Food Storage in the Home Booklet

This is a booklet you can print to keep with your food storage. It is from USU's Extension Service. It talks about ways to keep insects and animals out of your food storage and it has a great chart that shows how long to store foods. I know several people who have printed it and keep it with their food storage.



http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FN_502.pdf

Family Emergency Preparedness Fair at the Stake Center

Date: Saturday February 28, 2009
Time: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Some topics include Home storage cooking
sourdough starter recipes,
wheat grinders,
heating, cooking, lighting, and baking with kerosene,
storing kerosene, stove setup and maintenance,
preparedness safety,
preparedness plan,
first aid kits,
emergency radio use,
water storage, purification, and sanitation methods,
non-electric washing machine and portable shower
72 hour kits
food one year/three months
shelter
warm clothes
financial planning
job hunting
sprouting, solar panels, and gardening
handouts and sign up sheets

FREE Coupon Class

There will be a free Pinching Your Pennies coupon class

Thursday, February 19th at 7 pm

at the Standard-Examiner building in Ogden.

Call Mike Eames at 801-625-4415 to reserve your spot.

This is a fabulous opportunity to learn more about saving money with coupons and shopping smart, or to introduce your friends and family to couponing! These classes are a lot of fun and very informative. PLUS there will be a fantastic grocery give-away!

Albertson's preview

PYP has put up what's in the ad and what coupons to use:

http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114546

I know here in Logan the Logan Albies does not restrict you to one transaction. They ask that you keep it to 3 or 4 but there is no limit. You may want to call before you go so you can plan your shopping trip with the buy 10 get $10 off your next transaction.

Albies this coming week

I just got this email from General Mills about the sale starting on Wednesday at Albertson's. It'll be interesting to see which products are included in the sale. Last week there was a GM only insert in Sunday's paper so get ready. :)

Since the above is a screen shot and the whole email wouldn't fit in the shot, here is the fine print:

*Offer valid 2/18/09 – 2/24/09. For offer details, participating stores & brands, see your local Albertsons grocery store ad circular. Discount taken at register on next shopping order with use of checkout coupon. Offer limited to one per household.

Magic Mix

4 cups instant nonfat milk
1 cup flour or 1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup butter or margarine

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix until it
looks like cornmeal. (I used my food processor).
Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Use 1 cup mix to 2 cups cool water for a basic white sauce.
Add Mix & water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Season to taste.
Chicken bouillon & or cheese work well for a basic base for most
casseroles & soups. It also can take the place of creamed soup.






Clam Chowder

1 tsp. margarine
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/2 cup celery, diced
3 large potatoes, diced
4 cups water
2 cups magic mix
1 tsp or 1 chicken bouillon cube
1 can minced clams
salt & pepper to taste

Cook potatoes. Drain & set aside saving water.
Saute onions and celery in margarine.
Use potatoe water & add enough more water to
make 4 cups liquid. Add bouillon & Magic Mix in
a saucepan; stir and simmer until thickened.
Add the rest of the ingredients; heat and serve.




Corn Chowder

2 cups Magic Mix
4 cups water
1 can creamed corn
1 can corn, drained, save the water
1-2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, flaked
1-2 bouillon cubes

Place Magic Mix, bouillon & drained corn juice & enough water to
make 4 cups liquid into a saucepan. Simmer until thickened.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Heat until hot. Serve with bread or crackers.

No-Bake Mini Cheese Cakes

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 16 oz. tub of whipped topping
vanilla wafers
topping of choice - cherry pie filling

Blend cream cheese & sugar until well blended.
Stir in whipped topping.
Place cookies into cupcake papers & spoon cream cheese
mixture onto the cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Top with topping and enjoy

Justice for Girls

Limited Too has changed it's name to Justice. They are having a huge sale right now if you have an older daugter. I believe their sizing starts at little girls 6 and goes to a size 20, which I'm not sure what that equals in Jrs. EVERYTHING in store or on their website is an additional 40% off! Even the newest styles and clearance. I have a friend that just bought all her 12 year old daughters clothing in store for the next year, $320.00 worth of clothes, for $40.00. She saved 80% off of her total.

The closest one is in the Layton Mall.

Here is the website:

http://www.shopjustice.com/

Kid to Kid Sale

I was told about a sale at the kid to kid store in Layton (I'm not sure whether it is at the other stores too) where you get anything on clearance that you can stuff into one of their bags for $7. That's the whole bag for $7! This sale goes through Monday the 16th.

Incredible deal for a fun BIG toy

If you have a little one into Pirates this is only $29.99. Save $100!!! Hurry I bet they go fast.

Pirate ship

Need MORE Crockpot ideas

Here's one for every day of the year!

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

$5 Dinners!

Check this out! She makes dinner for $5 or less every night and includes recipes. She feeds a family of 4. Her Blog Roll is also awesome! Check it out for some other great resources and ideas.

http://www.5dollardinners.com

Seed Starting Charts

The last frost date for Ogden is May 5. It is May 25 in Logan. Starting my own seeds saves me money, it is something fun that my kids enjoy doing, and it satiates my desire to garden until I can really get my hands in the dirt. I use equal parts vermiculite, compost, peat moss (Mel's Mix) for my potting soil but you could probably just use potting mix. I use the 6 and 4 pack plastic containers that transplants come in and then put those in foil cake pans that I get from the dollar store. I put those in my wider window sills on the South side of my house and in the other South facing windows of my house I just use plastic cups filled with my potting mix because the window sills are too narrow for the cake pans. It is important to not let the potting soil dry out but you also don't want to water too much or you get some funky moss or something growing.
I got the seed starting info from the back of the All New Square Foot Gardening book by Mel Bartholomew (I highly recommend it). Click on the charts to make them bigger. (thanks for the help Stephanie)

Recipe Exchange Part 2

Here are the rest of the recipes.

Meatball Sauce (Megan Mills)
3 cups brown sugar
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup soy sauce
3 cups ketchup
Pour over meatballs and simmer. Serve over rice.

Banana Pineapple Cake (Marion Gilbert)
3 cups flour 1 cup cooking oil
2 cups sugar 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple
1 tsp salt 1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda 1 Tbsp
3 eggs (slightly beaten) 2 cups mashed bananas
1. In a mixing bowl, thoroughly stir together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
2. Combine eggs, bananas, oil, drained pineapple, and vanilla. Add all wet ingredients at once to the dry ingredients, stirring until well moistened.
3. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10” fluted tube pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 65 to 75 min or until done. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or powdered sugar glaze.

Sticky Chicken (Marion Gilbert)
1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup catalina fat free salad dressing
1 pkg Lipton onion soup mix
1 cup apricot or peach or marmalade jam
1. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Brown chicken in a large skillet (use cooking spray)
2. Add dressing, soup mix, and jam into skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes on low heat.
3. Serve over steamed rice

Cabbage and Top Ramen Salad (Marion Gilbert)
½ head cabbage chopped
3 green onions
1 green pepper (diced)
1 pkg top ramen (chicken flavor) crushed
1/3 cup slivered almonds
Dressing:
1 pkg top ramen seasoning
½ cup rice vinegar
4 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Bread Dip (Cheryl Atwood)
1 can corned beef
16 ounces cream cheese
16 ounces sour cream
½ cup miracle whip
2 tsp season salt
2 tsp dill
1 tsp minced onion
Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and miracle whip until smooth. Add spices and onion. Break corned beef into pieces and mix into sour cream mixture. Refrigerate. Cut French bread into squares to use in the dip.

Chip Dip ( Melanie Nelson)
1 lb “hot” sausage meat (I used Jimmy Dean’s Sausage)
fresh jalapenos ( I used 2 in my dip), diced
1-fresh green pepper (used only half), diced
1- 14.5 oz can of tomatoes drained
2 - 8 oz boxes of cream cheese
1 - 16 oz tub of sour cream
Combine tomatoes, cream cheese, and sour cream in a crock pot on low temp. Fry sausage, green pepper, and jalapenos in frying pan until meat is fully cooked. Make sure that the meat is more pebbly than chunky. Add sausage mixture, the grease and all, to the ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on low until dip is creamy.
Serve warm with tortilla chips

Cheesecake Ball (Carla Stokes)
1-8 oz cream cheese
½ cup butter
¼ tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp brown sugar
¾ cup finely chopped pecans
¾ cup powdered sugar
¾ cup chocolate chips
Mix all together, adding only ½ of pecans. Form into ball & roll in remaining pecans. Refrigerate 1 hour. Serve with graham cracker sticks.

Coconut Bars ( Monica Hokanson)
1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 egg lightly beaten
1/3 cup margarine
Mix together with fork until crumbly. Press into greased cake pan.
1 can Eagle Brand milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup flaked coconut
1 cup nuts (walnut or pecans)
1 cup chocolate chips
Combine milk, egg, and vanilla and beat until combined. Stir in 1 cup coconut, nuts, and ½ cup chocolate chips. Spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining coconut and chocolate chips- press into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-32 minutes.

Cheesecake Squares (Jean Smith)
1 pkg yellow cake mix super moist
1 sq melted margarine
1 egg
Stir up and put in 9x13 pan (greased)
Cream together: 8 oz cream cheese, 3 eggs, 1 lb powdered sugar. Pour on top of cake mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 min. (Top almost sets up like custard)

3 Ingredient Vegetable Cheese Soup (Nicole Cragun)
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot mix (California mix)
2 cans (14 oz each) chicken broth
1 lb (16 oz) Velveeta cheese, cut in cubes
Place vegetables and broth in large saucepan; cover. Bring to boil on med-high heat. Reduce heat to low: simmer 10 min. or until vegetables with potato masher to desired consistency. Stir in Velveeta; cook 5 min. or until Velveeta is melted and soup is heated through stirring frequently. Makes 6- 1 cup servings.

Snapdoodle (Cindy Siepert)
2 eggs 2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder ½ cup sugar
1 pinch salt 1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk overflowing
Cinnamon, brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray/grease a 9x13 pan. Combine all ingredients and pour into pan. Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar over top. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until it springs back when touched. Poke holes throughout the cake and pour ¼-1/2 cup melted butter over the top. Serve warm

Cherry O’let Candy (Joni Hill)
12 oz milk chocolate chips
1 ½ cups chopped peanuts
¾ cup chunky peanut butter
20 large marshmallows
1 tub cherry frosting
Maraschino cherries (optional)
Melt chocolate chips, add peanuts, and peanut butter. Spread ½ of the mixture in a 7X11 inch container. Melt marshmallows in microwave 1 minute, stir in cherry frosting (and cherries) beat until smooth. Spread on top of chocolate. Top with remaining chocolate mixture.

Baked Oatmeal (Mandy Curtis)
1 cup oil, butter, or applesauce 1 tsp salt
1 ½ cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs 2 cups milk
6 cups oats
4 tsp baking powder
Pour into greased 9x13. Cook at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Serve with fruit or yogurt. Store leftovers in fridge. (I like to ½ the recipe & put it into an 8x8 pan. I also leave the batter in the fridge overnight & bake it in the morning.

Homemade Apple Butter (Jennifer Johnson)
You will need about ½ bushel of apples per batch. I use red delicious, home grown. Fill largest thick-bottomed kettle with 4 cups of water. Heat water on stove to medium. Cut core, worms, etc. out of apples. No need to peel. Fill kettle to brim with apples, put on lid. Cook for about 3-4 hours until mushy and clear.
Wash 9-14 wide mouth pint jars in dishwasher to sterilize. Run apples through a food mill then dump apple sauce into another large thick-bottomed kettle.
Add: 4 cups sugar 2 cups brown sugar
4 Tbsp 2 tsp cloves
2 tsp allspice add other spices to taste
Cook on low heat till thick- 2 hours or so. Stir every once in a while. This can be done in a crockpot but not overnight or it will go dark. Fill clean jars and deep-water bath process for 10 minutes to seal (use directions that come with lids)
**For applesauce reduce sugar and spices in half. You do not need to cook the applesauce after it goes through the mill, just bottle and process for 20 minutes to seal.
Crock-pot method:
Core and peel enough apples to fill crock pot. Add sugar and spices. (less than above for your crockpot will only do a small batch). Cook on low for 6 hours until apples are clear and mushy. This can turn too dark so do not cook overnight. Stir apples to mush them up. Taste and adjust sugar and spices till you like the flavor. Bottle. Will be chunky.

Recipe Exchange Part 1

I'm still working on getting these all typed up but I thought I would post what I have so far

Poor Man’s Cake (Sylvia Child)
One pound raisin stewed 15 minutes in 2 cups of water. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of water. In a large bowl mix together:
2 cups sugar
1 tsp each cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt
Add:
1 Tbsp baking soda
4 cups flour
½ cup cocoa
Mix well
Add:
1 cup chopped nuts
Raisins with the water
Bake 350 for 1 hour in greased and floured (or Pammed) bundt or angel food pan. Test for doneness with broom straw (or toothpick)
This cake has no oil or eggs- thus no fat but the nuts.

Taco Salad (Pam Seegmiller)
1 can kidney beans (drained)
1 lb hamburger (browned)
1 cup catalina dressing
½ - 1 tsp chili powder
Combine in a saucepan & heat for 15 min.
Serve on top of corn chips & lettuce, then top off with grated cheese, & diced tomato

Hot Roll Mix (Jennifer Johnson)
5 lbs all purpose flour
1 ¼ cup sugar
4 tsp salt
1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together to distribute evenly. Pour into a large airtight container. Label. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6-8 months. Makes about 22 cups of HOT ROLL MIX.

Crescent Rolls (Jennifer Johnson)
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
2 eggs beaten
½ cup vegetable oil or melted margarine
5-6 cups HOT ROLL MIX
2 Tbsp margarine melted
In a large bowl dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Blend in eggs and oil or margarine. Add 5 cups of HOT ROLL MIX . Stir well. Add additional mix to make a soft, but not too sticky dough. Knead about 5 minutes until dough is smooth. Lightly butter bowl. Put dough in bowl and turn to butter top. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Generously grease 2 baking sheets. Punch down dough. Divide in half. Let stand 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface roll out each half into a 12” circle. Brush each circle with 1 Tbsp soft margarine. Cut each circle into 16 pie shape wedges- roll up each wedge from the wide end. Place point side down in a crescent shape on prepared baking sheets. Cover and let rise again in a warm place until doubled, 45-60 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Make 32 rolls.

Big Soft Pretzels (Jennifer Johnson)
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
2 eggs beaten
½ cup vegetable oil or melted margarine
5-6 cups HOT ROLL MIX
1 egg beaten
2 tbsp coarse salt
In a large bowl dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Blend in eggs and oil or margarine. Add 5 cups of HOT ROLL MIX. Stir well. Add additional mix to make a soft, but not too sticky dough. Knead about 5 minutes until dough is smooth. Roll dough into about ½ inch diameter and 1-24 inches long. Form into pretzel shapes. For pretzel sticks, cut dough into 5-6 inch lengths. Place on greased baking sheets. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush tops of pretzels with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake immediately 12-15 minutes until brown and crisp. Makes12-15 large pretzels.
Variation: For a chewier pretzel, drop pretzel-shaped dough into a pan of boiling water. When dough floats to the top of the water, remove it. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush with egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake 30 minutes.

Rolls (Carolyn Satterfield)
1 tbsp yeast
½ cup warm water
½ cup warm milk
½ cup butter (softened)
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
¾ cup sugar
4 cups flour
*Dissolve yeast and water
*Add rest of ingredients, but only 2 cups of flour
*Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes- add rest of flour to make a soft dough
Mix for 3-5 minutes
*Raise 1 hour in greased bowl, punch down and divide in 2
*Roll out into a 12” circle, cut 12 wedges then roll them up
*Put on greased baking sheet- raise for 30 minutes*Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes, brush top with butter

Wheat Pancakes (Kellie Noorda)
2 cups wheat flour 2 eggs beaten
5 tsp baking powder 2 cups milk
2 tsp salt 6 tbsp melted shortening or oil
3 tbsp sugar
Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Beat eggs in mixing bowl. Add milk, shortening, and flour mixture. Stir until blended. Cook on hot griddle.

Homemade Syrup (Kellie Noorda)
Boil 2 cups sugar with 1 cup water until sugar is dissolved. Then add ½ teaspoon of maple flavoring. Store in the fridge.

Garden Tips

Some websites that offer free seed catalogs are: www.gurneys.com, www.burpee.com, www.farmerseed.com, www.parkseed.com, www.starkbros.com, www.nitro-pak.com, www.abceeds.com.

Store seeds in an airtight container in the fridge with a desiccant packet or powdered milk wrapped in a tissue to absorb moisture. This will keep your seeds viable for a much longer time.

I'm trying to get the planting chart posted but I'm having a hard time figuring it out.

Gymboree President's Day sale

If you have been around me long enough you know my children dress in about 90% Gymboree. I remember thinking I could NEVER afford to dress my children in Gymboree. Well I learned a lot of tricks to shopping their store and website and now my kids have dressed in their adorable clothes for 4 years for less than Walmart prices. I never pay more than $6.99 for most things in their store including Ella's dresses and jeans for the boys. I pay .99 cents for matching accessories includings SHOES and backpacks. Just 2 weeks ago they had MANY shirts for $1.99 in all sizes all the way up to 12.

Their President's Day sale just started online today and will start in stores tomorrow.

A good trick to shopping in store is to ask for older merchandise in the back. Simply ask, "Do you have anything in a size X left in the backroom that is on sale?" There is usually a gold mine in the backroom of the Newgate store. They are required by the company to only have certain collections out on the floor. The collections from before the date deamed by the company get stashed in the backroom until they have their "Red Balloon" sale which only happens a couple of times a year.

Once you learn how their sales work and how to shop there you will be amazed at the deals you will find.

www.gymboree.com

Quick and Easy Coupons

There are several sights out there that allow you to load coupons onto your store card (preferred savings card - Albertsons, Fresh Values Card - Smiths, etc). I was hesitant to use these at first because I prefer to have somethings I can hold onto. However, the savings are worth it. These coupons act as in-store coupons so you are able to use them in addition to your manufacturers coupons.

For Example:

Smiths is having a sale on select items this week (buy 10 items get $3 off)
So, select General Mills cereals are $1.69
Manufacturers coupon: $1.00
Cellfire coupon (for Multigrain Cheerios $.75)
= Did you see that? I got paid to buy cereal!

Totinos Pizza Rolls $.95
Manufacturer's coupon $.35
Cellfire Coupon $.50
= $0.10 each

Not part of the buy 10 sale, the cottonelle toilet paper is always $1.00 at Smiths, use the cellfire coupon and $.50 manufacturer's coupon to get it for $.25 (although Kellie can tell you how to get free TP at Albertsons).

My Favorite coupon is definitely the diaper coupon. When their diapers go on sale you get $1.50 off with the cellfire coupon and $1-$1.50 off with your manufacturer's coupon. So $3 off a great sale price.

You can sign up here. I know they also send deals to your cell phone, I elected to not have them do that seeing as I don't have free texts. However I think you do have to allow them to text you at least once to confirm your registration.

Once you are signed up simply input your store card numbers and load your coupons. When you are at the store just make sure they swipe your frequent shopper card and you will see the deduction on your receipt (it will say: cellfire cpn -$0.75).

Another site that does the same thing (but does not use your cell phone) is Shortcuts. It works the same way and the coupons are often the same as on cellfire so you can pick up 2 of the same product (for all of you hoarders out there).

I still definitely prefer to have my coupons in my hand and see them scanned one by one, but this is a great money saver, it just takes a change in perspective.

Happy Savings!

Attention Target Shoppers

Target can be a great place to shop especially if you are one of those people who avoid Walmart. You have to be very selective when it comes to their grocery prices but occasionally you can find some great deals there. Did you know Target has their own printable coupons found online?

Target coupons

This site has even more Target coupons and other coupons so check it out! A lot of times they have different coupons than are found on Targets regular site like this fall there was save $5 on $25 toy purchase.

More Target coupons

If you are a Target Shopper this blog will keep you up do date on all the deals!

Here is Target's markdown schedule as well.

Target makes it a habit to markdown ANYTHING with holiday packaging even groceries on the regular shelf. For instance after Halloween the Goldfish crackers with a Halloween themed package was marked down with the rest of Halloween but not in a clearance section. They are hidden deals.

Target Markdown Schedule (year-round and Holiday)

Year-round: (note: this may vary from store to store, but this is the general rule)

Monday -- Infants department, Kids clothing and Electronics (maybe food also)

Tuesday -- Women's clothing, Domestics

Wednesday -- Men's clothing, Garden, Toys, Health and Beauty

Thursday -- Lingerie, Shoes, Housewares, Sporting Goods, Luggage

Friday -- Cosmetics, Hardware, Auto, Home Improvement and Jewelry

Target will typically mark down unsold clearance merchandise every two weeks. So, if you are watching an item and see that it has been marked down 30 or 50 percent, come back in another two weeks to see if it has been marked down further

Holidays:

All holidays except Christmas follow the 3-3-2 rule:

The first 3 days after the holiday are 50% off.
The next 3 days are 75% off.
The next 2 days are 90%.
After that it goes to salvage.

Valentines 3-3-2

Easter 3-3-2

4th of July 3-3-2

Halloween

Example
Nov 1st = 50% off
Nov 4th = 75% off
Nov 7th = 90% off

Thanksgiving 3-3-2

Christmas: For the best deals, get there early the day of the markdown. And be sure to make liberal use of the in-store scanners to find deals that haven't been otherwise marked...that's another Target retailing puzzle that can work in your favor.

Learn to read the orange stickers. Orange stickers appear on all Target's clearance merchandise. The original price appears on the top right corner along with a code such as, "15A, 30A," etc. This is the percentage it has been marked down.

Keep your receipts. Target has a strict return policy which limits the number of returns you can make without a receipt. However, there is a way around this. The store tracks every credit/debit card purchase. If you can remember which credit card you purchased the item with, the store can look up the transaction by simply swiping your card and scanning the item. If they find the transaction, they will let you return the item without the physical receipt. This option isn't always offered by the team members behind the counter, so you may have to ask for them to look up the item by the credit card number. If you do have your receipt, Target will adjust the prices on items that go on sale (not clearanced) within 14 days of the purchase.

Couponing 101

Again found here.

Get Organized

"The second step to successful coupon use is organization. There is a variety of ways to organize and maintain coupons. Successful coupon users have a place to keep and organize the coupons. This can be a box, binder or flexible file. Plastic flex-type coupon organizers can be purchased at many stores. Many coupon users make their own binders using a zippered binder filled with photo pages or sports card pages. A box with dividers can be made or purchased. Whatever is used, the coupons are divided and placed in categories which provide for easy location while shopping.

There are many methods to saving and cutting the coupons and inserts. Some coupon users will cut all coupons and file them in their coupon organizer. This way all of the coupons are available when shopping. If a surprise deal or sale is found, the coupon is ready. Others cut only the coupons they are sure to use and leave the rest in the coupon inserts. When a sale or deal on a specific item occurs, they can go back to the insert and cut the needed coupons. If doing this, find a way to file and organize the inserts. Print or write out a list of which coupons are in each insert."

My dad has been in the grocery business since he was 17. I always remember couponing. Back in the day our family kept our coupons in one of those magnetic photo albums. You know the ones with the sticky pages? Couponing was a family affair and we really learned the value of it. Now that I only shop once a month unless a sale is too good to miss I have my own system. You need to do what works best for you. To see a couple different storage solutions click here

to watch a youtube video.

Freezing vegetables

Before those carrots dry out or your celery goes limp freeze them! This is a great way to stretch those pennies. I also freeze bell peppers. I am lazy and just chop them throw them in bags and freeze. I don't blanch first them like is recommended and they are always fine. I also don't spend $$$$ on freezer bags to save a few cents worth of veggies. I double bag them in the very cheap zipper sandwich bags making sure to remove as much air as possible. It's great when you need celery and don't have any fresh. It saves the gas to the grocery store and any un-needed impulse buys you might make. Just this weekend while cleaning out the fridge I saved enough celery for 3 more meals and enough bell peppers for 2 meals by freezing instead of chucking them in the trash next week when they are long gone.

For a big list of veggies you can freeze and how click here: Freezing Veggies

Online Surveys

One of the definitions of provident is,

"Foreseeing wants and making provision to supply them."

A great way to make a few extra bucks for your wants is taking online surveys. I've been doing this for a couple of years. You sign up and the companies send you online surveys via email. Each survey takes about 20 minutes and you end up earning a few dollars. Sometimes they send you free products to try in the mail. We've received a few things. Our favorite is boxes of new cereals to try. Even Christian one day got to do a survey and earned a crisp $5 bill in the mail. Last year just before our family vacation to San Diego I was able to cash out the $ I had earned so we had some extra spending money for souvenirs.

Here are a few reputable companies if this is something you are interested in:

http://www.opinionoutpost.com/

I have participated with this company the longest. Sometimes I go for weeks without anything from them. Sometimes they send me so many I don't have time to participate in them all. Because it's not a job you are not ever obligated to do anything they send you so there's no pressure. Sometimes you are not the demographic they are looking for so you don't qualify for every survey but I earn about $200 from them a year. (like I said a FEW extra bucks LOL) I cash it out about every 6 months. It's great for a little extra spending $.

http://www.harrispollonline.com/

Brandon occasionally does surveys with this company. They send him opportunities all the time but he just doesn't have a lot of time. Instead of paying you money you earn gift certificates to retailers or your choice.

The last one is:

http://www.pineconeresearch.com/signup/ds531Referral1.asp

This company is one of the best. Not everyone can sign-up like the others but right now they are taking apps. They are not always looking for people so sign-up now if it's something you think you want to try. If you are in the demographic they are looking for you can become a panelist. They pay $3 for each survey and send products for your family to try.

Need a baby swing?

My sister just called and right now at Big Lots Smartstep 2 in 1 swing for $30! This is a full size swing and then folds up to be a travel swing. It retails normally for $99.99 as seen here

Couponing 101

Some of this information is taken from here.

plus I have added a bunch of my own.

How to Accumulate Coupons

*"The first step to terrific savings and successful coupon use is accumulating coupons. Each week there are usually two different coupon inserts in metropolitan newspapers with a third insert available once a month. Having multiples of each coupon enables a shopper to take advantage of the great deals in bulk. This helps build a food storage. Obtaining multiples of coupons is not difficult. Family, friends, neighbors and co-workers are great sources for obtaining multiple coupon inserts." Most of the papers offer a couponer special. Right now my sister and I split a subscription to the Standard. We get 5 Sunday papers each Sunday. She gets 2 and I get 3. Here is a list of which inserts will be in the Sunday paper for the rest of the year so you know which Sundays to bug your friends and relatives for their coupons.

2009 Coupon Inserts Schedule

January4 – 2 Smart Source & 2 Red Plum

11 — Smart Source & Red Plum

18 –Smart Source & Red Plum

25 –Smart Source & Red Plum

February1 — Smart Source & Red Plum & Procter and Gamble

8 — Smart Source & Red Plum

15 –No Inserts scheduled

22 — Smart Source & Red Plum

March1 — Smart Source & Red Plum & Procter and Gamble

8 — Smart Source & Red Plum

15 — Smart Source & Red Plum

22 — Smart Source only

29 — Smart Source & Red Plum

April5 — 2 Smart Source & 1 Red Plum & Procter and Gamble

12 — No Inserts

19 — Smart Source & Red Plum

26 — Smart Source & Red Plum

May3 — Smart Source & Red Plum

10 –Smart Source & Red Plum

17 — 2 Smart Source and 1 Red Plum

24 — No Inserts scheduled

31 — Smart Source & Red Plum

June7 — Smart Source & Red Plum & Procter and Gamble

14 — Smart Source Only

21 — Smart Source & Red Plum

28 — Smart Source & Red Plum

July5 — Procter and Gamble only

12 — Smart Source & Red Plum

19 — Smart Source Only

26 — Smart Source & Red Plum

August2 — Smart Source & Red Plum & Procter and Gamble

9 — Smart Source & Red Plum

16 — Smart Source & Red Plum

23 — Smart Source & Red Plum

30 — Smart Source & Red Plum

September6 — No SS or RP Inserts - Labor Day One Procter and Gamble

13 — 1 Smart Source & 2 Red Plum

20 — Smart Source & Red Plum

27 — Smart Source & Red Plum

October4 — Smart Source & Red Plum & Procter and Gamble

11 — Smart Source & Red Plum

18 — Smart Source & Red Plum

25 — Smart Source & Red Plum

November1 — Smart Source & Red Plum & Procter and Gamble

8 — Smart Source & Red Plum

15 — Smart Source & Red Plum

22 — Smart Source Only

29 — No Inserts scheduled

December6 — Smart Source & Red Plum & Procter and Gamble

13 — Smart Source & Red Plum

20 — No Inserts scheduled

27 — No Inserts scheduled

*"There's a great trading forum at PinchingYourPennies.com, where you can trade the coupons from Sunday paper that you can't use, for coupons that you can." I have also belonged to a "coupon train" for the last year. I trade coupons with 5 different women in ID, WA, and CA. We've helped each other out a ton!

*"Another source of coupons is the internet. Printable coupons and coupon offers can be found at many manufacturer and coupon related websites. Many manufacturers also offer coupons which are sent post mail." I posted a list of online coupon sites here.

*Also, BUY COUPONS ON eBAY!!!!!! Just type in the products that you buy every week and the word "coupon" after that and you will find a coupon for just about every product out there. There are a lot of people who have coupon only stores on ebay and they will send you rewards for free coupons for your next purchase. 4 weeks ago there was a coupon for $2.50 off Electrosol. I purchased 10 more coupons from the same seller on ebay for $3. Walmart sells Electrosol for $3.50 a box. So:

$3 for the coupons

$35.00 for 10 boxes of dishwasher tabs

-$25 in coupons

I paid $1.30 for each box!

If you can't find the specific brand that you are looking for, set up a favorite search for it on eBay and then you'll know as soon as they are listed.

*"Additional coupons and in-store savings can be found at most grocery stores. Coupons commonly called blinkies are available in red machines set up in aisles in the stores. Also, apply for grocery store courtesy cards. Most grocery chains have these complimentary cards which provide extra discounts and savings at their stores. These discounts can be combined with coupons for maximum savings."

*The newest trend is e-coupons which are linked right to your Smiths and Albies shopping cards. Simply go online and load your card with the coupons you want. There's no clipping or remembering to bring the paper coupons involved!

Links to adding coupons to your store cards
Cellfire
Shortcuts
P&G eSaver
Upromise

Brandon signed up for Upromise years ago. Today in his inbox were a ton of ecoupons to load onto our shopping cards. I have not tried this method yet but hope to soon. When someone does leave a comment and let us know how it works out. :)

Got a baby?

or a toddler?

You can find some great deals and coupons on baby good buys!

This sounds like a good one:

"Baby Freebie! Beech-Nut Parents Pack!
This baby freebie requires a phone call, but it's a quick one! Call 1.800.523.6633 and request a Beech-Nut Parent's Pack. I was told that "coupons and goodies" are included in the package. I just ordered mine today, and the phone call only took about a minute. I'll update with the contents when I receive the pack in the mail!"

Lots more coupons and deals. Check it out!

http://www.babygoodbuys.com/

My Food Storage Deals

Want to see my other very most favorite blog?

They have been featured on Good Things Utah and KSL news. Spend some time reading and you will learn SOOOOOO much about food storage. Once you start browsing her site you won't be able to stop! It's that awesome!

http://www.myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com/

Crockpot Cooking

Using your crockpot can be a great way to save time, money, and provide a healthy meal for your family. On my busiest days my crockpot is my best friend! I was also a working mom for 5 years. I KNOW how hard it is to fix a meal after you've worked all day, picked up the kids, and commuted home. As soon as you hit home there is about 1,000 things you need to do and you are already exhausted! It is SOOOOO easy to stop on the way home for fast food, pizza, or some other take-out. Believe me, I know. Although $20 bucks here and $30 bucks there doesn't always seem like a lot come the end of the month it can really be draining to your budget. With a little planning your crockpot can solve this problem! I found the most wonderful website at Christmas time. Check it out for 100's of crockpot recipes:

Also, if you use one, try the 'crock-pot liners' - No clean-up

Crockpot Meals

Kohls.com NEW Clearance

Codes: *You can combine one ship code and one % off code*

Free Shipping on any order with Kohls Charge MVC1797 - exp 02/07/09

15% off with Kohls charge EXTRAKC15 - exp 02/28/09

10% off NEW7266 - exp 02/07/09

Free shipping with $50 Home purchase HOME50FREE - exp 2/10/09

15% off items in the Home Department SAVE15FEB - exp 2/10/09

$4.99 Flat Rate Shipping thru 2/5

Kohl's does send out coupon codes in the mail for up to 30%. There aren't any out there right now but they ask that we don't post any code over 15% online. They don't care as long as it's under 15%. :)

There are a ton of good deals if you need clothing and other items. NOTE: For whatever reason, some items are 'hidden' and can't be found in the regular clearance section or even by using the search function on their website. When you click on a clearance item, look on the right where it says "more to consider." There are often hidden deals over there.

Just looking I've found mens dress shirts for $6, baby shoes for $3, Jackets for $6, a ton of women's shoe for $8.99 & 9.99.

Start shopping here:

http://www.kohls.com

Some hidden deals:

Clearance > Homestore > Gadgets

Clearance > Homestore > Seasonal

Clearance > Homestore > Student Lounge

Clearance > Jewelry > Juniors Watches

Clearance > Jewelry > Womens Watches

Clearance > Jewelry > Jewelry Boxes

Clearance > Juniors > Accessories

Clearance > Homestore > Electronics

Clearance > Homestore > Rugs

Monster Sale!

Check out The Children's Place for their annual Monster Sale!

This sale has already been underway for a couple of weeks and quite a bit is gone but there are still some great deals in many sizes!

Plus their flat rate shipping is only $5 no matter how much you order!

Save an extra 15% when you use code: SA19 at checkout. This code will expire on 02/08/09

I've gotten:

13 pairs of shoes for $80 shipped That's $6.15 a pair!

Ella 8 pairs of pjs for $35 shipped That's $4.38 a pair!

I just placed another order for 3 pairs of jeans(where do all these holes in the knees come from?) for Parker & 3 shirts for next fall for Christian for $30 shipped. That's $5 each!

Start shopping here:

http://www.childrensplace.com

My very favorite website

One of my VERY favorite websites that has a TON of information about coupons, even weekly lists from most stores in Utah and coupons available for those items is:

www.Pinchingyourpennies.com

This site was started by a couple of moms in Cache Valley. I promise you will learn SOOOO much from this site. From time to time I will post highlights that I have learned from PYP.

Online Coupons

Many stores will take online coupons, Albertson's, Smiths, Walmart and Winegars all will. Kents and Macey's will not. Most sites let you print more than one for each product. You are allowed to print so many per email address. I print a lot of coupons at:

http://www.bettycrocker.com/

http://www.couponmom.com/

http://www.smartsource.com/

http://www.redplum.com/

A few more:

Coolsavings.com
Boodle.com
eversave.com
save.com
coupons.com
http://www.eclip.com/
valpak.com
pg.com
Pillsbury.com
Nestle
General Mills

Also check your favorite company's site like pet food websites even Kelloggs until Dec 31 had a $1 off ANY box of cereal on their site. They let you print a total of 5 $1 off coupons.

Here's one that works right now from Malt o Meal


http://www.malt-o-meal.com/special-offers/special-offers.php

Right now you can sign up for a $10 coupon booklet through Eat Better America. Hopefully this link will work if you paste it in your browser:

http://freecoupons.eatbetteramerica.com/EBA1Coupon/Default.aspx?source=432

Sales 2/4-2/10

Albertsons: Double Coupons! If you have two of the Macaroni Grill kit $1 coupons you can buy two kits and double your coupons with the in-ad double coupons and then there is another in-ad coupon for $2 off of chicken when you buy two Macaroni grill kits. That is a total of $3 for two kits and $2 worth of chicken. I've been trying to go through my coupons and see if I have any other good buys like that but I haven't found anything yet.
Smiths: Whole chickens 59 cents a pound! Milk 3 for $5. Red grapes 99 cents a pound
Kents: Broccoli and Cauliflower 69 cents a pound. Milk 3 for $5. medium eggs 99 cents. 16 oz cottage cheese 88 cents. They are also having their early bird special on Saturday from 6 am to noon. Some things from that sale are: bananas 39 cents a pound, turkey steaks 9 ct 7.99, oranges 29 cents a pound, bulk cheddar or colby cheese 1.99 a pound,

Outdoorsy?

For those of you who are outdoorsy, have husbands who are, or boys in scouts check out

http://www.steepandcheap.com/

This is one of Brandon's favorite websites! We have seen some terrific deals on here like $100 sleeping bags for 20 bucks! Many of the items would make great gifts and save you a ton!

What is Steep and Cheap?

At Steep and Cheap, they sell premium, core outdoor gear and clothing at prices that are downright criminal.

Here’s how it works:

Steep and Cheap sells one screamin’ deal at a time until it’s gone.

The deals are fat, so they sell out fast.

You have to act fast or you’ll miss it, but don’t stress—as soon as one deal sells out, they kick off another.

It’s back-to-back deals all day long.

How To Steep and Cheap:

Check SteepandCheap.com throughout the day to see what deal they have going. Check back often. Warning: It’s addicting.

If you have better things to do than mash the refresh button into oblivion, there are several other ways you can find out when a new item is listed. Choose an Instant Alert that best suits your needs (IM, SMS, desktop widget, email, and more).

What’s the catch?

There's only two real rules.

*Three Item Limit Per Household. They're throwing down these deals to get you core outdoor gear and clothing without breaking your bank. They don’t want people to stockpile these goods so they can resell them on ebay or hawk them on the street. (Do people do that anymore?) Thus the three item limit per household.

*No Resale. We pretty much just covered this, but in case you’re still confused, they cannot stress it enough: NO RESELLING. They have to bend over backwards to get these deals from the best brands in the outdoor industry. They do it so you can get great gear at unbelievable prices, not so some guy can sell this stuff for a profit somewhere else.

Happy camping, fishing, hunting, skiing, whatever else you like to do. :)

Get the BEST deal

Do you ever wonder if you are getting the best deal on things? If you're like me you like to shop around especially for those bigger purchases. Did you know there is a website that takes all the leg work out of it for you?

http://www.beatmyprice.com/

It really works! For instance Christian is DYING for a Nintendo DS. His bus ride each morning is over 40 minutes to school and the kids are allowed to use personal gaming systems on the bus. We have been teaching him the importance of saving and budgeting. He is saving every penny as a Nintendo DS is his long term savings goal. His friends have told him that Walmart is the cheapest at $129.88. Well NOT SO! Using Beat my Price we found several online retailers can beat Walmart's price. Since Christian earns an average of about $5 a month in allowance EVERY penny counts. Did I mention a Nintendo DS is his LOOONNNNG term savings goal? :)

Do you like to eat out?

Valentines Day is just around the corner! The Parish's rarely eat out but when we do it's always nice to do it and save money at the same time.

For some great deals at some local restaurants look at www. restaurant.com

Get $25 gift certificate for $10!!!!

Some of the more popular restaurants are on there like:

Boston's in Layton

Braza Grill

Texas Roadhouse

The Mayan

and more!

Right now just in time for Valentines they are running a special!

You get 50% off and a FREE $15 FTD® reward with every Restaurant.com order. This deal is valid from Tuesday, February 3, thru Monday, February 9, 2009 Use code CUPID

If you are traveling you can find lots of restaurants all over the country so be sure to check before you go on vacation.

Some restuarants only allow the site a limited number of gift certificates each month so they may show as sold out. Don't worry. Check back often and more will be available.

Happy Valentines Day!

Cheap Sheets

Yesterday at Walmart I saw a really good deal on sheet sets (includes fitted, flat, and pillowcase). I'm sure they aren't the best quality sheets but it is always nice to have some extra sheets around on those nights when you have three kids throwing up all night long. The twin sheet sets were $5. The full and queen sets were $10. They were on one of the endcaps facing the pillows in the linen section. The only colors they had were light blue, light green, tan, and white. The brand is Mainstays.