Great Deals on Great Meals at Publix! *Plus $25 GIVEAWAY!* ENDED

One of the most important moments of my day is dinner time. Sure, I like food, (and so does my family), but that's not the reason why. I'm an old school mom, that really likes having the time around the dinner table to connect with my family. Learning about each other's day, planning the weekend together, laughing about silly things- that's what helps make memories.

I am a crazy busy mom. I have a child with special needs who hasn't "officially" "officially" been diagnosed- (don't ask)- a pre-k, almost-kindergartener-going-on-15 princess-in-training, am part of the PTA, SAC, Policy Council, am a Team Mom for tee ball, and needless to say, am stretched in many different directions. Especially now with end of year meetings, time for me to plan and prepare a meal are limited, and it's times like this where I love my Publix even more.

The other day I was walking up the aisle mumbling groceries I had in my fridge over and over trying to come up with some sort of a concoction to call "dinner". I could make a carbonara-type sauce, and pair it with a meat, but we were totally done with chicken, and I just couldn't think. (Bri would have blamed it on the sun, or the heat from practice.) I opened my sales flyer and voila, there was a recipe for the most delicious looking pork. I knew right there that I had most of those ingredients (or so I thought) but if not, I could totally do a carbonara type sauce over it and call it a day. In moments I went from lolly-gagging through the aisles looking like a crazy person mumbling ingredients to herself, to a person on a mission. Pork was on sale, so with even more zest in my step, my meal plan was done. 

What I love even more is that even if I can't figure out a meal- or if I don't resort to one of our 'staple' meals- I know I can always count on our Apron's booth for something tasty and usually quick. Thankfully, I have a family that loves trying new things. The best part is that it takes the "boring" factor out of dinner, because the family never knows what to expect. (Check out APRON'S here for more recipe ideas!)

So, if you've been following me on Facebook or Twitter you may have seen that recently I've begun couponing. No, it's not because of the crazy coupon show on TV- (remember, I don't have a ton of free time, people), it's because I just want to save money. I do not buy stuff I don't normally buy, unless it's insanely cheap, something that once sparked my interest as something I'd like to try, or free with my coupons. I mainly buy only the stuff I did before I started couponing. The only difference is that I'm saving a ton of money! Along with starting to use coupons, I started following the blog, AddictedToSaving.com. (I must say, if you live anywhere near a Publix, you should definitely be following that blog. You may not be a crazy couponer, or just looking to save a few, but how that site has helped me, you have NO idea!)

Four months ago, I thought that Publix had higher individual price points on items, which is why they could swing all of the crazy BOGO sales. Since following that blog, I've learned that their base price point is actually lower than many- if not all of their local competitors- on most items. I had no idea! I also learned that you can combine Publix coupons (you know the big coupon in the flyer or the bunch of coupons in the green and yellow advantage flyers that start with a PLU#.. OR the ones on the little kiosk thing floating around with savings on things like Yoplait, Cheerios, and more!) with manufacturer coupons (the coupons with a barcode), for even more of an incredible savings. I can officially say that for about 4-5 months, the majority of my grocery shopping is done at Publix because of these savings.

Now that we've settled into our new home a little bit better, our office is fully functioning and my son is almost '"officially" "officially"' diagnosed with something, I can start showing you all of the fabulous savings I'm raking in. Just a collection of random tid-bits gathered from online:

In 2007 a survey showed that 89% of the United States population used coupons to save approximately $2.6 billion dollars.

Manufacturers offered over $350 billion dollars in coupons that year – leaving over $347 billion dollars in coupons unredeemed.

The typical family saved 7% on their grocery bill in 2007 by using coupons – for a savings of $5.20-$9.60 per week. That may not sound like a lot, but with an average of $8 per week those savings add up to over $400 for the year- not bad for an average coupon user. Serious coupon users save much, much more, most of the time saving at least 75-85% of their bill.

To jump start you into saving money at Publix, check out GreatDealsOnGreatMeals.com to print out $10.80 in savings (the coupons expire on 5/29, so be sure to download them now)!!

Plus, through May 29th, stop by your local Publix to start your savings with a recipe for an easy Pasta Night at home! Make your own Pillsbury Ready to Bake! cookies for dessert, and stock up on some of the other featured products like Yoplait Yogurt, Honey Nut Cheerios and Progresso Soup!

WIN!!

Our friends at General Mills are offering a $25 Publix gift card to one lucky reader!

Here's How:

What items are you most excited to find savings on during the “Great Deals on Great Meals” event at Publix?

Extra Entry Opportunities:

• Tweet about the Great Deals on Great Meals event or this giveaway. Please use the hashtag "#myblogspark" and "@4BabyAndMom" in your tweet. Post your link here.
• LIKE 4BabyAndMom (and the Great Deals On Great Meals link above) on Facebook and share this promotion with your friends.
• Do you share the same excitement we do for Publix? Share with me an experience, or something that YOU love about the store.
• Share with me your closest store location using the STORE LOCATOR button.
• If you use coupons, what's the best deal you've ever got?
• Tell me your favorite General Mills product. Not sure? Visit their site for ideas.
• Wish you could find coupons for THIS product? Tell me what that product is.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER!!!

As always, what you have read is strictly the opinion of 4BabyAndMom and your experience may differ. Special thanks to General Mills and MyBlogSpark for allowing me to participate in this promotion. Super huge thanks to General Mills for providing me one gift card to keep and one to give away, as part of the MyBlogSpark program. This contest will end Monday, May 30, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be drawn using Random.org and then revealed on this post and the winner's page. The winner will also receive an email. Please add 4BabyAndMom at gmail dot com to your address book or label it "safe" so any communication won't be missed! Good Luck!