New Super-Couponing Tips column: Combine coupons and clearance
“One of the most important strategies to saving on groceries and household items with coupons is to combine high-value coupons with the lowest sale prices. We can apply this…”
Featured Posts
Try Primo Taglio for a perfect summertime deli platter
It’s officially summertime, and Chicagoland has the humidity and temperatures to prove it! I love this time of year, as summer means spending lots of time in the sun, eating outdoors…
Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea – A Disney adventure like no other!
Earlier this year, our family spent ten days in Japan. That, alone, was a dream come true, but also spent a couple of days at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. As a Disney lover, this was the perfect…
Shopping and Savingnext >< prev
Coupon Matchups: Meijer Deals of the Week 7/21/19 – 7/27/19
.64 Fancy Feast cat appetizers, .89 Lysol cleaners, $1.39 Dole fruit bowls, $1.99 Stayfree or Carefree, $2 Klondike bars, $2.99 Finish dishwasher detergent, $2.99 Jet Dry, school supplies
Coupon Matchups: Mariano’s Deals of the Week 7/17/19 – 7/23/19
.89 Kellogg's cereals, .99 Kroger ice cream, $1.16 Kellogg's Pop Tarts, $1.44 Brownberry bread, $1.49 Tampax, $1.77 Sun Chips, $1.79 Almond Breeze, $1.88 Doritos or Ruffles
Coupon Matchups: Jewel-Osco Deals of the Week 7/17/19 – 7/23/19
.68 Chobani yogurt cups, .68 Michelina's entrees, .88 Banquet pot pies, .88 Green Giant frozen vegetables, $1.49 Gain dish detergent, $2 Turkey Hill ice cream, $2.50 Kemp's frozen yogurt
Coupon Matchups: CVS Deals of the Week 7/14/19 – 7/20/19
.74 Dawn dish detergent, .99 Poise Active Collection, $1 Garnier Fructis haircare, $1.25 Garnier Whole Blends haircare, $1.50 Dial body wash, $1.94 Tide Simply, $3.49 Ensure shakes
Coupon Matchups: Walgreens Deals of the Week 7/14/19 – 7/20/19
.99 Poise Active, $1.49 General Mills cereals, $1.50 Garnier Fructis, $1.95 Tide Simply or Downy, $3.49 Revlon or Almay cosmetics, $3.75 Scott paper products, $3.99 Persil laundry detergent
Coupon Matchups: Meijer Deals of the Week 7/14/19 – 7/20/19
.66 Kellogg's Pop-Tarts, .75 Betty Crocker fruit snacks, .75 Chex Mix, .80 Michelina's entrees, $1.49 Swiffer refills, $1.88 Bounty, $1.88 Charmin
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: July 2019
Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle...
Current National Catalina Offers: July 2019
Here is a list of Catalina offers for the current month, including brands like Almay, Gerber, Lean Cuisine, Nature Valley, Stouffer's and more...
What’s an ice cream and pasta lover to do?
One of my longtime readers was flipping through the new 6/9 SmartSource coupon insert, and she saw something interesting. Did any of my other Chicagoland readers spot this too?
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: June 2019
Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle them...
Current National Catalina Offers: June 2019
Here is a list of Catalina offers for the current month, including brands like Barilla, Cerave, Cottonelle, Gerber, Keebler, Purina and more...
Current National Catalina Offers: May 2019
Here is a list of Catalina offers for the current month, including American Greetings, Bolthouse Farms, Morningstar, Ortega, and more...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: May 2019
If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle them, as all of the coupons inside each insert have expired...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: April 2019
Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle them...
Current National Catalina offers: April 2019
New Catalina offers for February include brands like Breyers, Band Aid, Dole, Enjoy Life, Keebler, and more...
$5.50 Men’s winter boot clearance at Meijer
It's the right time of year for a winter boots clearance! Right now, the Algonquin, Illinois Mejier has many pairs and styles of men's winter snow boots on clearance for 90% off...
Great bedsheets bargains spotted in-store at Target – just $5.98!
These lower clearance prices haven't hit online yet, but if you're headed to Target, you may find even better deals on sheets in store. Over the past week, we've found sheet sets up to 70% off!
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: March 2019
Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle them...
Current National Catalina offers: March 2019
New Catalina offers for February include brands like Gerber, L'Oreal, Purina, Stouffer's, Windex, and more...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: February 2019
Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle them...
Current National Catalina offers: February 2019
New Catalina offers for February include brands like Classico, Contadina, Dole, Gerber, Hellmann's, Lean Cuisine, and more...
Many cosmetic and beauty clearances at Walgreens
Have you been to Walgreens lately? If you like deals on makeup, cosmetics, and beauty items, it may be worth your time to hit a local store or two (or few!)
Current National Catalina offers: January 2019
New Catalina offers for January include brands like Bolthouse Farms, Carnation, DiGiorno, Kimberly-Clark, and more...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: January 2019
Happy New Year! Here's a list of all of the coupon inserts that have expired within the last two months. If you have any of the following inserts in your files, you can pull them out and recycle them...
Home and Stylenext >< prev
Goodbye to the wedding dresses
One of my friends reached out and said she didn't want to keep her wedding dress anymore. She wasn't sure if it was worth trying to sell it. "You're good with money -- do you think it's worth anything?"
Meat Claws are incredible kitchen tools
I picked up a pair of Meat Claws recently and couldn't wait to try them out! I am a sucker for kitchen gadgets, and the package promised that they would "shred meat easily." My sons told me I looked like Wolverine.
Our experience with Ikea’s home delivery service
This was our first experience with Ikea's appliance home delivery, and unfortunately, it did not go well. Ikea contracts with a logistics company to handle the actual deliveries. They, in turn, assign delivery to contractors...
Repairing my favorite leather boots
I love boots, and I wear them throughout the fall and winter seasons, but I was fed up with how quickly my synthetic boots were wearing out. 2014 was the year that I decided I was done buying plastic boots...
A living room refresh for less: Warm and bright colors
I love the leaves changing, the cooler weather, and the fall holidays. Fall colors are some of my favorites! So, when At Home® stores invited me to give our living room a fall refresh on a budget, I was in...
A fun trick for dusting high places of your home
Of course, when company's due to come over, you start looking around your house to see if any infrequently-cleaned spots need to be dusted before guests arrive...
The Clean Dishes Challenge: Battle of the Dishwasher Detergents
Is your dishwasher not getting your dishes as clean as it used to? If it isn't, you might be surprised to learn that your dishwasher may be fine -- the actual problem could be with your detergent...
Summer camp wardrobe by… Menards?
The camp our kids attend has a good way to group and keep track of the kids. Each cabin is assigned its own color, and the colors are also the campers' team colors for the week for all of their sports and "color war" play....
A super-cheap outdoor television setup
I've been spending a lot of my work days this summer outside on our deck, which led me to think about setting up a television outside. If you've ever researched outdoor TVs, you'll find articles claiming...
My deck stain report: Two years later
It's 2017, and I've had numerous requests from readers asking for another update, as it's deck-staining time again! Several people have requested "many photos" this time around, so here we go...
Snow sleds in the living room
I spotted "Cafeteria Tray" snow sleds on clearance at Target. The entire idea of this cracked me up, as many years ago my friends and I used actual cafeteria trays as snow sleds. We thought we were so creative...
Free Wi-Fi in the woods
We have a three-trunked weeping willow tree on our property, and over the years, one of the trunks has split from its siblings and progressively leaned over to rest on the ground. It was time to cut this tree trunk away...
Foodnext >< prev
Bacon-Wrapped Ranch Chicken Strips
Litehouse invited me to try their salad dressings at home and share with you what I made: Bacon-wrapped ranch chicken strips. They were definitely family-pleasers here in the Cataldo house...
Making a jar of cake-mix “upsizer”
It's getting difficult to find a cake mix that hasn't been reduced from 18.25 ounces to 15.25 ounces. This week, two things came up that made me want to work on a solution of sorts to this issue...
Ham, Apple, & Cheese Roll-Ups
Can you believe August is right around the corner? I hope you've been enjoying your summer as much as we have. We've spent many so many days outdoors -- we've been packing lots of coolers for lunches on the go...
Be Snacksational: Pineapple-Coconut Glazed Sugar Cookies
Here's an easy-to-make after-school snack that will get you in a "Snacksational" mood! My children love frosted cookies, so I created a tasty, frosted fiber-filled treat that gets some of its sweetness from yogurt...
Seasons’ Eatings! Holiday table ideas and a Maple Walnut Apple Salad
The holiday season is almost here! I love the changing colors and the way the warm days turn to crisp evenings with vibrant sunsets. I love that Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year celebrations bring us closer...
Bargain-priced low-carb/keto flours at Farm & Fleet
If you're following a low-carb or keto diet (as half our household is,) here's a discovery I made recently that you'll be interested in. Farm and Fleet sells both coconut flour and almond flour, and the prices are much lower...
Sweet Island Ham & Pineapple Snackers
I partnered with Buddig as a Deli Mom and create snacks with deli meats that aren't sandwiches! This time, I took a reader's suggestion to incorporate the sweet flavor of Hawaiian rolls with another Buddig lunchmeat treat...
Recipe: Honey Citrus O Organics Chicken Shish Kebabs
Summer grilling season is in full swing at our house! These long summer nights are perfect for cooking and eating outdoors together as a family. I love grilling out whenever possible...
My low-carb life: 25 pounds down (and counting…)
We quickly set a start date, agreeing to start our weight loss journey on August 1st and compare results in three months on November 1st. Further sealing the deal, I got the smaller-sized jeans for myself as an incentive to do this...
Recipe: O Organics Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies
It's that time when many people resolve to live healthier: Eating better, exercising more, and cooking healthier meals and snacks for our families. While we don't eat 100% organic all of the time in our household...
Have you tried air chilled chicken? It’s delicious!
What exactly is air chilled chicken? Air chilling is a process that's been popular in Europe for over forty years. It is individually processed by suspending it in air and chilling it for several hours...
Recipe: Sweet & Savory Signature Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp
These shrimp are the perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors, and they get a little extra kick from Signature Kitchens' Stone Ground Horseradish Mustard...
Travelnext >< prev
What’s in your trunk? Three things to carry at all times…
I believe everyone should be prepared, even minimally, for a situation in which you may not reach your destination due to weather or other complications. What's in your vehicle's trunk right now? At a bare minimum, I recommend you carry...
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando has added a second land to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley. Guests enter Diagon Alley is via a very nondescript-looking alley in the London area of Universal Studios Orlando theme park...
Rushmore Cave and Ziplining in the Black Hills
Rushmore Cave is located in Keystone, South Dakota and has been entertaining visitors since the 1920s. Unlike the national park caves, Rushmore Cave is more of an adventure destination with multiple activities...
Walt Disney World: Social Media Moms, Animal Kingdom at Night, Star Wars Awakens
After our 2015 Walt Disney World experience, I told my children, "I hope you keep these memories for a lifetime, because we'll probably never do Disney quite like that again." How wrong I was. Two years in a row?
Driving across South Dakota
Our RV tour's scheduled stops for the day included a visit to the Mitchell Corn Palace, an on-your-own lunch, and an ice cream social at the legendary Wall Drug, which my boys were very excited about...
A Preview of Disney’s Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
A day before Mickey and Minnie Mouse led the annual Festival Of Lights parade in Chicago, Disney brought lots of love all the way from Orlando to the Windy City! So much is in store for the new Toy Story Land...
Must-have travel and packing tips for a family cruise
Our family enjoys cruising, and over the years I've collected some of my favorite tips, ideas, and must-have items to pack when taking a cruise. If you're planning a cruise with kids, here are some things to consider...
Visiting the Mall of America
The Mall of America is home to the largest indoor theme park in the United States, Nickelodeon Universe. There are 30 rides inside the mall, as well as a high ropes course and a mini golf course...
Jill’s Bucket List: 24 hours in the Riot House
During a trip to Los Angeles, I stayed at the Riot House, the most famous rock and roll hotel in the world...
My search for the perfect family camping tent
I love to camp. My parents were (and still are!) avid campers. My earliest childhood memory is camping in my mom and dad's big blue canvas cabin tent. Incredibly, that big canvas tent is still around...
Top ways to save on your Walt Disney World vacation
I'm always happy to answer questions on where to stay, resort amenities and dining. Learn about Disney resort rooms for under $100 per night and a special "Buy 4, Get the 5th day FREE" offer on park passes - just $64.59 per day!
Our Walt Disney World Vacation – Part 1: MagicBands, Memory Maker, park days and downtown days
My family and I were privileged to head back to Walt Disney World for the Flower and Garden Festival. So much has changed since our previous stay at Walt Disney World five years ago...
Make Thisnext >< prev
Fixing a suitcase wheel with… duct tape?
It irked me that everything else about the suitcase was fine and functional aside from the bad wheel. I looked at replacing the wheel, but I could not find a suitable wheel that was the right size...
Improving a great beach bag (with a not-so-great logo)
I attended a blog conference and brought home an oversized canvas beach bag featuring the logo of one of the conference sponsors. However, last year, that company became embroiled in a bit of a scandal...
Building a kitchen countertop extension
Our daughter's new apartment really only has one issue -- limited counter space and no place to put a microwave or other small appliances. I got the idea to build a countertop extension for her kitchen...
Our ultimate one-minute theme park tailgating setup
Our family has had a fun summer of enjoying days at the zoo, water parks, and theme parks. My kids actually look forward to our lunchtime tailgating, as we can completely set it up in under one minute...
Pooh to Pikachu
This year, when I asked my son what kind of cake he wanted, he said "Pikachu." The popular Pokemon character is certainly cute, but how to best capture him in cake form? Many of my cakes take shape...
Easy kids’ craft: Make a can candle
I believe I was around 7 or 8 years old when we made tin can candles, and so I did a quick web search to see if my juvenile memories of it were correct. Incredibly, I couldn't find anything online about how to make these...
Mending my family’s clothes: How to fix worn jeans “invisibly”
While I could put patches over these ripped knees, I also don't want my kids to be self-conscious of an obvious repair job. I want to share how I've been able to extend the life of my sons' jeans by patching them invisibly...
How to make a large utility tote for less than $20
If you've been wanting a large utility tote without spending too much, and you have minimal sewing skills (like me!) read on and learn how you can make your own large utility tote from one yard of fabric for less than $20...
The eighteen-year-old quilt
I came up with the idea to make a quilt for her eighteenth birthday. And for the past thirteen years, I've been saving our daughter's favorite shirts as she outgrew them. Everything from T-shirts and sports jerseys to pajamas...
Here’s an idea for leftover wax from your wax melter
The wax melt packaging recommends that you pour the melted wax back into the clamshell packaging to dispose of it. Being frugal, I couldn't simply throw the wax away. So, we're reusing it in a creative way...
Making a jar of cake-mix “upsizer”
It's getting difficult to find a cake mix that hasn't been reduced from 18.25 ounces to 15.25 ounces. This week, two things came up that made me want to work on a solution of sorts to this issue...
Make your own “Slushy Magic” at home!
To recreate the Slushy Magic effect, it's important to understand how it works. Each cup comes with three plastic ice cubes filled with salt water. Salt water freezes at a lower temperature than plain water does...
