Recipe Using Sale Items

This week I picked up some Tilapia at Smiths. My husband is not a huge fan of fish, but I am, so every once in a while I pick some up when I see it on Sale (and he deals with it- hahaha) . Here is the recipe I am going to try this week using the fish. I am really trying to improve on my cooking skills, and have come a long way in the time I have been married. I do however still enjoy when the directions for prep are as simple as this recipes! This will make a busy week night dinner easy! 

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper.
4. Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 30 minutes.

Meal Planning

The same great sale that was at Smith's last week is going on again! If you haven't been yet it really is a great week to stock up on some staples. Here is a great meal plan that goes along with the sale at Smith's this week. I went last week, so I am going to take this week off! I am going to run in and grab just some produce and milk and use the items I already have at home! This is something I love about having a full pantry is that not every week has to have a meal plan based on sale items. I can base my meals on what I already have in my pantry!

All Things in Perspective

Yesterday I was so excited to get up and grab a few random coupon deals around town. My list consisted of buying:

• Toy Story DVD's for $13.98
• Monopoly the game is on sale for $7 at Target and Walmart and on Sunday we had the Playsaver insert that had a coupon for $5 off making the total cost for the game $2
• Powerade at Smith's for .25

I made my way to my local Target and ran into a She Shops Smart reader that told me to not even bother going in because they were out of Toy Story and Monopoly.

My next thought was of course taking my ad and price matching at Walmart. Walmart quickly denied my request and told me they wouldn't price match the deal to get $10 off when you buy both Toy Story 1 and 2 because it was a gimmick. Monopoly was also gone =(

Leaving some what disappointed and frustrated I decided to take my ad to Best Buy to see if they would price match. I was thrilled when they did. They were so awesome about it and were happy to have my business.

I decided to try one last shot at getting the Monopoly game and ran into one more Walmart. Luckily, I asked the toy department manager and he had 50 of them in the back. He let me buy 3 of them (these will make great gifts).

I finished off the day with a trip to Smith's where my bill started off at $298 and ended up at $80!!!

( I'll do a A Lot for Less post after this)

I was excited to come home and see my loot, but was also frustrated with how difficult it was to find these hot bargains.

I called Emily to gripe and she just reminded me that DVD's and toys are just cool , but the main purpose of using coupons is to save money on groceries-which I absolutely do.

How many of you have been frustrated about not being able to find some of these cool deals? How many of you are frustrated that the stores are getting fed up with coupon abuse and cracking down on those of us who continue to use coupons the right way?

I actually am wondering if only the Walmarts in my area wouldn't price match, because my sister in law about 40 miles away from me had no problems getting the $10 off deal at her Walmart?

What have your experiences been with trying to find Toy Story and Monopoly?

Toy Story Movie Coupons

A few days ago I shared with you a $5/1 coupon for Toy Story. I was hoping for a better deal than that one and of course my wish came true.

Go here to Disney Rewards web page. Login to your account, or register if you don't have one. You will see that if you have previously bought a VHS or DVD movie that you can enter in the old bar code number in the orange code box from either Toy Story1 or Toy Story 2 you can print off a $10 coupon for each one.

• My code for number one was 786936294507
• My code for the second one was 786936294521

So now I have a $10 coupon for the both Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2 and it appears that Toy R Us is going to have the best deal with these coupons.

At Toys R Us when you buy both DVD's together they cost $16.99

Your Total will come to $33.98

Use both of your $10/1 coupons

You will end up paying $13.98 for both movies!

It has also been reported that each movie will contain a a FREE movie ticket to Toy Story 3 when it comes to the theaters in June!

Thanks Hip2save for this awesome deal!

$3/1 Coupons for Huggies Daipers

Wow, Huggies has released several $3/1 coupons for diapers. You can print off the coupons in the following 3 locations. You can print each coupon off by hitting your back button 3 times. That means there is $18 worth of Huggies coupons to print off!

• $3/1 from coupons.com
• $3/1 after you become a fan on Facebook and then view Huggies Status
• $3/1 from Bricks Coupons
  

Thanks Krazy Coupon Lady for the roundup!

Mega Swag Bucks Day!

How about them Swag Bucks? I shared with you about a new way to search the internet called Swagbucks. You get paid in "swag bucks" to search the internet the same way you already search for things. After you earn your swagbucks you can redeem them for gift cards and other prizes from the swag store. You can read my post about swagbucks here for all the details.

As if it was already sweet enough to get rewarded for doing something you are already doing, how about having a MEGA swag buck day!

"Every Friday, Swagbucks gives you a chance to win huge, gargantuan, oodles, tons of....Mega Swag Bucks with your searches. From 3 to 100 Swag Bucks, we give away up to 10,000 Swag Bucks in Mega Bills every Friday!"
Taken from Swag Bucks official blog

So, make sure on Friday's you do some MEGA searching to win MEGA swag bucks! Be sure to check out our Swag Bucks tips here.

If you don't already have Swag Bucks go here to sign up. After you sign up check your e-mail and they will let you start searching!

Below you can see how Emily and I are making Swag Bucks work for us.

• Goal $1,000.00 in Southwest Airline Gift Cards
• We will need 20 $50 Gift Cards to Accomplish this goal
• Each $50 to Southwest cost us 5500 Swag Bucks
• That means we still need 10 gift cards or 55,000 Swag Bucks

Be sure to jump on this and start earning your Swag Bucks too!

March Instant Savings Game at Smith's

There are only 20 more days left to play March to Savings Instant win game on the Smith's website. Visit this link, shoot the basketball into the hoop and wait to see what you won. You can play everyday in March, but after you win 2 instant prizes you are entered into the Sweepstakes Drawing.

I have only played two times and both times I won $5 that was loaed onto my Fresh Values card. $10 in FREE groceries just for playing this game! Many other people shared with me that they won FREE king sized candy bars, pizzas, and other random groceries.

Good Luck!

$5/1 Toy Story DVD Coupon

In anticipation of Toy Story's release I have been looking for coupons. I did manage to find this $5/1 Toy Story Edition Blu-ray or DVD combo pack. It expires 3/30. I am hoping that as the release gets closer there will be a better coupon, but just in case $5 is better than no coupon at all.

Recipes using Sale Items

Pasta is on sale this week at Smiths for as low as .49 a package! So fittingly the recipe this week involves pasta :) There is also a Beer Rebate available to help cover the cost of the shrimp. The rebate is a $6.00 Mail in Rebate good on the purchase of fresh or frozen seafood, compliments of Bud Light Lime. For those of you not familiar with how beer rebates work- the beer company simply provides the rebates for purchasing foods that they think go well with beer. No beer purchase is necessary to redeem the rebate, as is the case with all the beer rebates I have ever seen. So, now onto the delicious-ness..... 

Pasta With Shrimp and Veggies

recipe from ALL YOU magazine

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 Servings

Cost per Serving: $3.51

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  bow-tie pasta
• 1/2  pound  green beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch-long pieces
• 1  pound  medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1  (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1  (7 oz.) can whole-kernel corn, drained
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

Prepare pasta according to package directions; add green beans to pot 3 minutes before pasta will be ready.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add shrimp and return to a boil. Boil for 1 minute and then drain.

Combine shrimp, tomatoes and corn in a medium saucepan. Add olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Cover, remove from heat and set aside until pasta and beans are done.

Set aside 1 cup pasta cooking water and then drain pasta and beans. Toss pasta and beans with shrimp mixture; if pasta looks dry, add reserved water in 1/4-cup increments until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper.

Meal Planning Wednesday

This week I am planning my meals around the Smith's list. To read how I plan my meals check out this post.

Breakfast

English McMuffin

Cold Cereal and Oranges

Cold Cereal and Toast

Eggs, bacon and pancakes

cinnamon rolls and milk

Homemade granola and yogurt

Lunch

Peanut Butter and Jelly, graham crackers and juice

Turkey Sandwiches, celery with peanut butter and crackers

California Kitchen Pizza, salad and bread sticks

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and fruit cups

Top Ramen and Cheese and Crackers

Tuna Fish sandwiches with pickles and chips

Dinner

Pork Chop and Rice Casserole

Sunday Roast, Potatoes and bread sticks

BBQ chicken legs and steamed vegetables

Meatball Sandwiches with chips

Peanut Chicken in the crock pot with rice

Use the left over roast for French Dip Sandwiches

Snacks

Crackers

Popcorn

Chips and Salsa

Desserts

Pillsbury Cookie sandwiches

Strawberries and Cream

FREE Admission to the Discovery Gateway Museum TODAY 3/17

Today, March 17th, you can go to the Discovery Gateway Museum in Salt Lake for FREE.

" ‘Tis the luck ‘o the Irish at Discovery Gateway on St. Patrick’s Day because everyone gets in FREE. This free day is sponsored by the Zoo, Arts & Parks Program (ZAP) as thanks to the voters of Salt Lake County for supporting ZAP."

Princess and the Frog on DVD or Blu Ray for .99

One of the reasons I love couponing is so I can score movies for WAY less! Here is an awesome scenario that will let you purchase Disney's Princess and the Frog for .99 after coupons and 2 mail in rebates. Step 1: Target has Princess and the Frog on sale for $15.99.
Use this $5/1 printable coupon for Princess and the Frog on DVD or Blu Ray expires 4/30


Step 2: Purchase 2 Bandaid products and submit for a $5 rebate. Purchases must be made between 3/14/2010 and 6/30/2010 and postmarked by 7/31/2010. Use this Target coupon for $1/1 Band-aid Bandages


Step 3: Purchase any roll of FrogTape Multi-Surface (24mm, 36mm, or 48mm) painters tape and submit for this $5 rebate. Purchases must be made between 3/14/2010 and 5/31/2010 and need to me postmarked by 6/30/2010.

Both rebates do not require you to purchase the movie and the products on the same receipt. Both rebates also allow for photocopies of the receipt and Disney movies have 2 proofs of purchases tabs on the DVD that you can send in with the rebates.

Tip- Last night in one of my classes I was told that Princess and the Frog was sold out at almost every Target in the valley. Take your ad to Walmart and price match.


I am so excited to get this for my kids for Easter. .99 for any Disney movie is a She Shops Smart deal!
Thanks PYP for sharing the available rebates.

Coupons in Sunday's Paper

In the Daily Herald you should have received:

1 SS insert
1RP insert
In the SLT/DMN you should have received
1 SS insert

To read about how the Red Plum coupons are distributed click here!

To start your newspaper coupons right away, learn about the awesome newspaper deal we can get you here. YES, it is cheaper than going to the gas station or local Walmart newspaper stands and you are GUARANTEED the inserts!

*If you ordered the paper and you didn't receive your paper or didn't get the correct number of papers please call the newspaper company first and let them know. Their numbers are on the left side of the blog. Occasionally if you are new to a route your carrier may miss your home. The newspaper companies are super easy to work with and will make sure your papers are delivered.

Target $5/30 Cherokee Circo Kids Clothing Coupon

Here is a Target coupon for $5 off a Kids Apparel purchase of $30 or more. When I printed off the coupon it doesn't expire unstil 4/11. I think I am going to wait and use it to score an even better deal on those clothes on the clearance rack, or who knows maybe I will splurge. I saw the cutest Easter suits for my boys last time I was there. Either way $5 bucks is $5 bucks!

Big thanks to the Thrifty Couple for this find!

$19.50 in Pillsbury Coupons

Log in to your Pillsbury account or become a member if you aren't alreay and you can print off some great Pillsbury/General Mills coupons. There are many of them, like the Crescent rolls and Progresso soup, that will go great with this weeks sale at Smiths. In case you haven't checked it out yet Smith's is continuing the sale from last week into this week. If you are like me and you used most of your coupons last week this will let you pick up a few more of those soups at a great price!

Old Dogs and Baby Einstien DVD Coupons

Go here to Disney's coupon page to print off a $10/1 BLU Ray Combo Pack coupon for Old Dogs (expires 3/16) and/or a coupon for $5/1 Baby Einstien: World Animal Adventure on DVD or any other Baby Einstein DVD (expires 3/31).

Free Panda Express TODAY

Today you can print off this coupon for a FREE Honey Walnut Shrimp entree. Yummy! I know what we are trying for lunch today!

Coupons in Sundays Paper

Today in the paper you should have recieved:

Daily Herald:

1 Smart Source Insert

1 Red Plum Insert

1 Proctor and Gamble Insert

SLT/DMN or Standard Examiner

1 Smart Source Insert

1 Proctor and Gamble Insert

To start your newspaper coupons right away, learn about the awesome newspaper deal we can get you click here.

*If you ordered the paper, and you didn't receive your paper or didn't get the correct number of papers/inserts please call the newspaper company first and let them know. Their numbers are on the left side of the blog. Occasionally if you are new to a route your carrier may miss your home. The newspaper companies are super easy to work with and will make sure your papers are delivered.

Confessions of a Couponer

Sometimes I just cant help but laugh about how excited I get over deals I score using coupons and along with sale prices. It doesn't seem to matter how many coupons I have used, or how many shopping trips I have saved big on, I still get all giddy about the ability to save TONS of money using coupons. The shopping trip does not even have to be a big trip to make me feel this way. Sometimes it may only be a couple of bags, sometimes TONS. Either way I smile!

My confession this week is that when I got home from the store I unpacked my things but did not get right to putting them where they belong. I left them sitting on the kitchen table where I could just admire them for a little while. I love looking at the items I have purchased in "bulk" for less than half of the regular retail price. It sounds silly, but I would be willing to bet some of you fellow coupon users are guilty of this as well. Thats right, I just left them there to look at for a little bit. Not long enough that my husband wondered what I was doing, just long enough to smile for a few extra minutes. 

As I am writing this, the items have now been jammed into to the cupboards wherever I could find room, organized and put away. 

This particular item was a 4 star sale item. I usually try and focus on 5 stars sales however, after receiving a $3 off- ONSO coupon (from purchasing 4 boxes cereal and getting FREE milk at Smiths). I then used that coupon to make the total for these 3 babies $5.19. Which I thought was great when they have a regular price of $4.25 ea.  

These 3 bottles of detergent have yet to make their way to the laundry room so they are the only thing I had out to take a picture of, but the picture still makes me smile! So, will you admit it-You have done it too? You may not have taken a picture, but you have stood and admired your groceries, maybe even delayed putting things away so you could just look at them? 

Kraftmaid Booklet is Back

This one only sticks around for a few hours, so be sure to request your FREE Kraftmaid booklet quickly. I love browsing through my magazine for fun home decorating ideas. When you get to the website just hit the link up top that says request literature. Then hit consumer or homeowner. Follow with your zip code. Then fill out the necessary fields. We should receive our Kraftmaid literature in 7-10 days.