New Super-Couponing Tips column: Think like a couponer
My readers have been putting the “think like a couponer” mindset into practice at the supermarket! When making a purchase or putting a deal together, take a moment to make sure…
Featured Posts
Shopping and Savingnext >< prev
Coupon Matchups: Jewel-Osco Deals of the Week 11/27/20 – 12/1/20
$1.63 Skippy peanut butter, $1.99 Signature Select flour or sugar, $2 Egglands Best eggs, $2.50 Palermo's pizza, $2.99 Hills Bros. coffee, $2.99 Lucerne butter, $8.99 Persil laundry detergent
Coupon Matchups: CVS Black Friday Deals of the Week 11/26/20 – 11/28/20
FREE Colgate Optic White toothpaste, FREE CVS aceitominophen, FREE CVS cleansing wipes, .50 Identity or Blade razors, .99 General Mills cereal, .99 Schick razors, $75/$25 Applebees gift card deal & nbsp;
Coupon Matchups: CVS Deals of the Week 11/22/20 – 11/28/20
FREE Colgate Optic White, $2 Arm & Hammer detergent, $2.44 Tide Simply laundry detergent, $5 Clairol haircolor, FREE Alka Seltzer cool mint gum, .88 Hershey's king size candy bars, .99 Colgate
Coupon Matchups: Meijer Deals of the Week 11/22/20 – 11/28/20
.66 Campbell's soup, $1.49 Swanson broth, $1.50 Quaker instant oatmeal, $1.50 Silk milk, $1.99 Bic razors, $2 Coke, Pepsi, 7-Up 6-packs, $2.50 Breyers ice cream, $2.50 Johnsonville sausage
Coupon Matchups: Walgreens Deals of the Week 11/22/20 – 11/28/20
FREE Swanson's chicken broth, .88 Campbell's soup, $1.38 General Mills cereal, $1.50 Blue Diamond almonds, $2 Purex laundry detergent, $2.99 Community Coffee K-cups, $3.49 Charmin
Coupon Matchups: Mariano’s Deals of the Week 11/18/20 – 11/24/20
.75 Betty Crocker cake or brownie mixes, .87 Campbell's soup, .88 Colgate toothpaste, $1.17 Swanson broth, $1.37 Pillsbury rolls, $1.49 Kraft Singles, $1.99 Keebler, Skinny Pop
Coupon Matchups: Jewel-Osco Deals of the Week 11/18/20 – 11/26/20
.99 7-Up 2-liters, $1 Jewel eggs, $1.49 Mott's applesauce, $1.50 Ricola cough drops, $2 Swanson stock, $2.50 Johnsonville sausage, $3.49 Poise pads or liners, $3.99 Home Run Inn pizza
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: November 2020
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: November 2020
November's national Catalina offers include Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, Buitoni, Carnation, Degree, Gerber, Magnum ice cream, Nature Valley, Oscar Mayer, and more...
Current National Catalina Offers: October 2020
October's national Catalina offers include Degree, Gerber, Meijer baking, Neosporin, RXbar, and more...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: October 2020
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: September 2020
September's national Catalina offers include Barilla, Bob Evans, Gerber, Popsicle, Stouffer's, Yoplait, and more...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: September 2020
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...
Long-term review: Our new Verlo mattress
Many people are initially pleased with a product when it's new, but the real questions are these: Will it last, and will I be happy with it one, two, or three years from now? (Or more?)
Current National Catalina Offers: August 2020
Here is a list of Catalina offers for the current month, including Breyers, Duracell, Fiber One, Huggies, Kellogg's, Nature Valley, Keurig, and more...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: August 2020
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: July 2020
Here is a list of Catalina offers for the current month, including Atkins, Aveeno, Breyers, Buitoni, and more...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: July 2020
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...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: June 2020
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...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: May 2020
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. Inserts marked with an asterisk are new...
Current National Catalina Offers: May 2020
New Catalina offers for May include Keurig, Nature Valley...
Is anyone still couponing and shopping deals?
I have a question for all of you... would you like me to continue blogging grocery ads during the Illinois Stay-At-Home order? I have continued on, partially because I've tried to maintain...
Current National Catalina Offers: April 2020
Here is a list of Catalina offers for the current month, including brands like Band-Aid and Neosporin, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Pledge, Scrubbing Bubbles, Windex, Tropicana...
Home and Stylenext >< prev
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...
My deck stain report: Four years later
The deck's surface has continued to fade a little more over the previous year. When springtime began to roll around, I looked at the the deck and decided I wanted to re-stain it this year. While I do believe the stain...
College apartment bargains and finds
In addition to buying a few new things to decorate her soon-to-be space, she's also been scouring local stores, resale shops and rummage sales to pick up the rest. She was so proud of some of her recent finds...
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...
My laundry room cocktail bar
The top of my washer is truly a laundry cocktail bar. I rotate brands and varieties of detergent based on what I'm washing. Whenever I suggest this to people, it's like a proverbial light goes off -- "What a great idea! I never thought of that!"
Kitchen and bathroom cleaning with Mean Green
One of my readers asked me to tackle a "dirty microwave" and see what Mean Green could do. In preparation, I stopped wiping down the inside of our microwave for (yuck!) two months. All in the name of research, I assure you...
I hate my front-loading washer. Here’s how I “hack” it.
I've written at length about my misadventures in laundry with my front-loading machine before, but if the laundry's really dirty, it often comes out of the washer nearly as dirty as it went in...
Two Twin beds to a King: Upgrading our son’s bedroom
Why not put the two twin beds together and create a king-size bed? It would certainly cost less than purchasing a new bed -- especially for a teenager who will be off to college in just a few years....
Finally… time for a new washing machine!
My longtime blog readers know how deeply I despise my current front-loading washing machine. Its low-water wash cycles fail to get our clothing adequately clean, and I learned to keep a bucket in the laundry tub...
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.
A wasp-free climber and swingset makeover
For whatever reason, wasps have decided to make our children's backyard swingset their home. The number of wasps living in every concealed crack and crevice in this thing was astounding...
Are you prepared for a disaster? Look what hit my town!
We never know when an event may happen, and our community was certainly reminded of that this week when a sudden 70-mile-per-hour windstorm struck the town I live in. About 15 minutes before the storm...
Foodnext >< prev
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...
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...
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...
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...
Keto-Friendly Carando Abruzzese Italian Meatball Bake
As my husband and I follow a ketogenic diet, we also make a lot of meat-centric meals at home. Here's one of my favorite go-to recipes for busy nights that is rich with all of the flavors of...
Soothing a cold with Creamy Garlic Chicken Soup
I recently came down with a cold that seems to be taking longer than normal to shake. My days and nights have been filled with decongestants, cough drops and syrups. As we head into cold season...
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...
My must-have products for low-carb eating
There's definitely an initial learning curve in figuring out what you're going to eat. Anything with high amounts of sugar is out, and for this former high carb eater, that meant saying goodbye to cereal, fruit juices...
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...
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...
Try Primo Taglio for a perfect 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...
My favorite low-carb recipes for things you’d think are “off limits”
While my first few weeks of low-carbing consisted of a lot of meat, meat, and more meat, I quickly started exploring Keto and Atkins versions of things we regularly enjoyed eating...
Travelnext >< prev
Devil’s Tower and a drive to Utah
Our campground host let us know we'd likely see both wild turkeys and deer outside our cabin windows in the morning. My husband woke up and stepped outside onto the deck, where he took this photo...
The staycation that turned to a… vacation?
How far from home do you have to drive before your staycation qualifies as a vacation? Our friends invited us down for a visit to the Indianapolis Zoo. My boys were up for a little road trip...
Ultimate day pack for theme park trips
Whether our family's headed to Disney, Universal, Six Flags or another destination, I always bring what my family affectionately calls my "black backpack" on all of our theme park trips. I don't like carrying a purse when we're in theme-park commando mode. A few years ago I discovered the perfect small, yet durable sling-style backpack...
Disney Parks VIP Tour and our 24-hour Disney honeymoon
Recently, I confessed that my husband and I had never taken a vacation without our children -- ever. We travel pretty frequently, but we never planned a just-us trip...
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...
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...
What you’ll love about Universal Orlando’s Volcano Bay water theme park
We spent a day at Universal's new water theme park, Volcano Bay. When you hear "water park," you likely envision tube rides, a wave pool -- and Volcano Bay has all of those things. However, they've upped the traditional...
A Midwest Spring Break Staycation
Our children are on Spring Break, and we're staying in the Midwest "staycationing." In the past two days, we've visited a museum, gone bowling and played at an amazing arcade...
Universal Orlando VIP Experience and more resort fun!
During our Universal Orlando Resort vacation, we enjoyed taking part in Universal's VIP Experience. The VIP Experience is a guided tour through Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure...
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...
Taking the RV from Indiana to Minnesota
We woke up to a sunny day in Middlebury, Indiana. The KOA campground we stayed at has a lot of amenities to enjoy, including mini golf, bicycle and paddleboat rentals. They had a large swimming pool...
What sets a Disney Cruise apart from other cruises
Think of Disney resorts, and you'll likely conjure up thoughts of family-friendly relaxation. However, Disney Cruise Lines brings a level of grandeur that's unparalleled at the hotels. There's so much on board to see...
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...
