Weekly Deal Roundup

The very best deals for your week, from the blogosphere and beyond . . .

Sorry the deal roundup is late this week!  We had a crazy weekend and a busy day yesterday.  I have the car today and am trying to do some shopping, but I am still getting caught up the coupons and deals!

I'm not seeing a ton of grocery deals for the stores I usually shop this week.  I may skip CVS for the second week in a row, so I'm hoping it's a good week next week.  Can't let my ECB's expire!!!

Anyway, here are the deals I've found so far:

Grocery Deals:

If you are shopping at CVS this week, be sure to bring your $5/$25 coupon!

The Target deals have slowed down from a few weeks ago, but you can get free Hormel Compleats at Target this week.  And speaking of Target, I've just recently found out about Target-ing Monday at Coupons, Deals, and More.  If you're a Target shopper, head over there to find out about all the deals for Target each week.

Here's a fun deal for those of you who like to buy organic: Get a free calendar when you buy any Annie's Homegrown Product.  It includes $11 in coupons for organic brands, too!

It's almost the end of the month, so be sure to print any coupons that you need from the main coupon sites (Red Plum Smart Source, Coupons.com).  The coupons will change on the first of the month.  As always, you can print Coupons.com from the pink widget on my sidebar.

Other Deals:

Are you in the DC area and know a high school or college student interested in the performing arts?  If so, check out this free workshop from the Washington Savoyards.  It sounds like a great opportunity!

We stopped by the mall at Dulles Town Center yesterday, and I noticed that the Chic-fil-A is running a promotion where you can get a free coffee any time, no purchase necessary!  I don't know if any other Chic-fil-A locations are doing something similar - please let us know if you've seen this elsewhere.

HearthSong, one of my favorite companies for quality toys, has some great deals in their outlet right now.  Check out these rainboots for $4.99 or this holiday stamp and wrap kit for $5.99 or this decorated gingerbread house for $4.99, as well as many other items.  Time for a little early Christmas shopping?

Ashley has a list of free Redbox codes here!

See any other standout deals this week?  Please share in the comments section!

CVS Deals: 09/27-10/03

Thanks to Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living for this weeks's top CVS deals.  You check out her complete list here. 

I'm going to try to make it on Monday or Tuesday this week to get the free Sheer Infusion body lotion.  That looks like the best deal of the week to me.

Use the $5/25 Here (take the quiz)

.

3 Day Sale - Sunday, Monday, Tuesday Only

Sheer Infusion Body Lotion $7.99 (get $7 ECBs) Limit 1

$1 CVS Reinventing Beauty Magazine

$1.25 RP 8/2 (expires Sunday, 9/27)
$1.50 printable

$1.50 printable

$1.50 RP 8/2 (expires Sunday, 9/27)
= FREE - $.51 MONEYMAKER after ECBs
.

Hershey, Mars or Nestle Candy - 8 pack $.88

$.55 Reese’s SS 8/23
= $.33 each
.

Weekly Deals
Almay Mascara $5.99 (get $3 ECBs)

$1 SS 8/2
$1 SS 9/13

= $1.99 after ECBs

.

Fruitopia or Viologie Shampoo/ Conidtioner $1.99

$2 Fruitopia CVS Reinventing Beauty Magazine

$2 Viologie CVS Reinventing Beauty Magazine

= FREE
.

Accu-Chek Aviva Diabetes Monitoring Kit $14.99 (get $5 ECBs) Limit 2

$10 SS 8/23
= FREE after ECBs
.

Simply Asia Bowls $5/5

$.50 RP 8/30
= $.50

 

Remember:

SS - stands for Smart Source (one of the coupon inserts in the Sunday paper) .
RP - stands for Red Plum (another newspaper coupon insert).
P&G - stands for Proctor & Gamble coupon insert
The dates refer to the date of the paper that carried that insert.
ECB - stands for Extra Care Bucks.

You can read my introduction to CVS shopping here.

Blog Design

Please bear with me if the blog looks a little funny over the next few days, as I work on a few changes.  Thanks for reading Frugally Blonde!

Yard Sale: Round Two

Well, our yard sale this past Saturday was not too successful.  Despite having a very lovely early fall day, we just didn't get a lot of customers.  I think this may have had something to do with our signs (see below), but I also think it might have had to do with the season.  At least in this area, a few friends and I agreed that yard sale season is coming to an end, and people are just not out shopping for Saturday morning bargains like they were in June.

However, since we had prepared everything and it's still organized in the boxes, we decided to try again this Saturday.  Even if we have only the same number of customers, we'll probably sell a few more items and make the whole process more worth our while.

So, here's what I've learned so far from my first yard sale:

- It's all about the signs - I thought I had done well in making a number of clearly lettered signs, but I didn't make enough.  We should have put more closer to the main road as well.  Also, my lettering that looked really big inside the house was dwarfed when it got in the great outdoors.  Finally, a number of our signs blew down over the course of the morning, and we got an increase in customers after we got them back up.  I'm planning to try to remedy all these sign issues for this Saturday.

- Have plastic bags available - Several customers asked for bags for their purchases, and I hadn't thought to put any out.

- Price tags are probably still the ideal - My pricing system of organizing the items by pricing category in marked boxes defintely made preparing for the sale less overwhelming.  It didn't cause any huge problems during the sale, but it had its flaws.  For one thing, it was sometimes difficult to remember how much I had priced an item for when someone brought it to me to pay.  Also, items got mixed up when potential customers were digging through them.  Again, I think that individual price stickers would have been best, but this worked okay as a shortcut.

I'll report back again next week on Round Two!

Check out all the great ideas at Frugal Fridays.

Garden Update

The first weekend in September we planted a small fall crop, after clearing out our dead cucumber vines.  We planted another row each of radishes and carrots, as well as three rows of the mesclun greens that I never got to plant in the spring. 

Everything sprouted very quickly, and I'm hopeful that we'll have some nice salads before anything is killed by frost.

However, see the largest sprouts in the picture of the mesclun greens below?  I'm pretty sure those are actually cucumbers!!!  When we cleared out  the cucumber vines, there were several cucumbers that had not ripened properly that were starting to rot.  I knew that I had worked some of them into the soil but I didn't know that they would sprout, especially so quickly!  Now I just have to make sure of what they are and pull them out so they don't choke out the greens!

Our nasturtiums are still beautiful and cheery, and I pick the leaves all the time for sandwiches and salads.  Michael told me that he was skeptical of my planting them, but he is very enthusiastic now, as he likes the taste and appreciates the practicality of edible flowers!

Wegmans Deals

My Wegmans deals for the week are here at Frugal in Virginia!


In other Wegmans news - if you shop at the Pittsford Wegmans, you're getting new shopping carts.

Tuesday Tip

A quick & painless money saving tip every Tuesday!

To cut down on the ubiquitous forgotten leftovers at the back of the fridge, package and organize the uneaten part of your dinner before it becomes leftovers!  If there is enough left, I usually use one night's cooking for two dinners, and I plan which night we'll eat the second portion.  If there's not enough for a second dinner, try packaging the leftover meal in individual serving containers for lunches - including side dishes and sauces.  Then you can effortlessly grab a container to take to work or school or just to heat up in the middle of a busy day.

If all else fails, just freeze your leftovers as soon as dinner is over!  You can always pull them out of the freezer and thaw them, but if you stick them in the fridge without a plan to use them, you might be growing an unplanned science project in a couple of weeks. ;-)

Have an easy and (almost) effortless money saving tip to share?  Email me, and I'll credit you if I use your tip.

Second Harris Teeter Triples Run

Yesterday I headed back to Harris Teeter to do another triple coupons run.  This time I spent about $16 for everything pictured below.

I wasn't as happy with my trip this time.  I ended up doing the General Mills promotion again, but they were out of a lot of the cheapest coupon items.  So I spent a little extra on some items I wouldn't normally buy (Pillsbury sweet rolls!).  For maximum savings, I probably should have just confined myself to the other triple coupon items, but I has some cranky girls on my hands and at the end just had to make some quick decisions.  Well, live and learn!

One deal I did find that I hadn't seen on the blogs was the Campbell's Select microwave soups, marked down to I think $1.24 each.  With my $.50/2 coupon tripled, they were each just $.49!     

Weekly Deal Roundup

The very best deals for your week, from the blogosphere and beyond . . .

Grocery Deals:

Harris Teeter triples is still going through Tuesday.  I went back for a second trip yesterday.  You can see how I did on my first trip here.

There's a new printable $5/$25 CVS coupon - find details here!  I think I'll save mine until next week, when the deals are better.
Other Deals:

This Thursday, Sept. 24, Coldstone Creamery is hosting their World's Largest Ice Cream Social.  You can get a free "Make a Wish Creation" sundae with a donation to the Make a Wish Foundation.  Yum!

Now at Boston Market, two kids can eat free with every adult purchase.  That sounds like a good deal!

Get a free bottle of Downy Wrinkle Release when you submit a photo of something wrinkled.  That should not be a problem for me!

There are some good free and cheap magazine offers right now:
- Free subscription to Town and Country and free issues of Oprah here
- Free downloadable issues of Taste of Home here (one of my favorites!)
- $5 subscription to In Style here (an amazing deal!)

See any other standout deals this week?  Please let us know in the comments section!

Menu Planning Monday

It's time for my bi-weekly shopping trip again today, and I have about $40 left in the budget for the next two weeks if I want to meet my goal of $300 for the month.  We have a ton of food in the house, but I do need some necessities like milk and fruit.  However, I'm hopeful that I'll be able to stay close to my goal.

I didn't quite get my menu planned through next week, so for now I'm just sharing this week's menu.  We ended up grilling last night as our real last hurrah of summer, so I have yummy leftover grilled pork chops, potatoes, and apples to serve a couple of nights this week.

Here's our menu for the week:

Mon - Grilled pork chops, apples, potatoes, and onions
Tues - Beef barley soup, homemade bread
Wed - Leftover pork chops, brussel sprouts, herb rice
Thurs - Leftover soup and bread
Fri - Homemade pizza
Saturday - Chicken Penne Italiano, salad, bread
Sunday - Leftovers

CVS Deals 09/20/-09/27

Here are your top CVS deals for the week, courtesy of Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living.  Check out her complete list here.

The deals don't look too exciting this week, so I might skip my usual trip.  I am tempted by the potential free nail polish, but I'll have to see if I can make it to CVS by Tuesday.

3 Day Sale (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday ONLY):

Sally Hansen Nail Color
Price BOGO starting at $.99/1
Use 2 $.50/1 Printable HERE and HERE (FREE/2)

Weekly Deals:

Aquafresh Iso-Active Whitening Foaming Tooth Gel, 4.3 oz *Limit 1
Price $3.99/1 (Get $2 ECB)
Use $1/1 Printable HERE (Pay $2.99/1)
Final Price $.99/1

Colgate Toothbrush, 1-pk, Adult or Children's *Limit 1
Prices start at $1.99/1 (Get $1 ECB)
Final Price $.99/1

Right Guard Sport, Xtreme, or Dry Idea, 2-4 oz (excludes Dry Idea Clinical or Twin Packs) *Limit 3
Price $2.99/1 (Get $1 ECB)
Use $1/2 from 8/16 SS or 7/12 SS (Pay $4.98/2)
Final Price $2.98/2

Sensodyne Iso-Active Toothpaste, 4.3 oz *Limit 1
Price $4.99/1 (Get $2 ECB)
Use $1/1 Printable HERE and HERE (Pay $3.99/1)
Final Price $1.99/1

Zantac150, 24-ct or Zantac75, 30-ct *Limit 2
Price $9.99/1 (Get $3 ECB)
Use $1.50/1 from 5/17 SS Zantac75 (Pay $8.49/1)
Final Price $5.49/1
Use $1/1 from 8/23 SS or 5/17 SS (Pay $8.99/1)
Final Price $5.99/1

Remember:



SS - stands for Smart Source (one of the coupon inserts in the Sunday paper) .
RP - stands for Red Plum (another newspaper coupon insert).
P&G - stands for Proctor & Gamble coupon insert
The dates refer to the date of the paper that carried that insert.
ECB - stands for Extra Care Bucks.


You can read my introduction to CVS shopping here.

Our First Yard Sale!

Tomorrow morning, we are having our first yard sale!  I can hardly believe that we have accumulated enough stuff as a family to have a yard sale, but, as I'm sure you know, you can get a lot of stuff in 4-1/2 years! 

Since this is my first time doing anything like this, I'd love to hear any tips that anyone has to share!  Here are the things that I've already done to prepare, mostly using ideas I've gleaned from attending yard sales, as well as from a few helpful blog posts like this one.

- I invited friends to join us - I know that when I see a yard sale, the more stuff there is, the more likely I am to stop.  Since we are still a relatively young family, I didn't think that we had enough stuff to have a really desirable yard sale, so I invited some friends to come and sell their stuff with us.  We gain by having a better-stocked sale, and they gain by not having to organize their own yard sale.

- I priced grouped stuff in boxes and priced them by category - Instead of putting price tags on each item, I divided my items into categories of $.50, $1, $2.50, and $5 (with a couple large items more expensive).  Then I just labeled a bunch of cardboard boxes with the prices and divided the items among the boxes.  The advantage to this system will defintely be in setting up, as all we'll have to do is to carry all the boxes outside.  It remains to be seen if the pricing structure turns out well.

- I advertised - on Craigslist and a local classifieds Yahoo group.  I mentioned some of the more desirable items that we have in my ad.

- I made lots of signs - My pet yard sale peeve is signs with so much information on them that you can't read them!  Therefore, most of my signs just say "YARD SALE" with an arrow!  That's usually all the info you need!  I didn't want to invest money in the signs, so I cut up a cardboard box and wrote on it with an orange permanant maker.  We're going to duct tape our gardening stakes to the back of them. 

Like I said, this is all a learning process for us, so I'm sure we'll do better next time around.  I'm just hoping that tomorrow we have nice weather, clean out our house, and make a little extra money!

Check back next week to see how it went!

See lots of frugal ideas at Frugal Fridays!

Harris Teeter Triple Coupons!

Last night my friend and I headed to Harris Teeter triples after our 8:30PM Pilates class.  I didn't get home until 11:30, but it was worth it!

The picture below shows everything I got.  Total?  $6.95!  Plus, I got $3 in catalinas (register coupons off my next order), so counting those I paid just $3.95 for everything here.

Here's what I got

4 bags Chex Mix @ $1.67 each (used $.50 coupon on each, tripled) = $.17 each

2 Betty Crocker Warm Delights @ 1.66 each (used $.50 coupon on each, tripled) = $.16 each

1 Betty Crocker Frosting @ 1.50 (used $.50 coupon, tripled) = FREE

2 Betty Crocker Brownie mixes @ $2.00 (used $.75/2 coupon, tripled) = $.83 each

1 Nestle chocolate chips @ $2.49 (used $.50/1 coupon, tripled) = $.99

1 Cinnabon bars @ $2.79 (used $.75/1 coupon, tripled) = $.59

1 Yakisoba noodles @ $.99 (used $.50 coupon, tripled) = FREE

1 Wacky Mac @ $.139 (used $.50 coupon, tripled) = FREE

3 Barilla Piccolini @ $1.65 (used $.50 coupons, tripled) = $.16 each

3 Bartlett pears @ $.99/lb = $1.70

5 Green Giant frozen vegetables @ $.99 each (used $.50/1 & 2 $.50/2 coupons, tripled) = $.09 each

3 Yoplait yogurts @ $.60 each (used $.60/3 coupon, tripled) = FREE

1 Yoplait Dora yogurt @ $2.50 (used $.35 coupon, tripled) = $1.45

1 Dozen eggs @ $.99

Plus, since I bought 15 items from the General Mills promotion, I saved an extra $5 at checkout!

Thanks to Jenny at Southern Savers for her awesome list of matchups, which is how I found most of the deals!

I'm definitely planning to make another trip before triples is over!

WFMW: Two Dinners in One

Well, our late bell peppers from our garden are finally producing, and on Saturday I picked the first two to make this Baked Stuffed Peppers recipe.  I knew that we're going to soon have a bumper crop of peppers, and I thought this woudl be a good way to use some.

The recipe was very simple to make; the only "extra" step was parboiling the peppers before baking them.  I thought the taste was very good too, especially with the fresh peppers.  My husband, however, was not crazy about them (although I think this had more to do with his personal taste preferences than with the recipe.)

Approximate cost of the meal:

Filling (total)

1 lb. ground beef  - $1.99

can diced tomatoes - $.65

onion - $.25
1 cup rice - $.50
spices, etc. - $.30
= $3.69

Since the peppers were free and we used only about 1/3 of the filling for that meal, total cost for the stuffed peppers meal for two was just $1.23!

Since we only had two medium-sized peppers, I had a ton of filling left over.  I thought of freezing it to make the recipe again, but since Michael didn't love it, I tried to think of an alternative.  My solution: a makeshift chili!  To the prepared filling I added:

- a quart-sized bag of frozen black beans - $.30

- a Tablespoon or two of chili powder - $.10

- a teaspoon or two of cumin - $.10

- a quarter to a half cup of salsa - $.25 (got the jar for $1 on clearance)

- three of our fresh jalepenos, diced - free

Then I just simmered it for 20 minutes or so, and - voila - chili!  The chili powder and cumin sufficiently modfied the flavors of the cinnamon and allspice, yet the original spices still added a nice exotic touch to the chili.

Total cost for the chili (using the other 2/3 of the filling plus the additions) - $3.21 (fed 4)

See more ideas at Works for Me Wednesday!

Weekly Deal Roundup

The very best deals for your week, from the blogosphere and beyond . . .

Grocery Deals:

We've been having a run of awesome Target deals, especially on cereal and granola bars.  As if the Special K and Fiber One deals the past few weeks were not enough, now there is a similar gift card deal this week on Kashi products.  Check out all the details here.  I am absolutely in love with Kashi's Wild Maine Blueberry cereal, so hopefully I can stock up on some very cheaply this week!

There are some good new printable coupons out, including:
$1/1 YoBaby meals (Coupons for YoBaby are rare, so I am excited about this!)
Nestle Chocolate Chips and some others
New coupons from RedPlum - my favorites include $1.00/1 Success Rice (can be free if doubled), $1.00/2 Quaker chewy granola bars, $.50/1 Kellogg's Yogos, and $2.00/1 bag of Caribou coffee
New Eat Better America coupons here

Safeway has lowered their prices in the DC and Baltimore metro areas (yay!), and Gina at Moneywise Moms is celebrating with a $50 Safeway giftcard giveaway.  You can check it out here.

Just wanted to let my friends in Front Royal know that Frugal in Virginia is now featuring the best Martin's deals each week!  Check out this week's deals here.

Other Deals:

Snapfish has extended its free shipping promo throught 09/16.  Use code FREELABOR.  Since their regular print price is just $.09, free shipping makes it a terrific deal.

Spa Week is back Sept. 14-20 and Oct. 12-18 (depending on your location.)  Go here to find a deeply discounted spa service in your area.

If you need a baby gift, check out Angie's post on getting discounted Fisher Price toys and free diapers.

Nova Thrifty has a couple of local deals I thought I'd mention.  First of all, get 1979 prices at Lebanese Taverna, and second, get 50% off Nat's tickets!

See any other standout deals this week?  Please share in the comments section! 

CVS Deals: 09/13-09/20

Happy Monday!  Here are your best CVS deals for the week; see the complete list at Frugal Coupon Living.

Advil Tablets, caplets, 200-ct or PM Caplets, 120-ct - ClipFree Coupon In-Ad
$4 off Coupon
Stack w/ MFR Q $2/1 Printable HERE Advil PM (Total $6 Savings!!)
Stack w/ MFR Q $1/1 from 8/23 RP, Advil 40-ct or larger (Total $5 Savings!!)
Stack w/ MFR Q $1/1 Printable HERE (Total $5 Savings!!)


Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste, 4 oz or 360 Acti Flex Toothbrush *Limit 1
Price $2.99/1 (Receive $2 ECB)
Use $1/1 Printable HERE Toothpaste (Pay $1.99/1)
Final Price FREE
Use $.40/1 from 8/30 SS Toothbrush (Pay $2.59/1)
Final Price $.59/1

Degree Ultra Clear or Dove Ultimate Clear Deodorant, 2.6-2.7 oz *Limit 1
Price 2/$7 (Receive $2 ECB wyb 2)
Use 2 $2/1 Printable HERE (FF) or HERE (IE) Dove Ultimate Clear (Pay $3/2)
Final Price $1/2
Use $1/2 from 8/2 RP Degree (Pay $6/2)
Final Price $4/2

Dial, Tone, or Coast Bar Soap, 2-3 pk
Price $1.99/1
Use $.35/1 from 8/16 SS (Pay $1.64/1)
 
Dyna Pep Energy Micro-Shot, 2-pk *Limit 2
Price $4.99 (Receive $4.99 ECB)
Final Price FREE

Listerine Total Care, 16.9 oz, Reach Toothbrush, 2-pk, or Reach Floss, 30 yds *Limit 3
Price $3.99 (Receive $2 ECB)
Use $2/1 from 4/26 RP Listerine Total Care Anticavity (Pay $1.99/1)
Final Price FREE
Use $1/1 Printable HERE Listerine Total Care (Pay $2.99/1)
Use $1/1 from 6/14 SS Reach Toothbrush value pack (Pay $2.99/1)
Use $1/1 from 6/14 SS Reach Floss (Pay $2.99/1)
Final Price $.99/1

Revlon Cosmetics, ALL
Price BOGO starting at $1.99
Use 2 $1/1 from 8/16 SS (FREE/2)

Also, don't forget that if there's any summer clearance left at your CVS, it is probably 90% off at this point.

Remember:
SS - stands for Smart Source (one of the coupon inserts in the Sunday paper) .
RP - stands for Red Plum (another newspaper coupon insert).
P&G - stands for Proctor & Gamble coupon insert
The dates refer to the date of the paper that carried that insert.
ECB - stands for Extra Care Bucks.

You can read my introduction to CVS shopping here.

Herbed Pork Roast and Apples

The other night I came up with this early fall meal, which turned out to be pretty popular with my whole family. I had gotten a pork loin roast for my target meat price of $1.99/lb. at Safeway a few weeks ago, and I had cut it into three pieces to cook individually. We were planning to grill this piece over the weekend, but due to bad weather I ended up baking it.

Inspired by a recipe in a grilling book, I cut the roast down the middle and pounded it somewhat flat (this took a little while). Then I spread it with a mixture of Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and chopped fresh parsley and basil from the garden. Then I rolled it up as best I could and tied it with cotton twine. It baked at 450 for about 10 minutes, then at 250 for an hour to an hour and a half.

The apples were a sudden inspiration when I realized that I didn't have a lot of time to peel and cook potatoes. I simply peeled the apples most of the way, sliced them thinly, and sauteed them in butter, adding a little cinnamon and sugar near the end. My girls absolutely loved them. Sweet and seasonal!

Cost for the meal (which fed us for two nights):
Pork roast - about $4 (@ $1.99/lb)
Apples - about $2 (@ $.99/lb)
Other ingredients - about $.50
Frozen peas - about $.60

Total: $7.10 total or $3.55 each night

Frugal Homemade Party Decorations

Today's DIY project is very simple, but I thought it was worth sharing, since it is a festive and very frugal way to decorate for a party.

For my daughters' birthdays, I had a "classic birthday" theme, so instead of using streamers, I made my own paper decorations: good old fashioned paper chains and pinwheels!

My 3 year old had a lot of fun helping me make the paper chains, and she actually able to thread and glue the paper herself. I used a ruler to cut one inch strips from construction paper and glued them with a glue stick. One sheet of each color paper made two surprisingly long chains.

I didn't save the link that I used to get instructions to make the pinwheels, but it was easy to find on a Google search. Basically, you fold a square of paper so that there are folds from the center to each corner, and then you simply cut down the folds and twist the paper. The pinwheels looked cute and festive, and I used them to make this door decoration with a piece of ribbon.


Total cost for all the decorations I made was $.88 for a pack of construction paper!

See other great DIY projects at A Soft Place to Land.

Restaurant.com 90% Off Deal!

Get your 90% off Restaurant.com gift certificates now, while they last! I ordered six of them yesterday and paid $4.20 total! Remember, that these gift certificates do have restrictions, so think of them as large coupons and read the fine print. However, they are still a fabulous deal. We used one recently to enjoy a very nice date night meal at a local Indian restaurant for approximately half price!

Tuesday Tip

A quick, painless money saving tip every Tuesday

When buying fresh herbs for a recipe, dry or freeze the portion that you don't use. Most recipes that call for fresh herbs only require a small amount, and if you paid two or three dollars for a large bunch, that can be a lot of waste. However, if you dry the remainder of the bunch, you might save yourself almost the entire cost of a jar of dried herbs, which can easily be four or five dollars.

You can see my post on drying fresh herbs here. Also check out this guest post from Money Saving Mom with more ideas for preserving fresh herbs.

Have a quick and easy money saving tip to share? Email me, and I'll credit you if I use your tip.

Wegmans Deals

I went on a good trip to Wegmans this morning and found a number of good deals. You can read the list over at Frugal in Virginia.

And for your fellow Wegmans fans, here's an interesting article about Wegman's business practices and success.

Two Week Menu Plan

Wow! It's been a while since I posted a full two-week menu plan. My schedule was off for August due to family events and various other things, so I only planned a week at a time. Now I'm getting back to my bi-weekly menu plan and Wegmans trip. Even though I find it more overwhelming to plan for two weeks, it's nice to not have to think about it for that length of time.

Tonight we're planning to grill a bunch of meat as the last hurrah of summer. Here's the rest of the plan for the next two weeks:

Breakfasts:
- the tons of cereals I've gotten for under $1 lately
- homemade bagels & muffins (baked last week)
- yogurt
- fruit

Lunches:
- leftovers
- cheese and crackers (with pepperoni?)
- pbj
- chicken sandwiches

Snacks:
- homemade hummus w. crackers/veggies (I need to use this tahini I bought)
- popcorn ($.10 at CVS)
- homemade chex mix
- granola bars

Dinners:
Mon- Grilled steak and potatoes, peas
Tues- Herb mustard stuffed pork tenderloin (grilled), leftover potatoes, salad or green beans
Wed - Chicken and steak stir-fry, rice, fruit
Thurs - Leftovers (Michael out)
Fri - Homemade veggie pizza
Sat - Leftover pork roast, herb rice, vegetable
Sun - Baked stuffed peppers

Mon - Beef and bean burritos
Tues - Grilled pesto, veggie, and cheese sandwiches, fries, fruit
Wed - Sodality Chicken and Rice casserole (what my siblings used to call "chicken and rice glop")
Thurs - Italian Sausage with onions and peppers, salad, bread
Fri - Spinach, brown rice, and cheese casserole
Sat - Leftover chicken casserole
Sun - Leftovers, etc.

As always, you can see tons of menu plans at Menu Planning Mondays!

Weekly Deal Roundup: Labor Day Edition

The very best deals for your week, from the blogosphere and beyond . . .

Happy Labor Day! Say a special prayer today for those out of a job this Labor Day.

I've got a few good deals for you today, some only good for today and some for the whole week.

For Monday only:

Free Redbox code!

Free Chic-fil-A sandwich!

Other Labor Day freebies.

Monday and beyond:

There are some awesome Target deals this week again - check out the list at Money Saving Mom. I'm very excited about the Fiber One product scenarios; I plan to make a couple of trips. Michael has also been enjoying the free Market Pantry string cheeses.

And speaking of Target, Angie has the highlights of the current Target baby sale here. If your received baby coupons in the mail from Target, don't forget to use those too. (And as always, you can use both a Target coupon and a manufacturer's coupon on the same product.)

I upload all my photos to Snapfish, so I am excited about their free shipping offer through 09/13. Their regular print price is $.09/print, so with free shipping this is an excellent deal.

Dana has a great list of some new high-value printable coupons here.

Ashley has a coupon code for $10 off a $20 order at Express. Wow!

See any other standout deal this week? Let us know in the comments section!

$5 CVS Motherload!

I just had to share what I got for $5.12 at CVS this morning!

Not pictured but included in the total is also a full-size basketball, which was 90% off! According to my receipt, I saved $75.28! These items were either weekly deals or 90% off summer clearance items. I used $6.99 in ECBs and received $6 in ECBs from the Aussie conditioner and the Schick Slim Triple razors.

I was particularly excited because included in this total were a number of razors, which are harder to get for next to nothing than a lot of other toiletry items. Also, the Coppertone Nutrashield sunscreen was a great deal and will be good to have on hand through the winter, since we've pretty much finished our summer sunscreen.

CVS Deals

With thanks to Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living. See her complete list of CVS deals here.

3 Day Sale - Sunday, Monday, Tuesday Only:

B1G1 Neutrogena Cosmetics $3.49 and up
$1 RP 7/26 (expires Sunday, 9/6)
$2 RP 7/26 (expires Sunday, 9/6)
$3 August All You Magazine
= varies - it is possible to get it FREE or to even have a $2.51 MONEYMAKER (use two coupons).

Weekly Deals:

Covergirl Clean Liquid Foundation or Pressed Powder $4.99 (get $2 ECBs) Limit 1
Free Product wyb Foundation P&G 8/30$1 P&G 8/30
= $.50 each (plus FREE product).

Schick Slim Triple ST3 Disposable Razors for Delicate Skin - 8 count $6.99 (get $4 ECBs) Limit 1
$1 August All You Magazine
$1 SS 8/23
$3 SS 8/16
= FREE - $1.99 after ECBs.

Scope Outlast (Mint or Peppermint) or Crest with Scope Outlast Toothpaste $3.49 (get $2.50 ECBs) Limit 2
$.50 Crest P&G 8/30
$1 Crest P&G $120 Savings Rebate Booklet (no longer available)
= FREE - $.49 after ECBs.

Ajax Dish Liquid $.88
$1 printable
= $.12 MONEYMAKER.

Mom's Best Naturals Quick Oats $10/10 ($1 each)
$ .75 printable
= $.25.

My CVS also has summer merchandise 90% off!!! Go here to see some of the bargains I got this morning!

Remember:
SS - stands for Smart Source (one of the coupon inserts in the Sunday paper) .
RP - stands for Red Plum (another newspaper coupon insert).
P&G - stands for Proctor & Gamble coupon insert
The dates refer to the date of the paper that carried that insert.
ECB - stands for Extra Care Bucks.

You can read my introduction to CVS shopping here.

Deals this Week and Monthly Budget Totals

I didn't take the car at all this week, due to some events and my baby's cold, so I didn't do much shopping. However, I did make a quick run to CVS and Target last night for some of the deals.

Here's what I got (not pictured: Skittles, which I ate!):


Total spent: $5.09!

I was pretty happy with my trip. My total for both stores was less than the price of just two of the boxes of Special K!

I did get a head start on my September grocery shopping last week, so here's my monthly totals so far:

Safeway: $31.37
Harris Teeter: $35.27 & $5.87
Target: $17.11 & $3.71
Giant: $26.01
Walmart: $3.81
CVS: $1.38

September total to date: $124.59 ($225.41 remaining)

And a confession: In August, for the first time in a long time, we went over the grocery budget! We actually spent $390.66. Although part of the reason was the girls' birthdays, one of the other reasons was that I actually miscalculated how much we had already spent. This has really made me recommit to finding a better way to keep track of the day to day spending, so that the totals for each budget category are always at my fingertips. Lately, I've been trying out an online program; I'll be sure to share the results of my trial.

This month, after keeping my $350 budget the same for a number of months, I've decided to try to further challenge myself. I'm going to actually aim for just $300/month! I know that I may not be able to do this every month, especially if there's a special event or a holiday, so the "official" budget is still $350. But I'm really going to aim for less, and I am going to take whatever of the $350 that I don't spend each month and put it toward a savings goal.

I'm excited to trt challenge my grocery savings skills further!

Freecycle: The Ultimate Frugal Resource

One of the most frugal resources out there is a wonderful network called Freecycle. This
organization is about as frugal as you can get, because everything is free!

Basically, Freecycle is a network of locally based online groups in which people can post "offers" to give away their unwanted stuff for other people to take. As the website (http://www.freecycle.org/) reads, "It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills."

With a few restrictions (dangerous and illegal products, for instance!), you can offer pretty much anything on Freecycle. It’s a wonderful way to pass on items that you cannot sell or would not know where to donate. I have given away everything from unused wedding gifts to an old microwave to extra cosmetics and beauty supplies for a teenager's "spa" themed birthday party.

Of course, Freecycle is also a wonderful place to get things for free! I personally have received a computer printer, a punching bag for my husband, a baby bouncy chair, a CD player, a VCR, toys, clothes, books, and more! I know of people who get a large portion of their children's wardrobes from freecycle, as well as people who have received unique or hard-to-find items just by asking their local group.

Getting started with Freecycle is simple: just go to http://www.freeycle.org/ and find your local group. Each local group has a Yahoo group run by volunteer moderators, in which members can post items for pickup in their geographic area.

Here are a few tips for a having a successful experience with Freecycle and making the most of this frugal, community-building resource:

- Get started by offering some items before you ask to take anything. Believe me, you have something you can freecycle! Once you experience the rush of cleaning out your home and giving something to someone who appreciates it, you may just be freecycling everything in sight!

- If you find an offered item that you would like, email the person immediately. Many items tend to go very quickly, especially if they are expensive or in high demand. When requesting an item, state briefly why you want it or what you would use it for. This will increase your chances of receiving the item. Also, always state when you could pick it up and thank the person for considering you.

- Follow through. Pick up items when you say you will or email the giver if something comes up. If you are giving something away, it’s often easiest to leave it in a grocery bag on your porch, marked with the recipient’s name. This makes it easy to pick up, and you don’t have to risk allowing strangers into your home.

- To get the best items, check your freecycle messages multiple times a day. Further, many groups allow you to post "wanted" messages if you’re looking for something in particular. That is how I got my bread machine and waffle iron. I figured that these were common items that many people tend to buy or receive as gifts and not use, so I would have a good chance of finding someone who wanted to give one away.

- Always be courteous! If you are chosen to receive an item, pick it up when you say you will and always say thank you! Although I thank the giver when I am offered an item, I also usually email the person after I pick up the item, just to confirm that I picked it up and to thank them once more.

Find more frugal ideas at Frugal Fridays!

Garden Update

Wow - it's been a busy summer, and I haven't posted a garden update in quite a while! The garden is still going strong, and we've moved into a new phase in our harvest. After a good 6-8 weeks of bountiful cucumbers (I think 30 was the final count), the cucumber vines have died. Our radishes are also gone.

Next up - peppers and tomatoes! My two surviving jalapeno plants are producing well, and I've made a couple of batches of this yummy homemade salsa. Our bell peppers are just about ready to start being picked. (We kind of got a late start on these after I lost my initial seedlings.) However, we tend to have fairly mild fall seasons here, so I imagine that we'll still have plenty of time to take advantage of them.

My heirloom cherry tomato plant is also in full harvesting mode, and is doing very well. I did notice that some of the tomatoes are splitting in the bottom, and I'm not sure what's causing that.

Our herbs are also thriving. The mint, as usual, is huge and prolific. I don't think I could use all of it if I used it every day! Our basil and parsley are also bountiful. I'm trying to dry as much as I can; at least enough to last us through the winter. I'm finding that herbs are so useful and easy to grow; I'm going to try for more next year.

This weekend, I'm going to try planting a fall crop of some more radishes and carrots and some mesclun greens. I'm not sure if they will all produce before it gets too cold, but I have the extra seeds and figure it's worth a try.

My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

- Song of Songs 6:2

Wegmans Deals

My Wegmans deals for the week are up at Frugal in Virginia. My favorite deal: $1.50 cantaloupes! Yum!

Speaking of fruits and vegetables, you can read here about the Wegmans "Eat Well, Live Well" challenge to their employees. I like to see a company that cares about the health of their workers.