My Forgiving Plants

During the past month, I've really neglected the plants. At least four days would go by before I'd remember to water them. I even put them right by the door so I'd see them everyday. They'd wither up and look so sad. As soon as they get water in their roots, they'd perk back up. Then I read that doing this over and over, like I've been doing, causes stress on the plants. It's a good thing plants don't talk, because if it were me, I'd let people know about the stress going on.

So I've been trying to make it up to them this weekend. I watered, weeded and pruned. I remembered how clearer my thinking gets when I do this, too. That's when it hit me. These plants are more forgiving than I am. No matter the hardship I put them through, "stressed" as they get, they always forgive me and start blooming again. As soon as I reconnect and water them, the relationship is mended and we move forward. I need to be more like this.

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither..." Psalm 1:3 NIV

Blue Angels Homecoming Show

Local to Pensacola? See the Blues fly today Nov 14
Go to Forrest Sherman Field in NAS Pensacola
Opens at 8am
Shows start 9:45 am, Blues fly at 2pm.
FREE! This is their last show for the season!

Lots of other fine planes will fly and be on display. Plus check out the night show from 4:30-6:50pm.

Barnes Deals Nov 11-17

I love Barnes Supermarket! They have great deals on meats and produce. But I've never shopped there before. I just use their ad and price-match the best deals at Wal-Mart. Price-matching at Wal-Mart saves me time and money. To learn more, read this post I wrote.


If you would like to visit Barnes, here are their locations in Pensacola:
1301 N 9th Ave
Pensacola, FL 32503
(850) 438-3191

1612 N Pace Blvd
Pensacola, FL 32505
(850) 433-0762

Here are this week's best deals:
$0.69 Sunny D citrus punch w/ $25 purchase, before Qs!
$0.69 cornflakes, store brand w/ $25 purchase, before Qs!
$1.79/lb skinless, boneless, chicken breast
$0.99 fresh boston butt pork roast
$0.99 mild sausage roll, maybe store brand?
$1.29/lb country style pork ribs
$0.99 onions, 3lbs
$0.99/lb yellow squash
$0.99/lb green beans
$0.99 baby carrots, 16 oz
$1 Cream cheese, store brand, 8 oz
$1 Cheese blocks or shreds, 8 oz
$1 Act II popcorn, 8.6-9.9 oz
$1.50 Progresso broth, (use $0.50 from the paper or here)
$2 Kellogg's Cereal, foot loops, raisin bran, apple jacks, cornflakes, rice or cocoa krispies, frosted flakes, 8.7-14 oz
*price match at Target, use $1 Target Q plus Manuf Q to get these FREE or close to it!
$2 Nestle Toll house refrigerated cookies, 16-16.5 oz (use $1 off from paper or $1/2 peelies at Wal-Mart if you price match)

Super Shopping Nov 8-13

I think we hit every store this week. Do you ever look in the closet and feel like you have nothing to wear? Sometimes I do that when it's time to cook. I think there is nothing to eat. Well, this should fix my current phase of I-don't-want-to-cook.


Target total $17. Also bought 2 Barbie DVDs & UP Combo for $22. Bought the Ronzoni pasta and Voila! for the UP DVD rebates. Thanks Hip to Save! I'll do both since photcopies are allowed!


Wal-Mart total $33.63, w/ veggies mostly $1#; Keebler Toppers had $10 Toy Voucher. At $2 a box, they come out FREE after rebate. I like price-matching there. If you'd like to learn how, read my post here.

Walgreens total $43.35. Got $20 RR & will get $15 Bayer & $5 SC Johnson Rebates. So will only be $3.35 after RRs and Rebates!

Publix total $30, saved 75%. I used the Walgreens $5 off $25 as a competitor coupon.

I also went to CVS and spent $24, including getting a copy of UP DVD!

Whew! Lots of shopping. See how others fared this week with their shopping over at Money Saving Mom, I Heart Publix and The Thrifty Mama.

Lowes Kid's FREE Workshop, Saturday, Nov 14

My kids love going to Lowe's for their Build and Grow projects. These are great for kids (and Moms!) to learn how to hammer a few nails and create cool projects. Twice a month, on 2nd and 4th Saturdays, Lowe's has these projects out in the parking lot (for us here in FL) or somewhere inside the store. The kids will receive an apron, a patch to attach to the apron, a certificate of completion, and goggles!

Tomorrow, from 10am-11am, kids will be creating garages. Perfect to add to your train table! Thanks Hip2Save!

Food World Weekly Deals Nov 11-Nov 17

Frugal for You is proud to be part of the Grocery Gathering! It is a collection of the best deals in national and local grocery and drugstores. You may also view Food World's ads at their website.


If you have a copy of the ad, notice FREE breakfast items using FW coupons: 1 dozen eggs, Natures Own bread, Willliams sausage. These are FREE w/ $30 purchase (before coupons, too). I got mine at Publix because they take Food World coupons.

Military can show their ID Saturday & Sunday for 5% off the total.

Here are the best deals. Don't forget you can price-match most items at Wal-Mart (even produce, meat, store brands) and brand name items only at Target.
$0.50 cucumber
$1 Bruce's Yams
$0.99 Nature's Own bread: whitewheat, honer, 7 grain, butter
$1 Martha White Muffin Mix, use $0.55 off Q from the paper
$1 Little Debbies: oatmeal cookies, honeybuns, swiss rolls, nutter butter, up to 16.2 oz

There are more deals in the grocery ad but I don't think they are that much less than Wal-Mart's prices or past sales. So to keep it real, I try to only post what can be super great deal. And at your leisure, browse the ad for more deals.

Publix Weekly Deals Nov 11-Nov 17

Frugal for You is proud to be part of the Grocery Gathering! See the Publix Ad here. Go to I Heart Publix for coupon match-ups.

All this for $30! I used Walgreens $5 off $25 for competitor coupon. This is good AFTER coupons. Use it through Saturday.

Not pictured separately:
3lb bag of tangerines are $1.88. They are not your easy-to-peel version. These veggies are $0.99 a pound: yellow squash, green beans and zucchini. I got just enough for a couple of meals. 2lb bag of apples are $1.99. Use the Target $1 Q to get these for $1. We bought 4! Not for apple pies but to donate a couple bags.


Yoplait YoPlus is BOGO 2/$2.50. I used six $1 off Qs from here and the newspaper. If you like this yogurt, start saving the $1 Qs because this always goes on BOGO sale. If you like Activia from Dannon, Yoplait would like to change your mind. I mailed my UPC to them and they sent me a coupon for a FREE YoPlus. So 2 of the yogurt above was FREE and the rest $0.25 each!
My impulse buys: Doritos are on BOGO sale (but the Family size 17 oz is not included, so you can't use the Target Q). The Aidella sausages are $5.99 each but they have a BOGO coupon right on the package.

Del Monte Fruit are BOGO, the Chillers have $1 Print Q. Spices are BOGO too, only $0.50 each. I bought paprika,onion powder & minced onion, thyme, parsley flakes & garlic powder.

BOGO sale for Progresso soups, High Fiber included. Comes out to 2/$2.37 and the crackers are $3. Winn-Dixie had $1 off Q if you buy both a soup or chili and these crackers. But Wal-Mart has a better deal: this soup is $1.50 and the crackers are $2.

I used 2 $1.10 off 1 High Fiber Q, $1.10/3 Q, & $0.25/1 from the paper. After Qs, 6 cans for $3.76 & 2 boxes of crackers for $4!

BOGO Betty Crocker frosting, 2/$1.95. Use these $0.50 Q from here.
Ok, now that I have enough cake to last the year, I stocked up on some frosting too. I only had 6 Qs, otherwise would have bought more! I hate making it from scratch because who wants to be reminded of all the butter that goes into this stuff.

If you have the Food World flyer, you can get eggs and Nature's Own FREE using Food World coupons in the flyer. This is after $30 purchase (before coupons). I think my cashier only too $1 off the eggs and bread. But I just let it go, since I can't figure out which coupon it was on my receipt. I hope you will do a better job paying attention to your cashier than I did and score this free for real.

BOGO Chinet napkins 2/$1.89. I used two $1 Q to get this both FREE with overage!

What didn't work for me:
The Keebler Flipsides didn't have the $10 Toy Voucher logos. The GM cereal with FREE Movie logos are not part of the BOGO sale. But I found the right boxes for both at Wal-Mart. The Knox $4/1 coupon is not for gelatin, says my cashier. Has anyone seen these at other stores? I would not feel badly getting overage for a coupon like this since the manufacturer reimburses the company full value. But maybe this is God's way of keeping my conscience clean!

These are just the deals that I got this week. The coupon match-ups came from I Heart Publix. Check it out!

Walgreens Deals and Shopping

My total was $43.35 but $11.46 was on EBT. Got $25 RR back. Will submit for $15 Bayer and $5 SC Johnson rebate. After all these money-backs, this trip will be a little moneymaker for me! (Also I did 2 transactions and used a $5 off $25 for each. That is why I bought food items to lower the out of pocket expense since food is covered by my EBT card. And I tried to get mostly items that will be give RRs since the $5 off $25 must be used AFTER coupons.)

If you are new to Walgreens, please check out the H2S Store Video Tutorial by Hip 2 Save on the left side bar.
Even though I've already made my 3 submissions, I will make some for family members who I know will not do the rebate. What a nice surprise for them to get a $5 check in the mail!

Lots of make-up are on clearance. This Maybeline lipstick was $2.19. Sally Hansen foot products were $3 or more.

Ester-C is BOGO at $10.99 for 2. I ued two $5 off Qs so only $0.50 each. The key now is to start taking them. Ugh, horsepills!

Almay foundation is $9.99 with $10 RR. FREE natural foundation! Almay One Coat Mascara is $6.99. There is $4 off in the November book (get your copy!) so only $3.

These are $1.99 on sale, plus $1 off in the November book. The 100% Cranberry had $1 off peelies! So I bought 4 FREE bottles. I saw peelies at Target too but those said $1 off Cranberry Craisins or fresh cranberries. I don't know if the Walgreens ones were the same because I didn't read the coupon and it didn't beep at the register. My excitment overtook me!

These were on sale $0.50 with the in-ad Q. Plus I used two $0.65 off Qs from here. So these were FREE too. I really wanted to get the baking powder but I was told you can get a raincheck. Didn't know you could do that at Walgreens.

This is all I bought for the 2nd transaction. It came up to $24 and I bought a giant $1 cookie for a filler item. This way I could use the $5 off $25 coupon. So I paid $21 with tax. Then I got $15 RRs ($10 for Almay & $5 for Breeze 2) and will submit for $15 Breeze 2 rebate.Did you know that local food pantries often accept these for donations? After RRs and rebates, these FREE items will also make us $9! That's what I'm talking about!


Walgreens used to not be so fun for me. All the rude cashiers seemed to love working there. But after a few months of boycotting them in the spring, then slowly getting back to shopping there once in a while, things changed. I had one really great cashier who encouraged me and gave some insight. And I've been having fun again at Walgreens! So if you have had nasty cashiers there before and stayed away from them too, please consider trying again. I suggest only checking out at the photo or cosmetics counter. They seem to be nicer there.

Greer's Weekly Deals Nov 11-Nov 17

Greer's is on Hwy 98 at Bauer Road, before Lillian AL. Call them at 850-455-2719 for directions. I've been there once or twice. It's a small, clean, and tucked away grocery store. Their vegetables and meats are typically a great value. However, I usually price-match their sales at Wal-Mart instead of shopping there. View their weekly ad online or get it in the Wed's paper.

Here are the best deals I see this week:

Sat and Sun only
$1.50 potatoes, 5lb bag
$1.50 sugar, 4lb
$1.18/lb smoked shank ham portion

Week-long sale:
$0.98 Boston butt pork roast, whole
$1.18/lb split chicken breast
$2.48/lb boneless bottom rump or rump roast
3lbs/$1 cabbage
$0.99 flour, store brand
$2 vegetable oil, 48 oz, store brand

$0.69 Frozen Veggies, 16 oz: corn, peas, green beans, mixed

Winn Dixie Weekly Deals Nov 11-Nov 17

Frugal for You is proud to be part of the Grocery Gathering!
See the Winn-Dixie ad here. They have coupons here too!

I must admit that Winn-Dixie has not won my heart these past few weeks. Their sales have not been great. Even if something is BOGO, the price per item is more than Wal-Mart or Publix when theirs is BOGO. On a side note, my neighbor named their little dog Winn-Dixie. She often escapes with my neighbor hollering, "Winn-Dixie, get back here!" before 8am. It's funny now because they have moved!

But this week, their produce gets a thumbs up!
$0.99/lb vine ripe tomatoes
$1.25 mushrooms, sliced or whole, 8oz
$1.25 Dole Classic salad
$0.10 limes (that's right 10 for $1)
$0.79 each mangoes
$1.29/lb red, back seedless or globe grapes
$1 Margaret Holmes Seasoned Greens 27 oz

4/$6 Chex Cereal, only $1.50 each, but you must buy 4. Use $1 off 2 Q from the paper to get these for only $1. I like making Chex Mix for the holidays so it's nice to get it this cheap.

All of these items can be price-matched at Wal-Mart and the Chex Mix can be matched at Target too!

Menu Plan Monday 11.9.09

So we more or less ate easy take-out meals this week like Wal-Mart pizza and fried chicken. And had convenience processed food like Gorton's fish sticks. My hubby and I enjoyed a day without kids and ate at Ruby Tuesdays. We used a BOGO coupon for thrifty date. Also, we enjoyed a Church lasagna lunch this Sunday. And had pretty sensible breakfasts most of the time. Our herb garden had lots of oregano and basil, so at least one pasta dinner was healthy. But the best part was that it felt like a cooking break for me, like every vacation should be!

At Ruby Tuesdays, one dish we ate was chicken bella. A single chicken breast with artichokes and baby portabella mushrooms on top, drizzled with cream sauce. Served with a side of mashed potatoes and broccoli florets. It was surprisingly delicious!

I also met up with friends at an ice cream shop. They also served soups and sandwiches there. The owner makes this English pea dumplings. It had the peas and dumplings but was like an egg drop soup too with mozzarella cheese. It was very good and interesting!

This Healthy Pasta had only a smidget of Ragu sauce but half a cup of pumpkin puree. I added 2 Tbsp wheat germ (looked like Parmesan cheese in the sauce!) and Ronzoni Healthy Harvest (frugal find for $0.40 a box).

Menu planning saves me time and energy. But I didn't really get going with it until I started linking with orgjunkie's weekly Menu Monday post. If you want inspiration or share your own menu visit here.

Breakfast

Waffles (FREE) & Banana compote

Cereal (FREE) and Smoothies

Oatmeal ($1.25 a box) with Raisins

Cheesy Grits (FREE with WIC)

Egg & Sausage Biscuit ($0.50 Grands!)

Pumpkin Bread (only $1.35)

Lunch
Turkey Sandwiches
Chicken and Veggies
Quinoa Pilaf

Healthy Pasta
Chicken Salad
Leftovers

Only $6.25 for 5lb roll at Wal-Mart right now!

Dinner
Roast Turkey ($0.40/lb at WMart!)
Spaghetti Meatballs
Turkey Tetrazinni
Homemade Burgers
Leftovers

FREE Movie Ticket from GM Cereals!

We used up the last WIC check at Wal-Mart. No BOGO cereal because I completely forgot the check was expiring Nov 7 and had to just go to the nearest store that takes WIC. So we left WIC without fanfare. It was a great 6 years! Now we have to pay for cereal, cheese, milk. I'll really miss it. But, God is so good. I was down about picking out the last 3 FREE cereal boxes when I happened upon these Lucky Charms cereal. These were the same sizes as the others but with a special logo.
This is the first time I bought Lucky Charms, much to the excitement of my kids. Specially marked boxes of General Mills Cereal say FREE Movie Ticket. These boxes were $2.86 each at Wal-Mart. I had a $1 Q. For $4.86 we got a Movie Ticket and two cereals! The promo works! You have to buy 2 because you'll need to enter 2 codes to access the movie ticket. All codes are good through June 2010 but if you print it out, it must be used within 60 days.

Go here for more info. Above are the participating cereals. Just make sure the box has FREE Movie Ticket logo on it!