A Beautiful Sight...

It just gets me pumped to witness the "contagious excitement" from people involved in the "Clipping for a Cause" ministry! These pics were taken from one of my friends, Carrie, who is also a member of the ministry. I can just visualize her in the grocery store, holding out her camera phone, so proud of the full buggy and stack of coupons that will soon be making a huge difference in several people's lives!! So...I couldn't help but share this with you!

Here is what she saved and spent: $5.56. Before, coupons, the total was $79.43!

Best Ways to Donate for FREE or Pocket Change This Week at Publix!

The following list was gathered from Southern Savers based on this week's ad at Publix.

Tonight, "Clipping for a Cause" will meet at First United Methodist to clip and shop for the following items! Keep in mind, local organizations aren't just in need of non-perishable canned foods! A lot accept cold/freezer items and all of them could use personal care items!

1) Kraft Barbecue Sauce, at 72 cents each

2) Lipton Family Size Tea Bags, (24 ct) at $1.07
-.40/1 Lipton Tea Bags RP 6/27 (makes it 27¢)
-.60/2 Lipton Tea Bags RP 6/27

3)Ken’s Steak House Marinade & Sauce or Sweet Baby Ray’s, (16 oz) at $1.39
-$1 off Ken’s Marinade SS 5/09 (exp 6/30) (makes it 39¢)

4) Nabisco Ritz Crackers, or Fudge Covered Ritz, at $1.39
-$1/2 Nabisco Crackers SS 5/16 (makes it 89¢)

5) Smart Balance Milk, (half gallon) at $1.29
-$1.50 off Smart Balance Milk 1 carton RP 5/23 (FREE!)
-$2 off Smart Balance Milk, RP 6/13 (FREE)

Some Of June's Donations and Totals!

Most of you know by now that in order to have storage space for all of the extra food to be donated, my husband turned our laundry room into a mini food bank! These shelves and the extra refrigerator that was donated by my parents are where the food stays before it is delivered to those in need. Although it is hard to see everything in this picture (and a lot of it is in the bags hanging on the shelves still) I thought I would give you some of the numbers so far for June. In the picture, somewhere there are:

18 Yakisoba Noodles
4 Bic Flex 4 Razors
4 Country Crock Butters
11 Edwards Pie Slices
7 Margaret Holmes Canned Veggies
2 Schick Travel Razors
6 Pampers Wipes
2 Schick Hydro 3 Razors
8 Hunts Ketchups
8 Carefree Pantyliners
6 Yo-Plus Yogurts
7 Mott's Medleys

(and there could have been a few items I missed! )

Anyway, we have saved over $130 on these purchases and spent only $14.37 out of pocket! This month, that little bit of money will allow a TON of food/personal care items to be donated to people right here in our community who are greatly in need. Next Tuesday will be our monthly Mobile Food Drive, and we will be making stops to the Southeast Gwinnett Co-op, Family Promise of Gwinnett and the Quinn House of Lawrenceville.

FREE Blueberries at Publix this Week and How to Enjoy This Fruit All Year!

Most of you by now may have heard about the $1.50 printable Publix coupon for blueberries currently available online! Right now, Publix has them for $1.50, making them free! How often can we say we got free produce?! Anyway, I thought it would be fun to add a little tidbit on how to freeze blueberries properly since they are so good for you. High in antioxidants, why not enjoy the health related benefits to this fruit year round!? This is also something that food banks in your local area may be in need of too. Rarely do they get fresh produce..so check to see if they allow cold/frozen items if you are interested in donating!

The following information was gathered from instructables.com:

Step One: Getting your Berries
For many of us, this may be as simple as finding a few boxes in the produce section with no mushy berries while they happen to be on sale. However, if you can visit a "pick your own" farm, they usually offer bulk prices. Also, you can be sure you're getting your berries at peak ripeness.

Step Two: Rinse and Arrange
Rinse your berries in a colander and remove any stems or stray leaves. Then pat dry and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet that will fit flat in your freezer. Place a clean, dry dish towel on the bottom of the tray so the berries do not stick to it.

Step 3: Place in Freezer
Place your baking sheet in the freezer, preferably flat against the shelf to prevent the berries from rolling into one another. Ideally, the berries should touch one another as little as possible. If you have many berries, feel free to stack two or more trays, so long as there's space for cold air to move through.

Step 4: Fill Containers
Once the berries are frozen solid, choose containers to keep them in. Many people prefer freezer bags or plastic containers, but glass tends to work better. If you use plastic, you can use a straw to suck out excess air before completely sealing to help prevent freezer burn. If you use glass, do not attempt to thaw contents by placing the container in hot or boiling water.

Step 5: Consuming the Berries
Blueberries are small and thaw quickly, so for most recipes, there is no need to thaw them before use. Any berries that are stuck together should be very easy to nudge apart. Shake the jar gently before opening. There are a ton of recipes that blueberries can be used in. From parfaits to syrups, to simply just adding them to cereal or yogurt.

Schick Hydro $3 Money Maker Deal!

Exciting news flash! According to IHEARTPUBLIX there will be a regional coupon coming out this weekend for $4/1 Schick Hydro and it's a Target Coupon! So..if your Publix considers Target a competitor, and you combine it with the $5/1 manufacturer's coupon, you'll score $3 overage on the Hydro 3 and $2 overage on the Hydro 5. Whew hoo!

Best Ways to Donate for Free or Pocket Change This Week at Publix:

As usual, it's another GREAT week at Publix with a lot of opportunities to donate anything from non-perishable food to personal care items to people in need! Here are the best ways I have found. Thanks to The Prudent Patron for providing a great resource for the list below!

Dial Body Wash or Tone Body Wash, $3.99
$1/1, $1/2 Red Plum (RP) 5/16
= $0.99 each

Glass Plus Glass & Multi-Surface Cleaner, $2.49
$1/1 Printable
= $0.24 each

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers, 12 oz bag, $2.39
$.50/1 Printable
=$0.69 each

Hunt's Tomato Ketchup, 13.5 oz bot, $1.39
$.20/1 (Smart Source) SS 5/16
= $0.59 each

Yoplait YoPlus Yogurt, 4-pk, 4 oz cup, $2.50
$.50/1 4/18 Smart Source (SS)
$1/1 Printable
=$0.25 each

Del Monte Fruit Cup 4pk or Chillers 8ct., $1.79
$1.50/2 Chillers RP 4/18
$1.50/2 (No Sugar) RP 4/11
$1/1 RP 4/18
= $0.79

Infusium 23 Hair Care $5.99
Free Conditioner wyb Infusium 23 Shampoo Publix Green Advantage Buy Flyer Store Coupon
$3/1 SS 5/9
= FREE when you use both Coupons

Stayfree Liners 16-24 ct $3.24
$1/1 SS 4/25
$2/1 RP 3/28
B1G1 Stayfree Liners Publix Green Advantage Buy Flyer Store Coupon
= FREE when you use both Coupons

Sure Anti-Perspirant Deodorant, $2.39
$1.50/1 SS 5/2
= $0.89

Yakisoba Noodles, $0.79
$1.00/2 SS 3/14
= $0.29 each

Next Mobile Food Drive: June 29th!

Mark your calendars! "Clipping for a Cause" will have another mobile food drive on Tuesday, June 29th! If you are local and would like to place one bag of non-perishables to be picked up and delivered for you, please let me know! All donations this month will go to benefit the Southeast Gwinnett Co-op (non-perishable food), the Quinn House of Lawrenceville (all cold and freezer items) and Villa Lodge and Suites (all personal care and cleaning items)!

The success of this ministry is dependent upon the help and support of so many others. This month, we are projected to exceed over 3,000 items donated!

For more information on how to lead your own mobile food drive either in your area or even at your workplace, please contact me!