Walmart
3 bags of Frozen Broccoli @ $0.98 each – $2.94
1 gallon of Milk – $3.48
1 dozen Eggs (price-matched Walgreens) - $1.50
1 HUGE Cantaloupe (price-matched Aldi) – $0.99
1.91lbs Peaches @ $0.99/lb (price-matched Aldi) – $1.89
2 large heads Romaine Lettuce @ $1.67 each – $3.34
Total: $14.14 (I paid using a Walmart gift card I earned through Swagbucks – so $0.00 out-of-pocket for me!)
Walgreens
2 transactions of:
1 Colgate Total toothpaste – $3.00 plus tax – used $0.75/1 coupon from 06/15/22 insert
Total after coupons: $2.46 plus receive $2.50 register reward back – $0.04 MM after coupon and register reward
Harris Teeter
3 32-oz cartons So Delicious Coconut Milk @ $1.50 each – $4.50, used 3 $0.55/1 any So Delicious product (doubles), $0.40 each after coupons
1 3lb package Jennie-O Frozen Turkey Burgers B1G1 @ $10.99 (rings up half price) – $5.50, used $0.75/1 package of frozen Jennie-O Turkey Burgers (doubles), $4.00 after coupons
2 50-oz jugs Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent @ $1.97 each (limit 2) – used $3.00/2 Arm & Hammer detergents, $0.47 each after coupons
2 Dial Hand Soap @ $1.00 each – used $1.00/2 Dial from the 06/15/14 insert – $0.50 each after coupons
3 packages of Old El Paso Taco Shells @ $1.25 each – $4.50, used $1.00/3 Old El Paso products, plus $0.60/3 Old El Paso evic, plus $0.60/3 Old El Paso Saving Star - $0.76 each after coupons
2 packages Hormel Compleats – $2.79, used 2 $1.00/1 Hormel Compleats printable, plus $1.00/1 Hormel Compleats evic - $0.21 MM after coupons
2 packages Fiber One Bars (it would have been cheaper for me to buy 4 of these, and 4 of the Nature Valley Bars, as Harris Teeter is running a 4 for $7 deal – I thought that I could mix and match the 2 kinds for 4 total and still get the sale price, but I didn’t) - $4.58 – used 2 $0.50/1 Fiber One Bars printable (doubles), plus $0.50/1 Harris Teeter evic, plus$0.50/1 Fiber One Saving Star - $0.79 each after coupons
2 packages Nature Valley Granola Bars – $4.58 – used 2 $0.50/1 Nature Valley printable (doubles), plus $0.50/1 Nature Valley evic, plus $0.50/1 Nature Valley Saving Star - $0.79 each after coupons
used $5.00 Register Rewards from Walgreens transactions
Total after coupons and sales tax: $9.41, plus receive $1.60 back from Saving Star
CVS (Yes, I realize this cereal isn’t that great for you. But I have yet to convince my husband of that in our 9 years of marriage. 
If I don’t buy it for him, he is going to go out and buy it himself and spend $3.99 a box… so when I find a decent deal, I stock up for him. Love you, Honey!!)
15 boxes of Kelloggs cereal @ $2.00 each – used 2 $1.00/2 select Kellogg’s cereal, 2 $1.00/3 any Kellogg’s cereal, 1 $1.00/2 Kellogg’s Krave cereal, 1 $1.00/2 any Kellogg’s cereal emailed to me from Kellogg’s Family Rewards - $24.00, plus receive a $10 gas card back
2 Right Guard Extreme Clear Deodorant @ $3.00 each – used 2 $2.00/1 Right Guard Extreme Clear from RP 06/15/14 insert – $2.00 plus receive $2.00 ECB back – free after coupons and ECB’s
1 Just the Basics liquid dish detergent – $0.99
1 Cheerios cereal – $2.48 – used $0.60/1 CVS coupon from the CVS coupon machine, plus $1.00/1 from cut from the back of a cereal box – $0.88 after coupons
Used $2 ECB from a previous week, plus $7.00 from a CVS gift card I earned from Swagbucks
Total after sales tax and coupons: $17.08, plus receive a $10 gas card and $2.00 ECB back (Looking at my receipt, I am not sure how I ended up at this amount. It seems the total should have been a little higher.)
Local Farmer’s Market
Large Box of Summer Squash (about 30 lbs – we will eat what we can the next week or two, and then freeze the rest)
Total: $5.00
Fresh Produce from a Friend’s Garden
Total: Free :) So thankful for generous friends!!
Weekly Total for all Groceries: $36.45 out-of-pocket (plus receive a $10 gas card, $2 ECB, and $1.60 back from Saving Star)
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Oatmeal x2, Smoothies (using frozen fruit), Eggs and Toast x2, Homemade Granola, Cereal
Lunches
PB&J Sandwiches/Cucumbers/Homemade Applesauce; Annie’s Macaroni and Cheese/Tomato slices/Peaches; Turkey Sandwiches/Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries; Leftovers x2; Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheese; Build-Your-Own Tossed Salad
Dinners
Tacos, Fresh Pico de Gallo, Green Beans, Cantaloupe
Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Baked Potatoes, Carrots, Butterhorns
Venison Gravy over Brown Rice (using leftover venison from last night’s dinner), Broccoli, Tomato Slices
Breakfast for Dinner (meatless) – Pancakes, Eggs, Hash browns
Turkey Burgers on the Grill, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Grilled Zucchini
Lasagna Casserole (I have cottage cheese I need to use up – I am going to make this with only 1/2lb of meat), Dill Bread, Sauteed Summer Squash
Classic Grilled Chicken, Italian Garlic Bread, Broccoli, Tomato Slices
Snacks
Zucchini Bread, Fruit, Granola Bars, Cucumber slices, Smoothies, Fruit
Here’s a little peek into my recent One-Hour Freezer Cooking session…
I browned a massive pan of ground beef and onions. And kind of chose a pan that was too small. Whoops!
While the ground beef was browning, I put everything in the crockpot for the Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans. These were so simple and easy to make!
And the ground beef was finally done. Yikes! I made a MESS on the stove!
I had planned to make Million Dollar Spaghetti, but I was running short on time and I didn’t want to turn on the oven because the house was already so hot, so I decided to just boil the noodles, add a jar of pasta sauce to some of the ground beef, and make spaghetti for dinner.
Er, maybe I was just lazy? Well, I’m going with the fact that the house was too hot to turn on the oven. Yup, that’s my story.
While everyone was getting dinner on their plates and getting situated at the table (which always seems to take a LONG time!), I dumped everything in a bowl for the Homemade Energy Bites.
And then I quickly rolled these in balls and stuck them in the freezer. Well, after we did a little taste-testing. 
Recipes Made:
A testimony from Sarah from SarahTitus.com
I’m guessing that by now, you've read a few articles about how a family saves up to pay cash for a car. I myself always see those stories and get excited!
Maybe you get excited about the possibility of doing this yourself, but secretly think, "There's no way I could do that. They are so much better off financially than me."
Well, I'm here to tell you that you CAN!
You see, I’m a single stay-at-home-mom with an $18,000 per year income, and even still, I saved up $7,000 to pay cash for my new-to-me car in just one year. No loans, no financial assistance… and no welfare checks.
During the year I was saving for a car and didn’t have one to drive, a few kind people from my church sacrificially played car rotation and let me borrow theirs for a short time. It was an extremely difficult time for me, but their generosity was a huge blessing.
I was able to save for an entire year without having to pay for insurance… and after the year was up, I had a cool $7,000 to put down on a new (to me) car.
My point is simple. If I can do it, anyone can!
Don’t talk yourself out of your ability to make something happen. As the saying goes “Where’s there’s a will, there’s a way” and boy was I motivated! I didn’t have family to help me, just the kindness of a few church members and my belief that God would provide for my needs.
If you’re stuck in a place where you feel trapped, like nothing will ever change, don’t lose hope. No matter what life throws at you, you CAN make it. I stand here to inspire you, to encourage you, and to tell you that hard work goes a long way.
I believe in you… and sometimes, that’s all we really need. Just knowing someone out there truly believes in us, and I do!
You can do it! Don’t give up on your dreams of living within your means, no matter what the situation.
Sarah is a stay-at-home mom of two wonderful children. Her passion is showing other women in practical ways, how to quit the 9-5 and be able to be home with their little ones as well. From homeless to well-off, this single debt-free mom is most known for her ability to live on $18k/year. Sarah loves encouraging others that dreams do come true if they are willing to consistently work for it. Follow her blog: Saving Money Never Goes Out of Style.
Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.
