Vacation Tips & Giveaway: Meal Planning

One thing I did not think about before going on vacation was what we would eat once we got home.   I worked hard the week before we left to clean out the food in the fridge.  When we arrived home I realized I needed to go to the grocery store if we were to eat more than frozen meals.  I was too exhausted to come up with a meal plan though.  

I've vowed that on our next vacation I will have a meal plan in place before we leave on vacation.  I will do my best to have a grocery list to go with it too so I can ease back into life after vacation instead of being thrown back into it.

One thing that did help me get back on track after vacation was that Kroger started their annual Cart Buster event just days after I got home.  This allowed me stock up on great name brand products at a reduced price. 

The Cart Buster event continues through August 17 so you still have a few days to get in on the savings.  Be sure to visit the Cart Buster website every day between now and August 16 to download the "Deal of the Day" exclusive offers.

Kroger and MyBlogSpark kindly provided me a gift card to share this annual event with you and they also provided a gift card for me to give to one of my readers.

To enter the giveaway for a $25 Kroger gift card, share one of your favorite vacation tips.  It can be geared towards planning, places to go, how to survive with children, basically whatever you want to share.

For extra entries, subscribe to Living Life With Less via RSS or email.

Mention this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter.

This contest will be open until 9 pm CST on Monday, August 15.  Winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: The Kroger gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by Kroger and General Mills through MyBlogSpark

New Giveaways Up

Over on my review blog I have two giveaways currently going on.  First is for Yoplait Delights.  The second one is geared towards kids and is for Yoplait Kids.  Click the links in order to win, comments left on this post will not be eligible.

New Giveaway: Progresso Soup

Continuing with the theme to lose weight and become more healthy, I have new giveaway up for Progresso Soup. Click on the link to enter.

Giveaway Up

The first of the giveaways that I promised you last week is finally up.  Head on over to my review blog to enter to win a prize pack from Yoplait.

Newest Giveaway Now Up

Yesterday I mentioned there would be a new giveaway today and it is now up .  Click on the link for a chance at winning a Chex cereal prize pack.

New Giveaways Up

Due to a sick family and way too many commitments, I am way behind on giveaways and my blogging goals for this month.  I happen to have a few extra minutes tonight so I've put up a new giveaway from Hamburger Helper.   

Tomorrow, yet another one will be going up and I will leave a link once it is available.  Remember, you must click through to the link in order to enter.  Comments left on this post will not count.

Update and Giveaway

I'm still alive around here but the blog has been silent this week as I've been fighting a cold that started the night before Thanksgiving.  I think I'm on the mend now but still not up to my normal self.

I have several giveaways to post over the next few weeks so keep checking back often.  In the meantime, check out my latest giveaway for an Old El Paso Family Taco Night prize package.  You must click on the link in order to enter, comments on this post will not count as an entry.

Winner and Life Update

Sorry for the delay in announcing the Pillsbury winner.  It is Cori and she has 48 hours to claim the prize.  

Blogging will be even more sporadic the next few days as I'm at the hospital with my youngest.  He had a slight fever on Friday and Saturday but woke up Sunday with a very swollen face and neck.  After a trip to the ER we landed in the hospital with a severely infected lymph node.  The swelling is not reducing very quickly so we are now trying to figure out which direction to go.  It looks like we will be here several more days. 

I will keep everyone updated as I can.  Today has been the first day I could get Blogger (or anything Google related) to load.

Giveaway: Pillsbury Mini Biscuits

I'm giving away a Pillsbury Frozen Biscuit prize pack, so come on over to enter.  For those who have commented already on this post, your comments will still be included in the giveaway.

On Vacation

Reminder, there will be no Price Cutter matchups this week as I'm on vacation at the Tupperware annual convention.  I had planned several scheduled posts but they did not happen as I took the extra time to play with my kids instead.

In the meantime, check out my Sam's Club Giveaway for a chance to win $25 to Sam's Club.

Back to School Savings with Sam's Club: Giveaway

I'm new to the world of Box Tops but now that my child is close to entering his public school years, I know they will become a bigger deal.  I've heard of some pretty intense competitions between classes as the Box Tops help raise money for the school.  I'll admit, I've clipped a few over the years but I've never put in much effort as my child wasn't in school yet.  Through MOPS though, I did learn that Huggies diapers contain Box Tops so I do clip those.

From August 6-13, Sam's Club is offering 150 Bonus Box Tops when you upgrade to a premium membership.  Also, this weekend Sam's Club is offering free entry to anyone.  This is a great time to check it out and see if a membership would be beneficial to you.

Today, I'm offering a $25 Sam's Club gift card as a giveaway.  This contest will be open until Saturday, August 14.  At that time, I will pick a winner via random.org and they will have 48 hours to respond.

To enter (first one is mandatory, others are for bonus entries):

1. Tell me your favorite savings strategy for back to school shopping.
2.  Post about this giveaway on your blog.
3. Follow me on Twitter @LifeWithLess.
4. Subscribe via RSS or email.


Disclaimer: I was provided with a gift card and upgrade to my membership from Sam's Club & General Mills through MyBlogSpark. No other compensation occurred.

Giveaway: Sam’s Club Gift Card & Snacks

We have a Sam's Club membership and have found they are generally cheaper for wipes, milk, and some snacks. We also love looking through their book section as they have wonderful prices and a great selection for kids.

Today I have giveaway for a $25 Sam's Club gift card and a club sized box of Nature Valley Trail Mix Fruit & Nut bars. These granola bars can be purchased at Sam's Club and they are one of my favorite on the go snacks as they actually fill you up since they are full of better for you ingredients such as almonds, cranberries, and honey.

To enter the giveaway and for additional entries:
1. Tell me what your favorite snack or bargain is at Sam's Club (mandatory for entry).
2. Follow me on Twitter - @LifeWithLess 
3. Subscribe to this blog via RSS or email.
4. Post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a link in the comments section. 

Giveaway ends at 9 pm CST on Monday, June 7. Winner has 72 hours to contact me. If I do not hear back, another winner will be drawn.

*MyBlogSpark and General Mills provided me with a gift card and Nature Valley bars also. No other compensation occurred.

Giveaway: Yoplait Greek Yogurt Gift Pack

Yoplait has recently come out with their version of Greek yogurt.  I've always heard Greek yogurt is delicious but the only brand I have seen at my grocery store is very expensive.  I was excited when I noticed the Yoplait version as it is much more reasonably priced and I've seen several coupons for it lately.  Speaking of which, there is currently a .30 coupon you can print so that you too can enjoy this new yogurt.

To celebrate their new Greek yogurt, Yoplait is giving away a "Nourish Your Inner Goddess" gift pack.  Included in the gift pack are two coupons so you can try the new Greek yogurt too.


To enter, simply leave me a comment stating which flavor you would like to try (Plain, Honey Vanilla, Strawberry, or Blueberry). 

This giveaway is open until Monday, April 26 at 8 pm CST.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond.

For extra entries (please leave a separate comment for each):
* Subscribe via RSS (if already a subscriber, let me know)
* Tweet about the giveaway and leave a copy of your tweet in the comments section

Disclaimer:  Yoplait provided me with free product, gift pack, and information through MyBlogSpark - no other compensation occurred.

Kroger Gift Card Winner

Sorry for the delay in posts this week - I've spent all of my free time dealing with insurance issues.  I think I have them worked out for now so I hope to get a chance to write all of the planned posts for this week.

In the meantime, the winner of the Kroger gift card is Pixie from Penny Pinching Pixie. She has already been contacted and her prize should be arriving soon. Thank you to all who entered! 

Kroger Cart Buster Event & Giveaway

The Kroger family of stores is currently having an incredible Cart Buster sale now through March 14.  I was able to shop this sale earlier in the week at Dillons, my local Kroger affiliate.  By combining this sale with several coupons, I was able to save a bundle.

Here are just a few of the great brands that are participating: Pillsbury, Progresso, Green Giant,  Betty Crocker, Hamburger Helper, and Old El Paso.


To celebrate this great sale, I have one $25 Kroger gift card to give to one of my readers.  I will not be able to get the card to you in time for the sale but Kroger offers many great sales throughout the year that you can use it on.


This contest is a short one and will be open until Sunday, March 14 at 9 pm CST.


To enter, tell me one of your favorite ways to save money at the grocery store.


For extra entries:


Subscribe to this blog - if you are already a subscriber, let me know.


Follow me on Twitter (@LifeWithLess) and send a tweet about this giveaway. 

The winner will have 48 hours to respond.  If there is no response, a  new winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: The gift card, information, and giveaway have all been provided by the Kroger Family of Stores and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.  I also received a $25 gift card.

Giveaway: Yophoria & Health Wise Yogurt

Hiland Dairy recently sent me some coupons to try out their new Yophoria Smoothies and Health Wise Yogurt. I was excited to try this because Hiland Dairy is in my backyard and I like to support local businesses. 

I first tried the YoPhoria Probiotic Smoothie.  I'm not a huge fan of yogurt smoothies but thought I would give this one a try.  I tried the Strawberries & Cream and it was ok - nothing out of this world but nothing awful either.  Something about liquid yogurt is not exciting to me but this was decent enough that I would pick one up again if it was on sale.

Next, I tried the new Health Wise Probiotic Yogurt.  I really liked this one.  I tried it in pomegranate blueberry.  Although a few more calories than I normally consume in a yogurt, Health Wise is still fairly healthy.  It is very creamy and does not taste healthy at all though.  Here is what Hiland Dairy has to say about this new yogurt:


Health Wise works to restore the good bacteria in your body, and with 15% of your DV of calcium per serving, you will be on your way to a healthier you!


I have two Yophoria and two Health Wise coupons for you to try!  To enter, please leave a comment below.  This giveaway will close at 9 pm CST on Friday, March 5 and a winner will be chosen via random.org.


For extra entries:

1. Subscribe to this blog.
2. Follow me on Twitter @LifeWithLess
3. Tweet about this contest.  

* Disclaimer: I was given an identical gift pack to try this product, however, no other compensation occurred.

A Swagtastic Birthday

Today is a day to celebrate - Swag Bucks is turning 2, my best friend is turning 30, another childhood friend is having her twin girls today, and my oldest turns 4 tomorrow.  I think this calls for some celebration. 


First of all, let me tell you about Swag Bucks.  I've been using this search engine for about a year and a half and I earn free prizes simply for doing everyday searches.  My favorite prizes to redeem are Amazon.com and Starbucks gift cards.  I've used the Amazon cards for the past two Christmases to purchase many of my gifts.  I save the Starbucks cards for those few times I actually get out of the house alone.  I "treat" myself to a yummy drink and enjoy savoring every sip.  

To celebrate today, Swag Bucks has rolled out a new website and converted their points from 1 point to 10 points.


Of course, a celebration needs cake. Here is a picture of last year's cow birthday cake.  In the post is also a link to my favorite chocolate cake recipe.  This year, my son has requested a Thomas the Tank Engine cake.  I'm a bit intimidated by it since I'm still learning cake decorating but I'm also excited for the challenge.  I made the face yesterday and it is pretty good for a first time effort.  If I had more time, I would do it again as I learned so much while making it.  I do plan to share pictures if the cake looks decent.


Finally, I will be posting a giveaway later today or early tomorrow to celebrate.  Stay tuned to see what it is.


Happy Birthday Tonya, Katie & Izzy, Samuel, and Swag Bucks!

Live Giveaways from Thrifty & Chic Mom

Remember last week when I wrote about using Twitter to win prizes? I recently learned of a great giveaway opportunity I wanted to let you in on.

I've been following Ellen, aka Thrifty and Chic Mom, for awhile now and she offers some great giveaways. I've even won a few myself. A few months back she decided to offer live giveaways on her blog every Monday night. It is fun to join in but gets a little crazy towards the end so she is moving the giveaways to Twitter every Monday night. For details on how to enter Monday Night Live Giveaways head over to her blog. This week she is giving away a Britax car seat, along with a few other great prizes.

While you are on Twitter, go ahead and follow me - @LifeWithLess. I'm having a blast getting to know some of you even better through Twitter.

Tweet Your Way to Prizes

I have gone back and forth with using Twitter for awhile now. I used it often when I was working but I was tweeting for my clients (social media was the majority of my job) so I didn't always want to come home and feel like I was going back to work. Recently though, I've participated in a few Twitter parties and have had a blast. I now have Tweet Deck on my desktop and I'm starting to participate more. What I'm learning is that a lot of great companies give out prizes throughout the day or through Twitter parties. I suggest you look up your favorite companies and follow them in order to earn great prizes and learn about their new products. You will also meet some great people online and form some fun friendships. While you are at it, follow me at @LifeWithLess.

Ecostore USA winner

Congratulations to rubynreba who won the Ecostore USA giveaway. I've sent her an email and she has 48 hours to claim her prize.