New Coupon Strategy!!

I found this website that sells coupons, you can buy whole inserts or individual coupons. I thought it was a good idea but didn't think to persue it until papers went up to $3.00. $3.00 for a paper where you might or might not get enough coupons to cover the cost is ridiculous let alone buying mulitple copies, like I usually like too do. So anyways I've decided it will be more economically beneficial to me to use this website, it is www.couponsthingsbydede.com When the ads come out every week I look at them, see what I want and go to that website and order the coupons. You can usually order up to 50 or so coupons (of the same one, I don't know if you would need 50 of something but you never know:)) every 7 days and they cost anywhere from 5 cents per coupon to 20 cents (depending on the coupons worth) so for instance......
*My friend got me hooked on VIVA paper towels, LOVE THEM, but they are kind of pricey ($1.22 per pack, not bad but we go through them like crazy) and there are not alot of coupons available, in the Sunday inserts, so on the website there is a coupon for $0.60 off that cost $0.08 per coupon. This makes them $0.62 (+$0.08) per roll, making the price alot more enticing!!
*Another example, I'm kind of picky about the ice cream we buy, I love Bryers, it usually cost $3.50, but at Wal-Mart right now it is only $2.25 I found a coupon for $1.00 off one carton (another coupon I have never seen before) and so the total of this ice cream is $1.25!! At most places you can't even buy a single cone for that!! (are you sick of this yet?)
*Last example, back when I went to Walgreens and bought the Garnier shampoo for free, I had 16 coupons, if I would have known about this website I probably would have ordered like 50 coupons and then been able to "buy" 50 shampoos for free, and had our 2 year supply of hair care products!! This method will be really good when Kroger or Albertson's has their 10 for 10 sales, with them doubling and tripling their coupons think of how much free stuff you can get without having to buy 10-20 newspapers!! (and plus the coupons are already clipped for you!!)

Another Coupon Source

Another good way to save is by using electronic coupons. There are 2 great place to find electronic coupons. By electronic coupons I mean, coupons that you download to your grocery sponsered card. Places like Kroger, Smiths, Fry's etc... You can usually use this coupon plus a paper coupon and get an even bigger discount or alot of free stuff. You just register on the website, choose the store you want to apply your coupons to and they usually have you type in the number on your card. Check out these sites!!
www.shortcuts.com
www.cellfire.com
does anybody know of any other free electronic coupons sites?

Walgreens

Another good place to shop and save money on toiletries, household cleaners, etc.....is Walgreens. They have a program called "easy saver coupons" they are instore coupons (that you pick up, it looks like a little brochure, at the front of the store) you can combine these coupons with manufactured coupons.

Here is an example.....

1. Garnier shampoo, conditioner, and styling products

*price $2.99

*easy saver coupon $2.00 off (in their ad they will tell you what coupons apply to what product so you don't have to search the brochure every week)

*Manufactured coupon $1.00 off

*ending price+$0.01 (so with the $3.00 worth of coupons you get the product free plus 1 penny)

2. Colgate toothpaste

*price $3.49

*easy saver coupon $2.50 off

*manufactured coupon $0.75 off (often times they have $1.00 off but this time I had the $0.75 off one)

*ending price $0.24

3. Revelon emery boards

*price $0.99

*easy saver coupon $1.00 off

*ending price +$0.01

4. Fushion Razor

*price $8.99

*register rewards $4.00 off(which is basically a reciept that equals money. They print this coupon off and you can use it towards your next purchase.)

*manufactured coupon $4.00 off

*ending price $4.99 (but I took my register rewards and bought 5 more tubes of toothpaste for $0.95)

So all in all I spent a little over $6.00 and saved $88.00

Getting Started

I have had a couple people ask me about coupons and saving money and so I decided that I would try to start this blog again, because it really is SO rewarding to save 50% off of your grocery bill or come home with free stuff from the store!! So these are the things I would do to get started in saving money...
1. Buy the Sunday newspaper. I usually buy one copy and then if they have alot of coupons that I like I will go back and buy multiple copies. In Texas you can buy the newspaper first on Saturday night and then they get another shipment Sunday that stays on the shelf throughout the week until it is all sold out. This takes care of not having to shop on Sunday if you don't want to. In Utah they only have coupons in the Sunday edition, so you may want to ask around, to see if your friends or neighbors don't use their coupons. You can also order multiple copies of the newspaper to be delivered on Sunday. The only problem with this is, if you don't like the coupons you will have lost that money.
2. Coupons!! There are tons of places on the internet that offer free coupons. Google "free coupons" and you will come up with some different sites. One of my favorites is Penny Pincher Gazette. Another website that I like to look at is freebies4mom.blogspot.com this website lists different coupons, free samples, and instore promotions that are awesome!!
3. Shop the Ads. Call around to the different stores in your area and have your name put on a mailing list to send you their weekly ad. When you get your ads in the mail, plan your menu according to the sales and what coupons you can use. For instance, last week the split bone-in chicken breast were $0.77 so I bought about 10 lbs, and froze them in meals size portions. Making about 6 meals, By throwing some frozen chicken in the crock pot with a can of italian tomatoes, making mashed potatoes, and a vegetable you have a very healthy meal for 5 for under $2.50.

I'll add more to this list tomorrow, but for now these are just a few things you can do to save money on your grocery bill!!

Not Home

I have been in Utah for the past week and will be here for the next month so I'm kind of out the loop when it comes to great sales in Texas!! If anybody hears of anything good, or sees any good coupons let me know!! I would love to hear any comments from my readers concerning ways to improve this blog or any great ideas on how to get the word out on all these fabulous sales that we see!!

Blogging!!

I am so sorry it has been so long since I posted anything!! My computar's internet has not been working and now it is finally fixed!!
Albertson's
Albertson's is having a really good sale going on for the next two weeks (August 5) There are a ton of items from the price of $0.50 to $2.00!! (which with their coupon policy will be very cheap, if not free!) A couple of my favorite buys are French's mustard for $0.50. Check your coupons for a $0.35 off coupon, with this coupon tripled it's free plus a $0.55 credit!! Powerade is also $0.50. So much cheaper than going to the gas station and buying it for over a dollar!! There are so many things to write about, I'll just let you check out the ad yourself!! Also at Albertson's it is Hawaiian Luau days, so the fruit (mango's, pineapple, and watermelon) are really cheap!!

Deals

Albertsons (7/16-7/22)
1. General Mills cereals & Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks-6 for $10.00 (making them $1.66 each, there are always coupons in almost every paper for at least $0.50 off this cereal, and also coupons for fruit snacks)
2.Albertsons Chuck Cheese(8 oz)-$1.99 each (limit 4, this sale is a three day sale July 18-July 20)
Brookshire's (7/16-7/22)
Brookshire's is having their moonlight madness slae on July 17, 4pm to 10 pm, there are lots of $1.00 off coupons in their ad that can be used during this sale only. More good news about Brookshire's is they are doubling and tripling coupons now!! (for a limited time only, which I'm not sure how long that will be)
1.Starkist Chuck Tune-2 for $1.00 (limit 4)
2.Buy 1 Get 1 Free Boneless Pork Chops
3.Hot Dog or Hamburger Buns are $0.69 this week.
Super 1 Food (7/16-7/22)
1.Food Club Canned Vegetables 3 for $0.99 (limit 12)
2.Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts-$1.47 lb
3.Boneless Bottom Round Roast or Steak-$1.97
4.Bing Cherries-$2.98 lb
Kroger(7/16-7/22)
There is a big 10 for 10 sale going on right now at Kroger, to many things to list, but a lot of really good savings!! Check your coupons, match them to these items and don't forget to triple or double your copons for ALOT of savings!! Also the big Buy 3 Save $3.00 sale from last week with all of the toiletries is still going on this week, read my post from July 10th to get the coupon details and don't delay because when I went last week I got the last 10 Herbal Essence shampoos and conditioners in the whole store!! (that were on sale, maybe it was because they were free!!)

Office Depot Sale

Office Depot is having their big sale on school supplies. 12 pack eraser caps, semicircular protractors, 2 pocket paper folders, and rulers are only 1 penny!! There is a limit of 5 on everything except the folders, which is a limit of 20. This weeks free item is a 6 pack of colored writing pad. (They are actually $7.49, free after a $7.49 mail in rebate)

Coupons

Did you get your Sunday coupons? This are the coupons that I wait for!! All of my favorite "luxery" items are in here and I can't wait for the big Albertsons's sale so that I can get alot of free goodies!! Tomorrow I will post the good sales of the week, and don't forget that today is the last day of the big Kroger sale, so if you haven't stocked up on free shampoo and $0.39 deoderant and toothpaste, (with last weeks coupons, of course) go check it out!!

Kroger

I just got back from Kroger. I bought most of the items I talked about in the previous post (buy 3 save $3.00 sale) spent around $40.00 and saved over $120.00!! I think I got enough toiletries to last us a whole year!! There was one thing I noticed today that I posted wrong. The disposable razors weren't $2.00 in the ad they were $2.00 off in the ad. So they cost about $2.39 after ad sale and coupon. Sorry

Kroger's Buy 3 Save $3 Sale!!

I'm telling you, if you have not bought coupons this week, GO!! I bought 5 sets this week and am so glad that I did!! I just recieved my Kroger ad and in matching the P&G coupons that were in it this week's paper (with the Buy 3 Save $3.00 Sale, (just check out the add if it doesn't make sense)) let me tell you the great savings.
1.Bounty paper towels (8 pack), $6.99-$1.00 coupon=$5.99 each (not the cheapest I have seen them, but still, not bad!!)
2.Herbal Essences Shapoo & Conditioner $1.50-$3.00 off 2 coupon=FREE
3.Secret Deoderant $1.39-$0.50 off coupon (doubled)=$0.39
4Old Spice Deoderant $1.39-$1.00 off coupon=$0.39
5.Crest Toothpaste $1.59-$1.00 off coupon=$0.59 (also a $0.50 off coupon in the adds (doubled) making them once again $0.59
6.Pantene Shampoo & Conditioner $2.34-$2.00 off coupon=$0.34
7.Charmin Toilet Paper (12 rolls) $5.50-$1.00 off copuon=$4.50
8.Tide Laundry Detergent $4.99-$1.00 off coupon=$3.99
9. Pampers Diapers (jumbo pack) $8.99-$1.00 off coupon=$7.99
10.Duracell Batteries (4 pack)$2.00-$0.75 off coupon=$1.25
11. Venus Disposable Razors (3 pack) $2.00-$2.00 off coupon=FREE

Watermelon, Coupons, and CVS

At Sprouts this week the watermelon is only $1.99 each!! Can't beat that!! Also the coupons this week we're pretty good, All P&G products, which are things like dish soap, laundry detergant, toothpaste, etc... CVS is having a pretty good sale on a lot of things this week.
1.Dawn dish soap is 2 for $2.00 with an extra buck reward on 2 so your really only paying 0.50 each, Then this week with the P&G coupons there is a coupon for $1.00 off the same soap, so with 2 soaps you can use 2 coupons and the store actually pays you 0.50 per soap!! (limit is 5)
2.Playtex Tampons are $4.99 with $3.00 extra bucks back (so $1.99) and once again check your coupons for a $1.00 off, and now they only cost you 0.99!!(limit 1)
3. Dole fruit in a cup is B1G1 free, (regularly $2.99) I had coupons that added another 0.50 off two packages, making them $1.25 each. (my kids love these, so I stocked up!!)
There are alot more sales at CVS (the add is in the Sunday paper) and almost all of them have a coupon to coorespond with it. The trick to this is go buy your tampons first, get the $3.00 bb(bucks back.) Then go buy your 5 soaps which will be free using your coupons amd bb, leaving you with 0.50 bb plus another $2.00 bb. (you don't acutally have to leave the store just do mulitple transactions). Then go back and buy your fruit and you'll get two packages for absolutely free. So you just paid $4.99 for a box of tampons, 5 bottles of Dawn dish soap, and 2 four packs of Dole fruit. Not bad!!

Free Food!!

Don't forget that if you go to Chick-Fil-A on July 11th you can get free food!! Did I forget the fact that you have to be dressed as a cow? Some suggestions were to cut out black dots and tape them to your face, hands, and body, I think that sounds good to me!!

Good 4th of July Weekend Sales!!

I hope everybody had a good 4th of July !! I wanted to collect all the ads before I posted this weeks good sales. With it being the holidays most of the stores have the same things on sale so here is a list of your Fourth of July weekend essentials and where you can find them. (or you can just take the ads to Wal-Mart and get it all at once!!)
Brookshire's(7/2-7/8)
1.Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs 16 oz pkg- 0.99 (Limit 3, check your coupons there is one for 0.35 off making the hot dogs only 0.64!!)
2.Vine Ripened Cantalope-0.99 each
3.Kraft BBQ sauce 0.59 (limit 3)
Albertsons(7/3-7/6)
1. Rib Eye Steak $3.99 lb (limit 1 with a $20.00 additional purchase. This Wal-Mart will not price match, so you will have to go to Albertsons to get this good deal!!)
Super 1 Food(7/2-7/8)
1.Country Style Pork Ribs 0.97 lb (I always like to throw a pound of ribs into the slowcooker with a bottle of Kraft BBQ sauce and cook it on high for 4 hours or so, eat it over white rice with some corn on the cob-which is 0.25 a cob at Wal-Mart- there's an excellent summer meal that feeds 5 for less than $4.00!!)
2.Fryer leg quarters-(Sold in 5lb bags) 0.37 a lb
3.Kraft Salad Dressing-2 for $3.00
4. Lawry's Marinade-$1.77 (check your couons, there should be one for 0.50 off any one bottle, making them actually $1.27!!)
5.Kingsford Charcoal Briquets-$4.98
6.Kraft Macaroni and Cheese-2 for $1.00
Big Lots(6/29-7/5)
1.Hanes little boys underwear (3 pack)-$2.00
Kroger(7/2-7/8)
1. Coke, Dr.Pepper, or Sprite 2 liter bottle-0.70
2.Breyer's Ice Cream-$2.27 ( Brookshire's has it "on sale" for $4.49, so this is definitely a good buy!!)

4th of July!!

Let's take a break from coupons and price matching policies for a minute!! Has anybody heard of or been to any good sales for the Fourth of July holidays? Let me know, for, I'm in the mood to SHOP!!

This Weeks Coupons

To be quite honest I've been dragging my feet with this weeks coupons, because there just isn't anything too exciting !! Although I found myself buying 4 papers just because there is a coupon for my husbands favorite tuna fish. Buy 2 get $1.00 off. (Starkist Flavor Fresh Pouch Tuna, it is soooo much better than the canned stuff but about twice as expensive!!) A General Mills cereal coupon, Betty Crocker brownie coupon, Pop Secret popcorn coupon, and Betty Crocker suddenly salad mix coupons that if used during the correct sale all of these items will be less than 50 cents if not free when you buy them. There are a couple of good sales at CVS and Walgreens....
CVS(6/29-7/5)
1. buy 1 get 1 free Shick Intuition Plus (razor kit). In this weeks coupons there is a $4.00 off coupon for these also, so take two coupons in a get 2 razors for about $1.00!! (regularly almost $10.00 each, not on sale of course).
Walgreens(6/29-7/5)
1. Pringles chips- .79, coupon this week for .30 off 3.(limit 3)
2.Van Camps Pork and Beans 0.39 (limit 3)

A Few Good Buys...

Super 1 Foods (6/25-7/1)
1. Broccoli-0.88 lb
2 Whole Chicken- 0.77 lb
3 Sunbeam Texas Giant Bread (24 oz)-0.98
4 Green Grapes-0.98 lb
Albertsons(6/25-7/1)
1. Dr Pepper, Pepsi, Sunkist, or Mt. dew 5 for $11.00 (limit 5)
2 Hot Dog or Hamburger Buns-0.50
3.C&H Pure Cane Sugar (4 lb) 0.99
(this is a 3 day sale 6/27-6/29) with a limit of 1. So bring you guests!! In this weeks newspaper there is a 0.30 off coupon (triple it) which makes it only 0.09 a bag!! or 0.69 at Wal-Mart. I checked today and it is originally $2.14 at Wal-Mart)
4. 1 dozen large eggs 0.99 (limit 1)

Wal-Mart

I know I have mentioned Wal-Mart and their price matching program in here in a few different places, but I just wanted to put together a post about the whole program and if there are any questions just let me know!! First of all, price matching is in Wal-Mart's policy which means it is in every store, don't be afraid to use this, because it will save you alot of money if you shop the sales and stock up for future use. The cashier's are pretty good about it as long as you have things in order, one suggestion was to circle (in your ad) the things you want to price match so that you won't hold up the line to much. Wal-Mart is very strict on some things, make sure the picture of the product is the same in the ad as what you are buying. The weight and brand have to be the same also. They will substitute store brands, for instance, Albertsons's cheese they will substitue it for Great Value (Wal-Mart's instore brand) cheese, but not Albertsons's cheese for Kraft cheese. A few things they will not accept is buy 1 get 1 free, % off (ex. 35% off make-up at Kroger) or other stores coupons. (Like if CVS has coupons in their ad, at CVS you can use these coupons plus the coupons from the Sunday paper) at Wal-Mart they only accept manufactures coupons. They will accept printed coupons off the internet, but everything has to be very legible, Wal-Mart will also accept ads printed off the internet as long as the date is show on the ad. Wal-Mart does often lose money by price matching but they bank on the fact that you aren't just buying those few price matched items. It took me a few tries to get everything right and not feel so nervy, but trust me, it is definitely worth it!!

Doubling or Tripling Coupons

Usually Albertson's and Kroger (Smith's) will triple the value of your coupons up to .39 and double coupons up to .50.(only on items that are on sale in the ad) For example, a box of fruit roll-ups are on sale for $1.00, and you have a coupon for .35 off. Albertsons's will triple this coupon and you will get the fruit roll-ups for free plus a .05 overage. I love this because if you stock up on coupons and then wait for the sale you can get alot of free stuff!! Things like cereal, toothpaste, fruit roll-ups, toaster struddles, (lots of name brand stuff) I could go on and on!! If you don't see any signs in the store ask the cashier!! Let me know if the stores in your area double or triple coupons.

Deals, Deals, Deals

Sorry, I've been out of town for a few days and could not access a computer!! There are a few really good deals out there this week.
1. Kellogg's Cereal- Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, and Wild Animal Crunch for .98!! (Super 1 Food) There is a limit of three, so if you want to stock up bring some guests!!
2.Coke, Sprite, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, or Fanta 5 for $11.00. Limit 5 (Albertsons)
3. In the newspaper I saw some good Quaker granola bars coupons-buy 2 get $1.00 off. May not seem like a good deal right now, but Albertsons has a big Quaker sale a few times a year where everything (quick oats, oatmeal, granola bars, etc.) is $1.00, actually making them only .50!! I love this sale!!
4. Ads come out on Wednesday, (one of my favorite days of the week) so let's cross our fingers for some great deals!!
5. I had a few questions on the Wal-Mart price matching and printed ads, as far as price matching, it is in the policy so if they deny you ask to speak to the manager. Wal-Mart will take ads if you print them off the internet, only if the date is shown on the ad.