Fabulous Freebies & Finds - free manufacturer coupons

Last spring, we subscribed to our local paper that was running a special for a couple of months. I'm a coupon clipping girl and a bargain shopper so this was an excellent way to save money for my family. When the "special" ran out, we just cancelled our subscription but I was really missing those manufacturer coupons that I got each week!

So, when my husband got a call recently from the paper asking if we would be interested in subscribing again, he told them it was too much. They did the usual salesman pitch of, "Well, what if we did this for you?", to which he said we could not afford as well.

Being a one income family, we do not have some of those perks and luxuries that two income families have but I love being a stay-at-home mom and beautifying and maintaining our home. It is a priviledge and a sacrifice we are willing to take for our family.

Then the salesman surprise Jack with, "would be interested in just receiving some of the ads and coupons?" Hmmm...That may be something to talk about. How much?? FREE!!!!! Really? Yes, FREE!!!!! AWESOME!! Sign us up.

I just got my first one on Sunday. Now, it is only a few of the ads, mainly grocery store ads which I already receive. Those poor trees! However, hidden amongst the store ads were those manufacturer coupons that I love! Yahoo!!

For those of you local, call 1-800-289-8711 or log on at secure.thenewstribune.com/yes to sign up. If you are not from this area, give your newspaper a call and see if they are doing this as well. The paper is called YES! and maybe they offer in your area. Good luck!

Friday's Fortune ~ $1 Yankee Candles! & August Family Pictures

Ah! Life has been crazy but good with school starting and it's about to get even crazier! Jack will be traveling again with work so I'll be a single parent a bit. It always makes me more appreciative of our time together when he is gone. It's so much easier now that the girls are older though.

One has to be thankful for a job and those airmiles! Every two years, we travel to Texas for a medical conference and those airmiles allows us to do it. For that, I'm extremely thankful!!

On to the Friday Fortune! Yankee Candle has their tarts and votives on sale for $1 (for a limited time only)! That's half the price and with Fall in the air, I can't wait to start burning my candles. You can shop online or at a local store. Check out their website at http://www.yankeecandle.com/cgi-bin/ycbvp/freestyle.jsp?category=%2fRetail%2fTarts+%26%2338%3b+Samplers+%26%2336%3b1+Each&cm_mmc=TartsSamps-_-092209-_-Link-_-tartsSamps3. You will need the promo code of TS910A1. Click on the following link to print the coupon if you'd like to shop at a local store. http://www.yankeecandle.com/yc/html/retail/Email_HTML/webCoupon_TS910A1.html

This is my favorite time of year! By no means is it the temperature I enjoy but I just love the fall scents and colors. Chai Tea, Caramel Macchiato, spiced apple cider simmering on the stovetop, the crunch of leaves under foot on a brisk walk. Then comes Christmas! Snow falling, Peppermint mochas, candy canes, hot cocoa. Mmmmmm! Life is good! Doesn't it just get you in the mood for the season. My two most favorite scents from Yankee are Christmas Cookie & Spiced Pumpkin.

Following are some of our pictures from August. I hope this finds all of you well. Enjoy the beautiful colors around you as the leaves change and float to the ground. Take a walk with your family and kick up some leaves. I'm sure next month my girls will be piling the leaves up so they can romp in them! God bless!

Friday's Fortune ~ Double Coupons, $5.00 Magazine Subscriptions, $20 for a week of meals

As a stay-at-home mom, it's always been my goal to save my family money while shopping for any of our needs. I love finding a good deal! Don't you just love a bargain too!?! With the economy still south, I find that I'm cutting and using coupons weekly, using those gas discounts you get from the grocery stores and searching the ads for what's on sale. Albertson's has been offering several double coupons which I've been taking advantage of. Check the Sunday paper or the grocery ads that are delivered weekly to take advantage of Albertson's double coupons!

Yesterday I came across an online bargain for any of you in need of gifts for family or friends. Amazon has 16 different magazine subscriptions for just $5! They have several other magazine deals as well that you can check out. My personal favorite would be the Country Living subscription. The list price is $10 for the year but when you check-out, the price will be marked down to $5. I did not take advantage of this great deal since I do not have a NEED for a subscription right now nor do I have any Birthdays gifts, etc. to get for others right now. I'm finding that I need to take care of the NEEDS of our family right now and not our WANTS. I'll fill you in on my secret regarding magazines in another post but for those of you interested in this amazing offer, check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_84918591_1?ie=UTF8&node=714796011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=browse&pf_rd_r=0V8H5R6QEMR4S3ZAV5S8&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=484766211&pf_rd_i=599858

Recently I came across a website that said they made a week of meals for $20. I tried a few of the recipes and the family liked them. The $20 is what they spent to buy groceries that they did not already have at home. Some things were in their pantry but $20! Can you believe that!? I couldn't do it for that price but I saved money trying. I actually found noodles at the Dollar Tree for $1.00 and plan on trying them later this month to see if they taste any different in the Beef Stroganoff recipe. Seeing this blog article really challenged me to give it a whirl and see what I could do to cut some more corners on our grocery bill. You can check out their blog here with the menu and shopping list: http://danandkeren.wordpress.com/2008/03/21/the-bigger-better-20-menu/

Until next time...happy shopping & good luck finding some great deals to bless your family with!