Saturday, October 31
A little Halloween savings while we were out today!
i didn't take pics this time, but i'm going to log this one just for my records...
Walgreens 10/31:
1 Vasaline lotion $6.99 - $1.50 = $5.49
1 Colgate 360 toothbrush $2.99 - $1 = $1.99
5 Royal jello packets $1 (5/$1 coupon in wag's paper)
Sale price total: $8.48
RR's spent $8
oop: $.48
got back $8 in rr's. i mainly did this one to extend the expiration date on my rr.
This makes my Walgreens trips for October:
oop: $9.17
RR left for nov: $17
Saved: $117.93
this has been totally crazy for me! i can't believe once you get rolling, what all you can get!
i've also not blogged a couple of other trips:
kroger 10/23 $61.51 before q's and 39.02 after! saved $22.49
kroger 10/28 $110.35 before q's and 35.66 after! saved $74.69
Walmart 10/31 $18.27 before q's and 9.92 after! saved $8.35
i've added up my savings from all the reciepts i have in my box (i'm missing a few) and for the month of october, i've saved $429.14!!! that's amazing!!! i can't wait to see what happens during november!
Walgreens 10/31:
1 Vasaline lotion $6.99 - $1.50 = $5.49
1 Colgate 360 toothbrush $2.99 - $1 = $1.99
5 Royal jello packets $1 (5/$1 coupon in wag's paper)
Sale price total: $8.48
RR's spent $8
oop: $.48
got back $8 in rr's. i mainly did this one to extend the expiration date on my rr.
This makes my Walgreens trips for October:
oop: $9.17
RR left for nov: $17
Saved: $117.93
this has been totally crazy for me! i can't believe once you get rolling, what all you can get!
i've also not blogged a couple of other trips:
kroger 10/23 $61.51 before q's and 39.02 after! saved $22.49
kroger 10/28 $110.35 before q's and 35.66 after! saved $74.69
Walmart 10/31 $18.27 before q's and 9.92 after! saved $8.35
i've added up my savings from all the reciepts i have in my box (i'm missing a few) and for the month of october, i've saved $429.14!!! that's amazing!!! i can't wait to see what happens during november!
Wednesday, October 28
This week's grocery trip...
Kroger:
2 Quilted Norther toilet paper 12 packs $5.49 (with the buy 10 qualifying items, get $5 off your total sale)
(i had 1 $1 off from the paper and 1 $1 printable) making them $8.98 (then each one on the receipt says kroger savings $3.50??)
1 kroger paper towels $1.78
4 sunny d's .89 each - $55 off = $.39 each
3 mac and cheese $.39ea
11 bumble bee tuna - i have no idea how much these ended up being! with the 10 item sale, they were supposed to be $.50 each. i had 11 printable $1 off coupons, so even if they were $1 without the sale, they would have been free. plus my receipt says kroger savings $.79 on each of them, so they were really free!
4 betty crocker potato packs $.50 ea
ketchup $1.49 - $.75 offf = $.74
cheez it's (i could have gotten three if they would have had the whole grain ones.) $1.49 - kroger card $.50 off and $.50 prinatble making it FREE when doubled!
2 cans of mandrin oranges from dole $.50 ea - 2 $.50 off's making them free!
frozen nuggets (we had to have them.) 5.69
2 hamburger buns and 3 hot dog buns $.88 ea
breakfast sausage 1.74
cheese 2/$3
armour meatballs $1.99
kotex $1.99 - $1 off and $1 off kroger card = FREE!
taquitos 2.49 - $1 off (10/25 paper) $1.49
4 chex mix $1.49 - $.50 off doubled AND kroger card $.50 off making them FREE!!! (i've racked up 20 FREE packs of chex mix this month!)
dan-o-mino yogurt 1.49 - $1 off = $.49
apple sauce only because carter wanted it the other day $1.49
2 colgate kid's toothpaste $1.29 - $.50 doubled making each one $.29!
2 two pack colgate toothbrushes $1.99 - $.50 doubled making each one $.99 for TWO toothbrushes!
all in all, i think i did GREAT!!! my total before coupons and kroger card was $110.35 and after was $35.66!!! that's $74.69 savings on ONE trip!!!
a little planning and researching coupons is the way to go, but i think my kroger deals is a lot of luck!!! that kroger card takes off way more than i calculate AND i also get $.10 a gallon at the kroger gas station!!!
the other store i stopped at today was walgreens. i had $20 (8+9+1+2 register rewards) that i wanted to use. i am trying to stock up on toiletries there using my rolling rr's. i got 6 dove (4 shampoo and 2 conditioner) hair care products to qualify for the $6 back in rr's. the total before coupons was $29.94. wag's had them on sale bogo at $4.99, so automatically 3 are free! then i had $1.50 and $1 from the paper and 4 more $1 off printables. making my total 8.47. i had 6 items and with my rr, i had 7 coupons, so i needed a filler. i treated myself to a chocolate and then gave her my $9 rr and my total oop was .....$.06!!! this is still the rr's i'm rolling from my original $7.19 out of pocket last week!!! so 6 shampoos and conditioners at $.06 oop, makes them a penny a piece!!! can't beat that!!! AND i got back $6 in rr's!
and, i managed to get the last 3 that had 33% more in the bottle, so that made it even better!
i have gotten emailed asking where i get all my coupons. all my printables, i look on hotcouponworld.com and they have a coupon database where you can type in the name of the product and it will tell you where there are coupons for that item, both papers and printables. most printables will only let you print 2 per computer, but since we have 2 laptops and our main computer, i can print 6 each time! i also get my dad's sunday paper and we buy one too, so there's 2 of each there. i also have a few favorite couponing sites that i look at the senarios they post and adjust it to our needs. www.couponingtodisney.blogspot.com , www.hotcouponworld.com, moneysavingmom.com , katycouponers.blogspot.com and more! just do a search and you'll find tons!
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Sunday, October 25
organizing your coupons...
so you've clipped out all your coupons. what now? well, you have to be organized or you won't save any money and the coupons won't get used! today i'm going to share a few ideas on how to organize all those coupons!
here's what i use right now. i have several manilla folders labeled with my stores (walgreens, walmart, target, kroger, heb and so on) and i have clipped them all together with a giant binder clip. when i go thru my papers and blogs, i make a list for the items i want from each store and i collect my coupons for those items and paper clip them in the appropriate folder. i can just pick up the whole stack and run to the stores knowing exactly what i have coupons for! if you are a scrapbooker, you could decorate the folders and make them really creative!
this is what i think i'm going to start using. a pretty accordian file! that way i can close it all up and nothing will slide out. i would use it the same way as the manilla folders.
here's what most people use for coupons. i find this way hard to use because i don't have the ones i want ready to go. i think it takes more time in the store when you use this method.i've also used this method after i've clipped them all out:
i have the tabs all labeled with the different items such as: dairy, drinks, cans, mixes, bread, frozen, and so on. i started out clipping out every coupon, but once you start reading all the blogs, you need to know which insert certain coupons came out of. once they are all cut out, you have no way of knowing. so, this is the method i have started using for my inserts...
i have a plastic crate with hanging file folders that fit right inside. i label the folders for each type of insert: red plum, smart sources, etc. then i write the date on the front of the insert so i know what day they came out and stack my multiple copies inside each folder. (yes, i buy more than one newspaper and get extras from my family so i have multiple copies of each coupon) then when a coupon is listed on a blog, i know exactly which insert to look in for that coupon. this idea came from www.theobsessiveshopper.net! she also says to throw out inserts that are over 5 months old because all the coupons will be expired. that's much easier than looking thru 100's of little clipped coupons!i learned TONS from the "system" on the obsessive shopper's site! she has videos that make it so easy to understand!
here's one more method that is really popular. the binder method. use baseball card sheets to store all your clipped coupons. use dividers for catagories such as dairy, bread, frozen, cans and so on. then on each sheet, label what type of product it is. for example, under condiments, label sheets ketchup, mayo, mustard, salad dressing, etc. then you know if you need ketchup, you can flip to condiments and see all the ketchup coupons you have on one clear page!no matter how you organize them, coupons do need to be organized. once you get a system down, you will be amazed at how much money you can save! feel free to post any ideas you have!
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Saturday, October 24
my last walgreens trip for this week!
i've had a blast with the walgreen's register rewards this week! i started out kinda nervous, like i was doing something wrong, but now i'm totally addicted to it!!!
here's my latest trip:
zantac $8.99 - $5 off = $3.99
3 triaminic thin strips ($4.99 ea) $14.97- $6 ($2off wag's coupons for each)- $4.50 (3-$1.50 off) = $4.47 for all three
2 pert shampoos 2/$5 - $1.50-$1 = $2.50
8 halloween pencils $1
used $7 and $6 rr's and was out of pocket only $.25!!! PLUS i got back $20 in rr's!
so grand total for the whole week:
1st trip:
zantac 32ct
2 trident gum packs
1 hall's cough drops
out of pocket: $7.19
2nd trip:
vasaline lotion
gillette mvp razor
2 sure deoderants
3 halloween pencils for fillers
out of pocket: $1.20 and paid for the rest w/ rr's
3rd trip:
zantac
2 pert shampoo
3 triaminic thin strips
1 baby powder travel size
8 halloween pencils for fillers
oop: $.25 paid for the rest w/ rr's
total oop this week: $8.64
total in non-sale prices for items: $72.63
AND i have $20 rr's left for next week!!!
i can't wait until tomorrow to get the new sale paper! can't believe all the stuff we have stocked up on! i've been reading that people who do this NEVER pay for shampoo, razors, soap and other personal items ever! that's exciting!!
next week i will start posting links to where i am finding all these coupons and links to the printables. i know alot of ya'll have been asking. another great idea i found on the "couponing to disney" blog is how to save all kinds of "found" money for a disney vacation! who knows what we are going to do with all the money we are saving, but i'm sure we'll find something fun to spend it on!!!
Friday, October 23
more couponing!
ok, it's official! i'm hooked!
here's my weekly trips: (i'm limiting myself to shopping only once a week on fridays!)
Target:
i got 2 more boxes of halloween cereal $1.97 ea - (2) $1 off 2 coupons = $1.94 ($.97 each!)
2 Suave (shampoo and conditioner) $.97 ea - $1 off 2 = $.94 ($.47 each!)
5 Glade HOLIDAY candles (buy 5 and get a $5 target gift card free!) $2.50 ea - (5) $1.50 off = $5 ($1 each!) (basically free because of the $5 gift card!)
2 Glade refills for the candles $2.50 each (2) buy the holder, get the refill for free = FREE!
so my total was : $$7.10 AND i got a free $5 gift card! (receipt says i saved $31.50!)
Walmart:
8 Bar S hot dogs( $.78 ea) $6.24 - (4) $1 off 2 = $2.24 ($.28 ea!)
4 Soy milk ($2.56 ea) - $10.24 - (4) $2 off = $2.24 ( $.56 ea!!!)
1 flour $2 - $50 off = $1.50
coffee $4.98
2 rolaids ($1.32 ea) $2.64 - $4 off = FREE!
total:$10.96!!! (was $26.10 saved: $15.14)
Walgreens:
Vasaline Lotion $6.99 - $1.50 = $5.99
razor $8.99 - $4 = $4.99
Sure deoderant 2/$3 coupon - $1 off - $1.50 off = $.50 for both!
3 halloween pencils $.39 ec = $1.17 (if i'd had clipped the walgreens coupon, they would have only been $.13 each)
Total: $12.65
used Register Rewards from last tims -$11
making it $1.20 oop! (for some reason, my reciept doesn't add up!)
was $22.83!!!
and then i went to kroger earlier for groceries. i didn't take a photo, but i got basic groceries that we needed. i got 4 healthy choice frozen dinners for FREE!!!
my total before coupons was $61.51
after coupons and kroger card discounts: $39.02! that's $22.49 savings!
my goal was to only spend $50 this week on groceries. my grand total (minus the $5 gift card) is......$53.28!!! pretty darn good for taking THREE kiddos with me! they got out of school early today, so i had to. they did get into it though and learned all about saving money! i think that's worth $3.28!!! lol!
this weekend, i am GOING TO HAVE TO organize a place to put all this stuff!!! i'm spending less and getting more to stock up on and that feels great!!!
oh and if i add up my savings on each trip, they are $90.76!!!!!!!!!!!!
here's my weekly trips: (i'm limiting myself to shopping only once a week on fridays!)
Target:
i got 2 more boxes of halloween cereal $1.97 ea - (2) $1 off 2 coupons = $1.94 ($.97 each!)2 Suave (shampoo and conditioner) $.97 ea - $1 off 2 = $.94 ($.47 each!)
5 Glade HOLIDAY candles (buy 5 and get a $5 target gift card free!) $2.50 ea - (5) $1.50 off = $5 ($1 each!) (basically free because of the $5 gift card!)
2 Glade refills for the candles $2.50 each (2) buy the holder, get the refill for free = FREE!
so my total was : $$7.10 AND i got a free $5 gift card! (receipt says i saved $31.50!)
Walmart:
8 Bar S hot dogs( $.78 ea) $6.24 - (4) $1 off 2 = $2.24 ($.28 ea!)4 Soy milk ($2.56 ea) - $10.24 - (4) $2 off = $2.24 ( $.56 ea!!!)
1 flour $2 - $50 off = $1.50
coffee $4.98
2 rolaids ($1.32 ea) $2.64 - $4 off = FREE!
total:$10.96!!! (was $26.10 saved: $15.14)
Walgreens:
Vasaline Lotion $6.99 - $1.50 = $5.99razor $8.99 - $4 = $4.99
Sure deoderant 2/$3 coupon - $1 off - $1.50 off = $.50 for both!
3 halloween pencils $.39 ec = $1.17 (if i'd had clipped the walgreens coupon, they would have only been $.13 each)
Total: $12.65
used Register Rewards from last tims -$11
making it $1.20 oop! (for some reason, my reciept doesn't add up!)
was $22.83!!!
and then i went to kroger earlier for groceries. i didn't take a photo, but i got basic groceries that we needed. i got 4 healthy choice frozen dinners for FREE!!!
my total before coupons was $61.51
after coupons and kroger card discounts: $39.02! that's $22.49 savings!
my goal was to only spend $50 this week on groceries. my grand total (minus the $5 gift card) is......$53.28!!! pretty darn good for taking THREE kiddos with me! they got out of school early today, so i had to. they did get into it though and learned all about saving money! i think that's worth $3.28!!! lol!
this weekend, i am GOING TO HAVE TO organize a place to put all this stuff!!! i'm spending less and getting more to stock up on and that feels great!!!
oh and if i add up my savings on each trip, they are $90.76!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, October 21
Walgreens register rewards...
now that i've been getting into couponing, i wanted to figure out walgreen's register rewards. i googled "$5 walgreen's challenge" and TONS of couponing blogs came up explaining how to do it, so i thought i'd give it a try!
now to get the ball rolling, you do have to spend a little out of pocket. my pumpking carving kit was something i had to get for the boy's school tomorrow, but if you take that off, i did hit the $5.19 mark ($.20 was tax)!
Here's how i did it:
Zantac Sale price $8.99 used $5 off coupon making it $3.99
Hall's Drops sale price $1 used a $.50 off coupon making them $.50
Trident gum sale price 2 for $2 used a $1.50 off 2 coupon making them $.50 ($.25 each!)
Pumking carving kit $1.99
Total: 6.98+.20 tax = $7.18
Now here's where it gets good!!!
Zantac earned $9 register reward (rr)
Hall's earned $1rr
Trident gum earned $1rr
MAKING IT $11 BACK IN RR'S!!!
the rr's are good to use on your next purchase. so i MADE $3.82 making all my stuff basically free with an overage! now i couldn't pay for that stuff with those rr's, BUT, on my next trip (and some people just do multiple purchases) i can get $11 worth of stuff for free now!!!
i plan on going back tomorrow and getting some more rr earning items so i can "roll" my rr's! right now, i've got it planned out to where i can get $58.15 worth of (SALE PRICES, it would be way more retail) stuff for only the original $7.18 out of pocket (oop)!!!
i suggest googling "$5 walgreens challenge" and "$5 cvs challenge" to learn all about these reward programs! it's amazing how much you can get for FREE!!!
tomorrow i HAVE to find a place to store all this free stuff! lol! with all my stockpiling/couponing, my pantry is super full!!! that's a whole other organizing story!
now to get the ball rolling, you do have to spend a little out of pocket. my pumpking carving kit was something i had to get for the boy's school tomorrow, but if you take that off, i did hit the $5.19 mark ($.20 was tax)!
Here's how i did it:
Zantac Sale price $8.99 used $5 off coupon making it $3.99
Hall's Drops sale price $1 used a $.50 off coupon making them $.50
Trident gum sale price 2 for $2 used a $1.50 off 2 coupon making them $.50 ($.25 each!)
Pumking carving kit $1.99
Total: 6.98+.20 tax = $7.18
Now here's where it gets good!!!
Zantac earned $9 register reward (rr)
Hall's earned $1rr
Trident gum earned $1rr
MAKING IT $11 BACK IN RR'S!!!
the rr's are good to use on your next purchase. so i MADE $3.82 making all my stuff basically free with an overage! now i couldn't pay for that stuff with those rr's, BUT, on my next trip (and some people just do multiple purchases) i can get $11 worth of stuff for free now!!!
i plan on going back tomorrow and getting some more rr earning items so i can "roll" my rr's! right now, i've got it planned out to where i can get $58.15 worth of (SALE PRICES, it would be way more retail) stuff for only the original $7.18 out of pocket (oop)!!!
i suggest googling "$5 walgreens challenge" and "$5 cvs challenge" to learn all about these reward programs! it's amazing how much you can get for FREE!!!
tomorrow i HAVE to find a place to store all this free stuff! lol! with all my stockpiling/couponing, my pantry is super full!!! that's a whole other organizing story!
Sunday, October 18
AWESOME couponing website!!!
with all the research i've been doing lately about couponing and stockpiling, i came across a few awesome websites!
Fun With Food Storage Network is a group of four friends that have really created an awesome network of tips and systems for food storage. now, i'm not planning to have a year's worth of food stored up right now, but there are amazing ideas on all their websites.
there's one site about food storage and stockpiling, one about couponing and saving on your groceries and then one that has recipes for all the foods you buy!
i just spent all morning learning about the "system" on the Obsessive Shopper's site. she has created an excel system to track your coupons, make grocery lists that AUTOMATICALLY adds up your coupons and total for your trip, and you can track sale prices to know when items will be at a great price again!
What i LOVE about all their sites are the videos!!! i'm a visual learner and this just makes my day! they all walk you thru every step of the WHOLE idea of stockpiling and couponing! I highly recommend starting at the beginning and go all the way thru! You will learn TONS about how to use coupons and get the best deals!
Fun With Food Storage Network is a group of four friends that have really created an awesome network of tips and systems for food storage. now, i'm not planning to have a year's worth of food stored up right now, but there are amazing ideas on all their websites.
there's one site about food storage and stockpiling, one about couponing and saving on your groceries and then one that has recipes for all the foods you buy!
i just spent all morning learning about the "system" on the Obsessive Shopper's site. she has created an excel system to track your coupons, make grocery lists that AUTOMATICALLY adds up your coupons and total for your trip, and you can track sale prices to know when items will be at a great price again!
What i LOVE about all their sites are the videos!!! i'm a visual learner and this just makes my day! they all walk you thru every step of the WHOLE idea of stockpiling and couponing! I highly recommend starting at the beginning and go all the way thru! You will learn TONS about how to use coupons and get the best deals!
Friday, October 16
Gettting my stockpile done!
most couponers work on their stockpiles slowly, but being impatient, i just had to get a good start!! after my 2 store/$20 challenge, my hubby was so impressed with what i have learned about couponing, he challenged me to "how much can you get for $100?".
so, i spent a good part of yesterday figuring out what basics we always use and what all should be in our stockpile. then i made my list and checked all the usual coupon blogs and websites and sale papers and gathered all my coupons! then i spent 3.5 hours today at 3 stores and i must say, i think i've done amazing!
here's all i got:
This was my stockpile group from Kroger:
2 hot dog buns
4 boxes of saltines
1 ranch dressing
5 goldfish packs
1 box of teabags
1 veg. oil
1 ketchup
1 grape jelly
3 peanut butters
5 rice mix packets
1 bag of spaghetti
1 bag of mac noodles
4 boxes of cocoa puffs
4 boxes of honey nut cheerios
2 mac and cheese
1 raisin bran
4 cinnamon rolls
3 frozen veggies
1 toothpaste
2 boxes of capri suns
total: $62.62
Here's my stockpile trip to HEB:
4 loaves of bread
5 boxes of sandwich bags
6 tuna packets
total: 11.86 (would have been $10.86, but one coupon didn't ring up. CHECK YOUR RECEIPT BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!!)
here's my target trip:
10 chex mix (went back for more!!!)
1 box of freezer bags
2 deodorants
2 deodorant matching sprays
THIS IS THE BEST ONE YET!!! TOTAL: $1.35!!!
My stock pile trip budget was $100 and all together, i spent $89.29 on stockpile items!!! that's $10.71 under budget! i think hubby will be impressed with that, huh??? LOL!!!
i also decided that we are going to spend around $50 a week on groceries from now on. we have been spending $150 every two weeks, but had no stockpile. our cupboards were bare the last few days before grocery day!!! this is why i jump started my stockpile. my goal, when i get really good at this, is to only spend $35 a week on groceries by jan.
here's my "grocery trip" for this week (which i also did today while i was out):
(some items are in the other picture)
2 bags of pretzels
1 chocolate syrup
1 bag of mini carrots
4 4pks of pudding
1 oxyclean spray
4 cans of biscuits
3 bags of shredded cheese
3 block of cheddar
2.5 dozen eggs
1 bag of mini bagels
2 gallons of milk
1 box of prilosec
2 pork loins
2 packages of pork chops
1 pack of chicken legs
5 lbs of ground beef
1 50ct box of cookies
total: 63.45 - $10.71 under stockpile budget= 52.74!!! only $2.74 over!!
i went to kroger this week because they are having amazing deals on the 10 for $10's and meat! when i got home and looked at my receipt good, i realized they even added more savings on top of the sale prices for using my kroger card. TONS of stuff ending up being 50 cents and under or free!!! i also found several free coupons in the store. some one had left them on items i guess they weren't going to use and in the meat dept., the manager came over and told me about some $1 off pork coupons that where "hidden" under the packages. pay it forward and leave coupons you aren't going to use around the store too!!! there was just too much math to put what coupons i used up today, but check out some of the blogs and you'll see them!!!
i'm so excited about this!!! i'm going to keep track of our savings and start putting that toward a vacation (some place magical in florida, hint hint!) and see how fast i can save up and take my family!!!
i'll post my trips every week and post what coupons i use, so subscribe to keep track!!!
so, i spent a good part of yesterday figuring out what basics we always use and what all should be in our stockpile. then i made my list and checked all the usual coupon blogs and websites and sale papers and gathered all my coupons! then i spent 3.5 hours today at 3 stores and i must say, i think i've done amazing!
here's all i got:
This was my stockpile group from Kroger:2 hot dog buns
4 boxes of saltines
1 ranch dressing
5 goldfish packs
1 box of teabags
1 veg. oil
1 ketchup
1 grape jelly
3 peanut butters
5 rice mix packets
1 bag of spaghetti
1 bag of mac noodles
4 boxes of cocoa puffs
4 boxes of honey nut cheerios
2 mac and cheese
1 raisin bran
4 cinnamon rolls
3 frozen veggies
1 toothpaste
2 boxes of capri suns
total: $62.62
Here's my stockpile trip to HEB:
4 loaves of bread5 boxes of sandwich bags
6 tuna packets
total: 11.86 (would have been $10.86, but one coupon didn't ring up. CHECK YOUR RECEIPT BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!!)
here's my target trip:
10 chex mix (went back for more!!!)1 box of freezer bags
2 deodorants
2 deodorant matching sprays
THIS IS THE BEST ONE YET!!! TOTAL: $1.35!!!
My stock pile trip budget was $100 and all together, i spent $89.29 on stockpile items!!! that's $10.71 under budget! i think hubby will be impressed with that, huh??? LOL!!!
i also decided that we are going to spend around $50 a week on groceries from now on. we have been spending $150 every two weeks, but had no stockpile. our cupboards were bare the last few days before grocery day!!! this is why i jump started my stockpile. my goal, when i get really good at this, is to only spend $35 a week on groceries by jan.
here's my "grocery trip" for this week (which i also did today while i was out):
(some items are in the other picture)2 bags of pretzels
1 chocolate syrup
1 bag of mini carrots
4 4pks of pudding
1 oxyclean spray
4 cans of biscuits
3 bags of shredded cheese
3 block of cheddar
2.5 dozen eggs
1 bag of mini bagels
2 gallons of milk
1 box of prilosec
2 pork loins
2 packages of pork chops
1 pack of chicken legs
5 lbs of ground beef
1 50ct box of cookies
total: 63.45 - $10.71 under stockpile budget= 52.74!!! only $2.74 over!!
i went to kroger this week because they are having amazing deals on the 10 for $10's and meat! when i got home and looked at my receipt good, i realized they even added more savings on top of the sale prices for using my kroger card. TONS of stuff ending up being 50 cents and under or free!!! i also found several free coupons in the store. some one had left them on items i guess they weren't going to use and in the meat dept., the manager came over and told me about some $1 off pork coupons that where "hidden" under the packages. pay it forward and leave coupons you aren't going to use around the store too!!! there was just too much math to put what coupons i used up today, but check out some of the blogs and you'll see them!!!
i'm so excited about this!!! i'm going to keep track of our savings and start putting that toward a vacation (some place magical in florida, hint hint!) and see how fast i can save up and take my family!!!
i'll post my trips every week and post what coupons i use, so subscribe to keep track!!!
Wednesday, October 14
2 Stores, $20!
Well, I did it! I did go over by $8.43, but it was because I bought an orange and black $4 tub for my Halloween decorations, an All You magazing FULL of coupons for later and trash bags I didn't have a coupon for, all that were not on my original list.
Here's what all I got for $20!
My first stop was Walmart. I bought:White Cloud toilet paper $2.00 w/ $1 off = $1
Air Wick mini fan $6 (sale) w/ $4 off = $2
Snuggle dryer sheets $3.48 w/ $3 off = $.48!!!
2 can of Evaporated milk ($.68ea) $1.36 w/ $.50 off 2 = $.86 ($.43 ea)
Suave shampoo and conditioner ($.97ea) $1.94 w/ $1 off 2 = $.94 ($.47ea)
Suave deodorant ($.97 ea) $1.94 w $.75 off 2 = $1.19 ($.60ea)
Crest kid toothpaste $1.97 w/ $1 off = $.97
Colgate trial size $.97 w/ $1 off = FREE!!!
5 packs of Tuna( $1.27ea) $.6.35 w/ $.75 off 1 and 2- $1 off 2 = $3.60 ($.72ea)
Dawn Dish soap $1.12 w/ $.50off = $.62
Walmart trash bags $2.64
All You magazine $2.24 w/ $50 off walmart coupon and $.25 off manf. coupon = $1.49
A total of $35.23 and after coupons and tax.....$20.80!!!
BUT EVEN BETTER...
Here's Target's trip:
2 Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (I even found 2 boxes that had 2 free bars extra in each!)($2.34 ea) $4.68 w/ 2- $75 off = $3.18 ($1.59ea)
Skippy peanut butter $2.04 w/ $1 off = $1.04
Danimals Smoothies 6pk $2.49 on sale for 2 for $3 ($1.50 ea and only got 1) w/ $1 off = $.50!
Johnson's Buddies soap $.97 w/ $1 off = FREE!!!
Market Place 12oz ground coffee FREE w/ Target free coffee coupon
and the best so far...
6- 3.75oz chex mix packs ($.97 ea) $5.82 w/ 6- $1 off = FREE!!!
and the Orange tote reg. $6.99 on sale for $4
Total $26.37 after coupons: $7.63!!!
So I got all of that stuff for $28.43 (full retail: $61.60). That's pretty good!!!
To find great Target coupons, check out the coupon generator on AFullCup.com. That's where I got all those Chex Mix coupons! I'm sending hubby with more tomorrow!
Now hubby was so impressed with my savings, he's challenged me to see how much stockpiling stuff I can get with $100 of his money!!! Wish me luck!
Tuesday, October 13
Tuesday, 2 Stores, $20
Well, I've just spent all day organizing my coupons and trying to figure out how women can get $200 worth of groceries for $20! I have organized a plan and I'm going to start a challenge every week!I'm picking 2 stores (this week will be Target and Walmart) and I'm only allowing myself to spend $20. I have checked out the lists on www.couponmom.com and picked out the coupons I already have for the items that we will actually use. I sorted her list by price, low to high and only looked at items that ended up under $1.50. Then I matched up my coupons and made my list.
I will do this every Monday evening and go to my two stores on Tuesdays, but since today's already Tuesday and I'm exhausted, it will have to wait until tomorrow!
What does this have to do with organizing you ask? Well, like budgeting, when you are organized with your meal planning, couponing and grocery shopping, you will save money and spend less! Right now, I have done great without using many coupons, feeding my family of 5 for $150 every two weeks. But, now that my hubby has taken on a commision based job, I am determined to cut our grocery bill in half! $75 a week is pretty darn good for a family of 5, but after listening to www.moneysavingmom.com podcast and how she's only spends $35 a week for a family of 4, I'm up for the challenge!
I am also going to start cooking in advance. I've wanted to do the "cook once a month" thing for a long time and just have never attempted it. I think since I have 2 weeks worth of meals planned out and groceries bought already, tomorrow I will spend cooking and seeing how many I can actually get done and in the freezer. This should make those crazy karate and dance class nights go more smoothly!
My ultimate goal is to:
A: cook once a month and have all my dinners in the freezer so all I have to do at dinner time is warm them up.
B: only spend between $30 and $50 a week on groceries
C: have enough toiletries stockpiled so that we NEVER run out of toilet paper or deoderant!
B: only spend between $30 and $50 a week on groceries
C: have enough toiletries stockpiled so that we NEVER run out of toilet paper or deoderant!
As for tomorrow, I'm planning on hitting my two stores and seeing if I can pull this off, plus start cooking and stocking my freezer! Wish me luck! I'll post pictures and prices of all my treasures tomorrow too!
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