Operation $40K

It's the end of the month -- time to check and update your Freezer Inventory! There are a lot of perks to having a chest freezer: you can take better advantage of sales on things that need to be frozen, buy more meat on sale and bake larger quantities of treats for future use. It really does pay for itself when you consider how small a freezer is in a freezer/fridge combo unit. One thing I have been asked, is "how do you know what you have in your freezer?" Simple. I have an inventory list! At the beginning of the month, I have a complete list of what is in it. As the month progresses, I cross off what we use, and write in what we add. At the end of the month, I put a * next to the original items on the list, pull off what we used and add in what we bought to have a fresh new list for the new month. The * tells me it is an older item and I need to try to use it first. If it doesn't get used that second month it becomes a ** item and HAS to be used the third or...

Everyone knows that produce is seasonal... if you have taken my Coupon Clipping 101 class you have heard me talk about pantry items being seasonal too! In January I covered the New Year's Resolution items, February was National Canned food month, March was National Frozen food month, and we saw Easter Clearance items in April. May kicked off BBQ season!We know it's smart to wait until a product is on sale and then stock up! The idea is to create a stockpile that will last you 3-12 months, or until the product again reaches its lowest price. (Not that you can do that with fresh produce unless your process it!) Convenience/Packaged Foods are seasonal just like produce! Every month we have new things to look for. Here is what is "hot" for May - keep your eyes out for the sales and have your coupons ready. It's National Ice Cream Month! Ice cream, frozen treats and all toppings should be at rock bottom prices and then - we have the 4th of July for more sa...

I have a FUN Wisconsin giveaway ... keep reading! Have you seen the Fill Up And Splash Down Promotion that select Shell Gas stations and M t. Olympus are doing right now?  You can get a FREE Mt. Olympus water park ticket.!!! Every time you stop at a participating Shell station and buy 10 gallons of fuel, take your fuel receipt inside the c-store and receive a “FREE” water park ticket. The ticket is activated on line at www.mtolympuspark.com . This is good for their indoor and outdoor waterparks! New this summer? The Lost City of Atlantis , Mt. Olympus’ newest mega outdoor water fortress!! It has  7 waterslides, A massive dump bucket and geyser, which can shoot 12 stories high, A Spinning champagne bowl, which propels riders down an enclosed AguaTube into a bowl there they ride centrifugal forces around the bowl, Family raft slide and Boomerango Family Tube Slide. Keep in mind they also have: Medu...

Cracke me up -- if you do this -- I SOOOOO want to see a picture!

**Most Community Public Pools are now open as school is out! Saturday, June 30th Rythm and Booms! It's Madison's largest fireworks show - and more at Warner Park. 9AM - 10PM, you can see more here Dane County Humane Society's Kid's Extravaganza! Remember Miss Sarah's Puppy Party? We still get emails about fun things there like this! Kids 4+, 1-4PM, Face Painting, Water Games, Bouncy House, etc. See more HERE The Dane County Farmer's Market on the Square!!!! Squeaky Cheese Curds, Baked goods, spring produce AND the beautiful downtown Madison - what more could you ask for? Chemistry Fun at UW Space Place Space Place family workshops are offered every Saturday at 10 a.m. for children ages 6-10 and their parents. The workshops are free and open to the public. No registration is required for any of the workshops but attendance is LIMITED to the first 50 people. This weekend: Ketchup Divers - how to make ketchup packets dive and return on...

Baby & Toddler $1.00 off Huggies Little Swimmers $1.00 off two Gerber Organic baby food Beverages $1.00 off any 2 Welch's Sparkling Juice Cocktails $2.00 off two or more frozen Bacardi Mixers Foods $1.00 off Sara Lee Pound Cake Slices $1.00 off two Nestle Stand Up Bag candy $1.00 off 2 BALL PARK hot dogs $1.00 off 2 bags of NESTLE or WONKA candy $0.30 off 4 oz. or larger HARIBO product Health Care 50% off any medication for one (1) year Household $5.00 off any 1 Rug Doctor™ Machine Rental Personal Care Food Save $1.00 on any two Happy Times, Toddler Meal Bowls, Munchies Crocs/Rice Cakes, Tot Plus Pets $1.00 off when you buy any TWO 3 lb or larger bags of Purina® Kitten Chow® or Purina® Cat Chow®

There are a LOT of places to cool off if you don't have air conditioning in your home: malls, movies, even the public libraries! Make sure you drink plenty of fluids and don't over do it the next few days! Also - don't forget your pets -- they can over heat too! Blessings- Dannelle

The Marcus Kids Summer Film Series is today and - this could be a GREAT, inexpensive way to beat the heat for a few hours - with a $2 movie. This week is Tin Tin - which I loved but Miss Sarah was bored watching. Movies start at 10 AM but CAN sell out -- so make sure you get there a little early :)

Did you know that you are supposed to switch out your make up every 6-12 months because of sanitation purposes? The longer you have an item, the greater the chance for things like eye infections. (Eww!) This is kind of cool - new stuff every month - delivered to you. So, if you have been wearing the same thing since high school  -- try a change!

Welcome to my site! I LOVE helping people save money at the stores so they can put it to a more effective use for their families! I saved $40,000 in less than one year from just making a few simple changes in our family budget - you can too! Couponing and Meal Planning are just the tip of the iceberg - but account for about 50% of my savings! You will find where to get coupons , printable coupon links , SavingStar info, Swagbucks info and All You deals , along with the local stores' coupon policies and Ad Match Ups . I also have a lot of recipes posted, information about Coupons For The Military and online deal shopping sites info posted. I am on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook too (under Operation 40K) if you want to schedule a class or have any questions, please just shoot me an email at op40K@aol.com . Blessings, Dannelle

**Remember, Piggly Wiggly stores are independently owned and their ads occasionally don't match up as prices may vary per store. (YMMV). If you shop at Frank's Elkhorn Store - they double up to $.50 every Wednesday - no limit as to how many but, limit of 2 like items. Keep in mind my suggested price points: $1/# or less for fresh, seasonal produce And for meat: $1/# or less for bone in birds and ground turkey $2/# or less for ground beef, boneless skinless chicken, ham and pork $3/# or less for beef roasts and bacon $4/# or less for seafood Happy Shopping! Thanks to Ashley from Coupons for Wisconsin for the great match up! See it HERE

Like Buca di Beppo on Facebook and be entered to win Grand Prize of Buca di Beppo for a year free. 5 First Place Winners will receive a $250 gift card as well.

Target has the smaller sets often on sale for $3.00-ish. With this coupon you can score some CHEAP dolls for your stocking stuffers, plan ahead for the little birthday parties coming or even just pick them up for Operation Shoebox or Christmas Giving Tree collections!!!! $5.00 off Two (2) Polly Pocket Items GET COUPON

Coupons.com Grocery Coupons Baby & Toddler $1.00 off U.S.A. Kids Cups Product Personal Care

If you have taken my Coupon Clipping 101 class - you know that this is owned by the same parent company as Aldi! What differs between the two is the fact that TJs takes coupons!!! HERE is their basic price list HERE is their Ad Match Up -- thanks to Healthy Life Deals!

 Last week - we made a quick trip to Michael's Craft Store and Miss Sarah found a bunch of blossoms on the floor - under the floral displays. I told her that they belonged to the store. Even if they fell off the flowers, they belonged to the store - but we could ASK if she could have them. The store manager said yes. Did I ever have a happy kiddo, LOL! Some we will turn into headbands... And some will go into the Princess ivy in the Princess bedroom... you will see! Just remember, it is always a "no" if you never ask!

That means MorningStar Farms has a coupon on their Facebook page! This week it is $.80/1 product. Get it HERE

I like to start out by looking at our family calendar and seeing what nights are busier than others - and working my menu around that. After being sick the entire weekend, we are kind of low key here - simple things on the list. Camp is over, we have a play date and tennis lessons - that is it. I have a few coupon classes and a Tupperware party - so it's pretty much a week of   "down" time. :) * Means it is something I pulled out of the freezer Here is our list for the week: Breakfast will include: Blueberry pancakes Blueberry muffins French Toast Sticks* Egg Scrambles/Omelets* Smoothies Lunches as normal (sandwiches, snacky stuff, wraps , left overs, tappas plates) and for dinner... Monday - Tater Tot Casserole (with ground chicken mix) Tuesday - fridge clean out Wednesday - Navy Bean Soup Thursday - Chicken and Broccoli Crepes, fresh fruit Friday - Sloppy Joes, baby carrots, potato salad (skipped it last week) Saturday - Tossed Taco Salad !  (sk...

Ever wonder how things play out, LOL?

Here is this week's list of deals - remember, it's not ALL the items in the weekly ad, just the highlights. **New: Get a FREE Sunday Wisconsin State Journal when you spend $10+ on Sunday mornings, while supplies last Make Sure you check their online coupons HERE Happy Shopping! FREE Products With Points this week: 20 oz IGA ketchup or yellow mustard - 400 points 12 oz IGA franks - 400 points Lakeland bunds (hot dog, burger or brat)  - 1,000 points 1 pound IGA bacon - 1,500 points Produce Deals Keep in mind $1 a pound or less for fresh produce Weigh a few bags of produce and get the heavier one Meat Deals Keep in mind the meat price points I share in my class when looking at the meat specials: $1/# or less for whole turkey and chicken $2/# or less for most meats (ham, pork, boneless chicken) $3/# or less for bacon, ground beef and beef roasts #4/# or less for seafood Dairy Deals ShurFresh Cottage Cheese 24oz $1.50 - when you buy 2 and use coupon ...

My Ad starts on Sundays and runs through Saturday - if your ads start mid-week, this should be a PREVIEW for you of what your next ad should look like ***Keep in mind my guidelines: $1/# for fresh produce and $2/# or less for most meats There is a 3 day sale this week - Thurs thru Saturday -- Somme killer deals! If you go and something is out... , GET A RAIN CHECK - HyVee in Madison: rain checks have NO expiration date! You can check out the store coupon policy here Produce Deals Fresh Sweet Corn $.33 an ear Fresh Baby Potatoes $.88/# Bland Farms Vidalia Onions $3.68 for a 4# bag Dole Cauliflower $1.98 each - weigh to get a heavier one Watermelon $2.88 each - 11-12 pound average Meat Deals Fresh Ground Beef 85% lean roll $2.49/# Blue Ribbon 1 1/4" thick cut pork chops $1.99/# Oscar Mayer meat hot dogs, bologna or cotto salami $1.50 Dairy Deals Kraft American Singles 16oz $1.99 (we usually see this price on 12oz) Cool Whip $.99 HyVee cottage cheese 24oz $1.6...

I shared info about their Rebate program before ... see here. This is kind of like the Register Rewards at Walgreen's but you have to mail in the form to get your perks back...even though you can still roll them along. What is nice is the simple fact that these do NOT expire, so you can be patient and roll them over when you find the right deal. I LOVE the FREE after rebate items, but will settle for less than free, if I can use up old rebate checks to make up the difference. =) Stack On Mini Storage Bin $.50 - $.50 MIR = FREE (limit of 10) Cutter Repellent $2.99 - $2.00 MIR = $.99 (limit of 3) Shock Treatment $3.00 - $3.00 MIR = FREE (limit of 4) Goof-Off $1.99 - $1.50 MIR = $.49 (limit of 4) R2X Cleaners $4.99 - $4.99 MIR = FREE (limit of 4) LS Optical or Tropical Sunglasses $7.49 - $7.00 MIR = $.49 (Limit of 4) Furniture Sliders 16 pack $6.49 - $5.00 = $1.49 (limit of 16) Last Weeks Deals Are Still Good Too: 20" Hand Saw $10-$10 = FREE (l...

Foods $0.40 off one package Treasure Cave Cheese RedPlum Grocery Coupons SAVE $1.00 off any TWO (2) packages of Vanity Fair® napkins SAVE $1.00 on ONE (1) 2-Giant Roll or larger package of Brawny® Paper Towels $1.00 OFF TUMS® freshers™ (50ct.) SAVE $0.75 on any TWO (2) Luigi's® Real Italian Ice products $1.00 OFF any TWO (2) packages of Land O’Frost Premium®, DeliShaved® or Bistro Favorites™ SAVE $1.00 on ANY L’Oréal® Paris Excellence shade $1.00 OFF any ONE (1) Frozen Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Chicken Breast Fillets 22 oz or other Frozen Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Products. Redeemable at Publix. SAVE $1.00 on ANY Garnier® Fructis® shampoo, conditioner or treatment (Excluding trial size) SAVE $1.00 on ANY Garnier® Fructis® Style product (Excluding trial size) BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE ANY flavor Good 'n Natural® Bar