I have a new addiction and I love it. I am doing what is called hardcore couponing. Its a simple concpt I cut coupons and match them up with sales to find the best prices on things. Then I try to buy enough to get to the next sale. The reason I am so in love with this is that I now have a weapon to fight back against rising food prices.
Here are the items I got free today:
20 jars of valassic pickle relish at walmart, then i went to krogers and got 4- 4pks of cottenelle toliet paper and a bottle of country bobs sauce and it came out that krogers owed me 36 cents. They no longer give cash back but I love to see where I won that trip.
other items i have gotten free in the past month are:
van de kamps fish sticks (44pk)
sweet baby rays bbq sauce
2 bottles of kens salad dressing
a total of 19 - 4pk of toliet paper
23 bars of kids soap
afrin nasal spray
the country bobs sauce
valassic pickle relish
2- sure deodrants.
progresso soup
yoplai yogurt
i also have a coupon for a free hostess product I got today but havent redeemed it yet
buy one get one free coffee
buy one get one free air freshners
the list is way to long to account for everything i got for a fraction of the price: here are just a few
cereal 50 cents a box
juicy juice 50 cents a bottle
mustard 9 cents a bottle
betty crocker potatoes 20 to 30 cents a box
bacon 1.00 a pk
conditioner 49 cents a bottle
laundry soap 1.29 to 2.29 a bottle (for a big bottle)
baby powder 19 cents
pantyliners 25 cents a pk.
preperation H wipes 23 cents a pk ( these are just like tucks pads and are great for after childbirth - which we are due again in April)
I am watching my cupboards fill up and our paycheck going further, In the coming year I plan to learn even more so I can stretch our dollar even farther
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Christmas Shopping
I got some christmas shopping done this weekend. With a family our size its very hard to wait till the last minute to do anything let alone christmas. I actually started buying some gifts back in April. We did most of the extended family back then and a few small gifts for the older kids. This weekend we did the little people. I'm not done but all the kids have something under the tree so that makes me happy. I still have wrapping to do.
Oh a secret when shopping with the kids I send them with daddy making an excuse to say use the restroom and then sneak off to do he shopping. I take black garbage bags and put them in my purse. When I checkout my purchases are go directly into those bags and tied. Then into the back of the van. I then return to he family in the store and the little people have no clue. It works great when babysitters are not available.
Oh a secret when shopping with the kids I send them with daddy making an excuse to say use the restroom and then sneak off to do he shopping. I take black garbage bags and put them in my purse. When I checkout my purchases are go directly into those bags and tied. Then into the back of the van. I then return to he family in the store and the little people have no clue. It works great when babysitters are not available.
Creamy Noodle Mix
Creamy Noodle Mix
this is similar to the boxed pasta dishes you buy.
In a 1 qt jar combine:
1/2 cup dry instant milk
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cornstartch
5 oz dry pasta ( hy use angel hair broke in half
To prepare:
In a saucepan bring 2 1/3 cup water and 1 tbsp butter to boil. Add contents of jar,turn heat down to medium stir, bring back to simmer. Simmer for 4 minutes or until noodles are done, stirring occasionally. remove from heat let sit for a couple minutes to thicken if needed.
this is similar to the boxed pasta dishes you buy.
In a 1 qt jar combine:
1/2 cup dry instant milk
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cornstartch
5 oz dry pasta ( hy use angel hair broke in half
To prepare:
In a saucepan bring 2 1/3 cup water and 1 tbsp butter to boil. Add contents of jar,turn heat down to medium stir, bring back to simmer. Simmer for 4 minutes or until noodles are done, stirring occasionally. remove from heat let sit for a couple minutes to thicken if needed.
Monday, October 13, 2008
October 13, 2008
This past weekend we loaned some friends of ours the halloween decorations. I hate my neighborhood and am protesting puting them up here. It works out better cause we will be there for halloween anyways. She got the tombstones. plastic figures, lights, blow up spider, fog machine and soon the coffin. Yes I own an old fashion coffin. Eric made it one day out of wood and did a great job. I was a little less excited that he used me for sizing but its very authentic looking.
Today I haven't felt so good so I didnt get anywhere near as much done as i wanted to. Though I managed 27 1/2 pints of instant oatmeal. Flavors were chocolate w/sprinkle, carmel w/ sprinkles, french vanilla w/ sprinkles and strawberry.
Oh I also got my chocolate granola made this weekend about 8 quart sized jars worth. I may tweak the recipe but the kids liked it.
Today I haven't felt so good so I didnt get anywhere near as much done as i wanted to. Though I managed 27 1/2 pints of instant oatmeal. Flavors were chocolate w/sprinkle, carmel w/ sprinkles, french vanilla w/ sprinkles and strawberry.
Oh I also got my chocolate granola made this weekend about 8 quart sized jars worth. I may tweak the recipe but the kids liked it.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Trying Week
Monday morning started off wonderful with the crashing of my computer along with all of my recipes stored on it. As a result I have been back and forth to my in laws just trying to get the recipes i was in the middle of making. Mental note to self print out the recipe your going to make.
The laptop seems to finally be charging right so this makes me very happy. Though Im afraid the desktop will need to be fully erased again.
i did get a few things done though: strawberry cream coffee creamer to add to the homemade instant oatmeal I'm making.
Here is the recipe:
Strawberry Cream Coffee Creamer
1 cup non dairy coffee creamer
1 cup strawberry milk mix
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
mix all together and store in jar. to use 1 to 2 heaping teaspoon per mug
I also made 6qt of homemade brown sugar granola.
This is a very good cereal and I don't expect it to last long at all one the kids find it.
The laptop seems to finally be charging right so this makes me very happy. Though Im afraid the desktop will need to be fully erased again.
i did get a few things done though: strawberry cream coffee creamer to add to the homemade instant oatmeal I'm making.
Here is the recipe:
Strawberry Cream Coffee Creamer
1 cup non dairy coffee creamer
1 cup strawberry milk mix
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
mix all together and store in jar. to use 1 to 2 heaping teaspoon per mug
I also made 6qt of homemade brown sugar granola.
This is a very good cereal and I don't expect it to last long at all one the kids find it.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Welcome to our family blog
People ask me all the time what it is like in a bigger then normal sized family. So lets start off by meeting our family. My name is Shelly and Eric and I have been married for 15 years now. We started dating the summer before my junior year in high school and got married 3 yrs later. No we didnt plan a big family at all. We had both orginally only wanted 3 children but as you may have learned already life had its own plan and we are so happy that it did. Let's now meet the kids.
Rachel is 14 and loves to draw she is really good at it she also loves to create things. Danielle is 13 and she is the family reader. Eric Jr (Bub) is 11 he is our dare devil. Allison is 7 she she is very talkative and likes to sing. Ryan and Mackenzie are boy/girl twins and they are 5. Ryan is a typical boy and Mackenzie loves to do her hair and like to stand on her head. Lindsay is 3 and she thinks she is a teenager. David is 2 and he adores garbage trucks. he calls them "truckies". and Natalie the youngest for now just turned 1 and she is always on the go.
Yes I said the youngest for now which brings me to the next asked question. Are we going to have anymore. The answer to that is we hope so. We are not going to hide our feelings about children anymore just to make friends and some family happy. We love children and we want more you may not agree with me and thats fine but this is our lives and this is what we want out of it. We have had many discussions over the years and in the end to us the only thing that matters is our family. Not the fancy house, not the cars clothes etc. But our family. Some days are good and others bad but when it comes down to it I wouldn't trade our family for anything in the world.
Rachel is 14 and loves to draw she is really good at it she also loves to create things. Danielle is 13 and she is the family reader. Eric Jr (Bub) is 11 he is our dare devil. Allison is 7 she she is very talkative and likes to sing. Ryan and Mackenzie are boy/girl twins and they are 5. Ryan is a typical boy and Mackenzie loves to do her hair and like to stand on her head. Lindsay is 3 and she thinks she is a teenager. David is 2 and he adores garbage trucks. he calls them "truckies". and Natalie the youngest for now just turned 1 and she is always on the go.
Yes I said the youngest for now which brings me to the next asked question. Are we going to have anymore. The answer to that is we hope so. We are not going to hide our feelings about children anymore just to make friends and some family happy. We love children and we want more you may not agree with me and thats fine but this is our lives and this is what we want out of it. We have had many discussions over the years and in the end to us the only thing that matters is our family. Not the fancy house, not the cars clothes etc. But our family. Some days are good and others bad but when it comes down to it I wouldn't trade our family for anything in the world.
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