Hurricane Buy List...Preparing for emergencies

I thought this article was interesting, especially for anyone gearing up for a hurricane!  I personally am not currently getting ready for a hurricane, but I think the following list has good things to think about for any emergency.

It is time to invest in Hurricane Irene. That does not mean to buy stocks, oil, or precious metals. It means spending money to make sure you can ride out the storm. Your total cost will vary, depending on what you already have in stock. (Which is why I love stocking up BEFORE the storm, preferably with a sale and coupon!)


1. Save your financial life. Get a a water-proof case for key financial records, stock certificates, and personal records. A large cooler will do, if it can be securely sealed.


2. Get your cellphone and PC ready. Each may come in handy if you are trapped indoors for a couple of days. And if you lose electricity, products like the "Power Monkey" ($50) could come in handy. Some come with the ability to use the sun to charge the device.


3. Get some cheap walkie talkies. These can definitely keep you in touch with loved ones for up to a mile if you have to make it out into the storm in an emergency.


4. Three flashlights should be enough for two or three days with new batteries in them. And, you probably already have a flashlight somewhere. Spend a few dollars on new batteries.


5. Get a mobile inverter for your car. It connects to a car's battery or through the cigarette lighter Make sure you have jumper cables in case you need to charge the battery in the SUV that might be needed to travel in the storm. The car battery will last longer if the car is running, so, don't forget to fill up your tank. That tank of gas may be the most expensive thing on the list because regular is still about $3.60 most places.


6. Buy some food. You probably already have items like protein powder, tuna, can soup and pasta in the kitchen. Make sure you have enough non-perishable food to last three or four days.


7. Everyone needs toilet paper. Eight rolls will probably cost less than $10. While you're at it, get some paper towels, too.


8. Load up on plastic garbage bags. They're good for garbage, and to put up on windows if the glass is broken by high wind. Two big packages might cost $20.


9. Fill your tub(s) with water. Clean them first. The water may be absolutely necessary. Depending on what your city or town charges for water, the cost may be a few cents. If you have a well, it's virtually free.


10. Keep a few hundreds dollars in cash. You may need it if you run out of essentials and ATM machines are not working for whatever reason. It may seem like a lot of dough, but if you don't spend it, you don't loss a dime - except for a fee you might pay for get the money from a cash machine that is not at a branch of your bank.


11. Sandbags. These are expensive, but some stores are already selling out as customers stock up. In many cases, municipal authorities, local fire or police offices, or state disaster relief organizations give these out.


12. Generators. These are also pricey. But, if you don't have a car battery or solar power, they may be necessary. Sears sells them for as little as $429.99. And, you can keep them for the next time a storm or summer power outage pulls the plug on your electricity.


The full article can be found HERE.

My Shopping: $21.42

It has been a very long time since I've shopped like this!  It was fun but boy am I exhausted.


Raley's (Deals posted HERE)
Black Angus steaks:  $1.92
8 Corn: $0.96
Total:  $2.88

Scolari's (Deals posted HERE)
Tyson Chicken Nuggets:  $2.00
Sara Lee Bread:  $1.18
Total:  $3.18

Safeway (Deals posted HERE and HERE)
1 Gain Detergent: $3.99
2 Gain Dish Soap: $0.49 each
8 roll paper towels: $3.50 (clearance)
3 Marie salad dressing: $0.74 each
Total:  $8.49

Smith's (Deals posted HERE)
7 Spaghettios:  $0.36 each
1 Sunny D: $0.49
2 La Victoria Salsa:  $0.99 each
4 Ortega Tostadas:  $0.32 each
2 Ortega Taco Shells:  $0.32 each
Total:  $6.87

Total Cost:  $21.42
Price before sales and coupons:  $86.68
Total amount saved:  $65.26

Walmart: Rockin' the Produce

I was at Walmart today and some of their produce is still priced low!

Peaches still $0.50/lb.
Blueberries still $1.00/pack
Strawberries were $0.75/lb.!

Also, I was able to get Welch's jam for $0.18!  Every Wednesday in August Welch's gives away 1,000 coupons for $1.50 on their Facebook page.  I printed two of those babies and used them on my boys' favorite jam, priced at $1.68 at Walmart.

Welch's Grape Jam - $1.68
$1.50 printable coupon (Facebook)
Final price:  $0.18

Did I mention I'm also going to mail in my receipt to get a free sandwich keeper for buying two Welch's jams?

Scolari's: Amerigas Propane Exchange $8.99!

The propane on the barbecue is running low!  I noticed that Scolari's is advertising their propane exchange at $15.99 this week.  Throw in a rebate and coupon and we've got a sweet deal!

AmeriGas Propane Exchange - $15.99
$2.00 printable coupon (no longer available)
$5.00 mail in rebate
Final price:  $8.99!

Even without the coupon it's a good deal.  If you see a lower price on these exchanges around town, please let us know.  I only know the price at Scolari's because it's advertised this week in their ad.

We also use propane for our portable heater (if you're a charcoal kind of griller...)  It's a great food storage/emergency preparedness item to have on hand.

Ben Franklin: 70% off Going out of Business

I just got a call from Cynde that Ben Franklin Crafts in Sparks (530 Greenbrae Dr.) is going out of business and everything in the store is 70% off.

She was able to score LOTS of cute fabric and mentioned there are still scrapbook supplies and shelving too. If you're needing crafting materials you may want to head over!

Cynde said they are planning on being open for one more week and closing 8/13. The phone number is 775-331-5755 if you want to call first or get more information.

(Thanks, Cynde!)

Couponing Success!

WOW! I am blown away and smiling from ear to ear.  Look at this couponing success story.  These are the results of my Uncle Rick couponing after just one week. 

I am so impressed.  After one week he's saving 50-75% at the stores.  Way to go Rick!

Let this be inspiration for anyone wanting to start couponing.  You can do it!

Grassroots Books: FREE Books for Everyone

Right now Grassroots Books if offering a free book for everyone!  For more information, visit their site HERE.

(Thanks, Cynde!)

I'll never forget the time my oldest son declared loudly at Grassroots Books, "This is the best day of my life!" when he received a Harry Potter book for free.  Silly boy.

$2.00 off Pork Ribs Coupon

I don't often see coupons for meat so I was excited when I saw this!

$2.00 off any fresh or frozen Pork ribs (2 lbs. or more)

Ending tomorrow (8/3) at Scolari's the Pork Spareribs are $1.49/lb.
Starting tomorrow (8/3) at Save Mart the Pork Spareribs are $1.77/lb.

Starting tomorrow (8/3) at Raley's the Pork Spareribs are BOGO. 

Can't wait to see if this makes for a good deal!

Breck's $25.00 Free Bulbs!

Today in the mail I received a catalog from Breck's.  They sell flower bulbs, which are my favorite to plant because I bury them once and never worry about them again.

On the front of the cover was a $25.00 gift coupon.  I used it to buy a bag of 20 tulip bulbs for $15.99 and it even covered the $7.95 shipping.  Hooray for free!

(The tulips I ordered!)

It might be worth requesting a free catalog from the Breck's website to see if you get the same coupon on your cover!

Walmart: PRODUCE Rollbacks!

Today I was shopping at the Walmart on Pyramid and noticed some of their produce was a GREAT PRICE!  I was thrilled to see fruit so low.  It's usually something I have to pay full price for.

Cucumbers - $0.20 each

Blueberries, 10 oz. - $1.00 each (was $2.98)

Blackberries, 10 oz. - $1.00 each (was $3.48)

Peaches - $0.50/lb.

Cherries - $1.50/lb. (was $2.98/lb.)


They also carry the trial-size Cascade at this location for the following deal.
Cascade Complete All-in-1 Action Pac, 3 ct. – $0.97
$1.00 Cascade Product from 7/31 P&G
Final price:  Free

I don't know if other Walmart locations will have the same pricing but it's worth a look!

Monthly Savings Tracker

I had a friend come by last week while I had coupon inserts, scissors, and piles of coupons spread across my table. She asked me how much money I saved by using coupons and I didn't have an answer better than "lots."

It really got me thinking and I've given myself a challenge. I'm going to track my savings during the month of August.

If you're up for the challenge, I'm posting a link to the excel spreadsheet I made. It's really basic, but I thought I'd share what I'll be using.  I'd love to hear at the end of the month how much you've saved!

The Monthly Savings spreadsheet can be found HERE.  There is an example at the top so you can see how to fill it in.  This can be downloaded by going to File, Download, and then using the spreadsheet to fill in your own numbers.

FREE Clothing Fair - Saturday August 6th

(picture credit)

The Annual Sparks Stake Clothing Fair is this week! This is a great opportunity to clean out your closets and donate unused clothing, as well as "shop" (for no charge) for clothing items for you and your family.

Clothing donations can be dropped off at the LDS church (2955 Rock Blvd, Sparks, NV) any time from 2:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 5th.

"Shopping" is open to the community from 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m on Saturday, August 6th.

You do not have to donate clothes to be able to shop. You do not have to show ID, be a member of this church, or give your firstborn child. There are no strings attached.

I've been to this clothing fair before when my boys were moving up in size and I needed a few things that fit. The clothing was arranged by size and it was fun to sort through and find treasures. It's like my boys keep quoting from Bedtime Stories, "For FREEEEEEE? Sounds good to MEEEEEE!"

Hope to see you there and feel free to spread the word to your friends and neighbors!

Zucchini Bread

(My boys of summer enjoying a slice of zucchini bread.)

I missed the boat on my garden this year. I managed to get a few things planted before prego sickness hit but nothing like usual.

Lucky for me, I have generous gardening friends. When Sheila brought me a beautiful zucchini earlier this week, I knew I wanted to turn it into some yummy zucchini bread.

I found an AMAZING recipe on allrecipes.com that turned out so moist and yummy. The recipe makes two regular-sized loaves but I'm sure it would make great muffins or mini loaves too.

This bread also freezes well if you're wealthy in the zucchini department (which many people tend to be this time of year) and need to use it all up.

You can find the recipe HERE. Enjoy!

It's Been a Long Time...

since I've been on the blog. It's been a long time since I've been couponing! In fact just this week I eased myself back in with a little Walgreen's shopping.

You see, we're having another baby around here! With pregnancy comes sickness for me, so we've been laying extremely low. I'm hoping to be feeling back to my normal self very soon.

While I've been sick and not able to do much, I've thought a lot about how nice it is to have a stockpile for times just like these. I couldn't even look through the grocery ads without feeling ill...there was no way I was stepping foot inside a store!

Willie would bring home milk, bread, fruits & veggies, (and odd cravings I had now and then) but I'm sure he's glad he didn't have to do the FULL shopping for our family of six. He had enough on his plate caring for us while I've been down for the count.

I also figure having our stockpile on-hand saved us money. Had Willie needed to purchase typical needs for our home, he would have stopped at the closest store on his way home from work. No time for bargain shopping! Buying diapers, wipes, toiletries, and food all at full price would have really put a ding in the budget.

Once again, buying ahead when things are on sale and saving them for when needed (so you don't have to pay full price!) has saved the day. I've missed couponing and I'm excited to get back in the game!

I probably won't be blogging very often. There are so many couponing blogs out there, why repeat it all? Plus, my friend Jill (who often did posts for the blog too) has moved, leaving me once again to be a lone blogger.

On the sidebar is a list of my favorite blogs if you need more to read, and I was just emailed about this new one too if you want to check it out. It's called The Swap and it's a blog done by local Northern Nevada gals looking to swap info about great deals.

Happy couponing!