Quitting Roche Bros. & Hannaford's...

I'm quitting Roche Bros. and Hannford deals. Be sure to check out Money Saving Maine-iac and Old Fashion New England Savings for Hannaford deals. I don't think there are any Roche Bros. wackos out there! ;)

Also, check BeCentsible for all grocery stores all over the nation. It's just been too time consuming to do all 4 stores in my region. I gave it a shot. I gave up. This is the norm for me! :)

MA Residents - Rebate from National Grid

We went and scored ourselves a new refridgerator at Lowe's yesterday. We were able to score 10% off. But something I didn't know (and maybe other refridgerator hunters aren't aware of) is if you get an Energy Star rated Refridgerator, National Grid in Massachusetts will give you $50 back. Click HERE to see the info on the National Grid Refridgerator Rebate.

Another great rebate National Grid is doing this year is MassSAVE program. National Grid will pay 75% (up to $2,000) to get your home insulated, air sealed, or other weatherization services! 75% is a lot! Click HERE for information on this program.

And yet another program (that I might actually do too), is the second refridgerator/freezer turn-in. Although it's great to have a freezer in the basement, it's very old and who knows how much "juice" it's sucking up. We don't use it often, and we bought a slightly bigger refridgerator than our current one, so I really don't think we'll need it. They'll give me $30 for this old clunker (as long as it's 10 cu ft.). Click HERE for info on the Second Refridgerator/Freezer turn in program.

There are a couple other rebates out there from National Grid, so tinker around the site a little if you are thinking of upgrading anything in your home soon.

BJ's & CVS Trips!

I went to BJ's and CVS the other day. No picture since I'm a slacker.

BJ's
1 Wet Jet Mop - $24.99 ($10 off BJ's coupon) $14.99 (I know...no MFCs. Horrible)
2 pack Wonder Kids Bread - $3.19
1 Case Luvs Diapers - $29.99 ($5/1 BJ's coupon)
1 lbs LOL American Cheese - $3.46
1 lbs Honey Turkey - $5.87 ($2 off when you buy a 1 lbs each - FOUND IN CART! Whooohoooo!)

Total Before Savings: $69.06
Total After Coupons: $51.00

CVS
2 Welch's Grape Juice - $3 (2 $1/1 MFCs) $2 ea
1 Glade Candle Thing - $2.50 (to get ECBs)
1 Trial Size Arm & Hammer Toothpaste - .01

Total Before Savings: $14.84
Coupons Used: $2
Total OOP: $6.67
ECBs Earned: $3.00

When Catastrophe Hits a Bargain Hunter!

One of my biggest nightmares has come true: Our refridgerator is not fridgerating! The refridgerator part is warm (I think it's currently cooler at room temperature than in there). The freezer is on it's way to being warm (bread is defrosted in there, ice cream is soft, etc.).

I like to think of my husband as pretty handy. He tinkered around with it some last night but nothing improved. He vacuumed out all the coils, tried to see if there was some sort of fan stuck. Nothing. He thinks it might be the motor or something. The lights are still on but it just isn't gearing up.

So I think we'll be buying a new one this weekend. If anyone knows where to score a 10% Lowe's coupon, send me the link! I'll be extremely greatful! The funny thing is I think I'm more mad that I have to throw away about $40 in food. The whole dropping a few hundred on a new one isn't as bothersome. I'm just thankful we have absolutely NO meat in the house! I can deal with throwing away some yogurts and bread in the freezer...but meat. That would seriously break my heart.

Stop & Shop Deals 8/28-9/3

The following are good deals at Stop & Shop for the week of 8/28-9/3. Not all deals are mentioned, but these are the ones that I find to be pretty good. Check your circular for all deals this coming week. Check out their circular HERE to see all deals.

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4 $1 Doubler Coupons on Front Page of Circular!

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Stop & Shop has taken a similar approach to Shaw's "Locked In" prices. Their "good deals" are posted as Real Deal!.

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Produce
Plum Tomatoes - .99/lbs
Corn - 8/$1.99
1 lbs Strawberries - $1.67
Peaches - .99/lbs

Meat
90/10 Ground Beef - $3.49/lbs
Whole Chicken, Thighs, or Drumsticks - .99/lbs
Ball Park Franks - BOGO Free
Hormel Black Label Bacon - BOGO Free
Plumrose Ham Steaks - BOGO Free

Grocery
Pillsbury Cake Mixes - $1
Pillsbury Frosting - $1.50 (good stock up time)
Lays Potato Chips - BOGO Free
Pepperidge Farm Bread - 33% off
Dole Fruit Cups - $2 ($1/3 MFC from paper)

Frozen
Hood Ice Cream - $1.99 ($1/1 MFCs from paper expire SOON!)

Other
Schick Quattro Xtreme 3 or ST2 Disposable Razors - BOGO Free (There seems to ALWAYS be MFCs for Schicks in the paper).
Summer Junk - 50% off
Dawn Dish Detergent (19 oz - medium bottle) - $2.50 (.50/1 MFC from P&G Year of Savings book) $1.50

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Check out The Grocery Gathering to find other great blogs to supermarkets all over the country!

Shaw's Deals 8/28 - 9/3

Here are the pretty good deals at Shaw's for the week of 8/28 - 9/3. Not all deals are mentioned. Just the ones that I think are pretty good. See the entire circular and print Shaw's coupons at Shaws.com.Get Shaw's Coupons HERE.


$20/$5 Catalina (Back Page)
- These have almost always worked on Pre-Sale Prices (PSP)

$1 Items
Betty Crocker Brownie or Cake Mix
Green Giant Boxed Veggies ($2) (Coupon at Shaws.com)

$1.33 Items
Progressso Soup

$1.50 Items
Betty Crocker Frosting
Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits

$1.67 Items
Chex Mix($2.39?)
Bugles
Cheerios Snack Mix
Bettty Crocker Warm Delights (.50/1 MFC at Coupons.com)

$2 Items
GM Cereals - Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams, Total
Green Giant Steamers
Green Giant Select Frozen Veggies

$2.50 Items
Fiber One Yogurt ($2.99)
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks ($2.99)(MFCs from paper and Coupons.com)
Nature Valley Granola Bars (MFCs from paper and Coupons.com)

$2.89 Items
Bisquick

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3 Day Deals (Friday-Sunday)
London Broil - $1.79/lbs
80/20 Ground Beef - $1.99/lbs
Eastern Paula Red Apples - $1.98/lbs (3 lbs bag)
Dozen Eggs - .99
100 oz Tide - $9.99 ($1/1 MFC from P&G Year of Savings Book, P&G Coupon insert coming this Sunday)
Tropical Floor Plants - $8.88

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Ice Cream $4 Cat (Buy 4 of the following, get $4 OYNP)
Edy's Ice Cream - $2.50 (Buy 4, Get $4 off your next purchase)
Haagen Dazs - $3
Drumsticks - $3
Edy's Fruit Bars - $3
Edy's Dibs - $2.50
(There should be $1/2 MFCs out there from past papers)

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Post Cereal Deal
4/$10 ($4 Instant Coupon on flyer)
Included in Sale: Honey Bunches of Oats (a bunch of varieties), Shredded Wheat, Honey Combs, Raisin Bran, Grape Nuts Trail Mix Crunch, Selects, Grapenuts, Grapenut Flakes.

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Meat
Boneless Chicken Breast - $1.79/lbs
LOL American Cheese - $4.99/lbs (Go to BJ's - it's $3.49/lbs regularly!)
Hillshire Farm Links - BOGO Free

Produce
Peaches, Nectarines, Plums - .99/lbs
Cut Watermelon - .59/lbs
Ready Pac Bistro To-Go Salads - BOGO Free

Dairy
Land O' Lakes Spreads - $2 (.55/1 MFC from paper - Doubles!)

Frozen
Gorton's Seafood - BOGO Free
Chef's Catch Stuffed Clams - BOGO Free
Lindy's Italian Ice - $2 (.50/1 MFC from paper - Doubles!)

Grocery
Lays - BOGO Free
Barilla Pasta - $1 (Shaw's Coupon, A bunch of $1/2 MFCs from paper)
Drake's Snack Cakes - BOGO Free
Wonder Whole Grain White or Kid's Bread - $2 (I buy a 2 pack at BJ's for $3.19! Have I mentioned that a BJ's membership is GRRRRREAT?).
Dole Fruit Cups - $2 ($1/3 MFC from paper)
4C Bread Crumbs - BOGO Free
Cinnabon Bars - $2 ($1/1 MFC from paper)
Cheez-It's - $3 (.75/1 from Coupons.com - Doubles!)
Wise Cheeze Doodles - BOGO Free
Jolly Time Popcorn - BOGO Free


Check out The Grocery Gathering to find other great blogs to supermarkets all over the country!

A Housewife Gets Handy!

So I've been getting a little handy in my old age. A few months ago, I scored my dream kitchen chairs off Craig's List. Well, not exactly "dream" - but style wise, they were just what I was looking for. They were beat up but only $50 for the set. I probably could have talked the lady down, but I'm a wuss when it comes to stuff like that. I just say "Here you go!" and hand the people the cash. I figured I would refinish them. Here's how I did:

Here is what 3 out of the 4 looked like before. I did try to use mineral spirits and even paint thinner a while ago to get the stain off as I wanted to restain them. It didn't work. I thought about sanding them, but with all the little grooves on the legs, I was not going to do that. So I figured I would just paint them. That's why God invented paint, right?

Now two of the chairs were a little wobbly. They were missing some of their corner supports. This was a simple fix. I went up to Lowe's and bought a four pack of corner supports (with screws) for $2.74. I went in the basement and found my husband's cordless drill. I drilled the holes where the screws would go and screwed in the screws! Simple!

A note to all Handy Housewives: When attempting to do something like this, do not call the husband and ask where certain tools are. Just scurry around their space when you get a chance and look for what you need. If you tell the husband you want to use his power tools, he will get nervous and not tell you where they are.

Voila! The work of a Handy Housewife!

Then I painted away. The one on the left is before. The right is after. I personally think they look better in person than what this picture makes them out to be like. So how much did my 4 chairs cost?...

4 Wooden Chairs off Craig's List (they came from Back Bay in Boston - oooh so classy!): $12.50 ea

Delivery Charge: $0

Tax: $0

Refurb Charges (paint and hardware): $9.93

Total: $59.93 (or $14.98 ea)

Garden Love

Showing the Garden and nature some love...

Here's my compost bin. Still going strong. It's amazing how much it decomposes. It's about 1/3 full (this picture makes it look like there isn't much in there)

Cucumbers are starting to sprout!

My pumpkin plant is slowing taking over my entire garden. If I held up the stems, I'm sure it would be taller than me by now.


About a month or two ago, I had an urge to buy some flowers for the front porch. I transplanted them and have been showing them love. They are blooming out of control.

A close up! I love these flowers. Many thanks to Penniman Hill Farm in Hingham, MA!

I just want to throw a little blurb out there for small business. I'll admit, sometimes it's just easier to go into the huge super stores. Lowe's, Walmart, Target, Home Depot - but what I've most definitely learned this year is anything plant wise - you must find a little place near you to get your things. Sure it might not be big or fancy - but the quality and price is far superior than the big chains. I tried to get porch flowers at Lowe's - and a. Their selection was so blah. Sure they had a lot of all the same things, but nothing that jumped out at me. b. Their prices compared to local farm market places are ridiculous. Poor quality, poor prices = you might as well just throw your money away.

Staples Construction Paper Stock Up!

My kids are obsessed with Construction Paper. This week, Staples has a "Buy 1, Get 2 Free" deal on 200 ct. packs of Construction Paper. Reg. price $4.99. I have a $3 Rewards coupon that expires on 8/31. I'll be going there today - 600 sheets of Construction Paper for $1.99. Not bad. Not bad at all.

There are other great deals at Staples this week too. Notable "Buy 1, Get 2 Free" Deals are:

Slider Pencil Case (.99 ea)
Staedtier White Plastic Erasers 4 pk ($3.29)
12 pack Staples ball point pens ($1.99)
2 pack Kids Scissors ($1.99)
12" Rular ($1.49)
200 pk Construction Paper ($4.99)

CVS Trip!

Total Before Savings: $14.15

Total Coupons Used: $4.50

Cash OOP: $4.78

1 Trial Size Arm & Hammer Toothpaste - 1 cent

2 Glade Scented Oil Refills - $2.50 ($1/2 MFC) $2 ea

1 Glade Scented Oil Warmer - $1.49 (MFC for Free one - Cashier took off $2.50 instead of $1.49...as God's my witness, I told her to only take off $1.49 - but she insisted I get $2.50 off.)

1 Glade Oil Candles - $2.50

- I didn't earn my ECBs on this trip because I wanted to get the $5 thingys but they were all out. So I went to another CVS and they too were all out. I have my third CVS to hit up today to try. If they don't have them, I'll just give up and grab one more candle to earn my ECBs.

- I seriously told the cashier to give me just $1.49 off (I had a coupon that said you get a Free Warmer with any Glade Scented Oil Refill purchase." I think she said something along the lines of "why are you trying to cheat yourself out of a $1." Lady. I was trying to help CVS and be a good person for once in my life. Oh well. My win. Stuff like this happens occassionally - that's why when couponing doesn't go as well as intended, it's not worth it to fight about. Is it worth it to fight over a .50 cent coupon that didn't double at the grocery store? No. Just remember sometimes coupon mistakes happen in your favor and in the grand scheme of things, they all sort of even out.

How I Saved 2 Apples!

I hate wasting food. Having a 3 and almost 2 year-old - I feel like we waste a lot of food since they constantly tell me that they want to eat something and then, well they don't. I recently bought some fruit from BJ's and my 3 year-old wanted apple slices. So I was prepping an apple for slicing and my 2 year-old took a little bite out of another apple that was sitting on the table. He proceeded to say "yuck!" This in turn, made my 3 year-old NOT want to eat an apple. So what was I suppose to do with this:

2 potential apples in the compost bin...but NO!

I went to my trusty recipe website, SparkRecipes, and searched for Apple Crisp. So with some flour, butter, oats, Splenda and some spices, my 2 potentially "garbage" apples became this:

Wooohooo! Apple Crisp! Sorry compost bin, you didn't win this time.

Old Navy Online Deal!

Thanks to Baby Cheapskate, I was finally able to take advantage of that Old Navy gift card I had from turning my kid's change in at Coinstar! How?

From now until 8/28, get FREE shipping on all orders with code: SHIPFREE

Get 15% off $75 or more with code: SAVE15

Get 20% off $100 or more with code: SAVE20

And yes, you can use both codes (SHIPFREE and SAVE (Whatever #) - I did it. Made an $83 order (shipping included) down to $65 with the free shipping and saving 15%.

PLUS!!! Go log onto your Cashbaq account and get 3% back on there!

CVS Glade Deal & BJ's Swiffer Deal!

I've been in such a "savings" rut lately. I just don't even really go shopping much. My friend Lori is really good at bargain hunting. Here are two scenarios that she figured out at CVS & BJ's.

CVS - Glade Scent things. There is a battery operated one and a plug in one, they are both 2/$10, spend $10 get $3 ECB and there was a $3 off coupon in the paper recently for one of them and a $4 coupon in the paper yesterday for the other one. Good deal, free stuff ;) Well if you have 2 $4 coupons you obviously can make money on the deal.

BJs - Swiffer Wet Jets, there is a coupon at the door for $10 off if you buy the the wet jet (24.99) and the refill (10.99). I also had a $5 off the wet jet and a buy a wet jet get a free refill MFC. So it was like $10 for the wet jet and the refill. I do not know when the $10 off coupon expires. The awesome cashier had one from the door, he said they reprinted them because they want to sell a lot of the refills.

Hope this helps someone! I might actually do the Swiffer Wet Jets if I get the energy to sort coupons. I'm currently washing my kitchen floor by hand. It's just too exciting to break myself away from to sort coupons!

Taking a Circular Break!

I'm taking this week off from posting deals from the circulars! Look over there to the right on my blog roll - Wicked Cool Deals, Deal Finding Mom & Old Fashioned N.E. Savings all typically post weekly deals at the New England Grocery Stores. You can also check out BeCentsible for a complete listing of other blogs that do grocery stores all over the country. I know. I'm a slacker. But it's hot. That's my excuse.

BJ's Trip!

Total Before Savings: $110.30

Total Coupons Used: $15.00

Cash OOP: $95.30

2 Gallons of 1% Milk - $2.17 ea

1 5 lb bag of Mixed Fruit - $5.99

1 12-pack Organic Yogurt - $7.99

1 16-pack Dole Fruit Cups - $6.99

3 quarts Half & Half - $1.79 ea

1 2-pack BJ's Apple Juice - $3.89

1 24-pack BJ's Water - $2.59

1 Box of Luvs Diapers - $29.99 ($5/1 BJ's coupon from Journal) $24.99

1 32 pack of Coke - $8.99 ($2/1 pack BJ's coupon from Coupon Book) $6.99 (+$1.60 in Deposit)

$8 off 4 Kraft Products

2 boxs Capri Sun Waters - $7.49 ea ($5.49 ea)

1 Nabisco 24-pack cookies - $9.59 ($7.59)

1 12-pack Kraft Mac & Cheese - $7.99 ($5.99)

Things I've Learned:

- My BJ's membership expires in about a week. Boo. Waiting to renew to see if I get coupons or just wait until I actually need to renew. Why give them money now when I can wait?

- The yogurt was expensive. And organic. I didn't feel like doing a separate trip to a grocery store just for yogurt. This was the only box that contained strawberry only. We aren't peach or blueberry yogurt fans here - so if I bought the regular stuff - we'd probably just throw away half of the carton.

- BJ's Apple Juice went down in price. Milk went up 3 cents.

Slug-O-The-Day & My Garden

Today's slug was much more photogenic than yesterday's slug. He's currently sunbathing in the drive-way.

You are disgusting.

I'm very excited that my grape tomatoes are starting to turn red! I think we're going to have lots of grape tomatoes this season!

This is where I found both slugs.

Here is what my garden looks like today.

$10 off $25 Purchase at Yankee Candle!

Thanks to my friend Sarah from Massachusetts who passed along a killer coupon!

Click HERE to print off a $10 off any purchase of $25 or more at Yankee Candle! Valid until 9/7/09! Thanks Sarah!

DiGiorno Free Flat Bread Sandwich - Rip Off!

So - I guess I signed up to get a coupon for a free DiGiourno Flat Bread Sandwich at one point in time. I got my coupon in the mail this past Saturday (which was 8/15/09). I just threw it in my coupon holder. I was starting a potential small list of things for Shaw's today, so I thought "Oooh! I'll get this Free DiGiorno Flat Bread thing before I forget about it." Then I noticed it expired on 7/19/09! What?? Why bother with that? I'd love to meet the marketing genius who came up with that one! DiGiorno - you waste postage and potential customer's time doing stuff like that. In the recycling bin it went. No DiGiorno Flat Bread Sandwiches for us!

Great Customer Service At Dunkin Donuts!

I just needed to blog about the best customer service I have received in a long time!

I met up with a friend at the Dunkin Donuts on Washington St in Weymouth (Weymouth Landing on Rt. 53). We sat there and talked for a little bit while we had a bite to eat and coffee. I had my almost 2 year-old with me. As we were wrapping up, I grabbed my little guy and he threw his arm back with sippy cup in hand and knocked over my coffee! Oh dear! It was only about 1/4 full at that point, but still made a mess. I hate when stuff like that happens.

Now if I worked there, I would have been mad and probably thought to myself "Oh you stupid lady! What did you do??" But the 3 workers I encountered were the nicest people ever. One girl jumped at the chance to get me a new coffee (even though I told her not to and that it was almost all gone anyways). The counter lady made a comment about us all being there at one point. The high school kid mopping up told me that he cleans up spilled coffee all the time and not to worry.

I seriously was so impressed with how nice everyone was. And it was like genuinely nice - or else they are all really great actors. The extra coffee was a killer bonus - and although def. not needed, much appreciated. This is why I love Dunkin Donuts.

Mother Nature is So Disgusting!

I went out and shredded some newspapers I had laying around for my garden. After I laid the newspaper, I just looked around the garden to see what was up. I have had a few more zucchinis - so I'm probably at about 8 in total so far - with the promise of more to come.

I found the mother of all slugs near a zucchini plant! It's so disgusting and these pictures do not do it justice. I used my kid's shovel to grab it. I put it in the middle of my incredibly hot and very sunny driveway. It's probably inhumane and I hope PETA doesn't read this, but I'm really mad at all the slugs that have been eating my zucchinis up! I would have dozens by now if it weren't for these stupid things!

It's like 3-4 inches long. DISGUSTING!

Why would God ever create something so disgusting and so ugly? Ugh. Enjoy the hot driveway Slug! Tell all your little friends to leave my zucchini alone!

Shaw's Run!

Total Before Savings: $28.41

Preferred Savings: $3.85

Coupons Used: $17.01 ($15 OYNP)

Cash OOP: $7.55

I would have taken a picture - but my 2 year-old popped his elbow out of his socket so I dropped off the groceries and took him to the pediatrician.

4 Produce for $7.99 (Actually $8.98 since I grabbed the wrong potatoes)
5 lbs Russet Potatoes - $3.49
2 lbs Baby Carrots - $2.50
1 lbs Strawberries - $2.50
5 ct Corn - $2.50
Coupon took $2.01 off

5 lbs Shaw's Sugar - $2.49
1 pack Sugar Cones - $1
1 gallon Shaw's Milk - $3.69
18 ct eggs (they were out of the dozen!)- $2.89
Blue Icing - $1.50
Pillsbury Reduced Sugar Frosting - $2

Gymboree & Crazy 8 Savings

Starting Thursday, you can really bank if you are a Gymboree or Crazy 8 shopper. They have 2 great discount codes (see below) and their Gymbucks/Crazy Cash promo is starting. Neither site is on Cashbaq.com so don't bother logging into that to get more savings.

Gymboree (August 20-23)
Use code GYMFAMILY to get an extra 30% off your total purchase. You get free shipping on all orders over $100. It's Gymbucks earning season - get $25 Gymbucks for every $50 spent.

Crazy 8 (August 20-23)
Use code CZYEMAIL to get an extra 25% off your total purchase. You get free shipping on all orders over $75. It's Crazy Cash Season starting Thursday. Earn $20 in Crazy Cash for every $40 spent.

BJ's Run!

Total Spent: $36.53

Some Steak for the Husband's Birthday - $9.54

1 lbs of cheap bologna (husband's favorite) - $2.66

1 lbs LOL American Cheese - $3.73

2 lbs of Salami - $6.99

2 pk of Wonder Kids Bread - $3.19

A dozen Bagels - $3.49

2 lbs Blueberries - $5.49

3 lbs Bananas - $1.44

- I went to BJ's with a major intention of getting milk. As you can see, I didn't get milk. I do these kinds of things often.

- The deli was packed. My kids were acting a fool. I just grabbed the 2 lbs of salami instead of waiting longer for Mr. Deli man. I needed to get out of there fast. Probably why I forgot the milk.

- My BJ's membership expires this month! Ahhhh!! I know to not renew right away - because I'm pretty sure they send you better offers after a month or two. I'm not sure if I can go a month without BJ's though. I do get my money's worth so we'll see how desperate I am come September (also known as Son #2's birth month...)

Stop & Shop Deals 8/14-8/20

The following are good deals at Stop & Shop for the week of 8/14-8/20. Not all deals are mentioned, but these are the ones that I find to be pretty good. Check your circular for all deals this coming week. Check out their circular HERE to see all deals.

Produce
Nectarines or Peaches - .99/lbs
Extra Large Tomatoes - .99/lbs
Corn - 8 for $1.99
Cabbage - .59/lbs
Squash - .99/lbs
Red Peppers - .99/lbs

Meat
London Broil - $1.99/lbs
Split Chicken Breast - .99/lbs
Oscar Mayer Weiners - BOGO Free ($1/2 MFC from paper)

Dairy
Dannon Yogurt - .40 ea ($1/10 MFC from paper) .30 ea
Tropicana OJ - $3

Other
Lifesavers Candies - BOGO Free
Sumer Furniture - 50% off
Purex Complete - $4.99 ($2/1 MFC from paper)

Check out The Grocery Gathering to find other great blogs to supermarkets all over the country!

FREE Nutrition Classes at Hannaford's!

Did you know Hannaford's offers FREE Nutrition classes at some of their stores? Click HERE for more details. Here's where I noticed them:

Massachusetts
Taunton
Leominster
Lowell

New Hampshire
Concord
Manchester
Londonderry
Rochester

Maine
Augusta
Bangor
Bridgton
Brunswick
Oxford
Portland

Vermont
S. Burlington

New York
Clifton Park
Carmel
Glens Falls

LOL American Cheese @ Roche Bros

LOL American Cheese is on sale for $3 at Roche Bros. There is a $1/1 at Coupons.com. Not great, but if you are buying it, you might as well save a $1.

Shaw's Deals 8/14-8/20

Here are the pretty good deals at Shaw's for the week of 8/14-8/20. Not all deals are mentioned. Just the ones that I think are pretty good. See the entire circular and print Shaw's coupons at Shaws.com.

Get Shaw's Coupons HERE.

**4 for $7.99 Produce Sale**
Blueberries, Strawberries or Blackberries packs
Cantaloupe
2 lbs lemons
2 lbs limes
4 lbs Valencia Oranges
5 ct corn
2 lbs Green Peppers
5 lbs Potatoes
5 lbs onions
Cauliflower (yuck)
10 oz Mushrooms
2 lbs Carrots
10-12 oz Eat Smart

Buy $20 of Box Top Stuff, Get $5 OYNP and 50 Bonus Box Tops
(this will most like work on Pre-Sale Prices)
General Mills Cereal (Reese's Puffs, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Trix, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cheerios) - $2 ($1/2 at Coupons.com) (Trix - .55/1 at Coupons.com Doubles)
Bety Crocker Fruit Snacks - $2.50 (.40/1 MFC & .50/2 MFC from Coupons.com - Both Double)
General Mills Granola Bars - $2.50
Yoplait Kids Yogurt - $2.50 (.40/1 & .80/2 MFCs from Coupons.com - Both Double)
Pillsbury Toaster Strudel - $2.50 (.55/2 MFC from Coupons.com - Double)
Ziploc Bags or Containers - $2.50 ($1/2 and $1.50/2 MFCs from paper)
Scott 4 Roll Paper Towels - $6.99 ($1/1 Scott Naturals at Coupons.com)
Scott 12 Roll Bath Tissue - $6.99
Hefty Trash Bags - $5.99
Kleenex Tissues - $1.33 ea ($1/4 MFC from paper, .50/3 at Coupons.com which Doubles)
Pizza Rolls - $3.33 (.55/2 MFC from Coupons.com)
Pillsbury Savorings (these are NASTY) - $3.33 ($1/1 from Coupons.com - Don't Do it!)
Kotex pads or tampons - $5.98
Depends - $22.99
Hefty Plates - $1.67
Cottonelle 12 or 8 Roll - $6.99
Viva 6 Roll Paper Towel - $6.99
Huggies Baby Wipes - $5.99
Huggies Diapers - $18.99 ($1.50/1 at Coupons.com)

Others Not Pictured, Not Priced
Cascadia Farms Cereals & Snack Bars - $1/1 MFC from Coupons.com
Poise Produces - $1.50/2 MFC at Coupons.com
Old El Paso Dinner Kits
Juicy Juice Single Serve 8 pks - $1/2 MFC from paper

Produce
Nectarines, Plums, Peaches - $1.29/lbs
Shaw's Iceberg Salad Mix - $1
Fresh Express Shreds - $1

Meat
Split Chicken Breast - .99/lbs
Jones' Breakfast Sausage - BOGO Free
Nathan's Sausage or Kielbasa - BOGO Free

Frozen
Hood Ice Cream - $1.99 ($1/1 MFC from the paper a while ago) $.99!
M&M Novelties - $3 ($1/1 MFC from the paper a while ago)
Brigham's Ice Cream - $3 ($1/1 MFC from paper)
IttiBitz - $1 (BOGO MFC from paper)

Dairy
Shaw's Shredded or Bar Cheese - $1.66

Grocery
**Coupon in Flyer - Get 1 Free CapriSun when you buy 2 nabisco Tray Packs (on sale - BOGO Free)**
**Coupon in Flyer - Buy 5 20oz Vitamin Water or 10 1L Smart Water and get 2 Odwalla Bars FREE**
Knorr Sides - $1 ($1/6 Shaws coupon, $1/3 MFC from paper - combine all to get 6 packs for $3)
Prince Pasta - $1 ($1/6 at Shaw.com)
Shaw's Bread - BOGO Free
Arnold Bread - BOGO Free

Other
Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent - $2.99 ($1/2 Shaw's coupon)
Banana Boat Sun Care - 40% off (MFCs?)
Dynamo Laundry Detergent - BOGO Free ($1/2 MFC from paper a LONG time ago)

Roche Bros Deals 8/14-8/20

The following are good deals at Roche Bros. for the week of 8/14-8/20. Not all deals are mentioned, but these are the ones that I find to be pretty good. Check your circular for all deals this coming week. See your local Roche Bros. circular HERE.

**Roche Bros. is a great chain supermarket that offers a huge selection of organic foods. Even though I'm not all about organic foods, I know a lot of people are. Their entire back page of this week's flyer is dedicated to their organic line "Full Circle." If you shop Whole Foods or Trader Joe's due to the organic selection, try out Roche Bros. Their prices and selection may surprise you. Roche Bros. selection of organic produce definitely tops all grocery stores in the Boston area.**

Produce
Blueberries - .99/pt
Plums - .99/lbs
Nectarines - $1.49/lbs
White Grapes - .99/lbs

Meat
**$2 Off a package of Certified Angus Beef Tenderloin Steak coupon in flyer**
Chuck Steak - $1.99/lbs
Cumberland Gap Ham Steak - BOGO Free

Frozen
Edy's Ice Cream - BOGO free
Lindy's Italian Ice - $2 (.50/1 this week's Red Plum - DOUBLES!) $1!

Dairy
LOL Eggs - $2.50 ($1/2 MFC from paper)
Florida's Natural OJ - $2.50
Roche Bros. Gallon Milk - $2.69

Grocery
Skippy Peanut Butter - $1.40 ($1/2 MFC from paper) $1 ea!
Roche Bros. Premium Bread - BOGO Free
Country Kitchen Wheat Bread - BOGO Free
Food Club Apple Juice - $1.50
Francesco Rinaldi Tomato Sauce - $1.25!
Nestle 24 Pack Water - $3.99 ($1/1 this week's Red Plum)

Check out The Grocery Gathering to find other great blogs to supermarkets all over the country!

Hannaford's Deals 8/16-8/22

The following are good deals at Hannaford's for the week of 8/16-8/22. Not all deals are mentioned, but these are the ones that I find to be pretty good. Check your circular for all deals this coming week. See the Hannaford's Circular HERE. Make, Save, & Share your Hannaford grocery list HERE.

**Hannaford 3-Day Sale Click HERE to see it (not in flyer)**
Friday August 14 - Sunday August 16th
Rib Eye Steak - $5.99/lbs
Smoked Turkey Breast (deli) - $3.99/lbs
Lay's Potato Chips - $2
Country Kitchen Wheat Bread - .99
Hannaford Peanut Butter (16 oz) - .99
Kraft Shredded Cheese - $1.50

Meat
London Broil - $1.89/lbs
Lobster - $4.99/lbs
Whole Chicken - .69/lbs

Produce
Peaches - .99/lbs
Blueberries - $1.49/pt
Corn - .25 an ear
Cucumbers - .59 ea
Bartlett Pears - .99/lbs

Dairy
Dannon Yogurts - .50 ($1/10 MFC from paper)

Frozen
**Buy 2 Friendly's Ice Creams (2/$5), Get a FREE 2 Liter Bottle of Hannaford's Root Beer**

Grocery
Hannaford's 5 lbs Sugar - $2.50

Check out The Grocery Gathering to find other great blogs to supermarkets all over the country!

Free Fun Today - Stone Zoo!

Today's free fun is Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA. Stone Zoo is an excellent place to take the 0-6 crowd. It's a cute little zoo. I would imagine older kids would be kind of bored. But I'm not an older kid so I really don't know. Just a warning though - this place is bound to be packed. Remember also, for both Franklin Park and Stone Zoos (Zoo New England), most Eastern Massachusetts libraries have passes that you can reserve to get into both establishments free. If you have little ones and are bored today, feel free to check out Stone Zoo. If you don't like crowds, check out your local library's website and reserve the pass for a day in the future.

Click HERE to see the entire summer schedule of FREE FUN!

Shaw's Free Wacky Mac Reminder!

If you're planning on going to Shaw's, make sure you print out the Wacky Mac coupon at Smart Source. It's .75/1 MFC. Wacky Mac has a price of $1.25 until 9/10. It's regularly $1.59. So the .75 doubles to $1.50 - it's a money maker of .25 cents. This coupon has been reset a few times since it went up on Smart Source. Just reminding Shaw's customers in case you forgot about it. I have about 6 bags in my cabinet now. Itty Bitty Bistro posted a very simple, and very delicious recipe using Wacky Mac and sausage a few weeks ago. I made it. It was delicious. Check it out HERE!

Thanks JC Penney's!

I did a mall run today! I went armed with my $10 JC Penney coupon and got a new hand towel for my downstairs bathroom and a Thomas the Tank Engine Educational Fun Pack.

Hand Towel: $4.79
Thomas Pack: $6.99

Total: $11.78
Coupon: $10
Grand Total: $1.78

I love these $10 coupons! I don't go to JC Penney's much as it's not very close, but I'll make a special trip to use these suckers up! If you got one, make sure you use it by the 22nd! That's when they expire!

Cheap Crafts For Kids!

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Thrifty Craft Mama is awesome! Being cheap - oops, I mean frugal, I'm always searching for free or cheap stuff for my kids to do. My 3 year-old likes doing a daily craft. It's usually something messy and gross like painting. He's just not that into drawing. Gluing popsicle sticks to foam boards is another good one he likes to do.

Thrifty Craft Mama posted a post about adding food coloring to glue and letting the kids swirl it on up. We did this yesterday and my 3 year-old loved it. Surprisingly, it wasn't that messy and what little stuff my boy got on the table was easily cleaned up with a Magic Eraser.

Today the kids hit the jackpot - Free address labels came in the mail! I'm not sure how we get so many free address labels (well I'll admit - about 5 years ago, we actually sent $5 to one of the charities that mailed them out to us. Ever since, we get bombarded with them from everyone and their mother). So I pulled out some construction paper and they had mad sticker fun. Now our refridgerator is decorated with address label art.

So see - not only do awesome coupons come in the mail, but free crafts do to! Pardon the lack of shirts - since it's so hot and since I hate doing laundry, I'll let them go shirtless. Why not? They're boys, right?

Free Yo-Plus Yogurt!

If you buy Activia (there was a $1/1 MFC in this past week's Smart Source) - keep the receipt and UPC and send it to Yo-Plus! They'll send you a coupon for a FREE Yo-Plus package of yogurt! Click HERE for the form and details.

Shaw's - A Superb Trip!

Total Before Savings: $60.86

Total Preferred Savings: $20.63

Total Coupons Used: $35.28 ($25 OYNP)

Cash OOP: $4.95

OYNP Earned: $5

Kraft Mail-In-Rebate: $20

Total Towards Spending: -$15.05

Kraft Promo

4 Shredded Cheese - $2 ea (2 $1/2 MFCs from paper) $1.50 ea

4 Singles - $2.50 ea (2 $1/2 MFCs from paper) $2 ea

2 Velveeta Cups - $1 ea (BOGO MFC from paper) .50 ea

2 Philly Cream Cheese - $1.67 ea ($1/2 MFC from paper) $1.17 ea

1 Capri Sun - $2.22

1 Sponge Bob Mac & Cheese - $1.50 (Son #1 really wanted it. I didn't want to fight)

Total Kraft: $27.06 (wasn't planning on the Sponge Bob Mac & Cheese - so I figured $25.56)

Total After Coupons: $21.06

Earned $20 back from Kraft and a $5 OYNP from Shaw's

Other Stuff

1 gallon Shaw's Milk - $2.49

2 Freihoffer's Bread - BOGO @ $3.59 ea

2.58 lbs of Grapes - $2.55

1 Wacky Mac - $1.25 (.75/1 MFC - stupid cashier manually entered it as $1 - could have been a money maker. Not worth fighting about) .25 cents

1 Glade Soy Candle - $3.29 (FREE MFC from Paper) FREE!

Things Learned:

- I'm going to enter in -$15.05 since I'll be getting $20 back from Kraft in the mail. I'll forget to add it in when I actually get the check. Is this cheating? Maybe, but since I don't have a boss, I make my own rules.

-I'm mad my Wacky Mac coupon didn't scan and the cashier entered it wrong. Again - should I fight over .25 or a possible .50 cents? Not worth my time.

- Was not happy with this cashier. She kind of sighed when I handed her my stack of coupons. Pardon me for wanting to score some extremely cheap cheese. Oh well. It was between her and a known coupon nazi - so I took my chances on the lady I never saw before. She also tried to shew me away before my $5 OYNP and Mail-In-Rebate form printed. I don't know why the coupon printers take so long to print there! I feel stupid hanging out for a few seconds waiting for them to print (but it's worth it - even if I make people mad in the process).

BJ's Trips!

2 trips to BJ's were had in the past week. I'm just posting them now because I am an official slacker. Oh well. I think most knew that already.

Trip 1

1 box of Luvs (180 Size 4s) - $29.99 ($5/1 BJ's Coupon) $24.99
1 Glad Trashbags (150 ct) - $11.99
1 Glad Snackbags (400 ct) - $5.99 (Free Snack Bags with Trashbag Purchase)

Total Before Savings: $49.09
Total Coupons Used: $10.99
OOP: $37.72 (some tax gets taken off with the coupons)

Trip 2 (actually the 1st trip - I did this about a week ago)

1 lbs of Land O'Lakes American - $3.28
1 lbs Wellsley Farms Turkey - $5.99 ($2 off WYB 1 lbs of Cheese and 1 lbs of deli meat)
3 lbs bananas - $1.39
3 quarts Half & Half - $1.79 ea
1 bottle of BJ's Women's One-A-Day vitamins - $7.99 (I guess I was feeling old and unhealthy)
2 dozen eggs - $2.99
1 Nesquick Powder - $6.99 ($1.50/1 BJ's coupon) $5.49
1 32 ct Juicy Juice Boxes - $9.99 ($2/1 BJ's coupon) $7.99
1 2 pk Mott's Apple Juice (gallon bottles) $6.79 ($2/1 BJ's coupon) $4.79
1 2 pk Wonder Kids Bread - $3.19

Total Before Savings: $54.47
Total Coupons Used: $7.40
Cash OOP: $46.97

I guess I already added in this trip to my monthly total the day of the trip. I just never got around to posting it. I was too drunk on Shaw's sales I guess.

My August Garden Update!

See the evolution of my garden by clicking HERE.

It's August and my garden is finally taking off! So far to date, I've been able to pick 4 zucchini and about 6 tomatoes. Not earth shattering but good for me.

I'm not good at taking pictures, but here's a tomato plant. It's about 4 ft tall now.

My cucumbers are extremely deformed. My neighbor gave me 4 of hers yesterday. I ate one and it was delicious!

Grape tomatoes are coming!

Still getting zucchinis!

Again, this just looks like mangled junk, but it's a grape tomato plant that has taken off. This one too is about 4 - 4 1/2 feet tall now. Not bad since it started out as a dried seed in a pack!

BJ's Discipline

So I'm back down to having about 7 diapers again. I've been bad about the whole diaper stock up thing lately. Thankfully, I have 2 of the $5 off any box of Luvs diapers coupons from BJ's. I'll have to stop there today and get those. I think the Luvs boxes at BJ's are one of the best diaper values out there. I get size 4 - the box is $29.99 and there are 180 diapers in it. This equates to about 5 1/3 packs of diapers that you buy at the drugstore (assuming 34 per pack of size 4s). So with the $5 off, it comes to $24.99 or about $4.70 a "pack". Think of when Pampers or Huggies go on sale for $8.99. I think some people have issues with Luvs - but they catch my kid's poo and pee just fine.

I'm thinking of taking advantage of another coupon in the BJ's Journal. There is a great one - Buy Glad Trashbags (I think these are about $11 for 120-150 garbage bags), get a 4 pack of Glad Snack Bags for Free. (I assume the Snack Bags are $7.99 - I think that's what the normal sandwich baggies go for). These would be great for us since I seem to be always putting goldfish or cereal in sandwich bags and always think "gee, smaller bags would be nice." Even though I'm sitting on about 50 garbage bags at the house, you can always use garbage bags.

So here I am, waiting to go to BJ's and hoping I can get out of there with just my 3 items. Wholesale clubs are great if you know what you are doing and have the discipline to just grab what you need and get out. Those frozen mozzarella sticks always tempt me though. It's amazing that I have issues with breaded frozen cheese.

Hannaford's Deals 8/9-8/15

The following are good deals at Hannaford's for the week of 8/9-8/15. Not all deals are mentioned, but these are the ones that I find to be pretty good. Check your circular for all deals this coming week. See the Hannaford's Circular HERE. Make, Save, & Share your Hannaford grocery list HERE.

**Buy 6 Kellogg's, Keebler, Eggo or Sunshine products, get a coupon for $5 off your next produce purchase at Hannaford's! Combine this with the Kellogg's Fuel For School $10 Mail-in-Rebate deal and you have yourself a great deal**

Meat
Split Chicken Breast - .99/lbs
Pork Sirloin Steak - $1.29/lbs
Boneless Shoulder Steak - $2.49/lbs

Produce
Cantaloupe - $1.49
Pineapples - $2.79
Red Grapes - $1.49/lbs
Iceberg Lettuce - .99
Roma Tomatoes - .99/lbs

Grocery
Cheez-It (Kellogg's product) - $2.50 (.75/1 at Coupons.com) $1!
Suddenly Salad Twin Pack - $2 (that's $1 ea! - I love this junk!)
Hannaford Canned Mushrooms (stems & pieces) - .75

Frozen
**Buy 2 Friendly's Ice cream (2/$5), Get a FREE Friendly's Sundae to Go!
Hannaford Ice Cream - $2
Hannaford Frozen Vegetables (1 lbs) - .99

Dairy
Hannaford Sour Cream (16 oz) - .99
Hannaford Shredded Cheese - $1.99

Check out The Grocery Gathering to find other great blogs to supermarkets all over the country!

Roche Bros Deals 8/7-8/13

The following are good deals at Roche Bros. for the week of 8/7-8/13. Not all deals are mentioned, but these are the ones that I find to be pretty good. Check your circular for all deals this coming week. See your local Roche Bros. circular HERE.

**Kellogg's $10 Rebate**
Most things are on sale for $2.50. Match up with 5 of the $1/2 MFCs that have come and you can get your total down to $20 and get $10 back by check. Comes out to $1 per item.

Eggo Waffles are on sale for $1.50 ea. These are included too on the "Buy 10, get $10 back" from Kellogg's. If you can find 5 $1/2 Eggo coupons, you'll pay $10 for 10 boxes of Waffles and get $10 back by mail. This equals FREE, but you have 10 boxes of waffles. That's a lot of waffles!

Produce
Corn - 12 ears for $1.99
Cantaloupe - .99
Whole Watermelon - $3.99
Green Peppers - .99/lbs
Green Beans - .99/lbs
Grapes - $1.49/lbs
Cucumbers - .50 ea

Meat
**Coupon in circular for $2 off a package of Certified Angus Beef Porterhouse Steak!**
Petite Sirloin Steak - $2.99/lbs
Food Club Bacon - $2.50
Boneless Pork Chops - $1.99/lbs
Kayem Fenway Meat Franks - BOGO Free
Tip Steak - $2.99/lbs

Frozen
Brigham's Ice Cream - $2.50 ($1/1 MFC from paper) $1.50

Grocery
Bertolli Olive Oil - BOGO Free
Roche White Bread - $1
Nature's Pride Bread - $2.50
Wishbone Dressing - $1.67 ($1.25/2 MFC from paper)$1.04 ea

Other
Tide 50 oz - $4.99 ($1/1 MFC from P&G Year of Savings) $3.99

Check out The Grocery Gathering to find other great blogs to supermarkets all over the country!

Shaw's: Ladies Gardening Gloves for .67 cents!

Forgot to mention, I snagged a pair of gardening gloves at Shaw's yesterday - they rang up at .67 cents! Lots of odds and ends on clearance at Shaw's. There were some swimmie diapers too (Huggies I think), but I really didn't need anymore of those. Lots of BBQ tools and again, weird stuff. Each Shaw's is probably different, so swing by the clearance seasonal isle if you get a chance! Good deals to be had!

Tomorrow's Free Fun - Plimoth Plantation!

Tomorrow's Free Fun Friday is Plimoth Plantation! Woohooo! Many thanks to the Highland Street Organization for organizing so many free events! I think I'm going to be attempting this one yet again. Hopefully it's not as crowded as the Boston Children's Museum! At least it's outside and everything. I won't get there until 1ish, so hopefully a lot of the crowds will leaving or something or something.

Have you been to any of the free events this summer? Let me know how your experience was!

Click HERE to see the entire summer schedule of FREE FUN!

How To Score Cheap Juice Boxes At BJ's!

If you just got the Red Plum coupon insert, there was a coupon for $1 off 2 packs of Juicy Juice. If you wait and get the Sunday's Red Plum, you'll have 2 of these coupons. BJ's has a $2 off Juice Juice coupon in their monthly coupon book that was recently mailed out.

Score. The BJ's box of Juicy Juice is 32 boxes for $9.99. It's really just 4 boxes of 8. So you can use the BJ's coupon and the 2 $1/2 MFCs to get all 32 boxes of Juicy Juice for $5.99.

Shaw's Deals 8/7-8/13

Here are the pretty good deals at Shaw's for the week of 8/7-8/13. Not all deals are mentioned. Just the ones that I think are pretty good. See the entire circular and print Shaw's coupons at Shaws.com.

Get Shaw's Coupons HERE.

**3 day Sale - Friday - Sunday**
Chicken Lobsters - $4.88/lbs
Whole Watermelon - $3.99
Peaches - .77/lbs
Coke 2 Liter - .88
Filippo Berio Olive Oil - $7.99

**Buy $15 of participating J&J Products, Get $5 OYNP!**
(Use MFCs from last week's Sunday Paper)
Tylenol 50 ct. - $4.99
Carefree & Stayfree - $2.50
Listerine - $4.49
Pepcid - $8.99
Band-Aids - $2.99

**Kraft Promo**
Even though most catalinas use Pre-Sale Prices, I would assume you have to do $25 of sale prices since it is a Mail-In-Rebate form. The $25 needed is BEFORE coupons though. Click HERE for more info.

Coupons from the Red Plum that came with the grocery flyers (you'll get another Red Plum if you get the Sunday paper - so you might want to hold off until Sunday if you need to double up on some of the coupons):

$1/2 Kraft Singles - $2.50 ($2.00 ea)
$1/2 Philly Cream Cheese - $1.67 ($1.17 ea)
$1/2 Kraft Shredded Cheese - $2 ($1.50 ea)

Coupons from past newspapers:

$1/2 Deli Creations - $2.99 ($2.50 ea)
$1/1 DiGiorno Flatbread Melts - $2.99 ($1.99 ea)
$1/1 Any California Pizza Kitchen Product - $2.99 ($1.99) or $4.50 ($3.50)

Red Plum Scenario (Assuming you got the Red Plum with the flyers and this coming Sunday with the paper):
4 Kraft Singles - $10 ($2 in MFCs) $8 OOP
4 Philly Cream Cheese - $6.68 ($2 in MFCs) $4.68
4 Shredded Cheese - $8 ($2 in MFCs) $6 OOP
1 Easy Mac - $1 OOP

Total Before Coupons: $25.68
Total After Coupons: $19.68
Earn: $5 OYNP from Shaw's and get $20 from the Mail-In-Rebate
Money Maker of $5.32

My Planned Scenario
4 Shredded Cheese - $8 ($2 in MFCs) $6
2 Philly Cream Cheese - $3.34 ($1 MFC) $2.34
1 DiGiorno Flatbread - $2.99 ($1 MFC) $1.99
1 California Flatbread - $2.99 ($1 MFC) $1.99
2 Oscar Mayer Deli Creations - $5.98 ($1 MFC) $4.98
1 Capri Sun Waters - $2.22

Total Before Coupons: $25.52
Total After Coupons: $19.52
Earn: $5 OYNP from Shaw's and get $20 from the Mail-In-Rebate
Money Maker of $5.48

Remember, even if you break even on this deal, you are still breaking even on this deal! It's like free groceries. Buy the stuff you'll actually use!

All Week Deals

Produce
Green Grapes - .99/lbs

Meat
Assorted Pork Chops (bone-in) - $1.49/lbs
Porterhouse or T-Bone Steak - $5.99/lbs
TransOcean Imitation Crab Meat - BOGO Free
Tilapia - $5.99/lbs
**Buy one Farmland Special Select Ham Slices, Get one Farmland Ham Cubes or Diced Ham FREE!**
Johnsonville Beef Brats - BOGO Free

Dairy
Shaw's Gallon Milk - $2.49

Frozen
Starbucks Ice Cream - $3 ($1/1 MFC from paper - this stuff is really good. And I'm not a fancy food type of person)
Edy's Dibs or Eskimo Pie Snacks - $2.50 ($1/2 MFC from paper)
Celeste Pizza for One - $1 (Coupon at Shaws.com)
Edy's - BOGO Free

Grocery
Pepsi 24 Packs - $5.99 ($2/2 on front of circular) $4.99 ea
Post Cereal - $2.50 (Buy 4, save $4 with coupon on front of circular) $1/2 MFCs from paper
Wise Potato Chips - BOGO Free (Sign up at Wisesnacks.com to get coupons)
Nevella Sugar Substitute - BOGO Free
**Remember: The Kellogg's Fuel For School $10 Rebate is still going on**

Other
Airwick Freshmatic - BOGO Free

Check out The Grocery Gathering to find other great blogs to supermarkets all over the country!

Last Day of Shaw's Catalina!

Today's the last day of the killer Shaw's Catalina! Good news: Coupons.com reset their coupons so there are a lot of great coupon matchups there if you are just getting started. Check out the Slick Deals forum for great scenarios and other info on this promotion.

Plaster Fun Time Coupon!

Looking to do something with the kids in the next few days? Visit Plaster Fun Time and score a free piece when you buy 2! Join their email listing to get these coupons emailed straight to you.

Shaw's Catalina Summary

I'm pretty sick of Shaw's. I did way too many trips this week and I doubt I'll do any more tomorrow. Here's a quick summary of how I did (I also have regular grocery items in this total).

Total Before Savings: $388.16

Total Out Of Pocket (OOP): $100.07

On Your Next Purchase (OYNP) in my wallet: $35

Net: $65.07

Groceries bought that weren't part of Catalina: $22.88

Net Total of All Things in P&G and GM Catalinas this week: $42.19

I'm happy. I'm over budget for the week - but I'm so overstocked on laundry detergent, shampoo, frozen veggies, paper towels, toilet paper, fruit snacks, etc - it's all good.

How did you do at Shaw's all week? Leave a comment if you know your Pre-savings totals and your OOP totals! Remember - it's still not too late - this sale is good through tomorrow.

My 2 Shaw's Trips Today

Went to Shaw's today. Twice. I'm too busy prepping for a Gold Party tonight that I didn't picture it. Here they are:

Trip 1
4 Chex Mix - $1.67 ea (4 .50/1 MFCs from Coupons.com) .67 ea
4 All Detergents - $3.50 ea (2 $1/2 MFCs from paper) $3 ea
4 Dove Shampoos/Conditions - $7.99 (1 $1/1 MFC from paper)

Total Before Savings: $67.37
Total Coupons Used: $42 ($35 OYNP)
Total OOP: $14.83
Total OYNP Earned: $42

Trip 2
15 Green Giant Veggies - $1.67

Total OOP: $16.70
OYNP Earned: $15

I also got a few other things for tonight

1 pint of Grape Tomatoes - $1.69
1 big Hummus - $3.99
1 Bagel Chips - $3.99
1 Pita Chips - $3.99

Total Before Savings: $47.71
Total Coupons Used: $22 (all OYNP)
Cash OOP: $16.66

Yey! A $10 JCP Coupon in the Mail!

I was happy to discover a $10 off any $10 purchase or more at JCP coupon in the mail today! These are great since you only need to buy $10 worth of stuff! If you don't want to spend loot at JCP, just grab yourself a new bath mat or something near $10 and you score it for free! Yey!

Quincy People - Check out Curry Hardware this Saturday!

Curry Hardware in Quincy is great. The customer service cannot be beat. They are having a garage sale of sorts this Saturday. If you are looking for odds and ends, check them out! If you don't find anything, well you can still score yourself some free popcorn! Isn't that nice? Thanks to Lori from Massachusetts for telling me about this offer!


Do not miss this clearance event. You deserve it! Every garage sale item is already 50% off. Bargain and make offers to save even more. This sale is ONE DAY ONLY, so don't miss out on these dramatic savings. There will be a wide range of products such as seasonal items, holiday items, hardware, electronics, tools, and much more.

Save OVER 50% on a large huge selection.
Date: Saturday, August 15th, 2009
Time: All Day
Place: 370 Copeland St., Quincy, MA 02169

The Children's Place - 50% off Monster Sale

The Monster Sale at The Children's Place is now at 50%! Maximize your online purchase this way:

1. Log into your Cashbaq.com account. Go to The Children's Place through them. Earn 3%.
2. Put your stuff in your cart.
3. At check out, use code FA79 to save an extra 15% off already crazy reduced prices.

Not sure how long this is good for. The webcode is good until September 7th.

Free Friendly's Ice Cream When You Donate Blood!

If you donate blood in August, you'll score yourself a coupon for a free carton of Friendly's Ice Cream! Click HERE to find a blood drive near you!

Today's Shaw's Scenario

Total Before Savings: $89.17

Total Preferred Savings: $20.85

Total Coupons Used: $52.00 ($35 OYNP)

Total Recycling: $4.70

Cash OOP: $11.62

OYNP Earned: $35.00

I didn't get to go to Shaw's yesterday because my 3 year-old was sick when he woke up from his nap. But he's bright and chipper today! Off to Shaw's we went. I'll upload the picture later this afternoon.


P&G Scenario
1 Bounty - Reg. $13.29, Sale $9.99 ($1/1 MFC from P&G Year of Savings) $8.99
1 Charmin - Reg. $8.49, Sale $6.99 ($1/1 MFC from P&G Year of Savings) $5.99

PSP: $21.38
OOP: $14.98
OYNP Earned: $5
Net: $9.98

GM $60/$30
9 Knorr Sides - Reg. $16.11, Sale $9.00, (3 $1/3 MFCs from Paper) $6.00
6 BC Supreme Brownie Mixes - Reg. $17.34, Sale $15.00 (3 .75/2 MFCs from Coupons.com) $10.50
3 BC Warm Delights - Reg. $7.50, Sale $5.00 (.50/2 MFC from a package) $4.00
2 Skippy PB - Reg. $5, Sale $4 ($1/2 MFC from paper) $3
4 Suave Shampoos - Reg. $7.56, Sale $6.68 (2 $1/2 MFCs from this week's Red Plum) $4.68
4 Suave Deodorants - Reg. $8, Sale $6.68 (2 $1/2 MFCs from this week's Red Plum) $4.68
2 Q-Tips - Reg. $5.98, Sale $5 ($1/2 MFC from this week's Red Plum) $4

Total Presale: $67.49 (oops- really over calculated!)
Total OOP: $36.86
OYNP Earned: $30.00
Net: $6.86

I was going to get 4 Suave Body Washes but they were out. So I got 4 Suave Deodorants and an extra Warm Delight to make sure I went over my total. I went very over my total! That's okay though - sometimes it's better to be safe than sorry.

Even though this isn't a money maker or a break even scenario - I love having brownie mixes in the house. I make them for family gatherings and whatnot. Heavens know I'm not making brownies from scratch. Some of this stuff might end up in my next round to the food pantry. I'm not really smitten with Suave Deodorant. It was virtually free though. Hopefully someone can get use out of it.

Next Shaw's Trip Plan!

I think some people benefit seeing Shaw's scenarios played out. If you are new or don't understand all the grocery lingo - sometimes you can just copy what the freaks do and it will magically work for you. Check out the Slick Deals Shaw's forum for more. Here's my plan for this evening:

GM Scenario
4 Suave Body Washes - PSP $10, Sale $8, 2 $1/2 MFCs from paper ($6 OOP)
2 Skippy PB - PSP $5, Sale $4, $1/2 MFC from paper ($3 OOP)
2 Warm Delights - PSP $5, Sale $3.34, .50/1 from package ($2.34 OOP)
4 Suave Shampoos - PSP $7.56, Sale $6.68, 2 $1/2 MFCs from paper ($4.68 OOP)
1 Q-Tips - PSP $2.99, Sale $2.50, .30/1 MFC from paper ($1.90 OOP)

Total Presale: $30.55
Total AFTER Coupons: $17.92
Total OYNP Generated: $15.00

P&G Scenario (same as last night)
1 Bounty - PSP $13.29, Sale $9.99, $1/1 from P&G Year of Savings ($8.99 OOP)
1 Charmin - PSP $8.49, Sale $6.99, $1/1 from P&G Year of Savings ($5.99 OOP)

Total Presale: $21.78
Total AFTER Coupons: $14.98
OYNP Earned: $5
(Not "great" - still "$9.98" net - but that's really good for Toilet Paper and Paper Towels!)

Another GM
6 BC Supreme Brownie Mixes - PSP $17.34, Sale $15.00, 3 .75/2 from computer ($10.50 OOP)
9 Knoor - PSP $16.11, Sale $9, 3 $1/3 MFCs from paper ($6 OOP)

Total Presale: $33.45
Total AFTER Coupons: $16.50
OYNP Earned: $15.00

Comes to $49.40. I'll have $35 in CATs to Use and I'm going to be bringing in my recyclables. Before Recyclables, it will be $14.40. I think I have about $6 in bottle returns. Let you know how I make out.

July Monthly Recap!

I spent $564 in July. Spending since 1/1/09 is $2,782. I have saved $3,229 since 1/1/09 by shopping sales and using coupons.

Previous Monthly Spending:

June: $417
May: $439
April: $448
March: $305
February: $305
January $304

-Ahhhh....wowzers! I really went crazy this month. It seemed that we ran out of every basic staple needed.

-This week, Shaw's is having some killer sales. Hoping to stock up on a bunch of stuff so we will be good for the rest of the year. Even though I'm still on track for a $5,000 grocery bill this year, you can never be too careful!

Shaw's Double Catalina Trip!

I did the following trip yesterday at Shaw's. I double dipped the GM Catalina and it worked like a charm. Even though I'm paying some OOP for the P&G deal, we needed paper towels and it's still a killer deal. Will probably do P&G scenario again since it comes out to less than $5 OOP for both a 8-pack of paper towels and 12 pack of toilet paper.

Total Before Savings: $101.96

Total Preferred Savings: $32.01

Total Coupons Used: $49.90 ($30 were OYNP)

Cash OOP: $20.05

OYNP Coupons Earned: $35.00

$30/$15 ($60/$30) General Mills Scenario

4 Breyer's Ice Cream - Reg. $5.49, Sale BOGO

1 Klondike - Reg. $3.99, Sale $2.99 (Used $4/5 Breyer's Ice cream Coupon)

2 Q-Tips - Reg. $2.99, Sale $2.49 ($1/2 MFC)

1 All - Reg. $5.49, Sale $3.50 ($1/1 MFC)

2 Country Crock w/Calcium - Reg. $2.69, Sale $1.67 (.50/1 MFC, .35/1 MFC)

3 Mini Warm Delights - Reg. $2.50, Sale $2 (3 $1/1 MFCs)

3 Fiber One Yogurts - Reg. $2.99, Sale $2.50 (3 $1/1 MFCs)

1 Chex Mix Bars - Reg. $3.79, Sale $3 (.60/1 MFC)

Total PSP: $63.06

Total OOP: $26.41

OYNP Earned: $30.00

$20/$5 P&G Scenario

1 Bounty - Reg. $13.29, Sale $9.99 ($1/1 MFC from P&G Year of Savings)

1 Charmin - Reg. $8.49, Sale $6.99 ($1/1 MFC from P&G Year of Savings)

Total PSP: $21.78

Total OOP: $14.98

OYNP Earned: $5

Other Stuff

1 Hamburger Rolls - $1.67

1 Hot Dog Rolls - $1.67

4 Candy Bars - .50 ea (2 $1/2 MFCs) FREE!

10 Dannon Yogurt - .50 ea ($1/10 MFC) .40 each!

Hannaford's Deals 8/2 - 8/8

The following are good deals at Hannaford's for the week of 8/2-8/8. Not all deals are mentioned, but these are the ones that I find to be pretty good. Check your circular for all deals this coming week. See the Hannaford's Circular HERE. Make, Save, & Share your Hannaford grocery list HERE.

Meat
Boneless New York Sirloin Steak - $2.99/lbs
Pork Chops - $1.29/lbs
Chicken Leg Quarters - .79/lbs
20.8 oz pkg Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey (85% lean) - $2.79
20.8 oz pkg Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey (93% lean) - $3.29

Produce
Strawberries - $1.69/lbs
Fresh Express Salad - .99
Granny Smith or Fuji Apples - .99/lbs
Romaine Hearts - $2.29 3 pack
Cucumbers - .59 ea

Dairy
Breyer's Yogurt - .50 (Use the $1/2 Breyer's from Coupons.com to make 2 of these FREE)
Hannaford's Block Cream Cheese - .89
Hannaford OJ - $2.50

Grocery
Polar 1 liter soda - $1 ($1/3 MFC from paper)

Check out The Grocery Gathering to find other great blogs to supermarkets all over the country!

Stop & Shop Deals 7/31-8/6

The following are good deals at Stop & Shop for the week of 7/31-8/6. Not all deals are mentioned, but these are the ones that I find to be pretty good. Check your circular for all deals this coming week. Check out their circular HERE to see all deals.

**4 $1 Doubler Coupons on front page of flyer! Accepted at most competitors!**

Meat
Porterhouse or T-Bone Steak - $4.99/lbs
Jumbo Sea Scallops - $8.99/lbs
Boneless Chicken Breast - BOGO Free
Hormel Black Label Bacon - BOGO Free
Johnsonville Brats - BOGO Free
Oscar Mayer Weiners - $2 ($1/2 from paper)

Produce
White Seedless Grapes - .99/lbs
Corn - 12 ears for $1.99
Peaches - .99 lbs
Cabbage - .49/lbs
Plum Tomatoes - .99/lbs
Green or Yellow Squash - .99/lbs

Dairy
Yo Plus Yogurt - $2 ($1/1 at coupon sites) $1

Frozen
Stop & Shop Waffles - $1.25
On-Cor Entrees - $2

Grocery
General Mills Cereal - 4 for $6 WYB 4! (coupons at coupon sites)
B&M Baked Beans (28 oz) - $1

Other
Coolers, Summer Furniture - 50% off

Check out The Grocery Gathering to find other great blogs to supermarkets all over the country!

Shaw's Deals 7/31-8/6

Here are the pretty good deals at Shaw's for the week of 7/31-8/6. Not all deals are mentioned. Just the ones that I think are pretty good. See the entire circular and print Shaw's coupons at Shaws.com.


**Kellogg's Back To School $10 Promo! Use coupons from the Red Plum circular to make this deal outstanding!**

**P&G Catalina - Spend $20 (PSP), get $5 OYNP! Use coupons from the paper and the P&G Year of Savings book**

**General Mills Catalina - Spend $30 (PSP), get $15 OYNP! Use coupons from SmartSource.com, Bettycrocker.com, & Coupons.com!**

Produce
Cantalope - .99 ea!
Grape Tomatoes - $1.69 a pint

Meat
Shaw's Steak Tips - $3.99/lbs
Stockman & Dakota Steak Tips - $5.99/lbs ($1/2 lbs at Shaws.com)
Half Boneless Pork Loin - $1.99/lbs
Shaw's Chicken Legs, Drumsticks or Thighs - .99/lbs
Atlantic Salmon - $6.99/lbs ($1/2 lbs at Shaws.com)
Jumbo Cooked Cocktail Shrimp - $6.99/lbs
Ball Park Meat Franks - $1.99 ($1/2 MFC from paper)
John Morrell Ham - BOGO Free

Dairy
Cedar's Mexicana Gold Salsa - BOGO Free
Dannon Yogurt - .50 ($1/10 MFC from paper)
Tropicana OJ - $2.88
Minute Maid Punches - $1

Frozen
Snickers Ice Cream Bars - $2.99 ($1/1 MFC from paper)
Ittzbitz Ice Cream - $1 (BOGO Free MFC from paper)
M&M Novelties - $3.50 ($1/1 MFC from paper)

Grocery
Arnold Whole Grain Classics Bread - BOGO Free
Shaw's Light Bread - BOGO Free
Drake's Coffee Cakes - BOGO Free
Shaw's English Muffins - .50
Shaw's Syrup (stock up!) - $1.77
Doritos - BOGO Free
Mars Single Candy - .50 ea ($1/2 MFC from paper - MAKES 2 CANDY BARS FREE!)

Check out The Grocery Gathering to find other great blogs to supermarkets all over the country!