Operation $40K

Just a reminder -- There are 14 chances in it so far -- still plenty of time to up your chances for this $350+ package! You have to post ON MY BLOG about what you have done to earn chances, not on Facebook, Twitter or Email =) Here is a refresher on the details It's been a while, so here comes some fun! Everything you see pictured can be yours! Acrylic stamp sets, an ink pad, a coupon for FREE Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs, a coupon for a FREE Butterfinger candy bar, an Oscar Meyer frisbee, a travel voucher good for a FREE 2 night hotel stay at a TON of different cites like: Branson, Niagra Falls, Orlando, etc ($300 value!) The last day you can enter is 8/10 How can you enter? OK, here is how you get a chance to win, you can do any or all: - Become a follower (or tell me already that you are) - Share it on Facebook and then leave me a comment about it - Share it on YOUR blog and link back to me - Twitter it and then leave me a comment about it If we hit 50+ followers, I will add a $50 Tuppe...

I was reading Money Saving Mom and spotted the big Summer Warehouse sale for Barnes and Noble! While she was excited to see that Barnes and Noble has the Once-A-Month Cooking and Once-A-Month Cooking: Family Favorites cookbooks clearanced to $1.99 each as part of their Summer Warehouse Sale, I remember my first experience with them. I did the 30 day plan - once. It took two days: One day of shopping, chopping, slicing and dicing and one of assembling all the meals for the freezer. I never worked so hard making food in my life **keep in mind that I used to have a restaurant of my own! MINI sessions are the way to go -- work with the meal sales special of the week, buy 6-10 pounds of it and make a bunch of things for the freezer! Here are a few links to ideas from the past: Ground beef-> http://operation40k.blogspot.com/2010/04/ground-beef.html Chicken-> http://operation40k.blogspot.com/2010/04/tastes-like-chicken.html There are lots of other $1.99 titles in the Summer Warehouse S...

As back to school time draws nearer and nearer, it's time to talk about how you can save a lot of money, painlessly! This is my $1,000 lunch bag set. Sound impossible? It’s true-it can save your family $1,000 or more! Just think about it, if you work outside the home and you buy lunch out almost every day. If you only spend $6.00 a day on lunch and a soda, get two weeks of vacation a year, that is 50 weeks at $30 a week...for a grand total of $1,500 a year! If you were to bring your lunch from home, use up some leftovers and your own juice, you could easily save $1,000 or more a year. If you are married, that is times TWO! We haven’t even added in breaks or afternoon chocolate pick-me-ups…However, if you brown bag it and use plastic wrap, foil, zippy bags and so on, four of those items pus the brown bag is only about $.1.15 a day that you throw away,...that adds up to about $359 per person, ,per year in the trash! That is about $4,300 over 12 years of school - per kid! Just think...

a funny thing happened today: I stopped at a fast food place and grabbed lunch for myself and my daughter. (No, I didn't have any coupons). Now before you fall over in shock we did Wendy's and their $1 value menu - two bacon cheeseburgers for $2. No drinks were needed as we had our water bottles with us so $2 was it. When we pulled up to the window, I saw the promo for their Wendy's Frosty and Kid's foundation. For $1, customers at participating Wendy’s restaurants can purchase an all-access pass to five months of Jr. Frostys while supporting the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and its signature program, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids. Yes, I spent another $1 for a keytag. The money goes to the Foundation and through the end of the year, any time we swing by, we get a free Frosty with any purchase. I'm not proud of it, but I am fond of their baked potatoes and chili...yes, more things on the $1 menu -LOL! I DO see us occasionally going back there and taking advantage of...

There is no question that it is a special event when you have a munchkin - the birthday party! A theme, invitations, guest list, cake, games and more are certainly standard elements. One thing that I find disturbing: a lot of parents take the party "out". Chucky Cheese, Gymfinity, etc are not only pretty darned expensive per child, it takes a lot of the cool memories out of the mix! If your little one is like mine, they get a kick out of helping plan the event, right down to the goody bags. My sister gave me a couple of neat books: The Penny Whistle Party Planner by Meredith Brokaw & Annie Gilbar and Birthday Parties by Vicki Lansky. Both books are great - there are a lot of great DIY ideas in them for a fun event! Considering I have Sarah's next two birthday parties planned out, I have no urgent need to research them but I know you are curious as to what is up my sleeve: I keep my eyes open all year long for bargains and deals. When she turned 3 it was a "Fishy ...

If you are like me, you have a few things that need painting. When we moved in (over 15 years ago) the people before us had sponge painted the stairwell to the basement. Just one problem, they used a square kitchen sponge. When I tackle that paint job, you will see the before and after pictures, LOL! I just happened to notice that Menard's has a GREAT deal on their private label house paint - $8 Mail In Rebates on each gallon AND they are all $2 off per gallon right now too~! There are three styles to choose from: Interior Flat Paint $11.99 (Limit 5 gallons paint total) Spend $9.99, as $2 comes off in instant savings, get $8.00 store credit back via mail-in rebate Final price: $1.99 after store credit from mail-in rebate Satin Flat Paint $13.99 (Limit 5 gallons paint total) Spend $11.99, as $2 comes off in instant savings, get $8.00 store credit back via mail-in rebate Final price: $3.99 after store credit from mail-in rebate Semi-Gloss Flat Paint $14.99 (Limit 5 gallons paint to...

I now know that I COULD have shared my 30 journey with you for the challenge that All You magazine put out there. My paperwork is all in and awaiting review, it is entirely too munch info for one post so, I will give it to you in weekly summaries. Here is my last week: Sunday, July 11th -Branson Trip! Breakfast: cold cereal, orange juice Lunch: fridge clean out: left over chicken & dumplings, apple sauce, Snack: popcorn and lime Jell-O Dinner! Pasta bake with garlic bread. Rotini with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese, layered and baked. Monday, July 12th -Branson Trip! Breakfast: Waffles, scrambled eggs, tater tot potato pancakes. Lunch: Chicken Salad Sandwiches (from Pioneer dinner show), fruit, chips, sweet tea Snack: fruit chiller Dinner! Leftover pasta bake Tuesday, July 13th Breakfast: breakfast cookies, orange juice Lunch: baked mac n cheese, carrot/celery, milk Snack: (never had one)! Dinner! Grilled turkey burgers, German potato salad Wednesday, July 14th Breakfast: ...