Three years ago when I started my obsessive saving hobby, I noticed that soon I found ways to save on more than just my groceries and household items. I found deals on treats, dinning out, even family activities and vacations. Over the years some great companies have emerged that make finding these types of deal even easier. One of my most favorites is Groupon.  This site shares deals on things like massages, photo books, treats, restaurants, exercise classes, lawn care, etc… EVERYTHING! It is easy to use. You can go to the main website Groupon.com, You can have emails sent to you, and for you techy people out there they even have mobile apps. (I LOVE!) Once you make a purchase you can print it out or use your smart phone app and use it. The customer service is awesome too. You can call or send an email.

Groupon also has an awesome *referral program that anyone can be a part of. Post widgets on your blogs, send email, Facebook posts, or tweet and if your friends purchase using your referral code you get Groupon bucks to use toward your own purchases! There is also an *associates program you can use to help earn some cash for sharing if you choose.

I am both an associate and a regular use referring you to this site. I do so, yes, because I get some compensation for helping YOU learn about their site. BUT I am also sharing this information because I have througherly enjoyed using Groupon .  There was once a deal on Redbox rentals, I paid $1 for 3 rentals. I got 3 seperate codes I could use until June. It has been great to use the codes when I want to have a little movie night with the kids. I also purchased $10 worth of frozen yogurt for $5 to use at a yogurt shop in Salt Lake called Juicy Berry. Our family spent the day in Salt Lake during spring break and used the the deal to fall in love with this yummy, self serve  frozen yogurt shop. It was so easy to use too. I just showed the cashier my iPhone with the code and cha ching! discount!!

Don’t just take my word for it. Give it a shot for your self.

Learning to save in every way makes for an obsessively happy budget!

*I do not share things I wouldn’t use myself. I have also always loved to share what I can without charge. Through ad placement, associate, and referral accounts I am compensated a little bit and would very much appreciate you using my links and referral codes as I share them on this blog. I do recommend that after you have first made a purchase using my codes that you share the YOUR referral codes with your friends and family as you desire. Thank you!

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This recipe is being shared for several reasons;

1. There is a fabulous cereal sale at Kroger going on until the 26th.   The deal is buy 4 participating GM Cereals or Snacks, get a $5 gift card. Limit 1 reward per transaction. 4/13/11-4/26/11. The best deals are the GM cereals that are on sale 4 for $10, the Nature Valley Granola Bars and the Fiber One Granola bars. Check the Smiths/Kroger list in your area for all the specifics. The cereal we will be using in this recipe is the Total original cereal. Which you can purchase right now for as low as 50 cents! The Total is on sale for $2.50 but if you buy four GM cereals or granola bars, mix and match,  you will get a gift card for $5 back which takes the price down to $1.25, now  use any of these coupons, $1/2 GM Cereals Mi0SS-3/27  or *Kroger Cardload a .75/1 Total cereal and get your cereal for .75 or .50. *Note Kroger Card load coupons ARE manufacturer coupons and can not be stacked with a newspaper coupon. You will be able to use the card loaded coupon on one box so be sure to cut and bring your newspaper coupons with you to use on the other 3 boxes.
2. This recipe also uses the chocolate chips we got a steal on last week. You can still get them for .97 or a dollar until April 20th.
3. It is NO TV WEEK  this week so this is a fun treat I can make with my kids.
4. It is raining which means the kids don’t want to go outside, cant watch tv or do anything with a monitor so what is left is good old fashioned fun with mom in the kitchen to keep us all entertained!

I hope you enjoy this yummy treat. It can also be used with Rice Krispies or Corn Flakes but with the awesome sale on Total I thought I would give it a try and it was delicious!

Oh Henry Bars

•  1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Karo Syrup
• 1 cup Peanut Butter
• 5 cups Corn Flakes or Total (or use 3 cups of Rice Krispies instead)
• 1 cup butterscotch chips*
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Bring Sugar and Karo Syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and add peanut butter. Stir in the cereal and pour mixture into a greased 9X13 pan. In a microwave safe bowl combine chips and melt in microwave. For best results microwave 30 seconds at a time stir in between until all melted. Pour melted mixture over cereal mixture and cool before cutting.

*Optional: you could omit the butterscotch and do an entire bag of chocolate chips instead.

Do you have any yummy recipes you use cereal for? Please share by commenting below or emailing me at theobsessiveshopper at live dot com.

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When it comes to using your freezer as a stockpile tool it is important to know how to properly store food for freezing. Most of the information I share will come from my personal experience as well as two of my favorite freezer articles, “Freezing and Food Safety” by the USDA and “The Ultimate Guide to Freezing Food” by the Former Fat Guy Blog

Storing Food

When storing food for freezing it is most important to protect the food from air. Air will create ice crystals on the food that will reduce the quality and flavor. The best way to store food for freezing is to use air tight containers.

Labeling foods is also helpful. Use a permanent marker and note what it is, the date you froze it and you could also mark the date by which it should be used for best taste and quality. For frozen meal items I also mark any special baking or thawing directions.

Freezer Bags: I like to use Freezer Ziploc bags. A Freezer bag is designed with thicker plastic and a stronger seal to prevent air reaching the food. They can be purchased using sales and coupons to keep costs down and can be thrown away. I especially like freezer bags for freezing raw meats, and chopped fruits, veggies, left overs and cookie dough. To make filling bags easier you can use a tall cup or vase, place the bag inside with the opening folded over the lip of the cup/vase. Fill with the cut up fruits, veggies or even liquids. Pull from cup/vase squeeze out air carefully try to prevent any food from getting on the closure area. Zip tightly and store individually in freezer until frozen. After the item is frozen, usually over night, you can then stack them.

Glass: Glass baking dishes can be used when freezing casseroles or other dinner items just be careful when removing not to drop on your foot. It really hurts! Some of my favorite glass baking dishes came with lids. When I use them in the freezer I always use plastic wrap or foil over the food first then add the lid.
Plastic containers: Plastic containers can be purchased specifically for freezing. These are great for soups, sauces and jams as they maintain a rigid shape while pouring the liquids in. With freezing in glass or plastic containers it is important to leave room for expansion.

Freeze as is: Some foods can be frozen right from the store. If you are freezing bread items, including tortillas, be sure there are no holes in the bags they came in and double knot the opening then put it right in the freezer. Yoplait Go Gurts, Capri Sun, fruit juice boxes, candy bars (Oh, yeah I do freeze candy! Cadbury Mini eggs, Rollos, Hershey’s bars when they are on sale I stock up), hot dogs, yogurt cups, bacon, prepackaged deli meats, shredded cheese and some meat from your butcher block can go right in like roasts. If you buy meats in bulk however I do recomend freezing in portion sizes that you will likely use.

DO NOT FREEZE carbonated drinks they will explode. I have remnants of a frozen Coke accident on the roof of my mini van! DO NOT FREEZE canned foods.

Cans frozen accidentally, such as those left in a car or basement in sub-zero temperatures, can present health problems. If the cans are merely swollen — and you are sure the swelling was caused by freezing — the cans may still be usable. Let the can thaw in the refrigerator before opening. If the product doesn’t look and/or smell normal, throw it out. DO NOT TASTE IT! If the seams have rusted or burst, throw the cans out immediately, wrapping the burst can in plastic and disposing the food where no one, including animals can get it. ( “Freezing and Food Safety” by the USDA)

Coming up next in this Freezer Food Storage Series: ways to organize your freezer and how long things can be frozen.

Do you have a unique freezer food storage tip? Share your knowledge by leaving a comment.

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From now until April 16th You can get a steal on Nestle Toll House Morsels at Kroger stores! Nestle Morsels are on sale 2 for $4. Use these coupons, $1.50/2 SS 4/10 or these printables Nestle .50/2, Couponnetwork.com, $1.10/3. When you Buy 4 you will get a $3 voucher, buy 3 and get a $2 voucher. The vouchers are like cash towards your next shopping order.

Here is the break down using the $1.50/2 ss 4/10 coupon.

Buy 4 for $8
Use two coupons -$3, so now we are at $5 for 4
Get voucher after you pay. -$3
Total cost including the voucher value is .50 a bag

Here is the break down using the Nestle printable (print twice) .50/2

Buy 4 for $8
Use two coupons -$1, so now we are at $7 for 4
Get voucher after you pay. -$3
Total cost including the voucher value is $1 a bag

Here is the break down using the Couponnetwork.com printable (print twice) $1.10/3

Buy 3 for $6
Use one coupon -$1.10, so now we are at $4.90 for 3
Get voucher after you pay. -$2
Total cost including the voucher value is .97 a bag

I would buy one set of 4 then use the voucher for the next set, this is called rolling the voucher over.

You will be left with a $3 or $2 voucher to use toward your other groceries.

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I woke up Tuesday morning so excited to execute my Tangled purchasing plan, go to KMart see how much the movie was there and if it was more than $25, head to Best Buy. Of course this morning my 5 year old princess decides to sleep in. Finally at 9 am we head to the Big K, from first site it looked promising no huge masses of cars. I looked at the hours of operation as I approached the door, they opened at 8 am another good sign. That’s when I saw nothing- no more combo packs and no more dolls on the display!

With panic in my step I rushed my princess to the van to hopefully find something at Best Buy but all I found there was an empty lot because they don’t open until 10 am. Back to home for half an hour longer.

Upon returning I laughed at the scene, mini vans and SUVs scattered in the parking lot just waiting to see who will be brazen enough to face the cold and start a line. Ten minutes to 10 am a cute grandma did it, she made the first move. So naturally I acted as calm and nonchalantly as I could to get third place. Why were we here I wondered and one dad summed it up while waiting, “just to get a stupid doll and movie for our kids.”. No, I was there not just for my kids but because of my obsession to spend less and live more.

The magical doors opened and quietly, calmly we marched through that store to get our prize and with my two 4 disc combos in hand and no dolls in sight I made it straight to check out to get to the bottom of this mess. I was told my store only got 3 Pascal dolls!!!! 3 freaking dolls for a store that services over 100,000 residents! 3 dolls for a store whose ad mentioned “while supplies last” they call a supply 3 dolls!!! They seriously need to take a lesson on stock piling from the coupon world. 3 dumb stuffed dolls that went to the customers who pre ordered from the web to pick up at the store. Yes, that means that not one of us crazy, obsessed line waiters got our doll with video.

One bright moment of it all was when hours later I realized they charged me $24.99 instead of the advertised $29.99, I used my coupon and paid $21 something with tax. The bliss lasted a few hours until I stumbled across a blog post that explained Best Buy had an unadvertised deal if you bought the combo you could purchase the Wii Tangled game for $9.99. I got right on
the phone to discuss this with the BB manager to which she stated that she had no idea what I was talking about and besides they were out of the game anyways. Ya, well I bet it was because they sold out after I left that morning! Oh what a Tangled mess!

So here is what I learned, pre order, it saves you time, money, and personal dignity! My friend Mary pre ordered, paid $21.99 included was shipping, and got the movie by noon!

Or be the first in line at Kmart at 6 am. Your kids can get themselves to school or plan a sick day to enjoy the movie and dumb doll you got up so early to buy;)

If you still haven’t got your copy I suggest you call the store ask them to put one on hold for you and if they are out of stock ask when they will be getting another shipment.

View this post for an update of all the advertised deals I could find for Tangled.

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Look for updated deals in red.

I was looking through ads yesterday and I saw some fun deals with the new Disney release Tangled. I was dreaming about which deal I would go for all night long. I even tried to talk my running partner to go for a run to one of the stores with a deal early tomorrow morning so we could get it before it’s gone.  She calmly talked me down from the ledge of coupon insanity and suggested we look at all the options today and decide which store to “run” to tomorrow, later. That’s when it all started, this Tangled Mess! There are deals at every store for this movie! Your decision depends on what DVD, DVD+BLU RAY Combo, or 4 Disc Combo Pack you want, what “free” toy item you desire, and price you want to pay. Here is a list of what I found.

First, here is a link to a $5 off the 4 Disc Combo pack.

Preorder Options through Amazon(You have until 5 pm MDT To get these ordered for delivery tomorrow according to the Amazon site):

• Tangled (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) $19.99
• Tangled DVD $14.99
• Tangled (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) $24.99 (Im not sure how or if you can use the printable coupon at Amazon)

DVD $14.99

DVD+BLU RAY $19.99 plus get a free Pascal Stuffed Toy (while supplies last)

4 Disc Combo $29.99 ($24.99 discount price), Use printable coupon $5/1  and get it for $24.99 ($19.99) plus get a free Pascal Stuffed Toy (while supplies last)

Found this from CouponingtoDisney

One of my readers told me that her local Best Buy let her purchase the Tangled Wii game for $9.99 with the purchase of the Tangled 3D Combo Pack. I called my local Best Buy and they confirmed that they were running this special too! This game was $36.99 when it was released, so this is a GREAT deal!

Buy Tangled 4 Disc Combo Pack — $29.99
Buy Tangled Wii Game — $9.99
Get a Pascal Plus Toy with purchase
Use $5 printable coupon
Total: $34.98

No Price listed for the Combo Pack

DVD $19.99

DVD/BLU RAY $25.99

The doll is valued at $14.99

DVD $15.99

DVD+BLU RAY $19.99 Get a free Tangled Golden Book, items packaged together

4 Disc Combo $24.99, Use printable coupon $19.99, Get a free Tangled Golden Book, items packaged together

Buy any Tangled Combo Pack and Bambi DVD+BLU RAY or Beauty and the Beast DVD+BLU RAY or Snow White DVD+BLU RAY and get a $10 Target gift card (according to Target ad, printable coupon can NOT be used with this offer)

DVD $17.99, get free Crayola Color Wonder

DVD+BLU RAY $19.99

DVD+BLU RAY with vanity set $24.99

4 Disc Combo $29.99 ($24.99), Use printable coupon $24.99 ($19.99)

Other Honorable mentions from Becentsable:

CVS (Week of 3/27):

Tangled DVD $19.99
Get $3 ECB, store credit
Use $3 off from All You April issue
Final Price: $13.99

Rite-Aid (Week of 3/27):

Buy Tangled ($19.99) + (1) Nexxus Item on sale 20% Off  (Around $5)
Get $10 +UP Rewards, store credit
Use $3 off from All You April issue
Final Price: $12 for both

Safeway

$24.99, Use printable coupon  get it for $19.99, plus  you get a box of popcorn, a box of crackers, an 8 pack of bottled water, and a choice of a Tangled plate, cup, or bowl for free.

Thanks to my friend Kym in Washington State.

Available Rebates  from Becentsable:

Tangled DVD/Blu-ray $5 Mail In Rebate: Buy 2 Success Rice
Tangled DVD/Blu-ray $5 Mail In Rebate: Get a Haircut at Cost Cutters

So as I see it, it all comes down to how much you want to pay and what format you want this movie in. It looks to me that Target has the BEST deal out there for the 4 Disc Combo though.

If you see more Tangled Scenarios please leave a comment!

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I am asked frequently during my classes how I can stockpile or buy in bulk (see Trick of the Trade #1) when it comes to perishable items. Whenever things go on sale that are perishable I look for ways to store them for later  and my go to is my freezer.  I am obsessed with using my freezer as a stockpile tool. Over the years I have come to rely on the freezer to store everything from Dairy to Wheat. I have gotten some great ideas from class attendees too I want to share these as well as my own.  There is so much to share however that I am suffering from blogger overload! I just want to share everything right now. This is the third revision of this post, in fact, because I am trying to keep it simple not only for you but for me and my family. Once I find something to share I have a hard time stopping (OCD mind you). So with my natural tendencies, business, and personal goals. I (to my own chagrin) have decided to post a little at a time on this subject. (Heaven help my brain from exploding with all I want to say!) So watch for my new post series called:

In Honor of National Frozen Food Month (March) and my favorite stockpiling tool, the Freezer.   Today I will start with addressing the Freezer.

Fridge Freezer- The fridge freezer is the icebox attached to your kitchen refrigerator. I use my fridge freezer like my upstairs pantry by keeping the things I need or use daily for meal preparations, baking, guilty pleasures aka, ice cream, ice packs for wounds, and ice for drinks. It is not very big but I certainly can keep it full. Sometimes I find things that have been hiding for quite a while (another post on that one later).

VS

Stand Alone Freezer- This is a separate unit from your kitchen refrigerator. When we built our first home I had a desire to own a stand alone freezer. I just knew it would help me feel more grown up because my parents always had one. It took a few years of convincing my DH of the same though. Finally after saving and using a tax refund we purchased our first freezer from Sears.  We keep it in the garage next to the door leading into the house. It holds all the “extras” or stockpile items like meats, veggies, tv dinners (this mom needs a break from time to time -don’t judge me , dairy products, more guilty pleasures-ice cream and popsicles, ok and maybe some Cadbury Mini eggs I got on clearance, and more secrets to be revealed later.

What to look for when purchasing

Stand alone freezers come in either a chest type (you know the one you see in creepy movies with body parts!) or upright types. They also come in differing sizes. I am partial to the upright for these reasons-Takes up less horizontal space, I can see everything in it clearly without have to dig and run the risk of falling in, my parents, and grandparents use the same kind (makes me feel like I am keeping the fam together), you can’t keep a body in it! Seriously the chest ones freak me out! There is nothing against people who have them though just to be clear. Chest freezers are nice because- they keep your food frozen? Well, readers feel free to comment and let me know about that one…

Think about your family situation. Are you students, maybe purchase a smaller more portable freezer unit. Or “rent” space from mom and dad, when you go to visit you can take stuff home or put things back in.  Are you in the military or considering moving soon? If so decide how often you expect to move and if needs be how much you can take from move to move. Consider a freezer that would not be too burdensome to not only move from place to place but find somewhere to store once you get there. Not to mention the food that you have to pack in dry ice to move, eat or give away. I do not believe that you HAVE to have a freezer in order to be successful at saving on groceries but I do believe it is a great tool that helps.  

I chose my freezer for some other options as well. It has a key, I can lock it with a key during the summer months so my freezer stockpile doesn’t turn into the neighborhood popsicle oasis. It alarms me if it is not cold enough. I don’t have to defrost it which is good because I probably never would. It has nice rolling shelves and tip outs in the door. My DH, once on board with the freezer thing, actually did all the research and probably knows more about the exact features our freezer has. I am just happy my stuff is cold and I have plenty of room for food.

Where to buy

We looked in the newspaper for used ones but rarely do people sale them once they have them. Back when we where purchasing we didn’t have tools like online classified; Craigslist, KSL.com(in utah), Ebay or Amazon. We just went down to the good ol’ Sears and browsed looking for the what we wanted. I suggest you do your research before you go out to buy. Search sites like Sears.com or BestBuy.com compare the models and features then try to price match.

How to buy

For a year I took a portion of our monthly budget and put it away to purchase the freezer. When tax time came we made up the difference with the tax refund. I have heard from readers that they have reserved a portion of their weekly grocery savings  for a freezer too. If it is something that you think will be beneficial you can find a way to have the money. Save your Christmas and birthday money. Decide with your spouse that you will put the money you would have spent on gifts for awhile toward saving. I recommend that you do purchase with cash when possible.  Debt free is the WAY to be!

 I believe owning a freezer is a very good investment. I think we paid $700 for our freezer but the time and money saved from having the food stocked in a freezer at our own disposal is at times PRICELESS!

As I mentioned before I am so excited about this series and look forward to sharing more with you but I especially look forward to learning from you the things you love about your freezers.

  Do you have a freezer? If so what kind do you have and what is your favorite thing to store in the freezer?

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Revision: I can’t tell you what a relief it is to have these easy meals prepared. It has really been a wonderfully helpful break!

Its five o’clock and THIS momma is tired! After spending the morning in the OR with my son while he got his tonsils out, making sure the superstar patient is comfy, coming home and looking around the messy house (Monday is the day I recover from Sunday’s day of rest), and trying to rearrange my over booked day tomorrow (darn, day planner why can’t you shout to me when I have booked too much!) the thought of what’s for dinner makes me want to curl up and weep! Before I let it get me too riled up though I went to The List, you know, to see if there where any good deals out there and to escape from the stress, and BONUS Associated Food Stores to the rescue! So here is what I found and actually ran to the store to pick up for my family! In fact I was so frantic I didn’t even search for coupons before. I just went, now you see how desperate I was! This is a mental health break from cooking for me this week, mind you so don’t be too distressed when you see that the food is not all that healthy. I will add veggies and I promise we won’t drink all the soda and eat all the ice cream in one sitting!

First today’s daily special at Associated Foods Stores, see the circled portion…

These daily specials are good through the end of March at most Associated Foods Stores

Monday: I bought a BBQ flavored rotisserie chicken for $6.99 and got free Shasta and french bread. I plan on serving par boiled green beans  from my Bountiful Basket a week ago and mashed potatoes for my tonsel free guy.

Tuesday:  Stouffers Lasagna for $10.99* and get free, 2 litter Coke product, and  Texas Toast garlic bread (*look for peelies on the bread to save an additional .55/1), green salad or whatever dad puts with it because I will be on my way to a coupon class that evening! I want to go to the store this day to get the free hoagie buns with purchase of deli  sliced turkey. The turkey will be great for lunches and I will use the hoagies for dinner on Sunday. This deal was a lifesaver and is still going on at all Associated Food Stores in Utah including Macey’s!

Wednesday: Baked Chicken Chimichangas using the left over rotisserie chicken from Monday.

Thursday: Left over day (with scouts and a daddy daughter date the family wont be eating at the same time so I just open the fridge and they can all pick what they want before they go off) 

Friday: Freschetta Pizza Deal that ends Tuesday so get into your Associated Foods and grab it and use this coupon for $1/1 off the pizza to really get a steal! The deal is A Freschetta pizza, Western Family box ice cream, and 2 liter Pepsi product for $5 use the printable coupon and get it all  for $4! While I was there the college guys were going nuts over this deal!! This deal was not advertized and may be over. Check your stores freezer area for coupons showing this deal or ask someone if it is still going on. I stocked up and am glad I did.

Saturday: Really do I have to think that far in advance? Ok,  I will go and take advantage of the Saturday deal to use with my Sunday meal. Buy a rump roast and get free potatoes (more mashed potatoes for my little guy!)

Sunday: French Dip Sandwiches

So what are you waiting for? Join me and take a menu mental break by purchasing some of these awesome deals! Don’t forget soccer season is around the corner these meal deals are a perfect fit for those crazy, busy spring sports nights!

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Oven Baked Chimichungas

Use left over chicken or beef to create this yummy dinner or try it sans meat by using beans and corn. Recipe adapted from Lanette Tate

2/3 cup salsa
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 cup shredded chicken or beef
1 cup shredded cheese
2 green onions
6 flour tortillas
1 T melted butter

Mix first 6 ingredients. Put 1/2 cup of mix on tortillas, fold sides in then roll from bottom. Place seam side down on cookie sheet and brush with butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. After removing from oven sprinkle additional cheese, additional chopped green onions and chopped tomato as garnish.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, spanish rice or green salad.

*Optional mix ins or meat substitution
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn drained
Chopped cilantro

try whole wheat tortillas too

**I was just reminded by one of my favorite readers Mary, that this is a meal you could double and freeze to bake later.  You could even freeze them on a sheet pan, once frozen transfer to a gallon size freezer bag and bake only as needed. Perfect for any size household!  (I see a new topic in The Obsessive Shopper’s future) You would just brush the melted butter on before baking and of course add the fresh garnishes after baking. Thanks Mary!

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In case you haven’t noticed I have an obsession of sorts to celebrate any holiday I can. I have so much fun learning about different holiday’s and creating food memories with my kids. St. Patrick’s has been a favorite of mine to celebrate with food because it is easy to add food coloring to anything and make it fun! I bought cheap resuable green plates at the dollar store,  make green Kool Aid, and add a little green to every meal.  A few years ago I branched out from dying everything green and started making Corned Beef and Cabbage for dinner. I was surprised by how good it is and by how much my kids look forward to this once a year treat. Here is our menu for dinner tonight.

Main Dish: Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage (I have used this Betty Crocker Recipe for the past two years)

Side Dish: Green Jello (This family favorite is one that I remember eating as a child and is a favorite of my children.)

Place can of pineapple in freezer to get really cold (this is optional but it helps to speed up the preparation of this dish). Dissolve Jell-O in water then add cold pineapple stir and place in fridge or freezer until it gets sloppy. Stir in the remaining ingredients spoon into an 11 X 13 pan or serving bowl and refrigerate until set up.

*Optional ingredient to add is crushed up after dinner mints. This was an original ingredient that my grandma would put in and makes the salad very colorful.

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