Bargain Becky

Just got back from Staples.  I had to buy more printer ink  I snagged a ream of Hammermill Copy Paper for $5 with a $4 MIL rebate.  I actually did the rebate online and it took about 30 seconds.  A check for $4 should be coming within 4-6 weeks.  $1 for 500 sheets of paper isn't bad.

I also snagged an Avery Heavy Duty binder since they are giving 100% back in Staples Rewards this week.  Go.  Get cheap paper!

Here's a Weight Watchers recipe that corresponds with the sales at Shaw's this coming week.  I took it off the Weight Watchers site.  Another good site for "healthy" recipes is Sparkrecipes.com.


Chicken with Broccolli and Garlic Sauce
POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 17 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil (should be in your pantry)
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces ($1.88/lb)
1 tsp dried thyme, or 2 tbsp fresh minced thyme, or to taste (should be in your pantry)
1/2 tsp table salt (should be in your pantry)
1/4 tsp black pepper (should be in your pantry)
3 medium garlic clove(s), minced, or more to taste (a bulb costs about .40 cents)
2 cup(s) broccoli, florets (Part of the Pick 4 deal. Grab a bag of already cut up broccoli for $2 - or you can use frozen with the Catalina deal - cheaper that way)
1 1/2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided (Grab a reduced sodium can of Shaw's Brand.  Should be no more than $1)
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch (should be in your pantry)
2 cup(s) cooked brown rice, kept hot (We buy Rice in bulk, so we have rice on hand.  Not sure if most people do.) 

Cost:  $5.28 (assuming you have rice in your home. If not, pick up a big pack and store it.)

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken on a plate and season with thyme, salt and pepper. Add garlic to skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add chicken to skillet and cook until browned on all sides, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.

Add broccoli to skillet, cover and cook 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of broth, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

In a cup, dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth; add to skillet. Simmer until mixture thickens, stirring constantly, about 1 minute; serve over rice. Yields about 1 cup of chicken and broccoli and 1/2 cup of rice per serving.

Here's a great coupon for $5 off 5 Healthy Choice frozen entrees (that's $1 off 1!).  I actually somewhat like the Cafe Steamers.  Click HERE for the Coupon!

I actually kind of dislike diet frozen meals. I find they are little portions, full of sodium and taste a little "blah" - but they are sometimes good to have in the freezer for emergencies.  I actually don't mind Healthy Choice's Cafe Steamers too much.  Those are kind of good - but again, not very big and I like to eat a lot.

Here are the healthy deals coming up at Shaw's starting on Friday.  You can get a bunch of frozen vegetables for cheap with the backpage Catalina.

-  Boneless Chicken Breast - $1.88/lbs
-  Blueberries - $1.99 pint
-  Gordon's Grilled Seafood - 33% off (use .50/1 MFC from paper for an extra $1 off one package)
-  Land O'Frost Deli meat - BOGO Free
-  Sargento Shredded Cheese - $2
-  Ken's 8 oz Dressing - $1
-  Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Noodles - .99 ($1/2 MFC from paper makes these .49 ea)
-  Ronzoni Smart Taste - $1.50 (.75/1 MFC from paper - if you haven't used it yet, makes this free)
-  Jolly Time Microwave Popcorn - BOGO Free
-  Baked Lays - $3.49 ($1/1 MFC from paper)
-  Fresh Express Salad Blends - $2.50 ea (Buy 2, get Free Bananas with in-store coupon)
-  Ray's Bagels - BOGO Free
-  Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey - BOGO Free

Special K Products - Buy 4, get 1 Free (cereal is $2.50, Bars are $1.99)  Coupons from paper.

Pick 4 Produce Sale - Choose from a bunch of items.  Get 4 for $7.99 with coupon in flyer

Back Page Catalina
Buy $20 in qualifying products, get $5 Off Your Next Purchase and 50 Box Tops ($5 for your school).  Remember, the $20 qualifying purchase is on Pre-Sale Prices.  This deal may double (or even triple), but I usually wait for someone to mention it on SlickDeals.net

General Mills Cereal - PSP about $3.49 (check each cereal though), Sale $2.22 (.55/1 Cheerios on Coupons.com)
Fiber One Bars - PSP $3.39, Sale $2.50 (..40/1 on Coupons.com DOUBLES)  These are 2 pts on WW.
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks - PSP $2.99, Sale $2.50 (coupons on Coupons.com) I think this is a double dip product this week but I don't know the details.
Green Giant Steamers - PSP $2, Sale $1.50 (coupons from paper and coupons.com)
Green Giant Boxes - PSP $2, Sale $1.50 (coupons from paper and coupons.com)
Warm Delights - PSP $2.99 or $2.50 (minis vs. reg), Sale $2 (coupons from paper and coupons.com)
Potato Buds - Sale $2
Green Giant & LeSueur Veggies - Sale .99
Fiber One Yogurt - PSP $2.99, Sale $1.99 ($1/1 from paper and coupons.com)
YoPlus Yogurt - PSP $2.99, Sale $1.99 ($1/1 from paper and coupons.com)
Big Bags of Green Giant Vegetables - Sale $2.99
Just For One Veggies - Sale $2.99 (coupons from paper and coupons.com)
Cascadia Farms Bars & Cereal - PSP $4.99 (cereal), Sale $2.99 (coupons at coupons.com)
Bisquick - Sale $2.99 (coupons from paper and coupons.com)
Fiber One Muffin Mix - PSP $3.29 (?), Sale $2.99 (copuons from paper and coupons.com)
8 Pack Poland Spring AquaPod - Sale .99
Progresso Soup - PSP $2.50, Sale $1.49 (coupons from paper and coupons.com)
Fiber One Muffins - Sale $3.49 ($1/1 coupon from paper and coupons.com)

You can also find coupons for most of these products at Bettycrocker.com, Boxtops4education.com, and Smartsource.com.

This weekend, Michael's will give you 20% off your entire purchase with THIS COUPON.

It only applies to certain hours though - Saturday the 9th - 1pm-9pm & Sunday the 10th - 1pm-7pm

Head on over to coupons.com to print coupons for Betty Crocker, Green Giant and select GM items because Shaw's is having a $20/$5 Catalina next week.  Not only do you get a $5 Off Your Next Purchase coupon, you get a 50 Bonus Box Tops coupon which is great if you collect them for your child's school.  I do, because I'm all Polly Homemaker like that. 

Trying to lose weight?  Pledge your weight loss to the Biggest Loser's Pound for Pound challenge to try to earn food for your local food bank! 

Click HERE to register and get more details.  We need to bump Massachusetts up!

2.05 lbs Cabbage - $1.21
.97 lbs zucchini - .77
3.38 lbs bananas - $1.32
2 lbs onions - .99
3.23 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast - $4.81
2 20.8 oz containers 99% Fat Free Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey - $1.49 ea
1 pint grape tomatoes - $1.49
Garlic - .69
Hash Browns - $2.19
2 lbs carrots - .89
3 celery hearts - $2.69
8 oz fresh mushrooms - $1.39


2.56 lbs bananas - $1.77
1 container of strawberries - $2.49
1 Yakisoba - .89 (.50/1 from paper DOUBLES) 11 cent MONEY MAKER!
5 98% Reduced Fat Cream of Mushroom Soup - .94 ea ($1/5 MFC from paper) .74 ea
5 cans Red Pack Diced Tomatoes - .99 ea
1 Crystal Light - $2
1 Nabisco 100 cal Pack - $1.99 ($2/Crystal Light & 100 cal Pack) $1 ea!
Frozen Green Peppers - $1.34
10 Dannon Yogurts - .40 ea ($1/10 MFC from paper) .30 ea

I just wanted to give you an example of the things I cut coupons for.  If you're looking to eat healthy, January is a great time for "healthy" coupons.  Of course, my version of healthy is someone else's version of junk food.  Here are the coupons I cut from today's paper:

$1/1 Yoplait Frozen Smoothie (the husband)
$1/1 Fiber One Muffins
$1/1 Fiber One Pancake Mix
$1/1 Fiber One Yogurt
$1/4 Progresso Soups
$1/2 Green Giant Steamers
$1/3 Green Giant Boxes
$1/1 YoPlus
2 Yoplait "Buy 6, Get 1 Free"
$1/2 Special K
$1/1 Uncle Ben's Rice
$1/2 Penn. Dutch Egg Noodles
$1/5 Campbell's Condensed Soups
$1/10 Campbell's Condensed (Tomato & Chicken Noodle)
$1/4 Campbell's Select Harvest Soups
$1/4 Campbell's Healthy Request
$1/2 Chunky Soups
$1/2 Healthy Harvest
$1/2 Sargento Cheese Snacks
.55/1 Healthy Ones Lunch Meat
.50/1 Gordon's Grilled Fish
$1/2 Boca Burgers
$2/Crystal Light & 100 Cal. Snacks
$1/10 Dannon Yogurts
$1/2 Healthy Choice Soups
$1/2 Healthy Choice Frozen Meals
$1/1 Tyson Grilled & Ready product
$1/1 DiGiorno 200 cal. Pizza
$1/2 Jennie-O Turkey products
$1/2 Barilla Plus Pasta
$1/1 Fiber One Cottage Cheese

Okay.  So there you have it.  Now am I running to Shaw's tomorrow to buy all this crap?  No.  Truth be told, I'll probably toss half of these coupons when they pass their expiration date.  Somethings I probably will use - the Yoplait & Dannon yogurt ones for sure.  Most of these don't expire for over a month - so the key to really save at the grocery store is to use these coupons on these products when the product is on sale.  The 200 Cal DiGiorno thing - I probably won't buy that unless it goes on sale for like $2 - which is unlikely.  But I'll allow it to sit in my bin for a month to rot away.  Just some wishful thinking on my part. 

Which ones would work this week at Shaw's?

-  Dannon Yogurt - .40 cents ea on sale.  $1/10 makes them .30 ea. - I think these are normally about .80 ea not on sale.
- Campbell's Condensed Soup - .69 ea on sale.  $1/10 or $1/5 (not sure which varieties are on sale), makes these .49 or .59 ea.  These are normally $1 or $1.50 ea (depending on variety)
-  Progresso Soup - .99 ea.  $1/4 makes them .74 ea.  These are $2.50 not on sale.
-  Crystal Light & 100 Cal. Packs - Crystal Light is $2.  100 cal Packs are $1.99.  $1 ea with the $2 coupon.  Both over $3 not on sale.
-  Fiber One Pancake Mix - $3.29.  $1/1 makes it $2.29.  This might be the normal price - I have no idea.
-  Special K Cereal - $2.50.  $1/2 makes it $2 a box.  Normal price is probably in the high $3s or $4s. 

Remember too, it's not a good deal if you aren't even going to eat the products - $1 for a thing of Crystal Light is a great deal - but if you don't drink it, you just flushed a buck down Shaw's toilet.