Recap of Camping

Before I start on our camping trip, I want to revisit yesterday's post. I was using Huggies for an example. Little did I know they actually are on sale! And there is a Target coupon for $2.50 off. Click here to print out the TQ (find it quickly under the Baby category), which you can print twice. Click here to print out a Manufacturer coupon for $2 off 1 package of Huggies which you can also print twice. That would make them $8- $2.50 TQ-$2MQ = $3.50 plus tax per package. You don't have to do different transactions either. I recommend handing them one at a time to make sure the full amount is deducted.

 Well, it was an amazing adventure. We are home, for the most part unpacked and completely enjoying the spring weather we came home to. I love the smell of spring, especially when my whole house can smell like it!

I got a lot of great photos! And I think I'm going to make the kids a small photo book of our trip. I have a credit at Picaboo that I need to use!

 THE GOOD FROM CAMPING-
We had so. much. fun. I am not one for camping, normally, but this trip changed my mind. The scenery was breathtaking, the trails were kid friendly and not one time did I ever feel unsafe. We had plenty of food (enjoyed a high fat meal of hot dogs and brauts) and drinks that we brought with. I had a whole crate of just food and utensils. Another plus, we were on the top of the mountain, so at night you could see the city below.

 THE BAD FROM CAMPING-
 Since this was very new to the kids, they were totally excited, the whole time. Which is what we want! But not around the campfire while we're cooking the hot dogs.

Another negative...I love Boy Scouts, but not a whole troop camped pretty close to us. They don't have the bedtime my kids, and even I have. They were going strong at 10 PM.

 THE UGLY OF CAMPING-
It was so cold at night. We were going to bring the hot water bottle (but I forgot) so Jon threw big rocks into the fire. They  got hot & he wrapped them in towels and put them in our beds. He's pretty much awesome! But around midnight, I hadn't stopped shivering (says he) so we got the kids and all piled into the truck for the rest of the night. It warmed up fast and we only woke up once to warm it up again, four hours later.

But look at those views!!! The good definitely outweighed the bad and ugly, such as they were. We learned a couple of things that we would do different next time, but had such a fantabulous time that I would do it over in a heartbeat!

Target's Always On My Mind

Well, we have returned from our grand adventure. It was quite a trip, which I will have to give you in detail at a later date. I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything. But I promise to fill you in on the Good (family, fun, friends), the Bad (Sleeping in the car, losing my phone) and the UGLY (car breaking down...) as soon as possible! I know you can't wait to hear it!

But on my mind today, is Target. Possibly because I want to take a trip there. But mostly because as I was looking at my Red Plum mailer (the one that has coupons) and tearing out the coupons I might use possibly, I noticed an ad for the Target price less the coupon. Which reminded me...

Lots of people don't know that Target.com has printable coupons. And...

Lots of people don't know that you can use a Target coupon (TQ) with a Manufacturer coupon (MQ)!


So here's a Best Case Scenario:
Target Ad- Huggies $8.99
MQ- Huggies -$1.50
TQ- Huggies- $1.50
Total: $5.99

It's not always such a breeze. There is no way to know whether the target.com printable is a TQ or an MQ. But, always in a search to make life easier, I have found a website that looks promising!

If I find amazing deals, I'll post them for you. But peruse for yourself and see what you find. Even without a MQ to stack with it, the TQ for buy 1 get 1 free for Reese's PB Cups looks very promising!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm really excited for dinner tonight. I'm going to make tilapia with mango salsa...Yum. Then my hubs and I will enjoy dessert, which I won't post on here because, well, he reads these and it's kind of a surprise.

But then...on Tuesday...the day after Valentine's...the candy starts to clearance. And that, my friends, is something to get excited about!!!! 

Easter is right around the corner. And with so many pastel colors being used on V-day and those same colors being used at Easter, I can buy all the chocolate I need for my kids' Easter egg hunt. There are somethings I can't get, like Bunny Munny, until the Easter candy rolls out, but that doesn't stop me from buying the rest! Plus, Bunny Munny is more nostalgic and for me than it is for my kiddos.

But don't just stop at Easter candy! What do you have coming up? Do you have birthdays to celebrate? Will you be having a pinata for a party? Think in advance for what you are going to need candy at and buy it now! Or if you don't need it in the next 6-8 weeks, buy after Easter. It's a great way to cut down on expenses for upcoming events.

My favorite place to buy clearance seasonal candy used to be Walgreen's. Lately though, a lot of people have been visiting there for the clearance candies and I don't always get what I want. My local fave (Reasor's) is another great place to buy the clearance candy, as is Target. Make a list and buy ahead!

A Secret Stash

Every store has a clearance section. Some, like Target, have many. Target has one in the toy section, the grocery section, heck! Pretty much every section! The ends of many aisles at Target hold treasures and goodies that I love to look through. Sometimes you can find amazing deals.

My favorite grocery store (Reasor's) has a shopping cart that they put items in at random times that are marked down. Most of the cans are dented, but never expired. Well, I haven't seen expired items. I'm sure someone somewhere has.

It is not always a good deal though! One time they had a can of corn marked at $.45 which is not a bad price. Except for the fact that the regular cans were on sale for $.40 making them cheaper. That is when it's helpful to be conscientious of prices. If it's a good price and you have room in your budget then by all means stock up!

Tonight I made Tortilla Soup from my friend's blog Crumbs and Chaos (you'll love it, check it out) using some items I'd purchased over time from Reasor's shopping cart. One ingredient was enchilada sauce which I paid $.25 for. If I'd bought it regular price, I'd have spent over $1.

Take some extra time to explore the stores. Don't be afraid of asking sales clerks if they have a clearance section. Also, don't forget you can use coupons for these items as well!

Snowmegeddon 2011

Snowmageddon and Snowpocalypse. Two words that make me laugh when I read about the snow storm that has stretched over 2000 miles. We got a lot of it here! My kids have thoroughly enjoyed the time off of school and the snow. Here's what it looks like in our driveway.

Here's my hard working hubby trying to clear the 2.5-3 foot drift.

 I was busy making these delish bits of yumminess.

A bite of heaven. I got the idea from The Pioneer Woman a few weeks ago and have been waiting to make these when I can eat them. We did a sugar fast for 28 days. Yikes! It actually went great.

Maybe it's the snow that's got me thinking about budgeting. Well, who am I kidding. I think about it all the time.

And I'm okay with that.

No. Really. I am.

We are lucky to find something that we enjoy and can actually do well. Something I enjoy but cannot do well? Play the piano. But that will come with time.

What in particular was I thinking about? Well, cheap meals. Tonight I'll be making ham and beans with cornbread. YUM! Especially when you splash a little hot sauce in it. The bag of beans cost me $1.09 at Target. The bag of cornmeal cost $1.19 at Reasor's.  I'm extremely lucky that Grampsy sends me canned ham. But when we make a ham, the leftovers are endless and we never use it all, so I freeze the ham and bone for later. A little oil, salt, eggs and sugar later and I have a total comfort food meal. Perfect for this snowy night.

Enjoy! Stay warm, stay cozy and stay safe!