Getting Started!

Today we have the heating guys coming to clean our air ducts! Yay!! I'm nervous about paying for it, but I am really excited to get it done! Step one in our early spring cleaning and getting our house more asthma friendly!
While tidying things up this morning, in preparation for their arrival, I was noting all the things I want to get done, organized, straightened. So much to do!!! Instead of letting myself get overwhelmed with the enormity of projects to be done, I am going to make a comprehensive list and give each project/chore a date. Some things will take a couple hours, others a couple days, others maybe a week. I'm going to put a schedule together and do my darndest to stick to it!!
For today, I got the deep freeze sorted, organized, and threw out anything too old. I still need to do the freezer drawer, but it will be more of a project as it needs to be defrosted.
I also portioned out my recent chicken and cheese bulk purchases and made sure to date the bags and put them all together in the freezer so that none will end up lost and forgotten under other items.

One step at a time in the path of progress!!!

Efficiency

I was looking through my deep freezer, moving things around to make room for my bread. I found a few things in there that I had totally forgotten about. This got me thinking. Some of these forgotten items might be expired by now. Major bummer!! Expired food= wasted money!! No deal is a good deal if it ends up in the trash, unused or uneaten!
It is time to have an inventory management system and stick to it! I have definitely been guilty of focusing almost exclusively on the acquisition part of keeping and maintaining a stockpile. My freezer contents have made it clear to me though, that I need to put more energy into tracking, rotating, and utilizing my food stores.
Do you track your inventory? Do you have a system that you have found to be effective? If so, I'd love to hear about it!!

And then...

I had several doctors' appointments in Provo today so I went ahead and hit the Provo Smith's. I am so glad I did! Their clearance was overflowing!!! Plus they had tons of day old bread and treats. I found tons of my $.59 cent bakery loaves. Unfortunately, I had already bought the other bread this morning, so I only grabbed 4 loaves. Some day I will get a bigger deep freezer! :)
I've decided that since I have to go to Provo every week for my wasp shots, I may as well hit Smith's, at least to look for my bread!
Other things I got:

Tillamook 5 lb shredded cheese $8.00 clearance

Secret Body Spray $2.57 close out
-$2/1 Secret body spray

Kraft Green Goddess dressing $.50 clearance (The label was torn. That was the only problem. )

Hunts Spaghetti sauce $.25 clearance (I found nothing wrong at all with it. Not sure why it was so cheap but I'm glad it was. It even happened to be my favorite flavor!)

Poise panty fresheners $1.09 clearance
-$1/1 Poise wellness product= $.09!!!

Zicam Cold Spray $2.49 clearance
-$2/1 any Zicam product

Cascadian Farms Granola $1.49 ea clearance
-$.75/1 any Cascadian Farms product= $.74 each!! Talk about a great price for granola!!! I just wish there had been more!

This was a VERY long, busy day! So glad we got it all done! My kids were so patient and such a amazingly good troopers through it all! I treated them to Little Ceaser's for dinner. I figure today's savings paid for our dinner treat. :)

Recently

I am finally feeling better!! The sicknesses are going the rounds in my house. I'm seizing the good times and getting the shopping done! I hit Rancho Market yesterday and grabbed lots of great produce deals.
Today I hit the Payson Smith's.

 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $1.69/lb

Kroger Bread .88 ea

Quaker Popped snacks .79 ea (wyb 6 mega deal)
-.75/2 Quaker products

Philadelphia Cream Cheese .99 ea (wyb 6 mega deal)

Stayfree pads 2.29 ea (wyb 6 mega deal)
-B1G1 Stayfree pads (my cashier gave me the credit of the price before the mega deal!! So $2.76 instead of $2.29!!! Meaning I got all 4 packages for just $3.58!! Or .89 each. :)

Finish Gel Pacs $3.49 ea (wyb 6 mega deal)
-2.15/1 Finish gel pac or power tab

Comforts Diapers $5.49 (wyb 6 mega deal)
-$2/1 any Comforts diapers (Kroger mail coupon)

Dove Clinical Deodorant $2.50 (clearance)
-$3/1 Dove Clinical deodorant= +.50!!!!!

Upon closer inspection, it looks like I saved another $.50 on this item thanks to the mega deal!!! Not sure how that happened, but yay!! That means I earned $1.00 on this deodorant!!

Axe Solid Deodorant $2.63 ea (close out)
-$2/1 Axe deodorant or body spray= .63 ea
Upon closer inspection, it looks like I saved another $.50 on each of these items thanks to the mega deal!!! Not sure how that happened, but yay!! That means I payed just $.13 each for this deodorant!!

I just love when things turn out so nice!!! The Lord certainly blesses me!!!
I'm finally starting to feel comfortable with my level of supplies in both food and household goods. I am thinking I am no longer in a building mode and will now be taking advantage of deals as they come, but no longer at the same rate. Working more on now on just replenishing. 
Where are you at in your stockpile? Could you and your family live off it for any length of time? If not, you should be in building mode!
If you can live off of it for 3-6 months, then you should be in replenish mode. While replenishing, be sure to keep a little extra cash on the side for those just in case surprise deals!! Your regular budget however, should be back down to the minimum. For us, that is $20-30 per week. 
Stay tuned for more shopping adventures this week! Happy Shopping!!

Heads up!!!

Hey friends, pulling myself out of my sick bed to pass on crazy awesome news! (Too dramatic?)
Depending on your local paper, you will be getting up to FOUR inserts this weekend!!! And they're all good ones!!!
There will be some nice match ups for the Smith's (Kroger) Mega Event. I'll post the details when I am done cleaning up the kids throw up and hacking my guts out! (Too much detail??)
I am hoping to get down to Smith's tomorrow or Saturday morning to do a recon mission and get myself prepared for a big trip Tuesday evening. As with all great plans, when you have kids, we will see how it goes!
Stay tuned!!!

Smith's

Hey friends. I dragged myself down to the Payson Smith's and Walmart today. I'm pretty sure I have pneumonia and will find out either tonight or tomorrow. Yes, this is the extent of my mania! :) I am going to lay down now but wanted to make sure you were all sufficiently aware of the AMAZING deals going on right now! I will blog today's haul when I am feeling a little better. Get yourself to Smith's! Just a little taste of the goodness:
1% gallon milk $1.25 on clearance!!!! Exp. 1/30

A little tip

I have been noticing lately that almost everywhere I go, I see Extra brand gum on clearance in one flavor or another. I've bought some of it, but have always thought, "Wouldn't it be nice if there were a coupon to stack on top of this clearance price??"
Well now there is!!! Go ahead and print your two copies and then start looking around at the check outs next time you shop!

Extra Coupon!