Have you been wondering how you can help the people of Haiti?  There are numerous options for donating to the cause.  These are two we recommend:

LDS Humanitarian Services – 100% of funds donated are used for humanitarian services and programs – the Church uses other funds to cover administrative expenses for the humanitarian program.

Donate to LDS Humanitarian Services online at THIS LINK.

Red Cross –  .92 of every dollar donated is used for humanitarian services and programs. The public can also help by texting “Haiti” to 90999 to send a $10 donation to the Red Cross, through an effort backed by the U.S. State Department.  Funds will go to support American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.

You can also help by spreading the word that PinchingYourPennies.com will be donating .10 for each new Facebook fan, up to a maximum of 20,000 fans, or $2000.00.  As of this posting, we have 18,777 fans.  We’ll donate .10 for each new person that becomes a fan of PYP on Facebook in the next 48 hours.  We will make the donation through LDS Humanitarian Services, where 100% of donations are used for humanitarian services.

 Western States Equipment and Albertsons have partnered together for ‘Dump Hunger’, a post-holiday food drive reaching five states in the Intermountain West: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon and Washington. The partnership lasts ten days, kicking off January 15th, ending January 24th.

Donations will be accepted at participating ALBERTSONS stores in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon and Washington. A select number of ALBERTSONS stores will have CAT machines parked in their parking lots to draw attention to the cause.

In addition to customer food donations, ALBERTSONS will contribute $25,000 in food items to the participating food bank partners. The amount for each food bank will be determined by the amount of food collected in each area. The total will be a prorated amount based on the percentage of total pounds collected at each store.

Western States has set a goal of gathering 150,000 pounds of food, an increase over 116,000 from last year. ” Western States is committed to giving back to the communities in which we live and serve,” said Harris. “In addition to increasing our goal for gathering more food,  Western States will contribute $1 for every 5 pounds of food collected, up to a $17,000 dollar match.”

Participating ALBERTSONS Locations:

MONTANA:
Kalispell
Missoula

IDAHO:
Idaho Falls
Lewiston
Meridian
Pocatello
Twin Falls
Hayden

WYOMING:
Jackson

OREGON:
La Grande
Pendleton

WASHINGTON:
Pasco
Spokane

Source: https://www.pitchengine.com/free-release.php?id=41599

The following links can be used to access the GrocerySmarts Walgreens lists in the specified areas. Some sale prices may differ slightly from area to area, but all coupon information is specific for the areas listed below.

*Please note that these lists are created using the smaller version of the ad. You may find additional deals in your area. Feel free to share additional deals you find!

Arizona
Arizona Walgreens PREVIEW List 1/17-1/23
Arizona Walgreens CURRENT List 1/10-1/16

California – North
California North Walgreens PREVIEW List 1/17-1/23
California North Walgreens CURRENT List 1/10-1/16

California – South
Californa South Walgreens PREVIEW List 1/17-1/23
California South Walgreens CURRENT List 1/10-1/16

Idaho
Idaho Walgreens PREVIEW List 1/17-1/23
Idaho Walgreens CURRENT List 1/10-1/16

Nevada
Nevada Walgreens PREVIEW List 1/17-1/23
Nevada Walgreens CURRENT List 1/10-1/16

Oregon
Oregon Walgreens PREVIEW List 1/17-1/23
Oregon Walgreens CURRENT List 1/10-1/16

Utah
Utah Walgreens PREVIEW List 1/17-1/23
Utah Walgreens CURRENT List 1/10-1/16

Washington – East
Washington East Walgreens PREVIEW List 1/17-1/23
Washington East Walgreens CURRENT List 1/10-1/16

Washington – West
Washington West Walgreens PREVIEW List 1/17-1/23
Washington West Walgreens CURRENT List 1/10-1/16

Click here for additional deals and deal discussion for the 1/10-1/16 Walgreens ad.

Click here for additional deals and deal discussion for the 1/17-1/23 Walgreens ad. 

Xbox Live 12-Month Gold Card
MSRP: $49.99
Now: $30.00
+ Free Ship to Store

One of the amazing features here at PinchingYourPennies is the great shopping lists. These lists are prepared by smart shopping volunteers. “We scour grocery ads to find the best deals at many of your favorite stores, and match them with available coupons.” This saves you so much time in preparing for a great coupon shopping experience.

How to: Grocery Smarts shopping list
Open up your grocery Smart shopping list.

They are organized in a user friendly format.

1) Far left is a “Stock-up Scale:- indicates how good of a sale it is. 3 stars is on OK deal, 5 is the best deal!
2) Next column (second from the left) is the item. This has the item, brand, size.
3) Third column is the advertised sale price
4) Fourth will have any coupons, printable or insert, and any additional information; For instance “Requires in ad coupon”. If the coupon is printable you can click on the link, usually labeled “link” or “Group A” etc, and will be taken to the location of the coupon. There is a coupon printer you will need to download in order to print. These downloads are clean and fast. If the coupon is from an insert Here is a great resource to show you how to understand how to find it.
5) Fifth and last column is the price AFTER coupons. This is the price the stock-up scale is taken from.

You can print off the entire list, the Albertsons list is typically 9-11 pages.
OR you can shrink down the list to just the items your interested in. Personally I like printing off the promo items separately so I can work out scenarios.

To Shrink a list (this allows you to choose exactly what items you want to print, its a great way to customize the shopping list)
1) Click on the “Start” button on the top right corner, its just above the grocery smarts logo. That turns everything a light gray color
2) If you click on the large “stock up scale” star it will highlight everything that is a 4 to 5 star deals. And/ Or you can click on the items you want to highlight them.
3) Push shrink, and walla you have a custom shopping list. If you made a mistake, you can click “un-shrink” and fix it but remember to push shrink again before printing.
4) Now click “print.” There’s a great list you can take to the store.
If you forget these instructions while working on your list they are at the top of the grocerysmarts list.

These shopping lists are a great tool, even better when you know how to use them.

Rumor has it that the big Old Navy “extra 50% off clearance” sale starts Friday, January 15th. Check your store to see if they are participating. Don’t forget to print your $10 off $50 coupon from www.OldNavy.com. Click on the tab on the right that says “Stores and Events.”

1. Become a fan of Einstein Bros. and print a coupon for a FREE BAGEL & SCHMEAR!

LINK

2. Buy 2 gallons of white milk, any brand, and get a FREE half gallon of Chocolate Milk, up to $3.00

Enter the contest to win free milk for a year and get a link to the coupon.

LINK

3. 2-week free trial at Netflix!!

Netflix.com LINK

4. Receive 15%-20%-30% off entire order + Free ship on any order with Kohls charge at Kohls

Link to Codes and Deals

5. CHI Ceramic Flat Iron (Original CHI)
Item No.: A8526

was $190.00
Now: $69.99
everyday savings: $120.01

Use coupon code WINNERS & get 10% off!
– $7.00
Total: $62.99 w/ FREE shipping!

Folica.com LINK

6. This is a great week to stock up those pantries! Case lot sales available at Maceys, Smiths and Harmons!

Link to grocery lists

The following links can be used to access the GrocerySmarts CVS lists in the specified areas. This list is made using the Arizona ad. Some sale prices may differ slightly from area to area, but all coupon information is specific for the areas listed below.

*Feel free to share additional deals you find!

Arizona
*Arizona CVS PREVIEW List* 1/17 – 1/23
Arizona CVS CURRENT List 1/10 – 1/16

California – North
*California North CVS PREVIEW List* 1/17 – 1/23
California North CVS CURRENT List 1/10 – 1/16

California – South
*Californa South CVS PREVIEW List* 1/17 – 1/23
California South CVS CURRENT List 1/10 – 1/16

Idaho
*Idaho CVS PREVIEW List*1/17 – 1/23
Idaho CVS CURRENT List 1/10 – 1/16

Nevada
*Nevada CVS PREVIEW List* 1/17 – 1/23
Nevada CVS CURRENT List 1/10 – 1/16

Find additional deals and deal discussion at THIS LINK.

The following links can be used to access the GrocerySmarts Walgreens lists in the specified areas. Some sale prices may differ slightly from area to area, but all coupon information is specific for the areas listed below.

*Please note that these lists are created using the smaller version of the ad. You may find additional deals in your area. Feel free to share additional deals you find!

Arizona
Arizona Walgreens List

California – North
California North Walgreens List

California – South
California South Walgreens List

Idaho
Idaho Walgreens List

Nevada
Nevada Walgreens List

Oregon
Oregon Walgreens List

Utah
Utah Walgreens List

Washington – East
Washington East Walgreens List

Washington – West
Washington West Walgreens List

For more Walgreens deals and deal discussion, click here.

Now that Wanita told us when produce is in season, I thought that I would share with you a very simple way to preserve produce.

Have you ever considered freezing produce? It is really quite simple.

Most fruits can be frozen without much prep. I frequently freeze berries, peaches grapes, cherries, melon, citrus, and bananas. What I like to do is line a baking sheet with waxed paper and put the fruit in a single layer across the pan. Stick the pan in the freezer for a couple of hours and then transfer the fruit to ordinary freezer bags. For cherries I remove the pits prior to freezing and then with melon, kiwi or bananas I remove the skin or rind.

Frozen fruit can be eaten plain as a snack, my daughter says it is just like candy, or you can use it in smoothies or cobbler.

Freezer jams are simple to make. Just follow the directions on a box of freezer pectin. Low sugar varieties are available.

Have a bag of apples or pears getting past their crisp state? Cut them up, remove the seeds and cook them in your crock pot with a little cinnamon. When they are soft run them through your food processor and put them in small freezable containers (icing and yogurt tubs work great) and freeze your own applesauce/pear sauce. I frequently use applesauce or pear sauce in place of oil in brownies, cakes, and quick breads.

So stock up when the price is right and don’t be afraid to put your freezer to work for you!

Stay tuned for information on freezing vegetables! Even potatoes!

There are so many benefits of knowing what fruits are in season throughout the year. Whether your trying to live a “slow food” life style, going green with sustainable produce supply, or just want the best tasting most nutritious produce; its important to have a good harvest calendar for your area.

Heres a sample of a harvest calender for Utah

Asparagus April 1 – June 1
Strawberries June 5 – Sept 20
Sweet Cherries July 1 – 10
Green Beans July 4 – Oct 10
Summer Squash July 4 – Oct 10
Sweet Corn July 4 – Oct 15
Raspberries July 4 – Sept 15
Sour Cherries July 7 – 17
Apricots July 10 – 24
Potatoes July 24 – Nov 1
Tomatoes July 24 – Oct 1
Cantaloupes July 24 – Sept 15
Melons July 24 – Sept 15
Peaches July 24 – Sept 20
Onions Aug 1 – Nov 1
Winter Squash Aug 15 – Oct 1
Peppers Aug 15 – Oct 10
Grapes Aug 15 – Sept 15
Pears Sept 1 – 15
Apples Sept 15 – Nov 1
Pumpkins Oct 1 – Nov 1
– Taken from Utahs Own; link below.

A few Harvest calender resources:
https://www.pickyourown.org/US_crop_harvest_calendars.php
This is a great resource divided by state. Unfortunately about 1/2 the links are busted.

https://simplyinseason.com/
Alabama- New Mexico

https://utahsown.utah.gov/UtahsOwn-Harvestdategraph.htm
https://utahsown.utah.gov/UtahsOwn-cropharvestbydate.htm
Utah Harvest Calendar

https://www.noblefoodsfarm.com/HowItWorks/HarvestCalendar.htm
Idaho harvest calender from a local farm

https://www.localharvest.org/
Great site updated in the last 6 months. It has local farmers that sale their produce, farmers markets and more.

There are many benefits of eating In-Season product.

• to reduce the energy (and associated CO2 emissions) needed to grow and transport the food we eat
• to avoid paying a premium for food that is scarcer or has traveled a long way
• to support the local economy
• to reconnect with nature’s cycles and the passing of time but, most importantly, because…
• seasonal food is fresher and so tends to be tastier and more nutritious

From EattheSeason.com

I planted my first garden this past summer and loved eating all the great food! We over produced so I could do some canning. Its been so nice to have food that I know exactly whats in it, and its really not hard. There are some great forums on PYP about gardening and canning.

Just one of the awesome tools here at PYP…ready-made shopping lists. We scour grocery ads to find the best deals at many of your favorite stores, and match them with available coupons. Check the list below and see if you find your favorite store!

Today only, receive a FREE 8×10 Collage Print at Walgreens Photo Center.

Enter code FANFREE during checkout. Order online and pick up in-store to avoid shipping. Valid today only.

Walgreens.com LINK

Click on “Photo” at the top of the page
Click on “Gifts”
Click on “Collages

It’s 7:00 pm and you just got home from picking your daughter up from dance and you just dropped your son off at basketball. The phone is ringing, the baby is crying and your husband wants to know what’s for dinner. You have nothing planned, the meat is frozen and you already had pancakes the night before. There is a fast food restaurant just around every corner so you decide that on the way back from basketball you will swing through the drive-thru and pick up some burgers, fries and drinks. For $26 you feed your family a meal full of nothing nutritious and you have spent ¼ of your grocery budget for the week.

With some simple planning this situation can easily be avoided. Meal planning is easily accomplished and can save you lots of money and feed your family healthy food.

There are several ways to plan your meals.

In my house I have a chart of the wall with each day listed and what I am planning for dinner each day. I make my plan based upon 2 things: what is on sale at the grocery store this week and what I have on hand.

Another idea is to make a rotating schedule based upon what your family likes. You can plan enough meals for a 2 week or 4 week rotation just by make a simple chart. Wouldn’t having a monthly plan help you at the grocery store? You would know exactly what you were eating and you would know exactly what to buy.

Have you ever thought of having “Taco Tuesdays?” Every Tuesday you can have tacos. I am sure you can come up with a few “theme nights” of your own.

By knowing (and having documented) what you are eating your spouse and children might be able to help you out AND one thing that really works in my house is that I can do some prep work earlier in the day, which really helps minimize the stress at what I call the “witching hour” when everyone is hungry and no one is in the mood to wait.

 Ever wonder what coupons are available at all the major coupon printing sites?  Follow this thread and you’ll know what’s out there without having to click around at all the sites on your own.  This thread is maintained by Deweyville, the resident PYP printable coupon expert.  Thanks Dewey!

Jan. 2010 printables ~ Coupons.com, Smartsource, RedPlum, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, and more

Also see what else Dewey has found in the Printing Pennies printable coupon forum.