Yesterday I was at Target and I found these heart shaped ice cube trays for $2.50 in the $$ bins. I thought of a few ways I could use them, and knew I would get my money’s worth! How fun would be to make colored ice cubes and plop a few in the bath water, I think my daughter would LOVE it!

Just fill the ice cube trays with colored water, freeze, and you are ready to go! Another idea, freeze fruit juice and serve in some sparkly soda on Valentine’s Day! These ice cube trays will get lots of use at our house!

For my family of three I allow us $100.00 every two weeks, and that includes groceries and toiletries.

Ok, you might be asking where is all the meat, the vegetables, did you guys even eat this week?!? Let me clarify. Like I’ve said before in my Meat & Produce Video HERE, when I see stock-up price deals, I truly stock-up! I can sometimes go 3-4 weeks without having to buy any meat if I have enough in our freezer to get us by. What’s nice about stock-piling meat and produce, is it allows some weeks for me to spend more money on toiletries (since I do include the cost of toiletries in my weekly grocery budget) and stock-up on those items when I see a great deal.

Foods Co: Bosc Pears and Hamburger Buns Spent $4.49, Saved ??

SaveMart: Spent $5.80, Saved $7.68

Rite-Aid: Spent $6.72, Saved $25.00

Vons: Spent $19.42, Saved $25.46

I had no intention of buying those Sponge Bob Cheese Nips, but I noticed they were on sale for $1.99, and I had (2) $2.00/3 Nabisco Crackers coupons that expired last night. I gave in and bought them. They cost me $1.33 each and they are the bigger boxes!

This Weeks Budget $38.85

Total Spent: $36.43

Total Saved: at least $58.14

Roll Over For Next Week: $2.42

Valentine’s Day will be here soon, so lets get ready and have us a FRUGAL Love Day with our family!! These heart shaped crayons are adorable and I’m sure my little one will enjoy making them with me!

I found my heart shaped silicone pan and crayons at Target in the $1.00 section by the front door!!!

Simply preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Take the paper off the crayons and break them up into small pieces. Place the crayon pieces in the silicone mold (don’t fill them up too much or crayon juice will run off the baking mold) and bake the crayon hearts for about 10 –15 minutes or until melted. Once the crayons have cooled, then pop them out of the molds and you’re done! Now print some FREE Valentine’s Day coloring pages from HERE and you’ll have yourself a frugal Love Day!

I am asked frequently how to stockpile. “If I only have $50.00 a week to spend on groceries and toiletries, how can I stockpile without spending more money?!?” This was a question I had when I first started to coupon, and it comes with a pretty simple answer.

If there is a sale going on at Foods Co. for Crest Toothpaste, 6.4oz for only $.99 each when you buy 4, and I have (4) coupons for $1.00/1 Crest Toothpaste, then I am going to use my coupons and get 4 toothpastes for FREE. This is how you build a stockpile! When you see items go on sale and you have a coupon to use towards that sale item, then you are getting that product for the lowest possible price! Remember though, not all sales in grocery ads are good sales.

This is the secret though, you must stockpile coupons in order to stockpile products! You can find coupons through the Sunday paper and also online through coupon websites or facebook.

If you can purchase an item for more than 75% off it’s retail price, then stock-up to last your family until the next sale cycle, which is typically every 3 months. Now you can go out and build a stockpile for your family!

To watch a video on stockpiling that Kerri made from last year, go HERE.

If you’re like me, then you know the importance of sitting down each morning before everyone is up and studying God’s Word! I like to be guided through a study because it keeps me focused.

I was taking a course through my church back in Texas called “Heart of the Home” and our teacher told us mom’s about Dr. Charles Stanley’s Daily Devotionals. They are very insightful and I truly enjoy them on a daily basis, plus it only takes me about 10 minutes to do them. Dr. Stanley has you read a specific scripture each day, then he gives you insight into this specific scripture, with an application at the end. These daily devotionals are mailed to me each month for FREE! I love them so much and I wanted to share this with you, so that you might have the opportunity to dive into God’s Word and learn what He has to teach you!

To sign up for these FREE monthly devotional magazines go HERE! You will LOVE them!

For my family of three I allow us $100.00 every two weeks, and that includes groceries and toiletries.

We all have weeks where we go over budget, it’s a reality! I feel like I got a lot for my money though, and I’m very pleased with that! Now my challenge for this week is to spend only $38.85, yikes! So, I want to know how you did?!?

WinCo: Spent $22.20, Saved ?? I bought 3 Zacky’s Turkey Thighs for only $1.98 each!

Smart & Final: Spent $9.97, Saved $8.00

Save Mart: Spent $16.55, Saved $11.62

Softsoap Seasonal Edition- $1.00 clearance price

Used $.40/1 from 01/01 SS

Final Price= $.60 each

*great price

Organic Milk, half gallon- $3.29 sale price, I noticed it was expiring soon, so they gave them to me for half price- $1.65 each!!!

*stock-up price

Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs- $2.49/lb

*not a good price at all, but I had company and needed chicken, and they were out of the chicken legs for $.67/lb. We all, even experienced couponers, have weeks like this. It’s ok though, just pick up where you left off and continue saving money. It’s not the end of the world!

Albertsons: Spent $18.12, Saved $71.56 Go HERE For Review

Dollar Tree: Spent $1.00, Saved $3.00

I had $6.49 rolled over from the last 2 weeks

Total Spent: $67.64

Went over by: $11.15

Saved: at least $94.18, but I know it was more!

Amount left for next week: $38.85

I cannot take the credit for coming up with this adorable craft, it was all inspired from Emily on Anderson Family Crew. I just loved this idea of love notes and chocolate or stickers magically appearing in the mail box throughout Valentine’s Day! You can easily make this for your son or daughter for less than $4.00. It only cost me $2.00 to make since I already owned some of the supplies.

Supplies:

1 Mailbox from Target’s $1.00 bins

1 Candle stick, any size (mine came from the Dollar Tree for $1.00)

Acrylic paint

Stickers

Modge Podge

Ribbon

Hot glue gun

Directions:

I painted 3 coats of red acrylic paint over the glass candle stick. Once dry, I mixed glitter and modge podge together and painted 1 layer over the acrylic paint. Then I hot glued the candle stick to the mail box. I decorated the mail box with rein stones and stickers and hot glued the ribbon on. It was a lot of fun and I hope you will enjoy this easy craft too! I’m sure your kids would love to decorate their own mail box!!!

Thanks, Anderson Family Crew

Flood Bakersfield is a local Christ centered, non-profit organization that provides services to people battling homelessness through long-term relationships that meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the deeply impoverished. Right now they are in need of food to give to others that are less fortunate. Weekly they give out boxed crackers, boxed cereal bars, canned fruit, chili, ravioli, top ramen, cup o noodles, vienna sausage, spam, and peanut butter.

I never thought in a million years I would have the money to donate food to others, however, couponing has given me this possibility. Lets help Flood Ministries by giving them food that we have found at great prices! If you are able to donate any amount of food, big or small, please drop the food off at 3509 Union Ave. It does not matter how small your donation is, every little bit helps! I know I will be making a trip there this week! How about you?!?