Deal of the Day!

Today's deal is at Office Max.
All Duck Brand Tape is just $1.00. That alone is a good deal...
But add your $1 off coupon from SS 11/11 and get it FREE!!!
Deal starts today!

Buy Low

 You may have noticed that Buy Low has changed up their weekly sale situation. Here's how I understand it:
I don't see any all week prices. Rather, it is broken up into the following:
Monday and Tuesday only
Wednesday and Thursday only
Friday and Saturday only
Not sure if they'll be open on Sundays anymore and what the sale situation will be... I'll update you all as I figure it out.

Here's what's on the menu starting this Monday!

Monday & Tuesday ONLY

Red Grapes $1/lb

Bone in Pork Roast 1.49/lb

Red Delicious Apples 3lb/$1

WF Cream Cheese .88

Chex Cereal 1.78
B1G1 FREE Party Mix Seasoning
-$1/2 Chex Cereals

7 UP & Pepsi 2 ltr .78

Wednesday & Thursday ONLY

Mangoes 2/$1

Italian Squash 3lb/$1

Navel Oranges 5lb/$1

Fuji Apples 2lb/$1

Cucumbers 5/$1

Romaine Hearts 3 pack $1

WF Canned corn/Green beans, Tomatoes, Soups .48

WF Thin Sliced Deli Meat 2 oz  4/$1

Friday & Saturday ONLY

Boneless Beef Eye of Round 2.78/lb

Farmland Boneless Whole Ham 1.98/lb

Hunt's Snack Pack pudding .78

WF 48 oz Ice cream 2.48

Cuties Clementines 3 lb  2.98

BE SURE TO CHECK THE CLEARANCE CARTS WHENEVER YOU VISIT BUY LOW!! AND BRING YOUR COUPON BINDER WITH YOU TO MAXIMIZE SURPRISE SAVINGS!!!
P.S. Remember that Buy Low matches grocery store ads!! Now a one stop shop!

A Few Good Prices

 Here's a heads up on a few good stock up prices you don't wanna miss out on! Remember that some of these prices only come this time of year!! Pay attention to expiration dates and your storage situation and then get as many as you can!!

Macey's
Good till this Monday

Lays Potato Chips 1.88

18 oz WF Oatmeal .88

Nabisco Crackers 3/$5
-.75/2 Nabisco crackers

Betty Crocker Cake Mix .88

Martinelli Sparkling Cider 1.88

Malt o Meal 36-45 oz bagged cereal 2.77
-$1.50/3 malt o meal cereal (online coupon)

Jumbo Refrigerator Biscuits 1.00

Wafer Cookies .88

Fresh Market
Good through Wednesday

Leaf Lettuce .99

Nalley canned Chili .77

Pace Salsa 15 oz 1.67

Land o Frost 16 oz deli meat 3.49

& UP/Pepsi 2 ltr .99
-$1/4 7 Up

Smith's
Good through Wednesday

Breyer's Ice Cream 50% off

Ruffles chips $2 each wyb 3

Baby Carrots 50% off

Nature's Bounty supplements 50% off

Kellogg's Cereal 50% off
-$1/2 Kellogg's cereal


Clover Club potato chips 3/$5

To pay or not to pay?

 I am getting really tempted to sign up for the extra photo storage on here... I am doing so many projects right now that I am just dying to show off! Must think about it some more..
 I was deep cleaning my shed and attic today. I decided to put into action my decision to dump the summer's inventory. It has been very therapeutic and has freed up so much space! I feel so much better! I am now focusing on organizing and selling the remaining inventory and prepping a more organized shelving situation for this coming summer's inevitable new inventory.
 My van is now full of donations that we will run into town today. I'm going to spend the rest of the winter scavenging for shelving and flooring supplies. My husband and I are designing built shelving for my office and my new sewing center. I'm hoping to only have to pay for the metal pieces. I don't want to have to buy any of the wood.
 In the midst of decluttering, I found a lovely school banner hanging on a dowel with decorative ends. I was about to toss it when I realized that the dowel is perfect for hanging the baby's quilt on her wall. I was going to order quilt hangers. Money saved! I will use left over paint for the dowel and it will work perfectly!
 As often is the case, patience and creativity can provide you with the things you need/want without having to spend much if any money! Put on your creativity caps and keep your eyes open to possibilities that sitting all around you!
 Of course, if you regularly go through what you have and keep organized, you will have a better idea of what items you have that can be put to use. I'm thinking I need to go through my inventory once a month... Gonna set a day to devote on the calendar. Little steps like this are money savers and money makers!
 What are you going to do today to save money on your latest project???

Donation= room for more!

 As I was putting away all the stock up items I bought today, I got to thinking. You know those items that you bought because they were a great deal or you had an awesome coupon but then your family didn't really care for them or you just bought too darn many and now you need the room for some of this week's great deals??
 Right now is the perfect time to donate them! Take the donation deduction, give that food a chance to be used by people who really need it. Now you have space for all that Chicken Broth that is such a good price this week!
 Just a thought. :)

Stock up now!!

Hey kids! This is an AMAZING week for stocking up on staples!! You might have noticed, there are prices right now that you won't see any other time of year! If you can afford it, you should be filling all freezer space and lots of pantry shelves!

Here are the must have deals at my 3 main stores:

Smith's

Philadelphia Cream Cheese 10/$10

General Mills Cereals 1.88 wyb 6
-$1/2 General Mills cereals
-$1/2 Chex cereals

Kraft Salad Dressing 16 oz 1.49 wyb 6
-$1/2 Kraft Salad dressing
-$1 off any produce wyb 2 Kraft Salad dressing (from a tear pad)

Capri sun 10 pk drinks 1.49 wyb 6

Nature Valley or Fiber One 5-12 ct bars 1.99 wyb 6
-.50/2 Nature Valley
-.50/2 Fiber One

Progresso Recipe Starters soup .99 wyb 6
-.50/1 Progresso Recipe Starters

Macey's

WF Butter 1.99

Pepsi & A&W 2 ltr .79

Nabisco Crackers 3/$5
-$.75/2 Nabiso Crackers

16 oz WF Sour Cream .99

Meadow Gold qt Egg Nog 3/$5

Libby's Corn or Green Beans .47

WF 14.5 oz Chicken or Beef Broth 2/.88

Martinelli's Sparkling cider 1.88

WF Pineapple 20 oz .77

Progresso Bread Crumbs .99

French's Fried Onions 3.00
-$1/1  6 oz French's Fried Onions

Jell-o Pudding or Gelatin 5/$5
-.50/2 Jell-o pudding or gelatin

WF Seasoning Mixes 3/$1

WF Cream Soups .65

WF Reduced Fat Cream Soups .99

32 WF Medium Cheddar Cheese block 4.99

Nestle Toll House morsels 1.88
-.75/2 Nestle morsels

WF Water Chestnuts 2/.88

2 lb Baby Carrots 2.00

Fresh Market

Fresh Market has most of the same deals as Macey's, though slightly more expensive. But here are a couple that are specific to FM.

WF Whipped Topping .89

Big Buy Bacon 1.99

I also hit the Clearance Meat and did awesome with Jennie-O ground turkey!! Always gotta check that out!

Early Spring Cleaning: Tax Write Off?

 There is a nasty rumor going around that we are going to lose our charitable donation tax deduction next year. I've decided to be proactive, just in case!
 I've been up in the attic and in all the closets this morning, sorting. I have tons of clothing, from my family and my digging. I'm going to take it all to Saver's to not only get the tax deduction, but also to earn a 20% off coupon as I need some sleepers for the baby.
 A surprising money saver was finding a whole bunch of small shirts that will fit my oldest daughter. We had planned to go shopping for her today for just that need and ta-da! I had a whole bunch in my overstock in the attic!
 A business decision I have made recently and am now implementing is this:
The things that I find while hunting and digging during the spring and summer, I will do my best to get them all used or sold by the time fall hits. Whatever is left, as long as it isn't seasonal, I will go ahead and donate. This way I won't feel so cluttered in my office and my husband won't keep bugging me about not being able to get to anything in the shed or attic.
 While cleaning and sorting, I also happened upon several items that need to be sold during the winter for optimal profits. I'm going to get them listed today!
 Cleaning and sorting pays off in all kinds of ways, friends! An added bonus: when spring time comes around, you'll already be clutter-free and can just head out and enjoy the weather while everyone else is Spring Cleaning!
 Ps. I've hit my limit of picture space for this blog. Until I decide that the extra storage space is worth the monthly cost, I will just be listing found objects and grocery hauls. No pictures. :/

Gone huntin'

 After dropping off my own and the kids I babysit, I made the rounds of my favorite bins. My favorite janitor left out some metal rolling carts for me. I'll have James go back with the truck this evening to pick them up.
 I was pretty happy finding those, but then I had this prompting to hit this other bin that is usually not so fruitful. Well.... whalaaaahhhh! Loads of copper wiring! A lot of it was already stripped for me even! I didn't have my step stool or grabber with me so I gathered what I could. I'll head back later with my "tools." Tonight I'll be having myself a wire stripping party! Oh the things that people throw away....

Garbage Day Again!

Today is garbage day in my neighborhood! You know how I like that! Even when I am sicker than a dog. Fun finds always lift the sneezy spirit. :)
I babysat my brother's kids last night and found a lovely white, folding side table in the neighbor's can. Then this morning, while running my daughter to school, I found a folding laundry rack for drying clothes. Both great finds!
I want to go coupon hunting today but I don't think it will happen. This is a "sit in your hoodie and jammies all day eating Triscuits" kind of day.....
Anywho, what treasures have you found lately??

Are You Prepared??

 We saw how bad things were for the East Coast recently... What if something just as bad hit your neighborhood today? Tonight? How prepared are you for something like that? Please don't think stupid thoughts like "that won't happen to me..."
 Instead, get out there and get your family ready! I have this eerie feeling that bad things are coming and feel a sense of urgency to get my home ready.
 If you haven't been working on this for a few years, you don't want to overwhelm yourself so let's start with 72 Hour Emergency Kits. Here's what you need:

FOOD AND WATER

(3 day supply of food and water per person when no refrigeration/cooking is available)

Protein/Granola Bars
Trail mix/Dried fruit
Crackers/Cereals
Canned Tuna, Beans, Meat, Vienna Sausage, etc (pop-top cans might leak/explode & Jerky can "flavor" other items)
Canned Juice
Candy/Gum
WATER (1 GALLON/4 LITERS PER PERSON PER DAY)

FUEL & LIGHT

Battery Lighting (flashlights/lamps)
Extra Batteries
Flares
Candles
Lighter
Water-proof Matches

BEDDING AND CLOTHING

Change of clothing (short and long sleeves shirts, pants, socks, jackets, etc)
Undergarments
Rain Coat/Poncho or large trash bags
Blankets and Emergency Heat Blankets
Cloth Sheet
Plastic Sheet

MISCELLANEOUS

Bag of Bags to put 72 hour kit items in
Infant needs (if applicable)
formula
water
diapers
wipes
burp rag
lotion
diaper cream
baby soap

EQUIPMENT

Can Opener
Dishes/Utensils
Shovel
Radio (with batteries)
Pen and Paper
Axe
Pocket Knife
Rope
Duct Tape

PERSONAL SUPPLIES & MEDICATION

First Aid Supplies
Toiletries (remove center tube from toilet paper and paper towels to flatten more easily. Keep in zip lock bag)
Feminine supplies
Folding Brush
Cleaning Supplies
Mini Hand Sanitizer
Soap
Dish Soap
Shampoo
(Hint: Scented Soap might "flavor" food items)
Immunizations up to date
Medication (Tylenol, Ibuprofen, children's medication and a 3 day supply of prescription meds if applicable)

PERSONAL DOCUMENTS AND MONEY
(Place these items in a water-proof container!!)

Scriptures (miniatures are lighter)
Genealogy Records
Patriarchal Blessing
Legal Documents (Birth/Marriage Certificates, Wills, Passports, Contracts)
Vaccination Papers
Insurance Policies
Cash
Credit Card
Pre-paid phone cards

I know this is a lot of stuff. For my family of 5, I have just one backpack and it does not hold all of this. I am working on preparing one more backpack, that way my husband and myself can each carry one. 
Older children can also be responsible for carrying light loads. 
When disaster strikes, it will be too late to put your bag together....
My next post will be about long-term disaster (apocolypse) preparation. ;) Seriously.

Yesterday

 Amid being all kinds of horribly sick, I did a bit of shopping yesterday. I had to take a few breaks, but I got it done and scored lots of great deals! No pictures this time. I had no energy left when I got home.
At Macey's I got these great deals:
Today's the last day to get them!

Cross Rib Pot Roast 2.49/lb

Boneless Skinless Chicken breast 1.79/lb

32 oz Western Family Yogurt 1.79

Western Family Ice Cream 2/$5

Farm Bread .99

Meadow Gold Egg Nog .99

Meadow Gold Pumpkin Spice Egg Nog .50

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At Stokes I found some other good things:

Western Family 30 oz Cereal 2.00
I bought 12 bags!

Keebler Club Crackers $1.25
-.50/1 Keebler Club Crackers (back of a cereal box)

I also found a lovely red tie for James to wear in our family pictures for just $5.99.

Finally, I took advantage of their "Fill it Fresh" $10 grocery bag. Select fruits and veggies can go in the bag. I got a tip from my mom in law that was really helpful. Make sure you get at least 20 lbs of produce to make it all .50/lb.
I got just over 20 lbs in my bag. Roy, the nice produce guy, advised me that I could fill the bag up to the handle. I so did!
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I got it done and feel pretty darn good about it. :)

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Here are a few things I'm looking forward to this coming week:

Macey's:
Two Days ONLY!!
Great Grains Bagels 1.25

Tillamook ice cream 2.99

Pillsbury Cake Mix .89

Lindsay olives .77

Toll House Chocolate Chips 3/$5
-$1/2 Nestle chips= 1.17

And the all week deals:

Western Family Ice Cream or Sherbet 1.88

Western Family 32 oz Yogurt 2/$3

Radishes, Green Onions, Green Bell Peppers 2/$1

Great Grains Split Top Bread .99

Litehouse Dressing 12 oz 2/$5
-$2/1 Litehouse dressing= .50

So excited to jump on some of these deals! I am happy to report that my kitchen freezer and deep freezer are chock full!! My pantry, the tops of my cupboards, and all of my shelves are full too! Come on Apocalypse! :) Wait.. I wanna get some bullets stocked up first...  ;)