New Super-Couponing Tips column: Quality over price: The argument continues
“I have read a recent column of yours regarding whether it is worth spending more for quality products. Could you expand a discussion of this to non-grocery items?”
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Shopping and Savingnext >< prev
Coupon Matchups: Walgreens Deals of the Week 6/20/21 – 6/26/21
FREE Colgate toothpaste, .59 Renuzit air fresheners, .79 Bumble Bee tuna or sardines, .99 Smile paper plates, .99 Complete Home foil, $1.24 Palmolive or Suavitel, $1.88 All or Snuggle
Coupon Matchups: CVS Deals of the Week 6/20/21 – 6/26/21
.50 Hershey bar, $1.49 Special K cereal, $1.99 All or Snuggle, $2.94 Tide Pods, $3.99 Gain, $7.49 Luvs diapers, $30/$10, $45/$15 ExtraBucks sale
Coupon Matchups: Meijer Deals of the Week 6/20/21 – 6/26/21
.85 Campbell's soup, .85 Meijer pasta, .89 Chef Boyardee or Spaghetti-Os, .99 Betty Crocker cake or brownie mix, $1 Meijer pasta sauce, $1.38 General Mills cereals, $9.99 Tide
Coupon Matchups: Mariano’s Deals of the Week 6/16/21 – 6/22/21
.59 Powerade, .97 Roundy's eggs, $1.49 Kinder Bueno, $1.99 Fritos, Cheetos, $1.99 Simple Truth organic milk, $2.50 Coke, Pepsi, 7-Up 6-packs, $4.99 Wright bacon, $19.99 Kroger K-cups
Coupon Matchups: Jewel-Osco Deals of the Week 6/16/21 – 6/22/21
.49 7-Up 2-liters, .50 Colgate toothpaste, .85 Chex Mix, Bugles, .99 Jack Links jerky, $1.15 Pringles, $2.50 Kemps frozen yogurt, $4.99 Banana Boat sunscreen, $5.99 U By Kotex
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: June 2021
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 2021
Catalina offers for June include Core Bars, Gerber, Yoplait...
Current National Catalina Offers: May 2021
Catalina offers for May include Breyers, Cerave, General Mills, Keurig, Nabisco, Yoplait, and more...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: May 2021
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: April 2021
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...
Current National Catalina Offers: April 2021
Catalina offers for April include Band-Aid and Neosporin, Duracell, Gerber, Huggies, Incogmeato, Nestle, Oscar Mayer, and more...
Current National Catalina Offers: March 2021
Catalina offers for March include Buitoni pasta, Morningstar Farms, Oscar Mayer Lunchables, Panera (at home) and Sun-Maid.
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: March 2021
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: February 2021
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: February 2021
Catalina offers for February include Oscar Mayer Lunchables and P3 Protein.
Want to help shape coupon industry minds? Join my Feb. 23rd panel!
Last year, I invited my readers to apply to be part of a coupon industry panel in conjunction with The Association For Coupon Professionals' annual conference. And then...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: January 2021
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: January 2021
National Catalina offers for January 2021 include Annie's, Carnation, DiGiorno, Equal, Nature Valley, Huggies, Oscar Mayer and more...
2021 Coupon Insert Schedule
Which weeks can we expect coupons from NewsAmerica (SmartSource = SS) Valassis (RetailMeNot = RM) Procter & Gamble Brandsaver (PG) and Unilever (U)? This year, coupon insert...
Expired coupon inserts to remove from your files: December 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: December 2020
National Catalina offers for December 2020 include Bob Evans, Caulipower, Godiva, Hellmann's, Keebler, Tazo, and more...
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...
Home and Stylenext >< prev
10 items to pack in your bag for summertime
Summer weather is right around the corner! If you're headed out for a warm-weather adventure with your little one, it's important to bring everything you'll need for a fun day in the sun...
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...
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...
Is your weather center discontinuing itself?
Each day, we look at our Bushnell weather center to see the time, temperature, and weather forecast. Today, on New Year's Day, our Bushnell weather center presented us with this ominous message...
My deck stain report: One year later
I detailed my deck refinishing project in 2015 and had high hopes for the deck stain I chose. Since that time, I've had curious readers writing to ask how my deck currently looks. How did it weather over the past year?
College apartment-hunting with our daughter
When we started looking at apartments, we were pleasantly surprised to see how reasonably priced off-campus living is at Eastern. We began apartment hunting in March by looking at several properties online...
How does my garden grow? With stinky deer repellent spray
Are you growing a garden this year? A new pest recently entered our yard: a beautiful doe who loves to eat our green bean and soybean plants. Don't get me wrong -- she's a very pretty deer, but...
My quest to find a great deck stain
As anyone with a deck knows, they are not maintenance-free. This time around, I wanted a deck stain that would last for many years without the disappointing results of the last stain I used...
We put a glass top on our wooden kitchen table
Whenever you have something new that you've invested some money in, aren't you inclined to try to keep it as nice and new-looking for as long as possible? We discussed getting a piece of glass cut for the tabletop...
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?"
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...
Unexpectedly shopping for a new 30″ refrigerator
Over the weekend, our Kenmore refrigerator died a sad death. Its compressor failed after 14 years of faithful service, and we woke up to room-temperature juices and soft ice cream in the freezer. The fridge's death, sadly...
Foodnext >< prev
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...
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...
Create the ultimate gift basket with Signature RESERVE
If you've browsed the aisles of your local Jewel-Osco store recently, you may have noticed a new brand on the shelves: Signature RESERVE™. Signature RESERVE is Jewel-Osco's exclusive, ultra-premium brand...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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
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...
A Walt Disney World shopping perk you may not know about
Did you know that you can get a special shopping pass at the Disney parks solely for the purpose of going in and shopping? It's true! To get a shopping pass, you'll need to head to the Guest Relations office...
My must-have when traveling with carry-on luggage
One of my favorite travel tips when I’m traveling with carry-on luggage? Always take a second, lightweight tote bag with you that’s slightly larger than the “personal item” you carry on. You just may need it to comply with the airlines’ “One carry-on, one personal item” rule. I typically travel with a rolling carry-on suitcase [...]
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...
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...
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!
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...
Three days in the Dells: A weekend away that’s close to home!
Ever since I was a child, I've enjoyed going to Wisconsin Dells for vacations, long weekends or short getaways. Our family recently spent a long weekend in the Dells, and there are truly so many things to do in this area...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
