LOTS OF PRINTABLE COUPONS FOR DIAPERS & WIPES

There are currently LOTS of printable coupons available for baby diapers and wipes.  Print them out before they are no longer available!

FRUTTARE - YUMMY DELICIOUS - PRINTABLE COUPON AVAILABLE

These are absolutely amazing!  My local grocery store had coconut and milk, and also strawberry and milk.  I love the flavor coconut in almost anything, so I thought I would give them a try!  Wow!  Wow!  Wow!  Yummy!  Thankfully, there is currently a printable coupon available for $1.00 off per box of 4.  

The bars are a pretty good size (that's Texas talk y'all!).  The price at my grocery store was close to $3.00.  So, the coupon came in handy.  I should have bought more than one box!  They are THAT good!  

So, here's the current printable coupon.  You may print out 2 coupons per computer.  Print a few while they are still available, and get to your store of choice quickly!  You don't want to miss out!

A Summertime Texas Dinner - Frugal, Scrumptious, Healthy, and Colorful!!

I love summertime!!  Fortunately, for us here in Texas, summer fruits and vegetables fill the grocery stores quickly and very early.  I love the rich, beautiful colors, too.  As the health experts always say, the more colorful your fruits and veggies are, the more nutritious they are!  With Memorial Day approaching, our local grocery store H.E.B. was loaded with watermelon and corn-on-the-cob at great prices!!  When I saw the corn for 6 ears for $1, I just had to get some!!  So that night, our dinner consisted of corn-on-the-cob, watermelon, chicken fajitas mixed with fresh veggies (zucchini, yellow squash, red onions, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and mushrooms).  I also added slices of lime to our water!  The chicken fajitas were purchase frozen at Sam's Club.  I only used 1/4 of the bag for this meal.  The fajitas were already sliced and seasoned and they were $6.99 for the whole bag.  I bought the fresh veggies already chopped, which I usually do not do (because they are more expensive), but since they were made up special for the grill, they were at a great price also.  I love summer holidays for the great deals on healthful foods!!  So, for about $5, I was able to feed hubby and myself!  You are not going to find any better at a restaurant, and certainly NOT for the price.  AND, it is so much healthier for you.....which is always my goal!  

As long as you purchase fruits and vegetables that are in-season, you can prepare healthy meals.  I  do not use coupons on too many foods, because most of them are for processed and/or unhealthy foods.  However, this example does show that you can eat awesome foods at reasonable prices!  YUM!!

 So colorful and appealing!  The more color, the more I like it.

 This is locally grown corn from the Texas valley.  Some of the BEST!!!  We each had 1-1/2 cobs, so there is enough left for another meal.

 I love this seasoning.  I did buy it with a coupon at Walmart for about $0.25!  Or, it might have been FREE!

 I do not normally eat any type of poultry, but hubby likes it.  So, I add a little for taste and give most of it to him!

We only ate half of this, so there is enough for another meal.

Spicy Monterey-style Kale Chips

I found the following recipe in the current issue of Woman's World (May 27, 2013).  I have not tried it yet, but I know they are the new craze.  It is a great, tasty and healthy alternative to potato chips!

INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs finely minced garlic
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
3 Tbs olive oil
1 lb kale, stems removed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.  Divide cheese, garlic, pepper flakes and oil between 2 large plastic food storage bags.  Tear kale into bite-size pieces.  Add to bags, seal and shake to coat.  Spread in single layer on baking sheets.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until kale is crisp, but not brown. Transfer to rack to cool.
Makes 4 - 6 cups.

ONE DAY AT A TIME

With each day of my existence here on earth, I have come to the realization that life is here in the moment and you must enjoy every minute with all the love, peace, and happiness you can put before you.  We have absolutely no control of the future.  When you awake each morning, be happy to see the sun shine once again.  And, if it is not sunshine in front of you, enjoy the raindrops, snowflakes, or cloudy sky that you are fortunate to enjoy.  These are all forms of nature and they can be beautiful in your eyes if you CHOOSE it to be.  What is most important is that you have been blessed with another day of life ~ another day to spread and pass forward as much love, joy and peace to those who cross your path throughout your day.

As for yesterday, you must come to the realization that it is over.  There is nothing you can do to change that which has already happened.  Worrying only sets you back.  Be thankful the day existed and use your experiences of the past to help you move forward and enjoy the day at hand even more.  Wipe the slate clean and learn to appreciate that which is put before you.  Live in the present.

There has been no time better than the present for me to be thankful for the life I have been given.  Since the day my husband was diagnosed with liver cancer, I have been able to look to each day as a new day to have the opportunity to breathe and enjoy the life to which we have been granted.  It is very easy to be overwhelmed by a serious illness.  But, since the beginning, my husband and I have been determined to take each day that is given to us and make the very best of it.  We cannot wallow in the “what ifs”.  There is no time.  We must make the most of each day. 

My husband’s favorite word is “COM fort a ble”.  He gives me the giggles and makes me smile by how he expresses and pronunciates this word and how he truly enjoys the comforts of life.  Slow and easy and RELAXING….that’s his motto for life.  And, believe me, when you are hit with the big C and all that comes with it, it is the best way to look at life.  Take each day as it comes instead of overwhelming yourself with what could be or what could have been.  Accept what life has put before you and move forward one day at a time. 

We have had many doctors compliment us on our attitude throughout my husband’s journey.  They attribute our positivity and success to our “one day at a time” mindset.  Instead of my husband’s disease worsening as time progresses and we near the time for a liver transplant, he continues to feel better and reaps the benefits of continual better test results.  His labs get better and better as time goes on.  We had a doctor commend us today on our attitudes and devotion to getting better.  He said that we are part of the minority.  He has seen too many patients become overwhelmed, but he has witnessed how positive we remain and how we keep up with all appointments and in essence take one day at a time.  He is so pleased with us and has told us in the past that he is always excited to see us because we are always full of good news. 

Along the journey, we have had doors close only to allow the opening of many more new doors and exciting opportunities to unfold before us.  Living better for less has become my passion.  I have always loved writing and saving money.  I have worked from home most of my life, but I have usually had to answer to clients.  Now, I have the opportunity to take my passions and apply them to my everyday life.  I have chosen the life of minimalism and work towards that goal every moment in my life.  I now have the time to write about what I love most.  We are able to live life as if it is one vacation.  We are able to do all the things we enjoy and we are transforming our lives into all the things that we enjoy most.  There is no better life!! 

We anxiously await the arrival of my husband’s new liver.  As each day passes by, we prepare for the best life ever.  Once my husband receives his “new” liver, we have plans to live “one day at a time” and to enjoy every minute of every day. 

As mentioned earlier, my plans are to write and I will write about that which I know best ~ living better for less!  I am in the process of writing my first book on minimalism.  I plan on approaching this lifestyle in a manner that has not been presented before.  Meanwhile, I will continue to blog and hopefully inspire those who are tired of catering to the corporate world.  We are not put on this earth for long, so we should enjoy it as much as we can.  I hope I can invoke thoughts on ways to enjoy ONE DAY AT A TIME and to LIVE BETTER FOR LESS!!

CVS Shopping Trip On 04/21/13

My CVS trip total for today was $52.01.  My OOP (out of pocket expense) was $11.05 and I received $11.00 in ECBS for my next shopping trip!!  If I were to count the ECBs towards this trip, I would have spent $0.05.  However, I always show the ECBS as cash in my next shopping trip.  So, in reality, I saved 79% today.  Awesome!!

Before leaving for my trip, I did my usual visit to www.cvs.com  to check for any printable coupons I might want to use.  Today, I printed a $10.00 off coupon for (1) Schick Hydro Silk Womens' Razor.  The box I found had a BONUS refill!  I also had a manufacturer's coupon for $4.00 Off.  The razor retailed for $12.49.  So this was a MM (moneymaker) for me!  Profit of $1.51!!  I also printed out a coupon for $4.00 off of a $20 purchase, $1.50 off $5 purchase of any body wash (which I used on the Dove purchase), and $4.50 earned for my Winter quarterly spending.  Every three months you earn 2% rewards towards your quarterly spending.  I started off with a nice bundle of coupons just for visiting the CVS website!

When I arrived at CVS, I scanned my CVS shopping card at the red box.  I had to scan my card (3) times in order for all coupons to print out.  For those of you that do not know, continue to scan your card until the machine tells you there are no coupons to print.  I gathered up about 12 coupons (nothing to be used today, but maybe on future trips).  

I proceeded to do my shopping and was happy to find most deals in stock!  

Here's the recap of my shopping trip:
1 Schick Womens' Hydro Silk razor    $12.49 
4 Dove body washes   2/$8 = $16.00 (Receive $5 ECB when you buy $15)
2 Colgate Optic White toothpastes  $10.08  (Receive $5 ECB when you buy $10)
1 Gallon Milk  $3.49  (Receive $1 ECB when you buy 1 Gallon)
1 2-liter Coke  $0.99

Coupons Used:
(4) $1.50 Off One Dove bodywash (tear pad manufacturer's coupons)
(2) $1.00 Off One Colgate Optic White toothpaste (insert manufacturer's coupons)
(1) $4.00 Off One Hydra Silk Womens' razor (insert manufacturer's coupon)
(1) $4.00 off $20 Purchase (CVS printable)
(1) $10.00 off One Hydro Silk razor (CVS printable)
(1) $4.50 Rewards for Winter Spending (CVS printable)
(1) $1.50 Off $5 purchase of any bodywash (CVS printable)

Between sales and coupons, I saved $40.96!!  I am happy!  I LOVE CVS!!

OFFICEMAX: Special Price this week for Recycled Ink Cartridges (Limit 2)

If you have an Office Max Perks Rewards card, you may receive $6 per ink HP brand cartridge (limit of 2) that you turn into the store this week.  A $50 purchase for new HP ink is required.  However, remember that you always receive 5% back in rewards.  OfficeMax also has a 110% price guarantee.  If you find ink at a lower price, OfficeMax will match it by 110% of the difference!  YOU CAN'T BEAT THAT!!  

WALGREENS: STOCKPILE PRICE for bottled water!

DON'T MISS THE BOTTLED WATER DEAL AT WALGREENS!!! It is definitely a phenomenal stock-up price!!! Buy a 24-pk of Nice bottled water for $1.99 using the coupon in the Walgreens' Happy and Healthy magazine (available at the front cashier or the pharmacy). The magazine has lots of great coupons!! DON'T MISS OUT!!!!

CVS Trip 02/05/13

My CVS trip this evening!  I had some vitamin coupons expiring today and I wanted to use them since CVS had an awesome Buy 1 Get 1 sale on Coenzyme Q-10 (one of the most expensive vitamins!) 

I bought:

(2) Nature’s Bounty Coenzyme Q-10 100 mg 75 softgels @ $36.99 ea. (Buy 1 Get 1 FREE)

(1)Lady’s SpeedStick @ 1.99 (sale price)

(2) CVS Aspirin 80 mg 300 coated tablets @ $10.99 ea. (Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off)

(1)  Nature Made Full Strength MINIS Multi Complete 60 softgels @ $14.99

Total Bill was $114.64.

With sales, CVS printable online coupons, CVS Redbox coupons, manufacturer coupons and ECBs, my total out-of-pocket expense was $38.95.  I saved $75.69!  That’s a 66% savings which is exciting for a vitamin and aspirin purchase!

Coupons Used:

$10 Off Nature Made Full Strength MINIS Multi Complete (printed off of cvs.com)

$3 Off Nature Made Full Strength MINIS (Manufacturer’s printable)

$1.00 Off printable CVS coupon sent by email for Lady’s SpeedStick

$0.50 Off Manufacturer’s coupon for SpeedStick (from last weekend’s newspaper inserts)

$3.00 Off $15 vitamin purchase (CVS printable at Redbox machine)

(2) $2.50 Off Nature’s Bounty Coenzyme Q-10 (manufacturer’s coupon)

$3.00 Off CVS aspirin 80mg 300 coated tablets (printed off of cvs.com)

$5.00 Off (Beauty club rewards printed from CVS Redbox)

$1.00 ECB from an earlier purchase last week

I pass a CVS every day in my travels, so I always stop in to scan my card at the Redbox.  It pays off, that’s for sure!  Lots of coupons have printed during the past 3 or 4 days (can’t wait to use more!).  Always check your email.  If you have signed up for CVS daily alerts, you will receive lots of great printables sent directly to your email and these can be stacked with any manufacturer’s coupons that you have.  Also, make sure you check the cvs.com website daily and sign in.  This is how I found the $10 coupon for Nature Made Full Strength MINIs.  I was able to stack a $3 printable manufacturer’s coupon with this so that the vitamins were only $1.99. 

My year-to-date savings total as of 02/02/13 is $343.91!!  This does not include tonight’s savings!  I LOVE CVS and I love my coupons!!

CVS - Cosmetic Clearance of 50% to 75% Off..and Other Beauty News

Every year about this time, CVS offers a phenomenal clearance on cosmetics.  Some are 50% off.  And some are 75% off!  That's my kind of deal!!  I usually stock up on cosmetics to last me the year.  This year, I still have some left over from what I purchased last January.  So, I did not really need much other than mascara.  I lucked out and found Almay mascara in my color for 75% off.  I also picked up an Almay foundation and a Revlon blush.  Both were also 75% off.  I should be supplied enough for the year, unless, of course, a hot deal where makeup is almost FREE or it is FREE comes up during the year.  I had $7.00 in ECBS, so I used it towards my purchase. 

For (3) Almay mascara, (1) Almay foundation, and (1) Revlon blush, my total (without tax) was $6.23.  That's approximately $1.25 per item of good quality makeup!  And, I am good for the year!  With sales, I saved a total of $46.72!  That's an 88% SAVINGS!!!

When you visit your CVS, look through all the makeup aisles.  The 50% off stickers are yellow and the 75% off stickers are red.  They are mixed in with the regular priced makeup, so you have to look carefully.  Most stores are stocked well the first few days of the year.  

Remember, too, that whatever you purchase, the total (after sales & coupons) is added to your Beauty Club spending.  For every $50 worth of makeup you buy (it is accumulative), you receive $5 in ECBs.

Also, if you are lucky enough to hit the store at the right time, pick up the latest copy of Reinventing Beauty.  It usually has a tear-away sheet of coupons as well as some found throughout the magazine. There are some manufacturer coupons and some CVS coupons.  The magazine is published every quarter, which means one is due out soon!  These magazines are so hot that they disappear off the racks very quickly, so keep your eyes peeled.  I will try to post when they are out.

If you are in need of makeup or want to stock up at awesome prices, NOW is the time.  In the past, the 75% off products run out the first week of the year.  So, hurry!  

Happy Savings!!!

Happy New Year 2013! - To New Beginnings

For the past few days, like so many of you, I have been thinking about what my goals for 2013 will be.  As the years move on, health is always at the top of my list.  And, I am always pondering what I can do to improve my health.....I am not getting any younger, so I have to work harder at it as each year quickly passes by!  

I do not like to make a list of new year's resolutions, as I do try to practice living in the moment, day-by-day, in the present......you know, all the things that the master philosophers preach.  It does work, by the way!  I tread lightly through the negatives and savor the positives.....waking up to each morning as a fresh new start.

While listing specific goals for the year can be encouraging for some, for me it sets up failure and disappointment.  Neither of which I like.  So, I looked to my favorite bloggers for inspiration.  And, in my search, lo and behold, I found the PERFECT words to add to my new year's resolutions.  No long list.  Just two words.  And, these two words sum it all up for me.....words to live by, so to speak!  

These two bloggers have eloquently expressed my very thoughts for this coming year. Please take a few moments to read their blogs.  They are both inspiring and thought-provoking.

One word, one goal, many paths by Dan Garner of Zen Presence - A New Voice

Rejoice! {One Word 2013} by Kayse Pratt.  If you sign up for Kayse's newsletter, you will receive a copy of her first eBook Getting it Together.  It includes printables and great ideas to help you get more organized in 2013.  

So, my two words for this year are AWAKEN and REJOICE.  I will incorporate these two words into my everyday living in 2013.  

I pray for many blessings in the coming year to all my readers.