Tsunami Warning in Hawaii

Due to the earthquake in Chile, Hawaii has been put on tsunami alert.

Potential Tsunami in Hawaii - FOX News

We just talked to my husband's mom (who lives in Hawaii) and they are gearing up to see if the tsunami will hit Hawaii as a result of the earthquake in Chile. My husband's dad is a fire chief on the Big Island and he has been at work since last night.

Mom said she is safe in the apartment. She is above the at-risk elevation and has food, water, and supplies on hand. She said the lines for gasoline and food are LONG. People are in panic mode and are trying to get the things they need. The shelves at the stores are cleared out.

I am glad Mom and Dad are prepared. Dad was able to go to work knowing that all was well at home and is in the position to be able to help others if need be. Mom is safe at home doing some laundry just in case the power goes out.

It will be interesting to see what may come of this. I also have a cousin serving a mission in the Marshall Islands and a brother-in-law on the FEMA team awaiting to see if he'll be needed.

Although we don't have to worry about the threat of tsunamis in Nevada, this is just another example of how being prepared before the emergency can be a blessing. Please remember Mom and Dad in your prayers.

Safeway Deals (2/24-3/2)

Abundant Savings has a list of the deals at Safeway this week. Here are my favorite:

Post Honey Bunches of Oats - $2.00
$2.00 off Honey Bunches of Oats WYB 1 gallon milk (blinkie found on door of milk)
Final price: FREE WYB one gallon milk

SAT. & SUN. ONLY:
Kraft Mac & Cheese - $0.50 (limit 4)
$1.00/5 printable coupon
Final price: $0.30 each (not sure how it would work with limit being 4)

Abundant Savings also has an amazing deal using the $10.00 back WYB $25.00 of P&G products. Again, I have not tried this so I don't know if it works at our store. Let us know if you try it!

PROCTER & GAMBLE Buy $25 GET $10 Catalina promotion continues through 3/2

HOT DEAL SCENARIO for Mr. Clean:

Mr. Clean Spray with Febreze and Mr. Clean liquid cleaners - both with Febreze and without are tagged at $3.99 ( Nor Cal pricing they are $3.49 or 2 for $7 in some areas)

These are also programmed to ring up at $1.99 each when you buy 3 or more in a single transaction - The hot news is the full $3.99 ( $3.49 or $3.50) shelf price is being counted for the Catalina Coupon deal rather than the discounted $1.99 price since the discount comes off as a promo price after the total button is pushed.

Best Deal: Buy 7 Mr. Clean Sprays w/ Febreze = $27.93 - $13.93 after $1.99 each discount is applied

Use (7) $1 off any Febreze item from the 2/7 P & G inserts ( pink Febreze items pictured the coupon scans w/out beeps)

Pay $6.93 at the register get back you $10 on your next order Catalina = $3.07

Thanks, Abundant Savings!

Save Mart Deals (2/24-3/2)

Here are the deals for this week at Save Mart. Let me know if I've missed anything!

Chicken Breasts with ribs - $0.99/lb.

Chicken Fryer Leg Quarters - $0.69/lb.

Asparagus - $0.97/lb.

Michelina's Lean Gourmet - $0.88 (with in-ad coupon, limit 6)

$1.00/5 printable coupon

Final price: $0.68 each WYB 5

Sun Detergent, 45.4 oz. - $1.99

$0.50 from 2/14 RP

Final price: $1.49

Iceburg Lettuce - $0.69

Smith's Deals (2/24-3/2)

**UPDATED** Jill reports that the catalina did not work for her.

Here are the deals I see this week at Smith's. Let me know if you see something else!

Buy 4 Kellogg products get 1 gallon of milk for FREE - 4 for $10.00
-Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks - $1.00/3 from 2/7 RP
Final price: $9.00 for 4 cereal and one gallon milk ($1.80 each) AND POSSIBLY Catalina for $3.00 OYNO*
-Raisin Bran, Mini Wheats - $1.50/2 printable coupon
Final price: $7.00 for 4 cereal and one gallon milk ($1.40 each)
-Nutri-Grain Bars - $1.00/2 from 2/7 RP
Final price: $8.00 for 4 boxes of bars and one gallon milk ($1.60 each)

*Reportedly there is the same catalina working at Smith's, too. I have not tried this and the last time I tried the Smith's catalina, it did not work. IF it is working at Smith's you would receive a catalina for $3.00 off your next order when you buy 4 of these cereals. I'll update after I've tried it or if someone else lets us know what's up.

Chuck Roast, Steak or London Broil - $1.99/lb.

Land O'Lakes Premium Lunchmeat, 16 oz. - $2.99
$2.00 printable coupon
Final price: $0.99

Bar-S Franks - $0.89
$1.00/2 printable coupon (no longer available)
Final price: $0.39 each WYB 2

Reach Dental Floss – $1.00
$1.00 from RP 1/3 (?)
Final price: FREE

Dole Garden Salad - $1.49

$0.75 printable coupon (no longer available)

Final price: $0.74

Raley's Deals (2/24-3/2)

Here are the deals I see at Raley's this week. Let me know if I've missed anything.

I don't understand why you can't use BOTH store coupons and manufacturer's coupons together at this store! Raley's is reimbursed by the manufacturer, so what do they care? This is the only store I know of that has this policy. Some of the Raley's store coupons would make for some great deals if they could be stacked with manufacturer's coupons!

Bonelesss, Skinless Chicken Breasts - $1.67/lb.

Red Seedless Grapes - $0.95/lb.

Ragu Pasta Sauce - $1.50
Store promo. FREE Golden Grain Pasta (12-16 oz.) WYB 2 Ragu Pasta Sauce
$1.00/2 Ragu printable coupon

Final price: $2.00 for 2 Ragu and one pasta!

Land O'Lakes Spread - $0.99
$0.50 printable coupon (olive oil variety)
Final price: $0.49

Progresso Vegetable Classics - $0.99
$0.50 2/21 SS (?)
Final price: $0.74

Birds Eye Steam Fresh Vegetable - $0.99
$1/2 2/7 SS (?)
Final price: $0.49

Knudsen Sour Cream - $0.99
$0.60 1/24 SS (?)
Final price: $0.39

Raley's Catalina Deal (2/10-3/10)

Thanks to Janet for filling us in on a catalina deal currently running at Raley's:

Buy Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Apple Jacks, Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Cocoa Krispies and Honey Smacks cereal (all 10 oz or larger)from 2/10-3/10 and get a catalina for money off your next shopping order:

Buy 3 get $1
Buy 4 get $3
Buy 5 get $4

It figures I only bought two boxes when they were on sale last week. We'll need to keep a lookout for these to go on sale again!

Scolari's Deals (2/24-3/3)

Um, I'm seeing a whole lot of nada this week at Scolari's. Help me out here if you're seeing something I don't!

Scolari's will double coupons (as long as the coupon doesn't say "do not double") up to and including $1.00. View official coupon policy HERE.

Remember, Wednesdays are “double ad” days where both the current and previous week’s ad are honored.

Chicken Fryer Split Breasts, Whole Fryers or Leg Quarter, value pack - $0.99/lb.

Rancher Steaks or Roast - $1.99/lb.

Instant Savings Coupons (requires $25 purchase, which would be easy since nothing is on sale this week!)

Dozen Large Eggs (limit 2) - $0.69
1 lb. Bacon (limit 4) - $0.99

It looks like a very slow week!

Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers...

Bargain Briana has an extensive list of deals currently available at Wal-Mart.

Check it out HERE if you're interested!

I'm liking the Borden Cheese for $0.89!

*Remember that Walmart prices are regional. I have not compared this list to our store's prices.

Free Dove Soap at Safeway

**DEAD DEAL**

Add Dove soap to your Safeway shopping list!

According to Abundant Food Savings:

SAFEWAY stores have a Buy 3 save $3 promotion on Dove Personal Care products running through 2/23/2010.

Dove Single Bars are $0.99 cents each with Club Card - and it is reported that the register simply deducts .99 cents for each bar instead of $3.

These are not signed as part of the promotion just as .99 cents club card sale price. (These are slightly smaller than the regular-sized soap.)

Raley's Deals (2/17-2/23)

Here are the deals I see this week at Raley's. Let me know if I've missed anything!

Kellogg's Cereal - $1.49 (Raisin Bran, Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, Corn Pops...)
$1.50/2 Raisin Bran printable coupon
$1.50/2 Apple Jacks/Corn Pops printable coupon
Final price: $0.74

Fresh Ground Beef, 80% lean, 10 lb. pack - $1.69/lb.
(I remember last year when this was $0.99/lb. Ah, the good 'ol days...)Remember, this meat comes in a 10-pound tube. (My baby is used to give a size reference in this picture!)

Even though this is a lot of meat, at Raley's they will cut and wrap the meat in any size for you. For example, you could ask to have some of this cut down into hamburger patties, one-pound chunks for meals, two-pound chunks for meatloaf, or whatever size you need.

I browned about half of it, bagged it, and froze it to use later for tacos, sloppy joes, spaghetti, and lots of Hamburger Helper (just kidding, honey). The rest is going to be used for a meatloaf (to freeze for later) and meatballs.

ALSO:

Raley's is giving away a $75.00 gift card daily and one $750.00 grand prize! See the e-mail I received below for more info.

"Raley’s is celebrating 75 years serving Northern California and Nevada, and we want you to celebrate with us. Tell us what you're celebrating and you could win a Raley's Gift Card!

How are you making history this year? Whether it be a wedding, first lost tooth, graduation from college, or an "A" on a report card, we want to hear from you!

Post what you’re celebrating this year at www.raleys.com/75 for a chance to win.

Raley’s is giving away a $75 gift card every day now through March 31 – and one lucky Grand Prize Winner takes home a $750 gift card!"

Oh please, oh please, let me win the $750.00!

Safeway Deals (2/17-2/23)

Here are the deals I see at Safeway this week!

Rancher's Reserve Bonless Cross Rib Roast - $1.98
$2.00 WYB $10.00 of Rancher's Reserve printable coupon
Buy just over 5 lbs. to total $10.00 & use coupon
Final price: Just over 5 lbs. for $8.00 or $1.60/lb.

Pork Shoulder Blade Roast - $0.99

Large Navel Oranges - $0.33/lb.

Campbell's Chicken Noodle or Tomato Soup - $0.50

$1.00/4 printable coupon

Final price: $0.25 each

Betty Crocker Brownie Mix - $0.89 (?)

$0.50 printable coupon

Final price: $0.39

Right Guard Deodorant Sports Variety - $1.00 (unadvertised price?)
$2.00/2 printable coupon and HERE
Final price: FREE (Good for donating if this isn't your favorite...)
(Thanks, Abundant Savings!)

Sat. & Sun. ONLY

Nabisco Premium Saltine Crackers - $1.29 (limit 4)

$1.00 from 1/24 SS

$2.00/2 printable coupon (no longer available)

Final price: $0.29

Let me know if you see anything I've missed!

Smith's Deals (2/17-2/23)

Here are the deals I see at Smith's this week! See anything I've missed?

Dole Salad Blends - $1.50
$0.75 printable coupon (use 79922 zip)
Final price: $0.75

Bar-S Meat Franks - $1.00

$1.00/2 printable coupon

Final price: $0.50 each WYB 2

*$3.00 off WYB 10 (Prices reflect purchase of 10 participating items.)

*Campbell's Chunky Soups, 18.6-19 oz. - $1.00
$1.50/3 & $1.00/3 printable coupons
Final price: $0.50 to $0.67

*Chef Boyardee Pasta, can or cup - $0.70
$1.00/5 from 1/10 SS
$0.50/2 printable coupon (play game and choose chef)
$0.40 microwave cup from 1/10 SS
Final price: $0.30 to $0.50

Save Mart Deals (2/17-2/23)

Here are the deals I see at Save Mart this week. Let me know if I've missed anything!

Boneless Petite Sirloin Roast - $1.99/lb.

Red Seedless Grapes - $0.97/lb.

Del Monte Bananas - $0.39/lb.

Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt, 6 oz. - $0.50

$1.00/6 printable coupon

Final Price: $0.33

Ronzoni Smart Taste or Healthy Harvest Pasta, 12-14.5 oz. - $0.99

$1.00/2 Smart Taste printable coupon

$1.00/2 Healthy Harvest printable coupon

Final price: $0.49 each WYB 2

Scolari's Deals (2/17-2/24)

Here are the deals I see for this week. Let me know if I’ve missed anything!

Scolari's will double coupons (as long as the coupon doesn't say "do not double") up to and including $1.00! View official coupon policy HERE.

Remember, Wednesdays are “double ad” days where both the current and previous week’s ad are honored.

***UPDATED***

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, value pack - $1.59/lb.

Pork Chuck Shoulder Roast - $0.99/lb.

Earthgrain Thins Buns, 8 ct. - $2.49
$0.55 printable coupon (won’t double)
$0.55 from 2/7 RP (won’t double)
Final price: $1.94

Oscar Mayer Lunchables - $0.99
$0.75 printable coupon (won’t double) WRONG VARIETY (maybe use at Wal-Mart?)
Final price: $0.24 WRONG VARIETY $0.99

Land O’Frost Lunch Meat, 10-16 oz. -$3.49
$2.00 printable coupon (won’t double)
Final price: $1.49

Mountain High Yoghurt, 32 oz. - $1.99
$0.50 from 1/3 SS (didn't double for some reason and cashier didn't push it through)
Final price: $0.99 OR $1.49 IF DOESN'T DOUBLE?

Rung #2, Power Outage

A couple of weeks ago our power was out for about two hours. (Yes, I had paid the bill...) It was a great opportunity for me to see where we are lacking in preparedness for a power outage!When the power goes off, one of the first things we do is call the power company. The number for Northern NV outages and emergencies is 775-834-4100. They are able to tell the estimated time the power will come back on. (They were only about 15 minutes off last time.)

I like knowing how long we'll be "roughing it" and if we'll need to worry about our food or not. (Or one time we were the first to call and they didn't even know the power was out in our area!) We have a top shelf in a kitchen cupboard where we keep flashlights, lanterns, and the old-school phone just for when the power goes out. I keep my extra batteries in the fridge, which I didn't want to open when the power was off, so I've moved some of those to the power shelf.

Our fireplace works even when the power is out (which I don't quite get because we turn it on with a switch on the wall...) so we used that to keep warm downstairs.

The Red Cross has a great one-page checklist for preparing for a power outage HERE. I just printed it (be sure to print this BEFORE the power goes out) and went through the list.

After reading through the list with my husband, I'm going to be on the lookout for coolers (CVS clearanced them last year at the end of the summer), going to be making up a family phone list, going to start pricing generators (any advice?), going to be checking into carbon monoxide alarms, and going to keep this Power Outage Checklist in our preparedness binder so I'll have some how-to the next time the power is out! One tip that Pam gave me from our power outage a few weeks ago...Keep a house key on your key ring. That way if you're not home and the power goes out, you can still get in without the electric garage door! Any other tips to share?

Free Gardening Class At Moana

Moana Nursery is holding a free class on growing herbs! This is the information I received in an email today:

February 20th - Herbs for Everyone
Michelle Deetken, Expert Gardener and Nutritionist

Do you want herbs year-round? Many herbs can be grown successfully in containers on the deck or patio. Plant an indoor, winter herb garden. Michelle will explain how to grow and maintain a healthy herb garden, and how to incorporate new plantings into your garden in the spring.

Seminars are free and held at Moana Nursery, 1190 W. Moana Lane in our Landscape & Design Center. Seminars begin promptly at 10 a.m. and last one hour. Please arrive 15 minutes early, as seating is limited to 60 and is first come, first served. Visit http://www.moananursery.com/ or call (775) 825-0600 for more information.

Smith's

***UPDATE***
The catalina didn't print out for me. I'm planning on calling the catalina company and they should be able to mail it to me. Just a heads up if you're planning on doing this deal!

Okay, so maybe I didn't see anything great this week at Smith's but Utah Deal Diva did!

Check out this post on how to get free Purex and Windex. I just might be going back to Smith's this week after all. You know I like free.

Wal-Mart Deals

I received an email from Mitzi with a very valid question.

"At this point in my life I'm not willing to go to more than my usual stores :) I go to Walmart and Costco the most and sometimes Winco. Do you have any advice for me to help me save by just going to those places?"

We are all in different seasons and different circumstances in life. There have been times that I've had to call off couponing for a bit due to what's going on in life. When I'm not couponing, I usually shop at Costco and Wal-Mart. It's what is closest and they seem to generally have lower prices.

WINCO:

I'm planning on checking out Winco in the near future but since I've never really shopped there, I'm not much help with that one...yet. I am curious to investigate what it's all about, especially after reading this review by Utah Deal Diva. Do any of you shop at Winco? What has your experience been?

WAL-MART:

At Wal-Mart I like to price match. I take in the ad (although I've heard the ad is not required) of the exact same sale item and the cashier at the register will adjust the price (and you can use coupons on top of that). Price matching can save you from running to three different stores, but beware, price matching does not always go smoothly. I keep a copy of the WM price match policy with me so when a cashier starts making up their own rules I can whip it out.

The thing that is hard about WM is that their prices vary from store to store and change all the time. I do not typically post the coupon match-ups at Wal-Mart because they are covered on other blogs. (See sidebar...) HERE is a list of current deals. I have not checked this list at our store to see how it compares. (Thanks, Passion for Savings!)

I also like when I see the clearance bread rack over by the dairy items. I scored a bag of hoagie rolls for $1.00 the other day. YUM!

COSTCO:

Confession, I haven't renewed my membership. There really isn't anything there that I can't get for the same price or cheaper by shopping the sales and couponing. I will admit the buying in bulk is very convenient though.

Some things I like to buy at Costco are milk, bread, pretzels, tortillas, tortilla chips, salt, rice, pickles, taco seasoning, and I really like the tri-tip and orange chicken they sell (because it tastes good; it's not a good price).

I wish they accepted manufacturer's coupons, but there are still some good deals with their coupons they send out. Occasionally I find things on clearance at Costco but that seems to be rare. What do you typically buy at Costco? Any good finds I'm missing out on?

Any other advice for Mitzi (and me)? I think the important thing to remember is there are ways to save money no matter which stores we shop at.

Raley's (2/10-2/16)

Let me know if I've missed anything!

Boneless Pork Chops - $1.88/lb.

Fuji Apples - $0.88/lb.

MIX & MATCH SALE - $1.50 WYB 10

Cheerios, 8.9 oz. - $1.50
$1.00 printable coupon and HERE
Final price: $0.50

Coco Puffs - $1.50
$0.50 printable coupon
Final price: $1.00

Trix - $1.50
$0.55 printable coupon
Final price: $0.95

Nature Valley Bars - $1.50
$0.40 printable coupon
Final price: $1.10

Nature Valley Clusters - $1.50
$1.00 printable coupon and here
Final price: $0.50

Safeway (2/10-2/16)

Here's what I see. Let me know if you see anything else!

Rancher's Reserve London Broil - $1.77/lb.

$2.00 WYB $10.00 of Rancher's Reserve printable coupon

Buy just over 5 1/2 lbs. to total $10.00 & use coupon

Final price: Just over 5 1/2 lbs. for $8.00 or $1.40/lb.

Jumbo Cantaloupe - $0.48/lb.

Bettey Crocker Brownie Mix - $0.69! each WYB 4 (limit 8)

Sat.-Tues. (2/13-2/16)

Gala Apples - $0.78/lb.

Scolari's (2/10-2/17)

Here are the deals I see for this week. Let me know if I’ve missed anything!

Scolari's will double coupons (as long as the coupon doesn't say "do not double") up to and including $1.00! View official coupon policy HERE.

Remember, Wednesdays are “double ad” days where both the current and previous week’s ad are honored.

Lay’s Kettle Potato Chips - $2.49
$1.00/2 tearpad from Smith’s
Final price: $1.49 each WYB 2

Earthgrain 100% Natural Bread, 24 oz. - $1.99
$0.55 from 2/7 RP (won’t double)
Final price: $1.44

Clorox Bleach, 82-96 oz. - $1.99
$0.50/2 from 1/31 SS
Final price: $1.49

Leaf Lettuce - $0.69/lb.

Save Mart (2/10-2/16)

Whew! Just when we were down to our last two potatoes!!

U.S. No. 1 Russet Potatoes, 10 lb. bag - $0.97

Iceberg Lettuce - $0.47

Boneless Beef Chuck Roast - $1.88/lb.

Let me know if you see anything else!

Smith's (2/10-2/16)

Luckily nothing is jumping out at me this week. I've spent too much time at Smith's lately and I'm glad to have a break. See anything I've missed?

Snow Piles Up - Thousands without Electricity

I just read this posted on another blog and had to share. For the month of February we will be focusing on rung #2 of the food storage ladder, "Power Outage." Enjoy the article below.

(From Erica at Food Storage and Preservation):

"Thousands without electricity" This is a perfect example for the need to prepare for the unexpected. Weather is no respecter of persons. Whether you are rich, poor, healthy, sick, young or old, etc. the unexpected can take a tole on you and your family worse if you have no back-up plan, reserves or education. It's better to be prepared for emergencies and know that you've done what you can, than to be found struggling because of denial. Here is an article with an excellent example. What could you do to prepare for this?

Find original article Here

Snow piles up, paralyzing nation's capital (AP)

AP - A blizzard battered the Mid-Atlantic region Saturday, with emergency crews struggling to keep pace with the heavy, wet snow that has piled up on roadways, toppled trees and left thousands without electricity.

Officials urged people to huddle at home and out of the way of emergency crews. Forecasters said the storm could be the biggest for the nation's capital in modern history.

A record 2 1/2 feet or more was predicted for Washington. As of early Saturday, 10 inches of snow was reported at the White House, while parts of Maryland and West Virginia were buried under more than 20 inches. Forecasters expected snowfall rates to increase, up to 2 inches per hour through Saturday morning.

Blizzard warnings were issued for the District of Columbia, Baltimore, parts of New Jersey and Delaware, and some areas west of the Chesapeake Bay.

"Things are fairly manageable, but trees are starting to come down," said D.C. fire department spokesman Pete Piringer, whose agency responded to some of the falling trees. No injuries were reported.

Airlines canceled flights, churches called off weekend services and people wondered if they would be stuck at home for several days in a region ill-equipped to deal with so much snow.

"D.C. traditionally panics when it comes to snow. This time, it may be more justifiable than most times," said Becky Shipp, who was power-walking in Arlington, Va., Friday. "I am trying to get a walk in before I am stuck with just the exercise machine in my condo."

The region's second snowstorm in less than two months brought heavy, wet snow and strong winds that forecasters warned could gust near 60 mph in some areas along the coast.

Hundreds of thousands of customers across the region had lost electricity and more outages were expected to be reported because of all the downed power lines. A hospital fire in D.C. sent about three dozen patients scurrying from their rooms to safety in a basement. The blaze started when a snow plow truck caught fire near the building.

Authorities blamed the storm for hundreds of accidents, including a deadly tractor-trailer wreck that killed a father and son who had stopped to help someone in Virginia. Some area hospitals asked people with four-wheel-drive vehicles to volunteer to pick up doctors and nurses to take them to work.

The country band Rascal Flatts postponed a concert Saturday in Ohio, but the Atlanta Thrashers-Washington Capitals NHL game went on as planned.

In Dover, Del., Shanita Foster lugged three gallons of water out of a Dollar General store.

"That's all we need right now. We've got everything else," said Foster, adding that she was ready with candles in case the power went out.

Shoppers jammed aisles and emptied stores of milk, bread, shovels, driveway salt and other supplies. Many scrambling for food and supplies were too late.

"Our shelves are bare," said Food Lion front-end manager Darlene Baboo in Dover. "This is just unreal."

Metro, the transit system the Washington area is heavily dependent upon, closed all but the underground rail service and suspended bus service.

Maryland's public transportation also shut down Saturday, including Baltimore's Metro. Maryland Transit Administration spokeswoman Jawauna Greene said the underground portion of the Metro could reopen later Saturday but it depended on the weather conditions.

"We have trees on the overhead wires, trees on train tracks. We can't get anything out," she said.

Amtrak also canceled several of its Northeast Corridor trains Saturday, and New Jersey's transit authority expected to suspend bus service. As much as a foot of snow was reported in parts of that state.

Across the region, transportation officials deployed thousands of trucks and crews and had hundreds of thousands of tons of salt at the ready. Several states exhausted or expected to exhaust their snow removal budgets.

Maryland budgeted about $60 million, and had already spent about $50 million, Gov. Martin O'Malley said. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who has been in office less than a month, declared his second snow emergency, authorizing state agencies to assist local governments. As of early Saturday, some parts of Virginia had already seen more than 18 inches of snow.

The snow comes less than two months after a Dec. 19 storm dumped more than 16 inches on Washington. Snowfalls of this magnitude — let alone two in one season — are rare in the area. According to the National Weather Service, Washington has gotten more than a foot of snow only 13 times since 1870.

The heaviest on record was 28 inches in January 1922. The biggest snowfall for the Washington-Baltimore area is believed to have been in 1772, before official records were kept, when as much as 3 feet fell, which George Washington and Thomas Jefferson penned in their diaries.

In Washington, tourists made the best of it Friday, spending their days in museums or venturing out to see the monuments before the snow got too heavy.

A group of 13 high school students from Cincinnati was stranded in D.C. when a student government conference they planned to attend was canceled — after they had already arrived. So they went sightseeing.

At the Smithsonian's natural history museum, Caitlin Lavon, 18, and Hannah Koch, 17, took pictures of each other with the jaws of a great white shark in the Ocean Hall.

"Our parents are all freaking out, sending texts to be careful," Koch said. "Being from Ohio, I don't think I've ever seen that much snow at once."

___

Associated Press writers Brett Zongker and Sarah Karush in Washington, Kathleen Miller in Falls Church, Va., David Dishneau in Chantilly, Va., Ben Nuckols in Hanover, Md., Randall Chase in Dover, Del., and Steve Szkotak in Richmond, Va., contributed to this report.

(This version CORRECTS spelling of band 'Rascal Flatts.')

My Shopping for the Week

Okay, I realize that I share lots of the items I get on sale but that is just a window of the shopping I have to do. Not everything I buy is on sale...just most of it! Here is the shopping I did yesterday for the entire week.

My GRAND TOTAL was $43.83:It's kind of hard to see it all in the picture but here is the break down:

Smith's -
10 La Victoria salsa- *better than FREE
2 Kraft shredded cheese- $1.00 each
1 Kroger graham cracker- $1.00
6 Keebler cookies- $0.19 each
1 Gatorade- $0.49 (in clearance section by the flowers)
1 Raisin Bran- FREE
5 Kraft Easy Mac- $0.50
3 ICBINB- FREE
1 Clean & Clear makeup remover- *better than FREE (on clearance by makeup)
1 Aveeno scrub- $0.29 (on clearance by makeup)
1 Gallon white milk- $2.19
1/2 Gallon chocolate milk- FREE
1 Head of lettuce- $1.29
2 Goldfish- $0.13 each
1 Ritz cracker- $1.00

Paid $5.16! (Saved $88.05)
*The overage on the items that are "better than free" were applied to the other items I purchased, bringing my total down.

Scolari's-
2 Kraft singles cheese- $1.50 each
4 24-pack Mission tortillas- $0.49 each
3 Dreyers ice cream- $0.49 each
2 Best Foods mayo- $1.10 each
4 Claussen pickles- $0.49 each
2 Knudsen sour cream- $0.69 each
2 Beech Nut baby meal- FREE
1 Beech Nut baby cookies- $0.49

Paid $12.45 (Saved $72.45)

CVS- (See blogs on the sidebar for CVS/Walgreens deals)
2 Huggies diapers
2 Dove men's body wash
1 travel size shaving cream

Paid $3.10, Recieved $5.50 back in ECB's

Wal-Mart-
1 GV french fries- $1.77
1 GV tator tots- $1.38
1 Banquet salsbury steat- $1.92
4 Bar-S hot dogs- $0.15 each*
1 GV applesauce- $1.46
1 Kraft parmasean cheese- $1.98*
2 GV spaghetti rings- $0.73 each
1 Celery- $0.93
5 Apples- $2.09
1 Carrots- $0.72
2 GV onion soup mix- $.92 each
3 Beech Nut baby meals- FREE*
1 Bananas- $1.21
1 Bread- $1.88
3 Swords- $1.00 each (think Easter baskets...)
1 Pictureka card game- $0.24*

Paid $23.12 (Saved: $11.00 * with coupons)

GRAND TOTAL: $43.83

Basically I shop the sales and stop by Wal-Mart to pick up the rest of the things we need. That is our entire shopping for the week! Obviously not all of this will be consumed in a week and that surplus is part of our 3-month supply. Hopefully this gives you a better view of how I am building our food storage by purchasing more than we need in the moment when it's on sale!

Scolari's (2/3-2/10)

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM! There's a SWEET deal on ice cream this week.

Scolari's will double coupons (as long as the coupon doesn't say "do not double") up to and including $1.00! View official coupon policy HERE.

Remember, Wednesdays are “double ad” days where both the current and previous week’s ad are honored.

Dreyer’s Ice Cream, 48 oz. - $2.49
$1.00 from 1/31 SS
Final price: $0.49! (go ahead and scream!)

Nabisco Crackers - $1.79

$2.00/2 printable coupon (will not double)

$1.00 from 1/24 SS (will not double)

Final price: $0.79

Knudsen Sour Cream, 16 oz. - $1.69
$1.00/2 printable coupon
Final price: $0.69 each WYB 2

Hidden Valley Ranch, 16 oz. - $2.99
$1.00 printable coupon
Final price: $0.99

Let me know if I’ve missed anything!

January Report

Well, I've been working on my food storage goals for one month now. It's time to report on my progress.

I have 3 goals in my food storage plan:

1: Build a 3-month supply.
2: Build a financial reserve.
3: Build a 12-month supply.

In my budget (I use the term budget VERY loosely) all household items are grouped together into the grocery budget. This includes food, diapers and wipes (I have 2 in this category), paper products, cleaning products, bathroom toiletries, medications...basically all of the things I have to buy at the grocery store to keep the household running.

Also included in my grocery budget are my food storage purchases. This month I've been able to stock up on things like cereal, toilet paper, laundry detergent, bar soap, and a few other things through the deals I've found couponing. I also went to the cannery before the prices went up.

Okay, here it goes. My January report:

• I spent $562.69 on groceries (Ouch! That seems like a lot.)
  
  
• I increased my 3-month supply by roughly 25%. (Good.)
  
  
• I increased my savings for a financial reserve by 33.25%. (Not much to start with...)
  
  
• I am 76.5% of the way to my 3-month supply goal. (Getting closer...)
  
  
• I am 25.4% of the way to my financial reserve goal. (Yikes!)
  
  
• I am 50.9% of the way to my 12-month supply goal. (Even though I don't have a complete 3-month supply, there are some things I have a year supply of...like soap.)

So, I may have jumped out of the gates a little fast. I spent a lot this month but I don't think this will be typical. There were some good sales and the whole idea is to buy it when it's low. (I can't imagine what I would have spent if I had paid full price!) It will be interesting to see how this compares to the months to come.

I think the thing I am most excited about after working out all the numbers for January is that this is doable. Sure, I've become the meanie rationing mommy, but it's nice to see my goals slowly coming together.

Smith's Update

Another coupon to use at Smith's with their Mega Event! (Remember, $5.00 will come off your total when you buy 10 participating items...)

Pepperidge Farms Goldfish Crackers - $0.88 (WYB 10 participating items)

$0.75 printable coupon

Final price: $0.13

Water Barrels...CHECK!

Okay, so we've got the water barrels...now what?! I was cracking up when I got this email from Jen:

"Natalie, We got the water barrels. Thank you over and over! I really appreciate it so much.

One question: are you going to fill yours up with hose water? Do I add bleach to it? Or are these just for washing dishes/body kind of water? As you can tell, I am quite inexperienced with this whole thing. Jen"

This was funny to me because I was thinking the same thing. I was looking at those huge barrels thinking, "Hmm, what am I supposed to do with these?"

Now we all know I'm not claiming to be an expert. We're learning alongside and helping each other along, remember? BUT here's what I've found from people that are experienced and what I'm planning to do.

According to the Red Cross/FEMA information available online, it is a good idea to wash out any containers to store water in with 1 tsp. of bleach to 1 qt. of water solution. Swish the solution around so that it touches all parts of the container and rinse with clean water.

Even though our containers have been washed out, it might not be a bad idea to rinse them out again. I think I will...just in case.

Our tap water is treated with chlorine, so we can just fill it on up without having to add anything else to the water. If your water is not chlorine treated, you do need to add bleach (1 tsp. bleach to 8 gallons).

I think I will get a new (and clean) hose, so that I'm not filling my barrel up with nastiness from the hose that sits outside all the time. We can all share the clean hose. Let me know if you want to borrow it!

My personal plan is to use bottled water for my drinking storage and use the barrels of water for cooking/washing water. The inventory link (thank you, Prepared LDS Family) on my blog breaks down how much of each kind of water (washing, cooking & drinking) you should store based on how many people are in your family.

We also need some attachment things (can't think of what they're called, syphons?) to pump water out of the barrels. I'll look into where to order those and where the best price is. Anyone know of a good source for this?

I'm excited to be getting my water storage in order!

I had a BIRTHDAY...

...shout hooray! I'm now 30 years old. I feel wiser already.I had signed up at various websites and joined their birthday clubs and boy has it been fun getting well-wishing emails with coupons for my birthday. I received:

• Sonic- a coupon for my choice of a free cream slush, tator tots, or med. drink


• Wendy's - a coupon for $1.00 off any med. combo meal


• Del Taco- a coupon for a free premium shake


• Red Robin- a coupon for a free gourmet burger

Yum! It will be fun to pick up some treats while I'm out and about. I think I'm liking this 30 thing already.

There's an entire list of birthday promos that you can sign up for HERE.

(Thanks, Freebies 4 Mom!)