When Times Are Tough...

I want to make something very clear. The road we are traveling to meet our financial goals is not always easy. It has come with it's fair share of pain and suffering. I tend to focus on the positive aspects when sharing with others in hopes that it will inspire and encourage them to do the same. For the last few weeks it feels like our family has been under attack. I used to joke about karma and think about how my own misfortune would surely entertain those who I'd somehow displeased in the past. What an arrogant way to live.... believing that people are that focused on ME all of the time. Everyone has their own problems. That I firmly believe. They are not the same as mine, but they are real and difficult just the same. In the last two weeks, both of our cars broke down within 24 hours of each other. That's a pretty frustrating and humbling experience altogether. After that our son got sick, we had to deal with selling Brian's truck, and medical bills from Macy's surgery have been coming in. Last night we had to take our daughter to the emergency room after having what appeared to be a seizure. Time stood still. And through all of these things happening none of them seemed so important anymore. Who cares about the cars? Who cares about the bills? Who cares whether someone takes joy in my sorrow? All that mattered was that she was okay.... that my beautiful, brilliant, amazing gift from God was perfectly okay. The rest doesn't matter anymore. I plan to try my best in my finances, in my friendships, in my spiritual life, in my family. I will make mistakes. I will fail at times. I will disappoint you. But I will keep going. I will fight. I will fight for them. I will fight for you. I will fight for it all. -Jules

Super Simple Recipes. Because That's How I Roll...

If you haven't noticed, I do simple. I don't want to waste time & money buying a ton of ingredients at the store. I want to be able to remember off the top of my head what I need when I'm shopping. Co' Brown & I are a bit obsessed with Chicken Marsala. So, you can imagine my excitement when I found this little baby at the store yesterday! Serve it over your favorite pasta with some crusty garlic bread and you are good to go!

Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1 1/4 cups water

1 package Lawry's® Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic and Basil

Directions

1. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet. Add mushrooms to skillet; cook and stir 3 minutes or until tender.

2. Stir in water and Seasoning Mix. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 1 minute or until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Return chicken to skillet.

3. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until chicken is heated through. Serve with cooked pasta or rice, if desired.

Variation: For thicker chicken breast halves, increase cook time in Step 1 to 5 minutes per side.

Creamy Chicken Marsala: Prepare as directed, using 1 1/2 cups milk in place of the water.

**FYI.... I HATE MUSHROOMS and made it without and it was really, REALLY good!!! Oh, and I doubled the recipe.

Crockpot Barbecued Chicken

I'm not sure you can handle this one.

1 bag frozen Chicken Breasts

1 bottle of your favorite BBQ Sauce

Trust me.

You'll thank me later.

Place both in crockpot ....

AND WALK AWAY.

6-8hrs on low

or

4hrs on high (until chicken starts falling apart)

Serve with mashed potatoes or even over rice.

Typically there is alot of juice/gravy so get ready to sop it up with somethin'!

Angel Chicken

by far one of the best recipes around.

Props to my friend Anne for sharing! Check out her awesome recipies here!

1-1/2 lb chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1/4 c butter
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
10 oz can golden condensed mushroom soup
1/2 c dry white wine (or chicken broth)
4 oz cream cheese
angel hair pasta

Melt together all ingredients except chicken and pasta. Place chicken in the crock pot; pour all the rest over the chicken. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Serve over angel-hair pasta. For some reason, this is SO much better with angel hair than regular spaghetti. People claim this to be the best crock pot meal they've ever eaten.

***P.S. ...use the white wine, people...***

Ranch Roasted Potatoes

these do NOT last long at my house!

a hit with everyone!

Ingredients:

2lbs small red potatoes, quartered

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1 packet (dry) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing & Seasoning Mix

Place potatoes in a gallon-size storage bag and add oil; seal bag. Toss to coat. Add salad dressing mix and toss again until coated. Bake in ungreased baking pan at 450°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are brown and crisp.

Menu Monday... Here We Go!

This week, I've got chicken on the brain. And hopefully on the grill! Brookshire's has 3lb. bags of Pilgrims Pride frozen boneless/skinless breasts (or tenderloins) Buy One at $9.99 get one for 1 cent! Which makes them $5 bucks/bag. But, you better go soon because I think their ads end on Tuesdays each week.

Monday: Chicken Marsala over Vermicelli with French Bread and Italian Green Beans

Tuesday: Grilled Mojito Lime Chicken, Saffron Rice, and Ranch Style Beans

Wednesday: Crockpot Barbecued Chicken, Smashed Red Potatoes, Corn on the Cob

Thursday: Grilled Chicken Tacos, Spanish Rice, Pinto Beans

Friday: So, I figure we'll be tired of chicken. We will probably do frozen Pizza or maybe BREAKFAST FOR DINNER! Oh! Now there's an idea! :)))

I am DETERMINED to eat at home this week! Our daughter is scheduled for surgery on the 13th and we are serious about paying cash for her surgery. We haven't used credit in over 2 years and I do NOT intend to start now! We have worked too hard and come too far. No turning back. I will not be in debt because it's easier to go out to eat. Period. And I am willing to air my dirty laundry if it helps someone else become motivated to do the same. You can do it!!!

Menu Monday... What's For Dinner?!

I'll have to admit, we have been dining out way too frequently lately. With our crazy schedules and the kids extracurricular activities, it has just been easier to go out to eat. But, when we think about how much we are spending on convenience, we are once again convicted about not putting that money toward our debt snowball. So, welcome to my lame attempt at meal planning! I figure if I post it here, it will keep me accountable and maybe inspire YOU to eat at HOME, too!

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Tonight, I am going to make this Spicy Shredded Pork, these Borracho (Drunk) Beans, and this Basmati Rice in hopes of making several meals out of it! I think I will try this approach the next couple of weeks and see if it makes meal planning easier.

Monday: Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup....keeping it simple since Co' Brown has a track meet and I'm under the weather. However, I am going to cook everything for the week tonight so it's ready to go!

Tuesday: Shredded Pork Tacos (see pic above! yum!) on corn tortillas, Borracho Beans & Rice

Wednesday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Side Salad, & Fruit

Thursday: Quesadillas on the Forman Grill, Chips & Salsa

Friday: Pizza! We'll probably do frozen this week. Typically, we love to get Little Ceaser's $5 hot & ready pizzas. But for the principle of the matter, we will either buy frozen or make our own.

Saturday & Sunday? Well, I'm at work and you're on your own! :)

What is on your menu this week? Let me hear your ideas on menu planning and how you fight the urge to go out to eat!

Say Yes To The Dress! Uhh, If It's 75% Off...

This is Mak. You can call her Mak B. Or Mak-to-the-B. Or Mak-Diggety. Or even Makenzie. She'll answer to most anything. She's 14... which probably means she doesn't want her name mentioned anywhere on her mom's lame blog. Especially if her mom is going to tell you what a great deal she got on the outfit she is wearing. Which is exactly what is about to happen.

Sorry, Mak...

And please ignore the ugly pot on my porch. Yes, it is STILL there.

Dress: $23 bucks, Dillard's for 75% off

Earrings & Necklace: $1.62 for both! Charming Charlie for 75% off

Shoes: Could've found a better deal but was in a time crunch. Payless $19.99.

Clutch: Payless $7.50 after BOGO with the shoes.

Total OOP = just over 50 dollars!

I think the necklace & earrings were a steal! You can see them better in the 1st picture.

And, there are several dresses still at Dillard's for 75% off. I'd love to go back and buy them just to have on hand. So cute & fun!

Deals of the Day!

So I've got two words for y'all..... Target Clearance!!! The Waxahachie location had several pair of shoes marked 75% off today. I only bought two pair due to sizes being off, but you can bet your sweet little behind I will be hitting up the Cedar Hill location tomorrow. My ten year old son begged for these Converse with flames earlier in the year...

Now they're marked down to $6.24. Drew's happy. Momma's happy. See how this works?

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I'm not usually big on anything animal print...

But, these flats were $2.16. I'll deal with it! ;)

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Moving on... You can print out a coupon here for Healthy Choice frozen dinners buy 3 get 1 Free. It's a Target coupon, so you can combine it with your manufacturer's coupon that is buy 5 get 1 Free and end up only paying for 3 and they are on sale for $1.69. Let's see that makes them just $1.01 each! Love it.

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Next... you can print out a coupon here for $1 off Target condensed soups. The Tomato soup is $0.57/each. After the coupon you end up paying $0.71 for all three cans and your purchase will prompt another coupon to print at the register for $1/4. They're making this too easy :)

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But my favorite deal of the day came from Ross! I found these New Balance Lightening Dry Capri Tights for $2.99/pair!!!! I bought one for myself and one for Mak to wear to dance. Sweet!

I am going to end by saying that if you haven't done your CVS deals this week, shame on you! But there is still time. Coke products are (5) 12-packs for $15/get $5 ECB's back. Also, Crest 6-in-1 Mouthwash is $3.99/get $3.99 ECB's back(FREE). You can do the mouthwash twice. This is a good way to get your bucks rolling for next week's deals! What deals have you found this week???

Tom Thumb? Who knew?!

$62.42

Okay, here's the skinny on Tom Thumb. You need the ad that came in the Sunday paper (good thru 10/9) as well as the in store ad (good thru 10/5 so be careful). They both contain coupons that I indicated with an asterisk below. These will combine with your manufacturer's coupons from the Sunday paper (or other source). There are different limits for each item, but they are clearly stated on the coupons. They also require a minimum of $10 purchase. I thought they were great prices for the brands listed. Here's my transaction (sorry, but some of these deals end today 10/5):

(4)Diet Mt. Dew/Pepsi 6-packs (16oz bottles)- $1.99* Limit 4thru 10/5

(2)Fiber One Bars-$1.79* combine with .75/2 manf. coupon

(2)Nature's Valley Granola Bars-$1.79* combine with .75/2 manf. coupon

(3)General Mills Cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch)$1.99* combine with $1.00/3 manf. coupon (limit 4)

(2)Betty Crocker Cake mix $0.89* combine with .50/2 (when you buy 1 cake mix + 1 frosting) Limit 6

(2)Betty Crocker Frosting 2/$3.00 (see above)

(2)Celestial Seasonings Tea Bags 2/$4 use (2) $1/1 manf.coupons

(4)Imperial Margarine $0.50*

(4)Pillsbury Grands $0.99* combine with .50/4 peelie or .40/3 manf. coupon

(4)Pillsbury Toaster Strudel $1.88* combine with (2) .75/2 manf coupon

(2) Gallon Milk $0.99 with a ten dollar purchase...limit 2

(2)Tom Thumb brand (Looney Toons) kid's yogurt tubes $1.88 ea.

(2)Soft Soap body wash $3.49 use (2) .75/1 manf coupons

(3)Dove Shampoo or conditioner $2.99 ea (when u buy 3) use .75/1 manf coupon

(2)Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs $0.99* combine with (2) $1/2 manf coupons

Bananas .41/lb.

Red or Green Grapes $0.97/lb.

I also got $1 cash register tapes back from Pillsbury and General Mills! Good to use on next purchase! Hope this helps!

JB & The Terrible, Awful, No Good, Very Bad Day

I am fully aware that the name of my blog is Blessed Beyond Measure. However, yesterday it would have been better termed Frustrated Beyond Measure. Last week Murphy came for a visit. We spent $700 dollars in car repairs for new tire rod end bushings and a new fuel pump for my Dave car. Subsequently, on Friday the a/c went out in my Dave car. Looks like it's a belt. At that point I was just happy it wasn't the compressor. Co' Brown & I were waiting on a check from his new ISD which was to come Tuesday. So waiting on the compressor belt was no sweat...uh, literally. It was 55 degrees here in Texas when we got up Monday morning. Yesterday was payday Tuesday, which managed to go from zero to crappy before 7:30 AM. Co' Brown's F-150...aka "the Beast" broke down on his way to work. Had to have it towed. It was in the shop by 9:30AM. At that point I thought I would just start the day over. At lunch, Co' Brown had someone drop him off at Enterprise to get a rental to use while his truck was in the shop. To our disbelief, they would not accept any form of payment other than a credit card. No debit card. No cash. Nothing other than credit. Big no-no for JB. My stress level was beginning to rise. I called another branch and sweet talked the rental car creeps. They reluctantly agreed to take a debit card. Did I mention they were out of economy cars? All they had was an F-150. I'm loving the irony. Fast forward to late afternoon. I pick up my mom because it's a girl's night. My dad was going to the Ranger game with the guys and we were headed to meet our cousins to hear my brother's gig. After a day like that, I was really looking forward to the "me time". On the way to pick up the rental, we get stuck in a parking lot better known as I-20. It was no longer 55 degrees and my car was sauna. Needless to say, my girl's night turned into family night. My mom & I finally made it to our destination...with Co' Brown... and the kids. By the way, my car seats five. You do the math. We all had a great time at the gig. The food was great, the music was phenomenal, and there is nothing better than catching up with family. What a happy ending to such a lousy day, right?! We headed home. I think we made it about a block before we had a flat tire. Not kidding. I'll take my Tahoe back now.

Back 2 School...Round One!

So I'm not usually a fan of Marshall's and Ross. I think their stores smell funny and the people shopping around me are generally...well, annoying. However, I am begging forgiveness to the shopping gods. I am now fan. I will deal with the smell...and the annoying people.

I've been keeping my eye open for a great deal on backpacks for the kids. In the past when I haven't forked over $50 bucks a piece for school backpacks, I find myself replacing them by Christmas break. Hoping that won't be the case this year!

Marshalls:

Drew fell head over heels for a trendy black and white backpack that was only $16.99 and Mak B. found an awesome pink/black/white Under Armour backpack for $19.99!!! Both look super durable and the kids love them. I also purchased a 2-pack of Calvin Klein boxer briefs for Little Dawg which were $5.99. Total was $43 and change...which is less than what I would have spent on one backpack! The pics are kinda crummy....busy and lazy aren't a good combo :)

Ross

I found this super cute persimmon orange dress for Makenzie (not for school) and the price was incredible! Are you ready? $4.99! I repeat "four ninety-nine!"

And picked up this dress for me (if it fits...)

FOR ONE DOLLAR AND NINETY NINE CENTS....NO KIDDING!

For Macy, I found this hoody for the fall. It was priced at $2.99! I thought it would be great for football weather!

Also, if you are having to buy several pair of shoes like we do, I recommend Rack Room Shoes! You can take advantage of their "Buy One get One Half Price" and it works on clearance zone shoes as well! I bought 2 pair of women's Fila's and 2 pair of youth Nike's for around $80. I thought that was great for name brand athletic shoes!

Hope this helps:)

May Totals Are In!!!

So, you could say this is a huge post for me. A milestone of sorts. I've been putting off blogging in general waiting ever so patiently for the day that I could say we had reached this little goal of mine. We are by NO means ready to call old Dave on Debt Free Friday and scream, "I'm Debt Freeee..." but friends, we are making progress and love helping others get started!!! Pardon me for being redundant, but if you are just tuning in for the first time you should take time to read through my first post here. We began Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover in January 2009. Now, just 17 months later I can proudly say we have paid off............. $40,156!!! Months and months of budgeting, saving, couponing, nickel-ing and dime-ing, saying 'no', not eating out, praying, crying, and being thankful are NOTHING compared to the joy of being able to write this blog and tell someone else, "I've been there. You can do it. Keep trying. Don't give up. I'm here for you."

I took my kids to the dentist yesterday. Before we stopped using credit cards I would have had that sick feeling in my stomach as I pulled out the Discover and chalked up another $400 bucks for fillings. It sounds silly, but I was actually excited to pay for it since we had budgeted it in and I knew I wouldn't be receiving a bill in the mail a few weeks from now. I can't imagine how free we will feel in the future when we have completed our debt snowball. I can hear y'all thinking, "Dang, Julie Brown! How much DO you owe?!" Haha! Well stick around...and you'll find out. I think I'm earning my bragging rights by foregoing my pedicures and tans all summer. Hmm...I wonder if could budget those in....???

The 411 on Aldi...for all my DFW peeps!

So have you been seeing this place around town?

Aldi Foods is now open in several DFW locations. When we lived in Kansas, they were everywhere! I've been waiting for the one in Mansfield to open, but since it hasn't I went today and checked out the location at Wheatland & I-20. I have to say, I was pleasantly suprised! So...what is it? It's like a Jewel-T...from back in the day...remember those?

They had great selections on produce! I'm not sure if it's because the store is brand new or what. I don't remember the one in Olathe having produce at all, but like I said it's been a decade since I've been there. A couple of things you need to know about Aldi:

• You need to bring a quarter in order to use a basket. Don't flip out. You get it back. :)
• You have to bring your own bags or boxes.
• They will probably only have one selection on most items and it will usually be generic. Not always...they do carry some brand name items too.
• The prices are awesome.

Here's some of the items I purchased today:

Applesauce-$0.99/jar

Mandarin Oranges-$0.49/can

2%Milk $1.79/gallon

2lb. pkg Green Grapes $1.58

2lb. pkg Red Grapes $1.58

Black Beans $0.59/can

Cheese Sharks $1.29/box

Baby Carrots $0.89/bag

Oatmeal Cookies $0.99/pkg.

Brown Gravy Mix $0.35/pkg.

Taco Seasoning $0.35/pkg.

Cheese Curls $0.99/bag

I didn't buy eggs but they were only $0.89/dozen. These are all items that I don't usually have coupons for so, I was very pleased with the prices as well as the quality of the fruits/vegetables. I honestly went in thinking I'd walk out with little to nothing. When I checked out they gave me 2 reusable shopping bags...free:) It's the little things in life isn't it? Go check out an Aldi near you and let me know what you think. www.aldifoods.com

Garage Sale Friday

So. I have a little confession to make. I'm sort of a closet garage sale junkie. So there, I said it. Go ahead and turn up your little noses, but stick around and one day I will make a believer out you! Friday was such a pretty day! I was actually hoping to find some summer clothes for Little Miss. No luck there. She's 3 and built like linebacker. Her 4T's are begging for mercy. That being said, it is absolutely ridiculous that the child still sleeps in a crib. Low and behold I came across this AMAZING Pier 1 bed. It came with a mattress and box springs. But, it looked like a boys bed to me. So we bought it for Drew, my poor deprived middle child, who in his nine little years has never had a headboard. (*Disclaimer: I'm real funny about buying things like mattresses, shoes, basically anything you can't wash, at a garage sale. It's gotta be perfect. And the people have to look normal. Oh, don't hate. You know it matters!!!) Here's a shot after Co' Brown put it together. This isn't the mattress that came with it. We thought he should keep his own.

$100 bucks. For EVERYTHING. Love it!

These pics really don't do it justice. It's a great piece of furniture.

Moving on........

I bought this headboard at the same sale for ten bucks. I thought after a couple coats of white paint it would have LOTS of character. It was a trial run, but I adore the way it turned out! Take a look and see what you think:

A work in progress....

This is the mattress & box springs that came with the Pier 1 set...i think it looks brand new! (And, you guessed it...the people looked "normal" ha!)

Here is Macy's new big girl bed. Bedding courtesy of MoMo & Papa!

I apologize for such a crappy pic.

Next Stop...............

Boys size 10 Gap Jeans.

and all of these...

plus a brand new backpack (forgot to put it in the pic) for Little Miss. All for $2.50! For the record, I am slightly obsessed with Ramekins and firmly believe a girl can never have too many spatulas. For real.

Next stop. Okay, the girl having this sale was the cutest thing ever. Ex- Mansfield High Cheerleader who is now in college and was getting rid of some super cute stuff. I should have bought it all...but the sizes were off. Hate that!

Okay, these three shirts...

a new car charger for Co' Brown's ipod (Little Miss Toot broke his), sunglasses for Drew, and these cute little sandles. I know, I know...used shoes = gross. But honestly the bottoms look like they've never touched the ground.

TOTAL? 5 Bucks...for everything in both pics! Not bad!

On the way home, I stopped by a consignment store by our house and bought this pair of

Ralph Lauren jeans...

For this boy...

For $4.00

There you go. Garage sale Friday. I am anxiously awaiting spring and all of the Estate Sales! I am forever in love with a good Estate Sale! There is just something neat about looking through somebody's stuff. It kind of tells a little story of their life. Geez...I have issues.

Walgreen's Deal Scenario

Buy 3 participating items and get $5.00 in Register Rewards good on your next purchase. There are several items to choose from other than what I purchased, so grab an ad and match up your coupons! Macy actually needed Pull-Ups, so this worked out good for me.

Huggies Pull-Ups $8.99

(2) Kotex 18 ct. tampon $2.99

coupons used (printed from coupons.com) :

$2.00 off Huggies Pull Ups

(2) Kotex $1/1

Total: $10.97

+Tax: $0.91

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$11.88 out of pocket

I recieved $5.00 RR......making each item $2.29!

The circulars for Wags and CVS look great this week. This is just an example of how you can get started. Like I said, I needed Pull-Ups, so it worked out in my favor. I will be SO glad when we are done with those!

P.S. You know, all of the Valentine's Candy is on clearance for 75% off right? This makes for great "Movie Candy" to go along with those FREE Red Box & Blockbuster rentals! I can't stop buying the bags of gummy bears at CVS! They ring up for a quarter each! Somebody stop me please!

And This Is How It's Done...

My CVS has an in store scanner where you simply scan your CVS card and it prints out random coupons. Today it printed out coupons for $1/2 Gold Emblem candy and $1 off any CVS brand Hair Care item. These coupons work on clearance items and can actually save you money if you use them correctly! Check it out...

• Pampers Baby Wipes 72 ct. $2.50 (- $1 pampers mailer coupon)
• Gold Emblem Dried Cranberries $1
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal $1.99 (-$1 printable)
• Lucky Charms Cereal $1.99 (-$1 printable)
• (2) pkg. Valentine Gummy Bears $0.25 each (on clearance 75% off) + (-$1/2 coupon above) = money maker!!!
• Gold Emblem Fig Newtons $0.87 on clearance
• Elmers Glue Stick $2.49 (Mak needed for a project)

I used $5.50 in Extra Care Bucks that I had left over from last week's transactions. My total out of pocket for everything:

$1.98

love. it.

To Market, To Market....

I was very pleased with my trip to Sprouts today. Remember, on Wednesdays they let you use both circulars! Here's what I chose:

Red Seedless Grapes = $0.88/lb

Pineapples = $0.99 each

Roma tomatoes = $0.49/lb.

Cilantro = $0.49/bunch

Purple Onions = $0.99/lb (the organic ones are less this week, the little guy rang mine up wrong)

Jalepenos = $0.99/lb

Broccoli Crowns = $0.77/lb

Celery Stalks = $0.99/bunch

Carrots = $1.39/bunch (i swear i thought these were cheaper, gotta check on that!)

I'm going to make fresh salsa (maybe pineapple salsa?) because I've been craving it ever since Super Bowl Sunday when my friend Carrie brought her yummy Mango Salsa to work! I paid $8.48 for everything and when I checked out the little guy told me "be sure and take some flowers." Yep, FREE flowers...he must of known I needed a reason to smile. I think they are open until 10pm...so hurry up and get your free flowers, too!

It's Time To Get Motivated!

Hello bloggy friends! I hope you all had a great holiday season! Wow, I've really been a slacker on this blog posting business! It's time to crack the whip and start saving money in 2010! I am so excited to see how much we can decrease our total debt this year. If you are just checking in, we began doing Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover in January of 2009. Our totals for the year were just over a $36,000 decrease in total debt. Get on board people! If you want to know more, I encourage you to scroll back and check out my first couple of posts.

I went to Kroger tonight. The weekly special (ends tonight...sorry!) was buy 3 Kellogg's participating items and in turn, get a loaf of bread, a dozen eggs, a gallon of milk, & a pkg of sausage gravy ALL for FREE!!! I wanted to post this as an example. Here's what I bought...2 boxes of Nutrigrain bars and 1 box of Kellogg's Special K cereal. These items were 3/$7. I had a coupon for $1off/2 boxes of Nutrigrain bars (couldn't find one for the cereal, ugh!) which brought my total down to $6.00. I also received a free regular sized bag of Stacy's Pita Chips with a coupon from becoming a "fan" of their's on Facebook. Here's a picture of what I bought for $6.01 out of pocket. Not FREE...but not bad!

Kroger has been having these weekly meal deals like some of the other stores lately. Don't forget to combine these offers with your coupons! Also, if you live in the South Dallas area, Sprouts has the biggest navel oranges I have ever seen for $0.29/lb this week. They are awesome! Sprouts allows you to use the previous and current week's circular on Wednesdays. Pretty cool.

Please keep me posted on what great deals you are finding and how much you are paying off! It can be really hard to stay motivated at times, but hearing your stories are an encouragement to us! Let's rock this debt in 2010!!!

~~~~~STOCKPILE, BABY!~~~~~

TIME TO STOCK UP ON SKIPPY PB AND RAGU AT WALGREEN'S!!! BUY ANY COMBINATION OF EIGHT FEATURED ITEMS, GET $8.00 REGISTER REWARD GOOD TOWARD YOUR NEXT PURCHASE.

(5) JARS OF RAGU SPAGHETTI SAUCE 3/$5.00
(3) JARS OF SKIPPY PEANUT BUTTER 3/$5.00
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TOTAL: $13.04

REGISTER REWARDS $8.00

LIKE GETTING ALL 8 ITEMS FOR $5.04....OR EACH ITEM FOR $0.63....LOVE IT:)
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE KIDS IN DIAPERS, THE REGISTER REWARDS WILL WORK TOWARD THE HUGGIES JUMBO PACKS LISTED AT 2/$18.

HUGGIES 2/$18...TOTAL WAS $19.83 AFTER TAX.

LESS THE $8.00 REGISTER REWARDS (FROM THE ABOVE PURCHASE)
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OUT OF POCKET=$10.83...NOT SHABBY FOR TWO PACKAGES OF HUGGIES!
PLUS...REGISTER REWARDS GOOD ON NEXT PURCHASE...$4.00=SWEETNESS:)

WHAT DEALS DID YOU FIND THIS WEEK? WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THEM!

Helpful Links

Here is a super helpful site when it comes to CVSing! I tend to forget it's there and do my own thing and then sometimes kick myself for missing out on some great deals! Check out "i heart cvs"...it's the best!http://www.iheartcvs.com/

If you need some help matching up all of those coupons to the sales in the circulars this week...check out http://www.couponmom.com/ and click on "grocery deals by state". You will then be able to find your state followed by the store that you like shopping at. Then the "Coupon Mom" does the work for you.

This one is for all you mom's who love going out to eat as much as I do! http://www.kidseatfree.org/ It's a database that lists the restaraunts in your area that offer free dining for kids. Can't beat that!

Gotta give credit to my friend, Jara, on this one. http://mommyswishlist.blogspot.com/ Mommy's Wish List tells you where to get it, and how NOT to pay for it! Awesome, huh?! Thanks, Jara!!!
http://coupons.com/ is a great place to print online coupons. They are usually different from the ones that come in the papers! I am going crazy here trying to get hubby to replace the ink cartridge in the printer!!! Missing out on some great deals!

What are your favorite links???

September Totals Are In!!!

If you have not purchased this.....

let it be the LAST thing that you charge on that pathetic little piece of plastic. Let me guess...you're all, "I don't have time to read, Julie Brown!" Well guess what, sister? I don't even LIKE reading! So, go download the audio version onto your IPOD that you probably CHARGED and listen to it in that vehicle that you love making payments on every month while you are driving your kids to private school. Okay, well maybe that's my dirt... Anyhow, let's cut to the chase. Like I told you in my first blog post, we started this little adventure in January 2009. It has now been 9 months and we have decreased our total debt by $14,207 so far. And honey, it ain't no cakewalk! I LOVE to shop. I LOVE to go out to eat. I LOVE getting my hair and nails done. It is an extremely humbling experience. But, I value things more now. I see things from a different perspective and I find myself 100 percent more faithful in a God who provides. I no longer "buy things with money you don't have to impress people you don't even like" as I've heard ole' Dave say over and over. It's so hard, but you have to stop caring what people think and do what is best for your family. I can't wait to see what's in store for us...and for YOU! Please keep me updated on your success...it's all about the little victories. They keep me going when I want to throw my hands in the air and say, "forget it!" GO. BUY. THE BOOK.

Walgreens??? Yep, Walgreens!

A couple great finds at WAGS this week.... Herbal Essences Shampoo, Conditioner, OR Styling Products on Sale $2.99/get $2 Register Rewards back=$0.99 - minus $1 off coupon makes it FREE. *Limit 1 per transaction. (The beauty of Walgreeens is that they do not require any type of member card which allows you to purchase more than one throughout the week.) Mak B. was out of mousse...so this was perfect!

Halls Refresh drops SALE $1/get $1 Register Reward back...I combined this with a $0.75 off coupon...I think that makes it less than free?!

Dawn dish liquid SALE $0.99 *limit 3* - minus (3) $0.50 off coupons...$0.49 ea. Gotta love it!

Sure Antiperspirant/Deoderant 2 for $2 - minus (2) $0.75 off coupons...$0.25 ea. (I don't use this deoderant, but I buy it when it's that cheap...it's great for charity!)

I also found Airwick Scented Oil Warmers on CLEARANCE FOR $0.49 EACH!!! I bought 2 and may go back tomorrow for more. I think I have coupons for those somewhere?!

SUBTOTAL $5.19

TAX $0.37

TOTAL $5.56

REGISTER REWARDS FOR NEXT PURCHASE $3.00

So, that's $2.56 for everything pictured. Not bad, huh?!

For all my fellow Tide with Downy lovers...this one's for YOU!

Okay, ladies...if I failed to mention it already, one of the HARDEST things for me to give up during this little "journey" of ours is my Tide with Downy. Definitely my fav guilty pleasure!!! So, forgive me if I get a little overly excited in this post...it's the little things, isn't it?! This is a GREAT week to stock up on Procter & Gamble items at CVS. There are several ways you could swing this deal, but in the end I decided to go with the Tide (which also happens to be on sale for $6). So, here's the skinny...buy $25 worth of participating P&G products, get $10 ECB's back. Below is a list of my transaction from this evening:

(4) Tide 50 oz. SALE $6.00 ea. - (4) $1.00 off coupons

(1)Bounce 2 month dryer bar SALE $4 ea. - (1) $1.00 off coupon

(1) Dawn dish liquid SALE $1 - (1) $0.50 off coupon

(3)Listerine Total Care 500ml bottle $3.99 each/get $1 ECB *limit 3 per card* - (3) $2.00 off coupons (after all is said and done this makes them $0.99ea.)

(2)Crest w/ Scope $3.99/get $1.50 ECB *limit 2 per card* - (2) $1.00 off coupons

(2)Colgate Total Whitening SALE 2/$4 - (2)$1.00 off coupons

Ready to pay? Do you have your coupons? What about your CVS card? Okay...

Subtotal: $39.95
Tax: $1.77
TOTAL: $41.72
EXTRA CARE BUCKS PRINTED AT BOTTOM OF RECEIPT: $17.50

So, I figure it like this...that's $24.22, right? Which is about what you would pay for 4 bottles of Tide if it were ON SALE for $6.00. Or, even better....$24.22 divided by 13 items = $1.86 per item listed. However you want to look at it, I say it's a great deal! Oh, and if you don't need detergent, you could stock up on Charmin TP, Bounty paper towels, Dawn dish liquid...etc. Get your ad and match up your coupons! It's a great week to stock up, not only on household item, but ECB's as well! Then, take those ECB's and use them next time for items that give you ECB's in return...making them ZERO out of pocket!

Proverbs 31

Italian Sausage Soup

Okay...I got this GREAT recipe while reading some stranger's blog! I am going to post her recipe, but then I'll tell you what I'll do differently next time...


Sautee in a large soup pot:
1 or 2 cloves of chopped garlic
A little olive oil

Add:
2 cups cooked, diced Italian sausage
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 large bag of frozen spinach*
A sprinkling of hot red pepper flakes
Sautee until heated through.

Add:
2 quarts chicken stock (I use homemade)*
Bring to a rolling boil.
Add:
1 lb of pasta (I use rotini)*
Boil ten minutes, or until pasta is tender.

Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

***Okay, so I followed her recipe, except I used mini bowties instead of rotini (because they were almost free at kroger today:) and I did NOT use homemade chicken stock because I didn't have time. Next time I will probably use 1/3 of the spinach and double the sausage that I used tonight. I ended up removing alot of the spinach because it was just too much. I only bought one package of italian sausage, but I think I'll try 2 pkgs next time. I also added some garlic salt. Oh, and I am going to use alot more chicken stock. I bought 2 of the large pour boxes and even added additional water and it really cooked down, especially after I added the bowties. We will definitely be having this again VERY soon!!! It had a GREAT flavor! Here's a pic, but it really doesn't do it justice. I'm terrible at presentation!

Super Sunscreen Savings!!!

I don't know about you, but our house we go through sunscreen like crazy! Coach Brown uses it almost every day. It really adds up quick, especially during the summer months in Texas! Our favorite is the spray on aerosol kind because it's so quick and easy and wayyy less mess to deal with. I found these Hawaiian Tropic Spf 30 cans at Dollar Tree in Cedar Hill for $1.00 each. I went to another store that same day and saw the EXACT same cans for $8.00. What a great time to stock up for next year!!! Go get some before they run out!

FREEBIES!!!!!

Okay, I know the pic isn't the greatest quality, but I picked up these items at Kroger today ALL for FREE....let me hear you say FREEEEEE....yep that's it, you got it:)


In case you can't tell what the items are: 1 head of lettuce, 1 Betty Crocker Cake Mix, a 16 ounce pkg of Oscar Meyer Turkey, Kroger 6 pack of Raisins, 1gallon of Springdale 2% milk, 1 cup Kroger yogurt, 1 box of Kroger cereal bars, and a box of english muffins.

There is a great deal going on at Kroger right now. If you buy 3 boxes of Kellog's cereal or cookies, you get the milk, the yogurt, the raisins, and the english muffins for FREE. I bought 2 Family Size (huge!) boxes of Frosted Flakes and a box of Frosted Mini Wheats. They were on sale 3/$9.00 and I used 3 $1.00 off coupons (we saved these from inside co' brown's corn pops boxes...lol) which made the cereal 3/$6.00 . Not shabby for those big family size boxes, plus the freebies! The rest, I had coupons that Kroger sent in the mail. No purchase necessary. Just free!

And, I only got about halfway done with my shopping trip...so I may have some more freebies to share tomorrow:) Thank you, and GOODNIGHT!

33 Cents Out Of Pocket!!!

I was pretty proud of this trip to CVS the other night. Here's the skinny:

2 boxes of FlaVorIce Popsicles on clearance $0.75 each

1 Gallon of Milk you pay $2.49, get $1 ECB's back

1 Pantene Hairspray on sale $2.99 get $1 ECB's back and I used a $1 off manf coupon (which made it $0.99 oop.)

1 Glade Soy Candle you pay $6.99, get $6.99 ECB's making it FREE!!! (there may be coupons somewhere for this...i didn't have time to check.)

And I needed a couple of filler items to bring my total up, so I grabbed some loufa's (sp?) and almond hand soap for $1 each.

Transaction: I handed them an ECB I had from last week's transactions for $15.19 and thirty three cents in change. They handed me: $9.50 back in ECB's!!! Pretty sweet:)

In short....GET A CVS CARD!!!

$$$SHOW ME THE MONEY$$$

So, you need cash and you need it NOW. Let's talk! Who hasn't ever found themselves in that little predicament? I'm sure those of you in education (or any other career that pays MONTHLY, ugh...) can relate to things getting a little tight towards the end of the month. Here are a couple of places that I have found reliable for paying cash on the spot for my unwanted clutter! These are also helpful in building (or re-building) your $1000 emergency fund for all my Dave Ramsey followers out there.

HALF PRICE BOOKS!!! These guys make it so easy! Load up all of those old books that are taking up space in your house! I am always in and out of Half Price in less than 20 minutes. They take much more than books! Cd's, DVDs, even your old VHS tapes! Why do you still have those??? Of course, they pay more for current best sellers and such!

KID TO KID....children's consignment in Arlington. Take them your gently used children's clothing, shoes, strollers, cribs, even toys! They will give you the option of cash or a store credit that is a little (maybe 10 percent) higher. Why mess with a garage sale? Too much work!

LITTLE GIGGLES....is another children's consignment in Arlington that works exactly like Kid To Kid. Little Giggles was formerly Once Upon A Child and is now under different ownership. I have only been there once, but they were great and bought several things of mine that Kid To Kid would not buy (they are getting pretty picky these days).

PLATO'S CLOSET...also a consignment shop located in Arlington. They accept gently used teens/juniors clothing. They even take men's clothing! They look for name brand items that are trendy and have probably been purchased within the last 18 months or so. So...don't take them that ugly sweater that you got for Christmas 4 years ago:)

ARLINGTON JEWELRY EXCHANGE...this is a very nice jewelry store located in the Home Depot parking lot off of Cooper St. by the mall. They buy gold and precious jewels. Go through your jewelry box and find things that are nice, that you simply don't wear. You will have to tell them up front what you would like to receive from the sell of the item. They then approach the buyer and he will make you an offer after examining the piece. It's a very simple procedure. Takes about ten minutes. PS: I do NOT recommend selling anything of any sentimental value!!! You can't get those things back.

AND THEN THERE'S THE OBVIOUS:::

*HAVE A GARAGE SALE (hate it!)
*SELL STUFF ON CRAIGSLIST (love it!)
*EBAY (I have never sold anything on ebay, but I have heard great things about selling here, especially books! Be sure and have the buyer pay shipping!)

That's Banana's!

So, I can't take credit for finding this great deal! My friend Jamie informed me that Target has printable coupons available on their website (or in store at the registry printer). There is currently a coupon for $.50 cents off 1 lb of bananas. Banana's are $.56 cents/lb. Pretty sweet! Also, in that Sunday double paper you should be buying, there are coupons for $6.00 off Airwick imotion starter kits. They are on sale right now for $5.99...making them FREE! My Target was out but you can bet I will be checking other locations! Thanks, Jamie for the GREAT deal on banana's! I'm thinking SMOOTHIES!

A Little Tip For Tuesday!

Did you know that at most stores you can use both an in store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon on the same item? Yep! Check out the pic below. I found these items at CVS today. I paid exactly $0.21 cents out of pocket:) Not free...but close! Did you buy your double Sunday paper this week? What are you waiting on?! ALSO....OFFICE DEPOT HAS SPIRAL NOTEBOOKS FOR ONE PENNY THIS WEEK!!! NO CATCH. LIMIT 3. GOT MINE TODAY! I LITERALLY HANDED HER 3 PENNIES:)

How? Very simple, actually. The Colgate is currently buy one get one free at $2.79....I had a coupon for $2.00 off any Colgate at CVS. You do the math! Next, the Listerine Smart Rinse was on clearance at the CVS closest to my house. I had a buy one get one free manuf. coupon that I combined with a coupon for $1.00 off any mouthwash at CVS. I obtained that coupon from the in store scanner at CVS that you can use up to once daily to receive extra coupons and offers. (Sometimes it will spit out coupons like $5 off any $15 dollar purchase.) My items rang up for $1.21...I handed them ONE Extra Care Buck (see prior posts) and $0.21 cents change.

A couple of good (not GREAT) deals I found today were: notebook paper at Walgreen's is $0.49 cents with the circular coupon, and backpacks are buy one get one free at $9.99 (making them five bucks each). These were mainly character backpacks for little ones. Payless Shoes (i know, i know but they have good deals!) is having their BOGO sale which includes all merchandise, even clearance! Makes for some REALLY cheap shoes.

Have a great week! Keep me posted on what GREAT deals YOU find!!!

The Essentials...

So first things first.......SHOPPING! Let me enlighten you. If you have not obtained a CVS card you must do so NOW! CVS offers "Extra Care Bucks" on several different items each week. These bucks print out at the end of your reciept after your purchase, for future use which ends up making items very inexpensive or even FREE. They also accept manufacturer's coupons which can be used in combination with the ECB's. It's a game of sorts. This weeks circular was great if you are just getting started. Especially if you have kids. Lots of back to school items are free!

As far as shopping for groceries is concerned...shopping at one store is a thing of the past. We always buy a double Sunday paper so that we have two sets of coupons. Yes, I said coupons. Get over it! I don't enjoy clipping and filing them either, but I sure am stoked when I look at the bottom of my reciept and see how much hard earned cash I actually saved!! I tend to do most of my shopping at Kroger and Albertsons because they double and triple coupons. I do get some items at Walmart. I've never been big on Tom Thumb until this week! Now I may have to switch! All of you die hard Pepsi and Mt. Dew drinkers listen up! This week at Tom Thumb buy two 12-packs of Pepsi Products & GET THREE 12-PACKS FREE!!! YES, I SAID THREE MORE FREE plus a huge bag of Tostidos chips! Now that's what I call "All that and a bag of chips!"

STOCKPILE, STOCKPILE, STOCKPILE!!! Especially on the essentials! Stock up on things like milk, butter, eggs, bread, flour, and sugar (and do it when they are on sale at their cheapest) because then you are never "out of everything". Did you know that you can freeze milk? And bread? Just give your milk a good shake after it thaws! We go to the Mrs. Bairds Outlet stores and stock up for weeks! We usually end up spending around seven dollars and it totally fills up our freezer! They have much more than bread there, too. They carry breakfast items, pizza crusts, tortillas, etc. and they always have freebies! There is a Mrs. Bairds located in DeSoto on Hampton and one in Arlington as well. I like to stock up on things we use alot of like household cleaning items, detergent, body wash and hair products, paper towels, and of course, TP!!! It is so nice to just walk into the pantry and grab some body wash when we run out! That helps me focus on just buying groceries when I'm at the store. Trust me, it will make a HUGE difference in your bill!

Walgreens has a Register Rewards program that is very similar to CVS but doesn't require a card. I find this helpful because it allows you to do the transactions more than once. For instance, this week at Walgreens:

VITAMIN Shampoo or Conditioner is on sale for $3.99
Register Rewards (good on next purchase) $4.oo

I chose to stock up on TP this week. Check it out...

Quilted Northern Big Rolls 9 pack on sale $4.oo
(minus Manufacturer's Coupon $1.oo off)
Eggs $0.99
Quaker Oats Pancake Mix (large boxes!!) 2/$1.00 Wow!
(minus Register Rewards from the Shampoo $4.00)
TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $1.44

Not free...but, not shabby! Oh, and I almost forgot! Walgreens has all of their sandals (didn't even know they carried shoes?!) on clearance %75 off!!! Got the cutest brown sandals for $2.50. I'm thinking about buying up several pair for Macy for next summer...they really are cute. Walgreens. Yep.

Okay, gotta run. More to come. Happy shopping, happy saving:)

Oh Lord, That You Would Bless Me Indeed...

Those simple words have crossed my lips daily for months now. The Prayer of Jabez. In January 2009 we decided to dramatically change our lifestyle and how we spend our money. Focusing on the future and what we would like to leave our children (and their children) has become priority in our home. With the help of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University we have now knocked out a whopping $11,500 in only seven short months. It has not by any means been easy, but it has been extremely rewarding. I wanted to begin blogging to share some of things that we are doing that might help someone else save a penny or two. I am here to tell you, if WE can do it...then YOU definitely can do it as well!! The most important thing I have learned (and continue to be reminded of) is that God is faithful and he will 'bless you indeed' if you just ask. That sounds like such a simple thing, but I think sometimes we get so caught up praying for other people or about certain situations in life that we forget to ask God for His blessings.

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, Lord that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain." So God granted him what he requested.
I Chronicles 4:10 NKJV

It's a powerful little prayer. I challenge you to utilize it and see how God chooses to bless you. I feel as though our family has been blessed beyond measure.