Wisconsin Frugal

Pick-n-Save JUNE Double Coupon Day

2009-06-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

My bill went from $68.74 down to $17.92
I saved $50.82 on this trip (about 74%)
I bought 35 items (roughly .51 cents each)

I cashed in a lot of mycoke rewards 2 weeks ago

10 coca-cola 20 oz
5 caffeine free coca-cola 20 oz in-store coupons
FIFTEEN 20 oz sodas FREE...absolutely FREE!

oscar mayer beef hot dogs $4.19
FREE after mailer coupon

oscar mayer bun length hot dogs $2.99
minus $1.00 internet coupons DOUBLED
.99 cents

bakery 8 pack hot dog buns $2.49
on sale $2.00
minus buy 2 OM hot dogs, get $2.00 off buns
FREE BUNS!

Kraft deluxe macaroni & cheese $2.49
minus $1.00 internet coupon DOUBLED
.49 cents

3 Duncan Hines Cake Mix $1.89 each
on sale $1.00 each

Wholly guacamole $2.59
minus $1.00 coupon
Wholly guacamole $2.59
minus B1G1 FREE coupon
2 guacamoles for $1.59

Roundy's white bread 24 oz $1.15
on sale $1.00

Roundy's scalloped potato mix $1.49
on sale for $1.00

2 Yo-plus yogurt $ $2.45 each
on sale 2/$4
minus two $1.00 internet coupons
2/$2

Roundy's 2% milk gallon $2.69
on sale $1.88

3 Jello pudding .89 cents each
minus $1/3 internet coupon DOUBLED
.67 cents for 3 jello puddings

crystal light lemonade mix $3.29
on sale for $2.00
minus $1.00 internet coupon DOUBLED
FREE

Oscar Mayer Hard salami $4.79
on sale $3.99

Frank's red hot sauce $1.09
minus $1.00 coupon
.09 cents

This is how I save moolah! Tomorrow I will shop the loss-leaders @ piggly wiggly & Friday I match coupons @ wal-mart.

JUNE TOTAL SPENT $17.92
JUNE TOTAL SAVED $50.82

Catching up on May's receipts

2009-06-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

One last receipt to enter for May.

my bill went from $38.85 down to $22.31
I saved $16.54 on this trip

MAY TOTAL SPENT $398.11
MAY TOTAL SAVED $365.64

I can't believe I saved $365 dollars last month.PHENOMENAL!

That's a compact car payment, or...

Full boat hair & nails for a month.

A small Coach purse

3 pairs of NIKES

electric/gas/water/sewer/

property taxes for the month

Two nights at Kalahari waterpark

Unexpected trips to the store = Spending over Budget

2009-06-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

There is a HUGE difference in the amount of money spent if you are Grocery shopping according to a menu instead of tailoring a menu to what's on sale!

But, Sometimes you just have a "taste" for something or a family member has a special request. It's nice to take a little break from budgets and coupons.

There is more to life than being frugal. (gasp...that's right, I said it!)

My bill went from $39.28 down to $22.67
I saved $16.57

I stocked up on split chicken breasts @.99 cents/LB
but, I had to buy spices for a special recipe.
SPICES ARE EXPENSIVE! (And they only last about 6 months!)

MAY TOTAL SPENT $375.80
MAY TOTAL SAVED $349.10

Pick-n-Save OAMC meatballs

2009-06-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

My bill @ P/S went from $43.48 down to $33.32
I saved $10.16 on this trip.

Most of this shopping was for bag lunch goodies and Once A Month Cooking.

I made 6 pounds of meatballs to freeze and use during the next 3 months.
Just thaw overnight in the fridge. Can't get any easier!

MAY TOTAL SPENT $334.86
MAY TOTAL SAVED $332.53

Wal-Mart (OFF, scrubby pads & ez-mac)

2009-06-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

My bill went from $89.85 down to $60.96

I used $28.89 in coupons....that's just about the same amount of money as a tank of gas!

I finally GET it now.

Loss Leader shopping
Coupon matching
Menu planning
Stockpiling

It will take effort, but I CAN live on less.

MAY TOTAL SPENT $301.54
MAY TOTAL SAVED $322.37

Pick-n-Save (more pepsi throwback)

2009-06-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

How aggravating is it when your grocery store has a fantastic deal or item with a STELLAR coupon match and they are OUT OF STOCK. Well my friends...I USED to let this slide. But no longer!

I didn't know about RAINCHECKS. If an item is out of stock, usually a store will offer a raincheck. It will guarantee the advertised price usually for up to 2 weeks from the date issued.

Sooooo.... anywhoooooo

I want to know WHO on earth would pay $4.59 regular price for 12 packs of soda!?
NOT ME said the little red hen...that's why I had to make a stop to pick up RAINCHECK items.

pepsi throwback 12 packs 5/$10
1 LB ground chuck patties $1.99

I saved a little over 50%
My bill went from $28.23 down to $13.05

MAY TOTAL SPENT $240.58
MAY TOTAL SAVED $293.48

Pick-n-Save Last minute Soda Stockpile

2009-05-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

I didn't use any coupons today.
My bill went from $46.01 down to $25.06
I saved roughly 43% ($20.23)
10 items @ $2.50 each

5 Pepsi product 12 packs regular price $4.59 each
on sale 5 for $10
(I forgot to use my buy two 12 packs get a free sierra mist 20 oz coupons DANGIT!)

2 LAY's potato chips $3.99 each
B1G1 FREE

Hot BADGER HAM 1 pound = 6.17
get 6 FREE bakery hard rolls ($2.29)

MAY TOTAL SPENT $227.53
MAY TOTAL SAVED $279.03

Walgreens RED BARON PIZZA Sale

2009-05-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! I love being able to stock up. Pizzas and peanut butter were on clearance. I cleared the shelves and I didn't even have to use coupons! I wish I could have used the $5 off $25 coupons too but I was a day too late for that.

I tried to pick up my FREE 8x10 from the WAGS mother's day promo but they didn't have an order from me there! I was told that because they were swamped, the computer systems went down. I told her that I even got a confirmation page so she told me to just resubmit my last order & she will adjust the price to free when I pick it up. Annoying, but at least they are going to do the right thing and honor their promo.

10 Red Baron Pizzas regular price $4.99 each
on sale for $1.99 each
(wish I had coupons or a rebate!)

4 Peter Pan Peanut Butter 18 oz regular price ??
sale price .87 cents each
Wish I'd had coupons for these too, but great price!

L'Oreal Eyeliner clearanced $2.00
minus $1.00 coupon=$1.00

2 Cutter Advanced mosquito/bug repellent on sale 2/$4
minus two $2.00 off coupons
2 FREE travel sizes bug sprays

3 pack mini gel pens clearanced for $1.00

2 OFF clip-on personal bug repellents on sale $8.99 each
minus BUY1GET1FREE coupon
TWO OFF clip-ons @$4.49 each

I saved $65.95 on this shopping trip (about 47%)
20 items for roughly $1.72 each

MAY TOTAL SPENT $202.47
MAY TOTAL SAVED $258.80

Shop the Pig! 64% savings with internet coupons

2009-05-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Sale paired up with Internet Coupons = 64% savings

My bill went from $38.62 down to $13.87
I saved $24.75 on this trip
I bought 10 items for roughly $1.38 each

Piggly Wiggly was my loss-leader only store until they started accepting internet coupons up to $2.00 each. They wont accept FREE item coupons...I'm not sure if they also mean no b1g1 free coupons as well.

Coca-Cola 12 pack cans $4.49 regular price
on sale 5 for $11
minus five $1.00 off mycokerewards coupons
SIX 12 packs for $6

Kraft Mayo & miracle whip regular price $4.45
on sale 2/$5
minus two $1 internet coupons
TWO for $3
PLUS get a FREE 5 oz. can of food club tuna (.75 cents)

Lays Potato Chips regular price $3.99
on sale for $1.88

Seedless watermelon $ $3.99
on sale $2.99

Good stock up prices!

MAY TOTAL $168.10 SPENT
MAY TOTAL $192.85 SAVED

More Pick-n-Save Loss Leaders (pepsi throwback)

2009-05-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

Another Wednesday Double Coupon Day at Pick-n-Save

My bill went from $106.40 down to $36.58
I saved roughly 66% off my bill because I used coupons.
I bought 45 items for about .81 cents each
* My coupons this trip = $68.43

3 Finesse 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner $3.69
on clearance for $1.00 each
minus three .75 cents off coupons
Three @ .25 cents each!

2 Muir Glen organic Tomato sauce $3.25
sale priced at 50% off = $1.63 each
minus two $1 off Q's = .63 cents each

8 kool-aid .25 cents each
store coupon .09 cents each
8 kool aid for .72 cents

2 motts applesauce lunch packs $2.39 each
on sale for $1.75 each
2 for $3.50

5 mountain dew throwback 12 packs
on sale 5 for $10.00
(love the way the throwback tastes...mmmm NATURAL SUGAR!

2 Oscar Mayer bun sized weiners $2.99 each
on sale 2 for $3.00
minus $1/2 Q DOUBLED
2 OM weiners for $1.00

Bakery hot dog buns $2.49
MINUS $2 off store buns up to $2.00 WYB 2 OM weiners
.49 cents for hot dog buns!

Deans french onion dip $1.59
on sale for $1.00

Kraft natural shredded cheese $3.45 each
on sale 2 for $4.00
minus two $1 off Q's DOUBLED
2 shredded cheeses for FREE!

1 LB ground chuck hamburger patties $3.99
on sale for $2.49
It was cheaper to buy ground chuck in patties than in bulk!

2 POPSICLE brand popsicles $2.25
on sale with in-store coupon for .98 cents each

Roundy's butter $2.69
on sale 2/$3

yellow bi-color sweet corn $5.00 for 10 ears
on sale 10 for $2.00

4 tombstone pizzas $5.25 each
on sale 4/$12
minus two $1/2 Q's DOUBLED
4 pizzas $8.00
PLUS I got a coupon for a FREE gallon of milk OYNO

It was jam packed at pick-n-save today.
I saw a LOT of people using coupons & buying the SALE ITEMS!

MAY TOTAL $154.53 SPENT
MAY TOTAL $168.10 SAVED

Wal-mart Savings 53% (Kraft Coupons)

2009-05-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

My bill went from $48.21 all the way down to $22.54(before tax)
I bought 35 items for $23.29
That's roughly .67 cents per item!

2 Kellogg's Raisin Bran Crunch $2.00
minus $1.00 internet coupon=$1.00 each

9 Jello gelatin .50 cents each
minus three $1.00/3 coupons=.17 cents each

4 crystal light $1.97 each
minus 2 b1g1 free & two $1 Q's= $1.94

2 kraft salad dressing $1.58 each
minus two $1 Q's = $1.16
PLUS $1 off produce Q (red grapes FREE)

3 Breyers ice Cream $2.25 each
minus three .75 Q's = $1.50 each

No Nonsense sheer to waist pantyhose $1
minus $1 Q = FREE

Honey Maid Graham Crackers $2.50 each
minus $1 Q=$1.50
6 pack hershey's chocolate bars = $2.50
Jet-Puf marshmallows = $1.00
minus $1.00 Q = FREE
SMORE'S fixins for $4.00

2 Kraft BBQ Sauce .98 cents each
minus two $1 Q's = FREE + .04 cents overage

nabisco Nutter Butter 12 pk snacks $3.98
minus $1 Q = $2.98

6 OEP taco seasoning mix = .74 cents each
buy 2 get 1 free Q = .49 cents each

total of coupons used this trip $25.67

MAY TOTAL SPENT $117.95
MAY TOTAL SAVED $99.76

Pick-N-Save (Coca-Cola) Loss Leaders

2009-05-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

I saved roughly 68% on this trip
My bill went from $43.40 down to $12.99
I bought 21 items for .62 cents each

By combining the bricks $1 off 12 pk coca-cola coupons with the DOUBLE COUPON WEDNESDAY promotion, I was able to score FOUR 12 packs of coca-cola for $3.00!
.75 cents each is the right price to stock up!

BallPark franks 2/$5
minus $1 off coupon DOUBLED = $1.50 each

6 Roundy's yogurt .60 cents each
minus store coupon = .28 cents each

6 ronzoni smart taste pasta = $1.69 each
on sale for .88 cents each
minus three $1 off Q's = .38 cents each
that's definitely a stock up price!

2 split top bread $1.49 each
on sale for $1 each

Mccormick grillmates hamburger seasoning $2.29
50% off = $1.16
minus .50 cents off coupon = .66 cents

MAY TOTAL SPENT = $94.66
MAY TOTAL SAVED = $74.09

Wal-Mart Savings 35%

2009-05-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

This week's budget is $60

There are a LOT of "combo" coupons out right now. Lots of peelies and a few internet printables from coupons.com this past weekend.

My total went from $71.53 down to $48.24

Some of the highlights :

2 velveeta or kraft macaroni & cheese $1.50 each
minus two $1.00 internet coupons = .50 cents each

crystal light $1.97 each
minus $1.00 internet coupon = .97
PLUS buy 1 CL get CL skin essentials FREE ($1.97)
24 pack Sam's Choice Water $3.68
minus buy 2 CL get $1.00 off any bottled water product
So....2 crystal light & a 24 pack of water for $3.65

2 Old El Paso Taco stand n stuff shells $1.24 each = $2.48
peelie coupon buy 2 OEP get OEP seasoning FREE (.74 cent value)
2 OEP seasoning $1.48
peelie coupon buy 2 OEP get OEP refried beans ($1.00 value)
Sooo... get 2 taco shells, 3 seasoning packets and 1 refried beans for $3.96

Miracle Whip squeezable $2.00
minus $1.00 coupon=$1.00
plus buy miracle whip get $1.00 off bread
gv bread .92 = FREE + .08 cents overage!
So... miracle whip and bread for .92 cents

Kraft barbeque sauce .98 cents each
minus $1.00 internet coupon = FREE + .02 cents overage!

2 kraft salad dressings ($1.58 each) = $3.16
minus two $1.00 internet coupons
PLUS buy 2 kraft dressings get $1.00 off produce coupon
head iceberg lettuce $1.00 = FREE
So... 2 salad dressings and a head of lettuce for $1.16

trident gum .96 cents
minus .75 cent coupon = .21 cents

Breyers Ice Cream $2.25
minus .75 coupon = $1.50

Lays potato chips are $1.98 each, regular price

I saved $23.29 with coupons

My totals for MAY
$81.67 SPENT
$44.32 SAVED

Less Shopping = Less Money Spent

2009-05-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

This month I'm trying a new (to me) money saving strategy.

One weekly shopping trip.

Ever get to the checkout total and think "I didn't think I had THAT much in my cart."? Some people get so caught up in the coupon savings that they end up buying things they don't need. I can see why, it's pretty tempting to buy something for .19 cents or .58 cents but those little "bargains" add up.

I've started carrying a notebook to tally prices as I put each item in the cart. I keep 2 columns. The shelf price & the price after coupon/sale. This makes it so much easier to stick to my budget AND now I'm not surprised by the total.

I'm still waiting to find a shelf price vs. register price mistake so I can get the item for FREE!

Pick-n-Save Double Coupon Wednesday

2009-05-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

My bill went from $54.04 down to $32.86
I saved $21.03 or roughly 40%

Some of the highlights:

Coca-Cola 2 liters were on sale 5/$5 with service desk coupon.
NOT a good sale price, but I really needed the coca-cola
Don't buy more than a month's worth...Who wants flat soda?

Lay's Kettle Chips were on sale 2/$6
Again, NOT a good sale price...even with coupons...but I needed them
Only buy a week's worth of chips. They go stale way too fast.

1 LB Klements Bratwurst was $3.99
minus $1 coupon, doubled
$1.99 for brats on the grill this weekend.

I received a VOCALPOINT mailer with some AWESOME Kashi waffle coupons today! Five $1.50 off coupons and One FREE kashi waffles coupon.

Kashi Blueberry Waffles $3.49
Coupon was only good up to $3.39
I paid .10 cents for waffles

Tropicana Orange Juice $3.79
on sale for $3.00 each
minus $1 coupon, doubled
$1 for 64 oz OJ for the week.

$32.86 SPENT
$21.03 SAVED

Mental Health and Your Budget

2009-05-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

After taking a few days "off" from budget shopping, I am back to being my relatively happy-go-lucky self.

I WILL survive...with or without coupons.

Constant couponing can be devastating to morale.
It's nice to take a small break from budgeting.

Even if that means staying home and not shopping at all.

Someone Stole My COUPONS today!

2009-05-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

I have officially had the "worst. day. ever." today.

I spent about 2 hours in Walmart today. I was laboriously combing the aisles for coupon matchups. (And I realllllly had some GOOD ones too!)

I left my cart to check out the frozen chicken breasts then went back to get my LAST items before I checked out... California PIZZA. When I put the pizzas in my cart, MY COUPONS WERE GONE!

WTF!!! I had my coupons 20 feet and 2 minutes ago. So I re-traced my steps, I even asked the service desk and then I looked some more.

I was so mad & upset. I was on the verge of tears!
How could something this trivial push me to the edge like this?

My budget has been very small lately. Every penny counts.
I was putting the LAST item in my cart before checkout. (PIZZA)
The baggie was ON TOP of the last thing I put in to my cart before the pizza.
I managed to lose 2 hours of work in less than 2 minutes and 20 feet.

I tried to JUST LET IT GO, but I'm in a funk right now.

If someone stole my baggie of coupons, then GOD BLESS THEM. They needed them even more than I did.

If my baggie of coupons was somehow lost, then they must be in some weird 4th dimension vortex with all the other things that have mysteriously vanished in my lifetime. (Socks, an expensive Seiko dress watch, sunglasses, a single tennis shoe and numerous receipts that were URGENTLY needed for warranty reasons.)

APRIL Spending / Saving Recap

2009-05-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

I spent $425.35 in APRIL
I saved $426.36 in APRIL.
WOW, I saved just about 50%
I hope to reduce that budget even more in May.

This month my main focus is on menu planning / leftover recipes. I will also try to build a stockpile of pantry and freezer staples.

HBA, laundry detergent and bath tissue levels are good for this month.
I have more than a year's worth of shampoo, soap, toothpaste, deoderant, hair dye, and razors already. Unless these items are money makers or FREE, I wont buy them.

My planting goals this year are 2 tomato, 2 cucumber and more herbs. I will also try to transplant some lilacs that have been spreading runners all over the yard.

62% Savings at Pick-n-Save

2009-04-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

This was a quick trip for loss-leaders.

4 - Buddig lunch meats @ .37 cents each
1 - 16 oz white bread @ .37 cents each
1 - Kraft american cheese slices @ .99 cents each
2 - Roundy's 2 liter soda @ .37 cents each

I paid $3.60 for 8 items (.45 cents ea.)

$407.60 SPENT
$424.86 SAVED

Loss-Leader Shopping

2009-04-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

Before you plan your daily errands, take a moment to scan the grocery ads for their loss-leaders. Loss-leader shopping is a great way to save money. Most grocery stores send weekly ads right to your mailbox. You usually don't have to sign up for them and there is no cost.

Some stores have a lot of fine print next to their "coupons". Is there a minimum purchase requirement? It makes a HUGE difference if the minimum purchase requirement is specified as BEFORE coupons or AFTER coupons. Luckily, most stores just want to get you in the door and don't require any minimums.

Keep your family's eating habits in mind. Trying to plan a weekly menu on loss-leader shopping often means incorporating the same ingredients into many different meals. You can search recipes by ingredients at www.allrecipes.com, this way you waste less food and have more variety.

If the price is right...STOCK UP. Buying meat or cheese in bulk & on sale is a no-brainer. I often buy the maximum amount allowed if my family regularly eats the item and it's easily stored. Know how to properly store items & how long they can be stored before spoiling.

I did a quick stop this morning just for the loss-leaders. I saved over 60% using NO coupons. Combining coupons with loss-leaders saves even more money!

FREE Bread Bowl Pasta @ DOMINO's Review

2009-04-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Absolutely FREE, no catch!

I did call ahead to verify that my local Domino's was a participant in this FREEBIE offer.
(Valid Wednesday April 29th From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ONLY)

This is just like getting a mini pan pizza with thick crust...and instead of just getting the cheese and toppings, they put some penne pasta on the dough before they ladle on the sauce & toppings.

But, I digress... this was an absolute FREEBIE and would probably feed 4 small children or 2 adults easily.

Way to go DOMINOS for getting tons of FREE PRESS coverage/ADVERTISING. The cost of giving away these FREEBIES is probably comparable to paying for television commercials.

Here's my contribution back to Dominos. Thank you for the FREEBIE, here's your blog entry & review!

My opinion...

Well, I didn't HATE the bread bowl pasta, but I would not order this again if I had to pay for it.

If it's a pizza...then let it be a pizza & if it's pasta..then let it be pasta.

Plop one on top of the other & then you have something that's only HALF as good as it should be.

Just a side note...my local Dominos was absolutely gracious in processing the FREEBIES to people. No questions just a smile and a THANK YOU. They should try to upsell at LEAST a soda to boost sales though.

Pick-n-Save savings 71% plus FREE Star Trek Movie Tickets

2009-04-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

Oy, what was supposed to be a very quick trip in and out ended up taking over an hour! Thank you very much to the super duper nice customer service lady at West Bend Pick-n-Save (South) She really knows her stuff.

I saved roughly 71% on my groceries.
My bill went from $45.35 all the way down to $13.09
Plus, I got 2 Star Trek movie tickets FREE! (My kiddo will be surprised!)

For the Free Star Trek movie tickets deal you have to purchase 10 Kellogg's, Sunshine or Keebler products...participating products...specified sizes only. The products are marked 4/$10 But...here's what tripped me up and made this a cashier's worst nightmare...THE SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION KELLOGG'S STAR TREK CEREAL IS NOT INCLUDED in the Free Star Trek movie tickets promo!!!!! Is that assinine or what???

I just received a VOCALPOINT promo package with a sample of Frosted Mini Wheats including FIVE $1.00 off coupons and a buy1get1free coupon. FANTASTIC!

6 Kellogg's frosted mini wheats cereal $3.59 ea. on sale 4/$10 = $15.00
minus FIVE $1.00 off coupons DOUBLED - $10
minus buy1get1free coupon -$2.50
6 frosted mini wheat cereals for $2.50

2 kellogg's pop-tarts (sale $2.50 each)
minus $1.00 off 2 coupon
$4.00 for two 12 packs of pop tarts

2 Star Trek Limited Edition kellogg's cereal (2.49 each)
minus $1/1 coupon (I only had one of these Q's darn it)
$3.98 for 2 Star trek cereals

The 2 Star Trek tickets were FREE after $10.48 in qualifying purchases.
Luckily my local theater DOES participate in emovie passes!

FREE cascade rinse agent coupon -$3.18

There were some great loss leaders with in-store coupons!

Buddig lunch meats (.79) SQ = limit 4 @ .37 cents each
16 oz white bread ($1.19) SQ limit 1 @ .37 cents each
kraft american slices ($2.99) SQ 1 @ .99 cents each
Roundy's 2 liter soda ($1.25) SQ 2 @ .37 cents each

$13.09 divided by 19 items sold = .69 cents for each item!

$404.00 SPENT
$418.78 SAVED

MSRP consumer deception is rampant

2009-04-28T06:23:00.000-07:00

More needs to be done to change the deception of "regular retail vs sale price". This is fast becoming one of my pet peeves. Anyone who has kept a price book can tell you the normal range of prices on items they regularly purchase.

The everyday consumer who is not keeping a price book will not realize that the "retail price" has been jacked up into the stratosphere. To the uninformed, it would appear to be a great deal in a BOGO sale. That's just wrong

I noticed the ad from last week's FLEET FARM had PUREX laundry detergent on sale 2/$6 This was the SAME size Purex that was on sale the week of April 12-18 at CVS for $6.99 each. Even though the CVS sale was a Buy1Get1Free sale, I had to wonder how the Suggested Retail Price can be so drastically different for identical item across the marketplace.

Is there any regulation within the market to keep the prices within a specific range?

I know lately I have seen stores touting the Buy1GetOneFree (BOGO) sales and if you look at the retail price of the item, the price of ONE item is often more than TWO of those items were just weeks before.

Is this a way for stores to write off loss? Do they really expect people to pay the outrageously inflated prices once the sale is over or will they just keep running continuous sales? Is there a limit as to how much a grocery store can increase the item price within a certain time frame?

The last 3 times I went shopping I wrote the item/shelf price down. This helped me at checkout when the cashier asked me if I remembered what the price of an item was. I was also keeping an eye on the scanned prices. I didn't encounter any mistakes, but some stores will give you the item (under $3) FREE if the scanned price is higher than the shelf price.

I think if more people kept price books, they would be surprised at how often they buy for convenience over value. Retailers spend lots of money to change consumer spending habits. But we consumers do have significant influence over retailers, especially in this tough economy.

For example, I never used to shop at Piggly Wiggly in my town because they did not double coupons or accept Internet coupons. I made a point of asking why at the service counter. I explained that I currently only purchased their loss-leaders, but I would do a lot more of my regular weekly grocery shopping there if they at least offered Internet coupons like their main competitor. Last week Piggly Wiggly's weekly AD states in a big bold headline that they now accept Internet printed coupons up to $2.

CONSUMERS can change retailers policies and pricing. But, I think more needs to be done to change the deception of "regular retail vs sale price".

Walmart Savings 26%

2009-04-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days where no matter how you stack the coupons, it just doesn't add up to much.

My bill went from $62.07 down to $45.82
I saved $16.25 or roughly 26% off my groceries.

Every week we eat pizza at least once. Pizza is just one of those easy, convenience foods that MUST be on hand in our freezer. Decent coupons for pizza are hard to find.

Kashi Pizzas are $4.75 each at walmart, but with the peelie coupons I found on Kashi Mayan Harvest frozen entreeslast month, these become more reasonable at $3.25 each...(3 Kashi pizzas for less than $10.00)

I snagged a few Digourno pizza peelie coupons last month. Buy a Digourno pizza and a kraft salad dressing and get $2.00 off. These pizzas are on the pricey side at $5.98 each...but since there is a $1.50 off kraft dressing coupon (regular price $1.58) You can get Digourno pizza AND kraft dressing for $4.01

v-8 Vegetable Juice was a pretty good deal when I bought 4 bottles ($2.58 each) used a $1.00 internet printable coupon on each AND used a BUY FOUR v-8 Juice and get $2.00 off produce. I was able to buy FOUR v-8 Juice, lunch pack carrots AND red seedless grapes for $7.48

$390.91 Spent
$386.52 Saved

Wal-Mart Savings 38% - Lots of Schick Razors

2009-04-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

Another gloomy, rainy day here in s.e. Wisconsin. BLAH! I can barely keep my eyes open at noon. The lure of an afternoon nappy is nearly irresistable. (weird, I spell-checked that last word because it didn't look like it was spelled correctly...but spellcheck says it is.)

Anywhoooo. I had a pretty good run at Wal-Mart this shopping trip. I thought my savings would have been a higher percentage, but hey...whatever.

I am NOT a SUPER COUPONER. (You know those people who buy cart loads of stuff to hoard or sell on ebay or rummage sales - not that I have anything against people who do that!) I only buy what my family can use. Very rarely, I might pick up something for my Mom if I have a coupon that makes it an outstanding deal or FREE. (Free is better of course)

When I shop I have A LIST, my coupons, an envelope, a pen and notebook. I start my shopping in the HBA & clearance portion of the NON-grocery part of the store. I do a quick cruise through the clearance to see if I have any coupon matchups. Then I check my list for anything I need in that area while keeping my eye on any markdowns or sales that match my coupons.

This time I had coupon matchups for Schick razors

2 Schick Intuition Razors = $16.94
minus $4 off schick intiution razor coupon
minus buy 1 get 1 free schick razors ($8.47)
2 pkgs razors for $4.47

2 Schick extreme 3 razors = $15.96
minus $3 off schick extreme 3 razors coupon
minus buy 1 get 1 free coupon ($7.98)
2 packages of razors for $4.98

2 Schick Slim Twin 3 Razors (8+2 bonus packs) = $12.94
minus $3 off ST3 razors coupon
minus buy1 get 1 free coupon ($6.47)
2 packages of razors for $3.47

With coupon match-ups and Register Rewards or Rebates this might be an even better deal at Walgreens.

Once I'm done with HBA I move to the households area. (where the cleaners and candles are) Another glimpse at my list and a quick shuffle through the coupon binder. I always try to keep in mind that Walgreens often has better deals with coupon matchups.

There is nothing worse than buying something with coupons only to find out next week that the deal is SOOooo much better. I usually scan the forums/posts at slickdeals for walmart and walgreens deals BEFORE I go shopping.

Now I head to the grocery aisles. I usually stick to the innner aisles first, then refrigerated, produce and frozen. In that order. It just makes sense. Who wants to buy melted ice cream, right?

Old El Paso had internet printable coupons for $1.00 off 2 OEP items AND there is a PEELIE on taco kits for $1.00 off OEP refried beans WYB 2 OEP items.

2 Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix $1.48
1 old El Paso Refried Beans
minus $1.00 off coupon .98
minus $1.00 off coupon
2 taco mix packets and a can of refried beans for .46 cents!

Kashi blueberry waffles $2.24
minus $1.50 internet coupon = .74

4 Sierra Mist Ruby 2 Liter Soda ($1.25 ea)
minus 2 buy 1 get 1 free internet printable coupons = FOUR 2 liters for $2.50

2 YoPlus yogurt 4 packs ($2.12 ea)
minus 2 $1 internet coupons = $2.24 for 2 YoPlus Yogurt 4 packs

2 V-8 fusion goji raspberry ($2.98 ea)
minus 2 $2 off internet printable coupons = $1.96 for TWO v-8 fusion juice

Borden Single Sensation Cheese ($2.00)
minus $1.00 off coupon = $1.00 cheese

Kashi Mushroom Spinach Pizza ($4.75)
minus $1.50 off PEELIE coupon = $3.25 for pizza!

Rhodes warm-n-serve frozen garlic rolls ($2.08)
minus $1.00 coupon = $1.08 THESE ROLLS ARE FAN-FRIGGEN-TASTIC!

You might be thinking to yourself. Gee, don't you buy anything WITHOUT coupons?? Well, yep I sure do. I usually don't post the non-coupon items.

I didn't have coupons for :

Dreyers sherbet $3.50 (This stuff better taste like it's made of gold!)
Little Debbie snack cakes $1.50 & $1.43 - Hey, these weren't for me so back off!
Natural Choice Smoked Turkey - $2.98
Simply Natural orange Juice $3.00 - This is the ONLY juice my picky kiddo will drink.
Dean's French onion Dip - $1.32
Ground Beef - $1.58 x 2
Salami from the deli - $4.08
strawberries $1.50
Cream cheese - $1.18 I'm making mini cheesecakes this week
chili powder - .50
grated parmesan - $2.78
whole milk - $2.98
hamburger and hot dog buns - $1.13 x 2
potatoes - $1.49
lemon cream cookies - $1.00 (don't get excited, all the cookies/crackers are for lunches)
fudge stripe cookes - $1.17
sugar wafer cookies - $1.27
cheeze-it crackers - $1.00

My Wal-Mart grocery bill went from $132.09 down to $81.32
I look at it this way...I would NOT throw a $50 dollar bill in the garbage.
All these little coupons add up. I wish I had started using coupons 10 years ago!

$345.09 SPENT
$370.27 SAVED

I saved 75% at Pick-n-Save

2009-04-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

My bill went from $47.84 down to $11.70. I saved about 75%!
My goal budget for Pick-n-Save Double coupon day has been $25 or less.
I was way under this week!

GE energy saver CFL lightbulb $1.00
minus $1 coupon, doubled = $1 MONEY MAKER

2 Campbell's Cream Of Chicken & Herb Soups $1.49 each = $2.98
minus $1 internet coupon, doubled = .02 MONEY MAKER

Mighty Dog Canned Dog Food .75
minus GET ONE FREE coupon (from mail)= 0

2 Wholly Salsa $2.99 each = 5.98
minus $1 internet coupon doubled = $3.98
minus buy 1 get 1 free coupon = .99

Manny's Bite size Tortilla Chips $3.59
minus buy 2 wholly salsa get $3.00 off chips coupon = .59

Smart Balance Butter Spread $2.65
minus $1 double coupon doubled = .65

Smart Balance Butter blend sticks $2.99
minus buy 1 s.b. spread, get 1 s.b. sticks FREE = 0

2 Roundy's 24 oz white bread 1.15
on sale for $1 each = $2

2 SteamFresh white rice $1.85 = $3.70
on sale 4/$5
minus $1 coupon doubled = .50

Steamers frozen corn nibblets $1.69
on sale for $1 each
minus .60 internet coupon = .40

3 Lay's potato chips $3.99 each = $11.97
sale price 3/$4.98

3 Banquet pot pie .75 each = $2.25
on sale w/in-store coupon 3/.99

Duncan hines French vanilla cake Mix $1.89
on sale for $1 each
minus .35 coupon = .65

YAY for Double Coupons...I would not shop at Pick-n-Save otherwise.

$263.77 Spent
$319.50 Saved

I saved 65% at Walgreens (Lots of Candy!)

2009-04-20T17:54:00.001-07:00

My bill went from $37.82 down to $13.12

Angel Soft 9 pack $4.00
minus $1.00 internet coupon

Hershey Kisses 4/$10 ($5 rebate)

Oscar Mayer Bacon 2/$4

Twizzlers 4/$6
minus $1 Easy Saver Coupon

Plus I used my Register Rewards Coupons from my previous transaction.

-$3 RR from Edge Shaving gel
-$2 RR from Lady Mitchum deoderant
-$5 RR from 7up

$252.07 SPENT
$283.36 SAVED

I saved 42% at Walgreens

2009-04-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

Walgreens has a few good deals I couldn't pass on this week.

3/$11 7up 12 pack 12 oz cans
minus 3 $1 coupons
get $5 RR

Edge Shave gel $2.99
get $3 RR

Ladies Mitchum Deoderant $2.99
Get $2 RR

My total went from $25.60 down to $14.93

$238.95 SPENT
$258.66 SAVED

Today was a Walgreens NO BUY day

2009-04-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

I couldn't find any $1.00 peelies today at WAGS for the 7up 3/$11 deal, so I'll pass unless I find them.

After a little snooping around I saw Bic Solieil Razor (single) Blister pack on sale for $1.79...I'm pretty sure there was a coupon that would make these free or possibly a money maker. These were at the end of the aisle of hair products, not with the rest of the razors and there were at least a dozen of them.

I also noticed a lot of markdowns in the foot care area. Dr. Scholl's stuff mostly. About 50% off on clearance.

Sally Hansen Lip Gloss was in the rear of the store on the clearance end cap. This lip gloss was in a little pot, not in a tube. It was marked down to $2.00 each and there were some nice colors.

True North snacks are on sale again 2/$6 I hope there is a coupon for these or they are in the circular soon because I really liked these, I just didn't like the price. I'll wait for a sale and then I'll stock up.

Anyone else notice that Pringles have jumped up in price from $1 a can to $1.50 a can???

My first trip to CVS! - I saved 83% using coupons.

2009-04-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

This was my first ever trip to CVS! Unfortunately, the nearest CVS is 29 minutes away.....

Thanks to It's Hip To Save I was able to score 4 Purex Laundry Detergents ABSOLUTELY FREE!

CVS has Purex on SALE Buy1Get1Free this week
I used Zip Code 43123 @ COUPONS.COM to print 2 Buy1Get1Free Coupons
Voila! 4 FREE Purex Laundry Detergents...aewsome!

I also scored 5 FREE 2-packs of Schick Slim Twin razors by using 5 $1.00 off coupons.
I found these 2-packs in the travel/trial size bins for .99 cents each.
The cashier adjusted the coupons down to .99 cents

I also picked up:

twizzlers pull-n-peel - $2.50 (no coupons)
Act II Popcorn $2.19 (no coupons)
Double Bubble bubble gum .99 (no coupons)

My bill went from $40.04 all the way down to $6.93

$224.02 SPENT
$250.99 SAVED

I saved 64% off groceries at Pick-n-Save

2009-04-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

My bill went from $95.68 all the way down to $34.17
I had planned to spend $25 or less, but the $10 found in my car went to good use.

There were coupons for $2.00 off WYB Deli Chicken AND a 6 pack of 20 oz Coca-Cola. Luckily Coca-Cola 6 packs were on sale 3/$9. I always wait until Wednesday when there is a sale to use mycokerewards.com $1.00 off because I can use these for DOUBLE COUPONS day! Yippee! Using this combo deal, I ended up getting 3 12 packs 20 oz coca-cola for $3 AND 10 pieces of Chicken from the deli for $4.00. Not bad!

Eckrich (armour) Ready Crisp bacon were on sale 2/$5 and they had peelie Q's to save $1.00 on eggs. Eggs were $1.49 and it's DOUBLE COUPON day, so I bought 2 of each and got 2 of packs bacon and 2 dozen eggs for $3.98 Another good deal.

Some of the Pringles potato chips were on clearance for .79 cents each. I bought 2 for $1.58 and used a $1.00/2 MQ, so I paid .58 cents for 2 superstax of Pringles!

Selected Schick razors were on sale 2/$10. They had women's schick Quattro disposable 3 packs that were a 3+1 bonus packs. I used a $4.00 any women's schick coupon AND a Buy1GET1FREE any schick razor coupon. This was a $1.59 MONEY MAKER! 2/$10 minus $4 MQ minus b1g1 MQ (-$7.59) I wish I had more of those coupons!!

Kemps single packs of cottage cheese were .99 cents. I had Buy1get1free coupons. So I got 10 cottage cheese singles for $4.95 I know this wasn't a great deal, but I really like the single size for lunches.

Eggo muffin tops were on sale for $1.48 combined with a .75 coupon these were .73 cents each!
3 x .73=$2.19 The regular price for just ONE of these is $3.19

I needed Hershey's syrup and that wasn't on sale at all. bummer. $2.25

I needed Chef Boyardee Spaghetti & Meatballs for the hubby since it's the ONLY thing he can make on his own without making a huge mess out of the kitchen. These were on sale for .98 cents each.

mycokerewards.com is great for $1.00 off coupons and FREE 20 oz coupons. basically every 8 bottle caps you enter will get you a FREE 20 oz coupon in the mail.

I love using my freebie coupons on Wednesdays because it adds to my total before coupons. My pick-n-save allows you to double FIVE $1.00 off coupons with a purchase of $25 (before coupons are totaled.) My ultimate goal is to get FREE groceries on double coupon day.

$217.09 SPENT
$217.88 SAVED

I saved 65% off my bill at Pick-n-Save

2009-04-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

My bill went from $85.84 all the way down to $31.74

I love it when the people behind me in line have that amazed look on their faces.

Pepsi product 12 packs were 4/$12
I had a buy 2 diet pepsi 12 pks, get one free
I also used 2 - $1.00 off coupons DOUBLED on double coupon Wednesday
So I ended up getting 5/$8

YoPlait Yoplus yogurt were on sale 2/$4
minus 2 - $1.00 coupons (these were the DO NOT DOUBLE coupons, bummer)
these were 2/$2

Sobe Life water 20 oz were $1.59
minus $1.00 off coupons
.59 each
I should have bought these at walmart, since they were on sale for $1 each there

I should have checked prices a little more before shopping.

Tomorrow is double coupon day at Pick-n-Save again. I am going to try and keep the bill for double coupon day under $25 for a few weeks. It should be interesting to see what & how much I can get with that budget.

$182.92 SPENT
$157.04 SAVED

Only 20% off this time using coupons at Wal-Mart

2009-04-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

There are times when I don't have a coupon. Today was one of those days! My savings was down significantly this trip. Normally I save 50% or more, this time it was a paltry 20% off.

If I see a penny on the sidewalk I will always pick it up, so I would never turn my nose up at a savings of $13.12

Mission tortillas were $2.18 - $1 MQ
Solo Cups were $2.32 - .50 MQ
Rhodes frozen garlic rolls were $2.08 - $1.00 MQ
Pop-tarts were $2.88 each x 2 - $1.00 MQ (16 packs...normally these are 12 packs)
Scott Bath Tissue (extra Soft) 4 pk were $2.68 each - $1.00 MQ (I bought 6 of these)

celery was $1.00 for a large package
lenders bagels were $1.37 for an 8 pack...normally these are 6 packs
motts applesauce 8 pack cups were $2.34 - not a good deal but i really needed these
apple turnover 4 packs from the bakery area were $2.50 - this was an impulse buy and they tasted terrible, serves me right for straying from my budget.
crackerjack 3-packs were $1.12 - for lunches
A really small package of turtle candies was $3.44 - this was a very specific request. Wish I didn't buy these because they were wayyyyy overpriced for 10 candy pieces
deans dip was $1.32 - no comment LOL
patrick cudahy pepperoni 50 pcs - $1.51 - this made tortilla pizzas very yummy
french bread loaf from bakery was $1.50 - I made 2 boxes worth of garlic cheese bread to freeze from this single loaf. Very tasty.
macaroon cookies were $1.18 - these were a special request from my hubby who says he hates coconut (shhhhh. don't tell them what these cookies are made of!)
fudge stripe shortbread cookies were $1.17 - ok no comment I love these cookies...
white bread - $1.13 - for sandwiches
hot dog buns - $1.13
hamburger buns - $1.13
gallon WHOLE milk - $2.73 the men will not drink anything but whole milk. *Sigh*

So okay, I didn't save a lot but I feel like I got a lot for the money. I'm still kind of bummed about the Riceworks coupon being refused from my last wal-mart trip. I really had a taste for the sweet chili riceworks chips. Spicy, and crunchy and FREE. (not anymore though)

$151.18 SPENT
$102.94 SAVED

I saved 60% off at Wal-Mart by using Coupons

2009-04-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

I took about 30 minutes and simply walked along the HBA aisle with my coupon binder to see if I could find any good coupon matchups. Everything I bought had a coupon matchup. My bill went from $39.36 to $14.06. I saved roughly 60% off my bill just by using coupons.

Walmart just completed another round of clearance markdowns, so the clearance aisle was my first stop. There was still various hair dyes. vitamins, air wick minis, gain detergent and fabric softener. ( I love it when a company changes packaging...that usually means mark-downs!) There was a lot of cosmetics, mostly mineral foundation sets for $13...still too pricey yet for my taste. There was an awful lot of perfume in smaller sizes around the $7 price point and there was quite a bit of vitamins.

I only wanted the $1 or less after coupon items. But, no matter what the price is...if you wont use it, it isn't a bargain. If you are buying things that you think other people will need, don't. It's usually never a good idea unless you have a list of items written by them and cash in hand ahead of time from them. That opinion is just based on my own personal experience...so YMMV.

I bought 3 boxes of L'Oreal Perfect Match hair dye on clearance for $3.00 each...used $2.00 MQ and scored hair dye for $1.00 each. I had like 12 more of these coupons, but I already have enough hair dye for a year and I'm not sure what the shelf life of hair dye is.

I bought 3 bottles of Viactiv Multi-Vitamin Flavor Glides. These were on clearance for $2.50 I used a $2.00 MQ. .50 cents for vitamins...not bad! These were for my mom but I was tempted to try them. There were only 3 bottles on the shelf at this Walmart. I still have 3 more of these coupons, maybe I'll swing by another store if it's on my way.

I bought Keri Long Lasting Hand Cream. These were on clearance for $3.50 each. I used a $2.00 MQ and I wish I had more coupons for these! This hand cream is the BOMB! It says on the tube that it "Lasts through multiple hand-washings" and it does! If you buy this stuff, put some in the bathroom and by the kitchen sink!

I bought Johnson & Johnson 10 pack of Go Diego! Bandaids for $1.24 and used a $1.00 MQ. This small box is perfect to put in your purse...just in case! These were in the regular aisles, not in clearance.

I bought a 4 pack of Joint juice Glucosamine supplement for my mom to try. She takes a supplement in pill form already but maybe she will like a liquid better than a pill. This was in the regular aisles, not on clearance. $3.18 each, used a $2.00 MQ. I only bought one because this was over my usual spending limit of $1.00 per item after coupons!

I bought Softscrub scrubby pads for $2.97. These were in the regular aisle, not in clearance. I used a $1.50 coupon on these. I really needed some scrubby pads! I tried these right away when I got home because I had dishes to do. These are definitely NOT for dishes BTW...These are more for scrubbing out your shower or bathtub. DARN IT!

I bought AirWick mini Air freshener kits. These are on clearance for $5.50 in 3 different places. Clerance aisle, As seen on tv end cap AND in the freshener aisle. I used a $4.00 MQ on these. I bought 2 for a buck a piece after coupons.

I also tried to buy Riceworks chips with my TRY ME FREE coupon. the cashier handed my coupon back and said "We don't take these anymore" I asked her why not and she said "The company said they put too many out or something" I wasn't going to argue so I asked her to take the chips off my order. She was nice about it and gave my coupon back.... I'm not sure what the deal is with those coupons! The coupon says they are good until September. I hope it's not a Colgate toothpaste kind of deal....hmmmm.....

Bottom line = I saved quite a bit.

$104.93 SPENT
$102.94 SAVED

Easter Basket & I saved 55% at Walgreens

2009-04-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

I saved roughly 55% off my bill at Walgreens today.
My bill went from $68.05 down to $32.52

Using the Easter in-ad coupons, I was able to put together a small basket filled with candy & treats for about $5 bucks total.

This weeks' Coca-cola deal is outstanding! 5/$13 coca-cola 12 pack cans. Don't forget to use 4 of those $1 off coupons from mycokerewards.com making this deal even sweeter at 5/$9. You HAVE to have the coupon though, or they wont give you the sale price.

The 4/$10 (4/$5 after rebate) Hershey's Kisses were completely out of stock. I did ask for a raincheck, but I'm not sure how long their rainchecks are good for.

The Lipton Green Tea was the last item I HAD to get before the week was over. Luckily they were in stock this trip. (3rd time is a charm.) 3/$12 but use the $2.00/2 peelie and then it's only 3/$10. These are 12 packs of bottles, but the bottles are only 16.9 oz each. These will make a nice change from all the coca-cola and pepsi products I have stockpiled.

I did make a mistake and use the Vitamin Water B1G1$1 off coupons here at Walgreens. Walmart has these on sale for $1.00 right now. so I overpaid by $2.80 this time. Grrrr.

I don't need any more soda, tea or water for at least a month now. My budget is light & I might be hungry this month, but I KNOW I wont be thirsty!

$90.87 SPENT
$85.44 SAVED

NO MONEY Mood Makeover

2009-04-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

Right now my budget is pretty tight. The closest I can get to a vacation is a little self-pampering. I have to use NO MONEY ways to de-stress and re-charge.

These things never fail to make me feel better:

Music

Most of my happiest memories involve music. Music can energize and motivate or calm and soothe. It's nice to turn up the music and sing along with the radio in the car or dance when nobody's watching. (I have a soft spot in my heart for '80's music.)

Bubble Bath

I love, love, love my bubble baths! Bath & hot, sudsy water=magic. Bath-time takes away tension, stress and the stench of pursuing the almighty dollar in the 9-5 grind, right? I especially adore the Bitter Orange scent made by AGRARIA. It smells divine. It's warm, rich, & clean with a hint of citrus and an earthy/woodsy finish. The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas uses this for their toiletry kits.

Candles

The low flickering glow of candle light is more than romantic. It's primal. There's just something undeniably MORE attractive about a table set with candles or a bath surrounded by a few votives. (Plus, it's always good to have a few on hand just in case of an emergency.) I would put a link up to my favorite candles but they don't make them anymore. White Barn Candle Company used to make a Lavender Candle in a frosted cup. It smelled divine and lasted a really long time. Alas, BBW bought them out and cheapened and changed everything about the brand. Typical.

Pedicure

Groomed feet are a must, whether you paint your toenails or not. But there is just something special about a RED pedicure. Red painted toe nails scream SEXY! Red is vixen, a vamp a siren and a tramp. I've never worn peek-a-boo pumps without wearing red nail polish. The combination is a proven man magnet. Wearing peep toe high heels without a red pedicure is like wearing a deep vee neck LBD wihout a pushup bra... it defeats the whole purpose. I don't have a favorite brand of red nail polsih because they keep discontinuing them year after year. If it's a bold red, opaque and doesn't chip easily then it's a winner.

Clean Sheets

Clean, crisp sheets are heaven. Good quality sheets will not pill, fade or shrink. Good sheets get BETTER with age. Freshly washed sheets make everything better. Imagine white sheets hanging on the clothesline, flapping in the breeze, Sheets so white it almost hurts your eyes to look at them. The sunlight slowly dries them as they dance in the wind. Then those sheets are folded up in the wicker clothesbasket and taken in to be ironed with a light starch. The ironed sheets feel crisp on the bed, cool to the touch at first. Smooth and silky against your skin. When you slip under your covers it should be like entering a safe haven. Your bed should be the most relaxing place on earth. A place you could hibernate all winter in if you had the chance.

Vacationing locally

2009-04-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

As the economic crisis deepens many people find themselves putting off their travel plans. Some would-be vacationers have cancelled their long distance vacations completely. Even with the credit crunch and money concerns, there is a growing trend for vacationing locally.

Many towns have a major tourist attraction nearby. Some towns boast smaller, more "independent" points of interest that are free or very inexpensive.

There are many ways to find these hidden gems. You can find a wealth of information online. User generated review sites can be helpful, but keep in mind that some "members" may have been compensated or reimbursed to post their reviews.

Here are 3 of my favorite travel review sites:

Virtual Tourist

Trip Advisor

My Travel Guide

Travel can be fantastic, but sometimes the best "vacation" is taken at home. There are many "how-to" books and television shows about organization, home staging and "clean sweeps".

These are few of my favorite sites on these subjects:

Organization

Home Staging

Clean Sweep (more than just home clean sweep, this is a LIFE clean sweep)

A few small changes can make a huge difference in how your home looks and how it makes you feel. When your results are so easily seen, the feeling of accomplishment can empowering. Positive changes are unbelieveably refreshing for your spirit and mind.

So many sales, so little money!

2009-04-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

This week there are so many great sales!
It's a "tight" month, but I'll buy these deals.

Walgreens

WAGS ink cartridge refills F.A.R.
5/$13 coca-cola 12 pk. cans (use $1 MQ's& get 5/$9)
3/$12 nestea 8 pk bottles (use $1 peelie MQ's & get 3/$10)
$2.99 Playtex tampons 18 pack (use $1.50 WAG MQ & it's only $1.49)

Even though Colgate 4 oz is FREE after RR, I'm going to pass. I have enough toothpaste for the entire year already.

Pick-n-Save
Pick-n-Save does double coupons on Wednesdays.
Must spend $25 before Q's. Limit of 5.

2/$3 Roundy's Butter 1LB
4/$10 Mountain Dew (use 4 -$1 MQ - doubled & it's 4/$2)
.99 Roundy's 2LB brown sugar
.99 Roundy's 4LB granulated sugar
$1.00 Stove Top Stuffing 6 oz
.87 Roundy's sour cream 16 oz
.99 Dole Fruit Salad 15 oz
2/$5 Ritz Fresh Stacks
2/$5 Lay's Potato Chips 11 oz

There were other things I'd love to buy, but I'm sticking to the minimum this week. Unless I find a MQ matchup making the item less than a buck or FREE, I'll pass. This still leaves me one DQ possibility...maybe I'll find a surprise great deal!

Pick-n-Save Saturday Night Savings

2009-04-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

Phew! I made it to the store before it closed!

pick up the loss leaders!

Roundy's water 24 pack .5 liter bottled water 2 for 4.99
Roundy's 6 oz yogurt 4/$1
Gatorade 32 oz .77 each
Roundy's 16 oz white bread 2/$1
Roundy's 5 QT ice cream $2.99

Used a $3 OYNO catalina

My bill went from $21.89 down to $7.79 after coupons

$58.35 SPENT
$49.91 SAVED

Saturday Night Last Minute Saving at Walgreens

2009-04-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

My quick trip netted me about 54% savings.

Mentos gum was 2/$2 - I heart cheap or free gum!
I only had .55 coupons left but there are $1.00 coupons out there

SoyJoy bars were 2/$1
I didn't have any coupons for this deal, but SoyJoy usually has $1/5 coupons on their website

Halls Sugar Free cought drops were $2.59 ouch kinda pricey for a teeny bag!
$1/1 coupon - these would have been half the price at walmart.

Snapple iced tea 1.29
walgreens $1/2 coupon
buy 2 snapple get a code at checkout to enter to win a mac laptop

Last chance for the color cartridge refill at $7.50 (normally $15)
FREE after rebate all month long.

$50.56 SPENT
$35.86 SAVED

I saved 30% at Dollar General today

2009-04-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

I used $10.25 in coupons and saved roughly 30% off my bill at Dollar General.

This was my second visit to this store. The store is a bit small, but it is very clean and it is very well lit with easy to read signage and prices.

I really needed dish scrubby sponges and forgot the coupon for them...I hate when that happens!

For all you people that still have Suave shampoo coupons, use the 1.75/3 or 1.00/2 here!
12 oz Suave shampoo is $1.00 use the coupons and that makes them .42 cents each!
You can get a whole year's supply of shampoo AND conditioner for about $10.08
Of course if you don't like Suave shampoo then it's really not a good deal...unless it's free.

This was the first store in my area to carry VIVA paper towels in 2-packs. Even with using my coupon it wasn't a better deal than anywhere else.
This is the only store in my area that carries PowerStick antiperspirant. $1.00 each

My overall impression is that this store could be a once a week deal scouting trip, but it wont be a regular shopping trip.

$40.58 SPENT
$23.60 SAVED

Saving 45% at Family Dollar using coupons!

2009-04-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

This was my very first trip to Family Dollar...ever.
I wasn't familiar with the layout or the brands.

I kept in mind that I needed to buy at least $20 to use the $5 in-ad coupon.
I set a 30 minute time limit on my trip...just enough time to use my coupons & get out!
Right away I noticed that the aisles are really tight so I put my purse on my shoulder and left my cart out of the busiest aisles.

This particular store keeps the medicines, razors and deoderant at the very front of the store BEFORE the area of carts. I like to look but I really don't being in the way of a kajillion people entering the store. Those items only received a cursory glance this trip.

There are some really strange sizes on some of the HBA items. Many of these items were larger than a trial size but about 2/3 the size that I normally see in the regular retail stores. I was able to do a few coupon matches that were to my advantage because of the smaller size/price.

Not only was I able to use a $5 off $20 coupon from their flyer, but I was able to use coupons on some clearanced items...YIPPEE!

*Nivea Renewal Creme (10 oz) clearance $2.40 - $1.00 MQ = $1.40 each

*Suave mousse or hairspray clearance $1.35 - $1.75/3 MQ = .77 each

I noticed many other items on clearance but I had to keep my eye on the clock this trip.
Buying food here seemed a little "iffy" but I did buy a bag of gingersnaps and some almond windmill cookies.

My receipt went from $30.92 down to $17.57
Overall I did pretty good. I saved roughly 45%.
The nice lady at the register seemed surprised by the total.

----2 Gain laundry detergent and 1 pkg. fabric softener sheets were $4.65 after coupons.

$17.57 SPENT
$13.35 SAVED

Adding 2 new stores to my weekly rounds.

2009-04-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

This week I received ads for Sears and Dollar General.
I don't normally shop at either of these stores but the Sears ad had a $5 off $25 coupon in it and the Dollar General ad had a $5 off $20 coupon in it!

* sears.com will give you $10 in coupons if you sign up for Sears e-mails.
* dollargeneral.com has a Special Offers link on their website, but no printable coupons.

As of 04/03/09 Sears has 75%-80% off Fall/Winter Clearance items.
*Use shopathome.com to get an additional 4% off on TOP of any other savings/coupons.
*Use coupon code SWELCOME09158 to get $5 off $50 Expires 04/11/09
If you shop at sears.com a lot, check out their Shipvantage program.

The Dollar General in my town does NOT accept internet coupons...but I've heard that at times they have awesome tear pad coupons.

I will edit this post after my shopping trip to note any outstanding deals.

SEARS- 2/$10 SCOTT EXTRA SOFT BATH TISSUE (12 dbl roll or 24 regular rolls) limit 8
If they accept internet coupons this could be a good deal.
Buy 8 @ 2/$10=40
use 8 $1/1 internet printables from coupons.com
use $5/$25 Sears ad coupon
Get 96-192 rolls of bath tissue for $27+tax

What the heck is Nasal Rinsing?

2009-04-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Recently I signed up with a WOM (word of mouth) marketing campaign website called BzzAgent. In a nutshell, companies offer free products to people that sign up with BzzAgent with the understanding that after using these products, the BzzAgent member will review the products and then place this links to this info online for others to see.

I'd never heard of nasal rinsing before, but I signed up for a BzzAgent campaign for the Afrin PureSea BzzCampaign anyway. My kit that contained one bottle of Afrin PureSea Hydrating Nasal Rinse, an Official BzzGuide and a stack of $3.00 off coupons.

I get the gist of nasal rinsing. it's a purified, concentrated saline water rinse. Feeling Nasal congestion, irritation or just want to get your nose the cleanest it can be? Water in nose, water out nose...voila! You have been rinsed. But I didn't realize how tricky it could be to use this nasal rinse without making a wet mess. I highly suggest trying this IN THE SHOWER the first time.

I admit this was uncomfortable for me. Not all people can do this right the first time, I was one of those people. I accidentally inhaled and after much sputtering and coughing decided to try again the next day.

Rising got easier as the week progressed. Rinse, gently blow, repeat on the other side.

After a week, I felt cleaner and more clear.
Would I use this on a daily basis? No.

I would keep one on hand for when I feel congested though as it seemed to help and I felt like I had to blow my nose MUCH less often.

Overall I thought the product was a good alternative treatment and it is FLEX SPENDING ACCOUNT DEDUCTIBLE, so save those receipts for tax time.

Afrin PureSea costs about $12.99 and comes in 4 oz plastic bottles.

I have (8) $3.00 off coupons to give away. If you'd like a coupon, please leave a comment with your email address and I will mail one to you...ABSOLUTELY FREE!

P.S.: Walgreens.com has Afrin PureSea on sale this week for $9.74 each.

Throwing COUPONS away!

2008-11-02T07:39:00.000-08:00

Every Sunday I used to cut ALL the coupons out of the paper, even the ones I will never use. (Like the ones for diapers or pet food.)

On Wednesday s I go to Pick-n-Save to take advantage of DOUBLE COUPONS.
Because I don't like waste, I'd put all my unwanted coupons in an envelope labeled "FREE COUPONS" right in the front of the store next to the store flyers.

This week I stumbled across the HOT COUPON WORLD website.
WOW. that's all I can say...WOW.
These ladies have some strategies for saving!
Most of the coupon veterans have AMAZING stockpiles in their pantries.
Most of them get stuff for FREE or very nearly so!

I could be trading all those coupons I DON'T use for coupons I WILL use.
Or I could trade my unwanted coupons for other things like Coke or Pepsi Points.

Who knew there was this whole world of possibilities based on paper with a face value of 1/100 of 1¢.

Don't throw away those Expired coupons!
DONATE THEM!
U.S. military families stationed overseas are able to use them on base for up to six months after the manufacturer's expiration date.