Friday Finals

I had a fantastic shopping week. I found many deals I am going to share with you today. I hope you will LINK up any shopping trips you had this week. I look forward to hearing from all of you.

It is still hot here. Although I love shopping, I am not enjoying getting out in this heat. Here are the stores I went to this week and here is how I did.

Walmart would not let me combine 2 V8 Fruit juice coupons and the V8 tea FREE twice. I had enough coupons to have 4 juices and 2 teas for free, but they would not honor it. So that is why it came out the way it did below.

Walmart 07/29/11

(1) Diapers $13.47

(3) V8 Fruit Fusion Juices $2.98 - 3 $1.50/1 V8 Juice Not sure when this came out

            -Final $1.48 each

(1) V8 Fruit Tea $2.98 – B2 V8 Juice G1 Tea Free

            -Final FREE

(4) Speed Stick Deodorant $0.98 – 4 $0.50/1 Speed Stick SS 07/24/11

            -Final $0.48 each

I spent $19.83 and saved $9.48 at Walmart on $29.31 retail. The diapers will last me for two weeks or longer.

Instead of going to CVS on Sunday like everyone else, I am waiting to go on Thursday or Friday. I normally get a coupon emailed to me for $4 off $20.00 or more or $5 off $25.00. Also my CVS doesn’t stock all the items on Sunday they hold back. If I go after Wed. that is when the truck comes they will usually replenish their stock. This is also easier to shop with not as many people in there.

CVS Saturday 07/30/11

(1) Kotex 18 ct Pads $3.49 - $2.00 ECBs printed

(4) Playtex Sport 18ct $5.29 - $10.00 ECBs printed, Spend $20.00 get $10.00 ECB

(1) Carmel $0.33 – to get me $25.00. It was close and they took the $5.00 off

Used:

1 $1/1 Kotex SS 07/24/11

2 $2.50/2 SS 06/19/11

1 $5/$25 CVS emailed coupon

2 $4.00 ECBs

Total spent in one transaction $5.98 received $12.00 in ECBs for next time. Total saved $20.40.

Tom Thumb shopping 08/01/11

I mainly went to Tom Thumb to get French bread for us to have Red Beans and Rice, my husband’s favorite dish from New Orleans. Since I was there, I decided to take advantage of a few deals.

(1) Loaf of Fresh Baked French Bread $1.59

(2) Nature Valley Granola Bars 12 ct $1.88 - $0.75/2 SS 07/17/11

            -Final $1.50 each

(4) Classico Pasta Sauce $1.49 – 2 $1/2 Classico Sauce SS 05/15/11

            -Final $0.99 each

(2) Honey Graham Crackers $1.99 - $1/2 Nabisco Honeymaid Crackers

            -Final $1.49 each

I spent $11.54 and saved $16.00 on $27.54 retail worth of groceries. I love Classico Pasta sauce. I have a lot of pasta right now and need some sauce to go with it.

Sprouts is where I get my produce and buy things found in bulk bins that do not have any packaging. This is a great way to save not only money, but also on packaging. I shop what is one sale in the bulk bins. I am still waiting for the multigrain pancake mix to go on sale. Yum.

Sprouts Shopping 08/03/11

(0.94) lbs Whole Wheat Flour @ $0.89 lb

            -Final $0.84

(0.89) lbs Quinoa @ $2.49 lb

            -Final $2.22

(3.82) lbs Grapes @ $0.99 lb

            -Final $3.78

(6) Pints of Blueberries @ $1.88

            -Final $11.28

(1) Stalk Celery $0.88

            -Final $0.88

I spent $19.00 for produce this week.  I use the Quinoa for a vegetarian dish during the week. I can get two meals out of one pound. I will take and wash the blueberries and dry them real well and freeze them. I will use them in muffins, pancakes and smoothies throughout the year.

Kroger 08/04/11

(2) Yoplait Yogurt 4 packs $1.88 each

(4) Dawn Dishwashing Liquid $1.39 – 4 $0.50/1 Doubled Any Dawn P&G 07/31/11

            -Final $0.39 each

(2) Disney Vitamins $6.99 – B1G1 in store, $1/1 Printable

            -Final $2.50 each

(3) Softsoap $1.00 - $0.35/1 tripled Softsoap SS 07/24/11

            -Final FREE

(4) Crest Toothpaste $1.00 - $0.50/1 doubled P&G 07/31/11

            -Final FREE

(2) Bounce Dryer Bar $4.99 - $2.00 off for buying two, 2 $0.50/1 doubled P&G 07/31/11

            -Final $2.99 each

(4) Dole Tropical Fruit $1.00 – 2 $0.50/2 doubled SS 07/24/11

            -Final $0.50 each – Plus $0.50 off next order for purchasing 3 cans

I used $2.00 OYNO coupon from purchasing 4 Crest.

And 2 $0.50 OYNO for purchasing 6 Dole Tropical Fruit.

I spent $14.01 and saved $48.47 on $62.48 retail. I saved 78%. This is one of my best shopping trips at Kroger so far. Should have received $2.00 off next check out for purchasing 4 Crest toothpastes, but two rang as toothbrushes. I didn’t realize this until I got home. Little face was not being the best baby at the store. I was pretty bummed.

CVS 08/04/11

Here is my awesome CVS trip!

(2) Gallons Milk $2.99 - $2.00 ECB printed
(1) Gillette Fusion Pro Razor $9.99 - Used at $4.00 coupon, $5.00 ECB printed
(2) Revlon Lip Sticks $5.79 each- Used 2 $1.00/1 Revlon Coupon, $3/$10 cosmetic purchase, $6.00 ECB printed
(1) Tums 72 count $4.99 - Used CVS coupon for FREE stomach aid

I used $13.00 in ECBs in one transaction and I had $4/$20 or more I loaded to my card.

I spent $3.55 and saved $28.99 on $32.54 worth of items retail. I had a lot of coupons print at the machine and they are sending me a coupon almost every week for some dollars off of $20.00 or more. This was the best trip for me combined with the Kroger trip above. I had a really good feeling about couponing after this week.


LINK UP below to share your shopping trips this week.

Tips for Tuesday

Wow! It is hot here. It is supposed to be 108 today. This past winter I thought I moved to Minnesota. Now I feel like I have moved to Las Vegas. It is hot. I said I would not complain one day about summer during our week being below 30. That was cold and I am really thinking about those days now. Kinda wishing they were back. It is hot. I think I am going to try to lead a campaign where everyone will exhale at the exact same time and blow this high pressure right outta Dallas. I am not sure that would work, but anything is worth a shot at this point.

I have a few tips on keeping cool in this heat and things to do with the kids. First make all sorts of popsicles. I have been making some yogurt and berry ones. Next I am going to try an orange dreamsicle. Yummy. I just love those. Also we have a snow cone lady here. She makes the best snow cones in the world. We are going to see her again this weekend.

Next try taking the kids to a splash park. These are a lot of fun. The water is usually cool and will cool the kids down too. I tend to stay on the outside edge and might walk through a couple of times to cool down myself.

Today I went to the play area inside the mall and let Little Face play there. He wants to go outside, but it is just too hot. We went outside at 9:00am yesterday morning and he was dripping with sweat within 15 min. There is no humidity here either. It is just hot, hot, hot.

Does anyone have any tips for keeping cool this summer? I need some. Please link up any tips about home, life, work, kids, family or crafting you would like to share.

Friday Finals

Kroger Mega Event

(2) Pop Secret Popcorn 3pk $1.49 – Mega Event $0.50, $0.50/2 doubled RP 06/19/11

            -Final $0.50 each

(2) Advil 20 count $3.49 - Mega Event $0.50, $4/2 SS 05/22/11

            -Final $0.99

(1) Ocean Spray Craisins $1.99 - Mega Event $0.50

            -Final $1.49

(2) Gorton Frozen Fish 6 each $2.99 - Mega Event $0.50, $1/2 Gortons Fish Items Printable

            -Final $1.99

(5) Velveeta Shells and Cheese cups $1.00 - Mega Event $0.50, $1/5 Tear pad in store

            -Final $0.30 each

(5) Rice A Roni $1.12 - Mega Event $0.50

            -Final $0.62 each

(1) Herdez Salsa $1.99 - Mega Event $0.50

            -Final $1.49

(2) Quaker Life Cereal $1.99 - $1/2 Life Cereal RP 6/19/11

            -Final $1.49 each

(2) Kroger Tomatoes $1.09 - Mega Event $0.50

            -Final $0.59 each

(1) Coke a Cola 20 oz $1.59 – FREE coke for using recycle machine outside of Kroger

            -Final – FREE

(5) Ronzoni Garden Delight Pasta $1.00 – 2 $1/2 printable NLA, 1 $1/1 Morning Star Coupon Book

            -Final $0.40 each

(2) Kroger Tuna $0.62 each

(1) Blueberries $2.50

(2) Gallons Milk $2.39 each

(1) Bacon $3.24 – For grilling some tenderloins we bought earlier

(1) Hershey Chocolate Bars 6pk $1.00 – found in discount bin

(2) 18 ct Eggs - $1.67 each

(1) Blue Bell ice cream $1.25

(1) Loaf Raisin Bread $1.00 – Soon to expire, now in my freezer

(1) Water chestnuts $0.89 – This is for a spinach dip I love to make in the summer

Altogether I spent $40.59 saved $43.97 on $84.56 retail. This went towards last weeks budget, since I was at my mother’s house. I had a few items that I didn’t have coupons for. We grill on the weekend and my husband wanted some bacon to wrap the tenderloins with. This is very delicious. I also have been shopping the discount bread section and purchasing my bread there. I can usually get a good deal on bread for $1.00 a loaf for 100% whole wheat with no preservatives. I freeze the bread and take it out slice by slice and pop it in the toaster and hit the frozen button to thaw for sandwiches.

This weeks shopping

Sprouts

(0.93) lbs Whole Wheat flour @ $0.89 lbs

            -Final $0.83

(0.94) lbs Granola @$2.49 lbs

            -Final $2.34

(2.19) lbs Red Onions @ $0.49 lbs

            -Final $1.07

(4.21) lbs While Onions @$ 0.49lbs

            -Final $2.06

(0.79) lbs Roma Tomatoes @$0.77lbs

            -Final $0.61

(1) Cilantro $0.34

(1) Cucumber $0.77

(1) Bell Pepper $0.49

(1) Green Leaf Lettuce $0.88

(2) Voskos Yogurt $2.00 each

(1) Bay Leaf $1.25

I always go to Sprouts when they have Voskos yogurt 2 for $4. Their sales over lap days so next Wednesday it will be on sale still, I will usually go and pick up two more. I use these for smoothies and instead of sour cream. Greek Yogurt has more calcium and protein than regular yogurt or sour cream. They usually have sales on granola too. I love the prices for onions too. Onions are great to stretch any meal. Just add a medium to large size onion and you are adding another pound of food and extra flavor to a box meal and make it stretch. Especially if you have company coming over.

Kroger round 2

(2) Kroger Whole Wheat handmade Tortillas $0.50 each – discount bin

(1) Whole Wheat artisan bread $1.00 – discount bin

(1) Off Aerosal spray $1.50 – discount bin

(1) Package Pork Chops $5.83

(1) Pillsbury cake mix $1.00 – birthday is coming up soon

(1) Pillsbury brownie mix $1.00 - $0.55/1 printable RP 06/12/11

            -Final $0.45

(4) General Mills Cereals $2.79 – 2 $1/2 SS 07/10/11

            -Final $2.29 each

(2) Gallons Milk – B4 general Mills cereals G2 gallons of Milk FREE

            -Final FREE

(4) Dan-o-nino Yogurt $1.88 – 4 $0.50/1 doubled SS 06/05/11

            -Final $0.88 each

(2) Edge shaving cream $2.42 - 2 $0.55/1 SS 7/24/11

            -Final $1.87 each

(2) Ivory Soap $1.00 - 2 $0.50/1 Ivory Soap doubled

            -Final FREE

(6) Dole Tropical Fruit $1.00 - 3 $0.50/2 doubled Dole Tropical Fruit SS 07/24/11

            -Final $0.50 each + (2) $0.50 OYNO for each three you purchase

(1) Soft Soap $1.00 - $0.35/1 tripled Not sure when this came out

            -Final FREE

(4) Crest Toothpaste $1.00 – 4 $0.75/1 Crest Toothpaste P&G 06/05/11

            -Final $0.25 each, $2.00 OYNO printed for purchasing 4 Crest

Altogether I spent $31.52 and saved $47.70 on $79.22 retail. Please note the two deals where I received $0.50 OYNO for purchasing 3 or more cans of Dole tropical fruit and $2.00 OYNO for purchasing 4 crest items. I now have an extra $3.00 in the budget for shopping next week.

How did you do this week? Link up your savings below.

Thoughts for Thursday

I have been talking to a few of my friends and some of them think the stockpiling is silly. Why would you buy all that food to just sit around and take up space in your house? They understand saving money, but don’t understand the need to purchase larger quantities of items and stockpile them for later use. When I thought about this it is really not too far from the pioneer days. They would have to go to the general store and purchase large quantities of items to last until the next time they could go to town and purchase items again.

People grow gardens and can store their own food. When you can your own food, you don’t just can a few items for the month. You try to make enough to last for the whole year. Isn’t that like stockpiling? You buy enough to last you until the next sale cycle or if the price is right to last through the whole year.

I may have rows and rows of tomatoes in my pantry, but so does my mother. Hers just happen to be fresh and canned by her. Mine happen to be from the store and already in cans. I am hoping next year we will be able to grow and can tomatoes. This year was not so successful. We currently have two tomatoes and I am not sure if they are going to grow because of the heat. I hope so. I would like to get the seeds and grow my own again next year.

My pantry is stocked with more food than it has ever had. I also have food stored on the top shelf in my wash room. If I canned fresh fruits and vegetables I would need more space to store food to last an entire year. In the end we are going back to our pioneer roots as women and gathering food for our families in quantities and storing them for use when they are needed.

What are your thougths on stockpiling?

Tips for Tuesday

Dishwashing soap has many uses. If you spill any oil or greasy items on your clothes put some liquid dishwashing soap on the area and rub gently. You can do this as soon as it happens or is you spot before you put it into the wash. If it doesn't come out with the first wash you can do it again. If it can get black funky oil off birds it can get out just about any oil. I got this tip from a friend of mine who was a message therapist who used it to get the message oil out of her clothes.

I use this for my pillow cases and sheets. I put a small amount in the machine before I wash. My husband sweats a lot in his sleep and releases a lot of oil. I swirl this around the washing machine tub once and wash on hot to get all the oils out. I keep a small bottle of this on my laundry shelf.

If you have run out of bleach or need to spot treat a white area, you can use automatic dishwashing machine gel. It is made of bleach and is great in a pinch if you have a small spot you need to bleach.

You can also use dishwashing gel for bad mildew stains in bathrooms. Since this is bleach based, anywhere you can use bleach you can use this product. I have had to use it on a stubborn mildew stain or two. Just coat the area and let it soak for a while. Come back and scrub this will get the mildew out.

You can make your own laundry soap. I am exciting about this one. I am going to be doing this soon. These ingredients are simple and do not cost a lot to make. I am going to be changing the recipe from this one instead of using Fels Naptha, I am going to grate some ivory soap I got for free. Some one else posted you can use this instead.

Make your own softener and dryer sheets. I am exciting about this one too. These ingredients are simple and do not cost a lot to make. I am thinking you can use lotion if you do not have conditioner for this recipe. My husband travels frequently so we have a ton of the little bottles of conditioner, so I am just going to use some of those. Wow FREE fabric softener.

Hope these help. Do you have any tips you would like to share?

Money Saving Monday

I don’t have much to write. Last week I went to my mothers in South Texas. Even though they have had a longer drought than us, it felt much cooler there. It only got to 100 not 105 like here. After our winter where we had a week under freezing, I said I would not complain no matter how hot it got this summer. I don’t like the cold more than I don’t like the heat.


We had a great time at my Mother’s. We went to visit the Blue Bell factory to see how ice cream is made. At the end of the tour you get your choice of ice cream. They had three new flavors they are testing this season. They are Krazy Kookie dough, Orange Swirl and I can’t remember the other. I tried the Krazy Kookie Dough. This is delicious. It does not have any chocolate in it just yellow vanilla ice cream with cookie dough bits frozen inside. The Orange swirl is supposed to taste like a dreamsicle. If you like these flavors buy them in the small containers. The more you buy determines if these will be made in the big tubs next year.


It was fun. I am glad to be back. I think I gained 10 pounds with mama’s cooking. So diet will start this week to get back to my weight.


I hope you have a happy Monday. Come back tomorrow to read about laundry tips.

Friday Finals

Wow this was a great MEGA EVENT at Kroger. This brought back the fun I have for shopping and getting deals. 

I purchased the exact Colgate in the ad and I had an exact coupon to match. However when they rang the Colgate it did not ring as a Mega Event item. The assistant manager checked me out and he overrode the system to manually change the price. Therefore my totals were off. It said I had 38 participating Mega Event items instead of 40. I didn’t realize this until I got home. I thought my total was high for what I purchased. I was missing out on $4.00. I was going to pick up my stepson on in the afternoon and Kroger is sorta on the way. I stopped by the service desk to get my $4.00.

Here is how I did:

(2) Colgate Whitening Tooth pastes $1.00 – 2 $0.50/1 doubled

            -FREE

(4) Kettle Chips $2.79 - $0.50 each Mega Event item, 4 $1/1 Kettle chips

            -Final $1.29 each – Stocking up for birthday party next month

(1) Pasta Roni $1.12 - $0.50 Mega Event Item, Peelie Q B3 Rice a Roni G1 Pasta Roni FREE

            -Final FREE

(5) Rice a Roni $1.12 - $0.50 Mega Event Item

            -Final $0.62 each

(2) Gortons Fish Sticks $2.49 - $0.50 Mega Event Item, $1/2 Printable

            -Final $1.99 each

(2) Pringles Whole Wheat $1.49 - $0.50 Mega Event Item – No coupon

            -Final $1.00 each

(6) Lipton Ice Tea $1.00 - $0.50 Mega Event Item, 3 B1G1 Free found at Target

            -Final $0.25 each

(4) Sunny D Punch $1.49 - $0.50 Mega Event Item, $0.25/1 Sunny D Doubled

            -Final $0.25

(8) Kroger Tomatoes $1.09 - $0.50 Mega Event Item

            -Final $0.59 each

(1) Silk Almond Milk $2.69 - $0.50 Mega Event Item, $1/1 Silk Milk

            -Final $1.19

(4) Weber Marinades $0.99 - $1/1 any Weber Marinade

            -Final FREE +$0.01 profit each

(3) Herdez Salsa $1.99 - $0.50 Mega Event Item

            -Final $1.49

(1) Ocean Spray Cranberries $1.99 - $0.50 Mega Event Item

            -Final $1.49

(1) Kroger Peanut Butter $1.79 – we were out

(2) Disney Kids Vitamins $6.99 – B1G1, 2 $1/1 Q

            -Final $2.50 each

(1) Kroger Hazelnut spread $2.50

After my $4.00 refund, I spent $37.58 and saved $58.19 for $95.77 retail or around 60%. The coupon for the Pringles was not for the ones on sale. I also had coupons for the Garden Delight pasta, but they were out. I could have gotten 5 boxes. One would have been for free. My splurge item this week was the Hazelnut spread. We were out of Nutella and I didn’t get the coupon a while back to purchase some. We just love Nutella. With couponing there are some sacrifices you make, but sometimes you have to get items your family loves. I am not so extreme I would not buy something just because I don’t have a coupon for it.

I went to Kroger on Tuesday to pick up a couple of things:

(2) Gallons Milk $2.39

            -Final $2.38 each

(8) Kraft Big Sliced cheese 8 oz. $1.99 – 8 $1/1 blinkie a while back

            -Final $0.99 each

Total $12.70 and saved $23.30 on $36.00 retail or 66%. I am going to use the cheese to crumble and put on things like shredded cheese. I only had one bag left of shredded cheese. I crumbled some of the sliced cheese for a dish I make this week. It worked out great. When buying cheese if you can get it under a $1.00 for 8 oz you should buy it anyway and think of ways you can use it. Cheese is expensive.

I also went to Sprouts yesterday and got the $0.88 lbs for the split chicken breast. I picked up nearly 8 lbs and also purchased some granola for $2.49 lbs. I spent around $10.00. I can’t find my receipt.

I made a trip to Walmart for diapers. There were no great diaper deals this week. I ended up buying Walmart brand. Here is how I did:

(1) Diapers $13.49

(1) Dixie Paper Plates $2.50

(4) Cascade trial packs $0.97 – 4 $1/1 Cascade product

            -Final FREE +$.03 profit each

It was around $18.00 with tax for everything. I can’t find that receipt either. I thought I put them all on my desk with my receipts.

For the week I spent around $79.00. This is way over budget for the week, but there were some really great deals out there. I am taking the kids to my mother’s next week. So I should be saving a lot next week.

Link up your savings below.

Thoughts for Thursday

Wow! I have been really busy this week. I took my daughter to camp yesterday. It was so hot. I didn’t realize that her cabin this year doesn’t have air conditioning. She will be roughing it I guess.  I hope she is having a good time. I miss her already.

I haven’t had much time to blog, since I have been getting her ready for camp. I am normally one to forget things and usually it is something major. We checked the list twice. I feel confident we got everything this year. I even did a great time packing when we went on vacation this year. I think I am getting this down pat.

I did do some shopping yesterday. I will give you that story on Friday when you can link up your shopping totals for the week. Come back it is a good story.

For those in the Dallas area Sprouts has split chicken breast for $0.88 lbs. I am going there tomorrow to pick some up. I will probably go again next week to get some more. That is just a great price for white meat chicken. With the bone in chicken after it is cooked, I can the boil the bones for a broth. I have a lot of chicken broth saved up now for soups and stews this fall and winter. After today I can’t wait

Friday Finals

I did most of my shopping this Sunday. I normally do not get that chance. I am under budget this week. That doesn't happen too often. Here is how I did:

Walmart

(1) Whole Chicken $5.40

(2) Mom’s best Oatmeal $1.00 – 2 $0.75/1 Q Printable

            -Final $0.25 each

(4) Benadryl Anti-itch Pen $2.28 - $2/1 Tear pad at Kroger

            -Final $0.28 each

(1) Little Swimmers $9.97 - $1.50 peelie on package

            -Final $8.47

(4) Juicy Juice $2.67 – 1 Free WYB Little Swimmers All You June, $1/1 WYB All You mag AY June, 2 $0.55/1 printable

            -Final $1.47 each

(1) All You Mag $1.88 - $0.25/1 All You June

            -Final $1.63

(4) Pork N Beaks Van Camps $0.50 - $1/4 All You Mag

            -Final $0.25 each

(2) Scrub Scotch Bright sponge $0.84 each- coupon didn’t scan. I couldn’t find them in order to tell her to take it off. So I purchase higher priced sponges.

I spent $26.95 on groceries and saved $17.02 on $43.97 worth of food. I just added up all the Juicy Juice even though I had three different coupons for the same product and gave my final as price for each. I got the Pork N Beans because of having my binder. These were not a planned purchase. The Benadryl coupon I got at Kroger a long time ago. There were not any restrictions printed on it nor did it say any. I used the coupon and it worked. I always get blinkies and tear pads when they are up in a store. I usually take 4-6. You never know when you will be able to use them.

 

Kroger Shopping

(2) Gallons of Milk $2.39

(1) Hanson Root Beer Soda $2.49 - $0.50/1 doubled

            - Final $1.49

(4) Minute Maid Frozen Lemonade $1.00 - $0.50/1 doubled RP 06/26/11

            -Final FREE

(1) Ronzoni Garden Delight Pasta $1.00 -$1/1 Morning Star booklet in Frozen section

            -Final FREE

(8) Three Musketeers Candy Bar $0.50 - $0.50/2 doubled RP 06/26/11

            -Final FREE

I spent $6.39 and saved $21.77 on $28.16 retail. I didn’t buy much REAL food but I did save $77%. Most of these are snacks or treats.  I use these as gifts or if we have a lot of kids over I don’t mind feeding them snacks and things if I got it for FREE.

 

JCPenney Shopping

I purchased 2 K cup coffee packs and one small plate. I used my $10.00/$25.00 no exclusions coupon. I got these cheaper than through Amazon. I spent $15.63 and saved $30.42.

This week I spent $48.97 and saved $69.21 on $118.18 worth of groceries and care items.

Happy shopping. How did you do this week? LINK UP any shopping or savings trips you may have. I don't have any rules to this Linky, but just for fun after you link up come back the next day and go to everyone's site and leave a positive comment.

Thoughts for Thursday

I have worked in the mortgage industry before I took on my full time roll as the CEO of the household. While I was there I worked in various departments. I worked in the ARM department and we had our own language of acronyms. I always said I could speak ARM. Then I moved to modifications where I learned to speak mod. Now I am couponing so… here is a lesson on how to speak coupon.

Many of you wonder what all the abbreviations stand for in my posts. I will give you a quick run down of what each one means.

SS – Smart Source coupon magazine in the paper

RP – Red Plum coupon magazine in the paper

Peelie -  this is a coupon you can peel off a product in the store

Blinkie –This is the little coupon dispenser you see at the store with the little red light

Q – Stands for coupon

MM/DD/YY – this is the date the circular came out

B1G1 – Buy one Get one Free

B2G1 – Buy two Get one Free

OYNO – On your next order. These are usually catalinas that print to give you money off your next shopping trip

$X/X – This tells you the dollar amount first and how many you need to purchase for the coupon

There may be more than I have listed here. I will repost this once I have accumalated more or if I get a lot of questions where people don't understand.

I have gone to the binder system. I think this takes a little longer to do, but I feel better when I go to the store and I know I have a coupon for something I can quickly find it. I did not feel as frustrated when I was shopping at Kroger the other day and I saw the Ronzoni Garden delight pasta for $1.00 a box and I knew I had 4 $1/1 coupons to get it free. I would have been frustrated had I seen that and not had my coupon to match. My saving percentage went up because I saw several items I could get FREE or really cheap.

My two cents on the extreme couponing people on TLC. I have seen many articles where most of them are using coupon fraud to get the EXTREME dollars off. Also the stores are in on the deal and wave their coupon policy for the film crew to shoot the show. So the person on TV is getting special privileges since they have a TV crew with them.

I try not to use my coupon for any other than the intended purpose stated on the coupon. I have been corrected by a cashier on a couple of occasions trying to us a coupon that is only one per transaction. That is mainly because I forgot to read the coupon. I did not get angry with the cashier. I simply stated I was sorry I did not see that. Please read your coupons to make sure you understand the wording.

Don’t get frustrated you cannot walk out of a store with $1,100 worth of food for only $100.00. You need to feed your family. Purchase foods you can eat, but try to buy items that are on sale and you have a coupon to match. You will save more. If you don’t have time to visit many different stores go to Walmart and bring your sales flyers. Walmart will price match any items and will also match a B1G1 deal if the price is listed in the flyer. Then you only need to visit one store to get a lot of savings, but it may take you longer to check out. Remember time is money.

Be sure to come back tomorrow to LINK UP any shopping and savings you may have to share with others.

Tips for Tuesday

Packing tips for vacations. Things I always pack so we have enough.

I like to pack all the snacks we are going to eat in one suitcase. These can be the most expensive thing to buy when at the grocery store. We don’t eat out very much, since we normally book a room with a kitchen to prepare most of our meals there. The price of crackers per pound is pretty high when you compare it to the price of meat per pound. We try to just buy meat, cheese essentials when on vacation. Still this can get pretty expensive, since I normally have a stockpile of items to get me through having to buy those items when they are not that expensive.

My husband was amazed at how much we spent at the store when we were on vacation last month. It was at least twice my normal grocery budget. I think that really helped him understand how this system works and how amazing I am to be able to run the family grocery shopping on only $60.00 a week. I think he is a little more on board now. Granted we bought things I normally don’t buy like ice cream and some fun things for the kids. Since we were on vacation I thought we should splurge a little. We still spent far less than eating out for a family of five for three meals a day.

I also pack sun screen, lotions and toiletries in Ziploc bags to prevent any spills. I pack a box of ziplock bags and always carry a couple with me. You would be surprised how often you will use one on vacation. If we are going to be around water at all I put my phone and important stuff in a Ziploc bag and keep it in my pocket. Most of the places we stay don’t have any storage containers for leftovers we put the leftovers in bags and the last supper and breakfast the kids can eat whatever they want from the leftovers. My daughter got to eat macaroni and cheese for breakfast. She was in heaven. I don’t think I have ever heard her say she was full of mac and cheese, but it happened.

Our large suitcase normally is always over 50 lbs when we get to the airport. This time I did not pack any liquids in this suitcase this time. I packed them in the kids suitcases. We did not have to make any adjustments when we checked bags. Also if you have little ones bring the car seat. Renting a seat from the rental car company well you might as well just buy one.

I also pack coupons. When we go to the grocery store I want to be prepared for anything we may purchase and still save.

Happy savings. Do you have any great tips to share? LINK UP any tips you may have from previous posts or you have posted today. Can’t wait to see what new tips I will run across.

Money Saving Monday

Happy 4^th of July to everyone in America. My husband is smoking a turkey and a chicken today for the 4^th. I just bought the chicken this weekend and I purchased the turkey around Christmas time when turkey was on sale and we froze it until now. With bones and everything it is close to twenty pounds. This will go a long way in preparing meals in the future.

I think I have gone through a full sales cycle in the stores, since I have started extreme couponing for normal people in March. I can honestly say I really don’t need to go to the store for anything. I might be able to reduce my budget now that I have a great variety of food and healthcare products for my family. Of course I will still be shopping the sales, now I can focus on bigger savings items and healthier options for us to eat.

So if you are just starting out know that it takes around 3 to four months to get a nice stockpile of items to have a rounded out supply of items to make meals for your family. I have a nice stockpile I just need some more room to store everything. I need to get my husband to build some shelves in the wash room.

 I hope everyone is having a fun and safe fourth of July. We are having a great time. What is your favorite fourth tradition you do with your family? What dessert do you enjoy making or eating? What is your favorite summer time drink to cool down?

Friday Finals

It has been a while since I have posted. My computer would not let me log on yesterday. I called my awesome brother and he was able to log in remotely and fix my computer. Not only did he fix it, but it is running faster and better than before. Needless to say it took all day and I didn’t get a chance to post. If you need your computer fixed contact PC Doc. He is awesome.

Thanks to my new recent followers. I have tried to follow back, but the GFC is not working when I visit your page. I will keep trying to see if I can join. Thanks so much for joining my site.

Today is Friday Finals. I missed last week, since I was on vacation. I am back this week to share what I purchased. Kroger is where I did most of my shopping this week. If it has a + it was part of the Mega Event and I received $0.30 off. I have already reflected the $0.30 off in my price at the right.

(2) Ritz Crackers Whole Wheat $2.39 - $1/2 SS 05/15/11
            -Final $1.89 each

(6) Chef Boyardee Whole Wheat $0.69 – B1G1 – Q with Popcorn bowl, B3G1 All You June

            -Final $0.46

(1) Totinos Pizza Rolls $0.99 - $0.35 tripled received from manufacture just for calling

            -Final FREE

(4) Banquet Turkey Sausage $0.89

            -Final $0.89 each

(1.77)lbs Bananas $0.39 per pound

            -Final $0.69

(1) Kroger Natural Apple Juice $1.77

(3) Pillsbury Whole Wheat Biscuits $0.99 - $0.40/3 doubled SS 04/17/11

            -Final $0.72 each

(1) Banquet Frozen Chicken Nuggets $3.99 - $1/1 June All You Mag

            -Final $2.99

(1) Cheeto Puff $1.69

(2) Tositos $2.00 - $1/2 eQ from Kroger

            -Final $1.50 each

(1) Haribo Gummy Bears $1.00 - $0.30 printable No longer available

            -Final $0.10

(2) Betty Crocker Brownie Mix $1.69 –

(4) Ronzoni Garden Delight Pasta $1.00 – 4 $1/1 Q’s SS 05/15/11

            -Final FREE unadvertised deal good until 7/25/11 at my store

(2) Oscar Mayer Turkey Sandwich Meat $3.29 - $1/2 SS 05/15/11

            -Final $2.79

I spent $31.02 and saved $45.60 on $76.62 worth of groceries retail. This is the best deal I have gotten for Chef. I didn’t see any matchups on any site for this deal. Normally the Whole Wheat is not included in the sale. I just purchased some at Tom Thumb not too long ago. This was a better deal and I had my coupon binder with me to know I had coupons for this product. I was able to get a much better deal. I am starting to buy healthier options buy purchasing whole wheat. The Banquet chicken nuggets were not listed on any sites either. I purchased the Cheetos for my daughter. She was not very cooperative while shopping so I used these to bribe her a little. I noticed the Cheetos rang first right before the Tostitos and the Kroger eQ printed on the receipt right after. I am wondering if I could have just purchased Cheetos and Tostitos.

CVS shopping – My Awesome diaper deal

I purchased Huggies diapers for $7.00 for 2 Jumbo packs of diapers this week. This makes them $3.50 each for diapers that will last me for two weeks.

Here is how I did it:

(2) Huggies diapers Receive $4.00 ECBs after purchase

            -Final $3.50 each

Last time I visited CVS I received a coupon for $3.00 off any $10.00 or more diaper purchase. I had two $2/1 Huggies diapers. I had $1.00 ECB and a $3.00 gift from CVS received on my birthday printed.

$18.00 – for 2 Diapers

-$3.00 – gift from CVS

-$3.00 - $3/$10 diaper purchase

-$1.00 -  ECB

-$4.00 – Q’s SS 06/12/11

___________

$7.00

$4.00 ECBs for next time.

In order to grow my ECB’s I am only using the ECBs I would get back from the transaction.

Be sure to link up any shopping trips you have this week. I like to see how everyone else did.

Kroger Shopping

I found a few unadvertised deals at Kroger today

-Haribo Gummies $1.00 - $0.30 Printable Q
($0.10)

-Ronzoni pasta is $1.00 I think the coupons will reset on 07/01/11 to get it for $1/2 again.

-Ronzoni Garden Delight Pasta is $1.00 and Morning Star Coupon booklet pictured below. SS 05/15/11
            -FREE

Both the pastas had good until 07/25/11 on the price tag. So this is going to be going on for a while.

I found the hand baked bread with stone ground wheat about to expire near a section by the refrigerated area for only $1.00. This is normally marked $3.99 a loaf. I purchased the ones with whole grain stone ground wheat and no bleached white flour. I am freezing these and using them to toast or just use a few slices at a time. So keep an eye out for these. They are heartier and heavier than the normal bread Kroger sells.

Stop back by on Friday to link up any Shopping trips you may have.

Money Saving Monday

I have been on vacation for the past week. I do not like to let people know I am on vacation. I was going to try to post, but we had such a great time in Arizona. We stayed in Flagstaff and did day trips to the Grand Cayon, Sunset volcano crater, Meteor Crater, SnowBowl, Painted Dessert and many Indian ruins in the area. We had a great time and are readjusting to the time change and catching up on some rest.

Do you have a smart phone? Do you love to coupon? Did you know there is an app for that? Here are several aps I use on my iPhone for coupons.

Kroger has an app where you can load coupons on to your Kroger card for ecoupons you can redeem when you use your card at the store. You can load them or remove them before you go shopping. I usually check this before my trip.

Cellfire is another great app where you can load coupons to your grocery savings card through your cellfire account. Sometimes Cellfire will have a coupon off your next shopping order. Be sure to check back often.

There is also an app called shopsavvy where you can scan the barcode of an item using your phone. It will find the item and list all the places and prices where you can purchase the item. This is not as effective for small items, this is great for large purchases like TVs and other appliances. You will still need to do some research on things such as shipping and handling costs, and how quickly the item will ship.

Now Saving Star has added an app for your phone. I have recently downloaded this and have started using it.  This will let you store coupons on your savings cards and then as  you use them you are able to redeem gift cards from them. I have not used enough for a gift card yet. If you have please leave a comment on how easy or difficult it was to redeem.

Those are the ones I use the most. I love the fact you can review them while you are shopping and add or remove as needed. Do you have any other apps you like to use?