Summer Mission Update

So as I mention last month, my older niece is heading back to college in August, and my mission this summer was to get all her back to school toiletries for less than $50. During the last 4 weeks, I have acquired over 40 items for her, and the total out of pocket is $4.00. Yes, $4.00

What have I gotten so far?
9 toothpastes
5 pads
3 shaving creams
16 deodorant
6 shampoos
1 toothbrush

What is still on my list? Razors, facial cleanser, more shaving cream, q-tips, tampons and mouthwash ... not an problem, should be done next month with these last few items that she needs.

Just another way that coupons can make things easier .. this is one less thing she needs to worry about spending money on.

Happy couponing!

When should you buy?

I've seen lots of information out there with when you should buy and how much you should by.

Ever since I faithfully started using coupons, I'm seeing the same things over and over again on sale but I decided to put together a list of all the items we use on a regular basis and start tracking for the rock bottom prices.

A few of my own coupon rules (not including stuff I can get for free):

Laundry detergent stockpile at $1 each (right now I have 15 bottles of detergent in my basement and you know what. I paid about $15 for them all, sure beats paying $15 for one bottle at a wholesale club)
Toilet paper $.25-$.50 a roll
Paper towels $.50 a roll
Dishwasher detergent $1-2

I'm just starting my list. What's your favorite thing to buy and have multiples of?

Wedding Shoes.

I'm not sure how to feel about this...but I paid $5 for the shoes I am wearing in my wedding.

Yes, I used a frequent buyer coupon and a gift card. I bought my shoes through eBates and I'll be getting 10% back.

So..wait?

My shoes were FREE!

One Week.

I decided last week that instead of posting my deals throughout the week (5/20-27) I would take a look at what I saved by shopping sales and using coupons. I picked a Friday to Friday because I could take advantage of the grocery store sales.

Here's what I did...I did stock up on certain things that were on sale (like baked beans) but pretty much bought things we would eat or use.

By shopping this way I was able to save $229.83. When I added it up, I was shocked. Why? Because my goal was to save about $100-150 and it was much more than that.

Now tomorrow if I run and hit the outlets it won't hurt as much. Ha!

Running

This week I ran out of shampoo, conditioner, floss, facial wash...everything all at once.

You know what's awesome? I didn't have to run to the store to replace any of it. It was all under my bathroom sink!

Free Sunblock

I was so happy last night I scored FREE sunblock for my niece and nephew at Shaws (I went in there because I had to get milk on my way home).

This sunblock was on sale for $1.99.

I used a $2 off any full size Kiss My Face product coupon which was in the May All You Magazine.

It was free!

ETA: ilovetogossip.com, one of my favorite sites who happens to be run by a super cool social media chick posted this on her website today (she was also on Extreme Couponing). I feel a little like a celebrity!

Dinner's On!

You know how funny life is sometimes...not funny ha ha but funny ironic...well if you do read on.

I get bored with dinner. There's only so much you can eat before you get sick of things. Tonight was a little different, and inadvertently dinner utilized all things I bought using coupons. Voila! Buffalo chicken calzone.

The dough was made by FH but everything else, including the seltzer we drank was bought using coupons.

While we were eating I came to the realization we were eating coupon food and then in my head figured out the whole meal ended up costing us about $5. Thanks to $.19 hot sauce, free Philly cooking creme, Purdue chicken, shredded cheese and a side of Steamfresh broccoli!

Free! Free! Free!

One of things I said to myself early on was when I started couponing was to challenge myself on finding deals (my first challenge was free toilet paper). With the Internet and all the great sites out there couponing, I'm finding, it is easy if you read up on sales and coupon matchups before you go out (which I do). Yes, it takes time, but not as much as you think, and when you realize how much I save, it's well worth it.

I went to Shaw's. They had a few items I wanted to get on sale, plus they double coupons! Win Win! Right?

Well here's what I got for free:
Better Oats -- I asked for coupons in the mail and received two $.55 off coupons which doubled. The oatmeal was on sale 10 for $10 (see how that math works out?) they were FREE!
Athenos Hummus - on sale for $1.99 used 2 b1g1 free coupons. Two packages were free
Pretzel Crisps - on sale for $2.88 used 2 b1g1 free coupons Two bags of pretzel crisps were free (and I love these)
Carolina rice - regular price $.89, had 2 $.50 off coupons which doubled making both packages of rice FREE!
Wacky Mac - on sale b1g1 which were $1.43, used a $1 off when you buy 2 coupons and I had a SavingStar.com coupon on my iPhone for $.40 off. These ended up costing me $.03 (mostly free)

My favorite deal of the day was the Erin Baker's granola which I found in the Wild Harvest section for 50% off making each bag of granola $2.49. Funny thing was, the bags right next to it weren't on sale and had $1 peelies on the bags so I paid $1.49 for organic granola. Whoo hoo!

Everything else I used coupons for. I saved $33.54 and only spent $25.68

Saving $28.83

I'm trying to not run to a million stores each week to build my stockpile but today I worked from home today and needed to get out of the house for a bit...so off to Target I went.

As I type this up I'm thinking, I really should be knitting...but I digress.

Here's how I left Target only paying $24.70.
Pepperidge Farm cookies, price cut $2.33, used $1 off coupon
Xhiliration top $3.24, used $2 off women's shirt Target coupon
Kashi granola bars clearance $2.78, used $1 off coupon
French's mustard on sale for $1.09, used $.50 off coupon
Franks red hot sauce on sale $2, used $.50 off coupon
Heinz salad vinegar clearance $1.02
Seattles Best coffee, used $2 off manuf. coupon and $1 off Target coupon
Men's shaving cream $2.49, used $.75 off manuf. coupon
Bic razors on sale $4.49, used $3 off manuf. coupon
Baby Aquafresh toothbrush $1.99, used $1 off manuf. coupon and $1 off Target coupon (FREE!!)
Revlon nail items (3 nail files and one pair of clippers)$6.05, used Target coupons 2, $2 off Revlon and 1 $5 off wyb2 (FREE + Moneymaker!)
Up & Up eye pencil sharpener $1.37, used $.50 off Target coupon
Up & Up eye makeup sponges $1.77, used $.50 off Target coupon
Suave, $2.94 (not on sale but I needed the shampoo to match the conditioner I picked up for free over the weekend)
Herbal Essences shampoo, used $1 off manuf. coupon
Shower cap not on sale
Up & Up Ibuprofen $.99, used $1 off Target coupon (FREE! bought 2)
Up & Up alcohol $1.02, used $.50 off Target coupon (bought 2)
Mesh sponges pack of 2 in the dollar spot $1

(All the Target coupons I found on Target.com)

Even with some items not on sale I did pretty good considering I made money on some items.

When the cashier rang up my items, she said "the coupon machine sure likes you." She gave me all the register coupons she had. I was smiling when I left!

Have I mentioned I love Rite Aid?

I really, really do. Coupon highs are real. I experienced that at Rite Aid. I paid $5.22 for all this but got $5 in +UP rewards so really all this cost me was $.22.

Here's how it worked out:
Purex on sale for $1.97 used $1 off on each Purex. Total cost $.97 each
Ziploc bags on sale 2/$4 used $1 off when you buy 2 manufacturer coupon and one Rite Aid video value coupon which was also $1 off when you buy 2
Finish dishwashing detergent was b1g1 and on each I used a $.75 off manufacturer coupon and I had 2 Rite Aid video value coupons for $1 off one but since I bought 2, I could use them both. (Total cost $2.99)
The Easter candy was 90% off so the total cost for the candy was $.36
Last but not least was the Rite Aid Razor on sale for $5.99 and there was a $2 off peelie on the package

On top of all these deals I had a $3 off when you purchase $15 coupon from the survey at the bottom of my last receipt. Last but not least I had another $1 off non-prescription purchase coupon.

I never left a store so excited...and now I'm fully stocked up on laundry detergent.

A Miserable Day

Today I was having a miserable couponing day. It all started with the bakery I wanted to go to having NO cake tasting boxes so I left in disappointment. All I wanted was cake and now I'm forced to set up an appointment for the wedding cake (which I was trying to avoid...).

But..I redeemed my pathetic day with one transaction.

I could go on and on about how I went to three stores and NO ONE had what I wanted but I won't. : )

Getting other stuff free....besides grocery products

I recently purchased 50 $5 off $5 purchase coupons at Kohls. After sharing some coupons with friends, I had 40 coupons to spend on me. I did spent a handful on me, getting several items (like a vest, a headband, 2 pairs of tights, a ring) for free, I also got other items like a jacket, dress, and trench coat, for an additional $5 off the current clearance price. My husband used some of these coupons too, and got several shirts that were marked down to $4.80 for free.

So, I had 20 of these coupons left ... and I noticed that Kohls had bath towels this week on sale from $9.99 to $4.99....and then it hit me....my younger brother is looking to buy a house and I decided to use these last 20 coupons to get him towels. Besides that and numerous other household items that I will stockpile, he will have a nice house warming present from me ... moving into a new place is expensive enough, but then having to buy everything on top of that .. yikes, I do remember that!

So, after several trips to Kohl, (these coupons are one per customer), I ended up with 18 towels, and two packs of 8 facecloths ... all these cost me nothing!

Happy saving!

Totally Free!

So my husband never used body wash until I started couponing, and now his is a huge fan of the Nivea Body Wash. Thru our Coupon Divas Swap on Facebook, I got 5 more $3/1 coupons for Nivea Body Wash. At Wal-Mart they were on sale for $3, after using these coupons, they were totally free.

The guy in line behind looked at me in awe, that I didn’t pay a cent!

Happy Saving!

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

I learned a while ago...it never hurts to ask a question. Well sometimes you don't like the answer to the question or the most negative answer you could get is no or no thank you.

A few weeks ago I tried Better Oats Oatmeal after getting a $1 off coupon from Facebook. When I went to go print more from my other computer, I got a print error and after seeing other people comments on their Facebook Wall, I knew it wasn't just me getting the error.

So I wrote them, simply stated that I tried their oatmeal and fell in love with it (their dark chocolate oatmeal is to die for!) and just the other day I got this email from them:

"We thank you for your comments regarding our oatmeal product.

We are committed to producing wholesome quality products and offering them at an everyday low price. We are happy to learn that you are taking advantage of this savings. We also appreciate knowing how much you enjoy our product.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact us. Via US mail, we will be sending our one-time coupon mailing to you.

Better Oats™ Oatmeal"

I seriously can't wait to get my coupon in the mail (or maybe I need help...), this oatmeal is so good!

Monday Night and approx $21

Last night while driving home I made a few stops, and spent $20.32 to be exact…and this is what I got:

Market Basket:
4 Tampons: $13.96
4 Hunts Ketchups: $ 4.00
Coupons: $ 9.00
Total: $ 8.92

Rite-Aid:
3 Precise $15.00
Coupons $15.00
Total $0
CVS:
8 Xtra Detergant $11.92
Coupons $ 4.00
ECB $ 7.52
Total $.40

Hannafords:
Can of Mushrooms $ 1.85
Coupon $ 1.00
Total $ .85

Walgreens Trip #1:
2 rolls of TP $ 1.78
2 Small Wisk $ 1.98 (with 2 coupons for $1.50 another wisk purchase)
1 Nexcare Band Aids $ 2.99 (with $2.99 mail-in rebate)
Bic disposal razors $ 7.49
Coupons $ 3.55
RR $13.00
Total $ .73

Walgreens Trip #2:
Gillette Fusion Razor Kit $ 9.89 (with $5 back in RR)
4 Schick Shaving Cream $ 7.98 (BOGO)
2 Nail files $ 1.00
Coupons $ 7.00
RR $ 3.00
Total $9.42

Happy Saving!

I cleared a shelf!

So, Susan and I met up for lunch and some shopping this past weekend. And we stopped at Walgreens, I had a few things I wanted to pick up that were on sale - of course I had coupons for plus,they had RR.

One item that I have been on the hunt for is Right Guard Body Wash, since they were BOGO, and I had 9 BOGO coupons. The first stop was for the Right Guard, and I was so excited to see that were was 12 on the shelf. 12 body washes for FREE! This was my second time that I had moment like those ladies on Extreme Couponing. I got 12 body washes for free and I cleared a shelf, that was a new coupon high for me.

This total order started out at over $54 and cost me $17 out of pocket, but I got $7 back in RR = $10 for all this stuff. Woo Hoo!

Happy Shelf Clearing!

How much do I love Rite Aid?

I love it so much, I got all this for $5.10 today. I asked the cashier if I could ring up two transactions which was no problem.

Transaction #1:
Raisins on sale $1.99 x2
Precise heat patch on sale $5 x3
Shick Disposable razors $1.29
Burt's Bees Conditioning treatment on clearance $1.99 regularly $7.99

I used the following coupons:
1, $3 off a $15 purchase store survey
3, $5 off Precise heat patches (2 from the paper, 1 printed online, meaning all three were free!)
1, $1 off Shick razors (these razors ended up costing me $.29)
I also used $3 in +UPs from a previous transaction
Total cost $.26

Transaction #2
Precise heat patch on sale $5
Stride gum on sale $.88
Trident Vitality gum on sale $.88
Kleenex on sale b1g1 $2.49 (bought 4)
Palmolive on sale b1g1 $3.49 (bought 2)

Used the following coupons:
1, $3 off a $15 purchase store survey
2, $.50 off 2 Kleenex coupons (Paid $1 a box for Kleenex and if you know me, I use tissue like it's going out of style)
1, $1 off 2 Palmolive coupon
1, $.50 off Vitality gum from Rite Aid's Video Values coupon
Total spent on Transaction #2 $4.84

Total spent for the day at Rite Aid $5.10
Coupon savings for two transactions $32.50

My summer mission

For those that know me well, they know that I have two teenage nieces, that I adore ... my oldest niece is finishing up her freshman year in college.

Over Easter we were talking about the show Extreme Couponing, and afterwards, I emailed her and asked her to give me a list of the toiletry items that she will need for when she returns to college in late August. My mission for this summer is to get everything on that toiletry list for less than $50.

Day 1 of my mission included 9 free tubes of Colgate toothpaste from CVS.

Using my 2 CVS cards (one in my maiden and one in my married name)

CVS Trip #1 with CVS card in my maiden name:
Colgate on sale for $2.77 each, with $2.77 in ECB back - limit two = $5.54
I used two $1/1 coupons
Total: $3.54 - of which I paid for with ECB from last week.

CVS Trip #2 with CVS card in my married name:
Colgate on sale for $2.77 each, with $2.77 in ECB back - limit two = $5.54
I used two $1/1 coupons
Total: $3.54 - of which I paid for with ECB from last week.

CVS Trip #3 with CVS a raincheck
Previous sale where Colgate on sale for $1 (part of a 5 for $5 sale) - raincheck for 5, with 5 $1/1 coupons.
Total: $0

I texted her today to let her know of my progress for her, her response "haha, that is insane!" Ah, yes, I am an awesome aunt!

A lesson from Mom.

Ok, I will admit one of the things that my mother used to do that embarrassed me, was getting “rainchecks”. Fast forward a few years, and there isn’t a week that goes by that I am not getting them myself….ok, getting SEVERAL!

Case in point …

A few weeks ago, CVS had a 5 for $5 sale which included toothpaste, floss, Dove soap, mouthwash and a few other items. Now, I had $1/1 coupons for a combination of 10 items, making them all FREE! But wouldn’t you know the shelves were cleared. So I got rainchecks, for the items that I had coupons for. As I was driving home, I thought since rainchecks don’t expire, and there are always coupons for these items…why not get more rainchecks, and go back when new coupons come out? And that is what I did.

I have been holding on to this raincheck for 5 $1 Colgate toothpastes, just waiting for more coupons to come out…and I didn’t have to wait long. In the 5/1 insert, there were $1 off coupons for Colgate. I now have 5 of them…and last night, went back to CVS for 5 free tubes of Colgate.

Another example, last week, CVS had a BOGO on Arm & Hammer laundry products. I had a few $3/2 coupons for their dryer sheets.

Here is how this broke out:

2 A&H Dryer Sheets = $9.98
Minus BOGO = $4.99
Minus $3 off coupon = $3.00
Total = $1.99

I thought this was a fabulous deal, since one box of 40 dryer sheets, is usually a lot more than $1.99....not to mention 2.

I went home that afternoon, and through a clipping service bought 20 more of these Arm & Hammer coupons, then went back to CVS to get more rain checks. CVS doesn’t have a large supply of these on the shelves, but I will keep checking back and going to other locations to use all these coupons and rainchecks. Why not? 80 dryers sheets for $1.99? I figured that all these dryer sheets will last me 2 years. This is just another item I have taken off my regular grocery spending.

So my advice…get rainchecks if the shelves are cleared. Get more than you will need, especially if it is an item (like diapers or toothpaste) that you know more coupons will be coming out for.

Happy rainchecking!

Whole Foods Cheap?!?

You CAN shop at Whole Foods using coupons, and you CAN do it inexpensively. I actually took two trips to Whole Foods. First time I went in I bought three items and then when I was walking out of the store I found the coupons I dropped  (after searching frantically for them) and decided to run back in after I put the items in my car.

Total spent between the two trips $13.22.

Here's how I did it...
4 bags of Kettle Chips Tias on sale 2 for $4, I used 2 $1 off when you buy 2 coupons (I actually had a higher value coupon but these expired first so I decided to use these instead)
4 cans of Glen Muir tomato paste regular price $1.39, used $1 off Whole Foods printable coupon (went on their website and printed them) making them $.39 each!
3 boxes Puffin's cereal on sale for 2 for $5, used $1 off Whole Foods printable coupon. Each box ended up being $1.50

The only extra item I bought was a bagel for FH. It killed me not to use a coupon for that but sometimes it's okay, right?

Even I was amazed at how smart you can shop at Whole Foods after tonight.

Walmart

I don't like going to Walmart but there are times when it's a necessary evil. Like when FH wants cheap work jeans and the cat needs cat litter.

Now that I live with a cat, I forget he uses things like cat litter (oh, I've never lived with a pet before so this is all new to me) so when I saw a coupon deal for litter for $.67 each I jumped on it.

I am so glad this time I brought FH with me because there was no way I was carrying all that litter myself! We ended up with 10 bags of cat litter priced at $1.76 each and for each bag, we used a $1.10 coupon (and we did not shelf-clear, there were at least 10 bags still left on the shelf). That trip to Walmart was worth it...and even I amazed FH who is learning the power of couponing.

One conversation FH and I had went like this, "Susan, do you have any coupons for razors?"

Me, "Yeah." As I pulled out all the razor coupons. "I have a $3 off if you buy any of these razors." (I pointed to them on the shelf)

Him, "Wait, if I use that coupon this package (he holds up one package) is $3.99 after the coupon and this one (holds up second package) is $2.99 so it's completely free."

Me, "Yep!"

Him, throwing the free one in the cart, "I'll take the free one."

To Clip or Not To Clip

If you ever thought about trying a clipping service, especially through Ebay, let me offer some advice.

If you regularly get the Sunday paper, I would recommend shying away from the auctions that offer 100 random coupons. They are normally, that same group of coupons that you just sit and cut on Sunday, and are usually the waste that seller doesn’t want. Look for the auctions that are for the items that you are specially looking for, and focus on those.

Make sure you confirm the expiration date prior to buying. If the expiration date is close to (or around) the date you purchase, make sure you are allotting enough time to get the coupons. The last thing you want to have any delay and getting your coupons.

When searching for a coupon, look for the coupons that will give you the best value. Don’t immediately jump at the $1/1 off coupons, especially if you have grocery stores that will double them. Look for the $.75/1 = since that will double to $1.50/1. It is always about maximum savings!

If you are looking to bid on an auction for multiple copies of a specific Sunday insert, first confirm that the specific coupons you were looking for in the insert, are actually in that insert. Remember, you are buying from people all over the country, and every major market is different. I have purchased specific week’s inserts, and while they had the coupons I was looking for, there were major differences between the coupons – both in the value of the coupon and the products in the insert. So, just confirm with the seller that the coupons you are looking for are in there, and the value of the coupon.

Remember that you are paying for the person’s time to cut and sell these coupons, not the cost of the coupons. So don’t get carried away in a bidding war. Ten $.75/1 coupons, should not cost you $5 + shipping. Just remember these auctions are a dime a dozen, just keep looking for one that is not going to cost you too much!

Keeping all this in mind, Ebay is a great place to score some coupons, especially for products that you are looking to stockpile or you know are going to go on sale.

Happy Coupon Clipping!

Target Success

Today I tried NOT to stop at a million stores and just enjoy walking the aisles. I did pick up a few things along the way. On my way home I decided to stop at Target and I'm glad I did.

Here's how I did it...and I only shopped using coupons just to see if I could do it.
1. Stash tea, priced $1.71, used at $.50 off coupon
2. Revlon nail file and nail buffer, used $5 off when you buy 2 Revlon coupon from Target
3. Nivea lip $2.49, used $1 off coupon
4. Halls marked down to $1.03, used $.50 off Target Internet coupon & $.50 off manufacturer's coupon. I paid $.03 : )
5. Allegra, $7.16, used a $2 off Target coupon and $5 manufacturer coupon. Total paid $.16
6. Tums used $1 off Target coupon
7. Contact solution, used $.50 off Target coupon
8. 4 pairs of Scotch scissors on sale for $1.49, used $1 off manufacturer coupon for each pair making them $.49 each
9. Granola bars in the $1 bin, used one Target Internet coupon for $1 off 2 and manufacturer coupon $1 off when you buy two ($.50 each)
10. Resses, Target coupon b1g1 free
11. Gum, wasn't on sale but I needed some for my purse so I used $1 off when you buy 2 Target Coupon.

I saved $27.17. Total out of pocket $9.90.