Saturday Savings 2/16/13

*Wow! I cannot believe I completely forgot to post last weeks totals. In order to keep up with my yearly total, I'm going to add them to the end of this post.*

Here's what this past week looked like. It's a very short list because time got away from me and I never made my second trip I had planned.

Publix

Glad Trash Bags x1= $3.99

Sparkle Paper Towels x1= $4.49

Nature's Own Bread x2= $2.85

Dove Ice Cream x2= $6.00

Green Giant Frozen Vegetables x12= $7.94

Gorton Fish Fillets x2= $5.50

Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal x2= $4.11

 

Total Paid: $29.87

Total Saved: $47.37

That was all from this past week.

Now for the previous week.

Publix

Kraft Cheese x2= $3.44

Half Gallon Publix Sweet tea x4= 3.18

Nabisco Wheat Thins x2= $2.49

Ocean Spray 100% Grapefruit Juice x2= Free +$1.01

Grapefruit 5lb x1= Free +$2.00

Johnsonville Brats x2= $5.98

Breakstone Sour Cream x2= $2.59

Publix Large Eggs x1= 2.09

 

Total Paid: $12.76

Total Saved: $35.69

 

Hitchcock's

8pk Diet Pepsi x4= $6.00

Hot Dog Buns x2= $1.89

Tyson Boneless Wings x2= $7.00

Cube Steak (lb) x1.64= $4.90

Chicken Drumsticks (lb) x4.51= $4.01

Cucumbers x2= $1.00

Celery x1= $.99

Baby Carrots x2= $2.50

 

Total paid: $24.03

Total Saved: $39.13

 

 

Year to Date

Total Paid: $296.47

Total Saved: $428.07

Saturday Savings 2/2/2013

This week I decided to do a new diet for my breakfast, lunch, and snacks, so these totals will be higher than I usually spend because I bought a lot of stuff that wasn't on sale. Also, I picked up a few things for the upcoming Super Bowl.

Hitchcock's

Flavorite Skim Milk x1= $3.75

Large Eggs x1= $2.19

Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt x1= $5.75

Frozen Blueberries x1= $3.89

Frozen Strawberries x1= $2.50

Tostito's Multigrain Chips x2= $3.00

Tostito's Queso Dip x1= $0

Popcorn x1= $2.09

Honey x1= $2.99

Hidden Valley Ranch Mix x1= $1.79

Pork Loin Roast x4.93(lb)= $4.88

Whole Fryer Chicken x5.66(lb)= $5.60

Cabbage x2.21(lb)= $.86

Corn x10= $4.00

Jalapeno Peppers x1.1(lb)= $1.42

Baking Potatoes x4.52(lb)= $1.76

Tomatoes x4.79(lb)= $4.74

 

Total Paid: $46.21

Total Saved: $38.29

 

Year to Date

Total Paid: $229.81

Total Saved: $305.88

Saturday Savings 1/26/13

Publix

Bird's Eye Voila x2= $1.49

Hungryman Entree x6= $11.07

Publix String Cheese x2= $7.00

Publix Gallon Milk x1= $3.75

Cool Whip x4= $3.90

Starkist Tuna Pouch x10= $6.90

Swanson Broth x6= $7.00

Ocean Spray Craisins x2= $2.35

Smucker's Jelly x4= $3.18

Lucky Charms x4= $5.98

Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice x2= $3.99

Publix Large Dozen Eggs x1= $1.99

Publix Wheat Bread x2= $3.70

 Total Paid: $58.20

Total Saved: $74.08

 

 

Hitchcock's

Huggies Jumbo Diapers x1= $7.99

Huggies Pull-ups x2= $11.98

Total Paid: $14.97

Total Saved: $21.00

 

Year to Date

Total Paid: $183.60

Total Saved: $267.59

Saturday Savings 1/19/13

So, I decided to bring back my Saturday Savings posts. My goal is to use them to keep better track of my spending throughout the year. Last year I kept every receipt, from every store, but that has become a nightmare to keep track of. So this is my solution. Blog about it, then throw the receipt away.

As I mentioned in my last post, I made a goal to eat better in 2013. I plan to do this while still sticking to a budget. However, the cost of the healthy food far exceeds the cost of the junk so my budget will be a little higher this year than last (I managed to stay at $50 per week for 2012).

So here are this weeks totals....

Publix

100% Whole Wheat Bread x2= $3.70

Large Eggs x1= $1.99

Gallon Skim Milk x1= $3.75

Jennie-o Turkey Bacon x4= $1.98

Fresh Express Spinach x4= $7.98

Coffee Mate Creamer 32oz x4= $6.00

Sundown Vitamins x2= $-1.22

Centrum Multivitamins x2= $3.23

Valley Fresh Chicken Breast x6= $10.47

 

Total Paid: $32.88

Total Saved: $64.34

 

And since I forgot to start this last week, here are those totals too. Saturday Savings 1/12/13

 

Publix

Quaker Cereal x2= $4.89

Special K Cereal x2= $3.60

Cantaloupe x2= $4.00

Weight Watcher's String Cheese x2= 4.59

Ronzoni Wheat Egg Noodles x2= $1.69

Quaker Stilla Bars x4= $.98

Low fat Cottage Cheese x2= $5.00

Kraft Freshtake x2= $.98

Kraft Shredded Cheese x2= $3.99

Flatout Bread x4= $6.38

Stevia in the Raw x2= $11.98

Gallon Skim Milk x1= $3.75

New England Coffee x2= $7.69

Crunchmaster Crackers x2= $1.19

Peter Pan Peanut Butter x2= $3.59

Quaker Rolled Oats x2= $2.83

Florida Oranges 3lb x1= $2.50

Ragu Pasta Sauce x4= $2.18

Sundown Vitamins x4= $-1.24

 

Total Paid: $59.58

Total Saved: $97.92

 

Hitchcock's

Garlic Powder x1= $.99

Bacon Bits x1= $1.00

Cucumbers x2= $1.00

Green Bell Peppers (lb) x5.08= $5.08

Vine Ripe Tomatoes (lb) x1.86= $3.70

Roma Tomatoes (lb) x.71= $1.20

Strawberries x2= $5.00

 

Total Paid: $17.97

Total Saved: $10.25

 

 

Year to Date

Total Paid: $110.43 

Total Saved: $172.51 



Saturday's Savings 7/21/12

This week I wasn't up for grocery shopping much. I spent the majority of my time buying school supplies. Yes, you heard (read) me correctly. We're still a month out from the start of school, but I couldn't pass up the deals I found. I decided to make my list and head over to Walmart for all of it. There was just one problem (well, actually two), they now require you to have the ad with you and the ad I grabbed from Publix didn't have the item in it I thought it would have. So I missed out on $1.70, which doesn't sound like much, but when you only spend a few dollars on your total, that little bit adds up quickly. Also, many of the items I had planned to price match I found cheaper versions of them (most regular price/ not on sale) at Walmart. So, in the end, I only price matched two items.

So, here's my Walmart breakdown:

(2) Scotch 2pk Tape: $.90 ea (saved $.10 ea)

(4) Storage Box: $.86 ea (saved $.10 ea)

(6) 1 Subject Notebook: $.15 ea (saved $.02 ea)

(6) 3ct Glue Sticks: $.15 ea (saved $.02 ea)

(4) 1" Economy Binder: $.83 ea (saved $.09 ea)

(6) Folders with Prongs: $.14 ea (saved $.01 ea)

(4) Child Scissors: $.45 ea (saved $.05 ea)

(2) 12" Ruler: $.23 ea (saved $.02 ea)

(1) 10 pk pencils: $.23 ea (saved $.02 ea)

(2) 10 pk Pens: $.85 ea (saved $.09 ea)

(10) Elmer's 4oz Glue: $.45 ea (saved $.05 ea)

(8) Crayola 24pk Crayons: $.23 ea (saved $.27 ea)**

(4) 3x3 Post Its: FREE (saved $1.05 ea)**

** price matched items

Total Paid: $22.21  Total Saved: $8.56

28% Savings

I know it may not seem like much of a savings amount, but like I said, many of these items were Walmart's everyday price so there's no real saving, just a great deal! Also, I need to add that I saved a little on every item because we receive a 10% discount on everything.

After that long and tiring trip, I decided to put off my Publix shopping trip until Friday. Honestly, I was waiting on a few coupons to arrive in the mail, but they never came, so I went ahead and did my shopping. Thankfully, the coupons I was waiting for were available in the store (although I hadn't found them before that day... which was the day they expired!) so I didn't miss out on a great coffee deal.

Now here's my short Publix trip:

(4) Breyer's Blasts Ice Cream: $2.25 ea (saved $3.74 ea)

(2) Crunchy Nut Cereal: $1.99 ea (saved $2.00 ea)

(2) Fiber Plus Granola Bars: $2.50 ea (saved $1.19 ea)

(4) Caribou Coffee: $2.50 ea (saved $7.49 ea)

(6) Glade 4oz Candles: $1.16 ea (saved $2.33 ea)

(2) Nature's Own 100% Wheat Bread: $2.99 ea (saved $2.99 ea)

(1) Gallon Publix Skim Milk: $2.49 ea (saved $ 1.00 ea)

Used (1) $5 off  $30 Winn Dixie Coupon

Total Paid: $35.40  Total Saved: $74.29

68% Savings

Tuesday's Total 3/13/12

Well, as you should (hopefully) know, today is Wednesday, and I finally got around to doing my weekly shopping. I'm not exactly sure why I put it off until today, but it was such a wonderful day to go shopping. The Publix I wound up going to (it changes every week due to what part of town I'm going to) had everything in stock, except for one item. Thankfully the very nice man who was stocking the nearest aisle was willing to go search in the back to see if they had any. And yes, they did. So I was able to get everything in just one trip!

So here's how I did...

** photo posted soon**

(8) Emerald Breakfast on the Go- $.65 ea (saved $2.64 ea)

(2) Welch's Fruit Snacks- $.88 ea (saved $1.87 ea)

(4) Philadelphia Cream Cheese Indulgence Spread- $.25 ea (saved $2.74 ea)

(4) Barilla Pasta- $.25 ea (saved $1.24 ea)

(4) Barilla Pasta Sauce- $.99 ea (saved $2.00 ea)

(12) Uncle Ben's Country Inn Rice- $.41 ea (saved $1.08 ea)

(2) Coffeemate Natural Bliss Creamer- $.67 ea (saved $1.83 ea)

(2) Nabisco Graham Crackers- $2.10 ea (saved $2.10 ea)

3.53lb bananas- $.67/ lb

Paid: $25.78  Saved: $69.62

73% Savings

Can I say how much I love the fact that everything I bought (except for my impulse, no coupon, graham crackers) was less than $1.00 each! That's how you want to shop! And that's why coupons are awesome. Sure, you can go to the dollar store and buy each of the things I've listed above for around $1.00 each, but I wouldn't guarantee their quality.

Oh, and since a few of the items I bought were "new" items, I figured I'd weigh in my opinion about them. First is the Philadelphia Indulgence Spread: I was very leery of this item when I first saw it. I'm not sure why, but for some reason it seemed a little off. But since the sale will be ending soon, I figured I'd give it a try. Oh, thank God, I did! It was go good. Hint: I bought the graham crackers to go with the spread. I've always had a thing for regular cream cheese + graham crackers, but the chocolate takes it to another level!

Next is the Breakfast on the Go: As soon as I saw that these were available for such a great price, I knew I wanted to jump on it quick. I'm so happy that I did. I know I will be carrying these around with me everywhere I go, just in case I ever need a little pick me up. I bought the Berry Blend ones, and I'm so glad I did.

So there you go, my weekly review plus a little review!

Party plans already?!

Yes, it's official, I'm crazy. Well, I won't go that far. Although I have already started planning both birthday parties for J and A. But I have a great reason, I swear.

For those who know me, know that I love to go all out when it comes to birthday parties for my kids (here's A's party from last year, followed up with a how-to). And in the past, this means spending a ton of money. Well, not this year. Since I have discovered the wonderful world of couponing for groceries, I decided that I didn't need to only save money there. Why not find great deals for anything I need.

So once I saw that vistaprint was having an "everything free" event, I knew I needed to jump on it. Yes, they do often have wonderful sales and free items, but I saw things that I don't usually see, so I got very excited.

I had already decided the themes for both A and J's parties, and also began my extensive Pinterest search for ideas, so that part was already done. Now was the fun part, find free items to use with those themes. First was A's Under the Sea theme (chosen because of her favorite book). I searched vistaprint until I found the cutest set of mermaid themed items. From there I was able to completely personalize each item.

Here's what I bought. And yes, all for free (I did have to pay for shipping, but still managed to save over $50!)...

(1) 3'x18" Personalized Vinyl Banner

(10) Personalized Thank You cards

(10) Personalized Note Cards

(20) Envelopes

(24) Small Personalized Stickers

Next up is J's Lego party. I don't have his items yet because I had to completely personalize it (they didn't have any Lego themed items on the website). Also, I had to do two different transactions in order to get both sets for free. Otherwise, I would've been charged half price for the second set (still not a bad price). I did order all of the same type of items, so J's set will look very similar, just with a different theme.

In the end, all items totaled $20, but I managed to save over $100 (85% savings)!

So yes, party planning has officially begun, but so has party savings. Can't wait to see what other deals I'm able to find. Oh, and did I mention how much I love to plan parties!!

A day in the life of a couponer...

Well, not really. But I would like to show you what it takes for me to get the deals I find. I know many people think that the time spent clipping coupons is not worth the savings in the end. Honestly, if you don't use the coupons you clip, then yes, you are wasting more time than saving money. But I'm here to show you how easy it really is. All you really need is Internet access and at least 2 Sunday newspapers (always buy in doubles, that way you have the correct number of coupons for bogo deals).

So this week, as I was making my weekly Publix list, I decided to document my process. By using a coupon matching site, like this one, making your list and matching the coupons is already done for you. When it comes to stores not listed, that's when the time starts adding up. However, I do most of my shopping at Publix, mainly because they always have a ton of bogo deals going on.

Once on the site, select your store from the drop down menu at the top (in this case I chose Publix). All of the deals in the weekly flyer will be listed along with any and every coupon that matches up with those items. Simply check the items you wish to buy and click "create list". From here I usually de-select the coupon I know I don't have, that way there's less to print.

Once printed, I circle all of the Internet printable coupons that I want to seek out and print. That way I know which ones I have left to find and which ones I already have. Also, as I print them, I like to use tally marks so I can keep up with the number of prints I've made. All of the coupon sites allow a max of 2 prints per coupon, per computer. Since we have 2 working computers, I'm allowed to make 4 prints total, therefore I can buy more items.

After I have all of my coupons printed I like to go over my math calculations so I know exactly what I plan to spend. I'm a math person so this is the best part for me. It may seem like a jumbled mess to some, but it makes perfect sense to me. The important thing to remember is that you can use two ($/1) coupons on BOGO items, or one ($/2) depending on the quantity listed on the coupon. Also, don't forget about the $/3+ coupons. You can use those as well, but you just have to make sure you are buying enough of the product. Here's an example: this week Voskos Greek Yogurt was on sale at Publix for $1.00 each. I had (4) $1/3 manufacture coupons, so that means I would need to buy 12 items in order to use all four coupons. But I also had (4) $1/3 store coupons (which can be used with manufacture coupons!). Since you can use a store and manufacture coupon on an item, I was able to get the yogurt for just $.33 each. Here's how it works... yogurt is on sale for $1.00 each (regular price $1.75), so if I buy 12 that's $12.00, but if I use the (4) $1/3 manufacture coupons it lowers the total to $8.00. Then if I also use the (4) $1/3 store coupons, my total is lowered again to just $4.00. If you divide that number by the total items bought (12) you come up with your price per item, therefore $.33 each.

Don't worry though if you're not good at math. If you use the site I mentioned above, she'll have the total (per item) listed. Just multiply that amount by the total number you wish to buy, and you have your total! It's that easy when you use that site. Honestly, if it weren't for the coupon matching sites, I wouldn't have caught on as quickly as I did. It really takes the guess work out and does it for you. One thing to remember though, if you live in FL, Publix (where I mainly shop) does not double coupons. So a few sites may have two different totals for each item. If you live in FL, the correct price, sadly,  is usually the higher one.

Now comes the fun part of gathering all of my printed coupons and any that I need to clip from the newspaper inserts (this week was mostly Internet printables) and make my final list. If you wish to take the simple coupon route (which I'm now converting to) you don't need to clip anything until you are ready to use it! Keep all of your inserts intact and just file them (in a large accordion file folder) by the date they were issued (newspaper date). The coupon matching sites will tell you exactly which insert any coupons come in, so all you have to do is pull out the insert, find your exact coupon, clip it, and then put the remaining insert back in the file. See, easy huh?

So here's my list. I try to be as specific as I can when writing everything out. The last thing you want to do while in the store is search through your stack of coupons because you can't remember what size or quantity you have to buy (trust me, I've done it enough times to know I hate doing it, ha ha).

After my list is made, I use a paper clip and attach everything together with my list on top. Since I make sure I write down specific information about the items I need to buy, all I need to look at while shopping is my list. Then I just mark off what I get, and also circle the items that are out of stock (which happens a lot if the item is free or cheap).

Again, if you ever have any questions, just ask. I'm always willing to help others save money.

Tuesday's Total 3/6/12

Is it Tuesday already? This week has gone by so fast, and I can see already that the next one will, too. But anyways, back to the task at hand. Telling all of you about my weekly shopping trips.

This week was a fun week for me. All in all, I did three trips to the store, and two of those we to Publix. Unfortunately, when I went on Saturday morning, they were out of a few of my "free" items, so I decided to stop back by while I was in town a few days later.

So, let's start this week off with Publix trip #1...

(4) Kraft Fresh Take Cheese and Breadcrumb- $.15 ea (saved $2.84 ea)

(4) Nature's Own Wheat Bread- $1.50 ea (saved $1.50 ea)

(8) Hungryman Freezer Meals- $1.85 ea (saved $1.85 ea)

(8) Pillsbury Toaster Strudel- $1.20 ea (saved $1.79 ea)

(4) Bird's Eye Voila- $.90 ea (saved $4.59 ea)

(6) Bird's Eye Veggies- $.50 ea (saved $1.49 ea)

(2) Bird's Eye Veggies- $.80 ea (saved $1.79 ea)

(4) Stouffer's Family Size Entrees- $1.99 ea (saved $5.80 ea)

(2) Dannon Yogurt 4pk- $.79 ea (saved $1.40 ea)

(8) Voskos Greek Yogurt- $.33 ea (saved $1.42 ea)

(4) Voskos Greek Yogurt- $.33 ea (saved $1.17 ea)

(4) Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls- $.50 ea (saved $1.29 ea)

(4) Crystal Light To Go- $1.00 ea (saved $1.99 ea)

(4) Thermacare Heat Patch- $1.49 ea (saved $5.50 ea)

(15) Powerade- $.67 ea (saved $.58 ea)

(2) Hunt's Ketchup- $1.32 ea (saved $1.32 ea)

(2) Truvia Multi packs- $1.00 ea (saved $2.99 ea) 

Total Paid: $79.04  Total Saved: $171.26

68% Savings

After my trip to Publix I headed over to our local grocery store to pick up a few of their "bonus buys" items. This list will look very different from all the others, mainly because I bought meat and produce items. Since the price of these items fluctuate, you can't get an accurate savings %, but you can definitely tell it's a great deal though.

(1) Gallon Skim Milk- $3.88 ea (saved $.30 ea)

(2) Head of Lettuce- $.99 ea (saved $.70 ea)

(2) Cucumbers- $.50 ea (saved $.48 ea)

(5.5 lbs) Chicken Breast- $1.69/ lb (savings unknown)

(3.1 lbs) Bell Peppers- $.99/ lb (savings unknown)

(3.7 lbs) Tomatoes- $.99/ lb (savings unknown)

(2.5 lbs) Bananas- $.58/ lb (savings unknown)

Total Paid: $20.33  Total Saved: $6.67+

25+% Savings

As I mentioned above, Publix was out of the items that would have been free so I decided to go back another day since I was already going to town anyways. And I'm so glad I did.

(4) Bird's Eye Veggies- FREE +$.31 ea (saved $2.30 ea)

(4) Mrs. Paul's Parchment Bakes- $2.00 ea (saved $3.99 ea)

(2) 16 oz Strawberries- $1.67 ea (saved $1.32 ea)

(2) Coffeemate Natural Bliss Creamer- $.67 ea (saved $1.83 ea)

(1) Sundown Naturals Vitamins- FREE + $.71 ea (saved $4.50 ea)

(1) Sundown Naturals Vitamins- FREE + $.51 ea (saved $4.50 ea)

(1) Capri Sun Roarin' Waters- $2.34 ea (saved $.65 ea)

Total paid: $12.56  Total Saved: $41.11

77% Savings

Tuesday's Total 2/28/12

Ugh. This week hasn't been one of my best when it comes to finding deals and saving money. I guess I wasn't really in the shopping mood, but didn't want to forgo the whole week. So don't be surprised if these numbers aren't the greatest.

First I'll start off with Publix. I had a list made and was eager to go shopping, when all of a sudden my printer ran out of ink. As you may know, about 80% of coupons are now printed online. And without ink, I wasn't able to print the ones I needed. But I decided to take a trip to Publix anyways since I was already going by there. And of course I got sucked into a "deal" they had going on that if you buy 4 P&G items, you get a rotisserie chicken for free. It was late, and I was hungry, so I caved. It wasn't all bad though, I still managed to save money in the long run, but this goes down as one of my worst Publix trips yet.

Here's what I wound up getting...

** No photo taken**
(2) Iams Dog Food 7lbs- $4.99 ea (saved $6.50 ea)

(3) Coke 2L- $.76 ea (saved $1.13 ea)

(1) Downy Fabric Softener- $4.99 ea (saved $2.26 ea)

(1) Gallon Milk- $2.65 ea (saved $1.00 ea)

(1) Always Infinity- $6.49 ea (saved $2.70 ea)

(1) Rotisserie Chicken- FREE (saved $7.39 ea)

Total Paid: $26.39  Total Saved: $29.74

53% Savings

My next shopping trip landed me at my local grocery store. I don't like shopping here mainly because their prices are so high, but they do tend to have a few great deals every now and then.

This is what I was able to find on their "Super Buys"...

(2) Gain 50oz- $1.99 ea (saved $5.00 ea)

(2) Puffs Multi pack Tissues- $2.49 ea (saved $4.00 ea)

(2) Bounty Basic Paper Towels 8ct- $2.99 ea (saved $4.50 ea)

Total Paid: $14.94  Total Saved: $27.00

64% Savings

Then on Saturday I headed out to Dollar General since I had their $5 off $25 coupon. Last time I used this coupon I was able to score big, but this week proved to be a challenge. I had a lot of bogo coupons I was hoping to use, so my total would be minimal, but they didn't have anything I was looking for. So instead of letting the coupon expire without using it, I was sucked in to the possibility of a deal (notice a pattern this week?).

This is how it looked when I left...

(2) Febreeze Fabric Refresher- $1.05 ea (saved $2.45 ea)

(1) Colgate Toothpaste- $.80 ea (saved $.20 ea)

(2) DG Popcorn- $.80 ea (saved $.20 ea)

(1) Colgate Kids Toothpaste- $1.20 ea (saved $1.80 ea)

(1) Conair Clippers- $8.00 ea (saved $2.00 ea)

(1) Nivea Body Lotion- $1.80 ea (saved $2.20 ea)

(2) Lysol Spray- $3.25 ea (saved $1.00 ea)

(2) Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner- $1.00 ea (saved $1.00 ea)

(2) Lysol Wipes- $1.00 ea (saved $1.50 ea)

Total Paid: $26.00  Total Saved: $18.50

42% Savings

Now we get to the fun part of my week. If you remember, last week I mentioned that I did my first coupon trip to CVS. Needless to say, I was so excited to go back this week to see what I could find. Thankfully, the blogs I follow give a heads up to the upcoming deals, so that gave me some time to figure out just what I wanted to get, and how to get it with the least money out of pocket.

Although, once I got to the store and started to check out I ran into a few problems, most of which were my own fault. You see, the thing about coupons is that you really have to read the fine print. I didn't do that so my transactions didn't go exactly as I had planned out, but I did still manage to save a ton of money, so in the end it all worked out fine.

And here's how it went...

Transaction #1

(3) bags of Easter Candy- $2.66 ea (saved $1.13 ea)

(1) Colgate Sensitive Pro Relief Toothpaste- $3.24 ea (saved $3.55 ea)

(1) Colgate Total Advance Toothpaste- $1.74 ea (saved $2.75 ea)

Used: $4 off $20 CVS coupon

Used: $6.99 ECB (left over from last week)

Total Paid: $.49 Total Saved: $22.16

98% Savings

Earned: $7.00 ECB

Transaction #2

(1) Colgate Sensitive Pro Relief Toothpaste- $3.24 ea (saved $3.55 ea)

(1) Colgate Total Advance Toothpaste- $1.74 ea (saved $2.75 ea)

Total Paid: $5.73 Total Saved: $11.28

66% Savings

Earned: $5.00 ECB

Transaction #3

(1) Huggies Slip On Diapers- $5.99 ea (saved $6.00 ea)

(2) Up2U Gum- FREE (saved $1.57 ea)

Used: $5.99 ECB (from previous transaction)

Total Paid: $0  Total Saved: $15.13

100% Savings

Transaction #4

(1) Huggies Slip On Diapers- $5.99 ea (saved $6.00 ea)

Used: $5.99 ECB (from previous transaction)

Total Paid: $0  Total Saved: $11.99

100% Savings

CVS Total Paid: $6.22 Total Saved: $54.83

91% Savings

Tuesday's Total 2/14/12

Shockingly, I didn't do a major shopping trip this week. There just weren't any deals that I felt like I needed to go into town to get. With that being said, I did go out today (after checking the upcoming week's sales) to get a few items that I thought were a good enough deal to grab before they ended tonight. Luckily it was just to our local store here in town so it only took me about 15 minutes total. Of course while there I gave in to my sweet tooth and grabbed something sweet.

So what did I get?

**sorry no picture, this is a very last minute post since I just got back from the store and wanted to post before I forgot**

(2) Scott Extra Soft 12ct Double Roll Toilet Paper- $3.50ea (saved $3.99ea)

(2) BlueBell Half Gallon Ice Cream- $2.50ea (saved $4.49ea)

(1) Gallon Skim Milk- $1.98ea (saved $2.20ea)

Total Paid: $13.98  Total Saved: $19.16

Savings of 58%

But my savings for the night didn't end there. I also stopped by RedBox while leaving the store to pick up a FREE movie. By using Promo Code: HEART I was able to get a free movie for the night. However, since it's late (yeah, we're old and boring) we will probably wait until tomorrow to watch it. And in case you're wondering, the movie I got was Courageous. I've heard it's good but haven't actually seen anything about it. I hope it lives up the the hype, and if not, at least it was free.

So that concludes my shopping adventures for the week. Not very exciting, but I still managed to save money and that's what matters most. Now I'm off to start looking into this weeks deals and make up my shopping lists.

Tuesday's Totals 2/7/12

Well I have decided to start a weekly post about my shopping adventures. This is for two reasons, one I need to start posting more and having scheduled posts may help, and two, I don't want to only talk about my grocery trips so if I keep it to just one day a week, I won't bore you with it.

So here we go.

This week was a first for me since I started couponing one whole month ago. I had to buy every day necestity items such as milk and bread. As you may know, these items hardly ever go on sale and even more rarely have coupons.That being said, my totals this week aren't the greatest, but in the end I did save a lot of money while buying items that our family needs.

My first shopping trip was to our local grocery store (starts with an H). Since they accept Publix coupons and also double Manufacture coupons (up to $.50, which Publix here doesn't) I decided to use a few of my coupons to get some great deals.

Due to the Super Bowl I was able to snag a few deals on party type items.

(2) Stouffer's Party Size Lasagna- $7.98 ea (saved $7.61ea)

(6) OreIda Bagel Bites- $1.33 ea (saved $1.46 ea)

(4) Digiorno Rising Crust Pizza- $3.50 ea (saved $4.09 ea)

(1) Silk Almond Milk- $3.59 ea (no coupon)

(4) Dean's Ranch Dip- FREE (saved $1.99 ea)

(1) 18 ct eggs- $2.99 ea (saved $.20 ea)

(1) Chobani Greek Yogurt- $5.35 ea (no coupon)

Total Paid: $49.87 Saved: $48.50

Saving of 49%

The next day I went to Publix to be sure to catch some great deals.

(2) Publix Wheat Bread- $1.79 ea (no coupon)

(2) Smithfield Bacon- $1.83 ea (saved $3.98 ea)

(4) Aunt Jemima Waffles- $.63 ea (saved $1.62 ea)

(10) Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggies- $.50-.75 ea (saved $1.49-1.74 ea)

(6) Beech Nut Stage 2- $.28 ea (saved $.28 ea)

(1) Gallon Publix Milk- $3.79 (no coupon)

(2) Apple & Eve Fruitables- $1.20 ea (saved $2.29 ea)

(2) Swanson Broth- $.50 (saved $2.19 ea)

(2) Sominex Sleep Aid- FREE +$.31 ea (saved $3.81 ea)

(1) Hawaiian Bread round- $1.99 ea (saved $2.20 ea)

(9) Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes- $.60 ea (saved $1.09 ea)

Total Paid: $30.61 Saved: $60.67

Savings of 66%

While I was at Publix I saw a few deals that I knew I had coupons for but didn't have on me during my trip, so I decided to go back two days later while I was already planning to go to town (so no extra trip needed).

(16) Beech Nut Stage 2- $.15 ea (saved $.40 ea)

(2) Sambazon Juice- FREE (saved $2.99 ea)

(5) Swanson Broth- $.55 ea (saved $2.14 ea)

(2) Kraft Olive Oil Mayonaise- $1.60 ea (saved $3.59 ea)

(12) Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggies- $.50-.75 ea (saved $1.49-1.74 ea)
(1) Ruffles Potato Chips- $3.50 ea (saved $.79 ea)

Total Paid: $18.78 Saved: $68.78

Savings of 73%

You may notice that some of the prices change for a few of the items bought at Publix between trips. That's mainly due to the coupons available to me for the trip. Oh, and I feel like I should mention that I do NOT buy a dozen newspapers to get deals like these. I buy only two a week and mainly print most from online. Also, Publix has so many store coupons available right now that you can use with Manufacture coupons from the newspaper.

** amount saved is based upon individual store's retail value at time of purchase**

Wow!

Okay, so I apologize for all of my recent posts being all about coupons, but that's just what I'm doing now a days. My days are usually filled with clipping and searching for coupons and then planning and shopping. Who wouldn't love to see huge savings when shopping for food? I know I do.

And today was no exception.

So, in our small town we have two grocery stores. A national store (Food Lion) and a local store. As many of you may know, Food Lion is closing all of their stores in the state. This really makes me sad because I loved the deals I could get there. They were the only store to offer a half price deal if you only wanted one BOGO item. Not sure why others don't, but it's the one thing I will miss the most. Especially since many coupons require you to buy and odd number of items.

That leads me to my shopping trip today. I was tipped off last night that they were going to be marking down all items to 50% retail. Had I known this two days ago when I went in, I would have waited to buy the stuff I did. Let's just say it threw my savings percentage for a loop. But back to today, I woke up ready to go save some money. I knew there were a lot of items I have really good coupons for so I wanted to go get them before they were gone, like most of the other items in the store. I made it there around 10:30am and the parking lot was full. Thankfully a sales associate was willing to go get me a cart because there were none to be found in the store.

First, I hit up the frozen section. I know (from my previous trip) that most of the items were either gone or really picked through. I figured I'd go in and do a quick search through the cases and try to match up as many coupons as I could. I was amazed when my cart quickly became full of really cheap items. After that I decided to go straight to the baby care isle. I knew I could get a really great deal on diapers, since I was holding on to some really good coupons waiting for a deal like this. And that I did. I also scored big with baby food. A doesn't eat much since she's over a year old now, but I do like to buy the veggies and mix them in to her food for added (hidden) nutrition.

After that I decided to head home to unload my loot since I knew it would take me forever to go through the rest of the store and I didn't want my frozen food to spoil.

So what did I get? Here it is. I'm very pleased with my success, although I'm sure there are others who could have done better.

(2) boxes Freshetta Pizza- $3.00 each

(2) boxes Steak-um Burgers- $4.98 each

(2) 1lb packages FL Shrimp- $4.98 each

(4) packages Oscar Mayer Carving Board Meat- $1.65 each

(1) package Land 'o Frost Wrap Kit- $2.50 each

(2) packages Lunchables (with fruit) $1.20 each

(2) packages Butterball Turkey Hot dogs- $1.90 each

(1) box Fillo Dough- $1.90 each

(2) packages Hot Pocket Snackers- $1.00 each

(1) bag Tyson Anytizers- $2.85 each

(1) box Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sandwiches- $1.95 each

(1) box Super Pretzel- $1.10 each

(2) boxes Aunt Jemima Pancakes- $1.35 each

(3) packages Huggies Slip-on Diapers- $3.25 each

(2) packages Pull-Ups- $3.40 each

(2) packages Huggies Wipes- $3.49 each

(2) 6 packs Pediasure- $3.50 each

(2) bottles Childrens Advil- $1.00 each

(2) boxes Beech Nut Cereal- FREE

(4) jars Beech Nut Stage 2.5- $.08 each

Total Spent: $90  62% Savings

Once I got home and got everything unpacked, I searched online for a few more useful coupons (mainly baby food) and then headed back to the store for another round. This time I was focusing on items to fill the pantry and some personal care items as well. 

Round two looks something like this (warning: this is a really long list):

(6) packages Bird's Eye Veggies- $.92 each

(10) boxes Weight Watcher's Smart Ones- $1.20 each

(2) jars Planter's Peanut Butter- $.95 each

(2) jars Smucker's Sugar Free Jam- $.65 each

(1) bottle French's Dijon Mustard- $.75 each

(1) bottle Red Hot Hot Sauce- $.50 each

(1) bottle Red Hot Thick Hot Sauce- $.75 each

(2) bottles Kraft Salad Dressing- $1.12 each

(4) cans Dole Pineapple- $.60 each

(3) cans Veg-All- $.43 each

(2) 4 packs Dole Fruit Crisp Cups- $.50 each

(3) cans Hunt's Tomatoes- $.70 each

(2) jars Newman's Own Salsa- $.90 each

(2) boxes FL Cornbread Stuffing- $.85 each

(1) bottle V8 Smoothie- $.95 each

(2) bottles V8 Fusion- $1.45 each

(4) cans FL Condensed Soup- $.75 each

(3) cans Campbell Healthy Harvest Soup- $.86 each

(2) boxes Barilla Spaghetti Noodles- $.35 each

(2) jars Prego Pasta Sauce- $.92 each

(3) packages Uncle Ben's Ready Rice- $.81 each

(4) boxes Hamburger Helper- $.80 each

(2) cans Swanson Chicken Breast- $.72 each

(1) package Millstone Coffee- $2.85

(1) bottle FL Pure Vanilla- $3.24

(2) bottles Lou Ana Peanut Oil- $1.35 each

(1) container Truvia Sweetener- $2.75 each

(1) box FL Pancake Mix- $1.75 each

(1) bottle Axe Body Spray- $1.70 each

(1) bottle Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant- $3.00 each

(1) bottle Gillette Deodorant- $1.69 each

(1) bottle Gillette Body wash- $1.65 each

(1) pack Children's Toothbrushes- $2.50 each

(1) box Tampax Compact Tampons- $4.50 each

(1) box Advil Congestion Relief- $ 2.90

(2) bottles Benefiber- $1.65 each

(1) box Cepacol Throat Drops- $1.00 each

(2) boxes Honey Nut Cheerios- $2.00 each

(3) Beech Nut Little Steamers- $.81 each

(9) jars Beech Nut Stage 2.5- $.02 each

Total Spent: $94  66% Savings

Although I spent more than my usual budget, I did stock up my pantry and freezer for quite a while. However, I do plan to go back in a few days to see if they have lowered prices again and will probably just get anything I can. I figure at that point most items will be around 75% off, so no coupons are really needed, although I won't completely go without them, just in case there's a great deal to have. Ah, so glad to have this out in the open. I'm always so excited on shopping day and just want to tell everyone what I found! Like I said before, it's a new addiction. Well, at least I'm saving money and not spending any. Right?

Coupon Success!

So I have officially been bitten by coupon bug!

My goal, when I started clipping coupons this year, was to save our family money. I wasn't sure on how much I could save, I just knew that we were spending way too much on food. I did my research and stumbled upon a few very helpful blogs (which I've mentioned before). In case you haven't read my previous posts about couponing, I'll just tell you again. My two go-to websites are southernsavers and savingwellspendingless. Both have links to just about any store you have nearby, with all of their coupon/deal match-ups listed. Using these two website has allowed me to save over $250, and that's just in two weeks.

Some of the questions I've received from those who know me personally are, "Are you buying things you actually need?" and "Are you really saving money?" The answer to both of those questions is a simple "Yes."

I have yet to buy (and most likely never will) anything that a member of my household could/ would not use. Yes, some of the items I have purchased over the past few weeks aren't things I would normally buy (if full price) but they are still items that are useful to our family.

So, are you ready to see my deals? Now keep in mind that I'm very new at this, and I have yet to do a really big shopping trip. The items you will see listed below are the only items I have bought over the past two weeks.  

My first trip was to Publix on 1/17. Here's what I got...

(2) boxes Quaker Chewy Granola bars- $1.17 each

(2) boxes Ritz Crackers- $1.40 each

(2) pouches Sarkist Albacore Tuna- $1.10 each

(8) boxes Green Giant Frozen Veggies- $.78 each

(2) boxes Boca Burgers- $1.40 each

(2) bottles Ken's Steakhouse Dressing- $1.25 each

(2) cans Valley Fresh White Chicken- $1.25 each

(2) boxes Lipton Tea Bags- $.60 each

(2) packages Atheno's Feta- $.80 each

(4) boxes Gortons Grilled Tilapia- $1.75 each

Total: $31.00  64% savings

Then yesterday I went out and hit four different stores for even more savings.

First up was Walmart. Although I had a much longer list, many items were not available in my store. Also, due to our discount (on original prices) I was able to get some pretty awesome deals...

(4) containers Scotch Brite Disinfecting Wipes- $.99 each

(2) boxes Zantac- $1.81 each

(2) boxes Pepcid AC- $.94 each

Total: $9.00  72% savings

Next I stopped by Publix...

(2) loaves Publix bread- $1.89 each

(8) 3.5lb Bags Beneful Dog Food- $1.90 each

(4) Bags Crunchmaster's Crackers- $.72 each

(2) tubs I Can't Believe it's Not Butter- $.85 each

(2) boxes Club Crackers- $1.40 each

Total: $26.00  66% savings

Then I stopped by Walgreen's for a deal on cereal. I don't have a photo of my score, but I got...

(2) boxes Froot Loops- $1.50 each

(2) boxes Frosted Flakes- $1.50 each

Total: $6.00  70% savings

Later that night I went by our local supermarket (starts with an H, for the locals). I, again, don't have a photo of my score, but I got...

(2) Jumbo packages Huggies Snug & Dry diapers-$ 4.99 each

Total: $10.00  57% savings

Then tonight was my most recent trip to the store. I stopped by Dollar General because I had a $5 off $25 coupon so I figured I would try to get some great deals and save even more...

(3) packages Dollar General gift boxes- $.52 each

(2) boxes Glade Lasting Impressions - $2.12 each

(1) 8ct package Brawny Paper Towels- $4.97

(2) packages BIC Soleil Razors- $1.68 each

(2) packages Reach Toothbrushes- $.54 each

Total: $15.00  64% savings

** % savings are based upon actual cost of item at each store. It is best to price compare to make sure you are getting a great deal**

Becoming a coupon queen

Well, not quite yet, but I'm getting there. I have spent the majority of the day today making out my grocery list for the week. It's not very detailed, but I was able to catch some great deals. Thanks to these blogs, here and here, I have become much more aware of my spending. I always thought that if I was able to hit a great buy-one-get-one (BOGO) sale, then I was hitting the jackpot. That was until I started doing more research into coupons. I found that there are many more deals out there, you just have to take the time to find them.

I've used the websites I mentioned earlier to help guide me, and to maybe point out a deal I didn't see before, but for the most part I try to do it on my own since those sites aren't local to me. Also, they're great for finding just about any coupon you could imagine (that's available). Also, I've recently "Liked" a few pages on Facebook and have saved so much money by doing so. It's amazing how many companies are on there and are willing to give you a great deal just to try their product.

Well, that's my life today in a nutshell. Just searching the internet for a great deal, printing coupons, and then clipping said coupons. I still need to work on my organizing skills though. My coupon stash is getting to be a little crazy, but it actually makes me happy to see it, because now, all I see is money saved. Yay.