Easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe with Photos

Easy Chicken Pot Pie 

Ingredients: 1 Cup of Milk, 1 Egg, 1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup, 1 Bag of Mixed Vegetables, 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Bisquick 

I broiled 3 chicken breasts. 15 minutes on one side and 15 minutes on the other. 

Add 1/2 Cup of Milk, Soup, Thawed Veggies, and Chicken. Mix Together. 

In a Separate Bow, Mix Remaining Milk, 1 Egg, and Baking Mix

Spread that Mixture onto Chicken 

Bake on 400* for Around 30 Minutes Until Top is Golden Brown 

This recipe was super easy to make and took maybe 10 minutes top to prep. I used three large boneless skinless chicken breasts, but next time I will only use two. Also, I didn't have a pie pan like the recipe called for, but my 8X8 Pyrex worked great. This recipe is definitely going to get added to my recipe rotation. Not only did my husband enjoy it, but the Munchkin was also eating it up! If you have a large family, just double the recipe and add it to a 9X13. I may mess around next time I make it and make a double batch just to see how well it will freeze. You could always leave off the biscuit layer and just freeze the bottom part if you are worried about the biscuit layer getting soggy. Oh, I also need to add that I was able to make this recipe for around $5!! 

Ingredients:
1 Can of Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup of Milk
1 12oz Package of Frozen Mixed Vegetables, Thawed
1 Cup Cubed Cooked Chicken or Turkey
1 Egg
1 Cup Bisquick Baking Mix


Directions:
- Preheat Oven to 400*
- Stir the Soup, 1/2 Cup of Milk, Veggies, and Chicken in 9 inch Pie Plate
- Stir the remaining Milk, Egg, and Baking Mix in a Small Bowl.
- Spread the Batter over the Chicken Mixture
- Bake for 30 Minutes or Until the Topping is Golden Brown

Blessings in a Book Bag

Did you know that there are kids that go the weekend without food? Their main meals are those that they are able to eat at school. I found out yesterday about a backpack program that is done by a group of volunteers.They put together easy to make foods in a backpack and leave it in a hallway. The kids in need then go to pick it up before going home, this is done anonymously so kids can avoid teasing. 

I don't have money to donate, but I do have extra stuff from my stockpile. I just donated three bags of food items and a mesh backpack. Now that I am aware of some of the items they need I will be looking for those when I am couponing and if they are at a "stockup" price, I will be buying a bunch and donating. 


Some of the items they are asking for:
Chef Boyardee 
Rice
Instant Grits in the Packets
Spaghetti Sauce
Dry Pasta and Noodles
Baked/Canned Beans
Dried Beans
Canned Vegetables
Canned Meats (Spam, Chicken, Etc) 
Cereals
Hamburger Helper
Box Meals 
Crackers
2 Pound Bags of Flour
2 Pound Bags of Sugar
Juice Boxes
Peanut Butter
Jelly 
Fruit Cups
Canned Fruit
Soups
Mac & Cheese
Ramen Noodles
Bottled Water
Instant Oatmeal Packets 
Clear and Mesh Book Bags
School Supplies

I donated 6 boxes of instant mashed potatoes (the 2 pack kind)
A case of Ramen
A bag full of canned vegetables
A bag full of Pasta Sauce
A box of instant Easy Mac (the packet kind) 
Some Kroger Brand Chef Boyrdee
A Back Pack 

I know I didn't donate a lot, but I donated what I had extra of. Remember, I only shop for a weeks worth of groceries unless I find a "stockup" sale. 

If you would like to donate any items you can email them at blessingsinabookbag@gmail.com They also take monetary donations which is tax deductible. You could also drop them off with me and I will deliver it to them.  

Here is their website: Blessings in a Book Bag

3/19 Shopping

Well since I won't be cooking for 9 days, I decided that this grocery trip would go towards my stockpile and a little splurging. My budget was $40 and I was barely able to stay in it, but I made it! My photo is missing 2 loaves of bread, a bag of munchies chips, and a bag of salad mix. I had put everything away when I remembered that I didn't take a photo. This shopping trip was done at Publix

Tostios Pizzas are 10/$10 I used a Manu. $1.10/5 & a Publix Coupon for B3G1. So I paid $2.90 for 5 pizzas. 

Toaster Struddles are on sale for $1.89 and I used a Publix B2G1 coupon and a $0.50 manu coupon which doubled to $1. I paid $2.78 for 3. 

The cocoa butter is $3.49 but got it for free with a Publix Coupon I got from joining the Publix Baby Club

The Windex was on sale for $2.89 and I used a $0.75/2 Manu Coupon and a $1.50/2 Publix Coupon. I spent $3.53 for both. Not great, but I was out so it was necessary. 

My waters were $4.49. (Way too high, but I didn't want to waste gas going to Kroger) 

The Munchos Chips were on sale for $2

My Strawberry Fields Pre Mix Salad was BOGO for $3.99 but I only got 1 so I paid $2

The Glade Trash bags were $5.99 

My two loaves of bread were on sale for $1.15 each 

I was able to buy 22 jars of Bertolli Pasta Sauce. I only had 1 Publix coupon for $1/2. I had 11 Manu. Coupons for $1.50/2. They were BOGO for $2.59

11 X $2.59= $28.49 

- $1 Publix Coupon = $27.49

- ($1.50 X 11= $16.50) = $10.99

So for 22 jars of Pasta Sauce, which don't expire until the end of 2015 I paid roughly $0.50 a jar. Normally they go for 5 times that price. 

This is when you add stuff to your stockpile, when the price is at it's cheapest. 

Total Spent $39.43 Total Saved $61.55

I LOVE when I save more than I spent!!

I know a lot of you are thinking that I didn't get real food. Well, no I didn't, but I also didn't need to buy any food. I have been stocking up so much with sales that I am good. My freezer is full and can't fit anything else, my pantry and cabinets are full, and my stockpile area is running low on room. 

I have decided that I will only buy 1 item a week to "stock up" on, if there is anything cheap enough to stock up. I will only set aside $15 for it. This way I'm not running from store to store trying to find all the sales. I guess we will see how it goes. 

On my menu this week:

We had Domino's yesterday (1/2 price!)

Stir fry

Chicken Nuggets, Mac & Cheese, Green Beans

Some kind of Chicken meal

Probably Hamburger Helper unless I can convince my hubby to eat something else. 

Home Made Granola Bars (how to with pics)

My mother in law was telling me about this blog she stumbled upon called Pennies and Pancakes. She has a few different neat blogs. One being on how she feeds her family of 5 on $300 a month and also a few recipes for home made granola bars, bread, and pizza sauce. After seeing the granola bars I knew I had to at least give it a shot. This recipe actually came from Rachael Ray. Granola bars are one of the items I buy weekly. They are great for Drew to take to work and snack on when he can't get a chance to sit and eat lunch. They are also good snacks for Munchkin. Lord knows that little girl eats hourly. You'd think she never gets fed, but she just loves to eat. 

I put together a few pictures and a tutorial of how I did them. I'm pretty sure I used the wrong oatmeal, but it was all that I had in the house. I also didn't have unsalted butter. Mine crumble some, so I think next time I do it I will either add more peanut butter, more honey, or either a little Kayro Syrup. She suggests that you pack them in as much as you can so they don't crumble. I'm going to also add some dried strawberries to some and chocolate chips to some next time I make it. 

Here are my ingredients

Where I lined my tray with wax paper so they wouldn't stick

My cereal and quick oats mixture

In a medium saucepan, combine honey, butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then bring the temperature down to low, and simmer till sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Pour in vanilla and stir.

My mixture after it had dissolved

I forgot to take a photo of me pouring this mixture onto the the cereal and oats mixture. I had to do it kind of fast before it cooled too much. 

This is what it looked like once I firmly pressed it into the dish. I then stored it in the fridge so it could harden faster. I also used a spatula and cut a line horizontally through the middle then 10 more lines vertically.

What the Munchkin decided to do while I was making these. 

My bars after I tried to cut them up.

I decided to store them in a tupperware container in my fridge. It took two containers.

Munchkin giving them a try. 

She liked them! 

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar  
1/4 cup peanut butter (crunchy)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 cups Quick Oats (not rolled oats)
2 cups crispy rice cereal
3 teaspoons vanilla

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, stir crispy rice cereal, quick oats together.

In a medium saucepan, combine honey, butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then bring the temperature down to low, and simmer till sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Pour in vanilla and stir.

Pour the hot mixture over dry ingredients. Stir until all ingredients are moistened. Press into a parchment-lined jelly roll pan.

Pack the granola bar mixture as closely and as tightly together as you possibly can into one end of the pan at about 1/2-3/4 inch thickness.Any thinner, and the bars will not hold together. Let cool on the counter till they reach room temperature.

*You may add chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, coconut, etc. if desired. If adding chocolate chip, press them into the top of the bars after you've packed the very warm granola mixture into the pan. Otherwise, you'll end up with a melted chocolate-swirled mess.

 Savings ~

*Updated on 1/8/13 from $0.08 ea. to $0.11 ea.

Cost Breakdown:
16 oz. clover honey - $3.78 = 22 T = $0.172/T = $1.376
7 lb brown sugar - $5.05 = 264 T = $0.019/T = $0.114
40 oz. crunchy peanut butter - $5.24 = 70 T = $0.075/T = $0.299
4 lb unsalted butter - $7.99 = 128 T = $0.0625/T = $0.250
42 oz. quick oats - $3.18 = 15 C = $0.212/C = $0.848
36 oz. crispy rice cereal - $4.88 = 37.5 C = $0.130/C = $0.260
8 fl. oz. imitation vanilla - $0.98 = 48 tsp = $0.0204/tsp = $0.061
Total Recipe Cost: $3.21
Per Granola bar: $0.11
The Contender:
Nature Valley Oats and Honey Granola Bars (12 pk.) = $2.68
Per Granola Bar: $0.22
Savings: 50%

"Over a year" scenario:
Make "Food Storage" Granola Bars recipe 15 times = $47.55
Buy equivalent Nature Valley Oats and Honey Granola Bars = $93.80

*Money Saved: $46.25

**** THIS RECIPE AND COST BREAKDOWN CAME FROM Pennies and Pancakes AND YOU CAN FIND THE POST HERE.****

3/13/13 Grocery Trip

I know I need to get better at posting my grocery purchases along with my menu items. Once again Walmart decided to be a pain in the butt. Every time I go there I say that I won't be going back. I only went because I had a $10 Babies R Us Diaper coupon. After waiting in line for 20 minutes because there was only 2 registers open, the person informed me that I couldn't use a competitor coupon and a regular coupon. Even though I've been able to do it for months now. So I had to put back 10 items. He also didn't give me my receipt nor help with putting the items in the bags. Did I mention I had Selah on my hip? She was fine for a long time, but after waiting in line so long she got bored and hungry. I would have been able to get money back through some of my iPhone Apps, but I don't have a receipt so I can't. I won't be able to tell you the prices, but it was about $60 give or take. You can see Munchkin helping me display the stuff. She also helped carry in a few bags. 

(2) Sun Dish Soaps FREE

(1) Pack of Pork Chops

(1) 4 pack of yogurts

(1) Bag of Chips

(1) Huggies Wipes used $0.50 coupon

(1) Large Box of Diapers regular $24 used $10 Babies R Us coupon

(1) 6 pack of applesauce $1.98

(1) Coffee $3

(2) Boxes Mac and Cheese

(1) Box 

(1) Bag frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

(1) Pack Hot Dogs

(2) Loaves of Bread

(1) Pack of Hot Dog Buns

(1) Gallon of Milk

(1) Box of Cereal

(1) Box of Graham Crackers

(1) Box of Oatmeal 

(1) Bag of Stirfry

(1) Bag of Sugar

(2) Bags of Frozen Vegetables (Collard Greans and Butter Beans)

(1) Pen Holder Magnet

Munchkin and I went walking around my friend Matt's neighborhood with him and his dog. After we were finished walking he asked if I would go to the grocery store with him. He likes me to go so I can help get him deals. He returns the favor by normally going with me to the store and helping out with Selah. Food Lion had a lot of good mark down deals. I was able to get Selah Lunchables for $0.87 each! Johnsonville Brats for $1.98, ground sausage for $0.98, an Atkins meal FREE thanks to Ebony, and 2 more FREE Sun dish detergents! All this was $10 I've never bought Selah Lunchables, but with us getting ready to go on a big 5 hour road trip, I think they will be great for her to snack on. Food Lion also had Pork Chops and Boston Butt marked down, but my freezer is full. I NEED a chest freezer!! 

My last and most anticipated trip, my BOGO Publix trip. Publix has these Bertolli Pasta Sauces on BOGO for $2.59. I ordered some $1.50/2 manufacturer coupons off ebay for $1. I also was able to stack that with a Publix Coupon which you can find HERE. I only had 2 Publix coupons. So for my first transaction I was able to buy 4 for $0.18 total. I knew that even without having a Publix coupon that it was just too awesome of a deal, so I bought 14 more and used 7 $1.50/2 Manu. Coupons. My total for those 14 jars was only $7.63. I still have more coupons, but I knew I was already pushing my budget for the week so I decided I will go next week before the sale ends and buy the rest. I'm also borrowing a few friends printers so I can print off more Publix coupons! 

Menu 

Stir Fry

Pork Chops, greens, and something else (whichever hubby wants)

Crock Pot - Pot Pie

Brats and Mac & Cheese 

Lasagna and Bread 

Hamburger Helper

Sheppards Pie or a Chicken Dish

Last Weeks Menu

Teriyaki Chicken with rice and Yum Yum Sauce

Breakfast for dinner (eggs, bacon, etc)

Hamburger Helper

Deer Meat Chili with rice

 Boston Butt (sandwiches) with chips

Pancakes and Eggs

I also just made home-made granola bars today and will be posting step by step photos :) 

2013 Goals

**This is my personal blog. A place where I write and share my thoughts, views, opinions, and lifestyle. It is open if you would like to read, if you disagree simply exit out and find a new blog. If you agree and enjoy reading leave a comment and let me know. Please no cursing on the comments though, they will be deleted.**



I know goals are supposed to be done at the new year and written out, but come on, who actually sticks to those resolutions? Drew and I have been sticking with our goal for a while now (over 2 years) and we are finally seeing the light!

It is so funny that Drew started listening to Dave Ramsey and at the same time my mother in law ordered us the book. Oddly enough, we have been doing his plan for the money makeover and we didn't even know it! We just got back our tax money. Instead of doing what most 24 year old's would do and spend it in a matter of days on frivolous items, we are doing the mature thing. I just wrote a check paying off my last hospital bill! This will save us $50 a month. Sure $50 isn't a lot, but that $50 we are putting towards paying off our truck sooner. We are putting the rest of our tax money into paying off our truck and towards the homeowner association dues. Our goal is to have our truck paid off or sold by summer. Once the truck is sold that will be over $400 a month that we are saving! What will we do with that extra $$$ you might ask? Well, we are going to put that towards our mortgage. Our goal is to have our house paid off within 10 years. By our math, we can have it paid off in 7 years if we stick to what we have been doing. Why is our goal 3 years longer? Well, hiccups. You never know when something may happen. I definitely would like more kids. So we are going to start putting aside a baby fund. That way when it is time for me to have the baby we can pay the bill in full. Most places give discounts if you pay it that day. Discounts of up to 1/2 price! So instead of my $3,500 hospital bill I had with Selah, we will be cutting that in half. I also plan to have the next baby at the birthing center in Savannah, which is also less and we just found out our insurance now works with the birth center!!

We are also putting away an emergency fund. Dave Ramsay says for our size household to have a minimum of $1,000. I would like to have $1,000 per person put aside. We also are going to put some money into our house. We are going to build a built-in bookcase, re-do the mudroom, paint, add hardwood to the living room and other things.

I think it will be neat to have our house paid off in our early 30's. When we get our house paid off we will then put all that money aside and start saving for a larger house. We will either be building or buying, depending on the market. We are considering keeping this house and renting it out. Houses in our neighborhood already rent out for double our house payment. So whatever we rent it out for will be profit. Renting this house out will pay for our next house payment. So then we will do what we do now and make two house payments. If you make a larger house payment, make sure you make two checks. One with the regular payment and the second with whatever is extra, but write on it at the bottom "apply to principal." That way all that extra money isn't going to interest.

I want to add, that yes Drew is the "bread winner" in our family, but it takes both of us to be able to do this. We both are disciplined with our spending. I help out by budgeting and keeping our grocery bill around $60 a week. I do all the bill paying and finances. Drew barely even looks at the bank account. He trusts me with it and he trusts me to be responsible and do the right thing. To me, that is huge! I'm only 24 and he is trusting me with this?! Wow!

It's kind of crazy how many people look at us like we are crazy when we tell them our goals. They even look down on us because we choose not to go out and spend money. We've been laughed at and told "I give it a year." It's sad that people are so negative. This doesn't affect them, so why not be happy and encouraging?

I'm pretty excited about our goals and journey. We've gone from having three large credit card payments, three hospital bills, a car payment, and living in a tiny apartment to now no credit card debt, no hospital bills, our car payment has almost been cut in half, and we own our own home and and are paying about the same for it as we were on renting an apartment.

Also, it looks as if I will be watching a little girl starting in April. My plan is to use that money and put it as a second mortgage payment. If I still have this job when our truck is paid off, then we will be paying our mortgage payment plus two extra payments a month. Talk about amazing!

This is our journey and I'm proud to say we are one step closer!

Tricia

PS. Munchkin is 17 months and can count to three on her own and she can count to five with a little help. She knows her nose, ears, tummy, toes, head, and arm and can point to them and say their names. She knows a, b, and c, cat, dog, cow, and duck and their sounds and her vocabulary grows daily. 

Freebies in the mail.

Above: Two coupons for FREE Oscar Meyer Pulled Pork. A sample of Jet Dry and two Finish tablets. A sample of Playtex tampons and some Juice soaps samples.  

I got a Free year long subscription to Better Homes and Gardens

Above is my free P&G sampler. Just go to their site and sign up and request your sample. You are allowed to request one per quarter. It also comes with a coupon book! 

Above is a code for a free Similac kit. The top right is is P&G Coupon book. A free issue of Teen Vogue and two childproof locks from P&G. 

You may be a hot head when. .

After writing  my SAHM post I was sent a message by someone who posted the same E-card. In their message they were apologizing to me for hurting my feelings. The thing is, I didn't even know that person posted the E-card. It got me to thinking. After a few harsh comments on my post from others, I've decided to step back and read that post again. 

I can definitely see where I look ignorant at parts. I really should have waited a day before posting and going over it rather than posting it while I was seeing red. I should have gone into more detail on things and what I was meaning by it. 

If I was still living in Lincolnton, I wouldn't think two seconds about leaving my daughter at Mrs. Barbara's. I've known the family for years. I also know that even though her daughter and I used to fight and bicker like crazy, that never once has she ever been anything but nice to me and my family. Those are values that I need to think about and be showing Selah rather than me getting hot headed and hurting innocent people in the crossfire. There are good daycare's and bad daycare's. I just don't trust any daycare but Mrs. Barbara's. Going into detail as to why, I don't trust anyone with Selah that I don't know. She's only been left with four people. Ever. Never for more than two hours. I'm just very overprotective. This comes from my struggle with staying pregnant and from a few people I know personally who were sexually abused while left with a sitter.  

If for some reason something happened and I had to go back to work, I would do what some of my friends do and leave my child with another SAHM. This way they are getting more one on one attention. I'm not against this. I even watch other children in my home during the day. So please don't think I am against this. I know a few moms who have to work and this is what they do. They feel it is the next best thing to them being able to be with their child, and I agree. 

I was lucky enough to have a mom who was able to stay at home with me. She sent me to Wee Wisdom two or three times a week just so I could interact with other children. Mrs. Reesie is the best lady. I don't know how she never raised her voice at children, but no matter what, she always used a sweet tone and never spanked. My mom sent me to school when I was old enough. Even though I was around her when I got out of school, I can honestly say that I was very influenced by other students and teachers at the school. I was embarrassed to pray before I ate at school. Even though we prayed daily in my house, I was embarrassed to do it at school.  Maybe it is because I was easily influenced, maybe it was because I thought it was the norm. I remember in High School I thought my mom was crazy and that everyone else knew more than her. Gosh was I the idiot. Looking back, my mom has to be one of the smartest people and all she ever wanted was the best for me. 

I don't look down on those that choose not to stay home. If you ever get the chance, do it. If you're lucky, it will change your life in so many ways. My husband and I are choosing to homeschool. If we were in Lincolnton still it may be different, but we are not. Sometimes I miss knowing almost everyone in my town and knowing that if my daughter acts up that I will be getting a phone call. Heck, my mom got several phone calls about me. Haha! Before I would even make it home from school, I was in trouble. That doesn't happen in Savannah. Savannah doesn't have the close knit relationships like Lincolnton does. I'm not related to every other person here in Savannah like I am in Lincolnton. This I should have gone into on my post to help specify.

I still have my reasons for wanting to home school though. I want Selah to be able to learn more than I was able to learn in school. I want to be able to go into more detail about the wars and the Holocaust. I don't even remember learning about the Holocaust in school. Drew and I have been reading and watching documentaries on it and teaching ourselves about it. I want her to know that guns are ok as long as they are used in the right way. Now days kids can't even say the word gun at school. I want Selah to be able to pray when she wants to and not be looked down or sent home for it. There are so many reasons I have, but those are just a few. We are even considering putting Selah in private school when she gets to High School if I feel that I can't teach her all she needs to learn. My goal is to have her graduate at 16 and then let her go to community college before regular college. 

If you are wanting to start a family and also want to stay home, do what my husband and I did. Get rid of as much debt and bills as you can. Don't break the bank buying up frivolous stuff. It took a lot of work, dedication, and sacrifices for us to get to where we are. So go ahead now before it is too late and start doing away with debt so you can stay home. I was blessed that we thought about that in time so that I can stay home now. My husband works his butt off daily for our family. I'm so thankful that he is such a selfless person. So please don't think that it is simple for me to stay home. It isn't. We do without a lot, but it's what we want and choose so we don't mind. Also, I never said that I have the hardest job on earth. I said that working moms do not do the same thing as stay at home moms. 

I was told I was "ignorant" about my breastfeeding paragraph. I just want to say, if you have time take an hour out of your day and research breastfeeding. People look down on breastfeeding and think it is for the poor. Women were being told that they shouldn't have to breastfeed. There was an entire movement on this. I know that Netflix had a documentary on it. That's why there is just now information coming back around on breastfeeding. When formula first came out companies pushed and pushed it. Go watch some of the older formula commercials. Now people think formula is the norm and breastfeeding isn't. Women were being told that they shouldn't put themselves back that they have worked this hard to get their rights and that breastfeeding is a thing of the past. Once I find those documentaries I will post them. 

I also want to say that next time I have a baby I will be double pumping and donating my extra milk to the milkbank. I'm so glad that these are coming around. I'm also glad that more and more women are coming together and having breastfeeding sit ins. Hopefully more women can become educated on breastfeeding and the benefits of it. 

So if I hurt you with my post I am sorry. I was hurt and trying to defend SAHM and by doing so I hurt people. Definitely not my intentions. A fellow Army Wife/SAHM/Homeschooler told me, "as long as the reason you do it is good enough for you then everyone else's opinion doesn't matter." I need to take this and learn to let go of all the negatives people give SAHM. No matter what I do there will always be someone who looks down it. So if you are doing what you think is truly best for your kids, you are doing the right thing. :) Hopefully this cleared up some things. Lesson learned, wait 24 hours before posting a venting blog. 

Trying out Rite Aid Wellness+ and free dish soap!

With the above photo I went to Rite Aid and Target. Rite Aid disappointed  me, but I will get in to that in a minute.

Target has a deal that if you spend $40 on the two pages shown in the ad, that you will get to use a $10 off coupon. Their Charmin 16 pack mega roll is on sale for $15.99 so I bought two. I really wanted to buy the Angel Soft because you get more rolls, but our store was sold out already. I also got the finish 85 count on sale for $12.60. That brought my total to $44.58. I was then able to use the $10 off coupon and two Charmin coupons. If you still have your finish coupon you can use it too, but I didn't have one. I also had a $5 gift card from where I bought Paper Towels a couple weeks back. I can't remember how much, but I was able to spend under $30 on those three items. Just the toilet paper is regularly $19 each. I definitely think this is a good option if you are running low and need to stock up. My glade was free because it was on markdown and I had two $2 coupons.

My Rite Aid trip I was able to get 8 shaving creams. They have some great deals going on where if you buy so much you get back Wellness+. With this deal I got back $10. I was so excited and stayed up late making out separate transactions rolling the gift cards (using them on the next purchase.) First thing I did when I walked in was asked how their Wellness card worked and checked my facts before shopping. Well, after getting everything for my 4 transactions I was informed AFTER I paid for the shaving cream that I can't use the $10 until the next day. . . This frustrated me because not only did I ask that very question when I walked in, I wanted to go ahead and buy diapers today before they were all sold out. Back to my transaction. I only had 3 BOGO Edge coupons so for this trip I paid $15 out of pocket, but I got back a $10 gift card. Tomorrow I will go in and buy 3 diapers and 2 Dawns and get back another $10 gift card. I will go back and use that $10 and buy one pack of diapers. It is frustrating that I will be having to make so many trips. If I still lived across the street from Rite Aid it would be fine, but like the quote says, "ain't nobody got time for that!"

So for everything I spent roughly $45 but got back a $10 gift card, so $35 for everything pictured. Drew didn't think I did well, but he also doesn't understand the fact that I won't have to buy toilet paper for 6 months or more. I won't have to buy dish washer stuff for a year! That is money I am saving in the long run. He really didn't understand the shaving cream. If I would have done the diaper transaction first, then the shaving cream the next day, I would have only paid $5 for the shaving cream. Which we always need and it doesn't go bad. We are set for a year now. So one more thing off my grocery list!

Above is where I went back to Rite Aid and used my $10 Wellness+ that I got from the first transaction. I was able to get three diapers and two Dawn dish soaps for $17.29. I used three $1.50 Pampers Coupons and 1 $0.25 Dawn and 1 $0.50 Dawn. I also got $10 back in Wellness+ which I have to wait until tomorrow to use. When I go grocery shopping later I will use the $10 and pick up another pack of diapers making them FREE. I will never do this again. I have another transaction planned out, but it is too annoying to have to wait a day before you can use the Wellness+. So for around $32 I was able to buy 8 shaving creams, 4 packs of diapers (one not pictured) and 2 Dawns. Not great, but not awful.  

Well, I finally got my FREE Sunlight Dish Soap. Publix had them on sale 10/$10 and I ordered 20 coupons for $1/1. Unfortunately, Publix never had any in stock. After calling everyday, they finally had 10 bottles. Luckily I got a rain check on the sale price. (Your rain check can only be for 10). Then I went to Walmart and found the larger bottles for $0.97. They say Sun on it, but I asked if it was the same thing and the coupon worked. I heard they are changing their name to Sunlight from Sun and that the coupons work on either. Walmart only had 5. I still have 5 or so more coupons! 

My Coupon Binder

Just this past week I broke down and decided to organize all my coupons into a binder. Before I kept telling myself that I wasn't that bad with couponing. Ha! Let me just say, the binder is awesome! Before I had my coupons in a coupon expando. Any time I saw a deal I had to pull my coupons out and go through them one by one. Most of the time I was having to balance Selah on my hip while doing this. Even though my coupons were in categories it still took forever and half the time I could never find what I was looking for. Now I just open my folder, flip to the section and find the page. I can even do all this with a toddler on my hip!

My folder is just a one inch that I have left over from college that has never been used. I will be upgrading to a 2 or 3 inch very soon. Definitely start off with a 2 inch, especially if you are going to keep the ads with you. My dividers are regular except for the last one, it has a pocket on the front and back of it. I keep scissors and a pen in the front and will soon be getting one of those zipper pencil holders that go in the notebook to store them in. I want to add a calculator to that, but I'm waiting for a pink bling one to match my pink bling scissors. (any of you know who me well know that I love sparkle.) In the very back in my pocket I keep extra coupon inserts that I haven't cut. I buy two papers and cut all the coupons from one paper. I leave my second papers inserts alone and only cut them when they have a deal where I need those coupons. That way, I'm not spending so much time cutting coupons and those coupons add a bulk to your folder if cut. In the very very back I keep all the sale ads for that week. I bought a pack of playing card holders from Target for $5 and my friend Amber ordered both of us some of the currency pockets which will be great for internet coupons. Ebay has tons of options where you can spend $20 on 100 and pick which ones you want whether it be the 1 pocket, 2 pocket, 3 pocket, 4 pocket, etc and even mix and match. Right now I have my coupons separated like this:

Grocery
- Soups
- Frozen meals/Appetizers (lasagna, frozen chicken nuggets, etc)
- Box meals
- Rice and Noodles
- Meats
- Dairy
- Breads
- Peanut Butter, Jelly, Condiments
- Drinks
- Breakfast
- Fruits and Veggies
- Candy

Cleaning
- Air Wick
- Glade
- Febreze
- Swiffer
- Mr. Clean
- Dish Soap/ Hand Soap/ Dish Detergent
- Laundry Detergent/ Fabric Softeners

Health
- Tooth Paste/Mouth Wash
- Tooth Brushes
- Body Wash/ Soap
- Deodorant
- Tampons
- Pads/ Liners
- Shaving Cream
- Razors
- Shampoo
- Hair Color/ Hair Products
- Make Up
- Toilet Paper/ Paper Towels
- Medicines

Baby
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Misc
- Toys

Misc
Batteries

I've read where people keep their store policies in their binder. I have learned that even if you have it, they are still going to call over a manager who is going to have to go back and check with their Coupon Policy. So I won't be wasting my time/space to do that. Unless you need to see it, then you could have it or have them all typed on one page and place it in your folder. You can even do an index and keep it in the front of your folder. I opted not to. I basically have everything memorized just by flipping through it this week. To me all these pages you can print out to label your sections are unnecessary and takes up valuable space.


The Krazy Coupon Lady has a FREE printable PDF for organizing your binder. I didn't use it, but it is pretty neat. HERE is the link for the free print off. Even if you don't print it off, you can use it to get an idea of what to do.

My Coupon Binder

When you open it. I will be getting a zipper pouch to hold my stuff on the left.

A closer look at my tabs. They aren't labeled because they are memorized. 

My extra uncut inserts in the tab folder

The sale Ads in the back pocket

Hope you've enjoyed my blog about my Binder. I'm sure I will change it many more times as I use it more and see what works best for me and my needs. I thought about doing a VLOG for my binder but then felt silly haha. Maybe one day I will do one. Please comment and let me know what you think. I love getting comments and seeing who all reads my blogs. Also, you can Pin it to Pinterest. 

Save on Baby

I've had a few request for how I get so much baby stuff for either free or very cheap. I will post some links with codes for free stuff (just pay shipping) and I will also touch base with the best way to buy baby items. 


Publix offers the Publix Baby Club. Once  you join they will send you a book, (for first time mothers) a quarterly newsletter, and coupons! Some of the FREE stuff I got with the coupons are Cocoa Butter, Hand Sanitizer, Rubbing alcohol, and a free cake on your child's first birthday. Some other coupons are B1G1 wipes, B1G1 diapers, B1G1 spoons, $1 off produce, $1 off milk, and many others. The great thing about these coupons are that they are Publix coupons, so you can pair them with Manufacturer coupons! I was able to get 30 cans of baby food for $2 before. Below are some photos of when I first started couponing and used the Publix Baby Club  Deals and other deals. Sign up for it HERE.

Total from above came to $16.80 and I saved over $50. The items include, 2 V8 Splash, 1 Liz Lagne Maternity Shirt, Whale Faucet Cover, Rubbing Alcohol, Shaving Cream, 2 Packs of Razors, 2 Packs of Diapers, 2 Packs of Wipes, 1 Hand Sanitizer, 1 Baby Cereal

This was a picture of my "stockpile" after my third couponing trip. The main thing was 20 packs of FREE Huggies Baby wipes, but for everything pictured less than $40 was spent. 

Total $17.05 saved $25.37

Two Packs of Diapers, Two wipes, 1 Cocoa Butter, 1 Enfamil, 2 Johnson and Johnson

SEVEN SLINGS BABY SLINGS: 

Pay $11.95 S&H - SLING IS FREE - $48 Value

USE CODE: ENBABY or SAVE50

Add initials for only $6.95

Click HERE To Order

UDDERCOVERS NURSING COVER:

Pay $11.95 S&H - COVER IS FREE - $35 Value

USE CODE: ENBABY or SAVE50

Add initials for only $6.95

Click HERE To Order

CARSEAT CANOPY: 

Pay $11.95 S&H - CANOPY IS FREE - $49.95 Value

USE CODE: ENBABY or PJBABY or SAVE50

You can also use this towards "The Whole Caboodle"

Click HERE To Order

Get your baby's initials for only $6.95

FREE NURSING PILLOW

JUST PAY $12.95 SHIPPING

USE CODE ENBABY 

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

If you register for Similac StrongMoms and they could send you two (2) full size cans of similac infant formula, four $5 off similac coupons, The Art of Feeding - The StrongMoms Guide to Nutrition brochure and other useful information. You will also get quarterly coupons sent to you. I also got a voucher for a free baby bag that was filled with formula, subscription to a Parents magazine, storage for milk to keep it cool and an ice pack. Register HERE. Just know it takes a while to come in so go ahead and sign up for it before the baby arrives. 

Enfamil also offers some neat stuff go HERE to see what all they are offering. 

Do you like the Circus? How about the Ringling Brothers? HERE is a link for a FREE ticket for your baby! 


You can also save while buying diapers! Pamper Gifts to Grow and Huggies Rewards Program let you enter points from their Diapers and Wipes and in return you can buy items with the points collected. I'm not brand loyal, I buy whichever is the cheapest. That being said, I almost have enough points for a free potty seat that goes over the regular seat. 

New moms can also join Amazon Mom. With Amazon Mom you get:
20% off diapers and wipes subscriptions and sometimes they have coupons you can clip and use towards your purchase.
Includes a 5% Subscribe & Save discount plus an additional 15% discount exclusively for Amazon Mom members
Full access to Amazon Prime benefits
FREE Two-Day Shipping
Unlimited instant streaming 
A Kindle book to borrow for free each month from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library

Sign up for Amazon Mom for FREE 

Next time you need baby food, wait until it is on sale, use a Publix Coupon and find a manufacturers coupon to pair with it. 

Need to buy diapers? You can either take a store coupon like Publix, Babies R Us, or Target to Walmart and they will use the coupon as a "price match" you can also use a manufacturers coupon when you go to pay. Just make sure to give them the "price match" coupon when they go to ring up the item. Babies R Us just had a coupon for $10 off a box of diapers, and there was a $3 off Huggies Coupon to pair with it. That is $13 off of a box of diapers!! Some people don't like trying out diapers, but buying store brand isn't always bad. My daughter was real skinny and couldn't wear the Target Brand diaper, but the Publix Brand was great when she was smaller. They aren't real good for at night now that she is older, but during the day they are fine. Publix sent me coupons for B1G1 on their diapers. 

Wipes. NEVER EVER EVER pay full price for wipes. Coupons are always available. Kroger runs a sale about once a year when they put huggies on the 10/$10 and you can pair that sale with a $0.50 off coupon that doubles to $1 making them FREE! Every year when they do this I order about 20-40 coupons from Ebay. 


Where to find coupons?
Your local Sunday paper will have inserts in them almost every week. When I know I can get items free I buy mine in bulk from Ebay. Southern Savers also has a coupon database where you just type in the name of the item you are looking for and it will show you what coupons are available. Coupons.com, Redplum.com, Target has coupons on their website, Walmart has coupons on their site. Kroger and Foodlion have digital coupons. (Digital coupons do not double and can't be used with a manufacturer coupon)

Right now Target and Coupons.com has a coupon for $5 off a Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Puppy Dog. You can use those together and it makes the dog only $5! This is a great item for the "gift closet" I'm going next week to buy two and put them up for the next time I'm invited to a baby shower or either a 1st Birthday.