Tuesday, June 30, 2009



Got a Bank of America credit card?  Show it this weekend (July 4th & 5th) to get free admission to local museums!  With the Bank of America "Museums on Us" program, all you have to do is show your Bank of America credit card along with your photo id to get free admission for each cardholder.

Check out their website here for all the details and to see what museums near you are participating.  This promotion runs every month!

Monday, June 22, 2009


Last week I did my first plan in ages, and I actually stuck with it! There was one day that I didn't end up making a meal since it was going to be just me, so you will see that "repeat" on here this week :) We are hoping to sell our house soon (PRAY! lol) so I want to use up some of the cans and other items accumulating in our pantry or freezer, as I don't really want to be packing and unpacking a ton of food. So that is my goal this week.

Monday - Tonight my in-laws are coming over for Father's day dinner and I'm making a frozen lasagna, salad, rolls and this peach kuchen. The frozen lasagna has been taking up a big chunk in my freezer and this is the rare occasion that we can actually make it and not throw half away. Also, I have a ton of canned peaches that we never seem to use, so I searched around until I found the kuchen recipe (I halved it and ended up having all the ingredients, yay!) I just finished baking it and it smells and looks awesome!

Tuesday - The Italian Chicken & Orzo from last week. I'm definitely going to make this because I need to use up the sliced mushrooms asap. So this time I really will let you know how it goes :)

Wednesday - Sloppy Joes & mixed veggies - uses up some frozen ground turkey, a can of Manwich and the leftover hamburger rolls from last week as well as whatever veggies I have around to be used.

Thursday - Marinated grilled chicken breasts, veggies & a starchy side will use one bottle of marinade, and some other stuff from the pantry as well as some frozen chicken breasts in the freezer.

Friday - My Mommy's birthday! Happy Birthday Mom, we are going out :)

Saturday - We are going to be out again tonight for dinner, lucky me!!

Sunday - I am officially naming Sunday's in summer as grill nights; so easy and it uses up our frozen hot dogs and hamburgers

Sunday, June 21, 2009

First, if you are new to working deals at Acme, please read the background info on this post. This will explain how the coupons double & how to print two copies of the printable coupons.

Prices aren't too great this week. There's a bunch of Buy one get one free items this week (Bogo) which seem to be some of the better deals. For me and my Coke Zero addiction, the best deal is the Coke 12-pack circular deal. Here's what I see:

Circular deals:

Stouffer's Red box, Lean Cuisine, Multi-Serve, Hot or Lean Pockets are all 50% off.


Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero or Sprite 12-pack cans are on sale 6 for $12 with the coupon on the back of the circular.

Bogo items:
  • Keller's Butter quarters
  • Raspberries
  • Acme or Perdue split chicken breasts
  • Ball Park meat franks (there are $1 off 2 coupons from recent inserts)
  • Perdue Turkey breasts and Hatfield Pork tenderloin
  • Thomas' English muffins and Maier's Italian bread
  • Hatfield sliced bacon
  • Nature sweet cherry tomatoes

Green Giant Boil-in-Bag boxed veggies are on sale 8 for $10, and you actually have to buy 8. These used to go on sale 10 for $10, but haven't in a long time :(

Printable coupon deals:

Sorry! There just aren't any matchups that I see. :(

Newspaper coupon deals:

There's a Catalina deal (it runs through 7/2) where you get a $4 Catalina (register) coupon for buying any 4 participating ice cream products. Check the circular insert for all of the participating brands, but there are coupon matchups for Nestle Drumsticks ($1 off 2), Edy's Dibs ($1 off 2), Eskimo pie ($1 off 1), Haagen-Daz products ($1 off 2) and The Skinny Cow ($1 off 2).

McCormick Grillmate marinade packs are $1 this week. If you still have the $0.50 McCormick coupons they will double to $1 making these FREE.

Sunday, June 14, 2009


Wow! It has been AGES since I have done a Menu Plan Monday post, and I really need to get back in the swing of it. There is always some excuse for why I can't really do it this week, and then the weeks slip away from me. Of course, this week I have another little blip in my plan, but I decided to 'just do it'. Ok, so here's my plan:

Monday- Out! I never really go out to eat on a Monday, but there are a few reasons why I'm doing it this week including treating myself before:

Tuesday- I have to be fasting for a medical procedure on Wed. blech!! I am one of the worst fast-ers ever, so I will not be making dinner, hubby can eat leftovers or grill himself a burger!!

Wednesday- Since I have a busy day ahead, I'm going to try a new recipe called Italian Chicken & Orzo. It actually uses a can of chicken...don't balk, it's not my first choice either, but I have some to use up. If it's worth mentioning I'll post it up.

Thursday- Slow-cooker shredded beef tacos. The recipe is really easy: put 1-1/2 lbs. of beef chuck roast and one sliced onion in the crock pot. Combine 1 cup of water and 1 packet of taco seasoning mix in a bowl and then pour over the beef & onion. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Then just shred the beef and mix to taste with taco sauce (I'm totally serious that you can use up those 1,000 packets from Taco Bell! =) Then just use the shredded beef instead of ground beef in your tacos, yum!

Friday- Creamy pesto pasta with green beans. This recipe was from Real Simple and called for gnocchi, but since DH doesn't like gnocchi (is he crazy?!) I will sub some other pasta. All you do it boil 1 lb. of pasta and about 1/2 lb. of green beans (cut into bite size pieces). Drain and return the pot to the stove. Add 1 container of store-bought pesto (8 oz.) and 1/4 cup of heavy cream (I will probably just use milk instead) and stir until heated through. You could sub asparagus for green beans or add some cooked chicken, whatever you like.

Saturday- Parties off and on, so we will eat at those :)

Sunday- Leftovers or burgers/dogs on the grill

So there, I did it, no excuses :D

First, if you are new to working deals at Acme, please read the background info on this post. This will explain how the coupons double & how to print two copies of the printable coupons.

You can get some free marinade and rub, and scroll to the bottom for a Catalina deal. Here's what I see this week:

Circular deals:

Lancaster Brand beef top round London broil or 80% lean ground beef is on sale for $1.99 lb.

Strawberries, blackberries or raspberries are buy one get one free (identical item only)

Printable coupon deals:

SoBe Life Water 20 oz. bottles are on sale for $1. Use the bogo coupon here to get two for $0.50 each.

Kraft Easy Mac cups are on sale for $1. Use the bogo coupon available here to get two for $0.50 each.

Bumble Bee chunk light tuna pouches are on sale for $1 - if you are interested in signing up for the Bumble Bee House party here, I hear you get a coupon for $1 off a Bumble Bee product, which you could use to get some free tuna :).

Newspaper coupon deals:

Purex 3-in-1 Sheets are new & priced at $4.99 this week and there is a $2 off coupon in today's paper, making them $2.99.

Tropicana OJ is $3 this week; there are $1 off 2 coupons from recent inserts making these $2.50 each wyb 2.

McCormick Grillmate marinade packs are $1 this week. There are $0.50 McCormick coupons that will double to $1 making these FREE. If you wanted to purchase the McCormick shakers instead (more uses) they are priced at $1.50, so they would be $0.50 after the coupon.

Lawry's 12 oz. Marinades are on sale for $1 this week. There are a couple different newspaper coupons one for $0.50 off 1 that will make this FREE and another for $1 off 2 that will make these $0.50 each wyb 2.

Duncan Hines layer cake mixes are $1.25 this week and the DH frostings are $1.66. There is a $1 off DH carrot cake mix AND cream cheese frosting. Buy those and use the $1 off coupon and you pay $1.91 for both.

**There is one decent Catalina deal on the back page of the circular this week. The deal is to buy $25 in the participating products and you'll get a Catalina (register) coupon for $10 off your next order. If you had the time or a cooperative cashier, you can do these items first in one transaction and then use the $10 on the rest of your items to lower your out of pocket cost. Check the circular for the participating items, but here are the items that I can see coupon matchups for (good ones if you have a June All You magazine):
-Manwich Sloppy Joes are $1 each, there are $1 off 3 coupons out there from a Hunt's mailer and All You
-Healthy Choice Complete Selections are $3. There is a $1 off 2 coupon from this month's All You. Healthy Choice Naturals or Simple Selections are $2.50 and there's a $1 off 1 coupon from All You.
-Marie Callender's Al Dente is $3. There is a $0.75 off coupon available here (don't forget it will double to $1.50 off!)
-Reddi Wip is $2.50 and there are $1 off coupons from the Hunt's mailer or All You.
-Pam cooking spray is $2.50 and there's a $1 off in All You.
-Alexia crunchy snacks are on sale for $2.50, there is a $1 coupon in this Sunday's paper (today's) or a $1 coupon from last month's All You.
-Wesson cooking oil is on sale for $3 and there's a $0.50 from All You that will double to $1.

If you had all of these coupons and used them, you would have exactly $25 before coupons and get it down to $16.50 after the coupons. If you factor in the $10 coupon, it is like getting all of those items for only $6.50 :)

Have any questions or see any deals I missed? Please leave it in the comments!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Have a Borders near you? Does it have a Seattle's Best Coffee inside? Then you're in for a freebie! Go here to print a coupon for a free 12 oz. beverage! No purchase is necessary & the coupon is valid until 6/18/09.

Have you requested four coupons yet from Free Chocolate Friday? If you haven't, go here today and sign up! I received my coupons already and can't wait to eat a bunch of free chocolate :D

Thursday, June 11, 2009



The freebies seem like they've been so light lately it has been a while since I made a post for them. Here's what I can find all in one place :)



Also from Walmart:






Jiffy mixes will send you a free recipe booklet (good to get some ideas if you stocked up when Acme had it for $0.25 a couple weeks ago!)

The Home Made Simple coupon booklet is back up to request again, and this has always had a coupon for a free product (usually rinse aid) along with other $off coupons.

Have your child complete REI's Passport to Adventure program and he or she will earn free binoculars or other cool prizes.

Also for little ones, Fisher-Price will send you a free DVD of 4 GeoTrax episodes.
That's all for now...enjoy!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009


I would never in a million years call myself "high maintenance." Just recently, though, I pulled a bit of a stunt on my husband at a restaurant. We were at the beach and I really wanted 'a good seafood platter', particularly clam strips. I don't know why I had that craving in my head, but sometimes you just really want something, right? Well anyway, the time came to pick a restaurant and I let my husband pick a place ;-) We were seated and ordered our drinks when we realized that....GASP! There was not a single clam strip at the place. Instead this was a sandwich joint with highly overpriced salads and sandwiches. I started getting upset, because I was frustrated at the fact that I was going to pay $15 for a salad (yes, $15!) that I didn't really want & I'd probably be pouty about no clams all the way home.


Yes, I know that I might sound like a prima donna, but my husband wisely suggested that we just leave and go to a different place where I'd be happy. I'm not going to speak for all women here, but I know that I would usually just complain through the meal and for a while afterward, that this was not what I wanted, but feel some sort of obligation to stay. Instead, I decided that I would be happier if we just paid for the drinks and left. After getting the drinks to go and leaving a little tip to our would-be waitress, we went to a seafood place and ended up both loving our food and had a good time. I realized that for the cost of some sodas, I ended up being much happier and it was way worth it.


I just read this article called "Some Thoughts on the Sunk Cost Fallacy" on one of my favorite personal finance blogs, The Simple Dollar. Though what the author is talking about is a little bit different, it really made me think that sometimes we fall into a trap of doing something out of a false sense of obligation. I think we'd all be a bit freer if we all realized his point that sunk costs can "convince you to make a poor choice about how to spend your time." Some times you just gotta let go of that little bit of money and not let it hold you captive!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009


A friend passed along a couple of deals for Six Flags that I wanted to share.  Six Flags is offering a new "Big Six Pass" for $49.99 a person that will allow you entry any 6 times now through November 1st.  If you are interested in going to the park more than once this summer, but not more than 6 times, this will save you $50 a person instead of purchasing a season pass!  Check out the ticket price website here for more information.

Even better, if you participate in Six Flags'  fundraiser to cure childhood cancer, A Walk in the Park, and raise $50 for the great cause you get a free park ticket.  Check out the website here if you are interested in the fundraiser (hurry, the walk for Great Adventure is June 14th!)

Thanks to Yukline for sending me this!



Printing a lot of coupons can make you go through printer paper pretty fast! (like my alliteration?)  Staples is running a deal this week on Hammer Mill Copy paper.  One ream of the CopyPlus paper is on sale for $4.99 and then you can submit a rebate for $3.99, making it only $1!  This is limit 2 per customer & is only valid in the store.  What is extra convenient is that the rebate information will print at the bottom of your receipt.

Hooray for easy rebates!

Monday, June 8, 2009

First, if you are new to working deals at Acme, please read the background info on this post. This will explain how the coupons double & how to print two copies of the printable coupons.

I can't believe how few deals there have been lately. As I look through the circular the "sale" prices of some items (like Nabisco crackers, Kraft dressing, Juicy Juice) are at the highest. What gives Acme? Bring us some good summer deals :D Anywho, here is a quick post of the only good deals I see.


**There is a Catalina deal on the back page of the circular this week.  If you buy $25 in participating products you get a $10 off coupon for your next order, if you buy $15 you get a $5 off and if you buy $10 you get a $2 off.  There are too many items to go through individually, but there are some items you can use coupons on (Cheerios, Yoplait kids yogurt, BC fruit snacks, etc.) that will help you lower your out of pocket total down and you still get the coupon for the original amount spent.

Circular deals:

Acme Spring Water 24-case of bottles is on sale for $2.77 each (but you must buy 3 to get that price)

Buy one get one free- Pints of blueberries and Acme sliced bacon

$1 2-liters of Pepsi, Coke & Canada Dry varieties of soda

Kashi Golean cereals are on sale for $2 each when you buy 3.

Printable coupon deals:

Sobe Life Water is on sale this week at $1.  There is a bogo coupon available here.

Kraft Singles are on sale for $1.88 each.  There are $1 off coupons availabe from Kraft here.

Newspaper coupon deals:

Skintimate shave gels are on sale for $1.66.  There is a $0.75 off 1 coupon from a recent insert (expires 6/20) that will double to $1.50 off making this $0.16!

Oscar Meyer lunchmeats are on sale buy one get one free, with prices up to $5.29.  There are a few $1 off 2 coupons.  Use one and you pay only up to $4.29 for two packages.

Macaroni Grill dinner kits are priced at $4.99 this week.  There is a $1 off coupon from yesterday's paper making these $3.99.

Snickers ice cream products are $3.50 this week.  There is a $1 off coupon from yesterday's paper making these only $2.50.

See anything I missed or have any questions?  Leave it in the comments :D

Wednesday, June 3, 2009


I love the TGIFriday's buy one entree get one free coupons!  There's a new one for June that expries on the 22nd.  Just click here and print it!