Saturday, March 27, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Weekly Savings: $79.45
This week was a good week. It started off slow and ended with a sweet victory!
Before I go into the details of my savings, I need to give some much needed shout-outs.
Andrea: Andrea was house sitting last Friday and extended an invitation to me to spend the night, to which I accepted. I got two newspapers last week and had only had time to cut the coupons from one of them. Little did Andrea know that she was going to spend the night cutting coupons with me, but she cut them like a pro! I'm sure she had a lot of fun.
Dad: When I told my dad how I was venturing into the couponing world, I also told him that newspapers were expensive and I wasn't sure that I wanted to buy more than two each week. He remembered that he gets about 10 Sunday papers where he works and he just so happens to work on Sundays. Let's just say the people who read those newspapers won't be going to the grocery store any time soon to redeem those coupons. My dad volunteered to collect all of the coupon inserts from the Sunday papers and mail them to me each week. JACKPOT! In return, I told him I would pay him $3 a week. I didn't realize shipping would be $5.00, so I'll have to increase his stipend.
Mom: You played a vital role in making sure the coupon inserts got to me before the sales for this week were over. That was some great team work; no wonder you guys have been married for nearly 38 years!
And now for the this week's savings...
Starbucks: You better believe I picked up my FREE pastry at Starbucks on Tuesday! My handcrafted drink of choice? A grande, sugar-free hazelnut, non-fat misto. The misto is cheaper than the latte because it's made with coffee instead of espresso. I can't really tell the difference, other than the $1 in price. Try it! Thank you, H.D., for introducing me to the misto.
Regular Price: $1.95. My price: FREE. Total Savings: $1.95.
Kroger: I did some more grocery shopping at Kroger this week, but didn't come across any hot deals. Even though I only used 3 coupons, I was still able to save a good amount of money from the sales. I had one coupon loaded on my Kroger card from Cellfire and gave the cashier 3 more manufacturer coupons, one of which was $1.00 off Ken's salad dressing. I got to my car and realized that he skipped over my $1.00 off coupon. I was tempted to go back in the store to get it straightened out, but I decided not to. Note to self: Pay close attention to the screen when the cashier is scanning valuable coupons.
Regular Price: $29.86. My price: $20.75. Total Savings: $9.11.
Walgreens: I love saving money and scoring hot deals, but the last thing I want to do is turn into a hoarder. Why buy all of these things, just because they are great deals, when I don't need them? There is a fine line between stockpiling and hoarding. Stockpiling simply means getting your groceries at the lowest price and stocking up on them so you won't have to buy them again in the near future. When thinking of hoarding, my mind turned to ministry. There are a lot of times when I want to donate to a certain ministry, but somehow convince myself that I don't have the money, or can't afford it that month. Using coupons to buy items when they are dirt cheap is a great way to help ministries that are in need of the exact things that you aren't. Because really, who needs 12 toothbrushes and a 20 bottles of shampoo and conditioner? Case in point: Walgreens was having a sale on their Schick Quattro razors this week. Regularly priced at $8.29, they were on sale for $6.99 plus an instant $2 off in-store coupon, making them $4.99. Smart Source also had a coupon in this week's insert for $4 off a 3-pack of Schick Quattro razors. Since my parents teamed up and sent me 14 inserts from this week's paper (7 Red Plum and 7 Smart Source), I had 8-$4 off coupons (I also bought one paper this week) to use on these razors bringing my total to $0.99/each! Do I need 24 disposable razors? Heck no! Does a homeless ministry need 24 razors? Absolutely! By combining my coupons with a sale, I was able to save 90% and now I can spend my savings on even more hot deals on items to donate to ministry! Proverbs 11:24 says, "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty." The bible also says in Psalm 112:5, "Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice." These are great verses to live by, no matter what your situation.
I also came across an Olay Quench Body Lotion Rebate Form while I was blog hopping this week, and decided to use it at Walgreens since I was already there. With the rebate form, Olay will reimburse you for the full cost of the lotion if you purchase it by 4/16 and postmark your envelope by 4/30. The lotion would normally cost $9.99, but with the rebate form, it's FREE! What are you waiting for? Print off the rebate form, above, and go get you some!
Regular Price: $76.31. My Price: $7.92. Total Savings: $68.39.
WEEKLY TOTALS: Regular Price: $108.12. My Price: $28.67. Total Weekly Savings: $79.45.
Before I go into the details of my savings, I need to give some much needed shout-outs.
Andrea: Andrea was house sitting last Friday and extended an invitation to me to spend the night, to which I accepted. I got two newspapers last week and had only had time to cut the coupons from one of them. Little did Andrea know that she was going to spend the night cutting coupons with me, but she cut them like a pro! I'm sure she had a lot of fun.
Dad: When I told my dad how I was venturing into the couponing world, I also told him that newspapers were expensive and I wasn't sure that I wanted to buy more than two each week. He remembered that he gets about 10 Sunday papers where he works and he just so happens to work on Sundays. Let's just say the people who read those newspapers won't be going to the grocery store any time soon to redeem those coupons. My dad volunteered to collect all of the coupon inserts from the Sunday papers and mail them to me each week. JACKPOT! In return, I told him I would pay him $3 a week. I didn't realize shipping would be $5.00, so I'll have to increase his stipend.
Mom: You played a vital role in making sure the coupon inserts got to me before the sales for this week were over. That was some great team work; no wonder you guys have been married for nearly 38 years!
And now for the this week's savings...
Starbucks: You better believe I picked up my FREE pastry at Starbucks on Tuesday! My handcrafted drink of choice? A grande, sugar-free hazelnut, non-fat misto. The misto is cheaper than the latte because it's made with coffee instead of espresso. I can't really tell the difference, other than the $1 in price. Try it! Thank you, H.D., for introducing me to the misto.
Regular Price: $1.95. My price: FREE. Total Savings: $1.95.
Kroger: I did some more grocery shopping at Kroger this week, but didn't come across any hot deals. Even though I only used 3 coupons, I was still able to save a good amount of money from the sales. I had one coupon loaded on my Kroger card from Cellfire and gave the cashier 3 more manufacturer coupons, one of which was $1.00 off Ken's salad dressing. I got to my car and realized that he skipped over my $1.00 off coupon. I was tempted to go back in the store to get it straightened out, but I decided not to. Note to self: Pay close attention to the screen when the cashier is scanning valuable coupons.
Regular Price: $29.86. My price: $20.75. Total Savings: $9.11.
Walgreens: I love saving money and scoring hot deals, but the last thing I want to do is turn into a hoarder. Why buy all of these things, just because they are great deals, when I don't need them? There is a fine line between stockpiling and hoarding. Stockpiling simply means getting your groceries at the lowest price and stocking up on them so you won't have to buy them again in the near future. When thinking of hoarding, my mind turned to ministry. There are a lot of times when I want to donate to a certain ministry, but somehow convince myself that I don't have the money, or can't afford it that month. Using coupons to buy items when they are dirt cheap is a great way to help ministries that are in need of the exact things that you aren't. Because really, who needs 12 toothbrushes and a 20 bottles of shampoo and conditioner? Case in point: Walgreens was having a sale on their Schick Quattro razors this week. Regularly priced at $8.29, they were on sale for $6.99 plus an instant $2 off in-store coupon, making them $4.99. Smart Source also had a coupon in this week's insert for $4 off a 3-pack of Schick Quattro razors. Since my parents teamed up and sent me 14 inserts from this week's paper (7 Red Plum and 7 Smart Source), I had 8-$4 off coupons (I also bought one paper this week) to use on these razors bringing my total to $0.99/each! Do I need 24 disposable razors? Heck no! Does a homeless ministry need 24 razors? Absolutely! By combining my coupons with a sale, I was able to save 90% and now I can spend my savings on even more hot deals on items to donate to ministry! Proverbs 11:24 says, "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty." The bible also says in Psalm 112:5, "Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice." These are great verses to live by, no matter what your situation.
I also came across an Olay Quench Body Lotion Rebate Form while I was blog hopping this week, and decided to use it at Walgreens since I was already there. With the rebate form, Olay will reimburse you for the full cost of the lotion if you purchase it by 4/16 and postmark your envelope by 4/30. The lotion would normally cost $9.99, but with the rebate form, it's FREE! What are you waiting for? Print off the rebate form, above, and go get you some!
Regular Price: $76.31. My Price: $7.92. Total Savings: $68.39.
WEEKLY TOTALS: Regular Price: $108.12. My Price: $28.67. Total Weekly Savings: $79.45.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Weekly Savings: $83.59
I've decided to get serious about the colorful sheets of paper that so many people discard upon opening their Sunday paper. I see one color when I look at those inserts - green. I'm talking about the coupons found in the Red Plum and Smart Source Sunday paper inserts. I've heard of people buying as many as 10 Sunday papers in one week, but I'm sticking to 2 for now. 10 papers is a little too intense for me, considering the fact that I'm only buying for myself and not a family of 5 or 6. I found out this past weekend that you can buy newspapers in packs of 2, lowering the cost from $3.00 to $2.50/each. My envelope system I mentioned in an earlier post, here, was not efficient with the number of coupons I had and I found myself getting frustrated/overwhelmed because I couldn't easily see what I was working with. I took my friend Courtney's advice and bought baseball trading card sheets at Wal-Mart. One of the best ideas, ever! It was about $5.00 for 35 sheets, each with 9 slots. If you're having a hard time picturing these, see a picture here. I found an old 1" binder with some dividers and started to categorize my coupons by the insert they came from (Red Plum, Smart Source, printed online, etc.) and by the date the insert came out (3/7, 3/14, 3/21, etc.). Within those categories, I categorized them again by type (frozen foods, cleaning, health/beauty, etc.) I know it seems borderline OCD (maybe it is...) and like a lot of work, but it's not that bad. I just flip through the inserts, cut out the coupons I want and place them in piles as I go along. When I finish cutting my coupons, I pick up the stack of frozen food coupons and put one in each a slot on my baseball card trading pages. Then I pick up the cleaning coupons and continue to do the same thing until all of my coupons have been filed. One of the things I quickly learned from the blogs I follow is that the couponers of the world have their own lingo. For example, when they tell you about a deal, they'll write "Use $1/1 Q - 3/7 SS" which translates to "Use the $1 off 1 _____ (whatever the product is) coupon from the March 7th Smart Source. It is for this reason that I categorize my coupons by the insert and then the date.
I kept my binder in the car this week and took it with me whenever I went to the store. Here are my savings for the week:
Kroger: I received the Kroger ad in the mail on Wednesday and did some prep work before heading to the grocery store. Kroger was having a March Madness promotion, where you would receive $4 off your bill if you bought 8 participating items. I looked at the participating items and compared them to the coupons I had. To save time, I took out the coupons I would need and placed them in an envelope. To avoid a run in with my ADD and to stay on track, I wrote down the items I would buy and the quantity I would need of each in order to qualify for the March Madness promotion. I got to the store and went through my list, item by item. I went to check out, gave the cashier my coupons at the end of the transaction and watched the total drop. I ended up buying everything shown below for $9.40, and saved myself $22.59 when everything was said and done.
Regular Price: $31.99. My Price: $9.40. Total Savings: $22.59.
Walgreens: I went to Walgreens to return a DVD I rented from RedBox and decided to go inside to see if there were any good deals to be had. I have a tendency to leave my make-up bag in the car, which isn't good news for my mascara when it's 32 degrees outside. For that reason, I can't ever have enough mascara. Revlon products were 40% off and Rimmel products were 50% off. I had coupons for both lines. I bypassed the Rimmel mascara packages at the front of the row and grabbed the mascara package with the bonus eye liner. I also wanted some Spring colored nail polish and snagged one from Revlon. Walgreens had a store coupon for $0.49 Reese's peanut butter cups and I had a manufacturer coupon for $0.55 off, (most stores allow you to stack store coupons and manufacturer coupons, and will also reduce the value of the manufacturer coupon if it is higher than the value of the product), making my Reese's FREE! Overall, I spent $4.98 and saved $9.78.
Regular Price: $14.76. My Price: $4.98. Total Savings: $9.78.
Target: Target has some really great deals this week and after looking at my coupons, I decided to participate in two of them. They are advertising a Buy 2 Get 1 Free deal on their Ore-Ida Potatoes. I had 2 - $1/1 coupons, get yours here, for the new Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash potatoes and Target had them 2 for $5, regularly priced at $3.49. With my two coupons, I would end up paying $1/bag. I grabbed 3 bags and headed over to their health/beauty section. Target also has their tampons advertised for $6.99 (regularly $8.99) this week, and you'll receive a $5 gift card if you buy two. That's a pretty good deal, but I also had some coupons, making the deal even sweeter! I had 2 - $2/1 coupons (remember, you can use one manufacturer coupon per purchase) to use, turning the $6.99/box into $4.99/box. This combined with my $5 gift card that I would receive, made it $4.99 for 2 boxes of tampons.
Regular Price: $28.45. My Price: $7.99. Total Savings: $20.46.
Staples: I've been wanting a flash drive for a while, but have been putting it off because they are kind of pricey. I saw that Staples was advertising a 4 GB flash drive, regularly priced at $29.99 for $14.99. Not only would you get $15 off the retail price of the flash drive, but you would also get a $10 gift card to use towards your next purchase. It was like paying $4.99. I also found a 15% off coupon (expires 3/23) and printed it off before I left. After everything was said and done, I paid $3.79 (tax included) for an item that would have normally set me back $32.46 (tax still included).
I also went to Rita's with the McCurdys for our FREE regular Italian Ice in honor of the first day of Spring. It was ironic that it was snowing on the first day of Spring and was 33 degrees when we were eating our Italian Ice, but hey, it was fun and FREE, two things I love!
I kept my binder in the car this week and took it with me whenever I went to the store. Here are my savings for the week:
Kroger: I received the Kroger ad in the mail on Wednesday and did some prep work before heading to the grocery store. Kroger was having a March Madness promotion, where you would receive $4 off your bill if you bought 8 participating items. I looked at the participating items and compared them to the coupons I had. To save time, I took out the coupons I would need and placed them in an envelope. To avoid a run in with my ADD and to stay on track, I wrote down the items I would buy and the quantity I would need of each in order to qualify for the March Madness promotion. I got to the store and went through my list, item by item. I went to check out, gave the cashier my coupons at the end of the transaction and watched the total drop. I ended up buying everything shown below for $9.40, and saved myself $22.59 when everything was said and done.
Regular Price: $31.99. My Price: $9.40. Total Savings: $22.59.
Walgreens: I went to Walgreens to return a DVD I rented from RedBox and decided to go inside to see if there were any good deals to be had. I have a tendency to leave my make-up bag in the car, which isn't good news for my mascara when it's 32 degrees outside. For that reason, I can't ever have enough mascara. Revlon products were 40% off and Rimmel products were 50% off. I had coupons for both lines. I bypassed the Rimmel mascara packages at the front of the row and grabbed the mascara package with the bonus eye liner. I also wanted some Spring colored nail polish and snagged one from Revlon. Walgreens had a store coupon for $0.49 Reese's peanut butter cups and I had a manufacturer coupon for $0.55 off, (most stores allow you to stack store coupons and manufacturer coupons, and will also reduce the value of the manufacturer coupon if it is higher than the value of the product), making my Reese's FREE! Overall, I spent $4.98 and saved $9.78.
Regular Price: $14.76. My Price: $4.98. Total Savings: $9.78.
Target: Target has some really great deals this week and after looking at my coupons, I decided to participate in two of them. They are advertising a Buy 2 Get 1 Free deal on their Ore-Ida Potatoes. I had 2 - $1/1 coupons, get yours here, for the new Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash potatoes and Target had them 2 for $5, regularly priced at $3.49. With my two coupons, I would end up paying $1/bag. I grabbed 3 bags and headed over to their health/beauty section. Target also has their tampons advertised for $6.99 (regularly $8.99) this week, and you'll receive a $5 gift card if you buy two. That's a pretty good deal, but I also had some coupons, making the deal even sweeter! I had 2 - $2/1 coupons (remember, you can use one manufacturer coupon per purchase) to use, turning the $6.99/box into $4.99/box. This combined with my $5 gift card that I would receive, made it $4.99 for 2 boxes of tampons.
Regular Price: $28.45. My Price: $7.99. Total Savings: $20.46.
Staples: I've been wanting a flash drive for a while, but have been putting it off because they are kind of pricey. I saw that Staples was advertising a 4 GB flash drive, regularly priced at $29.99 for $14.99. Not only would you get $15 off the retail price of the flash drive, but you would also get a $10 gift card to use towards your next purchase. It was like paying $4.99. I also found a 15% off coupon (expires 3/23) and printed it off before I left. After everything was said and done, I paid $3.79 (tax included) for an item that would have normally set me back $32.46 (tax still included).
Regular Price: $32.46. My Price: $3.79. Total Savings: $28.67.
I also went to Rita's with the McCurdys for our FREE regular Italian Ice in honor of the first day of Spring. It was ironic that it was snowing on the first day of Spring and was 33 degrees when we were eating our Italian Ice, but hey, it was fun and FREE, two things I love!
Regular Price: $2.09. My Price: FREE. Total Savings: $2.09
WEEKLY TOTALS:
Total Regular Price: $109.75. Total My Price: $26.16. Total Weekly Savings: $83.59.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
FREE 5 Gum!
5 Gum is offering a FREE pack of gum to the first 100,000 peeps. Here's the deal: Click here to be redirected to their webpage. Click on "See if you are chosen" on the left-hand side of the page. It will ask you to connect to Facebook. Do it. Enjoy the rest. Hopefully, you'll be one of the first 100,000 and will receive your FREE pack of gum!
Whoa Bessie - Free Ice Cream at Ben & Jerry's!
It looks like March 23rd is a popular day to give away FREE things! Get your FREE Starbucks pastry in the morning and head on over to Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream between 12 and 8 pm on Tuesday, March 23rd to score yourself a FREE cone!
Here's the scoop (pun intended):
Who: You.
What: FREE ice cream cone.
When: Between 12 and 8 pm on Tuesday, March 23rd
Where: Ben & Jerry's. Click here to find a location near you. Note: If you're in the Dallas area, there is a store in the Shops at Highland Village and one on Preston, just north of Plano Pkwy.
Why: Just because.
Here's the scoop (pun intended):
Who: You.
What: FREE ice cream cone.
When: Between 12 and 8 pm on Tuesday, March 23rd
Where: Ben & Jerry's. Click here to find a location near you. Note: If you're in the Dallas area, there is a store in the Shops at Highland Village and one on Preston, just north of Plano Pkwy.
Why: Just because.
Friday, March 19, 2010
FREE Italian Ice at Rita's on 3/20!
For the past 17 years, Rita's has been giving away a FREE, regular size Italian Ice to each and every guest to mark the first day of spring!
Head on over to a Rita's near you from noon to 10:00 pm on Saturday, March 20th and enjoy a FREE Italian Ice with a friend!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Free Pastry at Starbucks!
I'm a little sad to report that I did not have time to swing by Baja Fresh for my free burrito yesterday. However, I have never been to Baja Fresh so I really don't know what I missed out on, which makes the reality of the situation a little less painful.
On the other hand, I would be SUPER sad if I missed out on a FREE pastry from Starbucks! So I'm just not going to do that. You don't miss out either, okay?
Here are the details:
Who: You.
What: A FREE pastry at Starbucks (while pastries last) - get your coupon here - with the purchase of a handcrafted beverage.
When: Tuesday, March 23rd, until 10:30 am.
Where: Starbucks.
Why: Just Because.
Note: If you have a PDA, you don't have to print out the coupon. Just click on the coupon link above and show the barista the coupon on your phone. HOLLER!
On the other hand, I would be SUPER sad if I missed out on a FREE pastry from Starbucks! So I'm just not going to do that. You don't miss out either, okay?
Here are the details:
Who: You.
What: A FREE pastry at Starbucks (while pastries last) - get your coupon here - with the purchase of a handcrafted beverage.
When: Tuesday, March 23rd, until 10:30 am.
Where: Starbucks.
Why: Just Because.
Note: If you have a PDA, you don't have to print out the coupon. Just click on the coupon link above and show the barista the coupon on your phone. HOLLER!
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