Make Time For Family E-Mealz Planning Giveaway

A few months ago, my husband and I took a class called Financial Peace University. This class is a video class we took at church led by Dave Ramsey, radio personality and financial guru. He had it all, lost it all, and got it back and shares his experience and advice daily. We learned a lot, it was EYE opening and we’ve changed our lives. We plan things out more now and think before we BUY.

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I was contacted by E-Mealz to host a giveaway and when I saw that it was a “Dave Ramsey Recommended” product, I was quite happy to put my name behind it too. E-Mealz relies on a team of experienced meal planners, writers and editors to create new dinner menus every week that are designed around grocery store sales, seasonal specials and diet preferences. For $5.00 per month, subscribers download a recipe plan for the week with a matching aisle-by-aisle grocery list. The easy-to-follow recipes usually contain fewer than seven ingredients to allow for prep times of less than 30 minutes. It also helps families stay within a predictable budget by being prepared with a detailed list to use at the grocery store.

jenny-jane

The E-Mealz program provides a consistent and reliable approach to food budgeting by factoring the weekly cost of ingredients into each menu plan. Menus are created around a budget of $75 per week for families and $35 per week for couples.

E-Mealz was created by sisters Jane DeLaney, mother of four, and Jenny Cochran, mother of three. The sisters were frustrated by the challenge of coming up with healthy, budget-conscious meals for their own families and inspired by their own mother’s frugal ways, they launched the program in 2003.

The generous people over at E-Mealz have offered us a Discount Code:code MOMSTART for 10% off.

They have also offered us a giveaway.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, serena ames.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Retirement, Groceries and Zoe Monday Mingle

Welcome to Monday Mingle, where we chat over video answering questions. It’s fun and the more video you do on your blog the more comfortable you will be in front of the camera. Want to participate? Monday Mingle is a Meme over at Eighty MPH Mom. Go over to her site, find the questions, take a video of the answers and post them to share. Then visit everyone that linked up and have fun getting to know each other.

Current questions {week of 2/14/11}:

1. How do you compile grocery list – by an inventory, or writing things as you run out?
2. At what age do you plan on retiring (or your spouse retiring)?

3. What do you plan on doing when you retire?

 

 

1) I compile a grocery list as we run out of things and as I make a meal plan. I just received the New KitchenAid Collections Recipe Book it’s amazing, so we’re going to be posting some recipes as we try things from it.

2) We’re not sure when we can retire, We’re taking a class to learn about that and how to prepare for it now.

3) I plan on enjoying the kids and whatever they are doing and hopefully traveling.

Meal Plan Grocery List Link Up

With plenty of memes out there, I just thought I’d add a little difference in my Meal Plan Link up. I started with Meal Plan linking with The OrgJunkie and decided to grow with making a grocery list. So save money every week by planning your your meals and knowing what you need to make each meal.

Monday – Chili Mac left Over’s

none

Tuesday – Meatballs and Rice

Frozen Meatballs
Rice
Broccoli

Wednesday – Grilled Chicken and veggies

Chicken
Marinade
Carrots
Green Beans

Thursday – Mashed Potato Bowls (did not get made last week)

Mashed Potatoes
Chicken
Gravy
Corn
Cheese

Friday -  Meatloaf

Beef
BBQ
Carrot Puree

Saturday – Pancakes

Pancake Mix

Sunday – Egg Salad

Eggs
Mayo
Salt

 

Meal Plan Grocery List Link Up

Monday

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bagels, Broccoli

Peanut Butter
Jelly
Bagels
Broccoli

Tuesday

Chili and Cornbread

Chili
Cornbread
Egg

Wednesday

Poppy Seed Chicken

Ritz Crackers
Poppy Seeds
Chicken
2 cans Cream of Chicken
Salt
Garlic
Sour Cream

Thursday

Left Overs

Friday

Spaghetti

Beef
Spaghetti
Tomatoes
Tomato Sauce
Garlic
Salt

Saturday

Grilled Cheese
Left Overs

Bread
Cheese
Butter

Sunday

Kabobs

Bell Peppers
Tomatoes
Pineapple
Mushrooms
Chicken
Apples

 

Of course my pantry is extremely low, I also need refried beans, tortillas carrots, and bananas.

Meal Plan Grocery List Link Up

Monday – Chili’s Restaurant

Tuesday – Beef and Bean Burritos

beef
beans
sour cream
black olives
tortillas

Wednesday – Soy Sauce Pork Tenderloin and Carrots

Soy Sauce
Pork Tenderloin
Carrots

Thursday – Mashed Potato Bowls

potatoes
corn
gravy
chicken
cheese

Friday – Grilled Cheese

bread
butter
cheese

Saturday – Meat Loaf & Green Beans

beef
cheese
ketchup
crackers
eggs
salt

Sunday – Pancakes

Meal Plan Grocery List Link Up

I have to go to Safeway before Tuesday because there are some great sales going on. I also need to get to Costco and purchase some bread and baby wipes. I have to spend this morning clipping coupons. I have not saved enough money this week

 

Monday

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Eggs
Mayo
Salt

Tuesday

Spaghetti

Beef
Spaghetti
Tomato Sauce
Stewed Tomatoes
Salt

Wednesday

Spaghetti

Same

Thursday

Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes

Cream Cheese
Bisquick
Strawberry Syrup
Strawberries

Friday (post with directions for this coming soon)

Double Decker Tacos

Beef
Taco Mix
Shells
Soft Tacos
Tomatoes
Cheese
Blk Olives

Saturday

Grilled Cheese

Bread
Butter
Cheese

Double Decker Tacos

Same

Sunday

Waffles

Waffle Mix

Sunday Savings – Stick to your Lists matching ads with coupons

Make a list and stick to it.

 

By making a list and sticking to it you are not going to go over your budget. You’ll even save a ton of money. Figure out what you need. Then do a search and find coupons for every item. It is sometimes time consuming but really worth the effort.

Some things on the list for us: (it’s short  because I need to empty out the fridge because we’re leaving for Texas next Monday)

Coffee Creamer

Bananas

Milk

bread

cheese

butter

How to find Coupons:

Get the Sunday Paper and collect every Red Plum, Smart Source, and coupon insert you can find. If the coupons are good and you will use more than one, by yourself an extra paper. You can also purchase coupons from a coupon clipping service. It’s illegal to sell coupons but they are so cheap they are only charging you for their cutting and mailing out of the coupons.

Get as many magazines as you can find. Magazines can be purchased at really low prices at Amazon and even found for free on freebie sites all over the internet. Magazines usually contain samples and more than enough coupons to make the magazine free.

Use the internet. Do a search for the coupons you need. Are you brand dependent or not. If you have to have a certain brand then it’s best to go to that products main website. You can find coupons under tabs called, coupons, and promotions. I usually just type the item name followed by coupon and things pop up. You can even find coupons for fresh food.

 

Ways to save when there are no coupons available

With bread, if you can’t find a coupon then you can search out your local bakery. We have Franz around here. I remember growing up we had Wonder bread. So I know that they are around. Sometimes the local bakeries for the large bread companies, will even be outlets. They will have bread really cheap. Also, you might look into getting bread at your local Big Box wholesale store (BJ’s, Costco, Sams). We get two loves cheaper than one loaf when we go shopping at Costco.

Good Deals This Week:

At Rite Aid:

Single Check Rebates
(Rebates below are a limit of one unless otherwise noted)

Maybelline Cosmetics 40% Off
Get a $2 Single Check Rebate #61 when you purchase 1 Maybelline Mascara
Deal Scenario (based on on-line price):
Buy 1 Maybelline Great Lash Mascara priced at $4.89 (should ring up at $2.93 due to sale)
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 1/10 RP
Use the $1/1 Rite Aid Video Values coupon found here
Get a $2 SCR
Final Cost FREE + a $1 moneymaker!

Tom’s of Maine Deodorant or Toothpaste 2/$6
Get a $1 Single Check Rebate #70 (on 2)
Use 2 $1/1 toothpaste coupons found here (good for sensitive toothpaste)
Final Cost $1.50 each!

Sensodyne Toothpaste $4.99
Get a $1 Single Check Rebate #66 (excludes Iso-Active)
Use the $0.75/1 coupon found here
Final Cost $3.24!

Skintimate or Edge Shave Gel 2/$4
Get a $1 Single Check Rebate #50
Deal Scenario:
Buy 2 Edge Shave Gels
Use 2 $0.75/1 coupons from the 1/10 SS
Final Cost $0.75 each!

Airborne $4.99
Get a $2 Single Check Rebate #37
Use the $1/1 coupon from the 1/17 SS
Final Cost $1.99!

Comtrex Cough & Cold $3.99
Get a $1 Single Check Rebate #10
Use the $1.50/1 coupon from the 12/6 SS
Final Cost $1.49!

SanDisk 8GB SD Card $39.99
Get a $10 Single Check Rebate #100
Use the $5 off $25 Rite Aid coupon found here
Final Cost $24.99!

Lexar 8GB SD Card $39.99
Get a $10 Single Check Rebate #102 (Limit 2)
Use the $5 off $25 Rite Aid coupon found here
Final Cost $24.99

Alli Weight Loss Aid Starter Kit 60-90 count or 120 count refill $10 Off
Get a $10 Single Check Rebate $43
Deal Scenario (based on on-line price):
Buy 1 Alli 120 count refill priced at $64.99 (this should ring up at $54.99 due to $10 off sale)
Use the $5/$25 Rite Aid coupon found here
Use the $10/1 coupon from the 1/3 RP
Pay $39.99
Submit for the $10 Single Check Rebate #43
Plus, submit for rebate #552 found here to receive a $25 Rite Aid gift card
Final Cost $9.99!! Awesome price!

Valentine M&M’s Candies 9.9-12.6 oz. Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Get a $1 Single Check Rebate #97 (good when you purchase 2 M&M’s; Limit 2!)
Use the $1/2 coupon from the 1/10 RP
Final Cost depends on where you live

For more great deals check out Hip 2 Save

Walgreens:

Pert Plus
$2.50 and earns $2 in Register Rewards
$1.50 off Pert Plus For Men 1/24 SS, $1 off 1/24 SS
As low as FREE after coupon and Register Rewards!

BIC Disposable Razors
B1G1
B1G1 coupon 1/10 SS
Get 2 FREE after coupon!

Sure Deodorant
$2/3 with in-ad coupon
$1.50 off Sure For Men, 1/24 SS, $1 off any 1/24 SS
Sure Try Me Free Rebates here, here and here (Not sure what is included in sale, but Sure For Men was pictured in the ad, must buy products with Try Me Free peelies to submit rebate)
As low as FREE + profit after coupons and rebate!

Olay Quench Body Lotion
$7.99 (and get a free Olay Quench In-Shower Lotion WYB Body Lotion)
$2 off 1/17 RP
Try Me Free Rebate (must purchase by 1/29)
Get 2 FREE lotions for a profit after coupon and rebate!

Reach Prevent Toothbrush
$0.99 with in-ad coupon
$1 off 10/18 RP
FREE after coupon!

TRU2Go Blood Glucose Monitor
$9.99 with a $9.99 rebate in box
FREE after rebate!

Coffee Mate Liquid
B1G1 ($2.49)
$1 off printable
Get 2 for just $0.25 each after $2-$1 coupons!

Blistex
2/$2
$1/2 coupon 12/13 SS
Only $0.50 each after coupon!

7-UP, Canada Dry, Hawaiian Punch or Sunkit 2 Liters
$1.25 each and earns $2 in Register Rewards WYB 3
Only $0.67 each after rewards!

Stayfree or Carefree
$1.99
$1 off printables
Only $0.99 after coupon!

Maxwell House Coffee
$1.99
$1 off from December Food & Family Magazine
Only $0.99 after coupon!

Bayer Breeze 2 or Contour Meter
$14.99 and earns $5 in Register Rewards
$14.99 mail-in rebate in box
FREE + profit after rewards and rebate!

Check out Scenarios for how to maximize your deals at The Freebie Blogger.

Relish and why you should pay for their menu planning service #giveaway

At First:

relish When Relish.com contacted me and asked me to review them and post a giveaway on my site I thought, why in the world would someone pay for this service. They told me they were a meal planning service I didn’t  understand that they also have are a grocery list maker. You can pick meals and then create a grocery list. Well, I can do that.

It is the Simple-ness that is involved and the speed of the list creation and the fact that you can change your mind and pick something else. You’ll find a whole lot to choose from including freezer meals, vegetarian menus, super-quick and slow cooker recipes.  And you’ll find tons of kid’s friendly meals.

For subscriptions at $7 a month, you’ll end up with five complete dinners for a family of four running you less than $95. Between the money savings and the anxiety savings, you’re coming out way ahead. Can you put a price on the time you will save? 7.00 a month is not very much. Can you give up Two Lattes? Or one and a half?

How It Works:
relish2 Once a week depending on which day you sign up, you will receive an email from RELISH! with a quick link back to the site where you can choose the dinners you’d like to prepare. Simply download your week’s menu, recipes and easy-to-follow shopping list. You do NOT need an email to access the site. Just log in anytime.

Weekly Menu:
Each week choose up to 5 items you’d like to make for the week plus a dessert. When you have a menu that you want to make again, put it into your Favorites Folder and you can have it any week, just put in into the weekly menu and it will go into your grocery list.

Freezer Meals:
We offer monthly freezer meals to help supplement the weekly menus. Go to the freezer tab, choose your menus, shop and come home and cook for a couple of hours. You’ll have great meals always on hand. And, they provide the freezing labels too. You can also add recipes you’d like to prepare again in your favorites folder.

Enter Your Own Recipes: 
If you like to enter some personal recipes into the Relish! system and enjoy them any time.  Simply go to the My Recipes tab and you can enter your recipes.  Allow 5-7 days for the recipe to be formatted and placed in your favorites folder. Remember, the ingredients for your recipes will go into your grocery list, that’s the best part.

Creating the grocery list is the best part. I like to create meals and cook but sometimes when I’m going down the ingredient list in the cookbook something gets forgotten. I also enjoyed how the lists were organized. My lists are never organized. I do think this service is worth paying for if you have a little extra money to help you save time.

 

You can enter to win a one year subscription.

To Enter:

Visit Relish and tell me a time saving idea for your family.

Extra Entries:

Advertise this giveaway on any giveaway site and tell me where you advertised it. 10 Extra Entries
Subscribe to my blog
Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
Blog about the giveaway include a link to me and to the sponsor for 10 extra entries
Tweet the giveaway (every time you tweet you get an entry) Link to the giveaway please!!!
Comment on any other non giveaway post and come back and tell me you did
Use any of the Share options at the bottom of this post: Dig, Stumble, or fav me on Technorati (two entries for each one)
Add my button/blog to your blogroll/friend list 3 extra entries
You can vote for me too for five entries:

Parenting

Leave a comment for every entry

The contest will run until November 16th 11:59 pm Pacific. The winner will be selected by www.random.org

Meal Plan Monday

menuplanmonday

So this week, I know I need to get some more bananas and bread and I have coupons to get free yogurt at Albertsons, I already bought 32 boxes of cereal for about 10. Love sales and coupons. Let’s see what the meals have for me this week if I need anything else. I’m going to steal some meals from last week that I didn’t make last week.

Monday
Mac and cheese

Tuesday
Left Overs

Wednesday
Poppy Seed Chicken

Thursday
Left Overs

Friday
Hot Dogs

Saturday
Pumpkin Pancakes

Sunday
Sandwiches

 

So I think that the best thing for me to do would be to get what’s on sale. I need some frozen corn and peas. That’s a small list for this week.