And the winner is...Albertsons! This week, Albertsons was doubling, tripling, quadrupling coupons up to $1.00 which made for some pretty great deals. Basically, all of your coupons under $1.00 were worth $1.00/off.

Here is what I found:

2 bottles of Frenchs Mustard- on sale for $1.00, used 2 coupons=FREE
1 bottle Frenchs Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce- on sale for $1.00, used a coupon=FREE
1 box Wheat Thins-on sale for $1.47, used $1.00/1 coupon from Facebook= $0.47
2 pkgs. Cool Whip- on sale for $1.00 each, used coupon that was $0.20/2=$1.00 for both
Ball Park Hot Dogs-on sale for $2.99, store coupon for buy 1, get 2 free, used 2 coupons=$1.00 for all 3
4 pkgs. Dentyne Pure Gum- on sale for $1.00, used 2 coupons that were $1.00/1, found another coupon in the store that was buy 1 get 1 free=$0.25/pkg.
2 pkgs. Rayovac batteries-on sale for $1.00/pkg, used 2 coupons that were $1.00/1=FREE
2 cans of Van de Camps pork and beans-on sale for $0.50/can, no coupons, but I needed them

Total Spent: $5.69
Total Saved: $33.16!!!!

Back around Easter, I bought 7 cartons of eggs because they were marked down 50%. I knew that I couldn't use all of the eggs right away, so I cracked them into an ice cube tray and froze them. How did it work? Well, next time I will poke the yolk of the egg before freezing. If you don't, I have found that the yolk stays frozen long after the egg white thaws. Also, the egg tastes the same once you scramble it, but the egg doesn't stay together as well. There are lots of little scrambled egg bits instead of the pretty mound of scrambled eggs when you use the fresh ones. Overall, I would try freezing the eggs again. I have not tried baking with them yet, but when I try it, I will let you know.

For those of you who do not know, I am a Creative Memories consultant. I became a consultant at the beginning of February because I fell in love with digital scrapbooking. You know me-I am always trying to get the biggest bang for my buck, so I thought "why not fund my hobby by sharing my love for preserving memories?"

Here is why I LOVE digital scrapbooking with Storybook Creator Plus 3.0:
1) You do NOT have to be crafty/creative to make beautiful albums
2) You do NOT have to cut straight, measure, or worry about mistakes. The UNDO button is my best friend!
3) There is no mess to clean up. This is especially important when you have a limited work space and little children who love to "help"
4) You do not have to be connected to the internet to work on your scrapbook
5) Digital paper and stickers are reusable-BIG money savings right here
6) If you have ugly handwriting-no problem. The software will recognize any fonts that you have downloaded on your computer. (BTW, I know a great site for free fonts- http://www.dafont.com/)
7) FREE digital goodies on the Creative Memories website EVERY DAY!
8) Freedom to customize your scrapbook in anyway you like. All page elements can be edited.
9) It saves time. I can make a page in 5-10 minutes.
10) You can order multiple copies of your albums. This is especially great when you make family albums and want each of your children to have a copy.
11)  The software allows you to edit your photos and add special effects, such as black and white or sepia tones, lighting, softening the edges, etc.
12) I use the software to make cards, invitations, posters, VT handouts, candy bar wrappers, etc. It is SO much easier to work with than Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher.

If you have wanted to get your pictures off of your hard drive and into your life, there isn't a better time to start than right now. For 2 weeks only, Creative Memories is offering their Storybook Creator Plus 3.0 software for 40% off. You can view the products offered on my website http://www.mycmsite.com/sites/awinterton. Hurry-you don't want to miss out on this great deal!

Hi,

I want you to take a look at : Vocalpoint - Are Coupons Worth It?

On Saturday, we attended one of my little girls' friend's birthday party. It was a pool party, and one of the moms there told me about reusable swim diapers. I am definitely not into  reusable diapers for every day use because I am just not that interested in touching more poop than I have too! However, the idea of a reusable swim diaper is pretty cool. I think I could handle washing a swim diaper every now and then.

You will spend about as much on one reusable swim diaper as you would on a package of Little Swimmers, but if you go swimming a lot, this could save you money in the long run, especially if you are planning on having more children. Have any of you tried reusable swim diapers? Which brands do you like/dislike?

I decided to start keeping track of all of the free things I get each month. It was astounding to me! These items were not part of a buy 1 get 1 free sale. In other words, they were totally and 100% free!!!! Here is what I got during the month of May. The items total retail value is $77.81. The total does not include the free samples I got in the mail of Pantene shampoo and conditioner and Wheat Thins.

5/1/2010	Mission Tortillas	1.79
5/1/2010	Mission Tortillas	1.79
5/7/2010	BC Pasta Salad	3.19
5/7/2010	BC Pasta Salad	3.19
5/7/2010	BC Pasta Salad	3.19
5/7/2010	Puffs Tissue	1.69
5/7/2010	Puffs Tissue	1.69
5/7/2010	Puffs Tissue	1.69
5/7/2010	Puffs Tissue	1.69
5/7/2010	Puffs Tissue	1.69
5/7/2010	Puffs Tissue	1.69
5/7/2010	Marcal Bath Tissue	1.69
5/7/2010	Yoplait Greek Yogurt	1.19
5/7/2010	Yoplait Greek Yogurt	1.19
5/7/2010	Yoplait Greek Yogurt	1.19
5/7/2010	Yoplait Greek Yogurt	1.19
5/7/2010	Green Giant Steamer Veggies	2.39
5/7/2010	Green Giant Steamer Veggies	2.39
5/7/2010	Hershey Bliss Bar	0.8
5/7/2010	Einstein Bros. Bagel	0.99
5/10/2010	Tabasco Sauce	2.49
5/11/2010	Oikos Greek Yogurt	1.99
5/11/2010	Nabisco 100 calorie snack packs	3.59
5/11/2010	Nabisco 100 calorie snack packs	3.59
5/11/2010	Nabisco 100 calorie snack packs	3.59
5/11/2010	Nabisco 100 calorie snack packs	3.59
5/11/2010	Reese Dark Chocolate	0.99
5/11/2010	Hershey's choc bar	0.99
5/11/2010	Hershey's choc bar	0.99
5/11/2010	Caramello	1.98
5/15/2010	Kraft Olive Oil Mayo	2.29
5/19/2010		0.5
5/21/2010	Einstein Bros. Bagel	0.99
5/25/2010	Kraft Dressing	2.59
5/25/2010	Kraft Dressing	2.59
5/25/2010	Kraft Dressing	2.59
5/27/2010	Marcal Bath Tissue	1.69
5/27/2010	Corn Nuts Chips	1.49
5/27/2010	Corn Nuts Chips	1.49
5/27/2010	Corn Nuts Chips	1.49

Tis the season for graduations, weddings, and family reunions. If you don't shop around, costs can easily get out of control. If you have any tips for saving money on big get togethers, I would love to hear them. Yesterday, I had to buy some balloons for a friend's graduation party. I learned that there is a big price discrepancy between various stores. If you only need mylar balloons, dollar stores are your best bet, but they do not carry latex balloons. I found that for latex balloons, supermarkets were more expensive than party stores. I was not expecting that! A friend also suggested that you might be able to save money if you buy a package of balloons, and then fill them with helium. As with everything else, it pays to make a few phone calls to find the best price on balloons.