Updating

Okay, couponers, I'm going to try to revive this site a little more.  I definitely won't be able to post as religiously as when I started, but I admit it, I've been finding some pretty great deals lately and haven't posted them.

Now when I find the reallllly good deals, I'll be posting them.  At LEAST that.

If you miss reading my posts, you can read some things from me of a different flavor at http://novelin100days.blogspot.com/

I'm trying to write a novel in 100 days, thus less time to post on couponing.  My credential classes also start back up in September alongside student teaching and a possible part time job... yikes!!

I miss you, couponers.  I'll be posting here more often.

Why I Don't Buy

It's been so long since I've updated this, I'm feeling really bad!
So here are a couple money saving tips that I practice on a regular basis, and I'm continually try to learn more.

-I never buy envelopes
     -Take this generic envelope shown below.  I got this envelope for free, that's right! free.  I pay my bills
      online, so when I receive bills in the mail with correspondence envelopes included, I save the
      envelopes, and don't ever have to buy them.  I admit, I bought some at Staples for a dollar during
      their dollar days back before I learned this handy tip, but these days, I just open my bills!

-I cut my fabric softeners in half
     -Most people I know use fabric softeners more than once, which is a great way to save on money.
      An added savings is to cut those fabric softeners in half.  By cutting them in half, your laundry still
      receives all the benefits, but you have twice as many!  I still use them more than once, too.  My
      laundry comes out the same as it would had I used a whole sheet, so you're getting 50% off the cost!

What sorts of money saving strategies do you use?

Much Delayed Vons Deal

Sorry for the long gap there!

I'm not sure I'll be able to update again soon, but I did say I was going to update about my Vons deal, so here it is.

Went to Vons a couple of weeks ago, spent $51 and saved $50!

I got some top sirloin that was originally $29.58 for $8!!  It was on sale per pound for about $10, and I had a $2 off coupon!

It was the yummiest stroganoff I've ever had too!

Sorry for the lack of updates.  Make sure you're checking out those blogs on my blogroll.  A bunch of amazing women who keep up their blogs!

Our House

How neglectful am I?!
I totally forgot to even post about this:  Cutie Husband and I are in escrow!

We are purchasing (God willing) a beautiful home in a neighborhood we love!

Escrow should close within the month.

Sorry I forgot to update about that!

Life's been crazy between schooling and work and getting a house.

Anyhow, I thought especially those who gave advice would be interested to know.

Wait 'til you hear about my Vons trip from today...  it was amazing!  My top sirloin deal is enough to get hats off from any couponer!  I got another great "check-your-receipt-before-you-leave-the-parking-lot" stories again too!  This time, Cutie Husband caught our error!

I'll try to post that soon.  In the meantime, make sure you check out the blogs on my blogroll.  Some amazing women out there saving those hard-earned dollars!

This Week in Cutie News

Just got back from the grocery where I spent $60 at Vons and saved $40.  I was very pleased with this total because all that we buy at the grocery store now is things for dinner, really.  We almost never purchase toiletries etcetera at the grocery store anymore.

This price for dinners for the week was fantastic in my opinion.

Some of what we wound up buying was:

4 Hass Avocados at $1 each

London Broil at $1.97/lb, our's was around $8 total and that will give us one meal for just us two and another meal for us AND Cutie Sister-in-law #1 and Cutie Brother

Macaroni and Cheese was 4/$5, which wasn't great but because I'm in school I need quick easy to throw together makeshift meals

A gallon of milk

Campbell’s Condensed Tomato or Chicken Noodle Soup, 10.75 oz, $.50 (We used a printable $1/2 coupon to get these FREE!  I'm going to try to print some more and get a couple more when I go back to the store tomorrow for my rain-checked crab meat)

V8 Red or V-Fusion Juice, 46 oz, $2.49 (Limit 8)
Use $.50 from 3/14 SS
Use $1 V8 V-Fusion Coupon and here
Final Price: $1.49

Prego Pasta Sauce, 23-.5-24 oz, $1.25 (Limit 4)
Use $.50/2 from 2/7 SS
Final Price: $.75

Russet Potatoes, 10 lb, $.99 ea (Limit 2)

Trans Ocean Crab Classic, 8 oz, $.99 (Limit 2) (We got rain-checked on this 'til tomorrow)

Use $1 Trans Ocean Coupon
Final Price: Free

Knorr Lipton Rice or Pasta Sides, 4.3-6.4 oz, $.89 (Limit 10)


Rancher’s Reserve Top Round London Broil, $1.77 lb
Use $2/$10 Rancher’s Reserve Coupon (Christian Clippers!)

So one of my hugest struggles is finding meals to coordinate with the sales.  This requires extreme flexibility on meal planning, but knowing when flexible ends and breaking the bank begins.  You have to be able to change things up if you find a better deal, but recognize that just because one component of a meal is on sale, does not mean that the rest of the ingredients won't be pricey.

So this week in meals:

Monday:  Corn and Crab Chowder

Tuesday:  Tacos

Wednesday: Leftover Corn and Crab Chowder

Thursday: Taquitos

Friday: Variety Night 

(I usually leave one night open to finish up leftovers or go out or to a friend's for dinner)

So originally I planned to make Poppyseed Chicken Casserole (delicious, if you were wondering!!!).  But I found that not many of the ingredients for this meal would be on a great sale.  When we got to the store, I saw that london broil was indeed marked on sale and was just unbeatable.

Side Note!!  Anytime that I see london broil on a good sale ($2/lb or less) I always snatch it up because this will produce two meals for us!  Tacos and taquitos, both of which are pretty easy.

So in addition to the meat sale, potatoes were on an unbeatable sale: great for my chowder, great for my tacos (I put potatoes in my taco meat just like Cutie Mom).

Knorr pasta and rice sides were on sale, so I got two sides of taco rice, which will be great for both tacos and taquitos.  I love when one sale covers more than one meal!

Hass avocados were on sale, so there's some homemade guacomole for the taquitos!  Now, even though they're not very ripe I bought them anyways because in guacomole, you smash them so they don't need to be too ripe.  Plus, we're not using them 'til Thursday, perfect!

The entire chowder idea came about when I saw that crab meat was on sale.  Crab meat is such a treat that it's good to buy it when it's on such a good sale, or in this case free!

So despite my preconceived notions of what I would like to cook this week, I was willing to change it up a little bit to get the better deals.  You cannot have cemented meal plans when you coupon.  You can have a plan, but you must be willing to alter your plan a little bit here and there.

Hope this helps anyone who has a hard time figuring out how to meal plan on the spot in the middle of aisle 7!  It took me a while to figure it out myself.

Remember, couponing is about saving yourself money, it shouldn't be stressful.  If you need to buy something but don't have a coupon, don't worry, just get it.  You won't always have a coupon for everything.  And don't buy something just because you have a coupon!!  You're trying to save money, not throw it away on things you have no use for.  Resist the temptation!

And if you're a big couponer like me, you'll often end up with those coupons you won't use.  I give my coupons away freely.  Cutie Mom and Cutie Sister-in-law #1 end up with many of those coupons I just won't use.  If you're even braver, look in the grocery carts of people behind and in front of you.  If you happen to see something you have a coupon for, offer it to them.  They'll appreciate the gesture, and you don't have to waste a coupon.

Enjoy!!  I know we will!  ;]

Check back later in the week for photo postings of my chowder, tacos, and (hopefully) taquitos!

Kmart Double Deals

Kmart is doubling coupons right now up to $2.  This means LOTS of free stuff!!  And lots of stuff for around $.50 or so too.

I've spent the last two days rummaging through Kmart getting deals I already knew about, and scavenging for extras!

Now, I signed Cutie Husband up for a rewards card AND Cutie Mom, so I was able to have the cashiers (they were really nice at my store both days) use different numbers for the different transactions.

Here's how I did across five transactions:

#1)

This transaction was a little harry, being my first one.  I wasn't sure the order to do things in, and it ended up being a bit of a mess.
In the end, they accidentally charged me for one product that was supposed to be on the other transaction, but willingly reimbursed me later that evening after I found the error.  Word to the wise: CHECK YOUR RECEIPT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE PARKING LOT!!!!

So here's what I got:

Right Guard Total defense 2/$5
Used $2/2 coupon
Final Price: $.50 each, so $1

Degree Girl or for Men Deodorant $2.99
Use $1.25/1 HERE or HERE
Final Price: .49 each, bought 2 so $.98


Soft Scrub Total $2.99 (Accidentally not pictured here, but on the next transaction)
Use $1.50/1 from 3/7 RP
Final Price: Free

Total at register: $13.97

Total paid out of pocket: $2.68

Total savings: $11.29

 #2)

 Remember, the Soft Scrub was on the last transaction.  :]

Jergens Lotion $3
Use $1/1 3/7 SS
Final Price: $1

Gillette Body Wash $4.49
Use $2/1 from 3/7 P&G
Final Price: .49

 Degree Girl or for Men Deodorant $2.99
Use $1.25/1 HERE or HERE
Final Price: .49

Dove Ultimate Deodorant $3.79
Use $2/1 HERE
Final Price: FREE


Suave Deodorant $1.99
Use .75/1 from 3/14 SS
Final Price: .49

Total at register: $16.95

Total paid out of pocket: $3.00

Total savings: $13.95

#3)

Gillette Custom 3 Plus, 4ct $5.49
Use $2/1 (different varieties listed)
Final Price: $1.80

Total at register: $5.97

Total paid out of pocket: $1.80

Total savings: $4.17

 #4)

Revlon Tweezers $1.99
Revlon Nail Files $1.49
Use $1/1 Beauty Tool from 3/7 SS (expires 4/10)
Final Price: FREE



Dove Ultimate Deodorant $3.79
Use $2/1 HERE
Final Price: FREE

 Ziploc Containers 2/$5
Use $1.50/2 coupon
Final Price: $1 each, so $2

Total at register: $15.84

Total paid out of pocket: $4.08

Total savings: $11.76

#5)

 Clean and Clear Astringent $4.49

Use $2/1 Clean & Clear Product printable
Final Price: $0.49

Total at register: $4.88

Total paid out of pocket: $.71

Total savings: $4.17

 

Altogether, throughout all of my transactions:

Total at register: $57.61

Total paid out of pocket: $12.27

Total savings: $45.34

 79% Savings

Easter Deals

So I had some amazing finds at Kmart today as my family celebrated Easter yesterday. As much saving as we all do, aren't we most thankful for the saving Jesus did when He died on the cross for our sins! Praise God!!!

So tomorrow, check back for some amazing deals I scored from Kmart. I also did massive amounts of laundry at my mom's house, so maybe I'll post some pictures of giant laundry piles, you never know.

I was also able to score an absolutely fantastic deal on some razors, and discovered some leniency in the coupon policy. Come back tomorrow, and I'll update you!

Have a great rest of your Easter, and thanks for stopping by!

Enjoy!!

Kmart Super Doubles Event

Kmart is going to be doubling coupons up to $2 in value start Sunday though April 10, so I've already picked out my deals!
My Frugal Adventures has way more deals than shown here!
Enjoy!!


Soft Scrub Total $2.99
Use $1.50/1 from 3/7 RP
Final Price: Free
Gillette Body Wash $4.49
Use $2/1 from 3/7 P&G
Final Price: .49

Glade Sense and Spray $3.50
Use $3/1 from 3/28 SS
Final Price: .50 (this won’t count toward your 5 item limit PLUS you can submit for the rebate HERE for $5 when you buy 3!)

Suave Deodorant $1.99
Use .75/1 from 3/14 SS
Final Price: .49
Degree Girl or for Men Deodorant $2.99
Use $1.25/1 HERE or HERE
Final Price: .49
Lysol Neutra Air $3.65
Use $1.50/1 from 3/7 SS (expires 4/5!)
Final Price: .65
Reach Toothbrush $2.01-2.84
Use $1/1 from 3/7 RP or HERE
Final Price: .01-.84
Reach Toothbrush $2.01-2.84
Use $1/1 from 3/7 RP or HERE
Final Price: .01-.84
Jergens Lotion $3
Use $1/1 3/7 SS
Final Price: $1
Dove Ultimate Deodorant $4.69
Use $2/1 HERE
Final Price: .69
Glade Relaxing Moments Air Freshener $2.99
Use $1/1 from 2/28 SS
Final Price: .99 and submit rebate HERE for $5 when you buy 3

Thanks, My Frugal Adventures!

Super Deal Day!

I got a bunch of those fantastic deals I was going for!  All but the Biz laundry detergent, but supplemented those with some other great deals I found!

So here's how and what I did:

Target:

Glade Scented Oil Candles, $2.54
Used: $2/2 coupon, also applied to below
Final Price:  $1.54

Glade Scented Oil Candles Holder, $2.99
Used: $2/2 coupon, also applied to above
Final Price:  $1.99

Glade Fragrance Collection Candle, $$2.54
Used: $2 off any Glade Product from the coupon booklet they mailed me
Final Price:  $.54

Total at register: $8.78

Total paid out of pocket: $4.78

Total savings: $4.00

Rite Aid:
I had to go to Rite Aid two different times because the first Rite Aid didn't have one of the products I needed.
So here we go!

#1 Trip

Soleil Twilight Razors, $4.99
Used: $2/1 coupon
          $2 SCR (single check rebate, sent at the end of the month)
Final Price:  $.99 after rebate, OOP was $2.99

Air Wick Imotion Scented Oil, $9.99 50% off ($4.99)
Used:  $4/1 coupon
Final Price: $.99

Total at register: $15.85

Total paid out of pocket: $4.85

Total savings: $11.00

 

 

#2 Trip

Lysol No-Touch Hand Soap System, $14.99 50% off ($7.49)
Used:  $5/1 manufacturer's coupon
           $1 ad value coupon
 Final Price:  $1.49

I bought a Snickers as well because I wasn't sure if you could have more coupons than products (I know at Walgreens you can't) so I just figured I'd add it in anyways.

Snickers, $.88
On sale for $.50

Total at register: $15.87

Total paid out of pocket: $2.65

Total savings: $13.22

 

 

 

TOTAL

Total at register: $40.50

Total paid out of pocket: $12.28

Total savings: $28.22

Target Deal

So here was my deal at Target the other day:

3 Kotex, $1.02 each, $3.06
Used: 3 $1/1 coupons
Paid: $.06

Dial Complete, $1.82
Used:  1 $.35/1 Target coupon and $.35/1 manufacturer's coupon

Total at register: $4.88

Total paid out of pocket: $1.18

Total savings: $3.70

 

76% savings