Vocation of Motherhood

Cutting Down Expenses Even When You Don't Have To...

The other day I (gasp!!) canceled my cell phone contract. It was up for renewal, and each month it's been a sore spot in our budget. So I canceled it and am so happy I did. I guess for the last few thousand years the human race has somehow managed to get along without cell phones, so I'll be in good company.

This was not a "have to" kind of elimination of our budget, it was a "it's the right thing to do" for us sort of thing to do for our budget. We've taken the Financial Peace class from Dave Ramsey and it is good stuff! Now to really get it all into practice :).

Using coupons has helped immensely! However deep down, even without using coupons, I still believe (and Dave contends) that using a cash budget is the real key to financial peace. He's right. Using cash has been something I have struggled with for years. I'll do great for awhile... then fall right off the wagon.  Coupons have helped us to not run to the store for dishsoap (because I have about six in the pantry right now that I got for about .39 each) and to grab something quick for an impromptu dinner when we feel like "treating ourselves" (there's ton of canned soup available now (usually for .10-.40 per can; I rarely purchased it before because we primarily make everything homemade).

The goal is to build up a savings account and in the process, eliminate two debts that we have. Thank goodness we don't have any car payments and we don't have a credit card anymore (I still can't quite believe that!!). But we do have a HEL leftover from remodeling our house and my student loan. So we'll keep trudging on, and keep trying using a cash budget in the meantime. We'll probably never have the perfect financial life, and that's okay with us. Our children go to a small private Catholic school and it's worth it in other areas of our lives to cut down to make their schooling a priority. So wish me luck as I do the grocery shopping tomorrow on a cash-only basis, I'll need all the help I can get!

P.S. I sold my phone to Gazelle for 14.00! Nothing like making money when you save money!

Happy Saving!
Mary

Coborn's Deals (Jan. 4-10, 2009)

Want to start the year off right? Then start saving money and keep a total of all your savings!

*Biggest deals are the FREE Jolly Time popcorn and the .14 Progresso Soup! Look below for more details:

Main Grocery Deals:

Lean Cuisine 5.25-11.5 oz. packages
6/10.00
use 2.00/5 printable coupon
1.33 each

Gorton's Grilled Fish Fillets
2/4.00
use with .75/2 printable coupon
1.62 each

Kellogg's Special K or Smart Start Cereals
4/9.00
stack with (2) 1.00/2  01/04/09 RP 2
1.75 ea.
Use additional Coborn's issued coupon for FREE milk when you buy 4 boxes of Kellogg's

Marzetti Salad Dressing
2/3.00
Use 1.00 11/09/08 RP
.50 each
(there are other .50 q's from Woman's Day and Family Circle)

Fiber One Pancake Mix
2.39
.60 01/04/09 GM
1.79 each
there is another printable coupon for 1.00 off when you buy a box of Fiber One granola bars, bringing the price down to 1.39

Coffeemate Creamer
35.3 oz. for 4.69
1.00 off printable
(or you could use the above coupon for a smaller product and get it almost for free!)

Jolly Time Popcorn
2/3.00
Use printable coupons when you register for the Jolly Time website and use these q's:
1.50/1 (print twice by clicking on the back button)
FREE after coupons!

Progresso Soup
B2G2 with Coborn's coupon
1.24 per can
stack with (2) 1.10 printable coupon if you haven't printed it off already!
.14 per can!
If you already printed the coupon above twice and can't do it anymore, use the coupon for 1.10 off of three in the right hand sidebar on my site. That'll bring the price down to .97 per can

Dairy/Deli:

Nestle Cookie Dough

2.99 use with 1.00/1 12/07 RP
1.99 after coupon

Frozen:

Cole's Garlic Toast
1.99
Buy three and you can get a free shopping bag!

Personal Care:

Angel Soft Toilet Paper
6.49 12-Roll Pkg.
1.00 11/16/08 RP
5.49 ea.

ZIploc Containers/Storage Bags/Zip N' Steam Bags
2/5.00

Containers: 1.50/2 12/7 SS
1.75 each
Storage Bags: 1.00/2 12/7 SS
2.00 each

Electrasol Automatic Dish Detergent (or Gelpacs)
3.99 ea.
2.50/1 1/4/09 SS
1.49 each

Energizer Batteries
5.00 each (mulitpacks)
use 1.00/1 printable or 12/14 SS
4.00 each

Fresh Produce:

Del Monte Fruit Naturals 4/5.00
1.25 each
Use 1.00/2 printable coupon (register first)
or use 1.00/2 coupon from Parade Magazine 11/16
.75 each

That's it for this week! Please let me know in the comments section below or email if you have found some better deals! Have a wonderful week!

Coborn's Deals (Nov. 30- Dec. 6, 2008)

Here are the deals for Coborn's! I haven't been doing the coupon match-up because I wasn't sure if there was a true need for it. Then some friends mentioned they do enjoy using the information, so I've decided to go ahead and commit to doing a weekly match-up. This weekly committment is big for me, and I've had to think about it for a while, so I'm excited to finally make a decision! Kind of tough to always get it done on time but I'll try my best with four boys running around! This will also be a part of the BeCentsAble Grocery Gathering weekly round-up of grocery deals.

Main Deals:

Coborn's 5.00 off of 50-99.99 or 10.00 off of 100 or more purchase

I would recommend buying at least 50.00 worth of groceries-purchase 25.00 worth of Gold N Plump Chicken (fresh or frozen). There is a 10.00 off coupon when you buy 25.00 or more of chicken. Spend 50.00, and take 15.00 off of your total instantly when you use these two coupons, bringing your total down to 35.00 for 50.00 worth of groceries!

Other Gold N Plump coupons:
Gold N Plump Recipe Ready Ground Chicken any package 11-02 S .75
Gold n Plump Bake It Easy Stuffed Chicken Breasts 10-19 S 1.00
Gold n Plump Bake It Easy seasoned whole chicken 10-19 S 1.00

Groceries:

Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa mix
B2G2 Free coupon
Stack with 11-16 S .30
1.99/2 or .99 ea.

Hersheys Baking Chips
2/3.00 (buy 3)
stack with 11-16 S 1.00/3
1.16 each

Pam Cooking Spray
2.59
stack with 11-16 S .35
2.24

Diamond Walnuts 16 oz. package
4.99
.25 coupon (received in mail-I emailed them to tell them how much we love their brand; we use in school lunches in place of chips, they sent a bunch of coupons!)
4.74

Kelloggs Cereals (Froot Loops, Marshmallow Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Cocoa Krispies, Frosted Flakes, Frosted Flakes Gold
2/5.00
11-09 RP 1.00
1.50 ea.

Orville Redenbacher Micro Popcorn
3.69
10-12 S .40
3.29 ea.

Keebler Crackers:
Club Crackers 2/5.00
11-02 RP $1.00/2
2.00 ea.

Marzetti Dressing 2/3.00
11-09 RP 1.00

Knudsen Spritzer
.99
03-16 RP .75 of any Knudsen product
.24 ea.

Del Monte Chilled Fruit
3.47
11-09 RP 1.00
2.47 ea.

Household:(Remember, you can still get better deals at Walgreens and Target, but if you need these items, it's better than paying full price! Especially the Cover Girl lip color).

Joy Dish Detergent
2.29
10-12 PG .30 (exp. 11/30!)
1.99

Bounty Paper Towels (8 giant rolls)
11.99
11-02 PG .25
11.74

Charmin Bath Tissue (18-Roll package)
10.99
11-30 PG .25
10.74 ea.

Chinet Plates
2/5.00
11-23 S .75
1.75 ea.

Clorox Products- Asst.
2.69
08-24 RP .75 (exp. 11/30!)
1.94

Iams Dry Dog Food
18.99
11-02 PG 1.00
17.99

Iams Dry Cat Food
13.99
11-02 PG 1.00
12.99

Crest Toothpaste (Premium Select Varieties)
3.49
11-30 PG 1.00
2.49 ea.

Cover Girl Continuous Lip Color
1.00 off Coborn's coupon
stack with 11-02 PG 1.00 (exp. 11/30!)

Oral B Indicator Toothbrush
1.99 ea.
Buy 2 and use 11-30 PG 1.00/2 coupon
1.49 ea.

These are all the deals I found. Enjoy!

New to Coupons? Print This!

Next Tuesday I'm giving a talk at our local MOPS group about using coupons. So I came up with this handout. Feel free to print and start saving!

Download coupons_101.pdf

Coborn’s Deals (Oct. 19-25)

Make sure when you are buying two items that you are using TWO coupons. For example, if you are purchasing two GUM toothbrushes (on sale for 1.50 each) you would want to use TWO .75 off coupons, know what I mean? Your final price would then be .75 per toothbrush. And speaking of the toothbrushes, I think the coupon may even be for 1.00 off, but I’m not sure about that, so I went with the .75 off coupon to make sure).

 

I don’t think the deals are the greatest this week (however the GM promotion is great!), but you should be able to find something to stock up on. Enjoy!

 

Deli:

 

Gold N Plump 8 Piece Chicken

Sale

7.99

Print 1.50 Here

6.50 after coupon!

 

Dairy:

 

Yoplait  4-6 oz. yogurt cups

Buy 20 for 8.00 with coupon from Coborn’s

Stack with  09-07 GM or 10-05 GM .40 off of 6 coupons or print off here

.34 each after coupons

 

Kraft Bagel-fuls 10. 0z.

2/4.00

.55 10/12/08 SS

1.45 each after coupon

 

Jell-O Gelatin or Pudding 6-pack

2/6.00

1.00/2 10/12/08 SS

2.50 each after coupon

 

Veggies:

Marzetti Apple Dip

2.99 ea.

0.55 coupon (from magazines… Better Homes & Gardens/All You, Hallmark/etc.)

2.44 each  after coupon

 

General Grocery:

 

Hills Bros. Coffee 34.5 oz.

4.99

1.00/2 09-14 S

4.50 each after coupon

 

Campbell

’s Chunky Soup

B2G2 Free (Coborn’s coupon)

Stack with 09-07 S2 or 10-12 S .50/4

1.22 each after coupon

 

Dinty

Moore

Beef Stew

B1G1 FREE

1.56 each

1.00/2 09-07 S2

1.06 each after coupon

 

Kraft Easy Mac Cups

.80 (4/5.00)

1.00/2 09/14/08 SS

.30 after coupon

 

Sun Maid Raisins (14 ct. package)

1.79

1.00/2 10/05/08 RP

1.29 after coupon

 

Breakfast/Cereals:

 

General Mills Cereals/Granola Bars

Buy 10 GM Cereals, Fruit or Grain Bars Or Fruit Snacks, get 15.00 off your total! (You will also get a coupon for a FREE gallon of milk on your next visit)

 

Promotion includes:

Fiber One, Nature Valley Granola Bars

Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-ups

GM Cereals (Assorted) 1.00/3 09/07/08 SS #3 or 10/05/08 SS#3 or 10/12/08 SS

Total Cereal Link

Cheerios Link (via the sidebar coupons box, scroll through it to quick print)

(.75 Apple Cinnamon Cheerios)

Chex Link (1.00/2)

Wheaties (.50)

Cocoa Puffs (.75)

 

Personal Care:

 

GUM Toothbrushes

2/3.00

.75 08/03/08 RP

.75 after coupon

 

VIVE Pro Hair Care

B1G1 Coborn’s coupon

2.59

1.00 09/21/08 SS

1.59 after coupon

 

Aquafresh Toothpaste

2/5.00 5.6-6.0 oz. Select Varieties

1.00 off printable

1.50 each after coupon

Request a free sample! (This either gives you a 1.00 off a full size or you can get a trial size for free, have to register first to be able to print the coupon. Remember to download roboform if you request a lot of freebies, makes it painless to enter in all your information!).

 

Kleenex (2-pack)

2/8.00

1.00 10/05/08 SS

3.00 after coupon (1.00 per box, not bad!)

 

(I still prefer Walgreens and Target for personal care items, but if you need these items and won’t be traveling out of town anytime soon, it’s definitely better than paying full price!)