I just made my first purchase from Alice & you can get a $10 referral credit

I talked about Alice about two months ago here.

I really like the idea of this site because they have coupons they apply to certain items and shipping is Free. I can usually buy things for a really great price at stores when I combine coupons with sales so I have a price point for everything I buy. The first time I looked around I did not find anything at my price points, however, tonight when I was looking around a did find a few things and placed my order. I ordered five items for $8.81 but after coupons my total came to $7.01 and remember Free shipping.

I was really delighted to find out that anyone that registers at Alice.com using my referral link will get a $10 credit to their account after they spend $50. That's a pretty darn good deal. Check it out now:

Fareway $6.86

I stopped at Fareway quick on my way home for just a few things, so I didn't take a picture.

Wonderbread 1.69 sale used .55q
3 Hamburger Helper .99 sale used .75/3q
2 Jolly Time popcorn 1.00 sale
3 Betty Crocker pizza crust mix 3/$1 sale
5 Kool Aid packets .10 sale

$8.16 Total
-.75q
-.55q
$6.86 Paid = 84%

Hy-Vee 6 Hour Sale

This week in addition to their regular weekly ad, Hy-Vee also had a special 6 Hour Sale this morning with a few deals I couldn't pass up. And John is getting ready to leave again for work, so he wanted certain things to take with him.

2 Gal Milk .99 sale
2 Cottage cheese 1.28 sale
2 sour cream .98 sale
eggs 1.15
10 Tony's pizza .77 sale - for John to take
4 Hormel compleats 2.00 sale - used 1 $2 q & 3 $1 qs - for John to take
Campbells cheese soup 1.00 sale
2 Kellogg's Mini Wheats 1.99 store coupon & used $1.50/2 q
3 Gerber graduates 1.18 sale
Gerber wagon wheels 1.86 sale
2 Halloween Oreo's 2.77 sale
5 Fruit snacks 1.00 sale - for John to take
Spaghetti 2.49
Oyster crackers 1.25 sale
Saltines 1.18
2 ice cream 1.18 sale
shredded cheddar .99 sale
A& W 6pk .99 store coupon
Dr Pepper 6pk .99 store coupon - for John to take
8 Venom Energy drinks 3/$5 used 4 BOGO qs - for John to take
Bananas .29/lb = .57
5lb potatoes .99 store coupon
2 80% ground beef .99 sale

$ 79.62 Total
- 7.34 store coupons
-13.18 coupons

$59.10 PAID = 74%

Walgreens $4.75

I had to go to Walgreens today to pick up a prescription so I might as well get a few more deals while there right? Well, they were out of several things but since they had several to pick from this week I still got a few, including free after coupon popcorn balls.

Vaseline lotion 6.99
Chapstick 2.99
Halls S/F 1.00 sale
2 Act II popcorn balls 2/$1 used $1/2q

$11.98 + .77 tax = $12.75 Total

-1.00 popcorn balls q
-2.50 RR
-2.50 RR
-2.00 RR

$4.75 Paid = 37%
and got new RR's of $7, 3, 1 = $11

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Ugh, It has been raining almost all day. We are at 2" right now and it is still raining. With a high today of 55 and no sun, it was a really dreary day. And tomorrow's forecast is rain and 53.

So, it is definitely soup weather. I made cheddar potato soup and homemade biscuits for supper. It was a super big hit with everyone, I only have one bowl left, and I thought I made enough for two meals! I guess I will be making soup again real soon.

Walgreens $23.96

I wanted to use the $5 off $25 coupon on diapers one more time so I stopped by after work.

2 Pampers 10.00 sale used $1qs
3 Puffs .89 sale used .25/3q
Herbal Essence conditioner 2.99 sale used $1q
Robitussin to go 2.49
Emergen C 3.49 sale
Dentek floss 2.00 sale
Halls 1.00 sale used .50q

$34.64 + 2.07 tax = $36.71 Total
-1.00 q
-1.00 q
-0.25 q
-1.00 q
-0.50 q
-5.00 q
-2.00 RR
-2.00 RR
$23.96 PAID = 65%

and rec'd new RR's of 2.50, 2, 2.50, 3.50, 2, 1 = $13.50

Salsa - Batch #6 & Garden Recap

Yesterday I picked more ripe tomatoes and lots of peppers so I made a batch of HOT salsa.

I canned:
6 Pints for the shelf

and I put a half pint in the fridge.


Garden Recap
There are more tomatoes on the plants but there was a chance for frost last night and tonight so I believe that will be the end of our crop.
John ate several tomatoes and I used some in cooking. And the total salsa on the shelf ia 3 quarts & 39 pints. That is an absolutely wonderful haul for our little $8 garden. I hope to expand it a little next year.

Walgreens $22.10

Walgreens is running a $5 off $25 coupon special today and tomorrow. So I decided to buy some diapers today.

2 Pampers diapers 10.00 sale used $1q
Vaseline lotion 6.99 used 1.50q
Halls S/F drops 1.00 sale

$27.99 + 1.61 tax = $29.60
-1.00 coupon
-1.50 coupon
-5.00 Wags coupon
$22.10 Paid = 75%
plus got RR's of $7, 2.50, 1 = $10.50
its like I paid $11.60 for all this!

Nestle Happy New School Year

Nestle has a sweepstakes going on right now. Go here to enter once every day till 10/14/09.

Walgreens $13.41

I just had to run to Walgreens today, it is such a great week for freebies there.

Vaseline sheer lotion 6.99 used 1.50q
Robitussin to go 2.49
Gilette Fusion MVP Razor 8.99 used 4 q
Emergen C 2pk 3.49
Chapstick 2.99
Halls SF Drops 1.00
Dentek Floss 2.00

$27.95 + 1.96 tax = $29.91 Total
-1.50 coupon
-4.00 coupon
-5.00 RR
-2.00 RR
-1.00 RR
-1.00 RR
-2.00 RR

$13.41 PAID = 45%
rec'd new RR's of 7,2.50,6,3.50,3,1,2 = $25

Aldi $60.38

We needed a lot of things from the store today, so I made a trip out to Aldi. For some reason my camera turned on fine but would not take pictures.
Here is what I purchased today:

Milk
Cereal
Fruit snacks
Beef sticks
Apple pies
Vinegar
Lemon juice
margarine
Salami
Chicken nuggets
tator tots
cream of chicken soup
cream of celery soup
steak sauce
shredded cheddar
peanut butter wafers

Homemade Playdoh

Tonight I made some playdoh for the kids to play with. They have a lot of fun with this stuff and it is super easy and cheap to make. And you don't have to worry about what's in it. It usually lasts 2-4 weeks here, I just keep it in a ziploc when they aren't playing with it. Here is my favorite recipe:

1 c flour
1/2 c salt
2 tsp cream of tarter
1 c water
1 tbsp oil
5-10 drops of food coloring (optional)

Combine the first three ingredients in a small saucepan.
Mix the wet ingredient together and slowly stir into dry mixture. Once it is all mixed together, put pan on stove over medium heat. Stir constantly. It is done when it forms a ball. Then I place it on a piece of wax paper on the counter and let it cool a little and then knead it until it is really smooth.

Then give it to the kids and let the fun begin!

Salsa - Batch # 5

Yesterday I picked more ripe tomatoes and peppers so I made another batch of salsa.

Today I canned:
12 Pints for the shelf

and we ate a bowl of it before supper.
That brings the total on the shelf to 3 quarts & 33 pints. We have also eaten several tomatoes. And we still have more on the plants. I just can't believe we have gotten all of this from our little $8 garden.

Vaseline Sheer Infusion Printable Coupon

Go here to print a coupon for Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion. Use your back button to get a second coupon. This item will be free after RR next week at Walgreens!

Salsa Recipe

A few people have asked me how I make my salsa and how to can it, so here is my super simple instructions. The only ingredients in my salsa are: tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno peppers. The truth is I don't use any recipe, so I don't have amounts for anything.

Take your canner or a very large pot and fill with enough water so that it will be at least 2" above the top of the jars when they are put in. If you don't have a wire rack to put in your canner, put a towel in it. The reason for this is that you do not want the jars sitting on the bottom of the pot because it can cause breakage. Put it on the stove with the lid on, on high.

First I take my tomatoes, wash them and core them, and throw them in the food processor. I run that until it is "salsa" consistency. I empty that into a large bowl or pitcher. And repeat that as many times as I have to, to get all the tomatoes done. I then process my onions, I use 2-4 depending on the amount of tomatoes I have. Then I wash and cut the stem off my peppers, and then process them. (Note: I do not take the seeds out as a lot of people do, so if you are looking for a very mild salsa, you might want to.) I would suggest you process a few peppers at a time, stir them into your salsa, and then taste it to see if the heat is right for you . If not, add a few more at a time till you get it hot enough. I use approximately two handfuls for a small batch or four handfuls for a large batch. So then you make sure it is all mixed together well.

Next I get my clean jars, rings, and lids. You need to put citric acid in each jar, 1/2 tsp in each quart jar or 1/4 tsp in each pint jar. Fill the jars with salsa but leave 1/2" headspace. Wipe off the very top of the jar so that it will seal correctly. Then put on lids and rings.

When the water in the canner is at a rolling boil, you can put your jars in. Make sure they are not touching each other and that the water level is above the jars. Then replace the lid and wait for the water to return to a boil. Once it starts boiling again set your timer for 20 minutes. Make sure it continues to boil the entire time. After 20 minutes you take the jars out and set them on a dry towel on your counter top or table, somewhere they can sit overnight. Make sure they are not touching each other at this time also. Then simply leave them set, don't touch them.

The next morning you need to check to make sure they have sealed correctly. Take off the rings and gently push down in the middle of the lid, make sure it doesn't pop up. As long as they are sealed well, go ahead and mark them, and put them away. If one or more is not sealed, you can simply store it in the fridge or you can get a new lid and put it through the water bath again.

You have just made your very own salsa, doesn't that feel great!

Walgreens $4.18

Quick stop at Walgreens today:

1 Aussie 2.99 sale
2 Lipton Tea bags 2/$5 sale used .50qs
1 Jet Dry 3.99 sale used .75q
1 ScotchBrite nailsaver sponge .62 clearance
1 Carefree Ultra 1.99 sale
1 Thermacare heatwrap 2.49 sale

$17.08 + .85tax = $17.93 Total
-(2) .50 lipton q
- .75 jet dry q
-4.00 RR
-4.00 RR
-2.00 RR
-2.00 RR
$4.18 Paid = 23%
and rec'd new RR's of 2,1,1,2,2.50 = $8.50

Fareway $10.88

John is going to be gone the next four days. I had most of what he needed to take with him to pack for his lunches and breakfast, but there were a few more things he wanted.

1 Wonderbread 1.69 sale
4 Venom energy drinks 1.50 sale used BOGO qs
1 BBQ chips .99
5 Homel Compleats meals 2.00 sale used $1 qs

$18.88 Total
-(2) 1.50qs
-(5) 1.00qs
$10.88 Paid = 58%

Salsa - Batch #4

I had more ripe tomatoes and peppers today so I made another batch of salsa.

Today I canned:
7 Pints for the shelf

and stuck a half pint of it in the fridge, and John took a pint to a friend at work.
That brings the total on the shelf to 3 quarts & 21 pints. We have also eaten several tomatoes. And we still have more on the plants. I think that's great for our little $8 garden.

Garage Sale - Day 2

Today was day two of my garage sale. It went alright, I knew going into it, that I wouldn't make as much money today, because the big ticket items all went yesterday. But the traffic today was much lighter. I would say we had only a little more than half of the people we had yesterday. But it is all packed up and in the garage to be taken away to Goodwill next week. Thanks Donna, for all of your help both days, what a blessing it was to have you here.

Overall, I am happy with the sale, and glad it is all done. I will be smiling all the way to the bank on Monday!

Garage Sale - Day 1

Today was the first day of my garage sale. The weather was absolutely beautiful, I couldn't ask for anything better. I tried to keep tally of how many people stopped, just for kicks, but I know that I missed recording some during the busier times. But my tally was 80! I say that is a real successful day. And the money was decent too.

I am tired, but it's a good tired feeling! I want to spend a little time tonight looking through the closets and cabinets to see if there are other items I can put out to fill in some of the empty spots and rid my house of more unnecessary stuff.

I am hoping for another great day tomorrow.