Metro and RCSS Shop

I was able to get some great deals at Metro and RCSS today.  I still have a few other things to pick up from Walmart and No Frills but this is the majority of my shop for the week.  I have included pictures of the coupons I used at RCSS but forgot to take one of the Coupon I used at Metro.

Metro:

2x Olymel Chicken = regular $9.99 sale $4.99  coupon $2.50 = $2.50each (saved $14.98)

VH Sauce = regular $3.29 sale $1.98 (saved $1.31)

Total Spent = $6.96

Total Saved = $16.29



RCSS:

4x Unico Tomato = regular $1.47 PM FreshCo $0.88ea (saved $2.36)
2x Cucumber = regular $1.99 PM FreshCo $0.99ea (saved $2.00)
Cauliflower = regular $1.98 PM Food Basics $0.97 (saved $1.01)
Red Grapes = regular $2.99/lb PM Food Basics $0.99/lb = $2.04 (saved $4.24)
3 pack of Lettuce = regular $3.99 PM Food Basics $1.97 (saved $2.02)
Roma Tomato = regular $1.49 PM Farm Boy $0.79 = $1.41 (save $1.27)
Syrup = regular $3.79 PM Loblaws $2.50 (saved $1.29)
4x Yogurt = regular $3.07 PM Metro $0.99ea (saved $8.32)
Dragon Fruit = $1.98
2x Buns = regular $2.49ea sale $1.98ea (saved $1.02)
Sandwich Meat = $3.28
Kielbassa = $4.69
Bananas = ($0.79/lb) $2.05
2x Eggs = $2.65ea + coupon $1.00 WUB2 = $2.15ea (saved $1.00)
Tostitos = regular $3.27ea sale $2.50ea (saved $1.54)
2x Orange Juice = regular $2.97ea sale $1.47ea (saved $3.00)
2x Crackers = regular $3.19ea sale $1.97ea  (saved $2.44)
Green Onion = $0.79
Cilantro = $1.49
2x Body Wash = $4.49 Clearance $2.24 + coupon $3.00 WUB2 = $0.74ea (saved $7.50)

Total Spent = $ 54.25

Total Saved = $ 39.01

For Both Shops

Total Spent = $61.21

Total Saved = $55.30

Crafts

I've been busy in my house and have been marking things off my list.  I just wanted to share with you what I have been able to do ... of course for free :)

For instructions on how I did these please click here to go to my other Blog DressesAndDirt.

Consignment Love

Thanks to Facebook yesterday I got a notification that one of my favourite local consignment stores was having a 75% off sale on all their clothes, plus discount bins with lots of goodies in them.  Needless to say as soon as my husband got home from work I went shopping.  Belly Laughs is a high end consignment store that also sells lots of new items, the staff is great and always very helpful.  I found tons of great gifts and a few fun things for my girls.  I consign my girls stuff when they have both outgrown the item and I was very please to have money on my account when I shopped yesterday so my saving were huge!  All I think when I am shopping in consignment in how much I am saving, I love it :)

2x Boon Cup = regular $9.50 sale $5.00 (saved $9.00)
2x Create a Craft = regular $5.99 sale $3.00 (saved $5.98)
2x Peel & Stick Wallies = regular $10.99 sale $1.00 (saved $19.98)
Kickers = regular $11.99 sale $3.00 (saved $8.99)
Stride Rites = regular $12.99 sale $3.25 (saved $9.74)
Guess Shoes = regular $14.99 sale $3.75 (saved $11.24)
Old Navy Onepiece = regular $4.99 sale $1.25 (saved $3.74)
4x Gap Shirt = regular $5.99 sale $1.50 (saved $17.96) (one missing in picture)
Gap Shirt = regular $4.99 sale $1.25 (saved $3.74)
Gap Pants = regular $5.99 sale $1.50 (saved $4.49)

Subtotal = $38.00
HST = $3.10
From my Account = $25.12

Total Out of Pocket = $15.98

Total Saved = $119.98

Just think how much more I would have paid if everything had been purchased new, I would say at least double.

Shopping list for January 27th - February 3rd

Here is what I like in the flyer's this week:

RCSS:
Minute Maid Orange Juice $1.47
Dragon Fruit $1.98

FreshCo:
Unico Tomato's $0.88
Cucumber $0.99
Pizza Pockets $1.99 + $1.00 Coupon

Food Basics:
Simply Orange Juice $3.97
HotHouse Tomato $0.97
Cauliflower $0.97
Red Grapes $0.99lb
3 pack of Romaine $1.97

Farm Boy:
Roma Tomato $0.79

Loblaws:
Aunt Jemima Syrup $$2.50

Walmart:
Glade Automatic Spray $6.97 + $5.00 Coupon (Smart Source Insert)
Royale 12 Double Roll $4.47 + 2 Coupon or $0.75 (GOcoupons.ca)

Metro:
Astro Yogurt $0.99
Johnsonville Brats 2/$7
Quantum Finish $5.99 + $3 Coupon (Insert from last year)
Blackberries $1.49
Olymel Chicken $4.99 + $2.50 Coupon (GOcoupons.ca)

No Frills:
Broccoli $0.97
Seedless Naval Oranges $0.57
Oral B Toothbrushes $0.99 + $1.00 Coupon (Brandsaver.ca)

If you are looking for a full coupon flyer match up I like Mrs January, this site has a coupon match up and a fresh foods and produce match up.  Also Smart Canucks if you go under the deals tab and look for the link for the "official coupon match up".

Happy Shopping!

Keeping Busy in the Winter for Free

My quest for a more frugal life has been going really well but I have found one challenge has been finding things to do with the family.  I am one for making memories and keeping busy but with trying to spend less money I have found that we are going out a lot less.  So I started a list of things that we could do in our area in the Winter that would cost us nothing.  But along with Winter in Ottawa comes some freezing cold weather and icy snowy conditions so I need to be realistic and think about the fact that a lot of the time we simply need to just stay inside.  So I decided that I also needed to find things to do in our house to keep everyone happy.



Outdoor Winter Activities

For Free

1. Skating * We are very lucky as we have a few outdoor rinks around us, some are perfect for the girls who are just learning to skate and others that are set up for adult hockey games.
2. Make a Snowman * This one has been difficult for us as the snow here just keeps turning into ice.  But we are hopeful to get some nice sticky snow and get out there and build a big round snowman.
3. Make Snowcastles / Snowfort * We take out our buckets and shovels from the summer and use them the same way you would with sand, along with a fort for the girls to play in.
4. Walk in the Woods * We have some amazing trails right beside our house.  Looking for animal tracks is a great way to spend an afternoon.
5. Feeding the Chickadees * The Jack Pine Trails are not far away and are full of chickadees this time of year.  Go with some bird seed and they will fly right onto your hand to eat.
6. Sledding * There are hills everywhere, from our park around the corner to larger hills all over the city, like in Walter Baker Park.  Not sure where to find a hill near you, check out tobogganhills.com.
7. Winterlude * From ice sculptures to skating on the Canal there are tons of free things to do with the whole family. Click here for more details.
8. Snow Painting * All you have to do is take a spray bottle fill with food colouring and water and spray away.
9. The Park * My girls love the park just as much with the snow, plus it makes for some speedy rides down the slides.
10. Snowball Fights * I don't think this needs any explanation and everyone knows just how fun these can be :)

Indoor Winter Activities

For Free 

1. Painting * Put down the drop clothes and pull out the paints.  We did this on the weekend you can see the pictures here. 
2. Playdough * Always a big hit and very creative.  Here is the recipe I use to make my playdough.
3. Crafts * Really I have far to many to even list.  Have you been on Pinterest yet?  All I can say is AMAZING, so many great ideas all in one place.
4. Cooking * Trying out new recepies and including the girls when it is safe to.  Its a great way to keep things interesting when you start to get those Winter Blues
5. Baking * This is one that the kids will always be happy to join you in doing.  There is something so soothing about creating in the kitchen through both baking and cooking.
6. Redecorating * Now I don't mean going out and buying new things, I mean moving around what you have or finding new purposes for items in your house.  I love change so moving around our furniture is pretty common in our house.
7. Picnics * Pack up a picnic basket, pick a spot in the house, lay out your blanket and have a nice picnic.  Fun with kids but also a fun romantic idea with lots of candles.
8. Camping * Make a fort and a play camp fire roast your marshmallows sing songs and tell scary stories.  Have extra glowsticks in the house?  You can always add those to the fire for an added touch.  Bonus is that it get dark so early you can turn off the lights and play with the flashlights all well before bedtime.
9. Movie Night * Pop some popcorn, light the fire, and cuddle on the couch for a movie. 
10. Read a Book * This cold weather is the perfect excuse to make a hot cup of tea and curl up under a blanket with a good book and enjoy some me time.

I am excited to already be checking things off this list and enjoying our Winter both inside and outside. 

Anyone have any indoor or outdoor activities that they like to enjoy in the Winter for free?  I would love to hear them.

RCSS Shop

Tonight I did my weekly grocery shop at RCSS and it felt great to get out after being in the house sick, there were some good deals this week;



The coupons I used

 2x Red, Yellow Pepper = regular $2.49/lbs PM Loblaws $2.00/lbs = $2.43 (saved 0.31)
2x Simply Orange Juice = regular $6.99 PM Loblaws $3.49ea (saved $7.00)
Becel = regular $3.29 PM Sobeys $2.99 (saved $0.30)
Peanut Butter = regular $4.97 PM Food Basics $1.88ea (saved $6.18)
2x Pop = regular $5.27 PM Food Basics $2.88ea (saved $4.78)
Brocolli = regular $2.49 PM Food Basics $0.99 (saved $1.50)
2x 1lb Strawberry = regular $2.77 PM FreshCo $0.97ea (saved $3.60)
3lb Bag of Carrots = regular $1.49 PM FreshCo $0.99 (saved $0.50)
Celery = regular $1.99 PM FreshCo $0.99 (saved $1.00)
Apples = $4.29
Duncan Hines Cake = regular $2.17 sale $1.00 (saved $1.17)
Sandwich Meat = $2.00
2x Milk = regular $5.59 sale $4.00ea (saved $3.18)
3x Bread = regular $3.29 sale $2.00 (saved $3.87)
2x GoldFish Crackers = regular $2.99 sale $1.97 + coupon $0.50 = $1.47ea (saved $3.04)
Chips = regular $3.27 sale $2.77 (saved $0.50)
Razors = regular $7.49 sale $4.98 + coupon $2.00 = $2.98ea (saved $4.51)

Subtotal = $56.78
HST = $1.76

Total Spent = $58.54

Total Saved = $41.44

Musical Craft

I did a craft the other day with my daughters and my nephew and it was a big hit.  Very simple to do and lots of fun for the kids (ages 1, 2 and 4).  The best part we already had everything in the house so it was free fun!

First take two plastic cups fill one with dried pasta and beans.  Next use your glue gun and cover the top (of the cup with the pasta and the beans in it) with glue, then stick the other one on top, this step has to be done fast as the glue dries really fast.  We then took ribbon and glued it around the seam to make it a little prettier.  We gave the kids stickers and let them cover the cups.  With a sharpie we put the child's first initial on the top and bottom (the 4 year old did her own).  For the 1 and 2 year old we held down their hands and outlined them on the cups. 

We did this craft 4 days ago and the shakers are still a hit in this house!

Walmart Deal

I made a stop at Walmart tonight with hopes of landing some great deals and I found them!



(Coupons I used from P&G Brandsaver January and my dentist)

 10x Toothpaste = regular $2.00 PM Zellers $0.99 + coupon $1.50 = -$0.51ea (saved $10.10 and made $5.10)

30x Toothpaste = regular $1.00 + coupon $1.50 = -$0.50ea
(saved $30.00 made $15.00)

10x mouthwash = regular $1.00 + coupon $1.00 = $0.00ea
(saved $10.00)

10x floss = regular $3.67 + coupon Free when you buy mouthwash = $0.00 (saved $36.70)

Subtotal = -$20.10
HST = $11.26

Total Spent (MADE) = -$8.84 

Total Saved = $86.80

Sobeys Tear Pads

I stopped at Sobeys tonight to see if they had any new coupons, this is what I found in the store:

Smuckers Jam, save $0.75, expiry date April 30 2012
Aylmer Accents, save $1.00 WUB2, expiry date December 31 2012
Naturegg, save $1.00, expiry date December 31 2012
Whiskas, save $1.75, expiry date July 31 2012

No Frills Deals

There are some amazing deals going on at No Frills right now and my wonderful husband and oldest daughter (armed with LOTS of coupons) went yesterday afternoon.

20x POM = regular $1.49 on sale $1.00 + coupon $1.00 (from insert) = FREE (savings of $29.80)

10x Oral-B = regular $1.47 on sale $1.00 = coupon $1.00 (from insert) = FREE (savings of $14.70)

Subtotal = $0.00

HST = $2.30

Total Spent = $2.30

Total Saved = $44.50

Sobeys, Walmart and RCSS Shops

Sobeys

I stopped in at Sobeys today to check for coupons and take advantage of the Chicken they have on sale.  Unfortunately they didn't have any coupons but I was able to get some Chicken

 Chicken = regular $8.79/lbs sale $3.49/lbs = $23.37 (saved $35.52)

Spent = $23.37

Saved = $35.52

It is a total of 10 Chicken Breast, they are huge and 2 will easily feed our family a meal with some leftovers.  So in total 5 meals.  So that is $4.67 a meal :)

Walmart

Next I made my way to Walmart to pick up some of the Flintstones Vitamins for my kids and some toothpaste.

2x Vitamins = regular $7.97 sale $5.97 + coupon $2.00 = $3.97ea (saved $8.00)
30x Colgate = regular $1.00 + coupon $1.50 = -$0.50ea

Subtotal = -$7.06
HST = $5.45

Spent = -$1.61

Saved = $53.00

RCSS

My last stop was at RCSS where I finished up our groceries for the week.  I price matched (PM) most items that I got and my cashier rang a few of the items in wrong, in my favour!  She put in the PM price of the produce as LBS but she should have put it in as KG. 

BBQ Sauce = regular $2.29 PM Loblaws $1.00 (saved $1.29)

Cheese = regular $4.29 PM Loblaws $1.00 (saved $3.29)

Milk = $4.37

Sandwich Meat = $3.24

2x Tortilla Shells = regular $3.19 sale $2.00ea (saved $2.38)

Bread = regular $2.89 sale $1.49 (saved $1.40)

2x Avocado = regular $1.67 PM Food Basics $0.77ea (saved $1.80)

Broccoli = regular $1.28 PM FreshCo $0.99 (saved $0.29)

Dragon Fruit = regular $2.48 PM Food Basics $1.88 (saved $0.60)

Lettuce = regular $1.29 PM FreshCo $0.89 (saved $0.40)

2x Green Onion = 2/$0.88

Tomato = regular $1.48/lb <total $1.78> PM Metro $0.99/lb <total $1.19> should have saved $0.59 = $0.54 (actually saved  $1.19)

Apples = regular $1.49/lb <total $5.06> PM Food Basics $0.67/lb <total $2.28> should have saved $2.78 = $1.03 (actually saved $4.03)

Grapes = regular $2.99/lb <total $2.69> PM Food Basics $0.88/lb <total $0.79> should have saved $1.90 = $0.36 (actually saved $2.33)

Spent = $23.21

Saved = $19.00

Check it out $19.00 and no coupons used!  Simply by shopping the sales and Price Matching I was able to cut my bill almost in half!

Total Spent = $44.97

Total Saved =$107.52

My Stock Pile

Hi everyone!  I am excited to share with you my first video!  It is of my current stock pile, I wanted to document where it is now at the beginning of 2012 and continue to do videos of it throughout the year.  It took some work but I finally was able to upload my video to YouTube!  I hope you enjoy it :)

FreshCo Shop

Tonight we made a quick run to FreshCo to pick up some of the chicken that was on sale but unfortunately they were sold out.  But we did find some bacon on sale and we needed some milk.

Milk = regular $4.37
3x Bacon = regular $4.99 on sale $2.00 (saved $8.97)

Total Spent = $10.37

Total Saved =$8.97

Spreadsheet for Food, Personal and Household Items

In my quest to live a more frugal life I have quickly learned that organization goes hand in hand with saving money.  Since this year will be my first whole year of couponing I wanted to really keep track of what I am spending and what I am saving so I decided to create a spreadsheet.  For this spreadsheet I decided to focus on the the three areas that I believe can end up costing you the most money, but with coupons and sales can be cut back drastically.  I have three categories, Food, Personal and Household.  Food does not include eating out, just our grocery shopping.  Personal is all of our personal care items, for example shampoo or toothbrushes.  Household is a little broader it will include everything we spend on our house, from the little things like paper towel to larger things like our fence and deck.

RCSS Price Matching

An email was sent to RCSS to try to get an answer on how long they will be doing the price checking. here was their response:

Thank you for taking the time to write to us.

I was delighted to read your comments regarding the holiday price match program available at the Real Canadian Superstores. I am pleased to inform you that due to the well received response from our consumers we will be extending the program for a small period of time.
...
Thank you again for your email. Offering quality products at competitive prices remains a top priority for us and we will continue to deliver on that promise as consistently as possible.
Sincerely,

Maha Halaby
Sr.Customer Service Representative I LCL Customer Relations

 

 

 

Unfortunatly it does not have a date but they are extending it! 

 

(Thanks Cheryl for sharing)

Redplum Insert January 14th

There will be a Redplum insert in your paper on January 14th, here are the coupons you can expect to see:

$1 WUB 1 Scrunge March 31, 2012
$3 WUB2 Scrunge March 31, 2012
$1 WUB2 Bluewater March 31, 2012
$1 Nature's bounty April 30, 2012
$2 Natures Bounty Co Q-10 supplement April 30, 2012

(Thanks frugaledmontonmama )

Throwing a Frugal Birthday Party

Today my Daughter turned 2 and we had a great party with a total of 25 people, 10 of which were kids.  I was able to pull it all together for $7.00!  Here are some samples of what I was able to do.

The hanging Happy Birthday sign and the number 2 I made this past week.  The sign is made of card stock, I traced out the letters, cut them out and glued them on the square pieces.  Then I used orange cross stitching thread to "sew" the sign together.  Each end is taped to the wall then a bow is taped up to hide the end of the string.  The number 2 I cut out of bristol board and took little pieces of streamer, twisted and glued them down.

We had the party in the morning (10AM-12PM). We served gingersnap cookies that I made, cheddar popcorn from the stockpile and cheese and crackers that were also from our stockpile, as it was between meals we saved a lot of money on food.  The cake I made and the cake pops were a surprise gift from my sister in Vancouver who has a cake business called  Lauras Sweet Designs

This is the cake that I made all from items we already had.  The cake mixes we had bought last year when they were $1.00 and all the icing and fondant I already had from previous cakes.

I made the smaller decoration out of card stock and the larger decorations are made out of scrapbooking paper.  The smaller one is made from four pieces and the larger ones are two pieces each.  All you have to do is fan fold the pieces of paper and then glue them together (I found my glue gun worked the best) Then tie string tightly in the middle open the fans till the ends touch and glue those together.  I then glued on a gem in the middle for a little bling.



This picture shows just one piece of paper folded and fanned.  For this size I needed 4 pieces to be able to make the full circle.



For the "loot bags" I decided to make some Playdough for each child.  There were 8 that I had to make (I didn't make them for my two girls)  The containers I bought at the dollar store, 2 for $1.25.  I put the playdough in, glued around the ribbon and made the tags with stamps and markers.  All done for $5.00 ($0.63 per child)

Playdough Recipe:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tbsp oil

1 cup water (with food colour in it)



The party took some more planning and a lot of work because I made all of the decorations but I am so happy with how everything looked.  I was determined to throw my baby a beautiful party but equally determined to do it in a frugal way.  With some hard work and planning you can do it too!

RCSS Grocery Shop

I had a date on Friday night with my sister for groceries and we were able to get some great deals, it is WAY easier shopping without the little ones :)

2x Snack Pack = regular $2.29 PM Loblaws $1.00ea (saved $2.58)
Drink Box = regular $2.37 PM Loblaws $1.00 (saved $1.37)
4x Campbells soup = regular $0.97 PM Loblaws $0.50 + coupon $1.00 WUB4 = $0.25ea (saved $2.88)
Cucumber = regular $2.29 PM Food Basics $0.99 (saved $1.30)
2x Eggo Waffles = regular $2.77 PM Food Basics $1.67 + coupon $0.75 = $0.92ea (saved $3.70)
8x Knorr Sidekicks = regular $1.79 PM Metro $1.00 + coupon buy 3 get 1 free = $0.75ea ($8.32)
Banana = regular $0.79lbs PM Sobeys $0.59 = $1.57 (saved $0.53)
2x Coconut Milk = regular $1.49 PM Sobeys $0.88ea (saved $1.22)
2x Cottage Cheese = regular $2.83 PM Sobeys $1.99 + coupon $1.00 = $0.99ea (saved $3.88)
Lettuce = regular $3.49 sale $1.98 (saved $1.51)
Milk = $4.37
Sandwich Meat = $1.48
Strawberries = $1.98
Potatos = $1.50 (amazing deal for a HUGE bag)
Cilantro = $1.79 (she scanned it as parsley) $0.99 (saved $0.98)
Margarine = $2.79
Eggs = $2.65
Fruit Punch = $0.73
Corn Starch = regular $1.49 sale $1.18 (saved $0.31)
Cod = regular $11.47 sale $7.97 + coupon $1.00 = $6.97 (saved $4.50)
Cover girl lip gloss = regular $8.99 sale $4.44 + coupon $2.00 = $2.44 (saved $6.55)
3x Body Wash = regular $4.99 PM Walmart $2.97 + coupon $2 = $0.97ea (saved $12.06)
2x Children's Tylenol = regular $7.49 sale $5.96 + coupon $3.00 = $2.96ea (saved $9.06)
Chocolate Bar = $1.66 + coupon for Free bar = FREE (saved $1.66)

Subtotal = $56.03
HST = $2.85

Total Spent = $58.88

Total Saved = $62.41

(coupon savings = $23.14)

(sale savings = $39.27)

I am very please with my first shop of 2012, it is going to be a great year for savings, I can feel it!  Would love to hear from some of you and any sales you might have found this week :)

Goals for 2012

This year I have been feeling very motivated and I decided that the best thing to do to keep this motivation going would be to set some goals for this year. So I thought I would share them with you.

Goals for 2012

1. Update organizational system for the house

2. Update Finances

3. Put up Fence and Deck

4. Make a Vegetable Garden

5. Try new recipes

6. Live off stockpile for a week at least once every 2 months

7. Spend more time on me

8. Spend more time with my Hubby without electronics

9. Go South in December

10. Find new crafts to do with the girls

11. Find new ways to be frugal

12. Blog more, organize Blog ideas

13. Continue to review and update goals
14. Stay on top of photos everyday
15. Update the girls baby books

 

I am really looking forward to all the changes that I am planning and I can't wait to share them all with you!

First Coupons of 2012

I hope everyone had a great New Years Eve and are enjoying the first few days of 2012!  Today we did our first couponing trip of the year and I hope it is a sign of the year to come!

2x Cereal = $5.49 coupon for free box = FREE

Total Spent = $0.00

Total Saved = $10.98

100% Savings!