Super Savings Saturday

I haven't really been in the CVS game for quiet sometime except for a few trips here & there. I have found myself getting low in supplies so it's time to crank it up a notch. Starting over with CVS is not very fun when you have to start out with ZERO ECB's but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

CVS this week:

I got $98.56 worth of stuff for $40.84 OOP. Not the best I've done but, again, I'm starting over.
$17.32 saved with coupons
$40.40 saved with sales prices & clearance markdowns.
Received $16.00 in ECB's for next time!
Baby, I'm back!


Walgreen's:Head & Shoulders: $9.00 minus $2.00 mfg coupon, rec'd $3.00 in RR.
Garnier Conditioner: $16.98 minus $6.00 mfg coupons will receive $10.00 back in rebates. (I actually have to buy one more bottle of Garnier to qualify for the rebate. Luckily, I have more coupons).
Crest Toothpaste: $2.99 minus $.75 mfg coupon, will receive $2.99 back in rebate.

The best part was I paid for everything with my Walgreen's gift card loaded with $$$ from my previous rebate purchases. Nothing like using the same money over & over again to buy more necessities!

Garage Sale:

I stopped by a couple of garage sales last Saturday. One happened to be at a friend of a friend's house. I got there just as she was ready to close up. I ended up with this Little People garage for FREE because she knew me and she just wanted to get rid of it! The Boy LOVES it! At another, I found several little cars for him for $2.00. Eight of them actually but he made off with a few before I could snap a picture.

Head over to MoneySavingMom.com for more great Super Savings Saturday!

Frugal Friday - Fabric Softener

This week, for Frugal Friday, I'd like to share a few tips for saving money on fabric softener.

1. Dryer sheets: For starters, you simply do NOT have to buy the name brand dryer sheets. The store brands work just as well for less money. You can also stretch your pennies by cutting your dryer sheets in half thereby doubling the amount in your standard box. You won't notice a difference, trust me!

2. Liquid fabric softener: Here's how to get the most out of a bottle. You'll need a container, liquid fabric softener, water, and a couple of sponges.
In the container, mix together 1 part liquid fabric softener with 2 parts water. Drop in your sponges and store this way. Each time you run your dryer, toss in a sponge (squeeze out the excess first). I've been doing this a couple of months now and it works wonderfully!
3. Dryer Balls: I bought a pair of these at CVS months ago. I'll admit, at first I was a bit skeptical but I have to say, I've been rather impressed with these things. I go back and forth using these and the liquid fabric softener. They run about $9.99 but worth the investment especially if you're interested in getting rid of fabric softener altogether.

4. White Vinegar: I haven't tried this one yet. A friend of mine told me it's a natural fabric softener and to add it to your wash water. Anyone tried this? I'd love to hear your experience with it. I also understand it's a great rinsing agent for the dishwasher.

Well, that's it for my contribution to Frugal Friday. Head on over to Crytal's place at BiblicalWomanhood.com for more great ideas on stretching your dollars!

9/11

Words cannot express what this day means to the American people. My heart goes out to all those who lost a loved one on this tragic day. My prayers are with you and also with those of you who survived and still live with the horror of it all in one way or another.

My eternal gratitude to the brave men and women who, without hesitation, rushed in to save those they could and continue to mourn those they could not - including their own.

My heart, before this day but especially after, belongs to The United States of America and all of the genuine souls that make up this great country.

May God Bless you all!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Awhile back, I was in the grocery store having a conniption fit about the cost of a very small box of Bisquick when it suddenly dawned on me that the pioneers crossed this rugged land in covered wagons and making flapjacks for breakfast all along the way.

They didn't need Bisquick back then I decided and I don't need it now!

So home I went, and much like a modern-day pioneer, I crossed the internet looking for a scratch pancake recipe. There are TONS, by the way!

I picked one out and I'm happy to say that me and the kid-folk are mighty happy with it.

Then, a few days ago, I remembered that my husband has a recipe for chocolate chip cookies that calls for a packet of Jell-O Instant Pumpkin Spice Pudding mix. If you could add it to chocolate chip cookies, I pondered, why not pancakes?

And, for the record, my husband is indeed the chocolate chip cookie baker in the house.

So, I gave it a shot and the result was a yummy one. Here's the recipe I used:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 1/2 Tsp baking powder
1 Tsp salt (I actually don't use this much)
1 Tblsp white sugar
1 1/4 C. milk
1 egg
3 Tblsp butter, melted

I then added one box Jell-O Instant Pumpkin Spice Pudding mix and an additional egg. I also added more milk until I liked the consistancy.

I was very happy with the result and will continue to make these through the fall. I hope you enjoy them as well!

Frugal Friday - Decorating Tip

Today, I'd like to share a frugal decorating tip with you. This one I discovered out of frustration. I had an idea to do a floral arrangement using colored sand in the base of a clear glass vase. When I went to the craft store to buy the colored sand, I couldn't believe they wanted over $3.00 for a tiny bag of sand! This was just NOT going to do.

So I came up with the idea to buy a large bag of sandbox sand from Home Depot (I can't remember exactly but I think it was a 25lb bag) for a little more than $5.00. I scooped a little of the sand into a large Tupperware container, added several drops of food coloring and mixed it together.

Wah-la!

Pretty and practical. It worked like a charm. I still had a ton of sand left-over for other projects.

Here's what the entire floral arrangement looks like:

I bought the vase using Michael's 40% off coupon. The sunflowers were on sale for $1.00 each and the rocks I bought at the Dollar Store. The only thing I paid full price for were the twiggy things in the back. If I had a little more patience, I would've waited for another 40% off coupon.

Head over to BiblicalWomanhood.com for more great ideas this Frugal Friday!

Like The New Header?

I have been wanting to snazzy up my blog for quite sometime now but I just don't have the technical know-how to do it. It's a good thing I follow some of the links on other people's really cute blogs. As a matter of fact, some of those blogs happen to be the cutest blogs on their block.

But there is only ONE Cutest Blog On The Block and I highly suggest you skip on over there to check out just what Ashley and Becky can do for you.

www.thecutestblogontheblock.com

I'll Be Back...

Whew!! Words cannot express how mega-swamped I am right now with all things home & church. I don't know how some of you mommy-bloggers do it!

Next week, all should be settled down and I'll be back to posting just about everyday. I so appreciate your patience!

I'm hoping to get to CVS and Walgreen's this week so I'll at least have something to write about this Saturday. Oh! And I do have something for Frugal Fridays, too!

Here's something to wet your whistle - today I got to make my very first 911 call! Yes! You read that correctly. But don't worry, it didn't involve me or my kids, really. I'll tell you about it later.

I just wanted to let you know - I'll be back.

Get it? I'll be back? Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Get it? *sigh* Okay, maybe it's not really that funny but it's the only picture I could find. So sue me.