This week, Kroger stores are having a megaevent.If you buy 10 participating items, you get $5 off your order. This is like taking $0.50 off of each item. Some of the deals are better than others. When you pair the sales with coupons, you can get several free items. I went to King Soopers yesterday, and here are the 10 items I purchased (the prices reflect the added $0.50 off each item because I purchased 10 products):

2 Oscar Meyer Deli Shaved lunch meats-$2.49-$1.00/2 insert coupon=$1.99 each
2 cans Hormel chili-$0.79-$0.55/2 insert coupon-doubled to $1.00=$0.29 each
1 jar Hormel white chicken chili=$0.79-$1.00/1 coupon= money maker of $0.21
2 bags Green Giant Vegetable Steamers=$1.49 each-2 coupons for $0.50/1, doubled=$0.49 each
1 Digiorno Ultimate Toppings pizza=$4.49-$1.50/1 insert coupon=$3.49
1 can Rotel tomatoes=$0.49-$0.25/Blinkie coupon=$0.24
1 bag Snyder pretzel pieces=$1.99-$1.00/1 coupon=$0.99

I rounded out my shopping purchase with 4 packages of Mentos gum (I had 4 coupons for $0.55/1, doubled=$0.29 each), Activia yogurt-$1.88-$1.00/1 coupon, 2 packages of Dole salad blends, which were reduced to $0.99 each (I had a $1.00/2 coupon, bringing the price down to $0.49 each), 1 package of Kroger Fresh Selection salad $1.99-$1.00/1 coupon, and some day old bread.

Total Spent: $18.12
Total Saved $31.14 (63%)

The Kroger MegaSavings Event will also be going on this week, so there is still time to get in on the deals. If you would like links to printable coupons that apply to the sale, visit the SpringsBargains website.

Pampers is giving away a free sample of their Cruisers diapers. You may not like to sign up for free samples, but there is added incentive to get this one-the chance to win FREE DIAPERS FOR A YEAR! If your sample is printed with the Team USA logo, you win.

If you weren't able to take advantage of the Target diaper deal this week, there is another bargain on diapers from Diapers.com. Here is how it works:

1. Set up an account at Ebates.com. Ebates.com lets you earn cash back on your online purchases from select retailers, including Diapers.com (I have already emailed a few of you an invitation for Ebates. When you sign up, you will get an additional $5 back because I referred you. If you didn't get an email and would like an invite, please leave a comment).

2. Once you have created an Ebates account, access the Diapers.com website through Ebates (click on the Baby & Kids tab on the left sidebar and select Diapers.com)

3. Create a Diapers.com account. Purchase any combination of Luvs diapers to total at least $49. I purchased an Extra large case of size 4 diapers ($35.99) and a Big pack of size 4 diapers ($19.99). Use the coupon code DEALMOM for a $10 credit. At checkout, you will also receive FREE shipping because your order was over $49.

4. Finally, print and submit this mail-in rebate and submit within four weeks to receive $14.97 back.

After the coupon code, free shipping, and rebate, the diapers are $0.11 each. Once you factor in the Ebates cash back, the price drops to $0.09 each!!!!

Thanks DealSeekingMom!

As the Superbowl approaches, watch for snack and frozen food items to go on sale. Here are a few things that you can probably find a great deal on. I listed the prices that you should aim for on each item.

soda ($2.50 or less for a 12 pk- $0.79 for a 2-liter)
cheese ($2.00 lb or less for cheddar)
crackers ($1.50 or less per box)
potato chips ($2.00 or less per bag)
tortilla chips ($1.50 or less per bag
canned beans ($0.79 or less per can)
frozen pizza (depends on brand, but don't pay over $4.50)
ice cream ($1.99)
chili ($0.79)
hotdogs ($1.00/pkg-depending on brand)

Are you a scrapper? If so, you might want to check out the selection at Big Lots. A good friend of mine went to Big Lots and found some good deals on basic scrapbooking supplies. Selection will probably vary by location.

This week, Target is having a special on Pampers and Huggies diapers. Buy 3 jumbo packs for $8.99 each and get a $5 gift card. Use a combination of Target diaper coupons and manufacturers coupons, and this is one sweet deal. You can mix and match Huggies and Pampers to total 3 packages.

Here is how I worked the deal:

Trip #1
Bought 1 Pampers Cruisers-used 1 Target insert coupon for $2.00 off 1 pkg. of Pampers Cruisers and 1 $2.00 manufacturer's coupon
Bought 2 Huggies Little Movies-used 2 manufacturer's coupons for $2.00 off each

Total with tax came to $20.45, but I got the $5 gift card.

Trip #2
Bought 1 Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive-used 1 Target insert coupon for $2.00 off 1 pkg. of Pampers Swaddlers and 1 $2.00 manufacturer's coupon
Bought 2 Huggies Little Movies-used 2 manufacturer's coupons for $2.00 off each
Total $20.45-$5 gift card from Trip #1-paid just $15.45, and I got another $5 gift card!!! I paid around $0.15/diaper.

You can print Huggies coupons out from Coupons.com. I like buying Huggies because I can submit codes from the packages on the Huggies Enjoy the Ride website and earn free stuff (if anyone doesn't plan on using their codes, please send them my way-thanks!).

Also, I will submit my receipts to the Caregivers Marketplace for an additional $0.75/off each package of Huggies diapers!!!!! What a steal!

We recently celebrated my daughter's first birthday. Like almost all children, she loves Elmo. To make it special but still affordable, I did most of my shopping at the dollar store. I found Sesame Street plates, cups, and napkins, and a red table cloth, and a musical candle. For favors, I stuffed treat bags (you can get 25 for $1 at the dollar store) with Sesame Street board books (2/$1), stickers (100/$1-I just threw a handful of stickers from the package in), bubbles (3/$1), a mini box of raisins (18 boxes for $1.38 at Target), and a jello cup (4/$1 at Walmart), and a Sesame Street activity pad ($0.49 each at Party City). Could I have done better-sure, but I started shopping just a week before her birthday. For 6 children, the favors cost me under $12.

For my daughter’s cake, I used the cake mixes and frosting that I got on sale at Albertsons at the end of November for about $0.47 each. I used a cake pan that belongs to my sister-in-law and decorated the cake myself. You can't get a cake like this from a store without paying an arm and a leg. I served the cake with ice cream that I also got on sale at Albertsons.

As for decorations, I blew up balloons (25/$1 at the dollar store) and drew the faces of Sesame Street characters on them with a permanent marker.

The party was a smashing success, which goes to show that you don't have to spend a lot of money to create a great party.

For all of you Veggie Tale fans out there, take advantage of a free DVD when you sign up for their newsletter. You only pay $2.99 for shipping. This would make a great gift.  Go here to get your DVD.

I just had to share this passage from Peggy Layton's book, "Food Storage 101."

"There are many reasons for stockpiling a one-year supply of food. the value of food commodities generally increases at the same rate as inflation. Money in the bank doesn't do that. Investing in five hundred cans of tuna fish in your basement is a better bet than putting $350.00 in the bank.


The most important reason to store food is that it comes in handy in a crisis of any kind. Whether it be a large emergency such as an earthquake, flood, volcano eruption, war, strike, economic crash, or as personal as being laid off work, moving, helping other family members that are down and out or when cash is short. It is comforting to know that you can use your home grocery store to help buffer lean money times. If you had to live on what you had in your basement for an extended period of time, you would wish you had a well-rounded supply of food."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long counseled its members to store at least a year's worth of food. Recently, with the natural disasters in the news and the economic crisis here in the United States, the wisdom of that counsel is more readily understood. Skeptics of food storage think that it is silly to stockpile food and supplies for the "apocalypse," but I bet that they would change their tune if their stomachs were empty.

Few people in America have not been affected by the recent economic downturn. I have heard several people share their experiences of how living off of their food storage has helped them get through hard financial times. This year, as you see good sales, buy a couple of extra items. I don't recommend buying 500 cans of tuna, but if you stay within your monthly grocery budget and manage to stock a few extra items in your pantry, you will enjoy greater peace of mind.

When you see dairy items marked down at a store, do you turn them down because you are afraid of not using them by their expiration date? I'll let you in on a little secret: dairy items don't automatically expire on the date printed on their labels. Frozen butter can last up to a year (which is why I stock up during the holidays). Yogurt, cottage cheese, and sour cream can be good for up to a couple of weeks after their expiration date! Milk will not last as long, but you can get by with at least a few days.

If you see a deal on dairy, remember that if you freeze it right away, you can keep it for a few months. Frozen yogurt cups make a yummy treat. Milk can even be frozen. It does take up quite a bit of room in your freezer, though. Also, be cautious when freezing milk because it will expand as it freezes, which may cause the container to break. If you do freeze dairy, it can be thawed in the refrigerator or in a sink of cold water. Never leave it out on the counter to thaw as it can spoil or grow bacteria.

Warning: I often find pints, quarts, and half gallons of milk marked down, but compare their unit price to the unit price of a gallon of milk. Often, the gallons will be cheaper even if they are not marked down.

Grocery stores are purposefully set up like a maze. Merchants know that the longer you are in their store, the more likely you are to buy something you didn't intend to in the first place. When you shop, follow these simple tips and you will save time and money.

1. Don't go grocery shopping when you are hungry. This is common sense. When you are hungry, you might be less likely to resist temptation.

2. Grocery stores are usually less busy on Wednesdays than on any other night of the week. This can save you time in the checkout line.

3. Spend most of your time shopping the perimeter of the store. The essentials: bread, milk, and produce are along the walls of the store. Aisles are reserved for pricey boxed/canned goods. By avoiding the packaged things, you avoid excess fat, sugar, and salt as well as spending more money.

4. Make a list before you go and stick to it.

5. Keep your eyes open for items that are marked down for quick sale. Day old bread, dairy, frozen items, deli items, and produce can be had for a steal. Make sure you will be able to use it before it spoils or you will have wasted your money.

6. Check the expiration dates on items you purchase. If the items are nearing their expiration date, ask a manager if they will reduce the price.

7. Bring your own bags. Not only are you doing Mother Nature a favor, but some stores will give you a credit on your bill for using your own cloth bags.

I love birthdays. We have had our fair share of them recently. My mom found this website called Free Birthday Treats.com. It lists all of the free birthday goodies that businesses in your area offer. My husband's birthday is this month. Already we have enjoyed a free sandwich from the Spicy Pickle and free ice cream from Baskin Robbins and ColdStone. This weekend we plan on getting a free smoothie from Keva juice and a burger from Red Robin-Yum!

I am so excited about this new blog! The Frugal Map is a blog that was created to help you find blogs about good deals in your area. As many of you know, I am a huge fan of SpringsBargains. Without it, I would have to work so much harder at saving money. However, those of you who don't live near Colorado Springs like I do, do not have this valuable resource. Check out the Frugal Map to find a frugal blog near you. There are only 35 blogs listed on the map right now, but I am sure that that number will grow. Happy Shopping!

Besides being the healthiest food for your baby, breast milk is also the most economical. It can be difficult to maintain your privacy when you are in public and trying to nurse your baby. Udder Covers is a cute, practical solution for moms on the go. These nursing covers tie around your neck (so the baby can't pull the cover off) and completely surround you to leave you modest while you nurse. For all of you moms and moms to be, there is a great sale going on right now at Udder Covers. Type in the code thanks at checkout, and the price drops from $32.00 to $0-that's right FREE! You only have to pay shipping ($9.95). If you have ever shopped for one of these covers, you know that they can be pricey. These also make excellent baby shower gifts.

Note: I have no affiliation with Udder Covers.

For those of us who do not live in a climate where fresh fruits and vegetables grow year round, we often pay out the nose for fresh produce. I have found that by freezing produce when it goes on sale, I save on fruits and vegetables and my family can still eat healthy food all year long.

My favorite things to freeze include bell peppers, onions, celery, and fresh fruit.

Tips on freezing. For fresh fruit, I simply wash it and cut it. I think the key is to dry off the fruit to remove as much excess moisture from the washing as possible. Then, I like to put a piece of waxed paper down on a cookie sheet and freeze the pieces of fruit individually. Once the fruit is frozen, I take it off of the cookie sheet and store it in a ziplock bag. This way your fruit isn't one big ball of mush when you want to use it. Pineapple, berries, mangoes, bananas, and grapes freeze well.

I am not as picky about my vegetables, so I don't freeze them individually first. Onions, green peppers, and celery freeze beautifully. I stock up on those when they go on sale, wash them, chop them, and freeze them. Then, when I need a quick meal, I can toss in a few. I suppose carrots, green beans, broccoli and corn would freeze well since those are sold in the frozen vegetable section.


Remember to date and label everything that you freeze. Rotate through the oldest produce first to avoid freezer burn. Let me know what fruits and vegetables you like to freeze.

Part of my mission to save money is to enable me to help others in need. Certainly, the people of Haiti are in desperate need of our generosity. If you have saved any money this month by reading my blog, please donate to the relief efforts. I donated through LDS Philanthropies because 100% of the donations go to Emergency Relief. To donate go here. Thank you!

Here is my grocery deal of the week! Today I shopped at King Soopers and got some amazing deals!

Halls cough drops on sale for $1/bag. I had two $0.50 coupons, which doubled (King Soopers always doubles coupons) final price-FREE!

Starkist tuna $1 each. Two $0.50 coupons, doubled=FREE!

Old El Paso Heat and Eat sides $1.25 each. Two $0.50 coupons, doubled=$0.25 each

Mission tortillas $1.25 each. $1.00 off coupon=$0.25

Bar-S hot dogs $1.00 each. Coupon for $1.00 off 2=$0.50 each

Pillsbury crescent rolls $1.00 each. Coupon for $0.50 off 2, doubled. Cellfire ecoupon for $1.00/2=FREE!

Activia yogurt $1.88 each. Coupon for $1.00 off 1. (I thought I had two of those coupons, but I realized that I didn't after I checked out. This ended up not being a very good deal, but Activia yogurt is usually $2.49 each. I paid $1.38, so this isn't a horrible deal.

Kangaroo Pockets $0.99 each (I bought 2)

Panko bread crumbs and baking cups (neither of which was on sale, but I needed them) rounded out my shopping trip.

Total=$9.14

Savings=22.36

I saved 71% off my order!!!!

Even on a budget, I believe you should treat yourself to a meal out once in a while. Restaurants.com is the perfect way to eat out and save money. Here is how it works, Restaurants.com offers discounted gift certificates. For example, in my area, I can get a $25 gift certificate to Fusion World Cuisine, a restaurant that features Asian dishes for only $10. However, I always wait for a sale on these gift certificates because often, you can find a code that will take off 50-80% of the purchase price.

If you are dying to go out to dinner, there is a code for 80% off right now! Just enter INDULGE at checkout and hit "Apply." If I purchased the $25 gift card that I mentioned above with this promotion, I would pay $2 (80% of $10) and get a $25 gift certificate! What is the catch? Each gift certificate comes with certain restrictions, which usually include a minimum purchase. This particular gift certificate's restrictions are "Minimum purchase of $35. 18% Gratuity added prior to discount. Valid for Dinner, Dine In ONLY. Excludes: Alcohol, Holidays/Special Events, Other Offers/Promotions. Present prior to ordering."

Here is an example of how I would use the promotion.


Order 2 entrees:
Fusion Seafood and Vegetable Medley $18
Beef and Mushroom Stir-Fry $15
Order a softdrink, and you have hit $35.


Tips should be calculated before the gift certificate. If I spend exactly $35, give a 20% tip ($7.50), your bill, not including tax would be $42.50-$25 gift certificate-you pay only $17.50 (plus tax and the $2 for the gift certificate). This is about the cost of only one entree!

Last night I went to Staples and got some killer deals! Now until Saturday, January 16, Staples has several items that you can get for FREE! Let me explain. First of all, you have to be a member of Staples Rewards. This is not a credit card, only a savings card. It took me about a minute to sign up-name, address, email, phone number. There are several perks of being a member, including getting money back for some of your purchases.

This week, you can buy 1 of the following items, and Staples will reimburse you 100% of the cost (not including sales tax).

6/pk letter-size writing tablets-$7.99

6/pk Bankers Box letter/legal-size boxes-$9.99

Staples heavyweight file folder, manila, 50/box-$8.00

Staples #10 envelopes, pull and seal, 100pk-$7.99

Zebra Sarasa retractable gel pens, 5/pk-$3.99

Staples small binder clips, 40/box-$3.39

Here are the caveats:

1. Checks are mailed out monthly, and the clerk told me it might not come until the 3rd or 4th week of the month.

2. While the free items might be tempting, remember that the Staples Reward checks can only be used at Staples. If you frequently shop at Staples, this is not a problem. If you do not, then remember that whatever you spend up front on these items, is money that you will not be able to spend somewhere else.

3. You do have to pay sales tax, which is not refunded.

4. No cash/credit will be given if you bring these items back.

Last night I bought the writing tablets, gel pens, banker boxes, and envelopes. I decided to purchase these items because I had a gift card, so the money didn't really come out of my pocket and I would have had to use that money at Staples anyway. If you are interested, you can check out the Staples flyer here.

This year, resolve to never pay more than $1.99/lb for ground beef! When ground beef goes on sale, I buy several large family packs, divide them into meal sized portions, and then freeze them. It saves time and money. There are several things that I like to do with ground beef.

1. Brown several pounds. Then, I divide up the meat into 1 pound servings and freeze them in quart-size freezer bags. When I am short on time, I pull one of these packages out, throw it in the microwave for a couple of minutes, season it, and add it to Hamburger Helper or use it in a casserole or for tacos.

2. Shape ground beef into patties. Wrap individually and freeze. Your next hamburger is never more than a few minutes away!

3. Make meatballs. These are so delicious and much better for you than the store-bought ones. I make a double batch and freeze them. When I need a quick meal, I microwave a few and add it to spaghetti or use it in beef stroganoff.

Best Ever Meatball/Meatloaf Recipe
1.5 lbs. ground beef
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1 med. onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. pepper (or less)
1/2 can tomato sauce (or 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce)

Lightly mix all ingredients and roll into balls. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 min. in a 350 degree oven.

If you are making meatloaf, place in a bread pan and top with sauce. Bake for 1 hour in a 350 degree oven.

Sauce:
1/2 can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar

You can even mix up a meatloaf, freeze it, and cook later.

Be sure to label and date anything you freeze. That way, you can rotate through older packages first.

According to the poll results so far, 17/21 of you use coupons. Hurray! To the 4 of you who don't, it is not too late to start. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your coupons.

1. Shop at stores that double or triple your coupons. Albertsons does it sometimes, but Safeway and King Soopers do it everyday (up to $0.50). Find out the policy at stores near you. This way, if you have a coupon that is $0.50 off, it can double, and you will get $1.00 off.

2. Combine manufacturers coupons with store coupons.

3.Load coupons onto your shoppers cards from P&GeSaver and Cellfire. These coupons come off automatically in addition to any manufacturers coupons you scan at check out.

Combine all 3 types of coupons for a triple play of savings! To get the best deal possible, use the coupons when the items are on sale.

Happy Savings!!!

Seasoning packets cost anywhere from $0.40 to over a dollar each. For convenience sake, they are nice to have on hand, but if you can't find them on sale, you can make your own and save money and a trip to the grocery store. Recipe Source has several recipes for seasoning mixes as well as cake, pudding, and drink mixes.

 

Love smoothies? I do. However, I don't love the $5 price tag for a store bought one. I have found a way to get my smoothie fix without the high price. Even better, I control how much sugar, fat, etc. goes into them. Here is my secret: freeze fresh fruit when it goes on sale. I recently bought 5 pineapples for $1 each. I cut them into chunks and stuck them in a freezer bag. I unpeel overripe bananas and freeze them as well. When you are in the mood for a smoothie, toss whatever combination of fruit you want in the blender. Add a little milk (I use skim) and voila-healthy and yummy smoothies ready in a few minutes. My favorite smoothies have pineapple and bananas in them. If you want an added kick, spoon a couple of teaspoons of frozen orange juice concentrate or a carton of non-fat yogurt.

Have a favorite smoothie recipe-I would love to hear about it!

Grocery sales are cyclical. Obviously fresh produce will go on sale during the peak of its particular growing season, but did you realize that other items go on sale about the same time each year? Here is a brief list of grocery sales by month. Save money by planning meals around what's on sale. Also, if the items are nonperishable, stock up when they are on sale to save money throughout the year. I recently stocked up on flour, cake mixes, and yeast. I bought cake mixes for $0.19 a piece! 

January Turkey, apples, grapefruit, pears

February Chocolate

March Frozen vegetables, meats, breakfast items, TV dinners

April Eggs, broccoli, and cauliflower

May Soda, hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, asparagus, and pineapple

June Dairy products and tomatoes

July Strawberries, rapsberries, blueberries, corn, cherries, squash, watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, plums, peaches, and nectarines

August Squash, green peppers, salad fixings, berries, apples, melons, peaches, apricots, fresh fish, and cold cereal (if you live in a college town)

September Apples, broccoli, cauliflower, and canned goods

October Pumpkins, cranberries, grapes, oranges, sweet potatoes, and yams

November Turkey, sweet potatoes, yams, and baking goods

December Ham, oranges, apples, and grapefruit

Most of the information listed above comes from Living Well in a Down Economy For Dummies by Tracy Barr.

Each week, I will report my biggest success in saving at the grocery store. Last night I went to Albertsons. Here is how my shopping trip went.

1 lb. Roma tomatoes at $.50/lb
3 pork roasts or a total of 13.5 pounds(buy 1 get 2 FREE)
3 Kellogs Special K boxes of cereal ($2.00 each, plus $1.00 coupon for purchasing 2=$1.67 each)
2 Kellogs Special K bars ($2.00 each, plus $1.00 coupon for purchasing 2=$1.50 each)
10 cartons of Yoplait yogurt (10/$4, plus a $0.40 coupon=10/$3.60)

Total Spent=$34.83
Total Saved=$59.79

What I could have done better: Albertsons was not doubling coupons this week, so I didn't save as much money on the yogurt as I wanted. I also wish that I had another coupon for the Special K products. Oh well.

Ever heard of Swagbucks? Swagbucks is a search engine powered by Google and Ask.com that rewards you "Swagbucks" for some of your searches. You can earn up to 3-4 Swagbucks a day just by searching the internet. Yes, I was skeptical at first, but I have already earned 47 Swagbucks! I now have enough Swagbucks to buy a $5 Amazon gift card. There are several different gift cards available to purchase with your Swagbucks, including Target, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes. You can also spend your Swagbucks by entering sweepstakes to win bigger and better prizes. To me, this is like gambling. I'd rather use my Swagbucks towards something I am guaranteed to get.

What is the catch you ask? Well, you do have to download the Swagbucks toolbar. Then, use the Swagbucks search engine for your internet searches. I have found that Swagbucks search results are heavily populated with sponsored results. This is fine if you are shopping or casually surfing the internet. However, if you want meatier search results, use the real thing-Google.

There are other ways that you can earn Swagbucks, such as typing in codes, signing up for promotional offers, shopping through the Swagbucks site, promoting Swagbucks through your social networking site, etc.

Bottom line: get paid to do something you already do anyway-search the internet. Free money never hurts!

Hot Prints is giving away 1 free photo book each month this year! Shipping and Handling is free as well. This is a great gift idea or keepsake. I made a photo book (from Snapfish though) for the great grandparents this year. They loved it!

Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

NOW is the time to stock up on Christmas wrapping paper, bows, tags, and Christmas cards. Most stores have these items marked down 50-75% off. Hurry, because they won't last long.

Winter does a number on my skin, especially my hands and feet. I love using sugar scrubs to exfoliate, but they can be really expensive. I found a simple recipe from Care2 Make a Difference for a sugar scrub you can make with the ingredients in your pantry. The recipe makes quite a bit, so you can either store it in an airtight container for a few weeks or make a smaller batch.

Here it is:

1/2 cup sugar
Enough cold-pressed oil (olive, wheat germ, peanut, corn, or sunflower) to dampen the mixture

Gently massage this exfoliating scrub all over your body and face before you shower with a light soaping and rinse. Repeat once or twice a month.

That's it! Simple, huh? Care2 Make a Difference also has recipes for 4 other sugar scrubs. You can get as fancy as you want by adding essential oils, spices, and different varieties of sugars and oils.

My favorite store for produce, organic items, and specialty items is the Sunflower Market. For those of you fortunate enough to have one in your area, I hope that you frequent it. If not, repent now!

The Sunflower Market currently has locations in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah with four new stores (including one in Longmont, CO) scheduled to open this year!

Each week, the Sunflower Market has outstanding deals on produce. A couple of weeks ago, they had pints of blackberries on sale for $0.67!!!! They are normally $3.99. Some of the amazing deals in Colorado this week (through January 6th) include:

Hass Avocados 33¢ each

Tropical Mangos 33¢ each

Red “A” Potatoes 29¢/lb (these rarely go below $0.50/lb)

Roma Tomatoes 77¢/lb

Eggplant 88¢ each

Broccoli 88¢/lb

Bosc, Anjou, Bartlett, Red, and Comice Pears 88¢/lb

Italian, Yellow, and Mexican Gray Sqaush 88¢/lb

Assorted Pork Loin Chops $1.27/lb

Center Cut Pork Loin Chops $1.99/lb

Ground Turkey $1.99/lb

Thanks Carrie from SpringsBargains for posting these deals!

If you go to the Sunflower Market:

1. Bring your own canvas bags. The store offers a $0.10 credit for each bag you bring from home. If you don't have any, they will bag your groceries in their plastic bags at no charge.

2. Shop on Wednesdays. Wednesdays are double ad days. That means that all of the sales from the previous week and the upcoming week are on at the same time!

3. Remember to compare the Sunflower Market's prices with other store sales. Although the ads will most often reflect the cheapest prices on produce available, there are some exceptions. For example, this week Roma tomatoes are less expensive at Albertsons than at Sunflower Market (at least in Colorado).

Saving money on groceries is the easiest way to start saving money. Here are 5 simple things that you can do to cut your grocery bill immediately!

1. Sign up for a store loyalty card. These cards offer additional markdowns on items throughout the store. If you don't use them, you are throwing money down the drain.

2. Read the ads and compare prices at different stores. This sounds simple, but many people do not take the time to do this.

3. Clip coupons. Coupons can be found on the internet, in store fliers, and in the Sunday newspaper. If you do not subscribe to your local newspaper, you might consider doing so. I subscribe to the local newspaper, but I only have the Saturday and Sunday editions delivered. This way, I am not paying for the days when there aren't any coupon inserts. Discounted Newspapers offer discounts to new subscribers of up to 50%. I pay about $2.50/month for my weekend subscription. If I use only five $0.50 coupons during the whole month (which I always do), my subscription has paid for itself.

4. Consider buying store brands instead of name brands. I am a big fan of Kroger and Great Value products.

5. At the grocery store, compare cost per ounce (or pound or whatever unit of measurement the product uses). The red arrow below this tag indicates the location of the unit price-in this case it is 9.80 cents per ounce. Buy the item with the lowest unit price. Generally, if there are two different sizes of the same item, the larger of the two items will have a lower unit price (but not always, so be careful).

Creating a budget is as essential to saving money as using a ruler is to measuring objects. Let's face it, making a budget is probably not on your top ten list of exciting things to do. More than likely-it ranks up there with going to the dentist on the scale of unpleasantness. How are you going to know how much money you are saving, if you don't know where your money is going in the first place? By following these ten steps, you can create a budget in about as much time as it takes to bake a pan of brownies. Go ahead, whip up a batch, stick them in the oven, and while that chocolate goodness bakes, you can create a budget that is tailored to you.

Disclaimer: This budget is a very basic and is designed to just get you started. Once you get better at following your budget, you can make your budget more advanced and more accurate.

Step One: Pick a method for tracking expenses
Use whatever works best for you-pen and paper, Excel spreadsheet, software program (like Quicken). I use a template from Microsoft Excel. You may want to experiment with a few methods to find what works for you. The key is to have your budget written down.

Step Two: State your monthly income
This is your take home pay, not your gross. Money that is taken out of your paycheck for taxes is out of sight and should be out of mind. Remember to include any interest earned on your investments.

Step Three: Prioritize
Money is a finite resource, and there are limits to what you will be able to purchase. Prioritizing your finances forces you to think about what really matters to you. That way, the next time you are tempted with an impulse buy, you can reject it confidently knowing that you are doing what is best for you and your loved ones.

Here are my financial priorities:
1. Tithing
2. Savings
3. Providing the essentials for my family-food, shelter, clothing, medicine
4. Reliable transportation
5. Communication-cell phone, internet
6. Entertainment

Remember, these are YOUR financial priorities. Your list may look different from mine, and that is perfectly okay. However, contributing to your savings/retirement account should be near the top of your list (more on contributing to savings later).

Step Four: List your current fixed costs. Your fixed cost should include the amount you want to add to your savings/retirement account each month.

Fixed costs include:

Tithing
Savings/retirement contributions
Rent/Mortgage payment
Car payment
Insurance premiums
Payments on your debts
Prescriptions
Utilities
Cell phone bill
Cable bill

No, not everything on the list is ESSENTIAL, but you should include any payment that you are obligated to make each month. We will look at ways to cut fixed costs later.

Step Five: Subtract your fixed costs from your income. This is your DISPOSABLE income. Don't spend time getting the exact amounts. Estimate, but err on the high side. This will give you a small cushion of extra money.

Here is an example:

Income=$2000/month

Tithing=$200
Savings=$200
Rent/Mortgage payment=$600
Car payment=$100
Insurance=$50
Payments on your debts=$50
Prescriptions=$50
Utilities=$100
Cell phone bill=$50
Cable bill=$50

So, your disposable income is $2000-$1450=$550. That means that you have $550 for food, clothing, gas, and any entertainment/fun things you want to do.

Step Six:
List your variable costs which include:
Food
Gas
Gifts
Entertainment
Eating Out
Beauty/grooming (hair cuts, etc.)
Clothing

Step Seven:
Divide up your disposable income among your variable costs.

For example:
Food: $300 (figure about $75-$100/week for a family of 3-4)
Gas: $100
Gifts: $25
Beauty: $15
Clothing: $35
Eating out: $50
Entertainment: $25

Step Eight:
Make sure that your fixed costs and your variable costs add up to less than or equal to your income. If they don't, go back to steps 5 and 6 to see where you can trim your budget.

Step Nine: Commit to Sticking to Your Budget
It may take a few months to fine tune your budget in order to get a feel for what you can realistically expect to spend each month. Budgeting is not an exact science. Life is full of surprises. The key is to have enough money set aside that when those surprises come, you can meet them without going into debt.

Step Ten:
Ding! The brownies are done. Enjoy their warm gooey goodness with the added satisfaction that you now have a budget.

In these difficult economic times, Americans have started to do something they had forgotten how to do-save. I grew up with frugal, hardworking parents who taught me the value of money and the importance of living within your means. Naturally, saving money is important to me. It has allowed me to do things like take vacations, purchase items on my wish list, and have money left over for a rainy day. Pinching pennies does not have to be difficult or unpleasant. In fact, it can be addicting. I get a thrill every time I walk out of a store with a receipt that shows my savings.

Saving money is not a talent or gift that a select few are born with. YOU can save money too! With a little practice and some know-how, you will be saving money on your next shopping trip. This blog is dedicated to helping you save money with the tricks that I have learned over the years. Implement whatever tips work for you. The important thing is to come up with a savings plan that you will use. Happy Savings!