Funky Monkey Giveaway Winner

The winner of the Funky Monkey Snacks Giveaway is #16, princess116687 who said, "I think Bananamon sounds yummy!" I hope you enjoy them as much as we did. I have emailed the winner, but if I don't hear back from her by November 2nd, I will choose a new winner.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

An Extra Hour of Sleep!

Daylight savings time ends tonight, so don't forget to set all your clocks back one hour. Yay for an extra hour of sleep!

Under $33 for Over $100 Worth of Groceries

I didn't go to Aldi this week, even though milk is cheaper there. I used my gallons of milk to make it to $25 for one of my transactions in order to get my coupons to double, and because I had overage in that transaction, I ended up paying $3.78 for 8 packages of yogurt and 3 gallons of milk! Couponing CAN save you money on items you don't have a coupon for!
Items that were better than free: 12 packages of yogurt, Gerbera Daisy plant (I got a $5 off flowers catalina a few weeks ago, and the plant was only $3.99), and two 4-packs of Musselman's Totally Fruit applesauce. I also had a $3 OYNO catalina from last week that I used.

Items that were free: 3 cans of Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes.

Items that were $1 or less after sales and coupons: V8 Fusion juice, sour cream, eggs, hash browns, 2 packages of shredded cheese, 2 packages of Nestle refrigerated cookie dough, bananas, plum tomatoes, 5 lbs. of potatoes, Arnold bread, and 2 packages of turkey sausage links.

I also bought over 6 lbs. of ground beef, a beef roast, more cheese (we like cheese!), 2 packages of turkey pepperoni (normally $3.49 each, I got them for $1.28 each!), and apples.

My total for over $120 worth of groceries was $32.87, a savings of 73%.

October totals: $32.87, $72.29, $63.02, $31.36, $36.79
My total for October, which had 5 weeks, was $236.33, an average of $47 a week.
September totals: $47.69, $52.23, $46.86, $65.62.
My total for September was $212.40, an average of $53 a week.

My average weekly grocery spending for the past 9 weeks has been $50 a week for our family of 6. I wanted to point this out to show that this is not a fluke, it is how I regularly shop. To see my weekly shopping trips, click here. To learn how to shave money off your grocery bills, check out my Coupon 101 posts. Then slowly get started--I know you can do it!!

If you've started couponing and have shaved money off your grocery bill, please leave a comment to encourage others that they can do it too!

Search with Swagbucks

Today is Mega Swagbucks Day, so be sure to sign on and do a few searches to win some Swagbucks! I signed up for Swagbucks in July, and have already redeemed for $35 in Amazon gift cards. It's so easy to sign-up and use. Just click the banner above to get started, and you'll get 3 free Swagbucks! You'll be on your way to earning some gift cards to use for Christmas gifts--a $5 Amazon gift card is only 45 Swagbucks. Come back and let me know if you win some mega Swagbucks!

Halloween: My View

It's that time of year again, where people start asking me and my kids what they are going to wear or what we are going to do for Halloween. After many years with a strong opinion of Halloween, I realized that I needed to take a stand for the things that I believe in, rooting them in truth, not just opinions. I know a lot of Christians don't share my conviction, and I don't expect them to. (Romans 14:3) I'm just sharing my view to give people something to think about, and because it is a large part of my testimony in how I became a Christian.

My parents became Christians after I was born and later learned more and more about Halloween and its origins. They felt a conviction about it, but up until that time we had been celebrating it (I do remember trick-or-treating as a child). I was 6 and my brother was 4 and my parents sat us down and talked to us about it, saying that they felt it was a day that didn't honor God, but that we could decide. Through talking with them, I said that I wanted to honor and glorify God with my life and prayed to accept Christ into my heart that day and decided not to celebrate Halloween anymore, even though it meant giving up all that candy! (Not an easy decision for a little kid!)

I've taken some flack for it through the years, and every year I reevaluate my decision and conviction. Especially since having kids, I have wondered each year if I am making the right decision for the right reasons, because now it is a matter of conscience not only for me, but for my family, and I need to be able to explain it to them. The fact remains that Halloween does have the appearance of evil. Whether it started that way or not, doesn’t matter. I don’t know how anyone can argue this, just go into any store this time of year and look at the displays. The holiday is about being scary, and that’s what draws a lot of people to it. What does the Bible say about Christians and associating with evil? 3 John 11 says “do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.” Ephesians 5:11 says “have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness”, and isn’t that one of the things that some people like about Halloween, the scary, dark aspect of it?

My husband doesn't have the same strong conviction about Halloween as I do, but he doesn't want to do anything to make me stumble, and since I am firmly against it, he is fine with not celebrating it. Romans 14 speaks to this, as well as 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 says "'Everything is permissible'- but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible'- but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others." Abstinence from Halloween and the practices associated with it seems to be the better choice. Ted came up with a good analogy about movies that are rated R. They are not beneficial/good for us to watch, so we choose not to watch them (exceptions are made for movies like The Passion of the Christ). It is not a sin per se, and neither is celebrating Halloween, and it is not spelled out in the Bible, but it is a conviction we have and a standard that we hold to.

We have decided not to attend any "Fall Festivals" at churches or the like because "happy costumes are welcome". In the past I had thought about attending, since it is supposed to be a Fall Festival and not a Halloween party. But for me it crosses a line with the costumes. I don't have a problem with dressing up in costumes in general, but only because it is associated with Halloween. If the Fall Festival were held in September or on any other day of the year, would there be costumes? Probably not. The reason people are dressing up in costumes is because it is a Halloween custom, and for that reason, I don't want to associate with it. If I were invited to a costume party in any other month than October, I would probably go, but I won't dress up for Halloween.

Our family has started a new tradition on Halloween, shopping for the Operation Christmas Child boxes, which I much prefer as a use of the night, as it is an activity that glorifies God in giving to others. H started asking questions when she was 3, and I tried my best to explain it to her. I basically said that I don't think celebrating Halloween makes God happy, and we want to make God happy with our lives. She and her sisters agree with that, and they understand that buying things for the Operation Christmas Child boxes does make God happy, and they really enjoy that. Let me leave you with one final verse, Philippians 4:8--"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

Free Black Jack Taco Saturday Night

Taco Bell is offering FREE Black Jack Tacos this Saturday from 6:00 p.m. to midnight! The Black Jack taco is a crunchy black taco shell filled with beef, pepper jack sauce, lettuce, and a three cheese blend. Sounds yummy!

Valid at participating Taco Bell locations in the United States while supplies last. Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

Wordless Wednesday

Two feet, four feet, six feet, eight,
Ten feet, twelve feet. Oh, but wait!
Two more feet would make fourteen. . .
Oh my goodness, what could this mean?One, two, three, four. . .
We're making room for one more!

Redeem Your Kodak Code

If you got a $15 gift code to Kodak Gallery, it expires on the 28th, so don't forget to use it! Your total does NOT have to be $15 or more, it can be less than $15 and the gift code will take off accordingly.

I used mine to order 2 boxes of photo Christmas cards. Since my total before shipping was only $13.98, the gift code took off $13.98, and my overall OOP was only for shipping, just $2.89! Not bad for 20 photo cards delivered to my door! What did you order?

And if you missed out this time, don't worry. You will have two more chances to get your $15 gift code. Beginning at 12pm ET, be one of the first to register between Oct. 29 and Nov. 5 or between Nov. 6 and Nov. 13.

Coupon Matches

Here are some coupon matchups for double coupon day! You can double 5 coupons up to $1 each per $25 transaction (before coupons). I routinely do 2-3 transactions in order to double more coupons (I did 7 last week!). Just put a bar between them on the belt and have them scan your card again. Don't forget your reusable shopping bags for an additional 5 cents savings per bag! Remember, if you can't get a coupon to print (it might say "please wait" for forever), check the address. If you are using Firefox, it should say "wg&o" or "vg&o", if you are using Explorer, it should say "vi&o" or "wi&o". Just make the change, hit enter, and then print. You can save ink by printing in black and white and on the draft setting. Happy printing!

Palermo's Pizza $2.25
$1/1 here
$0.25 ADC!

Campbell's Tomato Soup 5/$3
$1/2 here
BETTER THAN FREE ADC!

V8 Fusion Juice $3
$1/1 here and here
$1 ADC!

Pillsbury Pizza Crust, Crescent Rolls, Dinner Rolls, Sweet Rolls $1.66
Various coupons here, and here
PLUS catalina promotion, see details here
Cheap ADC and catalina--a good deal, and last week to take advantage of it!

Muir Glen Tomatoes 28 oz. $2.50
$1/1 here, and here, and here
$0.50 ADC!

Sobe LifeWater $1
$0.25/1 here
$0.50 each ADC

Green Giant Steamers $2
$0.50/1 here and here
$1 ADC

Hormel Pepperoni $3
$0.55/1 here
$1.90 ADC

Kraft Shredded Cheese $1.66
$1/2 here
$0.66 ADC!

Kellogg's Mini-Wheats, buy 4/$10, get $3 off milk catalina
$1.50/2 Mini-Wheats here (YMMV-some stores don't accept IPs over $1)
$7 for 4 cereal and 1 gallon milk
(not the best price ever, but if you need cereal or love mini-wheats, go for it!)

Jell-O refrigerated pudding or gelatin 3/$7.98
$0.60/1 here
$1.46 each ADC

Hills Bros Coffee $6.99
$0.55/1 here
$5.89 ADC

Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers 2/$5
$1/2 here
$1.50 each ADC

Idahoan Potatoes $1
$0.75/3 here
$0.50 each ADC

Fiber One Bars $2.99
$0.40/1 here
$2.19 ADC

Mailbox Monday

A new week means new freebies! Happy freebie hunting!
My giveaway is almost over, so if you haven't entered yet, hop over!

• 

• Call 1-800-759-2425 to request a free 2010 God is In the Details Calendar from Back to the Bible Ministries. More details here.
• Free Always Flexi Style liner
  
• Free Luggage Tags
• Request a free sample of L'Oreal EverPure Color Care when you login or register here and request the sample.
• Go here to request a free sample of Prilosec OTC.
• Print a coupon here for a free Auto Maintenance Check at Pep Boys. The coupon is valid through November 15, 2009.
• Click here for a free Home Made Simple coupon booklet which contains over $35 worth of coupons in it for cleaning and household products.
• If you're a blogger, you can get two free $10 gift cards to Emergency Preparedness. Find out how here and here. There are quite a few items which you can get for free or almost-free with these $10 gift cards.

Thanks Money Saving Mom!

• Choose from two great Lorac samples (PDF) at any Sephora store located inside JCPenney.
• FREE Nautica Oceans Fragrance for men sample
• Sign up to receive a free NRG dog food sample.
• Red Gold is giving away free tote bags to those in select states.

Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

• Click on this banner ad first, and it will lead you to a form to request a free Kashi TLC Chewy Granola Bar. Thanks Alyssa!
  

Last but not least, check out this post by Kingdom First Mom about getting a free credit report card from credit.com.

And don't forget to stop at a KFC location to get a FREE piece of Kentucky Grilled Chicken, Monday only!

Free KFC on Monday

KFC is again offering free chicken on Monday, October 26th! Stop by any participating KFC location to get a FREE piece of Kentucky Grilled Chicken. They promise they will have enough chicken this time! ;-)

Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

Overheard

G needed some new socks, so I was looking online at Amazon to see if I could use some of the free gift cards I have earned from Swagbucks. The following conversation ensued:

G: What are you doing, Mommy?
M: I'm trying to find some socks to buy for you.
(pause for precious child thought processes)
G: Mommy, if you buy my socks on the computer, do they print out of the printer?

Mega Swagbucks Day!

Today is Mega Swagbucks Day, so be sure to sign on and do a few searches to win some Swagbucks! I signed up for Swagbucks in July, and have already redeemed for $35 in Amazon gift cards. It's so easy to sign-up and use. Just click below to get started, and you'll get 3 free Swagbucks! You'll be on your way to earning some gift cards to use for Christmas gifts--a $5 Amazon gift card is only 45 Swagbucks.

Candy and Toy Coupons

Coupons are not only for groceries! Have you checked out some of the coupons on Coupons.com lately? If you are looking for a good deal on candy or Christmas presents, print out some coupons, first! There are some really high-value coupons that should make for some good deals. So print your coupons, watch the sales, and pounce when the time is right. :-)


$2/1 Nestle bagged candy




$2/1 Wonka bagged candy




$10/1 Sit 'N Spin




$5/1 Mr. Potato Head Spud Buds
$5/1 Mr. Potato Head Silly Suitcase
$2/1 Mr. or Mrs. Potato Head





$3/1 Lullaby Gloworm




$5/1 Step Start Walk 'N Ride





$5/1 Playskool Activity Ball




$5/1 Busy Ball Popper Toy






$10/1 Playskool Dance Cam




$5/1 Swing 'N Score Baseball






$5/1 Tumble 'N Twirl Top




$10/1 Dinoroars Stompers
$5/1 Dinoroars Hatchlings



$5/$20 My Little Pony purchase

Free Cookie and Hot Cocoa at B&N Saturday

Is it time for a Mommy Date? (Or a Daddy date, or a couples date, or a whole family date!) This Saturday, go to Barnes & Noble armed with this coupon (it's the fifth coupon--print just this one by hitting the button right above it) and get some free hot cocoa and cookies, no purchase necessary! Limit one per customer, and valid on Saturday, October 24th only.
Thanks Money Saving Mom!

*To enter my giveaway, click here!*

Weekly Groceries-- $72

This week my overall total was a little higher than the past few weeks, which I was expecting. I haven't spent over $70 since August, so I knew a higher week was coming eventually, and this was that week. Still, with my weekly total being $72.29, that still puts my weekly average over the last 8 weeks at $51.98. Not bad for a family of 6!

At Target I spent $10.18. I forgot my $1 off Cottonelle coupon (oops!), but I did get $0.10 back for bringing my own bags and I price matched CVS for the toilet paper to save $1, since I wasn't planning to go to CVS this week. Did you know that Target price matches competitor's ads now? First you buy your items, then bring your receipt and the current ad to the service desk and they will refund the difference. And I think it's great that Target has jumped on the reusable bag bandwagon by offering $0.05 back for each reusable bag you bring in and use! I've done it twice, and I've had to politely remind the cashier both times (it's a new policy, after all), but they have a barcode on the counter by the register that they scan for each bag you use--and it doesn't have to be a Target bag, it can be from anywhere! :-)

At Aldi I spent $14.19 on 3 gallons of mik, a dozen eggs, 4 packages of cheese slices, a fresh pineapple, some wontons, and tilapia. No one in my family likes fish (even tuna fish), but I have heard from MANY people that tilapia is good, so I've been wanting to give it a try. I found this individual package of tilapia at Aldi for $0.89--perfect! I've been consistently going to Aldi for my milk since it is $1.79 per gallon, even for whole milk, which really beats my grocery store's price.

At the grocery store I spent $47.92 over 3 transactions (original prices were over $108, a savings of $60.34!). The Yo-plus and Fiber One yogurt were all BETTER THAN FREE after BOGO sale and doubled coupons! I got a raincheck because they ran out, so I'll be able to get more better than free yogurt next week. The Yoplait Delights were free after doubled coupon. Items $1 or less were the Success brown rice, Danimals and Dan-Active (for the Dannonomics promotion), tomatoes, kidney beans, cookie dough, spaghetti sauce, Toaster Strudels, Sargento cheese, bananas, carrots, Wonder hamburger buns, AA batteries, and Pillsbury products.

TOTAL: $72.29
I got a $3 ONYO catalina to use next week from Pillsbury. I did that transaction first so that I would be able to use the catalina right away, but the cashier held my receipts until the end, and I didn't think to ask for it. It would have kept my total under $70 for the week, though! Oh well! It will help with next week's total. :-)

To see my weekly grocery spending, click here.
To enter my current giveaway, click here.

Coupon Matches

Here are some coupon matchups for double coupon day! You can double 5 coupons up to $1 each per $25 transaction (before coupons). I routinely do 2-3 transactions in order to double more coupons (I did 7 last week!). Just put a bar between them on the belt and have them scan your card again. Don't forget your reusable shopping bags for an additional 5 cents savings per bag! Remember, if you can't get a coupon to print (it might say "please wait" for forever), check the address. If you are using Firefox, it should say "wg&o" or "vg&o", if you are using Explorer, it should say "vi&o" or "wi&o". Just make the change, hit enter, and then print.

Maxwell House coffee $5.98

$1/2 here

$4.98 each wyb two ADC

Chex Mix $1.89, buy 3 in one transaction, get $3.50 ONYO Coke products catalina

$0.50/1 traditional or chocolate, and more here

$0.89 each ADC, buy 3 and get a $3.50 catalina (print 2 of each coupon)

Yoplait Fiber One or Yo-Plus Yogurt BOGO free

$1/1 Fiber One here and $1/1 Yo-Plus here

Price is usually $2.69, so if you can use 2 coupons and double both, these will be better than free!

Yoplait Delights $2

$1/1 here

FREE ADC

Yoplait Gogurt $2.50

$0.40/1 or $0.80/2

$1.70 ADC

Yoplait individual Yogurt $0.50

$1/8 here

Nestle Refrigerated Cookie Dough $2.50

$1/1 here

$0.50 ADC

Dole 64 oz juice $2.50

$0.25 coupon here

$2 ADC

Sea Pak shrimp $5.99

$1/2 here

$4.99 each ADC wyb 2

Nestle Morsels $1.88

$0.50/2 here

$1.38 ADC wyb 2

Pillsbury Grands Biscuits 4/$6

$0.30/2 here, plus catalina offer going on now, see details here

Red Gold tomatoes $1

$0.75/2 here

$0.25 each wyb 2

Old El Paso products on sale

$0.60/2 here

As low as FREE ADC

Toaster Strudels $2.25

$1/1 here, or $0.55/2 here

As low as $0.25 ADC

Glade Soy Candles $4.99

$2/1 here (YMMV-some stores don't accept IPs over $1)

$2.99

Nature's Source Cleaner $3

$0.55/1 Laundry Stain Remover
$1.90 ADC

Pledge Products $3.99

$1/1 here

$1.99 ADC

Ziploc Products 2/$5

$1.50/2 (YMMV-some stores don't accept IPs over $1)

$3.50 for 2

Kodak $15 free gift code

Lindsay and Jaime both emailed to let me know that Kodak is offering 100,000 $15 free gift codes for products on their website, which include photo books, prints, mugs, and more! Go here to sign up for your free gift code.

I see a lot of possibilities to use this gift code for Christmas gifts. Photo books start at $9.99, 11 oz. photo mugs are $12.99, and travel photo mugs are $15.99. Photo ornaments are $12.99, mousepads are $9.99, or you could get your holiday photo cards (sets of 10 from $4.99)! Plus, new members automatically get 40% off their first order within 14 days. You are responsible for shipping and tax.

If you miss out and aren't one of the 100,000, never fear! You will have two more chances to get your $15 gift code. Beginning at 12pm ET, be one of the first to register between Oct. 29 and Nov. 5 or between Nov. 6 and Nov. 13.

Thanks for passing along the deal, ladies! :-) What did you order?

Mailbox Monday

Happy Monday! Sweeten your week with some freebies for your mailbox!

The first 10,000 to sign up will get a free Ziploc Gift Pack from Right at Home. Click to coupons.com and look for the "coupon" that looks like this (mine was on the first page, second row). Click on it and fill out the form. Hurry so you don't miss out!

• New Yorker Magazine is offering a free 2010 New Yorker calendar poster, measuring 18″ x 26”. It is printed on heavy, high-gloss paper perfect for display. Offer expires October 31, 2009.
• Sign up with Aquafresh to get a printable coupon for a free trial size tube of Aquafresh Extreme Toothpaste.
  

Thanks Mercedes!

• Log in or sign up for a Seventh Generation account here and then go here to request your free Seventh Generation dish soap sample.
• Go here to download a free chapter from Elizabeth George's new book, Breaking the Worry Habit... Forever. You can also download a free chapter from her book, Windows Into the Word of God.
• Call 1-888-800-2302 or e-mail armhammervac@speedymail.com to get a free sample of Arm & Hammer Fresh-Ins Odor-Eliminating Vacuum Scent Packs. More details here.
• Get a free sample of the Mary Kay Miracle Set. This sample includes one application of the TimeWise 3-in-1 Cleanser, TimeWise Age-Fighting Moisturizer, TimeWise Day Solution Sunscreen, and TimeWise Night Solution.
  

Thanks Crystal!

• Happy Baby is offering a coupon for a free package of any of their Happy Baby Organic products. Go here to print yours. Click here to find a retailer near you who carries these products.

Thanks Amy!

And don't forget about the free classical downloads available here. Have a great week!