Hip Hip Hurray Giveaway! $25 GC to Mimi's Cafe!

Did you know that Bob Evans also owns Mimi's Cafe?

I sure didn't, not until I spent some time learning about Bob Evans a few weeks ago at their new restaurant in Xenia, Ohio.

Here's a little description from the Mimi's Cafe website

Since we first opened in 1978, Mimi's Cafe has been a favorite destination for restaurant goers who want to relax and connect over freshly prepared meals. Our colorful French-cottage themed buildings and lush gardens let our guests know right away that Mimi's is a special place to visit.

Image courtesy of www.MimisCafe.com

Doesn't it look like a charming place to spend an night out with someone you love?

I was surprised to learn that there's a Mimi's Cafe very close to my little town (just down the road a bit) and thrilled when the PR team for Bob Evans offered me two gift cards for Mimi's Cafe - one for my husband and I to use and one to giveaway here on my blog.

Our budget is tight and it seems like it gets a bit tighter each month; it's a rare thing for my hubs Knute and I to go out for dinner just the two of us because going out means paying for a sitter and paying for dinner. This gift card will be a nice treat for us to spend some time away from the kids and having a conversation that isn't constantly interrupted by our well-meaning but insistent kiddos.

Onto the giveaway!

I have been graciously given a $25 Mimi's Cafe gift card to giveaway to (1) lucky reader!*

Not sure if there's a Mimi's Cafe near you? You can use their store locator right here to search your state. While you're visiting their site, be sure to print a coupon for a free dessert (exp. 10/5/09)! ;-)

How to enter:

Leave a comment telling us what your favorite cheap date night idea is. It can be something you do for free; if it costs $$, make sure it's a low-cash idea. With our economy slip-sliding downhill, we all could use some fun and cheap ideas for spending time with the ones we love.

You can earn an additional (3) chances to win as well.

1. Tweet about this giveaway then come back here and leave me a separate comment to let me know you tweeted.

2. Post about this giveaway at your blog with a link both to this post; come back and leave the URL of your post in a separate comment.

3. Subscribe to my RSS feed by reader or email and leave a separate comment to let me know you're a new subscriber; you can also drop me a separate comment to let me know if you're already a subscriber for this extra entry.

Remember, you must leave me some way to find you online (by email or by your Twitter handle) if you don't have a blog. Entries with no contact information or means of contacting you online will be disqualified. I don't want to disqualify you so please, please, pretty-please be sure to do this, m'kay?

This giveaway will end on TUESDAY, October 6, 2009, at 10:00 pm EST . I will announce the winner (selected by Random.org) on WEDNESDAY, October 7, 2009.

Good luck!

*(Disclosure: I was given a $50 gift card for my hubs and I to use.)

Are you running a giveaway over at your webjoint? Drop your giveaway post link and spread the news!



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Hip Hip Hurray Giveaway Winner: Bob Evans $50 GC!

Someone will be enjoying some Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo in the near future!!

The winner of the $50 GC to Bob Evans is....

#53: Sarah

Congrats, Sarah! I'll email you soon!

Thanks to all who entered - I loved reading all your comments but they did make me kinda hungry! ;-)

Don't forget to enter into this week's Hip Hip Hurray Giveaway! I'll be posting that one soon.



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Let's Go Krogering! Week of September 28, 2009

Do love finding deals at your Kroger? This feature is for you! Link your post about what deals you found at your local Kroger or Kroger-affiliated store. Simple rules are here; the 149x149 button is in my sidebar. {This week, it really is!}

Feel free to link up to this all week and share the good deals you find at your local Kroger or Kroger-affiliated store! As always, please add a link back to me in your Krogering post. Not sure how to do this? Just email me and I'll walk you through it!

$~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~$

You can view the sales matchup for this week at Kroger, Cincy Region, right here (thanks, Mommy Snacks!).

My Kroger trip, Monday, September 28, 2009:



Spent: $65.93
Saved: $43.96, or 40%

The Kraft/Nestle Mega Sale event is over; hopefully, you were able to stock up on some great items. This week's 10 for $10 Sale features some great items with coupon matchups making them perfect for stockpiling.

Here's the coupons matchups for the goodies I bought:

:: $1.00/1 Bob Evans Sausage ($2.50 ea), Kroger My Magazine mailer coupon

:: $1.00/5 Dannon Light and Fit Yogurts ($0.46 ea), store catalina coupon

:: $0.75/2 Nabisco cookies or Crackers (purchased two Wheat Thins, $2.29 ea), SS 08/23

:: $0.50/2 Starkist Tuna pouches ($1.00 ea), RP 09/20

:: $0.50/2 Green Giant boxed vegetables ($1.25 ea), SS 09/13

:: $0.55/2 Kroger Pretzels ($1.50 ea), Kroger My Magazine mailer coupon

:: $1.00/2 Orville Redenbacher Popcorn ($3.49 ea, on sale BOGO right now), Kroger My Magazine mailer coupon

:: $0.40/2 Totinos Pizza Roll Boxes ($0.99 ea), SS 09/13

:: $1.00/5 Del Monte Canned Fruits ($0.75-$0.98 closeout prices), RP 09/20

:: FREE Bob Evans Fresh Product ($3.49), PR coupon from my Bob Evans trip 09/16

:: $0.40/4 Campbells Tomato or Chicken Soup ($0.50 ea), SS 09/13

How'd you do at Kroger this week? Link *your* Let's Go Krogering! post all week and help another reader save some $$!

**As always, please add a link back to my Let's Go Krogering! post in your Krogering post and be sure that you add your post's permalink to the MckLinky so everyone else can find your deals (rather than just linking back to your blog's homepage). Need help doing this? Email me and I'll walk you through it!**



Thanks for reading and subscribing to The New Frugal Mom!

Confirmed TRIPLE Coupon Event @ Bigg's, 10/2-10/5

Cincinnati area readers, get your coupons READY!

Following up on a tip from an anonymous commenter, I called the Marketing Manager for Bigg's to confirm that Bigg's would be holding a TRIPLE coupon event this weekend, Friday, 10/2 - Monday, 10/5. She confirmed the tip! It is ON!

Here's what you need to know:

:: Coupons with a value of $0.01 - $0.50 will be TRIPLED (to $0.03 - $1.50)

:: Coupons with a value of $0.50 - $1.00 will be DOUBLED (to $1.00 - $2.00)

:: Amount of credit from doubling or tripling a coupon cannot exceed
the current retail price of a single item. (This means no overage; tripled and doubled coupon values will adjust down to the retail price of the item.)

:: Limit two identical coupons for each item purchased per family. (This means if you have more than two identical coupons and you plan to use this sale to stockpile, you will need to be prepared to do multiple transactions. Plan your trip, your time, and your patience accordingly.)

:: While supplies last! During the last Triple/Double coupon event in June, the hot deals flew off the shelves so plan on shopping early!

:: Sale begins 10:00 AM on Friday, 10/2.

I will post an ad matchup with the best deals for this sale sometime tomorrow; I'll keep it as a sticky post at the top of this blog so you can find it without digging through the links.

For this week's Bigg's ad, click here.

If you're planning scenarios for this trip and want to share them, I'll add a MckLinky to the ad matchup post for everyone to link their plans; you can also plan on coming back and bragging on your SWEET deals-n-steals after you survive the sale! Be sure to take a picture of your trip and post about how much you saved!

Thanks for reading and subscribing to The New Frugal Mom!

Menu Plan Monday: All New 5 Week Menu Plan!

Learn more about my 5 Week Menu Plan with my Q&A post right here.

I can hardly believe that it's time for a new 5 Week Menu Plan - where did September go?

I spent some time working on my next 5 Week Menu Plan this weekend (you can view my first one right here) and despite all the sad chaos at my house, I did finish it. There are several recipes that I've repeated because they are family faves at our dinner table and this week, Week 1, is a bit of a freezer cleanout week as I have several items hiding in my freezer that I want to put to good use.

To view my new 5 Week Menu Plan (September 28 - October 31), click here.

I've also added a link in my header {Menu Plans} to help you easily locate my 5 Week Menu Plans. I hope you find them to be a useful resource for your own menu planning.

Here's what's for dinner at my house this freezer clean out week:

Monday

Savory Chicken and Dumplings....on this week's plan again since I didn't make them last week! (This link is as close as I can find to the original recipe that I cannot find on Allrecipes.com anymore; I do promise to *a-hem* finally share my recipe with you later this week!)

Tuesday

Slow Cooker Brats & Hot Dogs with french fries, salad, and veggie sticks (I have one kid who LOVES salad and two kids who LOVE carrots and celery so these both feature a lot on my menus.)

Wednesday

Burgers, Mac&Cheese, and salad and veggie sticks.

Thursday

Cincinnati Chili, every darn way (cheese, onions, and beans) with salad and veggie sticks.

Friday

Copycat LaRosa's Pizza

Saturday

Free Night - family get together.

Sunday

Free Night/Leftovers!

My first 5 Week Menu Plan (with recipe links) is posted right here; please note that I still need to add links to printable grocery lists for Weeks 4 and 5 on my first menu plan as well as generate a list for Week 1 of my new 5 Week Menu Plan.

I'm not perfect (I've got big fat clay feet here, y'all) so be aware that a link could be haywire and that the Grocery Lists that are linked are basic guidelines; be sure to check the recipes and see what items you'd omit or add and adjust amounts for your family size.

---------------*****---------------

Don't forget to hop on over to the linkeroony at Meal Plan Monday hosted by Orgjunkie.com to drop your meal plan post and surf the links for ideas!

Thanks for reading and subscribing to The New Frugal Mom

Walgreens $5/$25 Coupon - Good Tues & Wed, 9/29-9/30

Oooh! I was hoping for another great end-of-month $$/$$ coupon from Walgreens!

Go here to print your $5/$25 to use at Walgreens on either Tuesday or Wednesday, 9/29-9/30.

As I noted in this week's Weekly Deals Roundup post, there are LOADS of FARRs (Free After Register Rewards) deals at Walgreens this week, many that will earn you overage with available coupons. If you use this coupon to grab those deals, you'll likely earn back $20 or more in RRs, making your final total after RRs a big fat FREE! ;-)

There are some key points to remember with using this $5/$25 coupon at Walgreens:

--> This coupon will ONLY work if your order total is $25 BEFORE applicable sales tax and AFTER all other manufacturer coupons and in-ad discounts and in-ad coupons are applied.

--> The Walgreens register system recognizes the Register Rewards as a manufacturer coupon, so be sure account for that when you do your planning.

Bottom line: you'll be paying $20 no matter what after all your coupons, RRs, and this printable $5/$25 coupon unless your store has a different policy for accepting coupons.

Need help with understanding how to save at Walgreens? Click here and read my post about How to Save Big at Walgreens.

Big thanks to Bargain Briana for alerting me to this coupon!

Thanks for reading and subscribing to The New Frugal Mom!

Weekly Deals Roundup: Week of September 27, 2009

Here's some of the best deals I see this week; grab your reusable shopping bags and go get 'em!


This week's Kroger Ad features a 10 for $10 Item sale with several coupon matchups. Remember, you don't need to buy 10 items to get the sale price of $1.00 ea!.

:: $0.50 with insert coupon Barilla Pasta ($1.00/2, SS 08/23)
:: $0.50 with insert coupon Starkist Chunk Light Tuna ($1.00/2, RP 09/20)
:: $0.67 with printable coupon Dole Fruit Naturals Cups

To see the full ad matchup for Kroger, Cincinnati Region, click here. (Thank you, Mommy Snacks!)


:: FREE - $0.25 with with printable coupon and MealBox coupon Chex Mix
:: $0.49 with insert coupon Wish Bone Dressing
:: $0.64 with insert coupon Totinos Pizza Rolls

To see the best of the ad matchup for Meijer, Cincinnati Region, click here. (Thank you, Mommy Snacks!)


:: FREE with printable coupon Honey Bunches of Oats
:: $0.38 with printable coupon Betty Crocker Pouch Potatoes
:: $0.64 with printable coupon Pull-Ups Flushable Wipes

To see the full ad matchup for Wal-Mart, click here; note that prices may vary by region. Last updated 9/17/09. (Thank you, Deal Seeking Mom!)


:: FREE with insert coupon and Target coupon Kellogg's Whole Grain Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts
:: $0.38 with insert coupon Quaker Oatmeal Cups
:: $1.44 after insert coupons and $5.00 Gift Card deal Gillette Fusion Razors

To see the full ad matchup for Target, click here; note that prices may vary by region. (Thank you, Stretching A Buck!)


There are LOADS of FARRs (Free After Register Rewards) at Walgreens this week! Don't miss out on this great opportunity to stockpile for pennies and earn RRs to use in the future!

:: FREE after RRs Emergen-C Booster 2 pack (Earns $3.49 RRs)
:: FREE + $1.00 overage after RRs and insert coupon Oral B Advantage 1-2-3 Toothbrush (Earns $3.00 RRs)
:: FREE + $1.00 overage after RRs and insert coupon Robitussin DM to Go 2 Pack (Earns $2.49 RRs)
:: FREE + $1.50 overage after RRs and printable coupon Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion (Earns $6.99 RRs)
:: FREE after RRs Chapstick Fresh Effects (Earns $2.99 RRs)
:: FREE + $1.00 overage after RRs and printable coupon Dentek Dental Floss Picks (Earns $2.00 RRs)
:: FREE + $0.75 profit after RRs and insert coupon Halls Refresh Sugar Free (Earns $1.00 RR)
:: FREE after RRs and insert coupon Herbal Essence Hair Care (Earns $2.00 RRs)
:: FREE after RRs and printable coupons Theraflu (Nighttime pictured; could include other Theraflu products) (Earns $4.00 RRs - must buy 2)

I can't stress this enough - this is a thrilling week at Walgreens! I already grabbed some deals after church this morning and I may well go back again this week; don't miss this great sale!

Need help learning how to maximize the deals at Walgreens? Read my Save Big at Walgreens post here.

To see the full ad matchup for Walgreens, click here. (Thank you, Bargain Briana!)



:: FREE + $1.50 overage after printable coupon and ECBs Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion (Sun, Mon, Tues ONLY)
:: $0.67 after ECB Extra or Wrigley Slimpack Gum (10-15 ct)
:: $0.99 after insert coupon and ECBs Gilette Fusion Razor

To see the full ad matchup for CVS, click here. (Thank you, Bargain Briana!)

What deals are you hunting for this week?

Over The Rainbow Bridge: Barnum, June 5, 1995 - September 26, 2009

Yesterday, we said goodbye to our beloved German Shorthaired Pointer, Barnum. He's been a part of our family since the summer when my hubs Knute and I were married; we lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Newport, Rhode Island, with both Barnum and his littermate sister, Bailey.

Life in 600 square feet with not one, but two German Shorthaired Pointer puppies, was quite a circus. I spent many afternoons during the fall of 1995 taking both pups to what was then the dog park in Newport, RI, and to Second Beach just up the road in Middletown, RI. They ran and ran and ran, occasionally stopping to dig up a quahog (big ol' clam) from the wet sand to terrorize by barking at it.

We said goodbye to our beloved Bailey in July of 2007; she had battled Cushings disease for over four years and the time came where we needed to make the most heart-wrenching and soul-aching decision of releasing her from her suffering.

Because Barnum missed her terribly (my plantation blinds bear some chew marks of anxiety to prove it), and because we've always had two dogs, we adopted Brownie, a GSP puppy, from this fine organization, GSP Rescue of Ohio. I can't say enough about the good work they (and every grassroots level dog/breed rescue organization out there) do.

Barnum was the most gentle and loving GSP I've known (Brownie is now the 4th in our family); we called him Mr. Wiggles when he was younger because he didn't just wag his tail with joy when we walked in the door, he wiggled his whole body with joy.

I've always opined (and still do) that my dogs are better (and more fun) than any electronic home security system on the market. Bailey was the dog in charge of home security; she always kept an eye on the front door of the house and let us know (woof-woof!) if anyone was coming or going. She was friendly once she got to sniff your hand and lean against you a bit; Bailey was truly a clown.

Barnum was our dog in charge of personal security; he never left my side (I was forever shooing him out of the kitchen) and when the kids came along, he devoted himself to watching over them. When my oldest was a baby, he slept in her room or in front of her closed door when she napped. As my boys came along, he would sleep in front of their doors as well. Wherever the kids were, there was Barnum. He was so gentle with them and loved nothing more than curling up next to them.

This picture is of my daughter, learning to sit up with Barnum's gentle help (2001):



Even the last night of his life he spent curled up with the boys in our office as they watched TV. I am so grateful that he was happy with them right up to the very end.

Barnum went quickly and the mercy in his loss is that everything happened late at night when the kids were asleep. I'm so thankful that they didn't witness him falling, not being able to get up, and then wracked with seizures. It was spinal degeneration, our vet told us, and there was nothing more that we could do except push him gently toward the Rainbow Bridge.

And so we did and he is now Home where he is whole and happy and will run free once again with his sister Bailey and with Packer (my MIL's GSP who passed in 1999 and Ellie, my SIL's Lab who passed in 2008). I can see them in my mind's eye, racing down the beach chasing seagulls once again like they did when they were pups.

Thank you to all of you who have sent your prayers and condolences. I am touched by your thoughtfulness.

Before I end this, I would like to urge any and all of you to consider adopting your next dog or cat from an Animal Rescue. The need is great, especially since our economy is forcing families to give up their pets.

Go in peace, Barnum. We will miss you terribly.

Thanks for reading and subscribing to The New Frugal Mom.

Quick Update

Hi all.

I've been absent from here for the last two days; one of our dogs, Barnum, isn't doing very well. He's fourteen - a ripe old age for a very good dog - and it looks like it may be his time to leave us.

I'll be back to posting again soon; thanks for your understanding.

;-)

Hip Hip Hurray Giveaway: $50 Bob Evans Gift Card! {Plus Link YOUR Giveaway!}

I have a wonderful (if ever so late on this overbooked Wednesday!) giveaway to share with all of you.

Last Wednesday, I was invited out with some of my fave local Ohio bloggers to tour the all new Bob Evans in Xenia, Ohio. This restaurant is the very first new build of the new look for Bob Evans and it is beee-YOU-ti-ful!

IMG_2586
Originally uploaded by onceamonthmom

As soon as you drive up, you notice the warm and inviting new look. I have to admit, it took me a few seconds longer to locate it from the highway since I was looking for the iconic big red Bob Evans like the one down the street from my neighborhood. The sign is still the same "Bob Evans" red signature but the color palate features more warm creams and muted greens, my fave colors for a home.

After seeing the outside, I knew I would love the inside. I mean, I'm a total sucker for Bob Evans food (and so are my kids; go get yourself a free Kids Meal $2/$10 printable coupon when you sign up for BE Mail right here if you haven't done so already) because I love all things eggs, biscuits (sugarfree blackberry jam, please!), and sausage. Toss a pot of coffee on the side and I am THERE!

It was when I saw this table that I thought I might seriously have to just move into this new Bob Evans for good:

IMG_2597
Originally uploaded by onceamonthmom

The Big Red Table goes right back to the original Homestead; Mr. Bob Evans (yes, he really exists!) always kept a big red table at the Homestead and the new restaurant design includes this great gathering space for large groups. Me, I had visions of setting my laptop up at one end and helping my kids with their homework at the other...ahhh, a girl can dream of a life on a mini-farm, right?

The food was fantastic; I had the opportunity to sample some of their new pasta dishes (the Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo was delish) as well as their latest breakfast yummy, the BOBurrito. Very tasty!



And did I mention that I was blessed to be able to spend my birthday morning (29...again!) with some of my fave Ohio bloggers?

IMG_2598
Originally uploaded by onceamonthmom

I just love those girls!

My youngest little guy came with me but he - and all the other little peeps that were in attendance - is not in this picture because the awesome PR folks for Bob Evans had plenty for the wee folk to do with coloring, yummy food, and fun games. One member of the PR team did some face painting! Big thumbs up to Bob Evans for having a PR team that did an outstanding job in welcoming us; this, like every other Bob Evans I've ever visited, was truly a family-friendly place.

Onto the giveaway!

I have been graciously given a $50 Bob Evans gift card to giveaway to (1) lucky reader!*

Not sure if there's a Bob Evans near you? You must not live in Ohio!! Seriously, you can use their store locator right here to search your state. ;-)

How to enter:

Leave a comment telling us what your favorite Bob Evans menu item is (mine is actually the Eggs Benedict but it's so darn rich and loaded with calories that I don't get it very often). Haven't been to Bob Evans for a while? Go hop over to take a look at the menu; tell us which item has your mouth watering the most!

You can earn an additional (3) chances to win as well.

1. Tweet about this giveaway then come back here and leave me a separate comment to let me know you tweeted.

2. Post about this giveaway at your blog with a link both to this post; come back and leave the URL of your post in a separate comment.

3. Subscribe to my RSS feed by reader or email and leave a separate comment to let me know you're a new subscriber; you can also drop me a separate comment to let me know if you're already a subscriber for this extra entry.

Remember, you must leave me some way to find you online (by email or by your Twitter handle) if you don't have a blog. Entries with no contact information or means of contacting you online will be disqualified. I don't want to disqualify you so please, please, pretty-please be sure to do this, m'kay?

This giveaway will end on TUESDAY, September 29, 2009, at 10:00 pm EST . I will announce the winner (selected by Random.org) on WEDNESDAY, September 30, 2009.

Good luck!

*(Disclosure: I was also given a $50 gift card for my family to use as well as some signature Bob Evans products (coffee!). I haven't told my kids just yet because they will hound me mercilessly until I take them to our local Bob Evans!)

Are you running a giveaway over at your webjoint? Drop your giveaway post link and spread the news!



*Do those pictures rock or what?!! Big thanks to my friend Tricia over at Once A Month Mom for letting me use hers since all of mine turned out too blurry. Hmm....maybe a case of sausage gravy smearing the lens?? ;-)

Thanks for reading and subscribing to The New Frugal Mom!

Let's Go Krogering! Week of September 21, 2009

Do love finding deals at your Kroger? This feature is for you! Link your post about what deals you found at your local Kroger or Kroger-affiliated store. Simple rules are here; the 149x149 button is in my sidebar. {This week, it really is!}

Feel free to link up to this all week and share the good deals you find at your local Kroger or Kroger-affiliated store! As always, please add a link back to me in your Krogering post. Not sure how to do this? Just email me and I'll walk you through it!

$~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~$

You can view the sales matchup for this week at Kroger, Cincy Region, right here (thanks, Mommy Snacks!).

My Kroger trip, Monday, September 21, 2009:



Spent: $98.12
Saved: $66.51, or 40%

I stocked up big time this week on some of the Mega Sale Items; I've had some low weekly totals this month ($62.37, $31.90 + an additional $40 for entertaining), so I'm in good shape to hit my goal of $400/month or less for groceries for my family of five.

After a high-drama weekend (oh, you're just DYING to know what happened, aren't you; I'll post it later on my personal blog), I had an time-sensitive errand to run this morning so I didn't go Krogering until this afternoon. And yet I still found some great loss leaders/markdowns (items are marked w/yellow and orange price tags):

-->$0.99 Private Selection Dark Rye Bread

-->$0.50 Fresh Selections Italian Mix Salads (This is a new house brand from Kroger.)

-->$1.50 Idaho Potatoes, 10 lbs (Dude, that's $0.15/lb! I see some potato recipes in my next 5 Week Meal Plan!!)

-->$0.74-$0.98 Del Monte Canned Fruits (These are 50% off on the shelf, marked a closeout price but all with at least 1 year + until expiration; I assume they might have new packaging coming out for these?? If you're looking for them, be sure to use this printable $1.00/5 or the $1.00/5 in RP 09/20 to get them for even less.)

Here's the coupons matchups for the rest of the goodies I bought:

:: $0.55/1 Honey Nut Cheerios printable here

:: $1.00/2 GM Cereals printable here

:: $0.65/1 Kroger Cornitos Chips via ShortCuts

:: $1.35/2 Suave Shampoos, Kroger mailer coupon

:: $1.00/1 CoffeeMate printable here

:: $0.50/1 CoffeeMate, RP 08/09

:: $0.75/1 Kroger Deluxe Ice Cream via ShortCuts

:: $1.00/3 Capri Suns, blinkie (found this several weeks ago)

:: $0.55/1 Nestle Cookie Dough, blinkie (found this last week; still in store today)

:: $1.00/1 Nestle Cookie Dough, RP 09/13

:: $1.00/2 Maxwell House, peelie (found this summer)

:: $0.75/1 Cheez-It printable here

:: FREE Crackerfuls when you buy any Ritz, SS 08/23

:: $0.75/2 Nabisco Cookies, SS 08/23

:: $1.00/2 Nestle Morsels, RP 09/13

:: $1.00/1 Wheat Thins printable here

:: $0.55/1 Bumble Bee Tuna Packet, SS 09/13

To see the full list of participating items for this 10 Item Mega Sale, click here; to see how to maximize this sale with the current $20 Kraft/Nabisco Rebate, click here.

How'd you do at Kroger this week? I'm betting some of you out there are working this sale so share your best deals here! Link *your* Let's Go Krogering! post all week and help another reader save some $$!

**As always, please add a link back to my Let's Go Krogering! post in your Krogering post and be sure that you add your post's permalink to the MckLinky so everyone else can find your deals (rather than just linking back to your blog's homepage). Need help doing this? Email me and I'll walk you through it!**



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Week 5 of My 5 Week Meal Plan

Learn more about my 5 Week Menu Plan with my Q&A post right here.

It's Week 5 of 5 of my 5 Week Menu Plan. I didn't post my weekly meal plan (Week 4) last week, but I did use it. I've got a copy printed out and posted on the inside of one of my kitchen cabinets for easy reference. I'll update with a back-dated Meal Planning post for Week 4 later today.

I have to say, this experiment - planning FIVE weeks of dinners rather than just one has been a huge success for me. Since I already cook with a cook-ahead/double duty dinner mentality, planning ahead for just a little over a month allowed me to plug in those doubled dinners into later dates (usually our most busy nights).

And - this is the biggie - given our hectic family schedule (I chat a bit here about how I'm worrying we're becoming overbooked), planning ahead for a month or so allows me to identify days when I'll have more time for extra cooking and days when I'll simply be so busy that I won't have time to do anything more than defrost and nuke a pre-made dinner.

Because this has worked so well for me, I plan on doing this again, and I plan adding a tab to the header of this site and a button on the sidebar to link to my 5 Week Menu Plans. These will make it easier for you to locate my 5 Week Meal Plans as well the links to the master Google Docs I've made (the five week calendar and weekly grocery lists) for these menu plans. I hope that you find them useful!

Here's what's for dinner at my house this week:

Monday

Lasagna Rolls with Italian Sausage with salad and breadsticks.

Tuesday

King Ranch Chicken Casserole (I'm attempting this in my slow cooker; I'll let you know how it turns out!)

Wednesday

Leftovers!

Thursday

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas (Mmmmm! I could eat this every night!)

Friday

Calzones with homemade dough and Salad.

Saturday

Chicken and Dumplings (I made this yesterday for dinner as well; it's one of our family faves! I alter the recipe a bit and I'll share that with you in a later post.)

Sunday

Free Night! (Going to our Parish Picnic -- keeping my fingers crossed for good weather!)

My 5 Week Menu Plan (with recipe links) is posted right here (as a printable GoogleDoc) and embedded at the bottom is a link to Week 1's Grocery List, Week 2's Grocery List, and Week 3's Grocery List (all are also printable GoogleDocs).

I'll update with the grocery lists for Week 4 and Week 5 later today.

I'm not perfect (I've got big fat clay feet here, y'all) so be aware that a link could be haywire and that the Grocery Lists are basic guidelines; be sure to check the recipes and see what items you'd omit or add and adjust amounts for your family size.

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Don't forget to hop on over to the linkeroony at Meal Plan Monday hosted by Orgjunkie.com to drop your meal plan post and surf the links for ideas!

Thanks for reading and subscribing to The New Frugal Mom

Weekly Deals Roundup, September 20, 2009

It has been at least two weeks since I posted weekly deal links; apologies! I think I'm finally back in the "back-to-school groove". ;-)

Here's some of the best deals I see this week; grab your reusable shopping bags and go get 'em!


The 10 Item Mega Sale Event continues this week on participating Kraft, Nestle, and Purina products. Be sure to check your store for items not listed in your ad; for a full list of participating items, click here.

:: $0.77 with printable coupon General Mills Cereals (Honey Nut Cheerios pictured)
:: $0.78 with insert coupon Suave Shampoo or Conditioner
:: $1.02 with eCoupon from ShortCuts Kroger Deluxe Ice Cream

To see the full ad matchup for Kroger, Cincinnati Region, click here. (Thank you, Mommy Snacks!)


:: FREE with printable coupon Healthy Choice Frozen Meals
:: $0.25 with printable coupon Sunny Delight Juice
:: $0.50 with insert coupon Knorr Rice or Pasta Sides

To see the best of the ad matchup for Meijer, Cincinnati Region, click here. (Thank you, Mommy Snacks!)


:: FREE with printable coupon Huggies 40ct Baby Wipes
:: $0.25 with printable coupon Mom's Best Natural Oats
:: $0.68 with insert coupon Ronzoni Pasta

To see the full ad matchup for Wal-Mart, click here; note that prices may vary by region. Last updated 9/17/09. (Thank you, Deal Seeking Mom!)


:: FREE with printable coupon All Laundry Detergent (travel size)
:: $0.50 with printable coupon Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers
:: $0.89 with insert coupon Skintimate Shave Gel

To see the full ad matchup for Target, click here; note that prices may vary by region. (Thank you, Stretching A Buck!)


:: FREE + overage after printable coupon and RRs Roots of Nature Hair Product
:: FREE + overage after printable coupon and RRs Thermacare Heat Wrap (single pack)
:: $1.49 after printable coupon here and RRs Aquafresh Iso-Active Toothpaste

To see the full ad matchup for Walgreens, click here. (Thank you, http://www.slickdeals.net!)


:: $0.24 after insert coupon and ECBs Crest Pro Health Toothpaste
:: $0.95 with insert coupon Pop Tarts
:: $1.00 with printable coupon Sobe Life Water

To see the full ad matchup for CVS, click here. (Thank you, Bargain Briana!)

What deals are you hunting for this week?

Inspiring Stories of Debt-Busting and Frugal Living

Image courtesy of http://escape-identity.xanga.com

We're still busting through our debt here and getting closer to our goal, albeit slowly. But I am always counting our blessings - our family, our health, a home whose value hasn't plummeted, a great job for my hubs, a financial plan for our future that includes investments and life insurance, two vehicles paid off and owned in full, and the frugal living tips and support I've found here in the blogosphere - and reminding myself that while we keep pushing for our future goals, it's important to be fully present in the moment as well.

Living in the moment for me means that some days, I don't open this laptop, I don't make the rounds at the stores for the freebies and cheabies of the week, and I don't write an impossibly long to-do list of tasks that aren't nearly as pressing as they seem once they're written down on paper. Living in the moment for me is all about getting unplugged and spending time in this beautiful real world of mine with my kiddos and hubs and friends.

Learning to enjoy the blessings around you is far more soul-filling than any retail therapy. As I said once (long ago on the first version of this blog), true happiness isn't found at the Dollar Spot at Target.

The motto of this blog - Spend Less :: Do More - isn't just about money, it's about truly living life, not just accumulating all the stuff required for a certain lifestyle.

Living a certain lifestyle (whether you can afford it or not) is what drives so many people deep, deep into debt which is why when I came across these three stories, I wanted to share them with you. They inspired me and I hope that they might inspire one of you as well. It IS possible to pull yourself out of the Lifestyle of the Debt-Cycle and finally own your life.

-->This family paid off $106,000 in unsecured debt in five years. You may have already seen this headline on Yahoo! today; if you haven't read the story yet, I urge you to hop over and read their journey. They perservered and stayed the course even when it seemed overwhelmingly impossible. Go Hildebrandts!!

-->Have you stumbled across Debt Proof Living yet? Not only is this site (and it's blog) a great resource, it's written by someone who pulled herself and her family out of the deep trenches of extreme debt (think $100,000 in 1982); you can read Mary's story here. (Thanks to Erin at $5 Dinners for tuning me into her!)

-->Last, if you've ever wondered about stockpiling food and if it's a wise investment of time, money, and space, you simply must read The Prudent Homemaker's story about how her stockpile has fed her family for nearly two years. It made me think about what more I can do to be ready for lean times if they should happen to us. (Thanks, Jennifer @ Saving and Giving for introducing me to this great site!)

Enjoy, and as always, thanks for reading The New Frugal Mom!

Walgreens Wellness Tour Offering FREE Flu Shot Vouchers to Uninsured Adults

Walgreens is taking their message of good health to the streets...literally!

Beginning this month (I believe some have already begun) through late fall (Oct/Nov), the Walgreens Wellness Tour Buses will visit cities in these states and offer FREE Health Screenings valued at $140:

-> Arkansas
-> California
-> Delaware
-> Florida
-> Illinois
-> Indiana
-> Kansas
-> Michigan
-> Mississippi
-> Missouri
-> Nebraska
-> New Hampshire
-> New Jersey
-> New Mexico
-> New York
-> Ohio
-> Pennsylvania
-> Tennesee
-> Texas

To find the specific cities and dates for tours in your state, click here.

FREE flu shot vouchers (good at any Walgreens pharmacy or Take Care Clinic through November 30, 2009) will be given to uninsured adults (over 18 years) who visit a Wellness Tour bus location between September 17 and November 15, 2009.

Be sure to pass this information/opportunity to take care of your health on to anyone you know of who might be living without insurance right now.

Thanks for reading and subscribing to The New Frugal Mom!

Freebie Roundup!

Time to grab some freebies and make your mailbox happy!




:: Have a baby starting solid foods? Click here and to sign up for a free monthly e-newsletter from Beech-Nut and you'll also receive a FREE Beech-Nut Baby Food Starter Kit.



:: Fill out a short survey (3 questions) about your hair and receive a FREE sample of Aveeno Nourish Shampoo and Conditioner right here.




:: Join the Keep Moving Program online (this is a Tylenol-sponsored site) for healthy lifestyle tips and guided workouts and you'll also receive a FREE pedometer and DVD about the program to help you keep moving. Click here to register.



:: Sign up for the Betty Crocker Dinner Made Easy newsletter here and receive a FREE sample of Betty Crocker Potatoes.



:: The end the fiscal year is coming and for many of us that means it's time to enroll for our employee health benefits. Aetna wants to help you navigate the process and is offering a FREE copy of Navigating your Health Benefits for Dummies right here.




::Register here at Juicy Juice online and receive a FREE reusable 14 oz water bottle. I love having extra water bottles; we use ours constantly as we zip around to our kids activities.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading and subscribing to The New Frugal Mom!

Kids Polos at Hanes.com for $1.99! {Backorder}

If you didn't catch this deal yet over at my friend Andrea's(@MommySnacks) site yet, you gotta hop over and grab it!

Right now, Hanes.com has their Stay Clean Cotton-Blend Polo for kids on sale for a DEEP discount!

Buy (2) or more, and they're only $2.49 each!

But wait, my frugal, forward-shopping friends, it gets better. Use this coupon code 20PCTOFF to get an additional 20% off your order, making the final cost for these polos $1.99. That coupon code is good through Sunday, 9/20/09

Want to make it a better deal?? Of course you do!

Here's how:

1. Shop through your Ebates account and earn 8% cash back on your total order. What, you don't have an Ebates account? Click here to sign up for a free account and get a sign-up bonus of $5.00 credited to your account! I'll also get $5.00 for referring you so...wait...here it comes... {BIG HUG!} (You can read more about Ebates and how it works at my post right here.)

2. Get FREE SHIPPING if you buy $45 or more; this is automatic - you won't need a coupon code for this as it comes off at checkout. But it expires on Sunday 9/20/09 as well so get hopping!

This is a SWEET deal for us parents with kids who wear uniforms to school {waving hand!}. I stocked up on polos for my son for the next two years and got them for a rock bottom price - WOOT!

Be aware that these shirts (there are 10 color choices) are on backorder so you won't get them immediately which works out fine if you're stocking up for uniforms, the holidays, or just fast-growing kids.

Thanks, Mommy Snacks, for posting this HOT DEAL!

Thanks for reading and subscribing to The New Frugal Mom!

Give $5, Get $5 in Coupons: Kellogg's and Feeding America

Feeding America (formerly known as America's Second Harvest) works to stop hunger here in our own country. It's hard to imagine hunger happening in America, but it does and those most vulnerable are the children and the elderly.

September is Hunger Action Month; if you click here, you can pledge to give up something small for the month of September and donate the money you would have spent instead to fight hunger. Yeah, I know, we're halfway through September but this is still a great cause worth the shout out. Hunger hurts.

If giving a large amount of money isn't within your means right now, you can participate in a smaller way. Thanks to Kellogg's (I do love my Frosted Mini Wheats!), you can click here to donate $5.00 and you'll get $5.00 in printable Kellogg's cereal coupons while supplies last. I received mine last night.

Give a little, get a little, help a lot - sounds like a win-win to me.



I'm linking this post up to A Time to Give at Saving and Giving.

Has couponing and embracing a more frugal lifestyle given you the means to help others in your community? Post the ways you're sharing and caring and then drop your link at A Time to Give. Thanks for starting this weekly linkup, Jennifer!

Thanks for reading and subscribing to The New Frugal Mom!

Hip Hip Hurray Giveaways! (Link YOUR Giveaway!}

A-hem.

I'd like to announce that someone here at my house has a birthday today.

Ok, ok, I'll give. It's me - I'm 29...again.

(My 8 year old daughter actually believed me for a few minutes last week when I told her I was turning 29; I almost doubled her allowance on the spot!)

Today is actually my 36th birthday and I have a fun morning event I'm attending with some other local bloggers who I am happy to count as friends; hopefully I'll be sharing some goodies from this event with you next week.

Until then, drop your giveaway links here and spend some time hopping the links. You never know what you might win and I'm betting the odds of winning a blog giveaway have got to be waaaay better than winning the Ohio Lottery!

Are you running a giveaway over at your webjoint? Drop your giveaway post link (directly to your giveaway post url permalink) and spread the news!



Thanks for reading and subscribing to The New Frugal Mom!

Let's Go Krogering! Week of September 14, 2009

Do love finding deals at your Kroger? This feature is for you! Link your post about what deals you found at your local Kroger or Kroger-affiliated store. Simple rules are here; the 149x149 button is in my sidebar. {This week, it really is!}

Feel free to link up to this all week and share the good deals you find at your local Kroger or Kroger-affiliated store! As always, please add a link back to me in your Krogering post. Not sure how to do this? Just email me and I'll walk you through it!

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You can view the sales matchup for this week at Kroger, Cincy Region, right here (thanks, Mommy Snacks!).

My Kroger trip, Monday, September 14, 2009:

(Picture of receipts only - I was in a rush and didn't have time for the full trip picture)





Spent: $62.37
Saved: $50.77, or 45%

I headed back to Kroger not once but twice last week for those yummmy $0.98 raspberries and some food for an impromptu get-together that ended up not happening since we (us & our friends) were all totally wiped out from a day in the sun having fun at Kings Island. (Thank you, Big Giant Corporation where my hubs Knute works for the super-cheap tickets!)

All in all, I spent another $40 on groceries last week at Kroger, but since my weekly trip last week was a small one ($32), I had plenty of wiggle room. I try to stay at $100 or less for our groceries each week for our family of 5 big eaters; some weeks I'm a little high, some weeks I'm a little - or a lot - low. It usually ends up being a wash at the end of the month.

This week, I took advantage of the 10 Item Mega Sale to stock up on some of the Kraft and Nestle products we use here but I didn't overdo it.

I did make the mistake (and noticed it right away when only one of my $5 discounts came off at checkout) of grabbing the wrong sized dog treats (Purina Carvers - for this sale, the 3.5 oz is valid, not the 8 oz). I knew they were part of the sale so after checking my receipt and discovering I'd bought the wrong ones, I headed back to the pet aisle, grabbed the correct size, and spent a few minutes at the customer service desk getting everything fixed (second receipt). I'm always thrilled with how helpful my Lebanon Kroger customer service managers are when I have a mistake that needs fixing. They rock!!

Keep your eyes peeled for blinkies above the Nestle Cookie Dough in the refrigerator section; there were blinkies for $0.55/1 (doubles to $1/1) Nestle 12 ct Cookie Dough Blocks (I never buy these so apologies if I have the name wrong). They're part of the sale and are $2.49 ea; after Mega Sale discount of $0.50 and doubled coupon discount of $1.00, they're only $0.99 ea.

To see the full list of participating items for this 10 Item Mega Sale, click here; for the most current coupon matchups for this sale, click here.

To see how to maximize this sale with the current $20 Kraft/Nabisco Rebate, click here.

How'd you do at Kroger this week? I'm betting some of you out there are working this sale so share your best deals here! Link *your* Let's Go Krogering! post all week and help another reader save some $$!

**As always, please add a link back to my Let's Go Krogering! post in your Krogering post and be sure that you add your post's permalink to the MckLinky so everyone else can find your deals (rather than just linking back to your blog's homepage). Need help doing this? Email me and I'll walk you through it!**



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Hip Hip Hurray Giveaway: Disney on Ice WINNER!

The winner of the (4) tickets to the Disney on Ice 100 Years of Magic at the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, 7:30 pm on September 23, 2009 is....

#2: Brian

Brian, I tried to reach you at your blog but your Blogger profile account is not publicly available. As you did not leave me an email address or a Twitter handle, it is IMPERATIVE that you comment on this post before 10:00 pm EST today, 9/15, otherwise I will need to forfeit your entry.

Thanks for entering, everyone! And remember you can still use the discount code of MOM at www.Ticketmaster.com for both the Dayton and Cincy shows to get $4 off weekend shows or 4 weekday show tickets for $44.