Saving Money is Ross-some!

Composition Notebooks for $0.25 at Walmart!

2010-07-12T21:07:00.000-04:00

I am really excited because Walmart has joined the party! They are offering back-to-school sales on school supplies this year! My favorite deal right now is composition books for $0.25 each. I buy these for each of my students each year (remember the math journal staff development??) and usually buy when they are on sale for $0.50. So I am running out to get these tomorrow!

Don't like black? I'm not sure which colors are offered at this price, but I typically take an hour out of one of those first days of school and have my students cut out pictures from magazines to glue on the cover of their journals. We then cover them with contact paper. The kids love getting them out of their desks, and it doesn't matter what color is underneath! :)

School Supply Deals for the week of July 11-17

2010-07-11T14:44:00.000-04:00

Although I am in semi-denial about this, it is time to start thinking about school supplies. If you are like me, you not only are buying supplies for your classroom (Glue sticks dry up so quickly, don't they? And I ALWAYS run out of notebook paper and Clorox wipes by March somehow!) but for your own children as well!

Here are some great deals on school supplies this week. If you grab the awesome deals each week, you'll be stocked up by the time school starts without breaking the bank!

Walgreens
Expo Dry Erase Markers, 4 pk., $1.99 ea

-$1 off Expo Washable Dry Erase Makers printable

Mead Poly Notebook, 1 Subject, $1.99
-$1 off Mead 1,3 or 5 Subject Notebook Walgreens July Coupon Booklet (makes it 99¢)

Crayola Markers, 10 pk, or Bic Grip Mechanical Pencils 99¢ ea

Sharpie Fine Point Markers, 12 pk.,$3.99 ea

Penway Notebooks Subject, 120 sheets, or Composition, 80 sheets, 79¢ ea

Fiskers Blunt or Pointed Scissors 99¢ ea

Elmer’s Jumbo Glue Stick, .77 oz., or School Glue, 4 oz.,99¢ ea

Penway Crayons, 24 pk., Colored Pencils, 12 pk., or Jumbo Crayons 8 pk 49¢ ea

Legal Pad 50 sheets, 5×8 or 8.5×11, 29¢ ea w/in-ad coupon

Mead Envelopes, 40-100 pk. 69¢ ea w/in-ad coupon

Index Cards, 3×5 white 100 pk., or Colored, 70 pk., 39¢ ea w/in-ad coupon

Crayola Posterboard, 22×28 in., 34¢ ea w/in-ad coupon

Hi Trails Backpacks, Duffel Bags, or Messenger Bags B1G1 at $9.99

CVS
99¢ ECB wyb Paper Mate Pens 99¢ Limit 1 (3 Day Sale — Sunday -Tuesday)

99¢ ECB wyb Caliber Scissors 5″, 99¢ Limit 1 (3 Day Sale — Sunday -Tuesday)

Target
Rose Art Markers or Colored Pencils — $0.50
Rose Art Glue Stick (2-packs) — $0.20

Staples
Penny Deals — available Sunday through Wednesday with a $5 purchase

Yellow #2 Pencils (8-pack) — $0.01 (Limit 2)

2-Pocket Folder with Fasteners — $0.01 (Limit 10)

Buy 1 Staples Multipurpose Paper (500-sheet ream, 96 bright) at $4.99, Get $4.98 Easy Rebate — $0.01 after Easy Rebate (Limit 2)

Dollar Deals — Limit 2

BIC Atlantis Ballpoint Pens (4-pack)

Staples Mini-Stapler

Staples Translucent Pencil Box

Staples Hype! Grip Highlighters (6-pack)

Wescott 5″ Scissors (2-pack)

Staples Glue Sticks (.26 oz., 4-pack colored)

Post-it Novelty-Shaped Notes (2-pack)

RoseArt Colored Pencils (15-pack)

Scotch Magic Tape (3/4″ x 675″)

Quartet 8/12″ x 11″ Dry-Erase Board

Staples #10 Pull & Seal Envelopes (25-pack)

Staples Photo Supreme 8.5″ x 11″ Paper (50-pack)

Office Depot
Buy 1 Mr. Sketch Markers 12-pack at $7.99 (ITEM # 203-034), Get $7.99 mail-in-savings Visa Prepaid card (Limit 1) = Free after Visa card

Buy 1 Swingline® LightTouch Reduced Effort Stapler at $15.99 (ITEM # 579-785), Get $2 instant savings and $13.99 mail-in-rebate (Limit 1) = Free after instant savings and mail-in rebate

Buy 1 Office Depot® Brand Multipurpose Paper Ream at $6.29 (ITEM # 112-860), Get $5.29 mail-in-savings Visa Prepaid card (Limit 2) = $1 after Visa card

Buy 1 Office Depot® Brand Color-Coded Heavyweight Sheet Protectors 25-pack at $7.59 (ITEM # 233-240), Get $6.59 mail-in-savings Visa card (Limit 3) = $1 after Visa card

Buy 1 Wilson Jones® 1″ Round-Ring Impact Binders at $3.99 (ITEM # 322-520), Get $2.99 Instant Savings (Limit 3) = $1 after Instant Savings

Buy 1 Pentel® Quicker Clicker™ Mechanical Pencils 2-pack at $7.49 (ITEM # 320-231), Get $6.49 mail-in-savings Visa card (Limit 3) = $1 after Visa card

If you find any other deals, please leave a comment and I will add it to the list!

Cuties!

2010-03-06T15:20:00.003-05:00

Alright, ladies, I know these tiny adorable oranges have been all the rage at lunch this week. So, if you love them, or if you want to try them for the first time, go here and print a coupon for them first! After your coupon prints, hit your browser's back button two times and it will print again! ***I tried to print this one and my computer said I had already printed it the number of time allowed (a bold faced lie, mind you), so let me know if you can print it!

I have seen these at Publix (and they run them on sale sometimes, too). Did someone tell me they have them at BiLo too?

So What's the Deal with Swagbucks?

2010-02-18T19:54:00.003-05:00

A while ago, I mentioned a site called SwagBucks to you. I signed up at the beginning of January to see what all the fuss was about, and honestly I wasn't convinced "Swagbucks" were for me. Boy, was I wrong! I am loving it! Let me give you a little info about it and then I'll tell you about my Swagtastic plan. :)

What are Swagbucks?

Swagbucks.com is a search engine that rewards you for searching the internet with Swagbucks. Swagbucks are pretend "dollars" that you save up and redeem for giftcards or prizes.

How do you earn Swagbucks?

I believe you get 3 bucks just for signing up.

Download the toolbar after you sign up and do all of your internet searching through it. This is the main way I earn Swagbucks (average 3 per day this way). I even search sites I visit frequently just to earn SB that way.

If you do a lot of online shopping, you can shop through Swagbucks.com and get 1 Swagbuck for every $5 you spend.

Find Swagbucks codes on the internet (fun, but more time consuming than the first two).

Refer friends to Swagbucks.com (like I am doing now!)

What kind of prizes and giftcards are offered?

Swagbucks.com has a WIDE variety of things you can redeem your Swagbucks for. Some of my personal favorites:

$5 Amazon giftcard = 45 Swagbucks

$25 Restaurant.com giftcard = 40 Swagbucks (Restaurant.com now offers gift certificates to The Melting Pot fondue restaurant in Chattanooga!)

$20 Target giftcard = 235 Swagbucks

extra Nintendo Wii controller (you know you need one) = 176 Swagbucks

My goal has been to earn a minimum of 50 Swagbucks per month. I currently have 102 (by the way, the toolbar I downloaded keeps track of all that for me). I don't think Swagbucks will change my life financially or anything, but my goal for this year is to use the Amazon giftcards I earn to buy all of my nieces' and nephews' (I have 8) Christmas gifts. That will go a long way toward my larger goal of never going into debt at Christmastime again!

If you would like to try Swagbucks, go here and sign up!

"But don't coupons just save you money on Junk Food??"

2010-02-16T18:09:00.005-05:00

I'm sure if you haven't actually asked this out loud, you've wondered it. I have, too! Today, I made a mini-trip to Publix and thought I would share my perspective on this very topic with you.

First, here are the healthy-ish items I bought:

2 pkg. Nature's Own multigrain sandwich rounds (reg. $2.49) BOGO = paid $1.24 each

Post Shredded Wheat cereal (reg. $3.99) on sale for $2.50 - $2 coupon = paid $0.50 *I actually would've gotten 2 boxes for free had I used another $2 coupon + $1/2 Target coupon, but I got distracted...)

2 Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers (reg. $2.99) BOGO - (2) $1 coupons = paid $0.49 each

Carrot chips (reg. $1.99) on sale for $1.69

6 kiwis (reg. $0.50 each) on sale for $0.33 each

Simply orange juice (reg. $3.79) on sale for $3.00

Attitude spring salad mix (reg. $2.99) on sale for $2.50

Blue Diamond almonds (reg. $3.19) BOGO - $0.50 coupon (which doubled) = paid $0.59

TOTAL before savings: $29.91

TOTAL after savings: $13.74

I saved 54% on my healthy items just by buying what was BOGO this week! Several of my items were not BOGO, so I made up for that difference by using coupons where I could.

Okay, now the not-so-healthy items:

4 pkg. Simply chocolate chip cookies (reg. $3.39) on sale for $1.41 - (4) $1 coupons = paid $0.41 each
2 pkg. Betty Crocker cookie mix (reg. $2.67) BOGO - (2) $0.40 coupons = paid $0.53 each
8 boxes Betty Crocker fruit snacks (reg. $2.73) BOGO - (4) $1/2 coupons = paid $0.86 each
1 box Betty Crocker fruit snacks (reg. $2.73) BOGO - $0.40 coupon = paid $0.56
Lysol All-Purpose cleaner (reg. $2.69) BOGO - $0.50 coupon (which doubled) = paid $0.34

TOTAL before savings: $46.16

TOTAL after savings: $10.48

I saved 77% on the not-so-healthy foods. But do you see how balancing what we wanted with what we needed really paid off? The boys love fruit snacks as an after-school snack, and with 10 snack packages per box, we are looking at about $0.08 per snack! Awesome! For lunch one day this week, I am sure you will see me eating a Healthy Choice meal and a kiwi, which totals less than $1! :)

So Cheap I Need a Getaway Car

2010-02-14T19:00:00.006-05:00

Okay, I basically just robbed CVS and Walgreens. I had $10 in Register Rewards (RR) from Walgreens that expire today and $20 in Extra Care Bucks (ECB) from CVS. I guess I didn't really need any of these things today, but free stuff (that I will use eventually) just gets me so excited! :)

Walgreens

I hit up Walgreens on Sundays to pick up the Chattanooga paper. Basketball season has completely messed up our Sunday Atlanta trips, so I have been settling with the Chattanooga coupons. They are terrible, aren't they? Oh, it just makes me so mad! Anyway, Walgreens has the Chattanooga Sunday paper for $1.00 each.

(2) Crest Pro-health Mouthwash (reg. ?) on sale for $3.50 each - (2) -$2 coupons - $2.50 RR = paid $0.25 each!

Purpose facial moisturizer (reg. $9.99) on clearance for $2.59!

Fusion razor (reg. $8.99) - $4 coupon - $4 RR = paid $0.99!

(2) Chattanooga newspapers = paid $1.00 each

24 pack Spring water in-ad coupon for $2.99 (not pictured)

TOTAL before coupons = $24.57

TOTAL after coupons and $10 RR = $5.57

PLUS I got $6.50 in RR to use next time!

CVS

Please don't call the cops. :) Even I was surprised at how little I spent at CVS today! My total was minus $1.50 so I had to quickly add 3 candy bars to my shopping trip to go above zero! (I had to, okay? So what if they just happen to be my favorite chocolate??)

(4) Sobe Lifewaters (reg. $1.59 each) on sale BOGO - (2) BOGO coupons = GET ALL 4 FOR FREE!

Aussie Shampoo (reg. $4.29) - on sale for $2.99 - $1 coupon (in today's paper) - $2 ECB = FREE!

Pantene styling product (reg. $5.79) - on sale for $4.99 - $1 coupon - $2 ECB = paid $1.99!

(2) Crest Pro-Health toothpaste (reg. $3.89) - on sale for $3.50 - (2) $0.75 coupons - $7.00 ECB = $1.50 moneymaker!!! ***Promise me you'll never pay for toothpaste again, okay? Pretty please?

Colgate Total toothpaste (reg. $3.89) - on sale for $2.99 - $1 coupon - $2 ECB = FREE! ***Seriously, never pay real money for this stuff again! Promise?

10-pack Gillete disposable razors (reg. $8.99) - on sale for $5.79 - $3 coupon - $2 ECB = paid $0.79!

(3) candy bars (reg. $0.89) - on sale for $0.50 (needed at the last minute to bring my total above zero!)

TOTAL before coupons = $28.44

TOTAL after coupons and $20 ECB = -$2.24! Tax made my final total $0.48!!!

PLUS I got $15 in ECB and an extra $2 coupon to use next time!

Remember: If you want to work these deals, go here to Southern Savers where Jenny will help you get organized!

This One's for Beacham

2010-01-17T20:13:00.007-05:00

Well hello there!

Last week at lunch, Joy asked why I haven't blogged in a while! I guess I figured you all have this whole coupon thing down pat and don't need any more hand-holding :) but Joy inspired me to keep writing anyway. Thanks, Joy! :)

So....I went to Bi-Lo tonight with my precious sister, Amanda. (Have you met her yet? She is absolutely adorable.)

And we had quite a money-saving adventure! What's that? You want me to share? Okay then! ;)

First, let me tell you about a really cool site that helped me save about $45 tonight! It's House Party! If you haven't heard about House Party, it is a site that offers opportunities for people like you and me to host fun product-based parties in your home. You sign up and apply for as many parties as you are interested in. (I signed up for 3 or 4 before I got chosen for one.) Then, if you are chosen, they send you a Party Pack in the mail to help you get started. And the Party Pack is absolute heaven! I was chosen to host a DiGiorno Game Day party, and they sent me this cute little Party Pack with 6 FREE pizza coupons plus 11 $4 off coupons! Awesome! It also came with a pizza cutter, an oven mitt, several Party necklaces, etc.

Okay, so back to my shopping trip. Here's the breakdown:

4 pouches Betty Crocker potatoes (reg. $1.25 ea.) on sale for $0.80 - (4) 0.35 coupons (doubled) = paid $0.10 each!
1 box Quaker instant oatmeal (reg. $3.79) on sale for $2 - $1 coupon = paid $1!

1 bottle French's mustard (reg. $1.85) on sale for $1.39) - $0.50 coupon (doubled) = paid $0.39!

4 bags Chi-Chi's soft taco tortillas (reg. $1.69) on sale for $0.85 - (2) $1 off 2 coupons = paid $0.35 each!

2 boxes Ritz Crackerfuls (reg. $3.49) on sale for $1.75 - (2) $1 coupons = paid $0.75 each!

1 box Lance sandwich crackers (reg. $2.89) on sale for $2 - $1 coupon = paid $1!

1 6-pack Dannon Light & Fit yogurt (reg. $2.79) on sale for $2 (no coupon used)

1 bottle Coffeemate creamer (reg. $2.29) on sale for $1.14 (no coupon used)

1 gallon Southern Home milk (reg. $3.48) (not on sale ~ no coupon used)

2 bags Birds Eye frozen veggies (reg. $2) on sale for $1 - $0.50 coupon (doubled) = FREE!

3 boxes Tornados (reg. $2.50) on sale for $2 - (3) $0.50 coupons (doubled) = paid $1 each!

2 Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers (reg. $3.73) on sale for $1.86 - $1 off 2 coupon = paid $1.36 each!

1 box Philly Sorbet treats (reg. $3.18) on sale for $1.59 (no coupon used)

1 bag Fast Classic Country Fried Chicken (reg. $7.99) on sale for $3.99 - $1.25 coupon = paid $2.75!

1 pound strawberries (reg. $3.99) on sale for $2.50 (no coupon used)

3 pounds bananas (reg. $0.59/lb.) (not on sale ~ no coupon used)

1 bag bakery kaiser rolls (reg. $3) on sale for $1.50 (no coupon used)

Okay, THEN I had my non-grocery items:

2 8-pack Marcals paper towels (reg. $9.99) on sale for $4.99 - (2) $2 coupons = paid $2.99 each! *only one in photo

3 10 pound bags Tidy Cats cat litter (reg. $2.71) on sale for $1.35 - (3) $1 coupons = $0.35 each! *only one in photo

2 lint rollers (reg. $3.49) on sale for $1.74 - (2) $1 coupons = $0.74 each!

4 boxes Southern Home gallon-size ziploc bags **for the Haiti earthquake relief project I am doing with my students ~ I'll shoot you an email about this tomorrow...) (reg. $2.92) on sale for $1.46 (no coupon used)

And THEN I had my pizzas!!!

6 DiGiorno frozen pizzas (reg. $7.39) not on sale - (6) FREE coupons = FREE!!!!!

SO...My totals for this trip:

Total before savings: $167.49

Total after savings: $36.08!!!

I saved 79%!!!

*Lastly, if you received a coupon book in the mail a few weeks ago from Bi-Lo with $10 off $100 or $7 off $75, etc., remember to use those coupons BEFORE you use any of your other coupons. For example, today my total after my BonusCard but before coupons was a little over $100. I then gave the cashier my $10 off $100 BiLo coupon. THEN I gave her the rest of my coupons. Hooray!

So, how did you do this week? Haven't been yet? Remember, I get all of my coupon matchups from Southern Savers. Jenny is the best!

If You're Planning a Target Trip...(or if you want a good excuse to!)

2009-12-07T20:54:00.003-05:00

Southern Savers has posted some great Target deals for this week. To see the complete list of deals and coupon match-ups, go here.

My Top 5 Favorite Deals are:

FREE Swiss Miss hot cocoa!
$0.25 Cheez-its!
$0.49 Kellogg's All Bran crackers!
FREE Steaz Organic Tea!
$0.39 Command Hooks!
(okay, 6) a Glade candle moneymaker!
(okay, 7!) FREE Purina Friskies cat treats!

Bi-Lo ~ I Saved 60% & got lots of fresh veggies!

2009-11-21T23:40:00.003-05:00

I had fun shopping today, but I really need to stop for a while and eat up some of my stockpile. It may quickly turning into hoarding if I'm not careful! :)

Some of my favorite deals this week:

FREE Healthy Choice frozen meals
Bertolli frozen dinners (The oven-baked ones are gooooood.) for $2.99 each
FREE Kikkoman Oriental dry mixes
Sweet potatoes for $0.39/lb.
BOGO 3-lb. bag apples (GREAT for making apple butter in the slow cooker or apple pie!)
Heluva Good! dips for $0.67 each (The Bacon Horseradish is YUMMY!)
Daisy sour cream for $0.66 each
Kellogg's MONEYMAKER! (I didn't work this deal because I seriously have twenty boxes of cereal, but you should definitely try it!)

Go to Southern Savers to match up these deals. And let me know if you find any others!

Total before savings: $125.94

Total after savings: $51.21

I saved 60%!

Some Great Drugstore Deals!

2009-11-18T21:30:00.006-05:00

(This photo has nothing to do with anything, but it makes me laugh...)

Okay, I admit: I haven't walked into a Walgreens, Rite-Aid, or CVS in over two weeks. In fact, I allowed (unknowingly, of course) $9 in Register Rewards to expire during my deal-seeking hiatus.

But tonight, ladies, it was ON. I went to Target, Walgreens, and CVS in a time span of 1 hour. And then I impressed my husband with all my great deals when I got home. And that, friends, is a successful evening. :)

Target

I ran to Target to price match Pepsi 12-packs. I have never price matched before, but it was so easy! I took my CVS ad in (Customer Service told me you have to bring in the entire ad)

~ CVS is running the 12-packs for $2.50 each (Limit 4).

~Target has a printable coupon here for $1 off a 12-pack. You can print this twice per computer.

After all was said and done, I paid $1.50 per 12-pack! Cool! I will definitely do this again this week.

Also, Target carries Steaz organic teas, and there is a FREE coupon here that you can print twice per computer. I used two tonight (I didn't want to seem greedy!), and everything went fine!

Totals: 2 12-packs of Diet Mtn. Dew & 2 Steaz green teas - paid $3!

Walgreens

You all know by now that I can't resist a good deal on a frozen lunch. :) Well, Walgreens has their Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers for $2.50 this week. (Grocery stores run them at this price pretty often, too.) Go here to print a $2 off coupon for these. Once again, you can print 2 per computer, so if you have access to more than one computer (wink, wink) you can have $0.50 lunches for a while! :)

Also, Walgreens has in-ad coupons for Swanson Chicken Broth ($0.50) and Campbells Cream of Chicken or Mushroom soups (5/$4). Southern Savers links you to some of the manufacturer coupons you might have to go with them here.

Next, Aussie shampoo/conditioner/styling products are on sale for $2.99-$2 Register Rewards when you buy one. Use the $1 coupon from P&G 10/11 and you get one for free!

Totals: 2 Healthy Choice meals, 5 cans Campbells soup, 2 cans Swanson broth, 1 Aussie shampoo = paid $6.25 - $2 Register Reward = $4.25!

CVS

Dave needed Renu contact solution, so I ran to CVS to work this great deal.

~Renu Multiplus Solution twin-pack (2 12 oz. bottles) for $15.49 - $2 coupon =paid $13.49 - $3 ECB for buying multipack = $10.49 for 2 bottles!

While I was there, I picked up 2 Glade Sense & Spray Starter Kits at $6 each - (2) $4 off coupons (SS 10/18) = $4 - $4 ECB for spending $12 on Glade products = BOTH FREE!

And...4 Suave shampoos for the boys on sale for $2 each = $8 - (2) $1/2 coupons (RP 10/25) - $2 ECB for buying 3 Suave products = $4 for all 4!

Totals: 2 bottles Renu contact solution, 2 Glade Sense & Sprays, and 4 Suave Shampoos = paid $23.50 - $10 ECBs I already had = $13.50 - $14 in ECBs printed on my receipt! Woohoo! Technically, I didn't "make" $0.50 I guess, but it sure feels good! ;)

Bi-Lo ~ I saved 62%

2009-11-08T20:31:00.002-05:00

I ran into Bi-Lo tonight to grab a few deals. My printer is acting up, so I didn't work all of the deals I wanted, but I managed to sneak out of the store only spending $25! Works for me!

6-pack of Diet Mountain Dew (an utter necessity for me right now!) (reg. $4.69) paid $3.00

4 bags Betty Crocker cookie mix (reg. $2.13) paid $0.87 each

4 cans Betty Crocker frosting (reg. $1.79) paid $0.50 each

Twix Bar (reg. $0.79) FREE!

12-pack orange soda (reg. $2.99) paid $2.50 *no coupon used

2 bags Sargento shredded cheese (reg. $2.79) paid $0.57 each

2 bags Birds Eye frozen veggies (reg. $2.00) FREE!

approx. 4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (reg. $16.00) paid $7.00

Hormel natural hard salami (reg. $3.99) paid $0.90

Deli ham (reg. $3.49) paid $0.85

2 pkg. Gwaltney bacon (reg. $3.59) paid $1.79 each

bag Kaiser rolls (reg. $3.00) paid $0.50

Total before savings: $67.42

Total after savings: $25.32

I saved 62%.

Head over to Southern Savers here to match up the coupons you have with this week's deals. This sale doesn't end until Tuesday night, so you have two more days! And remember, if the store is out of stock of a certain item, just ask for a raincheck! Then you can pick it up at the sale price the next time you are in.

Publix ~ I saved 76%!

2009-11-08T20:12:00.003-05:00

What a great trip to Publix today!

My total before savings was $98.76, and my total after savings was $23.89!

Here's what I got:

6 cans Hunt's diced tomatoes (reg. $1.39) paid $0.19 each

4 bags Alexia frozen rolls/bread (reg. $3.39) paid $1.19 each

loaf of Wonder Bread (reg. $2.49) *not on sale

2 boxes Nabisco Honey Maid graham crackers (reg. $3.99) paid $0.99 each

Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing (reg. $3.15) paid $0.01 *Publix Mystery Penny Item

3 pkg. Nestle Tollhouse cookies (reg. $2.89) paid $0.45 each

2 boxes Gorton frozen fish/shrimp (reg. $7.49) paid $2.75 each

2 bags Nestle semisweet chocolate chips (reg. $2.50) paid $0.25 each

bag baby carrots (reg. $1.69) paid $1.29 *no coupon used

2 cartons Trop50 orange juice (reg. $3.79) paid $2 for one and $2.50 for the other

box Cheerios (reg. $3.49) paid $0.19

2 boxes Kashi cereal (reg. $3.29) $0.50 moneymaker!

5 boxes Betty Crocker potatoes (reg. $1.69) paid $0.04 each!

bottle Publix hand sanitizer (reg. $0.99) FREE!

bottle Publix cocoa butter (reg. $3.49) FREE!

bottle Publix rubbing alcohol (reg. $1.39) FREE!

You have until Tuesday night to snag these great deals. Also, when you go, stop by the customer service counter and ask for the newest coupon booklets. They handed me a couple new ones today!

Wii Games for $5 at Target!

2009-11-05T18:50:00.003-05:00

Here are just a few of the many games I found at Target last night for $14.99. That's already a pretty good deal, but Target sweetens the deal a bit more by offering a "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" sale this week.

Now, the kicker: Target just released a great Toy Coupon Book (available online and in stores). It contains a coupon for $10 off any 2 Wii Games!

So here's what you need to do to work this deal:

1. Go here and print 3 $10/2 coupons (It's on page 5 ~ I had to use two computers. It only let me print 2 off the first computer I tried?)

2. HURRY over to Target and choose 6 Wii games at $14.99 each. (There are also some good games priced at $19.99. This would still make them only $10 each.)

3. Use all 3 coupons for the 6 games. (Your total before coupons should be $60.)

4. Skip to the car! :)

Note: I found some $14.99 games at the front of the store by the cash registers and in the electronics dept. None of them were "locked up."

Publix ~ I saved 60%

2009-11-01T20:50:00.003-05:00

This was a fun trip for me today. I bought lots of produce and real food, and only a few snack-y things and still saved 60%!

Here are some of my favorite deals:

Amazing Deals:

Publix peanut butter (reg. $2.39) - paid $0.01
Green Giant Mexicorn (reg. $0.87) - FREE!
Near East Couscous (reg. $2.19) - paid $0.59
Shedd's Spread Country Crock (reg. $1.85) - FREE!
Mueller's Pasta (reg. $1.29) - paid $0.10
Uncle Ben's Country Inn Rice (reg. $1.49) - paid $0.24
Pillsbury Simply Ready to Bake cookies (reg. $3.39) - FREE!
Ritz Crackerfuls (reg. $3.39) - FREE!

Good Deals:

Breyers Ice Cream (reg. $4.99) - paid $1.74
Dannon Yogurt cups (reg. $0.70) - paid $0.40
Fresh green beans, zucchini, and squash - paid $0.99/lb.
5-lb. bag of white potatoes (reg. $3.49) - paid $1.99
3-lb. bag of Gala apples (reg. $3.49) - paid $1.49
Ziploc freezer bags (reg. $2.99) - paid $1.39

Okay deals or not on sale but I really needed them:

Bananas - paid $0.69/lb.
Arnold Health Nut bread - paid $1.84
Publix sour cream - paid $0.95
Publix sharp cheddar cheese 8 oz. - paid $2.99
Kraft American Singles paid $2.00
Ritz crackers - paid $3.79

Total before savings: $94.33

Total after savings: $37.90

I saved 60%.

You have until Tuesday night to snag these deals! Head on over to Southern Savers here to get started. Also, don't forget about the valuable "$4 off any 4 General Mills products" store coupon that can be found in the Publix ad in the front of the store. You can only use this coupon once per visit.

Bi-Lo ~ I Saved 57% (a.k.a. This is what happens when you take your husband with you)

2009-11-01T20:03:00.003-05:00

Okay, let me say up front that I absolutely adore my husband. And my children. They are my favorite people, and I like having them around all the time. Except, of course, when trying to save money at the grocery store. My sweet husband joined me at Bi-Lo, and here's how we did:

Amazing Deals:

Mt. Olive peppers (jalapenos, salad peppers, etc.) (reg. $2.45) - paid $0.22
Chef Michael dry dog food (reg. $3.99) - FREE!
Pop Secret popcorn (reg. $2.73) - paid $0.26
Smart Balance popcorn (reg. $2.69) - paid $0.64
Scott Naturals paper towels (reg. $7.99) - paid $2.99

Good Deals:

Quaker granola bars (reg. $2.79) - paid $0.80 each
Southern Home tortilla chips (reg. $2.00) - paid $1.00
Southern Home pretzels (reg. $1.25) - paid $0.62
Mentos gum (reg. $1.35) - paid $0.25
Farm Rich frozen cheese sticks (reg. $7.79) - paid $2.89
Tornados (reg. $2.50) - paid $1.00
Cheez-Its (reg. $3.99) - paid $1.24
Gwaltney bacon (reg. $3.59) - paid $1.79
3-lb. bag of apples (reg. $3.99) - paid $1.99

Things I bought strictly because my husband accompanied me:

Lays Kettle Chips - paid $3.00
Bread - paid $1.99
Honey - paid $2.99
Sargento Sliced Cheddar Cheese - paid $2.99
Sargento Sliced Swiss Cheese - paid $2.99
Milk - paid $3.19 (okay, we actually needed this, but it's easy to blame on him)
Deli Ham - paid $1.74

Now we need to talk about this week's meal deal: buy 2 Tombstone pizzas for $10.78, get 1 box Totino's pizza rolls, 1 box TGIFriday's Quesadillas, and a 6-pack Pepsi for FREE.

I was really excited about this deal, because I had $1 off pizza rolls coupon + $1 off TGIFriday's coupon, so I would really be getting all of this for only $8.78. HOWEVER, (This is reason #2 to go shopping ALONE whenever possible) I was trying not to inconvenience my husband by standing in the frozen food aisle for 15 minutes, so I rushed and accidentally only got ONE pizza. I ended up paying $4 more AND getting only one pizza! See...if you feel like you are the only one who messes up a good deal and then walks to her car wondering what happened, you are WRONG! :) I am still mad about this one...

Total before savings: $145.57

Total after savings: $62.94

I saved 57%.

(P.S. - If you want to snag any of these deals, or to check out the entire list, visit Southern Savers here for all the coupon match-ups!)

I bet you've never been so excited for the first day of the month...

2009-11-01T10:06:00.003-05:00

It's here, everyone! It's November 1st, and coupons all over the land have been reset. And if that wasn't exciting enough, the good Lord gave us an extra hour of coupon-printing in the name of Daylight Savings Time!

So...grab a cup of coffee, warm up the printer, and head on over to your favorite coupon-printing websites!

Kellogg's Cereal for $0.66 Each at Target

2009-11-01T09:55:00.002-05:00

Starting today, you can get Kellogg's cereal at Target for $0.66 (or maybe even FREE!)

Here's how:

Target Sale: Kellogg’s Cereals $2.66 ea, Buy 3 Get 1 Free

Then use

-$1 off Kellogg’s printable (store coupon)

-$1 off various Kellogg’s printables

Remember: You can use 1 manufacturer's coupon + 1 store coupon per box of cereal

Other Kellogg’s printables

So, in theory you could buy (4) Kellogg’s Cereals

Use (4) $1 off store coupons + (4) $1 off manufacturer coupons

Total Due: Nothing

The only problem here is that Target coupons say "Use one per transaction" on them. So, if you are a rule-follower at heart (or if your cashier says 'No way, Jose') you may want to buy each box in a separate transaction, use two coupons for each, and forfeit the whole "Buy 3 Get 1 Free" deal.

Try it and let me know how it works for you!

Chicken Fiesta Soup

2009-10-30T22:16:00.003-04:00

I tried yet another new slow-cooker recipe this week. I am having fun trying new recipes. I am not much of a cook, so anything I attempt has to be simple ~ and this definitely is! I will say, as I was dumping all of the ingredients into the pot, I was doubtful that we would actually eat this soup. It just didn't seem like something my family would really enjoy. However, I had all of the ingredients on hand from recent sales, so I gave it a go. And I can honestly say my husband wanted seconds! Of soup of all things! Winner!

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded

1 can diced (or stewed) tomatoes, drained

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies

1 can enchilada sauce

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 can of corn

tortilla chips

shredded cheese

sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Combine all but the last three ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours (or, in my world, turn it on at 7ish in the morning and eat around 5ish in the evening = 10 hours!). Serve topped with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

This makes about 8 servings. Because of the great Old El Paso sale and other recent deals, I was able to make this soup for about $4.00 (I had the spices already) . That's $0.50 per serving! Awesome! :)

Are you as tired as I am?

2009-10-28T20:47:00.004-04:00

I know we have been completely overwhelmed with Parent-Teacher conferences, report cards, etc. lately, and I have not even been to the grocery store in two weeks! However, I have been finding a good deal or two online each day recently and thought I'd compile them for you here. None of these are my own findings, of course. I am simply linking you to the hardworking ladies of my favorite blogs! :)

First up, Southern Savers!

Glade Candle BOGO Printable Coupon

$2 Huggies Printable + more printable coupons

ConAgra Recession Game with Coupons

Money Saving Mom

Dole Fruit, Splenda, Coffeemate, and more! Coupons

4 $1 off Bumblebee Tuna coupons

$0.50 off Rotel coupon (will double at Bi-Lo and Publix!)

140 Custom Holiday Address Labels for FREE! (+ $3 SHIPPING)

Time 2 $ave

Quaker Oats Moneymaker at Walgreens!

Taco Bell: Free Tacos on Halloween!

Another Walgreens Moneymaker!

$30 in Hasbro Game Coupons (Christmas, anyone?)

Deal Seeking Mom

CVS: Dove Deodorant Moneymaker

Old Navy: $2 Costumes and Other Stuff on 10/30 and 10/31!

Honestly, I haven't tried ANY of these deals for myself yet, so I hope they all work out for you. I am still waiting for Fall Break to start so I can get organized...wait...what?

An Easy JCPenney Deal

2009-10-26T20:30:00.002-04:00

Several sites have posted today that you can get $10 off a $10 purchase at JCPenney or Lands End right now.

Use coupon code SWEETS4U at JCPenney.com or code LandsEnd and the pin 1124 at LandsEnd.com to get $10 off your order of $10 or more.

Even better, Money Saving Mom, posted this today:

"If you register your credit or debit card with JCP Rewards right now, you'll immediately be able to print a $10 Welcome Gift voucher which you can use online, over the phone, or in-store to purchase anything which is $10 or more. Use it in-store on a clearance item which is right around $10 and it will be free or close-to-free after this voucher!
I just signed up (I inputted a prepaid card that I use for online purchases) and after going through the 5-minute sign-up process, the $10 voucher could them be immediately printed from my account. It didn't expire until November 17, 2009."

I received the same email from JCP today. Go here to sign up.

Hooray for $1 off Ground Beef coupon!

2009-10-24T13:48:00.004-04:00

I found this post earlier this week on Time 2 $ave, and wanted to try it out myself before I posted it here. It works! I won a coupon, and saved the PDF file to my desktop. I tried it at Food Lion this week (they don't double coupons, but their ground beef is on sale for $0.99/lb.).
So...happy printing! :)

Go HERE, enter the code A23568.
When it asks you what grocery, choose "Other", and write "Other" in the blank as well. (Otherwise, it will restrict you to using these at one particular store.)
See if you've won a coupon, or a hamburger timer- if you win a coupon, do a dance!

The coupon is for 50¢ Off ANY Ground Beef Purchase, and is a PDF file, so you can save it to your computer and print as many times as you'd like!! (exp 11/27)

The best part for me, though, is that even though it says "Do Not Double" at the top, many stores will double it anyway (the store's decision, comes out of their pocket), as the barcode starts in a 5. That means $1 Off each purchase! (It does state limit one per day, so please follow that request).

As long as you pick out small packages of beef, or have small packages made up for you, you can get VERY cheap ground beef for the foreseeable future!!

Bi-Lo ~ No More Competitor Coupons?

2009-10-20T20:31:00.003-04:00

Well, friends, I think I may have some sad news to share. Stacy just called me and said she tried to use a competitor coupon at the Ocoee Crossing Bi-Lo tonight and was told they are no longer accepting them as of this week.

I felt like this might be coming, and maybe it's not so bad after all. My goal truly is not to put my favorite grocery stores out of business. It is simply to save money for my family. I am interested (and a little nervous) to see what new changes come down the line now that Bi-Lo has been bought out (I am still in the dark as to the details of all of this).

So, for now, Publix is our competitor coupon champion. We can still love Bi-Lo. We'll just take our FLIPs and TIPs elsewhere. :)

P.S. - If you have any other info about this, or if you successfully use a competitor coupon at Bi-Lo this week, please leave a comment and let us know!

This Week's Slow Cooker Recipe

2009-10-19T18:55:00.005-04:00

Creamy Chicken and Rice

I tried this recipe today, and I think this will be a pretty regular dinner for us now. It is super-versatile and super-yummy!

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (just like the chicken & dumplings, I used 2 HUGE frozen chicken breasts)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups water
1 package (6 ounces) uncooked seasoned rice (I used Uncle Ben's broccoli cheese rice ~ Yummy!)
4 large carrots, sliced

DIRECTIONS

Mix the soup, water, rice, and carrots in the slow cooker. Add chicken and turn to coat.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours until done. (Confession: I forgot Ethan had Enrichment after school and cooked this from 7am-5:30pm! It still turned out great! That's what I like ~ FOOLPROOF!)

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know what you thought, or if you made any modifications. Also, if you have a slow-cooker recipe you are willing to share, please do! I am actively searching for easy week-night slow-cooker meals!

New $5 off $25 CVS Coupon!

2009-10-19T18:28:00.003-04:00

I am loving all of these $5 off $25 coupons CVS has been putting out! Here is a new one. Take the survey and then print your coupon.

And remember: The $25 can be before coupons, so hand the cashier this coupon first, before your total dips below $25.

I just saved 74% at Publix!

2009-10-18T15:46:00.004-04:00

Walk, No RUN, to Publix before Tuesday!

I just got back, and here's how I did, and boy, was it fun! :)

1 bottle of Snuggle (reg. $3.87) - on sale for $3 - $3 coupon = FREE!
1 3-lb. bag of Gala apples (reg. $3.49) - on sale for $2.49 = paid $2.49
2 frozen Contessa meals (reg. $6.99) - BOGO - (2) $2 coupons = paid $1.49 each
1 bag of fresh mixed veggies (carrots, broccoli, etc.) (reg. $1.50) - on sale for $1 = paid $1
3 frozen Marie Callender's dinners (reg. $3.49) - BOGO - (3) $0.75 coupons = paid $0.99 each
1 bag of Stacy's pita chips (reg. $3.29) on sale for $2 - $1 coupon - $1 CVS coupon = FREE!
1 bag of Publix chocolate-covered raisins (reg. $1.67) Publix penny item this week!
2 jars of Peter Pan peanut butter (reg. $2.43) - BOGO - (2) $0.50 coupons (doubled) = paid $0.21
4 cans (you can't see them all in the photo) of Progresso bread crumbs (reg. $1.83) - BOGO - (2) $1 off 2 coupons = paid $0.41 each
1 box of Krusteaz blueberry pancake mix (reg. $2.19) - BOGO - $0.50 coupon (doubled) = paid $0.09)
4 bottles of Log cabin pancake syrup (reg. $3.49) - BOGO - (4) $0.50 coupons (doubled) = paid $0.74 each
2 boxes of Nestle hot chocolate (reg. $2.69) - BOGO - (2) $1 off 2 coupons = paid $0.84 each
4 boxes of Arm & Hammer toothpaste (reg. $4.49) - BOGO - (2) $3 off 2 coupons = FREE!
2 boxes of Gushers fruit snacks (reg. $2.75) - BOGO - (2) $0.40 coupons (doubled) = paid $0.57
1 bag of caramels (reg. $2.59) - BOGO = paid $1.29
2 containers of Cats' Pride cat litter (reg. $7.69) - BOGO - (2) $1 coupons = paid $2.84 each
2 boxes of frozen Sea Pak shrimp (reg. $7.59) - BOGO - (2) $1 coupons = paid $2.79 each
3 bags of Steamfresh frozen veggies (reg. $2.39) - 50% off - (3) $0.50 coupons (doubled) = paid $0.20 each
8 boxes of Toaster Strudels (reg. $2.49) - on sale for $1.67 - (8) $1 coupons = paid $0.67 each
3 tubs of Marzetti's veggie dip (reg. $3.49) - BOGO - (3) $0.50 coupons (doubled) = paid $0.74 each
1 gallon Publix milk paid $3.19 *not on sale
4 pkg. Old El Paso taco seasoning (reg. $1.19) - BOGO - (2) $0.60 off 2 coupons = paid $0.29 each

Total before savings: $170.33

Total after savings: $44.31

I saved 74%!

So, wondering how you can snag these great deals too? Head on over to Southern Savers (here) where Jenny links you up to all the coupons you need. You can even print your shopping list directly from her site! And, when you come back home, leave me a comment to let me know how you did!

Happy Saving!

"Refresh Your Nest" Coupon Booklet

2009-10-18T15:41:00.003-04:00

This coupon booklet contains over $35 in savings on Cascade, Dawn, Febreze, Mr. Clean, and Swiffer! Sign up here to get the booklet mailed to your house. (For those of you who already received one a month or so ago, you can sign up again!)

Two Words: Holy Moly

2009-10-18T00:15:00.005-04:00

I have great news:

If you have a printer, you have all of this (minus the cotton swabs ~ I needed them) for...

wait for it...

FREE!

I ran into the CVS on North Ocoee tonight around 9pm, and it was glorious. Tomorrow's sale signs were already posted, the shelves were stocked, and I didn't even have to do a fast-walk to the Dimetapp to beat out another deal-seeker. I was all alone in a coupon-heaven.

For those of you heading out tomorrow, snag these deals while you're at CVS.

Here's how to do it:

Grab a basket and put these things in it: :)

2 Dimetapp at $5.50 each - (2) $2 printable coupons = paid $3.50 each
2 Advil PM at $4.50 each - (2) $2 printable coupons = paid $2.50 each *This was in place of the Robitussin I blogged about earlier...I found out my mother-in-law can use this plus it's less money out-of-pocket.
2 Neosporin Lip Health at $5.39 - (2) $3 printable coupons - $2.50 clip-free CVS coupon (This is automatically taken off at the register.) = $0.11 moneymaker!
2 Glade Sense & Spray on sale for 2/$10 - (2) $4 printable coupons = paid $1 each
1 Glade fragrance collection Reed Diffuser at $6.99 - $3.50 printable coupon = paid $3.49

You now have 9 items and 9 coupons. You want you use the $5 off $25 coupon you printed here, so you need one more filler item. Grab something super-cheap, something off the clearance aisle, or something you really need (enter cotton swabs).

Now you have 10 items and 10 coupons. All is good.

Your total before coupons should be around $43 depending on the filler item you chose.

Your total after coupons should be around $12.50.

The best part: Your receipt will print $10 Extra Bucks and $6.99 Extra Bucks for you to use next time.

You just got all of those items for free, and CVS paid you $4.50 to shop. Life is good, yes?

P.S.: If you have a problem with printing a coupon, remember that the Dimetapp/Advil/Robitussin deal is a great deal on its own ($0.50 each!), and everything else can work individually. You don't have to get all of these items at once (or at all!)

And if you get to CVS and the shelves are empty already, ask for a raincheck! Then, you can go back in your own time (or before your coupons expire) and grab your deals. (The ECBs will print, too!)

Christmas Every Day

2009-10-16T10:29:00.001-04:00

Okay, you've got me. I admit it: I am a coupon & freebie N-E-R-D. The upside to that is that everyday, I walk to the mailbox, open it up, and grin from ear to ear. Why? Because it is chock full of coupons and free stuff!

What? Your mailbox only gives you bills and junk mail? How sad! Let me tell you how to change all that so that you too can have a tiny Christmas every single day as you pull into the driveway.

Sign up for all the free samples you can. It's really not the free samples I'm after (although some of them will make great stocking stuffers or additions to a cute Christmas basket), it's the great coupons that usually accompany those free samples. Here are a few you can sign up for now:

Free Stayfree sample

Free Carefree sample

Free Goodnights sample

Free Zyrtec sample

Free Prilosec OTC sample

Free sample of Arm & Hammer Fresh-Ins

Free sample of Enfamil AR (and while you are signing up, sign up for the free Family Beginnings gift pack ~ over $250 in gifts!)

Free Playtex Sport sample

2 Free $2.50 Luvs coupons

Join Planning Family for free baby samples and coupons.

Free 8x8 Photo Book from Shutterfly

Free Chick-fil-A calendar with coupons
Free Dove Intense Damage or Heat Therapy shampoo/conditioner sample
Free 3-piece sample pack of Aveda from participating salons

Well, that should keep you busy for a while! :)

Join Vocal Point! I know I have said this before, but it bears repeating. Vocal Point will send you free trials of things (such as the Secret Clinical Defense deodorant pictured above) in exchange for you agreeing to fill out a survey of how well it worked afterward. The best part: They send you amazing coupons: some for you and some to give to friends! Go here to sign up!

Join Right-at-Home by SC Johnson. They mail free samples and coupons periodically. They also have printable coupon offers. Go here to join.

Give a mail-in rebate a try. I, too, was skeptical about mail-in rebates. "What if it gets lost in the mail? What if it is just a gimmick? What if I didn't do it right?" However, I just received my very first rebate in the mail yesterday! It is from Kellogg's (pictured above), and it is in the form of a $10 Mastercard Debit Card! A couple of months ago I tried the Kellogg's Fuel for School Rebate (a.k.a. The day I "bought" 10 boxes of cereal for free!). Since then, I have mailed off for a few more; I will let you know which ones work out!

Store Coupons

2009-10-15T09:02:00.001-04:00

Several of you have asked me where you can find store coupons that you can "stack" with manufacturer coupons (which, if you haven't done this yet, is where the real deals are!). Several of the stores in our area offer these; some are printable and some are not.

Here's the rundown:

Bi-Lo

Bi-Lo's website lets you create an account and link it to your BonusCard (Have your card handy when you sign up.)

Bi-Lo offers some printable coupons, but mostly on their store brands (which can still make for a pretty good deal!) ~ After you create your account and log in, click the Promotions tab and explore! Some good ones are: Recipes and coupons from my Bi-Lo mini cookbook and Try Southern Home Products for FREE.

Publix

The best way to get Publix coupons is to visit the Customer Service counter at the store. They often have booklets of both Manufacturer and Store Coupons, and it's like Christmas when you score a good one! :)

Also, Publix puts out an Advantage Buy circular once a month. You can find these in the front of the store usually (The Atlanta-Journal Constitution also puts these in their Sunday papers the week they are released) and they have month-long specials in them plus some store coupons.

Go here to sign up for some of the Clubs Publix offers. You will receive periodic magazines in the mail with coupons in them! (Note: We cannot get the Publix Wine Guide in TN.)

Food Lion

Food Lion's website also allows you to link your MVP Card to your account when you sign up (Have your card handy).

Go here to sign up for Food Lion's Shopper's Companion, a weekly email newsletter with coupons, deals, and promotions.

While you are waiting on your first email to arrive (or if it's easier for you to see all the Food Lion coupons in one place), visit Southern Savers' Food Lion Coupons page and print away!

CVS

Once again, visit the CVS website to sign up for an online account and link your ExtraCare card to your account.

Also, go here to find some printable CVS coupons. (Beware: They are only CVS coupons if they say CVS on them. The others are Manufacturer Coupons.)

Every once in a while, you will hear about a CVS coupon booklet you can pick up in the store. Right now, there is one out there called the CVS Flu Shot Booklet. Jenny at Southern Savers wrote about it here, but I was denied one by the pharmacist when I asked. Maybe you will have better luck!

Walgreens

Like Publix, Walgreens doesn't have a customer loyalty card yet, but keep your eyes and ears open for the possibility of one coming down the line.

Walgreens does, however, offer great coupon books in the store. Right now, there are the Healthy Savings Book (They may be out of these by now ~ Check the pharmacy counter) and the October Coupon Book (located at the front of the store under the ads). You do not have to tear these coupons out. You can use them over and over, and if you buy 2 of the same item, one scan of the coupon will cover them both!

Lastly, Walgreens typically offers good store coupons in their Sunday circulars.

Rite-Aid

Go on Rite-Aid's website and click on Video Values. You do have to watch some minute-or-so-long videos, but then you get to print out some great store coupons (like the awesome Clean & Clear one I stacked with a Manufacturer's coupon a few weeks ago to snag some FREE face wash!)

Also, while you're there, check out Rite-Aid's Fall Gift of Savings program, where you can earn up to $20 just for shopping at Rite-Aid! (And hurry...This ends on 10/17!)

Rite-Aid also puts coupons in their Sunday circulars.

Target

Target offers printable store coupons on its website! Go here to see their current offers.
FYI - If you happen to be in Target anyway, stop by the little computers where you can print off baby and wedding registries, and print these coupons from there! It will save you some precious ink!

Okay, so now that you know where to find these store coupons, be on the lookout for Manufacturer Coupons you can "stack" with them! And if you can pair that with a sale, well, you my friend have hit the jackpot! ;)

Also, remember that Bi-Lo and Publix accept competitor coupons (Bi-Lo accepts any 3 competitors per shopping trip, and Publix accepts any amount, as long as you only use one of each coupon), so you can use any of the coupons mentioned above at either of these stores. Just remember to use them in moderation, because we want to be considerate of our favorite grocery stores and keep them "coupon-friendly!"

(P.S. ~ Fellow couponers, what have I missed? I feel like I am forgetting some others...help!)

A deal worth getting excited about!

2009-10-13T22:17:00.000-04:00

FREE Dimetapp, Robitussin, and Glade!

Using ONLY printable coupons! Woohoo!

I just saw a great deal posted here at Time2Save.

Starting Sunday at CVS (I am posting this early so you can print, clip, stretch, and be ready!), you can move from "beginner couponer" to "intermediate couponer" (This means YOU, Stacy!) in one fell swoop!

***My savvy sister-in-law, Emily, reminded me today that CVS (at least the CVS on North Ocoee) allows you to shop Sundays' deals on Saturday evenings beginning at 6pm! (unless it is a 3-day only sale) If you go Saturday night, let us know if it works out!***

CVS ECB's ~ Week of 10/18

Buy $20 worth of Dimetapp/Robitussin ~ Get $10 ECB!

Buy Glade Reed Diffuser/Candle ~ Get $6.99 ECB

Work this Deal:

Buy 4 Dimetapp/Robitussin @ $5.50 ea ($22 Total)
Buy Glade Reed Diffuser or Candle @ $6.99

Subtotal: $28.99

Use $5/$25 CVS Coupon (Site #1 Site #2 Site #3)
Use (2) $2/1 Dimetapp PRINT and (2) $2/1 Robitussin PRINT
Use $3.50/1 Glade Candle PRINT or $3/1 coupon from the 10/4 SS

Total Due: $12.99

Get back: $16.99 in ECB!

*Hint: When I tried to print 2 Dimetapp and 2 Robitussin coupons, it said I had reached my print limit because they are both from the same manufacturer. So...I just filled in my husband's information for the other 2, and it worked fine. Remember: When you print your first Dimetapp (or Robitussin, for that matter) coupon, hit the back button twice to print your second coupon. A random security box WILL come up when printing these. Just click through and they will print fine.

So, after you finish getting these things for free and hugging your cashier, come back here and leave a comment to let us know how you did!

The Road to Financial Freedom Is Paved with Tough Decisions...

2009-10-13T21:04:00.000-04:00

Let's admit it: It's not easy being frugal and trying to save money. Some days, I just want a new stylish outfit! Or, an example from this week: I wanted to remodel my kitchen over Fall Break. The orange countertops are wearing on me. Is that a crime? No way.

However, my goal right now is to dig myself out from under a pile of student loan and credit card bills so that I can live joyfully and give more freely to others. I find daily inspiration from Crystal at Money Saving Mom. She and her husband are saving up to pay 100% CASH for a house! She posts monthy financial updates on her blog and encourages me to "live like no one else" so I can "give like no one else" in the future!

Go here to read her latest encouraging post and follow her on her exciting journey!

And, meanwhile, I have decided that orange countertops aren't the worst thing in the world after all. :)

My Favorite Walgreens

2009-10-12T23:00:00.000-04:00

I have a love-hate relationship with Walgreens. When everything I want is in stock, we're madly in love. But when I head to Walgreens BEFORE CHURCH and they're out of stock of something I so desperately need to make my money-saving scenario work, Walgreens and I DO NOT get along.

Today, I finally decided I have found my favorite Cleveland Walgreens. No, it's not the one closest to my house on Ocoee Street. And, no, it's not the pretty one next to Seasons Harvest. It's the obscure one near Jenkins and WalMart, and it always has what I need when the others are out of stock.

I don't know if it's because they have more inventory, or if it's because no one goes there, but it has been faithful to me. Here's how I did today when I rushed in to spend $9.50 in Register Rewards that were expiring today.

4 cans Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup (paid $0.80 each with in-ad coupon)
1 Gillette Fusion razor (paid $8.99-$4 coupon = $4.99 - $6 RR for buying = FREE + $1 overage!)
Dentek dental floss picks (paid $2.79 - $1 coupon = $1.79 - $2 RR for buying = FREE + $0.21 overage!)

Total before savings: $18.14

Total after coupons & $9.50 Register Rewards I needed to use: $0.46

Plus I got $8 in Register Rewards to use later!

Last Chance Bi-Lo Trip

2009-10-12T21:58:00.000-04:00

I finally made it to Bi-Lo today, and thought I'd give you the run-down in case you want to stop by for some deals before the sale changes over on Wednesday. We didn't "need" much, but since we will be eating all three meals at home this week due to Fall Break (Yay!), I bought more snacks, etc. than usual.

This was a two-photo trip:

Aaaannnd....Here's the breakdown:

4 boxes Aunt Jemima frozen pancakes (paid $0.89 each)
2 bags Lays potato chips (paid $1.99 each) *no coupons used
2 bags Wise cheese puffs (paid $0.50 each)
2 boxes Nilla Wafers (paid $1.50 each)
2 pkg. ChiChi's flour tortillas (paid $0.99/large & $0.84/small) *no coupons used
1 large bag marshmallows (paid $1.39) *not on sale
5 boxes Betty Crocker Warm Delights (paid $0.66 each)
1 box Ocean Spray instant oatmeal (paid $0.67)
1 bag Kaiser rolls (paid $1.50) *no coupons used
2 8-packs AquaPod water bottles (paid $1.15 each)
5 cans Del Monte pineapple (paid $0.44 each)
half gallon Apple Cider (paid $1.99) *no coupons used
2 bags Fresh Express lettuce (paid $0.40 each)
2 bottles Sunlight dish soap (paid $0.18 each)
1 bottle Glass Plus cleaner (paid $0.54)
2 pkg. McCormick's chili seasoning (paid $0.65 each) *no coupons used
3 pkg. Temptations cat treats (paid $0.11 each)
1 bag Tidy Cats litter (paid $1.35) *no coupons used
1 box litter box liners (paid $0.89) *no coupons used
1 pint cherry tomatoes (paid $1.49) *no coupons used
2 pkg. Hartz Crunch & Clean cat treats (I actually MADE $0.81 on each of these.)
3 lb. bananas (paid $1.78) *no coupons used
1 lb. Great Lakes provolone cheese (paid $4.19) *no coupons used
1 lb. Russer roast beef (paid $3.87) *no coupons used

Total before savings: $118.42

Total after savings: $41.88

I saved 65%.

Did you go to Bi-Lo this week? How did you do?

If you haven't gone yet, or would like to go back :), Jenny at Southern Savers has a great coupon match-up here.

Comments

2009-10-11T23:13:00.000-04:00

Friday, Marie helped me realize that some of you have not been able to comment because I had the blog's settings messed up. I have now fixed them - I hope. Comment away...please! ;)

Birthday Freebies!

2009-10-11T23:04:00.000-04:00

Dave and I share a birthday week. His is November 11th, and mine is November 9th. I just signed us up for several "birthday freebies" to help us celebrate next month! Most of these clubs will send a coupon by email on or before your birthday, so be on the lookout if you sign up. Also, I was kind of concerned that I would have to eat all my free meals and desserts ON my actual birthday, and was happy to find out that most of the coupons expire after a week or two. Whew! :)

I found an older post on Fun and Frugal that links directly to the sign-up pages for each club. It took me about an hour to sign my whole family up for these, but I think it will be worth it! Check it out if you are interested!

Chicken & Dumplings

2009-10-06T17:17:00.001-04:00

I was leery when I ran across this super-easy slow-cooker recipe for chicken and dumplings, but it turned out pretty good! Here's the recipe ~ Try it for yourself!

INGREDIENTS

4 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used only 2 because they were HUGE!)
2 tablespoons butter
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 onion, finely diced
1 can of refrigerated biscuit dough (8 biscuits), torn into pieces
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water or chicken broth to cover.
Cover, and cook for 8-9 hours on low (or 5-6 hours on high). About an hour before serving, shred the chicken and place it back in the pot. Put the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

I Heart Publix!

2009-10-04T21:22:00.001-04:00

My wonderful sister-in-law, Emily, and I made our weekly Publix trip this evening, and boy was it an adventure! I have to say it was totally worth it. Look below and see for yourself!

This trip required TWO photos. I couldn't fit everything in just one!

I took this first photo and forgot to take the second! I must be really tired. (And it's not even Monday yet - Oh no!) Okay, anyway, this is just PART of the great deals. I list everything below:

4 cans of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls (FREE after that $1 coupon I may have told you to print last week!)
11 (yes, 11) cans of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (also FREE after the $1 coupon)
6 cans Pillsbury biscuits (I am excited about using these for an easy crock pot chicken & dumplings recipe I am trying tomorrow. If it turns out well, I will post the recipe!) (paid $0.50 each)
6 cans of Progresso soup (paid $0.75 each)
4 cans of Campbell's Double Noodle soup (paid $0.60 each)
6 cups of Yoplait yogurt (paid $0.33 each)
4 jars of Pace salsa (paid $0.40 each) *Used a Food Lion internet printable + a manufacturer coupon*
4 cans of Old El Paso refried beans (paid $0.95 each)
3 cans of Old El Paso enchilada sauce (paid $0.95 each)
1 pkg. of Old El Paso taco seasoning (FREE for buying 2 Old El Paso items *Look for coupon on boxes)
1 Old El Paso taco dinner kit (paid $0.95)
3 bags Idohoan instant mashed potatoes (paid $0.25 each)
1 carton Egg Beaters southwestern style eggs (paid $0.67)
1 TGIFridays frozen Skillet meal (paid $2.99 *Plus the bag says it has $7 in coupons inside! Bonus!)
6 Hamburger/Chicken Helper meals (paid $0.75 each)
5.3 lbs. ground beef (all FREE for buying Hamburger Helper!)
8 boxes Green Giant frozen veggies (paid $0.50 each)
2 frozen Stouffers Family Size meals (paid $2.99 each)
2 boxes Cascadian Farms granola (paid $0.99 each)
2 bags Lays potato chips (paid $2 each)
3 bags Kraft cheddar cheese (shredded and block) (paid $1.66 each)
4 Nestle Toll-House refrigerated cookies (paid $0.49 each)
1 loaf of Publix sandwich bread (paid $0.01 *This week's Penny Deal! This is only available Sunday and Monday)
3 Publix reusable bags (all FREE for buying 6 General Mills products!)
2 bottles of Windex (paid $1 each)
1 bottle of Lysol cleaner (paid $0.59)
1 can of Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner (paid $0.60)
2 3-packs of Dial soap (paid $0.40 each)

Total before savings: $195.95

Total after savings: $56.11

I saved 72%! Hooray!

I got all my deals from Southern Savers. Go here to match up your coupons with the deals, and you can even print your shopping list directly from the site!

So I KNOW you went to Publix this week (And if you haven't yet, you still have Monday and Tuesday!) ~ Leave a comment and let us know how you did!

Where Do You Store All That FOOD?

2009-10-04T21:03:00.000-04:00

Several of you have asked me where I store the food I stockpile. Okay, if you promise not to make fun of me, I will show you the madness that is my kitchen. Maybe looking at my chaos will make you feel better about your own! :)

This is just my basic kitchen cabinet.

The fridge...

A shelf in my pantry...

My cereal stash (don't hate ;))...

A view of my beloved pantry...

And, last but not least....Ta-da! My new freezer! (Can you believe I have only had this baby for less than two months? It's so full!)

So, I guess you can tell I am running out of room to store food! What a blessing! I am secretly hoping for a few weeks of lame sales so I can quit shopping and E-A-T! ;)

Christmas Shopping in September

2009-09-30T21:23:00.001-04:00

This will be my very first year shopping on Black Friday, and I am getting very excited about it! I used to abhor the thought of getting up at 4am just for a deal, and now I can't imagine sleeping in and paying full price!

So, in the spirit of early Christmas shopping, I stopped by Target today to grab a few stocking stuffers and gifts. (Watch out, Mrs. Todd: Ethan may be giving you one of these candles for Christmas!) ;)

Oh, and the cat wasn't included in the deal. But isn't she cute? ;)

2 Glade glass candle holders (reg. $4.50) on sale for $1.50 - $2 off 2 coupon (found inside the candle - Yes, I take it out before I buy it!) = paid $0.50 each
1 Glade glass candle holder + 1 scented oil candles refill (reg. $4.50 + $2.99) - holder on sale for $1.50 - buy 1 candle holder get a refill free coupon = paid $1.50 for both
1 Glade scented oil diffuser kit (reg. $6.99) on sale for $4.49 - $3 coupon = paid $1.49
3 movies (Jumanji, Little Women, and Karate Kid - stocking stuffers!) (reg. $5) - 3/ $2 coupons = paid $3 each * This coupon is a PDF file and can be printed over and over!
Skippy peanut butter (not pictured) (reg. $2.04) - $1 Target coupon - $0.60 manufacturer coupon = paid $0.44

Total before savings: $40.54

Total after savings: $13.43

***Plus, I will save my receipt and send off for THIS $5 SC Johnson rebate, making my total $8.43 for everything! Merry Christmas! :)

What? Girls night out, you say?

2009-09-28T20:28:00.000-04:00

I finally decided tonight that I want to go to the Coupon Town Hall at FBC next Friday evening, and I'm looking for a date! (or two, or three...)

It is free, and Jenny from Southern Savers is the guest speaker. Also, I heard they are making up goody bags (swag ;)) for everyone, and I feel confident that there will be some freebies offered.

The date is Friday, October 9th. Doors open at 5:30, and Jenny speaks at 7:00. Here is all the info on the FBC website.

So, do I have any takers? I don't want to go alone! :)

What a day!

2009-09-27T20:59:00.000-04:00

I hit up three stores this afternoon: Walgreens, CVS, and Publix. This was probably the best savings day I have ever had! Even the cashiers were cheering for me today! Here's how I did:

Walgreens

2 Theraflu on sale for $4.00 each - 2/ $2 coupons = paid $2 each - $4 RR for buying 2 = FREE! (I should have stacked the manufacturer coupons with the $2 store coupon inside the Healthy Savings booklet and I would have made $4! Oh well...)

Herbal Essences conditioner on sale for $2.99 - $1 coupon = paid $1.99 - $2 RR for buying = FREE!

Dawn dish soap on sale for $0.99 (with in-ad coupon) - $0.25 coupon = paid $0.75 (another mistake: I should have saved this coupon for my CVS trip - not thinking!)

Dentek dental floss picks on sale for $2.00 - $1 coupon = paid $1 - $2 RR for buying = $1 moneymaker!!!

Robitussin singles $2.49 - $2.49 RR for buying = FREE!

Chapstick $2.99 - $2.99 RR for buying = FREE!

Oral B toothbrush on sale for $3 - $0.75 coupon = paid $2.25 - $3 RR for buying = $0.75 moneymaker!!!

Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion $6.99 - $1.50 coupon = paid $5.49 - $7 RR for buying = $1.50 moneymaker!!!

So, altogether I paid $21.20 and got back $24 in Register Rewards! Plus, I walked away with a bag of free goodies! I am definitely going back tomorrow.

CVS

3 Tide Total Care on sale for $6 each - 3/ $1 coupons = paid $5 each

3 Dawn dish soap on sale for $1 each - 3/ $0.25 coupons = paid $0.75 each

Bounce dryer bar on sale for $4 - $1 coupon = paid $3

I spent $25 before coupons, so I qualified for the $10 Extra Bucks promotion.

Spent $20.25 - $10 Extra Bucks - $5/$25 CVS coupon = $5.25 for all 7 items!

I really messed up on the Cover Girl deal. I am not even going to go into it... :) Oh, and the playing cards were just a $0.25 filler because I had too many coupons!

Publix

This was by far my best Publix trip. I almost didn't go, and boy I am so glad I did! I won't match everything up for you, because Jenny does a great job here at Southern Savers if you want to go down to Publix yourself for any of these goodies!

Here's what I bought if you can't see the photo very well:

4-pack of Dole mixed fruit
2 Voila! frozen meals
bag of Purina One cat food
4 bags of Birds Eye Steamfresh veggies
gallon of milk
2 Marzetti's salad dressings
3 Keebler's Fudge Shoppe cookies
4 cans of Campbell's Select Harvest soups
New York Pizza Dipping Breadsticks
6 4-packs of Yoplait Yo-Plus yogurt (Now you know what I will be eating for snack everyday!)
2 Toaster Strudels (from a raincheck I had)
pkg. of White Chicken Chili seasoning
2 pkg. Smart Balance butter sticks
2 boxes of Tornados frozen snacks
2 Marie Callender's Pasta Al Dente meals
6 Banquet frozen meals
2 Mt. Olive pickles
Snack Pack
3 boxes of Zatarain's rice

My total before savings: $125.69
My total after savings: $32.16

I saved 75%!!!!!!

Plus, the Tornados frozen snacks that I bought have a mail-in rebate on them to get your money back AND they have $0.50 coupons printed on the boxes! Also, the Banquet meals (which I got for about $0.50) say they have $5.00 worth of coupons printed on the inside of the boxes. Bonus!

What did you save this week? Share and celebrate with me!

The Best Idea EVER. E-V-E-R.

2009-09-24T22:10:00.000-04:00

When I brought my 3 pounds of ground beef home this evening, as I was cooking dinner and putting the groceries away, I went ahead and did the smartest thing I've ever done. :)

I divided my beef into 3 1-lb. servings, took out 3 pans, and cooked it all up at once. I seasoned one pan with tomato sauce, onion, garlic, and chili seasoning. Pan number two got taco seasoning, and pan number three found itself Manwiched. While they were cooling, I labeled 3 Freezer Zip-Loc bags:

chili

tacos

sloppy joes

I scooped the ready-to-freeze dinners into each bag and placed them in the freezer. Now all I have to do is throw some beans and my frozen chili mix in the crockpot one day next week (or during the football game on Saturday), toast some garlic bread, toss a salad, and we have a quick, easy meal. Ditto on the other two. I am super-excited about this new cooking-at-once concept! I read about it here, and watched a great video clip here. This may be life-changing, girls! :)

Bi-Lo Bummer

2009-09-24T21:38:00.000-04:00

I usually don't grocery shop until the weekend, but Luke needed sugar cubes to build an Egyptian pyramid (Wenona knows what I'm talkin' about ;)) so I headed there today after school...and car duty...and piano practice...

I am really well stocked on basic foods, snacks, cereal, etc., so I decided to load up on the Great American Staple: MEAT.

I bought several things that were on sale, but that I did not have a coupon for, and the sugar cubes were a total loss. :) Also, I went to the store armed with a bulging envelope of coupons, but nothing worked out as I had hoped for some reason, so I left with the same bulging envelope. Here's how it went down:

4 Tony's Pizzas (This is total football game snack indulgence for the boys) (reg. $1.25) on sale for $1 = paid $1.00 each

Southern Home frozen breaded chicken patties (reg. $7.99) BOGO - $2 Food Lion Internet Printable (works as a competitor coupon) = paid $1.99

15 (I know, I know) Michelina frozen meals/snacks (reg. $1.25) on sale for $1 - 3/ $1 off 5 coupons = $0.80 each

Steak-Umm quarter pound burgers (reg. $8.49) BOGO = paid $4.24

3 pounds ground chuck (reg. $10.59) on sale for $1.99/lb. = paid $5.87

2 packages biscuit ham (reg. $2.99) BOGO = paid $1.49 each

4 pound pork loin ~ I'm a little nervous about this, so I threw it in the freezer. Can anyone tell me how to cook this thing? ~ (reg. $17.52) on sale for $1.99/lb. = paid $7.94

6 cans Progresso soup (reg. $2.19) on sale for $1 - 2/ $1.10 off 3 coupons = paid $0.63 each

4 bags Mahatma yellow saffron rice (reg. $?) on sale for $0.60 - 2/ $0.75 off 2 coupons = paid $0.23 each

2 pkg. McCormick Taco Seasoning (reg. $1.09) BOGO = paid $0.54 each

2 pkg. Chili Mix (reg. $0.69) on sale for $0.50 = paid $0.50 each

2 boxes Domino sugar cubes (reg. $1.79) = paid $1.79 each

2 boxes Sun Crystals sweetener (reg. $3.49) BOGO - 2/ $1.50 coupons = paid $0.24 each

Total before savings: $104.85

Total after savings: $49.76

I saved 53%.

Coupon Fairies

2009-09-23T19:26:00.001-04:00

Jamie at Chattanooga Cheapskate just posted the funniest article about Coupon Fairies. Read it here. She cracks me up!

This Week's Grocery Match-Ups

2009-09-23T18:15:00.000-04:00

This is shaping up to be a pretty good week so far. I am linking you to Southern Savers' lists so you can check what you want and print your shopping list directly from her site.

Bi-Lo

Publix

Food Lion

I think I am the most excited about:

Bi-Lo

Sun Crystals, 50ct. for FREE! (reg. $3.49)
McCormick Taco Seasoning for FREE! (reg. $0.89)
Tennessee Pride Sausage Patties for $0.75 (reg. $3.49)
Mayfield Ice Cream, 56oz. for $0.98
Mahatma Saffron Rice Mixes, 5oz. for FREE!
Tennessee Pride Sausage Gravy, 8oz. for FREE!
StarKist Chunk White Tuna, 5oz. for FREE!
Angel Soft Bath Tissue, 4 rolls for FREE!

Publix

Dole Fruit, Gel or Parfait Bowls 4pk. for $0.59 (reg. $2.69)
Quaker Oats Oatmeal 18oz. for $0.49 (reg. $2.49)
Post Honey Bunches or Oats Cereal for FREE! (reg. $3.99)
Kellogg’s Eggo Waffles for $0.69 (reg. $2.39)
Ronzoni Pasta for $0.19 (reg. $1.39)
Mt. Olive Relish or Pickles 16 oz jar for $0.09 (reg. $2.19)
Keebler Fudge Shoppe Cookies for $0.74 (reg. $3.49)
Yoplait Yo-Plus or Yo-Plus light 4pk for $0.25 (reg. $2.50)
Smart Balance Butter Blend Sticks for $0.24 (reg. $3.49) **better at Food Lion
New York Texas Toast for $0.64 (reg. $3.29)
Pillsbury Grands Biscuits for $0.25 (reg. $1.25)
Mahatma Rice Mixes for FREE! (reg. $0.75)
Purina ONE Cat Food 3.5 lb bag for FREE! (reg. $5.00)

Food Lion

stocking up on Ground Chuck at $1.69/lb.
Food Lion Chicken Breast Halves or Tenders 2.5-3 Lb. Bag for $4.50 (reg. $12.99)
Smart Balance Butter Blend Sticks $0.14 (reg. $3.29)

Whew! Warm up the printer! It's a good week! :)

If you simply can't wait another few hours...

2009-09-22T21:37:00.000-04:00

BI-LO SNEAK-PEEK 9/23 – 9/29

Go here to see all of this week's BOGO deals before the sale paper comes out! Tomorrow, I will link you to a post that has the coupon match-ups so you don't have to do the work. This week is looking much better than last...

And here is the PUBLIX SNEAK-PEEK 9/23-9/29!

Deals You Need to Know About

2009-09-22T21:09:00.000-04:00

Deal #1: Rite Aid:
Clean & Clear facial scrubs & washes reg. $5.99

on sale for $4.50
- $2 printable coupon (here)
PLUS - $3 Rite Aid AdSense coupon for watching a one-minute video (here)

= $0.50 moneymaker!

***Several candybars are on sale for $0.44 this week, so pick a couple up on your way to the register. Your total before tax for all three items will be $0.38! Hooray!

Deal #2: VocalPoint:

If you haven't signed up for VocalPoint, do it now! They are running a limited time offer. Get a free 28 day sample of Olay Pro X /wrinkling Soothing Cream when you sign up. This is a $47 value! Plus, after you sign up, you will receive GREAT coupons periodically in the mail.

Deal #3: Target:

Don't go specifically for this deal, but you probably have the coupon and it's a freebie. I tried it tonight and it worked great!

Crystal Light To-Go (3-packs)--$1.00 (in checkout lanes - mine were Raspberry Lemonade)

Buy 2 and use $2/2 coupon from the 9/13 Smartsource insert
Get both free after coupon

Lastly, there are several $5/$25, etc. coupons for CVS and Rite-Aid floating around. The $25 amount is before coupons. If you use these, hand the $5/$25 coupon first, then the manufacturer coupons. And remember, you can't use more coupons than you have items, so pick up a cheap filler or two before you check out.

Happy shopping!

***Just Saw This On http://www.dealseekingmom.com/:

Hershey’s Milk Singles (3-pks.), $1.15

$0.50/1 Hershey’s Singles (3-pk.) printable = $0.65 after coupon!*Shelf stable — find in juice box aisle

Crystal Light To Go (3-pks.), $0.74 (clearance)

$2/2 Crystal Light Drink Mix Products, exp. 10-10-09 (SS #3 9/13/09) = 2 FREE after coupon!

Wheat Thins (sm. box), $1Get $1 SCR #90 wyb 2 (limit 3)

$1/1 Wheat Thins printable (IE) or printable (FF)Better than FREE after coupons and SCR!

Walgreens Joy

2009-09-20T10:42:00.000-04:00

I have been loving the deals at Walgreens lately! This is how I did today. If you want to try any of these this week, head over to Southern Savers where she links up to all of the printable coupons. That's how I made my list.

4 Quaker Oats (for cookies and desserts this holiday season!) (reg. $3.19) BOGO - 2 $1.25/2 coupons = paid $0.97 each

4 Campbells Cooking Soups (reg. $1.59) - $0.89 with in-ad coupon - $1/2 coupon = paid $0.39 each

BIC Soleil Razors on sale for $4.99 - $3 coupon = paid $1.99 - $1 RR for buying

ThermaCare HeatWrap on sale for $2.49 - $1 coupon = paid $1.49 - $2.50 RR for buying

2 Tylenol Cold on sale for $5.99 - 2 $1 store coupons (Healthy Saving booklet) - 2 $2 coupons = paid $2.99 each - $5.00 RR for buying 2

4 candy fillers because I was using more coupons than I had items :)

Total before savings: $49.48 - $32.78 in sales and coupons - $16 RR I needed to use

Total after savings: $0.70!!!

Plus I got $8.50 in ECBs to use next time!

Quick CVS Trip

2009-09-20T10:30:00.001-04:00

Some of you know about my former Red Bull addiction. :) It was a very expensive one! So, a month or so ago, I switched to Diet Mtn. Dew. Much cheaper and without that mysterious Taurine. This morning I ran to CVS to reload. Here's how I ended up:

4 12-packs @ 4/$12 (reg. $4.99) = $3 each - 4 ($0.25 coupons) = paid $2.75 each - $3 ECB for buying 4
1 Crest Toothpaste (reg. $3.89) sale $2.99 - $0.75 coupon = paid $2.24 - $2 ECB

Total before coupons: $15 - $1.75 in coupons - $10 in ECB I needed to use
Total after savings: $3.25
Plus I got back $5 in ECB to use next time!

This is what a boring week at Bi-Lo looks like...

2009-09-18T23:03:00.000-04:00

Well, I debated on whether or not to even post this pathetic little shopping trip, but I think I should show you the bad with the good. :)

The good news is, I am learning that when there is a yawn-able week, an AMAZING week is usually right around the corner!

Here's the breakdown of the trip:

~ 2 pkg. Carolina Pride sliced bacon (reg. $3.48) - BOGO paid $1.75 ea.

~ 3 lb. bag of apples (reg. $3.99) - Sale paid $1.99

~ 4 Carpet Fresh foam sprays (reg. $3.52) - BOGO - 2/$1.50 coupons - 2/$1 coupons paid $0.26 for 2 and $0.76 for 2

~ 2 Trop 50 (reg. $3.69) - Sale - $1/2 coupon paid $2.50 each

~ Hillshire Farm sliced ham (reg. $4.19) - Sale - $0.55 coupon (doubled to $1.10) paid $2.23

~ Southern Home sliced turkey (reg. $2.50) - Bi-Lo coupon (Buy Theirs, Get Ours) FREE!

~ Sliced Cheddar Cheese (reg. $2.50) - sale - paid $2.00

Total Before Savings: $41.62
Total After Savings: $16.74

I saved 60%.

Also, I plan on heading to Publix on Sunday, and my coupon envelope is much larger for that store, so maybe I'll have something to show then!

Did you try any deals this weekend? Let me know how you did! And hold your breath for next week. Hopefully it will be great! :)

Aren't You So Excited?!

2009-09-18T13:46:00.000-04:00

Hi Ladies!

Well, after you all left our little Coupon Nerd-a-thon (a.k.a. The-Other-Day-When-I-Talked-Your-Ears-Off-And-Overwhelmed-You-With-Information), I walked to my car wishing I had time to compile some resources for you sweet women.

The next day, the Lord provided. Along came...

The FLU. :)

So...I have thrown together a virtual meeting place for us to ask questions, share deals, and pretty much be money-saving geeks together.

On the right, there are links to the blogs I mentioned Wednesday. I think they are a great place to get started. After about a week or two of browsing around them, you'll be throwing down the lingo like nobody's business.

Honestly, this is a really good week to get your feet wet. The grocery deals are boring and sparse, so you won't feel like you are missing out on much. Spend this weekend doing three things:

Browsing the aforementioned websites and blogs.
Putting your little coupon organizer together. There are two great articles to get you started here and here. They have photos and everything!
Printing coupons to start your stash! My favorite sites for loads of coupons are:

Also. if you have done these things and are bored (Ha!), check out sites like Betty Crocker, Simple and Delicious (ConAgra's website), and VocalPoint to sign up for coupons and special offers sent to your email. You might want to set up a free email account from Hotmail, etc. to minimize the junk mail in your personal email account.

Okay, that's all for now. :) But if you have questions, PLEASE ASK! I'm headed to Bi-Lo soon. I'll post photos when I get back.

Happy weekend! Roll Tide! (I had to. You understand.)

Steph