Dress Like a Cow reminder

Just a reminder that TODAY is Dress Like a Cow day at your local Chic-fil-A. I just came back from lunch with my two Little Locos and it was a success.

For me, I wore a skirt and white shirt, black hat with ears and mini horns (made from construction paper) and taped black spots all over my shirt. For my Little Loca, she wore a white skirt and shirts, a sign on her back that said, "Eat Mor Chikin", a paper plate cow mask, and black spots as well.

We didn't have to buy a single thing. Gasp! All we had to do was pick which meal (not just a sandwhich- a full meal!) we wanted and that was that!

I have to give 2 hooves (sorry to be cheesy) up to Chic-fil-a because the employees were kind, and seemed to be having fun too. There were a LOT of people there which means the employees could have been really annoyed, but instead, they were patient and extra helpful. What a great place to each a free lunch!!

This offer ends today so if you need a place to eat supper, I recommend Chic-fil-a if you are dressed like a cow!

My Third and Fourth Children . . .

In general, wherever I go, my children come with me. Except of course when I'm on a hot date with my husband or sipping wine with girfriends. But usually, I never leave home without them. At least not on purpose.

Since my journey into Coupon Country began, I've learned that there are 2 more things that must also come with me. I call them my 3rd and 4th children.  Why? Well, it's just easier to get in the car and start counting "kids." Then I know I have everything I'm supposed to have. So who (what) are my 2 other children?
                                  
Meet my iPod touch.


My particular iPod has a bright pink protective case which is very useful considering Child 1 and Child 2 are actual human beings and have a tendency to play with my beloved iPod touch. The iPod is a great list maker for me. I have a list of Price Comparison which tells me what items cost at each store. This is not an app. you can buy from iTunes. I was just that organized for once and diligently wrote (finger tapped) in the prices for each item as I visited different stores.

This comes in handy especially when using coupons. I can check the final price after coupons with the actual price if I were to buy the same item at Aldi. I swish my finger across the screen to the Price Comparisons list and find what the item costs at Aldi. If it's cheaper there, I put the coupon back in my folder, and keep it on the grocery list (which I also have on my iPod touch.)



Now meet Child #4:

 I'm kicking myself for not getting mine from Amazon as this expandable is by far superior to mine (I bought my boring gray expandable at Wal-Mart for about $7). It even has fun colors to choose from!

Depending on your mind's organizational system, this really might be a must-have as you begin your coupon journey. My attempt at using coupons in the grocery store saw me with a fist full of coupons, and a desperate look on my face as I repeatedly flipped through the stack looking for that one coupon I thought I had in there somewhere.  Once I got an organization system, the desperate look subsided. (Until the time came to pay of course.)




Well now you know my main recomendations for keeping sane in the grocery store while trying to use coupons. I really do mean it when I say I don't leave home without them. In fact, last week we celebrated our 6th anniversary and I had to force myself to leave the expandable at home. We were using a coupon for our dinner, but I had a cute purse that would have looked seriously bloated had I brought Child #4 along. I finally just decided to take the restaurant coupon out and let my husband keep it in his wallet. I looked young, hip and not a tish over the age of Coupon Crazy! 

Dress Like a Cow!!

Looking for free chicken? Head to your local Chic-fil-A on July 9th. What's the catch?


You have to dress like a cow!!

If you are up to the task, pull your little black and white cow dress out of the closet and head to your local Chic-fil-A. Click here for more details.

Thanks to Penny Pinchin' Mom for the heads up!

I'm a Peanut Butter Snob

It's true. I'm pretty frugal (read cheap) when it comes to the food we eat. But when it comes to peanut butter, well, I'm a snob.

One day, a long time ago (the 80's is now a long time ago), my Mom came home with 2 different brands of peanut butter. Our family had been die hard Skippy fans for years. However, I guess Mom decided that it was time to venture out and try some new flavors. After all, she didn't want us to grow up to be Those Kind of People, the kind who get squemish at the thought of trying a (gasp) new type of french fry!

So she pulled all 4 kids into the brown and yellow striped wallpapered kitchen, individually, so that the taste test could be authentic and void of any older brother bullying. I remember when it was my turn I felt really excited that I got to be a part of such an important decision in the family. Peanut butter! I was helping decide the fate of which peanut butter brand would be slabbed onto my lunch sandwich everyday! For a 7 year old, it's a big deal.

My Mom told me to stand still and close my eyes. She carefully turned around and faced the yellow Formica countertop. There were 2 opened jars of peanut butter. One read Skippy; the other Jif. She dipped a spoon in one jar then proceeded to tell me to "Open your mouth." I stood with my hands behind my back, and relished the joyous peanut butter taste in mouth. It wasn't every day my Mom let me eat peanut butter straight from the jar!

Next, she took out another spoon and had me taste the 2nd peanut butter. After scrapping every last glop from my mouth, I told her which one tasted better and she sent me on her way. After each sibling had a turn in the Peanut Butter Taste Test Laboratory, Mom revealed the results. Jif won in a landslide victory of 4-0! Ever since that day, I've been a devout Jif fan. There is just something perfect about this peanut butter.

And lucky for me, Hy-Vee is having a sale this week: 2 Jif peanut butter jars for $4! Sure, it's more than the Aldi brand peanut butter, but if you are a snob like me, it's worth it!

Hy-Vee Weekly Match Ups 7/7-7/13

Click here to see the Hy-Vee Weekly Match Ups.


And here are my recipe recommendations:

Salsa Verde Chicken Wraps
Use this link or this link to view the recipe.
4 of the 7 ingredients are ON SALE this week!

• Hy-Vee sour cream- .$.50 with coupon from last week's ad.
• Tyson Grilled Chicken Strips, 2/4$
• Green bell peppers-$.50 each (recipe calls for red peppers, replace with green for a cheaper meal!)
• Avocados are on sale for $1.50 (and honestly, I think I saw them cheaper recently so this price might not be right)

Total Spent: $6
You'll need to make sure you have lettuce and tortillas on hand as well, or head to Aldi to get them even cheaper!


BLT's-A Summer Classic
All but the tomatoes are on sale this week!

• Earthbound Farm Organic Iceberg Lettuce Heads-$1.48 (or you can use the .99$ non organic head of lettuce)
• Farmland Sliced Bacon 12 - 16 oz. or 2.1 oz. fully cooked $2.98
• Hy-Vee Split Top Wheat bread-$.99

Total Spent: $5.46
Make sure you have tomatoes on hand. Serve with $.97 California Green Seedless Grapes or Kandy Honeydew Melons on sale for $1.99 each. I always love chips with my BLT's too!


Loaded Potatoes
This meal should cost close to nothing because you are combining ingredients from other meals!

• 2 for $1 Butter Kernal Corn ( 14.5 or 15 oz can)

As long as you have potatoes, shredded cheese, salt and butter on hand you are set to go! Just make as many baked potatoes as your family needs, then place the following ingredients in small bowls to load those potatoes:

• Crumbled, cooked bacon (left over from BLT)
• Chopped peppers (left over from Salsa Verde Chicken Wraps)
• Corn (see above)
• Sour cream (left over from Salsa Verde Chicken Wraps)
• Chopped white onion (I'm assuming this is something most will have on hand)
• Shredded cheese

Total Spent: $1
Keep eating healthy by using all of that fruit you are buying on sale this week!