This week makes me think about getting a second CVS card! :0

So for those of you that haven't done the CVS thing yet, you should! I never pay more than a quarter for toothpaste or get paid for it! Body was never more than $1 and it's the good kind!  CVS is a combination of manufacturer's coupons (MC), CVS coupons, and EB (Extracare bucks).  EBs are like giftcards that expire and you get them for buying certain things.
    For example, spend $10 on ? and get $3 EB.  So you will pay the $10 and on your receipt.  Next time you go to the store, you just hand them that part of the receipt and it comes off your order.
    The awesome part about EB is that the total you have to spend is BEFORE coupons!!!!!  So, in the example, you have to spend $10.  Well if you have $4 in coupons, you are only spending $3 total after the $4 MC and $3 EB.  Things become free most of the time when you have a MC, CVS coupon, and EB.  However, sometimes they just have great deals!

Note: Never just trust the CVS ad for what coupons to use.  CVS lists coupons that will be in that week's paper.  There is almost always a better deal! This coming week is proof of that!!

OK.  This week it's not going to be about EB.  It is going to be about $10 gas card.  Throughout the summer, CVS has done a deal where if you spend $30 (pre coupon) on certain items, you get a $10 gas card.  It's to BP or Shell, I think.  So not the cheapest gas, but it's still $10!!

CVS puts their next weeks ad up on their site on Thursday of the week before.  This allows time to kinda plan it out and order coupons if needed!

**Also, a Proctor and Gamble coupon book comes out this week.  But I have started ordering my coupons instead of spending money on the paper plus coupons and having extra coupons I'll never use.

Precoupon Pricing on Gas Eligible Items:
Tide Laundry Detergent (19-32 loads including the HE type) @ 5.94
Charmin Basic (12 ct), Ulta Strong/Soft (9 cnt)  @ 5.44
Dawn dish detergent (My favorite with the hand renewal!!) @ .99
Covergirl Makeup B1G1 50% off.  Prices vary but here is the range from online:
     ~mascara = 5.99-7.99
     ~eyeshadow = 5.49
     ~foundation = 5.99 - 15.99
     ~eyeliner = 8.99
Aussie/Herbal Essence Shampoo, Conditioner, or Treatment @ 2/5.97
Pringles @ 4/$6

Coupons available:
This weeks P&G:
$1.50/2 Tide
.50/1 Tide
$2.50/2 Covergirl products
$1/1 Covergirl product
$1/4 Pringles
.25/1 Puff's
.25/1 Dawn detergent

Already out there:
$1/1 Bounty 6 ct
$1/2 Charmin products
$1 Aussie/Herbal Essence

Cost of items with coupons: (keep in mind you haven't got the $10 gas card yet)
Tide quantity 2 = 10.38
        quantity 1 = 5.44
Dawn detergent = .74
Charmin Basic quantity 2 = 9.88
                        quantity 1 = 5.19 (.25 coupon in this weeks paper)
Bounty Basic quantity 1 = 4.84
Covergirl: going to vary a lot.  I will put up scenarios (see below)
Aussie/Herbal Essence = 2/3.97 (if 2 coupons)
Pringles = 4/$5

option 1: Tide Galore
Buy 5 Tides @ 5.94
tide total precoupon = 29.70
So, add a filler to get the $10:
Dawn detergent @ .99

Total precoupon = 30.69
Coupons:
(2) 1.50/2 Tides
(1) .50/1 Tide
(1) .25/1 Dawn
Coupon Total: 3.75

Total after coupons: 26.94
Total with PA tax: 28.56
Get $10 back in gas --> 18.56 for 5 Tides and 1 Dawn.  3.71 each for Tide! Not bad, because Tide is expensive but makes a difference (at least we think so)

option 2: household supplies
2 Charmins @ 5.44 = 10.88
1 Bounty @ 5.84
2 Tide @ 5.94 = 11.88
2 Dawn detergents (filler) @ .99

Total precoupon: $30.58
Coupons:
(1) $1.50/2 Tide
(1) $1/2 Charmin
(1) $1/1 Bounty
(2) .25/1 Dawn
Total coupons = 4.75
Total after coupons = 25.83
With PA tax = 27.38
Get $10 back!!

option 3: Make up
(2) Covergirl mascara @ 5.99 & 2.99 = 8.98
(5) Eyeshadows @ (3) $5.49 & (2) 2.74 = 16.46

Total precoupon = 30.93

Coupons:
(3) $2.50/2 Covergirl products
(1) $1/1 Covergirl product
Coupon total: $8.50

Total after coupons = 22.43
After PA tax: 23.77
get $10 back!!!!

Other deals: (not in on the gas thing)
Skippy peanut butter 3/$5 (most of the time they are out.  Probably will have to raincheck this one.  See below)
Poptarts 3/$5
Duracell batteries (AAA or AA (4 pk), 1 9-Volt) 2.99/pk
     ~$1/1 MC for Coppertop


So the end result: 

• mix and match how you want and according to what you need!
• try to get your precoupon (and pretax) total as close to $30 as possible
• Order the coupons! Awesome coupon clipping site
• Enjoy the savings!!!!  

Most CVS trips leave you with some EB, but since this one doesn't have any it's a little different.  However, order your coupons (it takes about 3 business days for them to come in) and then head into the store to get some deals!!

NOTE: If they don't have what you want in stock, just as for a raincheck at the register and they can do that.  That also includes the $10 gas card.  Don't just buy something you aren't prepared for unless you thought it out before hand.  That can cost more.  If you get a rain check, you go back within 30 days and get the item at the same price!

GOOD LUCK!

Guess some of LovinSpoonful is turning coupon!

So, after moving 1000 miles, one thing is for sure.  Groceries cost more.  Well, that or we are just eating more... :-/  Either way the amount we spend has almost doubled.  So I am trying to do something about it.  I have been a pretty passive "couponer" until the summer before we got married.  Yes, Katie Popwell it is your fault! :)  Also, if you are thinking you don't have any of the coupons, keep reading! There is a solution for that!

I don't typically go to Acme because it's not as close, but this is something worth going for.  When you leave the store you will have:
6 Hamburger Helper meals (or chicken or tuna.  Take your pick)
4 Totinos pizza rolls
8 Progresso soups (you can expect a recipe using soups in the near future)
1 Betty Crocker cake mix
1 Better Crocker cake frosting

You can mix it up by looking at the ACME ad if you don't want some of it.

THE BREAKDOWN:
     Acme has a thing going that when you buy 10 of the items listed (General Mills, so if you need cereal check it out for that) you get a $5 Catalina.  If you aren't familiar with catalinas, they are coupons that are good toward your next purchase.  So in the case, you would have $5 to ACME next time you go (we are going to use it on the next transaction).  
     You also get 25 box tops.  Which doesn't sound that exciting.  However, I have recently learned that people PAY for these on ebay... Weird. I know.  One box top = .10 plus a little.  Last week, I got 60 box tops from Giant and actually got $8 for them! :-O I was floored! But it's $8 back in the budget.  


ITEMIZED:
This will take two transactions.  This is where it can get tricky!


Transaction 1:
option 1: You already have the $1/5 hamburger helpers coupon
6 Hamburger helpers @ $1 each
     (2 options)
    -$1/5 manufacturer coupon (MC)
    - .75/3 Skillet Hamburger helper meals
4 Totinos items @ $1 each 
    -.40/2 Pizza Rolls

Option 2:
$1/5 hamburger helpers or (2) .75/3 hamburger helpers
    -The .75/3 gets doubled to $1.50!!! So use 2 and get $3 off!
.40/2 Pizza rolls (The pizza rolls are the better deal!)
    -This gets doubled! ACME will double up to .99 cents and doesn't have limits as far as I can tell!  If you get the pizza rolls, you will use two of the coupon taking $1.60 off.  With the party pizzas, you will get $1.20 off.  
Total before coupons: $10

With Pizza Rolls and higher value HH coupon:
Total OOP: $5.40


GET: $5 Catalina and certificate for 25 boxtops (worth $2.50!)  
    - You essentially get $7.50 back!  You have already made $2 and gotten some food!


Transaction 2:


8 Progresso soups @ $1 each! Pick wisely :)
     -$1/4 MC (use 2) 
1 Betty Crocker cake mix @ 1.50
1 Betty Crocker frosting  @ 1.66 (or 1.67 not sure how it rings up)
     -.75 off when you buy a cake mix and a frosting! This DOUBLES to $1.50!!


Total before coupons: 11.16 (or 11.17)
After coupons: 7.66
Use the $5 Catalina from the last transaction: 2.66


GET: $5 to ACME and 25 more box tops!

TOTAL OOP for the day: $8.06 with $5 left to ACME and 50 box tops (should sell for about $6!)

You potentially make almost $3 just to buy this food! Sounds like a good deal to me! :))

COUPONS AND THE LACK THEREOF:

So, most people aren't just going to have these coupons.  They have all been in your Sunday papers and the mailed out inserts though!  The solution, is one: I might have extra.  And two, I have discovered an awesome site! For those of you with kids in diapers, this will be nice as well.

westcoastcouponclipping.com

This site has all the coupons currently out there and you can order them.  It will probably take 2-3 days for them to get here though and this sale ends the 18th (Thursday).  So it's a little tight.  However, if you enter your full 9 digit zipcode they will get here fasted.  I ordered mine today at 3 pm and they are already marked shipped.

If you order $4 in coupons (which is actually kinda hard to do!), the shipping is free! I think orders placed before noon are shipped out the same day!  But check with me if you are interested.  Hopefully mine will come in and I will have plenty extra! 

You can search the site in the mid-top right by brand or whatever! It's a pretty great site! Especially when you want to buy multiples when they go on sale, but don't need all the coupons the Sunday paper provides!  This is definitely the cheaper way to do it!

I definitely have one extra in the betty crocker (and believe me, I don't need it).  Maybe two depending on if they will take the expired one.  By the way, lesson learned.  Don't throw away expired coupons! They rarely check!

I will also have 2 extra of the progresso soup coupons if mine come in in time!  

I have two of the $1/5 coupons for the Hamburger Helper that people can have.  After I get this HH, I won't be buying it for a LONG time! (too much of it...)

I also will have 2 of the party pizza coupons if they get here in time!

Hope this helps! And happy shopping!  I will keep y'all updated on when my coupons come in and how many it looks like I have.  

 

***Time to get coupons: Thankfully, my coupons came in today! So I will go do the deal tonight after work.  I ordered them Monday around noon and gave my full 9 digit zip code.  They arrived on Thursday!  So about 3 days is what we can expect! They are shipping all the way from Washington state.

YUMMY Pork Chops SOOOO EASY!!

Well, it has been a while.  Sorry!  We are now officially Northerners!  We are loving the place in PA and enjoying the exploration!

This recipe is great!  It takes about 25 minutes start to finish and is a new favorite! :))

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Italian dressing
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
4 boneless pork chops

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.  Mix the dressing, soy sauce, and pepper in a bowl.  Stir it really well to get it to mix.
2.  Place the pork chops in a skillet on medium heat.  Pour the liquid mixture over it.
3.  Just let it cook for 25 minutes flipping the pork occasionally.  I let it bubble for the majority of the time!

You're done! So simple and great! I served it over rice and with green beans and corn! :))

Yummy Pork Chops made without breaking a sweat

So today recipe is EASY!! And good!  It was something I found online that worked out well!  It's also cheap to make! You do have to have soy sauce but you don't use that much.  Definitely less than $2 a person if you shop the sales!!! :)

Money Savers
Pork Chops are cheap! :) I got the ones that are thin without the bone in them.  If you prefer others, I am sure you could use them.  
Kraft dressing is B1G1 at Publix this week! So you can get the italian dressing there!


INGREDIENTS:
2 cups italian dressing
1/4 cup soy sauce (I just light soy sauce.  But you can use whatever)
1/2 tsp pepper
4 pork chops

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Combine in a bowl, the first three ingredients. (I just combined them in the skillet to save a dish)
2.  Place the pork in a skillet.  Try to use a skillet not much bigger than will fit the pork chops.  They will be better covered this way.
3.  Pour the mixture over the meat.
4.  Let cook for 25 minutes on medium or until done as desired!
   *I did it for 25 minutes.  Started out on medium.  Our stove gets a little hotter than normal.  I ended up turning it down to a medium low once it was hot.

I know some of the ingredients should weird! But, I think italian dressing might be good on all meats!  Another easy meal is to marinate chicken in italian dressing overnight and then grill it (outside or inside using a grill pan).

ENJOY! :)

Fruit topped cookies! (called pizza cookies... not sure how I like that name)

So these are delicious!!! And different! Don't be fooled by the name.  I don't know why they call them pizza cookies.  They are more fruit topped deliciousness! :)

Sorry it has been so long!  In the last two weeks, we have been in D.C. to see dear friends.  We have been in Philadelphia area for five interviews in two days and then back to D.C. for a few more days.  We then travelled to Nashville to enjoy time with our families and for me to take part in some wedding festivities for Aimee!  Since then, I have accepted a job at Quest Diagnostics as an "Associate Programming Analyst" (sounds official!) and Walt was accepted to Westminster Theological Seminary!  We have put a deposit down on an apartment (I know you typically think a deposit is for a house or something, but with as much as rent is up there it may as well be!) and are excited to be moving May 16th and 17th!! (it's a 16 hour drive from Philly to Tuscaloosa).

This recipe came from Kara (Aimee's older sister) who had seen it used at another shower!  It looks so good on display!  It's from tablespoon.com.

Money Savers:
    Strawberries are on a great sale at Publix this week! Even if you aren't making the cookies, you might want to get some!


Options:
   The recipe calls for just slice and bake cookies.  I am not a big slice and bake person so I just used the favorite sugar cookie recipe instead.  This does take more time!  But I think it is worth it!  The slice and bake can be a little overly sugary for this recipe (but that might not be a bad thing).

INGREDIENTS:
sugar cookies obtained somehow (says for about 20 cookies)
1 pkg of cream cheese softened (8 oz)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbs frozen limeade concentrate (thawed)
     *not sure what you wanna do with the rest afterward...  I plan to eventually just look into making a small amount instead
fruit for toppings! (the site has strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, and raspberries)
     *I omitted the kiwi because my mom is allergic and I didn't want to risk it! I haven't ever really had it.

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Bake the cookies like normal
2. Cool COMPLETELY!!! Trust me, you don't want the icing to run off the cookies.  They can be just barely warm to the touch.
3. Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and limeade in a medium bowl.  Beat until smooth.
4. Spread each cookie with 1 tbs cream cheese mixture on each cookie.
     * I didn't measure this out.  Just spread it on the cookie according to what looks good!
5.  Top with fruit as desired!

Since it was a bridal shower, we used a heart shaped cookie cutter for the sugar cookies.  Thankfully, I was at home (like my parents) when I made these and my little sister and mom helped out tremendously! Bug added the cute pattern to the sides of the cookies that adds some texture!

Happy Wedding Season! :)

Greek Penne and Chicken how you like it!

I tried something new.  I think it paid off.  There were a few things that needed to be tweaked depending on how you make it!  This week has been a little crazy with my school work so the recipes have either been easy and quick or something I have made a lot!  (Tonight I am getting around to making the pretzel chicken.  Just waiting on the timer to go off in about 9 minutes!)  Last night, we made the Greek Penne and Chicken.  I love feta cheese!!!!  So here it is!

Money Savers!
So this week is a little low on the savers!
However, find out how to get 3 bags of veggies, sargento cheese, and coffee creamer for approximately $.80 total at Publix this week!  If you wanna know how go to http://www.polkadotpantry.com/?affid=464&affref=other


INGREDIENTS:
**Use what you want! We didn't do the tomatoes or the artichoke hearts.  However, I think that those two ingredients are supposed to add some moisture to the entree!  So if you leave it out you might wanna add a little olive oil at the end (not much at all!!! For the whole recipe maybe like 1 1/2 tbs)

• 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts in water
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook penne pasta until al dente. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat melt butter, add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add chopped chicken and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium- low. Drain and chop artichoke hearts and add them, chopped tomato, feta cheese, fresh parsley, lemon juice, dried oregano, and drained penne pasta to the large skillet. Cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Serve warm.

Hope you enjoy it!!! ps... it makes a ton!

Pretzel Chicken! :-)

This is another favorite in the Boling household!  It's easy and so good!

Money Savers:
    Frozen Chicken at Winn Dixie BOBO for $5.50!
    Just for fun: Penny item at Publix today is Publix tortilla chips! Spend $10 pre-coupon and get them for 1 penny!  


Also!!! Date night! $9 for two movie tickets through Fandango! Check it out! It's only good for a day!
https://livingsocial.com/deals/28498?ref=conf-jp&rpi=6775207


Pretzel Chicken
INGREDIENTS:
2 large chicken breasts
2 eggs
2 cups finely crushed pretzels
1/3 cup Italian dressing
3 tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3 tbs olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2.  Add olive oil to medium state over medium heat.
3.  Slice chicken breasts in half to make skinny (or use 4 slim chicken breasts).
4.  Crush pretzels in a bag. (I use my mini chopper.  They need to be finely crushed so that it doesn't burn).
5.  Add the parmesan to the pretzels and shake to mix.
6.  Whisk two eggs in a shallow bowl.  Add the lemon juice and italian dressing.
7.  Coat chicken in egg mixture and then put in bag and shake to coat.
8.  Add chicken to skillet and cook for 3 minutes on each side.
9.  Place the chicken in a foil lined baking dish and cook for 20-30 minutes.  

***I serve this with noodles and spaghetti sauce!!!!  LOVE it!