Operation $40K

The month is almost over and I have some money loft over! I missed the sale at Family Dollar on the canned veggies and didn't get over to Cubb's for the butter deal (dang it!) It's OK - there will be more sales - trust me! Tueday we are going to eat out - it looks like Applebees with one of our $25 gift cards and kids eat for $.99. Add a drink and a tip, we are still more than covered. I know I will have to pick up ricotta and a gallon of milk before then, but think this is another month that is going to be under budget =) Next month looks promising too as I am starting out with $40 in FREE groceries thanks to that gift card deal this weekend! I do think that I forgot to tell you that four of those were for my brother to use - I do his shopping too over the holidays as he doesn't drive. How is your budget winding down? I can hardly wait to see the papers tomorrow - yippe!!

Nothing tastes as good on a cold winter day as a bowl of warm, dressed up, creamy, potato soup! It seems like the ultimate Midwest "comfort food" and let's face it, I live in Wisconsin because it's legal for me to have five starches on the same plate, LOL! I promised this recipe - it is fast, easy and yummy! We LOVE it! I hope your family finds it as good as ours does =) 8 C peeled & cubed potatoes (5 lbs.) 3 (14 oz) cans chicken broth 1 (8 oz) brick cream cheese, softened 1/2 lb. bacon crisp-cooked & crumbled (With bacon over $6 a pound right now, I get 1/2 pound of cooked, crumbled bacon from the salad bar at the grocery store for $2.25. I use half in the soup and save the other half to garnish it as I serve it) 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/4 tsp. pepper Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and more of that crumbles bacon of top!

I used random.org and lucky #23 was the winner sooooo..... Congrats to Food Allergy Momma - email me your addy so I can get you the prize! tupqueen1@aol.com

( I knew that would get your attention!!) Here is a mini coupon booklet - full of great baking item coupons -- worth $4.25 This is a weekend special -- You have until Monday at Noon (CST) to enter so I can mail it out to give you plenty of time for your holiday baking1 How do you enter the giveaway? ***Each of these entries must be posted ON MY BLOG to count as an entry. (not Facebook, not Twitter...) 1) Become a public follower and post to let me know you are...1 entry 2) Share on Facebook and post to let me know you did...3 entries 3) Add my button to your blog ...5 entries

First of all, I had a WONDERFUL time with my family over a yummy meal. Keep in mind that I didn't cook it all, so that wasn't a case of patting myself on the back, LOL! Then, I went home to take a nap as I planned to hit Walmart early! Being open all night meant not having to stand in a line when it is only 15* out -- and then add the wind chill factor to make it beyond cold! I got there about 11:30 and started filling my cart with price matching items from Target - like a Wii Fit Plus bundle for only $29 (Walmart's price was $99), a few movies, some jammies, and a few games. By midnight when they unwrapped their sales items/door busters, I only had to add three things to the cart and go check out. Easy!! My 16 items came to $187.48 and I noticed a few errors on my receipt -- 2 movies weren't discounted and I bought an incorrect one so I will get $16.04 back making it a $71.44 total and I saved $336.62 between door buster deals and price matching. Not a bad start...

We do all the crazy things we do so we have more to give our families -- take this day to remember those loved ones that are gone and enjoy your time with those that are here. Blessings to you and your family!

It ends tonight at midnight -- http://operation40k.blogspot.com/2010/11/warning-its-in-bag-and-giveaway.html

In my rough plan I had budgeted $16 or less for Copp's this week. I came in under budget! McCormick gravy mixes were on sale (actually the entire McCormick line...) for 50% off and I had TEN coupons for $.55 off two. Gravy mixes range in prices from $1.59 for chicken/turkey to $.89 for plain old beef gravy. I am cheap and also know that by using pan drippings instead of cold water (using cold water to make it to the 1 cup)that I can flavor the gravy myself. The gravy came to $.44 each with their sale and then, when I got two and took the $.55 coupon off, dropped to $.17 each. I bought 20 of them.... Here is my list today -- I didn't stray too much from what I said I would do: 5 cans chicken broth (first three at $.33 and the other two at $.89) 20 gravy mixes @.44 (was .89) 2 cool whip - french vanilla flavored for the pumpkin crisp tomorrow! @ $.99 each (was 1.75 each) 1 avocado @$1.49 2 Buitoni fresh pasta @$3.00 (was $4.19) 1 Nabisco Wheat Thins @$2.00 (was $2.99) 1 dishwashe...

I am fairly new to Swagbucks and get into it more and more! The concept of surveys to earn points, or shop through them to earn points isn't new -- and you use those points to buy things. They just came out with a new coupons feature, where you will earn 10 swagbucks for every coupon you print and redeem! The coupons are the same ones available on coupons.com, so you might as well earn while you save! Just look at it like this: if you print off 10 coupons a week, that is 5200 coupons a year and ALMOST enough points to earn a $50 Amazon gift card FREE !!!! They DO have other things like DVDs, Tshirts, Down loadable music and more...Sign up now, and start earning great prizes! You can simply click on the link to the right of my blog...it's easy to do and their coupons link is on the left hand side under "Quick Links". Happy clicking!

If you have a large family like I do - you are probably in the kitchen today too! It's the simple things that I am making today like the sweet potato pecan casserole and the mashed potatoes...toss a few dinner rolls in the oven and assemble the pumpkin crisp ingredients and I am pretty well set for tomorrow! Mashed potatoes are SOOOOO easy but seem a challenge for most. Here are some quick tips: 1) Peel five pounds of potatoes, cut into fair sized chunks, toss into a pan and cover with water. 2) Let boil on high for 30 minutes...they should be fork tender. 3) Drain 2/3 the potato water, add 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 stick butter, 1/4 tsp salt, white pepper, garlic powder and start mashing. 4) When they are almost ready, add 1/2 tsp nutmeg and mash some more OR get out your hand mixer and whip them up - do NOT put in a food processor! You will have a big old pot of glue if you do! This is where you have a taste tester come in and inspect a fork full...if it passes the test...

The holiday's aren't even here yet - over a month away and the list of unsafe toys has started!! This is a great website that list not only the unsafe toys, but the recalled ones! Check it out yourself and book mark the list to help keep your kids safe as these toys are NOT recalled, just unsafe due to toxic levels or small parts. Be like me, keep checking back to see if they add anything -- here is to a happy and healthy world for our children! http://www.toysafety.mobi/index.php?page=examples&title=Unsafe+Toy+List+2010

I have scoured the online Black Friday Ad sites to see what was coming out and have roughly made my list... Keep in mind that Walmart opens at Midnight (they still have offers that don't start until 5AM) AND they price match not only sales but Door Buster Specials that other stores have. This is the only reason it becomes my first pick - if they don't have what I am looking for then I have more than enough time to hit that other store! All of my holiday shopping is done for this year...I am shopping for my disabled brother and picking a few things up for my visually challenged in-laws. The personal items I am looking for are for Ms Sarah's birthday party in June or "house fairy" gifts along the course of a year. (another story for another day...) This is a rough list as I might see something on the REAL ads on Thanksgiving that I missed on the small preview pages. I have compiled a dvd "wish list" over the year and find it hard to spend over $5 on one --...

Here is what I am looking at this week, keeping in mind that I have $28 to go and want to hit two different stores, maybe three! Family Dollar had canned Libby Veggies 3/$1 - the best price I have seen in a while, even with coupons. I am low on corn and green beans, a quick add on to a dinner and there there is creamed corn for corn casserole (which the hubster has been asking for...) I can hit it while the kiddo is in Ballet (it's close by) I think I will get $5 worth... Cub Food's has butter for under $2 a pound!!! REAL BUTTER!! This is the first store I have seen crack the $2.50 price point for REAL BUTTER in a while, they have it for $1.78 with a limit of two. (silly store, don't they KNOW I will make more than one transaction>>>?) I have a few expired coupons to use up (high value freebies) so I should check it out on Wednesday or so when the kiddo is off of school. I think I am getting $7.12 in butter and some freebies... That leaves me $16 for Copps , wh...

On the 9th, I shared info on how I "roll over" deals at Walgreen's and what their BLACK FRIDAY DEALS were going to be...here is a more detailed list and it has coupon match ups! **Keep in mind that they are currently calling the Register Rewards "Jingle Cash". It is the same thing and works the same way -- just a seasonal name. You can attack this list one of two ways...buy everything you want in one transaction and have a lot of JC left OR buy a little and use those JC to help pay for the next transaction, repeat, repeat. I am going to stock up on a few things (in bold) and figure I will get $26.16 for $18.16 (after coupons) and get $24.18 back in JC for a profit of $6.02! (I may repeat a few of the offers like 2L of Dr Pepper for Pop and Robitussin for the flu kit!) Here is the big list - I hope it helps you! Buy 1 Herbal Essence Hair Care at $2.49, Get $1.50 in Jingle Cash Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 11/14 RedPlum insert Or use $2/1 coupon from the 10/31 P...

Turkey week is here! It's about keeping things simple since I am making a few things to take to the family dinner and have a 25# turkey taking up what seems like half of my refrigerator, LOL! Here is the list: Breakfast will include: -English Muffin Sandwiches -Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls -Scrambled eggs and sausage links -oatmeal (It's getting colder...) Lunches as normal (sandwiches, soup, left overs, tappas plates) and for dinner... Monday - Beef Enchiladas with corn Tuesday - Red Beans and Rice with smoked sausage Wednesday - soup and sandwiches (I am cooking this day) Thursday - Huge turkey dinner! Friday - Fridge Clean Out! Saturday - crock pot baked potato soup** I will share the recipe this week! Sunday - homemade pizza What are you going to feed YOUR family this week?

Copps and Pick N Save have a Black Friday Special -- good for Saturday too! Buy $100 of gift cards (from list below) and get a coupon for $20 off your next shopping order!! You can do this TWICE!! I don't know about you but that is one of the sweetest offers out there that I have seen to get people to buy gift cards for the holiday! When we were at Texas Roadhouse a few days ago for dinner, I saw them offering $10 TR gift card for a $50 GC purchase. I KNOW I can stretch this $20 of free groceries a lot further! ;) I know there are a few cool movies coming out for the kiddos - like Tangled on Thanksgiving day! I think a few of the movie cards will be in my pile as that will be our movie limit for 2011. Here are the cards featured in the paper, all a $25 value: -Kohls -Applebees -Cabellas -Marcus Theaters -Olive Garden -AMC Theaters I plan to get 5 Marcus, 1 Olive Garden and 2 Applebee's for a bonus of $40 in free groceries! This takes care of a few gifts to families (who might ...

The AWESOME Scrapfreak boards did a "twelve days of Christmas" theme for November challenge projects...this was day one: Paper Loop Wreath. Instead of doing it holiday style, I first thought of using blue/silver and snow papers to make a winter themed one that could decorate the condo door of my Grandmother...while another person mentioned teacher gifts! Teacher themed double sided papers and I was ready to rock this out! SOOOO easy and SOOOO thrifty to do. First you need a form. I found these at the local dollar store for (surprise) $1. THEN, you need to have some doubled sided paper -this can run up to $1.50 a sheet, depending on where you go and what you pick...if you want to do it like I did and go all the way around the wreath, you will need 160 loops or 7 sheets of paper. You can just do the front 2/3 of the form and get away with 5.5 sheets of paper...using that last half page to make a co-ordinating card. Now, take that paper and cut into 1 inch by 6 inch strips...the...