Swagbucks....

Swag what???? 

That is the response I get most often.  If you have never heard of Swagbucks, grab a drink, sit down and I will let you in on this awesome program.

If you are like me and do alot of searches on the Internet, why not get rewarded??  Why not get points for doing searches that you can turn into gift cards to places like Target, Walmart, Starbucks (my favorite), Amazon and so much more.

I have earned several Starbucks gift cards already and am so ready to cash out again- YEA!!!!  Last year, I was able to cash out my Swagbucks for Amazon gift cards that really helped out with Christmas (especially since the items I was buying my boys for Christmas I was able to get free shipping:)) 

You can even earn points for shopping online, answering polls, watching videos, etc.

It takes me a couple of minutes in the morning to:
Answer an simple daily poll = 1 Swagbuck
Skip through all the NOSO (no obligation special offers)= 2 Swagbucks
Watching short videos and inputting the numbers that scroll across the screen= 2+ Swagbucks (this morning I got 5)
I also get messages to watch the advertisement before a video and answer 1 question= 3 Swagbucks
Swagbuck TV= 3 Swagbucks for every 10 videos you watch

It may not seem like a lot of Swagbucks but believe me they do add up.  Plus add your searches on top and it adds up fast.  Like I said- why do your Internet searches for free- join me and get rewarded and turn your Swagbucks into something fun just for you:)  And it is FREE to sign up. 

To sign up- register here and start earning- it is so simple, easy and fun:)

Shopping Trip- 11/07/2011

Here is my shopping trip from yesterday:

Kroger
$10.76- 4 gallons skim milk
$2.00- 2 pkgs of 8ct M&M's for my little helper plus they make good potty training treats:)
$13.08- Total with tax

Martins
$3.27- 3 loaves of bread
$3.00- 2 bottles Bailey's coffee creamer- Mmmmm
$6.43 Total with tax

CVS
$2.50- Jif creamy peanut butter
$2.50- Jif extra crunch peanut butter
$5.00
-3.00 ECB
$2.12- Total and got $3 ECB back:)

Dollar Tree
$1.00- 3pk Kettle Corn
$1.00- Zip sandwich bags
$1.00- Toilet paper
$3.13- Total with tax

Walmart
$2.24- lunchmeat
$1.22- Flour tortillas
$2.26- GV Toasted rice cereal for a recipe
$2.37- GV Toasted Oats cereal for Nathan
$2.37- Bananas
$2.48- Apple Juice
$2.44- Ketchup
$21.98- Dog food
$0.97- Batteries
$1.97- dish liquid
$8.00- 8 boxes of assorted whole wheat pastas
$2.78- 18ct eggs
$53.66 Total with tax

This shopping trip has been added to our Monthly Spending for November post:)

Menu plan for the week of 11/07/2011

Breakfast
Oatmeal with brown sugar X2
Baked Oatmeal with apples X2
Banana Bread
Pumpkin muffins
Egg Sandwich with fruit

Lunch
Sandwich- turkey, ham, chicken, grilled cheese, tuna or PB&J
Popcorn
Apple, banana or orange

Dinner
Ziti with sausage and green beans
Bean & rice tacos with corn
Tuna casserole with peas
Sausage and egg hashbrowns with fruit
Homemade pizza or Stromboli- haven't decided which one to make yet
Whole Wheat pasta with cheese sauce and green beans
Leftovers

Snacks
Apple slices with peanut butter
Bananas
Oranges
Peanut butter crackers
Popcorn

Fall weather

I love the fall- the warm, inviting, comforting, beautiful colors of fall.

I also love the cooler weather.  Time for soups and stews in the crockpot:) My mom also loved the colors of fall.  I can remember my mom telling me about her and dad driving to the Blue Ridge parkway and driving to see the awesome colors of fall.

When the weather started turning cooler here, I started getting excited.  Finally a break from the hot summer weather.  That is until one day it is 70+ degrees and the next it is in the 50's.  My poor head cannot take the temperature change.  My sinuses are going haywire.  I felt so bad and nauseous last week.  I could feel the icky sinus drainage down my throat- YUCK (sorry that is kind of gross). 

And now the time change.  Everything was going fine that is until my phone, which is set on auto update decided not to update and woke me up at 5am instead of 6.  My poor body is having such a hard time adjusting to the time change.  I keep waking up an hour before my alarm.  Which leaves me so tired around afternoon.  I'm not sure which one I would prefer over the other- feeling nauseous and bad or being so dog dead tired by mid day.

 I hope you all are adjusting to the time change better than I am.

I hope that the fall weather is beautiful for you:)  Hope you and your family have a blessed week.

My Shopping Trip- 10/31/2011

CVS
$2.75- Speed Stick
$2.75- Speed Stick
$5.50
-4.00 ECB
$1.77 Total with tax and got $4 ECB and $1 ECB from my Green bag tag

Martins
$1.13- Markdown 12ct hot dog buns
$2.18- 2 loaves of bread
$3.36 Total with tax

Dollar Tree
$1.00- Finger polish remover
$1.00- Shoe shine kit- for JROTC
$1.00- Tissues
$1.00- Qtips
$2.00- 2 boxes Kettle Corn
$1.00- Candy for Nathan's teacher's candy jar for class
$1.00- Zip gallon bags
$1.00- Zip quart bags
$9.38 Total with tax

Kroger
$10.76- 4 gallons skim milk
$1.99- Flour
$1.00- Butterfinger 8pk
$1.00- M&Ms 8 pk
$15.12 Total with tax

Walmart
$1.97- French Fries
$3.96- 2 big bags frozen corn
$4.37- Chicken Nuggets
$2.28- 2 boxes Turkey sausage
$10.98- 5 lbs ground beef
$2.96- 2 bags frozen lima beans
$2.24- lunchmeat
$2.00- Pepperonis
$2.56- 2 cans frozen OJ w/ calcium
$2.28- Sausage
$1.83- French Fried onions
$2.00- Mild Salsa
$18.60- 15 cans diced tomatoes
$6.72- 4 big cans Fruit
$4.87- Gummy Vitamins
$1.50- 2 cans mushrooms
$3.84- 6 cans tuna fish
$1.88- 2 cans spaghetti sauce
$3.56- 2 large cans cream mushroom soup
$6.67- nose strips
$1.00- Toothpaste for Nathan
$1.00- Garden Rotini
$3.24- tub of oatmeal
$2.00- 2 boxes whole wheat spaghetti
$1.68- Brown sugar
$2.00- 2 bags whole wheat egg noodles
$5.28- 3 bags kidney beans
$2.56- 2 bags long grain rice
$3.44- Pinto beans
$1.88- Elbow macoroni
$1.44- French Vanilla creamer
$1.00- Chicken dogs
$1.38- Unsalted crackers
$8.00- 4 bags shred cheese
$2.44- 2 soft tortillas
$2.23- Bananas
$1.36- 2 chili mix packets
$1.68- Cheese sauce
$2.88- Mouthwash
$3.68- cat food
$1.78- Juice boxes for Nathan's school lunches
$3.98- Mens vitamins
$2.68- GV Frosted Flakes
$149.75 Total with tax
**This may seem like a lot of food for this week.  We are actually budgeting for 6 weeks.  We are taking the boys on a surprise trip in December for their winter break.  Can't tell you guys where just yet- the boys have no clue yet as to where we are taking them:)

This shopping trip has been added to our Monthly Spending for November post:)

Monthly Spending for November

Here is where I will keep a list of our spending for the month of November.  This month our totals are going to seem high but we are budgeting  for 6 weeks- so lets see how we do:)  We did awesome in October, I am so happy.  Remember our monthly budget is $400 for everything including animal food for our family of 6 and 2 pets, not too mention our 2 bird feeders outside.  Lets see how we do.

10/31/2011
$1.77- CVS and got back $5.00 ECB
$3.36- Martins
$9.38- Dollar Tree
$15.12- Kroger
$149.75- Walmart

11/07/2011
$13.08- Kroger
$53.66- Walmart
$6.43- Martins
$2.12- CVS and got $3 ECB back:)
$3.13- Dollar Tree

11/14/2011
$31.02- Kroger
$30.29- Walmart
$9.19- Martins
$5.25- Dollar Tree
$2.00- CVS and got back $3.50 ECB

11/22/2011
$44.28- Walmart
$12.05- Kroger
$5.20- Dollar Tree
$1.53- CVS and got back $8 ECB

11/28/2011
$8.28- Ross
$4.15- Dollar Tree
$0.00- Walgreens
$4.48- CVS
$31.12- Walmart

$446.64- Running Total

**This total may seem really high compared to past spending, but we are combining November and December together since we leaving in the middle of December for our Winter Break trip:)**

Menu plan for the week of 10/31/2011

Breakfast
Baked Oatmeal X2
Chocolate chip pancakes
Egg Sandwich & Fruit
Giant Breakfast Cookies X2
Monkey bread with fruit

Lunch
Sandwich- turkey, ham, grilled cheese, tuna or PB&J
Popcorn
Apple, banana or orange

Dinner
Chicken Nuggets, Tator Tots & Fruit
Chili
Chili over baked potatoes with green beans
Tuna Slop & peas
Homemade waffles
Thick chili served over cornbread
Leftovers

Snacks
Apple slices with PB
Bananas
Oranges
Popcorn