This week, I made out like a bandit at Target (or Tar-jay, as my sisters and I would say)!!! I was able to make good on two deals:

1. Kellogg’s cereal is on sale right now – buy 3, get 1 free. Some boxes are even priced as low as $2.66. I paired (3) $1/1 Kellogg’s cereal Target coupons (I tried to use 4, but they wouldn’t let me use a Target coupon on the free item) with (2) $1/1 Kellogg’s Special K cereal coupons, (1) $1/1 Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats Little Bites cereal coupon, and (1) $0.75/1 Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal coupon. I spent a total of $2.49 on 4 boxes of cereal!!!

2. Target has a deal going on right now through 10.26.09 where if you purchase 5 Glade holiday candles, oil candle holders, or refills, you get a $5 Target giftcard. I had (5) B1G1 coupons where if you purchased an oil candle glass holder or tin, you got a pack of refill oil candles for free. I also had (5) $1.50/1 oil candle glass holder or tin coupons. Lastly, I had a $1/1 Glade item Target coupon from this month’s Real Simple magazine. When I went through the checkout, I gave the cashier the B1G1 coupons first, and he wasn’t sure how to enter those in, so he called his supervisor who was able to take care of those coupons. Then I gave the supervisor the $1.50/1 coupons, and he said that he couldn’t take them because he could only take one manufacturer’s coupon per item. I calmly explained that the B1G1 coupons applied to the refills, and the $1.50/1 coupons applied to the holders. He called a manager over, and I explained the same thing to her. She told me that Target’s policy with B1G1 coupons is that they apply both to the item you’re getting for free as well as to the item you’re purchasing to get that item for free…which, in my humble opinion, makes zero sense. I stated that I was still buying the holders and tins in order to get the refills for free – just at a lower rate of $1.50 off a piece. She told me she didn’t want to be the “coupon police” and would allow me to use those coupons “this one time”. My cheeks were a little rosy when I left, but I ended up saving $21, spending only $4.91, and I got $10 in Target giftcards!!! I plan on doing the SC Johnson rebate 3 times over as well to get a $15 rebate and make the most of this deal!!!

The Target Trip

So, overall I spent $7.40 out-of-pocket, I received $10 in Target giftcards, and I’m going to receive a rebate of $15 from SC Johnson…so I actually MADE MONEY off of these deals!!! $17.60 to be exact!!!

I know I still have one (or maybe two) more installments regarding “Things I Love About Fall”, but I had to interrupt to post another recipe. This Shepherd’s Pie recipe was given to me by the Palmers (love you guys!). The preparation was very minimal, and the result was amazing – and healthy too! It contains quite a bit of veggies, ground turkey (instead of red meat), and the majority of the flavor comes from rosemary and low sodium/low fat chicken broth. Delicious! Just make sure you indeed use a 10″ pie pan! I only had a 9″ pie pan on hand, and some of the juices spilled over into the oven…and I was too full after dinner to clean it up!

Shepherd's Pie

THE FESTIVITIES.

There are ALWAYS really fun things to do outdoors in the Fall, i.e. going to pumpkin patches, going apple picking, etc. Seth and I were really excited to be back in Ohio for Fall this year because we got to experience the one-and-only Circleville Pumpkin Show. The small town of Circleville, OH devotes 4 days to this pumpkin extravaganza, and they pull out all the stops. I had gone to the CPS when I was younger, and Seth had been once before in college, but we were excited to finally be able to go together.

The crowd

The pumpkin tree

The BIGGEST pumpkin of all

The two of us, elated upon purchasing a bag of the infamous mini pumpkin donuts

Also, who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned night in, carving pumpkins, roasting pumpkin seeds, and drinking apple cider (some prefer it spiced and hot; I prefer it non-spiced and cold)??? Here are this year’s creations from the Williams household:

Seth's jack-o-lantern

My jack-o-lantern (yes, I used a stencil)

We had such a blast this Halloween, as it was our first Halloween where we lived in an area that trick-or-treaters came through. My sister Shelby came over, and she, Seth, and I had a great time greeting the kids and seeing all the fun costumes, while staying warm with the help of blankets and hot chocolate!

Seth excitedly awaiting the arrival of our first trick-or-treater!

Me and Shelb staying warm

Last (but not least), we participated in the “BOO-rito” give-away that Chipotle was doing on Halloween. Basically, if you came dressed up as a burrito, Chipotle gives you a burrito, burrito bowl, or taco for FREE!!! We had fun with this…

Introducing the tinfoil hat, scarf...

...and diaper???

My parents also hosted a squaredance on their property this year, but we were visiting friends in San Diego when it took place. Hopefully, it will be an annual event, and we’ll be able to post photos next year!

THE FOOD.

Seriously, sometimes Fall food is so much better than Summer food, or Spring food for that matter. Probably because of the fact that on a chilly Fall day, there’s nothing better than warm cup of something and a hot meal to come home too. Fall food does it’s job – it warms you up! This past week I did something I’ve never done before: I meal-planned. Hence, with it being Fall and all, I’d like to share with you some of the goodies I whipped up in my own kitchen.

Elsa's Cider Beef with Cheddar Smashed Potatoes

• Elsa’s Cider Beef with Cheddar Smashed Potatoes – This recipe, which I got from my mom, was featured on the Rachael Ray Show (so it’s online). Apparently, it is one of her mother’s recipes. It’s the epitome of a comfort food, and the flavor is outstanding. Apple cider and sharp cheddar cheese - great combination! This definitely got a “two-thumbs-up” from Seth, so I know I’ll be making it again! (note: In the photo, the potatoes are yellow not due to butter, but due to using yellow cheddar cheese instead of white cheddar cheese.)

Southwest Chicken Soup

• Southwest Chicken Soup – This recipe is great because you literally dump everything into your crockpot (which you can do the night before, and pull it out of the fridge in the morning), and when you get home from work you have a hot meal all ready to go! And you can adjust the spicy factor however you want with the salsa and Rotel. Thank you Emily for this recipe!

Ingredients:
1 lg. can fat free refried beans
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn
1 lg. can chicken breast
1 can fat free chicken broth
1 sm. jar salsa, however hot you prefer
1 can Rotel tomatoes with or without chilies

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and heat through for several hours. Top it with shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and/or crunched up tortilla chips and you’re all set!

Holiday Babka & Banana Bread

• Holiday Babka (Mother’s Polish Bread) - My dad recently had surgery, and since Seth and I are on such a tight budget, I was trying to think of something I could make for him instead of purchase. My grandma (my dad’s mom), who was 100% Polish, was an excellent baker and cook. Oftentimes, she would bake wonderful loaves of Polish sweet bread and bring them over to our house when my dad was a single parent and we were living in Cleveland. My dad told us that one time, my grandma brought over her bread after my sisters and I were already in bed, so he stayed up and ate AN ENTIRE LOAF with the help of a large glass of chocolate milk. Obviously he loved this bread, so I thought I’d give baking it myself a shot, even though I don’t have my grandma’s recipe – she never wrote anything down. I found this recipe here (note: I made it without raisins.). It didn’t rise properly, so it was definitely denser than it should have been, but it was good nonetheless. Especially toasted.
• Banana Bread – I made the banana bread as a back-up to the Babka, in case it didn’t turn out. This recipe is quick and easy, and a great way to utilize bananas that have gotten a little too brown for your liking. While I make this banana bread all year long, it tastes especially good paired with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate on those cold Fall mornings. You can also add miniature chocolate chips (and they need to be miniature, or they’ll sink) to this recipe, and have more of a dessert-type bread.

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas
1 c. sugar
1 egg (I substitute 1/4 c. egg product or egg whites)
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased bread pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour.

ENJOY!!!

WHEW!!! A couple of weekends ago, I completed my third full marathon and I have to say, it may have been my favorite one so far. The San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon was exciting because it was my first…and I was running in California and had ocean and palm tree views. The Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati was exciting because I was running with my brother in a city I grew up in (well, near, at least), and many of my family members were there to cheer me on. Nonetheless, the Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon was the most exciting of all because my dad and my little sister Ginny were running it as well. Let me tell you, there is something truly amazing (and quite emotional) about seeing your dad cross the finish line after running 26.2 miles. Ginny got a migraine and was only able to make it to mile 21, but that’s a feat in and of itself. I couldn’t be more proud of her - and it was especially rewarding to see that Ginny was also proud of herself. Here are some photos and videos* recapping the day:

Me & my dad with our signs (thanks Mom!) after the marathon

The three runners with Gin's sign

While it was a rather chilly day, my run went really well. I ran with the 4:00 pace team, and enjoyed hearing our leader share stories about running, his kids, and Ohio State football. The fall scenery was beautiful as well. We ran through a handful of neighborhoods where the trees were slowing shedding their red, orange, and yellow leaves. I saw my sisters Therese and Vicki and Seth multiple times, which was really encouraging! My mom was also waiting for me with a sign (see photo above), but somehow we ended up missing each other. Around mile 19, my stomach began to feel upset. Normally I get the “I-need-a-port-o-potty-right-NOW!!!” kind of stomach upset, but this one was different. This one was more of a “Oh-my-gosh-am-I-going-to-throw-up-with-7.2-miles-left-to-go?!?” upset. I struggled with slowing my pace because I didn’t want to “reason” my way out of keeping a pace I knew I could handle. At the mile 20 water station, I decided to listen to my body and slow it down a bit. My stomach calmed down, but then I got a side stitch. I did my best to breathe through it, and I finished the marathon in 4:06. I am very pleased with my time (it was my PR!!!), and hope to shave off more minutes in the future! I’m not sure when my next race will be. I’m going to take it easy for a bit, and give my body a break. I will continue running each day, but more for myself and less for marathon preparation.

*The videos are in a .mov format, which WordPress cannot upload. As soon as I figure out how to adjust that, I will upload the videos!

…including using stacked coupons and amazing websites that lead you to unimaginable deals (see “Pinching Pennies” post). Here is a photo of everything I got during my quick Target trip yesterday:

And I got all of it for only $5.47 (less than what the cat food cost initially)!!! I saved $15.00!!! CRAZINESS!!!

I’m sure many of us have felt the effects of the economy lately in one way or another. For Seth and I, it’s been especially challenging with us currently being a single-income family. We’ve already been living without cable (…even TV for that matter) and internet for the past six months. I haven’t shopped for clothes or any “extras” for a lengthy amount of time as well. Our money conversations these days are more along the lines of: ”Do we have enough money to fill up our gas tank all the way? Or will that leave us without money to buy bread and milk for the week?” While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed under financial strain, we are choosing to take a more positive approach to our situation. As of Tuesday night, we will have officially set up our first budget. That’s right folks! We’ve put off creating a budget for a while, using the excuse that nether of us were on salary, making our weekly or bi-weekly income different every week. No longer are we going to let that stop us from being financially organized. My sister Vicki is going to help us set up a plan to put perameters on our spending, so we will truly be living within our means. While nether one of us have school loans to pay off (thanks Dad & Mom!!!), we do have a bit of credit card debt thanks to tax time and a cross-country move. Vicki is going to help us utilize the “snowball effect” in paying off our debt, which will eventually allow us to have a substantial amount of savings. Our goal in all of this is not to become independently wealthy, but rather to live a debt-free, God-honoring lifestyle. I suppose the reason why I’m posting this on my blog is because a lot of people in our age range struggle financially, living paycheck to paycheck, drowning in debt. I’m here to say it doesn’t have to be that way, and I’m truly excited about our financial future!!!

One area where we’re working hard to save some moolah is eating out. Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE to cook. And bake for that matter. But there’s just something fun and exciting about eat out – especially when you’re eating out with your loved ones. Seth and I were able to jump on the major discount that www.restaurant.com had on 9.9.09 – 90% off sale!!! Do yourself a favor and sign up for their mailing list. Oftentimes, they’ll have 80% off days where essentially you could purchase a $25.00 gift certificate for $2.00 (gift certificate normally priced at $10.00). Many of the restaurants have stipulations (i.e. you have to spend at least $35.00 total), but it’s still worth it in the end.

Speaking of being financially saavy, please check out these blogs:

www.stretchingabuckblog.com & www.moneysavingmom.com

I’ve just learned that you can oftentimes “stack” a retailer’s coupon with a manufacturer’s coupon, doubling your savings!!!  I can’t wait to stop by Target later on today for these deals thanks to “Stretching A Buck Blog” (I know they’re totally random, but they also end up being totally FREE!!!):

Market Pantry String Cheese – $0.50/ea
Use $1/2 Target coupon here
Final Price = FREE when you buy 2

All Laundry Detergent (travel size) – $1/ea
Use $1/1 when you sign up here
Final Price = FREE

Things I’m feeling right now:

1. Horrible for forgetting my best friend’s birthday. I seriously CANNOT believe I did that. I know I put a ton of pressure on myself to remember everything all the time, but you just don’t forget your best friend’s birthday.

2. Excited because we purchased our tickets to visit San Diego in the fall!!! I was hoping, hoping, hoping this would work out! God really had His hand in all of this because my boss decided to give me 3 weeks of PAID vacation (which covers Family Vacation 2009, our trip to San Diego, and some time off around the holidays!!!), and since we had a good amount of Skymiles between the two of us we only had to pay $50 per ticket – direct both ways, Cincinnati to San Diego and reverse!!! AMAZING!!!

3. Hungry because I’m always hungry.

Talk about lame. I say that I’m totally in it to win it this time, and of course it’s been months since my last post. Man, I’ve got to cut something out of my life if I don’t have time to blog at least once a week.

::PHEW::

I’m heading to bed now. Regardless of the fact that my brain is still whirring, I’m going to lay my pretty little head down to get some zzz’s. I’m not going to lie awake thinking about job stuff or life stuff in general. And I’m hoping I’ll have sweet dreams tonight. Not dreams (a.k.a. nightmares) where some guy is chasing me or I get horrible news about the death of a family, which is actually usually the norm. Nope, not tonight.

I hope so, anyway.