"My Children's Closet" is Now OPEN!

My family is excited to announce that we have opened our children's consignment space inside Claire's Mercantile!  We have lots of good quality children's clothes at affordable prices.  More & more items are coming in everyday.  Please stop on by & visit my space in Claire's 240 SW Washington St, Dallas Wed-Sat 10:30 am to 5:30 pm.  Tell your friends!

Homemade Handscrub - (If the little ones accidently eat it, that's ok it's all natural.)

I made this last year as a Christmas gift because money was TIGHT & a number of you wanted me to share my recipe so here it is!

REMEMBER this makes A LOT so adjust accordingly if you want to make a small batch!  I have also found other recipes like with cinnamon or brown sugar which I might try later.

1 1/2C Sugar
1/3 Kosher Salt (I used Epsom salt)
Zest of Lemon, Orange or Lime
1C Olive Oil (Found @ the $1 store)
1/4 tsp pure lemon extract (Found @ the $1 store)

Mix all together & share with friends.
Enjoy!

I'm on a couponing cloud!

I've been so busy getting the store ready, I haven't looked at the weekly coupon inserts for the last few weeks, (more like 6 weeks).  We were running low on somethings like cheese & cereal, and realized that I need to start getting some school supplies.  So I packed up the entire family and my wonderful husband trucked us all over town.  That man is so sweet, I just love him.  When you see the 1st picture remember I went to several different stores & I DID NOT wipe out the shelves!  That is #3 on my 10 Commandments of Couponing.

Total spent $48.96 worth $155.70!  69% savings!

Broken down by store:

                                                                  Safeway $0.20                                                                  

                        

                                 Franz Bakery Outlet $5.29                               

                                                  (no coupons used but it was 3/$5.29!)

Target $8.57 

                                                    

                                          

Fred Meyer  (2 transactions)  

$20.74

                                                               

Albertson's $11.19 

(3 transactions)    

               

           

                                                                    Rite Aid $2.97  

                                                          

I'd love to hear about your deals or comments.  Please let me know!

PS Sorry that the pictures are all over the place on my side they are fine, but once it is published it takes on a mind of its own.

You control the sales, the sales don't control you

When I teach my couponing classes, I always, always stress "YOU CONTROL THE SALES, THE SALES DON'T CONTROL YOU".  Why?  The point of couponing is to save money on things you usually buy and not on things that you don't.  Don't waste your money.  Honestly I think I haven't see anything noteworthy at Safeway in the last few weeks, the prices are AWFUL!  Prices here have jumped, probably by double digits in the neighborhood of 25-50%.  Since I live in a small town that's where you shop unless you wanna drive into Salem.

So needless to say we've been eating out of my stockpile.  But there were some good deals for items I will donate to the food bank.  No the ice cream is for my husbands sweet tooth & it was hot here yesterday (a whopping 80 degrees).  Take a look, total spent $9.

Say hello to my little friends. . .

So Safeway has a chicken deal going on right now, 77 cents a pound.  A pretty good price given that gas is still $3.79 here, (my stock up price was 60 cents a pound).  So I grabbed 2 whole chickens, each one being around $3.50. 

While I was away my wonderful husband made "Beer Can" chicken, but instead he used white wine in the can, rosemary, oregano, & garlic tucked underneath the skin.  I love making chicken this way, it is so tender & juicy.  One chicken can last us at least 3-4 dinners.  Making each dinner about $1.25.  Not bad.  Tonight will be chicken sandwiches, sometime this week will be chicken & rice, & the other dinner will be chicken enchiladas.  His partner in crime, will be cut up and froze for those night where I don't want to cook or it's too hot. 

Doesn't those look like the ones from the store?

I have a sickness, I like to take pictures of my grocery deals.

Yes, I have a sickness.  Why do I like to take pictures of my grocery deals?  I'll never know.  Maybe to inspire or boast?  Who knows, but I'll keep doing it, if you guys like to see what I get super cheap.

All of this for $3.53.



This is what $6 will buy you at Safeway.

All of this for $6.08.  Not bad.