Summer Vacation Planning yet?

If your like me chances are you have already booked or are in the process of planning and booking your families summer vacation. Being a Military family there are many benefits available to us for travel. However did you know many of the same discounts given to Military are also available for Nurses, Doctors, Firefighters, Police Officers, and Teachers?

• An easy way to save on family travel is BOOK early! The earlier you book the longer you are able to pay down your vacation before you even get there.
• USE those Hotel points! Whats the point of racking up hotel point if you never use them. They are there to give you and your family FREE ( the best word ever) rooms!
• Stay within a 5-6 hour drive for your trip. The closer you stay to home the more you'll save on gas. For Example: You live in New York and want to get away for a 3-4 day trip because that's all that will fit in the budget this year, did you know ALL the Museums, The National Zoo, and Monuments in Washington DC are FREE for everyone, everyday of the week, 365days a year(except some holidays of course)? YES they are and they are AMAZING! Hotel rooms in Washington DC area run anywhere from $100- well over $400 a night. So staying away from the direct center will give you a better value, and you can take the Metro to the attractions.
• Use those savings you get from your grocery shopping and purchase gift cards to Mc Donald's, Pizza Hut or other eatery places and use those on your trip in stead of eating at expensive restaurants. You can reserve White House tour tickets through your Congressman, just try and do it far enough in advance to ensure you'll be accommodated.

Last summer my family of 6 vacationed in Washington DC, and Williamsburg for under $350 for 4days 3nights over 4th of July Weekend! We used our hotel points for 2 free nights in Williamsburg, and only paid for our 1 night hotel stay in Washington DC( which was a little over $100). We had pizza our first night in DC and used a gift card to pay for it. We toured the White House, Library of Congress, and the National Zoo. Since I coupon of course I brought plenty of drinks, snacks, easy fix stuff along with us( always get a room with a Mini fridge & Microwave). In Williamsburg we went to Busch Gardens Theme Park (They have a program that allows Military 1 day at any of their theme parks and up to 3 additional family members for free: Heroes Salute) we had 1 full meal at the park and snacked the remainder of the day, full breakfast at the hotel(always try for a hotel that offers a FULL breakfast). We took pictures, saw great shows and had a ball just enjoying our day and never felt rushed. Our family had and amazing time that was easy on our wallets!

Couponing isn't about shelf clearing, hoarding, or first come first serve you should've gotten up earlier, couponing is about supplying your family with the essentials by spending the least of money out of pocket to be able to enjoy other things life has to offer, like a vacation with the family! If you start this week couponing you can easily save $40-60 this week, if you take those savings every 2 weeks and put them in a coffee can or a separate account you would have saved $320- $480 by July, where could you go this summer with those savings. Miss Tina

Coupon Tip

 When you first start "extreme couponing" the first place to start is your pantry. Do an inventory of what your family uses on a regular basis. Build your grocery list and stockpile from there. Once you know what your family uses its easier to know the best times to stock up! Miss Tina :)

My Stop & Shop Shopping list 3/25-3/29

This is what I will be picking up at Stop & Shop this week. My Stop & Shop fully doubles so my totals may be different if yours does not.

Food
4 Johnsonville Chicken Sausage B1G1 Free (4.49each) $1.50 Coupon from smartsource exp 4/1 2.98
1 Barilla Pasta $1 (.50 Stop & Shop coupon home mailer) .50
2 Fiber One Bread 1.99(.55 coupon from countryhearth.com) or $1 Fiber One coupon 1.98
4 Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Bread B1G1 Free ( .40 smartsource Pepperidge farm) 4.78
2 Apple & Eve fruitables 2.50ea(.55 apple&eve website) 2.80
2 Smart Balance Milk $3 each(.75 smartbalance.com register) $3
2 MMOJ $3 each( .75 MMOJ from coupons.com) $3
1 2liter Pepsi (Free Stop $ Shop home mailer) $0


Non Food
2 Pampers Baby wipes 1.99each( .75 from coupons.com) .98

Total $20.02

My Shop Rite Shopping List 3/25-3/31

Here's what I will be picking up during my trip to Shop Rite this week. Because of my large stockpile of cleaning and personal care items I will be picking up very few of those items over the next few weeks. My Shop Rite fully doubles so my end total may be different if your store does not.

Trans #1

Buy 10 Hunts get $5 OYNO Catalina
4 Hunts snack packs
4 Hunts Pasta sauce
2 Hunts Manwich sauce
Pay $10, Get back $5 OYNO

Trans #2 (Start with $5 OYNO coupon)

4 -Land o Lakes Butter 16oz 1.97ea( .75 coupons available on coupons.com) Total(1.88)
6 -Steamfresh Veggies .99ea (2 $1/3 Steamfresh coupons) & ($1 ecoupon on shoprite.com) Total(2.94)
8 -Libbys can veggies .49each ($1/4 at redplum.com use zip 90210) Total(1.92)
3-Lbs Grapes .99lb (2.97)
2 -Kelloggs Apple Jacks 1.99ea (.50 coupon from Kelloggs.com) Total(1.98)
2 -Kelloggs Froot Loops 1.99ea( .50 coupons from kelloggs.com)Total(1.98)
1 -Cereal Container (Buy 4 Kelloggs products get Free Cereal container Super Coupon in flyer)
2 -Sorrento Ricotta Cheese 2.99ea ($1 coupon from smartsource) Total( 3.98)
2 -Sorrento Mozzarella cheese 1.99ea($1 coupon from smartsource) Total( 1.98)
4 -Dole Fruit Jars 2.50each ($.75 coupon from smartsource exp 3/31) Total(4.00)
2 -Apple and Eve Apple Juice 2 for $5( .55 coupon from apple&eve.com) Total (2.80)

Total for Trans #2 $21.43 (plus tax)
Final Total of $26.43 for both transactions