Happy Halloween

Here's to a safe and Happy Halloween to you and your family. I hope it's extra special this year 2011.

Don't forget to tune in to ABC Family, Lifetime, and FX tonight for all the scary and fun Halloween movies.

If you are looking for a great Halloween drink recipe check this out here.

Days 1 and 2 of the Challenge

Howdy Ya'll,

Well I'm a day late in posting but not a dollar short! Yesterday morning I high-tailed it to the grocery store to make sure I was well prepared to start the challenge. I have huge and I mean huge coupon orders to get through by Monday. Check your coupons, many of them are expiring on the 31st.

On a side note I haven't been tempted to cheat yet. A friend of mine at work bought me a hot chocolate, for a quarter, out of the vending machine yesterday, just to be nice.

Don't you love random acts of kindness?

So let me tell you what I had yesterday.

For breakfast I had two pieces of toast with a little Nutella spread. ( I just love Nutella don't you?)

For lunch I had a ham and cheese sandwich w/ sun chips and sliced up an orange pepper. (Those peppers taste like candy.)

For dinner I had my mom over and we had little steaks and baked potatoes.

I also broke into the Halloween candy that I just bought but I shared it with many people at work.

So far the challenge is going well.

Remember, as long as you and your immediate family aren't spending the money it's OK to eat out. A friend or date can treat you.

On a side note the only real craving I have had is for McDonald's new Peppermint Hot Chocolate! OOOh Wee!  If you haven't tried it you are missing out, but for $2.59 a cup it's a wee bit pricey. I think it's on my to-do list this weekend to replicate at home. I better get busy!!!


Happy Weekend,

The Cute Couponer

The Challenge Starts Tomorrow Friday October 28th 2011

Howdy ya'll!


Sorry I haven't posted yet the past few days have been a bit crazy. My mom has been very ill and I have been taking care of her. I decided to push back the challenge a couple days but I am starting tomorrow. I haven't eaten out in the past few days but I haven't prepared either. Preparation is what made me successful in the past and I am planning on being successful this time round too.

So I will post the rules tomorrow but here are the basics,


1. No fast food or restaurant stops unless someone else besides you is paying for it.


2. No food from the vending machines allowed.


3. No convenience store food.


4. No delivery food.


5. If you get invited to a party go and take a dish but don't pay anyone for food anywhere.


Pretty simple.  The goal is to build the stockpile, eat healthier, and save money. This is a great month to do this leading up to Thanksgiving and just think we will have lots of leftovers. With the savings we will have plenty of Christmas money.




Happy Preparations,


The Cute  Couponer

Frugal Tip of the Week Low Cost Pet Care

It's no secret I absolutely love being a doggie mom and rescuing animals. Those little furballs cost a lot of money though. People always ask me how I do it. My answer is simple. Low Cost pet care. Now I've been at it awhile so I feel comfortable doing the basics like taking my dogs temperature and checking their gums to make sure they aren't dehydrated. I also have no problem calling the vet before I go in. I have a good working relationship with my vet and his main office lady.

Perhaps the way I save the most money is that for the basics I found a local pet supply store called Swaim Serum Company. The have just about the majority of everything I need for routine vet care for a fraction of the cost of taking them into the vet's office. Dewormer, vaccines, and tape worm medication.

It's a fraction of the cost of routine vet visits. Now remember if your in doubt take them in. It's never worth the risk of losing them. For the basics check your local farm or vet supply.

Happy Furball Playing,

The Cute Couponer

Linking to

The Thrifty Home,
Frugal Plus

30 Day No Eat Out Challenge

The Challenge Starts Tuesday October 25th, 2011.

Are You Ready?

Frugal Tip of the Week

If you don't use it... Freeze it!!!

That's right. If you have fruits and veggies in your fridge and you see they are going bad soon, with the exception of lettuce, stick it in a Ziploc bag and vacuum seal it and freeze it. If you are tired of your leftovers that you've been eating on for the last few days, grab your vacuum sealer and freeze the remaining portion. A week later they will taste great.

Little things like 1/4 of the block of cream cheese you have in your fridge can all freeze. Now it won't be spreadable on a cracker but it can still be used in a recipe calling for cream cheese and be just as delicious.

Bread that isn't being used can be turned into bread crumbs and seasoned and stuck in a Ziploc bag and put in the freezer or the bread can be sealed tight with the twistie tie and be frozen too.

When in doubt...freeze it.

You'll never know until you try.


Happy Freezing,

The Cute Couponer

Mom Knows Best

Mom says that I should do the 30 Day No Eat Out Challenge and Start in a week but wait on the fill the freezer part until February. Why? Because I'm moving in Jan. and am not going to want to haul a bunch of frozen food. She thinks I should focus on stockpiling until after the move and then when it's cold outside in Feb. fill the freezer. 

Mom knows best.

So we will start the 30 Day No Eat Out Challenge next Tuesday.

Will you join me, please?

Looking forward to the challenge,

The Cute Couponer

Extreme Couponer

Did you see it the other night? I sure did and I loved it! This was the first episode of Extreme Couponer that I have seen in a long time that I really enjoyed. I liked the lady with 7 kids who had to learn to coupon to feed her large family, and later decided to feed her 200 member church on a regular basis. What a great reason to use all these coupons.

I have to say my favorite was the mother of 4 who lived on a farm, and learned to coupon from her grandmother who left her a whole pile of no expiration coupons. How awesome would that be? Coupons that don't expire.. hint.. hint.. manufacturers.

I loved the stockpile of the mother of 4, who had enough food on hand for a year, because Granny said so. She was even so faithful to help  her  sister save money and to coupon and replenish her stockpile. I can't tell you  how many times I've wished for a sister. I got 2 brothers instead. Blah!!! Sisters would have been more  fun to  coupon  with.

Her stockpile with custom made shelves was something to drool over. Did you see her freezer and all of her  homemade canned goods? Wow! I wonder if she sees this post if she would invite me over for dinner.

She really gave me alot to think about.

I told you all I was considering going across the OK and Texas Border in order to buy groceries. A few trips, like their  haul. would take care of us for a  year.

Totally worth the trip.

So how about all of you are you ready to start some serious stockpiling?

Let me know,

The Cute Couponer

P.S. Watch for the Feed a Family of 4  on  $30  a  week tip coming up very soon.