3 FREE Christmas Ebooks!

Here are 3 Free ebooks to help you with you holiday fun!

Mason Jar Recipes: 34 Holiday Ideas for Gifts in a Jar Click Here

Christmas Craft eBook: Quick and Easy Christmas Crafts featuring 25 free Christmas craft projects for home decorating, heartfelt gifts and fun crafts for kids. Click Here

eCookbook – 50 Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes, featuring 99 pages of Christmas cookie recipes. Click Here


Do you know of any other sources for free holiday crafts, recipes and cheap(but meaningful) gift ideas?

Even More Amazon Deals!

You are in luck if you waited to the last minute to do your Christmas shopping and don't want to deal with the crowded stores! Here are some more great deals you can grab from the comfort of your own home:

G.I. Joe Armadillo Tank vs. Serpentor's Air Chariot4.48 was 14.99

Easy Bake Decorating Pen Kit4.99 was 15.99

Pressman Scooby Doo Pop 'N' Race4.99 was 14.99

Global Distinctions Cross-Leg Bench with 2 Cubes, Brown Faux Leather40.48 was 249.00

MATCHBOX Pop Up 360° Haunted House Adventure Set14.99 was 34.99

Easy Bake Breakfast Delights4.99 was 14.99

Fisher-Price Shake 'n Go! XTREME Speedway27.99 was 69.99

Melissa & Doug Travel Bingo9.99 was 19.99

Melissa & Doug See & Spell9.99 was 19.99

Batman Lil Quad49.99 was 77.99


Fisher-Price Go Baby Go! Bounce & Spin Zebra29.99 was 59.99

Hasbro Playskool Busy Gears9.99 was 19.99

Tonka Real Rugged Steamroller7.05 was 12.99

Plan Toy Fruit and Vegetable Play Set9.99 was 19.99


You can see the deals from yesterday here. Most are still active. There is also a huge selection here of up to 70% off toys.

I hope you've been using opinion out post and swagbucks to earn amazon gift certificates!

Menu Plan Monday 12/14

We will be busy packing this week and hopefully starting the moving process late Friday. I will be using the crockpot for a few meals and hoping there are plenty of leftovers for the other days. I am not buying groceries, other than some produce. Last weeks dinners created more leftovers than anticipated and a few nights I just didn't make what was planned. Here's the plan this week:


BBQ Pork ribs, baked potatoes, broccoli and cheese

ham, green beans and sweet potatoes

navy beans and ham, biscuits

Quinoa spinach, mushroom and cheese casserole

3 nights of leftovers

My main concern is being without internet access for more than a few days! I'm OCD about checking my emails and seeing the deals others have spotted! I also need to be able to google something when it pops in my head or I forget and trying to remember drives me crazy. I know I will survive though(if that happens).

You can find 100's of other menu plans here.

Recap of Financial Goals for 2009- We Are in Debt Now!

I intended to update our goals every few months, but things got away from me. Here is how we did with our goals for 2009:

#1. contribute to a HSA - we signed up for this in November for 2009 -COMPLETED 11/15/08

#2. Diversify the 401k - I completed this in February or March. Before everything was in a mutual fund or bonds. I used the companies diversification questionnaire. So far this year we have earned $5000 in interest!

#3. Save $6,000 in 2009-We completed this in February, but then had to spend $4500 on a new to us van(husbands car broke down and we found out about baby #3). We ended up reaching this goal for th second time in July. As of December 2009 we have exceeded the goal!

#4. work on a more detailed budget and set aside money for irregular items monthly(example. car tags, car insurance, car maintenance, birthday parties, Christmas 2009, etc)- I started out doing really well with this, but stopped almost completely in February. We had a lot of emotional stress this year. We spent what we needed to and didn't splurge often, so I felt okay(but not great) about letting this slip off the priority list. We probably would have saved even more had we tracked our spending


#5. keep the grocery bill under $200 a month, even lower if possible- Well, since I didn't keep track of our spending I don't know exactly what we spent each month. I am almost certain it was over $200 though.


And now, to announce how we went into debt this year:




We are in the process of buying this house! Our closing date is this Friday 12/18. If all goes as planned we will be moving in this weekend. Merry Christmas to us!

Great deals On Amazon Right Now!

I was just browsing amazon.com and could not believe the amount of great deals to be had! I love shopping amazon because a lot of my out of pocket cost is deferred by my earnings from opinion out post and swagbucks, and I don't have to leave my house or pay shipping! Here are some of the best deals I see right now:


Video Journal 9.99 was 34.99

Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway - Happy Birthday Thomas and Box Car 9.99 was 19.99

My Q Pocket Numbers4.78 was 15.99

Playskool Rose Petal Cottage Cuddle Nursery Set - African American4.99 was 24.99


How to Get Rich: One of the World's Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets 2.38 was 16.00

Vtech - V.Smile TV Learning System19.99 was 39.99

Manley Art-tastic Magic Beads Zoo Friends Medium Playset 9.99 was 19.99
other sets available for the same price

High School Musical 3 Senior Year Game4.99 was 19.99

Playskool Busy Lil Garden Butterfly9.18 was 17.99

Sesame Street Real Digital Camera23.25 was 59.99




Remember, Amazon deals can change at any minute so if you are interested in something don't hesitate too long.

FREE Olay Quench Body Lotion!

Purchase any size Olay Quench Body Lotion (excluding trial size) between 12/10/09- 01/29/10 and submit this form for a full rebate. Pair this with a coupon and/or a RR/ECB deal and you have yourself a money maker!

Sam's Club, Kroger, and Meijer 12/06

Okay, we went to Sam's Club on Saturday, not today:) I was a bit disappointed with that trip. I went specifically to buy marinated artichoke hearts, BUT they didn't have any!!!! Last time I looked for them there was in 2006 or 2007... I purchased them from Costco within the last year and they still had them in September. Unfortunately I didn't pick any up before our membership expired in October. Other things that Sam's didn't have that I wanted:

Maple Syrup
Shelf stable soymilk(vanilla)

BUT they do carry the gallon size of Frank's Red Hot Sauce(Costco doesn't). You know what the old lady in the commercial says, right? Well that's my husband...

Any way, here's what we bought:



16qt stock pot(commercial grade) 26.87
Twin pack rc cars 29.76
spinach artichoke dip 6.97
24 pack junior mints 11.98
acai juice 5.87
1/2 gallon marchario cherries 7.88
16 oz jerky 9.88
3lbs sliced almonds 12.38
gallon hot sauce 9.48
freeze dried mushrooms 4.18
2 bags frito lay brand chips 5.98

total was 134.91 (3.68 in tax)
not sure of the savings

Kroger



2 nestle cookies 4.00
-2 1.50 printables
-.55 shortcuts= .23 each
4 cans dole pineapple 4.00 (1.00 each)
-4 .50 printables(no longer available)= free
big k 12 pack 1.77
4 oscar mayer lunchables 4.00 (1.00 each)
-4 .55 printables= free
3 newspapers 4.50 (1.50 each)
3lb clementines 3.68
-.55 coupon= 2.68

also used a 2.00 cat

7.48 (.08 tax)
saved 22.96, 14.55 in coupons

Meijer



bananas 1.12
4 cans campbell's tomato soup 2.32 (.58 each)
-2 .50/2 printables= .08 each
3 bags of spinach 3.00 (1.00 each)
6 3lb bags of apples 6.00 (1.00 each)
6 rolls ground turkey 6.00 (1.00 each)
2 cole's mini garlic toast 2.00 (1.00 each)
-2 .50 printables= free
5 packs sliced mushrooms 5.00 (1.00 each)
reduced eggnog 1.50

received 2 1.00 discounts from the 10/$10 get the 11th free promotion

total was 20.94
saved 33.40, 4.00 in coupons

Menu Plan Monday 12/07

The hubs finally had a request for dinner. Well, he actually said I didn't have to make it because he would forget wanting it by this week, lol. I'm lucky he isn't picky about what's for dinner, but it is kind of annoying when I ask him for suggestions and all he has to say is"I don't know" or "I don't care".

Chicken Enchiladas(the requested dish), black beans and rotel

Potato and turkey chowder, spinach salad

Quinoa spinach, mushroom and cheese casserole (an experiment- I'll let you know how it works out!)

Left overs

Breakfast casserole (bacon, egg, cheese, and potatoes), fruit

BBQ Pork ribs, baked potatoes, broccoli and cheese

ham, green beans and sweet potatoes

We are having lots of potatoes this week in attempt to use up the last of the 15 lb bag I purchased before Thanksgiving. We are expecting some exciting news later in the week which will cause tons of work, so I am going for the quick and easy recipes that have left overs for the next day's lunch(and maybe even breakfast).

You can find 100's of other menu plans here.

Kroger 12/04

I made another stop at Kroger on the way home from dropping the oldest kid off at school. Here's what I got:




4 16oz packs ground chicken 5.16 (1.29 each)
3 loafs arnold bread 4.77 (1.59 each)
-3 .35 peelies = .89 each
1 loaf arnold italian bread 1.49
-1 .35 peelie= .79
nature pride bread 2.50
-.55 printable
-.75 cellfire coupon= .75
bananas 1.03
chicken of the sea tuna .50
-.25 home mailer= free
2 rotel tomatoes 2.14(1.07 each)
-.50 printables= .07 each
2 international delight creamers 5.18 (2.59 each)
-2 free printables= free
3lb cuties clementines 3.68
-.55 printable= 2.68
4 oscar mayer bacon 10.98 (5.49 for 2, 2 free)
-2 .75 coupons= 2.25 each

total was 23.59
saved 30.60, 15.23 in coupons

More Kroger E Coupons!

I just opened an email from Kroger to find yet another E coupon site! These are holiday coupons for the Kroger Private Selection Brand, along with national brands. Go here to add these to your Kroger card. Coupons include:

$2.00 off quantum finish 20ct

.75 on 3 cans of Del Monte canned Fruit, Vegetables, Tomatoes or Plastic Fruit Cups

FREE 8 oz. COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (up to $1.60) when you BUY any TWO (2) of these KRAFT products: BAKER'S Chocolate, JELL-O Brand Gelatin or Pudding, NILLA Wafers 11-12 oz., PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese 8 oz. box

$3.00 on a Carvel seasonal ice cream cake or any Carvel ice cream cake 48 fl. oz. or larger

$1.50 off your total shopping trip with each 3-card (has expressions from hallmark logo next to it) purchase

$5.00 when you spend $39.99 or more on any ONE (1) Holiday Dinner from our Deli Department

.55 off when you purchase (1) of any size International Delight

$1.25 off when you purchase (2) International Delight or Land O Lakes Quarts

$5.00 off when you spend $24.99 or more on any ONE (1) Party Platter from our Deli Department

$2.00 off on any TWO (2) Private Selection Bread or Dessert Mixes

$2.00 off on TWO (2) Private Selection Frozen Desserts

$2.00 off on ONE (1) Private Selection Whole Frozen Turkey from our Meat Market

$10.00 off on ONE (1) package of Private Selection Fully Cooked Beef Prime Rib Roast from
our Meat Market

$2.00 off on ONE (1) Private Selection Fruit or Crème Pie from our In-store bakery

$3.00 off on ONE (1) Private Selection Colossal Tiger Shrimp Ring 20 or 30 count from our Seafood Department

$1.00 off on any TWO (2) Reddi-wip 7 oz.

$2.50 off when you purchase any (3) of the following products: Jif Peanut Butter, Pillsbury Cake Mix*, Pillsbury Frosting, Eagle BrandSweetened Condensed Milk or Crisco Oil
*Limit 1 cake mix per purchase.

$1.00 off when you buy any TWO (2) RITZ (13.66-16 oz. or larger)

.55 off On the purchase of any ONE Smart Balance Buttery Spreads

$2.50 off when you purchase any (3) of the following products: Smucker's Jams, Jellies or Preserves, Hungry Jack Pancake Mix or Syrup, Martha White Muffin Mix*
or Folgers Coffee
*Limit 1 Martha White Muffin Mix per purchase.

$1.00 off On any Colgate Wisp (4 ct. or larger)

All Have an expiration date of 02-14-10


It looks like these will be replacing the My Magazine Home mailers or at least I hope. I always forget to bring mine with me to the store.

Free International Delight Creamer!

You can print a coupon for 1 FREE pint of International Delight coffee creamer. Just go here and click the coupon tab. You will need to become a fan to access the coupon. I was able to print two!

Thanks, Printable Coupons and Deals!

*HOT* .55 off Lunchables Combinations (w/o drink) Printable

Coupons.com has a .55/1 Lunchables Combinations (w/o drink) coupon. If your store doubles these will be really cheap when pairing the coupon with sale.


other new releases at coupons.com:


.50 off Green Giant Steamers
.75 off gold fish crackers
1.0o/2 imagine foods soup or broth
.75 nutrigrain bars

and many more!

Get Amazon Gift Certificates Instantly from Opinion Outpost!

Opinion Outpost has made changes to it's redemption requirements and added another payment option. Instead of waiting until you have $10 before you can cash out and then waiting some more until the check arrives, you can now redeem at $5. The best part is they now offer Amazon gift certificates! These will post instantly for you to go shopping with.

I am loving these changes and checking my Opinion Outpost account several times a day so I can earn another gift certificate in time for a little more Christmas shopping. It isn't at all difficult to make the $5 in 2-3 surveys, if you have the surveys available to take.

Want to know more about Opinion Outpost? See my previous review here.

Kroger 12/01

I had planned to skip shopping altogether until the weekend, but I was low on diapers. The baby wears cloth diapers during the day and disposables at night and if we are going on a long car ride or will be out in public for more than 3 hours. The toddler wears disposables all the time. His booty is too big for the one size cloth diapers and the size large diapers we have. I could stick him in prefolds and covers, but I hate touching the wet parts of the diapers and it is near impossible for me to not touch them when using prefolds.


2 mega packs luvs diapers 21.98 (10.99 each)
-2 2.00 coupons (one was a homemailer and the other was a catalina)
-.50 P&G esaver= 8.74 each
6 kashi tlc crackers 11.94(1.99 each) - 1 day sale
-6 1.00 coupons (from a booklet I found @ Kroger in early May)
Suave deodorant 1.00
-1.00 cat = free
2 pack of soothie pacifiers 3.89
3 boxes apple jacks 4.77 (1.59 each)- 1 day sale
-3 coupons(found in blinkie machines last month)=.59 each
Cuties clementines 3.68
-.55 printable= 2.68

Total was 32.44(1.68 tax)
saved 36.40, 16.50 in coupons

Check out more Kroger trips @ The New Frugal Mom (because this one was kinda lame, lol)

New Month Means New Coupons!(Printable and E )

You can go to Coupons.com, coolsavings.com, Redplum.com, and Smartsource.com to print all the new coupons that interest you. Print what you think you will use in the next 30 days. Some of the best coupons will reach their print limits quickly.

Cellfire and Shortcuts also released new e coupons in the past few days. You have 2 weeks to load the ones from Cellfire. They expire 30 days from now. Don't forget to go to UPromise and load those new e coupons too.


Also check the other General Mills Websites I have listed here.

Olay $20 Rebate when you spend $50

There is a new Olay rebate out: get $20 back by mail when you spend $50 on Olay facial moisturizers, cleansers, and/or treatments. Purchases must be made by December 27th 2009 and postmarked by January 8th 2010. Download your form here. (Not Valid in Maine)

The $50 has always been BEFORE coupons in the past. This would go well with Meijer's deal this week. There may be a sale coming up at CVS or Walgreens to make this even better. I will need to check the previews to know for sure.

Update on Kraft Cheese Rewards Program @ Kroger

In my initial post it was unclear how you would know how much credit you had accumulated toward the Kraft cheese rewards program. Today among the catalinas my husband received at check out was a little notice telling me I needed $18 more dollars to receive my $2 reward. Your total will not be on your regular receipt. You will get a notice from the catalina machine a few days after you purchase qualifying items telling you much you have spent and how much more you need to spend. I've updated the original post to include this new information.

Menu Plan Monday 11/30

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are still eating left over turkey. My husband had the foresight to split them in half and put one bag in the fridge and the other in the freezer to keep us from burning out. I have enough turkey for 2 more meals in the fridge and 3-4 in the fridge:)

Crockpot chicken and quinoa stew- using turkey in place of chicken and adding mushrooms

Chilaquiles casserole

Beef stew

Spaghetti w/ meat sauce and green beans

chicken breast, baked potatoes, broccoli and cheese

Left overs

Steak N Shake, if my gift card from my points comes. If not we will have something easy from the freezer

Go here to see hundreds of other Menu Plans.

Jungle Jim's Deals 11/30-12/06

Jungle Jim's is open from 8am-10pm everyday. They do not double coupons and they do accept printable coupons. View the full ad here.

Items which state "limit X w/ additional $10 purchase" do not count toward your $10 minimum for other items which require a $10 minimum.


Florida Red Grapefruit 5lb bag 1.99

Sunburst Tangerines 3lb bag 2/$3

assorted bulk nuts 1.99/lb

bananas .39/lb
limit 4lbs

texas limes 2lb bag 2/$3

anjou pears .79/lb

green onions 3/$1

Riceland long grain rice 25lbs 8.99
-.50 11-15-09 RP= 8.49 or .34 per pound

Boneless Alligator Sirloin 11.99/lb

Freshlike frozen veggies 16oz .78
-.35 11-15-09 SS=.43 each

Folgers Coffee 27.8-33.9oz select varieties 4.99
-1.00 11-08-09 RP= 3.99 each
limit 2 per family w/ additional $10 purchase

General mills cereal (cinnamon toast crunch, golden grahams, cheerios, lucky charms) 1.79
-1.00/2 lucky charms, golden grahams, or cinnamon toast crunch printable
-1.00/2 cheerios 11-08-09 SS= 1.29 each
limit 3 per family w/ additional $10 purchase

Rosetto ravioli 18oz 2/$5
-1.00 11-01-09 SS=1.50 each

Tony's original pizza 12in 1.88
-1.00/2 10-04-09 SS= 1.38 each

Aunt Jemima Syrup original, lite or buttermilk 24oz 2.49
-1.00/2 10-04-09 SS= 1.99 each

aunt jemima pancake mix complete, buttermilk complete, or original 32oz 1.89
-1.00/2 10-04-09 SS= 1.39 each

propel fitness water 24oz 2/.90

martha white blueberry muffin mix 7oz .89
-1.00/4 11-08-09 RP= .64 each

smucker's grape jelly 32oz 1.19
-.25 11-08-09 RP= .94 oz

pringles super stack select 1.29
-1.00/4 11-15-09 RP= 1.04 each

Nabisco snack crackers triscuit, wheat thins, sociables, fiber select 7-10oz 1.99
-1.00 11-08-09 SS= .99 each

International Delights creamer 16oz 2/$3
-1.00/2 11-08-09 SS= 1.00 each

Quaker instant oatmeal assorted varieties 10ct 2.29
-1.25/2 08-30-09 RP(expires Monday)=1.67 each

Zatarains Rice sides cheddar broccoli and chicken .99
-.75/2 09-13-09 RP(expires Monday)=.62 each

betty crocker warm delights 1.29
-.50 printable = .79 each

texas toast tortilla strips chipotle cheddar or chili lime1.39
-.50 11-08-09 SS= .89 each

campbell's chunky soup 1.59
-1.50/3 printable= 1.09

Dial holiday hand soap pump winter pomegranate or sparkiling cider 1.19
-.35 10-04-09 SS= .84 each

Lysol Disinfectant spray garden mist professional 19oz 1.99
-1.00 11-08-09 SS or printable= .99 each

bounty basics paper towels 1ct .59
-.25 11-01-09 PG(expires Monday), 11/29/09 PG= .34 each
limit 12 per family with additional $10 purchase

Staples: Free Batteries And Markers!

I'm sure you will need batteries to go with many of your Christmas gifts this year. You can score some free after rebate Duracell batteries(AA and AAA) at Staples. Combine the battery deal with the $25 in free sharpie deal (only valid online Sunday and Monday this week) and you don't even need to leave you house or pay shipping to get them! Jenny at Southern Savers has the scoop here.

Be sure to shop through ebates to get 2% back too!

Don't Throw out Your Parade Magazine!

Inside the Parade magazine(comes in some Sunday papers) there is a $2 off huggies coupon. Make sure you cut it out before recycling your newspaper.

Meijer Deals 11/29-12/05

There are a few good deals this week at Meijer, but nothing spectacular. I'm sure many of you are happy to have a slower week of shopping this week any way;)

In my area(Cincinnati) Meijer doubles coupons up to .50 and anything between .51 and .99 goes to a dollar, 1.00 or more is redeemed at face value. Limit of 2 identical coupons doubled per order.

*Prices my vary




Blackberries 5/$5
-.50 printable(if the berries are driscoll brand)= free

oscar mayer bacon 2.69
-.75 11-15-09 SS=1.69

eckrich smoke sausage 2.19
-.55 11-15-09 SS= 1.19

Dannon activia 1.99
-1.00 11-01-09 SS, 10-04-09 SS= .99

Sargento Shredded Cheese 8oz 1.89
-.40/2 11-15-09 SS
-.55 All You, December 2009= 1.49- .89 each

freschetta original or brick oven pizza 3.99
-1.00 11-15-09 SS
-1.00 brick oven printable =2.99

Kashi cereal select varieties 3.59
-3.00 Vocalpoint home mailer
-1.50 Vocalpoint home mailer
-1.50 golean crunch printable = .59- 2.09 each

yoplait kids or trix yogurt 1.99
-1.00/2 trix 11-08-09 SS= 1.49

v8 Splash 64oz 1.99
-1.00/2 printable= 1.49

Knorr pasta or rice sides .89
-.75/2 11-15-09 RP
-1.00/5 meal box = .29 each wyb 5 and use 2 man. and 1 meal box coupon

campbell's chunky soup 3/$4
-1.50/3 printable = .83 each

Mc cormick dry seasoning packs 2/$1
-1.00/4 meal box coupon= .25 each

Red Gold tomatoes .79
-1.00/2 printable = .29 each

Kellogg's cereal raisin bran, rice krispies, frosted mini wheats, frosted flakes 1.88
-.50 raisin brand , 1.00/2 krispies and mini wheats, 1.50/3 frosted flakes printables
-1.50/2 mini wheats printable
-1.50 off store brand coffee wyb 3 kellogg's cereals here and here = .88, 1.13, or 1.38 and 1.50 off coffee

Free Olay facial cleanser or cleansing clothes when you buy any olay facial moisturizer or treatment(6.29-24.99) -free item must be of equal or lesser value
-1.00 moisturizer or cleanser 11/29/09 PG= as low as $4.29/2
Rebate: get $20 back wyb $50 in Olay facial cleansers, moisturizers, or treatments

$2 off colorgirl lip product (excludes outlast and gift sets) Prices starting at 3.50
-1.00 11/29/09 PG
-2.50/2 11-01-09 PG(expires Monday)= as low as .25 each

Olay body wash and quench lotion 5.29
- free lotion wyb body wash 11/29/09 PG
-1.00 11/01/09 (expires Monday)= 2.15 each

Pantene shampoo or conditioner 12.6oz excludes expressions and restoratives 2.96
-2.00 Vocalpoint home mailer
-1.00 Vocalpoint home mailer= .96-1.96

Playskool toys buy two get one FREE
printables here and here

More Hot Printables

1..00 off toll house morsels and 1.50 off toll house cookies here

(Thanks, Common Sense with money!)

1.00/4 del monte canned veggies, fruit or tomatoes here (bottom right corner)

@ coupons.com

ace hardware: 50% off one reg priced item under $30

1.00 off lunchables(must take a pledge to access)

1.50 off store brand coffee wyb 3 kellogg's cereals

1.50 off wheatables

1.50 off all bran crackers

1.00 off coast body wash

1.00 tone bar soap

3.00 off Sid the science kid talking plush

More printables at Redplum.com, coolsavings.com and smartsource.com

Some Hot Printables

Here are several hot printables you will want to print quickly, before they reach their print limits:


.55 3lb cuties and 1.00 5lb cuties (clementine oranges) here (register at the top to get to the coupons)

.50/ driscoll berries here (bottom right corner)

Thanks, Saving with Shellie

5 various Kraft dairy coupons here

A Black Friday Warning

It is very easy to get caught up in all the hype of Black Friday, but don't forget to make a budget of how much you can afford to spend this season and stick to it. If you are using a credit card, do so with caution and realize you will need to pay that bill in a month or less. If you don't plan to pay the card in full when the payment is due your Black Friday savings are really not all that great (after you factor in the interest you will be paying on the purchase).

It is nice to be able to give nice gifts to those you love, but it is even better to spend time with them and create memories. You do not need to prove your love to anyone with presents. Sit down before you head out the door to snag those great deals and cross off your list items that you really don't need to get. Just because it is a door buster doesn't mean you need to buy it. It still cost money, takes up space in your home, and takes time to acquire, maintain, and keep picked up off the floor. I always like to calculate the cost of an item by seeing how many minutes or hours of my husbands time at work it takes to pay for it. When you look at an items cost in this way, you will find many things cost too much.


I am speaking from my own experience. My oldest daughter's first few Christmas's could have been much better had I not gone crazy "saving" money on all kinds of gifts for her. 4 years later I am still tripping over half of the gifts I got her then. During her 2nd Christmas I realized I wasn't doing anyone any favors by spoiling her with so much stuff. She was tired of opening gifts and ungrateful to others who didn't get her 20-30 gifts each. She finished opening 5-6 gifts at her great grandmother's house, realized she had no more gifts to open and pouted "I didn't get nothing". It broke my heart I had inadvertently made her greedy and unappreciative.

Now we have three children and our tree has less gifts under it than the first few years when we only had one child, but we have so much more time to spend with them actually playing with the toys and reading the books they receive. My kid's aren't overwhelmed. I don't have to worry about the huge credit card bill looming over my head or asking my husband to spend more time at work to pay for the gifts. And my daughter who once was insatiable now only has a list of two items she wants for Christmas(which she had to think long and hard about before she came up with).

So be careful when you are out getting all the great deals. There are plenty because retailers have been hurting all year. Don't jeopardize your finances buying what you don't need and do not go with out a detailed list which included a grand total. Do not go over your budget. You still have 6-8 weeks of bargains being crammed in your face.

Paid to Read/Survey/Shopping Rebate Site : My Points

I have been a member of My Points for quite some time. It was hard to narrow down the description part of the post title on this site. My Points has so much to offer: paid surveys, rebates for shopping online, points for "reading" emails, reviewing sites, using their search bar and so much more!

When I first signed up with My Points in early 2004 I only earned points by clicking through the emails they send. You receive 5 points for each one you click through. One year later I had enough points to redeem for a $25 gift card! Since then I have earned over 45,000 point(around $325 depending on what you redeem for).

Now I utilize more than just the paid email aspect of the site(though it is still the largest point earner for me), and as a result it doesn't take me a year to earn rewards.

Tip for making the email reading part of the site easier:

1. Once every week or two (or however often you like, just be aware the emails have expiration dates of 2-3 weeks. If you click on them after the expiration date you wont get credit for reading them)do a search in your email account for mypoints.

2. Open the first email in you search results

3. Right click the link in the email and click open in new tab

4. Delete the email(unless it's an offer you want to take advantage of later, in that case just click next)

5. Repeat with the next 4- 5 emails in the search results

6. Close the tabs that you just opened and repeat the whole process until you have no more emails left from mypoints

You can set up what offers you would like emailed to you in your account settings. For the sake of earning more points I signed up for all available newsletters.

Another way to earn points is through referrals. Here's how it works:

Send an invite to join your network to your friends using their form, when those friends sign up you receive 10% of the points they earn(unlimited), plus you will earn a flat 25 points for the first 20 people in your network.

This is a new referral system, it used to be you could invite up to 10 friends a month for a flat 250 points.

I usually try to get a "treat" gift card using My Points(I just redeemed some points for a $25 Steak N Shake Gift Card!), but they also have more practical choices like CVS and Kmart.

I could go on and on about My Points, but I'd rather have you go check it out for yourselves by signing up here-it's free or, if you are already a member share your own experiences with us in the comments(the good and the bad).

You will not get rich using this site, but you will earn a little extra spending money.

Quick, Print This .50 off Dole Fruit Coupon!

Did you max out you prints for the .50/1 dole canned fruit coupon here(you have to play the game to get to it)? Well you can print two more at coupons.com! Just click the banner above to get yours before it's gone.

Menu Plan Monday 11/23

Last week I was pretty ill on Sunday, so I did not make a menu plan for the week. How many times do you have to repeat an action before it becomes habit? I really need to make menu planning a habit! Practice, practice, practice...

Well, turkey is on the menu for a good portion of the week. I will be making a turkey at home as soon as the one in the fridge is finished thawing (probably Tuesday) and we will be having turkey with family on Thursday.

Breakfast for dinner - eggs, bacon, fruit and toast
Turkey dinner at home
leftover turkey over mashed potatoes covered with gravy, peas
Turkey dinner w/ family
baked potatoes w/ broccoli and cheese, salad
turkey salad sandwiches, fruit
turkey Alfredo noodles and broccoli

I know we are going to have a ton of turkey left from our bird- it's 16lbs and only 4 of us will be eating on it! I see more turkey recipes in next weeks menu plan. MMM! I love Thanksgiving:)

You can see hundreds of other menu plans here!

Jungle Jim's Deals 11/23-11/29

Jungle Jim's is open from 8am-10pm everyday. They do not double coupons and they do accept printable coupons. View the full ad here.

Items which state "limit X w/ additional $10 purchase" do not count toward your $10 minimum for other items which require a $10 minimum.


Jungle Jim's store hours on Thanksgiving day are 8am-6pm

Sweet Potatoes .29/lb
6lb limit

Georgia Pecan meats 1 lb bag 4.99

celery stalk .79

Florida Red Grapefruit 5lb bag 1.99

Philadelphia cream cheese .99
1.00/3 =.66 each


Kraft cool whip 8oz .69
limit 4

pillsbury all purpose flour 5lb .99
limit 1 per family w/ additional $10 purchase

Mrs. Smith Pies 27oz 2/$6
-1.00 11-15-09 SS= 2.00

libby's canned vegetables select .59
-1.00/4 09-27-09 RP or .50/2 printable = .34 each
limit 12 per family w/ additional $10 purchase

Wesson vegetable oil 48oz 2.19
-.50 printable = 1.69

Campbell's can gravy (beef, turkey, or chicken) .49
-1.00/4 printable
-.40/4 11-08-09 SS= .24-.39 each

Progresso broth beef chicken or reduced salt chicken 32oz 1.39
-.50 10-04-09 SS, 11-15-09 GM or printable = .89

betty crocker pouch potatoes .69
-.35 11-15-09 SS, 11-22-09 SS or
-.40 printable= .34 - .29 each

Libby's canned pumpkin
15 oz 1.19
29 oz 1.99

Betty crocker bac o bit 4.4oz 1.09

Nestle toll house morsels white-semi-milk chocolate or butterscotch 12oz 1.59
-.50 11-01-09 RP= 1.09

Birdseye steamfresh veggies 12oz .77
-1.00/2 printable= .52
last time lightly sauced was excluded

filippo berio extra virgin olive oil 17oz 4.99
-1.00 printable = 3.99

lipton tea bags 100ct black 2.59
-.60 11-15-09 SS= 1.99 each

bounty basics paper towels 1ct .59
-.25 11-01-09 PG= .34 each
limit 12 per family with additional $10 purchase

Charmin basic big roll bath tissue 12ct 4.99
-.25 11-01-09 PG= 4.74
limit 2 per family with additional $10 purchase

Renuzit Pearl Scents apple cinn, fresh snow scent 1.79
-.50 printable
-b2g1 11-08-09 SS= .86 each wyb 3 and use 2 printables and 1 b2g1 coupon

vanity fair napkins dinner 40ct or luncheon 100ct 1.79
-.50 08-09-09 RP= 1.29

Unadvertised(valid on 11/22 with no end date mentioned- can be pulled at anytime)

scott extra soft bath tissue 4pk .89
-1.00 on 8 or more rolls 11-22-09 SS = .39 each wyb 2 packs using 1 coupon

Meijer Deals 11/22-11/28

This week doesn't look too bad! Be sure to check your ad for non coupon items you may need and to be sure I didn't over look something great!


In my area(Cincinnati) Meijer doubles coupons up to .50 and anything between .51 and .99 goes to a dollar, 1.00 or more is redeemed at face value. Limit of 2 identical coupons doubled per order.

*Prices my vary

You can print Meal Box Coupons with the Widget below or with the HCW Meijer Coupon Generator Here

$14 off Grade A Tom Turkeys (16.1 lbs and up)
$8 off grade A hen turkeys (average 10-16lbs)
limit 1 w/ additional $20 purchase
-$2 off wyb butterball turkey and (5) 12oz heinz gravy/6oz stovetop stuffings
-$2 off butterball whole turkey and here

Sweet Potatoes .37/lb

red grapefruit(5lb) 2/$5

Birdseye steam fresh veggies 1.00
-.35 not sure which insert, the ones listed in database exclude steamfresh= .30 each

breyers ice cream 2/$5
-.75 10-18-09 RP= 1.50

pepperidge farm stuffing mix 2/$5
-1.00/2 printable = 2.00

pascal celery .67

king's Hawaiian rolls 2/$4
-1.00/2 printable or 11-15-09 RP= 1.50

alouette cream de brie 2/$5
-1.00 or .75 11-08-09 SS= 1.50

progresso chicken or beef broth 32oz 1.69
-.50 10-04-09 SS, 11-15-09 GM or printable = .69

heinz gravy .99
-1.00/3 printable = .66 each

dole salad blends 2/$5
-1.00/2 printable and here= 2.00

Pillsbury grands biscuits .99
-11-15-09 GM or printable= .69

international delight creamer 16oz 1.64
-.55 or 1.00 11-08-09 SS 10-04-09 SS= .64
Rumored Cat Deal: Buy 2 pint sizes get $2 oyno cat(makes this a mm of .72!), good through 12/05

dean's dips 1.19
-1.00/2 09-27-09 SS= .69

daisy sour cream 16oz 1.49
-.50 11-15-09 SS(says limit 1 per transaction)= .49

kraft cheeses assorted 3/$5
-1.00/2 11-15-09 RP= 1.16

rhodes warm n serve rolls 1.99
-1.00 09-20-09 SS= .99

bob evan's breakfast sandwiches(4ct) 3.99
-1.00 10-11-09 SS= 2.99

smithfield bacon 2.29
-.55 10-25-09 SS (did not double when I used on ss sale- watch the register)= 1.29

eggland's best grade a large eggs 2/$3
-.35 11-01-09 SS= .80

toll house morsels 1.99
-.50 11-01-09 RP= .99

king arthur flour 5lb 2.99
-3.50/2 King Arthur Flour, 5 lb., and Fleischmann's Jar Yeast - 11-08-09 SS= free plus .51 toward jar yeast

diamond shelled walnuts 16oz 4.99
-3.00/2 11-08-09 SS (says limit 1 per transaction)= 3.49 each

martha white muffin mix .88
-1.00/4 11-08-09 RP= .63 each


prevacid 14ct 10.27
-4.00 11-15-09 RP= 6.27 (.44/pill)

Buy Snow Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws DVD or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on 2 disc DVD get free 3lb bag of jonathan or red delicious apples free(no price listed- to be released 11/24)
-5.00 snow white printable
-buy both and enter rewards codes to get two free santa buddies plush toys free( +6.00 s&h) (if you buy both try getting 2 bags of apples too, it doesn't say limit one in the ad)
-5.00 rebate when you buy snow buddies and butterball whole turkey 11/22 insert or here

Playskool Dinoroars stompers $19.00
-10.00 printable= 9.00 (normal price is $25 at Meijer)

Fisher Price trio builders starter set or fire station 15.00
-5.00 printable= 10.00

Buy 2 $25 o charley's gift cards in one transaction, get $5 back on your next Meijer order

Make $5 @ Meijer 11/21 Only!

Tomorrow only you can save $5 on the purchase of $50 in Meijer gift cards with the coupon in the Super Saturday ad.

Meijer will also be having a Thanksgiving day sale, Black Friday sale, and Another Super Saturday sale next week. You can see all of the ads here.

The Wii and Wii fit are cheaper at Meijer than they are on amazon (details on amazon deal here), but you will need to go to the store on two separate days.

Meijer 11/20 (lots of fruit)

3 pints of strawberries .69 (.23 each)
bananas 1.03
3 mangoes .50
8 pomegranates 2.00 (.25 each)
1 spaghetti and 1 butternut squash 5.74 (.79/lb)
4 tomatoes 1.23
15lb bag potatoes 2.69
brown sugar 2.99
dark brown sugar .89
4 cup a soup/ recipe secrets 3.96(.99 each)
-2 .40 coupons
-1.00/4 meal box= .34 each
1 hen turkey 13.79 (10.xx lbs)
-8.00 instant promo= 5.79 (about .58/lb)
4 ragu pasta sauces 5.16 (1.29 each)
-2 1.00/2 meal box coupons
-2 .60/2 coupons= .29 each
2 packs aunt millie dinner rolls 2.58 (1.29 each)
-2 .55 printables= .29 each
4 i can't believe it's butter sticks 6.76 (1.69 each)
-2 1.00/2 meal box coupons
-4 1.00 coupons= .19 each
healthy ones 8oz lunch meat 4.58 (2.29 each)
- 2 .50 discounts- not sure why but these came off automatically at the register!
-2 .55 coupons= .79 each
3lb bag of apples 1.50
4lb bag oranges 2.00
3 12packs of soda 7.44 (2.48 each)

also used a $20 cat(from filling a RX in the meijer pharmacy with a coupon I got at checkout last time) and 4 $2 cats

total was 11.83 (.25 tax)
saved 69.20, 49.60 in coupons

The savings do not include what I saved on all the marked down fruit:)

My little guy has been sick and recovering from a fractured ankle the past few weeks and it has affected his appetite. He is finally feeling somewhat better and he is back to his hungry self. Today he ate 3.5 bananas, almost a pound of strawberries, an orange, 3 bowls of cereal(1 cheerios and 2 rice krispies plain), 2 pieces of pizza, and a handful of goldfish honey grahams. No veggies. He wouldn't eat much for dinner after he had his fruit munching session in the 30 minutes it took me to get my daughter from school(daddy was watching him). I'm wondering how much is going to eat when he gets bigger! He is only 23 months right now.

mealbox coupons are here

Black Friday Survey

I know a lot of us have Black Friday on the mind(it's 1 week away!). Retailers do too. Hot Coupon World has a survey they are doing to provide retailers with more information about consumer shopping habits on this special day. You can take part in it by going here. It will be available until thanksgiving day, so if you don't have time right now you can come back later and take it. There will also be a follow up survey after Black Friday. I will let you know when that is up as well.

What is Hot Coupon World? It is another community of coupon clippers and deal seekers like A Full Cup. you can check out Hot Coupon World's black Friday forum here(and don't forget to check out A Full Cup's too).

Sunday Coupon Preview 11/22

There will only be one insert in Sundays paper. To see what all will be included click the banner above. I'm going to guess that there wont be any in next Sunday's, due to the holiday. I'm okay with that, I need to catch up on clipping. I have inserts from before the baby was born still waiting to be clipped!

Black Fridy Deals

Want to stay in the know about the upcoming Black Friday Deals? Check out A Full Cups Black Friday section by clicking the banner above.

New Cellfire Coupons, Including Purina!

Along with the usual line up of e coupons, cellfire has Purina pet food coupons now! I don't have a pet personally, but I know from family how expensive pet food can be. Here are a few of the newest cellfire coupons you can load to your shopper's card today:

$4.00 on Scotch Fur Fighter-Kroger and ShopRite only

$1.00 on any one package of Purina brand Dry Cat Food, any size/variety

$1.00 on any one package of Purina brand Dry Dog Food, any size/variety

$1.00 on two packages of Purina brand Dog Snacks and/or Cat Treats, any size /variety

$0.75 on any one loaf of Nature's Pride bread

I highly recommend adding as many as you can fit on your card. Once you have shopped you can add any that wouldn't fit. You have 2 weeks to load these new coupons to your card and 4 weeks to use them. This is from the time the coupons were released, not when you added them to our card. Load them here!

Also check and see if you have all the ecoupons from shortcuts, P&G esaver, and the newest site - Fall Savings. You should already have all of the UPromise ecoupons since they only change at the beginning of the month, but if you forgot to add them you can do so now.

And lastly, take a peek at the three major coupon sites- Coupons.com, Smartsource.com, and Redplum.com to be sure you have printed any new releases.

You will also find $15 in Campbell's printables here (thanks, hip2save!)

Awesome Wii/Wii fit Deal @ Amazon!

Amazon has a great deal on the Wii/Wii fit plus with balance board bundle! When you go here and place all three items in your cart(wii, wii fit, and $50 amazon gift card) you will get a $50 discount at checkout automatically. The cost for all items is $289, plus you have $50 left to spend! You can spend that $50 on the Wii Play with Wii Remote ($44.49) and still have $5.50 to spend on something else!


This deal is only good until the Nov. 22nd(Sunday) and is limited to 1 per customer.

I'm also using my swagbucks to get a Wii Dual Charge Station & Turbo Cooler so we aren't going through batteries like crazy!


Thanks so much to Couponing to Disney for the heads up on this and the nudge I needed to actually purchase it;)

Spoonfuls of Stories Giveaway winner!

Sorry I didn't get this posted yesterday! I'm gonna blame this on the small screaming beauty who was a tiny terror from noon to midnight yesterday;) Thankfully G-ma was able to help until 6pm:) Any way the winner...

Anonymous said... 55

I subscribe via email-thanks!

fawnwoodusa@

I've emailed you fawn, you have 48hrs to send back your mailing address. Congratulations!

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