Menu Plan Monday

Hi Everyone!

I am really looking forward to this week because I am going to be able to relax around here a little bit. My parents had to go over to the coast to help out my grandparents for a while and really don't know when they will be back. So, there is only myself, my husband and our son that I have to cook for this week plus the reduced foot traffic in the house means not so much housework! YAY! I am pretty much done and caught up on stuff, so it will just be the daily pick up that needs to be done this week.

So, the only real chore I have planned for this is week is to clip coupons and clean out the coupon binder. I have been talking to a few people about different coupon organization systems, but right now I usually only get 1 copy of the paper and oddly enough, I went to the store without my binder a couple times this week and actually felt naked!

Monday -

Game Day Leftovers

Tuesday -

Fried Egg Sandwiches w/cheese and bacon

Fried Potatoes

Green Salad

Wednesday -

Tequila Lime Turkey Tenderloins

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Parmesan Noodles

Thursday - Survivor starts again!

PIZZA !

Friday -

Smoked Sausage and Rice Casserole

Salad and Broccoli

In case anyone is wondering, this casserole is so easy! It's just a fried up Smoked Sausage rope mixed with a box of Beef Rice-a-Roni, a little cheese on top and TADA! It's pretty darn tasty too :)

Saturday -

Leftovers

Sunday - Valentine's Day

DH is cooking a surprise meal for me!

But, knowing what he likes I am pretty sure it will be Rib eye steaks, baked sweet potatoes and salad. I will still get some flowers out of the deal though :)

For menu inspiration and great blog jogging, go check out the MPM Event hosted by Laura, the Organization Junkie. Thanks Laura!!

Yokes Fresh Board 2/5 - 2/11, Fresh Friday and a few other deals

Fresh Board Deals:


Fresh Taco Chic Salsa, $3.98 each. This is soo much better then anything you can buy in a jar, and almost half off!

Yokes Own Imitation Crab Dip, $2.99/lb., and Party Meatballs, $3.99/lb.

Fresh Friday Deals:

Red Baron Pizza, $2.98 each
- $1.00/2 MFR (1/31 SS, exp. 4/11)
=$2.48 each.

Nabisco Snack Crackers, 6 for $10.00 or $1.67 each
- $2.00/2 PRINTABLE (ff)
= .67 each
or
- $1.00/1 MFR (1/24 SS, exp. 3/31)
0r
- $1.00/2 MFR (from Back to School Booklet) exp. vary

Tostitos Chips or Salsa, $1.88 each
- .55 cents/2 wyb any chips and dip (1/17 SS, exp. 2/14)
=$3.21 for both

There are a lot of tearpad coupons floating around for $1.00/2 - I found some a Fred Meyer. There is also a $7.50 MIR so keep your eyes peels for those in the Beer Dept.

Pepsi Products, 4 for $10.00 (12 pack, also qualifies for the $7.50 MIR)

Sourdough Bread Rounds, 2 for $3.00 (goes great with that Crab Dip)

Litehouse Dressings, 2 for $4.00 ($2.00 each)
- $1.00/1 MFR (12/13 SS, exp. 3/31)
= $1.00 Each

Roma Tomatoes, .68 cents/lb.

Weekly Deals:

Broccoli or Cauliflower, .68 cents/lb.

81% Lean Ground Beef, $1.69/lb.

Sunny-D Juice Drink, 64 oz., .88 cents each
- .25 cents/1 PRINTABLE
= .63 cents each

Kettle Chips, 3 for $5.00 ($1.67 each)
- $1.00 MFR (1/03 SS, exp. 3/20)
or
- $1.00 PRINTABLE
= .67 cents each

Nalley Pickle Spears, $2.19 each
- $1.50 MFR (1/31 SS)
= .69 cents per Jar - Thanks JoDee!

A Couple Monthly Deals

Lipton Tea or Tea to go, 10 - 48 ct, $2.99
- .60 (1/31 SS, exp. 2/28)
= $2.39

Santa Barbra Gourment Olives, $3.99 each (luv the Almond stuffed ones!)

Boy, Beebee gun and one big bummer

In case anyone was wondering why I have not done a favs of the week yet...

Yup, that is a shattered window in one of the French Doors that goes out to our back patio. Our neighbor boy - who - before I go any further - is actually a very sweet and responsible kid - was playing with his new Bee bee gun in his back yard. He must of gotten it for Christmas this year and a couple days ago I knew that it was new because I could hear him shooting it from inside our house, where I could not with his old one.

Anyway, he was shooting at his target and since I have never seen him point it anything but his target I was not worried. I let the cat out and took 2 steps out of the room when I heard POP!

Then....crackle....crackle....crackle....

Then Colby started screaming that something hit the window and sure enough, I pull back the blind and see the outside pane just spider web shattering while I watch.

Now, of course I have to go around the block and knock on my neighbors door and basically pretty much let them know what happened. This is always a dicey situation, no matter how it goes it is uncomfortable and any Police officer can tell you a story about how something like this has turned into the Hatfields and McCoys in any given city. I was nervous to say the least. I didn't want to come out all teeth and claws and ruin what has been a friendly-over-the-fence relationship. Proceeding with caution...

I explained the situation, the poor boy was so upset! He had not even realized that it happened and I felt so bad for him. He goes to a different school then the one that most of the neighborhood kids do and doesn't have alot of friends on the block so he was just doing what he enjoyed to pass a bit of time before it got dark. His parents took away his toy and locked it up. He apologized profusely and I couldn't be mad, it really was an accident. A Bee Bee ricochet accident.

So, we are working it out now with his folks and Insurance. We are really lucky that all of our neighbors are so nice and I was really relieved that we were able to resolve this is a friendly fashion. This actually happened before at our former home and it didn't really work out....

Anyway, this is why there are no favs this week. But, if your out and about and find something really hot please leave a comment and let us know about it :)

The Penny Experiment

Have you heard about the Penny Experiment?

Last November, Jeffrey Strain found a penny laying on the ground and started wondering...what is the real value of a penny? And, could he turn it into $1,000,000 worth of food to donate to local food banks?

He put the call out for coupon bloggers to buy as much food as they can for as little as possible, and to date, $72.97 has been spent purchasing $716.86 worth of food that has been donated!

Here is my first donation:

This food bank booty was collected in a few days from 4 different area stores, Kmart, Fred Meyer and Albertsons. The receipt scans suck but if you click on it you will be able to see the transactions clearly.


At Kmart: 3 boxes of Post Raisin Bran Cereal regularly priced at $3.99 per box, on sale for $2.00 per box.

Pre-coupon total = $6.00

Minus:$2.00 off any one printable manufacturers coupon x 3

Coupon total = $6.00

Total cash spent = $0.00

At Fred Meyer: 5 cans of Bumble Bee Tuna, regularly priced at .59 cents per can.

Pre coupon total = $2.95

Minus: Fred Meyer store coupon for 4 cans for $1.00, coupon value = $1.36

and

$1.00/5 printable manufacturers coupon

Coupon total = $2.36

Money spent = .59 cents

Albertsons: (2 trips) 5 boxes of Quaker Instant Oatmeal, 4 boxes of Quaker Granola Bars and 1 box of Quaker Oatmeal Pancake Mix. (I kept 2 boxes of the Instant Oatmeal and 1 box of the granola bars, but the remaining items were donated to the food bank.)

Pre coupon total = $38.90

Minus:

$1.00 off any Quaker Instant Oatmeal Manufacturers coupons x 5 = $5.00

$1.00/2 Quaker Granola Bars manufacturers coupons x 2 = $2.00

$1.00 off Quaker Oatmeal Pancake Mix x 1 = $1.00

Albertsons "Twice the Value" store coupons @ $1.00 each x2 = $2.00

Total coupons = $10.00

Subtotal = $28.90

Minus:

Albertsons Preferred Shopper Savings of $28.90

Total money spent = $0.00

So, by combining manufacturers coupons with sale items and store savings, I got 8 boxes of cereal, 4 boxes of granola bars, 5 cans of tuna and 1 box of pancake mix for what it costs to buy 1 can of tuna at regular price! And, I was able to donate $42.16 retail value worth of food to The Second Harvest Food Bank, something I am feeling really good about :)

Are you interested in seeing how the Penny Experiment works? Click here to find out more!

Albertsons Run - $11.80 OOP!

I got a bad case of Doubler madness today! I so desperately wanted to shop that I let it get the better of me...

4 transactions total, here is what I got:

12 bags of Knorr side dish pastas, $1.99 each = $23.88
6 Jars or Ragu pasta sauce, $1.88 each = $11.28
4 Jars of Best Foods Mayo, $3.29 each = $13.16

Subtotal = $48.32

Minus:

$1.00/2 Ragu MFR from Albertsons Sunday insert x 3 = $3.00

$1.00/2 Best Foods Mayo MFR from Albertsons Sunday insert x 2 = $2.00

.60 cents off 2 Knorr side dishes MFR (1/31 RP, exp. 2/28) x 6 = $3.60

Subtotal MFRs = $8.60

Subtotal now = $39.72

Minus:

Albertsons Preferred Savings = $17.32

Subtotal now = $22.40

Minus:

Albertsons "Twice the Value" store coupons @ $1.00 x 5 = $5.00

Albertsons "Twice the Value store coupons @.60 x 6 = $3.60

Albertsons $2.00 Survey Catalina x 1 = $2.00

Subtotal Store Savings = $10.60

Total OOP = $11.80