Swan Song

I have spent most of the last few weeks enjoying the mild temperatures and working outside on my little farm. And realizing that growing our food is quite possibly a full time job in and of itself. Not all year long, but certainly at certain times of the year. As I was enjoying some time outside and getting my hands in the dirt (really, if you haven't tried it, you should; so peaceful), I realized that I am truly committed to this ideal of growing our food, and, in September and October, when I'm buried in tomatoes and carrots that need to be canned or dehydrated or frozen, that there simply would be no time for The Real Deal.

So I made the decision to stop this blog.

It was not an easy decision to make, but I know I can give you some great recommendations of other places to find great deals. I highly recommend Deal Seeking Mom. She has some great partners and has deals for so many stores. I promise, you'll love her!

I'll keep writing. I have started a blog for my farm adventures, but it's much more low key. If I don't post in a given day, it's no big deal. I will be talking a bit about my own deals there, but much more focus on the farm. If you're interested, take a peek over there.

I wish you a future filled with incredible deals and lots of wins from great giveaways!

And The Winner Is...

I'm pleased to announce that the winners of the 100 Days of a New Year ebook giveaway are:

Cynthia M.

and

Golden S.

The winner have been contacted by email!

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Be sure to check out my other giveaways, Ateevia Botanica's Prime Anti-Inflammatory Cream and Noxicare All Natural Pain Relief Supplement!

New Printable Coupons for 1/16/13

These coupons were just released today! I hope you can find a use for them!

Pet Products

• $2.50 off bag Purina ONE beyOnd Cat Food
• $2.50 off 1 bag Purina ONE beyOnd Dog Food

Tasty Treats

• $2.00 off Rich's Ice Cream Cake or Dessert
• $0.75 off 1 Wonka or Crunch candy & card kit
• $1.75 off 2 Wonka or Crunch Candy & Card Kits

Personal Care

• $1.50 off any Gas-X item 18ct or larger
• $1.50 off any ex-lax item 24ct or larger
• $2.00 off TWO (2) packages of U by KOTEX Tampons
• $2.00 off TWO (2) KOTEX Natural Balance Products

Safeway Store Deals and Coupon Matchups-Colorado 1/16/13

Here are the Safeway store deals and coupon matchups for the week of 1/16/13 for stores in Colorado. Safeway stores in Colorado currently double coupons, and sometimes have different prices than other regions. Prices in your region may vary. You must have a Safeway Club Card for these prices to be applied. You can pick up a Safeway Club Card at the Customer Service Desk of any Safeway.

Meat
Fresh Pork Loin Rib Half, Sliced $1.49/lb

Beverages
Pepsi 12 packs 3/$10.98

WomensForum.com New Year, New You Sweepstakes

Sign up for a chance to win a New Year, New You Makeover with Healthy Living Expert Andrea Metcalf!

Womensforum.com is starting 2013 off right a New Year New You Makeover Sweepstakes to help you accomplish your goals and stick with your New Year’s resolutions!

ThredUP $10 OFF

Hurry to get in on this great deal from ThredUP!

ThredUP is a great place to buy gently used children's clothes at amazing prices, and until Friday, 1/18/12, new customers can take $10 off their first purchase! I love using services like this to keep my kids in cute, trendy, brand name clothes without paying new prices! From everyday clothes to special occasion dress up outfits, ThredUP has everything you need! Use code SAVE10 at checkout!

Make Your Own: Bread Crumbs

Making your own bread crumbs is simple and easy, and is a great starter task if you're looking at making your own pantry staples to save money on your grocery bill. This recipe yields about one cup of fine bread crumbs. I've never bought Panko bread crumbs, so I'm not sure if the are that fine.

Ateevia Botanica's PRIME Anti-Inflammatory Cream Review and Giveaway

I was recently asked to review Ateevia Botanica's Prime Anti-Inflammatory Cream. I was thrilled with the opportunity to try out this all natural product because aches and strains are a way of life out here in the backwoods on our little farm. Even though we're more active in the summer, we seem to end up achy more often in the winter-sliding on ice on the way to feed the chickens, forcing open the frozen lock to the chicken coop or, for Mr. S., chopping wood to burn for heat in our woodstove.

New Printable Coupons for 1/14/13

Join The Real Deal to get the newest list of internet printable coupons!

These coupons have just been released!

Newman's Own Coupons

• $1.00 off any ONE (1) Newman's Own Frozen Pizza
• $1.00 off ONE Newman's Own Complete Skillet Meal

Meal Plan January 6-12

This week we have a normal meal plan. School is back in session and our routine is back to normal. Except for escapee chickens. They are running all around and I'll be spending my Friday building fence. With our days getting longer, I'm hoping they will start laying soon. We go through two to three dozen eggs a week!

Breakfast
Sunday: Bacon, eggs, hashbrowns
Monday: Cereal
Tuesday: Cinnamon Toast
Wednesday: Ham and Egg McMuffins, fruit
Thursday: Berry cobbler, yogurt
Friday: Breakfast Burritos
Saturday: Waffles

Lunch (Only three lunches planned, kids are in school the other four days)
Friday: Lunchmeat sandwiches
Saturday: Quesadillas
Sunday: Bean burritos

Photo Credit: Stacy Spensley

Dinner
Sunday: Spaghetti, garlic bread, salad (made a double batch of sauce to freeze for an easy dinner later)
Monday: Breakfast
Tuesday: Chicken Fricasee, stuffing, carrots, biscuits
Wednesday: Pork Chops, mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits, corn
Thursday: Beans and Bacon, cornbread
Friday: Roasted chicken, cheesy rice with broccoli, corn
Saturday: Hamburger Helper, green beans, bread

Deals of the Day, 1/9/13

Join me each day on The Real Deal for the Deals of the Day!

Only the best deals, coupon codes, online coupons, in-store deals and discounts are on The Real Deal!

Free Baby Sling from Seven Slings!

It's a Freebie!

If someone you know is expecting a baby, this would make a great baby shower gift! If you're pregnant, then hurry up and take advantage of the fantastic free offer! Baby wearing is something that I did with all of my babies, and I feel like it made my life, especially nursing, easier!

Seven Slings is offering a FREE baby sling! Head on over to their site, select the sling you want, and the size you need, then enter code ENBABY to get 100% off the price of the sling. All you'll need to pay for is shipping!

I do hope you enjoy this freebie! To make sure you get notified of all the great freebies posted at The Real Deal, make sure you like The Real Deal's Facebook Page! Hover over the "Like" button after you've like the page and select "Show In News Feed" to get the freebies and deals as soon as I post them!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

Deals of the Day, 1/8/13

Join me each day on The Real Deal for the Deals of the Day!

Only the best deals, coupon codes, online coupons, in-store deals and discounts are on The Real Deal!

The Real Deals for January 8, 2013

Old Navy - After holiday sale! Up to 50% off outerwear! If you weren't able to get in on last week's deal on outerwear, this would be a great time to get next ear's winter coats, or make any needed replacements for this year! I've never had an issue with outerwear from Old Navy!

Old Navy - More from the after holiday sale! Up to 50% off lounge wear and intimates!

Banana Republic - 30% off almost everything! Online only, use code 24HOURS.

Gap - Great sale on kids' clothes, plus 30% off almost everything! Online only, use code 24HOURS.

Hancock Fabrics - 50% off Blizzard Flannel. Great for sheets or quilt backing!

Hot Topic - Buy one, get one 50% off on denim! If your kids grow as fast as mine do, then this is a great chance to get a few new pairs of jeans!

Office Max - $20 off your online purchase of $150 or more! My New Year's resolution is to get organized, so this is a great chance to get a day planner, file folders, notebooks, and more to help me meet those goals!

Amazon - Bosch 12V Drill/Driver Kit with 2 L-BOXX cases, $93.99, regularly $199.00. Save 53%, plus FREE super saver shipping! Whether it's for you or a gift for someone else, this is a fantastic deal!

Never miss a deal! Each deal is posted on The Real Deal's Facebook page! Be sure to hover over the "Like" button after you've liked the page and select "Show In News Feed" to get the deals as soon as I post them!

Be sure to checkout my current giveaways!

Noxicare Natural Pain Relief Supplements Review and Giveaway

I was recently chosen to review Noxicare Natural Pain Relief Supplements. I'm a huge fan of natural supplements, and I have an entire outbuilding dedicated solely to herbs. I tend to turn to natural remedies before over-the-counter medications because I have seen them work and enjoy knowing that I can help my family with all natural ingredients.

Printable Coupons - 1/7/13

Welcome to the Printable Coupons link on The Real Deal. Each week, I'll send you an updated list of printable coupons. I love being able to share these great deals with you!

These coupons are free for you to print! I hope you enjoy your savings!

Deals of the Day 1/5/13

Join me each day on The Real Deal for the Deals of the Day!

Only the best deals, coupon codes, online coupons, in-store deals and discounts are on The Real Deal!

The Real Deals for January 5, 2013

Getting Organized in 2013 with Manilla

Photo Credit: Hello Turkey Joe

I've mentioned previously that I want to get organized in 2013. This is a huge priority for me! Not only the calendar type of organization, but I want to organize our finances as well.

The Real Deal Giveaway Linky!

Each Friday, The Real Deal gives you the chance to find the best giveaways on the interwebs! Just scroll down and click!

I hope you win some great stuff!

Before you scroll down, make sure to enter my giveaway, for 100 Days to a New Year, an eBook to help you get organized this year! I'm getting organized this year and I'd love for you to win a copy of this eBook so that you can join me!

Bloggers, if you'd like to post your giveaway, please use the following format:

Giveaway Prize - Blog Name - Ending Date - Countries (USA, USA/CAN, Worldwide, etc)

I'll tweet each giveaway out throughout the week!

Sunday Coupon Preview

Photo Credit: StockMonkeys.com

I want to introduce you to a free service that I've used and love. It's called Sunday Coupon Preview, and it's very simple, actually. Simply visit the site each week to see what coupons will be in the paper for the upcoming weekend.

Deals of the Day 1/4/13

Join me each day on The Real Deal for the Deals of the Day! Only the best coupon codes, online coupons, in-store deals and discounts are on The Real Deal!

The Real Deals of the Day for January 4, 2013:

Land's End - At my house, January is usually a time when we need to replace a few of the kids' backpacks. They get over packed, dragged on the ground, sat on, or just generally abused, and we need to pick up a few new ones. Land's End has made that easy today with backpacks on sale for up to 60% off!

Hartstrings - Hartstrings is offering clearance items for 75% off the original price! This is a great time to stock up on kids' clothing or accessories-even if you put it into storage for next year!

Diesel - Diesel is offering up to 50% off of Fall and Winter collections! Another great opportunity to stock up on clothes for next year!

Never miss a deal! Each Real Deal, coupon code, online coupons, in-store deals and discounts are also posted on The Real Deal's Facebook page! Make sure to hover over the "Like" button after you've liked the page and select "Show In News Feed" to get the deals as soon as I post them.

Join me in getting organized in 2013! Enter my giveaway of 100 Days of a New Year, a great game plan for getting started from Jennifer Tankersley at ListPlanIt, and follow my Pinterest Board, An Organized 2013, for inspiration and ideas!

Deals of the Day, 1/3/13

Join me each day on The Real Deal for the Deals of the Day! Only the best coupon codes, online coupons, in-store deals and discounts are on The Real Deal

The Real Deals of the Day for January 3, 2013:

Meal Plan Dec. 30-Jan. 5

This week's meal plan is the result of a cluster of Murphy's Law incidents. It was not what I had originally planned. First of all, we weren't able to go to the store on our usual Sunday. My big kids were in town, and we had to get wood for the woodstove. So we planned to go on Tuesday. Then, I lost my debit card. Again. Which meant there was very little grocery shopping getting done. On the plus side, all the furniture in two rooms of the house got moved and cleaned under. Bonus. I think?

100 Days of A New Year Review and Giveaway

I used to be organized. Truly. When I had six kids in the house, it was a necessity. There's no way to keep track of games, doctor's appointments, birthdays and school programs without a Day Planner. Not just a Day Planner, but a DAY PLANNER. Those big ones in binders with sticky notes and color codes and bookmarks sticking out all over the place? Yeah, that's what I used to carry.

Not to mention clothes, toys, and various other belongings that six kids accumulate over time. You know how it goes. Going from one child to two seem to multiply the amount of kids stuff in your home by five. If you're a larger family, there's a whole other dynamic there that I can't seem to fathom.

But I did it. Dinner was served on time. Fresh-from-the-dryer clothes got folded, routed to their proper owners, and put away as part of afternoon chores. I was on time for every school event, from award ceremonies to ice cream socials to parent teacher conferences.

And then we moved.

I'm still not sure exactly what happened. Because we had our own land, and I was usually in jeans and on my knees picking weeds or moving fence posts, I started carrying most of my stuff around in my pockets. Because I usually had everything in my pockets, and I no longer needed to carry around extra changes of clothes because, for the first time in years, all of my kids that were out of diapers (except Pull-Ups at night), I stopped carrying a purse. Out with the purse went the giant day planner. And, conversely, by some weird cosmic coincidence, everything else became unorganized as well. I'm sure part of it can be blamed on the multitude of chores that owning land piles on, and my hesitancy to unpack when it was 100 degrees outside and not much cooler in our not yet air conditioned house. Not only was there unpacking, but renovation. We've had to redo wiring, rebuild the laundry room, replace most of the fixtures in the bathroom, and are now in the process of replacing flooring. In fact, there's still sub-floor exposed in my kitchen-almost two years after we moved in.

I began arriving late to school events. This one tore my heart out. Upset kids as I "just missed" them getting their awards or their part in the play. While we did make it to the Christmas play and concert on time, it was by the skin of our teeth, and I decided then, that it was time to get organized again. Not DAY PLANNER organized, but organized.  I just needed a game plan.

Then Jennifer Tankersley from ListPlanIt asked me to review her newest eBook, 100 Days of A New Year. I was thrilled with the opportunity to get the chance to take a sneak peek at her book, and get a head start on my new goal of being organized.

Photo Credit: balanced.crafts

Not only does 100 Days of a New Year give you a game plan to get organized, there's awesome tools available on ListPlanIt, and there's a Facebook group for support! You can interact with hundreds of other people who are trying to get their own organization goals set, and met!

The game plan is simple. Each day you do something. Some days, the tasks are small, and there's even catch up days, so that if you miss a day, you don't need to worry. Just save it for the catch up day! The best part of Jennifer's book is that it's not too late to start. The days are noted as "Day 1" not "January 1." So while Day 5 may not be a Saturday for you, you can still do whatever task is noted for that day.

But wait. This is a blog about deals, and saving money. Why am I talking about getting organized? I'll tell you. I was going to show you a not so neat picture of the disconnect notice for my water bill, but there's zero natural light in my house, so it was either unreadable, or just a big flash. The point is, I got one of those not so neat little notices that said "Pay up, or find another way to do your laundry!" Now, the bill got paid, but I also paid a $10 late charge. Just on my water bill, if I pay late every month, I'm out $120 per year. That's almost a week's worth of groceries for my family. Now throw in the house payment, electric bill, satellite bill, internet bill, and on and on. By not paying bills on time, I could be throwing away hundreds of dollars.

There's another issue here. Have you ever been sure that you bought something, and then not been able to find it later? So what did you do? Bought another one, usually. If your home is more organized, you'll minimize this kind of loss.

I'm very excited to be able to give two lucky winners a copy of this eBook! Entries to this giveaway will close 1/18/12 at 12:00 am EST. The winners will be announced on 1/18/12. Please make sure that you check out my Giveaway Rules prior to entry! This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere! The ARV of this eBook is $5.00.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a free copy of 100 Days to a New Year for review purposes. Jennifer Tankersley is providing 2 copies as giveaway prizes. I was not otherwise compensated for this post.

What to Expect On Sale in January

Each month, The Real Deal brings you a list of what to expect on sale. This helps you to plan your food stockpile goals, grocery budget, and for food preservation.

Here's what should be on sale in January!

Breakfast Menu Database

Fixing breakfast in the mornings can seem like a chore. It often means getting up earlier, and I don't know about you, but getting up earlier not something I like to do. However, fixing breakfast does not mean that you're putting together a feast worthy of a Las Vegas buffet every morning. With some planning, you can put together breakfasts that are healthier, and cost less, than cereal every morning, without spending an hour in the kitchen before you're awake enough to contemplate that idea.

Deals of the Day 1/2/13

Join me each day on The Real Deal for the Deals of the Day!

Only the best deals, coupon codes, online coupons, in-store deals and discounts are on The Real Deal!


The Real Deals of the Day for January 2, 2013:

Advanced Couponing

Photo Credit: StockMonkeys.com

Welcome to Advanced Couponing at The Real Deal! If you're new to couponing, you probably want to start with Couponing 101. In this article, I'm going to talk about in depth money saving strategies to stretch your grocery budget even further.

Deals of the Day 1/1/13

Join me each day on The Real Deal for the Deals of the Day!

Only the best deals, coupon codes, online coupons, in store deals and discounts are on The Real Deal!

The Real Deals of the Day for January 1, 2013:

What is a "Rainy Day"?

Photo Credit: Lel4nd

Here at The Real Deal I often mention stockpiling for a "rainy day." A rainy day can be anything-an unexpected car repair, the inability to work for a short amount of time, or something even longer and permanent.

Estimating Your Needs

Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi

One of the biggest pains in the rear end when it comes to stockpiling groceries is trying to determine how much we need to buy. Ideally, you should be buying enough to tide you over until the next sale, or to meet specific goals you have set up (having an extra two weeks' worth of food, for example). But that can be difficult, especially if you are working on long term goals like having six or twelve months' worth of food in the pantry.

A Well Stocked Pantry

Photo Credit: krossbow

Having a well stocked pantry is essential when you're trying to control your grocery budget. It means no last minute trips to the store, helps when you need to make substitutions, and means that you can make your own mixes and other things that you use often.

Shopping and Stockpile Report, 1/1/13

Here are my shopping and stockpile reports for my shopping trip on 12/21/12.

Bellatrix the puppy-a camera hog, and an important part of
our stockpile considerations

I went shopping on an "abnormal" day because I still needed to get Christmas gift shopping done, and because we have to go get wood on Sunday, which will be an all day deal. Because I was still shopping for our Christmas meal, there wasn't much extra money in the budget to stock up.

Meal Plan 12/23/12-12/29/12

Thanks for stopping by The Real Deal! I hope that you find some great meal plan ideas here!

This week includes Christmas dinner. My favorite part of holidays that include big meals is that the next day, I usually have to do minimal cooking-which is great, because there's usually a lot of clean up to be done!

The kids are out of school this week, so a full week of lunches is included!

The Saving Money Manifesto

While I talk a lot about coupons and finding the best deals on your purchases, there is a simple truth to saving money: Live Simply.

Look at what you have, and what you need. Can you live without cable or satellite, if you instead bought a Roku box and Netflix? Can you live with older vehicles instead of having a car payment every month? Can you live in a smaller space (and a more important consideration-could you sell your current house?)? Below are simple ways to live a more simple life, and help ease some of the pressure on your bank account:

Putting Together A Meal Plan

Putting together a meal plan seems daunting to some people. It's time consuming. There are so many methods. Things come up that make it hard to stick to.

I get all of that. In twenty years of being a housewife, I have tried every method known to man to meal plan. To make it faster, easier, less of a time suck. It's something that I have to do, every week, without fail. Because the results of me trying to handle meals without one are disastrous. Meal fatigue, last minute trips to the grocery store where I end up paying full price, and frustration.

Guidelines for Food Prep Days

Photo Credit: kaex0r

I use food prep days to cook and prepare foods so that my actual time spent in the kitchen after I've spent the day working is reduced. When I have less to do in the evenings, I am less stressed and have more time to spend with my family. My kitchen is pretty small, so when I'm in a rush to get dinner on the table, having the kids in there can be a detriment. But when as much of the food as possible is prepared ahead of time, there's less rush, so I don't mind as much when they are there. In other words, my food prep days keep me sane in the insanity of my other days!

Couponing 101

Welcome to couponing 101 on The Real Deal! If you're new to couponing, you should find the answers to most of your questions here. I have twenty years' experience in feeding a family on a tight budget, and although coupons are not the only ways I save money, they are an important part of my money saving strategy. I've structured this article like an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page. If you have questions you don't see answered here, either check out Advanced Couponing or send me an email!