Stocking Up For Holiday Baking At Publix 11/11

Here is my weekly trip to Publix this week. I said last week that I was going to make the effort to shop on Thursdays from now on but with school and open house yesterday, I did not make it home until well after Publix had closed.

In case you can't tell from the photo, I stocked up for the holiday baking season today. Publix has some amazing BOGO sales going on with holiday/seasonal products and only took advantage of a few. I also did not need any meat/poultry since I did end up going back to Publix last week to stock up on chicken at $1.99 a pound. I also was able to use a $3 off $30 Publix coupon as well as a $5 off $30 Winn Dixie coupon since my pre coupon total was over $60.

I spent a little more than usual (for me) today but I bake ALOT during the holidays and I couldn't resist the chance to stock up on some products that never go on sale. I also bought a few items for my new weekly recipe project. (see post on this on Monday) Here is the breakdown:

Total retail value of today's trip: $132.37
Total spent out of pocket: $36.77
Total saved: $95.60
Saved 72% in total

Here are the highlights with coupon match ups:

• 4 bags of Idahoan Mashed Potatoes: retails for $1.33 each, on sale BOGO (.64 each)
• Used four $1 coupons from manufacturer's website
• Made all 4 bags FREE plus .34 cents overage each bag
• These will be donated to my school's food drive
• 4 bottles of Sundown Naturals Vitamin A, retails for $3.29 each
• Used two $6/2 Publix coupons from the Green Advantage Flyer
• Paired with two $3/2 coupons from manufacturer's website
• Made all 4 bottles free plus $1.21 overage each bottle
• 1 box of Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal, retails for $4.05, on sale for $2.99
• Used a $2 off any Kashi product from Recycle Bank
• Made it .99
• 2 half gallons of Smart Balance Milk, retails for $3.99 a carton, on sale for $2.50 each
• Used two $1 off coupon from the 10/09 SS
• Made each carton $1.50
• 6 boxes of Domino sugar, retails for $1.29 each, on sale for .99 cents each
• Used three .50/2 coupons from the 10/16 RP
• Made each box .74 cents each
• 3 jars of Campbell's Premium Kettle Style Soups, retails for $3.69 each
• Used three $1 off manufacturer coupons from the paper (forget which day)
• Paired with three $1.25 Publix coupons from the 11/06 SS
• Made them $1.24 each
• 4 boxes of Green Giant Veggies, retails for $1.99 each, on sale BOGO (.99 each)
• Used one .60/3 coupon
• Made them .84 cents each
• these can be gotten for a lower price with better coupons and I usually would not have stocked up on these right now but I needed spinach for a recipe this week so I bought some
• 3 Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers, retails for $3.49 each, on sale for $2.50 each
• Used two $1 off printable coupons from manufacturer's website
• Paired with a buy 2 get 1 free Target.com printable
• Made them $1 each
• 2 tubs of Smart Balance Spread, retails for $3.59 each, BOGO ($1.79 each)
• Used two $1 off coupons from the Wounded Warrior Project website
• Made them .79 cents each  (these actually freeze really well)
• 4 bags of Nestle Morsels, retails for $2.93 each, BOGO ($1.46 each)
• Used two $1/2 coupons from the 11/06 RP
• Made them each .96 cents
• 2 bags of family size Tostitos, retails for $4.99 each, BOGO ($2.49 each)
• No coupons, but these are good to have around with holiday parties and they don't go BOGO very often
• 2 boxes of Swiss Miss hot cocoa, retails for $2.49 each, BOGO ($1.24 each)
• Used a .50/2 Target.com coupon
• Made them .99 cents each
• Probably could have waited for a better sale but the cooler weather today made me want hot chocolate
• 2 boxes of Land O Lakes Butter, retails for $4.93 each, on sale for $3.00 each
• Used a .50/2 coupon from the 10/23 SS
• Made them $2.75 each
• Could have waited for a better sale but we were out of butter!

Everything else was BOGO or an ingredient I don't have on hand for this week's recipe challenge (see more on Monday).

These sales are good through Wednesday so plan your shopping trips accordingly. Comment with any questions!
Everything else was BOGO with good coupons

Lightened Up Chicken Pot Pie



 This is a recipe that was adapted from a WW recipe I found online. We have made it many times before with a few variations and every time it turns out delicious and satisfying. The best thing about this is that it has no cream, no butter and no puff pastry which makes it pretty light while still being yummy.

Lightened Up Chicken Pot Pie

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup cooking wine
• 2 cubes or packets of chicken bullion
• 5 oz fat free evaporated milk
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 bag frozen mixed veggies (corn, peas, carrots, green beans)
• 6 sheets phyllo dough

1. Combine water, wine and chicken bullion in a medium sauce pan. Add chicken. Bring it to a boil and then lower heat and simmer until chicken is cooked.

2. Remove chicken from broth. Shred and set aside. Save 1 cup of the broth.

3. In same pan, combine the 1 cup of broth, evaporated milk, and flour. Cook on low heat until the mixture thickens. You can add a little bit of corn starch if you have a hard time getting it to thicken up.

4. Once thickened, add the frozen veggies and chicken.

5. Continue to cook on low heat until everything is combined well.

6. Pour mixture into a greased pie dish.

7. Cover with phyllo dough to make a crust. Spray phyllo dough lightly with cooking spray.

8. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or until top is golden brown. Depending on your oven you may have to cover the top with foil to avoid the phyllo dough from burning while you cook the pot pie through.

Enjoy!

CVS Trip 11/9

I have found that CVS and Walgreens are very hit or miss for me on their weekly ads. Unlike Publix or Target, it seems that the weekly sales at drugstores are either all on things I have no need for or are absolutely amazing. The last few weeks at CVS have made me pretty happy.

This week there is an ECB deal on Schick Products. You get $10 in ECB's if you purchase $20 worth of certain products. The Schick Intuition is my absolute favorite razor and the cartridges are so expensive and almost never go on sale. When I saw this deal I figured that I could combine it with a coupon and at least get a decent deal on my razor cartridges since I am currently completely out of them. Since the amount I spent out of pocket on everything this week was the same as my razor cartridges would have cost by themselves, I was pretty happy with the outcome.

Here is the breakdown of my trip this week. 

Transaction #1: $18.71 out of pocket
                         Earned $13 in ECB

Transaction #2: $2.16 out of pocket after ECB and coupons

Spent $20.87 total out of pocket on $56.93 worth of stuff
That's a savings of 63%

Transaction #1

 Transaction #1

• 3 Hallmark cards at .99 cents each
• Earned $3 ECB on these
• 1 six pack of Schick Intuition razor cartridges at $20.99
• Used a $5 printable coupon from coupons.com
• Earned $10 in ECB
• This was a lucky week since I had an extra $3 in ECB from last week to put towards my purchase
• Total cost after coupon and $3 ECB = $18.71 plus earned an additional $13 in ECB



Transaction #2

Transaction #2

• 2 bottles of Lysol wipes, normally retails for $3.39 each, on sale for $2.50 each
• Used two $1 off coupons from a Walmart store display
• Made them $1.50 each
• 3 bottles of All laundry detergent, retails for $7.39 each, on sale for $3.99
• Used three $1off coupons from the 10/02 RP
• Made them $2.99 each
• 2 cans of Cranberry Sauce (to donate for the food drive at school), normally $1.99 on sale for $1 each
• Used $13 in ECB from transaction #1
• Made my total $2.16

The Lysol wipes and the All are a part of the spend $30 get a $10 gift card promotion but I did not need enough of them or have enough coupons to make it worth it to buy $30 worth. These sales are going on through Saturday 11/12 if you want to take advantage of them. If you have never couponed at CVS before check out my post on drugstore couponing before you go.

How Do You Find Time To Coupon?

A couple people have recently emailed me commenting on this blog and asking me how I find time to coupon. My first impulse is to respond, " I don't!". I won't lie, couponing does take time and effort. If you do it occasionally and sporadically you will save money; you just won't save as much money as you could.

As I have mentioned before, I started couponing during my summer vacation (I am a teacher) when I had more time to devote to the process. When school started back up again, I definitely had a few weeks where I slacked off and it showed in my grocery bills.

During those weeks when I wasn't spending as much time couponing, I went to the grocery store without a clear cut list or plan. I did not always have all the coupons I needed for sales and I ended up buying stuff not at rock bottom price. I still saved $20-$30 on my weekly shopping trips but I wasn't adding to my stock pile and I was having to buy way more than usual at regular price.

Part of why I started this blog was to hold myself accountable to couponing and to "force" myself to stick with it and be serious. So how did I find the time?

1. I only follow a few (4) blogs on couponing and saving money. I try to take some time before work in the morning to read those blogs and catch up with any major information. I also subscribe to them by email (which you can do with this blog too!) so that I get it all in a concise format and can pick and choose what to spend time reading.
2. I check major printable coupon websites every few days when I find the time. This allows me to catch most of the deals without checking them multiple times a day, ect. You can find a good list of them here. When I see good coupons, I print them out and then leave them, uncut in a specific place so that I can go through them when I plan my shopping trips.
3. When it comes to newspaper insert coupons, I have a different strategy (which I am still perfecting). When I buy my Sunday papers, I go through them and remove the coupon inserts and weekly ad flyers. I try to take some time each Sunday to go through the inserts and ads and make note of any major or any super good deals. I then leave all my flyers stacked by type uncut until I need them.
4. I always plan my shopping trips ahead of time. If I know that I am going to Publix on a Thursday then I will find some time between when the Weekly Ad Match Ups come out and Thursday to plan my trip. I then sit down, go through the ad, make my printable list with coupon match ups and as I go through I print any of the Internet coupons from the list that I will need. I then go downstairs, go through my inserts and coupon binder and pull the rest of the coupons I need. I paperclip everything together and put them in a page protector in my binder so that have it all together for when I go shopping. (post on my coupon binder coming next week!)

Some friendly suggestions:

• Cut and organize coupons when you are watching TV.
• Set aside 20-30 minutes a few nights a week where you can cut coupons, organize a binder or look online for sales and coupons.
• When you see coupons that you know you will need soon, put it on your fridge, in your wallet or in your binder so you won't forget to take it with you.
• Don't freak out if you don't get the absolute best, rock bottom price on something. If its something you need and you are getting for cheaper than full retail price that is still a success.
• Read this blog for help finding coupons and sales : ) Had to put that in there...

I have by no means perfected the way I coupon. Now that the swim season is over, my goal is to perfect my system and get caught up on my binder organization before the holidays. Look for posts on that soon.

Comment if you have questions you would like to see answered in a future post!

Couponing 101: Answering Questions About Couponing

I have recently gotten a few questions in my inbox about different aspects of couponing. In the next few weeks I am planning on doing a series of posts answering some of the most common ones.

Here are some I have been asked so far:

1. "How do you find time to do all the work that goes into couponing? I just can't seem to find the time to get everything started."
2. "How do you keep all your coupons organized so that you can plan out your shopping trips and make the most of current deals?"
3. "How does 'stacking coupons' at Publix work? What competitor coupons do they accept and what are the rules for using them all together?"

Look for responses to these questions coming soon.

If you have any questions please feel free to comment below and I will try to answer them as best I can!

Pasta With Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce

This is a recipe that I stumbled upon while reading couponing blogs and it just seemed like the perfect fall weather dinner. It was actually really easy to make for something that sounds kind of fancy. I am not a huge fan of pumpkin (or sage for that matter) but I wanted to make it for Justin because he is really into those flavors. Turned out, I loved it too. It was not too sweet and none of the flavors were over powering at all. We will definitely be making it again.

Pasta With Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound of your favorite pasta shape (I used Ronzoni Veggie Delight b/c it was in my stockpile)

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (should be on sale soon)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

16 fresh sage leaves, sliced thin then finely chopped (you can used dried but you might want to adjust the amount)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Boil pasta according to box directions. Return to pot and set aside. I recommend drizzling it with a little bit of olive oil so it doesn't stick together.
2. While pasta is boiling, combine all other ingrediants together (except butter) in a medium saucepan and simmer on medium heat until thickened. Make sure that you stir it occasionally so that the bottom doesn't burn.

3. Once thickened, take sauce pan off of heat and stir in butter until completely melted.



 4. Pour sauce over pasta and toss. Top with more parmesan and fresh sage. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Magazine

Giada's Ravioli Caprese

 This is one of those recipes that you see on the Food Network and you wonder if you could make it. A few years ago, Justin and I made our own pasta dough and made these raviolis. They were amazing, and the sauce that you toss them in was so simple that we would make it just to toss store bought ravioli in.

I recently re-watched this episode of Giada's Everyday Italian and decided it was time to try this pasta dish again. This time I used wonton wrappers instead of fresh pasta which turned out to be every bit as good and much easier.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

• Wonton wrappers/or freshly made pasta dough 
• 3/4 cup ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup finely shredded chicken
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Combine all the ingredients from ricotta through black pepper together in a large bowl. Mix well.
2. Place a teaspoon or so of the filling on a wonton wrapper. Place another wonton wrapper on top and then press and seal the ravioli together. I used a ravioli maker or you could use a ravioli cutter or pastry cutter (see Amazon widget on the side of the blog for some examples) 

4. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Boil the ravioli a few at a time until they float to the top. Should take 3-4 minutes.

5. Drizzle with olive oil and add basil, lemon zest and salt. Toss and serve warm.

This recipe was adapted from Everyday Itailan on Food Network.