Thursday, March 25, 2010

Some More Woes of the Foreclosure Market

The reason I have not been posting many blog updates is that we are in the process of closing on our new home and moving. However, it has been a very long and drawn out affair since we are buying a foreclosed home. This puts us at the mercy of the selling bank, who, in this case, has dragged their feet and done many things that have caused great delays. We are down to the final details of closing, but with a title company/escrow company in another state!! This makes it all the more complicated and time-consuming.

I know it says in the Bible that God will not give us more than we are able to handle, so I trust Him to be in control of all of this, but my patience is stretched thin and my frustration level is so high I have had a dull headache for three days now. This coming weekend was our last weekend to move before running into an issue with our landlords. Now we are not going to be able to move until next week, and we have to face this issue and pray for an amicable resolve with them, since we are not going to be out until probably the 4th of April.

My husband is trying to see if he can get switch his off days at work to Wednesday/Thursday and/or Friday, but that is a very difficult thing to work out for him. So we will see!

If you are in the market for a house, please be aware that the process is completely at the mercy of the selling bank if you buy a foreclosed home. This can be a good thing in that you will probably get a great price for your house, but a bad thing if they drag their feet and cause delays like we have been experiencing. They can even choose a title company/escrow company in another state to complicate the matters even further!

We are very anxious to be in our new home and trying our best to survive these last few weeks/days/hours until we can make that a reality. God IS faithful and we trust in Him for His timing and to work it all out.

I will be back to posting more regularly in April, after the move and we get settled. Sorry for not being able to help with posting the grocery deals, but that is just more than I can handle right now. Looking forward to getting back to regular posting again soon!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Best Grocery Deals in Phoenix Area

This week resembles last week pretty much - many of the sales are continuing. Great prices on corned beef and cabbage for your St. Patrick's Day meals.

Albertsons
Ground Round 5 lbs or more $1.77/lb
Asparagus $0.99/lb
Carrots 5 lb bag $1.99
Tomatoes, large hot house $0.99/lb
Pork Chops $0.97/lb
Quaker Sale: Buy 7, Save $3 = all items $1.57 when you buy 7

Bashas
Cabbage $0.33/lb
Whole Chickens $0.59/lb
Corned Beef Brisket Point Cut $1.27/lb
Del Monte Vegetables 13.5-15.25 oz. cans $0.59
Post Cereal $1.99
Green Giant Frozen Boxed Vegetables $1.00

Food City
Chicken Leg Quarters $0.37/lb 10 lb bag
Russet Potatoes 10 lbs bag $0.99
Doritos $1.99
1-2-3 Cooking Oil 1 liter $1.50

Fresh & Easy
80/20 ground beef $1.59/lb
F&E OJ 64 oz. 2/$3
Hunt's Pasta Sauce $0.99
Nestles Semi-Sweet Chips $1.99

Fry's
Cabbage $0.25/lb
Mini carrots 1 lb bag $0.88
Strawberries $1.50/lb
Corned Beef Brisket Point Cut $1.27/lb
Ribeye Steak $4.88/lb

Pro's Ranch Market
Chicken drumsticks or thighs $0.88/lb
1-2-3 Cooking Oil 1 liter $1.49
Monterey Jack Cheese $1.99/lb
WEDNESDAY ONLY:
10 lb Russet Potatoes $0.89
Manila Mangos 3/$0.99
FRIDAY ONLY:
Hass Avocados 5/$0.99

Safeway
Cabbage $0.25/lb
93% lean ground beef $1.99/lb
Corned Beef Point Cut $1.27/lb
Barilla Pasta $0.88
Mix & Match Sale: Buy 5 items, Save $5
Red Potatoes 5 lb bag $0.99
Minute Maid OJ $2
Frozen Food Promo: Spend $25 BEFORE coupons, get $10 coupon towards next purchase

Smart & Final
First Street Cooking Oil $1.99 48 oz.

Sprouts
Cutie Clementines 5 lb box $2.99
Asparagus $1.49/lb
Sharp Cheddar Cheese $2.50/lb
Juice Sale 20% off


Happy Grocery Shopping!

Patience is a Virtue....

I keep telling myself to be patient. Every day. Several times each day. But the waiting is getting ridiculous! We have been waiting for almost 2 weeks now to hear back from the selling bank about our house. The appraisal came in $10,000 under our offer, so we have sent an addendum to the sales contract requesting they reduce the sales price to match the appraisal. I am told this normally is a no brainer - that they are stuck with that appraisal for 6 months, so if they want to sell the house, they will accept. But due to them having a lousy real estate agent representing them and them being slow in responding, we have been waiting and waiting....

And so we proceed to pack and organize for the move, but still don't know when it will be. Such are the joys of buying a house in this crazy market....

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

This Week's Best Grocery Deals in Phoenix Area

This week, and month really, is Frozen Food Month. So, if you buy frozen foods of any sort, this would be the time to stock up your freezer. And don't forget to look for coupons - there are LOTS of them right now, too. You can get some incredible deals if you coordinate your coupons and sales on frozen food. Also, generic store brands are on sale this week at alot of stores. And the meat of the week is skinless, boneless chicken breasts - as low as $1.49/lb.

Albertsons:
Petite Sirloin Steak $6.99/lb Buy 1, Get 2 FREE= $2.33/lb
Chicken Breast, Drumstick, Thighs or Leg Quarters $0.88/lb
10 for $10 Sale:
Cantaloupes
Fresh Express Garden Salad, Cole Slaw Kit or Shredded Lettuce
Albertsons Cereals
Green Giant Steamers Vegetables
Albertson's 1/2 gallon Milk
Albertson's dozen eggs
16 oz. Sour Cream
Old Orchard Frozen Juice
Crunch N Munch
Sobe, Lifewater or Aquafina FlavorSplash
and MUCH, MUCH MORE!!!
10%-15% OFF Frozen Food

Basha's
Blue Bunny Ice Cream $1.99 (w/in ad coupon)
Tombstone Pizza $1.99 (w/in ad coupon)
Top Sirloin Steak $1.97/lb
Green Asparagus $0.87/lb
Basha's Milk Gallon $1.88
Powerade 32 oz. $0.50 when you buy 15 (w/in ad coupon)
Dole Classic Iceberg Salad $0.99
General Mills Cereals $1.99

Food City
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts $1.69/lb
Tilapia Fillets $1.99/lb
Bananas 3 lbs/$0.99
Mexican Key Limes 3 lbs/$0.99
Dole Orange Juice 64 oz. $1.99
THURSDAY ONLY:
Iceberg Lettuce 3/$0.99
Green Chiles 2 lbs/$1
Kale, Mustard, Turnip or Collard Greens 2/$1
Cilantro 4/$1
Navel Oranges $0.59/lb
Avocados 2/$1

Fry's
Gold Medal Flour 5 lb $1.77 (use coupon = $0.77)
Betty Crocker Pouch Cookies 2/$3 (use coupons = $0.70/each)
Nature Valley Granola Bars $1.88 (use coupons = $0.88)
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts $1.49/lb frozen in 3 lb bag
Red Seedless Grapes $0.77/lb
Progresso Soups (full line!!) $0.99 (use coupons = $66 each)
Ragu Pasta Sauce $1.67 (use coupons = $1.17)
Green Giant Steamers Vegetables $1.28 (use coupons=$0.28)

Pro's Ranch Market
10 lb bag Potatoes $0.89
Bar-S Jumbo Franks $0.69
Malt-o-Meal Cereals $2/$3
Avocados 3/$0.99
Cilantro 5/$0.99
Black Beans (dried) 2 lbs/$0.99
Lentils 2 lbs/$0.99
Jalapenos 2 lbs/$0.99
Country Style Pork Ribs $0.98/lb
70% lean Ground Beef $1.29/lb
Sangria or Sidral Sodas 1.5 liter $0.89
Maruchan Instant Lunch 24 packs $5.99
WEDNESDAY SPECIALS:
Asian Pears 3 lbs/$0.99
Bananas 3 lbs/$0.99
Red Delicious Apples 3 lbs/ $0.99
Mexican Limes 3 lbs/$0.99
Oranges 5 lbs/$0.99
THURSDAY SPECIALS:
Pork Cushion Meat $0.98/lb
Bone-In Sirloin End Pork Chops $0.98/lb
FRIDAY SPECIALS:
Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs $0.68/lb
Iceberg Lettuce 4/$0.99
Pinto Beans (dried) 2 lbs/ $0.99

Sprouts
Blueberries 6 oz. 4/$5
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs $1.49/lb
Honey Tangerines or Minneola Tangelos $0.88/lb
Hass Avocados 2/$1
Green Leaf, Red Leaf or Romaine Lettuce $0.88
Pinova or Braeburn Apples $0.88/lb
Bunched Spinach or Sweet Onions $0.88
Hansen's Natural Soda 6 pack 2/$4
Ground Meats Sale 40% off
Bulk Sale - bulk bin, bulk spices and bulk coffee items 25% off
Bolthouse Juices 32 oz. 2/$5

So those are the best deals I see this week. I got a great deal on frozen foods at Safeway today, bought $25 worth, used $6 coupons, used $10 catalina from previous purchase, paid $10.41 and got another $10 catalina to use on another great frozen food deal!! That really only $0.41 out of pocket for 11 frozen items (mostly vegetables:-).

And there are some great deals at Fry's if you use coupons. So get out there and stock up this week!!

Happy Grocery Shopping!

Another Football Win

Last evening, my son played the last of his winter season schedule footballs games and they won 18-15. It was a very close game and they won by holding the other team at the 4 yard line on the 4th down with less than a minute in play time!! Needless to say, it was a very stressful game to watch! Finger-biting, to say the least!

Cody played extremely well - was involved in quite a few tackles, as well as playing several different positions on both offense and defense. He is learning to be very versatile, and the coaches have learned that his greatest strength is the defensive line, so when things get tough, they put him in there (even though he starts as tight end on offense:-). I am very proud of him and how he has worked hard to learn many different positions. I appreciate that he puts all his effort into every game and always plays hard, doing his best for the team.

He has overcome his fall injury that sidelined him from Freshman football, and has proven to himself that he is healed. This Saturday, they begin playoffs. Don't know how far they will go (they were 3-4 in the regular season), but they have gotten better each week, so I will be there cheering them on for every game they get to play.

It is such a joy to see my son doing what he loves so much - playing football! It is nerve racking being the mom and worrying about injury, but it also does my heart good to see him pursue his passion.