Easter Baskets on a budget! DAY 9!

Ever since I can remember, I have always loved Easter.  It may be because my birthday is around Easter, or the adorable dresses and suits the kids wear.  It could possibly be the fond memories of my Aunt Eileens special "bunny cake", or Easter dinner at my Grandmas.  Whatever the reasons, I STILL look forward to Church on Easter Sunday and the anticipation of the Easter egg hunt.  Although I am fantastically frugal, I love to have Easter baskets sitting by the fireplace when my kids wake up on Easter morning.  Now, if I am not careful, this could get very expensive!

I have been asking people all week how they do Easter for their kiddos.  Out of the 10 woman I asked, 9 said they go to the dollar store or the $1 bin at Target to stuff their kids baskets, the 1 other woman said she did not do baskets at all.  Personally I try NOT to take the dollar store route (for easter baskets...I DO go there for other items).  I have found that I spend WAY more buying "stuff" for my two kids then I would on just one more useable item.  Also, most of the things from the dollar store  end up in the garbage a week later.  So with that said, below is what my two boys will be surprised with on Easter morning.

  What little boy wouldn't want a supersoaker water gun and a baseball bat from the easter bunny???  Also pictured are snickers chocolate egg candies.  I bought all this today for.........you guessed it, right around $8!!!  (Really I only spent $.17 of my $8/day since i purchased the toys with a Kohls giftcard :)

This is how I did it:  Last Friday I was pleasantly surprised to find a Kohls $10 off a $20 purchase coupon stuck to the paper delivered to my house (I get 2 papers delivered so I was able to snag 2!!).  Next if you sign up for Kohls email alerts HERE they will email you a coupon for $5 off a $5 purchase.  I was able to stack these two coupons AND a 20% off coupon they mailed to me.  I also had money still on a gift card from Christmas.

TOTAL BEFORE COUPONS: $38.13

TOTAL AFTER COUPONS: $6.73, PLUS I used a gift card that STILL has money on it!!
I also went to walgreens and bought 7 snickers eggs.  The total before coupons was $2.26, after coupons.....$.17

TOTAL SPENT ON BOYS' EASTER BASKETS: $.17 (that does not include the gift card purchase)

I also had to run out and grab a gallon of milk...priced at a sickening $2.55!!! 

TOTAL SPENT DAY 9:  $2.72 (rollover for today: $5.28   TOTAL rollover: $24.35...)

I want  to hear from you...Please leave a comment and tell me about the ways you celebrate Easter on a budget!!! 

Day Eight: $8/day challenge!

Well Friends, we have completed the first week of the $8/day challenge.  I must say, I am pleasantly surprised at how "on board" my husband has been.  I am also surprised how many temptations there have been to overspend.  Even though I am a "bargain hunter" and always use coupons, I do tend to impulse buy and try to get EVERY good deal that comes along.  This is not only time consuming, but through this challenge I have realized it is also costly.  We don't need all the "stuff" we think we do, we will be JUST FINE without it (probably even better without it!). 


This next week, we are going to continue to live on $8/day and as an added bonus, I am adding my own personal challenge: ACCOMPLISH ONE TASK A DAY TO TRY AND GET ORGANIZED!  A few weeks ago, someone (who must NOT know me that well :) ) asked me how I stay so organized...I burst out in laughter and wondered who in the world this woman could possibly be speaking to.  You see, I am one of the MOST unorganized people on this planet.  When people walk into my house and comment on how clean it is, I tell them to open a closet or drawer..then they see the "real" me.  Basically I am a mess.  So this week I am going to attempt to do one small thing a day to get me to where i want to be.  I challenge you all to take a few minutes each day and join with me on my challenge within a challenge!  Who's in?!?!?!?!


DAY 8 
Today started a little rocky for me...I didn't sleep well, and the first thing I heard as I woke up was screaming fighting children.....awesome...  I headed out the door to work (no coffee consumed, BIG MISTAKE!) late of course.  I was going to try and make it to free Chick-fil-a, but time wasn't on my side.  I did however have a lovely morning cleaning and then picked up the boys for lunch at a friends.  We were greeted at our friends house with an AMAZING spread of food and COFFEE (Thank the Lord!).  The boys played outside and got a lot of their energy out.
TOTAL COST FOR LUNCH AT A PALS: $0

I was still exhausted from my lack of sleep from last night so I decided to lay down with Luke for his nap.  (Useless information about Kate for the day.....I do NOT nap well.  My crazy little wheels start turning and before you know it I have the worlds issues solved and my unborn children named) Luckily, I DID in fact fall asleep and slept for TWO hours...whoo hoo!
COST OF LAZY AFTERNOON: PRICELESS!

After my wonderful nap, I decided to clean up a bit and bathe the kids before heading out to Church.  Wednesday nights are "church night".  Our home church has an amazing children's ministry that the boys LOVE.  Tonight was there spring break celebration which included pizza, fun activity and an 8 foot SUNDAE (which i was lucky enough to scoop out!).  The kids had a blast, i didn't have to make then dinner or clean it up, I was able to visit with some friends, and my husband got 2 hours of a quiet house!
TOTAL COST FOR DINNER/DESSERT AND FUN: $0

All in all we had an AMAZING day with lots of activities that cost us NOTHING! 
TOTAL SPENT TODAY: $0  ($8 rollover, total rollover: $19.07!!!! Someone's getting gas tomorrow!!)

Tip of the day: Even if you are not a churchgoer, your kids are MORE then welcome to attend the children's programs at your local church.  They offer some amazing FREE (or very low cost) things for kids to participate in.  I sent Jack to Vacation Bible schools all last summer at 6 different churches!!  He had a BLAST, it was FREE and I had my mornings with only 1 kiddo!

Spending eight with Kate: Day 7

When I woke up this morning, I noticed an email from Groupon featuring the Daily deal.  It was a $15 EBAY credit for $7.  I knew I couldn't pass this up since Jack's 5th birthday is in a few weeks and I will be ordering some party supplies/gifts from EBAY.  I was going  to get gas....but this was WAY more exciting then stopping at the pump! 
TOTAL SPENT ON $15 EBAY CREDIT: $7 ($1 rollover..total Rollover $11.07)

That is all for today ladies and gentlemen,  I will post some pics of the items I am able to purchase with my $15 credit!! 

60 minute massage for $25!!

I wanted to highlight one of my Favorite Daily Deal Websites weeklyplus.com.  Unlike many other websites, WeeklyPlus offers deals that last 7 days!  I have purchased oil changes, pizza gift certificates, and even that haircut I was talking about yesterday all from WeeklyPlus.com! 

They are currently offering a 60 minute hot stone, deep tissue, or swedish massage for $25 (along with 12 other HOT deals!)!!!  Sign up for e-mail alerts so you don't miss out on something great!!

A doozy of a DAY 6....$8/day challenge.

While most of you were sleeping last night at around midnight, I (along with a "coupon Partner-in-crime") was out at King Soopers doing a little coupon shopping.  If you read day 5, you know that I was out of many household essentials.  Although I purchased the produce and milk, I still was in need of pasta and COFFEE!!  I knew waking up without coffee was NOT an option, so I headed out to the 24 hour Kings, coupons in hand of course.

I spent about 30 minutes clipping and printing coupons and had a strategic plan of attack for my late night bargain hunting.  I had a coupon for EVERY single item I placed in my cart.  There was no room for error in my plan.  I WILL need gas this week and we NEED some rollover cash!  Below is what I purchased:

That right there friends is: 1-package oscar meyer Bologna
                                           1-package oscar meyer Hot dogs
                                           1- loaf Natures Own Multigrain Bread
                                           3-Yakisoba noodle dinners
                                           2-Brawny Paper Towel Rolls
                                           3- Vitamin Waters
                                           2- Fuze drinks
                                           3-boxes Rice-a-roni
                                           1-Annies Mac and Cheese
                                           1-Pasta-roni
                                           3- Franks Red Hot Sauce (2 wing sauce)
                                           9- boxes Healthy Harvest angel hair pasta
                                           2- bags Healthy Harvest egg noodles
                                           4- boxes Healthy Harvest Penne pasta
   and last BUT NOT least 1- Can of Folgers coffee (this is a sore subject since i usually only get starbucks whole bean!!)

TOTAL BEFORE COUPONS: $82.51
TOTAL AFTER COUPONS and SUPERCARD: ..........$3.10 !!!!  (which provided us with a positive rollover of $4.90...Total Rollover $10.07!)

  I must say, even though I had a plan and my list was all coupon/sale items, I was SHOCKED at my total.  I made some overage with the hot sauce and got ALL the noodles free, along with some other free items!  For a list of items on sale, check This out.

After stocking up on most everything we need to get us through the week (minus meat) I knew what else we REALLY NEEDED....haircuts.  You see, I get a haircut once a year.  I know that sounds extreme, but much like Sampson I have some crazy hair-cutting complex (blame my mother, she would never let me cut my hair as a little girl).  It has actually been 15 months since my last haircut...don't fret though, I have a voucher purchased through a daily deal website that I have to use by June :) !!  Unlike me, the three men in my life get haircuts monthly!!!!!  It drives me crazy and even with coupons, it gets VERY expensive.  Yesterday at church I looked at my little Lukey and could hardly see his eyes over his shaggy mop top.  Today, in a DIRE attempt to adhere to our strict $8/day...I, Kate Wadlington, who can't cut a straight line, CUT my child's hair.  And guess what.....It doesn't look horrible (just don't look closely!).  Personally I think it looks just as good as his last choppity-chop from Sports Clips.  Now, If I could only convince my husband to let me near his precious golden locks.....
TOTAL FOR HAIRCUT: $0


Tip of The day: Break out of your comfort zone and give something you never thought you could do a try!  Who knows, you might even be good at it! 

Day 5: $8/day challenge:

I want to be completely honest with you all, this challenge has been MUCH more difficult then I had thought.  All weekend I had the urge to go out and spend money (which is RARE for me!).  I truly believe that living without all the "stuff" I "think" I need has been eye opening...AND very challenging!

Sunday morning the boys and I headed out to church.  We had a lovely morning of worship and spent the rest of the day relaxing and getting some tasks crossed off our to-do list.  One of the things on my to-do list was to go through the fridge and cabinets to see what essentials we would need for the week.  Low and behold guess what I discovered?  We, the Wadlington's were COMPLETELY out of milk, most produce, PASTA, and COFFEE (and if you know me, you know that Katie without coffee is not such a pleasant thing).  It was pretty obvious that all of our money (even rollover) would be spent on essentials.....or so I thought.....

I knew Safeway was having a sale on grapes, and I also had a $2 off a $6 or more purchase in the produce section coupon.  I headed out the door after about 10 minutes of coupon prep.  I quickly picked up some grapes, banana's  and apples in the produce isle then headed to pick up the milk.  My eyes started wandering and I noticed they were running a "frozen food extraordinaire".....this is no bueno for a coupon mom with an $8 budget and a cart full of produce!  I figured out that with all my coupons and savings card, I could still manage some frozen food items.  My husband does not cook, so frozen pizzas are a staple in this house!!  Below is a picture of what was purchased:

That right there is : 3-frozen pizzas, 1-12 count cookies and cream ice cream sandwiches, 1-gallon milk, 5-braeburn apples ($.99/lb.) bundle of banana's ($.49/lb) and some delicious green grapes ($.99/lb.)

TOTAL SPENT AFTER COUPONS AND SAFEWAY CLUB CARD: $10.40!!!! (even though I had to dip into our rollover, I was pleasantly surprised with how low my total was considering all that I bought!  Total rollover used: $ 2.40...Total rollover remaining $5.17)

I would encourage anyone who needs frozen food items to head over to their local Safeway store.  In the flyer at the front of the store, there is a coupon for $5 off your frozen food purchase of $15 or more. 

Free Rental Code at Blockbuster express...Today ONLY!

Hi friends!  With the weather here in Colorado all gloomy, it feels like a perfect day to snuggle on the couch and watch some movies!  Lucky for me (and YOU) there is a rental code out for a FREE movie rental today ONLY at any Blockbuster Express.  Just enter code FREEMONDAY to get your free movie!!!

This code is can be used one time PER credit/debit card, so if you have multiple cards, you can get multilpe movies...(think one for you, one for the kids!

To locate a Blockbuster Express near you, go HERE

***Also, be on the look out for days 5 and 6 of the $8/day challenge....it will be GOOD!***

Day 4.....

As you will see by the picture below, today's purchases were quite random!

I woke up this morning already knowing what I WANTED to spend our $8 on.  You see, my wonderful husband was just promoted at work and this was his FIRST Saturday having weekends OFF!  It has been a LONG two years of "husbandless" weekends and I am praising God that all his hard work has paid off and he was recognized for his dedication to his job. I wanted to make a nice dinner and buy a few bottles of wine to celebrate having him home on a SATURDAY night.  As I was heading out the door, $8 in hand I remembered that little Luke was OUT OF DIAPERS!!!  You see, my little guy was almost completely potty trained, even through the night (or so I thought) but lately has been peeing through everything MULTIPLE times a night!!!! ARGHHHH!  I had been using pull-ups, which are much less absorbent then regular diapers.  I knew I was going to have to dip into our "rollover" money just for my own personal sanity! (washing sheets twice a day is stressful!)

I scrolled through the weekly ads and noticed huggies were on sale at Walgreens for $7.99.  There is also a new $3 off ANY size package of Huggies coupon HERE and i knew I had $4 in Walgreens Register Rewards that I had to use by tomorrow!  So, with my coupons in hand, Luke and I headed out on our shopping trip!  We walked into walgreens and on a very nice display table was a can of raisins which Luke quickly grabbed (more like a death grip) and screamed "ME HAVE, ME HAVE" over and over again.  Most mothers would be happy that their two year old wanted a healthy snack and didn't run for the candy bars...I on the other hand was concerned with the price of said healthy snack.  Thank goodness they were on sale for $2, I could work with that!  We walked up to the register with the diapers and raisins....Total before coupons $10.69
TOTAL SPENT (after coupon and register rewards): $3.28

Since I had saved so much at Walgreens on my "must buy items" I thought it was appropriate to fulfill my original plan and head to Total Beverage and buy some wine!  I must tell you,  I try to be frugal in every aspect of my life...that includes liquor store purchases!  I located the "bargain cart" full of discounted wine and quickly found some AWESOME deals.  I picked up two bottles of wine, one was originally priced at $10.98 marked down to $2.98!!!  The next bottle was a Syrah marked down to $3.98.
TOTAL SPENT FOR 2 BOTTLES OF WINE: $6.96
****We are not brand specific on anything and trying new wines is always exciting...even if they are from the bargain cart!!!*****

TOTAL SPENT DAY 4: $10.24  (we used $2.24 of our rollover...New Rollover amount $7.57)

~~~I was feeling a little guilty about ALREADY using our rollover money (especially seeing as though I WILL need gasoline sometime this week and recently passed by a station and saw a $3.44/gallon sign..yikes!) but quickly remembered that we deserve little indulgences now and again!~~~


Tip of the day:  Don't deprive yourself of life's little pleasures, just find some creative ways to do so frugally! 
****If anyone needs me, I will be on my couch enjoying a glass of wine :)  ****

Day 3 of the $8/day challenge!

I was trying to make it today with spending nothing since I know that eventually I will need the overage for produce or gas.  Unfortunately, that was not the case.

I started the morning off with a coffee from Starbucks.  I was running late to my first clients this morning and knew I could not make it without a cup of coffee :)  Luckily I always carry empty starbucks bags (starbucks coffee that you buy at the grocery store) in my glove compartment.  If you read the side of the bags it tells you that you can take your bag into a Starbucks and trade the empty bag in for a coffee! 
TOTAL FOR MY MORNING COFFEE: $0

I arrived home about 1pm and wanted to throw dinner into the crockpot.  I decided on Chicken Fiesta Soup because i knew I had most of the ingredients and it will last us about 3 days!!! (Check out the recipe...it is SO easy and SO delicious!!)  After reading through the ingredients I realized i did not have any Enchilada sauce...DANGIT!  I had to head out to the store and pick up my missing ingredient!
TOTAL SPENT ON SUPPER:$2.59

While I was out grabbing the Enchilada sauce, I decided to stop and buy an extra paper from last Sunday.  I try and get AT LEAST 4 copies of the Sunday paper's coupon inserts and last week I only got 3.  This may sound extreme, but this is one of the reasons I have such an amazing stockpile of "goods" and a MAJOR contributing factor of how my family can live on $8/day!!
TOTAL SPENT ON PAPER:$1.00

TOTAL SPENT DAY 3:  $3.59 ( Rollover of $4.41...Total rollover $9.81!)

Tip of the day: When planning your meals, try and think of meals that are hearty, healthy and that will feed you for more than one meal. 

80% code to Restaurant.com....Get a $25 gift certificate for $2!

If you have never ordered a restaurant.com gift certificate, now may be the time!  Restaurant.com is a website that sells gift certificates to restaurants all over the country at a deeply discounted price – $10 certificates sell for $3 and $25 certificates sell for $10. To make the deal even sweeter, they are running a promotion that offers an addition 80% off the gift certificate!  Through March 27, use coupon code DEAL at checkout and get a $25 gift certificate for $2!!!!!  *****Please remember to read the restrictions on the gift certificate as they do vary by restaurant.  Most restaurants require a minimum purchase in addition to the certificate amount****

Dusty and I use these quite often and are always amazed at the deal!  For example, a few months ago we purchased a $25 gift certificate to The Runway Grill for $2.  The restrictions on the certificate stated you had to spend a minimum of $35.  So when it was all said and done, a nice lunch for Me, Dusty and the boys cost us around $17...and that was with Tip! 

$8/day challenge DAY 2!

Day 2 of the $8/day challenge was quite interesting.  You see, it is currently March Madness..that would be the crazy time of year where Basketball is life.  Dusty informed me that there were some AMAZING games on tonight and wanted some pizza and beer for dinner (this must have been thought over a LOT considering he asked this LAST night!)  Usually this would be A-OK, but considering we JUST started this challenge I knew I would have to be creative :)..... 
A few months ago, I purchased a $10 Papa Murphy's gift card for $5 from a  daily deal website Plumdistrict.  I still had this little guy laying around and thought that this was the perfect time to use it!  Now that the pizza was figured out, I had to figure out the beer dilemma.  Although this challenge is all about going without, my husband works VERY hard to provide for this family and deserves a nice adult beverage now and again.  After much discussion we agreed on this:

That ladies and gentlemen is a F.O.R.T.Y....40 oz. Bud light. 
TOTAL for pizza and beer: $3.27 (That is NOT including the gift card....and I still have $4 left on the gc!!!)

Since I am TRYING to get back in shape,  I opted NOT to partake in the pizza party.  Instead, I decided on a salad...Unfortunately for me, we had no lettuce!!!  Thankfully, I had a coupon for a FREE bag of Dole lettuce.  One of the perks of shopping at King Soopers ALL the time is that they occasionally send you coupons for free items.  I thoroughly enjoyed my salad, especially since it was free :)
TOTAL SPENT: $0


TOTAL SPENT DAY 2: $3.27 (rollover of $4.73 + .67 (from yesterday)= $5.40 total rollover

Tip of the day: Daily Deal websites offer some amazing deals for things you use in your everyday life.  Take advantage of the ones you KNOW you will USE and opt not to purchase the ones that sound "cool"..... BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A FUTURE POST HIGHLIGHTING MY FAVORITE DAILY DEAL WEBSITES!

Kate's $8/day Challenge!

We, as Americans suffer from "STUFFITIS"....we all love stuff.  Some of us love purses, shoes, jewelry, makeup....Others love dining at nice restaurants, electronics,  sporting events, and cars.  We all want bigger houses, faster cars, and on and on and on.  I am no stranger to "stuffitis".  I love candles, and actually have a whole cabinet FULL of candles!  I have been asking myself lately "Do I NEED all this STUFF?????"  The answer is NO, I absolutely do not need 15 pairs of jeans.  So why do I feel the need to continue to add to my collection of "stuff"?  After much reflection my answer was simply this..HABIT.  So, My challenge to myself, my husband (bless his heart for agreeing to my crazy ideas!) and my kids was this, can we break our current habits and .....CAN WE LIVE ON $8/DAY FOR 21 DAYS??  Please be advised, this does not include our normal monthly bills (I think Chase bank would frown upon me missing my car payment because of a personal challenge!).  This $8/day includes all food/gas/activities...etc....

So please, follow along with me if you will on my $8/ day challenge.  I will try and give full details on every penny spent.  

I began my challenge yesterday March 23, 2011.  Below you will find a list of what was spent: 


The boys and I decided to let Daddy sleep in and head out o breakfast at Chick-fil-a.  Every Wednesday in March, Chick-Fil-A has been offering FREE breakfasts!  The boys and i got 3- sausage biscuits and two waters...  
TOTAL SPENT: $0

Since the playplace at Chick-fil-a was closed for cleaning (YES, they do clean those!) we headed to the Park and Story time at the library.  While there, we rented 2 DVD's and 2 books.  We also enjoyed a lovely story time and made a craft.... 
TOTAL SPENT: $0

On the way home, I realized I was out of coffee liners and had been using paper towels for the past week...So, we made a quick stop at Dollar tree and purchased 160 coffee liners :)
TOTAL SPENT: $1.04

I then had to start thinking about dinner.  since Dusty had the day off, I knew I had to cook-cook... (much different then the boys' PB&J "quick dinner")  I decided on Ham Casserole.  I had all the ingredients except the ham.  After dropping the boys at home I ventured out to King Soopers and was HORRIFIED when i saw the ham shank portions priced at $7+ !!!!!!  So, after scanning the isle, I noticed the Ham steak was on sale for $2.99!!! Phew!  I also picked up a package of Hotdog and Hamburger buns for future meals and a quart of Organic Milk marked down to $.99....
TOTAL SPENT: $6.29


After dinner,  Dusty and I decided it would be a great night to use our free blockbuster rental code and rent "The Fighter".  I REALLY wanted an icecream treat from DQ, but knew that would put us over our $8 for the day.  So, I was faced with my first "challenge" within the challenge.  I decided to come home and bake some chocolate chip cookies instead.  Needless to say, I completely forgot about the icecream as soon as i had a cookie :)
TOTAL SPENT: $0


Total spent Day 1: $7.33 !!!  ($.67 to rollover)

Tip of the day...The library is an AWESOME resource for FREE dvd's books and boredom busters...go check out your local library and see what it has to offer!!!!

Free bagel and cream cheese at Brueggers!

Hurry and print this coupon to receive a FREE bagel and cream cheese at Brueggers Bagels!  This offer is valid through This Thursday, March 24.  Coupon states "one coupon per person, per visit". 

Get your friends together and have a FREE breakfast!!! :)

For all my peeps in the Westminster area, there is a Brueggers located at 1275 East 1st Avenue # D, Broomfield, CO 80020.....That is approx. 120th and Sheridan!  They are super friendly over there and have previously donated to our MOPS group :)

King Soopers Mega-Event ENDS tomorrow!!!

Howdy!  King Soopers has been running a a mega-event sale the past few weeks that features some great deals on stock up items!  Below is a list of the participating items in case you want to run out tomorrow and grab some goods!  I have highlighted my favorite deals in BLUE :)

*****Please remember, The prices below are assuming that you are buying 10 participating items to get the sale price.

Powerade or Powerade Zero 32oz  $ .49 

Annie’s Macaroni & Cheese 6oz  $ .49 (THIS IS MY STOCK UP PRICE!!)

Vitaminwater 20oz or Smartwater Sportcap 700ml  $ .49 

American Beauty Pasta 16oz .49

Bumble Bee Tuna 2.5oz .49 

Coca-Cola Soft Drinks 2 Liter .89  ***great for birthday parties :)

Del Monte or S&W Tomatoes 14.5oz .99

Quaker Quakes Rice Snacks 3-4oz .99 

Rice A Roni or Pasta Roni 3.8-7.2oz .79
-B3G1 MQ (1/2 RP)
=.59 each   ****If you do not have this coupon, there are some peelies on some packages of rice-a-roni!!  Keep an eye out :)

Smart Ones Entrée $1.68 each


Kraft Salad Dressing 16oz $1.79 

Dannon Yogurt 4-6ct or 24-32oz $1.68
-$1 MQ (3/6 SS)
=.68 

Birds Eye Steamfresh Vegetables 4ct or 10-16oz $1.89
-$1/3 MQ (3/6 RP)
=$1.56

Oscar Mayer Wieners 16oz $1.49 

Pace Picante Sauce or Salsa 24oz $1.99
-.50/2 (1/30 RP)
=$1.49

Pepperidge Farm Bread or Dessert 9.5-19.6oz $2.27

Nabisco Ritz or Snack Crackers 5.5-16oz $1.99 

V8 or V-Fusion Juice 46oz $2.78
  MQ (2/6 SS)
=$1.78

Chips Ahoy Cookies 9.5-15.2oz $2.49 

Planters Peanuts 16oz $2.49 

Totino’s Pizza Rolls 40ct $2.99
-.40/2 Shortcuts eCoupon
=$2.59 C-

Pillsbury Savorings 7.8-8.5oz $2.99
-$1/2 MQ (1/30 SS)
=$2.49

Tombstone Pizza 17.5-29.5oz $2.49

Post Cereal, Select Varieties 13-25oz $2.38
-$1 MQ (2/27 SS)
=$1.38

Post Cocoa or Fruity Pebbles Treats 8ct $2.38 

Classico Pasta Sauce 8.1-26oz $2.49


Velveeta 2lb $4.48 

Capri Sun or Kool-Aid Jammers 10ct or Dole Fruit Crisps 2pk, 4oz Cups $1.49


Chicken Wings Bone-in or Boneless 20ct $6.49 

Maxwell House or Yuban Coffee 31.5-34.5oz $7.49
-$1/2 (2/13 SS)
=$6.99

Starbucks Coffee 11-12oz $7.49 

Hungry-Man Entree 13.1-18.1oz $1.99


Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent 55-72.9oz $3.99
-$1/2 MQ (2/13 SS)
=$3.49

Fuze 16.9-18.5oz .69 

Coca-Cola Soft Drinks 8pk, 12oz Bottles or 8pk, 7.5oz Cans $2.99 

Suave Shampoo or Conditioner 22.5oz .75 

Dove or Caress Soap 2 Pack $1.49 

Melitta Coffee Filters 40ct Cone or 200ct Basket $1.49 

Q-tips Cotton Swabs 300-375ct $1.49 

Smart Balance Spread or Butter Blend 7.5-16oz $1.85
-$1/2 MQ (3/6 SS)
=$1.35
Contessa On The Stove Meal 22-24oz or TGI Friday’s Skillet Meal 24oz $5.49 

Aquafresh Premium Toothpaste 5.6-6oz $1.99
***Please never pay for toothpaste...just come to my house :)

Oscar Mayer Bologna 16oz $1.49 

Hershey’s Drops or Reese’s Minis Candy 8-10.5oz Bag $1.99
-$2/2 MQ (1/30 SS)
=.99  **Fun for Easter baskets :)

Advil Pain Reliever 20-24ct $2.49 

Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion 6.8-13oz $2.50

Lever 2000 Body Wash 18oz $2.50 

Kraft Mayo or Miracle Whip 22-30oz $2.79

A1 Steak Sauce 10oz $2.99
-$1 MQ (3/6 SS)
=$1.99

Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil 35-80sq ft $2.99 

Dove or Degree Deodorant 2.6-3oz or Axe Deodorant 2.7-3oz $2.99 

Axe Shower Gel 12oz or Dove Men+Care Body Wash 13.5oz $2.99
=.99 


Gorton’s Fish Sticks or Fillets 18.2-24.5oz $3.49
-.50 MQ found in the Safeway Joy of Football booklet or $1/2 MQ (2/13 SS)
=$2.49 at best **we usually don't eat fish sticks so I have no idea if this is a good deal or not??

Finish Rinse Aid 6.7-8.4oz or Finish Dishwasher Detergent 20ct $3.49
-$1 MQ (3/6 SS)
=$2.49

Snuggle Fabric Softener Liquid 32oz $3.49 

Neosporin First Aid Antibiotic .26-.5oz $3.49
-.50 MQ (1/9 SS) or $1.50 off both Neosporin and Band-Aid MQ (2/13 RP)
=$2.49 at best

Sensodyne Toothpaste 4oz $3.99
-.75 Sensodyne Coupon  or $1 MQ (1/2 RP)
=$2.99

Kingsford Charcoal 6.3-8.3lb Bag $4.49
-$1 Kingsford Coupon
=$3.49

Pedigree Plus Dog Food 13.2oz Can or Pedigree Dog Food 22oz Can .49
-BOGO MQ (3/6 SS)
=.25 each 

Lysol All-Purpose or Bathroom Cleaner 32-40oz $2.99
-$1/2 (3/6 SS)
=$2.49 

Band-Aid Bandages 10-80ct $2.49
-$1.50 off both Neosporin and Band-Aid MQ (2/13 RP)
=$4.48 for both products

My kids LOVE the white cheddar Annies Mac-and-cheese, so at .49/box, (usually about $1.50!!!) I STOCK up with AT LEAST 30 boxes!  Also, the rice-a-roni and pasta-roni are my stock up price as well.  We do a lot of chicken and rice in this house, and with the buy 3 get 1 free (register was taking $2 off that coupon!!!!!!) the four boxes cost me a whopping $1.16!!! That is .29/BOX!!!  WHOO HOO !!  If anyone needs me tomorrow, I will be at the local king soopers stocking up ;)

Walmarts NEW coupon policy in action!!!

If you have ever talked to me about couponing, you know that I am NOT a big fan of Walmart.  I have had many a problem with using coupons at "the mart" and have actually gotten into a heated argument with management over coupons (not one of my most proud moments, it was a really bad day..... ) THANKFULLY, walmart has issued a NEW coupon policy that is super awesome!!!  If you are planning on coupon shopping at walmart I advise you print a copy of the policy found HERE.  With the new policy you are able to use a coupon that exceeds the amount of the product and apply the remaining $ to the rest of your purchases!!!  SWEET!


I thought I would try this out today since I needed some makeup and had some coupons I knew would net me an overage.  Below is what I got:

2-Gain liquid fabric softners                 $4.18 each
1-80ct. Gain dryer sheets                       $3.12
3-Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets                $.97 each
1-Loreal True Match Foundation           $7.00
1-Fleece sweatshirt (for my Jack-Jack)  Marked down to $3!!

TOTAL before COUPONS:      $24.39

Total After Coupons:        $4.39!!!!!!!     (all prices are Pre-tax)

Since the Purex 3-in-1 sheets were priced at $.97, I used (3) $3/1 coupon that netted me a $6.09 overage to apply to my other items!!!  I will DEFINATELY be shopping at walmart again! 

****I have spoken with people who are STILL having an issue with cashiers/managers at Walmart regarding overages.  PLEASE remember to print off the policy and have it with you just in case you run into any issues!!

FREE CHICK-FIL-A TOMORROW 3/9 !!

A quick note to let you all know that it looks like participating Colorado Chick-fil-a restaurants will be giving away FREE 3 count Chicken Mini's tomorrow morning from 6:30-10:30.  It is One order per person per visit.

Who's going to get there free chicken mini's?!?!?!?!?! 

See YOU shop Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday everyone!  I am thrilled to share with you our first "SEE YOU SHOP TUESDAY".    Chantielle Hanson of Westminster did an AWESOME job at SAFEWAY this week matching up the weekly deals with some high value coupons.  Below is her breakdown for her 4 separate transactions:

TRANSACTION #1:
12 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks Regular price $2.79 sale price .99
E coupon -.50 and 6 .50 off 2 BC Fruit Snacks which doubles to $1

4 Cinamon Toast crunch cereals regular price $3.39 sale price $1.49
use 4 .50 off 1 Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereals which doubled to $1 off

Country crock regular price $2.99 sale price $2.49
10 lb bag of potatos $3.99

Total before coupons: $56.45
Total after coupons: $13.65

Transaction #2
Total Raisin Bran regular price: $4.49 sale price $1.49
$1/1 total cereal q
Cheerios $3.49 sale price $1.49
.50/1 cheerio, doubled to $1 off
2 boxes of cinnamon cheerios regular price $3.49 sale price $1.49
use 2 .75/1 cinnamon cheerios which double to $1 off
4 boxes of Cap'n Crunch Cereal Regular price $3.19 each sale price $1.49 each Unfortunately I had no coupons for these, but they are my girls favorite and anything under then $2 is a good deal.

Total before coupons: $29.20
Total after coupons: $8.40

Transaction #3
hash brown potatoes: Regular price $3.29 coupon price: $1.29 (safeway in ad coupon)
6 packages of Eggo Waffles (different varieties) Regular price $3.39 Sale price 2/$5
Use 2 $2 off 3 Eggo Waffles
Stuffed giraffe: Regular price $9.99 sale price: $2.99
Stuffed Turtle: Regular price $14.99 sale price $4.99
I had no coupons for these, but they were left over from valentine's day and my girls had been eyeing them the last 3 or 4 times we had been in the store. They were finally cheap enough that I felt it wasn't a bad deal for them. And.... best of all it got them to cooperate and be patient while I was checking all my matchups in the store.

I also had a $5/$15 Frozen Food purchase from the Newspaper
So my total before coupons and discounts: $49.80
Total after coupons and discounts: $16.44 Including $7 of stuffed animals!

Transaction #4
Safeway Ice cream: Regular Price: $3.99
safeway coupon price $1.99

Garlic Bread (Mamma Bella) Regular Price $4.29
Sale price $2.99
$.50/1 doubled to $1
$1/1 safeway coupon

Texas Toast: Regular price:$3.99
Sale price: $2.50
.50/1 coupon doubled to $1

2 Jose Ole Taquitos: Regular price: $3.99 each
use 2 $1/1 coupons
$1/1 e-coupon

Used $5/$15 frozen food purchases from newspaper

Total before coupons and discounts: $20.66
Total after coupons and discounts: $3.85

My total for the day:
Before coupons and sales $156.11
Total after coupons: $42.34
Plus I have a $3 off my next order

AMAZING job Chantielle!!!! *****I was so inspired by her coupon match-ups....I ran out this evening to do some safeway shopping myself :)  

 

My week at Walgreens.

Walgreens had some pretty great deals this past week.  They were so great that it took me looking at 5 different Walgreens to find the items I needed.  I think EVERYONE in North Denver knew that these deals were too good to pass up!   Walgreens is a hit or miss when it comes to coupon friendly cashiers.  The Walgreens right down the street from my house is AWFUL, so I drive 5 miles down the road to one with friendly, helpful cashiers.  For me coupon friendly stores are the ONLY way to go!

4- Colgate Total Toothpastes
4- Baby Magic Baby washes
1- Baby Magic Baby Lotion
1- Schick Hydro 5 Razor
1- 20 Count Motrin PM
1- Listerine Mouthwash
1-Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent
Total Before coupons: (approx) $45.00ish...I had some filler items not pictured!
Total After Coupons and Register Rewards...$5.25 AND I have $4 in Register Rewards to use next week!!!!!!!!!!  Basically $1.25 for all this!!!

I started my shopping trip with a $3 Register Reward ("walgreens cash") that I received last week. So that is another consideration for my total.  Walgreens is one store that is a bit more tricky to coupon at.  They have some silly rules like you must have as many items per coupons per transaction.  For example.  I could not use 4 coupons to purchase 3 items....so you sometimes need to buy "filler items" (I usually let the boys get a pencil or piece of candy).  All in all though, once you start shopping at Walgreens and practice with the Register Rewards, you can score some SWEET deals on stuff you use weekly in your household!!  For more information and helpful hints on shopping at Walgreens, check this out  http://www.bargainblessings.com/2010/02/walgreens-101-now-you-will-be-ready-to/

Did anyone else score some sweet deals this week???  

Do you ever feel like you are hanging on to the end of your rope???  Yup, that cat....that is how I feel currently.  We had a week of the "sickness" in our house.  With sick kids comes sleep deprivation, cabin fever, boredom, germs, and overall unhappy people.  Mix sick kids with a two year old who is testing boundries and you have one TIRED mama!  I once saw a sign that read "If you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on".  I am soooooo holding tight to that knot right about now!!  I do realize that all stages do pass and I have to remember that THIS TOO SHALL PASS, it is just so hard when you are in the middle of it!!!

 Thankfully I have an amazing husband who realizes when my hands are about to slip from the rope.  I also have an amazing support system of other mom's who have "been there, done that".  This morning I lost it...like crying uncontrollably, shaking mad, about to throw a child threw a window lost it...A friend had stopped over for coffee and witnessed my 2 year old's tantrum (imagine the exhorsist!)  She sat, listened to me, let me throw MY fit, cried with me and all along DIDN'T judge me OR my parenting.  It is so important to have people in your life who "get you" and your kids and are there to support you through your bad days!  I am so blessed to have many people in my life like this.  They keep me sane.  I am happy to report that after an hour long fit and a two hour nap....(Luke and Me slept!!!) life in the Wadlington house is temporarily under control.....that is until bedtime :)

As I was typing this Jack approached me with this comment....
Jack:  "Mommy, I think Lucy (our dog) IS having puppies".
Me:    " Why Jack?"
Jack:  " Because I just pressed one of her boobies in, and i heard a puppy bark from inside her tummy."

Thank you Lord for little boys!

Terrific Tuesday!

HOLY MOLY!  Today was like Christmas for me.  The UPS man surprised me with some awesomeness at around 2pm today!  Sitting outside of my front door was a Box of Huggies size 1-2 diapers 192 count.  Now I know that may be confusing to some.  You may be thinking....."Katie doesn't have an infant"....and you would be correct, BUT, I do have pregnant friends and will eventually have another baby.  This specific box of diapers retails at Walmart for $33.58, a decent price at right around .17/diaper...BUT, last week Amazon Mom was running a special where you got 30% off if you subscribed to Subscribe and save (which I will cancel).  Then, I had TWO 20% off codes which I stacked on eachother.  When it was all said and done, I payed $9.13 for the 192 diapers shipped to my door.  This averages out to about .04/diaper.....that my friends is an awesome deal! 

Next to that box of diapers sat a beautiful brown box labeled "BED BATH AND BEYOND".....
You see, I LOVE a good deal, but one of my ABSOLUTE favorite things to "splurge" on is a Yankee Candle!  If you have ever been to my house, you know that I am obsessed with candles.  SOOOOO, wasn't I delighted when Bed Bath and Beyond made a BIG BOO-BOO on pricing some Yankee Candle Votives.  The votive itself was supposed to be priced at $1.99...INSTEAD they priced the  WHOLE BOX OF 18 VOTIVES FOR $1.99!!!!!  When I saw this I felt as though I had died and went to candle heaven.  I quickly ordered 3 boxes (54 votives) for a total price of $5.97......that is right around .11/candle....WOWSERS!  I did have to pay $5.99 for shipping, but still an AMAZING DEAL!  (BB&B did realize the error and honored the orders that were placed, but did correct the typo..)

***I will try to alert you all if there are any *hot* deals like this that come my way....Be on the look out!!

Why I do what I do....

Yesterday one of my friends referred to my couponing as an illness.  Although my husband would agree, I consider it more of like a drug.  You see, getting a good deal makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...getting a GREAT deal makes me feel empowered, strong, invincible.  I know this sounds dramatic, but hey, I never said I wasn't dramatic.  I wasn't always a "crazy coupon lady", my "illness" started about two years ago....let's take a look how I got to be this way....


I love food, that is no secret.  I love to cook food, smell food, eat food....even playing with food is fun sometimes, BUT, food is expensive.  Dusty and I used to eat out...A LOT.  It was fairly common for us to eat at a dine in restaurant 3 times a week.  It was something we enjoyed to do together.  This was the norm until we had kids.  If you have met my kids, you know that it is a cold day in Hell before I would bring them to a restaurant.  I love my children, but not so much when they are crawling around on the floor under other peoples tables barking at them in Olive Garden ....just saying... :)  All joking aside,  I decided once we had a family that I would cook nightly meals, have pizza once a week and eat out on "special occasions". 

I would do my best to meal plan and make a shopping list, but everytime I walked into a grocery store, I would walk out spending at least $100!  I was frustrated, but kept on doing that until our world was rocked summer of 2008.  Dusty, Jack and I moved from Iowa to Colorado in May of 2008 with a very large U-haul of "stuff" and big dreams.  We always knew we wanted to raise our famliy in Colorado, and decided after much prayer that we should make the move.  We quickly realized how naive we were about the economy when Dusty, my college educated, talented, attractive husband could not find a job.  I was 8 months pregnant with our second child, cleaning houses to make ends meet.  Dusty was working part time jobs doing what he could but things seemed impossible.  We knew God had a plan for our family, but the waiting game was almost too much to handle.  After we welcomed our second son Luke into the world, I began using diaper and wipes coupons to try and save a little money.  It was either use coupons or be one of those CRAZY mothers that potty train their child at 2 months!  Once I realized How much I was saving on diapers and wipes, I thought to myself "wow, I can save a ton of money with coupons".  I have always been a bargain hunter, so I considered it a challenge.

I began researching the circulars that come out on Wednesdays that display all the stores new weekly deals.   After that,  I would clip my coupons to match up with the sale items and plan my meals around what I would be getting on sale.  It was AMAZING, my my second month of coupon clipping and deal hunting, we were saving 50% off our grocery bill EVERY WEEK!  All faith was not lost, and after another VERY long few months, Dusty DID get a job.  Our grocery budget is now down to around $250/month.  That includes all food, toiletries, and even DIAPERS!  We are still eating healthy, well balanced meals and ALWAYS have toilet paper (don't laugh, there was a few weeks we couldn't afford TP). 

My Family has been BLESSED beyond measure by silly little pieces of paper!  I know so many families that are struggling financially and I hope this can be a blessing to you as well.  It does take some work, and patience, but trust me, If I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN TOO!