My2CentsFL

A Few New Printable Pet Coupons

2012-01-27T16:13:00.000-05:00

Here are a few new printable pet coupons. Print and hold for a sale. Enjoy!

FREE Chicken Coup Remix HD on Amazon Appstore - Today ONLY!

2011-12-10T13:30:00.000-05:00

Today only, get Chicken Coup Remix HD for your Android FREE (reg price $1.99) from the Amazon Appstore. Click the link in the picture below to get the app.

New Printable Coupons!

2011-12-08T13:25:00.001-05:00

Review - AdoraPet Children's Books

2011-12-02T12:26:00.000-05:00

My girls love to read so we are always on the lookout for new, exciting, age appropriate books to add to our home library. Naturally, when I was offered the opportunity to review a new line of children's books from AdoraPet I eagerly jumped at the chance. AdoraPet is the brainchild of YiShaun Yang, a former corporate attorney that found her calling nourishing children's minds. You can read more on her story on their about us page.

AdoraPet offers a wide selection of books that will interest your child. Titles include:

Astronaut Adventure
Ballerina
Chefs
Visit the Dentist
On the Farm
Firefighter Adventure
Mermaid Adventure
Pirate Adventure

We chose to receive the books "On The Farm" and "Chefs" to facilitate our review.

On The Farm is about Pima Puppy and Pico Puppy's day on a farm. The book teaches about the hard work needed to run a farm, as well as teaching children where our food comes from. We grow a lot of our own food, and On The Farm helps Serena understand the process on a much larger scale.

Chefs is about Pima Puppy and Pico Puppy's adventures in the kitchen. Both of my girls like to cook with me, and Chefs is a great introduction to the ways of a working kitchen. It even includes a bonus cookie recipe! Yum!

Here are some highlights of AdoraPet's Children's Books:

At 4.5" x 4.5" AdoraPet books are the perfect size for little hands.
The illustrations are colorful and familiar, easily catching a child's attention.
Rhyming wording gives the books a "sing song" rhythm which children love.
The hardcover on the books ensures they will make a lasting addition to your home library.
With each book 44 pages in length, I find it's the perfect length for a quick story, and they aren't too long to hold the attention of little ones.

As you can see, Serena loves AdoraPet books! She literally takes them with her everywhere, even to bed!

AdoraPet books would make a treasured addition to any child's life. Priced at $5.95 each they are also affordable. You can purchase your copies of AdoraPet books on their website HERE. (Hint: They are the perfect size for Stocking Stuffers!)

Interested in purchasing your own copies or learning more about AdoraPet's?
Visit the AdoraPet website
Follow them on Facebook
Follow them on Twitter

Disclaimer: I was provided the above product at no cost in order to provide my readers with an honest review, however this did not sway my opinion of the product in any way. No other compensation was received.

New Month - New Coupons!

2011-12-01T13:42:00.000-05:00

New Coupons:

HOT! New Coupons.com printables

2011-11-30T12:05:00.000-05:00

New Coupons:

Weekly Menu 11/28 - 12/4 (Weekly Total = $21.54)

2011-11-28T21:03:00.000-05:00

WHEW! Thanksgiving is finally over and my life is settling back to normal (as normal as it ever gets around here). I finally had a chance to sit down and figure out a menu for this week. Knowing what's for dinner reduces a ton of stress for me so I don't mind making the time to sit down and plan my menu.

11/28: Turkey Pot Pie, Salad
Leftover Turkey and pantry items - $0.00
Half bag of Publix frozen mixed veggies - $0.50
Bag of Spinach (BOGO at Publix last week) - $1.50
Homemade dressing from pantry items - $0.00
Total = $2.00 for 6 servings, or $0.33 per serving

11/29: Chili
Dry kidney beans = $0.99
1 lb lean ground beef (on sale $3.99/lb last week plus used $1 off fresh beef Winn Dixie Coupon) = $2.99
Canned Tomatoes (BOGO at Publix last week) = $0.80
Total = $4.78 for 8 servings, or $0.60 per serving

11/30: Turkey Enchilada Casserole, Black Beans, Rice

Leftover Turkey from Thanksgiving (don't worry, we celebrated on Sunday so our's isn't a week old) - $0.00
Enchilada sauce - $1.39
Tortillas - frozen leftover from BOGO a couple weeks ago - $0.95
Black Beans (used 1/4 lb dry beans) - $0.25
Rice (BOGO at Winn Dixie several weeks ago) - $0.50
Total = $3.09 for 8 servings, or $0.39 per serving

12/1: Tacos
Old El Paso Taco Kit (BOGO at Publix this week) - $1.30
Lettuce (on sale for $1.69 at Publix this week, used 1/4 head) - $0.43
1 lb Lean Ground Beef (on sale $3.99/lb at Publix last week) - $3.99
Total = $5.72 for 12 servings, or $0.48 per serving (Note: This is not my best price on taco night, but it's still cheaper than a box of 12 at the local taco drive through.)

12/2: Spaghetti with garlic breadsticks
Ragu (BOGO at Publix last week) - $1.30
Spaghetti (FREE using coupon wyb Ragu) - $0.00
Garlic Breadsticks (50% off sale at Publix last week, plus used coupon) - $1.29
Total = $2.59 for 6 servings, or $0.43 per serving

12/3: Beans on Bread
16 oz package dry pinto beans - $0.99
White sandwich bread (Publix brand) - $1.07
Total = $2.06 for 12 servings, or $0.17 per serving

12/4: Venison Cubed Steaks, Rice
Venison (Gift from a friend) - $0.00
Canned Tomatoes (BOGO at Publix last week) - $0.80

Rice (BOGO at Winn Dixie several weeks ago) - $0.50

Total = $1.30 for 4 servings, or $0.32 per serving

Total this week = $21.54

How are you doing at planning your menu?

Weekly Menu 11/5 - 11/12 (Weekly Total = $19.55)

2011-11-05T17:46:00.000-04:00

I have an easy shopping week coming up! With the backyard makeover happening I'm glad because that is one less thing I have to get done before the big day! I added tonight's meal to the menu because I forgot to plan it last week.

11/5: Chicken Pot Pie

1 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3/4 lb) - purchased Zaycon Foods - $0.43

Bag of frozen mixed veggies = $0.99

Total = $1.42, or $0.36 per serving (4 servings)

11/6: Lime Grilled Chicken, Baked Potatoes

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3/4 lb) - purchased Zaycon Foods - $1.28

Baked Potatoes (on sale $3.99 for 5 lb last week at Publix, using 1/4 bag) = $0.75

Total = $2.03, or $0.68 per serving (3 servings)

11/7: Spinach Pie
Spinach (on sale for $1.89 at Publix last week) = $1.89

3 Eggs = $0.49

3 cups cheddar cheese (bought 1 lb block and used $1 off coupon, using 1/2 block)= $2.00

Total = $4.38 or $0.54 per serving (8 servings)

11/8: Panko chicken, homemade french fries

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3/4 lb) - purchased Zaycon Foods - $1.28

Potatoes (on sale $3.99 for 5 lb last week at Publix, using 1/4 bag) = $0.75

Total = $3.07, or $0.38 per serving (8 servings)

11/9: Seared Tuna, Green beans
Sushi Grade Tuna (bought 50% off at Land and Sea) $4.48
1 bag frozen green beans - $0.99
Total = $5.47, or $1.82 per serving (3 servings)

11/10: Chicken Taco Skillet

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb) - purchased Zaycon Foods - $1.69

Tomato Soup (FREE with coupon a few months ago) = $0.00

Tortillas = $1.49

Total = $3.18, or $0.53 per serving (6 servings)

11/11 & 11/12: EATING OUT
We will be eating out for the weekend due to the work being done. Eating out comes from a separate budget in my house, so I won't include it here.

Total for the week = $19.55

What's on your menu this week?

Weekly Menu 10/31 - 11/6 (Weekly Total = $24.90)

2011-11-01T13:26:00.000-04:00

10/31: Eat out with a gift certificate we received from my Aunt. (Thank you, AJ!)
Total = $0.00 out of our pocket

11/1: Hamburgers with Crispy Baked Potato Fans
8 sirlion burgers (bought at Land and Sea with a 50% off weekly coupon) - $3.75
Potatoes (5 lb bag on sale for $2.99 at Publix this week, used 1/2 a bag) - $1.50
Total = $5.25 or $0.66 per serving (8 servings)

11/2: Spaghetti with Meatballs, Garlic bread
Spaghetti noodles (on sale BOGO at Publix last week, stacked coupons) - $0.12
Barilla Pasta Sauce (on sale BOGO at Publix last week, stacked coupons) - $0.38
Armour Meatballs (on sale BOGO at Winn Dixie a few weeks ago, stacked coupons) - $1.50
Homemade Garlic Bread (using white bread from pantry) - $0.32
Total = $2.32, or $0.29 per serving (8 servings)

11/3: Chicken Stir Fry
Noodles (leftover from Spaghetti last night) - $0.00
2 (about 1/2 lb) boneless skinless chicken breasts (purchased Zaycon Foods) - $0.85
1 bag frozen stir fry vegetables - $0.99
Total = $1.84, or $0.31 per serving (6 servings)

11/4: Pizza Stuffers, French Fries, Salad
Pizza Stuffers (BOGO at Publix with stacked coupons) - $1.75
French Fries (reg priced $3.99, used 1/2 bag) - $2.00
Romaine Lettuce (reg price, used 1 head) - $1
Total = $4.75, or $1.19 per serving (4 servings)

11/5: Pan Fried Basa, Sauteed Spinach, White Rice
Basa (1 filet, bought with 50% off coupon at Land and Sea) - $3.25
Spinach (on sale at Publix this week) - $1.89
White Rice (BOGO at Winn Dixie a few weeks ago, only used 2 cups) - $0.25
Total = $5.39, or $1.80 per serving

11/6: Pick Up A Hot Ready Pizza at Little Caesars
Total = $5.35 including tax, or $1.34 per serving

Did you plan your menu this week? Is so, how much did you spend out of pocket?

New! November Printable Coupons

2011-11-01T12:41:00.001-04:00

There are some really great new printable coupons available on Coupons.com. Print these now and put them in your binders!

New November Coupons:

Save $1 on Any Cheese 1 lb or Larger (Valid in FL only)

2011-10-26T20:07:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite coupons. I love cheese and use it in just about everything. 1lb cheese is currently on sale at Publix for $4.99. Using the coupon makes your OOP only $3.99.

Save $1 off ANY Brand of Cheese, 1 lb or larger (This coupon is valid in FL only.)

Wal-Mart: Hormel Canadian Bacon only $0.23

2011-10-26T19:48:00.000-04:00

There's a sweet deal going on at WalMart this week!

Buy: Hormel Pizza Style Canadian Bacon, 3.5 oz $1.73 (price will vary by location)
Use $1.50/1 Hormel Canadian Bacon coupon (zip 10098)
Final Price: $0.23 after coupon

CVS: Gold Emblem Spices just $0.49

2011-10-26T19:35:00.000-04:00

CVS currently has ALL Gold Emblem spices on sale B1G1 FREE. Normally $0.99 each, this sale makes them just $0.49! (No coupon needed!)

Thanks Money Saving Madness

Recipe of the Week - Crockpot White Chicken Chili ($6.80 / $0.85)

2011-10-26T18:59:00.000-04:00

Here's a budget recipe that's sure to please even the pickiest pallet! I found this recipe using the (free) BigOven app on my phone. I love BigOven because you can put in the ingredients you have on hand and it will recommend recipes using those ingredients. We had some leftover "Weight Watchers Fiesta Chicken" last night that no one liked. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it until I found this recipe. I put the leftovers in the crockpot and no one could tell the difference. Yay for hiding bad leftovers! (I included the cost of the chicken in this meal plan even though it was a leftover for us.) Anyway, here's the recipe I used:

Crockpot White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts - cubed

1 can tomatoes

2 cans northern beans*

2 cups (160z) frozen corn

1 can diced chilis (optional)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp salt

1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

Place all ingredients except cheese in the crockpot. Cook 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. ½ hour prior to serving add bag of shredded cheese.

Serve with crusty bread.

*I used 16 oz of dried northern beans instead of canned. You can soak them overnight or do a quick boil on them if you're short on time.

Here's my cost breakdown:

1 can tomatoes = $0.63 at Publix (BOGO sale & stacked coupons)**

2 cans northern beans = $0.99**

2 cups (160z) frozen corn = $0.99 for Publix brand**

1 can diced chilis (optional) = We don't eat chilis so I omitted these

1 tsp ground cumin = Pantry item

1 tsp chili powder = Pantry item

½ tsp pepper = Pantry item

½ tsp salt = Pantry item

1 lb (approx 4) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts = $1.69 from Zaycon Foods

1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese =$2.50 at Publix for the small bag (which is what I used)**

Total cost for this meal = $6.80, or only $0.85 per serving (I'm estimating this makes 8 servings. However, there seems to be more like 12 servings in the crockpot.)

**The above items can be purchased through the WIC program, bringing the total cost for this meal down to $4.19, or only $0.52 per serving!

BOGO Chiquita Avocado Coupon

2011-10-14T16:34:00.000-04:00

Head over and "like" the Chiquita Avocados Facebook Page and you can print a coupon for BOGO Chiquita Avocados!

Sunday Coupon Preview is Available

2011-08-06T10:31:00.000-04:00

Are you ready to find out what coupons you can expect to find in your Sunday paper? Go HERE to find out which coupons will be in your paper!

$0.25 Clairol Hair Color at Dollar General

2011-08-06T10:12:00.000-04:00

Dollar General has a great deal on Clairol Balsam Hair Color this week - you can get it for only $0.25.
Working this deal:

Buy Clairol Balsam Hair Color $2.75
Use $5/2 Clairol Hair Color, exp. 8/31/11 (SS 07/17/11)
$2/1 Clairol Hair Color, exp. 8/31/11 (P&G 07/31/11) (this would make it $0.75 each)
Final Price: $0.25 each wyb 2

Thanks, Hip 2 Save!

Note To Self

2011-08-05T14:37:00.000-04:00

Photo Credit

Note To Self: Don't quit smoking and start potty training on the same day.

Enough said.

Quit Smoking in Florida - For FREE!

2011-08-04T11:01:00.000-04:00

Being frugal will only get you so far with your budget...if you're a smoker. Sadly, I've spent more than half my life as a smoker, but I'm ready to put that part of my life behind me and QUIT! I successfully quit smoking for a few years following a major surgery. They way I saw it back then was if I spent 6 days unable to get out of the hospital bed the nicotine was already long gone from my system so it was the perfect opportunity to quit.

Even after years of not smoking, the desire to light up got the better of me one evening and BAM! I started up again. Sad, huh? One night of "for old times sake" got me hooked immediately.

Once again I'm ready to give up this bad habit. There are several ways to quit, all of which I've toyed with. First, there's the COLD TURKEY method. Uhhhh...this one is not for me. I'm too much of an emotionally attached smoker to just toss my cigarettes and get on with my life. I stomp and pout and feel put out and am angry that I have to quit. Nope, not for me at all.

Then there's the WEANING method (at least that's what I'm calling it). You gradually cut back how many cigarettes you smoke each day until you are finished smoking. This is great for some people, but again it's not for me. My husband on the other hand does best with this quit method.

There are PATCHES, GUMS and LOZENGES to help aid you along your way, but have you seen the COST for these things? If you're like me, shelling out $40 or $50 for a week's worth of these accessories was not doable. Yes, there are coupons available for these aids, but never enough to reduce the cost to the same as a pack of cigarettes, so it seemed cheaper to just smoke. Then someone introduced me to the Florida Quitline.

The Florida Quitline is a FREE program for Florida residents that are ready to kick the habit. The site offers many great resources including this Smoking Cost Calculator. I just ran my numbers and for t 2 us to smoke, we're spending $4139.10 a year! YIKES! That's a really awesome vacation we could take (that we "can't afford" right now), or paying off our credit card or even a down payment on a new car! Talk about a wake up call!

When you've made the decision to quit, call the quitline and speak to a representative to determine what your quit needs are. If you are serious about your quit you will be sent your choice of nicotine patches, gum or lozenges. During your quit a counselor will keep in touch with you to check your progress and keep you motivated.

If you or someone you know is ready to quit, head to the Florida Quitline website and get started!

Pampers Gifts To Grow: 5 pts NEW

2011-08-04T09:41:00.000-04:00

There's another new Pampers Gifts to Grow 5 point code out! If you aren't a member of Gifts to Grow yet, head HERE to join for FREE! There are many codes released with no purchase necessary. Gather these codes for points and you can redeem the points for FREE things for baby (and mom)!

BABYISDUEANYDAY

Saving Money on Meat - Zaycon Foods Review

2011-08-03T23:34:00.000-04:00

Have you noticed the price of food has increased 5% - 8%? Like most folks on a budget, even using coupons, I'm feeling the squeeze a bit more these days because of it. Unfortunately the first items on my grocery list to get cut are meats. I used to see sales on meat frequently, and while there are still some sales here and there they are not as great as they used to me. For example, I used to see boneless skinless chicken breasts at Publix for $1.99/lb, however I haven't seen it for less than $2.30/lb in quite a while. As a matter of fact, many couponers have raised their stockup price on boneless skinless chicken breasts from $1.99/lb to $2.30/lb. In addition to the price increase the sales are fewer and farther between, being as long as 3 - 4 months between sales instead of the 6 weeks that once was the trend. With the slight increase in price and decrease in frequency I've been purchasing less meat and trying to stretch what I do purchase further at every meal.

With that being said, let me tell you about a company based out of Washington state that is expanding into the Southeast; Zaycon Foods. Founded in 2009, Zaycon Foods offers fresh meats and other products directly to consumers at wholesale prices.

I was given the opportunity to review a 40lb - YES 40lb! - case of Zaycon Foods boneless skinless chicken breasts and boy am I impressed! Let me tell you something - the chicken you get "fresh" at the grocery store is at least 2 weeks old already - Eww. The chicken I received from Zaycon Foods was only 5 days old making it much fresher than anything I could buy at the store. The Zaycon Foods breasts are HUGE! And the quality is amazing!

There was a bit of prep work involved with the chicken I received. You see, in order to get the lowest possible price there is a bit less processing done to prep the meat for consumers. The breasts were still attached together and it was up to me to separate them. While it may be be as convenient as picking up a styrofoam package of meat from the store, I tend to spend about 20 minutes cleaning off the "yucky stuff" from a small grocery store package of boneless skinless chicken breasts so the additional time needed for prep work did not bother me at all. It took me about 2 hours to prep the entire 40lb box, but I am a stickler for getting ALL the stuff I won't eat off of my chicken (I am often the butt of family jokes for this habit) AND I was meeting the children's needs at the same time. Doing the math, 20 minutes on 2 or 3 breasts versus 2 hours on 40lbs of is not bad at all. If I'd had uninterrupted time to do this I could have been done in about an hour I'd guess. And if I didn't attack raw chicken like a neurosurgeon performing a majorly complicated surgery I'd probably had the whole 40lbs done in under 30 minutes. My husband was not home at the time, so I was unable to get pictures of the prep work in progress, however here is a great video showing how the chicken comes and how to prep it:

We have used our Zaycon Foods chicken breasts to make several dinners including stir fry, grilled chicken breasts, chicken nuggets, chicken salad, chicken wraps, soups, chicken pot pie, and more. The meat tastes very fresh, has a wonderful texture, is tender and delicious! Two of these enormous chicken breasts feed my family of 4 with plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day!

Chicken Lo Mein I made using Zaycon Foods Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

If you're looking to save money on meat head over and register on the Zaycon Foods website and they will notify you when sales are upcoming in your area! I can't wait for the first Zaycon Foods event in my area!

Disclaimer: I was provided the above product at no cost in order to provide my readers with an honest review, however this did not sway my opinion of the product in any way. No other compensation was received.

Sunday Coupon Preview is Available

2011-07-30T10:31:00.000-04:00

Are you ready to find out what coupons you can expect to find in your Sunday paper? Go HERE to find out which coupons will be in your paper!

Sunday Coupon Preview is Available

2011-07-23T10:31:00.001-04:00

Are you ready to find out what coupons you can expect to find in your Sunday paper? Go HERE to find out which coupons will be in your paper!

Sunday Coupon Preview is Available

2011-07-16T22:31:00.002-04:00

Are you ready to find out what coupons you can expect to find in your Sunday paper? Go HERE to find out which coupons will be in your paper!

Summertime & BIG News!

2011-07-05T09:21:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted. I've been SO busy trying to keep my kids entertained this summer that I honestly have not had much time to sit and write. Once school starts back up I should be back up and running again.

I have some big news I wanted to share with you though. Several months ago I entered CSN Store's Battle Your Blah Backyard contest. There were over 13,000 entries across the nation and I WON!

WOOT! WOOT!

As the winner, I'll receive a $15K backyard makeover from CSN Stores. I can't believe it! Since we bought this house almost 4 years ago I've dreamed about giving my children a place to play, but we have been unable to do so...until now! Here is my original entry essay into the contest:

"Shortly after moving into our first home, I became pregnant with my second child. At my 20 week checkup I was put on bedrest for preterm labor.Two days before I delivered I was let go from my job (for being out too long). I held this job for 8 years before this happened and we did not see this coming. All our dreams of re-sodding our sand spurred lot and fencing in our backyard so the children can go outside and play went out the window when I lost my job. We have a very small house and our girls (now 9 years old and 9 months old) are limited to playing in our small living room or in their tiny bedrooms. I would LOVE to be able to let them go outside to play, safely, in a fenced in backyard. There is nothing more calming than sitting outside watching my girls play, seeing them laugh and run freely with smiles on their faces while I tend to my garden or sit and read a book under our tree."

I am so honored to be chosen as the winner of this contest! Now I just have to figure out what to tell them about what our wants and needs are (well, the needs are easy, but narrowing down the "wants" makes is more difficult). :)

If you won your dream backyard, what would you include in your list of "wants"?

My2CentsFL

A Few New Printable Pet Coupons

FREE Chicken Coup Remix HD on Amazon Appstore - Today ONLY!

New Printable Coupons!

Review - AdoraPet Children's Books

New Month - New Coupons!

HOT! New Coupons.com printables

Weekly Menu 11/28 - 12/4 (Weekly Total = $21.54)

Weekly Menu 11/5 - 11/12 (Weekly Total = $19.55)

I have an easy shopping week coming up! With the backyard makeover happening I'm glad because that is one less thing I have to get done before the big day! I added tonight's meal to the menu because I forgot to plan it last week.

11/5: Chicken Pot Pie

11/6: Lime Grilled Chicken, Baked Potatoes

Weekly Menu 10/31 - 11/6 (Weekly Total = $24.90)

New! November Printable Coupons

Save $1 on Any Cheese 1 lb or Larger (Valid in FL only)

Wal-Mart: Hormel Canadian Bacon only $0.23

CVS: Gold Emblem Spices just $0.49

Recipe of the Week - Crockpot White Chicken Chili ($6.80 / $0.85)

BOGO Chiquita Avocado Coupon

Sunday Coupon Preview is Available

$0.25 Clairol Hair Color at Dollar General

Note To Self

Quit Smoking in Florida - For FREE!

Pampers Gifts To Grow: 5 pts *NEW*

Saving Money on Meat - Zaycon Foods Review

Sunday Coupon Preview is Available

Sunday Coupon Preview is Available

Sunday Coupon Preview is Available

Summertime & BIG News!

Pampers Gifts To Grow: 5 pts NEW