March Menu Week #1

March is here! 

Menu for this week is up! 

Recipes; 

Vegetable Soup 

Taco Mix

Crockpot Manicotti

Homemade Meatballs

Recipes to look out for; 

~ Citrus Chicken 

~ Pulled Pork 

Money Saving With Produce

There are some easy ways to save money on fresh produce for you an your family.

Obviously, looking for sales on produce is the first step to saving money in the produce department. Sales are a great way to trim your grocery budget in all departments in the grocery store.

There are not a lot of coupons available for fresh produce, so finding great sales are the best way to save money.
Shopping the seasons are always great as well.
Click here for a list of produce and the best time of year to purchase!

When you find a deal you can't pass up it is always a good idea to buy extras and do some freezing for future recipes!

These peppers were a little soft, but nothing that wasn't easily fixed by washing chopping and throwing in the freezer.


Now we have a huge bag of peppers in our freezer waiting to be used! 

Frugal Grocery Shopping

Challenge time. 

We've had some unexpected medical expenses lately, so we have had to cut our weekly food budget in half for the next few weeks to make ends meet.

Challenge accepted. 

I am always a frugal shopper. I look through sales flyers, match up with coupons as much as possible, and try to only buy items when needed. 

So I knew cutting the budget would be difficult, but not impossible. 

This is everything I bought. 

I only used 3 coupons, 1 checkout 51 rebate, and 5 in store markdowns.

Breakdown;

Tostitos Chips

Fat Free Skim Milk

3lb Cooking Onions

Green Onions (1 bunch)

Raspberries (1 pint)

Bacon (2 packages)

250g of sliced ham deli meat 
6 Pack of Organic Kiwi 
6 Small Potatoes 

Sliced marble cheese

Bagels

Rye Bread

Lettuce

Red pepper 

3 Pears

3 Plums

3 apples

Strawberries 
Bananas

Cucumber

Green Grapes

Tomato

Hotdog Buns 

2 Packs of Grillems Sausage $5.94 (minus $2 in coupons) 

1 Box Glad Trash Bags $5.97 (minus $2 coupon and $3 checkout 51 rebate)

3 Packs of Ground Beef $6 (regular $5 each but had markdown stickers for $3 off each pack) 

2 Packs of pork Chops $4 (regular $5 each but each had markdown stickers for $3 off each pack)

Total Spent After Coupons, Markdowns, & Rebates 

 = $52.30 

Spring Cleaning ~ Kitchen

K I T C H E N ! 

 

 

Today I decided to tackle my kitchen. 

This room required most of my attention this year as it seems i have been ignoring it. 

It took me nearly all day but when it was done it felt great to look at. 

I almost never want to cook in it again!

 

{ CHECK LIST ;}

 

Stove; Inside and out. If you also have a stove that requires the silver burner liners change them and scrub the bowls that hold them. Seriously though, when was the last time you cleaned the inside of the oven or the racks?! Do you have a stove drawer? When was the last time it was cleaned and organized?

Cupboards / Pantry; I take everything out and place in on the counters, then wipe down the inside shelves of them with a damp cloth and all purpose cleaner. I let it air dry then put everything back and organize it as I go. This is also a great way to do inventory. I usually find a few things I forgot I even had in there! I also wipe down the fronts of the cupboards as well.

Microwave; This is an annoying one. Things often explode in my microwave when hubby uses it and there is usually dried on food everywhere. I recommend spraying the whole microwave then closing the door and letting it sit for awhile before scrubbing it with a sponge. Don't forget to wash the microwave tray too! 

Fridge; I pull everything out of the fridge and wipe it down really well. I'm always surprised about the amount of guk that accumulates. Throw out any expired food products and wipe down containers before placing everything back in. Don't forget the vegetable drawer! I also wipe down the shell of the fridge really well while I'm at it. Don't forget the top of the fridge either.

Freezer; This is a great time of year to pull everything out of your freezer, inventory it and place it back more organized. I always find food I forgot I've purchased. I highly recommend wearing gloves during this process! 

Pots & Pans; I have a few pots and pans kicking around that I have been meaning to donate. There is no better time then now to get rid of old, but functional kitchen gadgets. 

Drawers; I highly suggest pulling everything out of the drawers and wiping them down and putting everything back more organized then before. Do you have a junk drawer? One of those places where everything that is random ends up? I sure do. Now is a great time to throw out old papers, flyers, or coupons yo have collecting dust. 

Sink; SOS pads! They works wonders when it comes to sinks. It sparkles like never before! 

Keurig; If you have one, now is a great time to descale it. I will be posting an article on this soon. 

Baking Sheets; I always scrub my cooking sheets and other bake ware at this time of year too. Sometimes it gets forgotten, and now is a great time to make sure it gets cleaned! 

Walls & Ceiling; Swiffer the walls and corners. I always find that a few spider webs will accumulate on top of the cupboards. 

 

Counters; This is the second last thing I will do. After everything is put back into its place. Wipe down the counters really well, moving appliances as you go. 

 

Floors; Always do this last! At this time of year I will usually hand scrub the floor really well. Sometimes I do it twice. With two dogs running around it gets more dirty then I would like to admit. 

 

Latest Finds

 

 

Retail therapy!

It works wonders I tell yah!

 

 



Grey Open Cardigan

Ambiance Apparel

Barely Worn

Small Hole That Needs Stiched

 

Pink Tshirt

American Eagle

Barely Worn

 

Purple Tank Top with Braided Top

American Rag

Never Worn

 

Mens Jeans

Bluenotes

Barely Worn

 

 

Sweat Pants

Campus Crew

Barely Worn

 

Red Button Up Cardigan

Cleo

Never Worn

 

Grey Sweater

Joe Brand

Barely Worn

Black Three Quarter Sleeve Shirt

Old Navy

Barely Worn

 

Brown Ruffle Sleeve Cardigan

Rickis

Never Worn

Coupon Lingo

 

 

There are lots of different short cuts used in the couponing world.

I thought I would compile a list to help you understand everything better!

 

 

cpn - coupon

wub - when you buy

bogo - buy one get one

b1g1 - buy 1 get 1

b2g1 - buy 2 get 1

oop - out of pocket

exp - expiry

upc - universal packaging code, bar code

ymmv - your mileage may vary

ets - excludes trial size

gc - gift card

cp - Canada post

mir - mail in rebate

pm - price match

rp - Red Plum insert

p&g - Procter & Gamble

ss - smart source

mfr - manufacturer coupon

raincheck - when an item is on sale but sold out, you can ask for a raincheck to get the product for the sale price at a later date

tp - tear pad

ac - after coupon

tmf - try me free

fpc - free procut coupon

sase - self addressed stamped envelope

scop - scanning code of practice

lf - looking for

rlf - really looking for

hv - high value

rack - random act of coupon kindness

sdm - Shoppers Drug Mart

wm - Walmart

rcss - Real Canadian Superstore

nf - No Frills

 

 



Spring Cleaning ~ Bathroom

 

Oh The Joys of Spring Cleaning!

 

I decided to start off my spring cleaning small.

I put all my cleaners on the kitchen table and they sit there until the whole project is complete. It is motivation, and a constant reminder to get it done.

 

Today I am starting with the bathroom.

Smallest, and easiest room in my house to clean!

{ Check List }

 

- Toilet ; Scrub it like you never have before! I put the toilet bowl cleaner around the bowl and then close the lid for a good 10 - 15 minutes while you clean other spots of the bathroom. Don't just clean the inside of the toilet! Don't forget about the rim, lid, and outside shell of the toilet. Now is a great time to wipe it all down and get it sparkling!

 

- Shower / Tub ; This is the part that takes me the longest in all of the bathroom. I start with a sponge that has a soft side and a rough side. I spray it section by section and scrub it until I am satisfied. Being short I have found it is a great help to bring a stool into the tub so you are able to scrub the tiles all the way out of reach. While you're at it you should pull down the fabric shower curtain and any other bathroom linens you may have that are just for show and throw them in the wash. This is also the time of the year I put up a new plastic shower curtain. They can get so mucky and they only cost $2.00 at walmart. After I am satisfied that the tiles are up to my standards, I remove all products from the shower and clean the rim of the tub. I wipe down everything very well and then lastly I will scrub the tub its self. This is always a tiring job on my arms but it makes it well worth it.

 

- Sink / Vanity ; I don't know about you, but my bathroom counter becomes a bit of a dumping ground. Products, hair elastics, makeup, toothbrushes, and bobby pins seem to always make a home, all over. After tidying those up, and find thing the actual counter part, i begin cleaning. Spray everything, and wipe it down well. Scrub the sink with a sponge and swish it out with clean hot water.

 

Ceiling / Lights ; Swiffer. The key to all my shortness problems. I swiffer the roof, tops of the door frames, and all light fixtures really well.

 

Door Knobs / Light Switches ; The need disinfecting too! Seriously how many times a day do you touch them? And when was the last time you cleaned them?

 

Linen Closet ; There's never a better time to sort through old towels, thrown out expired products, or wipe down all the shelves.

 

Floors ; Always saved for last. I hand wash my bathroom floor because I find with the grout the mop doesnt get it nearly as clean as I would like.

 

 



 

 

That's it folks.

It's sparkling.

Welcome to spring cleaning day 1.

 

BTW - does anyone elses hubby have to use the washroom less then 2 minutes after you are done cleaning?!

 



Vegetable Tray

 

 

Recently, I was pondering ways to eat all of the fresh produce we love in a timely manner. More then once I have thrown something into the crisper drawer and then completely forgotten it was there only to find it has gone bad the next time I venture into that drawer. Then having to throw it out, basically throwing out cash every week.  

I found this great tray at the local dollar store and knew it would be perfect for this project.

The container was 4 large section, and one smaller section.

It was only $3.00.

 

Currently In Our Vege Platter:

~ Baby Carrots

~ Cucumber Slices

~ Celery Sticks

~ Pepper Slices

~ Broccoli

 

These Veges Would Also Work Great:

~ Cherry Tomatoes

~ Mushrooms

~ Cauliflower

~ Radishes

~ Green Beans

~ Snap Peas

 

 

I pull this tray out every day with lunch and sometimes in between for snacking.

It is great to be able to have fresh, ready to go produce ready for eating.

At the end of the week I take whatever is leftover and chop it up and add it to whatever dinner e are having that night.

Pasta, soups, stir fry, sauces.

These vegetables are so versatile that there are tons of things you can throw them into!

 

What are your families favorite veges for snacking on?



Spring Cleaning Supply List

 

 

 

List of my recommended cleaning supplies to complete your spring cleaning!

 

Sponged

Dusting Cloths

All Purpose Spray

Window / Glass Cleaner

Rubber Gloves

Paper Towels

Carpet Cleaning Spray

Trash Bags

Air Freshener

Duster

Floor Cleaner

Lysol Wipes

Magic Eraser

Plastic Brush

Bucket

Mop

Broom

Swiffer

Vaccuum

Baking Soda

Essential Oils

Stove Cleaner

Vim Cream Cleaner

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Shower / Tub Cleaner

Tile Cleaner
SOS Pads
Swiffer Cloths (dry + wet)

 

 

 

 



Maximize Your Savings with Coupons

 

 

There are lots of different ways to maximize your savings when it comes to cutting down on your grocery bill.

The most common one used in our household is matching up coupons with sales bring the price of the item down lower.

 

 

Example ;

 

This is a recent deal that I was able to get my hands on.

Sunlight laundry detergent was on sale for $2.88 for 32 load liquid and 40 load powder.

Minus my $2.00 off any Sunight detergent coupon it makes the detergent only $0.88 each.

0.88/32 liquid loads = $0.03 per load

0.88/40 powder loads = $0.02 per load.

Needless to say, I bought 2 bottles of liquid detergent and 4 boxes of powder detergent.

 

Coupons are a great way to cut costs on your grocery bill, but when you combine them with rock bottom sale prices you are able to get the products you need for your home for a smal fraction of what you were paying before.

 



Latest Finds ~ April 06/13

Found a few things this past weekend while out with my sister :) 

 Mens Striped Sweater

Quicksilver

Great Condition

 



Grey Open Cardigan

Joe Brand

Barely Worn

Scoop Neck Sweater

Suzy Shier

Never Worn

Polka Dot Pajama Pants

La Senza

Barely Worn


Total Spent ; $2.30
2.30/4 = $0.57 per item

Coupon Insert Schedule for 2013

 

Here is a schedule for 2013 coupon inserts.

 

 

 

January 12

February 2

March 9

April 6

May 4

June 1

July 6

August 10

September 7

October 5

November 16

 

 

January 12

February 2

March 9

April 6

May 4

June 1

July 6

August 10

September 7

October 5

November 16

 

 

P&G inserts come out every 3 months.

I couldn't find an exact date schedule, but I will update it as soon as I know more.

 

Ajax/Pickering News
Brampton Guardian
Burlington/Hamilton Spectator
Cambridge Reporter
Etobicoke Guradian
Mississauga News
North York Mirror
Oakville Beaver
Oshawa/Whitby/Port Perry/Clarington This Week
Scarborough Mirror
York/Bloor West Guardian
Bancroft This Week
Barrie Examiner
Belleville Intelligencer
Brantford Expositor
Chatham Kent Citizen
Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin
Cornwall Standard Freeholder
Dunnville Chronicle
Frontenac This Week
Guelph Smart Shopper
Hanover Post
Innisfil Examiner
Kirkland Lake Northern Daily News
Midland Free Press
Niagara Falls Review
North Bay Nugget
Northumberland Today
Orillia Packet & Times
Owen Sound Sun Times
Pembroke Observer
Picton County This Week
Sarnia Observer
Sault Ste. Marie Star
Sudbury Star
Timmins Daily Press
Trenton Trentonian
West Niagara News
Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa National Post
Toronto National Post
Windsor Star
Thunder Bay (Ontario) Times-News/Chron.-Jrnl.
Guelph Mercury
Kitchner/Waterloo Record
Markham Economist
Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughn Liberal
Brockville Recorder
Chatham Daily News
Fort Erie Times
Kingston Whig Standard
London Free Press
St. Catharine’s Standard
St. Thomas Times Journal – Elgin County Mkt
Stratford Beacon Herald
Welland Tribune
Woodstock Oxford ReviewToronto Star
Newmarket Baner/Era
Ottawa Sun
Toronto Sun
Alliston Herald
Arnprior Chronicle-Guide
Barrie Advance
Bolton-Caledon Enterprise
Carlton Place Canadian-Almonte Gazette
Collingwood The Conection
Dunnville Sachem
Georgetown/Acton Independent/Free Press
Grimsby Lincoln News
Kanata Kourier-Standard
Kemptville Advance
Midland Mirror
Milton Champion
Niagara This Week
Orangeville Banner
Orillia Today
Perth Courier Weekender
Renfrew Mercury Weekender
Smith Falls This Week
Stittsville News
Uxbridge Times Journal/Tribune
Highlands Weekender
Kingston This Week
Kitchener/Waterloo Smart Shopper
Lindsay Daily Post
Peterborough Examiner
Simcoe Reformer
Elliot Lake Standard
Windsor Smart Shopper



Where To Find Coupons

 

 

There are many different places and resources where you can find available coupons.

 

 

There are many different sites available for free to users that will mail coupons to your home.

- www.websaver.ca

- www.brandsaver.ca

- www.save.ca

- Facebook offers (*)

 

Popular Sites For Print At Home Coupons:

- www.smartsource.ca

- www.websaver.ca (some are printable)

- Facebook offers (*)

 

(*) Some companies will put out coupons on their company facebook page that are available for either mail to home or to print at home. It all depends on the companies preference and what they produce for the general public. I suggest that if you are a part of facebook that you 'like' the pages of your favourite companies because more often then not they will produce some sort of coupon throughout the year.

 

Another great way to get coupons using facebook is to join coupon groups and pages. There are a lot of different people who have came together and made a group with a vast amount of people from all over the country. People in other provinces are sometimes able to get different coupons that what may be available to you in your town. You can often negotiate a trade with these people for coupons they have for coupons you may not be using for your family.  

 

 



There are three different kinds of insert coupons that become available in Canada.

 

1/ Smart Source Inserts

2/ P & G Inserts

3/ Red Plum Inserts

 

These inserts are found in certain news papers available all over the country.

 

*click here to see a insert schedule for 2013*

These are probably the harder to find and less frequently released of the coupons out there, but when you can come across them they are usually high value.

A popular Canadian magazine is 'Canadian Living'. This magazine usually has coupons attached to it if you are a subscriber.

I have also found a few coupons in Chateline magazine, but they are not always in every issue.

Newspaper magazines are usually more of coupons for local restaurants or stores. They are usually a percentage off rather than a dollar amount off.

 





There are a bunch of store specific coupons out there in the Loblaws banner stores (Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills, Longos, etc) called Coupon Zone coupons. These coupons are generally found on a large board in the front of the store. These coupons are released on a monthly basis generally and have a shorter expiry then most coupons. These coupons can only be used in the banner stores that are listed on the reverse of the coupon. They can not be used everywhere.

The great thing about coupon zones is that some of the banner stores will let you combine a coupon zone coupon with a manufacturers coupon to maximize your savings.

Example;

I have a coupon that is $2.00 off when you buy 2 Green Works Products that was released by the manufacturer.

There is currently a Coupon Zone out there with the same specifications, but it can only be used at the banner stores.

If you are lucky enough to find a store that will allow you to use both, you can really maximize your savings especially considering most green works products will go on sale for $1.99. That means will both coupons you can get the product for free.

Please keep in mind that not all banner stores will allow you to use both, but when you do find a store that will, the savings will be worth it.

 



 

Tear pad coupons are probably the most popular in the coupon family. These coupons are manufacturers coupons that are found on a pad generally in front of the product, and they can be used at any store.

Popular Stores to Find Tear Pad Coupons;

 - Shoppers Drug Mart (great for finding beauty and medical related coupons)

- Metro (great for food coupons)

- Food Basics (pretty good for food coupons)

- Freshco (pretty good for household and food coupons)

- Walmart (rarely, but when you do they are great)

Tear pad coupons are great to have, when you can find them. Over the past few months finding tear pads has been a challenge to say the least. Couponing has boomed and people have been greedy and sometimes will take the whole tear pad and not leave any for the rest of the community. I always try my hardest to leave some for other people. I usually take 5 for myself, 5 for my sister if she is not with me, and 5 for other people if the tear pad is really full. Remember to take what you will use. When you are greedy with the tear pads, other people miss out on the opportunity of saving money.

 

 

Product coupons are the coupons you find sticking to, hanging from, or inside the packaging of a certain item.

The coupons that you see hanging on an item, or stuck to an item and not up for grabs. They are intended to be used on that product on the day you are purchasing the product.

For example, on of my favorite body washes has a hangtag on it for $2.00 off but every time I go to the store, someone has gone and took all of the coupons off of the product. This is very discouraging. This is one of my favorite products, and when someone takes the coupons off the product, I dont want to buy it.

Coupons that are located in the product packaging are an added bonus when purchasing a product. Those coupons are intended to lure the customer to purchase whatever product they make a coupon for.

Example;

This past summer Nestea brand had a promotion on their product packaging for a free 12 pack of Nestea. Basically, all you had to do was purchase the first pack of Nestea then cut the coupon out of the packaging and go back to get your free case. If you were lucky enough you could find another case with a coupon and could use the coupon to get another free case. It was the coupon that kept on giving!