Operation $40K

I know, I am a little late on this week's list! The pink eye that I got from my lovely daughter has kept me offline more than I wanted to be! Here is the list - First of all there is the BIG 10 for $10 sale! **Remember, you can buy ONE item for just $1 - you do NOT have to get ten! There is also the big ConAgra sale, with some fair prices on things like Hunt's pasta sauce, Manwich, etc. **Check the pull out coupon pages in the April 24th ALL YOU magazine to help with these deals! Meat is a pretty poor choice for this store this week...skip it. Other offers are as follows: Produce deals: Green Giant Carrots $0.99/# with in-ad coupon Green Anjou Pears $0.99/# Green Beans $0.99/# Washington Red or Gold Delicious Apples $.99/# Granny Smith Apples $.99/# Dairy Deals Dean’s Gallon Milk $1.99 with in-ad coupon Shedd’s Spread Country Crock $2.99 Use $0.40/1 Country Crock printable coupons Total: $2.19 ***you can get REAL butter for $1.99/# at Kwiktrip right now. Grocery Deals No Yolks

Teaching your children little lessons doesn't have to be a complicated thing. It can be fun, hands on, learning experiences. What you are looking at is a picture of a project from church, from our very talented Family Ministry lady: Ms Susan. An empty eggshell is glued to a piece of egg carton and then decorated with crayons. Inside is potting soil and the kiddos planted a sunflower seed. The project is then taken home. In less than a week, with daily watering and a home on a window ledge, you can see the results. I kind of think my kiddo planted more than one seed, the nut, but she is very pleased with the results! Here is the best part: you can simply put the entire thing in the ground, as is. After all, it is all bio-degradable! Who needs to buy "peat pots" to start their gardens? Start saving your eggshells and egg cartons - NOW is the time to start from seeds in Wisconsin. I promise, it WILL get warmer so we can plant them in the ground. Eventually. =)

Here is a list of some things in the Madison area to do this weekend - you Just let me know if I missed something! =) We already have our tickets to see the Peter Rabbit Ballet from Dance Wisconsin on Sunday - maybe we will see you there! Saturday: Home Depot Stores A fun, FREE craft activity for the kids the first Saturday of every month! 9-Noon, and is themed around the upcoming holiday! Kids in the Rotunda Every Saturday October thru May - Overture Center for the Arts Overture Center offers free arts programs designed for children and families at 9:30 AM, 11 AM and 1 PM. The popular performing arts series for children and families offers a relaxed, kid-friendly environment in which to enjoy a diverse lineup of local and regional musicians, storytellers, jugglers, theater troupes, magicians and dancers. The 1 PM performances are sign language interpreted. Kids in the Rotunda takes place on the Rotunda Stage. Performances begin October 3rd, see website for schedule www.overturecenter.

I almost cried when I first learned that today was going to be a DOUBLE double day as I had two different coupon classes to teach, in different towns, LOL! Don't get me wrong - I LOVE helping other people figure out the secrets to saving money at the store so they can do a lot more for their families -- it just is hard to admidt that I have PLENTY right now and can seriously pass up a good deal, LOL! I DID manage to hit the store today, breifly between classes, for one quick transaction. I got 10 boxes of Tornadoes @$2 (normally $2.49) 1 box of cat food @$2.49 (for the Humane Society Pile) 2 packs Mentos mint gum for $1.49 Coupons used: Ten $.75 coupons on the Tornadoes (all doubled), $3 off one box of cat food (took off full $3) and three $2 Wags RR Grand total: $ for $1.89, saving 97% I am working on a MEGGA set of deals for Saturday the 16th - as I have to miss the 9th (out for an all day conference - sigh) but know I will have to hit the store this week for milk and bread. We

This is an EASY one to whip up and can easily be changed with what ingredients you have on hand! You can switch out the peas, or mushrooms, or broccoli with Diced chicken or ham. You can skip the last four ingredients and use a jar of Alfredo sauce (Think Prego) to speed things up a bit! Enjoy! 2 (9 ounce) packages refrigerated cheese tortellini 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup butter or margarine 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed 1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms 1 cup chopped, frozen broccoli 1 3/4 cups whipping cream 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Shredded Parmesan cheese Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute the onion in butter until tender. Add the peas, mushrooms and frozen Broccoli; cook until mushrooms are tender. Stir in cream and pepper; heat through. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese until melted. Drain tortellini and place in a serving dish; add the sauce and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the shredded Parm

Are super nice to throw in the mix of daily life =) We started out with Ms Sarah having a play date with the the 4 year old daughter of fellow blogger Donna of MadisonCouponConnection.com (which you should totally check out as she is doing a SUPER job!) The girls got along famously while we shared coupon organization strategies, talked shop, talked families, recipes and more! We are certainly going to get together again! Then, Ms Sarah and I headed to a quick lunch (used a gift card) and zipped over to catch RANGO at the movie theater (again, a gift card). We came home to sort through the last of the clothes in the dresser and the toy box as we are getting ready for selling things at the Half Pint Resale event next week. Dinner was brought over by the neighbor: Feta Crusted, chicken and rice - the first for me and the rest for the kiddo - yum! Wrapping up the day with a bath and laying out the clothes for the sleepover tomorrow night, such a great end to the super day. =) What am I loo

When you have a family, it gets more and more expensive to eat out. You can stretch the budget or, better yet, stretch a gift card buy using them on a night that kids eat FREE! I have added a Page tab with lists of different restaurants that have special kid nights. Most places offer ONE free ked meal per adult, unless I specifically mentioned TWO. **Please check with the restaurant of choice first to confirm that they are still offering this promotion. I hope it helps you have a night off without breaking the bank! =) Hugs!

Kids Bowl Free allows your family to bowl 2 Games FREE everyday all summer. Plus, there is a family pass option where parents, grandparents, older children that don't qualify for the Kids Bowl Free passes and babysitters can join in the fun and get the same great 2 FREE Game offer every day. I got the email today: Hello! We're excited to let you know that registration has opened for the 2011 Kids Bowl Free Summer Bowling Program. You'll need to enter a new username and password to register for this summer. It's simple to get registered... #1 Visit http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/center.php?alley_id=4757 #2 Create A User Name & Password and complete the registration process *You will need to register again this year even though you had an account last year. Then... Tell your friends and family members about Kids Bowl Free so that you can enter to win some great prizes including Gas Cards, Amazon.com Gift Cards, Weekend Hotel Trips, Restaurant Gift Cards and many mor

Paul, our local Copp's Manager, said there will be THREE Saturday's in April that have DOUBLE DOUBLE days!!! Woo-hoo!!!!!!! I was less than enthused about the sales specials this week and only really saw two transactions, so it's nice to know that we could (Thanks Kelley too!)

I stayed pretty close to what I had planned - but was surprised by $2 Catalinas that I got off of three transactions AND I got a $3.59 milk voucher off the cereal! Yippee! Transaction #1 4 Yoplait Delights @ $1.66 each (normally $2.99) 1 gallon of milk @$2.29 1 Chips Ahoy Cookies @$1.99 (normally $2.99) 2 packages Hillshire Farms Cheddarwursts - using the coupon in the ad to get one for $1.98, the other@ $2.50 3 boxes of Purina One Beyond Cat Food @$2.49 Coupons Used : A rain check for the Yoplait to bring it to $1.66, Four $1/1 Yoplait (doubled), $1 Chips Ahoy (when you buy milk - doubled), $3.50 off milk, 3 FREE cat food coupons, $.55/2 Cheddarwurst, Total $26.58 for $.41 (98.5% savings) ***I think they made a mistake here as one of my yogurt coupons only doubled to $1.55 instead of $2. This should have taken an additional $.45 off and made the entire transaction FREE. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Transaction #2 5 Yoplait Delights @ $1.66 each (normally $2.99) 5 boxes of Pu

Keep in mind that Saturday is a DOUBLE Double Day -- you get to double TEN coupons with your $25 purchase! Produce Deals Carrots (2 lb) $0.98 Sale price, no coupon needed Final price: $0.98 ($0.49/lb)** **This beats Aldi’s everyday price on carrots, as they just increased their price Green Beans $0.99/lb Sale price, no coupon needed Final price: $0.99/lb Meat Deals Oscar Mayer Carving Board Turkey, Ham, Beef or Chicken $2.50 Use $2/1 Oscar Mayer Carving Board Meats printable (Facebook offer) Final price: $0.50, plus $0.03 per gallon Fuelperks Bonus Rewards Chicken Drumsticks, Thighs, or Leg Quarters $0.98/lb (Limit 2) Sale price, no coupon needed Final price: $0.98/lb Oscar Mayer Deli Creations $2.00 Buy 2 and use $1/2 Deli Creations printable or $1/2 Deli Creations printable Final price: $1.00 each after doubled coupon Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes or Macaroni & Cheese $3.50 Buy 1 and use $0.50/1 Bob Evans Side Dishes printable or $0.50/1 Bob Evans Side Dishes printable or $0.50

I shared my thoughts on the local community recreation programs here. I am SUPER excited about the NEW guide coming out in just a few days! Rebecca Price, the head of our local Parks and Recreation Department, does a FANTASTIC job at compiling a comprehensive list of activities for all ages, ranging from continuous classes to one day wonders. We have a pretty full summer already with three different mini trips, karate lessons, a few church things, day trips to Devil's Lake, Circus World Museum, etc - add swimming in the family pool and time out for silly stuff - I really only see us doing 1-2 events this summer. They ALWAYS have a great 4th of July Fun Program! That is one that is on our "list" to look for, and we will see what else comes up. Have you looked for YOUR local guide yet?

Sunday coupon preview Regional coupon inserts & value differences are to be expected! (x) before coupon = multiple of same coupon ETS = excludes trial sizes P&G Insert Coupons Always Pads, Clean or Feminine Cleansing Cloths Save $1/1 (4/30) Always Pantiliner(30ct or higher) Save $1/2 (4/30) Always Infinity 14ct or higher Save $2/1 (4/30) Bounce Product Save $.20/1 (4/30) Cascade Save $1/2 (4/30) Charmin Products Save $1/2 (4/30) Covergirl Product Save $1/1 (4/30) Covergirl Product Save $2.50/2 (4/30) Crest Rinse(440 ml or Larger) Save $1/1 (4/30) Crest Rinse Pro-Health(946 ml or larger) Save $2/1 (4/30) Crest T Crest 3D White 2 HR Express or Professional Effects Whitestrips Save $10/1 (4/30) Crest 3D White Advanced Vivid 14ct, Stain Shield, or Gentle Routine Whitestrips Save $5/1 (4/30) Crest Toothpaste 4 oz or more or Liquid Gel Save $1/2 (4/30) Dawn Dish Soap Save $.20/1 (4/30) Downy Liquid Fabric Softener /Dryer Sheets Save $.20/1 (4/30) Duracell CopperTop or Ultra Advanced

This was the first picture you saw..... This was the last picture you saw... And here is the update! I got the last coat on the ceiling and then, lightly sanded the walls and got their two coats done too. The coat rack was replaced and safety rail WILL be replaced as soon as I get the blue paint off it as the people before us didn't remove it to paint the walls blue. (sigh) THEN, I started on the landing, ceiling and walls. It's getting closer to being done. (Yippee!) I DO want to find a new door at the Habitat For Humanity store ...a nice, solid core door that is more energy efficient. =) I did have one small problem...when taking the blue painter tape off the door trim, the paint came up! The people before us painted over the old paint and didn't prep it right. (Grrr....) I knew I had to paint all the trim on the first floor -- I didn't know I would have to do repair jobs first! (sigh) At the bottom of the landing, the floor needs to be replaced. I have a fun tile pic

I only have $5.40 left on my budget and $16 in RR, so I have to make the most of it this week and still, plan ahead a little for Saturday's DOUBLE DOUBLE day! Thank goodness it's going to be a new month! =) I am using up rain checks this week, a few FREE coupons that I scored and a couple of Walgreen's Register Rewards to round it all out. Here is what I am planning for tomorrow: Transaction #1 I got a rain check for the Yoplait Delights when they were on sale for $1.66 each - SO, I will get four of them and use four $1/1 coupons (that will double) for a profit of $1.36 1 gallon of milk (using the $3.50 General Mills Cereal voucher for another profit!) 1 package Chips Ahoy Cookies @$1.99 (I have a $1/1 when you buy milk - it will double) 2 packages Johnsonville Cheddarwursts - using the coupon in the ad to get one for $1.98, the second one will be $2.50 and then I have a $1/2 coupon. I had a reader send me TWENTY coupons for FREE cat food - up to $3 value! So I will add 3 b

I LOVE supporting the community - and have a little budget to give back each month! Spaghetti Dinners, Pancake Breakfasts, and the annual American Legion Chicken 'n Biscuit feed that supports their scholarship program. Simple food - mashed potatoes, coleslaw, biscuits and chicken in a gravy -- are just Wisconsin comfort foods on a day where the windchill brings the temperature down to two degrees (eek!) See my handsome hubby practically lick his plate? They have a dessert platter too - assorted cupcakes and pieces of cake - which is Ms Sarah's favorite part (if you couldn't tell!) I figure that $25 a month to give back is fair (in addition to our church budget). This is for things like Girl Scout cookies, community meals, etc. Do you try to make an appearance at these kinds of events?

I shared info about their Rebate program last year ... 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. =) If you are just starting out with your Stockpile System, you are rapidly running out of places to put stuff! Start thinking basement and shelving units! This week, Menards has the 4 shelf kit, on sale for $14.99 AND their is a MIR for $5. (limit of 2) These puppies hold up to 50 pounds per shelf -- just think: a gallon of milk weighs 8#, so, you could have 8 gallons of milk (or equivalent) on each shelf! I already shared with you what kind of things to be looking for in April, May will bring deals on sod

Sorry for the delay in this - we had a GREAT family day yesterday and I am playing "catch up". --Remember my price guidelines (Produce under $1 a pound and meat under $2 a pound) HyVee has another 2-Day sale this week. It's not as fantastic as their prior ones, but there are a few deals to be had. The rest of the flier seems geared towards entertaining for Easter/Passover with meal tray ideas, etc. Produce: Red Ripe Strawberries $1.09/# - sold in a 2# package. Make sure you head over to Driscolls.com and print off a $.50 coupon, just in case that is the name brand! Golden Ripe Cantaloupe $1.88 ea (weigh them to get a heavier one) Meat Deals: I am not seeing any real deals here -- hot dogs are more than we saw at Copp's last week, Turkey Breast is over $1/#, the chicken breast is more than it was last week...and 10 of their brats for $7? Ouch! I DID see on page 8, whole chickens for $.78/# and might pick a few up. I am craving my hubby's Grilled Beer Can Chicken! O

On the right of my blog, under the "about me", you will see a Follow by Email option! This will send you one digest a day, of what I have posted for the day, complete with links. =) I wish more sights did that - I tend to forget to go and read the sites I like, LOL!

Here is a list of the most common abbreviations in the coupon world - it is a pass out I used to have in my coupon classes, but in the interest of saving trees, I am putting it online! SS – Smart Source. SS is a coupon resource both online and in the Sunday paper. The larger the city, the larger the SS Sunday insert (and the smaller the town, the smaller the insert size.) Thus, Smart Source coupons can vary by regions. Almost every Sunday, there is a SS insert in the newspaper. RP – Red Plum. Much like SS, RP is a coupon resource both online and in the Sunday paper. The larger the city, the larger the RP Sunday insert (and the smaller the town, the smaller the insert size.) Thus, RP coupons can vary by regions. Almost every Sunday, there is a RP insert in the newspaper. P&G – Procter and Gamble. Much likes the other inserts, P&G coupon resource is found in the Sunday paper. P&G inserts tend to be consistent across the board. In other words the same coupons tend to be in eve

Yes, Kellogg's Cereal is on sale at Copp's this week for just $1.99 a box, but there ere is also a nice offer for purchasing Kellogg’s Raisin Bran & other cereals that you can view here . Due to the terms of the offer, I am not allowed to publish it, but it’s something you may want to check out!

Another fun week: A Monday night meeting, 3 days of Karate, three Tupperware parties, a weekend long vendor event, a meal swap (?) and lots of phone calls to make. We have an abundance of food right now and NEED to work on the freezer some more so I have room for the four new meals! Here is the list: Breakfast will include: -toaster waffles -Yogurt -french toast Lunches as normal (sandwiches, soup, left overs, tappas plates) and for dinner... Monday - (Meeting NIGHT) Fridge Clean Out Tuesday - Tuna Noodle Casserole Wednesday - Breakfast for Dinner: Pancakes and Sausage! Thursday - (MEATLESS NIGHT) Cheese Tortellini Alfredo Friday - Taco Salads Saturday - Quiche Lorraine Sunday - Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin, Mixed veggies, skillet potatoes What are you going to feed YOUR family this week?

Everyone knows that produce is seasonal...we have had that talk before as I have stocked up on Clementines in November, Navel Oranges in December and currently, Apples! A global economy makes it a lot easier for us - trust me, NOTHING is in season right now in Wisconsin, but snow. (sigh) We still follow the seasonal items at our local store so we know when the fruit is in season, and thereby at it’s lowest annual cost. A savvy shopper waits until a product is on sale and then stocks 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 April - keep your eyes out for the sales and have your coupons ready! Thanks for a few holidays, we have certain things to keep an eye on this month. First of all, we have Easter!

We kicked this off a few weeks ago - the challenge info is here WHAT AN AWESOME START SO FAR!!! 63 baby items were reported as donated last week to their local pantry! Week #2 was 167 dental items reported to me! Week #3 was 153 shampoo and comb items reported! The weekly drawing winner has been notified, and we are off to week #4! That makes a total of 383 items so far~! These week's focus : Donate before Sunday, April 3rd: Single Rolls of Toilet Paper. In Tupperware, I teach my team that A Little, Often, Equals Much. When everyone helps a little bit, it adds up to an amazing outcome that more than rewards your heart. This is no different a concept AND teaches a great lesson to our children. =) Here is my challenge to you: 1) Donate items of the week to your local pantry/shelter. 2) Reply to this thread of the week as a check in - that you did, and how many items you donated. (or email me directly like most of you have been @ tupqueen1@aol.com) 3) I will have a weekly gift...drawn

Today, after church, we had a little time to kill before the performance of the Trinity Irish Dancers at the Waisman Center. We thought we would check out the new Target by Hilldale. It was truly a BEAUTIFUL store - and, as we entered, we were greeted with FREE clementines (one each) and the goody bag you see pictured! FULL size samples, coupons, samples and more, as you can clearly see. (Yes, I made hubby go get his own bag so we would have two.........) I don't know if ALL Target's were doing this today, or just this new one, but it was a COOL surprise! I did score a few clearance deals, I like to scan them first to confirm pricing, and some came up with a lower price than they were tagged! These On the go packets for seasoning water were tagged at $.84 as you can clearly see, but rang up at $.49! I also got some cool cake pans on clearance that I can't show you - because it's for a surprise cake for the hubster...but they were Nordicware and under $5! I did get two,

There is a Copps & Pick’n Save ad on the last page of the first section of the WI State Journal (Sunday 3/27/11) which states we will have a Double-Double Daze on Saturday April 2nd, too! Yay! What does that mean? They will double TEN coupons up to a $1 value instead of just the normal FIVE. Start sorting ladies.........yippee!