Next week at Kroger they are starting another Mega Sale. This one is going to be slightly different. They are advertising it as "Save $3 Now and Save $3 Later" which appears to mean that they are going to give you $3 off your purchase for every 10 items you purchase on the Mega Sale, and then you should receive a $3 Coupon (Catalina) good Off your next purchase.
There are some great items on this sale but there are really 2 that we will be doing some major stockpiling of (enough so that I will be calling tomorrow to find out how to do a special order).
Campbell's Chunky Soup Bowls - $1.59 each (-.30/e wyb 10)
-use .50/2 Coupon (from the 2/6 insert or print here)
= $1.68/2
Gatorade or G2 32oz - .99 (-.30/e wyb 10)
= .69each
We stocked up on both of these items when they were on the Mega Sale last fall and got slightly better prices (mostly because it was .50/e item wyb 10). However, if this plays out like it should and we get a $3 Catalina for every 10 items we purchase, it will come out really good. It will come out even better if those Catalinas are dated so that they can be used right away (in which case we will be purchasing 10 items, getting a Catalina then purchasing 10 more... unless I actually do a special order on the soup, in which case I'll just use the Catalinas from the soup to buy the G2 and the Catalinas from the G2 later (or at Publix).
For a full list with matchups of this Mega Sale, check out Stockpiling Moms
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Two More Reasons to Love CostCo
I've gotten to the point where all the things I used to buy at CostCo, I now double check. I have even found a few items that I wouldn't have thought were really better deals at CostCo that I've now learned are.
Popcorn - my husband loves the individual "Smart Pop" bags of popcorn and eats probably 2 a day as snacks at work. A couple of weeks ago I got him 10 boxes of Jolly Time for free at Publix. After going through a box of it he informed he that he'd be sticking to Orville because the JT didn't pop right. It either didn't pop or it burnt, no in between (he tried at work and at home). Sometimes you get what you pay for and I'm sure I probably could have taken it back and exchanged it, but I'd already clipped all the UPC labels and mailed them in for free shopping bags (so at least I got something for the effort). But, again... it was FREE! That said, CostCo carries the 42ct box of the Smart Pop for $8.99. This is a good price to start with (trust me I did the math and the BOGO sale with coupons was slightly better at Publix). However, the current CostCo coupon book has a coupon for $4 Off (limit 2); giving you 84 bags for $10 (about 12cents/bag).
Allergy Medicine - Claritin, Zyrtec, whatever... it's all the same to me. Except that the generic Kirklands brand gives you 365 pills for less than you'll pay for 90 of either of those (on sale with a coupon). I've tried both name brands and I can't tell the difference. It's the same level of active ingredient (and the same ingredient). We were running low and there was a $6 off Q in Sunday's paper. With the coupon and the current best sale I was looking at getting 30 pills for about $16 at the drugstore. I paid less than $30 at CostCo (for more than 10x the number of pills).
Mucinex - it seems that OTC and prescription meds are places of really good savings at CostCo. The best price I've gotten on Mucinex is about $15 for 28 (max strength). They have 44ct bottles at CostCo for $26 which comes out to pretty much the same price (but without having to match up a sale, a manufacturer Q, and a store Q and for Mars to aline with Venus).
There are probably just as many items I've realized I can get for free or much cheaper than I was paying at CostCo, but I've definitely found plenty of reason to hang onto my membership.
Popcorn - my husband loves the individual "Smart Pop" bags of popcorn and eats probably 2 a day as snacks at work. A couple of weeks ago I got him 10 boxes of Jolly Time for free at Publix. After going through a box of it he informed he that he'd be sticking to Orville because the JT didn't pop right. It either didn't pop or it burnt, no in between (he tried at work and at home). Sometimes you get what you pay for and I'm sure I probably could have taken it back and exchanged it, but I'd already clipped all the UPC labels and mailed them in for free shopping bags (so at least I got something for the effort). But, again... it was FREE! That said, CostCo carries the 42ct box of the Smart Pop for $8.99. This is a good price to start with (trust me I did the math and the BOGO sale with coupons was slightly better at Publix). However, the current CostCo coupon book has a coupon for $4 Off (limit 2); giving you 84 bags for $10 (about 12cents/bag).
Allergy Medicine - Claritin, Zyrtec, whatever... it's all the same to me. Except that the generic Kirklands brand gives you 365 pills for less than you'll pay for 90 of either of those (on sale with a coupon). I've tried both name brands and I can't tell the difference. It's the same level of active ingredient (and the same ingredient). We were running low and there was a $6 off Q in Sunday's paper. With the coupon and the current best sale I was looking at getting 30 pills for about $16 at the drugstore. I paid less than $30 at CostCo (for more than 10x the number of pills).
Mucinex - it seems that OTC and prescription meds are places of really good savings at CostCo. The best price I've gotten on Mucinex is about $15 for 28 (max strength). They have 44ct bottles at CostCo for $26 which comes out to pretty much the same price (but without having to match up a sale, a manufacturer Q, and a store Q and for Mars to aline with Venus).
There are probably just as many items I've realized I can get for free or much cheaper than I was paying at CostCo, but I've definitely found plenty of reason to hang onto my membership.
New Keebler Coupons
There are 3 New Keebler coupons posted on Snackpicks.com, click here to grab them.
- $1/2 Famous Amos cookies
- $1/2 Keebler Fudge Shoppe cookies
- $1/2 Keebler cookies (6.6oz or larger)
Perspective & Appreciating What You Have
Broke People Can't Give - Dave Ramsey
It was a snow day today (again). I woke up to find my husband still at home and to learn that his work had gone from being on a "2 hour delay" to closed for the day. An hour or so later the road was clear and we decided to get out of the house. We went to lunch and ran a weekend's worth of errands and we were about to end our day by stopping for cupcakes.
As we got out of the car, we saw a woman sitting in a car nearby and she called to Paul to please "come here". She looked like she might be lost and since we were near downtown that wasn't unlikely (I know I've spent plenty of time lost in that area). We walked over and Paul asked "Can I help you?". She responded with "I hope so". The woman sat in her car, obviously on oxygen and looking scared and confused. I saw a notebook in her hand and I saw the name of a church written on the page. I was fully prepared for her to ask for directions, I was not prepared at all for what followed.
She began telling us that she'd spent the day talking to churches and driving around trying to find someone to help her. She told us about how someone had gained access to her bank account and taken out $500 which had caused her to be overdrawn and now not have enough money to pay her bills and she'd gotten a notice from the utilities about being shut off. I don't remember all the details of what she told us but my heart broke her as I heard her story. She said she'd called talked to all these different churches (as she said this she flipped through the pages of her notebook and I saw several church names I recognized as being larger churches in the area) and she'd talked to Huntsville Assistance Program. The latter had told her they would help her with some amount, the formers had mostly told her that they couldn't help her because she wasn't a member of that particular church. She expressed that she didn't know who else to call (what organization or church). She asked what church we went to. We told her that we didn't go to church and I really didn't know who to tell her to call. I thought of the church where we took FPU and gave her the name of the church (since I know they have some sort of food pantry at least) and I couldn't help but give her the few dollars I had in my jeans pocket. I really wanted to run back home and load her up with food out of our stockpile.
It didn't seem like getting a cupcake was really all that important after that encounter. By the time we walked into the cupcake shop, I was in tears. As it happened, they barely had any cupcakes anyway (like every other place we'd gone in town it seemed they were understaffed and over-crowded thanks to the weather closing the schools and some major employers). I headed straight for the bathroom to wipe my eyes and blow my nose. When I returned I overheard Paul talking to another customer, obviously about the lady in the parking lot. After asking Paul if they had any more flavors that I'd seen (they didn't) we left.
Outside he told me that the lady in line was very skeptical of the woman in the parking lot and obviously didn't believe her story. Funny thing was on the way into the store I was figuring that Paul felt the same way. He's one of the most skeptical people I know when it comes to those asking for help. I think living in Nashville and working in downtown Nashville, encountering people asking for handouts more than daily made him that way. Evidently, I was wrong and what he did next made me prouder of him than I've ever been. I thought the lady was gone, but evidently she'd just moved her car. He told me to give him some cash out of his envelope. I took it out of our joint entertainment / dining fund (the money we would have been using to buy cupcakes a few minutes before) and he took it over and gave it to her.
As we left we were both wishing we could have / would have done more. He commented that he almost or should have (I don't remember how he phrased it) told her to go over to the gas station so he could fill up her tank. I agreed we should. We went back to find her but she was gone. Whether it was because the hard-hearted lady inside said something and got her booted off the property or because she left on her own, we don't know. We discussed it off and on for the rest of the night, with various doubts of maybe she was pan-handling, maybe she wasn't. We'll never know for sure. Even if she was, what I do know is that we did what we should have done and I hope I'm never so cold-hearted as to be able to stand in line for a cupcake after hearing a story like hers.
If I had it to do over again I would have done things differently. I would have filled up her tank with gas, I would have gone across the street with her to the pharmacy to make sure she had the meds and necessary items she needed and I would have gotten her name and phone number so that if there was more I could do I could do it.
This whole encounter really made us think about our situation and just how lucky we are. We have friends and even family who aren't so lucky. No matter how good you are doing in life it's easy to dwell on the negative and the areas that you wish were improved. Seeing things like this make you really appreciate all that you have, and make you pretty darn willing to give it all away so that others didn't have to suffer.
New Glade Coupons
There are some hot NEW Glade coupons on Coupons.com - There are often some good deals to be found on these at CVS that when you combine with these coupons you'll get them super cheap.
Target Daily Deal: Burt's Bees Inside Moisture Gift Set (2/10)
Great deal on a Burt's Bees gift set at Target again today. Today's deal includes a water bottle, Burt's Bees moisturizer and lip balm, all for just $7.99.
While you are checking out that deal be sure to check out the other fun Beauty deals, including a 3pc Faith Hill fragrance set for just $12.99.
Get Today's Daily Deals at Target.
While you are checking out that deal be sure to check out the other fun Beauty deals, including a 3pc Faith Hill fragrance set for just $12.99.
Get Today's Daily Deals at Target.
Publix Great Deals on Great Meals Coupons
Publix has made the coupons from this week's ad available online. You can print them here.
The promo is great deals for great meals and includes the following coupons:
The promo is great deals for great meals and includes the following coupons:
- $1.50/1 box Cheerios
- $1.50/1 Yoplait Yogurt fridge pack
- $1.50/1 jar Hellman's mayonaise
- .75/1 Campbell’s Soup
- $2/1 Bertolli Skillet Meal
- .50/1 SpaghettiO’s Pasta
- $1/1 Betty Crocker Supreme Brownie or Dessert Bar Mix
- .75/1 Pepperidge Farm Chunk Cookie
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