My Publix Shopping List for 2/2

Here are the things I think are worth your time and money at Publix for the sale that starts this Wednesday, 2/2. I got all my info from http://www.iheartpublix.com/, and you can get all the links to the coupons from that site. Save me some!

Honest Kids thirst quenchers, BOGO, $3.49

Used 2 $.75/1 printables

Pay: $1 each

Lloyd's Meats, BOGO, $5.49

Use $1/1 from 1/30 SS

Pay: $1.75 each

Pompeian olive oil, BOGO, $5.99

Use 2 $1/1 printables

Pay: $2 each

Rotel tomatoes, BOGO, $1.39

Buy 6

Use 2 $1/3 printables

Use 2 $.75/3 from Yellow Advantage Flier

Pay: $.12 each

Kraft shredded or block cheese, $4/2

Use 2 $.75/1 Target printable
Use $1/2 from 1/23 SS

Pay: $1.50 for 2, or just $.75 each.

(Not the cheapest I've ever found it, but the cheapest in a long time!)

Well, there's my list. Seems little this week, doesn't it? Well, I could use a smaller spending week. I'm hoping to keep my spending at around $40 this week instead of $60. Details this weekend!

Tonight's Frugal Dinner, 1/31

PTM tonight made it necessary to do a super simple dinner. (Seems like something's always happening to require simplicity.) We had frozen pizza. We used one Tombstone and one Totinos. I think we spent $4 for pizza for 2 adults and 2 kids.

Today's Frugal Dinner, 1/30

This meal can be a long time in the making. In fact, from start to finish for us, it was almost 24 hours! It is really very NON-labor intensive, though, doesn't have a lot of ingredients, and doesn't HAVE to sit in the crockpot as long as I did.

I forgot to take pictures of it as we got started, though, because I was so excited about the meal.

Go here to get the recipe I used for beef and bean burrito mix. I followed the recipe to a large extent, but I did change some things.

1. Instead of using chopped onion, I used onion powder. I just don't like eating chunks of onion.
2. I used 2 cans of Bush's Grillin' Beans instead of 2 cans of refried beans.

I served the beef and bean mixture with a boxed taco dinner meal kit, which contained flour tortillas, crunchy corn taco shells, taco seasoning (plus an extra packet of taco seasoning mix, as called for in the recipe), and salsa. I added cheese and boil-in-bag rice.

Here goes the cost breakdown:

4+ lb. chuck roast -- $8.70
2 small cans Muir Glen tomato sauce -- FREE! (actually $.72 overage! See the post about the purchase here.)
Onion powder -- $.03 -- seriously, this might be an over-estimate. I bought the giant container at Sam's Club for $4 or so and used less than half a teaspoon.
1 packet Taco Bell taco seasoning -- $.66
1 box Taco Bell taco diner -- $.66
2 packets boil-in-bag Uncle Ben's rice -- $.15
shredded cheddar cheese -- $.40
2 cans Bush's grillin' beans -- $1.35 (I don't really remember what I paid for these, and I can't find the blog post where I might have revealed it.)

Total: $11.95

AAANNNDDD . . . there is enough meat for 2 more meals! If we do the other two meals like this one, we'll need to use 2 more of the taco dinner boxes, more rice, and more cheese. After adding all that to the total and dividing by 3, I get a total per meal of $4.79. Today's meal served 2 adults and 3 kids.

Don't forget to check out afewshortcuts and her other freezer meals. (We've had the mini meatloaves, too, and loved them!)

Someday's Frugal Dinner

I put together some cheesy chicken packets tonight. I made 4 and put them in the freezer to bake sometime in the near future.

I am using an idea from Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals. She used steak, bleu cheese, and arugula in the puff pastry pockets. I used chicken and brie, no greens.

After cooking the chicken in the oven for 30 minutes, I let them cool for a while. I cut the chicken pieces in half. Rolling out the puff pastry dough a little makes the size a little easier to work with but also causes it to be misshapen -- at least for me. I used a tablespoon of creamy brie cheese in each pocket. The four little packets are in the freezer right now. In the morning, I'll bag them up and stick them back in the freezer.

When I'm ready to use them, I'll just thaw them, brush them with a little egg wash, and bake them at 350 for about 30 minutes. The chicken is cooked through so, along with heating everything through, only the puff pastry needs to be cooked.

Future yum!

Tonight's Frugal Dinner, 1/29

I put together a barbecue pizza tonight. I think it needed something. More flavor in the crust. Maybe some green onions. It wasn't horrible; we all ate it. But I do think it was lacking. Nobody's going to be asking me to make barbecue pizza anytime soon.

The cheese-less part is for my baby girl who doesn't like cheese. I used to think it was a phase she was going through. Maybe it really is, but she's been in the phase for at least 2 years now!

Publix pizza dough -- $1.99

Curly's barbecue pork -- $2.30
Kraft shredded cheddar -- $.40
Total for dinner: $4.69
The pizza fed 2 adults and 3 kids.

Publix Savings January 2011

Here's how the month of January turned out:

Total Spent: $287.90

Total Saved: $494.37

Percent Saved: 63.2%

Looking forward to improving that mediocre percent of savings!

Menu Plan, Week of 1/29

Last week was a fail. We ate out twice. Here's still hoping for continued improvement. (Honestly, two years ago -- even one year ago -- we were eating out more than in. So our kids saying, "We're eating in a restaurant for the second day in a row?" is progress.)

Saturday, 1/29 -- homemade chicken pockets and butter-basted potatoes
-- barbeque pork pizza

Sunday, 1/30 -- Crockpot bean and beef burritos, rice
-- frozen pizza

Monday, 1/31 -- (PTM) -- mini meatloaves and rice

Tuesday, 2/1 -- Mrs. Paul's frozen fish and mac and cheese

Wednesday, 2/2 -- out to celebrate a family event

Thursday, 2/3 -- beef and bean burritos, rice

Friday, 2/4 -- jumbalaya

We will need to buy a few things: flour tortillas for burritos, lettuce, tomatoes, maybe smoked sausage. Or we could just get by without those things. There are a lot of convenience meals here, but it's going to be a busy week, so I don't mind.

My Publix Trip, 1/29 -- saved 50%

Over budget again today. Only $.52 this time, and I'm still under budget for the month of January as a whole. I didn't add any unexpected items today, but I did make a coupon mistake: I had planned to use 2 $2 coupons but hadn't read the coupon or the coupon link enough to realize that it was $2/2, rather than the $2/1 that I thought. If only that coupon had been $2/1 I would be under budget! Oh, well.

I'm pleased over-all with the deals we got today. Here's how we did:

2 Quaker Life bars -- 2 for $3.29 (raincheck)

Used 2 $1 printables

Paid: $1.29 for both, or just $.65 each!

2 New York frozen bread products -- 50% off -- $1.07 and $1.64

Used 2 $.50 coupons from February All You

Paid: $1.71 for both!

1 Publix pizza dough -- $1.99

2 Tombstone frozen pizzas -- $2.99 each

Paid: $5.98 for both!

4+ lb. 7-bone chuck roast -- $2.99/lb.

Paid: $8.70

4 Publix butter -- 2 for $5

Paid: $10 for 4!

4 Kraft barbeque sauce -- BOGO -- 2 for $1.65

Used 2 $1/2 Walgreens coupons

Paid: $1.30 for all 4, or just $.43 each!

4 Zatarain's dinner mixes -- $1 each

Paid: $4 for all 4

2 Near East couscous -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.19

Paid: $2.19 for both, or just $1.10 each!

2 Glad trashbags --$3.99 each

Used $1 target printable, and $1 Walgreens coupon

Paid: $5.98 for both, or $2.99 each!

2 French's mustard -- BOGO -- 2 for $1.89

Used $.50/1 printable coupon

Paid: $1.39 for both, or just $.70 each!

2 Special K shake, 4 pk -- $4.79 each

Used $2/2 printable coupon

Paid: $7.58 for both, or just $3.79 each!

8 Juicy Juice 8-pk -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.99

Used 2 $2/4 printable coupons

Paid: $7.96 for all 8, or just $1 each!

Total spent: $60.52

Total saved: $59.82

Percent savings: 49.7%

Tonight's Frugal Dinner, 1/26

So, a super easy meal is in the works right now. I know it's not fancy, and I don't pretend to think that eating like this all the time is healthy. But once a week isn't going to hurt anyone, and I need an easy meal tonight!
We're having hamburger helper lasagna and garlic bread. Yep, that's it.
I used 2 boxes of hamburger helper to feed the 6 of us. The cost of both boxes is $1.50.
I used just one pound of ground beef instead of two. This cost us $2.
I heated some frozen garlic bread to go with it. I don't remember the exact cost, but it was probably $1 or $1.50. Not more than $1.50, I'm sure.
I know this meal didn't run us more than $5. It's plentiful; it's filling, and it's quick. Fits the bill for tonight. Gotta go! Time to eat!

Menu Plan for the week of 1/24

So, I'm behind on menu planning. I guess the only time to be unplanned in this area is when you have a stocked freezer and pantry. I KNOW I can put something together, even if I didn't plan it in advance. Here's how I hope this week will go:

Monday -- Talani's brown sugar mustard ham, garlic butter noodles, corn
(I love the way Lan makes the leftover ham. I can't duplicate it! So yummy!)

Tuesday -- frozen pizza or chicken nuggets (I'm going out to dinner with a friend, so Talani and the kids are fending for themselves.)

Wednesday -- hamburger helper, garlic bread, corn

Thursday -- salsa chicken or some of our pre-marinated chicken in the crockpot, rice, mixed veggies

Friday -- grilled pork chops, stove top stuffing, veggies

Saturday -- chili, maybe? something in the crockpot, so I can relax. :)

Sunday -- pot roast, rice.

There you have it. The very non-inventive plan for the week.

What's Worth Buying at Publix This Week

Here are the things I think are most worth the price at Publix this week. These are the things I'll be adding to my list, so make sure you leave some for me! Be sure to go to www.iheartpublix.com to see the complete sneak peek and to get links for all the printable coupons I'll mention.
(The prices are based on what iheartpublix reported; since she is in the Atlanta area, prices may differ where we are. I usually find things to be a little more here, although I do rarely find something to be cheaper than she posts.)

Doritos chips -- 2 for $3.99

Use the $1/2 from the Walgreens coupon booklet

Pay: $2.99 for both, or just $1.50 per bag of Doritos!

Kraft barbeque sauce -- 2 for $1.4eight

Use the $1/2 from the Walgreens coupon booklet or from target.com

Pay: $.4eight for 2 bottles! That's just $.24 each!

Near East rice pilaf or couscous -- 2 for $2.19

no coupon out there that I know of, but we surely do like the couscous!

Pay: $2.19 for both, or just $1.10 each!

Campbell's chunky soup -- 2 for $2.39

Use $1/2 target.com coupon

Use $1/2 or $2/4 printable coupon

Pay: $.39 for 2, or just $.20 per can of soup!

Juicy Juice juice box packs -- 2 for $2.99

Use $1/2 or $2/4 printable coupon

Pay: $1.99 for each pair, or just $1 each!

Great for school snack!

Marie Callender's frozen meals -- 2 for $3.59

Use one of various coupons

Some coupons out there are $1/1, but I'm not sure that they will work for this deal. The $1/2 in the January All You sems a more sure bet.

Pay: $2.59 for both, or just $1.30 for a frozen meal for the family!

If these are individual-sized entrees, I won't bother with them.

Purina Beggin Strips dog snacks -- 2 for $5.29

Use 2 $1/1 from the 12/12 SS

Use 2 $1/1 Publix printable coupons

Pay: $1.29 for both, or just $.65 each!

Lucky Cisco!

Publix butter -- 2 for $5

I'm so glad this is going on sale! We are almost out!

Pay: $2.50 each

Special K protein shake, 4-pk -- $4.79 each

Use $2 printable

Pay: $2.79 each -- A great price for these!

Glad trash bags -- $3.99 each

Use $1/1 Walgreens or Target coupon

Use FREE Glad storage bags wyb Glad trash bags from the Yellow Advantage Flier

Pay: $2.99 for trash bags and storage bags

London Broil -- $3.99/lb.

7-Bone chuck roast --$2.99/lb.

Grape tomatoes -- $2 for a pt.

Publix,1/22 -- 73% savings!

Bad news first: I went over my Publix budget today. I have set a budget of $60 per week at Publix for the week's needs plus stockpiling. I spent $65.44 today at Publix. I am currently justifying by remembering that I was well under budget the first 2 weeks of the year and barely under budget last week. And did you see all I got? Nope, no guilty feelings and no regret for going over. I did two transactions today. Here's how they went:

Transaction #1:

9+ lb. spiral cut Publix ham -- $18.83

sheesh. Why'd I get a ham with so many eights in the price?

Paid: $18.83

1 pkg. whole portabella mushrooms -- $1.69

3.44 lb. Braeburn apples -- $.99/lb.

Paid: $3.41

5 lb. Idaho potatoes -- $2.69

2 Quaker granola bars -- BOGO -- $3.19

6 Taco Bell boxed dinners -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.69

6 Taco Bell taco seasoning packets -- $.97

Used 6 $1/2 coupons from the February All You

Paid: $7.89 for all 12 items!

4 Hunt's diced tomatoes -- BOGO -- 2 for $1.39

Used $1/3 from the January All You

Paid: $1.78 for all 4, or just $.45 each!

1 Morton's sea salt -- $.99

Used $.55 coupon from the Yellow Advantage flier

Paid: $.44

1 2-liter Diet Coke -- $1.79

Used $2 hangtag

Paid: FREE! plus $.21 overage!

2 Yoplait YoPlus yogurt, 4-pks -- BOGO -- $2 for 2

Used 2 $1 printable coupons

Paid: FREE! for both!

2 Jimmy Dean D-lights breakfast sandwiches -- BOGO -- 2 for $5.87

(I used a raincheck for these.)

Used 2 $2.50 printable coupons

Paid: $.87 for both, or just $.44 each!

Used $5/$50 Apple Market coupon

Paid: $36.72

Saved: $61.95

Percent savings: 62.7%

Transaction #2:

8 Kraft homestyle mac and cheese -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.59

Used 8 $1 coupons from 1/16 SS

Used 4 $1/2 Walgreens coupons

Paid: FREE for all 8, plus $1.64 overage!

5 boxes PopTarts, 8 ct. -- 50% off --$1.22 each

5 boxes PopTarts, 12 ct. -- 50% off -- $1.62 each

1 box mini PopTarts, 6 pouches -- 50% off -- $1.57

Paid: $15.77 for all 11 boxes!

2 Ritz pretzel crisps -- BOGO -- 2 for $3.69

Used $1/2 Walgreens coupon

Paid: $2.69 for both, or just $1.35 each!

6 Quaker instant oatmeal -- BOGO -- 2 for $3.99

Used 6 $1/1 coupons from February All You

Paid: $5.97 for all 6, or just $1 each!

4 Hall's cough drops -- BOGO -- 2 for $1.69

Used 4 $.55 blinkie coupons found right in front of the item

Used 4 $.50 Target printable coupons

Paid: FREE for all 4, plus $.82 overage!

4 Mrs. Paul's frozen fish --BOGO -- 2 for $4.49

Paid: $8.98 for both

4 Bird's Eye steamfresh veggies -- $1.79 each

Used 4 FREE wyb Mrs. Paul's coupons from the February All You

Paid: FREE for all 4!

1 Glad trash bags -- $6.85

Used $1 Walgreens coupon

Paid: $5.85

1 Glad freezer bags -- $2.50

Used FREE wyb Glad trash bags coupon from the Yellow Advantage flier

Paid: FREE!

6 Kraft salad dressing -- BOGO -- 2 for $3.27

Used 2 B2G1 Target printable coupons

Used 2 $1/2 Walgreens coupons

Paid: $1.27 for all 6, or just $.21 each!

Used $10/$75 Apple Market coupon

Paid: $28.78

Saved: $116.36

Percent saved: 80.2%

Total Paid: $65.50

Total Saved: $178.31

Percent saved: 73%

Publix, 1/15, 55% savings

Not a good percentage of savings at all, I know. Two mistakes I made: 1 -- I bought a package of meat that I thought I needed to make a coupon work (will explain later) - $4.81. 2 -- I didn't buy a local newspaper on Wednesday, so I missed out on having the $5/$50 coupon - $4 (value of the coupon after cost of newspaper). That more-than-eight-bucks is really going to bother me. Anyway, here's how I did:

1 pk. pork sirloin cutlets -- $2.99/lb

Paid: $4.81

1 Publix semi-boneless ham -- $1.69/lb

Paid: $9.85

2 Tyson country fried steak -- BOGO -- 2 for $6.59

Paid: $6.59

2 Coffee-Mate creamers -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.59

Paid: $2.59

2 Red Baron frozen pizza -- BOGO -- 2 for $5.97

Paid: $5.97

4 Publix drink mixes -- 2 for $4

Paid: $8

2 Power of Fruit bars -- BOGO -- 2 for $3.39

Used 2 $1 printable coupons

Paid: $1.39 for both, or just $.70 each!

1 Slim-Fast snack bars -- $2.29

Used $1.50 Target coupons

Paid: $.79!

4 Progresso broth -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.59

Used 4 $.40 coupons purchased from mycouponhunters

Paid: $3.58 for all 4, or just $.90 each!

6 Hamburger Helper -- $1 each

Used 2 $.75/3 printable coupons

Paid: $4.50 for all 6, or just $.75 each!

4+ lb. apples -- $1/lb

Paid: $5.54

3 2-liters Diet Coke -- B2G1 -- $3.70 for 3

Used 3 $2 hangtag coupons found right on the product

Paid: FREE for all 3, plus $2.30 overage!

4 Welch's grape juice -- BOGO -- 2 for $3.25

Used 4 $1 coupons purchased from mycouponhunters

Paid: $2.50 for all 4, or just $.63 each!

4 Lenders bagels -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.05

Paid: $4.10

Total paid: $59.53

Total saved: $73.74
Percent saved: 55.3%

CVS, 1/15

Used my husband's card to get the following (the sale has ended):

1 Reese's mini peanut butter cup king size pkg -- $1.59
1 Dove chocolate bar -- $.eighty9
Used $.50 coupon from the coupon kiosk for Dove

Paid: $2.17
Received: $2.4eight ECB

Walgreens, 1/15

Found a good deal on Metamucil at Walgreens last week. (Sale ended)

3 Metamucil products, $9.99 each
Paid: $29.97 (because I couldn't seem to get any coupons!)
Received: $10 RR

Not bad! I could have used the $5 RR I already had, but didn't take it with me. Oh, well, now I have $15 RR to use this week on www.addictedtosaving.com 's GREAT scenarios.

I know this puts me WAY over my $10 limit for the week at Walgreens, but this is for a box we're sending far far away. I'm allowed to go over the limit for someone else's benefit!

Today's frugal meal, 1/16

We totally just ate leftovers for lunch! The only thing I made was some whole grain pasta to eat with the chili. Probably a cost of $.20 or less.

We have ribs cooking away in the crockpot for dinner . . . we have company coming! Will serve mashed potatoes, I think, and veggies of some kind.

Meal Plan, 1/15-1/21

I just got back from a fun trip to Walgreens, CVS, and (of course) Publix. I'll get my stash posted later, but I wanted to get my meal plan for the week set before I forgot. This past week went pretty well. We ate one dinner at Sam's Club, a VERY cheap, abundant (if a little short on quality) meal. I think we spent around $10. Then last night we went to Sonny's. I regret it. Don't get me wrong; the food was as good as always. Our server was very nice, even though I think she brought me regular Coke instead of Diet. But it cost $40. $40!!! That's enough to feed the family for two weeks if I'm really careful. Anyway, we like to eat out and are not likely to stop completely. But if we do it more often than we are now, we're toast! So, here's how I HOPE this week plays out:

Saturday, 1/15 -- Crockpot chili and rice (cheese and sour cream)
(already in the crockpot getting yummy)

Sunday, 1/16 -- lunch: frozen pizza; dinner: pot roast, mashed potatoes, veggies

Monday, 1/17 -- lunch: soup/canned ravioli; dinner: country fried steak, rice or potatoes, veggies

Tuesday, 1/eighteen -- hamburger helper

Wednesday, 1/19 -- stirfry steak and rice

Thursday, 1/20 -- taco rice

Friday, 1/21 -- salsa chicken, rice

These meals average at around $5 for the family.

Today's Frugal Dinner - 1/10 and 1/11

Two delicious and frugal meals in a row!



Here's what we had:



Monday, 1/10 -- Pork fried rice



I used leftover pork from Sunday's pork roast. In addition to the pork and rice, our fried rice has tamari, eggs, sesame seeds, and (in this batch, anyway) thick-cut pepper bacon. We did buy a package of bacon just for this dish. We spent $5 on that bacon, but used just less than half. Our delicious pork fried cost us about $3.25!



Tuesday, 1/11 -- Creamy white cheddar shells with grilled garlic-herb pork



I used 2 boxes of Pasta-roni that I've had in my pantry for ever. I don't know how much it cost. I'd have to guess it cost less than $1 a box. Surely it did, or I wouldn't have bought it, right? (I really hope I wouldn't have spent more than that on a boxed pasta mix.) I grilled a package of pork chops from our most recent Publix trip, costing about $3.34. I served it with homemade biscuits, which probably cost $1 for the whole batch of 30. We also had tangerines, for a total cost of $.30. This meal cost just about $6.

Okay, here's a disclosure that I'm ashamed to make as a Wannabe Cheapskate -- we usually eat out more than we eat in. By the time we get out of work, I usually just want to go sit somewhere, have someone bring me a diet coke then keep the refills coming, and to not have to clean up after our meal. So, after all my hard work getting all these groceries for so little, they tend to sit in the pantry night after night while we go to Sonny's or Whataburger or Logan's or Chick-fil-a or whatever. I'm very proud of our family -- yet still ashamed that I am saying this -- we have eaten in for 3 straight days. No breakfast out, no dinner out. And it's been hard! Each day feels a little like a victory, though. Three straight days. (I see a breakfast out sometime in the next two days.) Having a plan for dinners make it so much easier to come home instead of going out. And having a clean sink (www.flylady.net) makes it quick to get dinner together and easy to clean up afterward. Our plan is to have either Kuresa's Wicked-Awesome pork in the crockpot or grilled chicken and rice or potatoes. Here's hoping for a great second half of this week!

CVS and Walgreens, 1/9 -- eighty3% savings!

Transaction 1, CVS:

1 Dove milk chocolate - $.eighty9

Used $.50 coupon that printed from the in-store kiosk

Paid: $.39

1 Reese's minis - $1.59

2 Gas-X Prevention - $6.29 each

Used 2 $4 printable coupons

Paid: $4.5eight

Used $5 ECB

Paid: $1.75

Received: $.eighty9 ECB for Dove and $1.59 for Reese's

Transaction 2, CVS:

2 Gas-X Prevention - $6.29 each

Used 2 $4 printable coupons

Paid: $4.5eight

Used $.eighty9 and $1.59 ECB

Paid: $2.10

Recieved: $10 ECB for Gas-X

Transaction 3, Walgreens:

2 Newspapers - $1.50 each

Go! Kids' gummy vitamins -- $5

Used $1, $1.50, and $3 RR

Paid: $2.73

Received: $5 RR for vitamins

Total OOP today for drugstores: $6.5eight

Total received: $5 RR from Walgreens and $10 ECB from CVS

Publix Trip - 1/eight -- 69.6% savings!

Look at all I got for $51.03!

5 Totinos pizzas -- $1.25 each

Used $1/5 printable coupon

Paid: $5.25 for all 5, or just $1.05 each!

eight Special K cereals -- BOGO -- 2 for $4.09

Used 4 BOGO printable coupons

Used 2 $1/3 Target coupons

Used 1 $1/2 Target coupons

Paid: FREE for all eight, plus $3 overage!

2 pkgs. pork chops -- $6.67

3 + lbs. pork roast -- $11.56

eight boxes Rotini pasta -- BOGO -- 2 for $1.79

Used eight $1/2 printable coupons

Paid: $3.16 for all eight, or just $.40 each!

eight Peter Pan peanut butter -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.67

Used eight $1 Publix coupons

Used eight $.50 coupons from 1/2 SS

Paid: FREE for all eight, plus $1.32 overage!

6 Maruchan noodles -- 6 for $1

Paid: $1 for all 6

3 Diet Coke 2-liters -- B2G1 -- $1.eighty5

Used 3 $2 wyb Diet Coke and $4 of meat hangtag coupons found on the bottles

Paid: FREE for all 3, plus $2.30 overage!

2 Curly's barbeque meat -- BOGO -- 2 for $5.69

5 lb. Idaho potatoes -- $2.69

3 pkgs. boneless skinless chicken breasts -- $10.54

5 tangerines -- $.50

2 pkgs. Hebrew National hotdogs -- BOGO -- 2 for $5.49

2 12-pks Diet Mt Dew -- $3.67 each

Used $1/2 Target printable coupon

1 pkg. crab meat -- $2.99

Used $5/$50 Apple Market coupon

Total spent: $51.03

Total saved: $116.eighty2

Percent Savings: 69.6%

Meal Plan -- week of 1/9

Thanks to a great shopping trip this weekend, we'll be eating WELL this week! (Posts about my shopping coming soon.)

Here's the dinner menu:

Sunday -- Pork roast, stuffing ($6)
Monday -- fried rice with leftover pork roast ($2)
Tuesday -- Grilled garlic-herb chicken and garlic-butter pasta ($4)
Wednesday -- Slowcooker chili and pasta or rice ($4 ish)
Thursday -- Kuresa's Wicked-Awesome Pork and rice ($9)
Friday -- Steak with horseradish sauce and baked potatoes ($9)
Saturday -- Grilled garlic-herb pork chops and potato salad ($4)

We had pork roast and stuffing for dinner today. It was really good, and the gravy was super easy to make. Wish I'd taken a picture before we ate. It didn't match the delicious pork roast my mom made the other day.

I got a jump start on several of the recipes yesterday after we got home from shopping. I grilled the chicken and pork for Tuesday's and Saturday's dinners. Of course, today's pork roast prepared tomorrow's pork for fried rice. The pork for Thursday's dinner is cubed, thanks to my wonderful husband. Basically, the only dinners NOT begun are Wednesday's and Friday's. Looking forward to a great week!

Walgreens and CVS, 1/2

I took a picture of my little stash, but my jump drive literally fell apart in my hand as I plugged into the laptop. Seriously, it's in 3 pieces. I don't know if the little guy will recover. So, without a picture, here's how I did today:

Walgreens transaction #1:

1 Oscillo children's flu medicine -- $eight.99

Used $2 printable

Paid: $6.99

Received: $10 RR

Walgreens transaction #2:

1 Celcius green tea, 4 pk. - $3.99

1 Milkbone dog treats - $3.99

1 Crest toothpaste - $2

Used $.75 from the 12/26 P&G

Paid: $1.25

Received: $1 RR

1 Jet Dry - $3.49

Used $.75 printable coupon

Paid: $3.74

Received $1.50 RR

Used $10 RR

Total paid: $3.69

Walgreens total: $10.6eight ($.6eight over budget. :( )

Walgreens savings: $23.99

Percent Saved at Walgrens today: 69.1%

RR remaining: $5.50, plus a catalina coupon for free Breathe Right strips

CVS:

2 Listerine (1 ltr. each) -- $5 each

Used 2 $1.50 hangtags! (an unexpected surprise!)

Paid: $7.75

ECB Received: $5

CVS total: $7.75

CVS savings: $6.5eight

Percent Saved at CVS today: 45.9%

ECB remaining: $5

$10 Scenario for Walgreens, 1/2-1/eight

Transaction 1:

1 Oscillococcinum 6 pk -- $eight.99
Use $2 printable coupon
Pay $6.99
Receive $eight.99 RR

Transaction 2:

1 Celsius Green Tea 4 pk -- $3.99
1 Jet Dry -- $3.49
1 Crest toothpaste -- $2
1 Nivea Men Arctic Freeze -- $3.99
Use $.75/1 printable coupon for Jet Dry
Use $.75/1 from 12/26 P&G for Crest toothpaste
Use $1 printable for Nivea Men
Use $eight.99 RR
Pay: $1.9eight
Receive $eight RR ($3 for Celsius; $3 for Nivea; $1 for Crest; $1 for Jet Dry)

Total Spent: $eight.97
Total RR Remainin: $eight

$10 Scenario for CVS, 1/2-1/eight

I saved almost $900 at CVS last year! That's significant for someone who practically refused to shop there.

I checked my quarterly ECB's on the CVS website today and found that I had $0 coming to me. That's because I have shopped at CVS twice since October. In fact, most of that $900 savings came between January and April.

So, it's time for me to get back to it.

I have had a horrible time coming up with my $10 scenario! I have decided to get the things we need. So, here it is; this is how I will spend $10 at CVS this week:

2 Listerine mouthwash -- $5 each

CanNOT find a coupon anywhere!

Pay: $10

Receive $5 ECB

I think that's all!

It's a TERRIBLE scenario, I know, but it is what it is.

My Weekly Menu -- January 1-7

I often make a dinner menu, but rarely ever stick to it. I thought, if I posted it here, I'd be more likely to stick to my plan.
This week's sale at Publix totally helped me come up with some simple, frugal meals. On a related note, I plan to serve veggies with each meal, but I don't plan that part ahead since I have so much in the freezer.

Saturday, 1/1 -- crockpot roast, rice, cranberry sauce
Sunday, 1/2 -- Moroccan beef and rice
Monday, 1/3 -- tacos
Tuesday, 1/4 -- sausage, peppers, and potatoes -- recipe in the January All You
Wednesday, 1/5 -- Jarod's birthday! We may go out to eat.
Thursday, 1/6 -- steak and rice (either stir-fry style or fajita style)
Friday, 1/7 -- soup night!

These meals average at around $7 per meal, I estimate. I'll try to post each day or so with a frugal meal update.

Today's Frugal Dinner - 1/1/11

We are feasting tonight on pot roast! This is one of the most expensive meals we eat at home, but we are celebrating, right? This picture disappoints me. I wish you could smell how the wonderful aroma has filled my entire house.

Pot roast -- We usually pay around $2.69 at Sam's Club. I don't know how much this particular roast cost.

Onions -- bought on sale at Publix last week -- probably cost $.25

Flavored broth -- bought on sale at Publix a while back. Don't know the cost.

Zesty Herb marinade powder used as seasoning -- bought at Publix on sale and eon ago. Paid probably around $.30.

I'll serve this with rice ($.30?), frozen veggies ($.50), and cranberry sauce ($.90).

I can't say how much this meal costs. I know it's more than $5, but it's probably less than $10. But not much less.

Looking forward to dinner already.

Publix 1/1/11 -- 56% Savings

Not an awe-inspiring trip to start the year, to be sure, but we're set for the week. We've been eating out a whole lot over the past couple of months; much more than we need to, considering the massive stockpile of ground beef we have! It's always one of our new year's resolutions to eat at home more, and my husband is usually pretty great at it. I, however, rarely have the drive to cook after a day's work. And since my husband loves me ever so much, he will usually agree to take me out if I ask. Or even if I seem hesitant to cook. He's so good to me. So, it's up to me this time to make this resolution work. I'm thankful for the opportunity to try, anyway.

Here's how my trip to Publix turned out:

1 EAS 4-pk. shakes -- $5

Used $3.eighty9printable coupon

Paid: $1.11

4 Chef Boyardee canned pasta -- $.eighty9 each

Used B3G1 free from the January All You

Paid: $2.67 for all 4, or just $.67 each!

2 Campbell's Select Harvest soup -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.35

Used $1/2 printable coupon

Paid: $1.35 for both, or just $.6eight each!

4 Mott's Medleys juice -- $1.69 each

Used 2 $1 printable coupons

Used 2 $1 blinkies found right in front of the product

Paid: $2.76 for all 4, or just $.69 each!

2 Mott's apple sauce 6-pk -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.47

no coupon

Paid: $2.47 for both, or just $1.24 each!

2 V-eight juice -- BOGO -- 2 for $3.35

Used $1/2 printable coupon

Paid: $2.35 for both, or just $1.20 each!

2 Hunt's ketchup -- BOGO -- 2 for $1.75

Used $.50/2 from January All You

Paid: $1.25 each, or just $.63 each!

4 Yakisoba -- BOGO -- 2 for $.79

no coupon

Paid: $1.5eight for all 4, or just $.40 each!

2 Old El Paso meal kits -- BOGO -- 2 for $3.03

Used $.60/2 printable coupon

Paid: $2.42 for both, or just $1.21 each!

2 Green Giant frozen veggies -- $1 each

Used 2 $.50 printable coupons

Paid: $1 for both, or just $.50 each!

2 Al Fresco chicken sausage -- BOGO -- 2 for $5.69

Used 2 $2 printable coupons

Paid: $1.69 for both, or just $.eighty5 each!

1 pkg Sushi -- $6.99

no coupon

Paid: $6.99

2 lb. Sirloin tip steak -- $3.29/lb.

Paid: $6.55

6 Kellogg's Pop Tarts -- BOGO -- 2 for $2.45

Used 2 $1/3 printable coupons

Paid: $5.35 for all 6, or just $.90 each!

3 Diet Mt. Dew 12-pks -- $11 for 3

Paid: $11

1 yellow bell pepper -- $2.15

1 green bell pepper -- $1.27

Used $5/$50 Apple Market coupon

Total paid: $51.32

Total saved: $65.6eight

Percent Saved: 56.1%