First Day of School!

*YAWN*
Well after a wonderful summer of sleeping in and and playing hard, today we had to get up EARLY and out the door...school is back in session! Both Emilee and Trevor are together at the same school for the first time in a long time. This year they are both attending our local middle school; Emilee in 8th grade and Trevor in 6th. Usually I am soooo ready for school to start, but this summer was awesome. We didn't end up stir crazy and driving each other nuts so it is hard to swallow shifting gears from a fun and lazy summer to back to the school grind. I will admit though, as I see the fall merchandise hitting the store shelves, I am ready for the leaves to turn, to decorate for Halloween, and anticipate the first snowfall (read: skiing soon!!). So backpacks were packed and locker combos are memorized. Here's to a great first day of school, guys!!

(Sorry the pic loaded kind of small...click on it to see a bigger version.)

Albertsons part 2

I went back to Albertsons today and couldn't not share how well I did!

Remember yesterday...
10 boxes of Hamburger Helper = $10.00
minus (2) 80c coupons, doubled...-3.20
tax 51c
paid $7.31
received $5.00 store cash on next trip and $2.00 store cash on next trip

(Not pictured, I also bought a $2 thing of cream cheese we needed to make jalapeno poppers for dinner using the $2 store cash.)

Today...
10 boxes of Hamburger Helper = $10.00
minus (2) 75c coupons, doubled and (1) 80c coupon, doubled...-4.60
tax 46c
used $5 store cash from yesterday
paid 86c
received $5.00 store cash on next trip and $2.00 store cash on next trip

1 gallon of milk $3.09
3 bottles of V8 Fusion $6.00
minus (1) 75c milk coupon, doubled and (2) 50c V8 coupons, doubled...-3.50
tax 43c
used $5.00 store cash from transaction #1
paid 72c

1 gallon of milk $2.79
bubbles (needed a filler item and Carter gave a super nice "puleeeze!" 50c
minus (1) 75c milk coupon, doubled...-1.50
used $2 store cash from transaction #1
tax 17c
paid 26c

So I paid $9.15 for just over $70 in groceries. Not my best but pretty fun nonetheless!!!

PS. Carter wants to make sure you all notice that Bunny was peeking up over the milk jug. Carter was sitting in that chair while I lined up my picture and refused to be photographed, but he decided that Bunny should be in the pic.

Coupons...wherefore art thou been?!

It seems like FOREVER that I've had an exciting coupon blog post. With the economy in the state it's in (don't even get me started that we are supposed to be well into the "recovery" phase), sales and coupons have been bleak for months. Couple that with me ignoring what sad deals there have been lately to have summer fun with my monkeys...it's been No News around here. BUT -- insert dorky fanfare here -- today was a fun coupon day!

First off was JCPennys. I got some mailer the other day for a $10 off minimum $10 purchase. THESE coupons are seldom but AWESOME because you can go pick up a thing or two or three on clearance and get them pretty much free! But today my mission was little Carter. He needed new tennis shoes and I've been trying to find something to fit his teensy little feet for weeks. I decided to see what JCPennys had rolled out on this week's new sale and SCORE! We found a pair of $25 tennis shoes on a 50% off sale!! Take off $10 for my coupon and I paid less than $3 for a very nice pair of shoes for our littlest monkey! Woohoo!!

Then we headed to Albertsons. Hamburger helper is on sale this week for $10 for $10. You also get a $5 coupon good on your next shopping trip printed off when you buy 10. AND a second $2 off your next shopping trip is also printing when you buy 10. Also, this weekend is double coupons...so I took two 80c off 4 boxes manufacturers coupons and doubled them. Cash paid including tax was $7.31. But when you figure in the $7 in store cash I got, it cost me THIRTY ONE CENTS to get 10 boxes of hamburger helper!! Woohoo number 2!! If I can get my hands on enough coupons, I just might go and roll my $7 store cash and get another ten boxes and another $7 in store cash! Our family doesn't eat much Hamburger Helper...10 boxes will probably last us well into six months...but I was thinking about all the upcoming food drives and what a nice donation that could be for 31c.

California...are you guys getting these doublers yet?!