Hey Girls!

So I'm dot com now! Check it out HERE , it should redirect you soon. Thanks!

Coby Video 8GB MP3 player 19.99+15.00 Amazon Credit

Right now get the Coby Mp3 video player in BLUE for 19.99 plus get a 15$ Amazon MP3 Credit. It's not an Ipod touch, but would be a great gift for kids if they like to watch movies or songs without spending 200$! Go HERE to get the deal. Amazon deals can change at any time.

Wow Staples 35.00 off any order coupon code!EXPIRED

Enter 40085 to get 35.00 off any order of 35.00 or more at staples! I bought a 20 roll of bath tissue and trash bags for .98$! Ship to store for free shipping! Hurry!

Birdseye Vegetables .50/off 1 Coupon

Go HERE to like Birds Eye on Facebook to snag a .50 off 1 coupon. If your store doubles, this could make for free veggies!

Keebler Chips Deluxe 1$ off 1!

Go HERE to print a great coupon for Keebler Chips Deluxe! Make sure you hit back and refresh to print it twice!

Today's Springfield MO Groupon-Half off to Backyard Burger!

 

Yum! Today's Springfield MO Groupon is a 10$ Gift Certificate to Backyard Burger for only 5$! A great way to eat out inexpensively! Go  HERE  to sign up for groupon, click the Springfield MO tab for your city, and Buy! What a great gift for that hard to buy for guy or college kids!

I've done several groupons and loved them. Funny story-I told my pastor about these and when his wife was there he said, ' Now tell her about this GROPE-ON thing you do..' My husband and I died laughing!! It's Groo-pon, if ya'll didn't know!:)

Fine Print: I do get a small referral if you click this link, it's okay by me if you just go directly to groupon.com, I just want you all to save $$$! Is good at 7 locations across MISSOURI and ARKANSAS! Expires May 24, 2011, 2 per person, you may give as gife, 1 per table, and no cash back. See site for full details. Thanks!

Bath and Body Works- Free Item with 10$ Purchase!

I wasn't going to post this because I am so CHEEP when it comes to bath stuff, but you should be able to snag some really great deals with this one! Go HERE to print a coupon to Bath and Body Works for ANY free item (up to 13$ ) with any 10$ purchase. They usually run their 'buy 3 get 3 free' or better near black friday and it doesn't expire until 12-24~!

Black Friday Alert-Walmart will Price match!!

From their press release-
"BENTONVILLE, Ark., Nov. 22, 2010 – Walmart is kicking off three days of savings, typically reserved only for the Friday After Thanksgiving, on this seasons' must-have holiday gifts, including the strongest “price match” guarantee in the market. In fact, Walmart is one of the only retailers that will price match competitors’ ads on “Black Friday.” Customers simply bring in competitors’ ads and Walmart will match the price of any identical product right at the register, making Walmart the easiest place to save this holiday season.¹


WooHOO!! This will definitely cut down on my number of trips!

What's up Next-Christmas and Building a Stockpile.

Hey gang! I wanted to set you up a map for what's coming up in the next few weeks. I will be posting lots of great gift ideas and store specials to help you stay under your Christmas budget. You DO NOT need to spend a ton to have a merry Christmas! One thing we've tried to do this year:  I and the kids try to hunt for someone we can bless  this year.

Now, along with Thanksgiving and posting Christmas deals, I am tenatively planning then end of this month/beginning of next a series on stockpiling food. What to do, how to do it, on any budget, for any reason. Stay tuned!

A quick note- just remember that for many, the 'holidays' are the hardest times of year. Can you have a happier Christmas by mindlessly buying the same toy story toy you bought 10 years ago, but now it has a '3' on it, OR finding that family, mother, or son that is:

going through a divorce,

just lost a child,

in the military, feeling totally alone

AND BLESS THEM. This isn't neccesarily buying a Christmas gift, it might mean 'being there', writing letters, or cooking food. FIND THEM, and LOVE ON THEM. 

Why you should do Invitation Only Websites

Okay so some of you might be tired of the 'invitation only' websites. You get e-mails from them, it seems confusing, and most of the stuff is EXPENSIVE! But there is also a lot of FREE or CHEEP stuff you can score, and I just wanted to share so when the next one comes up, you might be interested. Here's just a few deals I've gotten this year. I really don't care for the 'designer' stuff, and am super CHEEP when it comes to myself, so see what you think:

Keen sandals 14$ Shipped (this is my highest deal and might not have done it, but really have to have good support! reg 90$)

Melissa and Doug Band Set: 0$ Shipped

Dolphin Rain Boots 4$ Shipped

This scarf and gloves 4$ shipped

Barnyard Puzzle Free

Birch Crayons(these are adorable!!) Free

And this isn't half of it.Some of these were from mom or M-i-l in my 'personal online shopper' service, where I call and scream about a deal!!:)

And this isn't half of it. One of my other deals: Remember last week with the 60$ groupon to lands end? Turns out I had 20$ credit, so I paid 10$ for it. Then when my order arrived, they enclosed a brochure with a 10$ Gift Card PLUS free shipping!

 An awesome way to cut your Christmas budget!! What about you? What's been your best deal?

Ruelala 20$ credit? Tommorrow 10am Vera Bradley

You know where I will be at 10am CST! Ruelala.com will be having a very bradley sale tommorrow, if you still have your 20$ credit this should be great! Even if not, they have had some great sales. I was dissappointed in the kitchenaid sale last week, but have had some great deals!

.55 off any 2 dozen eggs coupon-hurry!

Eggs are like milk, veggies, and meat. You do get coupons on them, but they are few and far between! Go HERE to print a .55 off any 2 dozen eggs coupon, if your store doubles, these will be CHEEP!

Local Deals- Save-a-lot 11-17

Savealot has the produce war won this week!
 Jumbo Sweet Potatoes .39
Celery .69
Carrots 2lb .89
Wylwood Green Beans 3/1$
Mrs Smiths Pies 1.99
Caskeys Cream soups 2/1$
1/2 Gal Blue Bell Ice Cream 3.99
Stuffing on the side .69
Cranberry sauce .69
There are also Honeysuckle White Turkeys for .99. They are cheaper other places, but I know some of you really like this brand. Thanks!

Scott Toilet Paper 1$ off ANY

You should be able to score FREE toilet paper with THIS Coupon! It's good for 1.00 off any 1 scott bath tissue or scott towels.

Viewpoints- Get 10$ amazon GC for doing 10 reviews

Have you signed up for Viewpoints ? I don't recommend it for super busy women, but if you're looking for a way to make 10$ from home and cut that Christmas budget, go  HEREto get started!

Search for Santa Paws 10.00 off Blu-ray Coupon

Okay so I did hit the wall a few weeks ago with the Toy Story3 Coupon, but....

Go HERE for a 10.00 off dvd/blu-ray coupon. We just got a blu-ray player, but I highly recommend if you can get the combos with coupon for the same price as the dvds to do so, dvd is heading into vhs territory!:)

Local deals 11-17

Not many! Is anyone seeing a trend? Here's the best deals around town:
Woods:
 Apple juice   .88 with in-store coupon
Nestle morsels 1.99
Libby's Pumpkin .99
Gold Medal Flour .99
Philidelphia Cheese .99
Kraft Cheeses 1.99
Kraft Marshmallows .99 (look for instore coupons for .50 off 2)
Kraft Miracle whip 2.50 1$ Facebook Coupon
Simply Juice 3.00 1$ Printable
Best Choice Cream soups .50
Cool Whip .79
Ozark Hearth Brown& Serves .59
Turkeys .68
Boston Butt 1.48
(I'll be posting more as they come!)

LG Blu-ray Player 65.00+Free shipping Expired!!

Expired!

Wal-mart now has their 'amazing electronics event' live. Most of the deals I can live without, but they do have the LG Blu-ray Player for 65.00 with free shipping to your home. Go HERE to check it out.

New 1$ off Kraft Cheese with a touch of Philly=2$ at wal-mart!

Go HERE and HERE to print a coupon for 1$ off ONE package of kraft cheese with a touch of Philidelphia. They did have this at buffalo wal-mart and many others for 2$, making it 1$! Be sure to hit back and refresh to print twice.

Planning a CHEEP Mini-Vacay

This post is linked to 'Works for me' Wednesday!
Our family usually visits a theme park around Christmas time that is always decorated for the holidays. Our kids are 2 and 7, and 'seeing the lights' is still fun for them. A lot of times though, this can be the crunch time as far as money goes. This year we've been collecting deals from all year to make a super CHEEP trip, around 100$ for our family of 4. Here's what we do:

1. Hotel  49.95$
This is our biggest expense. We usually check much sooner in the month, but with tangers great gift card deal and how busy we get closer to the holidays, we just booked it. Usually a week ahead of time still gets you great deals, but don't go any closer. We check expedia and travelocity, and within hours one had sold out. *Another tip* I usually find what I want on those sites, and then call the hotel. I saved a few dollars just by doing that, plus there is a 24 hour cancellation policy. Usually the travel sites have a cancellation fee.

2. Gas 35.00$
This is our next biggest expense. We often get small gift cards to wal-mart and fill up at a supercenter or sams, but this year we will be shelling this out. We are going to try to save in the other areas though.

3.Theme park 0.00
We are blessed to get tickets to this park for Christmas. If you are asked and there is one near you, these make great easy gifts and often are packed with other free passes. Think about this for people with kids, it is often too expensive for families to buy outright. *Tip* I know when we went to sea-world we got a 'come back any day' for free. We never did!

4.Food Free-CHEEP
Here another place to save those Gift cards. We had a flyer to a local pizza parlour. This isn't fancy, but let's be honest, with 2 kids what's the point of going to a nice restaurant anymore??:) We also have the BOGO from dominos that was available awhile back. The kids LOVE having dominos deliver, and they don't mind pizza overload! Also we always stay at a hotel with continental breakfast. I personally don't care for this, but don't really like breakfast.

We also PACK food. I have to do this anywhere, my kids will be hungry between Mcdonalds and home. It helps those on diets from going off track, and kids to be happy on long trips.I usually don't buy lunchmeat for nutritional reasons, so here is some alternatives (i'd love to hear yours):

Pizza Cinnamon rolls-just like it sounds, with sauce and ronis inside, cheeze sprinkled on top
Tuna Packets- we get these free-CHEEP and this is much better than the canned kind
Homemade lunchables-sliced american cheese, ritz crackers, and small treat
Fruit and veggies- Something we always miss eating out.Pack baby carrots, whole washed fruit, etc.
Bagels and Cream Cheese- Yum!
We pack a small cooler with a frozen gallon jug or pop bottles, but try not to take too much that needs to be cold period. We also start the kids with squirty drink bottles, with water, that we may put juice in later, but wash out in the room. I will also bake up a whole batch of cookies or brownies  and put in individual packets of saran in a tupperware for an easy ready to go snack.

5. Shopping 0-50$
We did take advantage of the tanger deal on facebook, and I think this will be 'gifted' to me for my birthday, if not we will spend 50 for 100$ at the outlet, and will probably buy lots of Christmas with it! Also I do swagbucks and get completely free gift cards. I have one to target, and I also got 2 5$ free in Real Simple (1-year auto-renewal) (that I got for CHEEP) and Martha Stewart Living (1-year auto-renewal) (also on sale). We use the hallmark for candy!
I am so excited about my tiny Va-Cay, Let me know your tips!!

Tanger 50$ GC for 25$!

Today only! You can get a 50$ GC to tanger outlets for 25$ today! You must like them on facebook, expires in 10 days.

Dave Ramsey free-25$ for military

Check out the great specials  on the dave ramsey website for veterans today. This is a 100$ value!

Disabled Veterans FREE

Retired Servicemembers $10

Actively Serving $25

Thank you.

Today and everyday,Thank you.

Woods Ad 11-10 thru11-16

Not much!
Lucky Leaf Pie Filling 2.49, If you got the 1.00 coupon it makes it 1.49, otherwise there was a peelie for 1.00 off 2.
Cello Lettuce .78$
Best Choice Veggies .59$
BC Cheese 2 lb 4.49$
They also have a coupon section in the back. I'm not sure if these are manufacturer or store, and not sure they will let you stack anyway. I will check and update if not.
Tenderbird chicken 3.99 w/coupon
BC cheese (sm bag) .88
Charmin 12 double rolls 5.88
They also have the ham sale again, buy any farmland ham for 2.99 get a turkey breast free. There is ham on sale for 1.77 and they've have turkeys for .68, but the sale ham looks icky! I'm still waiting for kretschmar to go on sale!
Also, be sure to pick up your Best Choice Flyer in the customer service section.It had awesome coupons, all good december through august next year. The best: 5 1.00 off any purchase of 1.00 or more!

5$ for 35$ GC to Natural and Organic Toys for Littles

EVERSAVE is another online group buying site like the ones I've been telling you about, and today they have an awesome deal if you have babies or toddlers on your list. If you sign up today, enter your city. Several have entered chicago, but I'm closest to st. louis and it worked for me too. On the sidebar there will be 'side deals'. One is to Wild Dill, an online baby organic toys, clothes, and gift shop. It shows the total 12$. When I clicked buy, the total went down to 10$. But if you enter  BRANDCATION in the promo code box your total will be 5$! You can get a 27ish something item with 5.95 shipping for 5$! I'm thinking this plan toy?

or this super cute set?

Groupon: 30$ for a 60$ Groupon to Lands End Canvas

What a great deal! Today only, Groupon has a 60$ Gift certificate to Lands End Canvas. Anyone can buy, it is valid on online orders. It is available immediately. Not valid on shipping, which for me was 5.95. Must use in 1 order. Here's how:
1. Sign in or sign up for Groupon.
2. Choose Madison, it is their deal of the day.
3. Read all terms. Click Buy!

I usually would post this, but I really like lands end. This is an offshoot of them, more denim-y, but still very classic.

Sephora Color Diary 155$ Value-25$

This is a great deal for Christmas. I know when I was sixteen I would have flipped for this (not to mention I might buy now!).The Sephora Collection Color Diary is a 155$ value, regular price 34$, on sale for 25$. Shipping is 5.95 or free with 50$ order. It includes 5 complete sets with 1 blush, 6 shadows, and a tube of lipgloss in each. Their lipgloss alone is about 12$. Really cute for the fashionista!

Watch your mail!

Okay I'm going to be your blog mom today. This goes without saying (not really) but be sure to watch your junk mail from now until Christmas like a hawk.I've gotten in the last 3 days a 5$ off 10$ to build a bear and free 5$ gift card to target when you spend 50$ on toys, pasted to the back of a catalog.  Build a bear sometimes sends out free animal cards too, on the inside of flyers. Scour that junk mail before you throw it out!!

Free Blockbuster Movie Monday!!

Use the code 3MNDY for a free rental! I think tonight's date night!

Toy Story Blu-ray...and a word about wal-mart

Okay, so I built up the Toy Story Deal like it was the greatest thing since sliced bread... and I hope some of you got it. Let me tell you about my experience...
I live in a small town of less than 10,000. I skipped up to the local wal-mart with my 8.00 off coupon and was turned away by the higher than advertised prices. Asking the manager, she stated, "Oh, yeah, that's only the price at supercenters."
Okay. I thought no biggie, I was going to the next biggest town about 20 miles away anyway, to buy some pizzas, hit the park....and now buy the blu-ray.
Thursday came, I went to the park, got a killer purse on sale CHEEP, then moseyed into walmart.....to see the same higher price.
Asking the manager, she replied, "Oh, yeah, not all supercenters have that price." A little more irritated, but not feeling like I could complain in light of awesome purse, I went back home, knowing I would hit a much larger town anyway on friday and target would not let me down, nor have these regional pockets of varying prices.
Friday comes and I walk into target, coupon in hand.... only to frantically search the empty shelves filled with only dvds........ I grab the ad and stomp childishly into the next supercenter, ready to comp the ad AND try to use my coupon (perfectly legal yet prone to complaint) when I see right there, the correct advertised price and full shelves. YAY!
(Moral of the story) Your mileage may vary! If a deal is not in your area, or at your location, I'm sorry! And feel free to leave a comment so we can let other readers know.  Thanks and here's hoping your shopping trip goes better than my TS3 one!

18 days until black friday......

Are you ready? I wanted to give everyone the heads up! I'm going into online shopping/Christmas deal finding mode and so is this blog. We will continue some fun ideas in the kitchen, including a batch cooking/freezer cooking day on friday. Sans that, we will be hitting the online deals hard. Sorry to those of you who aren't into the online shopping thing! Even so, what's on your list?

New Red Wii/Super Mario Limited Edition Deal

Nov 7-13th, Kmart will be giving every shop your way rewards  card holder who buys a  Limited Edition Red Wii Bundle 50,000 points! 50,000 pts =50$ to use at kmart or sears, etc.  You can use the links above to sign up for the rewards program, print a temporary member card, then buy online and have in-store pickup. It may take 48 hours for the points to show up. This is like getting the wii and super mario brothers for 99$!!

California Pizza Kitchen 1.50 off ANY pizza, Barrilla Tortellini

Go HERE  to grab a 1.50 off ANY  california pizza kitchen pizza. The little ones are on sale this week at dillons, kroger, and woods so I'd grab it while you can! There is also a coupon for 1.00 off Barilla Tortellini. This is with zip code 30013. Thanks!

# EXPIRED#WOW! Wii red Console 179.99 from Dell w/free shipping

Wow! Use Coupon code ?6$Z6H$S?K16ML  on the Wii Limited Edition Red Console from Dell.com to lower your price to 179.99. This is lower than anything I've seen out of pocket. We bought our wii from dell last year, had no trouble, and it was one of the best deals all season. 

10 for 20$ Build A Bear Groupon

How great for Christmas! Head here to sign up for Groupon.
 Change city to Chicago.
 There is a groupon for 10$ to buy a 20$ Groupon, or 25 for a 50$ birthday party.

Rue la la- free stuff!

I know some of you got your 20$ credit to rue la la last week, have you been checking your sales? Starting at 11e/10central, there are new sales every day. I've gotten 90 shoes for 15 and 20$ mascara for 85cents! Some are reporting you can still get a 10$ credit if you sign up now. The shipping is a flat 9.95, but they've had several items for 5.00-15.00 from 100$ and that still makes it a good deal. Tomorrow at 10Central time KITCHENAID is having a giveaway. This stuff can sell out in 2 minutes flat, but if you are on the lookout for kitchenaid items this might be the best deal there is. Hope that helps!

Sam's Club-New membership=10$ GC!

Go HERE to get a free 10$ Gift card for signing up for a membership with sam's club, now through november 24. It's good the day after thanksgiving. I definitely think it's worth the membership, some things we buy are flour, honey, produce, tortillas, milk, cheese, and other frozen items. What do you get?

Woods Ad 11-3 thru 11-19

Some things you should know:
Woods only accepts printable coupons that SCAN and are under 2.00. They are a little ridiculous. Here's the best deals of the week.
Freschetta Pizza 2/9$
Sugar 1.49 ***stock up!

Simply Juice 3$ 1$ facebook coupon
final 2$

Best Choice Cream Cheese .69 * pretty good

Jimmy Dean Sausage 2/3.98 1$ printable facebook coupon
final2/1.98$

Campbell's select harvest soup 4/5$ 1$ off 2 Printable
final price 4/3$



There is also a deal for buying one farmland ham at 2.99 get a turkey breast free. I've done this deal and it's okay, only get it if you were buying those 2 to start with, there will be great deals on ham and turkey in the next few weeks! I'll post later after my trip to see if there are any additions.

Wal-mart Pre-Black Friday Deals!

Wal-mart now has their Pre-black friday deals online, there are several, including their ever popular 10.00 coats, with free shipping to home. Click here to see the coat, and

here to see the rest of the specials.

Soft Speakers MP3 -3.00!

Penguin or Turtle, a little weird, but I'm squirreling away for Christmas. You can use paypal, and shipping is free. Enter FUN50  at checkout.

McDonalds-Free McCafe Food Harvest

Now through November 21, you can get a free Mocha, Latte, Cappuccino, Hot Chocolate, Premium Roast Coffee or Iced coffee with the donation of a non-perishable food item. They also have a new happy hour, 2-4 1$ off McCafe drinks. Yay smoothies!

Nivea High value 3$/1 Coupon

This will go fast! Go HERE to print a high value 3$ off 1 Nivea for men Body wash. It's priced for 2.50 at walgreens this week, but will still be a great deal everywhere else. Be sure to hit 'back' and 'refresh' to print twice.

New Coupons!

It's the first of the month so that means lots of coupons have been reset. Make sure you check out Coupons.com , Redplum, and Smartsource. I will try to post more as they pop up.

Christmas Alert-Kitchenaid??

Sorry for those of you who don't like online shopping! On November 5, at 10 central, Ruelala will have KITCHENAID  for one of their sellers. Now I can't guarantee anything, but the pic is of a kitchenaid mixer, a hot item on a lot of people's list. Most of their items on this site are anywhere from 50-90% off, but to find one of these for even 30% off will be a good deal. Join now and hop on right at 10 on Nov 5 if you're interested, they sell out fast!

Toy Story 3, Out Tomorrow!

If your planning on buying the Toy Story 3 dvd tomorrow, don't forget to check out THIS POST for your 8.00 coupon and 5.00 rebate. Walmart and target are advertising the dvd for 15.99 and the blu-ray/dvd combo for 24.98. After your coupon, the blu-ray combo is only 1.00 more, then 5.00 back after your rebate!UPDATE : SUPERCENTERS HAVE IT AT THIS PRICE, WALMART IS HIGHER. GRRRR....

EXPIRED HURRY, Free Juice!

This will be gone fast! Head HERE to fill out a form for a coupon for free welch's essentials juice in the mail. GONE!

Are you Buying Ahead?

I had a talk with my MIL last week, and we discussed a phenomena for us- people who go to the store, and buy groceries 'for the week'. This is so foreign to us, we tried to remember the last time we had done this. Yes, we go and need to pick up a few things here and there, and when the mood strikes us we may get a special item.

 For the most part, we always engage in the 'buy ahead' principle. We buy what we will use, when it's on sale, in large quantities.

 Several factors play into this. Expiration dates, budgets, and what's available. Do some of you remember my 20 packages of cream cheese? No, I won't use 20 packages this week, month, or through this calendar year. But with the holidays coming up, birthdays, and the ability of cream cheese to be frozen, I won't be buying cream cheese until May (it expires in april). Now can we live off cream cheese? Of course not. But several of the good buys I've gotten recently (cream cheese, chex, butter, pizza, flour, and more) added together make a frugal pantry that I draw from. We also have beef from a local farmer, so that's not in our weekly grocery budget. Another way we save is growing our own spring mix in every loose planter in winter, and in our cold frame.

.

This is a great way to save $$, live semi-organic, and teach the kids about gardening.Buying ahead and small scale growing also is a way to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle. Worst case scenario? Our country will go bankrupt and grocery stores will close chaos will erupt. Then having a small stockpile of food is definitely beneficial. Not a solution, but beneficial. Best case scenario? Nothing will happen, except I don't feel like taking a wild pair of boys to 3 grocery stores. Since I have a frugal pantry, I don't have to.
Another way we stockpile? I often get those 'free samples' online, and coupled with my buy-ahead grocery principle, I'm hoping to stay out of the grocery store in the month of december. Stay inside and toasty, sipping hot chocolate, and a built in savings for presents!
What do you do to save $$?

Free Blockbuster Express

Today only you can get a free Blockbuster Express Movie Rental with the code 1MNDY . 

Real Simple Mag- 10.00

This is another amazon deal! Go  HERE  to get a  one year subscription to real simple. It is one  of my favorite magazines! This would make a great Christmas gift. They also have Better Homes for 5.99. This is auto-renewal., but it is very easy to go to your account and cancel auto-renewal, I do right after I buy.

Free Veggitales 16 Track Christmas Album

Go HERE to download the veggietales 'Incredible Singing Christmas Tree. You can play on your computer if you don't have an MP3.

Awesome deals on boys Carhartt on Amazon!

Go HERE to check out amazon's clothing clearance. Orders over 25.00 ship for free, or if you have a prime membership, anything eligible ships for free! There are several boys carhartt, fox and other shirts, etc. things on the first page for under 5.00 PLUS get  an extra 20% is applied at checkout on all of these special clearance items. Not a member of prime? Join AMAZON MOMS  for a free prime membership, at no cost to you.  I'm thinking Christmas!

EXPIRED-Fiber Plus 2$/1 Coupon- Cheap granola bars!

Go HERE to print a 2$ off 1 box of Fiber Plus Chewy granola bars. These are at Dollar General and walmart for about 2.75, or you could wait for a sale. We've had these, and my kids love them ( just don't tell them they're healthy!) Be sure to hit back and refresh to print it twice.

Raw Milk, Part One: Newbie fresh homemade butter

Okay, this is a fun thing for you newbies. I am sad to say that of a month or so ago, I had never heard, seen, or even known of anybody who had made their own butter or cheese. I have since become one of the biggest raw milk supporters ever! (I come to the club late, but quickly aspire to be the vice-president!:) ) So here is a quick run through of how I make fresh butter. We use it salted and unsalted, and since I've seen culinary websites expounding it's taste,  I ONLY USE FRESH BUTTER! That's how so many 'frugal' things are, they start out as a way to save money, and then we fall backwards into the luxurious elite that only the rare few may enjoy!

Homemade Butter
1. Sit it out.
This is so easy! I start with cream from Raw Milk, from a Jersey Cow. Jersey is a special breed that gives the most 'cream' that I know of, almost 25%, just by looking at it. We are going to start by doing something that is totally against the nature of my clorox disinfecting loving self- We are going to let the cream sit out for about four hours!

 (<><:&%&^&^% HORRIFIED SCREAM(*&%^r)
Dont worry, it is only getting to room  temperature. SEE?

2. Spin it!.
I make mine in a kitchenaid, you can use a hand mixer. I would choose a bowl with very high sides however, as you will see later why. I only put about a pint in here. This is one of my 'homeschool recipes'. I can jump back and forth without paying much attention to them, but you do have to be here!
Then I put my mixer on about a 4-6. It will make either way, and this isn't scientific, but the longer you let your cream sit out and the lower speed you have, you will have a softer, whiter, more 'cultured' butter. The colder, quicker you mix it can take longer and you will have a more yellow butter, and less  of it. Make sure to wipe down the sides of your bowl every 5-10 minutes, really during the whipped cream phase You will mix for 15-30 minutes, depending on how much fat is in your butter, the temperature, the speed, and just what the milk feels like doing today!

 You will have 4 basic stages you will see: Whipped Cream, Sour Cream, Grainy sour cream, then the butter.

                                                                   WHIPPED CREAM

                                                                      SOUR CREAM

                                                                GRAINY SOUR CREAM

                                                                           BUTTER !

Here is why you need a bowl with high sides. At this point you have spun the butter solids from the buttermilk liquid, and the buttermilk will slosh like crazy.

3. Drain it!   Save that stuff, even if you freeze it. It makes wild bread and pancakes, and the powdered stuff is nasty and expensive!

                                                         Squeeze some more buttermilk out.

                                                               See the buttermilk?
4. Wash it!

This sounds crazy but wash that butter under COLD water. Hot water will make a melty butter spa hand treatment that will take a bottle of dawn to clean up. You are washing away any last bit of buttermilk that will cause the butter to go rancid. I used to pick up the whole wad of butter and run under a faucet, but since i've become more lazy and irritable, I just wash it in the kitchenaid bowl, press it with a spatula, and wash again until the water is clear.   The butter will stay 3-5 days, I think some say it can keep longer. If I have it for more days than that, I just pop it in the freezer for cooking.

5. Eat it!
Homemade bread, fresh butter, homemade strawberry preserves. Yum!

Ruby Tuesday BoGo Free!

Go HERE to print a coupon for a buy one get one free entree, up to ten dollars. It states 'one coupon per check' , not per table, so on a split tab, or with friends, you should be able to use more than one coupon, but we've all had that waitress who gives you 'the look', so good luck!

Gap Outlet, BOGO FREE!

Here is a great coupon if you are headed to the Gap outlet on Saturday. Go HERE to print a coupon for buy one get one free!

Rue lala Use your credit!

Right now Rue lala has a reebok boutique with toddler shoes and more prices at 15.00. Shipping is around 10, so with your 20 $ credit you can ship them to your home for 5$!

Toy Story 8.00 off Blu-Ray Coupon

If your kids are wanting the Toy Story 3 movie, THIS is a great coupon to hold on to. It comes out next Tuesday ( I think). Usually they will run an introductory week blow-out with the dvd for 15.99 and the combo for 20-22 dollars. Don't forget you can price match at walmart and use a coupon ( don't be surprised if you get a hassle!).  This makes the blu-ray combo cheaper than the dvd! A great gift for kids!
p.s. You must sign in or register to disney movie rewards, they give you free offers for movies you buy!
 UPDATE: there is also a 5.00 rebate HERE  when you but 3 condensed campbells soups or spaghetti o's. These go on sale at supercenter for .50. Wow!

Cheap Magazines

Right now on Tanga they have Bon Apetit for 4.99 when you use FOOD at checkout. They also have Taste of Home for 3.99 when you use the code TASTE at checkout. These prices will only show up when you use the code.

Sav-a-lot this week

To know about Save-a-lot:
Specials run wednesday through tuesday.

Right now there is said to be a special on green beans, 3 for 1$ If so, this is a stock up price. BUT WAIT! Goato THIS  page on Sav-a-lots website (if not working just go to save-a-lot.com, click on coupons) and print off a .50 cents off 4 coupon. I called the store and save-a-lot does take their own printable coupons

4 cans at .33 each= 1.33 -.50 off coupon= .88
This is an e-centives coupon, so you can only use one item purchased, in this case, 4 cans. I've already called and you should have no trouble using two coupons to buy 8 and get them for 1.60. Please be nice and courteous so they get to loving us!
Even at .49 for the other veggies this is a great price. Other deals:

Maltomeal mini spooners (small bag) .59
Green beans 3 for 1$
Veggies .49
4lb bag of russets  .99

Let me know if you got these great deals!

Wendys free frosty key fob

If you are in springfield, wendys has right now  this key fob. It gives you a free frosty with every purchase, one per visity. I'm thinking cutest gift tags ever?

Thanks Tammy!

How I get free money for Christmas

Some of you have seen the posts about sign up, invitation only websites. I know some of you are wondering 'Is this really worth it?' I'll be honest, sometimes it is, sometimes not. But here's a breakdown of what I've got working now. Will it all work out? Probably not. But I'm excited about the great deals to be had, and you can 'earn' free stuff or discounts for a big chunk of your Christmas shopping.

1. Groupon.
This is a group coupon website, that offers a limited number of gift cards to many stores, many of which are online. It is a cities searchable site, but I and other bloggers can alert you to these deals. Also, you get 10$ when you invite someone to join and they make a purchase. Many times you can combine these with special deals and/or free shipping for an amazing deal. I recently have bought soap.com, fandango, and body shop.

2. Invitation only websites
These include but are not limited to ruelala, onekingslane, modnique, and more. You often get 5-20$ just for signing up. They create excitement without spending money on advertising, and top designers will let their items go much cheaper since this is an 'exclusive' club.Most of these items are VERY expensive, but they have all also had free-cheap items after discount, like candles and gourmet foods, great for a gift basket or exchange. Who doesn't want 40$ hot chocolate?You can also combine these sometimes with coupon codes and free shipping for great deals. (see post below) Now I know I may not use or even like all of these, but if I have the possibility to score a 50$ gift for 5$, why not?

3. Points earnings sites
These include swagbucks, viewpoints and more. Swagbucks is a points earning site. Now I'm all about my own personal comfort, so I just downloaded their toolbar and use it to search. Many ladies have  said they 'search' for the site they want to go to earn tons of points. (won't work in google chrome). Viewpoints does not usually give $$ for reviews, but has a promotion from time to time to earn GC. I could have earned a 25$ one, but forgot about it, but they surprised me with a 10$ one instead. Combined with my free amazon prime moms membership, you can get a 10$ item totally free.

4.Purchase with Purchase
Several of you have seen the great deals they had last year for Christmas. One item on everyones list was the nintendo wii. Well if you held out almost until Christmas eve Walmart had a 50-100 gift card with purchase of  the wii and other electronics. There will be several of these deals that you can use to fund the rest of your list. Ask yourself 2 questions though: was I going to buy it anyway, and was I going to buy it now? If not, don't be pressured into thinking you 'have to buy now' to get a great deal.

HURRY, MORE FREE/CHEAP FOR CHRISTMAS!!

This deal won't last long! Go HERE to sign up for modnique.com, a free invitation only website.
 You will get a 5.00 credit for signing up.
Use  star  at checkout to get 10.00 off your order.
Shipping is 7.95 and this will work towards shipping.
Go to the 'kidorable' page, right now they have rainboots, hats, scarves and mittens for 5.00 and up. I scored a pair of boots for 4.95 and a scarf and mitten set for 4.90. Too cute!

Picture People coupon...I'm not bitter:)

Okay so I wanted to post this week there is a great coupon for the picture people. You can print it here. Now I went to get mine on saturday, waited two hours, some of the fixtures fell on my son's head, I paid for pictures then they were not acceptable....but i'm sure they'll make it right!:) right?

Free Blockbuster today only!

Today you can score a free rental at blockbuster express with code BBXMDY .

POSSIBLE...free cereal at Dillon's wednesday???

Okay guys, kroger stores, which run their sales starting sunday, who also own dillons, has a buy 4 get 6$ off your order going now. Dillons should start this wednesday. This should make the cereal  .99 to 1.49, when you add shortcuts and cellfire coupons to your paper coupons, these should be free! If they post this sale wednesday, I will link up some coupons. Get ready!

Free 20$ for Christmas...LAST DAY!

Go HERE  to sign up for ruelala.com. It is an invitation only website that gives you 20$ completely free for signing up! It takes 48 hours for your credit to show up. Now most things on the site are HIGH, but since I've signed up this week there have been great deals: free makeup, and designer tops and body wash for 4-5$ shipped. This is a  great way to get an awesome present on your list for very little change! There is no purchase necessary, so if you don't like it you don't have to buy. I will be posting  when we can find more hot deals!

The Body Shop 40$ Gift card for 20$

Another great way to save on Christmas.... Online buying sites! These sites are free, but just offer so many of each deal. Today there is a 40$ GC to The body shop for only 20$. Read the fine print, and is valid in stores only. It is a great source for body and skin care items without harsh chemicals.
How to do it:
Go here to sign up for groupon.
Click on verification on your email.
Click on 'Visit other cities' .
Click philidelphia, miami,or springfield MA.
Buy!

How to save $$$ on Christmas....When you live in a small town, Part 1

I know some of you were right on the technology train, had smartphones before everybody else,etc..
     I was not.

     I have jumped on the online shopping bandwagon, but still I know some of you are leery OR not sure how to get started. Most people DONT shop online for two reasons- shipping and putting their financial info online. First, you can get free shipping on tons of online items from amazon, ebay, and more. Did you like hearing last black friday that while you got up at 4 am and just missed that hot item you wanted somebody got up at 5or 6, shopped in their jammies, and had it shipped to store  for free? Also, most financial info is stolen from two places, your mailbox or your trashcan.

 My absolute favorite shopping addiction  online store is amazon.com. I started last year with their lightning deals. I had just had a baby, trying to save on gas, and then that magic box with the smile on it arrived. I got several hot deals, and this Christmas with be no different so pay attention! You can get free two day super saver shipping on many items when you spend 25$, or buy a prime membership for free shipping on any prime eligible item (90% of the items, no matter how big ) for 89$ the whole year. However, I got a 'free trial' membership with a promo this spring, when that ended they gave me three more months for buying diapers, then there was another promo this summer, and last month there was a 'moms club' trial to last til Christmas. I have been thoroughly pleased with their customer service (who can say that anymore?) and loved everything I've gotten.

Can you really save? Prices change hourly, by supply and demand.  THIS Erector set motorized helicopter is regularly 39.99 on sale now for 12.12 (it may not be by the time you see it.) Now you might be able to find it in walmart or target for 30$, but 12 is a steal! Another game I have seen a lot was 'giraffallaff limbo'. These were 25-30 in stores and a semi-hot game last year. I saw one price on amazon for 9$! I will try to post some of the hottest items, so definitely keep an eye out for amazon deals!!!

Really Cheap Crescents and Grands Biscuits

Have you got your dillons card yet? This week Dillon's has Crescents and Grands Cinnamon Rolls 10 for 10$ ( You don't have to buy 10 to get them for a 1$!) Add coupons from dillons.com, shortcuts.com, and cellfire.com for 40-50 cents off two.
 Then there are printables for Crescents here for 50 cents off 1 (they will double), plus coupons.com has coupons for 30-50 off one on the grands, cinnamon rolls, and crescents. USE THEM TOGETHER to get crescents for as cheap as 25 cents each, and the others for around 50 cents. Don't forget to hit the back button to print twice!!

1.00 Off lucky leaf pie filling

Use this coupon to like Lucky Leaf on facebook for 1.00 off pie filling. Christmas is coming!

Free-Cheap Juice

Use this link to get 1.00 off simply orange juice. You must 'like' it on facebook, and remember to hit 'back' then 'refresh' to print it twice! You can get the singles around 1$ or the large juice for 3.00 or less. It is off 'any' so the small ones can be free or close to free!  We use these for picnics or long trips to save getting pop in the drive thru.

How to get FREE groceries

Okay girls, this is one I've wanted to share for a long time. Here in the Ozarks, you have to know where to shop. One of the many ways I've found to get FREE groceries is at Dillon's. It's not every week, and I don't go in just to grocery shop (usually). Here's how:
1. You need a Dillon's card. Go and sign up at the registers before your big shopping trip. It takes about 2 minutes and is easy and free.
2. Register your card on these websites: shortcuts , cellfire , and dillons . You can then load e-coupons, usually new every tuesday.

3. Stack sales with paper coupons and e-coupons. One one of my biggest deal trips, dillons was running their popular buy 10, get 5.00 off promotion. Kraft had this 5$ off 5 coupon, and still does. You can print it twice per computer, and it refreshes every so often ( usually every month but sometimes sooner). You can also print it twice on mil's computer, too!:) With the cheese priced at  88 cents when you bought ten (  you can also mix and match the ten items, but I didn't need too) , I paid -2.40$ for 20 packages of cream cheese.  Also, at SuperCenter, they had Chex on sale for 2$ for the big box. I have been holding on to 3$ off 3 coupons for a year now, and they expired the night we just 'ran over there' for no reason. THAT'S GOD!

4. Use the 'buy ahead' principle. This kills me, but I used to go to the store and only buy what I needed for the week. Do I need 20 packages of cream cheese this week? NO!! But it is good until February, great for many holiday recipes, and also freezes well.  So I am good on cream cheese!
 How about you? Do you just buy for the week or stock up?