- FREE Whiskas Temptations WYB 8 Whiskas cans food for cats
- $2 OFF Purina Beneful
- $1 OFF Pedigree dry dog food
- .50 OFF Publix dog treats
Thursday, January 27, 2011
New Pet Coupons from Publix
Publix has some new pet coupons available. Go here to grab them.
MEGA Swagbucks Friday
Just a reminder that tomorrow is Friday and that means MEGA Swagbucks day, so be sure to do your searches!
If you aren't a member of Swagbucks yet, then let me tell you why you should join - how about I've earned $40 in Amazon Gift Certificates in 2 months just for using their search engine and doing a few other random things through them (like watching SwagBucks TV or playing games on their site when I'm bored, or going through them to buy Groupon deals that I would have bought anyway).
It only takes 450 Swagbucks to earn a $5 Amazon giftcard, and you get 30 Swagbucks just for signing up! I earn on average of about 25 Swagbucks a day just from doing regular searches that I'd normally do through Google or some other search engine. Install their toolbar and that's another instant 1 point a day.
Click Here to Sign Up for Swagbucks and start earning Free Stuff!
If you aren't a member of Swagbucks yet, then let me tell you why you should join - how about I've earned $40 in Amazon Gift Certificates in 2 months just for using their search engine and doing a few other random things through them (like watching SwagBucks TV or playing games on their site when I'm bored, or going through them to buy Groupon deals that I would have bought anyway).
It only takes 450 Swagbucks to earn a $5 Amazon giftcard, and you get 30 Swagbucks just for signing up! I earn on average of about 25 Swagbucks a day just from doing regular searches that I'd normally do through Google or some other search engine. Install their toolbar and that's another instant 1 point a day.
Click Here to Sign Up for Swagbucks and start earning Free Stuff!
My Walgreens Trip: Bank Error in My Favor
While at Walgreens today I noticed that there was an endcap with Gatorade and the signs still say that they were on sale 5/$5 (or 5/$4 with the Instant Value Coupon). That's my GoTo price for Gatorade so I grabbed 5 along with the several other items I had in my cart. When the cashier gave me my total of around $8 I thought it seemed a bit high but I paid him. When I got to the car I realized that the Gatorade had not rang up for 5/$5 so I went back in. Luckily, the manager was on hand so I showed her my receipt and told her that the Gatorade hadn't rang up right. She flipped through the ad flyer then walked back to the display. Evidently, those tags weren't supposed to be there. Bank Error in my favor.
Not Shown: the 5 Gatorades
Purchased:
5 Gatorades @ 5/$5
2 Halls on sale $1e
1 Bakers coconut (clearance) $1.79
1 Clean & Clear moisturizer $6.79
1 Got2B $4.99
= $20.57
Used:
$2 Off Clean & Clear
$1/5 Gatorade Instant Value Coupon
$2 Off Got 2 B
BOGO Halls (rang up as $2 Off)
$10 RR
= $4.24 OOP (got back $2RR from purchase of Got2B)
Purchased:
5 Gatorades @ 5/$5
2 Halls on sale $1e
1 Bakers coconut (clearance) $1.79
1 Clean & Clear moisturizer $6.79
1 Got2B $4.99
= $20.57
Used:
$2 Off Clean & Clear
$1/5 Gatorade Instant Value Coupon
$2 Off Got 2 B
BOGO Halls (rang up as $2 Off)
$10 RR
= $4.24 OOP (got back $2RR from purchase of Got2B)
The Couponing Rush
Today as I was standing at the counter at CVS and I saw the total $39.95 flash across the screen. I kinda freaked out a little. "I don't have that much money!". Ok, well I did but I didn't want to have to dip into something other than the grocery fund to buy this stuff. I've been here before, with this freaking out and having to remind myself that the total won't be near that after all the coupons are run through. Even so, you can't help but freak out a little and wonder "Was my math right?" "What if it's more than I expected?".
Some weeks I'm much better at the pre-trip math than others. Sometimes it's hard to know how much something will run if you don't buy it every day and you can't count on the online prices because the prices in the stores are different. Sometimes you end up seeing a great deal you didn't plan on and throwing it in. It really doesn't matter how good I am at the math, I think it's a bit of a rush, similar to what you might get gambling; actually I think it's exactly the same as when I play a hand of poker and make a big bet. I'm hoping it pays off. To me it feels exactly the same. My heart beats faster, I may sweat a little, I'm hoping my anxiety doesn't show but most of all I'm hoping my gamble pays off and I get what I wanted in the end. Usually, I do... ok most of the time. I have to say that the outcome is much more predictable with couponing than poker.
I don't know if I'll ever get over this feeling at the register. In some ways I hope I do, in other ways the rush feels kind of good and makes knowing that you got that great deal feel all the better. When you watch a total drop from $39.95 down to $4.33, how can you NOT feel good! The folks who don't coupon, really don't know what they are missing. That said, I can also understand how some folks can get addicted to that feeling and turn into the "extreme couponers" that just live for the deal. Once you get one great deal, you really do want to find another one and it does become really hard to buy things without getting a deal.
Some weeks I'm much better at the pre-trip math than others. Sometimes it's hard to know how much something will run if you don't buy it every day and you can't count on the online prices because the prices in the stores are different. Sometimes you end up seeing a great deal you didn't plan on and throwing it in. It really doesn't matter how good I am at the math, I think it's a bit of a rush, similar to what you might get gambling; actually I think it's exactly the same as when I play a hand of poker and make a big bet. I'm hoping it pays off. To me it feels exactly the same. My heart beats faster, I may sweat a little, I'm hoping my anxiety doesn't show but most of all I'm hoping my gamble pays off and I get what I wanted in the end. Usually, I do... ok most of the time. I have to say that the outcome is much more predictable with couponing than poker.
I don't know if I'll ever get over this feeling at the register. In some ways I hope I do, in other ways the rush feels kind of good and makes knowing that you got that great deal feel all the better. When you watch a total drop from $39.95 down to $4.33, how can you NOT feel good! The folks who don't coupon, really don't know what they are missing. That said, I can also understand how some folks can get addicted to that feeling and turn into the "extreme couponers" that just live for the deal. Once you get one great deal, you really do want to find another one and it does become really hard to buy things without getting a deal.
My CVS Trip Today
Today's trip was quite excellent, I must say. I ended up wiping out my ECBs, and spent about $10oop (out of pocket), but it was a good trip.
Totals: $67.28 worth of product for $10.27 OOP
Not shown are the 2 bottles of Head & Shoulders (27oz), which I purchased in transaction #2.
Transaction 1:
Total before coupons: $39.95
Used the Following Coupons:
$3 Off $15 Skin Care Purchase (from magic coupon machine)
$1 Off 2 Old Spice Deos
(2) $1 Off Tilex
(3) $2 Off Clean & Clear
(2) Buy Old Spice Deo, Get Old Spice BW FREE
$1 Off Dove Visible Care
$18 in ECBs
= $4.33 after tax (got back $5 in ECB from the Clean & Clear)
I was thinking that Rite Aid had a better deal on Head & Shoulders, so I went there only to find that their deal was on a smaller size and resulted in not as good of a price per unit (I should have looked at the ad better).
Transaction 2:
2 Head & Shoulders (27oz) on sale for $5.99 each
= $11.98
Used $2/2 Head & Shoulders
$5 ECB from previous transaction
= $5.94 After tax
I was quite happy with this trip. Although I have to say that there is a certain amount of freak out that your brain goes through when you see those totals before the coupons and think OMG! I don't have that much money on me! LOL.
Totals: $67.28 worth of product for $10.27 OOP
Transaction 1:
- 2 Tilex Mold & Mildew cleaners on sale 2/$4
- 2 Old Spice Body Wash $4.99 (rang up B1G1 50%)
- 3 Clean & Clear cleansers $6.49 each
- 2 Old Spice deodorants on sale 2/$7
- 1 Dove Visible Care body wash on sale $1.99
Total before coupons: $39.95
Used the Following Coupons:
$3 Off $15 Skin Care Purchase (from magic coupon machine)
$1 Off 2 Old Spice Deos
(2) $1 Off Tilex
(3) $2 Off Clean & Clear
(2) Buy Old Spice Deo, Get Old Spice BW FREE
$1 Off Dove Visible Care
$18 in ECBs
= $4.33 after tax (got back $5 in ECB from the Clean & Clear)
I was thinking that Rite Aid had a better deal on Head & Shoulders, so I went there only to find that their deal was on a smaller size and resulted in not as good of a price per unit (I should have looked at the ad better).
Transaction 2:
2 Head & Shoulders (27oz) on sale for $5.99 each
= $11.98
Used $2/2 Head & Shoulders
$5 ECB from previous transaction
= $5.94 After tax
I was quite happy with this trip. Although I have to say that there is a certain amount of freak out that your brain goes through when you see those totals before the coupons and think OMG! I don't have that much money on me! LOL.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
FREE Pack of Ziploc Freezer Bags
Right@Home has an offer for a FREE 15ct pack of Ziploc freezer bags. All you have to do is be one of the first 2500 to register, so you better do it quick!Click here to register.
FREE Dinner for 4 at EarthFare
When you sign up for their new site starting Feb. 9. Click here for more details.
Possibly 4 Inserts Sunday!
This Sunday should be a good one, it looks like we may have 4 inserts this Sunday, including a Proctor & Gamble insert, 2 RedPlum and a SmartSource!
I'm already looking forward to the Proctor & Gamble insert and the (2) Jimmy Dean coupons in the RedPlum insert. It looks like the other Redplum insert will have SEVERAL Dove & Suave coupons (yay)!
I'm already looking forward to the Proctor & Gamble insert and the (2) Jimmy Dean coupons in the RedPlum insert. It looks like the other Redplum insert will have SEVERAL Dove & Suave coupons (yay)!
Cutting Our Grocery Budget by Over 60%
I just decided to do a quick look back and see just how much we've cut our grocery budget since we started budgeting. I knew we'd cut it a fair amount just by budgeting at all, and I knew I'd been slowly cutting it down every couple of months since but when you look at just how far we've come in just a few months it's pretty amazing.
August 2010: $540 - that's what we spent on groceries (give or take a few dollars). This didn't include anything we might have bought at the drugstore (while picking up prescriptions) and the sad part is that most of this was spent in small $10 quick trips. It's amazing how those quick trips add up!
September 2010: This was the first month we started budgeting and started planning before we spent. At that point our set grocery budget got chopped to $400 for the month. My husband was initially shocked when he saw me coming home with 4 or 10 of a particular item we usually only bought 1 or 2 of but once I explained my plan, he came around. My plan, I told him, was to get our grocery budget down to $50 a week. This would include all the health & beauty items (not OTC drugs necessarily, as there is a small amount built into our "prescription" budget for that).
January 2011: Starting this month or grocery budget was at $50/ wk and I'm still stockpiling. The bulk of our stockpile is built but we are still adding to it as we realize there are items missing. Oh and the bulk of our OTC meds are now included in that budget.
The crazy thing is that in addition to chopping our grocery cost by over 60% we've also drastically cut our dining out/ entertainment budget. As with the grocery budget we cut that when we started budgeting (and we haven't adjusted it since) but we find that we don't go out to eat nearly as often simply because there's less desire. We used to go out to eat just because there wasn't nothing that sounded good in the house, but with our great stockpile there's almost always something good to eat at home now, and we can make going out to dinner something a little more special, and use that entertainment budget for something besides eating
August 2010: $540 - that's what we spent on groceries (give or take a few dollars). This didn't include anything we might have bought at the drugstore (while picking up prescriptions) and the sad part is that most of this was spent in small $10 quick trips. It's amazing how those quick trips add up!
September 2010: This was the first month we started budgeting and started planning before we spent. At that point our set grocery budget got chopped to $400 for the month. My husband was initially shocked when he saw me coming home with 4 or 10 of a particular item we usually only bought 1 or 2 of but once I explained my plan, he came around. My plan, I told him, was to get our grocery budget down to $50 a week. This would include all the health & beauty items (not OTC drugs necessarily, as there is a small amount built into our "prescription" budget for that).
January 2011: Starting this month or grocery budget was at $50/ wk and I'm still stockpiling. The bulk of our stockpile is built but we are still adding to it as we realize there are items missing. Oh and the bulk of our OTC meds are now included in that budget.
The crazy thing is that in addition to chopping our grocery cost by over 60% we've also drastically cut our dining out/ entertainment budget. As with the grocery budget we cut that when we started budgeting (and we haven't adjusted it since) but we find that we don't go out to eat nearly as often simply because there's less desire. We used to go out to eat just because there wasn't nothing that sounded good in the house, but with our great stockpile there's almost always something good to eat at home now, and we can make going out to dinner something a little more special, and use that entertainment budget for something besides eating
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