Summer snacking and lunches: here we come! Jewel is running a $25 get $10 OYNO sale this week on ConAgra products. The tomatoes aren't much of a deal (regular price of $1.20 - on sale for $1 - I want a bigger price spread than that to make it worth my while), but the popcorn and soup sure are! Here's what I got:



Transactions 1-4
13 cans Healthy Choice soup (14-15 oz.) regular price $2.00 - on sale 10 for $10, get the 11th item free
Total = $12.04 - get $10 OYNO
Total spent: $18.16 - plus $10 OYNO coupon
Saved: $132.12

Transaction 5-8
7 Orville Redenbacher popcorn (cheddar, light, movie theater, butter flavors work for sure) regular price $3.59 - on sale for $1.69
$2.14 per transaction - I just rolled the coupon in to the next order.
Total OOP: $8.56
Total Saved: $91.96
plus one $10 OYNO coupon still in my pocket!!

Total Spent at Jewel: $26.72 for 80 items or $.33 per item.
Total saved: $224.08



Butera has some crazy good deals going on, too, right now to celebrate the re-grand opening or remodeling or something like that of one of their stores - I couldn't pass up:

(all are limit one unless otherwise indicated)
$.99 a gallon milk
$.99 64 oz. Dean's Orange Juice
$.39 dozen large eggs (Limit 2)
$3.99 - 3 lb. bag frozen chicken breast (limit 2)
$.29 lb. bananas - (limit 2 bunches)
$1.99 lb. boneless beef rump or rolled pork roast (no limit) - I grabbed one (I'll roast it and slice it with my meat slicer for some amazing deli meat)
BOGOFree Margarine (no limit) $1.05
3/$1 Hass avocados (limit 6)
$.99 head lettuce

Total Spent $27.16
Total Saved: $21.74

Total OOP: $53.88

Cereal.

What do you think of when you hear that word? When I was younger (much younger), cereal was a treat - we had cereal once in a rare blue moon. Being raised by a single mom with 3 kids, and half the neighborhood eating at our place, that might have something to do with it.

Then, before I started couponing, cereal was a siphon in my wallet, carefully, thoroughly sucking out the few dollars I had for our weekly grocery shopping. Hey, regular priced cereal costs more per pound than meat or produce - and you can't stretch it as far. Believe me, I've tried.

Now, cereal is funny. It's hilarious. It's almost an event. Sometimes it's even a joke.

The conversation starts like this:

"I think I want something to nibble on." (DH)
"Hmmmm..." (me, distracted by the tv, a good book, magazine, or playing on the computer) "cookies?"
DH shakes his head
"Leftovers?" I reply, raising an eyebrow
DH laughs
"Cereal?" Knowing full well he wouldn't go for my first two options, didn't matter what they were. Oh, and there were no cookies, anyway.
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking." Like I could hear his thoughts from across the room - they just took some time getting to me. Might've got lost somewhere around the edge of the coffee table.

Then comes the long pause. (Don't worry, I was wiating for it.) DH ambles into the kitchen. "Which one?" Here's why I find it funny:


Once upon a time, there was no concept of which one - there was one box, and it was usually almost-empty. Now, there are more than a dozen different kinds on hand at all times. Hubby scratches his wondering for a few seconds, before finally deciding which one and going down to the pantry in the basement to get it. Though, in most scenarios, he'll offer to grab me a fresh box of cereal too. (Since our tastes are rather different - me = Honey Bunches of Oats....him = Froot Loops.)

Now, there's a killer sale at Dominicks on cereal. Not that I really need more, but at these prices, I can't pass it up. I can get Captain Crunch for $.40 a box. There are other deals to be had, but for that one alone - I'll be out shopping.

Got to love my funny, frugal life...
Oh, and for details on the cheap cereal - go HERE.

$.99 lb. for the following items:
Pork loin rib half-sliced
Smoked Shank 1/2 ham
Boneless Sirloin Pork Chops
Honeysuckle or Jennie-O Turkey Breast (bone-in)
Mangos
Baby carrots
Green onions
Navel Oranges
Gala Apples

Also $.99:
Fresh Express salad shreds and mix
pint of blueberries
Filone Artisan Breads (love the Asiago one!!)
5 lb. Russet potatoes

Other Deals:

$.88 6-8 oz. pkgs. Pepperridge Farm goldfish
$.77 2L 7-Up products

Buy 3 Save $3 instantly on selected cereals (remember to use your expired coupons on this!!) Limit 18 boxes per cardholder, per transaction

Meals:

Mango Pork Tenderloin

Ham and Mashed Potatoes

Orange Pepper Turkey Breast

Dijon Pork Chops

Turkey & Spinach Salad

Ham & Potato Casserole

Apple Crisp

Blueberry Blonde Brownies

Blueberry Muffins

My sister's birthday is coming up on the 19th, and she is a cookbook collector, like many of the women I know (including myself). Now, unless you have amazing timing, great luck, or work for a publishing company and get remainder books - cookbooks are certainly not a cheap item. Unless, of course, you happen to have that great luck I mentioned. And one day, a scant week before Christmas, I did. I really, really did. But, there was a minor snafu.

Out Christmas browsing (since the stores were wickedly overpriced for that close to the holiday - otherwise it would have been considered actual shopping) with DaMaMa, we ventured from one shop to another within the plaza, our last stop being TJ Maxx. I've never professed to be any sort of fan of that store, or the others like it. I've been to Burling Coat Factory once, Marshall twice, and that was my second trip to any TJ Maxx. But after that, it won't be my last!

On a rack near the register, DaMaMa spied some books, as our family is full of avid readers, we decided to browse - and am I glad we did. We found a variety of new cookbooks from $2.99-$5.99, about baking, cooking, grilling - the baking ones really caught my attention, and we did not leave empty handed. We grabbed 10 cookbooks (for Christmas gifts, birthdays, etc.) and spent $35.xx. I can't even find them second hand that cheap - so after careful consideration - the pile of books was divided and 5 of those have been sent as gifts for my sister. It should have been 7, but....well, here's how the snafu goes:

DaMama (whose wrapping skills far exceed that of my own) was going to wrap the books and ship them to the frigid, I mean lovely, state of MN where my sister lives. To get the most out of our shipping, we also sent my sister's son's (Nephew #1) brithday gifts along with it (more books, naturally and their birthdays are less than 2 weeks apart - ship once, save a bundle). Maybe it was late or DaMaMa had gotten into the after CHristmas nog, but she accidentally labeled 2 of the cookbooks for Nephew #1. Oops....but then, not oops. Here's where it gets interesting.

I called my nephew to wish him a happy birthday (if I didn't, I'd get burned at the stake, or excommunicated - birthday calls are mandatory in my family), and got to hear how excited he was over the 1 recipe, 100 Cakes cookbook he received and how he wants to make the Honey Beehive Cake that he saw in it. Keep in mind, this kid also got an XBox 360. But, we spent more than 5 minutes just talking about his new cookbook (he didn't know that his Auntie got the same one for Christmas, he just thinks I've got a great memory....I'm gonna let him keep thinking that, too!) and telling me how excited he was to start cooking/baking. He just turned 12.

Imagine my surprise (and my sister's, too) that Nephew #1 not only was happy about the mix-up - and no, we're not telling him that's what actually happened, he has cookbooks, he's happy - we're happy, my sister though ....a little sad to see a few of her gifts going towards her son, but that's okay, more on that later, my nephew is genuinely excited about this gift. I'm still shocked.

Feeling a little bad for my sister, I called yesterday, remembering that I had some cokerewards built up, so I asked her what kinds of magazines she likes and for her birthday, she's getting a free subscription to Better Homes and Gardens! As a suprise bonus, I found out what her favorite magazine is (Taste of Home) and through a very savvy blogging buddy, I grabbed a subscription to that for her at the bargain price of......$3.99 for a year!

Imagine her surprise when I tell her (I'll try to wait for her birthday) what bonus gifts she's got coming! And today, that's the way the birthday cake crumbles.

Last Friday, I took a good run at some of the Target deals on offer – and I’m so glad I did! Look at these deals:

4 bags of Combo’s at $1.79 - $1 ST Q each = $.79

3 Archer Farms Snack Crackers $2.19 - $1 ST Q each = $1.19

4 Kellogg’s Pop Tarts at $1.46 - $.75 ST Q each = $.71 -$.55 (2) manu Q = $1.74 for 4

1 20 oz. pkg. Johnsonville Turkey and Cheddar brats - $2.99 -$3 winetag Q - $.01 overage

5 Archer Farms mini baguettes at $.99 -$1 ST Q each = FREE (no overage was given)

1 Archer Farms ciabatta at $.99 -$1 ST Q each = FREE (no overage given)

10 General Mills cereal cups at $1.00 each -$1 ST Q each = FREE -$.55 Honey Nut Cheerios manufacturer Q’s = $.55 overage

8 boxes GM cereal at $2.54-$2.79 - $1 ST Q each, - $1/2 (2), $.55 (3), $.75 (1) manufacturer Q’s = $6.74/8 = $.84 a box on average

6.3 lbs. bananas -$/50/lb. ST Q = $1.22

Apples (assorted varieties $1.19-$1.49 lb. - $1 ST Q each lb. = $6.25 for 16.41 lbs. of apples

Gold ‘n’ plump ground chicken $2.99 for 1.25 lbs. -$3 winetag Q = $.01 overage

18 Archer Farms yogurt cups at $.47 each = $8.46

2 Market Pantry juice blends 64 oz. $2.29 each

All of these goodies for only: $36.29
Total Savings = $63.43

Going to take another run at the Target savings - fellow blogger posted about FREE gerber baby bottles, and oodles of other freebies! Now, that's my kind of shopping. I may not have a baby yet, but I know plenty of girls that do and bottles are a thoughtful gift (I hope). Also will make a great donation item to the church's womens shelter.

I'm getting all geared up for my next big shopping excursion! I just had a look at the list Kraft put out for their rebate (offered through Supervalu affiliated stores) - and a couple of the items I'm eying have fabulous coupons for them. Well, that and I grabbed a dozen of the Nabisco coupon booklets. Which have a separate set of rebates in them. This is when shopping madness occurs...

Shopping madness is defined (by me) as having more deals, more cheapies/freebies than one person thinks they can grab in any given time frame (an afternoon, a week, a decade). Between BOGOF on Planters trail mix, to 10/$10 a box Mac 'n' Cheese crackers - I'm really not sure which direction to turn in first. Not that that's a problem. At least, not a problem for me! I'm armed with loads of good coupons!


Step #1: Drive to nearest Jewel.

Step #2: Check to make sure all catalina machines are working properly at self checkout.

Step #3: Grab shopping cart.

Step #4: Ladies, start your shopping (as I picture someone waving the green flag, like they do at car races - and I'm in the lead - we can all dream, can't we?)!

Step #5: Leave with $20 rebate, $5 cat, and a whole load of goodies!

So, looks like Wednesday afternoon, I'm back out on the hound. But, out of curiosity, has anyone out there tried the Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese crackers and are they any good? Please let me know what you think! That's the basis for my deal.

Sunday sure isn't a day of rest for us couponers! DaMama and I hit 2 stores, did 4 transactions, and spent less than $8 between us. How did we do? Keep reading!

Ultra-Foods
36 jars Fisher Peanut Butter reg. $1.90 - sale $.99
1 36 count box Hefty One-Zip bags reg. $4.05 - sale $1.00
Q's:
36 -$1 off any Fisher product 4.0 oz. or larger
1 - $.20 peelie coupon from the Hefty bags

Total OOP - $1.19 Saved $68.75

From there, we scampered to Jewel - in search of some free ice cream. In and out of that store in less than 40 minutes, here's what we found:

Transaction #1:
16 boxes Lipton Onion Soup Mix - Regular $2 - sale $1.00
After $15 in catalina coupons - $1.96 was our total, and $15 in cats printed out - love it!
Saved: $31.25

Transaction #2:
5 - 1.5 quart Breyer Ice Cream - assorted flavors reg. $6.50 - sale $3
1 64 oz. Dole Juice blend regular $3.49 - sale $2.50
1 8 oz. Jewel brand Swiss cheese regular $3.00 - sale $2.00
- $.50 Q's off each (5)
-$15 in cats
OOP = $2.34 Saved $38.75
got back $15 in cats

Transaction #3:
4 bags Chex Mix reg. $3.17 - sale $1.66
6 bags Gardetto's reg. $3.16 - sale $1.66
2 bags Bugles reg. $2.99 - sale $1.67
- $.50 Q's printable (4)
-$15 in cats
OOP = $1.66
Saved: $29.85
got back $15 in cats.

Got to love rolling a cat, the deals are great, Annie's Market is bursting with tasty goodies!

Total OOP = $7.15
Total Saved = $168.60

With all the great deals I'm finding, I've been shopping before work, on my lunch break with a shopping buddy, and on my way home (quick trips) or just after work shopping (2-4 hours of fun). Maybe I'm just experiencing shopper's burnout, but I am getting a little tired running all over Chicagoland (or my corner of it, anyway) snapping up the deals.

As my grandpappy would, "You'd b*tch if you were hung with a new, waxed rope." Never quite understood that saying growing up, but now I have a rough idea and it always makes me laugh.

I don't remember this plethora of deals last summer, but stores weren't really trying to stay competitive then either. Now that retailers are worried in this economy, they are rolling out the savings wagons, cautiously, but continuously. I keep thinking there's a brief respite to the deals, and another big one barrels down on me - like large SUVs in the parking lot. You know your measly cart isn't going to save you, but you stand there transfixed anyway, until the moron swerves around you, giving you a less-than-friendly gesture or yelling some endearing obscenity through an open window, while looking at you like you're the crazy one. Yes, it's moments like these that I feel at one with the universe. I know, I know - enough of the sarcasm.

Between Jewel, Butera, and Meijer - they are conspiring to empty me of coupons (a good thing), wear my sorry, bargain huntin' butt out (not the greatest scenario), and leave me stunned at the amount of goodies I've socked away for the lean times (I know I can't complain about that!). I'm so glad today is the last day of the deals, so I can stumble home - probably 1-2 hours after I planned on coming home, wore out, spent of time, coupons, money, and common sense, and looking forward to a slow, lazy, bargain-free week. Think that'll happen? Probably not, but DaMama will have the ads today, so I'll find out tonight!

Saturday was a hop & shop kind of day. Jewel had their generic cereals on sale for $.99 a box, Arm & Hammer laundry detergent onsale for 2/$5, and StarKist Tuna for 2/$1. After numerous transactions - mostly on Saturday - and filling the back of my car, DaMama & I ended up with:

64 boxes of cereal (limit 4 per person)
16 bottles of Arm & Hammer (Limit 2 per person)
32 cans of tuna (Limit 2 per person)

And rainchecks for 16 additional boxes of cereal as well as 12 more bottles of Arm & Hammer.

After all that shopping, I was ready for a nap! But dinner and a movie with DH was even better. We went to see The Proposal, used our free movie passes - tickets cost us $0! Dinner was late, so we grabbed some tacos fresco from Taco Bell for $8.84. And we snuck in an caramel apple empanada. Dinner, dessert, and a movie for under $10! Now, there's some date night savings.

Now, I'm gearing up for the Jewel deal: spend $30, get $15 in cats on select Knorr/B.C./etc. products. Let's see what kind of cheapies & freebies I can load up on!

I love cookies - I love cheap/free cookies even more. Here's how the cookie hunt went:

First 8 transactions:
4 boxes of Keebler Chips Deluxe Cookies - assorted flavors
1 2L. Dr. Pepper - assorted varieties (I love the Cherry Vanilla)
Total before discounts = $21.25
Total after preferred card = $11.47
Total after $10 cat (for each order) = $1.47.
Or about $.29 per it em - I can live with that.

1 transaction:
5 boxes Keebler Fudge cookies (assorted)
Total before discounts $21.25
Total after preferred card = $12.72
Total OOP (after $10 cat) = $2.72

A survey printed at the bottom of one of our receipts, filled it out for $2 off my next transaction. Yeah, I can find a use for that.

At the first store I did 4 transactions, then Sandy met up with DaMama and I at the 2nd Jewel, where I rang up 13 transactions back-to-back. We were there for over an hour, andm ost of that time was at checkout. The clerks didn't give us any problems, which was a surprise and a relief - as I've been limited to the number to transactions I could do there in the past. The great thing - between Sandy & I - we covered 4-6 different Jewel stores without having to go out of our way. At prices like that, it's no wonder I haven't been baking as much as I used to. It's cheaper not to bake but to buy Keebler instead.

I made a $10 bill, a $10 cat, and my change purse last all night. For the last two transactions, we paid for them with loose change. And that lightens some of the weight in my purse, though the cookies will add some weight to my *ss, I mean hips....

The backyard grill was screaming for some deals on meat this week - and the stores are only happy to oblige! Check out the deals at some of Chicagoland's tastiest stores:

Meijer:

$.99 lb. pork ribs and steaks
10/$5 Yoplait yogurt - don't forgot all your coupons (printable and insert)

Dominick's: (remember your expired coupons - they're ALL good here!)

$.99 pint blueberries (I'ven ever seen them this cheap)
2/$3 select General Mills cereals
$1.99 lb. London Broil (steak biscuits, anyone?)
Tostitos chips $1.49 WYB5 - grab those free dip coupons, get 2 free

Butera:

$.99 16 oz. Food Club sour cream
$.99 lb. ribs - limit 2
$.89 lb. split chicken breast
$.99 15 oz. Food Club mandarin oranges
$1.98 lb. deli sliced oven roasted turkey breast
$.99 loaf French bread - limit 2

Caputos:
$1.49 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
$1.49 gallon milk
$.99 28 oz. crushed Dei Fratelli tomatoes

Jewel:
Check out the spend $20 get a $10 cat section.
Buy 4 Keebler cookies and 1 2L. Dr. Pepper, after preferred card, spend only $11.25 - get a $10 cat! Roll this until they kick you out of the store. I haven't tried this $10 cat yet, but by this time tomorrow, I will have!

Need some menu ideas to go along with these deals? Click here for London Broil, here for the pork steaks, and over here for the bone-in chicken.

This summer is all about piggy love! Why would anyone declare such a thing? Because, in part, of the Gather Round the Grill coupon, giving us $6 off pork with each bag of Kingsford charcoal we buy. The other part - it tastes soo good with all the in-season fruits that are abundantly affordable this time of year. Take it from my pal, Amiyrah, over at 4 Hats & Frugal - her Peachy Chicken/Pork recipe has become an all-time favorite. Or top some lovely grilled pork kebabs, chops, steaks, or tenderloin with a mango pico de gallo, chutney, or salsa - and that is heaven.

As my taste buds mature (finally!), I have been getting bolder and saucier with my flavors. No longer am I cowering before Kung Pao, terrified of teryaki, or weak before a Whiskey sauce - I want to taste my way through life - and pork is such a great conduit for my many experiments. When looking for a lean cut of meat, I tend to turn to pork first.

With each week or so that passes, I'm attempting another piggy experiment. Last weekend, it was a tag team effort. I marinated a pair of half pork tenderloins in some soy, and gave it a simple rub. DH took over from there - as he's officially Licensed to Grill (his T-shirt said so).

Between DaMama, DH, & I - there was a 1/4 of one of the tenderloin's left - which becamse excellent sammies, with the help of some English muffins. The rest - a sinfully yummy sandwich, and less deli meat I needed to buy. Not that I was low - I just resent paying $3-$7 lb. for some small scraps of meat. But, I digress...

Now that we need more charcoal - I just have to ask myself: What kind of pork do I want this time? Let's see who's on sale! Tell me, have you stocked up on pork because of the Gather Round the Grill coupon?

I'm such a ham for ham - it's not even funny! What's crazy-funny? Caputo's putting 4 lb. boneless Corn King hams (perfect for the meat slicer) on sale for.....$3.99 each. Yes, my lovely and briliiant readers, that comes out to $1 lb. - for soon-to-be sliced deli meat. When my friend, Sandy, heard I had a meat slicer - we were goners - I grabbed 7 of those plump and tasty looking hams, and tried to act calm until we got them loaded in the car.

Well, that was a swell idea until DaMama heard how cheap they were. So I did the only responsible, respectable thing I could think of: I went back and grabbed 3 more. Right now I have 40 lbs. of slice-able ham. (I've been too busy buying the hams to slice already - besides, my co-horts get to help me with it - I'm not eating 40 lbs. of ham alone. Trust me.)

Wow, it's a good thing I was able to refill DaMama's freezer - otherwise, I would never have had the space for all 10 of those pretty hams. Is it bad of me to want to go grab a few more? I love nothing better than a good deal, and this one was better than most. Time to start working on my chicken cordon bleu recipe. Either that, or it's an variety of ham sandwiches, omelets, paninis, melts, and subs that will be speeding their way to my meal-plan.

DH & I have a weekly date night. Nope, it's not an extravagance - I think of it as an investment. And sooo much cheaper than couples counseling...but I digress. We've been kickin' around different ideas for date nights, with Chicago's Botanical Gardens, St. Charles Park District (paddle-wheel boat, peddle boats, and minigolf), and summer berry pickin' coming to mind for fresh new ideas. Since I was still somewhat miffed over the sunburn last weekend, we decided to keep it indoors and go with a safe route - dinner and a movie.

I used to think dinner and a movie was too expensive for a couple to do more than once every few months, but we've got it down to a science. Movie tickets - $5 each. No joke. Nice theater, movable armrests, stadium-style seating, good neighborhood, free refills on popcorn and soda, and they even have punch cards - every 8th ticket is free! What's not to love?! If you live in Chicagoland, check out Classic Cinemas - I swear it's love at first sight. And I'm not the biggest fan to going to the movies (DH is - it's a way of life to him) but I would recommend that theater to anyone. Totally worth it!

As for the dinner portion, T.G.I.Fridays has been tossing B1G1Free entree's at us every other month, and with my love of DragonFire Chicken, it's hard to say no. And being a member of their Stripes club (costs nothing to join - another savings!), we get points toward free appetizers. We splurged on a nice dinner out - with dessert and spent only $19.14. And that does include tip. It was a great Saturday night - lowkey and fun!

Sunday, after dinner, we picked up DaMama for an ice cream cone over at Colonial Cafe where - for the month of July, single scoop ice cream cones are $.50! Our total there was $1.62 for the three of us! Looks like fun in the summer sun just got tastier, and cheaper than ever before!

I remember my father telling me I was the "cook out of the box." His way of reminding me that I didn't technically know how to cook - I used boxed mixes to get me part of the way. Now, that's called Semi-Homemade, and it's considered chic. Who knew? Well, my father's distinct lack of appreciation for my cooking and baking shortcuts was evident, I could never shake the allure of using some shortcuts that the brilliant folks over at Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, and Duncan Hines provided.

It's the last of those companies that I am currently grateful for today. Well, in conjunction with Target, of course. Target was thoughtful enough to give us a $.50 printable coupon on Duncan Hines baking products (hey, can you say vague wording?), and they were nice enough to drop the price from $1.17 to $.97 each. Combined with an abundant stack of coupons, DaMama, my sister (Amy), and I headed off to harvest some cake mixes (and some frosting, too).

I drooled over the french vanilla, lemon supreme, and the coconut flavors while my sister loaded chocolate cakes into her cart with reckless abandon. How well did we do? 45 cakes mixes and 15 frostings later - here's what we spent: $29.37 - and that includes tax. DaMama had a 10% off your entire shopping order coupon which we put through first - naturally. What really makes me laugh? That's less than half the price that some people spend on a single birthday cake - and no, I'm not exaggerating. I know some of those people...

And the crazy thing is - it won't take that long to go through all those yummy cake mixes - since I tend to turn mine into bars, Amy's great with cakes and cupcakes as is DaMama, and my friend, Sandy makes them into cookies. Sure beats going to Jewel and paying $1.69 for a single box of cake mix. What silly people do that, anyway?

While my cakes are seldom made from scratch, I do know this: I'm happy to spend half the cost of a single birthday cake for delicious treats throughout the year. It may make me frugal (or cheap), but it also makes me smart.

I got the best deal ever on a humongous batch of gorgeous organic strawberries! More than 18 lbs. of red, ripe, delicious berries came from my sister's all-organic garden in Minnesota - and these are some of the biggest, juiciest berries I've ever seen. What's crazy? She's got more berries still coming in! When she came for a visit over the 4th of July, she brought the sun-ripened fruit.

Last night, I spent about 2 hours cleaning, slicing, and snacking on berries, getting them ready to freeze. Later this month, I'll make my Strawberry Cream Cake with all those luscious berries. With the amount of berries I've now got on hand, I could make 8-12 cakes! Not that I'm complaining...

At least she let me trade some of some of Annie's Market items for those luscious berries. All in all, I still got the better end of the deal. Where I paid nothing for the grill marinades, less than $.40 a bottle for the BBQ sauce, free or nearly free salad dressing, and grabbed ketchup for $.39 a bottle - she brought berries that are selling for $5.99 lb. (organic is always more expensive). I kind of feel guilty for getting the better end of the bargain here, so when I make my trip to visit her in the coming months - I'll bring extra goodies from the market.

With all these yummy berries, I can't seem to decide which way I want to eat them first. Do I want a strawberry-banana smoothie? How about cheesecake with strawberry sauce? Maybe a good vanilla ice cream with the strawberries on top? I can always used them in baked desserts, too.

Do you have any ideas for a lovely batch of berries? I'd love some new ideas!

I’ve read some great posts by hound-friends, Shelly and spaghetti, about why they stockpile, and their posts inspired me to tell my own tale. For some, couponing and stockpiling is second nature, for others it’s a hard lesson learned somewhere along the way. For me, it’s a bit of both.

I grew up poor, or po’ as we like to call it. I always figured once I was out on my own, it would be different. Wrong! Once I moved in with my now DH, money was tight. I figured I was frugal by shopping almost exclusively at Aldi. That’s what you did to save money, right? Little did I know then how wrong that was.

I started couponing in January of 2007. I remember my first outing so clearly, like it was only yesterday. I now chuckle at the image in my head. DH & I went to SuperTarget for toiletries. We spent nine dollars and change and saved…..(wait for it)….$6.25! I was ecstatic. I truly was. I remembering turning to DH and telling him – imagine if I could do that every time we shopped. He laughed, and shook his head, like it wasn’t even possible to do more than once. Imagine how wrong we both were.

I continued shopping at Aldi, wishing I could find a better way to feed my little family of 2. There were times when money got so tight, the grocery budget disappeared – for 2 weeks at a time. I’d hit into a small deal, but nothing was ever “enough” to last. I still didn’t get it.

I didn’t realize all the mistakes I was making until I had my gall bladder removed about 2 years ago. When my doctor read off the list of things I could and couldn’t eat, I was terrified. How could I feed myself, let alone DH, the healthy fare that was listed? On $30 a week for the two of us, it wasn’t happening. So, while I was re-cooperating at my mom’s, I went through her newspaper and took her coupons. I was surprised at how many of them were for healthy food. But we still spent over $75 in one week. Finally, I had the swift kick in the rear that I so desperately needed.

I took a gamble and went outside my comfort zone. I went to Mexican markets for tortillas, learned the wiley, cagey ways of Meijer – which I never shopped at before, started searching harder for deals – and made my mother my partner in couponing. She would go over the ads with me over the phone from the stores near her – I’d search online for coupons, and when I’d visit her, we’d hit the deals together. Over time, I started to see a difference.

My purchasing habits changed overnight. I now skipped beef all together, in favor of ground turkey – which at the time I heralded as a boom, since the price was much cheaper. I bought chicken as my basic meat, and looked to other ways to make it fun. Baked chicken twice a week wasn’t going to cut it for me. I approached it not as a new diet, but as a lifestyle change. Out went the chips, cookies, nutty bars, and “fun” food. In came yogurt, dried fruits, truck loads of applesauce, spices, marinades, and beans. Those items were much more expensive than their fatty counterparts.

I bought dried spices in abundance, grabbed some cheap marinades. I got out the crockpot and started experimenting – first using a lowfat cookbook my mother had given me, then after a few months, I struck out on my own.

At this point, I had read every label in the stores I shopped at regularly, and knew what I could and couldn’t have. I started making better food choices, something I should’ve been doing all along. I started looking at cooking as an adventure again – not as a chore to get done with as soon as possible. Taking the time to enjoy my food and appreciate all that it does, from nutritional angles as well as enjoying the fantastic flavors: I opened myself up and tried something new.

The stockpiling came naturally, as the coupons gave me additional buying power I didn’t have before. Now I could afford 5 of what I used to buy 1-2 of. Replacing beef saved oodles of money. We moved from a 2 bedroom apartment into a 3 level, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom house – so we had space to stockpile. When gas prices skyrocketed last summer, Annie’s Market was born. I hounded voraciously, occasionally with DaMama at my side, but often solo. I learned I stay focused better when there is someone else with me, so I try to shop with someone else. I’m too embarrassed to buy junk food if I have witnesses.

Now we hound together – unless it’s a quick trip somewhere. We’ve added my sister as a fellow hound, at least when she’s in town. Over the last 2 months, we’ve garnered another hound, a friend of mine with a family of 8. Seeing the change it makes to a family, I have to admit this is priceless.

I love Ultra, I hate Ultra. Their sales are good, sometimes crazy good. Combined with coupon - there are numerous cheapies/freebies to be had. For example: this morning I grabbed 2 2L. Coke, 1 box Keebler Topper crackers, 2 bottles of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce (I'm hopelessly addicted!), 2 canisters of CountryTime lemonade mix. My total OOP = $1.82. Why I hate Ultra? Keep reading...

First the cashier keyed down my CountryTime coupons from $1 to $.98 (no overage) - which was okay, I wasn't going to fight over that. Then she keyed down my Sweet Baby Rays coupons (which was a $1/2), she makred that to $.78 - or the price of one bottle. Next we had the Coke/Keelber coupon. $3 off WYB 2 Coke 2L's & 1 Keebler/Kellogg item. There was a 15 minute discussion between the cashier and the customer service lady (naturally this wasn't in English so I had no clue what was being said), and I asked no less than 6 times, "Is there a problem?" or "Is my transaction complete?" Only when I told them I was leaving with or without the order did they push through the last coupon.

The cashier then decided to explain to me that the store wouldn't get reimbursed for the coupon because of the way I was using it. Like she was trying to shame me. I smiled, and replied with "Read the wording of the coupon - you might learn something and try to mis-inform the next coupon shopper that comes through your lane."

The lady behind me actually laughed at that. So, just to irritate the cashier - I handed her a CountryTime coupon, too! Got to love coupon karma, sometimes the cashiers are stacked against you, other times - you hit the jackpot.

Luckily, I got to work only a few minutes late - so, this is my reminder of why I don't coupon before work. No self-checkouts are open, the cashiers are crankier and meaner, and the aggravation simply isn't worth it. But the free CountryTime and cheap SBR's certainly are!!

So many deals, so little time this week. The week leading up to the 4th of July is typically packed with great deals, and this year is certainly no exception! From Ultra to Butera, from Jewel to Meijer – we’ve got loads of great eats – Backyard BBQ’ing for under $50!

Check out the great heads up over at CouponGeek – she’ll show you how to get free/cheap CountryTime lemonade over at Ultra – and when you’re there, don’t forget to checkout the 12/$10 sale! Lots of great basics (like Crest toothpaste and Dutch Farms cheese) you’ll want to be sure to stock up on!

Meanwhile – Dominick’s has some deals that are sure to catch your attention:
$.99 sale
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce 18 oz. (pair with $1/2 Q)
Rice/Pasta-Roni – can never have too much of this stuff!
Safeway brand marinades

Buy 3 Get 3 Free Coca Cola 2 L. – not the greatest deal until you pair it with the Buy 5 Save $5 instantly on the Keebler products – and use $3 coupon (found in tearpads back in March/April) off any 2 Coca Cola 2L.s when you buy 1 Keebler product.
Here’s the breakdown: Buy 6 Coke ($5.97), 3 Keebler cookies ($5.97), 2 Keebler Club crackers ($2.98) – use 3 $3 tearpad Q’s – you pay only $5.94 for 6 Coke 2 L., 3 boxes of Keebler cookies, and 2 boxes of Keebler Club crackers. I like that!

Over at Meijer, we have a few deals to pick from:

$1.97 lb. boneless pork tenderloin – if you’re getting charcoal, print off the Gather round the grill coupon – and get a 3 lb. pork tenderloin FREE!

$1 - 28 oz. Meijer brand baked beans
BOGOFree Tostitos – use peelie coupon for free dip WYB2 Tostitos chips.
$.39 lb. bananas
$.75 Dole Classic Iceberg Salad Mix
3/$4 Skippy peanut butter
$.98 - 8 oz. Cool Whip – use printable coupons if you still have some left.
2/$3 Kraft Salad Dressing – if you have the $1/1 Q - $.50 is a great price. If you have 2 coupons, get 2 bottles, use $2 meat WYB 2 Kraft participating products (this works on delimeats, too!), and $1 produce WYB 2 Kraft salad dressing. – That’s a lot of food for $1!

Over at Jewel, we’re eyeing the 5/$10 Coke 12 packs (WYB 5 Coke 12pks, get 2 Hillshire Farms sausages free!)

If they haven’t expired yet, the Buy 1 box Honey Maid Graham Crackers & 1 Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, get 6 pk. Hershey’s candy bars free. If the $3 coupon is still valid – get all that for $.50!!

Any $1/2 Weber grill coupons left? Grab some free marinade mix – I can’t wait to try the Southwest Whiskey! Most stores have 6-7 to choose from!

Butera is rounding out our deals this week with:

$.49 lb. chicken legs – hello BBQ time!
$.49 dz. eggs (not sure what the limit is)
$1.49 lb. Food Club butter – limit 2
$.89 18 oz. bottle Sweet Baby Rays (I am addicted to this stuff)
2/$5 Claussen pickles
$1.98 – 10 lb. bag Idaho potatoes

Caputos:
$.99 – 16 oz. loaf French bread
2/$1 Mangoes
$.99 lb. strawberries
$1.99 portabella mushrooms

Here’s how the grilling will breakdown for the week:

Pork kabobs with portabella mushroom and mango chunks, brushed with some elmon juice and sprinkle with salt. Serve over rice or salad.

Teriyaki grilled chicken legs, serve with baked beans and cheesy potatoes

Southwest Whiskey marinated pork tenderloin, grilled – serve with potato salad.

Grilled Chipotle chicken, served with tortillas, chips and dip, salad

Pork Tenderloin medallions, served on a bed of rice (a-roni), with grilled banana smores for dessert.

Any dare devils out there? Grill your pork tenderloin medallions with some pretty, grilled slices of mango – serve together with some fried rice and a huge green salad.

Make a big batches of all the summertime classics: potato salad, baked beans, cheesy potatoes, garden salad, etc. Rotate side dishes, when you run low – substitute in some pasta/rice-a-roni, set out lots of cheese and crackers, chips, and dip. Sprinkle in smoothies and fresh fruit, cookies, and smores for dessert.

Yesterday, I was showing another friend of mine how to hound, and what better store than Jewel? I took her through a simple transaction to demonstrate how to roll a cat. This Jewel had no problems with my cat roll, I grabbed another 14 tomatoes, paid my $4.23 and scampered happily back out the door. I hope to run another 4 transactions tonight - 2 for tomatoes, 1 for pudding cups (my nephew is coming for the 4th of July along with my sister), and one for cooking oil. I love scarfing up all these yummy deals - putting me in a great spot as far as pasta sauce fixin's go.

So far I grabbed 5 transactions of tomatoes: yield 70 cans for $21.09 or $.30 per can. Even Aldi's sells them for $.49 a can - my lowest comparison price for the item. I like saving nearly 40% per can, and getting enough to last me the rest of the year.

I really love running these deals - it's a huge laugh when I can get loads of basics for less than the cost of meal at an Italian restaurant. Why go there when I can make better at home? And all these tomatoes have me thinking: Chicken Parmesan!