Weekly Spending Report: 03/31-04/06/2013

This week I did much better staying out of the stores, which is good, but I'm going to need to do some major shopping next week to get some fresh foods in the house (i.e. milk, eggs, cheese, etc).

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $7.61 oop, Earned $4 ECB's
• Sunday's Rite-Aid Trip: $0.89 oop, Earned $3 UP+Rewards
• Tuesday's Giant Trip (1-1/2 gal Horizon Organic 2% Milk): $3.69 oop
• Tuesday's ALDI Trip (1-5 lb bag Red Potatoes, 1-3 lb bag Onions): $2.88 oop 
• Friday's ALDI Trip (2 lbs Red Grapes): $2.58 oop
• Saturday's Giant Trip (2 Gelato, 1 Turkey Hill Ice Cream, 2 Newspapers, and 1 Organic Kids Cliff Bar; used 2 coupons): $13.46 oop

Total OOP: $31.11 - $7 Earned Rewards = Net OOP: $24.11 - Ah, much better!

Linked to Couponaholic!

Frugal Finds Friday: Homemade Cleaning Rags

'Waste not, want not' is a motto that I try to live by.  The point being that if you aren't wasting what you have, you shouldn't want for anything.  So when my husband and I had some t-shirts that weren't even Goodwill worthy, I decided to cut them up to use as cleaning rags.  A simple enough task; I used my rotary cutter and mat, and basically made big squares.  As you can see from the picture above, a few shirts make a LOT of cleaning rags.  The t-shirt material is especially nice for windows.  They are small, and usually not very gross, so I just throw them in with our towels when I do laundry.

So, what are you not wasting?



Linked to Homemade Mondays!

Linked to the Natural Living Link-up!

ALDI Deals, Starting 04/03/2013

Here are some of the awesome deals at ALDI this week...

• Wednesday 04/03 ONLY: Fresh USDA Choice Top Blade Steak $4.9/lb!
• Deutsche Kuche European Mustards Assorted Varieties 12.2-13.3 oz $1.99 ea
• Deutsche Kuche German Style Sauerkraut 24 oz $1.69 ea
• Deutsche Kuche Red Cabbage with Apples 24 oz $1.69 ea
• Season's Choice Diced Onion Rings 16 oz $1.29 ea
• Stockmeyer Soup Pea or Harvest Potato 28 oz $1.99 ea
• Gardenline  Hose Nozzle Assortment $2.99 ea
• Gardenline 50' Garden Hose $8.99 ea
• Gardenline Hose Accessories $6.99 ea
• Gardenline Short Handled Gardening Tools $2.99 ea
• Gardenline Tool Utility Rack $11.99 ea
• Gardenline Garden Bags 32 gallon Pop up, or 72 gallon Extra Large $6.99 ea
• Gardenline Raised Garden Beds $29.99 ea
• Gardenline  Perennial Shrubs $2.99 ea
• Gardenline Berry Bushes $5.99 ea
• Gardenline Sun and Shade Lovers Spring Bulb Assortment $6.99 ea
• Gardenline Flowering Shrubs $7.99 ea
• Gardenline Shade or Ornamental Trees $14.99 ea
• Mandarins 3 lb bag $2.49 ea 
• Red Grapes 2 lb pks $2.58 ea
• Oranges 4 lb bag $1.79 ea
• Bananas $0.44/lb
• Mangoes $0.59 ea
• Anjou Pears 28 oz pkg $1.69 ea

For more information about shopping at ALDI, visit their homepage!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday: French Apple Pie

For Easter I made a French Apple Pie.  I use the same filling and pie crust as my Apple Crumb pie, but add raisins into the filling, and use a second pie crust for the top.  I also add a delicious layer of icing on top...

1. Cream 1/2 c butter with 1 tbsp flour, and 1/2 c confectioners sugar.
2. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla and about 1/2 c of milk, depending upon how spreadable you like your icing.
3. Spread icing onto the cooled pie.
4. Serve warmed or cold.  Refrigerate leftovers, if there are any ;-)

Linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!

Sunday's CVS Trip

We stopped into CVS on Sunday to wish our favorite cashiers a happy Easter, and to grab a few deals.  I know that there were other freebies to be had, but I stuck with things that I knew we needed, and could use.  Here's what I ended up with...

1 CLEAR Shampoo $5.99 - $1 Sale - $4.99 CVS Coupon - $0.75/1 MC = FREE + $0.75 Money-maker!

1-10 pk Ivory Bar Soap (needed this for laundry detergent!) $5.49 - $2.49 Sale = $3

2 Gillette Body Washes (Joe's favorite) $4.99 ea - $1.99 ea Sale - $1/2 MC = 2/$5

2 Oral B Power Toothbrushes $8.49 - $2.50 ea Sale - $3/1 MC x 2 - $2 ECB's x 2 = 2/$1.98

+ $1.38 Tax

- $3/$15 CVS Email Coupon 

- $4 ECB's used to Pay

Total OOP: $7.61, Earned $4 ECB's!

Linked to Simply CVS!

Menu Plan Monday: 04/01/2013

Last week while finishing our spring cleaning, and getting ready for our family Easter dinner on Saturday, my back gave out, so meals this week are going to be more simplistic than nutritious.  But I don't think that it will kill us for one week.  Also, we are gearing up for a flea market this Saturday.  Hopefully we'll sell a lot of stuff, and make some money!  Here's what's on the menu this week...

Breakfasts: Cold Cereal, Waffles

Lunches: Leftovers, Sandwiches

Dinners: (All dinners served with Salad or a Vegetable)

Sunday - Spaghetti with Garlic Bread

Monday - Hamburger Helper

Tuesday - Zuppa Tuscana with Garlic Bread

Wednesday - Mushroom Gravy Pork Chops with Jasmine Rice

Thursday - Baked Fish and French Fries

Friday - TBA

Saturday - Out, hopefully celebrating our new riches ;-)

Extras: Leftover Vanilla Ice Cream and French Apple Pie

For more AWESOME menu plans, visit Org Junkie!

Sunday's Rite-Aid Trip

Since we were already out, we stopped into Rite-Aid too.  Not much going on there this week, but I rolled my UP+Rewards none-the-less...

1 pouch Pillsbury Brownie Mix $1 - $0.10 card discount = $0.90

1-10 ct Preparation H Wipes $4.99 - $1 Sale = $1/1 MC - $3 UP+Rewards = FREE!

- $3 UP+Rewards used to Pay

Total OOP: $0.89, Earned $3 UP+Rewards!

Weekly Spending Report: 03/24-30/2013

Here's how about spending went down this week...

• Monday's Target Trip: $10.43 oop, Earned $5 Target GC
• Monday's CVS Trip: $9.98 oop, Earned $4 ECB's
• Monday's Wal-mart Trip (1 fitted sheet): $10.04 oop
• Monday's Giant Trip: $54.62 oop
• + $60 Check from Joe's Grandfather to go towards the food for the family Easter dinner this Saturday
• Monday's Rite-Aid Trip (2-24 pks Rite-Aid H2O, 1 bag Utz Chips): $7.23 oop, Earned $3 UP+Rewards
• Friday's ALDI Trip (2-2 pks Pie Shells, 1-5 lb bag Red Potatoes): $5.37oop
• + $20 Cash from my Sister to go towards the food for the family Easter dinner this Saturday
• Saturday's Giant Trip (2 lg pkgs blsl Chicken Breasts, 1 pint Gelato, 1-1/2 gal Ice Cream, 4 bags Organic Frozen Vegetables, 4 cans diced tomatoes, 1 jar Newman's Own Pasta Sauce, 2 pkgs Marked-down Italian Sausage Links, 2 Newspapers): $42.07 oop

Total OOP: $139.74 - $92.00 Earned Rewards/GC/Cash = Net OOP: $47.74

Monday's Giant Trip

Monday I also stopped into Giant for some good deals, and a few things for Easter dinner.  I spent a lot out of pocket, but Joe's grandfather gave me a check to help cover the cost of the meat/coffee/etc that I'll need for the family dinner this Saturday.  Here's what I ended up with...

1 box Maxwell House Coffee K-cups $7.49 - $1/1 MC = $6.49

1 Talenti Gelato $4.99 - $1 Sale - $1/1 MC = $2.99

1 pouch Hormel Bacon Bits $4.29 - $0.30 Sale = $3.99

1-1/2 gal Horizon Organic Milk $3.69

1 Brisket $34.56 - $5.77 Sale = $28.79

8 bags Friskies Party Mix Cat Treats $1.65 ea - $0.15 ea Sale - $1/2 MC x 4 = $1 ea or 8/$8

+ $0.72 Tax

- $0.05 Reusable Bag Credit 

Total OOP: $68.22 - $14.32 Sales/Coupons = Net OOP: $54.62

Monday's CVS Trip

This week at CVS, I mostly just stocked up on snacks and candy for Joe.  Since Easter is this weekend, candy deals will be slim-pickings around here until Halloween, so I decided to splurge a little this week.  Here's what I ended up with...

4 bags York/Reese's/Hershey's $3.79 ea - $0.79 ea Sale - $2/3 MC - $4 ECB's wyb $12 = 4/$6
4 King-sized bags Mini Eggs $1.67 ea - $0.42 ea Sale - $1/2 MC x 2 = 4/$3
3 bags Chex Mix $3.19 ea - $2.19 ea Sale - $0.50/1 MC x 2 - $0.60/1 MC = 3/$1.40
2 bags Gardetto's $3.49 ea - $0.50//2 MC = 2/$1.50
1 Purex Naturals Detergent $6.29 - $3.41 Sale - $1/1 MC - $1/1 CVS Coupon = $0.88
+ $1.20 Tax
- $8 ECB's used to Pay

Total OOP: $9.98, Earned $4 ECB's

Linked to Simply CVS!