Do You Tofu?

I was never drawn to eating tofu until I met my husband. We get protein from fish, seafood, beans, and tofu. We have tried various ways of eating tofu, but our favorite is fried tofu. 

The tricky thing about tofu is that it is so waterlogged. It is spongy by nature and absorbs a lot of water. Frying anything wet causes the oil to pop and spray. 

Another difficulty we face is the texture when it has been fried. The entire slice is crispy and loses the original texture. 

I went looking for recipes to see how I could prepare tofu better. I came across this article on seriouseats.com that provided instructions on how to get the water out of the tofu for a better final product. 

The trick is to dehydrate the very saturated tofu using hot water. Did you catch that? Add water to eliminate the water. Turns out it is basic chemistry (which I have a history of not mastering). 

I served up the fried tofu with a caprese salad, and leftover scalloped potatoes. Random grouping and delicious!

Pizza Party at the Pharmacy

Not your usual item to purchase at the pharmacy, I realize. Walgreens had a sale on Totino's Party Pizza: 5 for $5 (regularly priced at $1.99). It's already a 50% off sale!

I had a $1 off 3 manufacturer coupon from the newspaper. 

The Walgreens app also had a $1 off 3 manufacturer coupon. 

SavingStar had a $1 off 3 rebate.  Read more about the SavingStar rebate app here. 

Here's the breakdown: 

   $6 for 6 pizzas (sale price $1 each)

-  $1 (1 manufacturer coupons)

= $5

-  $1 (Walgreens digital coupon)

= $4 out of pocket

-  $1 SavingStar rebate

= $3 total for 6 pizzas (or 50¢ each)

Cash Back on Music

Seriously? Woohoo!

That was my reaction when I saw that ibotta had a rebate for purchases at the iTunes Store. I was given an iTunes gift card that I loaded on my iTunes account. I slowly have made purchases for apps, songs, movie rentals, etc.

I bought a song for 99¢ on iTunes through ibotta to take advantage of the 5% cash back. Granted, it is not the largest purchase and I will only get 5¢ back. Every little bit counts! I have earned $95 in the 18 months of using the ibotta app. Some of the rebates were only 25¢ but see how they add up!

Wedding Anniversary

We celebrated our wedding anniversary recently. We're still young and in love!

I checked our mailbox that week and found this lovely card from my mom. She's so creative and crafty. The card is homemade by her. She even made the envelope! She can see the potential in so many things and will repurpose it for her works of art. The envelope this time is a page from a wall calendar. 

I have a box of cards that she's made for me from the last few years. My only regret is that I did not start saving them sooner. 

Compassion International Experience

If you have any interest in world events, living conditions, and travel, the Compassion International Experience is for you! 

Compassion International is a non-profit organization that focuses on poverty alleviation and disaster relief worldwide. The current effort, aside from worldwide presence, is a traveling exhibit circulating the US. This is a FREE event that is coming to a city near you (find your locale here)!

Once you arrive, you are given an iPod touch and headphones. These devices will provide a commentary as you walk through the exhibit. The exhibit is set up in a tractor trailer and is divided into 2 tracks: the life of a boy from the Dominican Republic and a girl from the Philippines. 

The exhibit allows you to have a view into a child's environment and world. 

Leaving the exhibit offers an opportunity to speak with Compassion International volunteers and to sponsor a child. 

The slogan says it all: experience the world without leaving yours. 

Graham Cracker Deal at Dollar General

Graham crackers is not typically on my shopping list. However, these crackers do come in handy for many recipes and snacking.

Having a coupon in hand and a rebate in mind, I set out to purchase Honey Maid Graham Crackers. By using the Favado app (read more here), I was able narrow down the best deal location: Dollar General.

While there were not any big sales on graham crackers, the lowest price and the rebate still proved to be a savings. Each box is priced at $3. After combining a manufacturer coupon and a Checkout51 rebate (read more here), it was a good deal. 

Here is the breakdown: 

$6 for 2 boxes

-$1 off manufacturer coupon

= $5

- $1 Checkout51 rebate

= $4 for 2 boxes (or $2 per box)

Shopping at Publix: Coupon Stacking

At a recent shopping trip at Publix, I was looking for 2 products. The 2 products were to be stacked with manufacturer coupons, an ibotta rebate, a MobiSave rebate, and a Checkout51 rebate.

The goal? Enjoy life products and Simply Good Jell-O.

The Enjoy life cookies are $4.99 per box and the manufacturer coupon is $1.50 off 2 boxes. I will pay $8.48 out of pocket.

After the purchase, I will stack the savings from the manufacturer coupon with the rebates. I am adding the manufacturer to the MobiSave rebate ($1.50 off 2 boxes) and ibotta rebate ($2 off 2 boxes).

Here is the breakdown: 

$9.98

-$1.50 manufacturer coupon

= $8.48

-$2 ibotta rebate

=$6.48

-$1.50 MobiSave rebate

=$4.98 for 2 boxes (or $2.49 each after rebates)

There is a sale on Simply Good Jello-O is typically $1.49 each and on sale for $1 each.

Checkout51 has a rebate for 75¢ off 1 package. 

Here is the breakdown: 

$1 out of pocket

- 75¢ Checkout51 rebate

= 25¢ after rebate

Bonus from ibotta! Any rebate redeemed on a brand name item (as opposed to generic) is rewarded with $5! My total for the cookies and the pudding was $5.23. Adding the $5 bonus into the mix, it is like the entire shopping trip was only 23¢!