) in the Mickey-Dee's w/no real wipes. I call that a white-trash diaper change (using wet TP:).

Oh and to add excitement to my diaper run...the power went out in the store just as I went to check out. I didn't get a normal receipt so if there were mistakes I will never know. But I figure it works out to around $3 an item so I can't complain there:)

Loves me some grocery bargains: Albies & Wal-Mart

While I do not love Wal-Mart, it came in handy today when I needed a lot of staples (sugar, rice, eggs, beans etc.) that didn't have coupons or sales at most other stores this week. Plus running around to bargain hunt isn't my idea of a good time when pregnant and toting toddlers! So Albies had to fulfill all the bargain hunting I wanted to do and Wal-Mart filled in the rest:)

And here's what we'll be eating this week:

At Wal-Mart I spent about $22:

A freebie: 4 bottles of Gain dish liquid
Cheap: cream of mushroom soup $0.30 after coupon and sale
Ritz Munchables $0.98 after coupon (we've been out of crackers for awhile and hubby was going through withdrawls!)

At Albertson's I spent about $26 in two transactions.

Free: bananas (nilla wafers peelie), corn tortillas, Capn' Crunch cereal
Nestle Halloween theme cookie dough.
Cheap: Wheat Thins (like I said, we were out and this deal was good enough!)
Jenni-O Turkey Sausages (marked down $3 to just over $1 each!) ground pork for $1.50, olive oil for $2 (after other doubles overage?), Juicy Juicy for $1!

Snag any great bargains this week?

Albies double run

My mom and I each did 3 transactions. I bought a few splurges with my doublers that weren't fabulous deals such as dark chocolate, Farmans Dill Pickles and salt & vinegar almonds(hmmm...can you tell these are for a pregnant lady you know?;). We got a lot of freebies and great deals too though!

Free:
Yobaby Yogurt (marked down)
Resolve cleaner
Bestlife buttery spread
Ronzoni Smart Taste
Friskies treats
Nature Valley Nut Clusters
DanActive yogurt
KoolAid fun Fizz
Mentos

Cheap:
Wholly Guacamole(a favorite treat here!)
Cin. Toast Crunch
Del Monte Vegetables
Nature Valley Granola Bars

I lost track of totals (my mom and I both shopped and she bought some additional things as well). but I was happy about the deals we got!

Loves me some grocery bargains (but blowing that budget!)

I knew this was not going to be a good week for the ole food budget. My all-day sickness has required a sort of creative cooking that I haven't done much before. I cannot cook the same thing for dinner twice or it makes me feel sick. And I have to prepare 99% of the dinner meal before 8 or 9am because that is when I don't feel nauseous (so I guess I have the opposite of morning sickness??). Does this mean I have a boy this time...or TWINS?!?!? Anybody? ;)

Anyway. I went to Fred Meyer and Rite Aid. Its too tiring to go to more stores like I used to so I bought everyone I needed in one stop at Freddies and picked up some clearance food and FREE diapers at Rite Aid.


Total for Fred Meyer: $69. A little more explanation...we are now feeding 2 more adults and they are more ummm...specific on what foods they'll eat than we are so it costs more. Dunkin donuts decaf for example. This trip also picked up some "once in awhile" items like molasses, butttermilk powder, whole wheat flour and spices along with good coffee which was $30 of the total alone. Some good deals: 1 lb organic spinach for $2.50, cage free eggs for $1.50 ea, Campbell's select harvest soup for $0.25/each after coupon, $0.50 barilla pasta and $0.99 Quaker Oatmeal Square cereal which is now our new family favorite:)

Rite Aid: (my new favorite drug store!): not sure of total because I used Up rewards for most of it from last week's Johnson and Johnson deal.
Found all sorts of clearance food, including albacore tun (worked out to be 4 cans for under $1.00!), Starbucks coffee for $2.47 each (and each one has a coupon for a free tall coffee at Starbucks on it!), oats for $0.50 (clearance and Quaker), granola bars for a few cents after clearance, coupon and up reward, and better than free Peppermint celestial tea after up reward and clearance prices! It would have been even better had I printed the coupon available (not sure where now).

Huggies: 3 free (actually a money maker) after coupons, up rewards, rebate.

Loves me some grocery bargains

Harris Teeter $14.xx

Not much excitement here this week folks. Just a few neccessities as we finish up our time at JAARS. I also picked up milk at Walgreens for $3.29 (ouch!). The good deals here: 2lbs of ground beef for $2 and spinach marked down to $0.75/tub (because I saw the crushed box and asked how much they would be marked down to!;). We are set for our green smoothies this week (spinach, a little pineapple and frozen bananas, water!).

Of Chicken Pox, P90X and Super Doubles

Pictures of my sweet babies reading together, one of which is covered in red bumps these days.


My lack of blogging has lots of excuses and here are the top three:

1) My 14 month old has chicken pox.

2) Daniel is a mean mean boy and is still making me get up at 5am to workout to P90X with him every morning (okay I skipped the streching video yesterday..but that's it)

3) Super Doubles at Harris Teeter. I went for the first time yesterday. Had to...we rented a car for the express purpose of taking Liv to get diagnosed (with the pox) and there was a Harris Teeter nearby! Check out my deals below:)

Total about $10...notice the yummy turkey bacon and huge pack of chicken, chocolate, 2 packs of John Morrel lunch meat, seventh generation dish soap...good deals!

Other than that, we are alternating going to ICC classes (daniel's day to go is today) while the other stays with kiddo. And we're reading through Genesis as a family. That's all I got for now:)

Smokin' Kraft Deal @ QFC

Not only is the mega even going on at QFC where you automatically receive $5 off when you buy 10 participating products, but there is also overlap with Kraft products starting today where you get $5 back (as a catalina) when you buy 5!

Total for this order was $9.76, but I received a catlina back for $5! Missing from this picture is one gatorade and 2 Edwards singles the hubby absconded:) I meant to break it into 2 orders and to buy the ground chicken and dark chocolate with the catalina, but the cashier confused me and kept telling me the Kraft $5 was instant savings and it already came off. So I did one order and after looking at my receipt I came back it and there was a $5 cat sitting on his register! It pays to know what the deal is, I found out:). So I guess I better go back and buy more dark chocolate before we leave town! ;)

The other deal for those of you with Organic Valley coupons...organic valley cream cheese was marked down to $1.09! A great deal for organic cream cheese anyway, but I had a $2/2 coupon(2 actually) so I got 4 for $0.09 each! And these are great for whole wheat toast or on celery for my high-protein, no sugar diet.

Thanks Coupon Connection NW!

Safeway Cereal Galore!

Although we personally have plenty o' cereal, I got a whole bunch of it today at Safeway. Its great to donate (there are even barrels to donate right at the stores now!) and if you have enough of these coupons, or these or recent insert Q's you can end up with free cereal plus the free item of the day at Safeway!

And since Maygan pointed out that the $20 minimum is talkinig about regular prices, you actually only have to buy around 8 (to keep in groups of 4) boxes (of cornflakes)to get up to $20! That's a deal:)

And keep your eyes peeled for Post cereal $1.50/1 coupons on boxes-I saw them at the store today! Unfortunately there aren't any hot deals on Post cereals to use them with now, but hopefully soon! (*and I didn't peel any off since I wasn't buying any today so I hope we can all leave them there until the sale comes and help eachother out;)!

Loves me some grocery bargains (Dec. 5th, 2009)

I didn't do a lot of shopping this week! Its nice to be able to take stock of what we have (and not spend much money:).

I bought some ground beef for $1.59/lb at the beginning of the week (thinking the price was too good to pass up!) and the new ad still has it this price (at Safeway). But still a really good price. $5.32 for the ground beef (not pictured). But I used it it lots of meals for the cooking/baking day.

Next up, Safeway again for fresh produce (it was within walking distance- some of those prices are lower elsewhere). $8.02 for all the bananas, oranges and 5lbs carrots.

QFC is next up, with markdowns on dairy and baking supplies: $5.18 total for the cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, coconut and brown sugar. Plus I got a raincheck for 10 Kroger chocolate chips bags for $1 a piece (great price!)

And finally, my trip to Walgreens. $1.90 oop (used $10 in RR's, got $10 back). Oatmeal pancake mix, dark chocolate M & M's (necessity, right?!), acai supplements, headband, sucker (for potty training), floss, cinnamon sugar and onion powder.

$20.42 total

Visit Money Saving Mom and Grocery Cart Challenge to see more!

It's Friday!

Here is the other big helper from my cooking/baking day:


Because of my crazy toddler's refusal to nap (her version of "resting" in the bed involves more wiggling and rolling than you'd believe!) these past few days, I have very little brain power for blogging. But there are some cool things around the blogosphere you should be checking out!

Money Saving Mom is hosting a ton of giveaways today only! Lots of really useful stuff like gift cards, lotion, teeth whitening products, etc.

Life as a Mom has ideas for homemade food gifts and frugal stocking stuffers that have been super useful to me and our slim Christmas budget.

Its Hip 2 Save has a guest post about creative gift ideas using grocery deals/freebies.

And check out the awesome deals available at Walgreens through Saturday I first heard about at Maybe Frugal. You can see them below:

I spent less than $3 on all of the above (2 pancake mixes, 2 bags dark chocolate M & M's, 2 spices, headband, Acai supplement, floss, a sucker for the potty training girlie!). I spent $10 RR's and got $10 RR's back and about $2.90 oop in between (I was expecting another $1 RR but for some reason it didn't print:(

Any other fun things you see around the blogosphere this friday?

Walgreens Post Black Friday Awesomeness

Dragging a hungry, tired 6 month old around shopping close to her bedtime is usually a very bad idea. This time it was worth it! I got some amazing deals at Walgreens and since it was the last day of the sale I had to get there or forget about it! So get there I did.

I bought the above pictured items for about $13 after a $1 RR I had and a fistful of coupons. And I got $10 in RR back (after several transactions) to spend next time! I would have actually ended up with $12.50 in RR but for some reason a $2.50 RR did not print on one transaction. But the clerk was being so patient and kind that I didn't bother to ask about it. We drink a a decent amount of diet caffiene free soda when we can get it for cheap so that was a big reason to go. The men's shave gel is something we always run out of too, so I was happy about that. And free chocolate? Well that is a necessity of course! ;)

Philly Cream Cheese deal @ Albies!

Philadelphia Cream Cheese is $0.88 each (limit 2) at Albertson's right now. Use this printable coupon (thanks Money Saving Mom) for $0.55/2 doubled to get cream cheese for $0.33 each! Now that's a deal!