Today's Epic Win...Followed By Today's Epic Fail

Today I walked into Shop N' Save armed with 11 coupons for $1.00 off of 1 jar of Ragu Pasta Sauce. I had been waiting for a sale to use these coupons and SNS finally had the sauce 2 for $3. I grabbed my 11 jars and made my way to the check out. When I got there, I discovered that Unilever is doing a special at SNS right now where if you spend $15 on Unilever products (which Ragu is), you instantly receive $5 off your purchase.

So here's how it went:

11 jars @ $1.50 per jar = $16.50
- $5 instant savings        = $16.50-$5=$11.50
- $1 x 11 coupons         = $11.50-$11=$0.50
Plus Tax                        = $.50+$.02= $0.52

That's right...I paid $0.52 and got ELEVEN jars of pasta sauce. I was SO excited.

So, I came home and went to unload the back of my car. Of course one of the glass jars rolled out and burst everywhere. All over the driveway and all over me. Then, the gallon of milk that I had just purchased followed suit and busted even further than the pasta sauce. Luckily, the jug burst in such a way that I was able to save half the gallon of milk in a pitcher.

Recycled Soda Bottle Planters

Check out my new tomato planter that I made using a soda bottle!

We have a ton of rabbits this year and for possibly the first time in my life, I have not killed my plants yet. They are growing like crazy and needed to be transplanted. I opted for the recycled soda bottle planter in hopes that this will keep the rabbits from eating the plants.

Materials: 

1 2L Soda Bottle, cleaned

1 seedling per bottle

Spanish moss

potting soil

twine

knife

Directions:

1. Remove the cap from the bottle and discard. 
2. Cut the bottom off of the bottle. 
3. About 2 inches up from the bottom, use the knife to make 4 holes. This is where you will tie the twine, so try to make them in sets of 2 across from each other to balance the bottle when it is hung. 
4. Cut a piece of twine and put the twine in one hole and tie securely.
5. Using the same piece of twine, tie the other end in the hole across from the one that you just tied.
6. Repeat step 4 and 5 for the other 2 holes. 
7. Take your seedling and place it in the bottle by pushing the leafs and stem through the nozzle of the bottle. The roots should be inside of the soda bottle. 
8. Plug the nozzle with a bit of Spanish Moss. This will prevent the plant and potting soil from falling out of the bottle over time. 
9. Fill the bottle with potting soil up to where the twine holes are. 
10. Make sure to water frequently. Because the soil will warm quicker than plants in the ground throughout the summer, it is best to water the plants twice a day.

Happy planting!