The Best of the Sale Items Week October 26 - November 1:
Colgate Total $2.50
FREE after $1.50/1 (October All You Magazine)
Gillette Shampoo $3.50
FREE after $2/1 (9/28 P&G)
Crest Premium Toothpastes $2.50
.50/1 after ($1/1) 9/28 PG
Mitchum Deodorant $2.00
.50/1 after .75/1 (8/24 S OR 10/26 S)
Best of the Sale Items Monthly Book October 14 - November 10:
Altoids Mints $1.69
FREE after $1/1 (coupon found on package)
Dove Shampoo or Conditioner $3.79
FREE after $2/1 (8/17 RP)
Ice Breakers Gum .99
FREE after $1/2 (9/7 S2)
Life Savers $1.25
FREE after $1/1 (10/19 S)
Oust Surface Disinfectant and Air Sanitizer $2.50
FREE $1.50/1 (10/26 S)
Hershey Extra Dark Chocolate or Cacao Bags $2.50
.50 after $1/1 (9/28 S)
Renuzit Pearl Scents $2.50
.50/1 after $1/1 (9/7 S2)
Viva Big Roll 2 pack $4.00
$2/1 after $1/1 (Tearpad in store)
Deals on Regular Priced Items:
Hershey Extra Dark Bars $1.99
FREE after $1/1 (9/28 S)
Johnson & Johnson First Aid Shelf Prices Vary
FREE for items under $2 after $1/1 (8/10 S1)
Pert Shampoo $2.99
FREE after $2/1 (10/19 S)
Vaseline Lotion for Men $2.99
FREE after $1.50/1 (9/7 RP)
Vaseline Lotion $3.29
.29/1 after $1.50/1 (9/7 RP)
Hunts Tomato Paste $1.00
.33/1 after $1/3 (Publix Yellow Advantage Buys)
Tylenol Rapid Release $4.49
.49/1 after $2/2 (9/14 RP)
Ziploc Bags $2.19
$1.09/1 after .55/1 (9/14 S) OR
$1.19/1 after $1/2 (8/24 S OR 10/12 S)
American Greetings Cards Prices Vary
$1/2 excludes .99 cards (Tearpad found in store)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
KMart Doubles Coupons
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Deals for the Week of September 7th
Grocery Gathering Weekly deals for this week.
Meijer Mealbox coupons
Kroger online coupons
Target coupons
This isn't a deal (well, it might be if you shop there), but Aldi has a meal planning site. Check it out here if you are interested or if you happen to shop there.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Review: FindSavings.com
I have always wanted to do an online review for my readers and now the time has finally come! Last week, I was asked to do a review for the website FindSavings.com. I jumped at the opportunity! However, when I realized it was an online coupon code site my heart sunk a bit. I don't do a lot of online shopping. Actually, that's probably an understatement. With the exception of my occasional E-bay purchase, it's VERY rare that I purchase anything online. But I delved in anyway, and here's what I found:
This website is extremely well put-together. I have been to other coupon code sites in the past and have gotten frustrated with the lack of organization. However, FindSavings.com is VERY organized - by far the most organized site I've visited for coupon codes.
As I began skimming through the pages and pages of codes, I was very impressed with the wide variety of stores listed. Oftentimes I have visited a coupon code site only to find that they have codes for only a few select stores in a certain category (only apparel, for example). But FindSavings.com is not like the others. They have 21 categories of stores including baby and family, computer software, jewelry, office supplies, travel and leisure, and more!
If you don't want to try to decipher which category a specific store is in, you have the option of searching for a store by using the search bar or by visiting the store directory. Even I, a self-proclaimed non-online shopper, was interested to find that stores such as Old Navy, Family Christian Stores, and GoDaddy.com (all stores I currently use) were listed.
In addition to sifting through the thousands of codes categorically by store or specifically by store, you can also choose to search other categories of codes such as expiring coupons, popular coupons, new coupons or by those that offer rebates or free shipping. Mixed in with the coupon codes for online purchases are direct links to store sales, blowouts, clearances, bargains, and hot products! (And you can search for these sales individually as well!)
If you plan to visit FindSavings.com regularly, there is also a blog which is updated daily with the latest codes and reminders about codes which are about to expire. Basically, this website scours the deals online every day so you don't have to!
If you do any sort of online shopping, I highly recommend you check out FindSavings.com before making your next purchase. Who knows how much money you could save?
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Crazy Massive Coupon Giveaway!
****We have a winner. Stacy, who is not a blogger, won this week's giveaway. Thank you all so much for entering and leaving your interesting comments. Please check back often, as we plan to do more coupon giveaways in the future. Thank again!I have never done a giveaway before so here goes. I have an unbelievable amount of coupons. Half of them are clipped and half of them need to be clipped. The soonest expiration date is September 6th, but most of them don't expire until October or November and some don't expire until 2009.
To enter, simply leave a comment about what topics you like to read about on blogs. You will need to leave a valid e-mail address so I can let you know when you won and to get your mailing address. Your coupons will be mailed to you on Friday, August 29th via USPS Priority mail.
Only one entry per person. Giveaway will end Thursday, August 28th at 11pm EST.
Gretchen
Friday, August 15, 2008
Coupon Q&A - Notes from my Coupon Class
Where can I get coupons?
1. Newspaper – Dollar General has them every week for $1.
2. Neighbors/relatives – I typically get 2-3 extra coupon circulars each week from neighbors/relatives – sometimes more.
3. Print online
4. Red boxes in-store
5. Catalina register coupons
6. Magazines
7. Brochures at pharmacy and grocery store counters
8. Call your favorite companies and ask for coupons. (This really works!)
9. Recycle bin diving! J This may sound silly, but I know of people who have been very successful with this!
How long do coupons last before they expire?
That depends on the type of coupon. P&G coupons always expire on the 31st of each month but most coupons in newspaper circulars are good for 2-3 months. Internet coupons vary, but are usually valid for 1 month from print date.
Does everyone who clips coupons clip all coupons like you?
From my observations, there are three main types of couponers:
1. People who clip or save EVERY SINGLE coupon.
2. People who clip or save coupons for products they currently use or products they might like to try.
3. People who clip or save ONLY coupons for items they currently purchase.
*I started out in Category 1, but I quickly burnt out and am now in Category 2, which I find to be much better.
What methods do you suggest for organizing coupons?
The two most common methods that I know of include:
1. Binder or notebook with baseball card holders (my choice method)
2. Shoebox or recipe box with divisions
What type of organization do you use within your binder method?
There are two main options for this as well:
1. Categorically
2. Alphabetically
a. By product (I.e. "F" - Frosted Mini Wheats)
b. By brand name (I.e. "K" - Kellogg's)
*I personally file alphabetically by brand name. Why do I think brand name is better than product name? It causes less confusion, specifically with things like cereal. When Kellogg's products go on sale, typically they ALL go on sale. Why would I want to flip through all those letters to find the individual products made by Kellogg's when I could just open up to 'K' to see all of their products?
What is your system for clipping coupons?
I stack like circulars, staple on top of product picture, clip coupons, sort alphabetically by BRAND name, and file in my binder.
How long does it take you to organize your coupons each week?
Usually about 2 hours to staple, clip, and file – and it saves me up to $100/week!
Why do you use a binder instead of a box?
I can easily see every coupon I have whenever I want to without digging through everything. Also, if I ever dropped my binder (which I do ALL the time), my coupons would not spill out as they would in a box.
Why would I want to buy things I don't need?
Well, you're not buying things you don't need. You're getting things you don't need. But why would you get things you don't need? A few reasons:
1. To give away. There are several organizations (listed on your paper) where you can donate extra food and toiletry items. If you can get them free, why not give them to someone who may not know how to get them free?
2. To save for later. Let's say you have 1 tube of toothpaste in the bathroom and an extra tube in the closet. Will you need toothpaste after that second tube runs out? Of course! So why not get it NOW while it's FREE, rather than wait until later when you might have to pay a few dollars for it? If it's something you're going to need in the next 3-6 months and you can get it free or for pennies right NOW, get it and save it (unless of course, it's something that will expire between now and then).
3. To sell. This may sound silly, but I made $30 by selling HBA products at a garage sale this spring – and I didn't pay a penny for any of those products!
How can I get the best deal with my coupons?
1. Know your store's coupon policy. Coupon policies can vary within the same chain, although I think most of Indy's grocery stores have the same policies within their chains. Stores that I know of which regularly double coupons up to 50 cents here in Indy include: Kroger, Marsh, and Meijer. Some stores will only double a certain number of identical coupons (Meijer) while others do not have a max.
As a general rule, you can use 1 manufacturer coupon and 1 store coupon per item in most stores. So watch for store coupons to combine with man coupons for great savings! Store coupons can sometimes be found online, in the store's weekly ad, or in the local paper.
2. Watch the ads. The very BEST way to maximize your savings is to combine coupons with sales. I rarely buy something that isn't on sale and if I have a coupon for it, I usually wait until it's on sale to purchase it with the coupon.
B1G1 sales are perfect because, at most stores, you can use two coupons since you're technically buying two items. Oftentimes you can get items for free or almost free during B1G1 sales. This can be easily attained if you have a B1G1 coupon for something that is on sale for B1G1!
Specifically watch for 10 for $10 sales. A few months ago, Meijer had an AWESOME 10 for $10 sale. Due to their coupon policy about only doubling up to two identical coupons per transaction, I had to split my orders up but I wound up with $170 worth of groceries and household cleaners for only $48!
3. When double/triple coupon days roll around – STOCK UP! About once or twice a year, some of the grocery chains run a double/triple coupon weekend. This usually consists of double coupons up to $1 and triple coupons up to 50 cents, but it could vary by store. When these events happen, DO NOT MISS OUT. This is the time to stock up on ALL dry goods. You can get TONS of items for free (and oftentimes even make money on your groceries during these sales). Again, DO NOT MISS THEM!
4. Know how to read and interpret coupons. Coupons are generally interpreted by the text – NOT the photo. If your coupon says "any variety", it means any variety. Just because there is an expensive variety in the photo doesn't mean you have to buy THAT variety. Get the cheapest one for the best savings.
If the coupon does not specifically say "excludes trial size", it is valid on a trial size. (You may have cashiers that argue with this, but in general they know they can't fight it since it's not there in writing and it scans just fine.)
5. Always check the clearance isle. I have found so many great deals in the clearance isle, whipped out my coupon binder and found a couple for those items and paid pennies for them. If you have time, always glance at the "rejects".
Drugstore Deals
CVS
1. Get an Extra Care Bucks card if you don't have one already.
2. Register in online to get your $4/$20 coupon.
3. Pick up weekly and monthly ads.
4. Scan in-store coupon boxes for store coupons.
5. Use to purchase items which give ECB (CVS money)
6. Make money by purchasing "Free after ECB" deals and using coupons (store and man).
*Positives: Instant rebate. Better deals. Easy to understand.
*Negatives: Limit per customer.
1. Pick up a few Easy-Saver books.
2. Pick up weekly ads.
3. Combine Easy-Saver coupons with man. coupons with in-ad coupons to maximize savings!
4. Use coupon on "Free After Rebate" items and send in for rebate (or file online) to make money! Choose the Walgreens gift card over cash and receive 10% extra on your gift card!
5. Figure out and use Register Rewards (similar to ECB).
*Positives: Lots of coupons = big savings. No limit per customer since no card is required.
*Negatives: Rebates are a pain. Register Rewards cannot be used toward the same purchase (For example: $5 Register Rewards on 2 Dove haircare products cannot be used toward another purchase of 2 Dove haircare products in order to receive $5 RR.)
What should I do with my expired coupons?
1. Many stores accept expired coupons. You can try them at the register or just ask the manager on duty.
2. Military families overseas can use coupons several months beyond the expiration date. Visit the site listed below to find out more info.
3. Keep them for your children to learn math, how to save money, and to play "grocery store". J
__________________________________________________________________The following is a list of resources (both websites and books) that I have found helpful in learning how to use coupons, bargain shop, and save money in lots of other ways! (Thanks to Crystal @ MoneySavingMom and Gretchen @ ExtraordinaryOrdinaryLife for helping me out with the printable coupon lists!)
__________________________________________________________________
Printable Coupons
MoneySavingMom's coupon printer
Organic Printable Coupons
Organic and Natural Food Coupons
Recommended Books on Saving Money and Using Coupons
Shop, Save, and Share by Ellie Kay
Half Price Living by Ellie Kay
Greatest Secrets of the Coupon Mom by Stephanie Nelson
Miserly Moms by Jonni McCoy
The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn
Living Well on One Income by Cynthia Yates
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
Recommended Internet Resources
What Can I Do With Expired Coupons?
Where Can I Donate Extra Food/Toiletries?
How Do I Get Started at CVS?
How Do I Get Started at Walgreens?
Coupon Jargon (you might see these words/abbreviations online)
SS = Smart Source circular (found in newspaper)
RP = Red Plum circular (found in newspaper)
P&G = P&G Saver (found in newspaper)
Catalina = grocery store register coupon
ECB = CVS Extra Care Buck rewards
CRT = CVS register coupon
Monday, July 28, 2008
Monday Monday - "Coupon Crazy" Coming Soon!
Until then, feel free to visit my Coupon Mania post where I share about how I sort, clip, and organize my coupons.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
More (Almost) Free Diapers!!
I know that these coupons did not make it to every CVS-ing household, but for those of you who got them - SWEET! I also get Huggies coupons in the mail occasionally, so that's where the rest of my coupons came from. There are other Huggies coupons from a recent newspaper insert, but the ones that come in the mail are usually a little better.
Here is what I did tonight (our CVS deals for next week are already running):
2 pkgs of Huggies diapers (on sale for $7.99 each)
1 pkg of Huggies Supreme Refill wipes (on clearance for $3.00)
I used the following coupons:
(1) $3/$15 CVS coupon
(1) $2/1 Huggies diapers CVS coupon
(2) $1.50/1 Huggies diaper coupon
(1) $1/1 Huggies wipes CVS coupon
(1) $.75/1 Huggies wipes coupon
...and $6.99 ECB.
I didn't get any ECB back today, but I can't argue with $2.66 for two packages of Huggies diapers and the best wipes ever! :)
I'm sure I'll be back in again this week for other deals (specifically the cereal deal!) but I didn't want them to run out of diapers (which they sometimes do). Plus, now I've had my CVS fix for a few days. :)
Monday, June 2, 2008
New CVS Coupons!
In addition to that, I found some new CVS beauty coupon booklets tonight. They were sitting on top of the card scanner kiosk (whatever those are called) and they have some decent coupons that could be paired with manufacturer coupons or the $3/$10 CVS brand coupons for a pretty good deal.
There were two separate booklets and since these seem to be hard to find, I thought I would take a picture of each to help you out.
#1:
#2:
The coupons in these booklets are good through August 31, 2008.
And speaking of coupons....two coupon things happened tonight at CVS.
#1: I was standing near the registers trying to sort through my overflowing cart full of stuff and a lady walked up behind me. I told her I was not in line and that she could go ahead and she informed me that she was looking for coupons (in her purse). She handed me a coupon for the Huggies wipes I was buying and I gave her one for the pull-ups in her basket. I thought it was a pretty good deal! But then the deal got even sweeter when she handed me a whole HANDFUL of Huggies coupons. She said her newborn can't wear Huggies so she would never use them. SWEET!
#2: While I was still standing in line (but not in line) a man walked up to the registers. I told him the same thing...that I was not ready and that he was welcome to go ahead. He laughed and said, "Are you confused about what you got?" (I was piling stuff up on the counter so as to sort through everything in my cart). I said, "Oh, no...I just have to figure out my transactions so I hardly spend any money." He gave me a look that I thought said he thought I was crazy. But a few seconds later he asked, "Do you teach classes on it? Can you teach my wife?" Lol. I told him that I was in fact going to be doing a coupon seminar at my church the first weekend of August and that she was welcome to come! I really got a kick out of his question!
Money Monday - Today's CVS Trip!
HOWEVER....
I did get a LOT of stuff we need and use, so definitely not a waste of money. (Those of you who can't seem to understand why I get things I don't need will be happier with this post). :) I could have done better, but I didn't plan my transactions very well and then I felt so bad that they were waiting on me to close. I know...I'm a people pleaser in that regard. I must have apologized almost a dozen times. Not an exaggeration. Anyway, five transactions later, here is what I walked out the door with:
In case you can't see all those tiny things, I'll give you the rundown in writing:
(1) 8-pk Bounty paper towel
(3) 9-pk Charmin toilet paper...Ultra Soft :)
(2) Jumbo size Pampers diapers
(2) Pampers Sensitive baby wipes
(2) Huggies refill baby wipes (180ct each)
(4) Huggies baby wash
(4) Carefree pantyliners (22ct each)
(2) Listerine mouthwash (250mL)
(2) 2-pk Oral B CrossAction toothbrushes
(3) Brut deodorant
(2) bags of Chex mix
(1) yearly planner
(1) Glade Scented Oil candle holder
(2) CVS brand cotton swabs (Q-tips) 500ct each
(3) CVS brand bandaids
Total before coupons and sales: $143.67
Total OOP: $16.00 *GULP*
Total ECB to use next time: $15.00
Not terrible, I know. And considering that's the cost of JUST the two packages of diapers anywhere else, I'm not feeling too awful. But it is one of my worst shopping trips ever as far as OOP costs go.
Regardless of my shame, I am glad to say that we should be set on toilet paper, paper towel, diapers, bandaids, baby wash, pantyliners, Q-tips, and DEFINITELY baby wipes for quite some time!
I also want to mention that the Huggies Supreme refill baby wipes packs were on clearance at my CVS (Note to Katy - there is a PILE of them left! Go grab them!) for just $3/pack. I used coupons, of course, which brought them down to $2 each. NICE, EH? Yep. So you might want to check that out if you need baby wipes.
As always, thanks to Crystal over at Money Saving Mom for all her hard work in posting the CVS deals each week and month!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Monday Monday - Coupon Mania!
Last weekend, two managers (one at Kroger and one at CVS) complimented me on my coupon book (a.k.a. Trapper Keeper STUFFED full of coupons). I was happy to know that they didn't mind me using so many coupons in their stores. But it got to me thinking. Perhaps I should share with you how I coupon and you could share with me how you coupon. We are always learning and who better to learn with/from than fellow couponers?
So this afternoon (my normal coupon-clipping time), I took pictures of each step for couponing my way, so you can see how I do things.
Step 1: Gather your coupons. I get coupons from my friends, neighbors, and family members - I typically end up with 3-4 copies of each circular each week.
Step 2: Lay out all coupons. Like coupons go on top of like coupons. I'm sure you could have figured that out on your own. You can see that I have 4 identical coupon sheets in each pile.
Step 3: Staple over product picture. Stapling over the description works just as well, but the idea is to make sure you don't staple over the bar code. Be very careful to line up the coupons exactly so you don't cut off bar codes, expiration dates, etc.
Step 4: After you staple all like coupons together, cut them out. Again, double check to make sure you are not cutting off expirations dates or bar codes.
Step 5: Sort coupons alphabetically. I can now say from experience that alphabetically is the very best way to sort your coupons. I originally organized my coupon book in categories because I thought it would be more efficient. Then I read a book that suggested I try doing it alphabetically. I was wary, but I gave it a shot. It is SO much better! Here are my coupons sorted alphabetically by brand name (Dove, Lysol, Betty Crocker, etc.). I file store-specific coupons under the store name (T for Target).
UPDATE: I have heard several people say that this sounds like more work than categorial filing. So I do need to clarify a bit. By alphabetically, I do not mean every single letter. I mean only the first letter. All the 'A's go together, but not necessarily Aleve and then All and then Angel Soft. If you did things that way, you would constantly be moving coupons around and that would never work.
Step 6: File coupons. As I mentioned before, my coupon book is a trapper keeper. I use baseball card holder sheets for all of my coupons.
Here is another shot of my coupon book. You can see that it holds scissors, paper clips, pens, notecards, calculator, etc. to keep my shopping trips as organized as possible. On the far left, you can see a tip of a store circular. They fit into the wide pocket. Sorry about the glare.
Whew! So that's my method. It does take me about 2 hours each week, but I try to look at it this way: My 2 hours of coupon clipping saves our family an average of $50-$100/week (or more)! I don't mind getting paid $25-$50/hour just to clip and organize coupons each week!
What do you do? Have you blogged about your coupon method? If you have, send me the link and I would be more than happy to link to your blog so we can all learn from each other.