Cheap Expo Dry Erase Markers- Office Max

I always love when stores have there back to school shopping because you can find some great deals! I just bought a magnetic dry erase white board for the the boys for school. I thought this would be a great way to help them memorize their memory verses for the week. So, of course I needed to go out and buy some new dry erase markers.

Office Max has many of there Expo Dry Erase Markers on sale 2/$5.00. There is a coupon they have in the store (I went to the River Park location) located by the dry erase markers for $5.00 off any 3 Expo or Sharpie products. I was so excited to find this coupon! This is what I bought to make it a fantastic deal!



I did 3 transactions! (I'm sure they let me because I had all 4 of my kids with me) :)

2 Expo Dry Erase Markers $2.50 each
Sharpie 4 pack Highlighters $1.00 (on sale this week)
I used the $5.00 off coupon
My total$ 1.08 for 3 items

I spent a total of $3.24 for everything shown in the picture above.

Now, this is my kind of deal! That's why it totally pays to shop around to get the best deal possible! :)

Oh......I thought I would mention the bigger dry erase markers I got were scented. Cherry, blueberry, apple & choco mint. I thought it would be fun to have some yummy smelling scents for the kids during school time. Hopefully they won't try to eat them. lol

I Hit The Jackpot at Savemart Today!

I went into Savemart this afternoon to pick up a few items and as I was walking up to the registers to checkout, I found a shopping cart full of Huggies & Pampers Diapers that just got marked down on clearance. I was so excited because I knew I had some good mfg. coupons in my coupon binder I have been saving. I bought:

2 big boxes of Pampers- $10.00 ($3.00 off coupons) so I paid $7.00 each
2 packs of Huggies- $5.00 ($3.00 off coupons) so I paid $2.00 each
3 packs of Pampers Cruisers-$4.00 ($1.75 & 2-$2.00 off coupons) so I paid $2.25 for 1 and $2.00 for the other 2.

I also had a coupon for a free tub of Pampers baby wipes when you buy a box of Pampers Diapers, so I ended up getting that for free as well.

These are the types of deals I just LOVE running into unexpectedly, so it's always good to have your coupons on hand or stashed in your car just in case you ever need them. That's why I always keep my coupon binder in my van so I always have access to it when I need it! :)

I ended up running back into Savemart again this evening to pick up a few more items I forgot earlier today and I ran into another AMAZING deal! They marked down a variety of Jennie-O meat products by placing a $4.00 off coupon on the top of each package for instant savings. I ended up getting:

6 packs of Jennie-O turkey sausage ($4.00 off coupon)- $0.49 each
6 packs of Jennie-O ground turkey w/ taco seasoning ($4.00 off coupon)- $0.99 each
7 packs of Jennie-O ground turkey w/ italian seasoning ($4.00 off coupon)- $0.99 each

Thank you Lord for blessing me with these amazing deals today!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I'm super excited to share with you this recipe for Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent (courtesy of the Duggar's website) I made today. I know, I know......some of you may think I'm silly for being so excited over something like this, but as a mom of 3 boys (soon to be 4), our family is only growing larger in size which means I can barely keep up with the mounds of clothes each week, not to mention I have one boy that pretty much likes to bathe in his food on a daily basis and another that always seems to add extra sheets & clothes to the piles with leaking pull-ups at night. It's a never ending laundry duty!!!!

I have used so many different brands of Laundry Detergents over the past few years trying to find something that not only will get stains, food & pee smell out of clothes, but not cost a fortune. I never have found anything that worked great, but we settled for Tide along with using Borax Laundry Booster & Vinegar in each load to help clean our clothes better.

That is until today.........I have done 3 loads of laundry with this new Homemade Laundry Detergent and it works great so far! It has gotten out food & grime, pee smell out of pajamas & the clothes look nice & clean with a nice scent. YAY!!!!! I have finally found my new laundry detergent and it literally only costs pennies per load (which I am totally stoked about). This makes me one happy frugal Mama!

Here is the items you will need:

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup- Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (Do not use baking soda)
1/2 Cup Borax



Grate soap or break into pieces (do not mistake for grated cheddar cheese) :)



and process in a food processor until powdered.



Mix all ingredients together. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons (which is what I used). Yields 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)

*I trippled the batch & put it in a 2 gallon bucket with a lid to store. I will be making a few more batches again tomorrow so I won't have to make anymore for awhile*



Tips: I had a hard time finding the Fels-Naptha soap bar & the Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. I couldn't find any store in town that carried them. After much research online, I found the cheapest route to go. I ordered from Ace Hardware online & had it delivered to the Willow/Nees location to get free shipping. You can purchase Borax either at Target or Walmart & I'm sure many other various stores as well.

My husband calculated it out to be around .05 cents per load of laundry. Not too shabby!

Another Tip: I add either 1/2-1 cup of vinegar in a Downy Ball into the washer for heavily soiled clothes. It works wonders! I purchase my vinegar at Costco.

Puzzles, Puzzles & More Puzzles

My boys just LOVE puzzles! They can sit all day long putting puzzles together one after another. We started out with the 24 piece puzzles, but they are just way too easy for both my 4 & 3 year old boys. I then got some 48 piece puzzles and within a couple weeks, they mastered those & they just aren't challenging enough for them now.

I was happy to find these new Toy Story 3 (which is now their favorite movie) 100 piece puzzles at the dollar store. They had four different ones to choose from, so of course I got them all. My boys were so excited when I brought these home & they are definitely more challenging.



These would be great Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers! :)

Pretend Play

I went to Target yesterday to pick up of a few items and I was pleased to find the Halloween items marked down to 90% off. I was able to find a few costumes for only $1.20-1.50 each. My boys love to pretend play so they will have loads of fun with these new costumes! :)

Glow in the Dark Crocs.......Only $8.99 Shipped!

Currently, you can score a pair of Glow in the Dark Crocs available here for ONLY $8.99 shipped! Just head on over there and add a pair of these Crocs to your cart. Once you add a pair to your cart, the price will be reduced to $8.99. Plus, you can use coupon code secondchance to snag FREE Economy shipping. *Note: The FREE shipping will not show up until the final order page.

I just ordered the Dragon Crocs for all 3 of my boys! :)

Cute Kids Shoes.....Great Prices!

Having 3 kids all under the age of 4 and under, I feel like I'm constantly needing to buy shoes every 6 months or less. Therefore, I'm always trying to find deals & I can't stand paying full prices on kids shoes knowing they outgrown them so fast. I was so excited to find such great deals this past week! :)



Preston was really needing a new pair of sandals. He outgrew his other pair of sandals and I was having the hardest time finding him a new pair. Every time we would find something at a decent price, they would be out of his size. I was extremely happy to find these cute pair of Buzz Light Year Light-up Sandals on Clearance at Target for $6.06. They fit great & he absolutely LOVES them! :)



My sweet little Jeremiah was in need of some new shoes because he is smaller than my other two boys at this age. I didn't have any shoes that would fit him yet.I found these 3 cute pair of shoes in his size for only $3.24 each. I couldn't resist all 3 pairs for this price!



My middle son Noah was needing a new pair of shoes for church. I found these cute brown loafer shoes along with these black converse shoes at a garage sale this past weekend. I paid only $1.00 for each pair. They are both in great shape!



I also found these cute sandals for Noah at Target on clearance for $3.24 also, so I couldn't resist buying them to save for when he needs a replacement pair.

All together, I only spent a total of $21.02 for 7 pairs of shoes for all 3 of my kids. That's still cheaper than you can buy 1 new pair of shoes. Not only did I save extra money to put back in our budget for next month, it goes to show you how it definitely pays to shop around. There are always great deals to be found!

Baby Einstein DVD's

I went to Toys-R-Us today to get some pretty good deals they had going on. I was able to get 4 Baby Einstein DVD's at $14.99 each. They have a door buster deal going on for Friday & Saturday only: Buy 1 DVD get 1 free. I then had 4-$5.00 off coupons, making each Baby Einstein DVD only $2.50 each. My little Jeremiah just loves these movies and I couldn't pass up this great deal! :)

FREE 8x10 Picture at Walgreens: Thursday Only

Walgreens is offering a free 8x10 photo picture on Thursday ONLY. It's one of there deals of the week. Go here to print out your coupon and take it into the store when you checkout! You can't beat a free photo picture, especially for that size.

Go here to order your picture. You can pick it up in the store so you will not be charged for shipping & handling.

I will be getting a picture of all 3 of my boys so I can put it in a frame and hang it in my hallway. I'm so behind in updating my pictures and I feel like I'm a bad mommy for not even having a picture of my 3rd child hanging up. :(

Huge Pack of Huggies Wipes for ONLY $2.50 at CVS

Wow.......this is such a great deal! You may want to head over to CVS before they are all gone! CVS has an unadvertised sale this week for a huge pack of Huggies Baby Wipes (184 count) for only $2.50 each. You can use manufacturer coupons or ECB Bucks to score even a better deal.

I went last night and stocked up. I was able to get a total of 12 packs for only $13.64 after using mfg. coupons & my ECB bucks. That's 2,208 baby wipes! That should last me for awhile. :)

Scholastic Book Sale

The Teacher Store @ Scholastic.com is having their Dollar Days sale. This is available to educators only but does include homeschool teachers! They have some great books available for only $1.00.

I Just LOVE Kids Clothes!

The Children's Place is having a Monster Sale & they have on clearance selected kids clothes for $2.99 each. I ordered some summer clothes for my older son online earlier this week, but I decided to stop by the River Park location to check it out. It's a good thing I ordered my older son's clothes online because they were wiped out of his size. They still had a good selection on infant-12 months in boys and a good size selection of girls. Oh my.......how could I resist these cute little outfits. My little guy needed a few more winter items and this is what I found.

I got each item for $2.99 and I found a 15% off coupon which made it $2.54 per item after discounts. I spent a total of $27.69 for 10 items. I was so happy to find cute clothes, but not have to spend too much! I'm definitely a happy camper now! :)

ArtsCow Photo Coasters $0.99 + FREE Shipping!

ArtsCow is offering up another photo deal! They are offering up Rubber Photo Drink Coasters for just $0.99 + FREE shipping! …And there is no limit to the amount of Coasters you can score for $0.99!

Here’s what you need to do:

• Just go here and choose a photo Coaster.
• Start uploading your photos and then add as many Coasters as you like to your cart.
• At checkout use coupon codeDRK99CST
• Your final total will be just $0.99 + FREE Shipping for each one purchased!
  

I will definitely be making mine later today for someone special! These would make great Valentines Day gifts… especially the Heart Shaped Coasters!

My Shopping Trip to Walmart

My goal I set for myself this year is to try and cut our grocery bill by at least 50% or more! Well, I'm excited to tell you that I have done a pretty good job of doing it so far or coming pretty close. Yes, it does take a little more time trying to find specific coupons for each item that I have on my shopping list, but it is totally worth it. I can't wait to see how much money I have saved at the end of this month. I will tally it all up to let you know what my savings percentage will be and post it next week. :)


Here is the breakdown of what I got:

Clear Plastic Container- $3.50 (no coupon)
(2) Wet Ones Wipes- .64 each after coupon
Pull-Ups-$5.97 after my $3.00 off coupon
(2) Packs of Ivory Soap- $.07 each after my coupons
(4) Boxes of Chicken in a Biskit- $1.00 each after my coupons
Salmon $3.50 (no coupon)
Turkey Sausage $1.58 (no coupon)
Steam Fresh Package of Corn- FREE after my coupon
3 Reach Dental Floss- FREE + $2.00 overage
Dr. Pepper- $1.48 (no coupon)

My total originally came to $37.66, but after my coupon savings, I only spent $21.25 w/ tax. I saved 46% tonight. Yay for me!!! :)

The Children’s Place: Monster Sale – Kids Clothes from $1.70 ea

Wow!! The Children’s Place has their Monster Sale going on with incredibly low prices! You can now get girls Yoga tops and pants for as low as $1.70 ea. plus much more, including big girls clothes!! Use coupon code: E79AA for an additional 15% off the already low prices of $1.99! Make sure you sort from low to high prices for the best deals

Baby Girls – HERE
Big Girls – HERE
Baby Boys – HERE
Big Boys – HERE
Newborn – HERE

Go through Shop At Home and you’ll get 5% cash back! If it is your first order through them, you will receive a $5 instant credit to your account! (That would cover the shipping!)

Note: I called our local Children's Place store and they gave me a coupon code offering free shipping on my online purchase. SCORE!! My older son has outgrown all his summer clothes, so this is the perfect time to start ordering some new ones and scoring some great deals! :)

Thanks (A Thrifty Mom!)

Another Trip to Vons

Alright, I admit..........if there is a fabulous deal, you better believe I will make an effort to go a few time to partake in it. I was able to print out a couple more coupons for the Betty Crocker Fruit Roll-ups, so of course I had to make another trip back to Vons this evening. Not only did I get 4 more boxes of Fruit-Roll Ups, but they had my favorite, Captain Crunch Peanut Butter Cereal on sale for $1.00 each if you buy 4 boxes (with the Vons Club Card). So, do you want to guess how much I spent on all these items pictured below? Come on, take a guess?!?!?!



I only spent $3.50! I had a total savings of 87% Wow........that's AMAZING!!! After all my coupons and Vons Club Card savings, I think my trip was well worth it, don't ya think? :)
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I got back another $2.50 off coupon towards my next purchase.

Vons=Very Cheap or Free Fruit Snacks

I went to Vons last night to take part in a great deal I saw advertised and I would like to share it with you! Right now, they have several Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, Fruit Roll-Ups and Fruit Gushers for $1.00 each (with your Vons club card) if you buy 4 boxes. To make this deal even better, you can go here and here to print out $1.00/2. Then you can go to Cellfire and load a .50 off coupon to your Vons Club Card. Here is what you do:

You will need to do 2 checkouts. On your first order, you will check out with only 4 boxes of fruit snacks. After coupons, your total should only be $2.00. After your checkout, you will then receive a Catalina Coupon for $2.50 off your next purchase. Take that Catalina Coupon along with your other Coupons and go back to the register for your 2nd purchase of 4 more boxes. Your total should come to $0.00 and you should receive .50 cents back from Vons.

When it's all said and done, you should only pay $2.00 for 8 boxes of Fruit Snacks. Pretty awesome, isn't it?!?! I do not give my boys these types of snacks often, but I couldn't resist passing up this deal.

This is what I ended up getting. I only paid $5.98 in total and I actually got .50 back on my second purchase. So, I actually only ended up spending $5.48! Too bad I didn't have coupons for my chips. :)

ampm: 32 oz. Fountain Drink for a Penny!

If your a soda lover (or should I say soda addict), then your gonna love this one! :)

Participating ampm locations are offering up 32 oz fountain drinks for just a penny with this coupon! It also doesn’t expire until March 2nd, so you’ll have plenty of time to make use of it!

**You can find your nearest ampm location here.

(Thanks, hip2save.com)!

SIGN UP FOR 4 $1.00 OFF CHEERIOS COUPONS

Sign up here to receive 4, $1.00 off coupons for Cheerios via email! And be entered to win a free box of Cheerios. With all the cereal sales lately, a $1.00 off coupon usually means you can bring home cheerios for $0.50 or less! I signed up and it was quick and easy; I received this message:

Over the coming weeks you will receive 4 emails each with a $1 coupon. If you win a free box of Cheerios® cereal, you will be notified by mail in the next 6-8 weeks.

$5/1 EPT Pregnancy Tests = Free at Walmart

The $5 off any e.p.t. Pregnancy Test printable (IE) or printable (FF) is available again. You should be able to score free pregnancy tests at Walmart with this coupon. Hurry and print it now before it's too late. Even if you do not need it, maybe someone you know may in the near future! :)