Free Floats at Sonic June 3rd

Who doesn't love a root beer float? Sonic wants to give you a free 10oz. root beer float on Wednesday, June 3rd 8pm to midnight. This is while supplies last, of course. I looked for any other conditions like one per car but the ad did not state this, so I say take the family for a yummy treat!

For those of us who are lactose intolerant, don't forget the lactaid!

Produce 'Iron Chef' Challenge

I picked up my Bountiful Basket today and a thought occurred to me to have a recipe challenge using the items from today's goods. I will tell you what I got today:
1- pineapple
1- cantaloupe
5- large apricots
6- fuji apples
7- mangoes
2- large avocados
3- tomatoes
7- ears of corn
1- head of lettuce
1- bunch of spinach
1- celery stalk
3- onions, they look and smell like a green onion but the bulb of it is much larger

I purchased the 'add on' of 8lbs of mangoes as well. They are so yummy. Squeeze some lime juice over the fresh mango and there's a party happening on your tongue!

So, back to the challenge. If you have ever seen Iron Chef on the Food Network then you already know that the chefs are given surprise food item that they use in cooking anything from appetizers to desserts. Tell us how you are using your produce in your families meals. I want to make sure we are fully enjoying our produce in a variety of ways other than just eating them fresh, which is a great way to enjoy them. Please email me at survivingrecession101@gmail.com with your recipes and I will post them for everyone to enjoy.

I know that we will all win with this yummy challenge. I am personally trying a few new recipes tomorrow. I'll let you know what my family thinks.

P.S. If you did not get a basket today feel free to share your favorite recipes using these ingredients as well.

Gardening Time

Did you know that you can go to weather.com and type in your zip code and they will tell you the frost/freeze forecast for your area? Two years ago I was feeling so good about my efforts to planting a great garden and in our area Mother Nature decided to pull a, not-so-funny, joke on us. We had a late freeze for our area. I was discouraged with the loss of all of my cucumber plants and several other plants. I felt it was to late to plant from seed and plants were not as available at the nurseries. So this year I have been very hesitant about putting my plants in the ground. Then I discovered this great service from weather.com. I learned that my area has a great ten day forecast and I will keep checking to insure that all is well and if not I will have a heads up to cover up better than I did in the past.

Why am I writing about my garden? I have tried growing vegetables in years past with some success. Last year we were involved in other good endeavors and didn't plan out the spring very well so we had no garden. I missed the fresh off the vine tomatoes and yes even the zucchini! I have amazing friends who made sure that I had some fresh produce, even for canning. I have never canned like I did last fall and it was so great to see the 'fruits of my labor' in beautiful pint and quart sized bottles all in rows in the storage room.

Last years canning experience has given me the 'Can Do' attitude that I will can even more this year and it will help feed my family during this economical squeezing time in our lives.

Monday I marked my garden as a 'Square Foot Garden' and then drew up a plan. I jumped on the band wagon too late for making boxes as the author, Mel Bartholomew, teaches is best for this style of gardening. We had a neighbor bring us some of their horse manure for free fertilizer. My dogs loved rolling in it so it must have been good stuff. It was placed and tilled into the ground everywhere in the garden except where the tomatoes are going. I have learned that horse manure is not the best ingredient in growing tomatoes. I'm sure I have eaten many foods grown in this flavorful fertilizer but I'm chuckling to myself at the thought of my family around the dinner table having a great meal and afterward reminding everyone that our garden produce was fueled in part by our wonderful neighbors horses. He he.

Let me add that I am amazed at how many plants/seeds you can get into the same garden space or even a smaller space than what I have been doing in past years. In my map there were a lot of empty squares as I made my plan for the plants and seeds that I had already purchased. So I was off to buy more seeds; potatoes, white onions, and green onions were left behind in the first garden shopping trip. Sadly I did not realize that garlic, being a bulb, is only available in the fall. I will plant some later on.

So far I must say that Square Foot Gardening totally rocks.

Can planting a veggie patch really save you money? Government agencies and gardening organizations say yes.

Every $100 spent on vegetable gardening yields $1,000 to $1,700 worth of produce, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates.

You’ll get a half-pound of edibles from every square foot of ground devoted to backyard crops, according to the National Gardening Association. Even a modest garden (15-by-15) can produce more than 100 pounds of garden-fresh tomatoes, salad greens, vegetables and herbs. Better flavor and bragging rights come with the harvest.

Bath & Body Works

First, I have a link under the freebies section that will allow you to print out a coupon for a free lip product with any purchase. This expires on Sunday so get in there. If you have never tried their 'My Favorite Lip Balm' I am here to tell yu it will heal any lip cracks or chappiness, not a real word but you get what I'm saying. It's regular price is $5.50 which is a couple dollars less than the other tinted lip products so you may want one of those to be your freebie.

Next, June 1st is the first day of their semi-annual sale. This is the best time to stock up one your favorite items. Classic fragrances are back, $5, for this sale and the original packaged wall flowers are $5 as well. June 1st-3rd they have the Foam Burst moisturizing body wash on for $4 and for the first week only all of the current signature collection & aromatherapy cleansers and moisturizers are buy 2, get 2 free.

What's a girl got to do?

I have been sitting at my computer trying to get a Burt Bees lip balm. I have been checking the site every couple of minutes just to read that isn't quite time yet. So I start adding the new freebie list and come back ten minutes later and they have all been given away! Lesson here is keep refreshing their page and don't give it more than a moment or two. WOW!

Freebies are Everywhere

I have found more freebies and even a great contest for those of us in Cache Valley.



Every Wednesday Arby's is offering you something different for free. You do need the emailed coupon to take with you so follow the link under 'Freebies & Deals' and sign up now to have your coupons in time.

Here is a list of the freebies for May

May 13 - Free RoastBurger with soft drink purchase

May 20 - Free Chocolate Malt Swirl Shake with sandwich purchase

May 27 - Free Regular Roast Beef with drink purchase

A lot are with purchase but there will be some that are just flat out free.

So go sign up and see what you get... .




"Krispy Kreme is making life just a little sweeter for everyone on National Doughnut Day," says Ron Rupocinski, executive chef at Krispy Kreme. "So, on Friday, June 5, head to a participating store with your friends and family to share the sweet joy of a free Krispy Kreme doughnut."

No purchase is necessary to receive a free doughnut on National Doughnut Day, June 5. The offer is good for one doughnut per customer. I know, Layton is the nearest store to those of us in Cache Valley but for those of you already traveling and for those who live near a Krispy Kreme I wanted to share the yummy news.



KIX 96 radio station is giving away a backyard makeover. I have added the link to sign up online. There will also be live broadcast sign up locations as well. My backyard desperately needs any help it can get and with he unemployment settling in this next week I don't have any funds for it's improvement. I would love if one of my readers won this great gift, if it can't be me.

Major Prizes
Chanshare - 5,000 SF of Sod Installed
Groundworks - Rock Landscaping wall up to $2,000
Stock Building Supply - Deck 10'X10' Trex
Lish Realty - Barbeque Grill
Wane Workman - Academy Mortgage - Outdoor Trampoline
Cantwell Lumber - Outdoor Shed
ERA Advantage Realty - Patio Furniture
A total Value of up to $8,000

Old Navy 50% Off Clearance

Old Navy has more deals going on this weekend. One is that all of the clearance is an additional 50% off the lowest marked price. And the second deal is on Saturday only their graphic tees are $3 with a limit of 5 per customer. After last Saturday's hilarious mad rush for flip flops I'm thinking that if you want these items go purchase them by Friday evening and then just take the items and your receipt in on Saturday and get the credit back on the price difference like I did with the flip flops.

Last Nights Class

I want to thank everyone who came to last nights class. I know we all learned things from each other. I had fun, I like chatting with other women. I have to apologize though! I baked a cake and I forgot to serve it! We will have a class again next month so watch for a date to be set.

Beans, Beans, Beans

I have heard my whole life that beans are a budget stretcher and a necessity in my food storage. Many times in the past decades I have tried to soften my dry beans. Unsuccessful. I was told by a friend of a free class last week on beans. So I figured I would give it one more try. It was a fun class with lots of yummy samples and recipes. I learned how to can my beans with a pressure cooker and because I have acquired my sweet Grandma's, which after 17 plus years I still miss her, pressure cooker. This method works so well. It takes some time but it is easy. I think Grandma is in the kitchen helping me along.

I received an email from this class with a hand out of recipes and a lot of good information. Email me at survivingrecession101@gmail.com and I will forward the handouts to you.

Ginger, who inherited her grandma's pressure cooker as well, and I took our pressure cooker lids to the USU extension office and they tested the accuracy of our gauges. I learned that on Monday's they offer this service for free. Any other day of the week it is $3.

More Deals for You

I'm trying to keep current on my Freebies & Deals links. I have erased some and added new ones.




Check out this site, link to the your right, for some fun Father's Day ideas that your kids can put together for free at your local Lowe's.




Bert's Bees is celebrating their 25th birthday by giving 25,000 lip balms away in 25 days. They only give 1,000 per day and the website opens any time between 7-10am. They are opening the giveaway at a different time each day to make sure there is a chance for different people so try early tomorrow. My husband loves their chap stick, nothing girly about it.



More sunscreen printable coupons. Look under Freebies & Deals to find links for Banana Boat, Hawaiian Tropic, & Aveeno. Protect that skin!



Free Always Infinity Pads. Why not?



Free Tide Total Care Sample

Free Ice Cream May 30th

Saturday, May 30, 2009, some Walmarts are giving away free ice cream (presumably a scoop sample) from 11 am to 4 pm. Available items include: 1.57 fl oz. Dibs Snack Bag, 2.4 fl oz. Blue Bunny Aspen Frozen Yogurt Granola Bar, and 4 oz. Ben & Jerry's Flipped Out Cup. 1 sample per customer. While supplies last.

I have checked and the Logan, Utah Walmart is participating in this giveaway!

Happy Memorial Day

I hope you all had a good Memorial Day. Sometime tomorrow is when the Bountiful Baskets site will be allowing us in Utah to purchase our baskets. Last Thursday they had a training class in Ogden, sadly I could not go. This training will allow more sites to open in Utah. I am anxious to see how many and where.
Also, check out pinching your pennies to find out which coupons on ebay you will need for this upcoming week. I have already purchased the Chinet lunch plates which are on sale at Associated Food stores for $2.37. The coupon which can be located in the SS-5/3 packet is for $2/1. That means the plates are $.37 a pack! Who couldn't use these in the summertime?
Kraft salad dressing coupons are still available on ebay so if you want to get a rain check at the store then you won't miss out on this great deal.

Don't forget the class this week. Bring anyone you would like as well. See you then!

Free/Cheap Movies

Today my daughter and I were the only one home so we went to see Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. This movie was every bit as good as the first one. I personally love going to the movie theater. My brain checks out on my day to day life and I can just relax. Today's trip was really relaxing because it was free. Thank you Kelloggs for your free movie pass deals. I still have four more. Yeah!





My husband finds it more relaxing to stay home and watch movies and you might too. We subscribe to Netflix, I am getting nothing for promoting them. They have several plans and prices that you can choose from. We have two movies at a time and unlimited access to the instant watch movies, these can be viewed on your monitor or if you have a device that lets you view them on your tv. I like that I never have to pay late fees!

Redbox lets you rent a movie for a single night at the low price of $1. If you go onto their website you can sign up to get a free movie code text to you twice a month on Mondays. What beats a free movie? Just remember to get it back on time or you get charged for each additional day.

Links to Free Samples/Coupns

Follow the Coppertone link under Freebies to print your $3 off coupon.





There is also a link to get a Gillette clinical deodorant sample.

Saturday Shopping

My morning started about two hours earlier than I originally planned. Don't you hate when you wake up early and can't go back to sleep! I think my brain was anticipating the bargains I knew I would be getting that day.

I started at Old Navy. You would have thought it was a day after Thanksgiving sale the way people were lined up and charging to the flip flops. I smiled, then I went straight to the register with my bag of flip flops I had purchased a couple days earlier. After receiving my money back on the difference in price from Thursday to Saturday, $8.50, I headed next store to Borders.

I have been wanting the 'All New Square Foot Gardening' book. My friend Ginger has been telling me what she has been learning and I knew it was for me. The garden goes in Monday. A perk of having a Borders reward card is that they will email you 40% off coupons and I had printed mine and was ready to make my purchase. The retail price of this book is $19.99. With my coupon I paid only $11.99, plus tax of course. A savings of $8.

Next, I headed up to the USU greenhouse. I had been told about their amazing plant deals. It was true. They have bedding plants, flower pots, and vegetable plants. I had already bought most of my plants for my garden but I picked up five more for the low cost of $2.35. Each week the price of plants is going down by at least 10% more on what they have left. If you live near the university the greenhouse is on the southeast corner of 1400 N. & 800 E. Thank you Cindy for the tip.



I find Sam's Club a necessity for my house. There are several things that I always purchase there, Cheese and eggs are two of them. Did you realize that 5 dz. eggs are only $3.74 and a 5# brick of mild cheddar is $9.32? That makes my eggs .75 cents per dozen and my cheese $1.86 per pound. If my son has eggs, cheese, and tortillas he does not go hungry.




On my previous trip to Albertson's I had discovered that I couldn't use my coupon doublers and I was not going to let them go to waste. I was already driving right past the store so why not stop?
I purchased:
French's honey mustard $1.50 - $.75 SS-3/29 & SS-1/18 - $.75 doubler = Free

Rhodes 12 count cinnamon rolls $3.99 - $1.00 (bonus coupon with other purchased ebay coupons) - $1.00 doubler = $1.99

2 Nabisco Toasted Chips $3.98 - $1.00/2 from store - $1.00 doubler = $.99/bag

Halls cough drops $2.29 - Free SS 3/29 = Free

Total w/tax $4.06
Savings $13.83



Macey's is my last stop. Here is what was purchased there:

10 cans WF of mandrin oranges $.39 ea.

10 cans WF medium olives $.88

2# bag of C&H powdered sugar $1.50

bag of WF cotton balls $.99

WF 16oz. sour cream

Mr. Goodbar, the large size, $.99

9- 15 oz French's Worcestershire $1.23 - $.50 (purchased on ebay) = $.73 ea

10 McCormick Grill Mates Marinades, .71-1.25 oz. envelopes $2.00/3 - $.50/1 RP-4/19 & RP-5/3 = $.17 ea

30 cans Van Camp beans $.50 - buy two get one free (found on ebay) = 3/$1.00

Blue bunny ice cream sandwiches $4.99 - $1.00, print from link on the right, - $4.99 rebate, print this from side link as well, = they are paying me $1.00 to try their product! My rebate form is filled out and the envelope is stamped. Don't forget to get yours in the mail too.

Maceys receipts are not as fun. They do not tell you your savings from their regular price to the sale price like Albertson's does. They did show that I had $15.50 in coupons though.

Total = $41.09 -- this total does include my ice cream sandwiches though.

I was extremely happy with my purchases and savings. I told my husband I think I know how he feels when he brings home an elk from hunting. I felt like the hunter with my 20 point buck! Okay, I know there isn't a 20 point buck but you get what I mean.

Now it was time to slice half of my brick of cheese into slices and grate the rest. This is just a time and money saver that I like. Before I left the house I filled my crock pot with boneless skinless chicken breasts to cook. When I got back I shredded the chicken for my enchiladas, 2 pans for that nights progressive dinner, and two more freezer quart bags full for future use.

Dinner was prepared and dishes done so I had time to play catch with my sweet girl and enjoy a house full of company that evening. Good day, good day.

Gas Prices are on the Rise

If you've went to fill up your gas tank in the past couple days you've noticed the summer time price rise has started. I'm posting some advice from Jiffy Lube on helping us to get the best mileage per gallon from our vehicles.

SAVE MONEY AT THE PUMP – and in the Long Run with Vehicle Maintenance
We can shave off dollars and cents every day by doing little things. The tips below from the car-care experts at Jiffy Lube will not only help keep your vehicle in top shape – helping to avoid potentially costly breakdowns in the future – and put a few dollars back in your pocket.

· Tires: Tires can be gas bandits as under-inflated tires create extra friction where the rubber meets the road. Incorrectly inflated tires also wear unevenly, which can impact your vehicle’s traction on the road and possibly lead to a dangerous blowout. According to the Federal Government+, you can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3% by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. You can find your vehicle’s recommended tire pressure information in the vehicle owner’s manual or often on a decal typically in the vehicle’s door jamb or in the vehicle owner’s manual.

· Oil Grade: Motor oil lubricates the engine, keeping it cool and reducing friction between moving parts. As the motor oil circulates, it also cleans away harmful dirt and contaminants. When motor oil gets too dirty, it loses some of its lubrication and absorption abilities. According to the Federal Government, using your vehicle owner’s manual recommended grade oil can improve your gas mileage up to 2% -- savings which can add up over time! Refer to your vehicle owner’s manual for the correct grade of motor oil for your vehicle.

· Lighten Your Load: Extra weight means more strain on your vehicle and more fuel burn. According to the Federal Government, vehicle drag can decrease your vehicle’s fuel efficiency by 2%. Leave unnecessary items at home before hitting the road, but keep the essentials like a vehicle emergency kit.

· Avoid Aggressive Driving: According to the Federal Government, rapid acceleration/braking can lower your gas mileage up to 5% around town.

· Carpooling: Taking advantage of carpools could drastically reduce your gas usage. Not only will you save a few bucks, but you’ll get to spend more time with friends and family!


Remember to check out your public transit system. In Cache Valley the bus runs at no expense to it's riders. Kids love a bus ride, it's an adventure for them, and it helps save some money.

Free Chocolate Friday

What is Real Chocolate Relief?

Times are tough and we at Mars want to help. How, you ask? Every Friday through September, Mars will give away FREE* real chocolate to 250,000 people. That means you can enjoy your favorite Mars candy brands—M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, 3 MUSKETEERS®, MILKY WAY® and DOVE®— for free*!

This is ONLY on FRIDAYS and the link is on the right of the postings. You can go to the site and get registered now and then just try to win on Friday.

Hey I just found out that you can enter this contest up to four times per house address and once per email address for anyone in your house over 13 years of age. I did this and now I have four coupons coming for chocolate bars!

Coupons, Coupons, Coupons

You either love them or you hate them. I personally am a fan of them and I hope that you will be too. In my eyes they are free, or at least cheap, money and it just takes a bit of my time to get them into my hands.
Coupons are everywhere. The most common place to get them is in your Sunday paper. Smart Source (SS) and Red Plum (RP)are the most common. Proctor & Gamble (P&G) come out about every 2-3 months. I have seen a Unilever pack come out once in the past six months. I have learned that the rule of thumb for newspaper coupons is that you buy one Sunday paper for each person in your home. If you are a family of four then you need four newspapers delivered to you on Sunday. Whichever newspaper you subscribe to will have a deal on additional Sunday only deliveries. Call yours and ask what the current price is and decide if this is what will work for you. I personally only have one newspaper delivered to my home. I take a sharpie and write the date on the front of my pack and then I file it away and not bother with it that day.

Coupons can be found at the stores as well. Companies will have them in front of their product as well as have the register print coupons that they think you would use in a near future purchase.

My favorite way to get my hands on coupons is online. The coupons arrive in mailbox all clipped and ready for me to take to the store. Ebay sells everything, including coupons. I have a link to Ebay as well as a new site Clippity Q. Ebay is great for getting a larger quantity of coupons for a single item. For instance, that is where i got my 20 $1.50 off coupons for Kraft salad dressing. Clippity Q sells her coupons in quantities of five. So if you don't need twenty bottles of salad dressing you can get five. You can purchase as many units of five as you like from her. She does have a minimum $3 purchase on her site. You do need to know which coupon pack your item was sent out in as well as the date, SS-5/3. I talk about this in the earlier Pinching Your Pennies post. She sold on Ebay for a long time and had a very high rating with them.
When you click on a set of coupons to look at on Ebay it will show the seller's screen name and their rating as well as the number of sells they have had. A seller's rating is determined by the feedback given by the purchasers of their product. I always check their rating to insure I am dealing with an honest person. If someone has less than a 100% rating I check to see the number of sales they have. If a person has a 99.4% rating and a couple of thousand sales then I would say they are a good seller. Also check the shipping fee to determine if it is a good deal. I typically only get the coupons that have a buy it now symbol next to the price. This insures I can get what I want and when I need it. The only time I participate in a bidding is if the bid is ending by Tuesday afternoon, then if I have won the bid I quickly get it paid for.
You will need to set up a Pay Pal account to pay for your coupons whether you order from Ebay or Clippity Q. Both Ebay and Pay Pal are tried and true safe sites to give your personal information to. I am banking on the fact that they will stay that way. Pay Pal will take the money from an account of your choice to pay the sellers that you have purchased from.
There is another important factor with ordering your coupons online. You have to purchase them as soon as possible to receive them before the sale ends. I check the pinching your pennies site on Monday nights to find the deals I can't pass up on and get my coupons ordered and paid for. I have always gotten my coupons on time. If by chance the store is out of the product before I get there to purchase it then I get a raincheck and pick up my items on the next trip.

How you get your coupons is a personal preference. For some clipping your own coupons is not something their interested in and some don't want to get online and order. Your way is the right way for you so go forward and save!

Behr Paint at Home Depot

I love Behr brand paint. It takes fewer coats to cover the wall and they have a great selection of colors. If your staying home this weekend and working on the house you may want to consider painting. The cost of a one gallon semi-gloss white is $23.50. Fresh baseboards here I come.

$5 OFF BEHR One-Gallon Cans and $20 OFF BEHR Five-Gallon Pails by Mail-In Rebate
Receive $5 off all BEHR gallon cans and $20 off all BEHR 5 gallon pails by mfr. mail-in rebate with the purchase of BEHR interior and exterior paints and primers, decorative finishes, waterproofers, stains and cleaners purchased between 5/21/09-5/25/09. Promotion valid in U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam The Home Depot stores only. Offer not valid on Oops or Returned paint. No returns on paint without UPC. Rebate requests must be postmarked no later than 6/24/09 and received by 7/9/09. Void where prohibited, licensed, restricted or taxed by law. See in-store redemption coupon for complete rebate details.

Available In Stores Only

Albertson's Coupon Doubler

Albertson's sent out a coupon doubler with this weeks ad. I was very happy to go do my shopping and get my free salad dressing and then I would receive $3.00 more off with my three coupon doublers which I was using toward my meat purchase. The cashier informed me that they were no longer using those coupons, up to the $1.00 limit, with coupons which have a value greater than $1. In the past I have received an additional dollar off a $1.50 coupon. I was a bit miffed but smiled and took my coupons back because every coupon I was using was at least $1.50 off.

P.S. Keep your eye out for the four $5 off with purchase of $40 coupons coming from Albertson's in the mail. Included in that mailing is a $2 coupon toward their higher end meat cuts, Stockman & Dakota. This weekend the SD round top round steak thick is buy 1 get 1 free. It is selling for $6.49/lb. I combined these two deals and got two 2lb nice cuts of meat for $11. Eleven dollars for four pounds of good beef makes me happy. A girl cannot live on hot dogs alone!

Free Class on How to Save

I will be hosting a free class on Wednesday, May 27th at 7:30pm at my home. I along with some other coupon queens will be available to show you how to do what we do. If you have a couponing system that is working for you please bring it and share. No one way is right for everyone, yours might be perfect for someone else at the class. I realize that not everyone reading this knows where I live and I'm not putting it out there for the world so if you email me at survivingrecession101@gmail.com, tell me your name, and which city you live in I will email you back with directions. I hope that works for everyone who wants to participate.

Pinching Your Pennies

Pinching Your Pennies is a great resource that I like to use for finding each weeks grocery deals. I want to explain how I use their site. The link I've given you will take you directly to the state forums page. Now you just scroll down to your state, click and then you choose which store's ad your interested in checking out. On this page you will be given tips and links for printing coupons to use with their sale. If more than one form of viewing the ad is offered click on one and decide which works best for you.

There are five columns. The first one rates how hot a sale item is. If the stars in this column are red then these are stock up items. Black and decreasing numbers of stars tells me that I won't be stocking up on this item.

The next column tells me the name of the product on the ad.

Next is the ad price on each item. If you see something like; 2.50/2.00, it is telling you the first number is the ad price and the second number is the cost when you have combined it with the instant savings they are offering. This offering with be in a header explaining the extra deal. For instance this week in the Albertson's ad they are offering a Darigold promo: Save $2 instantly when you spend $10 on participating products. Following this header it tells the items that qualify for this bonus deal.

The fourth column will tell you if there are any coupons for this item that they are aware of and where to find them. Some have links to print your coupon others come from the Sunday newspaper. RP means Red Plum, SS stands for Smart Source, P&G is Proctor and Gamble, and occasionally they will have others like Unilever. A date will be by the code like SS-5/3. This tell you that your coupon can be found in the Smart Source coupon pack from May 3rd's paper. When you get your Sunday paper pull out the ads and with a sharpie write on the front 5/3 and put it where you keep your coupons and don't worry about searching for the coupon you need.

The last column tells you your final price if you use the deal combos and coupons.

I go through the ad determining what my family needs and searching for the stock up deals that I can not pass up on. Previews of ads can happen as early as a day before you or I get the ad in our mailbox or newspaper. I like to check them as early as possible to get my coupons ordered on ebay to insure I have them before the ad ends.

Ebay? What? I will post how I do that my the next posting.

Please give me feedback in the comments if I have not been clear. I've been doing this a while and it may seem understandable to me and not to a newbie. Also if anyone else has a way that works better for them please share.

Bountiful Baskets

This is my new favorite find. A produce co-op called Bountiful Baskets offers you produce at a great savings. You don't know what you will get but it's value will be more than twice the price you pay. This happens every other Saturday in various locations along the Wasatch front. The closest location to me, for now, is in Brigham City. Three friends and I went to pick ours up on 5/16, if you go early to volunteer you get an extra item, and we were all very pleased. This is what I got:
1- lettuce head
1 - spaghetti squash
1- honeydew melon
2- stalks/heads, whatever you call it, of broccoli
2- red bell peppers
2- cucumbers
5- tomatoes
5- red potatoes
12- bananas
5- mangoes
9- pears
8- oranges
9- green apples

We have been enjoying all of it and everything we've eaten has been fresh and ripe. We have definitely had a broader range of fruits and veggies! The next pick up date in Utah is Saturday, May 30th. I have the link posted to the right and on Tuesday, May 26th they will start taking orders for the 30th. There are a limited number of orders that they take at each location and they go fast so get your order in quick.
The link I have for you will take you directly to the co-op offerings page. If they are accepting orders then the will be a box that reads 'more information'. Click that button and it will give you options for your pick up site and what you want with your order. The basic basket is $15. That is all that I got this past time because I was unsure of the other offers. I was told by a frequent buyer that the bread is good and that the Asian or Italian offer is always good too. The extra offers change frequently and have an additional fee of $7.50 - $14.00. For first time purchasers there is a one time fee of $3.00 and there is always a $1.50 transaction fee. It is worth it.
Print your receipt that will show up after you have paid, this is your ticket to pick up your basket. You will also receive an email that you could print off as well. You will be told a pick up time. That time has a twenty minute window and if you do not show up before they clean up they will assume that you want to donate your basket of goods to the local fire house. Do bring a basket, box, or several bags to put your food into to transport home with you.
This service is run on a volunteer system. They arrive an hour before pick up time to start setting up. If you would like to volunteer your services show up 30 to 60 minutes early to help and you will be rewarded for your service. New pick up locations keep being added so check for the one closest to you.
P.S. This service started in Arizona so if you get on early and the only locations you can find are in Arizona just be patient and check back later for the Utah times and locations.

Freebies and Deals

Companies are offering a lot of coupons and free products out there. Quizno's free sammie, Oscar Mayer free hot dogs ( today only), Blue Bunny (check out fabulessly fugal site) free ice cream (time sensitive), Kellogg's free movies or movie passes, Hawaiian Tropic free sample, and I will keep looking. Click on the right for the Freebies links.
The Kellogg's movies come with purchase of their products. Pop Tarts have the movie passes and some of cereals as well as Keebler cookies have the movie tokens.
I have sent for 'A Walk in the Clouds' and will be sending for my movie passes! The link I've provided has printable order forms with lists of the movies to choose from so that you can decide if you want them. I look at it as I need food why not get a little something extra.
Always keep your eye out for these bonuses with your purchases. In the recent past I have gotten 6 free movie passes and a rebate for $19.18, the cost of my Easter ham, from Unilever. I am still waiting on a $40 gas card as well. I think it is worth my time to fill out a form or two to get these items.
PLEASE let us all know if you find any different deals. Thanks!

P.S. If you have a Walgreen's, mine is under construction, you can get a $5/$25 that is good only 5/20 - 5/21. Rite Aid also has a $5/$25 coupon that expires 5/31. Get these links from my Freebies and Deals links to the right and print yours.

Old Navy Update!!!

On Saturday, May 23rd, Old navy is having a sale on their flip flops, I am almost positive it is on the solid colors only. $1 per pair with a limit of five per customer, that means bring the kids to stand in line as well! In my search of this great sale I learned from the Fabulessly Frugal site that if someone stocked up on flops before Saturday we will be honoring our price adjustment policy (if you buy an item and it goes on sale within 7 days bring in your receipt and we refund the difference). That helps for people who don't want to line up or worry about their sizes selling out. Just take the receipt in any time on Saturday." I say run don't walk and get your family their flip flops for an incredible deal.

Old Navy has the largest selection of girls one piece swimsuits that I have seen in one place ever. They are cute too. I like the board shorts and rash guards, tops, and everything is on sale for $10 per piece. The $10 price is for all kids and the adults start at $12.50 per piece. I'm not sure when it ends so get in there.

They have a stamp card which will give you a 40% discount on a single item which you can use May 24-31, 2009. There are five items to get stamped; shorts, tee, swimsuit, flip-flops, and a summer accessory.

Stock Up this Week

Albertson's has Kraft dressing for $1.50 per bottle in their ad that begins 5/20 and Ridley's has the dressing for $1.59 starting 5/19. On ebay you can purchase coupons for $1.50 off. You do the math, $0 - $.09 per bottle. This coupon can also be found, for you coupon clippers, in your Smart Source coupons from Sunday 5/10. I purchased 20 coupons for $6.13. We are going to enjoy the veggies from our garden this summer and the dressing is a must have!

Go Ginger Go!

My friend's coupons arrived in her mailbox on Saturday so we went to Albertson's today after work and here is loot! Wow, can you believe the savings that anyone of us can get.

7 Neosporin + pain relief: I paid $3.49 each for a total of $25.98 plus my $10 off your next order catalina.

I then bought 64 boxes of cereal:

20 Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
5 Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheat, Big Bite
10 Kellogg's Raisin Bran
5 Kellogg's Rice Krispies
8 General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch
8 General Mills Cocoa Puffs
8 General Mills Trix
8 General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios

I bought 20 boxes of Kellogg's Pop Tarts

12 Boxes Green Giant Vegetables

6 Boxes of Bisquick Baking Mixes

4 Coke 12 packs + 2 free Hillshire Farms Lunch Meat

I paid $90.56 with a savings of $442.72. I purchased 125 items on this order for a total of $0.72 per item.

Weinie Roast Anyone?

I got 336 hot dogs for FREE!

I also got:
40 bottles of 24oz Hunts ketchup
20 bottles of J&J baby wash/lotion
6 boxes of Green Giant frozen veggies
4- 32 oz Yoplait yogurt
2- delicious steaks, bogo
1 bottle of Kraft ranch dressing

Here is the fun part, I spent $48.80 and saved $217.49!

Bonus: I received 2 $10 off coupons to use on my next purchases!
That's a free $20 towards more groceries, who can't use twenty dollars?