Shopko

I got myself over to Shopko this morning to use my $10/$20 prescription bonus coupon. They have SO MUCH clearance right now!!! In nearly every department!! I highly recommend getting over there and checking it out.
Here are the goodies I picked up and my plans for them:

 Brach's Valentines Hearts .19 ea Remember!! These don't expire for over another year!! Perfect for next Valentine's!!
Russel Stover's Red Velvet Dark Chocolate Hearts .09 ea These are going in the upcoming Easter baskets!! 

This fabulous Addidas cancer support Go-To Tee was regularly $22.00. It was on clearance for $8.80.
I'll be keeping this one for myself! :)

Addidas Performance Climalite capri pants retail $45.00!! I got them on clearance for just $13.50.
These I plan to sell on eBay for a nice little profit. :)
I highly recommend keeping your eye out for deals like this that be resold. One thing I like to do though, especially when it's a gamble, I go for things that I or my family could make use of, just in case it doesn't sell.

Energy Zone Yoga pants WAS $27.99. Clearance: $11.19
Keeping these for myself!!

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: $117.41 (w/tax)

TOTAL COST: $26.41  (w/tax & discount coupon) 
You can also consider what money I will make on the pants and that will make this total even lower! HOPEFULLY, the sale of the pants will pay for this entire purchase!

I will probably be hitting Smith's in Provo today. Stay tuned!

AWESOME SHOPPING DAY!!!

Yes, that title is all caps!!! This has been an EPIC shopping adventure!!! I am just bursting with feel good deal goodiness!!

First, Smith's in Payson!

Tikka Missala .99 clearance

Atkins shakes $5.00 sale
-$1.25/1 Atkins ecoupon

Kroger Peanut Butter $1.39 clearance

South Beach Meal Bars FREE Friday Freebie upload

Kroger Saltines 10/$10

Ink Joy Pens B1G1 @ $2.29 ea
-$1/1 Ink Joy pens 2+ ct= $.14 each!!!!

Suave Professionals Shampoo .99 wyb 6 participating items
-$1/1 any Suave Hair Product February All You magazine= +.01!!

Halls cough drops .99 wyb 6 participating items
-.60/1 Halls product ecoupon= .39

Tone 6 ct Bar Soap $2.49 wyb 6 parti

cipating items
-$1/1 Tone 6 ct bar soap February All You magazine= $1.49!!!

Kroger bread .88 ea

Pillsbury Grands Biscuits .99 ea
-$1/3 Pillsbury Grand online print coupon= .66 ea

And then we were off to the Payson Walmart and things got REALLY crazy awesome!!!

Milk $2.29 ea ad-matched with Walgreen's

Kellogg's 10 ct Fruit Snacks .89 ea ad-matched with Ream's

French Bread .69 clearance

Snicker's Squared .68 ea
-.75/2 online print (doubled)= .18 each

Soft Soap 8 oz .99
-.35/1 Soft Soap 7.5+ oz (doubled)= .29 each (I like stocking these up to put in wedding gift baskets)

Atkins Snacks 4.88 ea
-$1/1 Atkins bars

Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner $1.98
-.50/1 Reynolds Slow cooker liner (doubled)= .98

Almond Accents $2.98
-$.50/1 Almond Accents (doubled)= $1.98

My Little Pony Equstria Doll $9.50 clearance
-EXTRA 50% OFF AT REGISTER!!!= $4.75!!!! 

Yes! Everything with a RED CLEARANCE TAG gets an EXTRA 50% off at the register!!!!!! Make sure the cashier does it!!!!

Snow Boots $9.00 clearance
-EXTRA 50% OFF AT REGISTER!!!= $4.50!!!!

 3T Winter Coat $8.00 clearance
-EXTRA 50% OFF AT REGISTER!!!= $4.00!!!! The baby is set for next winter!

Kids lime green t-shirt $3.00 clearance
-EXTRA 50% OFF AT REGISTER!!!= $1.50!!

24 mos Fleece Pants $3.00 ea clearance
-EXTRA 50% OFF AT REGISTER!!!= $1.50 each!!!

2 piece 24 mos Jammies $5.00 clearance
-EXTRA 50% OFF AT REGISTER!!!= $2.50 !!!

0-3 mon Fleece footie jammies $5.00 ea clearance
-EXTRA 50% OFF AT REGISTER!!!= $2.50 each!!!

Girls sz 14/16 dresses/long shirts $5.00 each clearance
-EXTRA 50% OFF AT REGISTER!!!= $2.50 each!!!!!!!

Yes, this was amazing!!! I've been telling EVERYONE, including totally random people, get down there!!!!
It isn't just clothing and boots, it's ALL THE CLEARANCE!!!
Toys, candles, housewares and more!!!!!
Just make sure that your cashier takes the extra discount off!!!
Seriously, best shopping day in a LONG time!!!!!

A few things..

Hey kids!
Sorry I haven't been reporting lately. Been busy with life! There are so many exciting deals going on now though that I just have to share the goodness!
Don't you feel the glory of spring just engulfing you??? I feel like cleaning! Been doing a lot of that, actually. I've been spending so much time listing my inventory from the shed, trying to get things moved out so that I have space for all the great junk I'll soon be bringing in! It isn't too early to start scoping out the school dumpsters, friends! We aren't the only ones feeling the spring cleaning bug!
Anywho, in the midst of this flurry of activity, I have done a spot of shopping and will do more tomorrow. Stay tuned for that 3 store report!
Today I only hit Lolo's. I was in Provo for my wasp shots, which are really moving along! They still leave me pretty sick for a few days to a week, but I am definitely seeing the progress and feeling really good about it!
Here are a few goodies you should know about at Lolo's:

WF 32 oz yogurt 2/$3.00
16 oz strawberries 1.50
Vanilla Wafers .98 ea

Lolo's also has two carts of Valentine's clearance. All of the cards are just $.25 each! There is never a good reason to pay full price for Valentine's stuff! Or any holiday, really. Even the candy was just $.70. And it doesn't expire until May, 2015! So yes, I have cards and candy for next year at a tiny fraction of what I'd pay at Valentines!!
*both carts were in the back of the store, near the yogurt*

Check back for my big trip report tomorrow!

Friday FREEBIE!!

I love that Smith's (Kroger) keeps giving us the Friday FREEBIE downloads! I love even more that today's FREEBIE is AWESOME!!


FREE South Beach Bars!

Associated Foods

There are some fabulous deals going on right now at Associated Food stores! Here are a few of my favorites!

Fresh Market:

Boneless skinless chicken breasts 1.79/lb

General mills cereals (select varieties) $1.49 each wyb 4
-$1/2 general mills

WF yogurt 3/$1

Chips ahoy cookies 2/$4

Troll I candy 5/$5

WF fruit snacks .99

Shut saving frozen o.j. .99

WWF 16 oz whipped topping $1.88

Macey's

Old orchard frozen juice .88 era
-$1/4 old orchard online print

Sun chips 2/$5

Black forest gummies .99

Little Debbie donuts 2/$3
-$1/1 little Debbie

Wf 16 oz brown sugar .59

Wf fruit snacks .99

Dole salad 2/$3

After all of today's shopping, my foot is screaming at me and two of my kids are sick now so I don't think we'll hit the Payson Smith's till Wednesday. Gotta be smart. :-)

Today's Shopping

The kids and I went up to Provo today. I was supposed to get my wasp shots but we found the clinic closed. :(
I will have to go back up again, probably Wednesday, so that I can take advantage of some of Rancho Market's day specific sales.
We hit Rancho first today.

Baby carrots .89 ea

Tomatoes 2 lb/.99

oranges 2 lb/.99

Cucumbers 3/$1

Lemons 2 lb/.99

Bananas 3 lb/.99

And then Lolo's:

WF Yogurt 3/$1

WF whipped topping .78 ea

Pineapple .73/lb

Dole Spinach $1.27 ea

Leaf lettuce .77

10 lb Potatoes 1.85

Cameo apples .58/lb

And finally, Smith's:

I wasn't impressed with Smith's today. I'm remembering a lot lately, why I don't like the Provo store. :(
But here's what I got:

Bakery Bread .59 ea clearance

Bagels .99 clearance

Barbie Valentines 2.00 clearance

Lollipops .75 ea clearance

Hidden Valley ranch $7.99
-$1/1 Hidden Valley ranch (Kroger mail coupon)
I found a whole envelope of Kroger mail coupons, in the recycling bins, that someone through out!!! 

Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt .50 ea clearance
-$1/3 Dannon oikos

I will be hitting the Payson Smith's and maybe Walmart tomorrow. Hoping that Smith's will be better in the deal department!!

So cool!

So I slept in this morning. After being up for a little bit, I noticed some serious itchiness on my arms. I looked and found breakouts of hives on both arms in the area where I got my wasp shots last Monday. I was immediately nervous but quickly realized that it was most likely a result of being really late on my benadryl.
I took the medicine and used some anti-itch cream and did my best to be calm. My chest had gotten tight, which didn't help my nerves. In an effort to stay calm and focus on something positive, I got onto eBay to see how things were going with a recent gamble I made. Talk about therapy! It was just what I needed!! Do you remember the Air Wick Freshmatic refills I got at Stokes a week ago for $.25 each? I had bought 4 of them and listed them as a lot on a 7 day auction. As you'll see on the photo, I have 1 day left and yes, the bidding is up to $17.10 plus shipping!!! How crazy awesome is that???? Lesson learned: Follow your instincts! And be willing to take chances!!

This was definitely uplifting and now my breathing has settled down and the itching has almost completely stopped. I'm still a bit nervous, as tomorrow is shot day and we're going up another dose, but I am choosing to be optimistic and to not borrow trouble. Life is good. :-)

I will also be shopping at Smith's tomorrow. This should be interesting with my broken foot and having all of my kids tomorrow since there's no school. You know me though, come hell or high water, I will get my shopping fix! ;)

So much shopping!!!

We got up early today and headed south to get some great deals! I'm hoping to also go up to Provo either today or tomorrow, so be sure to check back for that report!

First we stopped at the Payson Walmart. I was sad to find all of the .94 Colgates sold out. Glad I saved some of my inventory for my family!
I did get some other goodies though:

 I splurged and got two fabulous new clothing baskets and two pair of sweats that were on clearance for $7 each.

Boost $7.97 each
-$4/1 any Boost product

Gillette Fusion Instant Hydration $2.00 (clearance)
-$2/1 any Gillette Fusion family product= FREE

Snack Pack pudding cups $1.00 ea
-.45/3 Snack packs (doubled to -.90/3)

French Bread .69 (clearance)

And then Smith's:

 Kroger Ice Cream $1.99
-.50/1 Kroger ice cream (mail coupon)

Kroger Peanut Butter $1.39 ea (close out)

Bagels .99 (clearance)

Bakery Bread .59 eac (clearance)

Crest 6.4 oz Toothpaste FREE 
FREE Crest toothpaste store mail coupon

16 oz Baby Carrots FREE
FREE 16 oz baby carrots store mail coupon

Paper Mate Ink Joy 2 pk pens B1G1 @ $2.99 each
-$1/1 Paper Mate ink joy 2+ = .50 each!! And these are the nice, comfortable pens!

Revlon Nail Polish $1.99 (close out)
-$1/1 Revlon nail color

And finally, Stokes:

Little Debbie Donuts $1.50 ea
-$1/1 Little Debbie snacks

Betty Crocker Super Moist Cake Mix .99 ea
-$1/2 Betty Crocker online print

WF Yogurt 3/$1

Hersheys/Reeses baking chips $1.98 ea
-$1/2 hershey's baking chips online print

This was a fabulous shopping trip!!! I could have ad-matched some of these items but then I wouldn't have found the other happy surprises, like the Hershey's baking chips deal!
Plus, I really love supporting local whenever possible! We gotta keep these little guys in business!

What to stock

The first rule of stockpiling is this:
If you won't eat it, don't stock it!

There are lots of other rules that I am learning, and I think you'll all find them helpful too!

-If you're going to take the time to clip the coupons, find the match ups, and get yourself to the store, take the extra minute at home to date the item and rotate your storage as you put it away!

This is a lesson that I have had to learn again! I have just not been good at it... ever. I have recently repented and am working like crazy to find ways to use the zillion cans of recently expired diced tomatoes I have stocked up. Among other things!

-Certain foods only stay fresh a short time. (more on this further down)

This really sucks, especially since some items only come on a great deal once or twice a year. For instance, graham crackers! They go bad much more quickly than I would have thought. I sadly discovered that two large boxes in my pantry had gone bad. So sad!!! Come to find out, in the pantry, their shelf life is just ONE MONTH!!! You can keep them in the freezer 3-4 months but I don't have that kind of freezer real estate and I'm afraid they'd get soggy.
Another one is saltines. Those yummy, salty crackers that come in so handy during flu season! They are on special this week and my first instinct is to totally stock up! No! Can't do it! Saltines only last ONE MONTH as well! Unless you freeze them! It seems that one month is the general life span for most crackers. Major bummer! All the great prices on crackers at New Year's.....  :(

-Maintaining a stock pile is a huge responsibility and doesn't allow for a lot of laziness.

It isn't just a matter of buying the stuff and throwing it in the cupboard! You've got to actually USE the stuff!! I know some people buy those 25 year buckets but that's not as cheap or exciting as shopping with coupons. The upside of the long life buckets is that you don't need to worry about them for a few decades. The bad part.... It's 25 year food!! Not exactly gourmet!
So, if you do things the way I do, it is super wise to plan a weekly menu for your family. This isn't really hard to do and there are lots of great ideas online to help you get started. 
The basics are these:
Take a tour of your pantry, fridge and freezer. See which items are getting close to expiration. (This requires dating and inventory tracking). Take any 3-4 items and type them into google. Some kind of recipe will come up! Write it up on the white board and pull the necessary ingredients each morning. Leave them on the counter where they will shame you into actually using them! A great adventure!! 

-Even canned foods don't last forever!

Do you know, without looking at the tiny printed best by date, how long your canned veggies and meats will last?
High acid goods, such as tomatoes, are good for 12-18 months. 
Low acid canned goods, such as meat and chicken and most vegetables can be stored on the shelf for 2-5 years!

**After the sell by date on your can, the food will likely still be safe to eat for some time but the quality will be affected.

-In the freezer

You can certainly extend the life of most foods by properly packaging and freezing them, but who really wants to eat 5 year old snow peas???
Follow this handy link to a comprehensive list of freezer shelf lives for most foods
FREEZER FOOD
I was amazed and shocked by some of the recommended freezer lives for some of these foods! I will definitely have to take a new inventory of my freezers and get a better system going there!!

-How about flours??

Another surprise here! I thought that flour was pretty much good until you found weavels in it! No. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. Of course, if you do find new residents in your grains, I would recommend throwing them out!
Here's another comprehensive list:
FLOUR LIFE
**notice that this list says "past sell by date." That gives me hope!

-Sugars

Sugar is one of those amazing, yummy little deals that really does last FOREVER! Well, pretty much anyway. :)
The only exceptions:
Brown Sugar
Powdered Sugar
Both of these are best within two years. This becomes super obvious in brown sugar! Yet another lesson I've had to have beaten into my head with rock hard bags of fossilized brown sugar!
**A funny tip I never would have thought of: Marshmallows! Apparently, putting marshmallows in your air tight bags of brown keeps the sugar soft! Who knew?!
There's also the old stand by, leave a slice of fresh bread in your bag of hard sugar overnight to soften it.

I admit, I have learned a LOT in just putting this post together! I still have a long way to go, but eventually, I WILL be a food saving, stockpiling pro!!

Heads up!

Hey friends, new and old!
There are lots of great deals all over the place this week and lots of good things happening. For instance, look what I got in the mail yesterday!!

Oh yeah!! Awesome Kroger coupons!!! I just love when these come! And do you see those two FREEBIE coupons??? Just another reason to love Kroger! Although, I did get into a bit of a tussle with one of their employees at the Provo store yesterday... But that's another story. :)

I'll be hitting the Payson Smith's tomorrow to take advantage of these coupons!

Around town, a couple of noteworthy deals:

Lolo's:
WF Saltines .89 each!!! Such a great price!!! Just be careful and watch for the exp dates. Saltines, I have found, don't last forever! (Stay tuned for a future post about what foods are suitable for long term stockpiling)

WF Bagged Cereal $1.99

4 qt Ice Cream Pail $4.99

Fresh Market:

Betty Crocker Super Moist Cake mix 4/$5
-.75/2 Betty Crocker cake mix

WF Brown Sugar 16 oz $.49 each Fabulous price!!!

Hershey's Chocolate Spread $2.79
-$1.50/1 Hershey's Spread

Cheez-It Crackers 3/$5

Playtex Tampons 18-20 ct $3.99
-$1/1 Playtex tampons

WF 5 lb Shredded Cheese $5.99

Tillamook 32 oz Cheese loaf $5.99

Macey's

Cheesecake $4.99

4 qt Ice cream pail $4.99

Betty Crocker Cake Mix .99 ea
-.75/2 Betty Crocker mix

Valu Time Paper Towels 8 rolls 2/$5

WF Butter $1.99

Skippy Peanut Butter 15-16.3 oz $1.99

WF yogurt 3/$1

WF Brown Sugar 16 oz 2/$1

Bumble Bee Tuna .69

WF 32 oz Shredded Cheese $5.99

Nabisco Cheese Nips 3/$5

Sun Chips 2/$5

WF Parmesan Cheese $2.79

Little Debbie Donuts 2/$3
-$1/1 Little Debbie Snacks

WF Whipped Topping  spray can .99

WF Graham Cracker Pie Crust .99

Hersheys Spread $2.99
-$1.50/1 Hersheys spread

WF Tussin 4 oz cough syrup $1.89

Roma Tomatoes .99/lb

1 lb Baby Carrots .99 each

Stay tuned for more great deals and tomorrow's big shopping report!!!

Stokes and Smith's

 I stopped at Stoke's in Salem and grabbed some great deals!
WF Bagged Cereal $1.88 ea I think this might be a weekend only sale, so get in there!

12 oz Whipped topping $1.89

Little Debbie Donuts $1.50
-$1/1 Little Debbie product= .50

Little Debbie Valentine's treats 1.67
-$1/1 Little Debbie Product= .67

Boneless Beef Roast 2.99/lb

Air Wick refills .25 ea These were in a clearance cart by the registers. What a deal!! I saw them on close out at Smith's later for $1.25 EACH!!!

16 oz Strawberries $1.67 ea The price has actually gone up to $2.18 each but I had a little chat with the produce guy and he was kind enough to give me yesterday's price. :) It helps to shmooze!!!

At the Payson Smith's, I found a few more deals:

See that huge tube of ground beef?? I got it on clearance for $1.81/lb!! I'll be portioning and freezing it later today. So excited to have real hamburger again!

Kroger Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips $1.50 ea (close out)

Dannon Oikos yogurt 10/$10
FREE with the Friday freebie ecoupon

Kroger Ice Cream 2/$5

Revlon Colorsilk hair color $3.29 ea
-$3/1 Revlon Colorsilk= .29 ea!!

Reach Barbie toothbrush $1.12 (closeout)
-$1/1 any Reach toothbrush (excludes crystal clean)= .12!!

Reach Phinneus & Ferb toothbrushes $1.24 ea (close out)
-$1/1 any Reach toothbrush (excludes crystal clean)= .24 ea

I don't think I'll make it up to Provo today as I had originally planned. I got hit this morning with another attack of that horrible sinus infection. Hoping to stay on top of it and not let it get so bad this time around. Too much shopping to do!!! 
Anywho, I have to go up to Provo on Monday anyway, so I'll take my chances, possibly missing some great deals, for the sake of my sinuses and to save some gas money. :)
Stay tuned!!

Smith's... again! And Stokes

I was at Smith's today. Payson this time. I didn't find tons of good stuff but my main purpose for going there was to grab more of the Revlon hair dye before my coupons expire. I got 20 boxes! I did find a few other little things that I was happy about.

Chex Trail Mix .75 (close out)
-.50/2 Chex mix= .50 each

Revlon Colorsilk Hair Dye $3.29 ea
-$3/1 Revlon colorsilk= .29 each!!!

Colgate Kids toothpaste .67 (clearance)
-.75/1 any Colgate toothpaste= +.08!!

Reach Barbie kids toothbrushes $1.12 ea (close out)
-$1/1 any Reach brush (excl Crystal Clean)= .12 ea!!


Then we went to Stokes. My mom in law had given me a heads up about their strawberry deal. I wish I would've had more time to look around as I found some great deals. I also made the mistake of leaving my coupon binders in the van. I am hoping to go back with more time this Saturday morning. I'll let you know if I find any other goodies!

Western Family Big Bag cereal $1.99 ea

16 oz Strawberries $1.67 ea

12 oz WF whipped topping $1.89

Dole Spinach $1.50

Obsession?

Am I obsessed with Smith's (Kroger)?? Yes, probably! I am hitting Smith's in Payson and Provo about twice a week each, sometimes more. I'm crowding as many other errands in as I can to make it worth the gas but actually, with all the great deals I've been getting and the merchandise I turn around and sell, the gas is probably a non-issue. :)
I just love Smith's. That's all there is to it. Today we hit the Provo store and grabbed a few things:

Milk 2/$3.88 (must buy in increments of 2)

Colgate Kids toothpaste .80 (close out)
-.75/1 any Colgate toothpaste= .05!!

Kroger kids allergy medicine $2.12 ea (close out)

Off bug repellent $1.99 ea (clearance)

Bakery bread .59 each (clearance)

Tresemme Finishing Spray $2.49 ea (clearance)
-$2/1 any Tresemme hair product= .49 each

I will most likely be hitting the Payson store first thing tomorrow morning. Yes, I am obsessed! And I'm okay with that! :)

I LOVE savings!

I had a very successful shopping adventure today!!! I brought my sister in law along. She is my newest protege and she is learning quickly! I see great savings in her future!
First I grabbed clearance meat at Fresh Market.

 These flavored pork loins were on clearance for $2.00 each!

 Here's my Smith's haul!!!
Bagels .99 (clearance)

Bananas .39/lb (clearance)

Dove Men + Care $2.93 (close out)
-.50/1 Mega Event discount
-$1/1 Dove men + care deodorant

Colgate Kids Toothpaste .67 ea (close out)
-.75/1 any Colgate toothpaste= +.08 each!!

Colgate Wave Toothbrush .69 (close out)
-$1/1 Colgate toothbrush= +.31 each!!!

Clairol Nice 'n Easy touch up $2.39 (clearance)
-$5/2 Clairol products
-3/1 Clairol nice 'n easy= FREE + overage
I'm not sure why, but the cashier didn't give me the overage on these. She gave me the overage on everything else, but not on these hair products. They were still FREE, but I was pretty bugged about it.
The lesson learned: Listen to your gut!
I had a feeling that we shouldn't go to her line. I was already in the line of a cashier that I like but then this other cashier opened her register. I knew I should let someone else go and just wait for my cashier. Lesson learned!!!

Campbell's Chunky Soup .50 ea (clearance)
-$1/4 Campbell's Chunky soup= .25 each

Quaker Chewy Bars $1.30 (clearance)
Quaker PB Choc Chip Bars $2.00 (wyb 6 mega event)
-.75/2 Quaker products

Quaker Quakes .79 ea (wyb 6 Mega event)
-.75/2 Quaker products

And then Walmart:

I finally got the Tena pads!!! I have been trying since this coupon came out to get some for my sales inventory. Finally, with tomorrow being the expiration date, I was able to get 13 of them!!
Yay!!

Tena pads $4.97
-$5/1 Tena pads= +.03 each!!

Boost drinks $7.97 ea
-$4/1 Boost products

Scotch Magic Tape .50 ea (clearance)

Walmart tape .67

I am really happy with today's haul!!! I got so many great deals!!! And by selling some one the goodies I got today, I will pay myself back and make a profit above what I spent today and yesterday!!!
I just LOVE what I do!!!!

Tough Choices

I am a couponer. A die hard. I LOVE a good deal! It is so hard to pass up a great stock up item! I love convenience. I love yummy things. Easy things. Easy and yummy foods.
The problem is that these yummy, easy, cheap things are killing me and will destroy my kids' future if I don't stem the flow now!!
I admit, I have all of my Capri Sun and Quaker Quakes coupons clipped and ready to use at Smith's on the mega deal. I'm thinking now though... I just ate a bunch of m&m's and they did nothing good for me. I'm thinking that our junk food almost never goes bad but we do throw out a lot of produce...
Something is not right here... My kids whine and scream about their food choices if something processed and crappy is not included. Ridiculous! And I am responsible for it! That fact alone breaks my heart and inspires me to change!
So the question, is... is it possible??? Can I still be a true couponer and pass up those deals that are hurting my family? If I don't have shelves full of super convenient, super yummy, super cheap boxed and bagged foods, I am I still a successful stockpiler???
Old dogs are hard to teach new tricks. I want to change though. The thing is, do I do it in baby steps? Or should we jump in cold turkey?? Liquidate all the crap food in one day?? Donate every last box and bag to the food bank and fill up the fridge with freshness?? What then if a disaster happens??
I need to know where the middle ground is. I think I need to do a bit of homework, come up with a plan, and then put it into action. I know it will require a bit of June Cleaver-type effort. Less time on the computer, more time peeling vegetables. As a modern woman, am I ready for that kind of commitment? Our grandparents did it... Can we??? For the sake of my crunchy old body and my babies' future, I think I have to at least try! How about you??? Think you can do it???
Stay tuned for said plan and action. There has to be a way!!! 

Today!

I was in Provo today, getting my weekly venom shots. I gotta say, I am excited! Things are finally moving along and I am feeling encouraged and optimistic!
Adding to the good feelings, were the great deals I got at Rancho Market and Smith's!

At Rancho:
Bananas 2 lb/$1

Mangoes 2/.99

Oranges 2 lb/.99

Apples 2 lb/.99

Roma tomatoes 2 lb/.99

At Smith's:
Dove Advanced Care deodorant $2.69 (clearance)
-$2/1 Dove Advanced Care= .69

Colgate Kids Toothpaste .80 ea (close out)
-.75/1 any Colgate toothpaste 3.6 +oz= .05 each!!!

Campbell's Chunky Soup .49 (two of them, clearance, two @ $1 each)
-$1/4 Campbell's Chunky soup= .49 each!

M&M's party size $7.99
-$2.50/1 M&M's party size online print coupon= $5.49

Swiss Miss Candy Cane Cocoa .49 each

I'm heading down to Payson tomorrow. I ordered a new grabber (broke the old one) and it was shipped to the Payson Walmart. While I'm down there, I'm bringing a fabulous sister in law of mine shopping for the first time!! I'm gonna teach her a few things at Smith's and Walmart. I just love bringing other people into the fold! I hope we'll find lots of great deals to get her all jazzed up about this money saving lifestyle! :)
.

Some Goodies!

The kids and I went up to Provo today. I must be insane to do the type of shopping that I do, with all three kids in tow, on a Saturday afternoon in Provo!!! It was maddening but we did it!

First we hit Smith's:

Aquafina Sparkling Beverage FREE (Friday Freebie upload)
I got one with my ecoupon and there was a shopping cart by the registers full of the green Aquafina with "Paid" stickers on them! So I got another one for FREE!!!

Hormel Rev sandwich FREE (Friday Freebie Upload)

Almay Smart Shade Anti-Aging make up $2.00 (clearance)
-$1/1 any Almay make up product= $1.00

Breathe Right strips for Kids $1.99 (clearance)
-$1.50/1 Breathe Right product= .49 each

Secret Body Spray $2.57 ea
-$2/1 Secret Body Spray= .57 ea

Poise Panty Fresheners $1.09 ea (clearance)
-$1/1 any Poise feminine wellness product= .09 ea

L'Oreal Ever Style Defining Gel $1.69 ea (clearance)
-$2/1 any L'Oreal hair everstyle product= +.31 each!!!!
It was a MAJOR surprise that the cashier let me have the overage! They don't usually do it at the Provo store. Don't count on it happening for you, but be glad when it does!!

Kroger Children's Allergy Elixir $2.12 ea (close out)

Ivory Bar Soap $4.37 ea
-$1/2 Ivory personal cleansing products= $3.87 ea

Bakery Bread Loaves .59 ea (clearance)
There were more loaves available but I don't have enough room in the freezer for them yet. Maybe next week! :)

And then Lolo's:
I was very under-impressed with Lolo's this time. I hadn't been there in a long time and was hoping for some great sales or clearance deals. I didn't find much, but the deals I did find were good ones. The prices at the register were a happy surprise on the carrots and pineapple.

WF Whipped Topping .78 ea

2 lb baby carrots 1.53 They were marked higher than they rang up!

Pineapple .63!!! Total! It was marked .78/lb and it's obviously a big one! Got a great deal there!! 

Wild Caught Salmon Fillet w/skin 3.78/lb

I have to go back up to Provo on Monday. If the pineapple is yummy, I might swing back in for another couple of them. If they ring up the same price anyway! :)