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

---------------

$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!!!