Lunch near Browns Bridge

Hi all!
Today after church we felt adverturesome, so after the festivities at Kinsey Farms we decided to try out a local southwestern grill restraunt in the Browns Bridge Church area. As many of you probably already know, Groupon now has an app on the iphone, but more importantly, it has upgraded to have a 'Groupon Now' feature (this can be found on the website too). Groupon now uses your location and immediately offers up nearby places to eat, play, etc. We found Mestizo's to be the closest place so we decided to try it. Its almost identical to Moe's but with a few better perks. The food tasted much fresher (if thats a word). And, this is the part that will bring me back, they have the cute little Ikea table and chairs for kids in the back. Right next to the kids table area is a huge chalkboard for the kids to scribble on. This combination made for an uninterrupted lunch for the Thornton clan (other than the couple of times Ryder pushed a stool across the restraunt and I had to retrieve him). So...food was good, cool kids area, and close to Browns Bridge Church...AND...with the Groupon, we spend $10 total on lunch! Not bad ;) If you are a Browns Bridger, you must try it!

Cooking up Early Detection

Hi everyone!

I had a fun run to Publix today...so I want to tell you all about it! There is currently a rebate going on which states that if you spend $25 on P&G products at select stores, you get a free Pink Bakeware set to help support Breast Cancer Awareness! Now...once you include a trip with sales and coupons, you can get a lot for a little! Visit southernsavers.com for more info. There are a lot of scenarios you could work up, but here is mine...

I bought:
1 CG concealer
2 CG eyeshadow
1 Febreeze candle (the cinnamon scent...perfect for fall!)
1 Febreeze scent thing
1 Olay facial cleansing cloths
The subtotal before coupons was $25.48
What I paid out of pocket after coupons: $11

So, I got all of these products and will get a free bakeware set for only $11!

This is what is included in the bakeware set:
3 Piece Mixing Bowl Set w/ Lids
Spatula
Oven Glove
3 Piece Measuring Cup Set
Silicone Baking Sheet
Tin Cookie Sheet

I am a happy camper on this one. If I had more than 1 copy of my P&G coupon booklet, I could have spent even less! If you would like help setting up your own scenario or using mine, I am happy to help! Happy Shopping!

Cut your Cable Costs!!

Hey guys!

Hunter brought this article to my attention a week or so ago. I looked into it and did some reasearch and it looks like there are a few avenues to seriously cut your cable TV costs. I am going to look further into possibly streaming Hulu through our Wii for certain shows that we like, aka, Modern Family and Glee :) I can live without the rest.

We currently pay in the ballpark of $52 a month for our cable, which is only 72 channels. If we cut the cable and just streamed using Hulu, we would just pay the fee to use gameon (which you will read about) which shakes out to be about $3-$6 per month depending on which plan you choose.
With things like Hulu and Redbox out there, there really is no need to pay for cable any longer!

If we only paid $6 per month versus $52, we would save $552 a year!

As a side note: make sure that any setup you choose will actually work before cancelling anything :) Also...another sidenote...Im going to try using the antenna as well. It looks like in our area it will pick up about 8-10 channels for FREE!
And good channels at that...including CBS, FOX, CW, and ABC!

Ladies...check with your man about certain sports channels that he cant live without and make sure that which ever avenue you choose will pick it up. No amount of savings is worth a grumpy, football deprived husband :)

Check it out! Click on the link below.

How to Save on Cable!

.99 cent Moe's Burrito's Tomorrow!

Hey yall!
If you dont already know about this awesome deal, the Moe's on Hwy 9 (near Wal-Mart) will be selling their burritos for .99 cents the WHOLE day, Wednesday the 28th! This includes chips but I do not think it includes a drink.
Last year when they had this promotion, around 5:45 there was a line wrapped around the front of the building...so my recommendation would be to go for lunch (which may also be crowded) or go during an odd hour...like 2 or something. Just refrigerate and save for dinner!
Enjoy!

Date Night Idea!

Hey everyone!

Today my hubs informed me that there is an awesome deal on halfoffdepot.com for a great date night on the cheap! The deal is for 2 AMC movie tickets and a $50 giftcard from restaurant.com for only $24!! Make sure to check the restaurant website to make sure they include a place where you and your boo would like to try ;) I think we might use ours at Fire Water in Cumming near Old Navy.
Tonight is the last night the deal is available...so grab it up and book your sitter!
It is not the usual printable voucher...they will mail this one to you in a couple of weeks.

Here is the link: I need a date night!

More Baby Steals!

Hi folks! Thanks to my great friend Rach, I remembered I had this blog and that I should update it ;) Just kidding...I remembered it, but have been seriously slacking on updating it due to being busy and not experiencing any 'bloggable' deals lately!
BUT - today happened to be a great deal day on diapers and baby items! The baby deal this week is get $10 back in ECB's when you spend $25 in specified baby products. My trip to CVS was great and this is how it played out:

Bought:
2 packs Huggies Jumbo diapers 9.00 each (regular prices listed here)
3 bottles Johnson and Johnson lotion/wash/shampoo 3.00 each
1 bag candy corn .99

Here are the Q's (coupons)that I used:
1 3 off huggies
1 1.50 off huggies
1 CVS 2.50 off huggies
1 CVS 1.00 off huggies
1 2/2 JJ coupon
1 1 off JJ coupon
12 ECB (extra care bucks earned from previous trips)

Total before coupons: $27.99
Total out of my purse: $4.99
Total ECB's earned towards my next trip: 10.99

How it pans out:
Basically I paid $1 for each item!! WITH $11 to use towards my next trip!

I am happy to show anyone interested how to CVS, so please let me know! It seems to be expensive, and it can be, but if you use the right coupons on the right sale ads, you can get some unbelievable deals...like a pack of diapers for $1!

Have a great week!!

Great Baby Deals at Publix this Week!

Hi everyone!

I must start off by saying that my kids love (ok, like - its hard to believe K Bear loves it when you see her face in this pic) to grocery shop...its some weird phenomenon, but they do. It has A LOT to do with the free bakery cookies and the 'car style' carts, but it works!

I have just completed the 21 day Daniel fast, so my grocery couponing is now back in action!

This was a GREAT week to pick things back up as many things that we use a lot were on sale!

Below I am listing out the FREE to almost FREE baby deals (and a great diaper/wipe deal).

Playtex Sippie Cups
All are 50% off, used the $1 off coupon in SS 5/22 (which expired today, but most Publix stores will take them a day or so old), and a $1 off publix coupon found in a Sweet Summer Savings booklet

Sippies were on sale $1.99 (usually 3.99)...after coupons...FREE SIPPY!

Beech Nut Steamers (little toddler meal type things)
All were $1 and used $1 off coupon
Bought 6, used 6 coupons = FREE baby food (2 meals to each pack, so essentially 12 free meals - fruit and veggie)

Goldfish
All bags on sale for $1, used .55 off coupons (and some bags have .75 cent off coupons on them)
Makes each bag .45 - .25

Pampers Diapers and wipes
Publix in ad coupon has buy Pampers diapers box get wipes refill pack FREE
Used this coupon - got free wipes, used $4 off mf coupon on diapers, $1 publix coupon on diapers, and $1 off Publix coupon on diapers.
Grand total for a box of diapers (82 count) and wipes (216 count)= $13.99
Made diapers .07 cents each (when you take in to account free wipes)

All in all, a good day at Publix and great baby deals!

ENJOY!!

Tutti Frutti

Hello Shoppers!

Well...Half Off Depot has done it again! They are offering $5 off of ANY purchase, which means that Tutti Frutti yogurt is FREE! The voucher is $5 for $10 worth of yogurt at the Alpharetta location on Windward Parkway! Ive never been, but free yogurt is free yogurt! And since we are roasting in the sun these days...may as well take a break and run the munchkins to the yogurt shop! Yay!

Here is how:
Log in to your Half Off Depot account and choose Tutti Frutti (or any other voucher you want to buy...it may not be free, but it will be darn tootin cheap!)
Use the password 'blessmebagpipes' under coupon code and it will ring up Free!
Print out the voucher and take it with you for a yummy inexpensive treat!

Warning: lots of people are using this code right now, so their website is slow. Just be patient...the offer doesnt end until midnight June 2nd.

Here is the Link:
Half Off Depot - Tutti Frutti

Music in the Park

Hello Friends!
I received an exciting email from the Avenues about this fun event that they are hosting this summer! Sounds like a great opportunity to pack a picnic and enjoy some free music!

Music in the Park
Every Other Wednesday | 6 PM – 9 PM
In the Park near Coldwater Creek
Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy an evening of complimentary live music, trivia and giveaways! Complimentary tea and biscuits will be served by Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q. Guests who present same day receipts from any Avenue restaurant or retailer totaling $75 or more will receive a free gift while supplies last.
June 1Dean Balkwill Band
June 15Nick Longo
June 29Last Three Standing
July 13Nick Longo
July 27Dean Balkwill Band
August 10Last Three Standing

This Weeks Deals/Steals

This was by far one of the best weeks I have had yet with couponing! All of the months of hard work are really paying off now :)

Now when I say hard work...I am just talking about accumulating enough coupons to really have everything on hand that I need. This does not take a whole lot of time or anything...just overall time to accumulate :) I started getting the AJC every Sunday back in January...so I have stocked all coupon inserts since then which is a good base to pick from.

So...we will start with my first trip to Publix on Thursday.
The value of all of the groceries was $113 and I spent $38. My trip ranged from things such as ground turkey, frozen veggies, whole fruit sorbet, cereal, pasta, fruit, shampoo/conditioner, to yogurt (thats still not everything).

Publix trip #2 was even better.
I went a second time because some great yogurt deals started on Saturday and I wanted to get them asap. (K-Bear likes yogurt in her lunch for school). I also got a ridiculous deal on diapers and wipes. Diapers were (and still are until next Thursday or even later) $19.99 a box and wipes refills are $6.99. Looking at this price does not make me excited in the least...but when coupons are involved things get better. I had a Publix store coupon for $5 off a box of diapers and wipes refill. I had a manufacturer coupon for $3.50 off diapers, a CVS coupon for $2 off diapers and a CVS coupon for $2 off wipes. Which made the cost of an 84 count box of diapers and 216 count box of wipes $14.98. The cost without the coupons would have been $26.98...which makes for 44% savings. And I forgot a coupon for this trip which would have made for more savings. I know a lot of diaper websites offer 20% off plus free shipping...but I have found that stacking coupons and just getting them while I am at the grocery is cheaper. On top of the diaper deal, I bought 2 bags of publix bagels, 2 packs of YoPlus yogurt, 2 packs of yoplait kids yogurt, a kikkoman fried rice sauce mix, and a half dozen eggs...for a food total of $2.87.

CVS trip (today)
I bought a total of 7 bottles of 1 quart sized ready-feed Similac formula for just over $1...total. CVS is running a deal on their ready feed for $4.59 a bottle...grab the coupon in the SmartSource mag from AJC on 4/3 (April 3) for $5 off ANY Similac product...and VOILA...FREE formula! Well...actually...they owed me something in the ballpark of $1 but technically they cant pay me to walk out the door with stuff...so it just settled to nothing :) Thanks to my friend Allison who graciously gave me some extra coupons for the formula AND, more importantly, taught me how to coupon :)

I LOVE sharing tips, ideas, and strategies for couponing, so if you have any, please feel free to share!

Target Post Easter Deals!

Hi everyone!

I was in Target today getting formula and decided to shimmy over to the Easter stuff to see if there were any good deals...and boy did I get a surprise!! The signs stated that everything was 50% off, which is a good deal, so I decided to stock up on some goodies for next Easter. They still actually had a lot to choose from. After I chose my items, I went to price check them and came to find out that they were more like 75% off or more. So I went back and got a few extras :) Here is what I got:

2 packs of pre-filled Easter eggs (16 count) - 1.24 each (was 4.98 each)
Sweet Tart jelly beans (which will be eaten sooner than later) - 1.24 (was 2.49)
Pez lamb - .49 (was 1.99)
Dora lip gloss - .74 (was 2.99)
Egg Dye Kit - .37 (was 1.49)
Pixos Easter Set - 1.24 (was 4.99)
Easter Moon Dough - .74 (was 2.99)
Easter Potato Head (the big one) - 2.49 (was 9.99)

Amount spent: $9.14 (including tax)
Amount saved: $27.12

So...I basically bought all of this for the same price as Mr Potato Head at full price! And you couldnt buy empty eggs and fill them with candy your self for 1.24. So If you want to get a head start on Easter for next year, I am sure most stores will still have some things for great deals! Note: some Easter candy will expire before Easter next year; make sure to check.

Happy Shopping Peeps (no pun intended!)

Which Wich?

Yummo!!

Buy One, Get One Free - Avenues Forsyth location

Which Wich? Superior Sandwiches

Valid April 1 - 30. Kids eat free Monday - Thursday evenings (after 4 PM) with the purchase of an adult meal (sandwich, chips and drink). Receive one free kids' meal per each adult meal purchase. Present printed offer to redeem promotion. May not be combined with any other offer.
Expires: Apr 30

Goldfish and Deodorant!

Who doesnt need either of these items??

Now is a GREAT time to stock up on both of these at Publix! Here is how to get a steal of a deal on these items...Goldfish are currently 10/$1. You do not, however, have to buy 10 to get them for $1 each...you can get 1 or 100. There is a coupon at coupons.com for .35 cents off of one bag of goldfish. This will DOUBLE at Publix, making it .70 cents off. That makes for a .30 cent bag of precious Goldfish!

Now for the deodorant...Publix has a coupon in their Green Advantage flier (found in the entry way in that spinning thingy) for a FREE Right Guard body wash when you buy a Right Guard deodorant. THEN...in the AJC from 3/13, there is a coupon in the Red Plum for a Buy one Right Guard Deodorant or Right Guard body wash get one free. These coupons combined make each item FREE! So, if you have multiple AJC coupons, pair it with multiple Publix, and stock up on some good smelling men's deodorant and body wash for your hubby!

Here is my scenario from my trip:
3 bags of Goldfish
1 Right Guard Deodorant
1 Right Guard Body Wash

Note: If I had multiple AJC coupons, I would have definitely bought more of the Right Guard stuff. This go around I only had one :)

Total value of products: around $10
Total out of pocket" around $1

Let's Get Tangled!

CVS is running a pretty cool deal on the new Tangled DVD this week! Remember the Disney Rewards from the Bambi DVD? Well, if you signed up you should have received a new coupon for $5 off of the Tangled DVD via email. If you havent signed up, its easy and you will get the coupons via email for all of the new Disney DVDs that come out.

So here is the deal that I am shooting for this week...on Tuesday, 3/29, CVS will be selling it for $19.99 with $3 in extra care bucks back (basically, its like getting money from them, and it will print on the bottom or your receipt. Make sure to keep it for future purcheses!). You can also use the $5 off coupon, which would make the DVD $11.99 after the coupon and including the bucks back...not a bad deal :) This deal is good through Saturday, April 2nd, so head out today!

Chepe's on the Cheap

Today's deal at Half Off Depot is for Chepe's Mexican Grill in a variety of locations...Cumming being one of them :) It is a $25 credit towards any purchase (including drinks) for $12.00. Our family loves Chepe's and they have a fun atmosphere and good food. They have outdoor seating too which is great for our current weather! If you dont get daily updates from Half Off Depot, I would! They have great deals for things in our area! Click on the link and follow the directions to order your vouchers. They will be emailed to you and you can easily print them out to use them.

Enjoy!

Today's CRAZY CVS trip...

This was a ridiculous trip to CVS today (ridiculously awesome!!). Here is how the transaction played out:

Total worth of purchase: $102.20
Total out of my pocket: $10.66
Total saved: $91.54!!!

I used coupons as well as $22 in ECB's (extra care bucks) to help take the total down.

ALSO...I received another $22 in extra care bucks from todays purchases to use on my next one!

If you are interested in learning how to 'CVS' please let me know! It's so much fun to save money! I would much rather use the money that I previously spent on toothpaste and hairspray on a date night!! (which both of these items were free today...amongst other items too).

Happy Sunday!!!

Publix Trip

Here is the breakdown of my Publix shopping trip today. This was not a full grocery run, so not as large as usual. Percentage wise, not a bad day...but room to grow :) I used coupons on top of things that were already on sale. I also did the $10 off of a $50 gas card promotion that they have going on...who doesnt want to save 20% on gas right now? I was going to take a picture, but didnt have the time today...I will try to in the future :)

Items:
Finish dishwashing detergent
pure almond silk milk
turkey sausage
yellow cake mix
dill sandwich stackers
sargento shredded cheese (2)
sliced cheese
pillsbury frosting
strawberries
Reach floss (2)
mandarain orange cups
post cereal (2)
publix papter towel roll (penny item)
gerber puffs
lunchables (2)
sour cream
bailey's coffee creamer
worcester sauce
apples
bananas
organic baby food (3 jars)
plums

Total before savings/coupons: $75.06(not including the gas card in the grocery bill)
Total out of pocket: $27.70
Percentage saved: 63% (if my calculations are correct)

I love sharing my tips, so if you would like some help with your grocery runs let me know!

Kids Eat Free List!

Hey everyone! So I was working on a list of local restaurants around the Cumming area that offer Kids Eat Free nights and I ran across an awesome website that has them ALL listed! This is fantastic! Click to view!

Kids Eat Free in Cumming!

Blockbuster Closeout

Thank to Ash J for informing me about a closeout/liquidation sale that is happening at a Blockbuster store off of exit 14 (GA 400). All DVD's are 30% off (makes them 9.99 and then you get one free). She got 6 DVDs for $50...not a bad deal!

Thanks Ash!

Free FryDay at Chick-Fil-A!

Today Chick Fil A (the Avenues location in Cumming) will be serving FREE fries when you ask for their new squeeze ketchup! Ashly and I got to check them out last week...and they were super cute (the squeeze ketchup thingy's). I wanted to put one in my purse just to have it :)

The FREE fries will be given from 2-4pm...sounds like a yummy afternoon snack to me :)

PS...if you 'like' Chick-Fil-A Forsyth on Facebook, you will get their daily deals that way or you can sign up to get them via email.

Enjoy!

Loco for Boca!

This one is for you Kate!

I have only had Boca Burgers a few times but my friend Kate LOVES them...so if you like them too...here is a GREAT deal for them at Publix this week...starting today!

They are B1G1 (buy one, get one) this week.

Regular price is $3.91, which would put one box at $1.96 before coupons.

There is a Target coupon out that you can print off using their website which is $2/2.
Using the coupon on top of the deal would make each box .96 cents!! Sometimes you can print the coupon more than once at the Target website, so if you can, print a few and stock up!

As for competitor coupons at Publix, the specific store that I go to will accept Target, Rite-Aid, and Kroger coupons. When in doubt...just ask the manager.

Hint: In our region, you do not have to buy 2 items to get the B1G1 at Publix...you can buy just 1 for half off.

If you have any meal ideas for the boca burgers, please leave a comment!

Bambi for the Basket!

Hey everyone! I am so stinkin' excited to be starting this blog to share my 'deals' with you all that seem to be significant. This is not a couponing blog, per se, but rather a place that you can go to find great deals on some pretty random things. If you are a Mom, you will probably find that most of the deals center around family and kids...such as the one today!

I was strolling through Target (a hobby of mine), and I saw that the Disney movie Bambi was already out! It was on sale for $22. This in and of itself is pricey, but I rememberd that I had a $10 off coupon for the DVD! Its a blue-ray and DVD combo set. So...after using my coupon and getting the DVD at sale price to begin with, it will only cost in the ballpark of $12!! My plan is to put it in my daughter K-Bear's Easter basket! Oh...I love a deal!

The Target sale will end 3/5 and the coupon will expire 3/8...so just a great excuse to hurry out to Target...if you need one ;)

How to get the coupon: Its as simple as going to disneymovierewards.com and they will send you great coupons via email for all newly released Disney movies! Also...you can earn points towards cool rewards when you put in codes from your purchased DVDs.


Enjoy!!