Leader Enterprise - January 23, 2019 - Couponing

Smoked Sausage, White Bean & Potato Chowder

Do you “COUPON”? Do you spend time cutting and filing coupons?  Do you consider yourself to be a “Coupon Queen” (or King)?

I think in most homes, your food budget is something that can be a little flexible. I'd like to share some tips to help you recover from a, sometimes costly, holiday season and to be able to keep eating good food.  

Plan your weekly menu. When planning your menu consider what you already have in your pantry or freezer that needs to be used. What recipes can you make that will use those ingredients?

Plan your menu from the weekly sale flyer. Then make your list.

Only clip coupons you'll use. There’s no sense in saving money on something that expires in your pantry because you never used it.

Stockpile items you use on a regular basis. This is smart for several reasons. First of all, you can purchase your stockpile items when they are on sale, meaning you won’t ever have to pay full price for them. Secondly, you have items on hand for a quick meal when you can’t get to the grocery store. 

Scour your newspapers and magazines weekly. Sunday newspapers are a treasure when you are able to use many coupons and store circulars with info on sales.

Here's a few frugal and delicious recipes for you to try in your menu rotation. This veggie soup takes about 2 minutes prep time too! 

 SIMPLE VEGGIE SOUP 

1 bag (16 ozs) frozen mixed vegetables

1 can (10.75 ozs) french onion soup

1 can (10.75 ozs) tomato rice soup

1 soup can of water

In large saucepan, cook vegetables according to package directions; drain. Add both cans of soup and water; cook over medium high heat until heated through. Sprinkle with grated cheese if desired. Serve with a sandwich or cheese and crackers for a tasty lunch. 

Oftentimes, you can find smoked sausage on sale.  Stock up when you do and you'll be ready to make this luscious thick soup. 

SMOKED SAUSAGE, WHITE BEAN AND POTATO CHOWDER 

2-1/2 c. chicken broth 

3 c. potatoes, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1/2 c. carrots, diced

1-1/2 c. smoked sausage (or ham), chopped

3 Tb. butter, melted

3 Tb. all purpose flour

2 c. half and half (or whole milk)

1 can (15 ozs.) northern beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 chicken bouillon cube, crushed

1 c. shredded cheese, optional

black pepper to taste

In large pot, add chicken broth, potatoes, celery, onions, carrots and smoked sausage; bring to boil and cook until veggies are tender, about 12 - 15 minutes. 

In medium saucepan, melt butter, stir in flour (a whisk works great) then add half and half a little at a time, stirring until smooth and thick. Drain some of the broth from sausage mixture, adding that to flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Add cheese and heat until it melts.  Slowly add that back to the pot with veggies and sausage. Add beans, bouillon and pepper. Heat through and serve. 

This tasty cake has no eggs, no butter or milk and you mix it by hand. It's often been called a Depression Cake. And it's SO good. 

WACKY CAKE  

3/4 - 1 c. white sugar

1-1/2 c. all purpose flour

3 Tb. unsweetened baking cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8" x 8" baking pan with cooking spray. In prepared baking pan, mix these 5 ingredients. Make 3 'wells' in the mixture, one bigger than the other two. In the large well, add 5 Tb. vegetable oil. In a small well, add 1 tsp. vanilla extract. In the last small well, add 1-1/2 tsp. vinegar. Add 1 c. cold water to the pan and stir with fork until combined and smooth. Bake about 25 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Cool; serve with a dusting of powdered sugar. 

To succeed in life you need three things; A wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone - Reba McEntire 

Leader Enterprise - Nov. 7, 2012 - Couponing & Homemade Cleaners

photo credit: The Country Cook 

Using coupons is a great way to stretch your family’s budget.There are available coupons for things other than groceries too, like restaurants, toys,and even vacations. Experiment using coupons to help you save up to 90% to try new products you wouldn’t normally buy but will practically put to use.

Buying one or more Sunday papers that include coupon books, is a great way to get stocked up on savings. Check out websites, like www.thecouponclippers.com that offer coupons for cents on the dollar or www.coupondivas.com that offer tutorials to help you get started in the couponing game. Maybe you have a friend who will give you their coupons?  It never hurts to ask especially if those savings are being tossed in the trash.

Make it a goal to only buy grocery items on sale and with a coupon. Plan meals around those purchases.

Whether you are new to couponing or a seasoned saver, one of the first steps you need to consider is how to store and organize your coupons. I would suggest you always carry your coupons with you. Even though you think you’re just running into the store for one item, you might see something on sale or on the clearance rack that you have a coupon for, so you do want to keep it handy.

It might work for you to tuck your clipped coupons into a simple envelope. Or mark several envelopes with categories. Or store them according to expiration dates. Do what works best for you.

Maybe you’d prefer, as I do, an expanding file that is wallet size and easy to carry in your purse. Make sure it has tabs on top of the dividers. Mark each with the product category so you can find what you're looking for at a glance. I normally add my most recent coupons to the back of each divider, so that the oldest ones(most likely to expire first) are in the front.

Did you realize that whether you like or dislike a product, if you write to the company, they likely will send you coupons?  I've done it myself and was thrilled for what I have received. Free items even! It's worth some time and being able to email a company makes things quicker than ever before.

And did you know that expired coupons can be mailed to military families? They're able to use them in their base stores up to six months after expiration. One site to check out for details is www.coupsfortroops.com.

Thought I'd share a few Do-It-Yourself recipes to help stretch that budget.

NATURAL STAINLESS STEEL CLEANER

Wipe off any major caked on grime using a rag. Pour about a tablespoon or so of olive oil on a folded paper towel. You don’t want too much oil or you’ll leave streaks of oil on the fridge, but you want enough that it does the job. You may have to experiment a bit.

Wipe the fridge or appliance “with the grain” of the steel. Look for what direction the metal seems to naturally go. This stroking method worked better than using a circular motion, which left some streaks. You may have to reload your paper towel once or twice with more oil to cover the whole surface. Wipe off any excess oil using a dry paper towel.

HOMEMADE LIQUID FABRIC SOFTENER

6 c. hot water

3 c. white distilled vinegar

2 c. hair conditioner (any brand)

1 empty gallon container

In large (microwave safe) bowl, mix vinegar and hair conditioner together it will look a tad clumpy). Place bowl in microwave and heat for a minute or two. This will ensure the ingredients will blend together. Remove from microwave and stir. Add hot water and mix to blend. Pour mixture into a one gallon container and store in laundry room. 

Use same amount as you would store-purchased softener. (though I always use about half as much as the label says).

Note: Be sure to shake bottle well before adding to dispenser, downy ball or directly in rinse cycle. (I had an extra large bottle of Downy already, and just added this mixture to it. It works great and I still get the fragrance from the Downy.) 

I have a friend who raves about this DIY recipe for HOMEMADE SPRAY STARCH. She refuses to ever buy it again.

Simply add 2 TB. cornstarch to 2 cups water in a spray bottle.Shake and spray. VOILA!

This dessert would be a lovely addition to your Thanksgiving menu.
It comes from my blogging friend, Brandie, aka The Country Cook. She is well known for her amazing desserts. She gave me permission to use her photo.

PUMPKIN PIE DUMP CAKE

1 (15 ozs) can pumpkin puree (not pie mix)

1 (12 ozs) can evaporated milk

3 lg. eggs

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 (18 ozs) box Spice (or yellow) cake mix

1 c. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9" X 13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In medium bowl, combine pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon and blend until smooth. Mixture will be thin. Pour into prepared dish. Sprinkle dry cake mix over top of pumpkin mixture. Bake for 55-60 minutes. It might be a bit jiggly in middle when done. It will continue to set up as it cools. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Dollop each serving with whipped cream. Refrigerate any leftovers.

"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.
Have you used one to say thank you?" - William Arthur Ward 

Always fun to win!

Just wanted to share a sweet 'bonus' I've received this past week. 

I won a coupon for a free 59 ozs. bottle Simply Orange (or Apple or Grapefruit) Juice from Kristy's giveaway at Casual Dish

I ran right out the same day it arrived and bought a bottle of orange juice with mango and it was a true delight.  VERY delicious!

THANKS SO MUCH KRISTY!!

Are you a Coupon-er?

I have always enjoyed grocery shopping.  I know that's not the case for everyone, but part of the reason I find it 'fun', is because I make the most of couponing, and so I thought I'd share a few ideas and thoughts to help get you get the most for your money.

The best deal I ever had was when I once paid $39 for $63 worth of groceries. But I've heard of women who regularly save as much as 80% of their cost!!

• Scour your newspapers and magazines weekly.  Sunday newspapers are a treasure when you are able to use many coupons and store circulars with info on sales.

• 
  
  I try to stock up on my most-used items when they're on sale.  Many stores allow you - as mine does - to use a store coupon along with a manufacturer's coupon.  And if your store doubles or even triples the coupon, you can go home with free items. WOW! Ex: my grocery store once had a holiday coupon deal - Buy one 5# bag of flour, get 3 free.  That in and of itself is a real deal, but I had a 25 cents off coupon for the flour, that was doubled, and so I ended up paying 49 cents for 20# of flour!!


• 
  
  There are some great websites where you can print coupons.  Check out www.couponmom.com or www.moneysavingmom.com that can help you save even more.


• 
  
  Enlist your kids to help.  Joe Daugirdas of Willoughby Hills, Ohio blogs on his site - www.joethecouponguy.com and teaches classes at a community college on how to save money.  He suggests having your kids clip coupons and then match them to your shopping list.


• 
  
  A fun 'trick' I have learned, is that if I really like a product, I can call their 1-800 number and rave to them.  More often than not, they will send a coupon or two to me, just for taking the time to contact them. I've received a number of FREE coupons!


• 
  
  My daughter, Deb, recently had a post about couponing, that I'd like to share here too... check it out...

The Kick of Couponing

I have to say I love shopping!  I can't tell you how many times I've offered  to do shopping for friends - of course, with their $$ - but I do enjoy getting as much as possible for my money, so going to the grocery store is a pleasant event for me, at least most of the time.

I recently got some great deals because my regular grocery store was running coupon deals for a 2 week period.  As you can see by the picture of my receipt, I was able to save 40%.  That's quite a savings these days, when we have to spend so much more for products than what we were paying a year or two ago.   Paying regular prices these days can be a real killer.

I save coupons that come in our weekly newspaper, but I only save for the items that I would purchase, IF they were on sale.   I carry a coupon keeper in my purse at all times, and I'm ready to save all I can.

Occasionally, I am able to save more with manufacturer's coupons, along with store coupons, but it wasn't so this time.  I only used store coupons, and was very pleased with my bargains.





My local store regularly doubles coupons up to $1.00, and I have purchased items on sale for 99 cents - used my manufacturer's coupon for 50 cents, and gotten the item for free.

I try to stay stocked ahead, so that when things that I normally use, are on sale, I buy them, even if I don't need them right now.  I believe it saves in the long run.

We prefer frozen vegetables.  The regular price for a 1# bag, is $1.59.  It is rare that I ever pay that price, because they are on sale often, and that's when I choose to stock up.  This week, because of a store coupon, I was able to get 5 bags for $4.  Thus, a savings of $3.95 there alone.

I also saved $4.00 on the 3# bag of quick frozen chicken breasts, because that was part of the coupon deal. That's nearly half price.



We like to shop at our local bulk food store too.  We recently saw a sign posted there for co-jack cheese...our favorite...for $2.40 a lb.   That's nearly half as much as the regular price, and we had to buy a big chunk.  We got almost 6#. so I chunked some up for a quick nibble, and shredded much of it, and put some in the freezer.   Cheese tends to crumble more after its frozen, so having shredded it first, will make it easier to use.

There are so many online sources for coupons, but I really love the look of Coupon Mom!  She's a woman after my own heart!