January 2010 Recap

So the first month of the New Year is coming to a close.  At the beginning of the year, I made some crazy goal to lose some weight this year (mostly just to teach myself to eat healthier), while maintaining a normal grocery budget of $5,000 this year.  So how did I do?

First, I average in my head $416 per month for my goal of grocery spending.  If I spend $416 a month, that will be about $5000 for the year (okay, - $4992 to be exact, but I don't like dealing with fractions and decimals and all that other nonsense).  For January 2010, I spent $326 ($90 under budget).  This is outstanding because I bought 2 cases of diapers (just under $50) and kitty litter ($10.49). 

I also have lost 7.2 lbs in January by following Weight Watchers rather religiously.  My entire goal for weight loss is somewhere between 20-25 lbs.  I don't expect my weight loss to be this much from here on out - but that's cool.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Overall, I'm extremely happy with how January 2010 turned out in this goal of mine. 

How's every else doing?  Did you set any goals for 2010?  My Weight Watchers leader today said that week 5 of goal setting is when people tend to lose motivation.  I'm not sure if she meant WWs or in goals in general.  I feel like I have gained motivation the last week.  I feel like some obnoxious, perky cheerleader who is all gung-ho about life.  I'm not sure what is wrong with me.     

Recipe of the Week - Chicken Cacciatore

Since joining Weight Watchers, I've made this recipe about 3 or 4 times.  We love it.  In fact, since cooking with a lot more vegetables, both my husband and I agree that eating spaghetti with plain old jarred tomato sauce is not filling and kind of "blah".  This doesn't take much time and I find that using frozen vegetables in most dishes is easy and just as tasty.



Chicken Cacciatore (took this out of the Week 1 book)
Serves:  1 (double, triple or quadruple recipe based on your needs)
Points:  8
(Red writing is my Shaw's price babble)


1 tsp Olive Oil (If you don't have, hook up the Bonelli BOGO free sale this week)
1 tsp minced garlic ($1)
2 Tbsp chopped onion ($1 for 2 lbs)
1/4 cup chopped green peppers (we use frozen - $1.33 for the Shaw's bag.)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms ($1 per pack)
4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast ($1.88/lbs at Shaw's this week)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes (we get a flavor to give it more umph.  Nothing on sale this week, so scope out the isle.  A 15 oz. can is 1 1/2 cups.  A 28 oz can is 3 cups.  We usually store the remaining of a 28 oz can in a plastic container in the fridge). 
1 cup cooked spaghetti (I use the Ronzoni Smart Taste that is $1 a box this week - with coupon at http://www.ronzoni.com/)

Cost:  ??  If you had to buy all these ingredients, you'd have enough supplies to make this dish 2 or 3 times (and then some).

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic, onion, peppers and mushrooms.  Saute 4 minutes until mushrooms release their juice.  Add chicken.  Saute until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, simmer 15 minutes.  Place spaghetti in a shallow bowl.  Top with chicken and vegetable mixture.

Other Notes:
-  You really can't freeze mushrooms without them going gross (so says google searches I've done on it).  Mushrooms can last a while if stored properly though in the refridgerator.
-  I've made up bags of garlic, onion and peppers already measured out and froze them together.  That way I just add mushrooms to it.  Makes the prep work a little easier. 
-  I never buy frozen chopped onion, but I always chop and freeze onions laying around the house. 

Another thing I have learned since this whole "healthy eating" kick of mine - I used to always use 1 lbs of meat in every dish I made no matter what.  But now, I find that I'm only using 8 oz in most recipes.  When I buy, say a 3 lbs pack of chicken, I just cut it all up in pieces and freeze in 6 Ziplock freezer bags.  So even though I'm spending more on vegetables, I'm stretching our meat consumption.  I'm finding it sort of evens out in the budget aspect.

Shaw's Healthy Deals This Week

It's a great week to jump on the healthy eating boat if you shop at Shaw's!  Find Shaw's coupons at http://www.shaws.com/

They are having a killer $1 sale on Vegetables.  These include:

8 oz mushrooms
Baby Carrots
3 lbs White Potatoes
Cole Slaw packs
Celery
3 pack Tomatoes
2 lbs yellow onions
Radishes
Green Onions
Lettuce Shreds
Roasted Peanuts
Garlic

Chicken Breast - $1.88/lbs
Frozen Shrimp (91-120 per pound) - $4.99/lb
Oranges - .79/lbs
Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent - BOGO
Quaker Products - $1.99 ea ($3/5 Shaw's coupon in flyer)
20 oz. Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey - $2.99
Nathan's Kielbasa - BOGO (check for Lite varieties)
Sargento Shredded Cheese - $1.99 ($1/2 MFCs from paper)
Hood Sour Cream - $1.49 ($1/2 MFC from paper)
Hanover Premium Frozen Vegetables - BOGO
Bonelli Olive Oil - BOGO Free @ $5.99 ea
Ronzoni Pasta (Healthy Harvest & Smart Taste) - $1 ($1/2 MFCs at http://www.ronzoni.com/)
Shaw's Bread Crumbs - .99
Arnold Whole Grain Classic Breads - BOGO
Weight Watcher Bread Products - $2.50
Orville Popcorn - BOGO Free (plus, the flyer says you can get 2 2-liters for free with in-store coupon but I couldn't find the in-store coupon)


There are some good coupons on the back for Ragu, Hellmann's, Skippy, Breyers Ice Cream, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, WishBone Dressing, Bertolli, Klondike, Lipton Tea, Suave products.  These coupons are MFCs so you CANNOT combine them with coupons from the paper.  Remember too, all these products are part of the BJ's/Unilever rebate - so if you are going to be buying a lot of them, you might want to check out BJ's as well. 

Quick Shaw's Run

Total Before Savings:  $49.47

Total Preferred Savings:  $18.78

Total Coupons:  $8.75

Cash OOP:  $21.94

8 oz Mushrooms - $1

1 Boboli Pizza Crust - $2.99

Lettuce Shreds - $1

3 lbs Tangelos - $2.99

1 lbs frozen Shrimp - $4.99

Fruit2O water - $1.25 (.75/1 MFC Doubles to $1.25) FREE!

2 Orville Microwave Popcorns - BOGO @ $2.99 ($1/2 MFC) .99 ea

4 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest - $1 ea (2 $1/2 MFCs from http://www.ronzoni.com/) .50 ea

4 Ronzoni Smart Taste - $1 ea (2 $1/2 MFCs from http://www.ronzoni.com/) .50 ea

Carlita Flour Tortillas - $1

Fudgsicles - $1.99 (sale)

Weight Watchers Cream Cheese - $2.49 (.75/1 MFC) .99

-I also nabbed some Turkey Sausage.  The cashier took the $1 off from the peelie but never scanned the sausage.  I didn't noticed until blogging this now.  Oops.

-The Weight Watchers bread products are still on sale this week for $2.50.  The single cream cheeses are $2.99 and the tubs of cream cheese is $2.49.  Pair the .75/1 MFC from that Weekly book they gave us a few weeks ago and it's a good deal.  There was also a $1/1 MFC in the coupon book they gave us this week. 

Harvard Art Museum - FREE Admission CORRECTION!

I wrote a post about free admission at certain Cambridge museums about a week ago (CLICK HERE to see what inspirational things I had to say about the People's Republic of Cambridge).

The Harvard Art Museum's admissions policy has recently changed and it is no longer free to the general public on Saturday mornings. Instead, they offer free admission during that time to Massachusetts residents with valid ID. Admission prices and policy can be found on their website, BY CLICKING THIS LINK.


Furthermore, their institution name is now the Harvard Art Museum, rather than Harvard University Art Museums, and with that name change came their new public website: http://www.harvardartmuseum.org/.

Many thanks to the fine people at the Harvard Art Museum for informing us about this! 

Super Bowl Party? Shop BJ's!

I've mentioned it before, but BJ's has coupons on their website.  Some are the same as those in the coupon book.  Some are different.  BJ's is offering some great Super Bowl specials. Click There-----> BJ's Super Bowl Coupons  to see them all and print!  Here's a little smackling of what to expect:
Nancy’s Deli Spirals (60-count box), $9.99, minus $2 with coupon = $7.99

Boboli Party Pack (8-count), $8.99, minus $3 with coupon = $5.99

TGI Friday’s Loaded Potato Skins (12-count box), $9.99 minus $2 with coupon = $7.99

Uno Deli Pizza, $8.99 to $9.99, minus $2 with coupon = $6.99 to $7.99

M&M Cookies (36 count), $6.99, minus $2 with coupon = $4.99

Rival 7-Quart Crock-Pot Slow Cooker (great for chili!), $39.99, minus $8 with coupon = $31.99

Unilever/BJ's Rebate!

From 1/26/10-2/28/10, BJ's is having a pretty good rebate.  Buy $100 worth of participating products (see below), and get a $40 BJ's gift card with mail-in-rebate.  That's kind of like 40% off if you stay close to $100!  These items do not all have to be on one receipt.  It's pre-coupon amount that counts, so if you have MFCs or BJ's coupons for these products, it makes the deal even better. 

Participating products:

Pond's Cream
Lipton Recipe Secrets
Lipton Noodle Soup
Axe Deodorant
Axe Hair products and shower gel
Dove Hair products
Dove Bar
Dove Body Wash
Dove Deodorant
Degree
Caress Bars
Q-Tips
Vaseline Products
Suave Professionals and Kids
Ragu
Wish-Bone Dressing
Country Crock Spreads
Country Crock Side Dishes
I can't Believe It's Not Butter
Hellmann's Mayo
Slim-Fast products
Skippy Peanut Butter
Lipton Tea
Knorr Sides
Breyers Ice Cream
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
Klondike Bars
Popsicles
All detergent
Wisk detergent
Snuggle products
& virtually the entire Solo Cup line (paper/foam plates, bowls and cups)

The rebate form is in the February Coupon book that was just mailed out.  If you don't get the coupon book, you can just put your name, address, city, state, ZIP, and daytime telephone number on a 3X5 index card. 

Mail form (or index card) with receipt(s) (be sure to circle the qualifying items and make sure you have $100 worth of product on them) to:

Unilever/BJ's Gift Card Offer
P.O. Box 7485
Wilton, CT  06897-7485

All requests must be received by 3/15/10.  Allow 8-10 weeks to receive your gift card!  Limit one offer per envelope, but you can do up to 2 rebates per household.  This is a GREAT deal if you are a person who stocks up on disposable plates/cups for parties or whatnot.  Also take note, this rebate is for individual consumers and requests from groups, clubs or organizations will not be honored. 

Adult Fleece Jackets - $3.99 ea @ The Children's Place

The Children's Place is having their Monster Sale.  I'm not sure if people have noticed this, but they have a bunch of adult fleece jackets (see that picture to the left?).  They are normally $34.99, but on clearance for $3.99!  Yes, $3.99!  And again, these are ADULT (MEN's) sizes.  Click HERE to see them on the website!

If you want to shop the Monster Sale at The Children's Place, go through Cashbaq if you are a member (you get 3% back).  Or not.  At checkout, enter code C99AA to give you 15% off (so these jackets are actually $3.39).

These would make a good Christmas gift - if you have room to store them.  I grabbed one for myself and the husband. 

The Children's Place gives you $5 shipping on all orders.  Personally I think the kids stuff is still a little high - but it goes to 75% soon.  Just thought the adult jackets were a super good deal. 

BJ's Run Yesterday!

This is a good trip to show how you can stack MFCs with BJ's coupons.

Total Before Savings:  $84.09

Coupons Used:  $16.79

Cash OOP:  $67.30

1 Box of Luvs - $29.99 ($5/1 BJ's Coupon, $2/1 MFC) $22.99 for 180 diapers (size 4)

1 Capri Sun Waters - $7.49

1 Wonder Kids 2 pack - $3.19

2 12 oz Sargento Twin Pack Shredded Mozzarella Cheese - $6.99 ($1.50/1 BJ's Coupon, $1/2 MFC) $4.49 for 6 cups of cheese (it's like getting cheese for $1.49 per 8 oz bag at Shaw's)

BJ's Apple Juice - $3.99

2 lbs Smart Balance Tubs - $6.29 ($1.50/1 BJ's coupon, $1/2 MFC) $3.79 for 2 1 lbs containers

2 lbs Butterball Deli Turkey packs - $6.99 ($1/2 MFC) $5.99

2 Half & Halves - $1.79 ea

1 lbs LOL Deli Cheese - $3.52 ($1/1 lbs BJ's coupon at door) $2.52

2 2 dozen Eggs - $3.49 ea

Arnold Sandwich Thins - $2.29

Thomas High Fiber English Muffins - $2.79 (FREE when you buy Sandwich Thins coupon at door) FREE!

Things From This Trip:

-  BJ's has some killer coupons at the door this week!  There was actually just a $1/1 lbs of LOL Cheese in the paper.  Couple this with the $1/1 lbs at the door and you are talking $1.50 for a pound of American Cheese!

-  Just throwing another plug out there for Luvs diapers.  Totally underrated.  I never have leaks with them on my 2 year old.  They do leak from time to time with my almost 4 year old at night (he can't seem to wake up to go to the bathroom although he's been potty trained for over a year) - but honestly, I don't think most diapers can hold 4 year-old's tinkles and we've made big improvements in this department by just forcing him to go before bed and limiting his liquids after dinner.  Sign up for MFCs mailed to you at Luvs.com.  Couple these with the BJ's coupons that get mailed out and you're talking a great deal on diapers.  This trip, my cost per diaper was 12.7 cents for a size 4.  Find out how much you are paying for diapers by diving the cost of your package of diaper by the number of diapers in the package.  Then you click on THIS handy dandy chart to see what the price is to beat to "be a good deal".  Thanks Baby Cheapskate!  So on this chart, beating 21 cents for a Luvs Size 4 diaper is a "good deal".  This makes me feel all good and mushy inside since I got mine for under 13 cents each - and almost always do by stacking coupons at BJ's. 

Recipe - For the Roxie's Shopper!

If you are part of Roxie's TLC program, then you might be wondering what to do with a Free package of Hillshire Farms kielbasa.  First, when I went, I was pleasantly surprised that they had Lite and Turkey Sausage varieties.  I got Lite.  Then I made the best dish with it. 

Here's what you can make by buying stuff at Roxie's this week:

Chicken with Andouille and Peppers (Shortcuts book, page 76)
Serves: 4
Points:  4

1/2 pound chicken boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (.85 at Roxie's)
1/4 pound of andouille or other smoked sausage (I used the free Hillshire Farms kielbasa - it was delicious) (free)
1 onion, thinly sliced (.20 cents at Roxie's)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced (.50 cents at Roxie's)
1/2 tsp Cajon seasoning (I used 1/4 tsp Goya Adobo & 1/4 tsp Chili Powder)
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes ($1 at Shaw's, but you should stock up when they are on sale and have this in your cabinet)

Cost:  No more than $2.55

1.  Spray skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally until browned, 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to plate.  Add the suasage to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 3-4 minutes.  Transfer to plate. 

2.  Wipe or wash skillet.  Spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Set on medium heat.  Add onion, bell pepper and seasoning.  Cook, stirring occassionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Add the chicken and suasage; return to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chiken is cooked through, 6-8 minutes longer. 

I cooked rice with this dish.  1/2 cup cooked rice is 2 points. 

Roxie's Run!

Total Before Savings:  $19.90

Total Coupons:  $2.69

Cash OOP:  $17.21

1 pack of Hash Browns - $2.19

1 lbs Strawberries - $1.99

8 oz sliced mushrooms - $1.99

3.39 lbs Chicken Breast - $5.71

Lettuce head - .88

1.61 lbs Red Peppers - $1.59

4.14 lbs Oranges - $2.89

Hillshire Farms Kielbasa - $2.69 (Free with $10 purchase & coupon from Roxie's TLC club)

-  I must, must, must remember to never go to Roxie's again on a weekend. 

Shaw's Trip on Thursday

Total Before Savings:  $39.08

Total Preferred Savings:  $8.30

Total Coupons Used:  $18.75 ($10 in CATs)

Cash OOP:  $12.03

10 lbs rice - $6.99

3 Quaker Quakes - $1 (3 .75/1 MFCs DOUBLE) .50 money maker on each!

Fruit2O - $1.25 (.75/1 MFC DOUBLED to $1.25) FREE!

Pork - $3.80 ($1/1 Peelie) $2.80

5 lbs Potatoes - $1.49

2 Frozen Green Peppers - $1.33

12 pack Mission Tortillas - $1.89 ($1/1 MFC from paper) .89

Fat Free Ricotta - $3.99

Edge Shave Gel - $2.79 ($1/1 MFC from paper) $1.79

Weight Watchers Sandwich Rolls - $2.50

Slim Fast Bar - .99 (Free if you use your Shaw's Card) FREE!

Things From this Trip:

-  If you have an MFC that will double (like my Quaker Quakes), it will become a "Money Maker" if the Pre-Sale Price is greater than the doubled amount.  The presale price on the Quakes is $1.99.  So with a .75/1 MFC, it doubled to $1.50.  They were only $1 last week - so I "made" .50 on each of them.  The Fruit2O only doubled to $1.25 because $1.25 is the normal price.  Get it?

-  Fat Free Ricotta is pretty darn nasty.  I don't think I'll be buying that again.  I need the fat to make it taste good. 

-  The Weight Watchers rolls are absolutely divine.  Only 2 points each and they taste like normal sandwich rolls.  Wonderful!

Shaw's Healthy Deals - 1/22-1/28

If you still have CAT coupons from 2 weeks ago - they expire this week!  Mine do the 24th.  I didn't do a Shaw's run this week so I have to get my butt over there. 

This week's big deal is their infamous Roast Deal.  Buy a roast and get free carrots, potatoes, & onions with in-ad coupon. 

Pepsi 12 packs are 4/$10, but if you want to stock up on soda, check out CVS this week.  6/$20 Pepsi 12 packs, but you get $10 ECBs. 

Buy 2 Ocean Spray 64 oz juice bottles (2/$5), get a FREE 5 lbs bag of grapefruit.

Back Page - $1.75 ea when you buy any 4 of:   Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, Gardetto's snack mix, Chex mix, Nature Valley bars, Milk 'n Cereal bars, Golden Grahams, Lucky Charms, Chocolate Chex, Honey Nut Chex, Cinnamon Chex, Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, & Cheerios.  You can print off coupons for all these products at Coupons.com, SmartSource.com, BettyCrocker.com, & Boxtopsforeducation.com

Other Deals
Canteloupe - $1.49 ea
Shaw's 90/10 ground beef - $3.99/lbs
Gorton's Seafood - 33% off (grab two .50/1 Grilled Item coupon HERE)
Fresh Express Shreds - $1.49 (I've used the $1/2 Fresh Express coupons from the paper on these before)
1 lbs carrots - .89
5 lbs Maine Potatoes - $2.49
2 lbs yellow onions - .99
Oranges & Tangerines - $1.29/lbs
Weight Watcher Smart Ones - $1.99 ea (were a few MFCs for these in the paper 2 weeks ago)
Shaw's Bagels - $1.19 (look at the labels - some of these are only 1 point on WWs)
Lender's Bagels - $1.29 (Same deal as the Shaw's bagels)
Wise Pretzels - BOGO Free (sign up for Wise coupons at WiseSnacks.com)
Hilshire Farms Deli Meat - $3.49 ea ($1/2 MFCs from paper out there)
Old El Paso Mexican Rice - $1.00 ($1/1 MFCs from paper - make this free but not really healthy.  Also, a .50/1 MFC at Coupons.com - which doubles making this free - and you can print twice.)
Thomas Bagels - BOGO Free

Old Navy Cardholders get 25% Off

I got a postcard in the mail.  I feel so special.  From January 28-31, you get 25% off your entire purchase at Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic when you use their respective credit card.  The postcard doesn't look like a coupon.  It looks more just like a "matter of fact".  Something to keep in mind if you are thinking of getting your clothes shopping on soon. 

Weight Watcher Magazine Offer Still Out There!

Thanks to my friend Celeste and Lori and Moms By Heart - you can get a 1 year subscription to WW Magazine for dirt cheap.  I knew this code was good last week, but it is now good until 1/23.  Click HERE to find out how you can get 6 issues of Weight Watchers (sold for $4 each at the meetings!) for only $3.75.  I just did it.  I need motivation delivered to my mailbox.  Now if only I can find one of those handy dandy WW food scales for only $3.75... 

Scored the Jackpot at Mother's Consignment Shop!

So every time I see my mother, she is always trying to pawn off her stuff on me.  I don't know if this is what normal parents do.  It doesn't really feel natural, but whatever, I'll take it.  I've been a proud receipient of lots of odd crap from her through the years.  It's like going consignment shopping at her house without having to actually pay money.  Maybe I'm her charity case?  She probably writes the stuff she gives me off her taxes. 

Well anyways, I hit the jackpot this time around:

7 (yes 7!!) Weight Watchers cookbooks!  I will now become a Weight Watcher recipe cooking fool!  Have you ever been given someone's "crap" but just absolutely loved it?  I find that a lot of times, other people's crap is certainly my treasure. 

Roxie's Run!

Total Before Savings:  $15.97

Total Coupons Used:  $1.99

Cash OOP:  $13.98

1 head of lettuce - .99

1 pint Grape Tomatoes - $1.49

2 lbs onions - .99

1.94 lbs Extra Lean Ground Beef - $7.62

1 lbs Bacon - $1.99 (FREE Coupon from joining Roxie's TLC club)

3.28 lbs of oranges - $2.89

Also stopped at Tedeschi's for 2 Gallons of milk - $4.78.  Monthly spending is at $190 so far. 

Cambridge Museums - Free Admission Times!

Where my Cambridge, MA lovers at?  Did you know you can score free admission to some of the fab museums in Cambridge?  Yeah, I didn't either.  Mostly because I hardly ever find myself in Cambridge (I'm more of a Quincy lover). 

Anyways, if you find yourself galavanting around in Cambridge, check this out (Copied without permission from CCTV Cambridge by clicking HERE).

These Cambridge Museums do not charge admission on the following days and times.


Harvard Museum of Natural History
26 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA
Free on Wednesday Afternoons, 3-5pm and on Sunday from 9 am-11 am
From September through May
http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/

Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
11 Divinity Ave., Cambridge,MA
Free on Wednesday Afternoons, 3-5pm,and on Sunday 9 am-11 am
From September through May
http://www.peabody.harvard.edu/

Harvard University Art Museums
32 Quincy St., Cambridge, MA 0213
Includes entrance to:The Fogg Art Museum, the Busch-Reisinger Museum and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum
Free on Saturday Mornings, 10am to noon
http://www.artmuseums.harvard.edu/

MIT Museum
Building N51 265 Mass Ave Cambridge, MA 02139
Free on Sunday Mornings, 10am to noon
http://web.mit.edu/museum/

Freeze Vegetables to Reduce Your Grocery Budget

One thing I am trying to do lately is to freeze vegetables before they go super bad.  Like every vegetable.  I'll admit - sometimes I get giddy when veggies rot because that's more to add to my compost bin - but that's not very cost efficient of me, huh?  So my first freezer sensation this year was scallions.  I needed like 1/4 cup for a recipe but I got about 2 cups in the package I bought.  I don't use scallions all that much.  So I googled it.  I could just put them in a container and freeze them up to 2 months. 

Not only are frozen vegetables pretty much just as healthy as fresh vegetables, you prep them before hand - which saves time in the future.  It also ensures that you get more bang for your buck out of them.  I had just under a pound of carrots today that I thought would go bad before I could use them - so I blanched them, shredded them, and now have about 3 cups of shredded carrots in my freezer.  Good for that Easy Fried Rice Recipe and other dishes and soups as well. 

Here is a good list of how to blanch certain vegetables to prep them for freezing.  A lot of things I just throw in the freezer, but I do blanch carrots and potatoes.  I don't blanch things like broccoli and onions.  If in doubt though, google "Can I freeze 'whatever'" and you should get some semi-intelligent responses. 

Your Shape for Wii - $39.99

Want to buy "Your Shape featuring Jenny McCarthy" for Wii?  Get for only $39.99 at Amazon.com. 

This item qualifies for Super Saving Shipping (Free Shipping).  Use code YOURSHPE (yes, no A in it) - which will give you $10 off their reduced price of $49.99.  So $39.99 out of pocket for you.  The code is good until 1/31/10.  This Wii game goes for $69.82 at Walmart.com and $69.99 at Target.

I found out about this code because I went to a House Party today!  If you aren't familiar with HouseParty.com, go there and see how you can test products and invite your friends over to test products they send you too!  I've only hosted one so far (my infamous Splenda party back in the summer).  Hopefully I'll do more in the future.  Thanks Lori for throwing a fabulous House Party!

Recipe of the Week - Easy Fried Rice

This week's Weight Watcher recipe (which comes off the WW site), is Easy Fried Rice.  I actually made this last week and it came out really good.  I will be making it again.  My husband and I ate it as a side dish with a Gorton's Fish.  The whole meal was 5 points.  You could add chicken or shrimp to make it more of a main dish, use it as a side, or even eat 2 servings as a meal (it's only 3 pts. per serving).

POINTS® Value: 3

Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 8 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
2 spray(s) cooking spray
2 large egg(s), lightly beaten
1 cup(s) carrot(s), shredded (a pound is .99 at Shaw's)
1 cup(s) scallion(s), sliced, divided (probably no more than $2 at Shaw's.  You can actually freeze scallions!  I Googled it last week and have a container in my freezer.  You can buy a big package at Roxie's for $1.49)
3 cup(s) cooked white rice (Use Brown - on sale at Shaw's for $1.89)
1/2 cup(s) frozen green peas, thawed (Shaw's Frozen - $1)
1/4 cup(s) low-sodium soy sauce, or to taste (should have in your fridge)

Cost:  No more than $5.88
Instructions

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; warm pan over medium-high heat. Add eggs; tilt pan so that eggs cover bottom.

When eggs start to set, break them up into pieces with a heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon. Cook until eggs are cooked through, about 1 minute more; remove eggs them from skillet and set aside.

Off heat, recoat same skillet with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat. Add carrots and all but 2 tablespoons scallions; sauté until carrots are crisp-tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in cooked rice, peas and soy sauce; cook until heated through, stirring once or twice, about 1 minute. Gently stir in cooked egg and remaining scallions; heat through. Yields about 3/4 cups per serving.

Shaw's Healthy Deals - 1/15-1/21

If you have set some sort of resolution to be healthier or shed a few pounds, here's hoping you're doing well.  Make sure to check out Shaw's weekly coupons HERE.

If you are hitting up Shaw's and trying to stick to some sort of healthy regimine, check out these weekly deals. 

Quaker Quakes - $1 (a .75/1 MFC in this week's newspaper insert - making this a money maker with it's doubling power.  I think another one comes in the Sunday paper.)
5 lbs Russet Potatoes - $1.49
Campbell's Cream Soups - $1 ea (check for the reduced fat varieties.  $1/5 MFC in paper recently)
Hood Ice Cream - $2.22 (Their frozen yogurt is pretty good)
4C Bread Crumbs - BOGO Free
Shaw's Syrup - $1.79 (we just ran out 2 days ago!)
Bonelli Olive Oil - BOGO Free (this is the 51 oz bottle - so you're talking 101 oz of Olive Oil - that's a lot!)
Shaw's Brown Rice (2 lbs) - $1.89 (I usually buy rice in bulk at BJ's - but you might not want 20 lbs of rice)
Arnold Grains & More Bread - BOGO Free
Tuttorosso Pasta Sauce - $1
Shaw's Frozen Vegetables - $1
Navel Oranges - .88/lbs
3 lbs Tangerines - $2.99
3 lbs Clementines - $2.99
3 lbs Tangelos - $2.99
3 lbs Oranges - $2.99
Kellogg's Cereal - $1.88 (Mostly sugary ones - which I love - but Raisin Bran, Corn Flakes (blah!) and Frosted Mini-Wheats make the sale). 

I personally think it's kind of a blah week at Shaw's for the healthy shopper.  This would be a good week to see what you can whip up from your pantry and freezer.  That's just me though.  Check out WickedCoolDeals.com for better coupon matchups on all items. 

FisherPrice.com - Free Shipping until 1/25

Enjoy Free Standard Shipping at Fisherprice.com with code Happy2010 until 1/25.  We got a lot of our sons' GeoTrax at FisherPrice.com before the holidays.  If you have any birthdays or baby showers coming up, be sure to check them out!

BJ's Run for Diapers & Bread

I really don't mean to be grocery shopping every day - but it seems that is what I am doing lately.  I went to BJ's.  Here's how this dramatic trip panned out to be:

Total Before Savings:  $53.35

Total Coupons Used:  $9.50

Cash OOP:  $43.73

1 Box O' Luvs (180 size 4s) - $29.99 ($5/1 BJ's coupon, $2.50/1 MFC) $22.50

3 Land O' Lakes Half & Half (2 are Fat Free!) - $1.79 ea

1 Gummy Vitamins for the kids - $9.99 ($2/1 BJ's coupon) $7.99 (I had bought them generic Flintstones the last week of December, but they refuse to take them).

BJ's Apple Juice - $3.99 (this has gone up in price a lot!)

Wonder Whole Grain White 2 pack - $3.39

Planning a Wedding or Baby Shower?

Click HERE to get a coupon for an ADDITIONAL 25% off all Wedding and Baby CLEARANCE items at A.C. Moore.  Valid until 1/16/10.  I love do-it-yourself weddings and babies!  Too bad I'm done with both...

Shaw's Run (had to return my Red Box rental)

Total Before Savings:  $11.29

Total Preferred Savings:  $3.28

Total Coupons Used:  $2.00

Cash OOP:  $6.01

2 Gorton's Grilled Salmon - $3.19 (2 .50/1 MFCs DOUBLE) $2.19 ea
1 Seltzer Water - .59
Lime Juice - .99

Get a Free Pound of Dunkin Donuts Coffee!

So I probably tricked some people by reading this with the title - but if you are generous enough to donate blood in January, you get a voucher for a free pound of Dunkin Donuts coffee (at New England Blood Drives)!  I went yesterday.  Right after, I swung by Dunkin Donuts and grabbed my bag so I wouldn't forget about the voucher.  The highlight of last night's blood donation was talking to some guy - who obviously just got out of an office.  He asked me if I was waiting for a long time.  I replied "Not too long, maybe 20 minutes, but I'll do anything for some free coffee."  He replied (very seriously), "Well whatever gets you to come in.  It's kind of sad that it takes giving something to people in order to give."  I really tried not to laugh - but come on!  I just smiled and told him I was joking, but he was not amused with my coffee prostitution humor.

Now anyone can go to the Red Cross website and see the benefits of donating blood (i.e. saving lives, helping up to 3 people with your donation, etc.).  But what are some other benefits?

-  If you have kids, it's a good reason to escape them for an hour, hour and a half. 

-  You meet some interesting people.

-  Almost every month they have some promo. 

-  You get free cookies, juice and water.

-  Your blood gets tested for things like HIV and other diseases.  All for free.  And they'll let you know if you pop positive for something.

-  You learn if you have strong veins or not.  I do not.  Usually they can hardly find them. 

-  You can laugh at the people who are too impatient to wait and bother the workers (if you never donated before, it might be a good idea to bring a book, magazine or have a fancy phone where you can goof off in case of a line). 

-  Last nice, I was nice to one of the donors and she told me some area places she has done her son's birthday parties that aren't too expensive - with reviews and prices.  This information is priceless.   

-  A pint of blood (the amount that you give) weighs just over a pound.  Instant weight loss people! 

So go my friends.  Donate.  Drink Coffee.  Love Life!

Gorton's .50/1 Grilled Fish MFC (No Sign Up Necessary)

CLICK HERE to print off 2 .50/1 Gorton's Grilled Fish items.  These suckers have a Pre-Sale Price of $3.99 at Shaw's.  This week, with the 33% off sale, they are $2.66.  This coupon doubles making a box of 2 grilled fish patties $1.66.  Each fillet is 2 points on WW. 

1 Year Subscription to Weight Watchers Magazine for $3.75!

Thanks to the Centsable Momma, you can score yourself a whole year of Weight Watchers magazine fun for $3.75. 

Click her post HERE to get all the details!  Thanks Centsable Momma!

Friendly's Giveaway Winners!

The time has come to announce the 5 winners of the 2 Free Friendly's Cones coupons!

Many thanks to Random.org for making this task easy for me!

And the winners are....

#3 - Kara
#10 - Marilyn (http://marilynsmoneyway.blogspot.com/)
#20 - Ice Cream Forum (http://www.ice-cream-forum.com/)
#11 - Angelina
#13 - Teresa (http://www.moneysavingmaineac.com/)

If you are a winner, please email me at BBinNewEngland@gmail.com with your mailing address and they'll be in the mail pronto!  If I do not hear from you within 48 hours, I will pick a new winner.  Many thanks to all who have entered!  Here's hoping you all enjoy a delicious ice cream experience at your local Friendly's Restaurant!

Quick Shaw's & Tedeschi's Run!

I needed to go to Tedeschi's to grab milk and swung by Shaw's.  I live such a wild life.

Tedeschi's

2 Gallons 1% Milk - $2.39 ea

Total:  $4.78

Shaw's

Started with $13.50 in CATS

Total Before Savings:  $46.00

Total Preferred Savings:  $16.62

Total Coupon Savings:  $23.10

Cash OOP:  $6.28

CAT (x2)

1 Bisquick - PSP $3.19, Sale $2.99 ($1/1 MFC from paper) $1.99

1 Fiber One Pancake Mix - PSP $3.99, Sale $2.99 ($1/1 MFC from paper) $1.99

3 Boxes Fiber One Bars - PSP $3.79, Sale $2.50 (3 .40/1 MFCs from computer DOUBLE) $1.70 ea

8 Progresso Soups - PSP $2.50 (some were $2.99), Sale $1.49 (2 .25/1 MFCs from paper, 2 $1.10/3 MFCs from Coupons.com) $1.09 ea

1 Yo Plus Yogurt - PSP $2.99, Sale $1.99 ($1/1 MFC from paper) .99

1 Fiber One Yogurt - PSP $2.99, Sale $1.99 ($1/1 MFC from paper) .99

Still Composting Away.

I started composting about 10 months ago.  I'm still going strong.  It's actually a very easy habit to get into.  It's cost me ZERO dollars.  And it's something that I don't even think twice about now - when I cut up vegetables or dump my coffee grounds - they just go into my little compost bin.  When it's full, I empty it outside.  Even my husband does it - and he's the most anti-organic person out there. 

How I did it?  I grabbed an old raggity garbage can (we had 6 of them - we didn't need 6 garbage cans).  I drilled like 100 holes in it with my husband's cordless drill.  I put the lid on it, and VOILA!  A Compost Bin. 

I'm on my 3rd round of filling up this bad boy.  The compost doesn't decompose as fast in the winter.  But I was able to put it relatively close to my backdoor (no fruit flies and other weird bugs around it in the winter). 

I'm getting excited about gardening again.  Why?  I don't know.  I want to be better than last year.  I think I'll do more tomatoes.  Maybe I'll experiment with random things.  I don't know.  I still have about 5 months until I can plant so maybe I should find something else to get excited about. 

Friendly's Giveaway Ends Tonight!

Like Ice Cream?  Enter my 2 Free Friendly's Cones Giveaway by clicking HERE! 

I'll announce the winners tomorrow.  5 winners.  2 Free cones.  2010 rocks!

Free Red Box Code! Expires Tomorrow!

Bored today?  Go get yourself a free movie at a Red Box near you!  This code expires tomorrow at midnight.

For a limited time only, enjoy a free one-night rental when you use promo code RBXLUV10 at any redbox nationwide. Hurry — this offer expires at 11:59 PM Central on Monday, January 11, 2010.

Roxie's Run!

Hoping to do a weekly Roxie's run to get my meat and vegetables needed for the week.  Their prices are way better than even sale prices at Shaw's on produce & meat.  It's a great little Mom & Pop shop on 3A in Quincy.  Click HERE to access their webpage and if you've been there before, be sure to join their new "Loyal Customer Club".  I actually so a lady in there today with a coupon for a Free Bag of Potatoes.  Must be part of this Loyal Customer Club thing. 

Total:  $10.84

20.8 oz Jennie-O Extra Lean Ground Turkey - $1.99

8 oz fresh mushrooms - $1.39

Scallions - $1.49

Plum Tomatoes - $1.43 (.99 cents/lbs)

Lettuce Bag - $1.49

2 lbs onions - .99

2 red peppers - $2.06 ($1.49/lbs)

$2.50/1 MFC for Electrosol in Country Gazette

Great Electrosol Coupon Find (thanks Erica!): If any of your readers live in the Wrenthan/Plainville/Norfolk/Franklin area the current issue of the Country Gazette has the $2.50 Electrosol coupons in it. I picked up a few of the free paper yesterday at the Stop and Shop in Plainville- there were still a ton left. I'm not sure when the new issue comes out so if anyone wants them they should go soon. (These sometimes go on sale for about $2.50 or $3).

Shaw's Run - CAT Doubles

Total Before Savings:  $60.52

Total Preferred Savings:  $16.10

Total Coupons Used:  $19.40

Cash OOP:  $25.02

CATS Earned:  $13.50

Box Tops Earned:  100 (Equals $10 for my son's school)

CAT (x2)

10 Steamers - PSP $2, Sale $1.49 ($6.80 in coupons)  .81 cents ea

2 Cheerios - PSP $3.49, Sale $2.22 (2 .55/1 MFCs) $1.12 ea

5 B.C. Fruit Snacks - PSP $2.99, Sale $2.50 (3 .40/1 Doubles, 1 $1/2) $1.82 ea

This scenario popped out $13.50 OYNP coupons and 100 Box Tops.

Other Things

Gordon Grilled Fish - $2.66 (.50/1 MFC from paper) $1.66

2 Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Noodles (Yolk Free) - .99 ($1/2 MFC from paper) .49 ea

1 Cottonelle Wipes - $2.79 ($2/1 MFC spit out at Shaw's register 2 weeks ago) .79

2 Nature's Pride Double Fiber Bread - $2.50 (2 .75/1 MFCs Double printed 2 weeks ago) $1 ea!

Things I Learned -

- Yey!  This CAT doubles! 

-  Watch out on the fruit snacks.  Some varieties have a PSP of $2.50.  This might mess up your scenarios if you grab these.  The Spiderman, Scooby Doo, & WonderPets were all $2.99. Other varieties were $2.50.

-  The Steamers are a great deal. People might not know this, but they are just pure vegetables with "a trace of salt".  There is no sauce or anything like that in them (unless you grab those varieties).  So if you need frozen vegetables for recipes, these are a great option this week.  Especially with all the printable coupons on the 4 known coupon sites.

-  Do you not have kids?  What are you going to do with those box tops?  You could donate them to your local school or a relative/friend with kids.  But if you are looking to make a few bucks, apparently there is a market for them on Ebay.  Sounds crazy, but they go for almost face value.  I would never buy them off Ebay (If I wanted to give extra money to my kid's school, I'd just fork over the cash) - but apparently some schools in America compete to be "the best" and all that other crazy stuff.  So if you do a few rounds this week and have a bunch of those 50 Box Tops coupons (worth $5 for a school) - consider selling them as a bundle on Ebay.

-  This is a great example for those who say "I don't cut coupons because I eat healthy and there aren't coupons for healthy products."  Besides the fruit snacks (which, are fat free, so they have that going for them) - everything I bought is "healthy" - at least in my book.  I used a coupon for every single item I purchased today. 

Blockbuster Kiosk Free Rental Code

From now until 1/22/10, get a free rental at one of Blockbuster's kiosks with code GV9TA4.

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks Double Dip Cat

So the Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks that are part of the back page CAT this week also have their own CAT on their own.

Buy 3: Get $1.50 OYNP
Buy 4: Get $2.50 OYNP
Buy 5: Get $3.50 OYNP

Buying 5 gets you to $14.95 PSP. So find $5.05 or more PSP items and you got yourself a good deal since you'd be getting back $8.50 in CATs.

You can print off .40/1 MFCs (these double to .80) off Coupons.com, SmartSource.com and Bettycrocker.com - but Betty's is $1/2.

Happy Catalina-ing!

2 Free Friendly's Cones Giveaway!

A Friendly's Cone Giveaway!

I'm giving away 5 Friendly's Prize Packs!  It's actually just 2 coupons for a Free Cone.  They actually felt really bad about my last Friendly's giveaway mishap that they mailed me 10 Free Cone coupons to giveaway.  I figured, ice cream isn't fun unless you have someone to share it with, so that's why I'm doing 5 2-packs.

How can you enter? (All Involve Leaving Comments)

1.  Leave a comment with your favorite Friendly's menu item.  It can be as simple as ice cream or something like those delicious cheesy waffle fries they offer.

2.  Follow me on Facebook. (and leave a comment telling me)

3.  Follow me on Twitter.  (and leave a comment telling me)

4.  Follow me on Blogger.  (and leave a comment telling me)

You can enter up to 4 times (with the above mentioned methods), but can only win once.  You have until midnight (EST) on Sunday, January 10th to enter.  I will announce the winners on Monday January 11th by using Random.org. and mail them above receiving your mailing address.  If you don't respond within 48 hours, I'll pick a new winner in your place. (It's easiest to leave your email address if your Blogger profile doesn't have one attached to it).

Also, check out their new promo starting this coming Monday as well: Cones for Kids are coming to our stores on 1/11! Donate $1 and receive valentine cards good for 5 free kid cones plus a $5 off $25 purchase coupon. All proceeds help children with disabilities go to Easter Seals Camp Friendly’s. Mark your calendars!(http://www.friendlys.com/about/press/)

Thanks for reading and Good Luck!

Staples - 500 Sheets Hammermill Paper for $1 after Rebate

Just got back from Staples.  I had to buy more printer ink  I snagged a ream of Hammermill Copy Paper for $5 with a $4 MIL rebate.  I actually did the rebate online and it took about 30 seconds.  A check for $4 should be coming within 4-6 weeks.  $1 for 500 sheets of paper isn't bad.

I also snagged an Avery Heavy Duty binder since they are giving 100% back in Staples Rewards this week.  Go.  Get cheap paper!

Recipe of the Week - Chicken with Broccolli and Garlic Sauce

Here's a Weight Watchers recipe that corresponds with the sales at Shaw's this coming week.  I took it off the Weight Watchers site.  Another good site for "healthy" recipes is Sparkrecipes.com.


Chicken with Broccolli and Garlic Sauce
POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 17 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil (should be in your pantry)
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces ($1.88/lb)
1 tsp dried thyme, or 2 tbsp fresh minced thyme, or to taste (should be in your pantry)
1/2 tsp table salt (should be in your pantry)
1/4 tsp black pepper (should be in your pantry)
3 medium garlic clove(s), minced, or more to taste (a bulb costs about .40 cents)
2 cup(s) broccoli, florets (Part of the Pick 4 deal. Grab a bag of already cut up broccoli for $2 - or you can use frozen with the Catalina deal - cheaper that way)
1 1/2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided (Grab a reduced sodium can of Shaw's Brand.  Should be no more than $1)
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch (should be in your pantry)
2 cup(s) cooked brown rice, kept hot (We buy Rice in bulk, so we have rice on hand.  Not sure if most people do.) 

Cost:  $5.28 (assuming you have rice in your home. If not, pick up a big pack and store it.)

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken on a plate and season with thyme, salt and pepper. Add garlic to skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add chicken to skillet and cook until browned on all sides, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.

Add broccoli to skillet, cover and cook 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of broth, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

In a cup, dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth; add to skillet. Simmer until mixture thickens, stirring constantly, about 1 minute; serve over rice. Yields about 1 cup of chicken and broccoli and 1/2 cup of rice per serving.

$5/5 Healthy Choice Meals!

Here's a great coupon for $5 off 5 Healthy Choice frozen entrees (that's $1 off 1!).  I actually somewhat like the Cafe Steamers.  Click HERE for the Coupon!

I actually kind of dislike diet frozen meals. I find they are little portions, full of sodium and taste a little "blah" - but they are sometimes good to have in the freezer for emergencies.  I actually don't mind Healthy Choice's Cafe Steamers too much.  Those are kind of good - but again, not very big and I like to eat a lot.

Shaw's Deals 1/8-1/14

Here are the healthy deals coming up at Shaw's starting on Friday.  You can get a bunch of frozen vegetables for cheap with the backpage Catalina.

-  Boneless Chicken Breast - $1.88/lbs
-  Blueberries - $1.99 pint
-  Gordon's Grilled Seafood - 33% off (use .50/1 MFC from paper for an extra $1 off one package)
-  Land O'Frost Deli meat - BOGO Free
-  Sargento Shredded Cheese - $2
-  Ken's 8 oz Dressing - $1
-  Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Noodles - .99 ($1/2 MFC from paper makes these .49 ea)
-  Ronzoni Smart Taste - $1.50 (.75/1 MFC from paper - if you haven't used it yet, makes this free)
-  Jolly Time Microwave Popcorn - BOGO Free
-  Baked Lays - $3.49 ($1/1 MFC from paper)
-  Fresh Express Salad Blends - $2.50 ea (Buy 2, get Free Bananas with in-store coupon)
-  Ray's Bagels - BOGO Free
-  Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey - BOGO Free

Special K Products - Buy 4, get 1 Free (cereal is $2.50, Bars are $1.99)  Coupons from paper.

Pick 4 Produce Sale - Choose from a bunch of items.  Get 4 for $7.99 with coupon in flyer

Back Page Catalina
Buy $20 in qualifying products, get $5 Off Your Next Purchase and 50 Box Tops ($5 for your school).  Remember, the $20 qualifying purchase is on Pre-Sale Prices.  This deal may double (or even triple), but I usually wait for someone to mention it on SlickDeals.net

General Mills Cereal - PSP about $3.49 (check each cereal though), Sale $2.22 (.55/1 Cheerios on Coupons.com)
Fiber One Bars - PSP $3.39, Sale $2.50 (..40/1 on Coupons.com DOUBLES)  These are 2 pts on WW.
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks - PSP $2.99, Sale $2.50 (coupons on Coupons.com) I think this is a double dip product this week but I don't know the details.
Green Giant Steamers - PSP $2, Sale $1.50 (coupons from paper and coupons.com)
Green Giant Boxes - PSP $2, Sale $1.50 (coupons from paper and coupons.com)
Warm Delights - PSP $2.99 or $2.50 (minis vs. reg), Sale $2 (coupons from paper and coupons.com)
Potato Buds - Sale $2
Green Giant & LeSueur Veggies - Sale .99
Fiber One Yogurt - PSP $2.99, Sale $1.99 ($1/1 from paper and coupons.com)
YoPlus Yogurt - PSP $2.99, Sale $1.99 ($1/1 from paper and coupons.com)
Big Bags of Green Giant Vegetables - Sale $2.99
Just For One Veggies - Sale $2.99 (coupons from paper and coupons.com)
Cascadia Farms Bars & Cereal - PSP $4.99 (cereal), Sale $2.99 (coupons at coupons.com)
Bisquick - Sale $2.99 (coupons from paper and coupons.com)
Fiber One Muffin Mix - PSP $3.29 (?), Sale $2.99 (copuons from paper and coupons.com)
8 Pack Poland Spring AquaPod - Sale .99
Progresso Soup - PSP $2.50, Sale $1.49 (coupons from paper and coupons.com)
Fiber One Muffins - Sale $3.49 ($1/1 coupon from paper and coupons.com)

You can also find coupons for most of these products at Bettycrocker.com, Boxtops4education.com, and Smartsource.com.

Michael's Super Saving Weekend

This weekend, Michael's will give you 20% off your entire purchase with THIS COUPON.

It only applies to certain hours though - Saturday the 9th - 1pm-9pm & Sunday the 10th - 1pm-7pm

Box Tops For Education Catalina Coming Up!

Head on over to coupons.com to print coupons for Betty Crocker, Green Giant and select GM items because Shaw's is having a $20/$5 Catalina next week.  Not only do you get a $5 Off Your Next Purchase coupon, you get a 50 Bonus Box Tops coupon which is great if you collect them for your child's school.  I do, because I'm all Polly Homemaker like that. 

The Pound for Pound Challenge

Trying to lose weight?  Pledge your weight loss to the Biggest Loser's Pound for Pound challenge to try to earn food for your local food bank! 

Click HERE to register and get more details.  We need to bump Massachusetts up!

Roxie's & Shaw's Run

Roxie's

Total Spent:  $21.42

2.05 lbs Cabbage - $1.21
.97 lbs zucchini - .77
3.38 lbs bananas - $1.32
2 lbs onions - .99
3.23 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast - $4.81
2 20.8 oz containers 99% Fat Free Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey - $1.49 ea
1 pint grape tomatoes - $1.49
Garlic - .69
Hash Browns - $2.19
2 lbs carrots - .89
3 celery hearts - $2.69
8 oz fresh mushrooms - $1.39

Shaw's

Total Before Savings:  $43.08

Total Preferred Savings:  $18.95

Total Coupons Used:  $5.00

Cash OOP:  $19.13

2.56 lbs bananas - $1.77
1 container of strawberries - $2.49
1 Yakisoba - .89 (.50/1 from paper DOUBLES) 11 cent MONEY MAKER!
5 98% Reduced Fat Cream of Mushroom Soup - .94 ea ($1/5 MFC from paper) .74 ea
5 cans Red Pack Diced Tomatoes - .99 ea
1 Crystal Light - $2
1 Nabisco 100 cal Pack - $1.99 ($2/Crystal Light & 100 cal Pack) $1 ea!
Frozen Green Peppers - $1.34
10 Dannon Yogurts - .40 ea ($1/10 MFC from paper) .30 ea

Today's Boston Globe Coupons!

I just wanted to give you an example of the things I cut coupons for.  If you're looking to eat healthy, January is a great time for "healthy" coupons.  Of course, my version of healthy is someone else's version of junk food.  Here are the coupons I cut from today's paper:

$1/1 Yoplait Frozen Smoothie (the husband)
$1/1 Fiber One Muffins
$1/1 Fiber One Pancake Mix
$1/1 Fiber One Yogurt
$1/4 Progresso Soups
$1/2 Green Giant Steamers
$1/3 Green Giant Boxes
$1/1 YoPlus
2 Yoplait "Buy 6, Get 1 Free"
$1/2 Special K
$1/1 Uncle Ben's Rice
$1/2 Penn. Dutch Egg Noodles
$1/5 Campbell's Condensed Soups
$1/10 Campbell's Condensed (Tomato & Chicken Noodle)
$1/4 Campbell's Select Harvest Soups
$1/4 Campbell's Healthy Request
$1/2 Chunky Soups
$1/2 Healthy Harvest
$1/2 Sargento Cheese Snacks
.55/1 Healthy Ones Lunch Meat
.50/1 Gordon's Grilled Fish
$1/2 Boca Burgers
$2/Crystal Light & 100 Cal. Snacks
$1/10 Dannon Yogurts
$1/2 Healthy Choice Soups
$1/2 Healthy Choice Frozen Meals
$1/1 Tyson Grilled & Ready product
$1/1 DiGiorno 200 cal. Pizza
$1/2 Jennie-O Turkey products
$1/2 Barilla Plus Pasta
$1/1 Fiber One Cottage Cheese

Okay.  So there you have it.  Now am I running to Shaw's tomorrow to buy all this crap?  No.  Truth be told, I'll probably toss half of these coupons when they pass their expiration date.  Somethings I probably will use - the Yoplait & Dannon yogurt ones for sure.  Most of these don't expire for over a month - so the key to really save at the grocery store is to use these coupons on these products when the product is on sale.  The 200 Cal DiGiorno thing - I probably won't buy that unless it goes on sale for like $2 - which is unlikely.  But I'll allow it to sit in my bin for a month to rot away.  Just some wishful thinking on my part. 

Which ones would work this week at Shaw's?

-  Dannon Yogurt - .40 cents ea on sale.  $1/10 makes them .30 ea. - I think these are normally about .80 ea not on sale.
- Campbell's Condensed Soup - .69 ea on sale.  $1/10 or $1/5 (not sure which varieties are on sale), makes these .49 or .59 ea.  These are normally $1 or $1.50 ea (depending on variety)
-  Progresso Soup - .99 ea.  $1/4 makes them .74 ea.  These are $2.50 not on sale.
-  Crystal Light & 100 Cal. Packs - Crystal Light is $2.  100 cal Packs are $1.99.  $1 ea with the $2 coupon.  Both over $3 not on sale.
-  Fiber One Pancake Mix - $3.29.  $1/1 makes it $2.29.  This might be the normal price - I have no idea.
-  Special K Cereal - $2.50.  $1/2 makes it $2 a box.  Normal price is probably in the high $3s or $4s. 

Remember too, it's not a good deal if you aren't even going to eat the products - $1 for a thing of Crystal Light is a great deal - but if you don't drink it, you just flushed a buck down Shaw's toilet.

Quick BJ's Run!

Did my first shopping trip of 2010.  Stopped into BJ's for a few items:

1 lbs LOL White American Cheese - $3.46
2 Wonder Whole Grain White Loaves - $3.39
2 pack Hershey Syrup - $5.89
Bag of Mixed Fruit - $6.49

Total:  $19.23

1st Weight Watchers Meeting - and a Free Alternative!

I embarked on my first Weight Watchers meeting this morning. I'm actually starting off at 165 - woohoo! I'm excited and like all that meeting nonsense.

If you want to do a program similar to Weight Watchers but don't want to spend the $40 a month, I hightly recommend SparkPeople.com. It's a lot like Weight Watchers e-Tools, but it doesn't go on a Points system - but it is free.

And if you aren't trying to lose weight or eat healthy, well then, sorry for bothering you with this post! Now go get your 50 prints for 50 cents at Snapfish!

Snapfish - 50 Prints

Snapfish will give you 50 prints for 50 pennies! Use coupon code NEWYEAR50 at checkout by January 7th!

Recipe of the Week - Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

One thing I am going to try to do - not sure how long it will last - is to find a Weight Watchers recipe each week that corrolates to sales at Shaw's.  I just grab the recipes off WeightWatchers.com.  Hopefully they won't sue me.  As long as I credit them, I don't think they can though.  Heavens know I'm not making up my own recipes! 

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
POINTS® Value: 7
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 8 min
Cooking Time: 360 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Seasoned canned tomatoes and Italian turkey sausage add instant life to chili. Try tomatoes with different seasonings to vary the flavor of your chili.

Ingredients

1 pound(s) raw turkey sausage, hot-Italian variety (substitute Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey that is on sale this week for $2.99 - would only need to use 3/4 of the package since it's 20 oz.)
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with garlic and onions, undrained  (Shaw's Brand - .69)
15 oz canned pinto beans, undrained (Goya - .59)
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with chilies, undrained (Shaw's Brand - .69)
1 medium onion(s), chopped (no more than .50 cents)
1/4 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, or more to taste

Cost:  $5.46
Instructions

Remove sausage from casing and place in a 4-quart or large slow cooker; break up meat with a spoon. Add beans, both cans of diced tomatoes with their liquid and onion; stir.  (I personally would just brown the turkey in a skillet and add some spices and the onion.  Then transfer with the other ingredients to slow cooker).

Cover slow cooker; cook on low setting for 5 to 6 hours. Stir in salt and pepper; garnish with chopped onion if desired and serve. Yields about 1 1/2 cups chili per serving.

You could add some rice to make it more hearty - just remember to add those points to your program. 

Shaw's Healthy Deals 1/1/10-1/7/10

So it's the New Year and you want to start eating healthy?  Here are the great deals at Shaw's this week that can help kick start your New Year's diet.

-  Cantastic Sale!  Shaw's has a ton of canned food on sale this week.  Now is a great time to stock up on canned tomatoes and other canned veggies you may like.  Although they don't taste as good as fresh vegetables, they are cheaper & last longer.  Goya Beans (.59 cents), Pastene Tomatoes (.99 cents), & Progresso Soup (.99 cents) is all on sale.

-  Dannon Light & Fit - .40 ea ($1/10 MFC from paper a few weeks back)
-  Thomas' English Muffins - Buy 1, Get 2 Free (look for the Whole Grain ones)
-  Lean Cuisines - $1.99 ea
-  Strawberries -$2.49 a pound
-  Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey (20.8 oz) $2.99
-  Kraft Shredded Cheese - $2.49 (not sure if those $1/2 MFCs from Coupons.com expired yet - look for low fat and fat free varieties).
-  Post Cereals - $1.50 ea (Must buy 4)
-  Special K Bars & Cereal - $2.50 ($1/1 MFCs in this week's flyer)
-  Fiber One Bread - $2.50 (I love this bread!  Only 1 pt per slice with 100 cals & 6 grams of fiber)
-  Wise Pretzels - BOGO Free
-  Cat's Pride Cat Litter - BOGO Free

Unveiling of the 2010 Goal...

So I wasn't sure if I was going to do some grocery spending goal for 2010.  But I decided to keep it going. 

This coming year, I am going to try to stick to $5,000 again.  However, I impulsly joined Weight Watchers.  So I'm going to try to corrolate light weight loss & healthy cooking with a budget.  I want to see if someone can stick to a program like Weight Watchers and have a relatively low grocery budget.  So this year, I'm going to try to concentrate on finding great deals on healthy foods at Shaw's & BJ's.  I probably won't use as many coupons as I did in the past.  I'll probably buy more chicken and figure out things to make with it, as I'm not the biggest fan of chicken.  And I'll be honest - I like junky food.  I love Hamburger Helper.  I love potato chips & french fries.  I love breakfast sausage.  At parties, I gravitate to the fattiest, meatiest dip available to me.  The carrot sticks usually just kiss my butt.  So this will be pretty challenging for me. 

I'm starting off this New Year weighing 162 pounds.  I'm 5'7" so I really should be in the 140s.  In the past 10 years, my weight has ranged from anywhere from 131 to 167 not being pregnant.  With both pregnancies, I hit 185.  So I'm not trying to go all Kate Moss on myself, since that would be kind of gross, but I should lose a little of this junk in my trunk.  145 should be a good point - give or take a few pounds.

I'm not taking into account my Weight Watchers fee in my grocery budget.  I think of that as more of an entertainment expense!  If I really want to stick to something like this, I need the weekly meetings to be accountable and all that other nonsense.  I'm not good at doing things without others motivating me.  Sad, but true. 

So there you have it.  Hopefully next year, I'll be letting you know that I was able to stick to a grocery budget of $5,000 while being 15 pounds lighter.  Only time shall tell....