Simple Mom blog...

A blog that will help you get it all together (or at least give you some encouragement to get there).  Simple Mom is a "productivity blog for home managers."  In other words...it keeps your Mom butt in gear.  Tsh, the editor of the blog, thinks that when Mom (and Dad) are doing well, the whole family is doing well.

You'll find all sorts of information, helpful tips and resources for things like managing your home, budgeting and finance, cooking, quality time for only books, movies and music as well as things like going green, cutting clutter and working on what I would call "old school" home skills (gardening, sewing, etc). 

All sorts of info can be found on this blog...check it out, you'll find something you can use I'm sure.

I told you the last post was for a Monday trip...

I had to hit up Kroger's today...just real quick!

5 bags Tostitos was $15.70 for $9.90

I saved $5.80 or 36%.  Not my best but as much as we eat buffalo chicken, Tostitos at $1.98 is my price point!

And that's it!  There is $1 in the grocery envelope right now!

And lastly for the weekend (I swear - the next one is for Monday!)

Brian ran into Walmart really fast last night for lightbulbs.  Both fluorscent tubes and bulbs for our new fixtures in the remodeled bathroom (see what I mean about finding more stuff we need to buy for this remodel!?).  He spent $10.67 and saved...who knows, whatever Walmart might have raised or lowered the price from in the last few weeks. 

(I'm not a Walmart fan...can you tell!?  And I'm sure I've never mentioned that here before either.)

And we also hit Marsh yesterday for our weekly grocery trip...

It wasn't the prettiest but it wasn't super ugly either.

1 Hormel garlic roast was $5.99 for $2.99
2 Armour meatballs was $7.58 for $5.00
2 Eckrich smoked sausage was $8.78 for $3.96
4 Cheez-Its was $15.96 for $3.98 (less than a buck a box - woohoo!)

And of course the normal stuff like bread, milk, yogurt, fresh fruit and veggies brought our total to $37.78 and saved us $23.08, a very small'ish 38%.  We bought 23 items for $1.64 per item price.  Not so pretty huh?

Our savings for the year at Marsh are $513.06 and I hope it just keeps getting better!

Our next stop could have waited until June'ish...

but we were there (and we don't go very often) so we purchased a bike helmet (with attached knee pads - that has to be some "savings" right...since we didn't pay for them seperately!?) at Toys R Us.  One of Miss Priss's summer classes includes being able to ride their bikes but they are required to have a helmet.  So we went ahead and got one while we were there...

Total spent:  $26.74
Total saved:  squat (well, gas money I suppose so we don't have to make a special trip at a later date)

And she was STOKED to get it.  Brian said she played football all day today with her helmet and knee pads on!

And then we went to Menards...

Did you see the post about Chris helping with the electical work?  Yeah...as we move closer to finishing we keep finding little things needed to wrap up this project.  It's been a LONG time coming and since Brian had several hours of OT on his paycheck Friday, we decided to go ahead and get some things needed.

We purchased:

a step stool for $5.99 (for Short Stack...she's tall but not tall enough!)
3 drawer pulls for $13.95
2 drawer knobs for $6.60
a white oval sink for $29.99

and spent $60.49 and our total savings was $11.31 (not sure which items were on sale, I don't know how to read this Menard's receipt!).  Not a huge savings but better than nothing...

The third stop of the weekend (not so much for groceries)

was for a propane tank for our gas grill.  Once again...

Total spent:  $21.39
Total saved: squat

But the tank we had was O.U.T and Brian didn't have any charcoal either for the old grill.  So technically, our grocery budget envelope should be negative because this should have come from there but it didn't.  It came from another envelope for now...  I hope to "repay" that envelope soon!

The second grocery trip of the weekend...

was a quick one!  We didn't have enough ice at the house (no maker in our freezer and only one tray full...I have a BAD habit of leaving one empty on the counter, oops!) so I ran to Speedway for a bag of ice.

Total spent:  $1.79
Total saved:  nada

Having cold drinks?  Totally worth it!

The first grocery trip of the weekend...

A few weeks ago Brian and I were eating lunch and he just randomly says..."Do you think Chris would work for food?"  And my first thought was - HUH!?  I don't remember now what we were talking about but it wasn't Chris and it wasn't food so I was obviously lost.  He says, "You know, Tammy's husband - that does the electrical work."  Okay, well I knew then at least who he spoke of...I still wasn't sure why he wanted to know if I thought he'd work for food.  Apparently Brian was hoping if we offered a meal to Chris (and Tammy and the kids too!) he'd come and help do some electrical work in the half bath we've been remodeling for the last three years.  And you know what?  Chris DOES work for food!

Brian wanted to do it up good and while we had some things on hand (steaks, chicken breasts, part of the makings for pasta salad) there were a few other things I needed to pick up on Friday night.  So I got:

3 packs Perdue wings was $8.88 for $5.32 (on sale at 40% off)

And that was it that was on sale.  I also picked up frozen corn cobs, a cucumber and two tomatoes.  All in all, I spent $13.49 and saved $3.56 (just on the chicken) for a 21% savings.  Not so hot huh?  Oh well, we got what we needed to feed our friends (and the food was great!) and the company was even better. 

Tammy went from my the kid my mom babysat for to the girl who babysat for my brother and I (she's six years older than I am) to my "big sister" and I love her to pieces.  She's only 35 miles away and we don't get together as often as we should but I do love when we are able to get together!  And Brian loves that he got some help with our remodel too.  :)  And of course...he probably would have come to help even if Brian didn't cook him lunch but it sure worked out great.

As always...

when I miss one regularly scheduled day (last Thursday, sorry I missed the Sunday coupon previews) I come back with a ton of posts and today is no different.  We hit up several stores over the weekend and spent all of the grocery budget plus some (pulled from savings for some remodeling stuff).  So, check out what I did (and didn't) get some great deals on!

Marsh ad highlights - 3/11 to 3/17

Looks like Marsh is having more produce love this week! This Saturday only - one day sale - you can find PRODUCE as the focus. These are all just while supplies last, no rainchecks available - so get up and get going early if you're interested in any of these items!

10lb bag Idaho Russet potatoes - $1.75 (save $2,24)
3lb bag yellow onions - $1.27 (save up to $.72)
1lb pack strawberries - 2/$5 (save $2.98 on two)
12oz bag Dole salad, classic mix - $1.63 (save up to $.63)
8oz whole white mushrooms - $1.28 (save $1.21)
3.75lb veggie tray - $9.99 (save $6.00)
Del Monte bananas - $.35/lb (save up to $.24/lb)

For the rest of the week you can look forward to:
Mann's sugar snap peas - B1G1 free (save $2.99 on two)
Keebler, Sunshine or Kellogg's snacks - B1G1 free (save $2.99 or more on two)
Perdue fresh chicken - 40% off
Eckrich smoked sausage - 2/$5 (save $2.98 on two) - there is a "truckload sale" going on with Ecrich...if you enjoy this product, be sure to look for more on sale!
jumbo bunch broccoli - $.98 (save $1.01)
green asparagus - $1.48/lb (save $2.51/lb)
Food Club cheese - $1.78 (save $.71 or more)
Boneless chuck roast - $2.48/lb (save $1.71/lb)
Red Gold products - 25% off
Betty Crocker muffin or fudge brownie mix - 5/$5
Betty Crocker potatoes or Suddenly Salad - 10/$10
Ortega products - 25% off

And don't forget - March is National Frozen Food Month. You can find more freezer items on sale at Marsh this week like:
Red Baron pizzas - 3/$9.99 (save $6.48 or more on three)
Edy's ice cream - 3/$9.99 (save $6.15 or more on three)
New York garlic bread - 2/$4.00 (save $1.90 or more on two)

Happy shopping!

Okay, so it isn't a blog - but it is a GREAT website!

You know Brian and I went through Financial Peace University and we are making our way through our Total Money Makeover.  You've read my ramblings on FPU, snowballing my debt and saving like never before.  And the place that started it all?  Dave Ramsey's teachings...Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace University and FPU Jr are all excellent tools for getting started on your journey.  The local library has his books and there are many many websites out there that follow his principles.  What he teaches isn't rocket science...he himself says it is the principles from the Bible and stuff your grandma taught you. 

Anyways, his website has a lot of great information and if you decide to take your own FPU or TMMO journey then his website can be a great tool for you.  If you do take his journey and need someone to chat with or ask questions of, I'd be more than glad to share my story.  Enjoy!

Weekly Marsh shopping trip...

As we kept putting items into our cart last night, I was so sure we were going to go over budget.  I didn't have my calculator so I was just trying to calculate in my head and thankfully, I had no need to worry!

1 Bounty napkins was $3.59 for $2.49
1 Charmin toilet paper was $9.18 for $5.99
3 Totino pizzas was $4.44 for $2.00
2 Wanchai Ferry frozen dinners was $15.98 for $8.98
3 Banquet Select dinners was $5.07 for $.42 (yes, only $.14 each!)
1 Banquet Select dinner was $1.69 for $.99
2 No Yolk noodles was $4.58 for $1.50
3 Pasta Ronis was $4.47 for $2.00
2 Thomas bagels was $7.98 for $3.99 (B1G1 free)
1lb Sara Lee lunch meat was $7.54 for $4.37
1 Hormel pork loin filet was $9.99 for $5.99
2 Purnell roll sausage was $7.78 for $3.96

Our total spent was $64.20 and we saved $41.27, a decent 39% - not the best but not the worst and we came in under budget - so I was pleased.  :)  With the $10 I have left, I hope to hit up Kroger on Wednesday after work - I hope I can stick to what I have left!

Book It 2010

I'm well on my way to accomplishing my goal of 52 books this year. I didn't want to restrict myself and make it one book per week...I was afraid I'd get behind and then never catch up. And I didn't want to set four books per month for the exact same reason. So I chose 52 books in one year. In 365 days I need to read 52 books. In the last two days I have finished number nine and #10. 

When I decided to pursue this adventure I had an idea of what kind of books I wanted to read. I also decided I needed to read the "high school classics" - those books that were required of us in high school (and maybe even middle school). This week's book in that category was The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger.

Maybe because I'm a 32-year-old woman or maybe because I never felt the anxiety/confusion that the main character, Holden Caulfield experiences in this book, I wasn't a huge fan of the novel.  I did some internet research on the book because I knew that it was a controversial book and I couldn't see why.  Many of the sites I visited mention the amount of profanity and sexual thoughts that Holden discusses as one of the big reasons the book is controversial.  Once again, I didn't see it that way but maybe as a 16- or 17-year-old in high school it would have been.  There were a few times through the book that I just sat and thought, "What?"  I did finish it but this isn't a book that will ever make it to my "must re-read" list.

That book took me more than a week to read.  I picked up Divine by Karen Kingsbury yesterday while on lunch break.  I sat down last night at 11:30 to read a bit before bed and at 2:00 (AM!) I decided I needed to put it down.  I read through 250+ pages just yesterday between 2pm and 2am (mostly from 11:30 - 2:00).  It is SUCH a good book.  Kingsbury writes inspirational books and this one was just as good as any others of hers that I've read. 

Divine is about Mary Madison, a girl who is abused from 10-years-old until she's in her mid-twenties.  Mary Madison is a modern day Mary Magdelene - the woman that cried outside of Jesus' empty tomb on the day of His resurrection.  Mary Magdelene faced seven demons and was saved from those demons by Jesus.  Mary Madison also faces seven demons and is saved from those demons by Jesus.  A definite page turner, I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to see where the story went to next.  As a mother, this was a hard book to read but I'm so glad I did.

Tonight I'm ready to pick up James Patterson's Kiss the Girls and I hope to finish it by Tuesday so I can get more books when these are all due.

Coupon preview - be on the lookout for three inserts this weekend!

The Coupon Clipper shows that there should be a Smart Source, a Proctor and Gamble and a Valassis (Red Plum) this weekend.  Unfortunately, they don't have specifics up yet.

So, I headed over to Hot Coupon World to see what they've got.  Remember that these are previews and that coupons can vary by area.  Here's what you can expect though...

P&G insert

Smart Source

Valassis - Red Plum

Happy couponing! 

Kroger ad highlights - 3/4 to 3/10

Kroger...sometimes I love it and sometimes I hate it (whereas I always love Marsh and always hate Walmart).  I used to REALLY love Kroger when I could get free toilet paper!  I had packs and packs and packs (like seriously - 30+ for sure...maybe even more) stored at one point.  I didn't buy TP for months at time last year.

Anyways, this week I'm looking forward to stopping after work to pick up:
Bounty 8pk - $5.99
Charmin - $5.99
Wanchai Ferry meals - $5.99
Green Giant steamers - $1.28 (matched with recent $.50 coupons - doubled - for some $.28 veggies)
Gillette body wash - 3/$10 (matched up with $4 off two will make for $1.33 body wash)
Kroger cheese - 2/$3
24pk Pepsi products - $4.99 (when you buy two)

And...that's it!  Looks like Kroger might be a quick trip (if I even make it!).

Marsh ad highlights - 3/4 to 3/10

Looks like it is Frozen Food Month at Marsh!  According to the front page of the ad, March will be the month to refill your freezer...

This week you can get several frozen food items.  I'm looking forward to:
Jack's pizzas - 5/$10 (save $10.95 on five)
Totino's pizzas or Pizza Rolls - 5/$5 (save $2.40 or more on five - matched with recent coupons will make for cheap pizza!)
Green Giant veggies (boxed) - 5/$5 (save $3.75 or more on five - matched with recent coupons will make for cheap veggies!)
Wanchai Ferry dinners - $5.99 (save $2.00 - never tried this but have recently clipped $1.50 off one coupons so it could make for some cheap'ish meals for us)

The rest of the ad includes good stuff like:
Purnell's (Old Folks) roll sausage - $1.98 (save $1.91)
Combo pork/chops/ribs/roast sale - $.98/lb (save $1.51/lb)
Stokely's veggies - 2/$1 (save $.98 or more on two)
Perdue bonless/skinless breasts - $1.87/lb (save $2.12/lb)
Thompson seedless or Red Globe grapes - $.97/lb (save $1.52/lb)
Charmin - $5.99 (save $2.49 or more - WOOHOO!)
Morton softner salt (40lb yellow bag) - $3.99 (save $1.50 or more)
Hormel Always Tender pork loin filets - $6.99 (save $3.00 - matched with recent coupons will save even more and these are great on the grill!)
Sara Lee deli ham or turkey - $5.99/lb (save $1.70/lb)
Aunt Millie's Healthy Goodness breads - $1.39
Thomas' bagels - B1G1 free
Bounty 8pk - $6.49
Bounty napkins - $2.99

And that's it for me at Marsh...be sure to check out their ad (online or in the store) for more specifics that might better match your needs (and wants!).

Can anyone tell me where yesterday went?

Because I obviously missed it!  I was driving to work this morning and all of a sudden thought...I didn't blog yesterday!  It just totally slipped my mind I guess.  Anyways, I'm here to post both the Marsh AND Kroger ad highlights and preview the coupons for Sunday's paper so be ready - there's lots to read!

It's Tuesday! Are you ready to check out another blog?

How about Shortcuts.com? 

What is Shortcuts.com you ask?  Their website says,

"Shortcuts.com electronic coupons are a convenient way to save money at the grocery store. Free coupons load directly to your participating grocery store savings card, so there are no paper coupons to lose or forget.

Just 3 Easy Steps to FREE Coupon Savings:

Sign up at Shortcuts.com and register your grocery store savings card.
Select the grocery coupons you want.
Swipe your card at checkout. Coupon discounts are deducted automatically.

Lose the paper. Keep the convenience and the savings. It's the smarter way to coupon."

What more could you ask for?  Less paper, buy groceries, save money!  I love it.  The only "local" store that you can download card information for is Kroger/Payless but there have been several times when I've been able to benefit from the coupons at Shortcuts.com - I hope you can do the same!

The Marsh deals and my coupons made for a great shopping trip!

Too bad I only had $41 in cash and my total was $49.40!  I had to use the debit card this trip...I had absolutely no more cash to spare!  I think that's a first in some time...since the last week of December or so.  My great trip included:

5 Blistex was $7.95 for $1.90
2 Marsh large eggs was $3.58 for $2.36
2 Pillsbury pizza crusts was $5.98 for $.60
4 Pillsbury crescent rolls was $6.60 for $2.90
4 Betty Crocker boxed potatoes was $7.96 for $1.20
4 Act II popcorn was $11.00 for $2.00
1 All laundry detergent was $5.49 for $2.00
2 Starkist tuna pouches was $3.18 for FREE
appx 8lbs Perdue split breasts was $20.89 for $6.15

And of course there was bread, milk, cheese, fresh fruit and a few other minor staples that lead to that $49.40 total.  I save $68.05 which is 58% which makes the fact that I went over what I had by $8.00 totally worth it.

I had 45 items total, $1.10 per item and have saved $445.15 for the year.  I better slide in under budget next week!