What an incredibly slow week for deals…

Giant and Stop & Shop stores double coupons up to and including 99 cents face value.

Produce:
Green Cabbage- .29/lb

Baby Carrots, 1 lb- Buy 1 at $1.79, get 1 free.
Final price:  90 cents each

All Purpose Potatoes, 5 lb bag- $2

Meat/Poultry/Seafood:
Point Cut Corned Beef Brisket- $1.49/lb

Perdue 93% Ground Turkey- $1.99/lb

Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage- Buy 1 at $4.39, get 1 free.
Use $1/2 coupon from 1/31 RP insert.
Final price:  $1.70

Fresh Bonless Atlantic Salmon Fillets, up to 2 lbs- FREE to new pharmacy customers and transferred prescriptions

Bread:
Thomas’ English Muffins- B1G1, unsure of price
Use $1/1 coupon from March’s All You magazine.
Final price:  unsure

Canned/Dry Goods:
Purchase $15 worth of Muir Glen and Cascadian Farm products, get $5 off your total at checkout instantly.
Muir Glen Protein Based Soup- $2.49
Use $1/1 coupon.
Final price:  $1.49
If you can somehow get your hands on several of these coupons:
*Deal Idea*
Buy 7 soups = $17.43
Use 7 coupons = $10.43
Get $5 off at checkout = $5.43, or 78 cents each

Sunsweet PlumSmart Juice- $3
Use $1/1 coupon from 3/7 SS insert.
Final price:  $2

Emerald Cashews- $3
Use $1/1 coupon from 1/31 SS insert.
Final price:  $2

Apple & Eve 8 Pack Juice Boxes- $2
Use $1/2 coupon.
Final price:  $1.50

Blue Diamond Almonds, 6 oz- $2.50
Use $1/2 coupon or from 1/17 SS insert.
Final price:  $2 each

Zatarain’s Rice Mixes- $1.67
Use $1/3 coupon from 1/24 RP insert.
Final price:  $1.34

Campbell’s Select Harvest Soup- $1.50
Use .50/2 coupon from 1/3 and 2/7 SS insert.
Final price:  $1 each

Prego Sauce- $2
Use $1/1 coupon from 2/7 SS insert.
Final price:  $1

Matzos- Look in your ad for a coupon for free 5 lb Matzos (or $2.99) with $25 purchase.

Hamburger Helper- B1G1, unsure of price
Use .75/3 coupon or from 3/7 SS insert.
Final price:  unsure

Dairy:
Dannon Yogurt- 40 cents
Use .60/6 coupon from 2/21 SS insert.
Final price:  20 cents each

Breyers YoCrunch Yogurt, 4 pack- $2.50
Use .75/1 coupon or from 1/3 SS insert.
Final price:  $1

Buy 3 Pillsbury Grands Biscuits, get 1 free Giant Butter instantly-  I’m not sure of the price of the Grands, so this may or may not be that good of a deal.
Use .30/2 coupon and coupon.
Use various coupon from 3/7, 2/7, 1/24, and 1/10 SS insert.
Final price:  unsure

Frozen:
Edy’s Ice Cream- $2
Use $1/1 coupon from 1/31 SS insert.
Final price:  $1

Mrs. Paul’s Seafood- 50% off entire line

Birds Eye Steam Fresh Vegetables- $1.67
Use $1/3 coupon from 3/7 SS insert.
Use .35/1 coupon from 2/28 SS insert.
Final price:  97 cents

Freschetta Frozen Pizza- $5
Use $1/1 coupon or from 3/7 SS insert.
Final price:  $4

Bagel Bites- $2
Use $1/1 coupon.
Final price:  $1

Health & Beauty:
Nature’s Bounty Vitamins- B1G1, prices vary
Use $1/1 coupon or from 1/24 RP.
Final price:  varies

Chapstick- $1
Use $1/3 coupon from 1/31 RP insert.
Final price:  67 cents each

Degree Deodorant- $2.50
Use $1/1 coupon.
Final price:  $1.50

Household:
Soft Scrub bath & Kitchen Cleaners, select varieties- $2.99
Use $1.50/1 coupon from 3/7 RP insert, if included.
Final price:  $1.49

Promotions:

Save $5 off your next shopping trip when you buy $15 worth of participating products.  The Weight Watchers product is the only one included in the sale that I can both find coupons for and comes out to a nice deal.  If you find other deals with this promotion, please let me know!

Weight Watchers Smart Ones- $2
Use $3/10, B5G1, and B3G1 coupons from 1/10 SS insert.
Final price: as low as $1.50

*Deal Idea*
Buy 8 = $16
Use (2) B3G1 coupons. = $12
Get $5 off your next shopping trip.
Final price:  $7 for 8, or 88 cents each

Giant/Stop & Shop 3/12-3/18: Dannon, Apple & Eve is a post from: Mrs. Moneysaver

Friday (3/12) only, Victoria’s Secret is offering free shipping when you use the code SHIPFREE at checkout.  There’s no purchase minimum to receive this free shipping discount.

Plus, when you make any purchase, you’ll receive a free Secret Reward Card, which is very much like a gift card.  This card can be used in stores and online during the month of April, and will have a value of $10 to $500.  You won’t know how much your card is worth until you go shopping and checkout using the Secret Reward Card.

I just bought $15 in clearanced items, and received the free shipping.  Plus, I’ll get the card that’s worth no less than $10 (on a $10 or more purchase) to use next month!

And remember to shop through Ebates or Shop At Home for an extra 2% cash back!

Victoria’s Secret: Free Shipping Plus Free Secret Reward Card is a post from: Mrs. Moneysaver

I’m such a fan of “old school” Disney, so I’m really excited to see The Princess and The Frog when it comes out on DVD later this month.  I’ve had it patiently waiting on my Netflix list for ages!

If you’re looking to buy this movie, be sure to print this Princess and The Frog coupon for $10 off the Blu-Ray combo.  The coupon expires March 21st, so you’ll have just a few days to use it after the movie is released.

Target will have the Deluxe Edition (including Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital Copy) for $16.99 next week after this coupon and rebates!

Disney’s The Princess and The Frog Coupon is a post from: Mrs. Moneysaver

Not too long ago I found myself in a bind. I had company coming over in just a short time for a soup dinner, and I had forgotten to buy some bakery bread for the meal.  After racking my brain for a solution (and beginning to craft an apology to my guests), I remembered the popovers my mom used to make when I was young.  All I could really remember was that they were yummy and easy.  So I set about trying my hand at popovers.  Since that near dinner fail a couple of months ago, I’ve made popovers again and again, working to get the recipe just-so.

What I’ve learned is a simple and delicious recipe that costs less than $1.  And these popovers are a hit everytime I serve them!

The prices below are an average.  Your total cost may vary.

Servings: 18

Ingredients:
4 eggs- Leave on counter for a bit before beginning to bake.  The recipe works better if not very cold.- 48 cents
1 teaspoon salt -minimal cost
2 cups milk- 32 cents
2 cups flour- 16 cents

Total cost: 96 cents

Baking instructions:
1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2.  Grease 18 cups of a muffin pan.

3.  Slightly beat eggs in bowl.

4.  Add in salt and mix.

5.  Add flour and milk to bowl and mix only until blended.  Be sure not to over mix!

6.  Fill muffin cups 1/2 full.

7.  Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.  Decrease oven to 350 degrees and bake for another 5 minutes.  Popovers are a bit temperamental, so it’s best not to open the oven while they’re cooking.  Just use the oven light if you want to check on them!

Enjoy!

Easy Popovers- Less Than $1! is a post from: Mrs. Moneysaver

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful” -William Morris

So, if you’ve been following Junk It 2010, you may have noticed that I never did post the results of last week’s assignment.  I am just terribly behind on… life.  But the good news is that I’m catching up (for now) and finally got project #8, the master bedroom closet, de-junked.  Maybe you needed an extra week to catch up on Junk It projects too?

In our last assignment, we tackled our master bathrooms for Junk It 2010, and this week we were given the job of the master bedroom closet.  Our goal:  To get rid of the clutter that takes up our time (and sanity!).  Stuff requires time to put it away, clean it,  fix it, step over it when it’s left out…  So we’ve been on a mission during Junk It 2010 to de-junk our homes, 1 project a week for 12 13 weeks.  The rules are simple:  If you don’t think something makes your home more beautiful or you haven’t found it useful in the pat six months, it goes.  (Stockpile excluded, of course.)  I don’t care where it goes, so long as it leaves your home.  Sell it, give it away, throw it away… whatever it takes to de-junk.

How did de-junking your master bedroom closet go this week?  Did you find lots of stuff to throw away, or was the clutter pretty minimal?

As expected, the black hole master bedroom closet was a big job for me. I decided to part with some shoes I hadn’t worn since high school prom (!!!), along with plenty of clothes and other odds and ends.  Here’s what I bid a fond farewell to this week:

All those bags of clothes are going to a friend and the rest was trashed. It felt good to free up some space in our closet this week though!

I’d love to hear about your Junk It 2010 progress!  I hope you are enjoying the freedom that comes with a simplified household.  (Something my husband and I are still learning ourselves!)

Project #9- bedroom closets, excluding the master bedroom closet

Due date- Thursday, March 18th

It’s not too late to jump in if you missed the first eight assignments!

Junk It 2010: The Late Edition is a post from: Mrs. Moneysaver

If you’re a Tropicana fan, you may be interested to learn that they’ve recently rolled out a new rewards program, Juicy Rewards.  You’ll find points on cartons of Tropicana, and then after registering for Juicy Rewards, you can redeem those points for savings on family activities, travel, spas, shopping, and more.

Over the next few months, I’ll be participating as a Tropicana Juicy Rewards Ambassador, which will give me the chance to really test drive this new rewards program firsthand.  I’ve already scoped out the rewards available for my area and am pretty excited about the savings I’ll be able to get on some fun family outings this spring!

Tropicana wants to give you a head start on earning points too, so they are offering 1 free point to those who start a new account.  Here’s how to get your point:

1. Go to www.tropicana.com
2. Set-up your Tropicana Juicy Rewards account- This is quick!
3. Visit the “Enter Codes” page within the site and get started with MOMCE-NTRAL

This one-time use code is valid for new accounts only, and must be entered within 6 hours of creating your account.

Disclosure:  I wrote this review while participating in the Tropicana Juicy Insiders Ambassador program by Mom Central on behalf of Tropicana. I received 12 free Juicy Rewards points and a Visa gift card to use in redemption of the points and to facilitate my review.

Juicy Rewards From Tropicana + 1 Free Point is a post from: Mrs. Moneysaver

Print this Jamba Juice coupon to get $1 off any All Fruit smoothie.  Coupon expires April 11th.  Limit one coupon per customer visit.

Jamba Juice: $1 Off Smoothie is a post from: Mrs. Moneysaver

(Photo credit:  flydime)

Coupons skeptics often have the misconception that coupon users are eating Jell-O and Hamburger Helper for dinner each night.  (Not knockin’ if you do, as we’re all in different situations!  More on that in a bit…)

Maybe you’re sitting on the couponing fence, wanting to save but not so sure about the effects this change will have on the way your family eats.  What I’m about to say may surprise those nay-sayers, but after couponing and cutting our household budget significantly for some time now, we’re eating healthier than we were as a non-couponing family.  Here’s give way we’re able to do that:

1.  Just say no. To some deals, that is.   It’s certainly true that foods that are highly processed and high in fat, sugar, preservatives, calorie are often available for pennies between sales and coupons.  But just because we’re looking to cut our spending doesn’t mean we have to buy those products.  When I first began couponing, I couldn’t believe how cheap I could score these products- so I bought them and ate them often.  Not so healthy!  I still have boxes of unopened fruit snacks from a sale a long time ago.  Just because I got them for 20 cents a box doesn’t mean it’s something I should have in my home, right?  Now, in an attempt to feed my family better, I have my will-not-buy list.  And no matter how great the deal, I won’t buy these items, unless I plan to donate it somewhere.

You may be wondering why I include these items in my store deal posts.  Good question!  I do it because not everyone wants to eat like my family- and not everyone is in the position to spend a bit more on healthier items.  (Processed foods on the table are better than no food at all, in my opinion.)  Plus, a Pop-Tart isn’t terrible if it’s the exception for a snack, not the rule.

2.  Go homemade. Eating homemade meals rather than prepared boxed and frozen foods can save your waist line- and perhaps even your wallet!   While cooking from scratch can take a bit more time (but doesn’t have to!), it’s often a healthier alternative, as you don’t typically use products like high fructose corn syrup and a host of preservatives the average American can’t pronounce.  Plus, making homemade is often actually cheaper.  Check out $5 Dinners and For The Mommas for inexpensive, yummy recipes!

3.  Know where to look for healthier food coupons. There are plenty of coupons available for healthy foods.  You just have to know where to find them.  Manufacturers’ websites, such as Stonyfield and Organic Valley, are good places to begin your search.  Others sources for some healthier food coupons:   Mindful Mama, Whole Foods, Mambo Sprouts, and  Delicious Living.  Coupons.com also reguarly has savings on brands like Kashi. Plus, if you’re looking for plenty of organic deals, be sure to check out The Thrifty Mama and Organic Deals.  Those are two healthy ladies that still know how to save a buck!

4.  Know where to shop. Be a savvy shopper by knowing what places in your area have the best prices on healthy foods.  Don’t count out small, local shops!  Local health food stores are often the best places to buy bulk grains, for example.  And I’ve found the lowest produce prices in my town to be at a small produce market.  Compare your store options and shop where healthy foods, like fresh produce, are generally the cheapest.

5.  Re-focus your savings. Focus your bargain shopping on other negotiable items like household cleaners, paper supplies, and health and beauty products in order to free up more money for healthy food options.  For example, instead of spending $2 on toothpaste, find a way to get it for free.  Then you could use that $2 on fresh fruit instead.  This method has worked nicely for my family, allowing us to often spend 40% of our grocery budget on produce, leaving the remaining 60% for everything else that we need to buy.

I know those super cheap fruit snacks can be a big temptation, but with a bit of smart shopping, eating healthy on a budget is entirely possible! What tips do you have for eating healthy while cutting costs?

5 Ways To Eat Healthy On A Budget is a post from: Mrs. Moneysaver