74% Savings tonigh at Publix!

Did my final Publix deal for the week after work today. Got a little more than I expected but I can’t complain….got some great deals!

(4) Del Monte Fruit Chillers $6.68 – (4) $1.00/1 MQ = $1.67

(4) Edward’s Single Serve Pies $11.96 - $5.98 on BOGO – (2) $1.00/1 MQ= $3.98

Huggie’s Pull-Ups $10.99 – (1) $3.00/1 PQ – (1) $2.00/1 MQ = $5.99

(7) Mentos Gum on clearance $5.25 – (7) $0.55/1 MQ= $1.43

(3) Cascadian Farms Frozen Berries $5.97 – (1) $2.00/3 PQ-(3)$1.00/1 MQ=$0.97

Total Savings including store/manufacturer coupons and special savings was $40.79

I paid $14.15 which makes this trip a total savings of 74%.

I think this might have been one of my best trips thus far!

Finally!

Wow……it’s been a really long time since I’ve written on here. The weather is finally nice so we’ve been doing a lot of yard work and playing a lot outside. We had one of our longest freeze spells here this past winter and need to soak up all the sunshine we can get!


There were a couple coupons that are expiring on Friday 4/30 that can be used for some travel sized items at Target. They are the St. Ive’s lotion and facial scrub. The lotion is $1.00 off any size and the face wash is for $1.50 off any size. These are the kind of items that I like to get using the coupons that I normally don’t purchase. I mean I’ve already purchased the paper and the coupons are all cut out so why not get a few things for free!

With all this nice weather I also wanted to get my front plant beds in tip top shape! I am lucky enough to live pretty close to 2 Lowe’s so I can check both out without having to go out of my way to do so. They have a section towards the back of the garden center where they keep their discount plants. I was lucky and got a ton of Petunias, Marigolds and Impatiens for $0.25 a piece. The only thin I saw wrong with them was that the flowers were dead, but the rest of the plant was ok. I took them home and trimmed off all the dead parts and viola good as new! I like to look in this area anytime I go to Lowe’s with my husband to see what I might be able to score. Right after winter this year I was able to get 2 Sago Palms for $3.00, granted they are quite small and take forever to grow but it’s been neat seeing my little babies come back to life!

I didn’t do too much shopping at Publix this past week but I did score a few great deals. I know this is the last day for the deals though and wish I posted these over the weekend! I am really going to get better at doing this!

(4) Del Monte Fruit Chillers $6.68 – (4) $1.00/1 MQ = $2.68

(2) Edwards Single Serve Pies $5.98 – $2.99 on BOGO - (2) $1.00/1 MQ = $0.99


I’m going back tonight to get:


(4) Del Monte Fruit Chillers $6.68 – (4) $1.00/1 MQ = $2.68


(4) Edwards Single Serve Pies $11.96 - $5.98 on BOGO – (4) $1.00/1 MQ=$1.98


(3) Cascadian Farms Frozen Fruit $5.97 - $2.00/3 PQ – (3) $1.00/1 MQ = $0.97

Wal-Mart 04.03.10

First of all....what a MADHOUSE today. I try to avoid this place on the weekends but today was especially bad! Had to get some oil change stuff and some ant/bug killer so I thought I would see what deals I could get today. I LOVE getting stuff for free/cheap!

This past weekend had a ton of great high value coupons I didn't get everything I wanted because they were out of stock but here are the great deals I was able to get.
  
(2)Huggies Pull-Up Wipes $1.64 each-(2)$1.00 printable coupon from their website=$1.28

(2)Kiss Nail Stickers $1.87 each-(2)$2.00 printable coupon from Coupons.com =-$0.26 each
(24)Mighty Dog Food $0.58 each -(4)$3.00 coupons from the paper and (4) free from the paper = -$0.40 (I don't have a dog but my little brother does)
(2)Benadryl Itch Sticks $2.38 each-$4.00 printable coupon from Coupons.com =$0.76 (It's almost mosquito season and they LOVE my little one)
(2)Schick Disposable Razors $1.97 each-(2) $3.00 coupon from the paper =-$2.06

And the overage paid for a half gallon of milk for my little one. 

I did see that they had Clean and Clear facial wash in the trial sized section for $0.97 and there was a coupon in the paper for $1.00 off so I will definitely go back for that next week. Had my hubby with me today so I couldn't look around and scope out any deals.  



 

How I do it!

This probably should have been my first post but, I was too anxious to get on here and show you my shopping trips! I wanted to share how I get my deals.

First I am a member of a forum called Hot Coupon World, there is a link on my page if you want to check them out. They have every deal for every store you can think of. I stumbled upon them by chance and am very happy that I did! I get to see the ads for stores early and can plan my trips accordingly. 

I mostly use the coupons I get from the Sunday paper. I subscribe to a website that send me an e-mail every week with the upcoming coupons for the week called Sunday Coupon Preview. I like to get these so I can see what will work with store sales. I like to have my game plan ahead of time. I do print them from on-line sites like Coupons.com or the Red Plum and Smart Source sites if I don't have them from the paper. I like to have coupons in 2's weather it's 2/4/6 since I like to shop the Publix BOGO sales and you get the most bang for your buck when you can use a coupon on both the item you are buying and the item you are getting for free. 


A lot of store will allow you to use their coupon plus a manufacturer coupon. I know for a fact that this is allowed at Publix, Target, Walgreens and CVS. Most stores have a "coupon policy" on their website and it's always wise to take a look at it and familiarize yourself with your stores policy. Plus it also helps when there is a cashier that isn't quite sure, if ever in doubt the manager on duty should know. I take advantage of this a lot!


You have to be organized! That I think is the #1 priority. If you aren't organized you can miss a great deal! I use a Mead notebook that I found on sale at Wal-Mart for $5. I like it because it has lots of "places" for me to store things like scissors and store ads. Inside I use page insert for 4x6 photos that I found at Office Depot. Some people like to use baseball card inserts but, I feel they are too small. When I have the coupons I need for my trip I put them in a small accordion file (about the size of a wallet) that I found at the Dollar Tree for.....you guessed it $1.00. Below are some pictures of how I like to organize my coupons. There are a lot of ways to organize but I find this works best for me, if you want to see how other people organized a simple search on the net will point you in the right direction. I also just stumbled across a tip of stapling like coupons together which I am going to try out this week.

I like to clip every coupon. It is a lot of work and organizing but I believe there are a lot of benefits. You have to think different when using coupons. It was hard for me to grasp this concept but I eventually started to get comfy with the idea! A lot of times you can get thing for free or create overage (basically using a coupon for greater than the price of an item and using the extra savings on your other items). If I find a coupon that does not have a size restriction I will use it on a trial sized item to get it for free or get my overage. You don't have to use a coupon on the largest item to get the most value for that item. For example, I;m not a Tide user but have recently had a ton of $1.00 coupons. I use them at Target for the trial sized Tide (priced at $0.97) and use the $0.03 overage on another item I am purchasing. And if you can get an item for free that you know you aren't going to use there are plenty of places that will gladly accept them as a donation, so you can help out others will no out of pocket. 



I was a little skeptical of couponing at first when suggested by my husband but am now an avid couponer and I don't think I could ever shop without my coupons. I would say that on average my grocery bill has been cut in half and we are eating the name brands instead of the store brands. I hope this long winded post will help out anyone who is considering or just starting out in this fun and rewarding world of couponing!

Target and a Haircut

Went to Target again today! And got a couple more good deals. 
On their website you can print out a coupon for $1.50 off a pillow. I found a pillow there for $2.54, so pay $1.04 for a pillow! Not bad and who couldn't use more pillows, they come in handy when you have guests and you aren't paying an arm and a leg for something that is only occasionally used. I did a couple other deals also. They had Clearasil products marked 20% off, I combined this  ($3.19 for 90 ct astringent pads) with my $2.00 off coupon that I printed online for $1.19, not a bad deal at all. Other deals I got: Soft Scrub kitchen cleaner with a $1.00 off Target coupon and $1.50 manufacturer coupon for $0.79 and I also got 2 Dove shampoo conditioner and shampoo with 2 $1.00 Target coupons and 2 $2.00 manufacturer coupons I printed online from their website for a grand total of $0.44 a piece. But that's all I did there today.

Last night I saved the price of a child's haircut (not sure of the exact price but I think they are around $10-$12 right now) My daughter will be 3 soon and with summer in Florida right around the corner my husband and I decided it was time to give her a haircut. I think I did a pretty good job for my first haircut! We did lose all her baby curls though and that has me a little heart broken!

Free Photo Book

I started one of these a long time ago to capture my daughter's first year and just never got it printed...well, next thing you know the computer crashes and I lose everything! Needless to say my daughter will be turning 3 in June and I have yet to print her a book. Then I ran across this and thought why not all I have to do is pay for shipping. From what I've seen so far it's pretty user friendly and I'm not very "technically inclined!" But hurry up it expires on the 31st!

Publix and Target 3-19

Lets start with Target, there were a couple things that I was really excited about this week because there were both Target coupons and matching manufacturer coupons out. Remember that they do allow you to use one of each coupon on one item. (most other stores allow this also)

MQ=Manufacturer Coupon SQ=Store Coupon

(4)Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra $24.00-(4) $5.00 MQ and (4)$1.00 TQ =$0.00
(2)Soft scrub Bathroom Cleaner $6.98 - (2)$1.50 MQ and (2) $1.00 TQ =$1.98
(2) Gillette Body Wash $3.58 - $4.00 MQ = -$0.42
(1) Dial Liquid Hand Soap $1.34 - $0.35 MQ and $1.00 TQ = $0.02
(1)Princess Band Aids $1.82 - $0.50 MQ and $1.00 TQ = $0.32
(2) Benadryl Itch Stick $4.58 - $4.00 MQ = $0.58
(4) Del-Monte Ice Chillers $8.56 - (4) $1.00 MQ = $4.56
These were supposed to ring up at $1.83 but I wasn't paying attention and didn't catch it until I left the store and I didn't feel like going back for $1.24 =(
(2) Tide Trial Size $1.94 - (2) $1.00 MQ = -$0.06

Total Before Coupons $52.80
Total Coupons Used $45.85
Final Total $9.25

















Now my favorite place to use my coupons...Publix! When I shop here the BOGO (buy one get one) sales determine a lot of what I buy. They allow me to use one manufacturer coupon and one Publix coupon per item, even the one you are getting for "free"! They also accept coupons from other grocery stores (competitors). In my case they let me use Winn-Dixie and Food Lion coupons. Since I've started using coupons we have a little more variety in what we eat and I get to try new things out on the family. And I actually went to 2 stores but only because there was another store on my way to my mother in law's house and the first store didn't have what I wanted. I never do this but it was convenient. I'm not one to drive all over town to chase a deal!

(2) Kellogg's Cereal BOGO $3.99 - (2) $0.70 MQ and $1.00/2 SQ = $1.59
(4) Lance Crackers/Cookies BOGO $5.78 - (4) $1.00 MQ = $1.78
(1) Hidden Valley Farmhouse Original $3.69 - $2.00 MQ and $1.00 SQ = $0.69
(2) Lawry's Marinade BOGO $2.93 (I didn't have any coupons but wanted them!)
(5) McCormick Grinders $7.50 - (4)$1.00 MQ (1)$0.70 MQ and (5) $0.55 SQ = $0.05
(1) Publix Jumbo Eggs $2.09 - $2.00 MQ = $0.09
(1) Sue Bee Honey $1.99 - $1.00 MQ = $0.99
(3) Stoufers Family Size Meals $11.97 - (3)$1.00 MQ = $8.97
(2) Fast Fixin Chicken Nuggets BOGO $5.99 -(2) $1.00 MS and (2) $1.00 SQ = $1.99
(2) Hefty Disposable Plates BOGO $4.49 - (2) $0.50 MQ = $3.49
(2) Frusion Yogurt Smoothies $6.98 - (2) $1.00 MQ and $3.49 SQ = $1.49
(2) Lysol Spray BOGO $3.59 - (2) $1.50 MQ = $0.59
(1) Sip-a-Bowl for Toddler bribery! $1.19

Total Before Coupons and BOGOs $88.95
Total Coupons Used $36.48
Total After Coupons and BOGOs $26.36