First Mega Run!

• 6 1/2 Gallons Milk $0.75 (in store special)
• Bananas
• 3 Softsoap $0.88 – $0.40 MQ (from La Voz) = free
• 3 Speedstick $0.88 – $0.50 MQ (from La Voz)= free
• Kroger Pizza – Free MQ
• Kroger Appetizer – Free MQ
• Kroger Dessert – Free MQ
• **Mega Items (Prices after Mega Discount)**
• 2 Kingsford Charcoal $4.49 – $5 IP (no longer available)
• 3 Kleenex Cool Touch $0.99 – $0.50 MQ (1/1 SS) = free
• 4 Crystal Light $1.94 – $1/2 Tearpad/IP = $1.44 each
• 2 Mission Tortilla Strips $1.79 – $1 IP (no longer available) = $0.79
• 9 Hunts Tomatoes $0.49 – $0.45/3 MQ (1/22 SS) = $0.16 each

I received a $2.50 Catalina for buying the 4 Crystal Lights! That makes the Crystal Light only $0.82 each!!! That is a stock up price for us!

2nd Mega Run

Order #1

• 3 Softsoap $0.88 – $0.40 MQ (from La Voz) = free
• 3 Speedstick $0.88 – $0.50 MQ (from La Voz)= free
• 2 Gallons Milk $1.57 each
• **Mega Items (Prices after Mega Discount)**
• 4 Kingsford Charcoal $4.49 – $5 IP (no longer available)
• 10 Mom’s Cereal $0.99 – $1/2 IP = $0.49 each <——Stock up price!!
• 4 Crystal Light $1.94 – $1/2 Tearpad/IP = $1.44 each
• 2 Mission Tortilla Strips $1.79 – $1 IP (no longer available) = $0.79
• -$2.50 Catalina (from 1st trip)
• Total $12.72 OOP & Earned another $2.50 Catalina (Crystal Light)

Order #2

• **Mega Items (Prices after Mega Discount)**
• 6 Balance Bars $0.49 – $1/3 IP = 6/$1
• 4 Crystal Light $1.94 – $1/2 Tearpad/IP = $1.44 each
• -$2.50 Catalina (from 1st order)
• Total $4.20 OOP & Earned another $2.50 Catalina (Crystal Light)

I ran back to Fry’s yesterday before the Kleenex coupons expired and luckily they had restocked!!

Order #1

• **Mega Items (Prices after Mega Discount)**
• 6 Balance Bars $0.49 – $1/3 IP = 6/$1
• 2 Kleenex Cool Touch $0.99 – $0.50 MQ (1/1 SS) = free
• 2 Mom’s Cereal $0.99 – $1/2 IP = $0.49 each
• Total $2.01 OOP

Order #2

• **Mega Items (Prices after Mega Discount)**
• 2 Kleenex Cool Touch $0.99 – $0.50 MQ (1/1 SS) = free
• 6 Balance Bars $0.49 – $1/3 IP = 6/$1
• 2 Hunts Tomatoes $0.49 – $0.40/2 MQ (1/22 SS) = free
• Total $1.03 OOP

Have you done a Fry’s Mega Shopping Trip yet? Remember they run 2 weeks, so this week’s ad will be (mostly) a continuation of last weeks deals.

A shelf cleared…

As an experienced couponer I often find shelves cleared when there’s a really great deal. And honestly if I had seen this shelf on Sunday I would have thought nothing of it.

However, it was Saturday. And that means the $3 Iams coupon that made the dog food free was not available to most people yet. The $3 coupon came out in today’s P&G insert. Unless of course someone had a time machine and purchased a lot of papers TODAY and then went back in time to yesterday and bought ALL Of the free pet food…

As much as I think the idea of time travel is awesome, I am going to cross that off the list of probable explanations.

And actually the likely explanation was really a disappointing confirmation to me. I suspected that someone had taken all the copies of the NW explorer this week.. The paper comes out on Thursdays. I tried to find a copy on Thursday, checking with several places with no luck. My FIL was also unsuccessful at finding any copies near his house either.

I suspected that someone else realized that the coupons this week in the explorer would be great and decided to just take all of them. Seeing the Target shelf cleared just confirmed it for me.

So this is my mini rant for the person taking all the NW Explorers.  I hate you.

Ok maybe hate is a bit strong but seriously chill out and be considerate please.  Maybe save a few papers for the rest of us? Please and Thank You.

Anyway back to my Target trip.  I didn’t find a lot but I did find a super awesome ZURG RC Racer on clearance. It was only 50% off, so I couldn’t talk myself into splurging on it. It is pretty awesome though.. Zurg is definitely one of our favorite Toy Story characters.

What I did buy….

More Healthy choice meals (the details are unnecessary since the sale is over). You can still do the Destin Deal if free diaper cream interests you!

So what do you think? Do you agree with my conclusion that I have a newspaper hoarder in my area?

With a  month under our belt, we are ready to adjust our budget for next month.  I am very happy with our progress and doing this summary post each week helps keep us motivated!

1. Budgeting:

I called and got a new quote for our home/auto insurance which will save us a little bit each month.

Overall I am happy with our 1st 4 weeks of budgeting, we need to make some adjustments for Feb but I expected that.

2. Food:

We tried roasting the Brussels sprouts but they were awful. I don’t think they will be on our menu again anytime soon! 

We have a full sleeve of turkey burgers in our freezer that we are trying to finish.  I am not a HUGE burger fan but my favorite burgers are simply burgers with sautéed onions..  So we sautéed some onions this week and toasted our buns and it made my turkey burger Fantastic! That was such an easy solution to making the meal awesome!  I love sautéed onions!!

We made a double batch of Taco Soup on Friday and had my brothers/SILs over for dinner. Cheap, Easy and Yummy!

AND I have started making my own “chewy granola bars”, I will share my final recipe once I am done tweaking it!

3. Organization:

I tidied up our cleaning supply shelves so we are more organized.  It did make me a little sad though, I am down to my last bottle of laundry soap. ACK!

I also made a huge dent in my paperwork disaster. It’s not done but I am happy with the progress. 

4. Shopping:

I stoked up on Pull UPs at CVS with clearance prices and a great $10 off $50 CVS Q.  I think I am up to a 6 month supply now.

Plus with Fry’s Mega that started this week, I am working on cheap cereal, crystal light protein bars and canned tomatoes. A few things we needed!

If only a fabulous laundry soap deal would magically appear…..

5. Misc.: 

We scored a free couch this week. My brother was given 2 nice couches but they didn’t work in his new house so he passed one to us.  Our other set was nice enough but we didn’t have a full couch so we swapped out one of the loveseats for the bigger couch.  Now someone can actually stretch out and nap if they want! 

I already received coupons from Star (olive oil) from my email request last week! That was a fast turn around.  This week I contacted: Skippy, Sunmaid and Jennie-O.

A Few Goals For Next Week

I will continue to stock up on the great deals at Fry’s this week during their Mega sale.  I also plan on readjusting our budget for Feb.  I want to finish up with my current paperwork and get all my loose coupons put away… cause it might a bit of mess right now. I also want to make a dent in our den.  It’s become a storage area for random stuff and I know we can get rid of or reorganize a lot stuff in there.

I also want to start working on getting my tax stuff together, so we can do our taxes soon.

How was your last week? Did you stock up on any great deals?

Things that I want to forget about like chocolate hidden in the pantry are always on my mind. And yes I have tried hiding them in better, more secret places but it doesn’t help. <—And I can’t disclose those super secret places here since Peter does read this…

Despite the fact that I try to hide the sweets away, they are NEVER forgotten. <—They are however mourned once I have inhaled the last one.

On the other hand things that I want to remember are easily forgotten despite my best intentions.

Case in point, my food bank donations. I have a personal goal of collecting a few things each week to donate to the food bank. A simple enough goal, right?

And speaking of simplicity, simplifying and uncluttering the house is another goal of mine. Unfortunately those two goals clashed in my house.

I used to keep a big crate for donations by the front door.  However, it became just one more thing trip over when coming in the door.<—Along with 2 strollers, shoes, toys and other random stuff…

So in the interest of creating a simplified, calming front entry, I stashed the crate in the front hall closet.   It helped the front entry appear less cluttered. 

YES! A perfect solution!!! A less cluttered entry AND I am still collecting stuff for the food bank!

BUT….

it worked much better in theory than in reality.

The problem was that when I stashed the crate away in the closet my brain just filed my donation goal away in the back of my head. <—And I have a big head… full of lots of very important knowledge!

Out of sight, out of mind.

As a result slacked off quite a bit in the past few months with donating.  I think I only dropped off a couple bags in the past 5 months. And that just BUMS me out. I know I can do better and I WILL do better! 

There are some situations, like my food bank donation goal, when a constant visual reminder is just what I need.

So I switched out the crate with a smaller, pretty basket and I found a nice little spot in our Dining Room to designate for donations. Now it’s off the floor and won’t trip us on our way out the door.

The best part is that we walk through the dining room all day long, so it will be a constant reminder to me.  If the basket is full, then I need to make a trip to the food pantry and if not then I need to buy more stuff!

I donate to Interfaith Community Services, they are close to my house and are open on Saturdays. <—Convenient for both people who donate or need assistance!

I think making it convenient to collect stuff and  drop it off (i.e. close to your home/work) is key to keeping donations consistent! 

If you need help finding a food pantry near you check out the Arizona Association of Food Banks, you can search by zip code! <—Sweet!

Keeping a box is an easy reminder to try and donate whenever possible!

Do you keep a donation box in your house?

Trip #1

• Mothers Cocoa Bumpers <—Not as good as PB Bumpers if you are curious.
• Fiber One Yogurt 4-packs
• Yoplait Trix Yogurt 4-pack
• Roma Tomatoes
• Smarties
• Red Bell Pepper ($0.50)
• Cucumber ($0.50)
• Baking Soda ($0.59)
• Patio Bean and Cheese Burritos ($0.39)

Trip #2

• Dannon Pure Yogurt 6-pack
• Kraft Snack Packs Cheese
• Fiber One Pancake Mix
• Dole Salad
• Breakstone Sour Cream
• Vanilla Extract
• Green Lantern Mask
• Cucumbers
• Yellow and Orange Bell Peppers 2/$1

My favorite finds of the day? Fiber One package mix- I am gonna try and make my own “eggo” waffles and freeze premade waffles. Plus the Dannon yogurt 6-pack, Green lantern Mask/ring and Vanilla Extract were all GREAT finds for only $1!!

A few other things that caught my eye in store today???

Smart Beat Lactose Free Cheese Slices, Yoplait Lactose Free Yogurt (4/$1) and Lots of Green Lantern Toys….

Remember shopping at the 99 Cent Only Store is like a treasure hunt and selection varies by store! Find a 99 Cent Only store near you!

Have you found any great deals at your 99 Cent Only Store lately?

But things changed, life moved on and we just weren’t connecting anymore.  So we parted ways.

Occasionally we would run into each other and say hi as old friends often do.

But that was it.

However, I recently starting craving a little more CVS interaction.  And I guess CVS felt the same way. Check out the SWEET gift I received a few days ago….

CVS had stopped giving me sweet coupon gifts and broke my heart….

Thankfully my heart is now on the mend. After months and months of no good Qs, CVS has gifted me with not one but TWO $10 off $50 Qs in the past week (Eat your heart out Walgreens)!

I usually prefer a $4 off 20 coupon but beggars can’t be choosers!.

Besides a $10 off $50 was the perfect gift for me THIS week! A few days ago I happened upon a few Pull UPs on clearance… Mega packs marked 50% off… My dilemma was of course can I hold out until 75% off..

I want the very best deal. (Hello can someone just deliver free ones to my door for a couple of years??)

But have to be practical too. I recently bought Walgreens training pants on sale B1G150% which ended up being ~$0.38 each ….. These Pull ups were only ~$0.24 each.  Only $0.12 each if I could hold out until 75% off but would there be any left?

Fast forward a few days and CVS decided to prod me along and force me into action. A $10 off $50 Q was enough incentive for me to pick up a few packs!

In fact a $10 off $50 printed on my receipt and then I received a 25% off purchase coupon in my email! I combined those two CVS coupons with a few pull ups coupons and a free razor Q and I worked out a heck of deal!!

Here is what I bought:

• 3 Huggies Pull Up Mega Packs $9.24 – $2 MQ = $7.24 each
• 2 CVS Training Pants Mega Packs $7.14 each
• 1 Schick Razor $8.49 – Free MQ
• - $10/50 CRT Q
• -25% email Q (only applied to the diapers)
• Total $23.62

That works out to $0.14 per diaper… and I Earned $3 ECB (Schick)

I figure we are set on pull ups again for about 6 months

And now CVS and I have rekindled our friendship, so we can hang out a bit more.  Maybe be besties again.

Besides I still have my 2nd $10 off $50 coupon to spend….

Why is Angie’s Kettle Corn Awesome?

1. It’s made with ONLY 4 natural ingredients: popcorn, corn oil, cane sugar and sea salt.
2. There is no cholesterol, no trans-fats, no artificial flavors, and no preservatives.
3. Plus it’s allergen free, certified gluten free and certified Kosher.

And the biggest reason?

It’s DELICIOUS!!

Seriously. Delicious. The perfect balance of sweetness and salt!

It’s the perfect anytime, guilt-free snack.  And It’s definitely the perfect munchie to enjoy while watching Toy Story 3 (over and over again).

In October I was excited to find mini bags of Angie’s Kettle Corn at Target.  The Halloween snack size bags were PERFECT for my boys to enjoy.  Somehow getting their own little bag made it more exciting.

The boys were definitely disappointed when they ate their last little bag. Luckily for us Angie’s Kettle Corn  and Target has it covered!  Now you can find Angie’s Kettle Corn Valentine’s Snack Packs exclusively at Target.

In fact I have already found it at my Target! Each Valentine’s Snack Pack contains 20 snack size bags with super cute stickers to create personalized Valentine’s treats! 

Quinn’s preschool has a wellness policy that frowns upon candy, cookies and other traditional holiday goodies.  So Angie’s Kettle Corn will be the perfect Valentine’s treat for him to pass out to his friends. 

And guess what I get to do?? Host a giveaway!!

One Desert Deals Diva reader will win an Angie’s Kettle Corn Valentine’s Snack Pack!

Angie’s Kettle Corn Valentine’s Giveaway

Open to US. Residents, 18 years and older.

There are 4 possible entries.  Please leave a comment on this post for each entry.

1. Like Angie’s Kettle Corn on Facebook. And come back and let me know you did.
2. Like Desert Deals Diva on Facebook. And come back and let me know you did.
3. Follow Angie’s Kettle Corn on Twitter. And come back and let me know you did.
4. Follow me on twitter! And come back and let me know you did!

Giveaway ends February 5th at 7pm! I will use random.org to select a winner.

Disclosure: I was provided with an Angie’s Kettle Corn Valentine’s pack to review. No other compensation was received. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Are you looking for grocery deals in Tucson, AZ? There is a MEGA happening at Fry’s… so I imagine I will spend most of time there…. These are the deals that interest me this week.

Albertsons

Coupons taken at face value.

• Albertsons Large Eggs $1, limit 2
• Coke 12 packs 4/$10, with $25+ purchase
• Red or Green Seedless Grapes $0.97/lb
• Pork Sirloin Chops, Boneless $1.99/lb <—Good price?
• $20 Gift Card when you transfer an RX. Details HERE! Coupon available in AD X 3/31/12

Bashas

Double Coupons

• Bashas’ Milk 1/2 gallon $0.88 each
• Large Slicing or Roma Tomatoes $0.88/lb
• Assorted Pork Chops $1.47/lb <—Not sure if this would include boneless…
• Bananas $0.39/lb, first 5 lbs (Monday only)
• Star Olive Oil 17 oz $3.99 – $1/1 or $2/2 IP = $2.99 (through 3/25)

Fry’s

All coupons worth $1 again!!!

• Fry’s Milk, Gallon $1.57, limit 2
• Red Seedless Grapes $0.88/lb
• Dole Premium Classic Salad $1
• Dannon Activia Yogurt $2 – $1 MQ (1/15 SS) = $1 (PLUS Possible Catalina)
• Speedstick $0.88 – $0.50 MQ = free (I traded for these Qs)
• Softsoap $0.88 – $0.50 MQ = free (I traded for these Qs)
• Kroger Cottage Cheese & Sour Cream 3/$4
• MEGA ITEMS BUY 10, SAVE $5 (Mix/Match), Prices assume you buy in groups of 10
• Kleenex $0.99 – $0.50 MQ (1/1 SS)= free
• Ken’s Dressing 1.79 – $1 MQ (1/8 SS) =$0.79 each
• Hunts Tomatoes $0.49 – $0.45/3 MQ (1/22 SS) = $0.16 each
• Ragu $0.99 – $0.50 MQ (The redplum should get this Q on Sunday) = free
• Philadelphia Cream Cheese $1.29
• All Laundry Soap $3.49 – MQ (1/1 RP) = $2.49 <—Not great but I am desperate!
• Balance Bar $0.49 – $1/3 IP = $0.16 each
• Mom’s Best Naturals Cereal $0.99 –$1/2 IP = $0.49 each

Safeway

All coupons worth at least $1

• Red Seedless Grapes $0.99/lb
• Safeway Farms Yellow Onions, 3lb bag $1
• Pantry Essentials Sandwich Slices $0.99
• Lucerne Chunk Cheese 8 oz, or slices 12 oz $2 – $0.50 California Cheese Q if it has seal (1/22 SS) = $1
• Ken’s Salad Dressing $1.50 – $1 MQ (1/8 SS) = $0.50 (Fri-Sun Only)

Sunflower Farmers Market

Double Ad Wednesdays + $0.10 credit for reusable bags.

• Don’t see anything this week…

Sprouts

Double Ad Wednesdays

• Large Green Bell Peppers $0.49 each
• Cucumbers $0.49 each
• Red, Gold or Orange Bell Peppers $0.88 each
• Red or Green Seedless Grapes $0.97/lb
• Yellow Onions $0.49/lb
• Roma Tomatoes $0.77/lb
• Chicken Breast Tenders $1.97/lb
• Free Jubilee 1/18-2/1 25% off over 2, 000 Gluten free items in the store!!

WalMart

• Reminder you can price match WITHOUT the ads. <—I was told this week to bring my ads…may be a new policy for the new year??
• And they will substitute their brand for other store brands.

What great deals are you excited about this week?

Interested in a more complete list of grocery deals for this week? Check out these lovely AZ Bloggers who do a great job. Check out my Grocery Store links for store coupon policies and links to their sale’s ads.

I don’t actually buy a lot of food there, at least compared to the average Costco shopper. In fact now that we are working with a tighter budget, we will be even more selective with what we buy.  I plan on going only once a month and stick to a list!

We are big fans of their electronics, household goods, clothes though.  Plus Costco has an incredible no questions asked return policy (on almost everything).

Here is what we bought last week….

Precious Stringsters String Cheese 48 oz $8.29 <—Generally can’t do better than 17 cent cheese sticks!

President Feta Cheese 24 oz $6.79 <—We use feta in almost every salad!

Pacific Gold Turkey Jerky $10.99 <—Still $$$ in my opinion but the best price we can find.

Sun-Maid Raisins 4.5 lbs $6.99 <—Definitely a deal for us.

Mickey Mouse Chicken Nuggets $11.99

Cuties, 5lb  $5.99

The Cuties were our only deviation from our list. We spent just over $50, my goal was $40 but I will still count it as a win!  Getting out of Costco without spending $100+ is tough!

I am getting so low on laundry soap that I might have to price it out at Costco.  I am used $1 bottles of laundry soap….

So Tell me, what is on your shopping list at Costco?

Ok I have decided we will need to adjust our budget for next month…. my weekly allotment is just not enough for diapers and a minimal Costco trip… We are still doing great though.

1. Budgeting: I took out an extra $40 for a small Costco run.  I need to adjust the budget for this and to account for diapers… Beyond those two things we are still doing good!
2. Food: We didn’t make anything new really this week.   I did make a huge fruit salad one night with apples, grapes, bananas, strawberries, oranges and kiwi!  And we did a stir fry with our free steak (leftovers from my dad’s groceries), frozen veggies and threw in the cauliflower and broccoli from our Bountiful Basket.  It was awesomely yummy.  And that’s because Peter made it, he does a mean stir-fry!.  I still have brussels sprouts to use, not sure what I will do with those yet.
3. Organization: My freezers are organized AND I have an inventory list! I also reorganized my big shelf in pantry. I didn’t make an inventory list of it but I am thinking about it. I definitely have a better idea of what we have though. Simply putting my hands on  the food reminded me what we have, plus having it neatly organized makes it easier to see.
4. Shopping: I stocked up on applesauce pouches, ground turkey and diet coke. We made a Costco trip for a few essentials including string cheese, feta cheese and turkey jerky.   I also picked up several freebies to donate including toothpaste, Destin and splendid!  
5. Misc.:   I picked up a few pairs of bigger pants for Quinn and a few big onsies for Elliot at Rock’n babies using our trade credit.  Quinn is growing like a week and Elliot is constantly trying to take his clothes off (UGH), so a “free” solution for both problems.  I have started emailing companies again with requests for coupons, this week I did Star (olive oil), President Cheese, Mr. Bubbles and Purex. 

A Few Goals For Next Week

We need to use the brussels sprouts from last week! We are doing pretty good with using food from sale stuff or our pantry/freezer, so we will just keep that up.

My final stockpile organization task is to work on the cleaning supplies in the laundry room. I know I DESPERATELY need laundry soap, we are down to like 2 bottles… Seriously how does that happen? I am really hoping a hot deal pops up soon.  I also need to get my office/papers organized and this is a perpetual task for me. However I hope to make a bigger dent in it this week….. We shall see.

How was your last week? Did you stock up on any great deals?