June 2014 - Oh Amy, Dear!

Using the Whole Bird: Chicken Tortilla Soup (and more)

June 28, 2014 by ohamydear

Amy's Chicken Tortilla Soup (photo from oh amy, dear!) — Amy’s Chicken Tortilla Soup (photo from Instagram and *oh amy, dear!*)

A couple days ago I was able to score a great deal on a whole chicken – $1.49/lb + 30% off on clearance, paying around $5.00. My husband had been wanting to learn how to butcher a chicken, and I’m always excited to discover new cooking skills, so away we went! After he cut it apart, we boiled the carcass and some miscellaneous pieces to make chicken stock, then baked all of the pieces. We were left with a selection of cooked chicken and a good amount of stock. We’ve used the chicken for sandwiches and meals with other leftovers, but the stock was what I wanted to get my hands on.

I happen to love chicken tortilla soup, so my decision on what soup to make was made. Until now, I had never made a soup, so I was a tad nervous about the flavor I would be able to get. Would it be too salty? Would it not have enough flavor? Putting those worries aside, I looked up a recipe on Pioneer Woman and revised it to how I wanted to make mine and set forth on my soup adventure!

Though we’re both biased, my husband and I LOVED this soup and can’t wait to eat it for another meal. Change the following steps to fit your needs, but I hope you find it helpful. It really was easier than I thought, and the taste is better than I’ve ever had.

Better Than Free Starbucks at Walgreens, Starting 6/29

June 21, 2014 by Oh Amy, Dear!

Love Starbucks drinks? Love getting paid to buy these drinks in stores? You’re in the right place! Starting Sunday, June … Read moreBetter Than Free Starbucks at Walgreens, Starting 6/29

Get Great Deals for Amazing Prices by Using the Ibotta App

May 16, 2015June 21, 2014 by Oh Amy, Dear!

Every heard of the term Ibotta? Ever wondered what the heck it is? Well, if you have a smartphone, you’re in luck – the answers are right at the tip of your fingers. Ibotta is a mobile app that gives you virtually instant rebates on products you buy at your favorite stores. You unlock the rebates you want to use by learning about the product, watching a video, or answering a poll question. Then, after you’ve purchased the items, you verify your purchases and take a picture of the receipt. Within minutes, your rebate amount will be waiting to cash out. And cashing out is just as easy – transfer to Paypal or redeem your balance for one of the gift cards they have available at Starbucks, iTunes, and more.

This past week, I have been on a crazy Ibotta kick! All the deals I kept seeing were for items I was excited and/or needed to buy. So in a few different trips, I made sure to match up sales, coupons, Rewards deals, and Ibotta offers to net myself 92.5% savings on fantastic products:

Amy Goes to Savings School: Did the Workshop Make the Grade?

June 20, 2014 by Oh Amy, Dear!

Be on the lookout for ads like this in your local papers for an event near you.

As you may have read, this past Monday (June 16), I attended an Extreme Couponing Workshop put on by the Oregonian at a hotel in the Portland Metro area. Two fun, energetic women facilitated it, both having been on the Extreme Couponing show on TLC. Everyone there was pleasant. I sat in the front row (read:over achiever), between a little boy being so good for his mom and a couple sisters who were very into the presentation. There were some positives and some negatives of the night, however, and I want to share my thoughts with all of you.

Let’s begin with the great things about the event. First and foremost, it is obvious that these women really do save a lot. They both stockpile, they play the “guess how much I paid?” game with their husbands, just like I do – I could really relate and admired their savings. Neither of them shop at stores that double any coupons, which makes savings even tougher. I love my Doubl’r coupon at Safeway! Maryann, who lost 80+ pounds between her show taping and the workshop – WOW! – feeds a family of 7 on only $25 each week. Unbelievable!

Additionally, they’re committed to couponing ethically, which I think is integral to us all continuing on our savings journeys. You have to follow the rules for any of this to continue, right? They explained the “coupon clearinghouse” concept, where stores send in their coupons for reimbursement. If coupons are copied or altered in any way, the store actually does lose out. You’re not fighting the man, you’re ruining it for everyone.

Don’t Forget the Clearance Section for Huge Savings!

June 17, 2014 by Oh Amy, Dear!

If there’s one thing I like more than saving money by couponing, it’s saving money unexpectedly by being a smart … Read moreDon’t Forget the Clearance Section for Huge Savings!

Ways to Make Your Sunday Inserts (As Good As) Free in Store

June 15, 2014 by Oh Amy, Dear!

I needed to grab another Sunday newspaper to get two of each insert this week, so of course I headed down to Walgreens to pick one up. But it wouldn’t be a Walgreens trip without some fun Register Rewards deal!

I had planned ahead on a Colgate toothpaste deal by printing a limited time coupon. And I always like to grab cheap makeup when I can, so luckily I still had a couple Rimmel coupons on me. I was already planning on paying $2.00 for the newspaper, so when I came home paying $2.19 for newspaper, toothpaste, and nail polish, I felt great!

Buying newspapers is what I consider “the cost of doing business” for couponers. One of my favorite ways to save, and one of the easiest ways to start immediately using coupons is to pair a Register Reward or Rewards Points deal at Walgreens with your Sunday newspaper purchase to earn free or low cost items. Check out my transactions below for what I did to make sure I paid around the same amount I already planned to pay, but came home with so much more.