ABCmouse.com = Awesome Tool for Preschoolers

Chances are, if you've ever watched PBS for about an hour or two, you've seen an ABCmouse.com commercial.  We've been watching PBS for almost four years before I seriously checked them out.  I had seen they were doing a month free about a month and a half ago, so of course we jumped on it.  

The first day that I had set up an account, Kade wanted to play for two hours.  We normally don't let him get on the computer and just play, for the sole purposes of A) he's probably going to delete something he shouldn't and B) he may get online and see things he doesn't need to.  Needless to say he wasn't very coordinated and quick with the mouse when we started.  Since we've started our account, he spends no less than an hour or two on it.  He is also VERY coordinated with the mouse and beats some of these fast games.  He is currently on Level One for the 3 year olds and is at 55%.  He just thinks he's having fun and learning.  Beforehand, he already knew his shapes, colors, numbers & alphabet.  But now he's learning the concept of having to have so many tickets to buy an item in their little stores.  And often, he has to do a few more games, puzzles, etc. to get what it is that he wants.  And let me just say that getting his tickets for completing activities is so much more rewarding to him than I could ever imagine!  

To any parent considering, it's definitely worth it.  You can sign up by month or commit to a year (which we have gone ahead on).  The current price for a year is $59.  It's beyond worth it to see the new things they learn and to see them actually want to learn. 

And Some More Couponing...

So over the course of the weekend, my daddy & aunt both gave me some amazing coupons for Bilo.  One for $10 off a $50 purchase & the other for $5 off a $35 purchase.  I clipped coupons from my Greenville paper & got a few off coupons.com and planned my trip out.  I split my groceries into two transactions so i could use both of the big Bilo coupons. Today i also managed to get a freebie!!

And here's what i managed to get on my trip today. 

Transaction #1::
2 Loaves of Goldfish Honey Whole Wheat Bread ($2.79 per loaf; $5.58 for both; $1 MFR coupon off two loaves; Final Price: $4.58)
Mueller's Spaghetti, Bowtie Pasta, Fettuccine, Large Seashell Pasta (Reg. Price per box: $1.88; BOGO Price for all 4 boxes: $3.76, 2 Coupons: $0.55 MFR coupon off one box, each double; Final Price: $1.56)
1 Bag of Quaker Cheddar Cheese Poppers Rice Cakes (Reg. Price:$1.89; Sale Price: $1.00; Coupon for $0.55 MFR coupon off 1 bag, doubled = FREE)
Ragu (Full Price: $2.29)
2 Boxes of Kellogg's Fruit Gummies (Reg. Price: $2.99 per box; Sale Price: $5.00 for both boxes)
Kellogg's Froot Loops (Full Price: $4.29)
Ziploc Sandwich Bags (Reg. Price: $2.38; Coupon: $0.40, doubled; Final Price: $1.58)
Luvs Diapers Big Pack (Box) (Reg. Price: $19.99; Sale Price: $16.97; Coupons: $3.00 Publix Baby Club Coupon & $1.00 Luvs MFR coupon; Final price: $12.97)
Split Breast Chicken (Reg. Price: $ 14.36 for my particular pack; Sale Price: $4.92)
Cube Steak (Reg. Price: $5.39 for my pack; Sale Price: $4.63)
Tennessee Pride Sausage (Reg. Price: $4.79; Sale Price: $2.50)
2 Onions (Full Price: $2.60)
Deli Plate (Full Price: $5.00)
**$10.00 off $50.00 purchase coupon

My Subtotal Before Savings: $81.97
My Savings: $43.04
My Subtotal After Savings: $38.93
Tax: $1.40
My Total: $40.33

Transaction #2::

Kraft 1000 Island Dressing (Reg. Price: $4.59; Sale Price: $3.00)
Mentos Gum (Full Price: $1.42)
Dr. Pepper 2 Liter (Reg. Price: $1.79; Sale Price: $1.00)
2 Jars Southern Home Alfredo Sauce (Reg. Price: $3.58 for both jars; Sale Price: $3.00 for both)
Madagascar Gummies (Full Price: $1.49)
Charmin 12 Pack (Reg. Price: $9.77; Sale Price: $8.99; Coupon: $1.00 off Bilo Catalina; Final Price: $7.99)
4 Packs Ensure (Regular Price for all packs: $35.96; Sale Price for all: $31.96; Coupons: $5.00/2 pack MFR & $3.00/2 pack Bilo Catalina; Final Price: $23.96)
2 Pet Ice Cream 1/2 Gallons (Reg. Price: $11.98; Sale Price BOGO: $5.98; Coupons: $1.00 Pet MFR & $1.00 off Bilo Catalina; Final Price: $3.98)
**$5.00 off $35.00 purchase

My Subtotal Before Savings: $70.58
My Savings: $29.74
My Subtotal Before Savings: $40.84
Tax: $0.48
My Final Total: $41.32

Between Both Transactions I Spent: $152.55

I Saved Between Both Transactions: $72.78

My Final Total Was: $81.65

I'm hoping I can get my next trip MUCH lower than this but some of these deals were too hard to pass up & I didn't have a coupon for everything I bought.  Stay tuned next week WILL be better!

EASY Homemade BBQ Recipe

So, on Monday I found an amazing sale on Boston Butt Roast at Bilo.  I decided to buy it and attempt to make homemade barbeque.  We LOVE BBQ! But seriously, at $8 a plate, we hardly ever eat it.  I found a recipe that was simple enough to try with two kids and didn't require me to be glued to my kitchen either.  

It called for::

Boston Butt Roast
An Onion, Diced
1-16 oz. Bottle of BBQ sauce (your choice of flavor) (I used Kraft Thick & Spicy Brown Sugar-also on sale)
And about a cup of water to help steam and tenderize the roast

I cut my meat off the bone and trimmed the fat.  I started my roast cooking in my 5 quart Crockpot at 3:30 Tuesday afternoon on low.  I let it cook all night and turned it off at 8:30 am Wednesday morning so i'd have time to shred the meat before drum lessons.  Absolutely tender meat, easy to shred & YUMMY!! Also got my mama's approval (she is the toughest barbeque critic ever!!) and my husband said if i try slaw with it (I only added beans as a side this time) that it is gonna be hands down his favorite and most requested meal.

Just wanted to share this with anybody who loves barbeque but doesn't wanna pay an arm & a leg. 

**AWESOME Price on KitchenAid Stand Mixer @ Target**

After about a year of on and off talk about a KitchenAid stand mixer and how it was absolutely necessary for my kitchen, my husband came in Saturday afternoon in the pouring rain with mine (after working a 12 hour shift on one hour of sleep - what a man!)  Of course, Saturday night I'd already put it to use.  When I got my paper on Sunday morning, I noticed that Target had marked select KitchenAid appliances 20% off, this one included.  Every Target is different, but most will take your receipt and give you the difference if a competitor, or even themselves, mark an item down below the price you paid.  This morning, I went to get my 20% back.  When it comes to a $300 machine, that percentage is a big deal.  I just wanted to post this for any ladies considering buying one, this week is an awesome time!! I absolutely love mine and Target's prices aren't always this low on them!

My Grocery Haul For The Week

Yesterday we made our usual Monday grocery trip.  I still had one last $10 off $50 purchase coupon for Bi-Lo, so i looked at the ads, browsed online for coupons & picked through my coupon stash.  Keep in mind that when i list what i got, i'm just getting started.  I am NOWHERE near where i want to be as far as my grocery budget.  I want to be one of those ladies that has people saying "Oh crap, there she is again" when i walk in the store.  I've been behind that lady and been amazed at how she could get two buggies full of groceries for less that what i paid for half of one.  


Anyhow, here is my list this week::

*2 Boxes of Tetley Sweet Tea Bags (Reg. Price: $2.35 per box; Sale Price: $1.18 for BOGO)
*Tom & Jerry Gummies (Full Price: $2.89)
*2 Bottles of Kraft 1000 Island Dressing (Reg. Price: $3.29 per bottle; Sale Price: $1.65 for BOGO)
*2 Bottles of Kraft BBQ Sauce (Reg. Price: $1.56 per bottle; Sale Price: $0.78 for BOGO)
*Ground Cinnamon Shaker (Full Price: $0.99)
*HMB Buns (Full Price: $0.99)
*3 Boxes of Poptarts (Reg. Price: $2.48 per box; Sale Price: 3 Boxes for $5; Coupons-$1.00 off 3 boxes (found inside select Poptart Boxes) & Food Lion Catalina $0.75 off any Poptart purchase; Final Price for all 3 boxes: $3.25)
*1 Box of Corn Pops & Froot Loops (Reg. Price $4.29 per box; Sale Price: $2.14 per box for BOGO)
*Pillsbury Bread Flour (Reg. Price: $3.19; Sale Price: $3.00)
*2 Bottles of A1 Steak Sauce (Reg Price: $4.48 per bottle; Sale Price: $2.25 per bottle)
*2 Boxes of Entenmann's Little Bites Brownies (Reg. Price: $4.48 per box; Sale Price: $2.25 per box)
*1 Bag of Southern Home Croutons (Full Price: $1.49)
*1 Bottle of Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup (Full Price: $3.89)
*1 Jumbo Box of Eggo Chocolate Chip Waffles (Full Price: $5.89)
*DiGiorno Dipping Strips Pizza (Regular Price: $7.38; Sale Price: $5.00; Coupons: $1.00 MFR coupon & $1.50 Bilo Catalina; Final Price: $ 2.50)
*2 Packs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast ($8.30 for both packs on BOGO)
*Boston Butt Roast (Regular Price for my particular roast: $19.20; Sale Price: $6.36)
*Land of Frost Turkey & Ham 1 lb. Packs, one each (Reg. Price: $5.59 per pack; Sale Price: $5.00 per pack)
*Cucumber (Reg. Price: $0.99; Sale Price: $0.69)

My Subtotal Before Savings: $115.39
My Savings (Don't forget my $10 coupon): $52.87
My Final Total with tax: $62.52

Again, i'm still a work in progress when it comes to being a CRAZY Coupon Lady, but i'm working on it. Thanks for reading!

Amazing Coupon Code For The Children's Place

I stumbled across an amazing coupon code for The Children's Place and couldn't resist. It states it was for an extra 20% off & free shipping.  The only catch is that it's free shipping even without the code if you spend $75 or more.  Orders under $75 are only $5 standard shipping. 

Anyhow, i got some amazing deals with the code.  For Kyleigh, a pair of sparkle ballet flats for $7.60, 2 pair of leggings for $3.19 each, 2 graphic tees for $4.80 each & a Yo Gabba shirt for $8.00.  And for Kade, 3 graphic tees for $4.80 each.  With shipping & tax , my total was $52.34.  They have an amazing sale going on right now, i have included the coupon code i used at the bottom.  Happy Shopping!!






The Coupon Code::    V8KFAY13

Second Extreme Couponing Trip...Still Getting The Hang Of It

I'm still trying to pick out the best sales, pick and choose my coupons wisely.  I have gotten a bigger notebook and am searching for more baseball card sleeves for keeping my coupons neat & organized.  This morning, i did search for a few items i needed coupons for and signed up for email coupon lists. 

I had a few odds & ends to get today and a gift for a baby shower, not much of a list.  I made a trip to Bi-Lo, since their sales seemed to cover the majority of our needs.  

My purchases include::
3 boxes of Hamburger Helper (Sale $1 a box; coupon for $0.75 off purchase of 3)
12 Hershey Almond Bars (BOGO- $5.88 for all, covers hubby's lunch & snacking for the week)
2 Packs of Reese Cups (BOGO- $0.98 for both)
Lysol Wipes (2/$5; coupon for $0.50 off purchase of 2)
Whiskas Wet Pouches for our furbaby (Regular Price)
2 Clear Value Paper Towel Double Rolls ($1.35 per roll; had 2 coupons for $1.00 off each roll)
Pampers Swaddlers (Sale $9.99; Coupon for $1.50 off the pack)
Scott Naturals 12 Pack Toilet Paper (Sale $7.49; Store Catalina for $1.50 & $0.75 MFR Coupon)
3 Pack Brita Filter Refills (Sale $17.99; Coupon from Coupons.com for $3 off the pack)
Spinach (Regular Price)
Bananas (Regular Price)

*I also had a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase that my aunt received in the mail as well.

Before my savings from my Bonuscard my total was a whopping $100.42.  My Savings between coupons & Bonuscard brought my savings total to $57.54.  I got $100 of groceries for $45.68.  I also earned $0.25 in Fuelperks today between their bonus items and my total.  I'm hoping to start planning all of our food & snacks around sales and cut my grocery bill in half ASAP! Just wanted to share my second awesome trip!