Second trip to Publix in one week

I am not one to go to the same store more than once a week, but I did this week. We were low on cereal (only 4 unopened boxes left - gasp!). Plus, they had coffee for .99. Come on - who is going to pass that up? Not this coffee junkie!!

In total, I spent $8.94 and saved $22.66.

And here is the breakdown:

Raisin Bran Crunch $1.99 - $1.00Q = .99 (bought 2)

Frosted Flacks $1.99 - $1.00Q = .99

Dole Pineapple Slices $0.99 - .50Q (doubled) = FREE (bought 2)

Maxwell House $1.99x2 =3.98 - $2/2Q = $1.98 (.99 ea.)

Cambell's Soup $1.00x2 = $2.00 - $1.00/2 = $1.00 (0.50 ea.)

Dr Pepper $1.00x2 = $2.00

Pink Lemonade $1.00

The eggs were free because I had a Q for free eggs if you bought 2 boxes of Kelloggs cereal.

Publx Finale

Let's do this quick:

I spent $13.81 at Publix and saved $33.13. Sweet!

Produce at Kroger

I usually go to Kroger every week and get the Manager Special meats. These are meats that are about to expire or they just have too much of in the meat case. I go home, freeze it and it is just fine.

Today, I went and only saw some chicken thighs and lunch meat. I did take a stroll through produce section and WOW! I got so much produce for amazing prices!! With the produce I bought, I spent $11.53 and saved $24.94.

Why do they mark it down? They mark down veggies and fruit that there is too much of, ugly, or they will not get any replacement stock. The corn was marked down because they got a new shipment in this morning (talked to the produce guy) and there was just too much. The peaches were dinged up (doesn't matter, they are going in a cobbler). The mushrooms are going out of date in two days. They mark down the produce and bag it up and sit it aside the rest of the fruit. You cannot miss the huge orange stickers on them!

With all of the other goodies shown in the picture, I spent a total of $30.53 and saved $28.89! It is a bit low for my average savings, but the Tide threw off the savings.

Before I pick Abby up from Pre-K, I am going to make a peach cobbler, oh yum!

Another Freebie

Oh yay! Another freebie! If you go to a Sonic restaurant on June 3rd between 8pm and midnight, you can snag a free Root Beer Float! Go here for more information. Enjoy!

Free Krispie Kreme Donut

Here is a way to score a free Krispie Kreme donut. Go here and register for their perks program. You can then print a coupon for a free glazed donut. I remember these tasty treats when I used to eat them at 3am in college. Ah, good times!

Friday Finale!

This week was a good week for me. I was running low on cereal and meat, but we seem to be doing well on everything else. Here is the run down…

Publix – I spent $10.53 and saved $33.20. Some notable mentions are free milk with 3 boxes of cereal ($1.99x3= $5.97 – (3)$1 = $2.97 for three boxes and milk. I am still using the free rotisserie chicken coupons we got at the Braves game (a $7.39 value).

Kroger – I spent $14.87 and saved $17.35. Lately, it seems that I am only going to Kroger for the marked down meats. My store marks down meats in the morning that they want to clear away quickly. Sometimes it is because it is about to expire or they just have too much. Notiable mentions are… $0.50 packs of BallPark Angus Franks (was $4.97 ea), filet mignon $3.51 (was $8.79), and 96% lean ground beef $3.95 (was $6.60).

Friday Finale!

Ok, I haven't been to the grocery store for several weeks (thanks to stockpiles), but I did have to break down and go. Looking at the ads, Publix seemed like the place to be. So off I went..

I spent $28.73 and saved $64.44. Amazing, right? It got me excited about shopping again. It was a pleasant trip. I got in my favorite cashier's line and we chatted. But, one bad thing she told me was that Publix is going with a nationwide rule that a store is not a competitor unless it is less than 8 miles away (why that exact distance, I don't know). So, now I cannot use my Target or FoodLion coupons anymore. Boo! I missed out on about $4.00 in savings on this trip thanks to that.

At Kroger, I bought some meat and apples that were marked down (freeze it when you get home, and it's still good). I spent $14.54 and saved $17.47. Yay!

I think I will swing by CVS on my way to my daughter's daycare. Will keep you posted~

Friday Finale!

This week was the week I usually take off from grocery shopping. But looking at the Publix and Kroger ads, I saw some great deals that would not be that much money.

Publix

Spent $12.13
Saved $43.26.

That’s 78% savings!

Some of the greatest items was the Fantastic ($1 each), Mueller pasta (.42 each), bleach (.01), Betty Crocker Potatoes (FREE, plus got the shopping bag FREE), Kraft BBQ sauce (.10), and Ken’s sauce/marinade (.40 each), Pam (.49 each), Yoplait Yogurt (not pictured, but FREE), and Dial soap (.55 each).

Kroger

Spent $1.53.
Saved $16.52

I had two transactions, one was on Saturday and the other on Monday. I bought the cake and brownie mixes on Saturday for 0.30 each. On Monday I bought the rice cakes for FREE! I love keeping brownie mixes in the house, you never know when people will visit. It is a quick snack for everyone and who does not love the smell of freshly baked brownies!
With the cake and brownie mixes I was able to send off for the Duncan Hines $5 Rebate. And I only spent $1.50!

Grand total

$ 13.66 and saved $59.78! Savings of 81%! Pretty good for my off week!!

Tyson Chicken

Here is something great that my mom stumbled upon. She lives near a Tyson processing plant (chickens go in, packaged meat comes out). Once a week, they open their little "store" to the public to come in and get amazing deals on chicken. She buys four bags of chicken for $24 - huge bags!

For that price you get chicken pieces that they cut away to make all of the perfectly shaped breast pieces you buy in the store. They are about the size of chicken fingers.

I split one order with my sister. She got two bags and I got two bags (we don't have giant freezers like our mom). I have been using the pieces to make chicken pot pies, grilled chicken for salads, Buffalo chicken strips, and other dishes.

Free Aluminum Foil

Celebrate Earth Day!

Reynolds Wrap is giving away free boxes of their new foil made from 100% recycled aluminum. You better hurry to get this rebate because there will be a limited number available.

On April 22 (Earth Day) at 4:22 am EDT the coupon will be available for download.

Go here for more info and to sign up for a reminder so you don't miss out!

Friday Finale!!

Here is this week's shopping!

Publix
Spent $13.25
Saved $47.39
78% Savings

Kroger
Spent $35.05
Saved $35.46
50% Savings

I did not go to Walgreens or CVS this week. I planned on it, but never got around to it. Let's see how next week's ads look. We are pretty well stocked on everything at home. There are a couple of things that could be replenished, but they are not necessary. I may or may not go out next week.

Everyone screams for ICE CREAM (and milkshakes)!!

I stumbled over this eClub from Bruster's. If you sign up, you get a free ice cream on your birthday and various coupons throughout the year. Yum!Also, Q100 in Atlanta is sponsoring a promotion at Steak'n Shake. If you dine-in (no drive-thru or carryout), you'll receive a free milkshake (get the chocolate malt!). Now, I know it is going to freeze tonight in Georgia (talking about a freak of nature), but the offer is good until the 17th of April. Yay you!

$5 Rebate on Sale Items

You know how the song goes....these are a few of my favorite things....

Here are two of my favorite things rolled into one. Getting something for free and getting fun things in the mail (yeah, my inner geek comes out sometimes).

Here is what I am doing to get free stuff and something fun in the mail. Go to Publix and buy 5 of the Duncan Hines Brownie or Cake Mixes that are on sale for $1.30 each. Use 5 of the .35 coupons (that double = .70) and pay .59 for each box. Your total will be $2.95.

Print out this rebate form and send in all of the requested info. In the mail you will get a $5.00 rebate for only spending $2.95.

I think Kroger is having a similar deal, but I went to Publix this week.

One thing I love about rebates is that I forget about sending them in and when they do come, it makes my day. I am easily amused!

My Household and Health Item Stockpile

I thought I would do an inventory of my stockpile of health care and home items. Most of this stuff I didn't pay anything for due to ECB and RR.

As some of you know, I am an architect who was recently laid off due the building industry's "standstill." I have had a cleaning lady for years and thus never had a need for cleaning supplies.

I have been trying all types of cleaners and now find cleaning day an adventure of sorts with new products and experiments.

Clearly, our little household of three doesn't need all of this. I am planning on giving some of these items to various charities. The cleaner is going to a local greyhound adoption agency's kennel who rescues dogs from racetracks (before they meet an unfavorable end of their lives). We are a greyhound household.

Some of the health items are going to a potter's house that I discovered through a renovation project at my old architecture firm. Currently, I have 11 tubes of toothpaste and tons of shampoo. I am sure they will get more use there.

Friday Finale

I had an ok week. Publix and Kroger did not WOW!! me. CVS on the other hand made me insanely happy. I left the store with only paying 41 cents (the tax). That was my best CVS trip yet!

Here are my totals.....

Kroger

Spent $27.87
Saved $36.46
57% Savings

Publix

Spent $16.77

Saved $29.94

64% Savings

CVS

Spent $0.41

Saved $22.12

99% Savings

Walgreens

Spent $2.48

Saved $2.49

50% Savings

***I only bought some mints on clearance and a box of HSM2 Ziplock bags to embarrass my husband a work. :-)

Grand Total

Spent $47.12

Saved $91.01

Saved 66%

Buying what you don't need

I stole this question/answer from another blog because I think it is a great way of thinking. I was thinking of donating to a charity and this is a way to do it.

Do you think its worth buying free items even if you won't use them?!?In my opinion yes... its extremely worth it!
The main reason being:
"Sometimes you have to buy products you don't need to get products you do. Now this rule might seem like a hard one to understand. Here is an example- The other day I went to Walgreen's because they had a great promotion going on. You had to buy 10 Gillette shaving products and you would receive $5 back to use in the store. So I went in and got 10 of the cheapest shaving gels which were $2 a piece for a total of $20. Well Walgreen's had a store coupon for $1 off each shaving gel which brought the total down to $10. Plus I had 10 $1 off manuf coupons bringing the total down to nothing but tax!!!:) I then used the $5 in another transaction to get 4 FREE newspapers to get more coupons... So I walked out of there with 10 FREE shaving gels that I didn't need, but 4 FREE newspapers that I did!!"
Here are some ideas to make use of those freebies-

• Make Gift Baskets for friends and relatives. There is so much more thought that goes into making a homemade gift basket. My grandmother received this (pictured above) on her Birthday and loved it. I wrapped up toothbrushes, toothpaste, cleaning supplies, air fresheners and much more. It might seem odd but she thought it was creative and unique. Its also nice to know that your giving others items they will actually use, unlike some gifts!
• Donate the items to a homeless shelter or Women's shelter. You could also research online and donate to a cause your most passionate about.
• Have a garage sale every couple months. This is a win win situation- You make some money and also help others who don't "coupon" get a great deal too!
  Make money selling items on EBay. This is a fun hobby to pursue along with "couponing". When you just can't resist saying no to a freebie at least you can sell it on EBay!
• Try new things!! For example if you find a free deal on a food item you've never tasted then give it a chance. That's the fun of using coupons... you don't have to be brand loyal... you can try new things!

Friday Finale

My husband is begging for me to get off the computer, so this Friday Finale will be short and sweet.
Grand total
Spent 43.01
Saved $104.41
That is about 70% savings! Yay me!

Bolt DVD Coupons

If you have a little one like me, this is a great offer for you. Target has a couple coupons on the new Bolt movie coming to DVD and BlueRay. If you buy the BlueRay you receive $10 off and with the DVD you'll receive $5. Go here to print the coupon.

This is a great Easter basket gift instead of candy.

Junk Mail Is Sometimes a Good Thing

I typically complain about junk mail. I think it is a complete waste of paper (= tree). But, I do flip through it while dumping it into the trash. But, this week has been profitable for me. Here are some little nuggets of savings I found.....

1. A large booklet of Target coupons that also included a $5 coupon on groceries.
2. An offer from Glade that had a coupon for their new candle coming out in a few weeks. (I think this came from being registered on their site.

3. A booklet from a local outlet mall with coupons to some of their stores (Gap, Old Navy, Anne Taylor, and others). A lot of these did not have a minimum purchase amount!

Not bad for just opening your mailbox!

Friday Totals

Ok, here we go....

CVS

Total $12.51
Savings $44.64(still have $2 for next week)

78% Saved

Publix

Total $ 14.82

Savings $42.50

74% Saved

Target

Total $18.69

Savings $11.68

38% Saved

Not great savings here because $9.50 was a huge bottle of Tide, but for the other $9.16 I bought a beef roast, motts applesuce, pledge, snuggle fabric softner and gum.

Grand total

Spent $56.02

Saved $98.82

Yes, I went over my budget, but I blame it on the Tide.......

5 Great B1G1 Deals

Here are my top five buy-one-get-one-free deals lately:

• Yankee Candle Company here B1G1 50% off. They have candles as low as $14.99.
• Bath and Body Works here (ok, so this is a B2G1) This offer applies to the Signature Collection. If you order online you can get free shipping with orders over $60. Use FREESHIP60 when checking out.
• Baskin Robbins here This is good for their great sundaes. Better hurry on this one, it ends on the 28th of March.
• Glade Air Fresheners here There are two coupons, one for the Sense and Spray Automatic Spray. The other coupon is for the Plug-in Scented Oil Lasting Impressions. Also, if you register on the site, you can request a booklet of more coupons.
• Blackberry Phones here I am a huge fan of Blackberry (or "crackberry" as my husband says). I love being able to check my email and Facebook wherever I go. I really want the touch screen model, but alias, AT&T does not carry that model. This deal is through Verizon.

Amazon $5 Gift Certificates

Right now, Amazon is giving away $5 and $10 gift certificates for subscribing to certain magazines. Go here and you will find the rather long list. Here are a few honorable mentions:

Food Network $11.99

• Redbook 9.99 (for 2 years!)
• Harpers Bazar $8.00
• All You $19.99 (lots of coupons and may pay for itself in the end)

I am a lover of magazines. It is nice to turn off the TV and just flip through a magazine at the end of the day.

Glade Coupons

I have to admit, I was a little jealous that I was not able to get all of those Glade airfreshners last week at Walgreens. I never requested the Glade coupon book and did not have all of those wonderful high value coupons. But Saturday it came and it was wonderful!

One semi good deal that I was able to snag was at Publix.

The Scented Oil candle holders were 2/$5 (seriously, it was). I had the B1G1 coupon and the $3 coupon from the Glade book. I spent $2 for 2! While it was not free, I do enjoy my nice sweet smelling candles! Plus, inside of each package was a coupon for another $2 off your next candle holder and a B1G1 for the refills! Yay me!

REstaurant Certificates

Here is a great savings to jump on at Restaurant.com. For a limited time, you can purchase a $25 gift certificate to a local restaurant in your area for only $4. Plus, you'll get another $10 gift certificate for free! And we like free, don't we?

Restaurant.com

To find your local participating eateries, just put in your zip. At checkout enter the code: GREEN Your total will be adjusted and you'll see your savings. There are minimum purchases with every certificate and alcohol is not considered part of your total. I think the requirements are very reasonable. I think these are wonderful for cheap lunches with friends or inexpensive "date nights" with the hubby.

IKEA free breakfast

Who doesn't love IKEA? Super cheap items and now a free meal! The Atlanta IKEA is giving away a free breakfast starting on the 20th of March!

http://info.ikea-usa.com/seizethedays/

Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book

Do you like Rachael Ray? Want a free book?

Get a FREE copy of Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book by mail when you send in one UPC and an original receipt from the purchase of any of these participating products:

• Crocs
• Snyder's of Hanover
• Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets
• Funjet Vacations.

You'll find this offer on page 128 of the April issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray (you can also get a free trial issue of the magazine here). Send the UPC and receipt to:
Every Day with Rachael Ray Attn: Spring Ahead
16 East 34th Street New York, NY 10016
As always, there's a limit of one per household while supplies last. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.
(I am pretty thankful that I have a bag of Snyder's Pretzels in the pantry (that I had a coupon and found on sale at Kroger!)

A Sign of the Times

It is so easy to save money with all of the coupons out there and freebies we share with each other. But I think that it is only fair to share ways to stay away from snicky ways companies try and take our money. Here is an article someone sent me that I think is worth mentioning. It seems that everyone is trying to nickle and dime you. Just a little thought...

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/03/13/dq-charging-for-nuts-whip-cream-why-so-cheap/

I recently was asked by a store clerk how did I get so many coupons. I have two huge coupon organizers that look like they are going to explode, and various other stacks that are waiting to go in. Here is how I get so many....

I buy one paper on Sunday. On Thursdays, metro Atlanta residents receive a small weekend promotional paper from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that has the same coupons as the Sunday paper inside...free. I am a kind neighbor and pick up the one from the house next door (that is up for sale with no one living there) to help the street look better ;-) With all of that I end up with three sets of coupons each week.

Every few weeks, I go on Ebay and spend about $2 and buy some more coupons. Usually you can get about 100-200 coupons for that amount....which is a very good deal. I get a lot of coupons that are not printed in this region of the country (why, I have no idea). These are handy sometimes.

Happy shopping!

OK, I have to admit, my inner geek came out last night. I had read that at 8:30PM EST Old Navy would reset their coupons. These were great coupons ($75 off $100, $50 off $100, 20% off, etc.). Well, I waited and waited until 8:30, the page loaded, I found the coupon and WHAM! - the whole site freezes up and crashes. Talk about a buzz kill!

So, this morning I went to the site again and printed out a nice "$5 off $25" with no problem. To find this hidden coupon is not hard. Just click on the trees to the right of the lady in the white and floral dress. The stipulation with this coupon is that it has to be sunny outside (seriously, that is what it says). If it happens to be raining, like in Atlanta today, use the "$5 off $25 when it it rainy" coupon. Just click on the dog on the right of the screen.
http://www.oldnavyweekly.com/

Another coupon that has been going around is a 30% off your total. This one can be used at Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic. Five percent of your money saved will go to the charity of your choice. Here is the link:
http://www.gapgiveandget.com/np/lls.html

Books-A-Million Coupons

I am on my way to Books-A-Million this afternoon to enjoy a nice free coffee and a little "child free" reading time. Here are some great coupons! Enjoy!

http://www.booksamillioninc.com/save/coupons/isc_mcc50.html

Longhorn Coupon - Free Appetizer

It this economy, it is hard not to find an awesome coupon for something free! Here is a coupon for a free appetizer at Longhorn.....and who doesn't like Longhorn? Now, you do have to buy two adult meals, but hey, you are there to eat dinner, right?
http://www.longhornsteakhouse.com/menu/3_9_09_coupon.asp?cmpid=lh3909eblastpromo

Bath and Body Works

I love "bath stuff," but usually only Bath and Body Works (Sweet Pea!). I found this little gift if you purchase any item from the Signiture Collection ($10.50 for wash).

http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=3518446&cp=3161131&cm_re_o=m2n%20ZVCjCuwzfAywn.vCjCdyww%20fBfw%20cbft%20zEY%205Aygtzlw

FYI - If you sign up to get on their mailing list (when you are in the store), you will receive coupons in the mail every couple of months. Whenever I have gone in to use one of these coupons, they are always in the middle of a great sale! And often I have seen coupons for new items - for free! Then, there are the Christmas time coupons....ah, those are always good times!

Old Navy Coupons

I found this fun game from another blog. It is hilarious! The point is to find hidden coupons within the ad. Here is the link...
http://www.oldnavyweekly.com/
Most of the really great coupons are gone for this week, but the site says to keep checking back. I found a 20% coupon which was pretty handy last Saturday!

Shopping this week!

I like to get all of my shopping done early in the week, typically Monday or Tuesday. This week, I think I did pretty well. There were somethings that were a little pricer that ran up my total at Kroger. Yet, I am only buying a few things at Publix this week so I suppose it evened out. Here is a break down of what I spent.....

Kroger

Spent $51.73

Saved $46.90

Savings 48%

CVS

Spent $14.06 (this would of been $2 cheaper if I hadn't make a mistake and pick up the wrong shampoo)
Saved $62.07

Savings 82%

Earned cash for next week $8.00

Grand Total

Spent $65.79

Saved $108.97