CEREAL!!

So, they've reset some coupons at www.coupons.com, already, and there are some GREAT cereal coupons!! We love cereal around here, but my goal is to NEVER pay over a dollar for a box of cereal. I know......sounds crazy, but, I usually always meet my goal!! Cereal is SO EXPENSIVE!! Here is what they're offering at coupons.com, and if you match it up with the Safeway and/or Albertsons deals this week, you can get some cheeeeeeeap boxes of cereal!!

$1.00/1 Frosted Flakes
$1.00/1 Apple Jacks
$1.00/1 Mini-Wheats
$1.00/1 Raisin Bran
$1.00/1 Fruit Loops
$1.00/1 Rice Krispies
$1.00/1 Special K

REMEMBER, you can ALWAYS use a store coupon IN CONJUNCTION with a manufacturer's coupon!! ALWAYS!!

Here's the Albies Deal:
On the front cover they have a store coupon to get Corn flakes, Raisin Bran and/or Froot Loops for $1.49/each (Limit 2). Use this coupon in conjunction with 1 Raisin Bran Coupon and 1 Froot Loops coupon and you can get each box of cereal for 49 CENTS!!!! OR, you can print two of each coupon and get two of the same kinds for 49 CENTS!!

Safeway Deal:
Not quite as good, but stil great! Raisin Bran is on sale for $1.99. Use your $1.00 coupon to get yours for 99 CENTS!

You can print up to 2 of each coupon on coupons.com. (Sometimes, it'll let you print a few more!!)

Happy Cereal Shopping! :)

'Eating from the Pantry' Challenge--Update

We're halfway through the week and we're still making it!! I haven't stepped foot in a Grocery store and won't until next week! This is very new for me, because, like I said, I am a grocery-shop-once-a-week kind of gal. Plus, going to the grocery store has always been a fun outing for me and the kids, so it was a 2-for-1! We're getting low on a few staple items, ie, sour cream, cottage cheese (the kids love it!), cheese, and veggies, but other than that, we're doing fine! Since I have our meal plan for dinners, I know I have those ingredients, it's lunches that I've had to be creative with! We've had a lot of PB&J Sandwiches, baked potatoes, fruit and noodles. I did veer slightly from my meal plan last night, but ONLY because I was given some amazing Leeks from our neighbors garden. Have you cooked with Leeks before?? I haven't, but I found an amazing recipe for Potato/Leek Soup, so I thought I'd make it yesterday, instead of the Pounded Chicken Breasts, Oven Fries, and Corn. (We'll have that tonight!) It was really delicious soup, and SO EASY! If you're interested, here's the link to the recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Creamy-Potato-Leek-Soup-II/Detail.aspx

Not shopping this week has saved us $100 from our budget. For our family of 4, we have set our Grocery budget at $400/month, and/or $100/week. To some, that might be high and to others, that might be low! But, that includes EVERYTHING, ie: toiletries, dog/cat food, groceries, diapers, etc, etc. So, $400/month has been something to get used to, but we are DOING IT! In fact, not shopping this week, as I said, saved us $100 and I was already under budget, (only by a dollar, but, hey, under is under!!), so I have only spent $299 on groceries for the month of April!! WOOHOO! Which makes me realized that spending under $400/month is SO DOABLE. As soon as I get this down to a "T", I am hoping that we can gradually lower and lower our budget to get down to $50/week and/or $200/month!!! I'm POSITIVE it is doable!! It just may take some time!!

If you don't already have a budget set for groceries, I say, why not try it?? You have nothing to lose. It's probably one of the easiest ways to save money to use it in other ways!!!!

I am hoping to go over coupon-clipping next week and how I save HUNDREDS by doing that!

Coupons.com

The coupons on Coupons.com will be reset on May 1st!

PRINT YOURS NOW!

GO HERE

(Money-Saving) TIP TUESDAY

So, I am no expert in the money-saving department, but I love learning how to save money and coming up with ideas of my own. I thought I'd start a Money-Saving 'TIP TUESDAY'. Every Tuesday I'll post a money-saving tip that has been important and useful to me and my family.  Whether big or small, every little bit helps!!  PLEASE feel free to leave your comments and your money-saving tips, and I'll be sure to post them on Tuesdays to follow!

TIP FOR TODAY:

Write a list before you go shopping - and stick to it. One should never go into a store without a strong idea of what one will be buying while in there. Make a careful plan of what you’ll buy before you go, then stick strictly to that list when you go to the store. Don’t put anything in the cart that’s not on the list, no matter how tempting, and you’ll come out of the store saving a bundle.   ----This tip came to us from thesimpledollar.com

Smoothie Moustaches

I decided it would be fun to make smoothies this morning to have with breakfast. I had some leftover blueberries and raspberries thawed in the fridge from yesterday's jam-making, so we decided to do it! The kids loved to help! This is what we put in it:

Blueberries
Raspberries
Half a Banana
Homemade Applesauce
Ice Cubes
A touch of Milk
Wheat Germ
Protein Powder

They were mesmerized once I turned it on!!

And the most HILARIOUS thing, is that they decided to make 'Smoothie Moustaches' all by themselves! As we sat down for breakfast, they were trying as hard as they could to get as much smoothie on their upper lip as possible!! Here's what that looked like:
And, Luke just kept saying, "Mmmmmm, Mommy, DEEEEEEELICIOUS!!" And, I do believe he just may resemble the joker in this picture??!!