I hope CVS gets some good moneymakers soon. Every week I am losing like a dollar or two. I have to build back up my ECB's soon. But I still found a few things to get this week.

3 Herbal Essences shampoos $2.99 each = $8.97
1 Cottonelle wipes $5.98
1 Excedrin Back and Body $1.99

Total $16.94

Coupons
1 $2.00 off Excedrin Back & Body
3 $1.00 off Herbal Essences
1 .50 off Cottonelle wipes
1 $3.00 off any purchase of $15.00 or more at CVS

ECB used $8.00
Total out of pocket .44
ECB's earned $6.00

In March it will be a year since I started couponing and I have learned so many lessons. I have learned what goes on sale at what times of the year and that you need to stock up on it then. Sugar for instance goes on sale between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I bought it on sale, but not alot of it. Now I am completely out, needed more right away, and had to pay full price as the coupons I had didn't even make it cheaper than the store brand. Now I know to buy a bunch of it at the holidays. You live and learn.

I decided this week to load up Mr. Freeze as much meat as I could, and then take a break from meat shopping in the next few weeks, and focus on other categories, fruits and vegs, non-perishable goods (rice, beans, pasta).

So that is what I did at SuperFresh today with that thought in mind.

3 lbs ground beef $5.06
1 pack of thin steaks $2.63
1 pk seasoned chicken thighs $1.34
1 pk seasoned chicken thighs $1.01
1 top round steak $5.31
3 Healthyones lunch meat $1.67 each - .75 q's = .17 each
1 pk granulated sugar $2.99

Total $18.84


Over to ShopRite. It was crowded due to the 3pm Eagles game today (I will keep my opinions on that game to myself).

2 Turkey Hill ice creams $2.49 each
2 Kraft cheeses $1.99 (I had .50 q's but they were for wrong store, oops)
3 Ragu pasta sauces $1.14 - $1.00 off 3 q's = .81 each
4 cans Goya beans $2.00
3 Sucrets Ice pops $1.49 - $1.50 q's = FREE
4 Hefty boxes of trash bags $1.49 - $1.00 q's = .49 each
1 Goya olive oil $2.99
1 vegetable oil $1.99
1 rotisserie chicken $4.99

Total $26.40

Then I hit our local produce market because they have the cheapest lunch meat around. And my poor husband needs something besides leftovers for lunch. I found out while in there that it was a $10.00 minimum to use your debit card there and since I had no cash, I had to get a few things to bring me up to the $10.00. The bananas are for my mom, who asked me to grab them for her.

1 bag broccoli rabe
1 bag bananas
1 bag spinach
1 lb domestic ham
1 lb American cheese

Total $11.26

Final total $56.50

Okay, a little over. But the $10.00 minimum at the product place threw me off. Next time I will learn to take cash there.

I'm not asking you, of course. Don't send me your addresses.

I tried to sign on online about a week ago to one of my credit card accounts. I wasn't completely paying attention when I first typed in the user name and password and I messed it up. Try again it said. I tried again and my fingers must have malfunctioned cause I typed it wrong again. It then locked me out. When I hit the button to unlock the account, it asked me a bunch of questions. One of the final ones being the 3 digit security code on the back of the card.

I don't have the card. I shredded it up months ago and never wrote the number down. I didn't think I would need it again unless I was making a purchase. It won't let me sign back on or unlock the account without the code. So I called them and they told me I must have the code to get back on. So they will issue me another card. Once I get it then I can sign on.

Well you know that as soon as I get the new card, I will just write down the code and then cut up the card. I wanted to send them a nice payment this morning, but I can't do it online, and dummy me forgot to bring in a copy of my bill so that I could call them and pay it over the phone.

So here I have the money and no way to pay them. Guess it will have to wait until I get home, and maybe I can at least do it by phone, or just wait until the card or the next bill comes in.

Can you tell I am getting real inpatient to get rid of this debt?

Note: When I got home later in the day my card had arrived in the mail. I was able to re-register online and sent them a nice payment!!!

I know alot of people list on their menu their breakfasts and lunches. I am out of the house for work from 7am to 6pm at night. So every weekday for breakfast, I have a shake of bananas and orange juice and my lunches usually consist of brown rice, yogurt and dried cereal and maybe veggies. My husband works mostly nights, so he is home in the day and I don't know what he eats but it the stuff I have in the house.

But dinners we make whether we are home together or not. If he leaves before I get home, he makes the dinner and leaves me a nice plate.

Weekends I try to make us both a breakfast, usually french toast, Amish Baked Oatmeal, egg casserole or pancakes. Weekend lunches and dinners are always from what we have on hand too. Sometimes leftovers from the week.


Monday - Pasta with meat sauce

Tuesday - Turkey sausage with onions, creamy noodles and veggies

Wednesday - Pasta E Fagioli

Thursday - Autumn Pork Chops with sweet potatoes and carrots

Friday - Taco Soup

Been a while since I actually got a CVS deal right. Might restore my faith in going back to it every week. What is funny is that I bought these refills cause they were a good deal, thinking though I don't even have a Glade oil warmer at home. When I got home I found out I had several. Yahoo!

4 Glade Scented oil plugins refills $5.49 each

Total $21.96

Coupons
2 BOGO Glade plugins refills
1 $3.00 off any purchase of $15.00 or more

Used $7.59 in ECBS
$1.19 out of pocket
Got $8.00 back

My trip to SuperFresh on Saturday morning was mostly to get the ground beef that was on a great sale for $1.68 a pound. I got there a little before 9am and they had none. Yes, NONE! They didn't even have a sign out for it. So I just assumed I had gotten there too early for the people in the meat department. I went and did the rest of my shopping. But managed to botch some of that up too.

The Special K and the Eggo's waffles were supposed to be .99 each. The Eggo's worked but the Special K rang up at $2.50. The Stroehmann's bread was 3 for $4.00 but unfortunately the kind I picked up and had coupons for wasn't part of the deal either. And again did I mention that I didn't get the ground meat?

3 Eggos .99 - .75q's = Free, no overage
4 Special K waffles $2.50 each = $10.00 - .75 q's = $1.00 each
3 Skippy peanut butters 3 for $4.00 - .35 q's = .63 each
3 Stroehmann's bread $2.59 each - .55q's (not doubled) = $2.54 each (yuck)
1 Egglands 18 ct $2.99 - .35 q = $2.29

Total $14.31 (could have done better)



So in my frustration, and my husband's frequent complaining that we need ground meat instead of using ground chicken or ground turkey, I hauled my behind back to SF later in the evening to see if they stocked up on the meal. And thank Jebus they did. I got close to 9 lbs of ground meat, and froze it into 1lb little packages and stuck them in Mr. Freeze.


a little under 9 lbs of ground meat $14.62

Lastly, of course, to ShopRite. They were having their Can Can sale, but I really am well stocked up on canned goods, so I just got some things to round out our week. The Slim A Bear Klondike ice cream sandwiches are for me. I am trying to teach myself portion control with my ice cream consumption. My name is Cheryl and I have an addiction to ice cream.

4 Quaker oatmeal quick oats $1.50 - .60 q's = .50 each
2 Chi Chi's Salsa = $1.49 each - $1.00 off 2 = $.99 each
2 Helluva Good Cheese blocks $1.99 - $1.00 off 2 = $1.49 each
2 Wacky Mac spirals $1.19 - .50q's = .19 each
1 Breyers ice cream $2.74 (for the husband)
1 Klondike Slim A Bear $2.79 (one a day Cheryl, one a day)
1 Rottiserie chicken $5.80
4 cans ShopRite sauerkraut $2.00

Total $23.34

Total spent $52.27 Just a pinch bit over budget. Would have done better overall if I paid attention the first time at SuperFresh. But Mr. Freeze is happy and so is my husband that I won't be making meatloaf with ground chicken in it any time soon.