Coupon Clippin' Cutie

Redbox

2009-10-05T13:31:00.003-04:00

I'm a big fan of Redbox. I hate spending money on entertainment and yet I love being entertained. I know, stupid right? So, Redbox is a great way to feed my desire to watch movies for free. On the first Monday of the month Redbox offers a free movie code. Their rental fee is only $1 per day per movie, but on the first Monday of the month you can get that movie for free. October's code is QNGJ7KD. Happy family movie night!!! Be sure to pick it up today, because the code expires by tonight. TTFN!

Walgreens is my New Best Friend

2009-10-05T13:20:00.005-04:00

I made my rounds to several stores today and took advantage of the monthly deals again. In addition, I got several Purell hand sanitizers and filled in just about every transaction with the Trident Layers gum. For every 2 packs of Trident I spent .50 out of pocket and earned a $1 RR. It was the perfect filler for me. Anyway. I still haven't been able to use all of my razor coupons so I am on the hunt for Gillette Fusion MVP Razors. Hopefully, I am able to get the last three by the end of the month. Also, I still have $30 RR to roll with. I guess I better start looking at next weeks deals to see if I am going to be able to roll easily. Here's to hoping!

P.S. I am still amazed at how many times cashiers will tell me that my RR will not print, or that this deal was for last week. They seriously have no clue about their own store! I could work there. Seriously! It just goes to show how important it is to be an educated consumer. Know the store policies and plan well to avoid confusion at the register.

Walgreens and a Few TIps

2009-10-02T14:17:00.004-04:00

Is anyone else loving Walgreens right now as much as I am? After 19 transactions I have finally replenished my razor and lotion supply. I'm still hoping to be able to do a few more on Saturday so we shall see where I am at at that point. So far my out of pocket expense is $6.57 for over $287.00 worth of product. AMAZING! right?

During one of my many visits to Walgreens (I have one within walking distance of my home, thank goodness!), I met a fellow couponer that has been couponing for dozens of years. We talked shop but she shared some priceless information with me that I thought I would pass on to you. I have only been couponing for a year, so I really hadn't noticed any patterns in the sales and coupons. My fellow couponer told me that in her experience cleaning products are generally at their best price in the spring (for spring cleaning) and the best coupons come out during that time too. So, if you are hoping to stock up on cleaning products you may want to do that in the spring and stock up enough for the whole year. Medications generally go to their best sale prices and get the best coupons in the fall (before flu season). Canned foods and baking supplies can be bought cheaply in the fall with good sale prices and the best coupons, so stock up then. Anyway, you get the idea. Groups of products will be at their best sale prices and will correspond with their best coupons seasonally. What cycles have you seen? Have you noticed this in your shopping? I continually was trying to figure out how much to stock up on and generally I decided that I just wanted to stock up enough to get me to the next good sale. I guess I didn't know that for some seasonal products that best sale price may only come once a year. Has this been your experience? Would love to know!!!

Still Learning

2009-08-26T15:45:00.004-04:00

I think I am a naturally suspicious person. Today, I went to Albertson's to do their ConAgra deal (Buy 25$ and get 10$ OYNO). Even after being told that the 25$ was based upon the sale prices, I tried it based upon the shelf prices because that was what I was used to getting at good 'ole Shaw's in Boston. Well, wouldn't you know the Albertson's people knew what they were talking about! So, the deal was good, but not fantastic. At my particular store they were handing out 2$ off one Morningstar product. We love veggie burgers at my house so we got a bunch of those and a ton of cereal (yay for Vocalpoint Qs). It worked out to be around $70 of groceries for about 80% off.

On another note, I sent off a rebate today from a deal a couple of weeks ago. I bought 25$ worth of groceries and earned 5$ off OYNO and send in for a 20$ rebate. When all is said and done I will get 25$ of free groceries. It is still amazing to me that manufacturers do these kinds of deals. Do they bank on the fact that most people will forget to mail off the rebate?

I still feel like I am relearning how to do the grocery store thing. Each store really is so different and it takes trying out different deals to really get a handle on their policies. (I still get butterflies! Haha.) I have an Albertson's and a Smith's by my house. Right now I am focusing on Albertson's. In a few months I hope to be proficient and then I'll try out Smith's. Does anyone have any tips or ideas of how to maximize my savings at those two establishments? Any help would be much appreciated. My standby website for coupon help (A Full Cup) doesn't really have very good forums for those two stores, so I feel a bit at a loss. TIA! TTFN!

Anytime, Anywhere

2009-08-10T16:59:00.006-04:00

Those of you that follow me here may know that at the inception of this blog I was living in the Boston area and enjoyed doubled coupons and amazing deals. I spent several months when I first started finding some great resources that really helped me to capitalize on my savings. There are myriads of blogs out there for all different regions of the country where people share the deals they find. I spent quite a lot of time compiling my own little file of blogs for my region. This work paid off and seriously diminished the amount of time and work that I had to expend in order to yield high savings. I don't know how many times I have heard that the savings I had been enjoying there (in Boston) were just non-existent in other parts of the country. Since then, I have moved to Utah and have realized that deals can be had here too. I have been absent from this blog for a bit because I have been trying to track down some resources that could help me to be more successful here in Utah-land. It is like a treasure hunt in some ways and I have been excited about my finds.

I have realized that I can still take advantage of Walgreens and Rite Aid for my non-grocery items. It has been disappointing to see that Walgreens has completely gotten rid of their rebate program and only offers their register reward program these days, however with a little planning the deals are there and can be capitalized upon.

I have also been thrilled to find that Staples has a rebate program similar to Rite Aid. Simply purchase a rebate item and enter your receipt on their website. You receive a rebate check and can frequently get items for free that way. What rock have I been living under? Their deals leading up to the beginning of school have been amazing and they have been offering free after rebate items almost every week for the last month. In my humble opinion, every parent that has children in the overtaxed school systems should take advantage of these free items and donate the items to schools if they don't need them. Our poor teachers often spend their own meager dollars to support their classrooms. Even if you don't have children, get the free items for your own home office. I hate having to pay full price for paper, pens, erasers etc. They even have a label maker this week for free that gets me almost giddy inside. If I didn't have one of these already, I could almost succumb. I LOVE labeling things. Ha--neurotic, I know.

The grocery stores here as a general rule are a lot cheaper than the ones in Boston. For example, I pay $2 for milk here instead of the regular $2.50. The prices here across the board are cheaper. In addition, my local Albertsons and Smiths have frequently had Catalina deals. I am still trying to figure out whether the catalina deal requirements are based on pre-sale or sale prices. My re-education is a work in progress. Most stores do not offer, as far as I can tell, standard doubling of coupons. That was a bit disappointing, but I believe the savings will still be big if I take advantage of the sales and catalina deals. Anywho. I recently discovered a website called Utah Deal Diva. She offers a ton of information for the Utah couponer.

I would love to know what sites you have found that are helpful to you! Feel free to share. Happy Shopping. TTFN!

A Few Good Deals

2009-07-11T20:08:00.003-04:00

I have been out of the coupon world for a couple of weeks because of the move and a lack of internet connection. So, today I got on the internet and my favorite coupon communities and saw some great deals. For you mommies of school age children, you may want to begin your school shopping. Or maybe you just need to fill you office with some basic supplies. CVS and Staples have some great deals on school supplies. Starting on the 12th you can get:

2 1 subject notebooks - $.99 each earning $.99 ECBs each
3 8ct. Papermate grip pens - $.99 each earning $.99 ECBs each
2 5" scissors (pointed or blunt) - $2.99 each earning $2.99 ECBs each
2 5oz. School Glue - $.99 each earning $.99 ECBs each
2 12" wood or plastic rulers - $.99 each earning $.99 ECBs each

for really cheap! I have $1.50 in ECBs to begin with so I plan on getting two notebooks using those ECBs for .48. Then using the 2 ECBs from that transaction and rolling them like crazy until I get the rest of it for free. At the end I plan to use my final ECBs to get some crayola crayons. If you have a neighbor or friend that will let you use their card you could get even more for a steal.
Staples has some great deals too and there might be a $5 off $20 purchase coupon in the Sunday paper.

$.01 Deals
Staples pencils 8 ct. .01 until 7/15
Easy Rebate Deals
Staples Copy Paper, $3.69 (until 7/15), submit for a $3.68 Easy Rebate - $.01 Final
Staples Photo Paper 4"X6", $9.99, submit for a $8.99 Easy Rebate - $1.00 Final

$1 Dollar Deals
Staples translucent pencil cases, $1
Staples Mini Magnetic Stapler, $1
Acme Junior 5“ scissors 2pk., $1
BIC Wite-Out Quick Dry, 2 Pack, $1
Staples Pink Wedge Erasers, 3 Pack, $1
Sharpie Major Accent® Highlighters, Assorted, 6 Pk, $1
BIC Velocity Stick Fashion Pens, Assorted, 5 Pack, $1
Scotch Magic Tape, $1

Deal Idea
1 Staples Photo Paper @ $9.99
2 Copy Paper @ $3.69=$17.37
2 Pencils @ $.01=$17.39
3 $1.00 items of your choice=$20.39
Use $5 off $20
$15.39 OOP
Submit for $17.35 in rebates
Final price after Rebates: Profit of about $2

Anyway. Maybe you don't have kids or you are blessed to have a school district that provides all school supplies for your child. If that is the case go get all of those cheap items and donate them to a needy child or send them to your favorite 5'11" blonde mommy named Alita. She will surely know what to do with them. ;) TTFN!

CVS and Me Perfect Together

2009-06-01T15:34:00.003-04:00

I only did one transaction this week. Here's what I did:

4 Glade Air Fresheners - $3.96

2 24.7 Anti Aging Skincare Primer (BOGO %50 off)- $14.98

1 Clearasil Face Wash (Raincheck from last week) - 3.99

2 Nivea Shaving Cream - $7.18

1 Nivea Extreme Saving Cream - $3.99

6 Soft Soap Ensembles - $23,.94

3 St. Ives trial Size Facial Scrub - $4.47

-$1.98 MQ BOGO (Glade)

-$1.98 Store Q CRT (Glade)

-2 $5.00 Store Q CRT (24.7)

-2 $2.00 MQ (24.7)

-$2.00 MQ (Clearasil)

-3 $1.00 MQ (Nivea)

-6 $2.00 MQ (Softsoap)

-3 $1.50 MQ (St. Ives)

-$19.98 ECBs

Total Before Qs: $62.51

Total After Qs: $3.20, Earned $12.00 ECB (Softsoap), $4.00 ECB (Clearasil), $5.00 ECB (Nivea)

Not a bad day especially considering that the CRT gods were not smiling down on me. No $4 off $20, $5 off $25, $10 off $50, or even $20 off $100. Boo hoo for me!!! I figure I spent $23.18 in ECBs and cash and earned back $21.00 ECBs so my total cost was $2.18 for a WHOLE LOTTA stuff! TTFN!!

Free Hairdryer!!!

2009-06-01T15:23:00.003-04:00

I have been using the same hairdryer since high school (1994 grad. Teehee!) Unfortunately, if I use it for too long it overheats and automatically turns off. It's almost like it has a brain of its own. ;) So, when I read on A Full Cup that the hot pink hair dryer was 12.99 and earned a $10 RR, I knew exactly how to spend some of my free $2 RR from this morning. This is what my transaction looks like:

clearance hair elastic - $.20

Revlon Hair Dryer - $12.99

-7 $2.00 RR

Total Before Qs: 14.19

Total After Qs (+tax): $.20, paid for with Rebate Gift Card, so FREE!!!!

I love a good deal. I get ecstatic when I can get a good deal on something that I REALLY need. Yay for Walgreens, Ecotrin (the source of my RR this week), and cheap hair dryers. Can you tell how thrilled I am? TTFN!

Crackers Galore

2009-06-01T12:49:00.004-04:00

This past week at Shaw's I took advantage of the Nabisco Cracker sale. Triscuits, Wheat Thins, and Wheat Thin Artisans were on sale 2 boxes for $4. Ritz crackers were also on sale 2 for $6. I had tons of manufacturer and store coupons for these (still do!) and bought a total of 38 boxes of crackers. I ended up paying 50 cents a box and got all different kinds of flavors. Generally, Shaw's is an expensive store and I often hear people say that they would rather shop at cheaper stores. I don't care where you shop, .50/box is a smokin' deal, even at the cheapest stores. It pays to use those manufacturer and store coupons together with a good sale price. It also pays to be patient and stock up when the price is right. ;) Happy shopping!

BTW--Pictured above are only some of my haul, the rest were already put away in my bulging pantry.

Walgreens Paid Me $18 To Shop

2009-06-01T12:37:00.003-04:00

I dropped by Walgreens this morning and did 9 consecutive transactions. Ecotrin is $2 a bottle this week and it earns a $2 RR. I happened to have 9 $2.00 MQ for it so I paid $0 out of pocket on each transaction and earned a $2 RR each and every time. Now I just need to figure out how to spend my $18. My plan is to look ahead at the sales next week and see if there are any good upcoming deals with which I may grow my RR. If not, then I will probably treat myself to something fun. Any ideas from all of you out there?

CVS and Marketbasket

2009-05-26T14:30:00.005-04:00

Transaction 1

2 Kotex with wings - $7.00 (not in picture)

Revlon Nail Polish - $3.99

Colgate Total Advanced - $2.99

Playtex Sport - $3.99

2 Bandaid Comfort - $5.98

2 OFF clip on - $15.98

4 Therma Care Neck - $9.96

2 Speedstick Pro - $7.98

2 Neutrogena Sunblock Stick - $15.98

5 Clearanced Physicians Formula Duo Eye Shadow - $5.00

Softsoap Refill - $3.99

-$2.00 MQs (Kotex)

-$2.00 CRT (Kotex)

-$1.00 MQ (Revlon)

-$1.00 MQ (Colgate)

-$2.00 CRT (Playtex)

-$1.00 MQ (Playtex)

-$2.00 MQs (Bandaid)

-$6.00 Store Printables (OFF)

-$8.99 MQ (OFF)

-$4.00 MQs (Therma Care)

-$1.50 MQs (Speed Stick)

-$2.00 MQ (Neutrogena)

-$5.00 MQ (Physicians Formula)

-$2.50 MQ (Softsoap)

-$2.00 CRT (Softsoap)

-$10.00 off $50.00 CRT

-$28 ECBs

Earned $2.00 ECB (Kotex), $3.00 ECB (Revlon), $2.00 ECB (Colgate), $3.00 ECB (Playtex), $4.00 ECB (Bandaid), $5.00 ECB (ThermaCare), $7.98 ECB (Speed Stick), $10.00 ECB (Neutrogena)

Total Before Qs: $82.84

Total After Qs: $1.94

Earned $36.98 in ECBS

Transaction 2 (at Market Basket):

7 Marcal Paper Towels - $6.93

-$6.93 MQ (Marcal)

Total Before Qs: $6.93

Total After Qs: $0

I still haven't been able to find the Clearasil Face Wash, but I have a raincheck so I can still get it at some later date. There are a few more items I may pick up if I happen to drive by another store. Overall I think it all worked out. The Marcal paper towels were a good find and I was tempted to pick up some toilet paper at $.19 for a 4-pk, but I decided to wait it out and see if Family Dollar gets any in before the MQ expires. HTH someone out there! TTFN!

Shaw's - $108.08 of Product for $56.75 OOP

2009-05-21T20:01:00.008-04:00

Transaction 1

Bananas - $3.51

Strawberries - $5.00 (48 oz)

2 Tyson Frozen Chicken - $22.98 (totally a dumb purchase because chicken is on sale next week! Oh well. Live and learn!)

Shaws Peanut Butter - $1.89

2 Loaves of Bread - $3.38

8 Kellogg's Poptarts - $14.16

3 Instant Jello - $2.00

6 Kraft BBQ Sauce - $6.00

4 Crystal Light - $8.00

6 Vitamin Water - $6.00

2 Shaw's Gallon Milk - $4.98

2 Reduced Bakery Rolls - $2.85

-$4.00 MQ (Poptarts)

-$1.00 MQ (Jello)

-$4.00 MQ (Kraft BBQ)

-$4.00 BOGO MQ (Crystal Light)

-$2.00 MQ (Crystal Light)

-$6.00 MQ (Vitamin Water)

-$3.00 Store Q (Vitamin Water)

Total Before Qs: $80.75

Total After Qs: $56.75

Transaction 2 (Done by my DH. He's trying to redeem himself)

6 Vitamin Water - $6.00

7 Joint Juice - $7.00

6 Mars Bars (Varieties) - $5.34

-$6.00 MQ (Vitamin Water)

-$3.00 Store Q (Vitamin Water)

-$7.00 MQ (Joint Juice)

-$2.67 MQ (Mars Bars)

Total Before Qs: $18.34

Total After Qs: -$.33, The cashier zeroed it out so it was FREE!

Transaction 3 (Again, done by the DH. He is AWESOME!)

6 Vitamin Water - $6.00

Klondike Heath Bars - $2.99

-$6.00 MQ (Vitamin Water)

-$3.00 Store Q (Vitamin Water)

Total Before Qs: $8.99

Total After Qs: -$.01, The cashier zeroed this one out too, so FREE!

I broke my own rule and planned poorly. I spent $22.98 on chicken and used no coupons. What a dink right? I shouldn't have even bought it, but I knew we were out. Had I looked at the ad for next week I would have seen that chicken breasts are on sale for $.99/lb. Oh well. What my DH did after me almost made up for my stupidity. Live and Learn! TTFN!

CVS, A Slow Week For Me

2009-05-21T19:11:00.005-04:00

I apologize for my absence so far this week. I have been hosting loads of family for the last 10 days and life has been a bit too busy for me. ;) Shopping has, believe it or not, taken the back seat. I hit CVS today and did two transactions. This is what I did:

Transaction 1

6 Dry Idea - $15.00

1 Covergirl Outlast - $7.00

5 Trial Size St. Ives Facial Scrub - $7.45

- 4 $1.50 MQ (St. Ives)

-$1.45 MQ (St. Ives, adjusted down manually)

-6 $2.00 MQ (Dry Idea)

-$5 off $30 CRT

-$5 ECB

Total Before Qs - $29.45

Total After Qs - $0, Earned $6 ECB (Dry Idea), $3 ECB (Cover Girl)

Transaction 2:

Sally Hansen Quick Dry Pen (BOGO %50 off) - $12.74

8 Hershey Dark Chocolate Bars - $11.94

1 CVS Garbage Bags - $4.99

-$4.25 BOGO MQ (Sally Hansen)

-7 $1.00 MQ (Hershey's)

-$2 off $5 CRT Sally Hansen

-$4.00 off $20.00 CRT

-$11 ECB

Total Before Qs: $29.67

Total After Qs: $1.42

My second transaction was a botch through and through. Somehow I missed

that the limit on the Hershey's deal was 2. So, I only got the BOGO deal on two of them. The rest of them I spent at least $1 per bar.

Grrrrrr.... I love chocolate, but wouldn't have bought them if I knew I would pay a dollar a bar! Fortunately, I have plenty of ECBs to cover my stupid mistake. Also, the Sally Hansen deal didn't work out precisely how I planned, but I needed some top coat for my loverly nails so it's all good. As it was, I spent $1.42 for $59.12 worth of product. 98% savings is passable. I am excited for next week. It looks like we should be able to get $85 dollars worth of stuff for nearly free. There are 6 different products that will be MMs for me. Plan well and it will be a doozie!!! Happy Shopping!

Target and Kraft... Perfect Together!

2009-05-15T11:11:00.009-04:00

Oh friends, I have a few fun things for you today!

1. There is a great sale going on right now at Target on Kraft products. I went today and scored free Kraft Ranch Dressing, but there are plenty of deals. My friend Garnet did a post on her blog about how to take advantage of the deals, step by step. Unfortunately, I think her blog is private! So, I hope this is okay Garn, if not let me know and I will strike it. This is directly from her website.

Here's how you do it:

1. Go to http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/Pages/home.aspx and click on the link for the $50 worth of coupons. You have to sign up for the Kraft Community newsletter, but it's totally worth it and you can always cancel later if you're not interested. Select all the coupons you want to use, and print them. Remember to print once and them click on back and refresh to print them a second time.

2. Now go to www.afullcup.com

Again, you will need to register if you are not yet a member. But it's so worth it. Click on the target coupon generator, and select the coupons you want to print and enter the quantity you want of each.

3. Now take your little stash of coupons to Target and score score score!

Here's my list of the best deals:

Kraft Salad dressing: buy 2. use $1 off 2 target Q and two $1 off Kraft Q. On saturday my store had them for 1.59 each -- with coupons? 9 cents each!!
Kraft mayo or miracle whip. Buy 2. use $1 off 2 Target Q and stack with two $1 Kraft miracle whip or Mayo Q. On saturday my store had them for $1.99. With coupons? .49 cents each!
Triscuits or wheat thins: Buy 2. Use $1 off 2 targe Q and combine with $1 wheat thins or $1 triscuit kraft Qs. Get $3 off of 2 boxes.
Kraft cheese: $1 off 2 Target Q and $1 Kraft cheese Q = $3 off 2
Crystal Light: $1 off Target Q and $1 Kraft Q = $2 off!
Kool Aid or Country time: $1 off 2 Target Q and $1 off Kraft = $3 off 2
Ritz crackers: $1 off Target and $1 off Kraft Ritz = $2 off a box
Oscar meyer Deli Fresh Lunch Meat: $1 off 2 Target and $1 off 2 Kraft = $2 off 2
Nabisco 100 calorie snacks: $1 off target and $1 off Kraft = $2 off
$1 off 1 lbs of apples Target Q (some apples on sale for .99 lbs. buy 1 lbs, use coupon get them free!)
$1 off Hershey Bliss Candy Target Q (candy bars in checkout lanes are .99, use coupon and they are free!)

Again, Thanks Garnet. Normally, I don't food shop at Target, but this week it seems like the better place to go. It just goes to show you that a store can be generally more expensive, but if they offer better store coupons, when coupled with sale prices and manufacturer coupons, you can do even better than the cheapie stores. I actually had 8 $1.50 off MQ for the Salad Dressing, so I was able to get the Kraft Salad Dressing completely free. Her list seems pretty comprehensive, but check out the Target forum at A Full Cup for more great deals.

2. I've heard that the Banana Boat Sunscreen trial size was $.99 so if you have the $1.00 MQ for Banana Boat Sunscreen, you may be able to get that for free.

Also, in my store, they had Physicians Formula Make-up on clearance. Some of them had peelies and with the $1.00 MQ I got a fabulous lip plumper for free. So, be sure to browse the clearance section while you are there.

3. The Coupon Goddess mentions the Target Swiffer deal on her page that looks pretty sweet so drop by her neck of the cyber woods for an explanation on how to score cheap Swiffer at Target.

So, I guess Target is the store of choice this week for shoppers all across America. Hope you have a great time finding bargains. TTFN!

Husbands, Gotta Love 'Em

2009-05-12T20:07:00.004-04:00

I sent my husband off to do the shopping for Mother's day on Saturday. He gets a little nervous about using coupons, but despite this his overall savings were 38%. It really isn't too bad for a beginner. My new numbers in the right hand column do have this shopping trip factored in so that is why my percentage of savings has dropped from 90% down to 88%. DH has been trying to learn how to meal plan and cook a little bit better. So, instead of buying the 1 large container of sour cream that he needed, he bought 3 of them because he was so nervous that he would not have enough. Buying unecessary multiples without a coupon is what hurt his savings. These are the learning experiences that will only make him a more savvy shopper. ;) WTG Aaron. Pretty soon, I will delegate all shopping trips to you!!! TTFN!

$.62 OOP for $62.12 of Product

2009-05-12T19:10:00.006-04:00

I already explained the deals that I was planning on doing this week at CVS, so I won't go over all that again. I ended up doing one that was especially sweet. Here's what I did:

5 Vickery & Clarke Lip Balm - $8.65 ($1.73 each)

2 Vickery & Clarke Body Wash - $8.98 ($4.49 each)

1 Vickery & Clarke Lip Gloss - $3.49

2 Xtra Laundry Detergent - $3.98 ($1.99 each)

1 Schick Quattro Trimmer - $8.99

1 Nivea Soft Creme - $.50

-7 $1.00 Store Q

-$3.00 off 2 Body Wash CRT

-$2.00 off $10.00 CVS Brand CRT

-$4.00 MQ (Schick)

-$14.00 ECBs

-$4.00 off $20.00 CRT

Total Before Qs: $34.59

Total After Qs: $.62 (including tax), Earned $10.00 and $4.00 ECB

My second transaction was just a couple of the razors and a couple more Xtra Laundry detergent. It actually ended up being a $0 transaction, although I did have to use a few of my ECBs. So, for both trips today, my OOP was $.62. I'm heading in for oral surgery tomorrow, so I don't think I will be able to do many more transactions. HTH! Good luck on your savings!

This Week At CVS

2009-05-11T22:16:00.005-04:00

There aren't a ton of completely free deals this week, but I did take advantage of a few deals that are decent if you work them right. Colgate Toothbrushes are free if you buy 5 of the $1.99 toothbrushes and use 5 $1.00 MQs. You would spend $4.95 and earn a $5.00 ECB. The Bayer Crystals 4 ct. costs $2.00 and earns a $2.00 ECB. I used an internet printable coupon for $1.50 off and paid $.50 OOP and earned back $2.00 ECB so it was a MM for me. The Schick Quatro Trimmer is $8.99 and earns a $4.00 ECB so using my $4.00 MQ I got it for $.99. This is an especially good time to stock up because the limit is 5 for this deal. I also love the Nivea deal. I bought the leg bronzer and the women's body wash and used the MQ from this past Sunday's insert to get the body wash for free. It was a little treat for myself. My trip summary looked like this:

Total Before Coupons: $40.91

Total After Coupons: $1.49, (I spent $19 ECBs and earned $20 ECBs back so all told this trip cost me $.49)

My receipt indicates that I can still do the Nivea, Colgate, and Schick deals again. I am also hoping to do the Vickery & Clarke deal. Their lip gloss is awesome. I also saw that Xtra laundry detergent is $1.50 a bottle. I love this stuff and am hoping to get a few more bottles for my stockpile. The Eucerin and the Neutrogena deals could also work out okay as well. So, I hope to be able to squeeze in a few more mini trips. IDK, I have family in town and it may be hard to work it all out. Wish me luck!!! TTFN!

My Receipt is 5'2" Long. WOW!

2009-05-05T22:12:00.003-04:00

Okay friends. I went to Shaw's this evening and my receipt says I saved $116.53 on my groceries tonight. I didn't take a picture of my purchase. Unfortunately, it is late and the thought of laying all of my groceries out all pretty and nice on my dining room table sounds tiring. So, use my title as your visual. My receipt was 5'2" long! Literally. I measured. ;)

Bananas - $1.21

Tomatoes - $2.66

Iceberg Lettuce - $.99

Strawberries - $2.50

Iodized Salt - $.89

Shaw's Whole Wheat Bread - $2.19

Shaw's Wheat Sandwich Bread - $2.19

Sandwich Rolls - $3.19

6 Grill Mates Season Packs - $6.00

2 French's Yellow Mustard - $2.98

2 Shaw's Tortillas - $3.00

7 Sunrise Capri Suns - $17.43

6 Del Monte Fruit Chillers - $15.00

4 Quaker Rice Snacks - $4.00

1 Shaw's Pancake Syrup - $1.77

6 Lipton Knorr Rice Sides - $6.00

1 Kellogg's Corn Pops - $1.77

4 6pk Flip Top Poland Spring Water - $8.00

2 Ken's Marinade - $3.34

6 Easy Mac and Cheese - $6.00

2 Gallons Shaw's Milk - $4.98

Dozen Large Eggs - $1.19

2 Shaw's Turkey Deli Meats - $8.58

9 Hefty Zip Lock Quart Bags - $13.50

-$4.00 MQ (Hefty)

-$3.00 Store Q (Market Basket - Hefty)

-$2.10 MQ Peelies (Hefty) - Not sure why these went through.

-$3.00 MQ BOGO (Mac and Cheese)

-$2.00 MQ (Ken's)

-$4.00 MQ (Poland Spring)

-$2.00 Store Q (Poland Spring)

-$.28 Store Q (Kellogg's)

-$1.00 MQ (Kellogg's)

-$2.00 MQ (Lipton)

-$4.00 MQ (Quaker)

-$3.00 MQ (Del Monte)

-$3.00 Store Q (Market Basket - Del Monte)

-$7.00 MQ (Capri Sun)

-$1.00 MQ (French's)

-$3.00 MQ (Grill Mates)

-$4.00 Store Q (Dollar Doublers - Stop and Shop)

-$20 off purchase of $120.00 Store Q

Total Before Qs: $119.36 (I guess with Tax it was over the $120 required for the $20 off $120 Store Q)

Total After Qs: $50.98 + $.43 Tax =$51.41

That is it for me for the week. Hope you had as good of a week as I have. TTFN!

Walgreens

2009-05-05T14:47:00.007-04:00

I have been debating whether or not to shop at Walgreens this month because I have been hoping that they would figure out what they were going to do with their rebate program sooner rather than later. Those that have been following my shopping trips know that it has been a long time since I have paid a dime at Walgreens. I have purchased a ton of product, but have been able to work the deals so that I spent nothing out of my own pocket. This has been, in large part, because of their rebate program. I have a gift card filled with money from rebates that I have been rolling. Each month I have used up all of the money on the card to cover my small OOP and at the same time purchase enough rebate items to fill it back up for the next month. It has been amazing to see the savings and while it is a difficult system to learn and feel confident with, it has been more lucrative than any of my other couponing ventures. That said, I called corporate customer service to find out what was going to happen to their rebate program/Easy Saver Catalog and apparently they are at the drawing boards trying to come up with a new and better way to reward loyal customers. Anyway. I decided today to go ahead and spend that money on my gift card. Whew! What a long and drawn out explanation. I started out with $0 RR. Here is what I did today:

Transaction 1

1 Right Guard Deodorant - $2.99 (I forgot to use the MQ that I had for this product. Stupid, me!)

Total: $3.14, paid for with Rebate Gift Card, so $0 OOP, Earned $2.00 RR

Transaction 2

Colgate Toothpaste - $4.49

1 Caramel - $.39

-$1.00 MQ (Colgate)

-$2.00 RR (Right Guard)

Total Before Qs: $4.88

Total After Qs: $1.97, paid for with Rebate Gift Card, so $0 OOP, Earned $4.50 RR

Transaction 3

2 Pert Plus Men's Shampoo - $5.00

1 Right Guard - $2.99

2 Caramels - $.78

-$1.00 MQ (Right Guard)

-$1.50 MQ (Pert)

-$4.50 RR (Colgate)

Total Before Qs: $8.77

Total After Qs: $.27, paid for with Rebate Gift Card, so $0 OOP, Earned $2.00 RR (Right Guard) and $2.00 RR (Pert)

Transaction 4

Colgate Toothpaste - $4.49

2 Caramels - $.78

-$1.00 MQ (Colgate)

-$2.00 RR (Right Guard)

-$2.00 RR (Pert)

Total Before Qs: $5.27

Total After Qs: $.27, paid for with Rebate Gift Card, so $0 OOP, Earned $4.50 RR

Transaction 5

4 Mr. Clean Magic Erasers - $10.00

3 Febreeze Noticibles - $18.00

-$.75 MQ (Magic Eraser)

-$2.50 MQ BOGO (Magic Eraser)

-$4.00 MQ (Febreeze)

-$4.50 RR (Colgate)

Total Before Qs: $28.00

Total After Qs: $6.04, paid for with Rebate Gift Card, so $0 OOP, Earned $6 RR

Transaction 6

Colgate Toothpaste - $4.49

Push Pop - $1.29 (I needed a filler and my 5 year old convinced me to get him a prize)

2 Pert Men's Shampoo - $5.00

-$1.00 MQ (Colgate)

-$1.50 MQ (Pert)

-$6.00 RR (P&G)

Total Before Qs: $10.78

Total After Qs: $.78, paid for with Rebate Gift Card, so $0 OOP, Earned $2 RR (Pert), $4.50 RR (Pert)

Transaction 7

3 Febreeze Noticibles - $18

4 Mr. Clean Magic Erasers - $10

-$4.00 MQ (Febreeze)

-$2.50 MQ BOGO (Magic Eraser)

-$4.50 RR (Colgate)

-$2.00 RR (Pert)

Total Before Qs: $28.00

Total After Qs: $4.73, paid for with Rebate Gift Card, so $0 OOP, Earned $6 RR

Transaction 8

4 Energizer 4pk. AA Bateries - $11.96

2 Mentos Gum - $3.58

-4 $1.00 MQ (Energizer)

-$6.00 RR (P&G)

-$1.00 RR (I have no idea how I got this and I just went ahead and used it without really looking at it. Something in one of my previous transactions triggered it.)

Total Before Qs: $15.54

Total After Qs: $4.59, paid for with Rebate Gift Card, so $0 OOP

There you have it. I have been trying to limit myself to one drugstore and one grocery store per week and yet, sometimes it is just too hard to pass up a good deal. Oh well. I'm feeling pretty good that it is Tuesday and I am nearly done with my shopping for the week. I'm hoping to be able to do some grocery shopping this evening, but we shall see. With the DH in the middle of finals, I am tuckered out by 8pm. Hope this helps some of you that are trying to work the Walgreens system! GL!

My Quick Little Jaunt

2009-05-04T21:01:00.008-04:00

Well, I just got back from my run to CVS. I did several different transactions and rolled, rolled, and rolled my ECBs. The scanner was nice to me and I got 2 (yipee!) $4 off $20 CRTs. I swear I could have kissed that machine! It also gave me a $5.00 off Dove Skin Vitalizer so with my MQ I got another one of those for free. Rather than break down every single transaction I will share what I got and what Qs I used. The rest of the dollars were covered by rolling ECBs and using the $4 off $20s.

17 Vitamin Water - $22.66, Earned $10 ECB

3 Kellogg's Cereal - $10, Earned $5 ECB

Dove Skin Vitalizer - $8.49

6 John Frieda Shampoo/Conditioner - $30, Earned $10 ECB

3 Adidas Deodorant - $11.97, Earned $9 ECB

2 Colgate Max Fresh - $5.98, Earned $4 ECB (1 of them was a bonus w/tooth

brush)

Zantrex - $4.99, Earned $4.99 ECB

Physicians Formula Lip Plumper w/ Bonus Mascara Plumper- $9.99, Earned $5 ECB

-$17.00 MQ (Vitamin Water)

-$5.34 MQ (Kellogg's)

-$5.00 Store Q CRT (Dove Skin Vitalizer)

-$3.50 MQ (Dove)

-$12 MQ (John Frieda)

-$3.00 MQ (Adidas)

-$2.00 MQ (Colgate)

-$1.00 MQ (Physicians Formula)

-$4 off $20

Total Before Qs: $104.08

Total After Qs and ECBs: $4.17, I started out with $25 ECBs and ended with $33 ECBs

There you have it! I took this close up so that you could see the 2 bonus products. Both rang up fine and the ECBs printed. So, I got the mascara plumper and the toothbrush as a little extra lovin'. Hope your shopping was as fun as mine!

For My Newbies

2009-05-04T14:28:00.005-04:00

I taught another coupon class this weekend and after seeing Dana's comment thought I would give my newbies a plan for this week at CVS. I will assume you don't have any coupons available to you except printables. Here is what I would do:

Transaction 1

2 Colgate Max White Toothpaste - $5.98

Pay $5.98, Earn $4 ECB (Colgate)

Transaction 2

2 Adidas Deodorant - $7.98

2 Vitamin Water - $2.66

-$1.00 MQ Vitamin Water

-$4.00 ECB

Pay $5.64, Earn $6 ECB (Adidas)

Transaction 3

1 Adidas Deodorant - $3.99

5 Vitamin Water - $6.66

-$2.50 MQ Vitamin Water

-$6.00 ECB

Pay - $2.15, Earn $3 ECB (Adidas)

Transaction 4

3 Kellogg's Cereal - $10

2 Vitamin Water - $2.66

-$1.00 MQ Vitamin Water

-$1.00 MQ Kellogg's

-$3 ECB

Pay - $5.66, Earn $5 ECB

Transaction 5

6 Vitamin Water - $7.99

-$3.00 MQ Vitamin Water

-$5.00 ECB

Pay - $0, Earn $10 ECB

Print the Kellogg's Coupons at coupons.com if they are still available. If not, go to the Kellogg's website and print them there (click on "Coupons - new" in the left column). Print the Vitamin water MQ here. I have used this MQ before and it works great. Print up however many you need.

So, your total OOP would be $19.43 (if my math is correct!), you would earn $10 ECB for next time and get $47.92 in product. Not too shabby. Keep in mind that there is a small investment initially. After this week, you would have $10 in ECBS to roll, which if you work it right should help you to get lots of stuff for very little. BTW--there is a free after ECB item in the advertisement, but I didn't add it to this scenario because it may appeal to only a few people and I was looking to find something everyone could do. That free item is the Zantrex - 3 on page 17 and it's $4.99 and earns $4.99 ECBs. If this is a product you would use, then by all means add it in and try your hand at rolling. HTH! If anyone sees any ways to make these transactions even better for someone with $0 ECBs and only printable MQ available, please share!!! GL!

Better Late Than Never!

2009-05-02T12:50:00.009-04:00

I've been a busy girl, so before things get too far ahead of me, I thought I would report on how I finished up the shopping for this week. I didn't reach the goal of getting my ECBs back up to $30, but I got to $25 so that will just have to do! My final CVS transaction was for the Bandaid deal. It is funny how you hope a deal is going to be smashing, but this was just passable. I was hoping to find $1 a box a Bandaids, but those proved to be elusive. So I got them for $3.59 a box. Here is what I did:

Transaction

6 20ct. boxes of Bandaids - $21.54

2 Gold Emblem Chocolate peanuts - $1.98

-$4 off $20 CRT

-6 $1 MQ (Bandaid)

-$2 CRT Store Q (Gold Emblem)

-$10 ECB

Total Before Qs: $23.52

Total After Qs: $1.52, Used my blessed GC from the refunds earlier in the week so my actual OOP was $0! Yay!

The first aid kits in my car and home were both getting low on Bandaids, so with one shopping trip and $0 I refilled my stock.

In other totally non-coupon related news, I am making

cakeballs today. It's my first time, so I figured a trial run was necessary. Mel, I hope they are as good as you say! We have tons of family coming for my husbands graduation soon, and I need an impressive celebratory cakeball. Check out Bakerella for her beautiful cakeball creations. I was trying to figure out a graduation shape that I could make them into. Any brill ideas? I feel like I am floundering a bit because my previous baking adventures have often gone awry. Check my latest blunder out here.

Good Kellogg's Coupons

2009-04-30T10:41:00.008-04:00

In the sidebar of my blog there is a window for printing coupons. I just saw a ton of Kellogg's Cereal Coupons that you can print directly off of my page. These are $1 off 1 box of various types of Kellogg's Cereals. Be sure to print them off. If you click at the top where it says "see all coupons" you can select the specific ones you want and save a little ink. Too often the inserts have $1 off of 2 boxes or even 3 boxes. Always grab the $1 off of 1 box. They are golden. Hurry because these go quickly and you may miss out! I believe you should be able to print 2 of each coupon. These should make the upcoming deal on cereal at CVS really great! Happy printing! HTH!!!

Money Makers!!!

2009-04-28T12:07:00.006-04:00

I hit CVS again today and did two more transactions:

Transaction 1:

3 3M Command Metal Hooks - $7.50

5 Visine - $20

-3 $2.50 MQ (3M)

-4 $2.00 MQ (Visine)

-$3.00 MQ (Visine)

-$9 ECB

Total Before Sale and Qs: $56.92

Total After Sale and Qs: $0, Earned $10 ECB (Visine)

Transaction 2:

3 3M Command Metal Hooks - $7.50

2 Gold Emblem chocolate covered peanuts - $1.98

-3 $2.50 MQ (3M)

-$2 off 2 Gold Emblem CRT

Total Before Sale and Qs: $22.95

Total After Sale and Qs: $0, Earned $5 ECB (3M)

So, I started off with $19 ECBs, maintained the full amount on my gift card, spent $0 OOP and earned $6 to take all of that stuff home. The 3M hooks are a $5 MM if you use the $2.50 off printable here. Buy 6 and reach the required $15 purchase, use $15 in coupons and earn $5 ECB. I am quite excited about these because they are perfect for organizational projects! I am a total sucker for a good organizational project. For the Visine deal, I spent $9 ECBs and earned back $10 ECBs so it was a $1 MM for me as well. Both of these deals would be even better with a good CRT, but alas my luck ran out. No CRTs today. Boo-hoo! Despite the famine, at $25 ECBs, I am almost to my goal of $30 ECBs by the end of the week. TTFN! Happy Shopping!

What In The World???

2009-04-27T13:22:00.004-04:00

On the way to pick up my son from school, I swung by a CVS or two. I did a few transactions, but tried to return a few products and I have no idea how to show you what I got step by step, but I will break it down overall.

Total Before Sales and Qs: $132.43

Total After Sales and Qs: $.08

ECBS At Beginning: $9.89

ECBS At End: $19.00

This is definitely a bit abnormal. I found the $9.99 ROC exfoliating cleansers and decided to do the ROC deal with them. I had been hoping for the $7.99 ROC Age Defying cleansers for the deal but they were cleared out all over the place. So, after buying 3 of them, I found the cheaper ones. After explaining the situation, the manager allowed me to return the more expensive items and purchase the cheaper ones, but it screwed up my ECBs. So, I ended up getting the refunds on a gift card and used that on the last few transactions. I am not sure if that is how the managers are supposed to handle that situation or not, but they didn't seem to think it was a problem. Hence, the oh so low OOP. Happy Shopping!