Dinner at our house: Teriyaki steak skewers on the grill!

I renewed my trial subscription of ALL YOU recently, and I'm glad I did. Not only does the magazine pay for itself in the coupons you get from it, it has great life tips like budgeting, organization, and my favorite: food! Tim and I recently started grilling. This is what we made from the magazine. 

I added in onions and peppers!

The man at the grill!

All done, and all gone after the photo was snapped!

These were delicious! Here is the recipe from ALL YOU:

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup bottled teriyaki sauce

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

• 1 pound flank steak, cut across grain into 1/4-inch-thick strips

• 4 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced on diagonal

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. 1. Combine teriyaki sauce, garlic and pepper in a large ziplock bag. Add steak, seal and turn several times to coat with marinade. Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature.

1. 2. Preheat grill to high. Thread meat onto thin metal skewers; oil grates. Grill steak, turning once, until cooked to desired doneness (1 to 2 minutes per side for medium-rare). Transfer skewers to a serving platter, sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds and serve.

Where is my Birchbox?

I bet you are wondering- hasn't it been a month already? Where is Kelly's Birchbox? Ok, maybe you aren't thinking that, but I am. I checked in to it before I left for Chicago this weekend. It was "delivered" on June 9...but..it wasn't. I check my mail daily because I love getting the mail. Especially loved getting my Birchbox last month. I emailed their customer service on Friday and got my response today that they'll be happy to send me another one. So thumbs up on that. Hopefully it will be here soon and I can share all of the goodies with you.

In the mean time. I did get this in the mail from Target:

Pretty blue cosmetic bag.

Aveeno scrub, Neutrogena sunblock, Revlon lip stuff, TREseme shampoo &conditioner for split ends, Garnier  shampoo &conditioner and of course...coupons!

Will probably try a few of these out soon and let you know how they work out.

Keep your eyes peeled because I have lots of things to blog about this week including:
-Our trip to Chicago
-What my parents did while we were away
-My putt-putt adventure with Kylie
-My birchbox when it arrives
-An update on my goals for the year
-and many others are in the works!

The Art of Couponing: Great Cereal Deal at Publix

All of the Kellogs brand cereals are 50% off at Publix today and tomorrow (Sunday). Most boxes are $3.79 - $4.29 each (so just divide those by half). Not too bad. But, it's even better when you use the coupon that SouthernSavers talks about here (I seriously cannot plug this woman and her blog enough, she has changed so many lives). $5 off 5 boxes. I read in the comments that someone used this opportunity to donate 35 boxes of cereal to a Ronald McDonald House in their area. Me, I'm probably being a little selfish and using this as an opportunity to get back on my Weight Watchers; I stocked up on Special K. I got 5 boxes of cereal for $5.73 ($1.15 a box basically). So then...according to the math, I saved 73% off each box.

The Art of Couponing: Score $10 in CVS cash EASY this week

I haven't fallen off my couponing wagon much at all. I've set the goal of using $500 in coupons this year and I think I'm on my way. Let me tell you about the deal at CVS I took advantage of this week.

Right now you can spend $30 in store on select items and get $10 back in CVS cash. Remember, that's $30 before coupons, and some of the items I bought had coupons and I bet if you take a minute you could find something for more.

I bought:

I bought 4 Coke 12 pks, 18 count of Cottonelle and 2 6 pks of Choose a Size Scott paper towels.

The Coke products are $2.50 per 12 pk.
The Cottonelle 18 pk is $10 (but there are coupons out there for .50 off and possibly others)
The Scott paper towel 6 pks are $5 each. (but there is a $1 off coupon out there)
(I also used my $2 CVS Extra Care Bucks that I needed to get rid of).

I spent $28.58, saving $16.64 and earning $10 to use next trip (so you could say I saved $26.64).

This is an easy one to replicate, and if you don't like soda just check out my favorite blog- Southern Savers to find out more ways to work the $30 deal.

Happy New Year: Twelve Goals for 2012

Woohoo! Some of you may remember my blog posts regarding goals for the new year, or Eleven in 11. Well I'm at it again. Some are similar, some are a little more private, some are easy and some are not. We'll see how it goes!

1. Track our entire budget- Now, that sounds like I don't now, but I do, I just want to get down to the details more.
2. Use at least $500 in coupons- Pretty high goal, but not once you start using those Extra Care Bucks from CVS. We'll see how it goes. I've got a little Excel sheet and I'm excited to find out exactly how much cutting coupons saves me from just the coupons.
3. Lose X and keep it off- So last year I did well losing what I planned to lose, I just gained 10 of it back. So now I'm going to get that 10 back off and hopefully just a little bit more with it and hope that come December I haven't gained back.
4. Get a library card, use it once a month- This one is in honor of my favorite librarian couple. I want to start going to the library to get books because I want to...
5. Read 26 books- Last year I tried for 52- HA! That was one a week, but this one I might be able to pull off. One book every two weeks. I am LOVING the Hunger Games books right now.
6. Shop local once a month- Tim and I like to support small business when we can, so I thought I'd make it a goal to continue to do it at least once a month.
7. Knit a scarf- this one is easy...right? I've already got one started...I just need to finish it!
8. Consistent Gym Use- if we're going to keep it as an expense I've got to go more. I'm pledging to go at least four times a week to make it worth our while.
9. BLOG three times a week- I don't want to abandon you. I did so well at the beginning of the year, and then fell off. I want to keep it going all year long!
10. Finish our wedding scrapbook- We've been married almost 4 years, it's just time to do this already!
11. Put $X in savings- gotta build it back up since we're hoping to buy that house :)
12. Run a 5k- It's time to stop saying I'm going to do it and just do it!

So there it is. The List. What do you want to accomplish in 2012?

The Art of Couponing Returns!

Thought I'd share the free deal I found from Southern Savers this week at Publix (you still have time to cash in on this).

We're free at Publix! Crest toothpaste and Oral B toothbrush!

Right now at Publix, both the Crest toothpaste and Oral B toothbrush are $2 each. If you are like me, and you are a frequent Publix shopper, you should have received the "Savings are Stocking Up at Publix" mailer. It looks like this:

Yay! Free money at Publix!

Inside this booklet there were coupons for $1 off Crest toothpaste and $1 off Oral B manual toothbrushes. Remember, these are store Qs, so you can couple them with the sale + manufacturer's Qs to get the BEST deals.

Right now you can find manufacturer's Qs for both in variations of -.50, -.75 and -$1. Luckily, I had them in the $1 value.

So, $2 sale price, minus $1 store Q and $1 manufacturer's Q = FREE.

I got lucky and we have an extra mailer that came to the house (mom also spends lots of $$ in Publix) so I'll be getting more, but this time it'll be .25 cent for the toothpaste.

Either way, the toothpaste is getting donated, but I'll keep the toothbrushes :)

The Art of Couponing: CVS $10 Gas Deal

I was a bit skeptical this summer of the CVS gas deal. Spending $30 seemed to be a bit more than I wanted to pay, but I thought there were some good deals on the products you had to spend the $30 on.

I bought:

Yes, Elliot wanted in on the saving action...

I used 4 $1.00/1 Tide detergent coupons, .25 cent off Charmin & .25 cent off Bounty. The really cool thing I used that I hadn't planned on using was a $4 off $20 CVS coupon that I loaded onto my CVS card through cvs.com right before I ran out to go to the store. So lesson learned: ALWAYS log on to cvs.com before you roll out of your house! Also, I used $3ECB before they expired at the end of the week.

The Art of Couponing: Free Advil at Publix this week!

Take me home! I'm free!

You read that correctly. FREE Advil at Publix. 

Before going to Publix print two of these manufacturer's coupons from Advil. 

Go to the customer service counter and pick up the GREEN coupon flyer. There is a Public store coupon for $5 off TWO boxes of Advil. 

Right now, a 50 ct. box is on sale for $4.49. 

4.49x2 = $8.98

minus $5 from Publix Q

minus $4 total from the 2 Manufacturer's Qs

That's negative $9 total!

You actually get paid.02 towards the taxes you pay on the items :) (Actually, I don't know if that is true or not...but come on FREE Advil)!

And just so you know...a 100 ct box is on sale for $10.29!

NO EXCUSES FOLKS! You need to get in on this.

Again, my all time favorite is Southern Savers, but there are tons you can check out online!

The Art of Couponing: Good Sale @ The Limited!

If you are in your late 20s like me, you may struggle in Columbus to find "age appropriate" clothing. It's like stores here cater to the extremes and my age group is left out. I generally have to drive to Atlanta to find things that suit my needs and taste. I love TheLimited. And right now they have pretty good deals going on. All of their pants and jeans are 40% off. And all of their shirts and shirtdresses are on sale 40% off as well. Plus, I had a coupon in the mail so I got $30 off $100 (it is also good for $50 off $150). I chose the following:

My final total was $86. That was a savings of over 50%. And, the great thing is that I know these pants last (so long as you stop losing weight...I bought several last fall that I can no longer wear from losing my weight).

The Art of Couponing: Big CVS Deals

If you haven't seen it by now, I'll post here for you all to see. There are some good deals at CVS right now. Just check out Southern Savers or Coupon Divas for some easy check lists.

Here is the deal I did this week: Buy $20 worth of Playtex and/or Schick and get $10 ECB back.

I bought...
Edge Shave Gel, regular $2.87 (on sale for $2.19), used coupons for .55 off, paid $1.64
Skintimate Shave Gel, regular $3.59 (on sale for $2.19), lost my coupon so I paid $2.19
(2) 40 ct. Playtex Gentle Glide Tampons, $8.49 each (used 2 $1/1 coupons) and paid $7.49 each
Also used $4 in ECB off my total that expire soon.
Total out of pocket cost: $14.81 + tax, but earned $10 ECB to use in store. Which I'm thinking about using to buy 4 cases of Diet Dr Pepper (on sale $2.50 per 12 pack).

I would have made out better if I could have bought the Shave Creams, but they were SOLD OUT when I got there. I know you can do a rain-check at CVS, but I was in a hurry and I honestly didn't need it that bad. I mostly steal Tim's shave gel, but since there was a chance to buy some girly kind, I did (and bought one to go in his stash as well). In fact, I think Walgreen's is also having a good deal on the Shave Cream if anyone has the coupons leftover from missing out on the CVS deal.

The Art of Couponing: Back into Super Saving Action

You haven't seen me post one of these in a while, mostly because I've seriously been so busy we haven't even really been shopping. My mom has been taking on more of the feeding responsibilities because my niece and nephew are still around. But, since the online class is now over I decided to put my little coupons back into action. Note: I've still been clipping, just haven't been using.

So let me share some of the highlights from tonight's shopping trip.

@CVS:

Tonight's Out of Pocket cost was: $3.73

Yes. You read that right. I paid $3.73 for 2 Oral B toothbrushes, Tampax Pearl Tampons (get over yourself squeamish boys) and chocolate! PLUS: I earned $4 Extra Care Bucks. That's like a profit of 27 cents ha!

How I did it? Well, I had $3 ECB to use by 7/6 or else they expire, I used a B1G1 Oral B toothbrush coupon, I got a free chocolate coupon just by stopping at the coupon printer in store, I used a $1off Tampax Pearl, and the Toothbrushes+ Tampons had ECB deals. All in all a savings of 78%.

@Publix

All this can be yours for the price of $9.74

Above you see: Ritz crackerfuls, French's mustard, Viva paper towels, Mueller's pasta, 2 rolls of Reynold's non-stick wrap, Mahatma rice, Playtex tampons, and Breakstone's sour cream blends! All for under $10. The grand savings total was 64% off.

Let me go over a couple of the big deals:

Reynolds non-stick wrap, regular $4.39

On sale B1G1 so it's $2.19

Used a .75 off coupon to pay $1.44 a roll; that is a savings of 67% Not too bad. You can ALWAYS use this stuff.

Viva Big Roll paper towels, regular $3.00

On sale B1G1 so it's $1.50

Used a .50 coupon that DOUBLES to $1.00 off at Publix to pay .50 for one roll; that is a savings of 83%

Mueller's Pasta, regular $1.45

On sale B1G1 so it is .72

Used a .55 cent off coupon to pay .17; that is a savings of 88%

Please tell me I have persuaded some of you by now :)

Some of the best sites to help you are:
Southern Savers
Coupons Make it Free
20 Something Saver

The Art of Couponing: It really doesn't take that much time

Someone one time told me they thought what I did was cool, but they didn't have the time. Now, I don't know much about this person, but I know myself and I'm highly involved in a lot of things, and I'm managing just fine. I hear the time argument all the time, but let me tell you about the trip to Publix I had with my mom yesterday.

I literally came home from work, went to the garden, snapped some photos and came in to load them when my mom asked if I wanted to go to Publix. Mind you, before I go to Publix I usually make a list of exactly what I want and I go ahead and pull the coupons I want to use and file them in the front of my coupon organizer.

It fits so well in the purse. And yes, that is Elliot in the back.

Look it expands! And yes, Elliot's tail is in the photo...

"Today's shopping coupons"

This allows me to stay on track in the store, get what I need, and generally be done in less than 15 minutes. Before, I used to meander around in the store for about an hour. (So think about that right there!)

However, yesterday I didn't have the pre-planning time. Mom gave me just a few minutes to put on my shoes, and do a quick scan of the sale paper. So, while I was in the car I started mentally listing what I needed to get.

The result? I used 4 coupons, purchased 7 items, paid $8.57, saved $15.43 or 64%

The biggest deals were the Marie's salad dressing for 65 cent (I've done this deal before), and Dove deodorant for 75 cent.

The next big deal I got is not squirmy boy friendly, so you have been warned...

I got a great deal on tampons. Alright, squirmy boys, get your giggles and groans out. But, mostly I'm speaking to the women here. Girly products can be a serious expense sometimes. Especially the good stuff. Publix had all of their Playtex gentle glide, and Playtex sports tampons on sale B1G1. So on top of that I have a $1 off each. The bottom line: Two boxes of tampons for $1.14 each. Are they my favorite brand? No. But, they are at least a close second.

Just think, if I can save 64% without much planning, what can you save if you take just a little time to plan?

The Art of Couponing: .34 brownie mix and other Publix goodies

Mama knows how to shop! All this for 10.92 (rough average of $1 of per item)- a savings of 61%

If you are my facebook friend you already know about the 34 cent brownie mix. But, if you aren't you should go fast to the Duncan Hines facebook page and get your .50 coupon (which Publix doubles in MOST states). Since the brownie mix is on sale $1.34 per box and the coupon doubles to $1 off...well technically I think it's 35 cent...but...tomato potato...or something. It is roughly 87% off.

Another great deal: going on is the Kraft chunk cheese or cheese cuts. They are $1.67 each and I used a coupon for $1.50 off 2 8oz Kraft cheese. That's almost like getting one free.

The pasta sauce deal is good too. The Bertolli sauces are $2 each and there was a coupon very recently (this past Sunday I think) for $1.50 off two. Again, almost like getting the second one free.

The Publix penny item was my real reason for going in tonight. I knew I could get the brownie anytime this week, but today's penny item was Publix Creamy Peanut Butter. The penny item, and the mailers that come out on Wednesdays are why I do the majority of my couponing on Wednesdays and Sundays.

The 20oz pineapple chunks were B1G1 free so I got one at half off. I'm going to try a new recipe this week and make pineapple bliss cupcakes. Hence why I bought the marsh mellow item (it was sadly not on sale, but that's ok).

Also, I used a total of FIVE coupons tonight. Count them- FIVE. Kraft cheese, Duncan Hines Brownie, Duncan Hines Cake Mix, Penny Coupon, & Bertolli. If you are looking in to starting just tell yourself that you'll start with only one or two. Over time you'll find more to use and see a difference because they add up.When you start using more than one, it really adds up. And when you stack them with store deals (like Publix) you REALLY save.

Happy Savings :) I'll let you know how the cupcakes turn out this week.

The Art of Couponing: This is a great time to start

If I haven't persuaded you yet, and you're still holding out, this week at Publix is a great time to start. That's because you actually have the next couple weeks to learn the deals. Publix won't change its sales til after Easter.

One of the things I stocked up on tonight: Weight Watcher Smart Ones frozen meals. They are great for lunch. Right now Publix has them for 5 for $10.00 which is basically $2.00 each (remember you don't have to buy all 5). But, I did. I bought 12. I used a coupon for $5.00 off 12 WW Smart Ones (you can find these easily by going to their website or googling "smart ones coupons." Since several of them vary in price I'll break the math down below:

Total item cost for 12 WW Smart Ones: $33.38
Total on sale: $24.00
Coupon savings: $5.00
Total paid: $19.00
Total savings= $14.38 or 43% off! 


Another great deal that wasn't in the mailer is the Marie's salad dressing. You can get a $1 off coupon by joining their mailing list. Note: I have created a gmail account SOLELY for coupons. That way I cut the clutter from my actual inbox. It is on sale in the store 2 for $3.29 (which is basically B1G1, or 50% off 1). I needed more balsamic vinegarette so I only bought one.


Total cost for 1: $3.29
Total on sale: $1.65
Coupon savings: $1.00
Total paid: $0.65
Total savings= $2.65 or 81% off!

And the good thing about Marie's dressing? The balsamic vinegarette is only 1 WW pt per serving!

Overall, everything I bought on this trip was on sale EXCEPT Tim's popsicles. (I told him he messed up my overall savings and I'd blog about it. But, the good thing is we saved so much it was perfectly fine to buy him a treat haha!)

The total damage was $30.26, with a savings of $24.60 or 45% off!


PS- that's at least 19 lunch meals for me since some of the WW items are double servings (so almost 4 work weeks worth of meals). That is ONE DOLLAR PER MEAL! Can you honestly beat that???

The Art of Couponing: Hang in there

I just wanted to post a quick blog update while I wait on dinner :) Tim and I just got back from Publix and it was a pretty successful trip. There are several good sales going on. I just wish we had gone sooner because some things were sold out.

Side note: If you haven't checked it out yet, you need to go to iheartpublix. Great blog about couponing at Publix.

Anyways, I titled this post "Hang in there" because I want you to know that it may seem totally worthless in the beginning, but HANG IN THERE! The more you clip, and the more practice you get at stacking and planning, the better savings you are going to have. I've been doing this right at a month now and my first visits were 19%, 21% and 28%. Tonight, I reached a 32% discount at Publix. It may not sound like much, but it was $38.11 off! And, we got materials to make AT LEAST 8 meals over the next week, have plenty of leftovers, lunches and we bought snackage (because we love to eat).

I thought I'd also spotlight a few good deals & example of stacking:

Example 1: Sargento Shredded Cheese [Pepperjack]
Publix Sale- $2.00 + $1.50 off coupon for Sargento Shredded Pepperjack = 50 cents
Since the cheese is regularly $3.19 that's a savings of almost 85%

Example 2: Crest Toothpaste [I bought the one that has coupons inside!]
Publix Sale- 2 for 2.99 (B1G1) + $1 off Publix coupon = 1.99 for 2 6.4 oz sized toothpastes
Since the stuff is regularly $2.99 each, this was a savings of 67%

Example 3: Sun Chips
Publix Sale- $3.00 + $1 off Publix coupon = $2.00
Since the chips are regularly $3.79, this was s savings of almost 47%

I also cannot promote these enough but check out Jaclyn's blog & SouthernSavers They both give me great ideas.

The Art of Couponing: Lessons Learned

Today I haven't been able to focus (I blame the spring allergies) and I misread my first CVS mailer. Granted, in the end I still came out well, just not as well as my SUPER deal from the other day.

Transaction 1
I started out doing the buy $30, get $10 Extra Care Bucks. This was easy to do because we needed ALL of these items:

• Aussie shampoo & conditioner (2/4.49 after manufacturer coupon + CVS deal)
• Dawn dishsoap (.79 after coupon + CVS deal)
• Bounty paper towels (5.99 - CVS deal)
• Charmin TP x2 packages (10.73 after coupon + CVS deal)
• Tide detergant (5.34 after coupon + CVS deal)

So that + tax was $35 even. It sounds high, but I got the $10 ECB to use on my second transaction AND when you do all the math it was 36% off.

Transaction 2

• Old Spice Body Wash x 2 (@ 3.49 each with coupon + CVS deal)
• Venus razor cartridges (13.29 after coupon + CVS deal)

And that is where I made the mistake. I misread the CVS mailer to say "$4" for the cartridges. But...it was really $4 OFF. Pay close attention and don't be memorized by the numbers like I was. I could have paused and come back, but I decided since there was now a lady in line behind me I needed to move on out. I used my $10 ECB and ended up paying $11.90 total. Which, when you do the math is 56% off. So, not TOO bad.

So overall, I saved $33.74 which rounds out to 44% off my entire trip to CVS. All of these items will get used. :)

The Art of Couponing: BIG Deal Update

So, I just had to check in for a minute and tell you about an amazing deal at CVS right now. I just bought TWO bottles of clean and clear brand body wash for 99 cents + tax! Yes, that is over 92% off. I think I'm converting to purchasing more household products at CVS...

Here is how I did it:
This week at CVS (until April 2), I bought 3 pepsi 12-packs for $10 and got $2 Extra Care Bucks back to use on another purchase.
Tonight, I walked in with that $2 ECB & a coupon from the Sunday paper (you can probably track it down online) that was for Buy 1 Get 1 Free clean and clear body wash.
Until April 2, CVS has clean and clear body wash on sale for 2.99.
When you combine the 2.99 price, B1G1 free, and $2 off you end up with .99 plus tax.

So instead of paying 11.98 plus tax, I paid .99 plus tax.

The Art of Couponing: Weeks 1 & 2

I decided on March 7th to take control of my finances and learn how to coupon. I was mostly inspired by one of my Auburn friends, Jaclyn. She has started an amazing blog and I really really encourage you to check it out. I got an idea from her to start tracking how much I saved using coupons. I mean, I was skeptical. How much do you really save by using a .40 cent coupon? [actually, I've learned that at Publix you'll save .80 cent because they double all coupons under .50]

So, I'm happy to report that on my last four grocery related trips I have saved the following using deals + coupons:

Trip #1 to Publix - 19%
Trip #2 to Publix - 21%
Trip #3 to Publix - 28%
Trip #1 to CVS - 33%

It may not seem like a lot, but you'll notice each time is a little more. I'm learning how to do this and it is working. Let me share one deal that I just got at Publix:

Weight Watchers Frozen Treats (regularly $5.29 each)
Currently, they are B1G1 free. So, that makes them $2.64 each (because it's basically 50% off).
I also had a $1.00 coupon from the internet.
I should have paid $10.58, but instead, I paid $4.29. That's a savings of almost 60%.

And that is honestly the trick. Shop at Publix (or a store with similar deals) and add the coupons on top.

Now, I know that people say..."but that's takes time, and my time is worth money." It was a little time consuming at first, but only because I was reading trying to figure it out. It really only takes a few minutes each day to check online for new deals (have them emailed to you if you want- I've created my own coupon-only email address) and clip from the Sunday paper.

I spent more time blogging right now than I did on clipping coupons.

The Art of Couponing...

So, I've been inspired. I want to learn the art of couponing. Especially when I hear these grand stories of how people get $100 worth of stuff for a dime. If you have any tips or suggestions please feel free to comment.

Currently, I'm following a friend's blog, Jaclyn's Couponing Journeys and I've read a lot about Southern Savers. 

Another friend recommended I join inbox dollars.

It sounded a little weird at first, but I'm giving it a try. I don't use it to play games or whatever. I don't even fill out all the crazy surveys that ask you for your address. What I am interested in are the features that allow you to earn cash back for using coupons you print there, and the online shopping cash back. One of their stores is Express and Tim and I purchase online there once or twice every few months. They give you 4% cashback. I can see that as being somewhat productive. I'll let you know how it goes.

One good tip I've been using for a long time now is this: sign up for newsletters. Create a separate email JUST for email offers. Especially with clothing stores like Express, NY&Company, The Limited, Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret, etc etc etc. I log in to that email anytime before I go to shop and print away the savings.

So yeah, let's hear those tips!