Sunday, October 31, 2010

Kroger Deals This Week

Kroger is having a 10 Item Mega Sale This week!

Buy 10 of the following items, get $5 off your purchase (there are many more items in the sale, these are the just the ones I'll be focusing on):
  • Campbells Chunky Soup (and soup bowls) - .99 - .50 coupons (from Campbells website) - .49each
  • Colgate toothpaste - $1 - .$1 coupon (from Sunday paper) = FREE
  • Campbells gravy $.49 - .50/4 coupon, doubled (from Sunday paper) = $1/2 cans
  • Silk Soy Milk $1.99 - .75 coupons (from Silk website) - $1.25
(first price listed is before $5 is taken off by mega sale).

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Walgreens Deals Next Week

It looks like Walgreens will be the deal winner for next week (although I haven't seen Rite Aid's ad yet).  Here's some of what I'm looking at for next week.


  • Ghiradelli/Lindt/Dove Bars 2/$3 - $1 (Ghiradelli)Walgreens coupon = 2/$2
  • Cottenelle Fresh Wipes 42ct $1.99 w/ in ad coupon - Free Cottenell coupon received in mail = FREE
  • Epsom Salt 6lb - $3.99
  • Ricola .99 - .50walgreen coupon = .49 - Buy 2 and use $1/2 coupon = FREE
  • Schick ST & Extreme 3 (4pk) BOGO ($3 off coupon on Extreme 3 x2)= around Free to $1/2
  • Pantene $2/7 - $2RR = 2/$5 -$1/2 coupon (10/31 paper) = 2/$4

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Get More Coupons!

If you print your own coupons , you've probably run across the "print limit reached" message.  What I've figured out is that on each site you can usually only print 2 of the same coupon at a time.  Then you have to wait for however long for the coupons to reset (I haven't figured out how long yet).  I have figured out how to get more than 2 coupons for those things you want to stock up on.

1. Multiple computers - If you have more than one computer in your house print the maximum allowed coupons from each computer (in my house this = 6 coupons).

2. Multiple Websites - One of the coupons I've been trying to stock up on lately is the Yoplait Frozen Smoothies.  They are on sale at Kroger as part of their Frozen Foods Event for $1.99 and with the $1off coupon that is available on Coupons.com as well as the Yoplait website, that means .99 each.  I have found that not only can you often find the same coupons available on Coupons.com or the other major coupon sites on the manufacterer website, but there are also often sites that use the same coupon base (ie. coupons.com) but not the same tracking cookie, allowing you to still print the coupons off of those sites, even after you've hit your limit on the others.

For Coupons.com coupons, be sure to also check http://www.couponbug.com
For Smartsource coupons, also check http://www.coolsavings.com/printablecoupons.php

Another option for coupons that you see in the paper, if you don't want to buy multiple copies of the paper to get more than one coupon, is to go to Ebay.  There are many folks there who will sell you bundles of specific (or random) coupons for as low as .99 for the bundle.  I just picked up 20 coupons for Marie Calendars frozen meals for just .99 on there (including shipping).

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

First GiveAway Winner!

Ashley is the winner of my first GiveAway!  Thanks Ashley for following my blog.

Awesome Carnation Instant Breakfast Coupon

Nestle has some great new coupons posted when you register on their site.  We love Carnation Instant Breakfast and finding good coupons on that stuff seems only slightly easier than finding it on sale (something we have yet to see).  The best coupons we'd gotten had always been the ones printed at the Kroger register when we buy it and those were usually along the lines of $1.50 off of 3.  Right now on the Nestle website they have $1 off of 1 Carnation Instant Breakfast, as well as quite a few others including Nestle cookie dough, Stoufers and others.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

This Weeks Deals

Here are the deals I'm looking forward to this week.  CVS was rather disappointing, so nothing there. But.....

Rite Aid
  • Aveeno Shampoo 5.99 - 1+UP - $4/1 VV coupon - $1/1 online coupon (from Aveeno website) = FREE
  • Nivea Lotion 5.99 - $5+UP - $1/1 coupon (available online) = FREE
  • Got2B - $2/1 VV coupon - $2/1 from AllYou coupon - $1/any purchase VV coupon = 2 for FREE
Walgreens
  • Kleenex 89c - .50/3 coupon = .72 each
  • Airwick Candle - 3.99 - $2/1 coupn - $1RR = .99
  • Selson Blue Medicated 7.99-$1in store coupon = $6.99
  • Axe Body Wash $3.99-BOGO coupon = 2/$3.99

GiveAway: Random Coupons

Over $50 in coupons including formula, snacks, health & beauty, candy, batteries & much more. Plus a few sample size products.  I'm still adding coupons through this weekend's paper.

For a chance to win, just follow my blog and then post a comment on this post.  All entries must be posted by midnight on Tuesday Oct. 26.  I'll choose a winner at random on Wednesday, Oct 27.

Friday, October 22, 2010

I think I'm finally learning how to add

I've not had an issue with going over budget since we started doing the budget and envelope system, but at the same time I've had a time or two where I've been surprised by how much my total was when I got to the register.  I usually do one to two grocery trips in a week, depending on the sales.  Since Kroger runs Sun-Sat and Publix runs Wed-Tues, it's easy to compare them against each other and make sure I'm getting the best deals all around.  If things are even, I'll usually get them at Publix since from what I've seen on the things we buy the most their prices are about equal but since Publix doubles coupons (and our Krogers don't) and since I have a stack of $5 off coupons (ranging from $5/25 to $5/$50) that I can also use at Publix, Publix wins.  The last few weeks I've been spending less and less at Kroger.  Actually, I've been spending less and less at both stores but getting more and more.

Today I went to Publix.  We are at the end of our budget period and our envelopes get replenished tomorrow, BUT I won't have a chance to get to the grocery store again for a week or so, so I was a little more limited in what I could spend.  With that in mind, I didn't want to go to ring out and find that I didn't have enough in my envelope to pay for everything. So, my goal was to have everything in my basket total to less than what I had in my envelope BEFORE I used any coupons.  I did go over just a tad but it was because I had picked up a 6pk of beer for my hubby. I knew it was going to push it over but I also knew I'd be fine when it was all said and done.

I'm also getting a lot better about planning my trips out before I leave the house and knowing exactly what I'm going to get.  One thing that helps is waiting a little into the sale period to get some feedback from others on items that might not be advertised but are on sale.  For instance, this week at Publix Campbell's Chunky soup bowls are in sale for $1.29 but they aren't advertised.  My hubby enjoys these for his lunch during the week and I have quite a few coupons ranging from .50/1 to $2/4, so I picked up 8 for him to get him through the next couple of weeks.  I also went through my coupons one last time before I left the house to make sure I was using the best ones and in the process I noticed a coupon that was about to expire for Carnation Instant breakfast.  We both drink this stuff just about every day but I've yet to see it on sale and never see any coupons for it except the ones that print out at Kroger.  I had one of these from Kroger that was set to expire tomorrow, so I went ahead and used it at Publix and stocked us up on the stuff.

My Favorite Publix Deals This Week:
  • Nestle cookie dough BOGO @ 2.89, paired with 2 $1/1 coupons = 2/.89
  • Yo Crunch yogurt @2.69 (coupon in in store ad for BOGO, paired with 2/$1 coupons = 2/.69
  • Betty Crocker supreme brownie mix BOGO @ 2.69 (paired with $1/2 coupon) = 2/$1.69
  • Pepperidge Farms Cookies BOGO @ $3.39 (paired with 2 $1/1 coupons) = 2/$1.39
  • Glade Scented Candles 2/$4 (paired with $1.50/2 coupon) = 2/$2.50

The hardest part seems to be finding room for the overstock, but we are making that work too.

This may be the dumbest article ever! 8 Reasons Why You Should Coupon

Obviously written by someone who doesn't use coupons and has no clue what is available or how much using coupons could save them (in both time and money).

8 Reasons why Using Coupons is a Bad Idea

1. You don't have to buy a newspaper.  Even if you do you can use online listings like Sunday Coupon Preview to find out what coupons will be in the paper before you buy it and determine if it will be worthwhile to buy 1 or 10.  You can do coupons without ever buying a newspaper at all now and only get the coupons for items you will use thanks to all the online sites like Coupons.com , Redplum.com and SmartSource.com

2. Clipping Coupons Takes Time... yes, yes it does.  But, for me it's time I would otherwise just be randomly surfing Facebook while watching tv.  The bulk of the time I spend regarding coupons actually revolves around doing our grocery list and matching coupons to the list.  However, in the few weeks we've been doing this we've found that we are not only saving on average of $50 week on groceries because of this effort... but in addition to that savings we have actually cut down our grocery bill as well.  So we are spending a lot less and getting a lot MORE at the grocery store.

3. I'm trying to figure out how getting a newspaper increases the advertising that comes to your home, especially if you don't have the newspaper delivered.  Even if you do, and your local newspaper sells your address for marketing purposes... that's what a recycle bin is for.

4. True, more of the coupons are for things we are not likely to buy than are for things we will buy.  This goes back to my earlier statement about finding out what coupons are in the paper before you buy it and determining if the value is actually there.  I've also found that as we've used coupons more we are becoming less slave to particular brands.  There are some things neither of us will settle on (Kraft Mac & Cheese, toilet paper, my razors, etc) but many other things where it really doesn't matter what brand we use, we were just used to buying particular brands and kept doing it.  Sometimes another brand is cheaper without a coupon and an item we have a coupon for... in that case we buy the cheaper brand and I leave the coupon behind for someone who is more picky. 

So what to do with all those extra coupons?
  • Pass them on to a friend who will use them.
  • Give them to a shelter (I don't plan to change the brand of food I feed my cats or get dogs any time soon, so I'll pass all the pet coupons on to someone I know who works at a shelter and pet sits.
  • Leave them at the grocery store for someone who will use them.  I've often taken a coupon to the store only to find another item was cheaper without a coupon. I just leave the coupon on the shelf for someone else.
  • Hang onto it.  If it's a type of product you use but not your usual brand, you may find that at some point a sale combined with the coupon will make the item free, and therefor worth trying a new brand.  Even if you won't use the item and it's free with the sale and coupon, you can always pick it up and donate it to a food bank or shelter.
  • Join or create a coupon exchange (find other couponers online or via your church or some other group and swap out coupons).
 5. Ok, Sometimes the coupons do tempt me to buy things I know aren't good for me that I might not buy otherwise.  Chances are I'd buy them anyway, I just wouldn't get as good a deal, or I might not have bought them right then.  We found that was our biggest problem with grocery shopping before. We'd buy whatever we wanted right then.  This often left us not having things we wanted later.  Can't make that favorite dish for dinner, we only have half the ingredients. I'd love a piece of chocolate but we don't have any, etc.  Shopping with a purpose, allows us to buy more for much less and have things on hand when we need/want them, rather than running to the grocery store every other day for things we forgot.

6. The Great News is that the same coupons are often offered over and over again.  This is also true of certain sales.  In the short time I've been watching the sales, I can already predict that the Soy Milk my hubby drinks will be on sale BOGO at Publix about every 3rd week.  Which is just about perfect considering how much of it he drinks.  Coupons tend to work the same way.  The trick is to stock up on the coupons that you will use and match them to those sales.

7. Yes, once you train yourself to use coupons and shop sales, it does become very difficult to go back to buying things at full price.  The great news is that you really don't have to, if you stock up.  And if by chance you get a craving for something you rarely ever buy and it's not on sale and/or you don't have a coupon don't make yourself suffer.  Just get it. You have to treat yourself occasionally.  But, chances are if you are paying attention you'll have whatever you want at a discount just about every time.

8. Shopping Actually Goes Quicker.  Because we now go to the store with a set list and coupons to match the list, we get out of the stores much quicker.  We used to linger wondering what to buy, each of us adding things.  Even if we had a list we didn't stick to it.  Now, we go in with a list and we get the items on the list and we are done.  It goes even quicker if you know your stores layout and can organize your list based on the layout of the store so you don't have to double back to things you forgot.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Kroger Deals!

We saved almost as much as we spent tonight.

The best deals were...
  • 5 Yoplait Frozen Smoothies ($2.50 each)
  • 2 Marie Callendar Steam Meals (2.28 each)
  • 2 Marie Callendar Pot Pies (1.89 each)
  • 1 Mayfield Ice Cream (2.99)
Total:  23.83
-$5 for Frozen Food Event = $18.83
Used...
  • 5 $1/1 Yoplait Smoothies from coupons.com
  • 2 $1/1 Marie Callendars Steamers (from Marie Callendars website)
  • $1/2 Marie Callendar pot pies
Total: 10.83

Walgreens Awesome Trip

My hubby doesn't usually go with me to my drugstore runs but I'd had issues earlier in the week and hadn't managed to get Walgreens checked off my list, so we went on the way to Kroger tonight.  The whole time I was putting things in the basket, he kept asking "How much are you spending?".  "Not much.".  I think he was surprised at just how little.

We got...
  • Tylenol Precise Patches - 4.99
  • Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup (.79 after Walgreens in-ad coupon)
  • 2 Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup (.79 each after Walgreens in-ad coupon)
  • Dawn dish detergent (.99 after in-ad coupon)
  • 2 Glade candles (2/$4 after in-ad coupon)
  • Puffs facial tissue (.99 after in-ad coupon)
  • 2 Nivea for Men body wash (on sale 2/$5)
Used...
  • $2 Tylenol Precise coupon from tear pad
  • $1.50 off 2 Glade Candle
  • $1.50 off 3 Campbell's "great for cooking" soups
  • $3 off Nivea for Men
  • $2 off Nivea body wash
  • $2 Register Rewards
OOP = 6.24

This is one of those trips where a picture is really worthwhile, but, of course, my camera battery decided to die.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

10/14 Target Trip

This trip made me very happy.  First off, I got a $10 gift card for transferring a prescription (coupon was in Sunday's insert, good on transferred or new prescription).  Then I used part of the gift card to purchase the below (so $0 out of pocket).



Purchased:
3 cans of Hunts diced tomatoes (on sale for .82 each)
1 Box of Quaker Life Cinnamon Pecan Soft Baked Bars (on sale for 2.39)

Used:
1 Target Coupon for $1 off Quaker Life Bars
$1 off MFC for Quaker Life Bars (received with free sample in the mail)
$1 off 3 Hunts tomatos Target Coupon
.40 off 3 Hunts tomatoes MFC

Total: $1.40

Awesome Deals Today!!!

- Two reams of paper at Office Dept for $1/each (coupon said limit 2, and the cashier tried to just give me discount on one ream...oh no you don't!)

- 3 cans of Hunts diced tomatos at Target for just $1.06 (total)

- Box of Quaker Life Soft Baked Bars at Target for just $.39

- $10 gift card for transferring a prescription to Target (also got said prescription for free thanks to coupon from drug company website)

- 10 Fuze drinks at Kroger for just $4

Yeah I'm liking this couponing, money-saving gig

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

10/12 Rite Aid Trip

All This for just $2.99

This was my trip to Rite Aid this week (I really had nothing out of pocket since I was using a gift card I received for transferring a prescription).

Purchased:
  • 2 Boxes of Playtex Gentle Glide Tampons 2/$8
  • Nyquil $4.99
  • 2 Bags Reeses Snack Size 2/$4
  • 2 Bags Dove Chocolates 2/$6

Coupons Used:

  • (2) $2 off Playtex
  • $2 off 2 Playtex VV Coupon
  • $1 off Reese Snack size VV Coupon
  • $1 off 2 Dove VV coupon
  • $4 off $20 purchase VV Coupon
  • $1.50 off Nyquil Coupon

Also used a $1.50+UP Reward from previous purchase.

Total: $8.49
Got back $5.50 in +UP Rewards = total OOP  $2.99

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Walgreens Trip


I screwed up on this one too.  I should have used 2 BOGO Edge Shave Gel Coupons, instead of just 1.  I didn't realize it until I went back to pick up 4 more of these and realized that I was expecting the price to be lower than it was.

So what I got....
  • 4 Edge Shave Gels $2.79 (on sale for 2/$5, coupon in Walgreens ad for 2/$4)
  • 3 cans of Campbells Tomato Soup (coupon in Walgreens ad for .59each)
  • 8pk of Colgate Wisps (on sale for $2.99)
Coupons Used
  • BOGO Edge Shave Gel (provided 2.50 value)
  • .50 off Colgate Wisp
  • $1.50 off 3 Campbells Soups
Total: 8.26 - $1RR received = 7.26 OOP

CVS Trip



I screwed  up on this one. I should have split my purchases into two transactions to decrease out of pocket spending.  Granted, in the end, it doesn't matter much, I can save now or save later.

  • Colgate Total 4oz $2.99
  • 2 Clean & Clear $6.49e (On Sale: Buy one Get 1 50% off)
  • 2 GUM In-betweens $4.99e (On Sale: Buy One Get 1 50%)
  • 1 Azo Itch Relief $6.99
  • 3 Packages of 100ct Flexi Straws $1/each (on clearance for 90% off = .09/each)
Used
  •  $4 off $20 Purchase
  • $1 Off Colgate Coupon
  • $2 Off Azo
  • (2) $2 off Clean & Clear 
  • .75 Off Gum Floss Product
  • $2 ECB from previous purchase
Total: $13.56

Got the following ECBs
  • $2.99 from Colgate Purchase
  • $5 from Azo purchase
$13.56 - $7.99 = $5.57 OOP

The reason I say I should have split this into ttwo transaction is because I could have used the ECBs earned to pay for the GUM in-betweens (something I hadn't originally intended to purchase but picked them up because they were on sale and I needed them).

Prescription Savings

I have about 10 different prescription drugs I take (yes you read that right), so it's fair to say that prescriptions (and medical related stuff in general) is a huge part of our budget.  So finding ways to save money in that area is a big deal around here.  I have insurance so that helps a lot, but co-pays still add up.  It adds up even more, because I have to pay for my prescriptions out of pocket and then get reimbursed by my insurance.

So far I've found 2 ways to save money on my prescriptions....

1. Don't be scared to Transfer.  I've kept all my prescriptions at one place for the last few years just because it was the most convenient.  However, since we've been shopping sale ads and couponing, I'm hitting just about every major drug store at some point during the week, anyway, so convenience doesn't count for as much.  I'm still trying to figure out the best way to determine who has the best prices (since price lists that they can give you are based on prices without insurance, usually).
  • Get Paid to Transfer - Almost every week one store or another has a coupon in their sale ad for a gift certificate (of varying amounts) if you transfer your prescription to them.  Last week I got $50 from Rite Aid for transferring 2 prescriptions.  This week I will get $10 from Target for transferring one to them.  I will continue to transfer / move my prescriptions around based on who will pay me to do so.
  • Free & Cheap Generics - Kroger & Wal-mart are among the major stores that now offer $4 generics.  If the drug(s) you take is a generic, check to find out if it's on their list of cheap ones.  Other stores may also offer them for just as cheap.  Publix offers FREE 14 day supplies of many generic anti-biotics.
I'm not a fan of going generic just to save money.  If your drug of choice has a generic, give it a try but if you find it's not working or you are having a weird side effect request to go back to the name brand (or ask your Dr for a different med).  I've had at least 2 drugs that I can recall where the generics caused my issues but the name brand was fine.

2. Look for Coupons.  If you are taking name brand drugs you can usually find a discount on their website. Sometimes it's just a small amount, other times it's a free month's supply.  Either way, it's worth looking for.  Just visit the website for the drug of choice and see what they offer.  On the drugs I take, I've found $15 off Relpax (migraine meds, not a huge discount since these pills are about $20/each) and Cymbalta offers a free month supply on their website.

Also, don't make the same mistake I did and assume you don't have prescription coverage on your insurance just because it doesn't get covered AT the pharmacy.  For several years I saw the "insurance savings" on my prescriptions and assumed that my prescription coverage just sucked.  Then one day I called them and asked them to compare my plan to another offered. I finally found out I did have prescription coverage, I just had to submit my own claims online and be reimbursed.  It's annoying but it saves me a ton of money.

Free Samples

Sunday, October 10, 2010

This Week's Deals

CVS
Clean & Clear B1G1 50% (regular $6.49)
--Use 2 $2/1 coupons from Clean & Clear website = 2/$5.75
    Colgate Total $2.99
    --Get $2.99 in ECB
    --Use $1/1 or .75/1 Coupon from AllYou or Colgate website or Sunday 10/10 paper= FREE +.75-$1 profit

      AZO Itch Relief  $6.99
      --Use $2/1 coupon found here
      --Get $5 ECB = FREE

      Dial Soap 4pk $1.99
      -- Use .35 coupon from Sunday 10/10 paper
      --Get $1 in ECB = .65

      Chunky Soup (cans or bowls) 4/$5
      --use $2/4 coupon from Campbells website = 4/$3




      Rite Aid
      Playtex Gentle Glide Tampons 2/$8
      --$2 +UP
      --Use 2 $2/1 Playtex coupons from Redplum
      --Use $2/1 Video Value Coupon    = FREE

      Nyquil  $4.99
      --Use $1.50 coupon from Sunday 10/10 paper
      --Get $1.50 +UP Rewards = $1.99

      Gain Dish Detergent .89
      -- use $1 off coupon from Sunday 10/10 paper
      = .11 profit


      Walgreens
      Edge Shave Gel 2/$4
      - use BOGO coupon from coupons.com - 4/$4

      Colgate Wisp $2.99
      -- use .50 coupon from Oct AllYou or Colgate.com
      -- Get $1 in RR = $1.49

      Target
      Transfer 1 prescription get $10 Gift Card (coupon in 10/10 Target Ad)

      Thursday, October 7, 2010

      Quaker Life Soft Baked Free Sample & Review

      If you haven't already gotten you free sample of the new Quaker Life soft baked cookie bar, be sure to do so.

      I just got my sample of the Banana Nut flavor cookie today.  It came with two coupons, one for $1/1 box of Quaker Life bars and 1 for Quaker oatmeal.  I really wanted to try these since I can't eat regular granola bars anymore (too much chewing), so I was excited when it came in the mail.  I pulled it out of the main box and the felt the bar through the wrapper.  It felt nice and soft, so that was a good start.  On the wrapper it suggested "try heating then eating".  I took a bite first and it was a little more chewy than I could handle, so I popped it in the microwave for the suggested 10 seconds and it came out feeling and tasting like a fresh-baked piece of banana nut bread.  Yes, it was that good.

      I'm still hoping I get a free sample of the Cinnamon Roll flavor.

      Free Samples

      Wednesday, October 6, 2010

      CVS SCORE!

      I just returned from CVS where I spent a grand total of  $2.50 out of pocket and got all of the following:


      Two pairs of halloween socks (they look so comfy and I can't wait to try them) @ $2.50 each
      1 3ct package of Ben Gay pain relieving patches (I use the heck out of these on my neck). @ 5.99

      I then used the following:
      • coupon for $2 off any Ben Gay product from Sunday's newspaper
      • coupon for $5 off any Halloween decor, costumes or apparel that printed at the kiosk inside CVS with my reward card.
      • $1.50 ECB from previous purchase

      = 2.50 OOP
      Plus I got back $2 in ECBs

      While I was out I also transferred another prescription to Rite Aid and got another $25 gift card to use there.

      Free Samples

      Tuesday, October 5, 2010

      Free Aveda product

      Join Aveda's Birthday Program today and get a free, full-size product on your birthday!


      Get a free product sampler when you join and a full size product on your birthday.

      Publix vs....

      We've typically shopped at Kroger until recently. We both always felt that it was the cheaper of the grocery options (between Publix, Kroger & Target).  Since we've been in this "money saving mode" I've been creating a spread sheet of prices on the items we buy, in order to have a better idea of what a "good price" actually is and also to know which stores have the best price (and when a deal is actually a deal). 

      As I looked at the spreadsheet today, I was really surprised by something... Publix has lower prices.  Who knew?  When you add to that the fact that Publix doubles coupons up to 50cents and takes competitor coupons, it's a no-brainer to do the bulk of our grocery shopping there. 

      We've been doing more of our shopping there lately, rather than at Kroger, just because of them taking competitor coupons and us having a bunch of $5 off $25 or $50 coupons from other grocery stores.  Knowing what I know now, we'll definitely keep doing the bulk of our shopping there for basic items, unless it's on sale somewhere else for a better price.

      Free Sample: Bounce dryer bar


      Click Here for a free sample of the Bounce dryer bar

      I've been wanting to try this product but not willing to shell out the money for it...

      Free Mini Golf or Range Balls at Richland Golf on Friday

      Check out this coupon for a free medium bucket of balls or a free game of miniature golf on Friday Oct 8 at Richland Golf in Huntsville AL.

      You'll need to register on the Richland site to get the coupon.

      Free Samples

      Monday, October 4, 2010

      e-coupons

      I was never a big fan of the stores that required you to have a shopper card to get their "sale" prices, but I got used to it.  Then again I never really shopped the sales until recently.  Now I'm not only realizing that shopping the sales can save big money, but that there are more ways to save when you have a shopper card.

      If you have a shopper card, be sure to check the websites for the stores that you have cards for, most of them offer special deals online that may not be advertised in the stores.  One of those "deals" is e-coupons.

      E-coupons are coupons that you don't have to print or remember to bring with you to the store, you just go online and sign up and add the coupons to your shopper card and when you purchase those items the coupon amount is automatically deducted.  Kroger has their e-coupons at http://www.kroger.com , you can also sign up for the site Shortcuts and they will add their coupons directly to your card as well.  Be sure to sign up for both Shortcuts and your store coupons.

      If you are like us, you may have two different shopper cards for the same store.  My hubby and I got our shopper cards separately, so we have two different accounts.  In that case, you may want to sign each card up for its own account on each of the sites to make sure that you both have all the coupons loaded.

      The one downside to e-coupons is remembering what you have coupons for.  You can just go the route of knowing that if you buy one of the items you loaded a coupon for you "should" get the discount and not worry about it (if you aren't a couponer to begin with, at least you'll save something).  Or you can print off a list of the coupons that you've loaded and use that to help guide your shopping trip.

      Walgreens Trip: Look What I got for FREE!

      Purchased:
      5 Nivea Lip Care at .99/each
      1 EOS lip balm at $3
      1 Schick Hydro 3 Razor at $7.99
      1 collage photo print, Free

      Used
      2 $2/2 Nivea lip care coupons
      1 $1/1 Nivea lip care coupon
      1 $4/1 Schick Hydro 3 Razor

      Paid $6.99

      Got $3 RR from purchase of EOS lip care
      Got $4 RR from purchase of Schick razor

      Total purchase = FREE

      I'm going to be using the lip care products as give-aways at a Girls Self-Esteem event we'll be having in a few weeks... and we can always use razors around here.

      Free Samples

      Free Nivea Lip Balm at Walgreens

      Also, while you are at it, there is a coupon in the Oct All You magazine for $1/1 Nivea lip product.  These are on sale at Walgreens this week for .99.  Good luck finding them.

      There have also been some online coupons for $2/2 of these products.  I had two of them and stacked them with my $1 coupon from the All You and pretty much cleaned out my local Walgreens.

      Free FUZE at Kroger this week

      If you have picked up the Oct issue of All You magazine, there is a coupon in it for $1 off 2 Fuze drinks.  Kroger has these drinks on sale this week for .49.... so go pick up a couple.  I know we love these things around here.

      And be sure to sign up your Kroger card on the Kroger website.  They have a coupon there for $1/2 Easy Mac cups.  These are also on sale this week for just .49

      In order to get the above prices you will have to purchase 10 items from their sale list.  Purchase 10 items and get $5 off your order (or .50 off each item) - the prices listed above are after the discount.  So you won't be able to just walk in and get the freebies unless you have enough coupons to get 10 of them.  You may want to check out Rocket City Savings for the full list (and more matching coupons)

      Sunday, October 3, 2010

      This Weeks Deals

      These are the deals I'm planning to head out for this week.....

      CVS
      Colgate WISP (3.99 plus 1.99 CVB)  plus $1 off coupon from Oct ALL You Mag = $1


      Rite Aid
      Gatorade G2 32oz  .99 (plus .20 Rite Aid VV coupon) = .79


      Walgreens
      Nivea Lip Care .99 (use $1off  All You coupon or $2/2 online coupon = FREE
      Schick 3 blade razor ($4RR plus $4 coupon 10/3 Sunday Paper = FREE
      .29 Halloween candy singles
      Ben & Jerry's 2/$5 (plus $1/2 internet coupon) = 2/$4
      Epsom Salt $2.99
      Colgate 1.99 (plus .75 coupon from Colgate.com) = $1.25


      Target
      rayovac batteries $1 - $1internet coupon = FREE

      All You Magazine

      I never knew this magazine exists, then again it's only available by subscription or in the one place I won't go - HELL.... I mean Wal-mart.  I went to HELL yesterday because I wanted a copy of this magazine.

      I signed up on their website last week and it's one I would highly suggest getting regular emails from.  You can sign up for several different emails, including daily FREE SAMPLES!  They will email you each day with a new free sample that you can sign up for and have delivered right to your mailbox.  The website also has a lot of other great features including coupons, articles and more.

      The magazine is monthly and costs about $2.25 at Walmart, I've already signed up for a subscription (available on Amazon.com or at AllYou.com), you can sign up at ALLYou.com for two free issues and then see what you think, or you can just go pick up a copy in Wal-mart.  I was really surprised by this magazine as I figured it was going to be your typical women's magazine.  It's not.  The whole magazine is about how to save money and live well on the cheap.  From an article telling you what cheaper items you can use instead of expensive ones (hair conditioner instead of shaving cream!) to money saving recipes that will feed your family for less than $1/person.  This really is a magazine that pays for itself.