Operation $40K

I Just checked prices this morning - cereal is on the creep up (An average of $.20 a box)! Here are the prices as of today in Sun Prairie- Happy shopping! On cereal deals, I aim for $3 boxes - that should translate into FREE cereal (after doubled coupons and the $10 is taken instantly off). Happy planning! Fiber One (all flavors) $ 3.65 Honey Nut Clusters $ 4.15 Basic 4 $ 4.29 Raisin Nut Bran $ 3.99 Oatmeal Crisp $ 3.65 Golden Grahams 12oz $ 3.39; 16oz $ 4.35 Cocoa Puffs 11.8oz $ 3.39 16.5oz $ 4.15 Trix 10.7oz $ 3.39; 14.8oz $ 4.45 Cookie Crisp 11.25 oz $ 3.89; 15.6 oz $4.79 Reese’s Puffs 13oz $ 3.89; 18oz $ 4.59; 22.9oz $ 4.74 Cinnamon toast Crunch 12.8oz $ 3.45; 17oz $ 4.35; 24.9oz $ 5.25 Kix 8.7oz $ 3.65; 12oz $ 3.89; 18oz $ 4.09 Honey Kix 12oz $ 3.89 Wheaties $ 3.39 & $ 4.49 (sorry I didn’t write down the ozs) Wheaties Fuel $ 4.49 Chocolate Lucky Charms 12oz $ 3.29 Lucky Charms 11.5 oz $ 3.29; 16oz $ 4.35; 24oz $ 5.29 Total: Blueberry Pomegranate $ 3.85 Cranberry Crunch $ 3.85

I love shopping and seem to meet the nicest people there! I also cringe when I see someone pay $75 - 85 - 100+ on less than a full cart of groceries! EEK! I was behind one lady and she split her transactions, but had so little sales specials that both of her transactions topped $50+.......I wish she could have seen me get rung through! OK two cereal deals, 4 cans tomatoes, 1 fish crackers, 4 string cheese, 2 Pringles and a gallon of milk. I used coupons, my $6 Copp's Jingle Bucks gift card, a $1.50 Walgreen's Register Reward and a Milk voucher...bottom line, $62.66 for $3.50 and they gave me $10 back in milk and egg vouchers. This became a money maker deal with a $3.25 profit! (I used one milk voucher on the second transaction). YES - I love cereal deals!!! I will repeat this on Wednesday which should have me set pretty nicely for a great first transaction in February AND let me give 15-20 boxes of cereal to my church's food pantry...who doesn't love that? OK - accounti

I hit HyVee today for that canned spaghetti sauce deal - it was $.59 a can with NO LIMIT posted! I got 25 cans. - well, really only 20, 5 are for my mom, LOL! I also got a half gallon of milk - just enough to tie us over until I get the WHOLE gallon of milk for FREE on Saturday at Copps! What am I going to do with all of that sauce? I have a four year old - we eat spaghetti, LOL! Also lasagna, stuffed shells, ravioli lasagna and pizza casserole. This should last us about 6 months. OK - accounting time: 100.00 -39.96 HyVee - butter -1.90 Cub Foods - mac N cheese -------- $58.14 -18.03 (Girls night) -1.33 (Applebee's overage on gift card) -$3.98 HyVee Bacon! ------- $34.80 to go and we are half way through the month. +10.00 (Mom got her five pounds of butter!) ------- $44.80 -$3.10 for 5 bags of peanut butter cups on holiday clearence (for cookies!) -$13.40 for HyVee today -$3.15 for the Village Hearth Bread Outlet (2 bread, 1 english muffin & hog dog buns) ------- $25.15 to go -

USE THEM! :) My neighbor gave me an eight pound bag that she wasn't going to use before they were bad and passed them on to me! First things first - I was hungry for soup. For the recipe --> Autumn Chowder Then I made mashed potatoes with the other four pounds...not that we were going to EAT four pounds of them tonight! You can package cooked mashed potatoes into smaller portions and FREEZE them for future use. My Mashed Potato Recipe is here What else could I have done? -Grated them for hash browns and potato pancakes -Made potato salad -Made Country Fries -Made Twice Baked potatoes What is YOUR favorite way to use potatoes?

We went to Michael's Craft Store to get that fairy photo of Sarah matted and framed (the one I gave dear hubby for Christmas). While I was waiting, I walked around a bit and saw this 15 inch by 15 inch ready made framed scrapbook page, marked from $19.99 to $3.99!! I couldn't buy just the BLING for that price! I got a few - I have a specific project in mind and need them all to be the same. Seriously, Recollections Boutique Fleur! They had five other designs but only this one was clearanced out. Here is the best part: they rang up at $1.99 each!!!! 90% off -- and I now know that I just took care of Mother's Day for $6. =) I will share my finished project with you later, but wanted to tell you that they still had some of these frame there! Have you found a cool deal lately?

So how awesome is this - I get a cool note from my bud Tracy in the mail and a ton of coupons! Apparently, she had been shopping at Woodmans and did my "keep your eyes open" walk thru and found a bunch of tear pads! How sweet of her to grab some for me too! =) Honestly, I have the BESTEST FRIENDS EVAH! I want to keep this RAK (Random Act of Kindness) rolling, I have an envie with over 100 assorted coupons ready to go to a new home! Here is how you play: -reply to this post ON MY BLOG and get 1 chance -become a follower or tell me you are and get 2 chances -"like" my page on facebook and tell me you did for 2 more chances. ***2 bonus points for sharing the giveaway on facebook! This is a quickie! I want to mail these out on Monday so it ends at midnight on Sunday! Happy playing and a big old hug to my buddy Tracy! =) (She knows I love her!)

1-23 RedPlum Coupon Preview Sunday coupon preview Regional coupon inserts & value differences are to be expected! (x) before coupon = multiple of same coupon ETS = excludes trial sizes RedPlum Coupon Insert Ball Park products Save $1.00/2 (3/6)**we should see a price drop the close we get to the Super bowl Brillo Soap pads 10 ct or 18 ct Save $.55/1 (3/27) Brillo Estraceli sponge products Save $1.00/2 (3/27) Carolina River Rice Save $.50/1 (4/30) Carolina Rice mixes Save $1.00/3 (4/30) Disney vitamins Save $1.00/1 (3/8) Ester-C powders, tablets or gummies Save $1.00/1 (3/8) Eucerin hand or body product (2 oz = 16.9oz) Save $1.00/1 (3/19) Flex-a-min tablets Save $3.00/1 (3/8) Hillshire Farm smoked sausage Save $1.00/2 (2/28) I-cool for menopause Save $2.00/1 (3/31) Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Cereal 10.8 o/1 carton of eggs (7/31) L’Oreal Elnett hairspray 11oz. no 2.2oz trial size Save $3.00/1 (3/20) L’Oreal Ever Sleek, Ever Pure or Ever Strong Shampoo or Conditioner Save $2.00/1 (3/20) L’

LOVE the cereal deal - it is a money maker if you handle it right! =) Buy 6 boxes, they take $10 off instantly and will give you $3.25 for milk and $1.50 for eggs on a future transaction...and I don't know about you, but they often have milk for $1.98/gallon and eggs for under $1. That means you come out with about $1.75 overage to take off of meat or produce. Yippee! I shoot for a $3 per box base price, or as close to it as I can get. There are coupons everywhere for $.55 up to $1 off a box that will all double! So let's look at my first transaction this next week: 3 Cheerios, 2 Multi Grain Cheerios and 1 Honey Nut Cheerios should come to about $19.50, now take off the $10 and it drops to $9.50 - now attack it with the coupons! -$.75 off MG Cheerios (two of them) -$.55 of HN Cheerios and $.55 off plain -$1 off two Cheerios ********I am now at $2.30 and they are giving me $4.75, so I will come out $2.45 ahead! (Yes, I am doing this four times and donating the cereal to my churc

THANKS to my bud Amy for the heads up on this - a Sentry store in Janesville is doing double coupons EVERY day!! NO LIMIT of coupons Coupons must be $.50 and under Daniels Sentry Food Store is located at 2822 E Milwaukee St in Janesville WI. Phone: 608 756 0351. NOW, I will start posting Sentry Add deals with coupon matchups -- so you know what you can get FREE each week =) Now, if the Sentry store in MY town would only start doing it again......LOL! THANKS AMY for the tip!

If you are going for the cereal deal in the new flier - here is a list of rough prices that someone shared on pocketyourdollars.com! I checked it over at my local Copp's and it is correct! On cereal deals, I aim for $3 boxes - that should translate into FREE cereal (after doubled coupons and the $10 is taken instantly off). Happy planning! Fiber One (all flavors) $ 4.15 Honey Nut Clusters $ 3.79 Basic 4 $ 3.99 Raisin Nut Bran $ 3.99 Oatmeal Crisp $ 3.65 Golden Grahams 12oz $ 2.89; 16oz $ 3.95 Cocoa Puffs 11.8oz $ 3.09 16.5oz $ 3.59 Trix 10.7oz $ 3.09; 14.8oz $ 3.95 Cookie Crisp 11.25 oz $ 3.69; 15.6 oz $ 4.35 Reese’s Puffs 13oz $ 3.29; 18oz $ 3.69; 22.9oz $ 4.74 Cinnamon toast Crunch 12.8oz $ 2.89; 17oz $ 3.49; 24.9oz $ 4.95 Kix 8.7oz $ 3.09; 12oz $ 3.79; 18oz $ 4.24 Honey Kix 12oz $ 3.59 Wheaties $ 3.34 & $ 4.25 (sorry I didn’t write down the ozs) Wheaties Fuel $ 4.25 Chocolate Lucky Charms 12oz $ 3.65 Lucky Charms 11.5 oz $ 3.65; 16oz $ 4.25; 24oz $ 5.44 Total: Blueberry Pome

I have had a few people asking about a "cooking from your stockpile" meal planning kind of class ... The meal planning class would cover how it saves money to plan your meals, how to go about a meal plan that works for your own family, recipe concepts utilizing the meat selling cycles of the stores and getting creative with leftovers. The class pass out would be a mini cookbook of sorts - it has one page for each meat item and a page of make-your-own seasonings/mixes. Is there some other aspect of this that you would like to learn? What are your thoughts?

I LOVE Pocket Your Dollars for the simple fact that she gives us a four day sneak peak at what we will be seeing in our next Copps and Pick N Save fliers! Keep in mind that some prices are a little off of our local market, but these items will be in the next ad! =) The cereal deal is back! I am getting a few for the food pantry and keeping the milk and eggs for myself. I'm also looking at cat treats...we will see if I can pull out more than one transaction when I add the fresh produce. I know the cereal will run about $18 and the treats will take me to $20. The chicken is a big bargain, but I am more than well stocked in the freezer yet. Produce Deals Fresh Express Baby Blend Salads $2.75 Use $0.55/1 Fresh Express Salad Varieties printable Final price: $1.65 after doubled coupon Roundy’s Raw Almonds (32 ounce) $7.99 Sale price, no coupon needed Final price: $4.00/lb** **This is a rock bottom price for raw almonds. If you buy them cheaper somewhere else, please let me know. Meat Dea

I had a sick Migraine that haunted me almost the entire week so some of this is a repeat of the meals I did NOT make last week. This week will also see some baking days for the cinnamon rolls and breakfast cookies, which aren't really cookies but don't tell my four year old that, LOL! Here is the list: Breakfast will include: -breakfast cookies -oatmeal (It's frigging cold out!) -cinnamon rolls -fruit crepes Lunches as normal (sandwiches, soup, left overs, tappas plates) and for dinner... Monday (Italian Night)- Lasagna with one ground up Italian sausage in it Tuesday - Chicken Broccoli Fettucini Alfredo Wednesday (Soup day) - Autumn chowder (recipe on my blog) Thursday - Fridge Clean Out! Friday - Homemade Pizza Saturday (Meatless Night!)- Baked Mac N Cheese with peas Sunday - Baked Chicken, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy What are you going to feed YOUR family this week?

Just perusing the sales fliers today and this is what jumped out at me: Remember my price guidelines (Produce under $1 a pound and meat under $2 a pound) HyVee Produce: Red Ripe Roma Tomatoes $.99/# Clementines $4.99 for a 5# box (Not Cuties - so they may have seeds...) Grapefruit 3/$1 - should be over a pound Baby carrots $1/# Zeal Navel Oranges $.44/# Zeal Cara Cara Navel Oranges $.99/# -->Horizon Organic Milk "juice box" style $1 ($.55 Coupons here --> http://www.horizondairy.com/)! Meat: **Whole Fresh Chicken $.88/# - great for crock pots and beer can chicken! Blue Ribbon Pork Value Pack Pork Loin Country Style Ribs $1.99/# Hormel Always Tender Whole Bonelss Pork Loin $1.98/# From their 12 hour sale: Hunts Canned Pasta Sauce $.59 (no limit posted) Hy-Vee Chicken Leg quarters $.39/# - limit 4 packs 73% lean fresh ground beef $7.95 for a 5# roll ($1.59/#) Cub Foods Produce: Fresh Express Garden Salad bagged mix $.98 (get the 16oz bags, not the 8oz) Farm Stand Celery $

When I saw this repost from Life As a Mom - I thought it was BRILLIANT! She found veggie trays on clearance and created a list of ways to use those aging veggies up before the point of no return! Read through the list and tell me she isn't brilliant for thinking out of the molded plastic box that those veggies were sold in!! 1. Thin the dip with buttermilk to make a tasty salad dressing. 2. Saute the broccoli and snap peas in garlic, crushed red pepper, and oil for a delicious vegetable stir fry. 3. Make Lynn’s Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup. 4. Use the carrots in Carrot Cake and Carrot Muffins. 5. Toss the dill dip with boiled potato chunks and chopped celery and red onion to make a filling potato salad. 6. Boil a pound of pasta and blanch the broccoli, peas, and carrots. Toss together with Italian salad dressing and chopped peppers and tomatoes for a fresh-tasting pasta salad. 7. Boil the carrots and broccoli until tender. Toss with melted butter, ginger, grated orange peel,