Today's CVS Trip

I was really proud of this trip and thought it was blog worthy.  Here's what I purchased:

(1) Jumbo Pack of Slip-on Huggies - On sale for $8.99

(5) Dove Shampoo/Conditioners - On sale for $3 each

(2) Covergirl Eye Shadows - Not on sale - $3.89 each

My total should've been about $34 with tax.

After several coupons and $3 worth of Extra Care Bucks, I spent $1.40 out of pocket.  THEN, I got back $6 worth of Extra Care Bucks back.  So I made a little money today.  My hubby will be proud.

Here's what I used:

-$4 off of $20 CVS coupon

-$2 ECB for pledging to not be a "money trasher" - CLICK HERE

-$1 ECB that printed at the kiosk

-$8 off of 2 Covergirl face items coupon

-$2.50 off of Huggies Slip-on CVS coupon

-Stacked a $3.00 off Slip-on coupon I received in the mail

-(2) BOGO Free Dove Hair care product coupon

-$1 off a Dove hair care product coupon

I just noticed that they took off the regular price instead of the sale price of the Dove shampoo and conditioner for my BOGO coupon.  Interesting.

YAY for making some money!!

Project "Table and Chairs"

We've (well, mostly my fantastic handy-dandy husband) been working on painting and sanding a few things for J-Dub's playroom as of late.  I'm super excited to show you guys the outcome!  I'm loving all the colors!

Back in November, I approached an old co-worker and friend of mine, Dennis, to see if he could build Jack a children's table for Christmas.  He happily agreed to do so and I am so glad he did!  Dennis is a super talented wood worker and let me tell you, this table is PERFECT.  The table top is made from the lumber of Ash trees that were planted in his father's backyard when Dennis was just 2 years old.  His father took great care of the trees, so when Dennis' father passed, Dennis had the trees cut into lumber and brought it with him on his move to Texas (from Michigan).  Every piece he builds with this lumber is a memory of his father.  I am SO grateful to have a piece of his family's legacy in our home, too!  Thank you Dennis!

We've had the table since Christmas and J-Dub has been enjoying it since, but we never took the time to finish it until just a couple of weeks ago.  I wish we had before and after pictures, but we don't.  Bummer.  Just imagine all UNFINISHED furniture.

The chairs we purchased through Amazon.com.  I earned a $100 Amazon gift card through MyPoints and had a $20 Amazon credit, so I was able to purchase four unfinished, FULLY ASSEMBLED (this was the best part!) chairs for about $16 TOTAL (that includes the shipping).  I'm kicking myself in the rear end because if I had purchased them the day prior, I would've gotten them for $6.  They just happened to increase their price the day I decided to make the purchase.  I guess I can't complain too much about $16 out of pocket.
Lime Green and Blue...

Red and Yellow...

Do you like?!! :)  The yellow chair is my favorite.

The little guy also got an unfinished rocking horse for Christmas from the grandparents, so we worked on him, too.  We matched the horse and table.

Now I'm ready to start on our next project!  Not sure what it is yet, but I already know Josh isn't as excited about it as I am!

FREE Starbucks and Luggage Tags

I just snagged a couple of great deals today thanks to Money Saving Mom and The Frugal Girls.  WOOHOO! 

First Offer:
Beget is offering a $5 Starbucks gift card to those who register on their site.  Beget is a new daily deal site.  They also have a facebook page.  AND if you 'like' their facebook page, you can earn a $5 credit!

Click HERE to find out more about the Starbucks deal through Beget.  Thanks Money Saving Mom!

Second Offer:
Go 'like' KLM's facebook page and you will be able to upload a photo and create your luggage tag.  They will be shipped to you for FREE.

Click HERE to learn more about getting your free luggage tags.  Thank you The Frugal Girls!

SCORE!  :)

Sunday's Paper

Hey Fellow Mommies!

If you haven't snagged a Sunday paper yet (2/27/2011), you might want to.  There were Huggies and Pampers coupons (diapers and wipes), Danonino and Danimals coupons, and a few other good ones.  It was worth it to me to purchase a double issue.  By the way, the double issue Ft. Worth Star Telegram is only $2.89.  You can see what other coupons are in last Sunday's paper HERE.  They've already posted next Sunday's preview, too.  Go check it out!

Today's ALDI Trip

I braved a shopping trip to ALDI today with J-Dub.  Not my favorite place to go, but they have great deals and it's worth making the trip.  If you haven't given ALDI a chance, you might try it out.  And don't give up after the first trip.  You may start finding things you like there.  Four things you should know before you go, though:

1. You have to deposit a quarter to get a cart, but don't worry - you can get it back when you return the cart at the end of your shopping trip.
2. They DO NOT bag your stuff up for you (like at Sam's).  You can purchase bags (paper or plastic) at the register, but you will roll your cart over to a counter to bag up your stuff if you choose to.  I bring my own recycled shopping bag.  Usually 1 does the trick for me because I don't purchase very much.
3. You can pay with cash or debit.  No credit cards.  No coupons.
4. The store isn't huge.  They don't carry hardly any name brand stuff.  Most of their products are sold under the ALDI brand (Fit and Active, Mercer, etc.).  BUT, ALDI works with big national suppliers to produce their products.  I pulled this from their website: 

ALDI partners with the best suppliers in the country—often the same ones that produce national brands. In addition, we have a test kitchen to ensure that our products meet or exceed the quality and taste of the national name brands.

 So, here's what I typically get when I go there:

1. Milk - Thanks to ALDI's presence in the market, milk prices have come down.  For a long time, you could get milk just about anywhere for about $1.  I've noticed that just recently, Walmart has increased their milk price to almost $2.  ALDI's price for a gallon of milk is $0.99.
2. Eggs - ALDI's egg prices have crept up, but I think they are still a reasonable price.  Eggs were $0.49 a few weeks ago and I think are now about  $0.79?  I didn't check because I didn't need any this trip, AND I know I can get them cheaper at Walmart right now.  Especially with my INCREDIBLE EGG coupon I printed a while back! 
3. Produce - This week (which I think the new ad cycle starts tomorrow, so really through the end of today), you can get a 6 pack of Roma tomatoes for $0.65, a 3lb bag of yellow onions for $0.75, a 3 pack of red/yellow/orange bell peppers for $1.69, and cucumbers for $0.55.
4. Snacks (mostly for J-dub) - Apple juice, Applesauce cups, graham crackers, chips (their Sour Cream and Onion, and BBQ chips are VERY similar to Lay's brand - I haven't tried their baked chips), dried fruits, nuts, granola bars.... we are NOT a fan of their "goldfish sharks" or their animal crackers.  I'm a cereal snob so I've never tried any of their cereals.
5. Boxed Pasta - very similar to Pasta Roni.  We fix this on lazy dinner nights.  Usually the Parmesan flavor and we'll throw in peas and shrimp, and fix a salad.  I think it's about $0.69 or 0.79 a box.

I haven't braved getting meat there yet.  And really, I think you can get a better deal elsewhere by checking ads.
 
I hope this posting gives you some courage to try out an ALDI near you.  If you've shopped there before and have favorites you buy at ALDI, please do share!
 
P.S. Please don't be like my friend Whitney and buy a CHEESEBALL on your first ALDI trip!  It'll keep you away forever! :)  Love ya Whit!

February Special - FREE Digital Files with Photo Session

My friend Liana is running another GENEROUS special for the month of LOVE.

If you book and pay for a photo session during the month of February, she will THROW IN all the edited, high resolution files from your session, WITH a copy of her signed release form for F-R-E-E!! The CD will contain anywhere from 25-35 photos, depending on what she is able to capture during your shoot.

The only requirement is that the session must be completed by the end of May 2011.

Here is a photo from her latest shoot. Isn't it precious?So book TODAY!! You can find out more information about the February special by clicking here.

I'm guessing you wish you had a generous friend like mine. :)

*Please note that the February special may not be combined with the Free Newborn Special offer.

FREE Newborn Photo Session

My amazing photographer friend Liana with Liana Randel Photography is offering FREE newborn photo sessions to build her portfolio. Yes, I said FREE. She typically charges $200 for a newborn session, so she must be feeling pretty generous!! There is no catch - no obligation to buy prints and no hidden costs.

This deal will include the photo session and (1) 5x7 print. AND if you want additional prints made, you can purchase them from her at 25% off (you can find her print pricing here).

There are a few guidelines to qualify for the FREE session:

-You must 'LIKE' her fanpage on Facebook and share her page with your friends

-You must reside within 30 minutes of Fort Worth, TX

-Photo session must take place before the baby is 8 days old

-Photo session must take place within the next 2-3 months

This is a great deal for anyone expecting a child within the next 2-3 months, so please forward this on to your pregnant friends! You can find more information on her blog. Get in touch with her today because space is limited!

(By the way, she took the middle and right photos in my header banner above.)

My New Rainboots

I've been wanting a pair of rainboots for a while now. BUT, since we are on an allowance system (J and I get a monthly cash allowance that we can spend however we choose), I am pretty careful about my unnecessary purchases. Most of my allowance goes towards lunches for me and little J. It's always a nice treat for us to have lunch out with friends when we can. PB&J and turkey sandwiches get old quickly. I'm sure you other moms know exactly how I feel.

Target was carrying black and white houndstooth rainboots (youth size) that went on clearance about a month or so ago. They were around $10, but I just couldn't bring myself to buying the boots. They now have the black in white in adult size for full price - I think $24.99. Kind of sad I missed out on the black and white ones, but look what I found this week:

PINK houndstooth. These boots were on clearance with the black and white ones last month, but I have to say I disregarded them because I am not a lover of all things pink (sorry pink lover friends). It's a nice color - I don't hate it, but I prefer black and white. These boots were 75% off this week.That's right. A whopping $4.98. I'd rather the boots be in black and white, but I like the pink, too (especially at that price!). They had them in my size... YOUTH size 3. Yep, they fit rather nicely. If you're wondering if they'll fit you, I wear a 6 or 6-1/2 in women's shoes.

I know what you're thinking. "You saved $5. What's the big deal?!" Well, that $5 will buy me and little J lunch somewhere! :) Yay for my very first pair of rainboots ever!

Stockin' Up on Cookies

I went in to Kroger today to buy some refrigerated packages of cookies since they were on sale and I had coupons for $1 off of 2 packages (the deal going on through next Tuesday is their BUY 4, Save $4 Promo). When I went to that section, there was a coupon machine spitting out coupons for $1.25 off of 2 packages of cookie dough. Score!
SOOO, I kind of ended up with 8 packages of cookie dough, which ended up being a good thing, BECAUSE, Pillsbury and Kroger are currently running a promo where a catalina spits out when you buy a certain number of participating items (i.e., Buy (4) and get a $1 catalina off your next order, buy (5) and get $2, buy (6) and get $3). So, on top of my great cookie deal, I ended up with a catalina for $3 off my next shopping order!

Cost per package = $0.87 and that's not taking into account that I have $3 off my next order!

If you run out to get this deal, remember this: to get the sale price on the dough, you have to buy in multiples of 4!

Guess I'll be bringing cookies to home team tomorrow night!!

This Week's Deals

So, I wanted to share my purchases from today with you guys. This was all from Target:

My Shopping List:
(6) Shout Stain Removers - $2.24 ea
(2) Vaseline Body Lotion - $2.99 ea
(2) Degree Men's Deoderant - $2.34 ea
(2) Suave for Men Shampoo/Conditioner - $1.68 ea
(1) Skintimate Shaving Gel - $1.97 ea
(1) 375 ct. Q-tips - $2.15 ea
(2) Wishbone Salad Dressings - $1.89 ea
(2) Chef Boyardee Ravioli Meals - $0.80 ea
(2) Del Monte Fruit Cups - $1.82 ea

TOTAL SHOULD BE ABOUT $42

About what I paid for each item (when I added it up, it came up a little more than what I actually spent - the coupons on the receipt are hard to track!!):
(6) Shout Stain Removers - $0.57 ea (had to get 6 of them to get them this cheap - I know what you're thinking - "REALLY, 6? You won't use them all!" My reasoning for getting 6 is that 6 is the same cost as about 1-1/2 bottles.)
(2) Vaseline Body Lotion - $0.49 ea (could've gotten them free I went with smaller bottle)
(2) Degree Men's Deoderant - $0.34 ea
(2) Suave for Men Shampoo/Conditioner - $0.43 ea
(1) Skintimate Shaving Gel - $1.22 ea
(1) 375 ct. Q-tips - $0.85 (could've gotten them cheaper if gone with smaller pkg - $0.47 if you get the size smaller, and I think there's even a smaller pkg if you wanted them free)
(2) Wishbone Salad Dressings - $1.28 ea
(2) Chef Boyardee Ravioli Meals -FREE
(2) Del Monte Fruit Cups - $0.82 ea

TOTAL ON RECEIPT = $11.56

I'm missing a Shout container in the picture because I gave one to my friend Catherine who provided me with one of the coupons. Thanks Cat!!

What stinks is that I could've only paid $1.56 out of pocket by using the $10 gift card that I earned on prior purchases... but I forgot. Oh well.

Check out COUPONING101.COM to see how you can get deals like this!!

Great Deals

Today I went to Target and got:
(1) Loaf of Sourdough Bread $0.99
(3) Archer Farms Fruit Strips on sale for $2 each
(2) 3 pk of Shick Quattro Razors for $6.49 each
(4) packs of Danonino Yogurt on sale for $1.66 each
Total should be: $26.61

BUT I used the following coupons:
B2G1 Free - Fruit Strips (-2.00)
(2) $3.00 off on the razors (-6.00)
(2) $1.00 off on the razors that were peelies on the product (-1.97 - not sure why they didn't take the whole dollar off on the 2nd coupon?)
(4) $1.00 off on Danonino Yogurt (-4.00)
Total: $12.61 (there wasn't tax, which I figured there would be tax on the razors, but nope!!)

AND I got a $5 gift card for buy two packs of razors, so it was like paying $7.61 for everything!

WHAT A DEAL!!