Stop & Shop sale & matchups 7/31-8/6

It's dollar doubler days again at Stop & Shop!! If you got your home mailer you should have FOUR dollar doubler coupons - so go through those high value coupons and make the most of the sale!

This is a great week for produce too - check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation for tips on freezing fresh foods.

Green seedless grapes - $0.99/lb
Sweet Corn - 12/$1.99
Green or yellow squash - $0.99/lb
Eastern Peaches - 10lbs/$10
Eggplant - $0.99/lb
Plum Tomatoes - $0.99/lb
Seedless Watermelon - $0.49/lb
Mangoes - 3/$2
Iceberg Lettuce - $0.88/ea

GM Cereals - 4/$6 (must buy 4, $1.50 each)
-use $1/2 printable
-use $1/1 Honey Nut Cheerios printable
-use $1/2 Cinnamon Toast Crunch printable
-use $1/2 coupon from 7/19 SS
-use $1/3 coupon from 6/28 SS

Crest toothpaste - 2/$4
-use $1/1 coupon from 8/2 PG

Yoplait Yo Plus Yogurt or Fiber One Yogurt - 2/$4
-use $1/1 Yo Plus coupon from 6/7 SS
-use $1/1 Yo Plus printable
-use $1/1 Fiber One printable
-use $1/1 Fiber one printable
-use $1/1 Fiber One coupon from 7/12 SS

Minute Maid Punch or Lemonade - 10/$10
Edy's Ice cream, yogurt or sherbert - $1.99/ea

Degree or Dove deodorant - 2/$5
-use $1.50/2 Dove coupon from 6/7 RP
-use $1.50/2 Dove printable
-use $1/1 Degree coupon from 5/17 and 6/28 RP

B&M Baked beans - 10/$10
-use $1/4 coupon from 5/17 SS









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Shaws sales & matchups 7/31-8/6

Seems like this is special deal week at Shaw's! I have tried to group the promotions together and then put the regular deals below those. Also don't forget that starting 8/3 you can get free groceries from Kraft - read my previous post about that particular deal.

Kellogg's Fuel for School
(Buy any 10 participating products and get a $10 mail in rebate) - Rebate form in circular, or print from the Kellogg's site for a bonus deal from Dell!
Club Crackers - 2/$4
-use $1/2 printable (signup required)
Cheez-It crackers - $3/5 ($1.67/ea)
-use $0.75/1 printable Cheez it Whole grain (will double)
Yogos fruit snacks - 3/$5 ($1.67/ea)
-use $0.50/1 printable (will double)
Special K bars - 2/$5 ($2.50/ea)
-use $1/3 store printable AND
-use $0.75/1 printable
-use $1/2 coupon from 7/12/09 RP

Proctor & Gamble Catalina promo
Get $5 OYNO when you buy $20 in participating products
Tide Detergent - $10.99
-use $1/1 coupon from 7/5 PG
Bounty napkins - 2/$5
-use $0.25/1 coupon from 7/5 PG (will double)
Puffs tissues - 10/$10
Always pads or Tampax - 2/$11
-use $1/2 Always coupon from 6/7 PG
-use $4/1 Always coupon from 6/7 PG (Always Infinity only)
-use $1/1 Always coupon from 6/7 PG (Always Infinity only)
-use $0.50/1 Always coupon from 7/5 PG (will double)
-use $0.50/1 Tampax coupon from 6/7 PG or 7/5 PG
Pantene Shampoo or Conditioner - $3.79/ea
-use $1/2 coupon from 6/7 PG
*Buy 2 and get a catalina for a FREE Pantene Shampoo or conditioner OYNO!
Pringles Chips - 2/$3
-use $1/2 coupon from 6/28 RP

Unilever/General Mills Catalina Deal
Get $15 OYNO when you spend $30 on participating products
3/$5 deals:
Chex Mix or 100 calorie snack packs
-use $0.50/1 printable
-use $1/2 Chex Mix coupon from 6/7 SS
Betty Crocker Warm Delights
-use $0.50/1 printable
-use $1/2 coupon from 6/28 SS
Suave Shampoo, conditioner or deodorant
-use $1/2 hair care coupon from 5/17 RP
-use $1/2 deodorant from 5/17 RP
2/$4 deals:
Suave Body Wash
-use $0.50/1 printable (will double)
-use $1/2 body wash coupon from 5/17 RP
Betty Crocker fruit snacks
-use $0.50/2 printable
-use $1/3 coupon from 6/14 and 7/12 RP
Skippy Peanut butter
-use $0.60/1 coupon from 8/2 RP
Wish-Bone dressing
-use $0.75/1 printable
-use $1.25/2 coupon from 6/28 RP
General Mills Cereals
-use $1/2 printable
-use $1/1 Honey Nut Cheerios printable
-use $1/2 Reeses Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cookie Crisp printable
-use $1/2 coupon from 7/19 SS
-use $1/3 coupon from 6/28 SS
2/$5 deals:
Yoplait Yo Plus or Fiber One Yogurts
-use $1/1 coupon from 6/7 SS
-use $1/1 printable
Fiber One Yogurts
-use $1/1 printable
-use $1/1 printable
-use $1/1 coupon from 7/12 SS
Hellmann's Mayonnaise
-use $1/2 coupon from 5/17 or 6/28 RP
Dove or Degree Ultra Deodorant
-use $1.50/2 Dove coupon from 6/7 RP
-use $1.50/2 Dove printable
-use $1/1 Degree coupon from 5/17 and 6/28 RP
Hamburger Helper - $1.88/ea
-use $1/3 coupon from 6/7 SS
Betty Crocker frosting, potatoes or Bisquick - 2/$3
-use $0.50/1 frosting printable
Lipton dry soups, Lipton/knorr sides - 10/$10


Cantaloupe - $0.99/each
Kiwi - 3/$0.88
Del Monte Fruit Naturals - 10/$10
-use $1/2 printable
-use $1/2 coupon from 7/12 RP

Half Boneless Pork Loin - $1.99/lb (have the store butcher slice it for you!)
Shaw's Boneless Chuck Steak - $1.99/lb (can be cubed or ground by the butcher!)

Shaw's Snacks (chips, pretzels, cheez twirls) - 10/$10
-use $1 off 4 store printable
Get 4 bags of snacks for $0.75 each!
Shaw's Giant Bread - 10/$10
Shaw's English Muffins - 2/$1








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Get FREE groceries from Kraft!

No joke - Kraft is running an AMAZING free groceries promotion! Purchase $25 worth of participating items, and you will get a $5 catalina at checkout, PLUS a $20 rebate form with your receipt! That's $25 worth of groceries for FREE! Register receipt must be dated between 8/7/09 and 8/23/09. I am not sure if the $25 amount is before or after coupons, but I believe it would be after - because this is a rebate you probably have to spend the full amount after discounts. But using coupons will mean bringing home even MORE goodies! (thanks to Freebies 4 Mom for the tip!)

Visit this link for details and a printable shopping list of eligible products. Participating stores are:
Acme
Albertson's
Bigg's
Cub
Farm Fresh
Hornbacher's
Jewel-Osco
Shaw's and Star Markets
Shop N Save
Shoppers

Here are some coupons you can use to make this an even bigger deal!

Capri Sun Sunrise 4/19/09 SS insert
Jell-O Gelatin 7/12/09 SS and 7/26/09 SS inserts
Oscar Mayer Deli Creations 6/14/09 SS insert
Nabisco Crackerfuls 7/12/09 SS insert
California Pizza Kitchen Pizza 5/17/09 SS insert
DiGiorno Pizza for One 6/14/09 SS insert
Digiorno Flatbread melts 5/17/09 SS insert
DiGiorno 12" pizza 6/14/09 SS insert
Kraft Easy Mac or Shells & Cheese $1.50/2 printable










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Menu Plan Monday - July 27th, '09

We're at T-minus a week and a half before my due date! I'm definitely feeling like a gigantic Macy's balloon right now, and the heat of summer has finally arrived to New England. Hooray for air conditioning!

I'm working off a minimalist menu plan this week, partially because of the heat and partially because I'm just beat right now. Plus hubby is working a lot so that means more nights than usual when it's just the Boy Wonder and I for dinner. I realized that I have NINE POUNDS of kielbasa in the chest freezer...so I found a couple of OAMC recipes that will help whittle that down, and add to my stockpile for post-birth. I'll post the recipes once I try them out!

Here's what we're eating this week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons of great menu links!

monday - Leftovers! (Free)

tuesday - Grilled Cheese sandwiches, fruit ($2.70 for 4 servings)

wednesday - English Muffin pizzas, veggies and dip ($3.50 for 4 servings)

thursday - Chicken pot pie made with leftover Mimi's Sticky Chicken - OAMC ($3.75 for 4-6 servings)

friday - Homemade Hawaiian Pizza ($4.50 for 6-8 servings)

saturday - Homemade Vegetable Soup, leftover breadsticks ($5.95 for 8-10 servings)

sunday - Dinner at the in laws!








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Randomness

I looked down at my feet this morning and realized that from the knees down I look more like Shrek than Suzie. Sweet.

I have this thing about chewing ice chips during late pregnancy. It's not that I'm lacking anything (god knows I eat well enough and take my vitamins like a good girl), I just like the feeling and I think chewing ice cools me down from the inside. Working at a hospital means I have constant access to an ice machine. But it also means that when I'm NOT at work, I crave them. BAD. Did I mention I'm off this weekend???

I love watching reruns of Boston Legal. LUUURV that show :)

My son decided that his little Playskool bath toy was Caillou and then proceeded to wash its little bald head. Last night he chased my husband around the house wearing a giant foam bear claw from a Pawtucket Bruins game yelling "RAAAWR!" and laughing hysterically. He's a lunatic, but full of cuteness.

Dang,I REALLY want some ice chips.

I don't know what bums me out more - that I'm missing BlogHer, or that I'm missing the San Diego Comic Con too. I should bake some cookies and eat them ALL.

Nope, still want ice chips. The fetus just jumped at the thought of icy crunchy goodness.

I am living on the edge tomorrow and taking a day trip to Martha's Vineyard with hubby's family - I'm 38 weeks pregnant and as ready to blow as Mt Vesuvius right now...so the logical thing to do is take a fast ferry to a tony island in the middle of the Atlantic for a day, right? Watch the New England news this weekend - it could get interesting.

I think I'm going to dye my hair pink tonight.

Heartburn seems to be the name of the game today. Do you think Tums would sponsor a blog review and stock me up? I like the tropical flavors! (hint hint!)

Ice chips. That is all.










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Stop & Shop sale & matchups 7/24-7/30

Here's my best picks for the sale at Stop & Shop this week!

Top Round London Broil - $1.79/lb (3lbs or more) *have the butcher cube for stew!
80% Lean Ground Beef - $1.99/lb (3lbs or more)
Countryfine Italian Sausages - $1.99/lb (3lbs or more)
White Gem Drumsticks or Thighs - $0.79/lb
White Gem Whole Chicken - $0.79/lb
Bar S Franks - 10/$10
- use $1 off 2 printable

Northwest Cherries - $1.49/lb
Mangoes - 3/$2


Land O Lakes deli sliced cheese - $4.99/lb
- use $1 off 1lb coupon from 5/17 SS

Turkey Hill Ice cream - $1.99/ea
- use $1 off coupon from 7/12 RP
**buy 4 and get a coupon for $3 OYNO
use 4 coupons, pay $0.99/ea AND get $3 catalina!










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Shaws sales & matchups 7/24-7/30

Here are a few of my picks for best deals at Shaw's this week!

Shaw's Italian Sausage $2.99/lb PLUS circular coupon for free rolls, peppers and onions WYB a package of sausage (3lbs or more)
- 3lb sausages - $9
- 2lb onions - about $3
- 2lb peppers - about $2.50
- Rolls - about $1.50
Get about $16 worth of food for NINE dollars

Boneless Chicken Breast - $1.99/lb (3lb or more)
- use $1 off store printable coupon
Shoulder Steak for London Broil - $1.99/lb *have the butcher cube some for stew!

Red seedless grapes - $0.99/lb

Pop Tarts - 5/$5 (must buy 5)
- use $1 off 5 store printable
$0.80 per box!

Kellogg Cereals (Rice Krispies, Crispix, Frosted Flakes, Raisin Bran, Raisin Bran Crunch, Raisin Bran Extra, Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Corn Flakes) - 3/$8
- use $5 off 5 circular coupon
Final cost - appx $1.75 per box
**watch out for specially marked boxes with a $5 savings booklet inside as part of the Kellogg's Wake Up to Breakfast promotion - it has five $1 off coupons inside! (thanks to Erin at Coupon Cravings for the heads up!)

Green Giant canned veggies - 5/$3 ($0.60 per can)

Crest Toothpaste - 3/$5 ($1.66/ea)
- use $0.75 off 1 coupon from 7/5 PG (will double)
Final Cost - $0.16/ea!














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Budget Check-in

It's been a while since I've done a check of the budget - between the pending baby, hubby's car accident, and a bunch of family craziness I've been kinda winging it. The bills are all getting paid, so I know I'm not too far off track!!

I ran the spending report for July so far - and I am a bit over my $200 goal - total spent so far is $235.77, but that includes a rather large stock-up trip where I had to buy diapers, wipes, baby wash and paper goods. Those only come around every other month so I should be closer to goal next month.

Right now I have 15 prepared dinners in the freezer, most of which will leave us with a good amount of leftovers. I also have over 30 meals' worth of uncooked meat in there too, as well as a lot of frozen veggies. Depending on the meat sales, I may try for one more meat stock up purchase, especially if I can find one more OAMC dish to whip up.

I am really curious to see what having another baby will do to the budget - I know that diapers and toiletries will jack up the budget a little but I'll be nursing so until we get to solid food stages the overall change should be small. The Boy Wonder is starting to show interest in the potty so I may not be buying 2 sets of diapers for long! What was your experience when you added to your brood? Did you find it hard to adjust the budget?







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Cheap Eats from Restaurant.com!

Restaurant.com is having another 80% off sale! That means you can get $25 gift certificates for $2!

Just visit Restaurant.com, choose the gift certificates you want, and enter the code NAPKIN at checkout - the 80% discount will automatically apply to everything in your cart!

Be sure to read the fine print, as most restaurants put some restrictions on using the GC's. This is a great way to stock up for gifts or date nights since the GC's don't expire for up to a year!








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Menu Plan Monday - July 20th, '09

Man, prego brain is really kicking in! I thought I had posted this two days ago....at any rate, with just a couple of weeks (or less!) left to go before the new baby arrives, I'm allowed a few faux pas along the way!

I'm still looking for one more OAMC meal idea that I can store in the freezer, as of now I have about 2-3 weeks worth of meals tucked away but I want to see if I can get a full month in there before things get too hectic. I know there will be days when I am fine to make a fresh meal, but it will be nice to have the backup!

Oh and to all my fellow bloggers who will be attending the BlogHer Conference this week, all I can say is I am not jealous. Really. Promise. :-) I hope everyone has a fabulous time! Can't wait to read all of the posts during and after the conference so I can live vicariously through you all :) And hopefully next year I won't be a bazillion weeks pregnant when it happens...

Here's what our table looks like this week, don't forget to check out the multitude of other menus over at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

monday - Grilled Cheese, fruit salad ($3.50 for 4 servings)

tuesday - Unbelievable Chicken & Pasta ($5.98 for 6-8 servings)

wednesday - Simple Italian Pasta Salad ($4.91 for 4-6 servings)

thursday - Mimi's Sticky Chicken, Breadsticks, veggies ($10.50 for 8 servings plus TONS of leftovers!)

friday - Black Beans & Rice ($2.16 for 4 servings)

saturday - Homemade Pizza ($2.95 for 6-8 servings)

sunday - Trip to Martha's Vineyard








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This DIY moment brought to you by my crockpot

I *heart* my crockpot!

I've said in the past how helpful it is to use more vegetarian-style meals into our menu - vegetarian meals are great for your health as well as your pocketbook! I've been using more black bean-based recipes lately, the fiber in them is very good for hubby and his diabetes...and black beans seem to be the only kind he likes.

They were already very cheap by the can, but after reading this post by Grocery Cart Challenge I was prodded into action to go from canned to dried! I didn't want to do the stovetop method, my kitchen is microscopic and having something in a big hulky pot all day becomes a big nuisance :) So I did some hunting, and my Crockpot Maven at A Year of Crockpotting saved the day again! She posted here about doing dried beans in the crockpot!

I had to adjust a little because my crock tends to run on the hot side, but here's how easy it was:
- Pour 2lb bag of dried beans into a colander
- rinse, and pick out any that were broken, lost/losing their skins, or shriveled
- dump into 6-qt crockpot
- add water until it was about an inch from the top
- cook on low for about 8 hours, or until beans are tender

Once they were done, I rinsed them in cool water, then once they had drained I bagged them into 1.5 cup portions (Gayle at Grocery Cart Challenge points out that 1.5 cups is about the equivalent of a can of beans) for the freezer. It made SEVEN AND A HALF CANS WORTH! I could not believe the cost savings, and now I don't have to contend with all of the gooey stuff or the preservatives in the cans. Here's the breakdown:

7.5 cans of black beans from Price Rite ($0.79/ea) = $5.93

2-lb bag of dried black beans - $1.89

Cost savings: $4.04

Some of my favorite uses for black beans (substitute them for any other bean in your fave recipe too!):
Quesadillas
Enchiladas
Chili
Mixed with ground beef to stretch it even further! Leave them whole for Cowboy Stew, or mash them to use in burgers, meatloaf, or other ground beef recipe where you don't want to change the texture!










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Free portraits at the Picture People!

Denise over at The "Cents"ible Sawyer just posted a fantastic coupon for free portraits from The Picture People!

They are normally pretty expensive, so a coupon like this is a great deal, even though it's a smaller portrait package (one 8x10, two 5x7s and 8 wallets). There is no sitting fee and the package portraits must be all of the same pose. (I read the fine print - there's nothing that says you have to use the first pose so make sure they take one you like!) Offer expires on 7/25/09 so book your session fast!

Not sure if there's one in your area? Use the Studio Locator to find out!








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Menu Plan Monday - July 13th, '09

Rounder and rounder she gets :)

I suppose I should count my blessings that the summer in New England hasn't been very humid or hot so far, though I WOULD like a little sunshine now and then! With just a couple of weeks to go before my due date I'm moving a lot more slowly, as my belly (and my ankles) are ever-expanding :)

I'm still trying not to tap into the frozen meal stash, I'd like to do at least 1 other dish before the baby comes but I haven't found a recipe that really caught my eye. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

Here's our table for the week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons more menus and ideas!

monday - Stovetop Mac & Cheese with added salsa ($4.38 for 6 servings)

tuesday - Ranch Chicken Fingers, Tater tots, veggies ($5.99 for 6 servings)

wednesday - Black Bean Quesadillas ($6.62 for 6 servings)

thursday - Beef and Biscuit Bake ($6.31 for 6-8 servings)

friday - Homemade pizza ($2.95 for 6-8 servings)

saturday - Leftover night! (free!)

sunday - Baby shower at hubby's work (Free!)







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It's in the way that you use it...

When it comes to coupons, it's all in the way you use them.

Today was a perfect example of that. This week Stop & Shop has a deal on Petit Sirloin steaks for $2.99/lb - it's a good price for a great cut of beef, but still normally more than I would spend, since I try to keep all meat purchases under $2 per pound. However, I also had this $5 off $15 fresh meat purchase coupon (thanks to Bargain Becky for the heads up on that!).

I grabbed a 3.16lb package of the petit sirloins ($9.45 after discount), and a 7.53lb whole chicken that sells for $0.99/lb ($7.45). Here's how it panned out:

Total meat: 10.69 lbs
Total sale price before coupon: $16.90
Total cost after coupon: $11.90

Average cost per pound: $1.11 - that's well within my guidelines for any meat purchase!

(total saved after coupon and sales: $14.48)










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Best prices - weeding through the math

Everybody's got their eyes on their budgets lately - let's be real, you probably wouldn't be reading this blog if you didn't have at least a passing interest in saving money! But how do you know if you're really getting the best price on your purchases?

I have a semi-completed price book that has definitely helped in tracking the sales. It can be a process to start one up but it is an invaluable tool! The most important part of making a truly useful price book is having consistent unit prices for the products you choose to track. You can use the unit pricing the stores post on the shelves, but they will not always use the same calculations! (see this article on whether your TP is a good deal - thanks to Grocery Cart Challenge for digging up that gem!) You may find that the same item is priced out by the gallon at one store, by the liter at another, by the ounce at a third. Choose unit measurements that work for you - I use ounces for liquid, and pounds for most dry goods. I like Diane's method of pricing paper goods by the square footage! Tipnut has this great printable measurement conversion chart that I've used before, and this online conversion tool has also come in handy. The most important thing is to keep your unit of measure the same!


Just for reference, the calculation for unit pricing is:

Price of item/total volume or weight = cost per unit of measure

Be sure to make any conversions in measure (liters to ounces, ounces to pounds, etc) before you figure out the unit price, so that everything stays consistent.

Think you really know whether your ground coffee is a good deal just because the price hasn't changed in 10 years? Check out this article by FrugalDad on how companies changed the package sizes when the economy got tighter and what we are really getting for our money.

Since fresh items are already priced by the pound, I found it's easier to set basic guidelines for good pricing, so that when sales hit the "sweet spot" or lower I know to stock up! I have watched the sales in my area and here's what I go by:

Fresh meat, boneless - $2.00/lb or less
Fresh meat, bone-in - $1.00/lb or less

Fresh fruits and vegetables, loose - $0.99 - 1.29/lb for most
Fresh fruits, container - $2.00/container or less

Your area may average a little higher or lower, but I can get just about any type of meat (including sausages, kielbasa and prepared meats) and all produce at these prices or less during various points of the sales cycle.

Some folks choose to include coupon pricing with their unit price tracking - I find that since the coupon amounts vary so much it's hard to use that as a good starting point. By tracking the regular sale prices of items without coupons, I know when a name brand will be cheaper than a generic with a coupon.

It definitely takes a little effort, but keeping track of best prices can save HUNDREDS of dollars a year depending on how many mouths you are feeding. And as everyone's belt gets a little tighter, making every penny count becomes worth the work!









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Restaurant.com 70% off sale!

70% for SEVEN days! From now thru Monday 7/13, Restaurant.com is offering all gift certificates for 70% off! That translates to $25 gift certs for just $3!

Just visit Restaurant.com, look up your area (by zip code or region), select your restaurant gift certificates and enter the promo code SEVENTY before checkout. Discount will be applied to all GC's in your shopping cart.

As always, most restaurants place some restrictions on use of the gc's, so be sure to read the fine print. Once purchased the GC's are good for up to a year, so don't be afraid to do a little early gift shopping!!







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Redbox Freebies - a double dose!

It's the first Monday of the month, and Redbox has released another free rental code! This one is only good until midnight tonight (7/6) and the movie must be returned by 9pm tomorrow.

4J7LF6

As an ADDED bonus, there is another code available that is good until tommorrow (7/7)at midnight, and the movie must be returned by 9pm the day after you rent to avoid being charged for an additional day:

7HE79B

Simply go to the nearest Redbox kiosk, and choose "rent with a promo code" before selecting your movie. Each code can only be used once per debit/credit card, but can be used multiple times if you use separate cards! Visit Redbox.com for locations near you!









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Menu Plan Monday - July 6, '09

Well it looks like summer finally decided to arrive in New England - just in time for the last few weeks of my pregnancy :) We've got about 3.5 weeks left, still haven't finished the baby's room, and now my fingers look like Vienna Sausages! Ah well at least I'm in the home stretch...

Last week we did great sticking to the menu - I haven't added anything to the freezer meal stockpile but I'm looking over OAMC recipes to see what I can do with the meat stock I have on hand. Hubby's car accident the other week has definitely put me in frantic frugal mode, we weren't really ready to have to buy a car now but it's fast becoming necessary. Just when you thought the belt couldn't get any tighter...

We ended up with a TON of leftovers from last week - most of it will go towards work lunches but if we're still swimming in tupperware containers by the end of the week I'll probably replace another meal later in the week with a Clean Out Refrigerator Night. This week's plan is assuming that isn't the case, and we'll just play it by ear.

Here's what we're eating this week, don't forget to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for TONS of other menu ideas!

monday - Leftovers! (Free!)

tuesday - Burgers, fruit salad, tater tots ($5.50 for 4 servings)

wednesday - English Muffin Pizzas, veggies ($3.55 for 4 servings)

thursday - Honey Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks, veggies, leftover cornbread from the freezer ($4.50 for 4 servings)

friday - Sausage and Summer Squash with naan ($5.40 for 4 servings)

saturday - Homemade pizza night! ($2.95 for 6-8 servings)

sunday - Dinner at the in-laws! (free!)









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Budget BBQs

The sun is finally shining in MOST of the country (ok, so in New England we're apparently stuck in April's Showers) and with the Fourth looming this weekend, three little letters are on everyone's mind:

B-B-Q

Summer means outdoor eats, weekend get-togethers and for many of us, "staycations" rather than pricey getaways. We can invite the neighbors over without having to clean the house, and entertain larger groups of people in backyard open space. But how to work the summer fun without breaking the budget? Here are a few tips to trim the budget on your summer shindigs!

-Meat on the cheap
Don't leave yourself at the mercy of the grocery stores the weekend of your BBQ! Meat is going to be the largest chunk of your entertaining budget, so careful planning and a little freezer space will go a LONG way towards creating an affordable menu. Meat sales tend to run in 4-6 week cycles so just about every month will bring fantastic prices your way. In my area, I can get just about any meat for $2 a pound or less ($1 a pound for bone-in) if I hit the sales right - normal prices run $3-5 per pound so when I'm feeding a crowd the savings add up fast! Watch your flyers, and when the prices go low, stock up - bring home your stockpile and get things marinating in Ziploc bags to save time as well as money on your party day!

-Buy selectively in bulk
Got a Costco or a restaurant supply store nearby? These are the resources you want to tap for the BBQ items that will get used and abused - condiments! Ketchup, mustard, relish, mayonnaise (for salads, slaws and sandwiches), and dressings can be found for a fraction of the price when you buy the supersized containers. If your friends/family plan on rotating the hosting duties, get everyone to pitch in and create a traveling condiment box - you'll never have to worry about eating a naked burger again :)

-Paper goods in unusual places
Unless you simply MUST have that star-spangled matching set, look to the local dollar stores, Odd Lots and overtstock outlets for your paper supplies! So many folks assume the big-box wholesalers (Costco, BJ's, etc) sell EVERYTHING more cheaply, but it's often the paper goods that carry higher prices than even the local grocery stores. Watch your unit prices, but I can usually find VERY inexpensive disposable dinnerware at the dollar store. I don't need super high quality since it's all ending up in the trash anyway!

-Share the responsibility
Does your mom make THE BEST potato salad? Can your neighbor whip up a mean summer dessert? Allowing your guests to bring a little something to the party might feel like cheating, but it will help trim your budget AND can give your guests a chance to showcase their favorite summer eats too! Planning and communication are key so that you don't cause unneeded stress or end up with five bowls of coleslaw - keep a list handy and make a call the week before to confirm what folks are bringing, which will give you a little time to fill in the gaps as well.









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