Finally getting back on track this week to make some good, home cooked healthy food for my family! I feel like we have eaten out SO much in the recent months and it's starting to make me feel gross.
So my first step this week was to get a good meal plan in place for the week!
Monday - Roasted Lemon Chicken with Greek Salsa served over rice (recipe on Pinterest Board)
Tuesday - Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff, Egg Noodles, Pop Overs and Peas
Wednesday - Pork Chops with balsamic strawberry salad and Orzo
Thursday - Crock Pot Honey Chicken with rice and green beans
Friday - Dinner at my mom and dads house for Tim's birthday (Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Salad)
Saturday - Tacos, Chips with Salsa, Corn
Sunday - Leftovers
There is always a method to my meal plans. I don't simply pick recipes for certain days because they might sound good...I always go base my meals on what we have going on that day and what is on sale at the store. This way my meals are realistic with my schedule and hopefully can stay within my grocery budget!
For example: Tonight (Monday) I picked the Greek salad chicken because it's a new recipe I haven't tried before. I knew my husband was off tonight and able to help with the kiddos during the dreaded dinner hour so that I could focus on getting the meal going.
Tuesdays meal is a family favorite and also an easy throw into the crock pot meal. After a busy day today, I know I'll be less than energized tomorrow for cooking dinner. Having it already cooking all day is a wonderful way to still get a healthy meal on the table at dinner!
Wednesday - This is a nice day because we have no activities going on and school is early release, which leaves me more afternoon to get cooking done.
Thursday - Thursday is always a crock pot day because of gymnastics. We do school pick up and then rush off to gymnastics. By the time we get home, it's 6:00 and everyone is HUNGRY!
Friday - Fridays always vary based on husbands schedule and what we have going on. I generally don't plan large meals for Fridays because we are always winding down from the week and getting ready for the weekend!
Saturday - It just depends! Mostly on KU basketball games is what I base my cooking around :)
Sunday - Always a leftovers/DYOT night since we normally have a large lunch following church.
Monday, February 6, 2012
New Meal plan and great grocery deals!!
Well I have finally (sort of) gotten my rear in gear and got my coupons sorted and organized. It was a good week to finally get things together since Dillons is offering their buy any 10 assorted items in the sale and automatically get $5 off at the register. There were several items that were a good deal to begin with but that also matched up well with coupons!!
A few of these deals that I came across were:
Kleenex brand tissues - The tissues are normally $1.49 per box. As part of the sale, they were $.99 per box. I had 3 coupons for $1.00 off of 3 boxes ($.50/3 which doubled to $1/3), which made each box $.65 each. So it normally would have been $14.00 for those boxes, but I paid $5.91. Not a bad deal!! And a great time to stock up on tissues for spring allergies that are right around the corner.
Quaker granola bars - These are a big time favorite snack in my house between the kids and my husband. They are so easy to grab and bring on the go on busy activity nights.
The granola bars are another one that I always stock up on when they go on sale. These are normally $2.11 per box. Being part of the sale made them $1.61 per box and I had 4 coupons for $1 off of every 2 boxes. So the original cost of 8 boxes would have been $16.88 for the 8 boxes. With the sale and the coupons, I paid $8.88, or $1.11 for each box. I generally only buy these kinds of "treats" when I can get them for around $1 or less.
Tostitos Tortilla chips are another that are enjoyed at our house. The 3 bags of tortilla chips are normally $2.99 each. On sale they were $2.49 and I had 3 coupons from Dillons for $2.00 off of one bag, so I paid $.99 for each bag. The original price would have been $8.97, I paid $2.97.
Sunny Delight - Ok so I admit, this isn't something I normally buy because it's not healthy and full of sugar. But my husband loves the stuff so I went ahead and got him a couple of bottles...normal price is $1.49. On sale it is $.99 and with my coupon for $1.00 off of 2 bottles, they were $.49 each.
Another way I was able to save was using $1 off your next purchase coupons to get bags of goldfish for free!! Goldfish crackers are normally $2.14. As part of the buy 10 sale they are $.99. I had 5 of these $1 off your next purchase catalinas which made the crackers all free. This is another item that my toddler especially is crazy about. So to stock up at that low price is a great deal!!
There are several other good deals going on with this sale (sale is good through tomorrow), so it's totally worth checking out to see if there is anything your family likes and that you can match up with your coupons. One thing to always watch for is to make sure items aren't marked up on the "normal price" sticker to make it seem like you are getting a better deal. This is one gripe I have with Dillons in particular, they will mark up the "normal" price to make the sale price seem better! Gatorade is an example of this...the large bottles are normally $.88 a bottle. But every once in a while it will be a "GREAT SALE" that they are 10/$10...which actually makes them MORE expensive at $1 per bottle. Having a price book that you write down prices in can help with this, so if you see a deal at a later date you can look back and know if it's normally more or less.
So grab your coupons, grab the store ads and get busy!
A few of these deals that I came across were:
Kleenex brand tissues - The tissues are normally $1.49 per box. As part of the sale, they were $.99 per box. I had 3 coupons for $1.00 off of 3 boxes ($.50/3 which doubled to $1/3), which made each box $.65 each. So it normally would have been $14.00 for those boxes, but I paid $5.91. Not a bad deal!! And a great time to stock up on tissues for spring allergies that are right around the corner.
Quaker granola bars - These are a big time favorite snack in my house between the kids and my husband. They are so easy to grab and bring on the go on busy activity nights.
The granola bars are another one that I always stock up on when they go on sale. These are normally $2.11 per box. Being part of the sale made them $1.61 per box and I had 4 coupons for $1 off of every 2 boxes. So the original cost of 8 boxes would have been $16.88 for the 8 boxes. With the sale and the coupons, I paid $8.88, or $1.11 for each box. I generally only buy these kinds of "treats" when I can get them for around $1 or less.
Tostitos Tortilla chips are another that are enjoyed at our house. The 3 bags of tortilla chips are normally $2.99 each. On sale they were $2.49 and I had 3 coupons from Dillons for $2.00 off of one bag, so I paid $.99 for each bag. The original price would have been $8.97, I paid $2.97.
Sunny Delight - Ok so I admit, this isn't something I normally buy because it's not healthy and full of sugar. But my husband loves the stuff so I went ahead and got him a couple of bottles...normal price is $1.49. On sale it is $.99 and with my coupon for $1.00 off of 2 bottles, they were $.49 each.
Another way I was able to save was using $1 off your next purchase coupons to get bags of goldfish for free!! Goldfish crackers are normally $2.14. As part of the buy 10 sale they are $.99. I had 5 of these $1 off your next purchase catalinas which made the crackers all free. This is another item that my toddler especially is crazy about. So to stock up at that low price is a great deal!!
There are several other good deals going on with this sale (sale is good through tomorrow), so it's totally worth checking out to see if there is anything your family likes and that you can match up with your coupons. One thing to always watch for is to make sure items aren't marked up on the "normal price" sticker to make it seem like you are getting a better deal. This is one gripe I have with Dillons in particular, they will mark up the "normal" price to make the sale price seem better! Gatorade is an example of this...the large bottles are normally $.88 a bottle. But every once in a while it will be a "GREAT SALE" that they are 10/$10...which actually makes them MORE expensive at $1 per bottle. Having a price book that you write down prices in can help with this, so if you see a deal at a later date you can look back and know if it's normally more or less.
So grab your coupons, grab the store ads and get busy!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Getting my groove back!
So I am a bit ashamed to say that I have not been good with my budgeting/couponing/cooking the past several months. Pregnancy and I just don't mix, plain and simple. While most people have bouts of morning sickness from time to time the first 12 weeks or so, I have round the clock, nonstop vomiting for the entire pregnancy. It's always nice when people say "geesh..you are 19 weeks pregnant, that should stop!" well yeah it should, but it won't. The only upside to all of it, is that in the past I feel GREAT after the baby is finally born! I generally don't suffer that fatigue and strain of the first 6-8 week newborn phase, because it's an improvement from the previous 40 week stretch.
So because of this, my usually organized house is cluttered and my meal plans are a bit more simple and sporadic. With all of that said, I'm doing my best to get back into it!
My first goal this week is catching up with my coupons. I plan to get my meal plan together for my weekly shopping trip which will occur on Saturday morning. But first I have to tackle the massive, overwhelming stack of coupons sitting on my kitchen table. My first goal is to go through and purge my binder. Anything that is expired or that will expire before I use it will be tossed. I *hate* throwing away coupons, even expired ones. I feel like I"m just tossing money out of the window. But sometimes it's needed to get my stuff back on track. Once my binder is organized, my meals are planned and my grocery shopping is complete, I will tackle a new project for next week. Haven't decided what that will be yet, but I'll keep you posted! I'm thinking a new organizing system for toddler toys in the family room!
On a side note, here is a great, family friendly recipe that was a snap to throw together and super easy on the budget!! I found pre-made pesto super cheap at the grocery store and wanted something I could use it for before it expired.
Creamy Pesto Chicken with bow tie pasta
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup pesto sauce
1 box bow tie pasta
1. Arrange chicken breast in the crock pot
2. mix water, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over chicken.
3. Cook on low 6-8 hours
4. Cook pasta according to package
5. Stir in soup and pesto with the pasta, cut chicken into cubes and add to the mixture (I added a dash of milk to make it just a bit more creamy)
serve with breadsticks and green beans! it was a simple easy meal to prepare and a huge hit with the entire family! ENJOY!! :)
So because of this, my usually organized house is cluttered and my meal plans are a bit more simple and sporadic. With all of that said, I'm doing my best to get back into it!
My first goal this week is catching up with my coupons. I plan to get my meal plan together for my weekly shopping trip which will occur on Saturday morning. But first I have to tackle the massive, overwhelming stack of coupons sitting on my kitchen table. My first goal is to go through and purge my binder. Anything that is expired or that will expire before I use it will be tossed. I *hate* throwing away coupons, even expired ones. I feel like I"m just tossing money out of the window. But sometimes it's needed to get my stuff back on track. Once my binder is organized, my meals are planned and my grocery shopping is complete, I will tackle a new project for next week. Haven't decided what that will be yet, but I'll keep you posted! I'm thinking a new organizing system for toddler toys in the family room!
On a side note, here is a great, family friendly recipe that was a snap to throw together and super easy on the budget!! I found pre-made pesto super cheap at the grocery store and wanted something I could use it for before it expired.
Creamy Pesto Chicken with bow tie pasta
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup pesto sauce
1 box bow tie pasta
1. Arrange chicken breast in the crock pot
2. mix water, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over chicken.
3. Cook on low 6-8 hours
4. Cook pasta according to package
5. Stir in soup and pesto with the pasta, cut chicken into cubes and add to the mixture (I added a dash of milk to make it just a bit more creamy)
serve with breadsticks and green beans! it was a simple easy meal to prepare and a huge hit with the entire family! ENJOY!! :)
Thursday, September 22, 2011
A couple of quick deals I had to share!
I have to start with saying that I'm sorry I haven't kept up on my end with blogging deals and sales I find...life has become so busy it's all I can do to get to the store and buy food for the week! I will try to be better.
There were a couple of good deals I grabbed yesterday that were too good to pass up. Hopefully the prices are still as they were yesterday, sales re-set on Wednesdays, so no gurantee that it's the same.
The first one was for the new Knorr condensed stock tubs. I use a lot of chicken and beef stock in the winter for soups, stews, pastas etc. I try and make my own stock when I can, but having prepared stock on hand is always helpful on busy nights. Knorr just came out with their new condensed tubs of stock that you dissolve in water. A 4 pack of these retails for $3.99. Currently Dillons has them for $2.99 on sale and with the recent $2/1 coupon that was, it makes these $.99 for a 4 pack! Each tub makes about 3 1/2 cups of stock, so $.24 per 3 1/2 cups is a great price. I have tried these in a couple of recipes and really liked the flavor from them!
The other great deal happening at Dillons is the buy 10 items get $5 off at check out. Some deals we got were honey nut chex on sale for $1.99 (with this sale, buy any 10 mix and match items). Paired with a $.50/1 box coupon that doubles to $1/1 it made these boxes $.99 each. "Go-Gurt" and other yoplait kids yogurts are part of this sale for $1.49/pack. Paired with coupons that come from the paper or printed online for $.75/2 (doubles up to $1.00/2) it makes these yogurts $.99/each. Yoplait 32 oz yogurt containers are also $1.49 with this sale and with a $1/1 coupon, these become $.49 each.
There are many other great deals out there right now, but with two kids in tow and rapidly approaching dinner time, I didn't shop to the fullest extent. I will probably be going back tonight and will update any other good deals I find.
Happy shopping! Enjoy this lovely fall weather!
There were a couple of good deals I grabbed yesterday that were too good to pass up. Hopefully the prices are still as they were yesterday, sales re-set on Wednesdays, so no gurantee that it's the same.
The first one was for the new Knorr condensed stock tubs. I use a lot of chicken and beef stock in the winter for soups, stews, pastas etc. I try and make my own stock when I can, but having prepared stock on hand is always helpful on busy nights. Knorr just came out with their new condensed tubs of stock that you dissolve in water. A 4 pack of these retails for $3.99. Currently Dillons has them for $2.99 on sale and with the recent $2/1 coupon that was, it makes these $.99 for a 4 pack! Each tub makes about 3 1/2 cups of stock, so $.24 per 3 1/2 cups is a great price. I have tried these in a couple of recipes and really liked the flavor from them!
The other great deal happening at Dillons is the buy 10 items get $5 off at check out. Some deals we got were honey nut chex on sale for $1.99 (with this sale, buy any 10 mix and match items). Paired with a $.50/1 box coupon that doubles to $1/1 it made these boxes $.99 each. "Go-Gurt" and other yoplait kids yogurts are part of this sale for $1.49/pack. Paired with coupons that come from the paper or printed online for $.75/2 (doubles up to $1.00/2) it makes these yogurts $.99/each. Yoplait 32 oz yogurt containers are also $1.49 with this sale and with a $1/1 coupon, these become $.49 each.
There are many other great deals out there right now, but with two kids in tow and rapidly approaching dinner time, I didn't shop to the fullest extent. I will probably be going back tonight and will update any other good deals I find.
Happy shopping! Enjoy this lovely fall weather!
Monday, September 5, 2011
A few good deals and freebies!
There are a few good deals and freebies happening right now that I wanted to update everyone on!!
Snapfish - For printing pictures there is a GREAT deal going on through snapfish. From now until September 10th, you can get up to 500 prints per order for $.01 each! When you select your prints, go through the check out steps. When you get to the coupon code, put in the code "penny094u" and hit apply. This will make all of your prints a $.01 each. With shipping etc I got 493 prints yesterday for around $25. Not a bad deal! Normal cost I would have paid closer to $70. You can use this code up to 5 times I believe!
3 Spoons Frozen Yogurt - Back to school Bash! On Thursday, September 8th, any student can get free yogurt at 3 Spoons from 12 noon until midnight!! What a fun way to treat your family and kids to some yummy self serve frozen yogurt (with tons of toppings to choose from) in celebration of back to school!
Hastings Books and Entertainment - Hastings has TONS of DVDs for super cheap (as low as $.01, $.99, $1.99, $3.99 and up). They have been running a promo for buy one used DVD, get the second for $1. I was surprised how many current titles were marked down super cheap. I was able to get 6 fairly recent movies (3 for me, 3 for Mia) for under $15.
FYI - http://www.coupons.com/ has some pretty good printable coupons out right now that were just released at the beginning of the month. My favorite right now is the $.35/1 bottle of Dial hand soap.
Happy Shopping!
Snapfish - For printing pictures there is a GREAT deal going on through snapfish. From now until September 10th, you can get up to 500 prints per order for $.01 each! When you select your prints, go through the check out steps. When you get to the coupon code, put in the code "penny094u" and hit apply. This will make all of your prints a $.01 each. With shipping etc I got 493 prints yesterday for around $25. Not a bad deal! Normal cost I would have paid closer to $70. You can use this code up to 5 times I believe!
3 Spoons Frozen Yogurt - Back to school Bash! On Thursday, September 8th, any student can get free yogurt at 3 Spoons from 12 noon until midnight!! What a fun way to treat your family and kids to some yummy self serve frozen yogurt (with tons of toppings to choose from) in celebration of back to school!
Hastings Books and Entertainment - Hastings has TONS of DVDs for super cheap (as low as $.01, $.99, $1.99, $3.99 and up). They have been running a promo for buy one used DVD, get the second for $1. I was surprised how many current titles were marked down super cheap. I was able to get 6 fairly recent movies (3 for me, 3 for Mia) for under $15.
FYI - http://www.coupons.com/ has some pretty good printable coupons out right now that were just released at the beginning of the month. My favorite right now is the $.35/1 bottle of Dial hand soap.
Happy Shopping!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Grocery Deals this week!
A few grocery deals this weekend that I scored!
Dillons is having their Mega Cart Buster sale right now. This is a great time to find match ups with sales and coupons and build that stock pile!
Dillons:
Farmland bacon - $3.99/package. If you "like" the Farmland page on facebook you can instantly print a -$.55/1pkg coupon, which doubles up to $1 off of 1, making it $2.99 for a package! If you sign up for newsletters from Farmland you can also get emailed printable coupons from time to time.
Hamburger Helper - These are on sale at Dillons right now for $1/box. With your coupon for $1/3 boxes, it makes these $.66 per box. We don't do hamburger helper often, but it's nice to have it on hand for crazy busy nights that I don't have time to cook otherwise! My husband likes to make these to take for lunch at work as well.
Pasta Salad - 4/$5 ($1.25 a box) right now. Dillons mailed out coupons a while back with a $1/3 coupon, making these $.92 a box.
General Mills Cereal Treat Bars - on sale for $2 a box. With a $.50/1 coupon doubled to $1/1 coupon it makes these treats $1/box.
Gatorade - $.79 each
Toaster Strudels - on sale for $1.79 a box, with coupons for $1/2, it makes these $1.29 per box
Crest and Oral B indicator toothbrushes are still on sale for 10/$10. If you have coupons you didn't use, it makes these free for the toothpaste or $.50 each for the toothbrushes.
Degree deodorant - on sale for $2.99 each right now. With the BOGO coupon (buy one women's, get a men's free) plus the $.75/1 coupon (makes it $1/1 after doubling), you can get 4 women's and 4 men's deodorant for $7.96 each (or $.99 a piece)
School supplies are still on sale!!
Hy-Vee Deals
Tuesday Sale - 12 pack Coke or Pepsi products for $2.79 (limit 1)
Midwest Country Fare Frozen Veggies - $.59 per bag (16 oz) on peas, corn, cut green beans or mixed veggies
Natural Fresh Value Pack split chicken breast - $.88 per lb
Lunchables - 10/$10
Ragu Pasta Sauce - on sale for $1.77. When you purchase 2, you get a free 2 lb bag of HyVee elbow macaroni or spaghetti. There is also a coupon for $1.25 off of 3 jars Ragu, making 3 jars of sauce plus a bag of pasta $4.06.
Buy 10 participating Kellogg's or Keebler products, save $5! Mix and match various products.
Charmin Bathroom Tissue - Ultra Soft or Ultra Strong 9 roll for $4.48. Use $.25 coupon, get it for $4.23
Bounty 2 huge roll paper towels for $4.99
There are a few other match ups that I haven't put together at HyVee yet, but I will post them as soon as I get them together!
What deals have you found this week??
Dillons is having their Mega Cart Buster sale right now. This is a great time to find match ups with sales and coupons and build that stock pile!
Dillons:
Farmland bacon - $3.99/package. If you "like" the Farmland page on facebook you can instantly print a -$.55/1pkg coupon, which doubles up to $1 off of 1, making it $2.99 for a package! If you sign up for newsletters from Farmland you can also get emailed printable coupons from time to time.
Hamburger Helper - These are on sale at Dillons right now for $1/box. With your coupon for $1/3 boxes, it makes these $.66 per box. We don't do hamburger helper often, but it's nice to have it on hand for crazy busy nights that I don't have time to cook otherwise! My husband likes to make these to take for lunch at work as well.
Pasta Salad - 4/$5 ($1.25 a box) right now. Dillons mailed out coupons a while back with a $1/3 coupon, making these $.92 a box.
General Mills Cereal Treat Bars - on sale for $2 a box. With a $.50/1 coupon doubled to $1/1 coupon it makes these treats $1/box.
Gatorade - $.79 each
Toaster Strudels - on sale for $1.79 a box, with coupons for $1/2, it makes these $1.29 per box
Crest and Oral B indicator toothbrushes are still on sale for 10/$10. If you have coupons you didn't use, it makes these free for the toothpaste or $.50 each for the toothbrushes.
Degree deodorant - on sale for $2.99 each right now. With the BOGO coupon (buy one women's, get a men's free) plus the $.75/1 coupon (makes it $1/1 after doubling), you can get 4 women's and 4 men's deodorant for $7.96 each (or $.99 a piece)
School supplies are still on sale!!
Hy-Vee Deals
Tuesday Sale - 12 pack Coke or Pepsi products for $2.79 (limit 1)
Midwest Country Fare Frozen Veggies - $.59 per bag (16 oz) on peas, corn, cut green beans or mixed veggies
Natural Fresh Value Pack split chicken breast - $.88 per lb
Lunchables - 10/$10
Ragu Pasta Sauce - on sale for $1.77. When you purchase 2, you get a free 2 lb bag of HyVee elbow macaroni or spaghetti. There is also a coupon for $1.25 off of 3 jars Ragu, making 3 jars of sauce plus a bag of pasta $4.06.
Buy 10 participating Kellogg's or Keebler products, save $5! Mix and match various products.
Charmin Bathroom Tissue - Ultra Soft or Ultra Strong 9 roll for $4.48. Use $.25 coupon, get it for $4.23
Bounty 2 huge roll paper towels for $4.99
There are a few other match ups that I haven't put together at HyVee yet, but I will post them as soon as I get them together!
What deals have you found this week??
Back to School Clothes for Kids!
It's back to school time and kids clothes for Fall and Winter are on sale! There are great deals to be had right now. There are also great clearance prices on summer stuff that I have been buying for super cheap and putting away for next summer!!
First things first, when starting on your back to school shopping, having an idea or list of things you need plus a general budget for what you are hoping to spend is always a good idea. Take into account clothes you already have, clothes that will still fit this year and don't forget to add essentials into the clothes budget, like socks, underwear, coats, hats, gloves etc.
My budget this year was $150 per kid, so $300 total for fall and winter clothes. I bought ahead last year in preparation for this fall/winter, so I already have quite a bit of clothes ready. I sat down a few weeks ago and sorted through the clothes we already have and wrote down what was there. Then I made a general list of things I thought we needed.
Example:
M's list for this year (age 5)
4 or 5 pairs of Jeans
3 pairs of Yoga Pants
2 pairs sweat pants
3 Pairs of leggings (various colors for under dresses/skirts)
3-4 Dresses
4-5 sweaters
2-3 zip up sweatshirts/hoodies
10 long sleeved shirts (various types)
Socks
Underwear
Rain Jacket
Winter Coat
3 night gowns
4 leotards for cheer/gymnastics.
This is my "master" list of how much I think she needs. Because I bought several items ahead last year for super cheap (many things less than $1 a piece from Old Navy and Gap), she'll usually have more clothes than this. But this is a decent idea of how much she NEEDS to have so I'm not doing laundry every day during the school year. I bought everything on this list and paid just a little under $150 for all of it
O's list is a little different since she's a baby...but same concept!
Here are some of the deals I've gotten or seen:
Carters - up to 50% off on their long sleeved onesies and pants (mix and match) plus online you can get a 20% off of a $40 purchase or more coupon online to use in store. I got several long sleeved tops and stretchy pants for Olivia, plus a couple of clearanced sun dresses there for both girls. If shopping online, there is a $6 flat shipping rate right now!
Old Navy - all of their kids jeans are $10 (normally $19.50) from now through August 7th. They also have it in store that if you spend $40, you get a $20 old navy bucks to use at the end of the month. So I got $40 of Old Navy bucks to use later. They had a lot of good stuff on clearance as well, we stocked up on swim suits and summer clothes for next year (most were like $3.99 and under)
Gap (regular store, not outlet) is having their Friends and Family 30% off right now through August 7th. If you mention "Circle of friends 30% off" when you check out you get 30% off your entire purchase. You can also "like" their page on facebook to get this deal. If shopping online, use the code "300ff" to get your 30% off (if you have a gap card you can get 35% off using "35off") I got some cute long sleeved tops and zip up hoodies for both girls at the Gap store here in town, as well as some cute skirts and dresses. The nice thing with their dresses and skirts, is that they can still be used this fall by adding leggings and a cardigan sweater. Their GAP logo zip up hoodies are favorites in our house! You also will get a survey when you check out that gives you 20% off of one single regular priced item on your next shopping trip.
The Gap Outlet at the Legends is also having their "everything kids" sale (as of last Friday anyway) that had a lot of stuff from 20-40% off plus tons of summer stuff clearnaced out.
Stride Rite has BOGO 1/2 off at their outlet store right now plus tons of sales on kids shoes.
Gymboree - I didn't make it to Gymboree this time, but I've been told by a few that they had several bins of marked down items there, if not for this year, buy big for next year. Right now they are advertising $5.99 back to school sale on Graphic Tee's, leggings, polo's and more. They are offering up to 60% off on all kids clothes! I'm not sure if they are doing gymbucks right now or not, but that's always nice too! Gymboree clothes are a tad more expensive than others, but hold up well.
Justice - Justice for Girls has everything in store and online 40% off right now! If shopping in store there is no coupon required, if shopping online at www.shopjustice.com use code 760 or 779 to get the 40% off. If you shop through www.shopathome.com, you can also get 10% cash back on Justice purchases.
So there are a few deals to get you started with back to school shopping. My goal this year was to not pay full price on anything for fall/winter clothes! I have managed to do that so far!! :)
Happy Shopping!
First things first, when starting on your back to school shopping, having an idea or list of things you need plus a general budget for what you are hoping to spend is always a good idea. Take into account clothes you already have, clothes that will still fit this year and don't forget to add essentials into the clothes budget, like socks, underwear, coats, hats, gloves etc.
My budget this year was $150 per kid, so $300 total for fall and winter clothes. I bought ahead last year in preparation for this fall/winter, so I already have quite a bit of clothes ready. I sat down a few weeks ago and sorted through the clothes we already have and wrote down what was there. Then I made a general list of things I thought we needed.
Example:
M's list for this year (age 5)
4 or 5 pairs of Jeans
3 pairs of Yoga Pants
2 pairs sweat pants
3 Pairs of leggings (various colors for under dresses/skirts)
3-4 Dresses
4-5 sweaters
2-3 zip up sweatshirts/hoodies
10 long sleeved shirts (various types)
Socks
Underwear
Rain Jacket
Winter Coat
3 night gowns
4 leotards for cheer/gymnastics.
This is my "master" list of how much I think she needs. Because I bought several items ahead last year for super cheap (many things less than $1 a piece from Old Navy and Gap), she'll usually have more clothes than this. But this is a decent idea of how much she NEEDS to have so I'm not doing laundry every day during the school year. I bought everything on this list and paid just a little under $150 for all of it
O's list is a little different since she's a baby...but same concept!
Here are some of the deals I've gotten or seen:
Carters - up to 50% off on their long sleeved onesies and pants (mix and match) plus online you can get a 20% off of a $40 purchase or more coupon online to use in store. I got several long sleeved tops and stretchy pants for Olivia, plus a couple of clearanced sun dresses there for both girls. If shopping online, there is a $6 flat shipping rate right now!
Old Navy - all of their kids jeans are $10 (normally $19.50) from now through August 7th. They also have it in store that if you spend $40, you get a $20 old navy bucks to use at the end of the month. So I got $40 of Old Navy bucks to use later. They had a lot of good stuff on clearance as well, we stocked up on swim suits and summer clothes for next year (most were like $3.99 and under)
Gap (regular store, not outlet) is having their Friends and Family 30% off right now through August 7th. If you mention "Circle of friends 30% off" when you check out you get 30% off your entire purchase. You can also "like" their page on facebook to get this deal. If shopping online, use the code "300ff" to get your 30% off (if you have a gap card you can get 35% off using "35off") I got some cute long sleeved tops and zip up hoodies for both girls at the Gap store here in town, as well as some cute skirts and dresses. The nice thing with their dresses and skirts, is that they can still be used this fall by adding leggings and a cardigan sweater. Their GAP logo zip up hoodies are favorites in our house! You also will get a survey when you check out that gives you 20% off of one single regular priced item on your next shopping trip.
The Gap Outlet at the Legends is also having their "everything kids" sale (as of last Friday anyway) that had a lot of stuff from 20-40% off plus tons of summer stuff clearnaced out.
Stride Rite has BOGO 1/2 off at their outlet store right now plus tons of sales on kids shoes.
Gymboree - I didn't make it to Gymboree this time, but I've been told by a few that they had several bins of marked down items there, if not for this year, buy big for next year. Right now they are advertising $5.99 back to school sale on Graphic Tee's, leggings, polo's and more. They are offering up to 60% off on all kids clothes! I'm not sure if they are doing gymbucks right now or not, but that's always nice too! Gymboree clothes are a tad more expensive than others, but hold up well.
Justice - Justice for Girls has everything in store and online 40% off right now! If shopping in store there is no coupon required, if shopping online at www.shopjustice.com use code 760 or 779 to get the 40% off. If you shop through www.shopathome.com, you can also get 10% cash back on Justice purchases.
So there are a few deals to get you started with back to school shopping. My goal this year was to not pay full price on anything for fall/winter clothes! I have managed to do that so far!! :)
Happy Shopping!
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