I know it's a little early...

 ...for Christmas cards. But, I've been thinking about it a bit lately. For the first time in about 3 years my family will be having pictures taken (other than the one for the church directory). And just in time for holiday cards. I came across two good deals from VistaPrint and I thought I'd pass them along.


Use this address : www.vistaprint.com/tree
Get 4x8 cards:

30 for $5.00

40 for $9.99

50 for $14.99

or if you don't need too many cards

Use this address: www.vistaprint.com/xmasdeal

Get 4x8 cards:

10 for $1.99

20 for $1.99

These prices do not include shipping. You will also find some good deals on coordinating gift tags as well as customizable ornaments & stockings.

And now, I'm expecting holiday cards from all of you :) 

Photo credit: Vistaprint.com

Kids Eat Free

We eat out A LOT. Way more than we should and probably more than most families, especially with lots of kids. We are trying to eat at home more and because of the current stages of our littles we find that take-out is a better option...for now. But when we do eat out it's always great to have a deal. Helps make things a little more affordable.

All of these are found in the DFW area.  Unless specifically mentioned by location remember that participation may vary so call your location before visiting, and deals are changing all the time. In most cases a kids meal refers to a child 12 and under unless noted.  If you know of any that should be added to the list let me know…. I always love a free meal :)

Applebees -  Monday or Tuesday Nights (varies by location) -1 free kids meal per adult - additional kids are only $1.00.

Black Eyed Pea - Tuesday - 5 pm till close- 1 free kids meal with the purchase of an adult meal

Blue Mesa Grill - Sunday     9am-3pm - Free kids brunch  (6 and under) with purchase of adult brunch

Boston's The Gourmet Pizza - Tuesday, all day -  Kids eat free with adult entree purchase

Buffalo Wild Wings - Wednesday  - Dine-in only - .99 kids meals with adult meal purchase

Cafe Brazil - West Berry Street - Sunday thru Thursday, 5pm-10pm - 1 free kids meal per adult meal purchase. 

Cici’s Pizza – Kids 3 and under eat free 7 days a week.

Cowtown Diner - Mon- Thurs 5pm-close - 1 free kids meal per adult entree purchase. 5pm-close

Denny's - South Freeway (Hulen) - Tuesday & Saturday 4-10pm - Up to 2 free kids (10 and under) entrees from kids menu per 1 regularly priced adult entree purchase

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit – Sundays - 1 free kids meal w/ purchase of adult meal

Firehouse Subs – Wednesdays & Sundays - Kids 12 and under eat free from 4-9pm - 1 per purchase of medium adult combo

Fuddruckers – (not free but cheap) 12 and under can eat for .99 (drink is included) from 4-9pm on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Garden's Restaurant (in the Ft. Worth Botanic Garden) - Sunday 11am-2:30pm - Free kids (8 & under) buffet with adult brunch

Golden Corral – Kids eat free on Tuesday Nights.

Habanero's Fresh Mex - Basswood Blvd - Sunday, All day  - Free kids meal with adult entrée purchase  

IHOP – Kids eat free everyday during certain promotions. They usually have some kind of signage in the window.

Luby's Cafeteria  - Wednesday - 1 free kids meal per adult entree purchase. After 4:30pm.

Phil's Philly Grill (Hulen Mall) - Tuesday, all day - Buy any large Philly Combo and get a Kids Meal for free    

Pizza Hut – Kids eat free on Tuesday Evenings

Pizzaria UNOs - kids eat free Tuesdays. 1 free kids meal per purchase of adult meal.

Qdoba Mexican Grill – Kids eat free at Wednesdays (some locations) and Sundays (some locations) .

Simply Fondue - Sundance Square - Sunday, all day - Free kid's fondue with adult fondue purchase

Souper! Salad! – Kids 4 and under at free and kids 5-12 eat for $2.49 on  Sunday.

Steak n’ Shake – Saturday & Sunday, all day - Kids can eat free (12 & under) with a purchase of an adult entree valued at $8 or more.

Sweet Tomatoes-Kids under 2 eat free

Texas Roadhouse – Mondays or Tuesdays (check your location) kids 12 and under eat free.

Texas Land & Cattle – Kids 12 and under eat free on Saturdays from 11am – 4pm. 2 free kid’s meals for each adult entree.

Tres Jose’s - Sunday - 1 free kids meal with the purchase of an adult meal


For deals in other areas check out: http://www.outtoeatwithkids.com . They also have an app for Apple & Android devices which would be great for when you’re traveling or just out and about and need to eat :). One of our favorites from the list is Tres Jose’s but I can‘t wait to add Café Brazil and Qdoba to the rotation!

We've also found some great deals on Restaurants.com. Sometimes they, or deal sites like Groupon, will run a special where you can get a $25 gift certificate for only $2-$3. Last time I did this I purchased a $25 gc for $2 and at checkout they offered an additional $50 gift certificate for only $5 more. So for $7 I got $75 in gift certificates. Now, most of these are amounts off of a purchase. For example, I got 2 Yucatan Taco Stand gc where we will get $25 off a purchase of $40. We love this place and would eat there anyway and with our large crowd it not hard to spend $40 especially if everyone gets a beverage. So essentially $15 for a $40 meal. Not bad in my book.

Favorites for the Week

During Black Friday I was able to get some great deals on household items and it reminded me that I wanted to share some of the deals I like best. Couponing doesn't have to be super hard and when I look at how much money I've saved it encourages me to keep it up. I feel like I'm being a better steward of what God's given me. I can't buy hardly anything now without using a coupon. In fact there will be times when Graham comes home from the store with items and I say "I have a coupon for that." We could have saved a buck here and there and those bucks add up!


Here are some of my favorite deals for this week:

Wholly Guacamole

We have been eating a lot of guac lately because it's a great alternative to cheese and sour cream on our mexican dishes and it's a quick and easy snack when you've got some tortilla chips handy. And the company is right here is Saginaw!

This is from their Facebook page -
"Soooo, we need to decorate our wholly guacamole office with some christmas/hanukkah/kwanzaa spirits. so since this is a season of giving, if you send us your holiday card with a self-addressed envelope WITH postage, we will send you back 2 bogo coupons ($12 value). cards must hit our office by december 15th.

The coupons are good until dec 31st, so you have to use them quickly (remember, we freeze well). can not wait to see what the mailman brings us!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!"

Here is the address: marketing, wholly guacamole, 300 burlington road, saginaw, tx 76179

It is a little strange but if it's something you know you're going to buy anyway then why not? And if it's too weird for you they also have a $1 off coupon you can print. Just click 'Coupons' on the right hand side of the facebook page.

Muir Glen

This is something else we've been buying a lot of lately. There are actually 2 different printable coupons floating around out there. One is for 75¢ off and the other is for 85¢ off. I'm not sure where the 75¢ off one came from but these are better anyway. You can print 2 total.

$0.85/1 – Muir Glen, any flavor/variety – (eatbetteramerica.com)$0.85/1 – Muir Glen, any flavor/variety – (pillsbury.com)


These are two deals you can use this coupon on:
 
At Walmart:
Muir Glen Organic Tomato Paste, 6 oz $0.92, Regular Price
Use $0.85/1 coupon

This makes the final price $.07!

Or at Whole Foods:
Muir Glen Organic Tomato Sauce, 8 oz $1.19
Use $0.85/1 coupon
This makes the final price: $.34!


I like to buy the pasta sauce. It's pretty tasty. These coupons won't make them super cheap like it does the sauce and paste but it's still a good value coupon. A few weeks ago they have a $1 off coupon out and I got some diced tomatoes and fire-roaster tomatoes which should make for some pretty yummy homemade salsa!

Conair Ceramic Hot Rollers

 These rollers are on Roll Back right now at Walmart for only $22..77, plus there is a $5 coupon HERE that you can print. PLUS you can send in for a $5 MIR HERE. 



Conair Extreme Heat $22.77
Use $5 coupon HERE
Total: $17.77
Then submit for a $5 MIR HERE
Total: $12.77

I've been looking for a good deal on hot rollers for a while so for me this is awesome!

American Greetings Cards  

On the CVS website there is a printable coupon for $2.00 off 3 American Greetings cards (excluding boxed sets). They have lots of $.99 cards. Buy 3 and pay only $.32 each!! You can print this coupon twice meaning 6 cards for the price of less than 2. I snagged a couple Thank You cards and Birthday cards to have on hand. This is a GREAT DEAL! (there is also a good Glade coupon on the website too for $2 off of 2 and if you act quickly they have their room sprays on sale for 99¢ through Saturday 12/3)

And lastly...

Proctor & Gamble Products

Would you like to have over $35 worth of coupons good for things like Cascade, Dawn, Swiffer and more?  If you said yes, then click here to register or log in to get your coupon booklet!  The FREE Procter & Gamble Gather Together coupon booklet (previously Organize in Style) is available now.  Just allow four to six weeks for delivery.


You can request one of these every 60 days and you don't need to re-sign up every time. I've been getting them consistantly for almost a year now. It makes for a nice little surprise when it comes in the mail :) 

Thanks to The Krazy Coupon Lady, My Dallas Mommy, and I Heart the Mart for the deal details!

Stockpiling with a Purpose

After two months of avidly couponing I feel like I've got a healthy stockpile of personal care items: Shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, body wash, etc. At least enough to get us through the summer. I snagged all of these at extremely low prices and I know I don't have to worry about purchasing them for awhile so I can just replenish my stash when these items are free or almost free. There are a few things I'd like to add: Diapers, Wipes, kids shampoo, & paper products. We can NEVER seem to have enough of these around. I had happened upon a good deal at Walgreens awhile back on some kids shampoo and wouldn't you know the Littles got a hold of a bottle and used almost the entire thing to make bubbles in the tub. :( And a week later did it again. But I'm still keeping my eye out.

So, What do you do when you don't need anymore toothpaste or razors but that deal is just too good to pass up? I like to call it 'Stockpiling with a Purpose'. A purpose beyond just our personal everyday use. Here are some examples of other 'purposes':

* Stockings
My kids (& hubby) always get toothbrushes in their stockings. I've gotten most of them already. CVS & Walgreens constantly have candy deals like the TIC TAC one a few weeks ago. I got some of those. Gum is constantly a good deal too. I've thought about chocolate but I'm afraid if I know it's there I may hit up the stash, defeating the purpose. Now my girls aren't old enough for make-up and razors but those would be great ideas too. Chap stick, cartoon bandaids, fun school supplies all are great. Razor cartridges & shave cream work well in 'The Man's' stocking. I've already started a stash of these so at Christmas time they are ready to go and my gift budget can be focused elsewhere.

* Gift Baskets
A few years ago I got this really cool book on gift baskets. It has basket ideas for EVERY occasion and lists of what to put in them. Each list starts at a very basic price point of $25. Then it gives items you can add to bump it up to a $50 value and then some even go up to $100. I usually do a couple of these at Christmas time but they would be great for baby showers, birthdays, and a get well gift for a friend. Almost anything could work for these. If you have a nice healthy stash then it's easy to bless some one even though your funds may be low. A book I read recently suggested finding baskets at yard sales for pennies and then having them available for those gifts.

* Charity
I've seen a lot of 'extreme couponers' donate a large amount of their stockpile to a local charity like the food bank. Our church has a clothing closet as well as a food pantry and some of those food items that we don't normally eat but are always on good sale would be PERFECT for this. Think Ramen, cereal, & canned goods. Also, some of those soap, disposable razor, and sample size freebies might work well as donations. Be sure to check with your charity/church first.

*Ministry Opportunity
My dad recently share a story about a man he runs into at a transit center in our city. This man shouts offers of "free burgers" which of course gets a lot of attention. He says the interested parties must answer a question in order to get a free What-A-Burger voucher. (I have no idea where he gets these) He starts out by asking basic bible knowledge questions like "Who built the Ark?" and slowly builds up to the real probing questions. By the end of his encounter he's usually pricked the heart of at least one passerby and is provided an opportunity to share the gospel. Now I know soap/razors/shampoo may not be as enticing as a burger but FREE stuff always gets someone's attention and this would be a great way to giveaway some of those freebie food items and share Christ.

Just some of my thoughts on how to make a good use of some fabulous finds... If the item is free or almost free and it's not inconvenient to snag it, why not? If you've got the space to store it then it could come in pretty handy.

Grocery Shopping with Coupons

I have a hard time with this. "They" say you are doing well if you can save 50% or more. Extremer's save about 75% on a regular basis. I am no where near this. I'm not sure how they do it. I clip my coupons, I check the websites for match-ups and good deals but I just don't feel like I'm able to save lots. There are a few things that I feel hinder me and I'm o.k. with that. Mostly it's because of our eating habits. We almost NEVER eat beef, at least not at home, maybe twice a month and we buy it straight from the farm. And when the budget allows we also get our milk and eggs there too. We almost never have soda in the house unless company is coming over. (Now, in full disclosure I must admit that pregnancy makes me crave some good ol' Dublin Dr. Pepper from Chicken Express, so this is on occasion - or lots of occasions- in our home). I share this because a lot of the food I find on spectacular deals tends to be the stuff we wouldn't eat, or at least not buy normally.

I try to shop at Albertsons or Kroger because they will double and triple coupons. Last week Albertson's had several things on sale Buy One Get One free and an even better sale of Buy One Get Two Free. I stocked up on some lunch items for here at home and beverages to take up to the pool. There was only one item on sale at Kroger this week I wanted so I just price matched it at Wal-mart with the other items I needed to get. If I have a higher value coupon that can't be doubled at the other stores I will use it at Wal-mart. Their non-sale prices and store brand are consistently cheaper than the other stores unless they are on sale. It's not hard for me to find good prices on pasta, which we do eat alot of.

I haven't done much grocery shopping at Target but this week I've got a manufacturer's coupon I'll stack with a Target coupon to get some yogurt for the girls fairly cheap which will make for good snacks. I'm not a big stock-piler on grocery items for three reasons. 1. I don't have much pantry space, 2. I won't stockpile food items in my garage because I live in Texas and it's currently 180 degrees in my garage, 3. I'm concerned about critters... bugs, mice, etc. Now I do have a large chest freezer so freezable things I'll more than gladly stock-up on.

So, I'm at a loss. What do you do to save on groceries? What kinds of items do you find on sale consistently? Do you meal plan and then shop to your plan or do you buy what's on sale and make meals out of that?

A steal of a deal

If you are looking for an easy way to get more bang for your buck check out the Target website. They have their own store coupons which you can pair with manufacturer coupons you might have to get some cheap, even free deals. And unlike other coupon websites there is no limit to how many of each coupon you can print. They also have several gift card promos each week where you receive a gift card when you make a qualifying purchase. And if you’ve got coupons for the items you can really save a bundle. Check the ad for these. Some of my amazing snags from the past week:

2 boxes of hair color - $24.00
After coupons: $4
Got Target gift card for $5
$1.00 moneymaker!!!

2- 4pk Starbucks Frappuccinos - $11.98
After coupons: $9.98
Got Target Gift Card for $5

Pack of Dentyne Gum - $1.04
After coupons: $.04 !

Nivea Lotion - $5.04
After coupons: $1.04

Up & Up Ibuprofen - $.99
After coupons: FREE!!!

Up & Up Hydrogen Peroxide - $.62
After coupons: $.12!

Up & Up Liners - $.89
After coupons: $.14!

Sally Hansen Nail Polish - $1.49
After coupons: $.49
(this one should have been free but my Target had marked down the nail polish so it only accepted one of my coupons but I LOVE the color and didn’t mind paying 50 cents for it.)

Kroger:
This one was for my husband :)
A special one day deal
4 - 6 pk bottles Dr. Pepper - on Sale $6.96
Got a Mavs T-shirt for FREE!
( I don’t think I even bought the right size bottles but I didn’t see the ones listed in the ad. The customer service rep didn’t look too closely at my receipt, just made sure I bought the 4 items)

I plan on making a few stops on Saturday to use some coupons that expire this weekend. Hopefully I’ll come across some GREAT deals! :)

These are some photos of my previous cheap finds that I meant to post last time:

Getting Organized

She looks so happy being organized :)

After breezing through the first ten or so virtual classes I deduced that my first step is to get organized. In an effort to save my sanity and ease my way into this process I’m going to keep it simple and shop one store when couponing. And to my delight, it ain’t Wal-mart. I’ll get into the where and why later as not to confuse the issue at hand…. Organization.

I’ve read about several different methods for organizing your coupons and the one I like best is the binder method (vs. shoe box, recipe holder, bins). I need a few things:

• A three ring binder

• Baseball card binder sleeves (I value my life enough to not empty out the ones currently housing my husband’s collection so I plan on checking Hobby Lobby and if I can’t find some there I’ll check a sports/comic book shop) You could also use photo holders

• A zippered binder pouch large enough to hold a pencil/pen or two and a small calculator (or you can use the one on your phone, if it is handy)

• A few plastic page protectors

The page protectors will be used to hold a copy of my chosen store’s coupon policy, possibly a price list of regular items I buy, and an empty one in the front to hold the coupons I will need at checkout.

The card sleeves will hold the coupons. There are several ways to organize these: by product type (Dairy, frozen, household, etc) or by store layout (What’s on aisle 1, aisle 2, etc.) I think I’m going to start with the second one but this may change.

Here is a great link on how to get organized and a little more detail on couponing itself:

http://www.weusecoupons.com/upload/articles/4595-lauras-couponing-refunding-hints-tips-plus-coupon-binder-how.html

Her binder is a little overwhelming. She goes to several stores and clips GAZILLIONS of coupons. She suggests a binder with a strap or rigging up your own… I’m not that hardcore. I also didn’t read much into the part at the bottom about rebating…. Baby Steps. I think this is key in not getting overwhelmed and giving up.

So my goal for the next few days is to gather my supplies and get my binder together. I’ll post pics when I’m done. Then I plan on starting a Price Book. She explains what this is and how it works in the article. I will only log prices on the things I buy most often or that I’d like to stockpile.

Hope this helps get you motivated to get organized. If you need a little more of a visual I’m sure there are youtube videos - sorry I didn’t have time to find some good ones to post here.

Coming soon…. Where to find coupons

Happy Organizing!!!