Freddy Mac (AKA Fred Meyer) Trip

This week has been a very sucessful one being that all of the stores that I went to have had what I wanted. Above is the loot I got from Fred Meyer. I only paid 7.08 for all of it. I plan on adding half of the cough drops to my donation box (there is no way that my family needs that many; I bet there is another family out there who could use some though).
Here's the breakdown of the deal:

1 Tilllimook 2lb Cheese Brick 3.99 limit 1 (no coupon needed)

1 Fresh Whole Chicken .79 lb ( mine was 2.35)

6 Halls Cough drops 1.00 each
used 6- 1.00/1 halls or sugar free halls 20ct or larger SS
Free just paid tax


On a sad note I look in the toys and no Freddy Bear. See my post You'll find it at Fred Meyer for details.

Quick Winco and Albertson's Trip

As I have briefly mentioned before my mom has dimentia and is currently at a hospital to have her medication evaluated. Well I have to drive into town (we live in a city outside of boise) and go to a meeting every week. So yesterday I had such a meeting and decided to stop and get a few things we needed at the store. Above are the pictures of what I got and below are the details.

Winco

Jimmy Dean Heat and Serve Sausage 1.38
used 1.00/1 from 4/11 RP

Land of Frost Ham Lunch Meat 2.02
used 2- .60/1 coupons found on product

Tomatoes on the vine .98 lb

Pears .78 lb

I also got eggs, celery, sour cream, stirfry and seasoning, and 20lbs of flour without coupons.

I paid 16.56 for everything.


I then stopped at Albertson's and bought a head of lettuce and a diet Pepsi ( I felt that I deserved a treat after such a stressful meeting). I used a 2.00 cat I had from a previous transaction and paid .74 for both.

It wasn't the best coupon trip ever, but I needed a few staples. I think that Winco has the best deals for things I don't have a coupon for .

Big Suprises: My Target Trip

After going to Target, I was left with my mouth open in shock. It was one of the best times I have ever had there. I was able to get all of the things that I wanted, I used coupons and the cashiers were even friendly. I feel like I have dropped into some type of a bizarre alternate world; being that it was the the exact opposite of every other time I have gone there. Perhaps all of the complaints that I have made with them finally have worked. Lets hope that it wasn't a one shot deal.

Here's the deals I did (the picture is above):

Transaction 1:
3 Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaners 2.59
- (3) .75 scrubbling bubbles coupons SS 3/21
used 5.00 gift card wyb 3 scrubbing bubbles cleaners SS 4/11
Total: 5.52


Dial Hand Soap 1.49
-use .35 Dial Hand soap (unsure of date)
1.00 Dial Hand Soap Target coupon (home mailer)
Total: .14

I also bought a pair of shorts but it was more of an exchange because I had just returned a pair that was too small for my son.

Paid: 3.55 from a gift card that I had.
Final: 5.37 oop including price of shorts or 1.13 oop for just the new stuff I bought (this is the total I will use in my weekly budget because I had technically already paid for the shorts.)


Second Transaction:

3 Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaners 2.59
- (3) .75 scrubbling bubbles coupons SS 3/21
used 5.00 gift card wyb 3 scrubbing bubbles cleaners SS 4/11
Total: 5.52
Paid with 5.00 gift card from previous transaction.

Final OOP: .37
plus I got back another 5.00 gift card to use later.

Me thinks that Target is starting to make up for their past mistakes.
It was a great trip.

Shopping Stonehenge Produce

My trip to the local farmers store Stonehenge Produce( corner of Fairview and Cloverdale) was good. I was able to get a few things that I needed for about half the price of a regular grocery store. I paid only 4.52 for all the produce above. I also have a list of some of their products below. I only an putting what I think are good deals.

Green Grapes .98 lb.

Apples .49 lb.

Head of Lettuce 3/1.00 ( the ones they had out when I went there looked wilted so I didn't get any)

Avocados 2/.89

Sweet Corn 2/.99

Personal Size Watermelon .59 lb.

Target: A Love Hate Relationship

Oh Target, you always push me away and yet I still come back for more. There have been so many times that I have gone to Target in order to get a deal only to find out that they are out of stock of what I wanted. And if they do have what I want, then they treat me like a criminal for using coupons (I have left that store almost in tears many times).

So what is it that always seems to draw me back in? Why do I repeatedly go there only to be burned? Is is their cheap children's clothes or the snack bar with popcorn that I can bribe my kids with so that I can look around longer? To be honest I am not sure what brings me back. If it had been Walmart that treated me this bad I would be boycotting them ( I had a bad experince at Walmart awhile ago involving soda and a mean cashier. Lets just say that I didn't shop there for about 2 years because of it).

Well whatever the reason that I go back there, I will putting myself through it again this week. I have decided that I need to stock up on cleaner ( my supply is getting low). They have a great deal on Scrubbing bubbles cleaner that goes as follows:


Buy 3 Scrubbing Bubbles Cleaner 2.49
use three .75 coupons from SS 3/28
use the FREE Target $5 Giftcard wyb 3 Scrubbing Bubbles products from SS 4/11
Pay: 5.22
Get a 5.00 gift card
Then do it again.

I already have done this deal once last week, so I have a most of a 5.00 gift card left to start with.


My only hope is that they have some in stock. But as with most of my trips probably not. Maybe after this week I will stop giving in and avoid Target for awhile. Will I be strong enough to dodge their pull. Only time will tell.

To Eat Sausages or Not to Eat Sausages

Do you ever have moments when you realize that you and your husband have completely different tastes? That's what happened yesterday. Well, yesterday morning I talked to my super cool sister-in-law and she told me about a great deal on Jimmy Dean breakfast sausages at Winco. Although, it was a good deal, I was hankering to get to work on our yard and didn't really feel like grocery shopping, so I was going to skip it (at least for the day). But my husband, however had over heard our conversation and the moment he heard breakfast sausages I could tell by the look on his face that I would be shopping Winco that day. You see sausage is one of his favorite things to eat. On pizza, in casseroles, for breakfast, for dinner, anytime he would eat sausage. He was so excited. I on the other hand was less than moved. I normally hate it. I have to beg him to not get it on our pizzas and it makes me nauseous when I cook it for him. Lets just say it's way low on things that I like.
Isn't it so funny that my husband and I are so alike, but when it comes to some of our food tastes they are so different. I guess our differences are one of the things that gives a marriage spice (no food pun intended). I think that it would be really boring if I didn't have my weekly sausage disagreement. And my husbands absolute love of the food is kind of endearing (in a way).

With that said can you guess what we had for dinner last night? You were right sausages. (My husband cooked). While they were cooking they smelled kind of good and I tried some. I really liked them. Alright I know that I made a big stink about not liking them but in my defense I have never tried this particular brand because it is normally more than I am willing to pay for. They were the maple flavored and tasted mainly like maple so that could be why I didn't feel sick eating them. (or maybe my husband is rubbing off on me who knows).

So if any of you our there want to try the sausages that made a sausage hater reform here's the deal.

Winco
Jimmy Dean Heat and Serve Sausages 1.38
1.00 coupon RP 4/11
.38 plus tax

A big thanks to Carolyn.

Smooth Hands for Less Than a Quarter at Target

While taking my son to school this morning I noticed my hands are so dry. I feel like I am so busy taking care of everyone else that I forget to take care of myself. Sound familiar anyone? Well maybe if I get lotion for a steal I will be more likely to use it.

(On a side not this lotion has a very musky scent so be warned that it may not be for everyone.)

Vaseline Sheer Infusion, 6.8 oz $4.99
3.75/1 Vaseline Sheer Infusion Product from RP 4/11
Load $1.00/1 – Vaseline Lotion, 3.1 oz or larger, Target Coupon – (target.com)
Final Price: $0.24

Thanks, Give Me Neither!

No Sleep but Lots of Ice Cream

I couldn't sleep. Just to much going on with my mom being in the hospital. ( a long story for another time). Instead of sleep I thought that I would play on the internet. Found a couple of deals for ice cream. Strangely ice cream sounds good at six in the morning!


Dairy Queen
At here sign up for the "blizzard fan club" and get a coupon for buy one get one free 16 oz. blizards. It will come in an email and they claim you will receive 16 this year.
(I have only received one so we'll see.)

A&W
Sign Up with the A&W Mug Club and you’ll receive a printable coupon for a Free Root Beer Float or Freeze!

Walmart
Go here and sign up for there Bluebunny ice cream club you'll be able to print a coupon for 1.00 off any blue bunny product no size restrictions. The great thing is that Walmart sells their single serve ice cream sandwiches for about a buck. So free or close to it depending on your Walmarts price. I did this last year and we just ate our last one. Can't wait to stock up on a few again. Yum!

My First Post

So this is my first time ever blogging. It is kind of crazy because I have talked with my husband about creating my own blog for a long time now. I guess that I should back up a bit and explain why I have wanted to do this. Well in the past year a lot has changed for my family. I have moved to a new city, bought my first house, struggled with a sleep disorder and became guardian over my mother who has dementia; all while trying to learn how to coupon. Sometimes the stress and problems associated with all of this change have been overwhelming. (Well that may be an understatement). I know that I am not the only one who is facing a lot of challenges while trying to be frugal and I often have wished for someplace to share what I am going through. I have a lot of favorite coupon sites that I enjoy for their ideas for deals, but none of them really address how hard it is to actually live life and save money. I want this to be an uplifting place where ideas of frugality are mixed with the reality of the trails that we all go through.
With that said, we'll see if anyone is out there to listen.