Sunday's Big Lots Trip

Big Lots wasn't originally on the agenda for today, but when I found a 20% off coupon last night, I decided that it was worth a stop, and I'm so glad that we stopped in.  Joe, my husband, LOVES

his snacks, but they get expensive.  So I decided to stock up on snack for Joe, and they should last at least the month, probably into April.  (I'll share a frugal tip for keeping portions in check on Friday).  I also got some pudding/gelatin that I can make later, and stevia sweeteners.

2 bags Riesen Candies $1 ea - 20% Coupon = 2/$1.60
2 bags Buffalo Blue Cheese Combos $1.80 ea - 20% Coupon = 2/$2.88
2 bags Gardettos $1 ea - 20% Coupon = 2/$1.60
1 box Pop-Tarts $2.50 - 20% Coupon = $2
2 boxes Pyure Stevia 40 ct Sweeteners $1.80 ea - 20% Coupon = 2/$2.88
2 boxes Royal Strawberry Gelatin $0.40 ea - 20% Coupon = 2/$0.64
2 boxes Royal Chocolate Pudding $0.40 ea - 20% Coupon = 2/$0.64
2 bags Pop Weaver White Chocolate Covered Pretzels $0.85 ea - 20% Coupon = 2/$1.36
1 bag Garden of Eatin' Tortilla Chips $1.80 - 20% Coupon = $1.44
1 bag Doritos $2.75 - 20% Coupon = $2.20
1 bag Cable Ties $2.50 - 20% Coupon = $2
+ $0.22 Tax
Total OOP: $19.46, Saved $4.81!

Sunday's Giant Trip

Since I was out running errands Sunday afternoon, I decided to stop into Giant for a few things, some we needed for meals this week (chips, salsa, olives), and others were great deals (bread, BBQ, jelly).  Here's what I ended up with for this week...

Olives off Salad Bar $0.30
Gelato $4.99 - $1 Sale - $1/1 MC = $2.99
2 Bulls Eye BBQ Sauces $1.99 ea - $0.32 ea Sale = $1.67 ea or 2/$3.34
2 Newman's Own Salsa $2.79 ea - $1/2 MC = 2/$4.58
2 Welch's Natural Grape Spreads $3.19 ea - $1.19 ea Sale = 2/$4
1-2 pk Day-old Bakery Bread $2.59 - $1 Giant Coupon = $1.59
1 MintBag Tortilla Chips $3.79
+ $0.02 Tax
Total OOP: $20.61

ALDI Deals, Starting 03/06/2013

Here are some of this week's ALDI Deals...

• Weds. March 6 ONLY: Cattlemen's Ranch Fresh Filet of Beef Original or Teriyaki 16 oz $5.99 ea
• Weds. March 6 ONLY: Cattlemen's Ranch Fresh Corned Beef Points $1.99/lb 
• Sea Queen Popcorn Shrimp, Buffalo or Original 8 oz $1.69 ea
• Season's Choice Frozen Blueberries 12 oz $1.99 ea
• Season's Choice Frozen  Berry Medley or Raspberries 12 oz $1.99 ea
• Season's Choice Frozen Sliced Peaches, Strawberries, or Mixed Fruit 16 oz $1.99 ea
• Fusia Mandarin Orange Chicken 26 oz $4.99 ea
• Millville Cereal Assorted Varieties 12-16.3 oz $1.99 ea
• Kitchen Living Microwave Cookware Assortment $4.99 ea
• Kitchen Living Waffle Stick or Mini Doughnut Maker $14.99 ea
• Sealtite 10 piece Durable Round Container Set $4.99 ea
• Sealtite Stackable File Box $8.99 ea
• Kitchen Living mini Aluminum Fry or Grill Pan $4.99 ea
• Millville Rainbow Chip Chewy Granola Bars 8.4 oz $1.69 ea
• Kerrygold Irish Cheese Blarney Castle or Dubliner 7 oz $2.99 ea
• Organic Russet Potatoes 3 lbs $2.29 ea
• Baby Carrots 16 oz $0.69 ea
• Cabbage $0.79/head
• Organic Fuji Apples 3 lbs $4.29 ea
• Blackberries 6 oz $0.99 ea
• Oranges 4 lbs $1.79 ea

For more information on ALDI, visit their Homepage!

Tempt my Tummy Tuesday: Pasta Bake

Pasta bake is a great meal on it's own or a great way to use up leftover sauce and pasta.  Sometimes I freeze the leftovers from pasta meals, separately of course, so I can use them for other recipes, or mix them together to make a delicious pasta bake.

To make this recipe from scratch...

1.) Cook pasta (of your choice) until done based on the directions on the box.

2.) Fry ground beef or turkey* with a diced onion until done, drain.  Add 1 jar marinara sauce.  

3.) Mix pasta, meat/onions, and sauce together and put in a greased pan.  Top with shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  Bake at 350 degrees F until the cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes depending on your oven.  

4.) Serve hot with garlic bread and a side of veggies.  Enjoy!

* Meat is optional, I've made pasta bakes without any meat; I've also used pepperoni in a pinch.

Linked to One Project at a Time

Linked to Tempt my Tummy Tuesday

Menu Plan Monday: 03/04/2013

This week Joe and I are going to work on getting the office in order, I have a lot of organizing to do as well as a lot of projects we can both work on.  We will also be spending Wednesday at his grandfather's house helping him with some projects.  I kept things fairly simple in regards to the meals this week.  Here's what cooking...

Breakfasts: Bagels, Waffles, and/or Yogurt

Lunches: Leftovers, or Sandwiches

Dinners:

Sunday - Nachos

Monday - Smoked Ribs with Baked French Fries and a Vegetable

Tuesday - Newman's Own Bagged Meal: Chicken Florentine, Garlic Bread

Wednesday - Working at Joe's Grandfather's house - Probably Chili's for dinner with him.

Thursday - Ham and Potato Soup with Homemade Bread

Friday - Homemade Pizza with Veggies and Dip

Saturday -Undone Stuffed Pepper Casserole (new recipe), Vegetable

Extras: Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pudding

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!

Sunday's Rite-Aid Trip

Rite-Aid didn't have much for me either this week, but I had rewards I needed to use or lose, so I went in and rolled them the best I could.  The Reese's are put away for now and will be in my husband's basket Easter morning :-)

2-6 pks Reese's Easter Eggs $5.99 ea - $2 ea Sale - $1/2 Rite-Aid Values Coupon - $1 UP+Rewards x 2 = 2/$4.98 ($2.49 ea!)

2 pkgs Band-aids $4.99 ea - $1.99 ea Sale - $0.50/1 MC x 2 - $2 UP+Rewards wyb 2 = 2/$3

+ $0.48 Tax

- $5 UP+Rewards used to Pay

Total OOP: $7.46, Earned $4 UP+Rewards for next week!

Sunday's CVS Trip

There wasn't a whole lot going on at CVS this week for me, but I had a $5 off $15 purchase coupon burning a hole in my pocket and I was in need of some contact solution, so off I went, and this is what I ended up with...

1-24 pk Basic H2O $3.99 - $1.55 Sale = $2.44 oop (not pictured)

1 bag GE Jelly Beans $1.19 - $0.20 Sale - $0.99 ECB's = FREE

1 Twin Pk Opti-free Contact Solution $18.49 - $4 Sale - $1.50/1 MC - $1 ECB's = $11.99

+ $0.78 Tax

- $5/15 CVS Coupon 

- $4 ECB's used to Pay

Total OOP: $8.20, Earned $1.99 ECB's for next week!

Linked to Simply CVS!

Weekly Spending Report: 02/24-03/02/2013

This week ends our February budget and begins our March budget, thank God.  February was filled with shopping to restock our dwindling freezer, pantry, and stockpile.  Luckily I was able to stock up on lots of things we needed, and stay pretty close to budget.  March is going to be another tight month, but I think we can do it.  We are doing a tool show the middle of March, so that will bring in a little money, and I'll be listing some books on Amazon.  Other than that, we pretty much will just have to make due with what we have.  Here's our spending from this week...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $9.77 oop, Earned $4 ECB's
• Thursday's Giant Trip (Waffles, Butter, Gelato): $14.24 oop 
• Saturday's Shopper's Trip (Rubbing Alcohol, 2 Newspapers, Flavored Pretzel Bites, and Baked Cheetos): $14.16 oop

Total OOP: $38.17 - $4 Earned Rewards = Net OOP: $34.17 --- MUCH BETTER!  I'll be sharing my monthly budget update in a couple days, I went over for February, but came out under in January.  I hope that March balances things out!

 Linked to Frugal Follies
 Linked to Couponaholic  

What are your deals from this week?

Frugal Finds Friday - Homemade Pizza Crust

 Homemade pizza is a Friday night staple in the Rogers' household.  By making my own pizza every week, I not save money, but I can also control the ingredients that are in the pizza, making it better for us.  I have never calculated the cost of making a batch of pizza dough, which makes 2 individual pizzas for Joe and I twice, because all of the ingredients are staples that I keep on hand all the time.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c Water
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Salt
4 c Flour (I use unbleached)
2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1. Load ingredients into bread machine in order listed, making a well in the flour for the yeast.
2. Set the bread machine to the dough setting and push start.
3. Pull dough out of bread machine.  Use oiled or floured hands.  Dough will make 2 larger pizzas or 4 personal pizzas.
4. You can freeze the dough once it's cooled from the bread machine, or you can make your pizzas up (pre-bake crust 5 minutes at 400 degrees F, add toppings, bake 10-15 more minutes depending on how brown you like your pizza/cheese)
5. Serve and enjoy!

Talk about an easy, frugal recipe!  This dough freezes great, so I make a batch whenever I'm in the kitchen doing some other freezer-cooking, that way, I'm always prepared for a quick pizza meal!
Enjoy!

What Frugal Finds have you found this week?

ALDI Deals, Starting 02/27/2013

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

• Weds. 02/27 ONLY: Fresh Chicken Breasts 5 lb avg weight $1.69/lb
• Welby Adjustable Rollator $69.99 ea
• Welby 9" Ice Bag - Reusable $4.99 ea
• Casa Mamita Taco Shells 4.6 oz $0.99 ea
• Casa Mamita Pasta and Sauce Mixes Assorted Varieties 4.3-4.5 oz $0.89 ea 
• Benita Chopped Green Chilies 4 oz $0.69 ea
• Benita Salsa Diced Tomatoes 14.5 oz $0.89 ea
• Benita Mexican Style Corn 11 oz $0.79 ea
• Benita Cafe Espresso 10 oz $2.99 ea
• Benita Mini Ice Cream Bars Variety pk 18 oz $2.99 ea
• Clancy's Tortilla Chips Restaurant Style or White Rounds 13 oz $1.19 ea
• Sea Queen Battered Fish Tenders 18 oz $2.99 ea
• Breakfast Best Heat and Serve Patties 6.4 oz $0.99 ea
• Gardenline Seed Packets Assorted Varieties $0.49 ea
• Roma Tomatoes 16 oz $0.99 ea
• Avocados $0.59 ea
• Multi-Colored Peppers 3 pk $1.99 ea
• Mandarin Oranges 3 lb $2.49 ea
• Mangoes $0.69 ea

For more information about ALDI, visit their homepage!