a good week

So, this week is nearing an end. We were happy to welcome our friend's new little one into the world...but also lost a former neighbor to cancer at age 60. Gave me pause to think about that whole life and death thing and how short our days here really are. God is truly so amazing!!

Total out for groceries this week $120.00. Just food: $82.00. That makes the weekly average since Jan 24,  $86 for everything, or $82 if you just count food.

It was a good day in Greensboro. The boys and I got $42.00 in credit for our books, so we all picked up a few more to read, and I got some Christian CDs for the kids' Easter baskets. All with no money out of pocket!! I stopped at Earth Fare, which is a health food supermarket. Wow. I don't know how real people shop there: $4.00 for a cucumber, $3.50 for a pepper. But or course, I had coupons. Several. I went there for the coupons and for bulk baking yeast, which my little health food store quit carrying. Those little supermarket yeast packs are such a rip-off, BTW...my 8 oz of bulk yeast would cost over $30.00 in packet form, I paid $3.00. (one tablespoon of yeast=one packet) Then they had a coupon to trade in a pack of Oreo type cookies for a pack of their healthy ones. I got the Wal-Mart brand oreos for $2.00, took out all but 6 of them and traded the rest in for the healthy pack...hey, it didn't say how many had to be left! The healthy ones were pretty tasty (and low calorie....)I also had coupons for a free 5# bag of organic potatoes, a free 15 once bottle of juice, a free bag of Snikiddy cheese puffs, a free roll of TP and 50% off the olive bar (my guilty treat). I paid $4.77 and saved $14.99. The cashier (long beard, Birkenstocks and all) was quite impressed with my savings. He said, "You have gift, lady!" I wouldn't have gone there if I hadn't already been in G'boro, but I'm so glad I stopped! They had great samples out everywhere too...I esp liked the cheese.  I know lots of you don't have this store...but I'm just trying to show you how my frugal mind works:).

Also a good mail day...got the coupon for my free Heluva, any product up to $4.99. I got cheese. Also got my full size bottle of Pantene in the mail today...for signing up at Vocal Point. Mail freebies are so nice to get. And then the best mail news (don't read this if you don't want to hear me brag on my kid:)) was Abby got the news that she is an Elon Junior Scholar...her first college scholarship offer good for $18,000.00. Don't know if she'll go there, but it was pretty exciting anyway!!!

And got word that my second book is finished....yeahh!! I'll let you know the details soon!

New http://www.restaurant.com/ code good for 80% off...use BITE.

Make sure to check out http://www.southernsavers.com/ for the deals at the drug stores this coming week. Some great scenarios and lots of free stuff.

Happy savings