Still no internet...

So sad :(

But there is light at the end of the tunnel! We're in the process of trying to buy a house (pray, pray, pray!) but we had to be out of the one we were renting so now we're in temporary quarters. The good news is we should (barring anymore unhappy surprises) be closing on our new place in the next week or so. Until we close and move, I'm hoping to at least be able to make it to the library more often to catch up on my email and maybe even blog occasionally.

It's the End of the World!!!

Okay, maybe not, but our internet at home is down! So, here I am at the library trying to catch up on several days worth of deals. We don't know when our internet is going to be fixed :( so I'm hoping to make it back to the library in another day or two. Had some awesome trips to Mayfield Wags in addition to the one I posted already, as well as an incredible Kroger trip last night (went negative and had to buy something else - my first time!). I'll be back as soon as I can!!!

Quiz for CVS Coupon

Go here to take a Medicare Part D Quiz & get a coupon for $5 off a $30 in-store purchase. Thanks Hip2Save!

Walgreens This Morning

Stopped in Mayfield Walgreens after I dropped my son off at school this morning. I did the Almay Pure Blends Deal (see Southern Savers post here).

Bought:
Almay Pure Blends Foundation, $9.99
Almay Pure Blends Mascara, 6.99 (rang up free - Almay is Buy 1 Get 1 50% this week so I don't know why this is ringing up this way, but since it was in other areas I tried it here -woo hoo!)
2 tubes L'oreal lipstick, $9.99 (B1G1 this week & this is what my mom uses so she wanted me to pick some up for her)
2 bags Hershey's kisses, clearance $1.25

Used:
2 Hershey's Kisses $1.00 coupons
$3 RR, $6 RR, $3 RR

Total $9.83 OOP, but my mom will give me $10 for her lipstick

Got back $10 RR & $5 RR

CVS - Rolling Extra Bucks

I had $10 in EB expiring Wednesday so after I picked my son up from school, I made a quick run through CVS.

5 Dove Deodorant, $3.50 ea
1 Degree Deodorant, $3.50
1 gallon milk, $1.99
1 Greenworks All-purpose Cleaner, $2.99
2 pkg Starbucks Vanilla Bean Truffles, $1.25 ea (clearance & oh so GOOD)

used
$5/$25 CVS flu shot coupon
(4) $2.00 Dove Deodorant printables
(1) $1.00 Dove Deodorant, 10/4 RP
(1) 75 Degree, don't remember which insert
(1) $2.00 Greenworks coupon from a Publix booklet picked up during the one & only trip I've been able to make to Publix
$10 EB

The cashier was having problems with coupons scanning so she entered them all as CVS coupons which came out better for me because that adjusted tax. So my OOP was $2.39 and I got back $10 in EB. Pretty happy with this trip!

Sorry for My Absence This Week!

It's just been an incredibly busy week; I managed to go to CVS Wednesday because I had $10 EB expiring that day. I'll post it in a few minutes. I went to Kroger yesterday (spent almost $50; only saved 65% - I know that's not a bad number at all, really...) and I've already managed to lose my receipt. I'll try to find it and post. Tomorrow I have to hit Walgreens and stock up on $2.50 Coca-Cola - woo hoo - and get some stuff for my parents. I also need to see what coupons I have that are expiring tomorrow that could possibly make for some freebies so I can get that while I'm in town tomorrow. We'll see how well it works out!

My Very First Giveaway Winners!

I picked soooo scientifically - with 13 entries (I realize it's showing 14 comments, but there was a duplicate) I told my son to pick two numbers from one to thirteen. He asked why; I said because, and he picked 5 & 7.

So, pjrj68 (withwings4031...) & Darrell (miamichickens...) have been notified by email and have until 10:00 pm (Central Time Zone) Monday, October 26th to reply with their information. Should one of them not respond, I will pick another winner Tuesday.

Very Small Kroger Trips Today

I had to make a cake for a fall festival tonight & needed a cake mix, so I made a quick run to town today.

Park Avenue Kroger

2 tubs Duncan Hines frosting, $1.67 ea
used 55¢/2, doubled to $1.10 SS 10/11

2 Duncan Hines cake mixes, $1.00 ea
used 55¢/2, doubled to $1.10 SS 10/11

11 pouches Bumblebee Tuna, $1.00 ea
used (11) $1.00 coupons, printed from Smartsource

1 pouch Bumblebee Albacore Tuna, $1.25
used 55¢ coupon, doubled to $1.10

5 lb Gold Medal Flour
used 50¢ coupon, doubled to $1.00

2 eyeglass repair kits, clearance 25 ea

5 pkg Bic Soleil Razors, $6.79 ea B1G1
used (5) $3.00 coupons, SS 9/20

I didn't intend to get all 5 packages of razors, I just picked up all 5 planning to see if I could find another one somewhere & forgot to put the extra back. So when my cashier scanned them, I just took out a 5th coupon & went ahead and paid for it. After I checked out, I went to customer service & they gave me a rain check for a free package since the sale was B1G1 & they had an odd number. I'll have to see how they do the rain check to see if I'm able to still use my last $3.00 coupon. Even if i can't, it's a good deal with the coupons I was able to use.

Mfg Cpn Savings $27.15
Bonus Cpn Savings $2.15
Kroger Plus Savings $23.11
Total Savings (81%) $52.41

Total, including $1.25 tax = $12.90

I wanted some of the Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters, but Park Avenue only had 1 bag, so I ran into Southside and got:

3 bags Nut Clusters (all they had), $2.50 ea
Buy 4 get $4.00 off item
used (3) $1.60 printable coupons
- (2) $1.00 Cellfire ecoupons for nut clusters
- (1) 40¢ Cellfire ecoupon for granola bars (I don't why it's coded to work on these)

2 Hormel Dinty Moore Beef Stew, clearance $1.39 ea
used 75¢/2 Hormel Compleats

2 Glade Scented Oil Candle Tins, $2.69 ea
used (2) $1.50 coupons found in previous purchases

2 Glade Scented Oil Candle Refills, $2.69 ea
used buy holder, get refill free coupons found in dispense on shelf, cashier put through at the regular price of $3.49 ea

1 bag Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds, clearance $2.09
used $1.00 Hershey's Special Dark Coupons

1 loaf Bunny Bread, $1.00
used 25¢ coupon, doubled to 50¢

1 box Post Bran Flakes, $3.49
Buy 4 get $4.00 off item

Mfg Cpn Savings $19.18
Bonus Cpn Savings $0.25
Kroger Plus Savings $11.76
Total Savings (88%) $31.19

Total $4.06

Well, the Good News is...

that I had no problems with the Mayfield Walgreens adjusting my $4.00 Air Wick coupon down to $3.99. The bad news is they were out of the compact i-Motions & only had 3 of the scented oil i-Motions. The very bad news is - I was inconsiderate enough to buy the last 3 scented oil i-Motions. Of course, there is still good news because Walgreens does issue rain checks! :)

More Printable Coupons

After seeing several reports that there were $2.00 Nestle candy (24 oz or larger) coupons, $2.00 Wonka (24 oz or larger) candy coupons & the 50¢ Starkist Pouch coupon was back - all on coupons.com - I decided to check it out. I didn't enter a zip code (just clicked "no thanks") and was able to find & print all three coupons as well as a $1.00 Dial Body Wash Coupon. The Dial coupon has no size restrictions; I wonder if anyone has trial or travel size in these.

New CVS Coupon Booklet?

An I Heart Saving Money reader reports having found an "Open for a Surprise Inside" coupon booklet at her pharmacy desk.
It contains the following coupons:
Four $3 off $15 purchase
Free CVS brand product up to $3
Free greeting card
$4 off $20 purchase

Free Airwick i-Motions at Walgreens This Week...

Saw this on Who Said Nothing in Life Is Free and checked on the prices at the Mayfield Walgreens this afternoon. The Compact Airwick i-Motions as well as the Scented Oil i-Motions are in the 50% off sale this week making them $3.99. There were $4.00 coupons for these in the 9/13 & 10/11 Smart Source inserts. Since there is a whole penny overage here the coupons will beep, so you will have to have a cashier that can adjust the coupon down. I didn't try it in Mayfield today because I was using a store coupon for another item that would need to be adjusted down and I didn't know how that would work. I didn't want to push my luck...LOL

If anyone has tried to use the $4.00 Airwick coupons, please leave a comment letting me know which store you were shopping in and whether or not the cashier was able to adjust it.

Now to the store coupon - I was using the $2.00 Triaminic coupon from the Healthy Savings booklet on three bottles of Triaminic I found on clearance. I had seen this post on Who Said Nothing in Life is Free earlier today that some Walgreens had Triaminic Bubble Gum flavor Flu Cough & Fever on clearance for $3.74 & it was triggering the $8.00 RR for buying three Triaminic or Theraflu. So, when I looked on the clearance shelf and they had three (and only three) bottles for $1.62 each I decided to give it a try. It worked! I didn't use a manufacturer's coupon and the store coupon automatically adjusted down to the purchase price so there was no issue with it. For the price of the tax on $4.86 I got back $8 RR - woo hoo!

Win Free Groceries For a Year

I'm pretty sure I posted this before, but I just got an email reminder so I thought I would do it again. New World Pasta (think Ronzoni, Creamette, San Giorgio...) has a great giveaway going through October 30th. Enter the "It Pays to Eat Pasta" Sweepstakes here for a chance to win. They are giving away 8 Grand Prizes of free groceries for a year ($5200) and 42 First Place Prizes of a mini grocery shopping spree ($200).

$4.78 at Kroger

I had the chance to spend the day running around with a really good friend yesterday; she needed a few things from Kroger while we were out & I planned to get some deals that I needed (wanted) while I was there. We both ended up not being able to find coupons we thought we had, the clearance aisle was mostly bare, it just wasn't the trip we were hoping for but I still managed to spend $4.78...LOL

6 pkg Bumblebee Tuna, $1.00 ea
used (6) $1.00 printables, here

1 pkg Bumblebee Albacore Tuna, $1.25 (so my mother can see if she likes it)
used (1) $1.00 printable, here

2 Glade Scented Oil Candle Tins, $2.69 ea
used (2) $1.50 coupons, found in tins previously purchased

2 Glade Scented Oil Candle Refills, $2.69 ea
used (2) Free Refill wyb Holder coupons, found in dispenser at the store

1 pint milk, 99¢ (it was such a disappointing trip that my friend bought the candy bar to go with the milk...LOL)

1 scrubbie sponge for dishes, $1.09 (I needed a new one & it was PINK and white - I love PINK)

1 notebook, clearance for 90¢ (it was purple & I really like purple too)

When the cashier got to the free refill coupons I told her they were on sale, but she looked up at the screen and saw the regular price so she took off $3.49 for each of them.

Mfg Cpn Savings $16.98
Kroger Plus Savings $6.08
Total Savings (85%) $23.06

Total including 77¢ tax, $4.78

A Few of the Deals at Kroger Right Now...

5 lb bag Gold Medal Flour, $2.49
use 50¢ coupon here
Final price $1.49

Nestle Toll-House Morsels, $2.50
use $1.00/2 or 50¢/1, RP 9/13
Final price $2.00 or $1.50

Dole Canned Pineapple, $1.00
use 50¢ coupon here
Final price FREE

Bic Soleil Disposable Razors, $6.79 B1G1
use (2) $3.00 coupons, SS 9/20
Final price 79¢ for 2 pkg

Duncan Hines Cake Mix, $1.00
use 55¢/2, SS 10/11
Final price 45¢ ea

Duncan Hines Frosting, $1.67
use 55¢/2, SS 10/11
Final price $1.12 ea

Campbell's Chunky Soup, $1.25
use 50¢/4 or 60¢/3, SS 10/11
Final price 85¢ - $1.00 ea

I know there are many more deals out there that I haven't found yet. Please email me or leave a comment with the ones you find!

A Wal-Mart Week

We haven't needed a lot this week; I've been to Wal-Mart three times for non-grocery items, went to Kroger Tuesday because I was right there and had a few minutes to run in & check the clearance. Yesterday I had the chance to spend the day with a friend and we hit Old Navy to use my 25% off coupon I found Thursday when the coupons reset and I ran in Kroger with her because she needed a few thing (okay, I spent $4.78 while I was there). With the Old Navy trip and the two "larger" Wal-Mart trips this week, most of my spending has been clothing.

I'll have to find my Old Navy receipt (pretty sure it's in the bag which is still in the car) but here's how my two Wal-Mart trips for hubby's blue jeans went this week. Keep in mind, the jeans he wears are only $14.50/pair but he thinks that is highway robbery...LOL

Tuesday (Southside)

5 Adams Dog Collars, 97¢ ea
used (5) $3.00 coupons, various inserts & magazines a few months ago

Toddler Clearance Shirt (obviously a gift), $1.00

2 pkg Edy's Dibs Ice Cream, $1.00 ea
used $1.00/2 coupon, RP 8/23

2 cans Raviolios (because I love them), 88¢ ea

1 pair jeans, $14.50

Total including $1.22 tax = $9.33


Thursday (Mall)

6 Adams Dog Collars, 97¢ ea
used (6) $3.00 coupons, various inserts & magazines a few months ago

1 pkg hamburger buns, $1.13

1 pkg Lay's chips, $3.00

4 Febreze Noticeables Starter Kits, $5.00 ea
used (4) $4.00 coupons, P & G 9/27

1 (20 oz) Coke because I was really thirsty & tired, $1.38

1 pair jeans, $14.50

Total including $2.50 = $14.33

Hubby was just happy that I found a way to not pay full price for either pair of jeans...LOL

Friday Night at Wal-Mart

5 Clean & Clear Trial Size, 97¢ ea
used (5) $1.00 coupons, SS 8/02 (exp 10/18)

2 Febreze Noticeables Starter Kits, $5.00 ea
used (2) $4.00 coupons, P & G 9/27

2 (3-roll) pkg Rolaids Multi-Symptom, $1.98 ea
used $4.00 wyb 2 Pepcid, Immodium, Rolaids, Mylanta or Lactaid, SS 10/04

When the cashier scanned the Rolaids coupon it beeped and said the correct items had not been purchased (I need to go back and read all the fine print to know for sure - I could have misread it), but she read the coupon & looked at the two packages of Rolaids & just entered it as a vendor coupon - such an easy transaction thanks to a good cashier!

Total OOP including tax - $2.97

Check back soon for my posts on my earlier trips to Wal-mart this week. Hubby needed jeans & I had coupons for overage on flea & tick products - woo hoo!

Finally - A Giveaway!

And it's a giveaway with two winners!

Okay, so last week I said I hoped to have my first giveaway up by the first of this week... it didn't happen. :( But it's here now! :)

I recently received a package from My Blog Spark with a Yoplait Less Sugar, More Fun Prize Pack containing the following items:



Travel Cooler
Color Changing Spoons
Fuzzy Tangle Puzzle
Reusable Game Placemat
and
A coupon for a free pack of Yoplait Kids Yogurt so your kids can try their Kids Yogurt which has 25% less sugar than the leading kids yogurt!

My Blog Spark is letting me give away TWO of these prize packs to my readers! Since it's my first giveaway I'll make it very simple. Just leave a comment with your name & email address on this post by midnight (Central Time) on Friday, October 23rd and the winners will be randomly selected Saturday, October 24th.

Open to U.S. residents only; coupon not valid in some states, including Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota & Tennessee. You can win the prize pack, you just can't redeem the coupon in these states. :(

Where To Order Multiple Copies of Coupons

I've had several people ask what coupon clipping services I use to obtain multiples of insert coupons and how these services work. So far I have used the following services with absolutely no problems. All of them have had very quick shipping so that I can order on Monday or Tuesday & have the coupons before the end of the week.

Please remember because coupons can't be sold, with all these sites, you are NOT paying for the coupon, you are merely paying processing for their time, etc. They have a per coupon charge usually depending on the value of and/or demand for each particular coupon.

Most sites also have a minimum and maximum order quantity for each coupon; once again, depending on the demand for that particular coupon.

The Coupon Carry-Out
No minimum order, but orders under $2.00 are assessed a 35¢ low order fee. Shipping prices include a 50¢ handling fee. So far all shipping on all my orders has been 94¢ including the 50¢ handling fee.

The Coupon Clippers
No minimum order. All orders are assessed a 50¢ admin fee in addition to the shipping. As with The Coupon Carryout, my shipping has been 94¢ including admin fee.

Coupons & Things by Dede
Minimum $3.00 order before shipping & administrative fee. As with the others, they have a 50¢ administrative fee in addition to the actual shipping charges, and so far I've paid only 94¢ cents for shipping/ administrative fee.

My Coupon Hunter
No minimum order; no maximum quantities, no administrative fee. So far my shipping has been only 45¢ per order.

Manufacturers Coupons
$2.00 minimum order; no administrative fee, no minimum or maximum quantity requirements. Flat rate shipping; mine has always been 44¢. Easy pricing - coupons 99¢ or less, or coupons expiring in 7 days or less are 5¢ each; coupons $1.00 and up are 10¢ each.

In the name of full disclosure, I want to say that I have joined the affiliate program for The Coupon Carryout and Manufacturers Coupons so if you use my sidebar buttons to order from either one of them I will receive a small percentage of credit on your order to use on my orders.

Frugal in VA $20 Wal-Mart Giftcard Giveaway

Go here to enter to win a $20 giftcard. It's part of a Febreeze/My Blog Spark promotion so someone can have the opportunity to try the new Febreeze Home Collection. I've been wanting to try the Flameless Luminary, so wish me luck!!

Weekly Wrap-up?

Sunday
CVS - a very small trip mostly to spend some EB on cokes! $5.??

Monday
Nothing

Tuesday
Sam's Club - $1.78 for decongestant

Wednesday
CVS - $1.99 for milk

Thursday
Nothing

Friday
Walgreens - $2.87
Kroger - $14.10

Saturday
Have to run into town because I have to get an iron - I've put it off as long as possible, but mine is just not getting the job done anymore. Also need pantyhose; these won't be in my weekly grocery budget/ totals but while I'm in town I'll probably look for a few things at Wal-Mart & CVS so I may have a couple more totals to post.

My favorite deal this week was a non-grocery buy. My son needs shoes; 15 years old, size 13 foot & he needs shoes... Last Sunday night after church I attended the Friends & Family Sale at Sears with a good friend. While I was there I happened to see athletic shoes on clearance for $29.99, buy one get one 1/2 price. So Friday I dragged him into Sears to try on shoes, thinking (according to the sign) they were still buy one get one 1/2 price. Imagine, if you will, my joy when I checked out & discovered they were actually buy one get one FREE!!!! Yes, thank you very much, B1G1! Soooo happy about this; now, they're not his normal name brand but he's okay with that & I'm very, very okay with it.

I Went Krogering Today

1 box Glad ForceFlex Trash Bags, $6.99
used $1.00 printable

4 cans Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup
used 40¢/4 coupon (doubled to 80¢)

2 Glade Scented Oil Candle Tins, $2.49 ea
used (2) $1.50 Glade Scented Oil Candle Holders (found in tins purchased previously)

2 Glade Scented Oil Candle Refills, $2.49 ea
used (2) Free Refill wyb Holders (found in store dispenser tonight!)

5 pouches Starkist Tuna, $1.00 ea
used (5) 50¢ printables from coupons.com (doubled to $1.00 ea)

2 cans Hunts Tomatoes, 89¢ ea
used 50¢/2 printable (doubled to $1.00)

1 jar Jif Crunchy Peanut Butter, $2.69
used 55¢ coupon (doubled to $1.10) this was my last coupon from the few booklets I was able to find at Publix in August - the one & only time I've been!

4 Hormel Compleats, $2.00 ea
used (2) $2.00 coupons from October All You
used (2) B1G1 coupons from August? All You

8 pouches Bumblebee Tuna, $1.00 each
used (3) 55¢ coupons (bonus to $1.00 ea), not sure which insert they were from, I purchased them online
used (5) $1.00 printables from SmartSource

8 Mentos Gum, clearance 79¢
used (8) 55¢ coupons (bonus to 79¢ ea)

3 lb bag apples, $1.99

5 Healthy Choice Frozen Entrees, $2.37 ea
buy 10, get $5.00 promo item
used (4) $2.00 printable coupons

5 Green Giant Steamers, $1.99 ea
buy 10, get $5.00 promo item
used (5) 50¢ printable coupons (doubled to $1.00 ea)

1 box Mrs Pauls fish sticks, $3.99
used $1.50 printable coupon

2 loaves Healthy Life bread, b1g1 $2.39
used (2) 50¢ coupons (doubled to $1.00 ea)

Here's the deal with my coupons tonight. Hormel Compleats B1G1 coupons - I told the cashier they were on sale for $2.00 each but when she scanned them she pushed whatever button puts in the default or maximum amount so they went through for $2.79 each. Same thing with the free candle refills, they went through for $3.49 each. And on my Healthy Choice entrees, I thought I had 5 coupons, but as I was going through them I realized I had miscounted so I picked up the fish sticks to make my 10 items, but then I forgot to put back one of the Healthy Choice... So, big surprise, I had 11 items on the promotion so only 45¢ per item...LOL Someday I'll get it right! Oh well, still not bad!

Mfg Cpn Savings $50.56
Bonus Cpn Savings $10.72
Kroger Plus Savings $30.89
Total Savings (86%) $92.17

Oh yeah - I almost forgot the cherry on top... Notice I purchased four Glade products; this qualifies for the $5.00 SC Johnson rebate!

Small Walgreens Trip

Ran in Walgreens this afternoon to pick up some picture I had uploaded before I went to town. While I was there I also bought:

1 Gillette Fusion MVP Manual Razor, $8.99
used $4.00 coupon from P& G insert
Got back $6 RR

1 pkg Noxema Razors, $4.99
used $2.00 coupon on package
Got back $2 RR

1 jar Jif crunchy peanut butter, $2.00

1 pkg Playtex disposable gloves, $2.29
used $1.00 mfg coupon (from insert a while back)
used $1.30 in-ad store coupon

Used $8 RR from Theraflu deal last week

Total OOP including 90¢ tax, $2.87
Total RR used $8
Total RR earned $8

SC Johnson Rebate

Sorry I haven't posted this yet; I figure everyone has already seen it, but just in case...

SC Johnson is offering a $5.00 rebate when you buy 3 SC Johnson products. Go here for the rebate form. It is good through 6/30/2010 and there is a limit of three rebates per household. Awesome!!

Last Saturday night at Kroger I bought two scented oil candle tins and two scented oil candle refills. All four items were on sale for $2.49. I used (2) $1.50 off scented oil candle holders & (2) free scented oil candle refill when you buy the scented oil candle holder. I did this twice, once in with my groceries and once with just these four items. The transaction with only the four Glade products came to $2.10. Hmmm, a $5.00 rebate on $2.10 purchase. I'm okay with that; I hope they are too!

So far So Good!

No grocery store trips yet this week, CVS Sunday night spend $10 EB $5 and change OOP for 3 cartons of cokes, 3 bags Halloween candy, 2 bottles of conditioner & 2 bottles of shampoo (keep thinking there was something else that trip - maybe I'll dig through my purse & find my receipt...LOL.) CVS today, $1.99 for a gallon of milk.

Of course, I'm sure there will be some grocery shopping at some point...LOL I have to go to Kroger to see if Glade scented oil candle tins are still on sale because I just can't remember when the sale is/was supposed to end.

I did make a trip to town last Saturday night, $14.22 at Kroger (2 transactions), $7.51 at Wally World, $1.89 at Walgreens and $15 and change at CVS (okay, I took hubby's card and splurged on the Tide & Dawn Deal again before it ended, I checked out between 11:45 pm and midnight, just made it in time! Got 3 Tide, 7 Dawn Hand Renewal, shampoo, conditioner, Reinventing Beauty magazine - really not a bad trip!) Don't know what that brought last week's total to; I'm kinda afraid to figure it because I did stock up on Tide. But I am soooo much happier doing laundry now!!!!

In my mail today...

A small box containing a Nature Valley Trail Mix Cranberry & Pomegranate Bar, the cutest little bag of Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters, a 50¢ coupon for Nature Valley Granola Bars & a 75¢ coupon for a bag of Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters.

and, a box from My Blog Spark containing a Yoplait Less Sugar, More Fun prize pack which includes a coupon for a free package any flavor Yoplait Kids Cup yogurt or Yoplait Trix Multipack Yogurt, a travel cooler with the Yoplait Kids logo on the front (so cute), a color-changing spoon, a reuseable placemat with games, and a fuzzy tangle puzzle. This might be connected to the giveaway coming soon!

Getting Ready for My First Giveaway...

which will hopefully be coming later this week or early next week!

$1.00 YoPlus Printable Coupon

Go here (FF) or here (IE) to print a coupon for $1.00 on any Yoplait YoPlus or YoPlus Light Yogurt Multipack.

Splurging at CVS...

I admit it - I am a laundry snob! I use Purex & All & Gain & Arm & Hammer & Surf; whatever is on a good sale with a good coupon. But I loooove Tide & Downy; I can't help it - I just do! So, I splurged.

3 bottles Tide, $6.00 ea
used (3) $1.00 coupons

2 pkg Tide Stain Release Tablets
used (2) coupons $1.00 & $1.50

used $5.00 off $25.00 from taking the flu quiz

Spend $17 and change; got back $10 EB.

Went home and washed a load of towels. When I pulled them out of the dryer I stuck my face in them and thought "This is how they should feel & smell." Yes, I'm a laundry snob & I'm going to enjoy it while I can!

Walgreens This Week

I love, love, love, love Walgreens this week. I've spent about $11.00 OOP this week at Walgreens and come home with:

8 bottles Theraflu
4 bottles Herbal Essence
1 Venus Embrace Razor
2 pkg Chips Ahoy
3 Oral-B Advantage Toothbrushes
1 gallon of water (hubby called while I was in Wags - $1.79 to get a gallon of the water he wanted...that really hurt LOL)
Some Carmex for fillers when I miscalculated & went negative (twice)

I keep thinking something is missing from this list. I have my receipts from one trip (multiple transactions of course) and my notebook page (I make a list of transactions so I don't forget at the register) from the other trip so I'm estimating part of it, but I am confident that I'm not under-estimating.

Southside Walgreens was out of the Chapstick & the Halls so I haven't gotten any of those :(

Last Minute Kroger Trip Tuesday...

To send in for Fuel for School $10.00 rebate which had to be postmarked Wednesday. Who - me - procrastinate? Why do you ask? LOL

8 pouches Bumblebee Tuna, $1.00 ea
used (8) 55¢ coupons - bonus to $1.00 each

8 (12 ct) boxes Pop-tarts, $1.98 ea
used (8) 55¢ coupons - doubled to $1.10 each
Kellogg's Fuel for School Rebate Item

3 (3 bar) packs Ivory soap, $1.19 ea
used (3) 25¢ coupons - doubled to 50¢ each

4 Secret Flawless Touch with Olay, clearance $2.19 ea
used (4) $2.00 coupons from Kmart coupon booklet

8 Hot Pocket Stuffed Pizza, $1.99 ea
Mega Event Item
used (8) 50¢ coupons - doubled to $1.00 each

2 Easy Mac Cups, $1.00 ea
Mega Event Item

2 pkg Keebler Fudge Shoppe Cookies, $1.67 ea
used (2) $1.00 printable coupons

Mfg Cpn Savings $24.35
Bonus Cpn Savings $13.30
Kroger Plus Savings $26.14
Total Savings (79%) $63.79

Total - $16.34 including 13¢ tax

Mailed rebate for $10.00 - Feeling pretty okay about this trip

Making Money on Theraflu at Walgreens!

Went to Southside Walgreens yesterday and used the two $2 Theraflu coupons I was able to print when they were available. When you pair these with the $2 Theraflu coupons in the Healthy Savings booklet (store coupons) you make money! I love it when they pay me to get products I need anyway!

Theraflu on sale for 2/$8.00
-(2) $2.00 mfg coupons
-$2.00 store coupon (takes off $2.00 for each one you buy = $4.00)
= you pay tax!

and when you buy 2 Theraflu for $8.00, you get $4.00 in RR. I've also heard that if you buy 3 Theraflu you get $8.00 in RR, but I wasn't thinking very clearly yesterday so I only bought the two that I had mfg coupons for. If you do get $8.00 RR wyb 3, then you can make money with just the store coupons. Buy 3 for $12.00, use the store coupon to get $6.00 off & get back $8.00 RR. Hmmm, think I may stop by Wags again!

FYI - I didn't have the Healthy Savings coupon booklet before I went yesterday, but they had them on the glass counter/ perfume case at the cosmetics counter, so now I have one!

Hot Printables!

Just found these on Who Said Nothing In Life Is Free and they both appear to be new links because I was able to print from my computer - Woo hoo!

Go here (FF) or here (IE) to print $1.50 off Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion. This is a moneymaker this week at CVS & this month at Walgreens.

Go here (FF) or here (IE) to print $1.00 off any Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls. A reminder, read this post on My Penny Pile about an upcoming Kroger Catalina Promotion on Pillsbury Refrigerated Baked Goods. Also see my earlier post here with more Pillsbury links that may still be working.

New Printable Coupons Out

Just a reminder, Smart Source & Coupons.com have added new coupons and reset some coupons. Make sure you print yours before they're gone. I'm really happy to see the 50¢/2 Pillsbury Rolled Refrigerated Pie Crusts.

I put in zip code 60601 on Smart Source & the first coupon that came up was for $1.00 on any Bumble Bee Premium Tuna Pouch. These are on sale at Kroger for a few more weeks for $1.00 (light tuna) and $1.39 (white tuna). I don't eat tuna, but hubby does and free is as cheap as I've found it!

Hurry! Print Before They're Gone!!

Go here (FF) or here (IE) to print $1.00 off Pillsbury Crescent Rolls or Italian Meal Breads

Go here (FF) or here (IE) to print $1.00 off Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Pastries

Go here (FF) or here (IE) to print $1.00 off Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls

I believe these are new links since I have printed the Crescent Roll & Toaster Strudel before and it let me do them again.

Thanks, It's Hip to Save! & My Penny Pile!

Also, read the post on My Penny Pile here about upcoming Kroger catalina deals for Pillsbury refrigerated baked goods!

$3.00 Glade Fragrance Collection Coupon Dispensers

These are for the diffusers & the 10 oz candles only. As of Saturday night, these coupons were still available at the Park Avenue Kroger; however, I have changed my advice on where to use them. While Kmart had the best prices I had found ($4.99 through 10/12), while in the Southside Lowe's Saturday I noticed they had the diffusers & the 10 oz candles in 2 fragrances for $4.27 each. This is showing as a price roll-back or new price reduction ( or whatever is it Lowe's calls them) not a "sale" so I don't know how long the price will last. When we checked out one of the cashiers asked where I got the coupons so she could try to get some too!

Not a Bad Week This Week...

Sunday
Kroger $22.66

Monday
Kroger (2 transactions) $3.01 ea - Total $6.02
Walgreens - 2 gal milk - Total $3.98

Tuesday
Nope

Wednesday
Nope

Thursday
Food Giant (Mayfield) 10 lb potatoes, brown & serve rolls & some last minute stuff my son needed for a Fall Bash at school (picked him up at 3:50 & discovered he wanted to go & needed a couple of things & it started at 5:00, so off to Food Giant so I could drop him back at school before I went home & fixed supper) $7.65

Friday
Walgreens - 1 gal milk - $1.99; never enough milk in this house & we're just 2 adults & 1 teenager!

Folks, I haven't been to CVS in 2 weeks. I'm having withdrawals, but I plan to make up for it soon. My extra care bucks expire next week, so I'm going!

Kroger 9/20

Well, I did my big shop for the week Sunday afternoon; different for me to go this early in the week but it just worked out. Stumbled across the half-price Lysol products while I was there so I go some really good deals. Went home & printed Lysol coupons which I used at Hannan Plaza Kroger Monday when I was in town; see that post here - it's not a pretty thing!

This was the Southside Kroger & I had no problems with the multiple printables I did use (can you say Old El Paso for another catalina - Yea!) Ok, here goes:

(8) 2.5 oz pkg Bumblebee Tuna, $1.00 ea
used (8) 55¢ coupons, bonus to $1.00 ea

(6) pkg Old El Paso Seasonings, 99 ea
used (3) 60¢/2 IP
also (1) shortcuts 60¢/2 e-coupon

(6) Yakisoba (I dunno, but hubby eats ramen noodles so he said sure he would try them for free...LOL) 79¢ ea
used (6) 50¢ coupons, bonus to 79¢ ea

1 box Pop-tarts $1.98
used 55¢ coupon, doubled to $1.10

(1) 4-roll pk Charmin, $1.88
used 25¢ coupon, doubled to 50¢

(2) pkg Mission Flour Tortillas, $1.79 ea (sale because they exp in October)
used (2) 55¢ coupons, doubled to $1.10 ea, this was an awesome find because the coupons were expiring either Sunday or Monday

1 can Kroger cream of mushroom soup, 69¢

1 can Ovaltine, $4.49, hubby loves this stuff but it's so expensive & so hard to get coupons for
used $3.00 catalina - Someone left laying on top of the Ovaltine - Thank you sooo much!!

(2) bottles Lysol All-Purpose Cleaner, $1.59 ea
used (2) 50¢ coupons

(1) can Pledge Multi-Surface Spray, $2.99
used $1.00 coupon

(1) King-size Reeses Cup, $1.00
used 55¢ coupon, bonus to $1.00

(1) regular Reeses Cup, 50¢
used B1G1 coupon

(1) box Kashi Honey Sunshine Cereal, $4.99
used free coupon from Vocal Point

(2) Steamfresh Brown Rice, clearance 78¢ ea
used (2) 35¢ coupons, doubled to 70¢ ea

(2) 24 oz bags Chef Michael's Dog Food, $3.99 ea
used (2) $3.00 coupons
Mega Event Item

(6) Hot Pockets Stuffed Crust Pizza Slice, $1.99 ea
used (6) 50 coupons, doubled to $1.00 ea
Mega Event Item

(1) box Tyson Chicken Patties, $2.50
used 55¢ coupon, doubled to $1.10

(1) box Ritz Crackers, $2.49
Mega Event Item

(1) box Ritz Crackerfuls, $3.00
used free coupon wyb Ritz

(1) pkg Oreo Doublestuff, $2.99
Mega Event Item
used $1.00 wyb 2 Nabisco cracker or cookies (Ritz & Oreos in this case) from the Save Throughout the School Year booklet/calendar

(1) loaf Sara Lee Bread, $1.00
used 55¢ coupon, bonus to $1.00

(1) pkg Kroger Hamburger Buns, 88¢

Mfg Cpn Savings $36.49
Bonus Cpn Savings $14.24
Kroger Plus Savings $31.68
Total Savings (7%) $82.41

Total OOP $22.66 including 9¢ tax; I also left with another $3.00 catalina for beef or chicken!

Found Coupons at Kroger - Used Them at Kmart

I have now found this coupon dispenser at both the Park Avenue Kroger & the Southside Kroger - $3.00 off any 10-oz candle or reed diffuser from The Fragrance Collection by Glade, expiration date 12/07/2009. Kmart has these on sale for $4.99 through October 12th. For $1.99 each, I'm thinking Christmas presents for a few people!

P.S. - Penny, I might have picked up a couple for you as long as I get to go with you when you go to Kmart...LOL

A Sign of Things to Come at Kroger? I Hope Not!

Since I was in town this evening I ran in Kroger at Hannan Plaza to get some more Bumblebee Tuna Packets (using the recent 55¢ coupons - makes the 2.5 oz packets free) and some more Lysol cleaning products. Yesterday I printed Lysol coupons from homesolutionsnews.us, the Reckitt Benckiser (Lysol) website. As with most printable coupons, I was able to print 2 copies of each coupon from my computer. The thing is, my computer is out of color ink - has been for a while now - so the pictures don't print. Everything else prints & this has not been a problem anywhere I use coupons until now.

When I checked out, the cashier told me that she would have to ask permission because the coupons were black & white - not color. She said they're really cracking down on the black & white coupons because "you can make copies of them on any copier." She called the manager? customer service manager? on duty and was told that I could only use one copy of each coupon. I'm am not blaming the cashier, she was SUPER nice and this is not her call. But give me a break - one of each coupon just because they're black & white! I can't afford to print all my coupons in color - color ink is just too expensive. And what about my friend who has to print most of hers at the library because her dial-up is too slow? (Yes, I know some papers had Lysol coupons in them on 9/13, I used some yesterday and plan to use the rest of them.)

You can legitimately print 2 copies per computer of most coupons; if you have more than one computer, and your parents have more than one computer, or your friends who don't coupon let you use theirs, or your employer doesn't care if you use their printer as long you do it on your break.... these are legitimate coupons... ooohhhhh! Can you tell I'm not happy? LOL

Our options for grocery shopping in this area are already soooo limited. Food Giant doubles up to 50¢ and I've used IPs at the Reidland location with no problem, but their selection and sales aren't as good as Kroger. Super Valu won't take any IP except the ones you can print from their website, and they don't double anything. What's a person to do that can't afford to shop any other way? How many of us do this just for the fun of the game? Most that I know do it because they need to make every penny stretch as far as possible.

I'm curious now; I just shopped Southside Kroger yesterday and used multiple printables (Old El Paso - which were on three different websites so I could get six from each computer anyway) and had no problems. I just really hope that this is not a sign of things to come. You know, saving for a monthly grocery trip to Nashville is looking better & better. Think I'll send a letter to the manager at Hannan Plaza and see what comes of it. Maybe they just need to understand that if I'm making copies, when the duplicate gets kicked out at the clearinghouse they'll have my ISP address to come find me to prosecute me for coupon fraud. Which is WHY I DON'T MAKE COPIES, and neither does anyone I know. I'm pretty sure going to jail would take all the fun out of couponing - DUH!

Why Can't We Get K-Mart Super Doubles Anymore?

I was planning to do a post on this sometime later; it wasn't really a priority because it had been reported that Kmart would not run super doubles again this year. Well, I just saw a post on Coupon Clippin' Mama reporting that Kmart will be running super doubles again 9/27 - 10/03.

I emailed Kmart last month expressing my dissatisfaction that the Paducah Kmart no longer participates & this is the response I received:

Dear Wendy,

Thank you for your recent correspondence. We are always interested in hearing from our customers, and regret it was this type of situation that prompted you to contact us. Please accept our apology for any inconvenience you may have encountered with the Double Coupon Promotion.

Kmart seeks to continually improve its promotional programs to maximize the benefits experienced by its customers and by the business. We leveraged national industry survey results to determine those markets that would be most responsive to this pricing strategy. Currently, our coupon events are scheduled in stores where they are the most effective in generating customer response and driving the greatest profitability for the business. Each event is subject to change as new results are tracked and measured.

By sharing your concerns, you have enabled us to address the issues and provide feedback to the appropriate person. Truly, your remarks provide forthright feedback that will enable Sears to achieve excellence in everything we do.

Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We appreciate your business and value you as a Sears Holdings customer. We certainly hope you will continue to make Sears Holdings your choice for quality and value.

Sincerely,

Shannon M.
Retail Customer Care
Sears Holdings Corporation

So, what I'm getting from this is that it is that they don't feel it would generate enough customer response to be profitable in Paducah? Let's let them know otherwise; you can email Kmart Customer Service, help@customerservice.kmart.com, and tell them that it would generate business so maybe - "as results are tracked and measured" they may decide that it would be profitable for the Paducah Kmart.

Coupons at Kroger

While at the Park Avenue Kroger tonight, I noticed 2 coupon dispensers in the laundry detergent/soap/air freshener aisle. The first was $1.00 off the new Tide Stain Release, expiration date 08/31/2010. The second was $3.00 off any 10-oz candle or reed diffuser from The Fragrance Collection by Glade, expiration date 12/07/2009. I restrained myself and used good coupon etiquette so there should still be some for y'all.

Kroger Tonight (9/18)

Ran in this afternoon to see if the Old El Paso catalina is working here - it is!! I got 6 pkg of taco & fajita seasoning and a bag of bananas (marked down to 39/lb), used 3 60/2 coupons (they all doubled) and it took off three 60/2 ecoupons. Total $1.73, and I got back a $3.00 catalina for my next beef or chicken purchase - Awesome!

Went in later to actually get a few things:

1 pkg Kroger Sloppy Joe seasoning, 79¢

1 box (12 ct) Pop-tarts, $1.98
used 55¢ coupon, which doubled

1 6-pk Jello Pudding Cups, $2.75
Mega Event Item
used 60¢ coupon, which doubled

2 Reeses Cups, $1.00
used B1G1 for 50¢

Family Pack Chuck Roast, $10.62 ($1.97/lb)
used $3.00 catalina

2 bottles (2-liter) Mountain Dew, $2.00
used (2) 25¢ coupons, which doubled

5 boxes Hot Pocket Stuffed Crust Pizza Slices, $9.95
Mega Event Item
used (5) 50¢ coupons, which doubled

4 bags (24 oz) Chef Michaels Dog Food, $15.96
Mega Event Item
used (4) $3.00 coupons

1 loaf Sara Lee Bread, $1.00
used 55¢ coupon, bonus coupon 45¢ (bonus to sale price instead of full doubling)

1 twin-pack Travel-Size Scotch Lint Roller, clearance 90¢
used $1.00 coupon

10 Mega Event Items = $5.00 off order

Total including 89¢ tax, $16.94

Mfg Cpn Savings $21.20
Bonus Cpn Savings $4.60
Kroger Plus Savings $29.13
Total Savings (77%) $54.93

Total OOP $1.73 + $16.94 = $18.67

And I have another $3.00 off beef or chicken catalina from a transaction for my mother. She needed a couple of things so she gave me money to pick them up for her, so I threw in 6 more seasoning packets and she didn't make me pay her the 54¢ that they cost after coupons & ecoupons.

Wal-Mart 9/16

So here's the deal; I have tried many face washes that I've gotten free or close to free. But, there's one that Olay makes that works better than anything else and the only place to buy it in this area is Wal-Mart - who knew! Also, there were some very, very sad looking men's underwear that kept showing up in my laundry basket - so, off to Wally World... Looking for my receipt; not having much luck so I'm doing this from memory.

5 lb frozen Jennie-O turkey, $7.60
used (5) $1.00 coupons

1 bag Banquet Chicken Nuggets, $3.98
used $1.00 coupon

1 box Mrs Paul's Fish Sticks, $4.56
used $3.00 printable coupon, no longer available

1 tube Olay Face Wash, $4.97
used $1.00 coupon

1 bag cotton balls, 97¢

1 pkg (8 pr) men's underwear - not gonna tell you which one it was for, but it had been put off as long as possible...LOL, $10.00

1 pkg Oreos, $2.78

1 bag Flamin Hot Cheetos, $2.50

I looked at the Oreos because I was having major chocolate withdrawals but I wouldn't buy them (no coupons - knew they were on sale at Kroger) so my son, who wanted Flamin Hot Cheetos that weren't on sale, paid $5.00 to cover the cost of the Cheetos & Oreos. Well, it helped keep my OOP down!

Total $28.32, my OOP $23.32

Kroger 9/13 - Small Trip

Stopped to get a pound of ground beef to mix in with my ground turkey; ended up getting a few other things - Imagine that!

7 bottles Fruit20 water, $7.00
used (7) $1.00 coupons

6 quarts Kroger Whole Milk, clearance 25¢ each (close to exp date)

1 lb Ground Beef, $1.78

1 pkg Klondike bars, $2.27
used $1.00/1 printable

1 bag Kroger corn chips, $1.34
shortcuts ecoupon, 65¢

Total, including 42¢ tax, $5.66

Mfg Cpn Savings $8.00
Kroger Plus Savings $4.80
Total Savings (70%) $12.80

Busy Week = Less Shopping

Which should equal less money spent but I don't think that's how it's gonna work this week. Hmmm...

Our church has been having revival services and since I do play the piano I figured that meant I should go...lol. Leave the house around 7:30 am, take my son to school, go to work, pick him up between 3:50 & 4:00 (usually), come home, supper, shower, get ready & be at church by 6:45ish, home between 8 & 8:30... Dishes, laundry, etc., etc.... Did I mention that I'm no longer that girl that can go non-stop on 5 (or fewer) hours of sleep. Nope, I need my 7 or 8 hours, especially since it's allergy season and allergy meds just wipe me out.

But here's what I've managed to spend so far this week anyway!

So far the only time I've been to Kroger was on my way home from BAM after picking up newspapers Sunday afternoon. Think I spend around $5 or $6 but I'll have to find my receipt to make sure. See post here.

Monday
Stopped at Save A Lot as I passed by for a gallon of milk - $2.88 - Yikes! But is was worth the convenience this week.

Tuesday - Nothing

Wednesday
Quick run in Hobby Lobby for a couple of things to finish a purse I'm making for my mother - $2.89

Wally World - $23.32; I'll post details later - let's just say this trip had been postponed as long as possible.

Goodwill - Pink zippered 3" binder, 73¢ after tax - Yay!!!!! I've been wanting a zippered binder for my coupons so I'm pretty happy about this

Thursday - Super Valu - Milk $1.77

Needing to get a few groceries, working out my list and coupon match-ups so I can (hopefully) get everything I need done tomorrow; we'll see how that goes.

Update - Friday 9/18 - 10:20 pm. Linked the Kroger and Wal-mart trips above to the post I just did for them.

Also, posted my Kroger runs for today - OOP $18.67

Weekly total - $54.15, but once again I purchased something that's not frequently in the budget (you can tell by the extra holes in the Fruit of the Looms that were in my laundry that I don't buy them often...LOL)

Looking Forward to Krogering Next Week

I posted here a couple of days ago about another upcoming Mega Event at Kroger, so today I looked at the ad coming out for the Southeast tomorrow. I'm sure Southern Savers will have more tomorrow after she finds additional items at the store that aren't listed in the ad, but I was just too anxious...LOL

Products & pricing will vary some from their region to ours, but it's usually pretty close. Prices listed are after the 50¢ off for the Mega Event Promotional Pricing.

Jell-O Instant Pudding or Gelatin, Selected Varieties, .6 - 6 oz, 77¢
Oreo Cookies, Selected Varieties, 9.6 - 18 oz, $2.49
Ritz Crackers, Selected Varieties, 12.5 - 16 oz, $1.99
Nabisco Snack Crackers, Selected Varieties, 6.75 - 10 oz, $1.70
Kraft Velveeta Shells & Cheese or Deluxe Dinner, Selected Varieties, 9.4 - 14 oz, 99¢
Kraft Easy Mac Cups, Selected Varieties, 2.05 oz, 59¢
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Shapes, 50¢
Kraft or 7 Seas Salad Dressing, Selected Varieties, 16 oz, $1.19

Capri Sun or Kool-Aid Jammers Drinks, Selected Varieties, 10 pack, $1.37
Juicy Juice 100% juice, Selected Varieties, 64 oz or 8 ct Slim Pack, $1.99
Boost Nutritional Drinks, Selected Varieties, 6 packs, $6.49

Starbucks Coffee, Selected Varieties, 12 oz, $5.99
Maxwell House or Seattle's Best Coffee, Selected Varieties, 12 - 34.5 oz, $4.99

Oscar Mayer Meat Bologna, Original or Thick Sliced, 16 oz, $1.49
Oscar Mayer Deli Shaved Lunch Meat, Assorted Varieties, 7 - 9 oz, $2.49
Oscar Mayer Fun Pack Lunchables, Selected Varieties, 9.8 - 10.8 oz, $1.99
Oscar Mayer Meat Franks, Assorted Varieties, 16 oz, $1.49

Velveeta, Selected Varieties, 2 lb, $3.99
Kraft Cheese, Selected Varieties, Bar, Shredded, Cubes, Sticks or Cuts, 5 - 8 oz or Cheese Singles 12 oz, $1.49
Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Selected Varieties, 8 oz, 99¢
Nestle Toll House Morsels, Selected Varieties, 12 oz, $1.99 ea
Nestle Cookie Dough, Refrigerated, Selected Varieties, 16 - 18 oz, $1.99
Nesquik Chocolate Milk, Selected Varieties, 56 - 64 oz, $2.49
Coffeemate Creamer, 32 oz, $2.49

Deer Park Water, 24 pack .5 Liter Bottles or 12 Pack Sport Bottle, $2.99
Crystal Light Drink Mix, Selected Varieties, 10 - 12 qt, $2.49
Planters Peanuts, Assorted Varieties, 16 oz, $1.99
Nestle Packaged Candy, Fun Size, Selected Varieties, 11.5 - 12.5 oz, $2.00

Purina ONE Dry Cat food, Selected Varieties, 3.5 lb bag, $4.49
Healthful Life or Cat Chow Naturals, 3.15 lb bag, $4.49
Tidy Cats Scooping Cat Litter, 14 lb, $4.49
Beneful Prepared Dog meals, Selected Varieties, 10 oz, 99¢

Lean Cuisine or Stouffer's Entrees, Frozen, Selected Varieties, 5.1 oz - 21 oz, $1.67
Hot, Lean or Croissant Pockets, Selected Varieties, 6.5 - 10 oz, $1.49
DiGiorno or California Pizza Kitchen Pizza, Selected Varieties, 11.9 - 34.2 oz, $3.97
Edy's Ice Cream, 48 oz or Skinny Cow Frozen Treats, 4 - 12 ct, $2.49

Make sure to check out Southern Savers tomorrow when the coupon matchups are posted. She does such a great job!

$50 Hallmark GC Giveaway at Common Sense With Money

Go here and share how your child did on his or her first back to school to enter to win a $50 Hallmark Gold Crown Gift Card. I could spend $50 at Hallmark soooo quickly! Thanks, Common Sense With Money!

Swiffer Wet Jet Giveaway on Mommy Snacks

Go here to enter the Swiffer WetJet Giveaway at Mommy Snacks. Maybe I'll hold off buying one; free is certainly better than the $10.00 or so I figured I would have to spend!

Lovin' the Swagbucks

I joined Swagbucks, a search & win site a few months ago and have been fairly happy with the results; however, the new toolbar that they put out for download this month has made such a difference! When you download the toolbar, you also get a free swagcode every day during September. And the toolbar is so easy to use! Since I downloaded it, instead of typing a web address in my navigation bar, I just type the name of the website in the swagbucks search box and have already won swagbucks just for going to sites I visit all the time anyway. Now I'm trying to decide what I want to spend them on :)

Register now and get 3 swagbucks just for signing up; use this link or click the swagbucks button on the left side of the blog so I'll get points for referring you :)

Trying to Contain my Bargain Envy...

I read so many posts about the deals to be had in stores we don't have in our area and I try so hard not to be envious. I'm thinking I should start a savings jar for a trip to Nashville to hit Publix & Target. Have I completely lost my mind? Could I pay attention & work the deals well enough to really make it worthwhile? Hmmm, gonna have to think about this one...

Just Over $50 OOP This Week - Includes Dog Food

Monday
Chick Fil A (all 3 sandwiches free - woo hoo!). Hubby paid for drinks & fries (not sure of total), no OOP for me
CVS - can't find receipt (what a shock...LOL), 2 Aussie shampoo, used (2) $1.00 coupons that came on some of the Aussie I bought at Kroger back here, used ECB & gift card, no OOP
Super Valu - 2 packages Chinet plates, $2.00 each, used (2) $1.00 coupons; 1 pkg hot dogs, $1.00; 3 lb potatoes, $1.00, $4.24 OOP

Tuesday - Nothing

Wednesday
Stopped in Dollar General for Taco Seasoning for supper that night; also ended up getting new plastic scrubbies for doing dishes (pk of 6, $1.00), OOP $2.01

Thursday
Wags, see post here, OOP $5.04, still have $1.50 in RR

Friday
Sam's Club for Sudafed (house brand), OOP $1.78
Wal-Mart, see post here, OOP $7.42
Kroger, see post here, OOP $27.33
CVS, Milk & Cokes, used ECB & gift card, no OOP
Kroger, forgot the hamburger buns first time, & son and I both wanted Cheetos (2 bags because he likes Flamin' Hot - yuck!), $2.88 OOP

Total $50.70 OOP - Including $12.99 for dog food - darn dogs

I'm trying to make myself remember that it's okay to miss a few deals here & there so I can bring my totals down... but it's sooo hard LOL

Good Deal on Swiffer Wet-Jet

Mississippi (Coupon) Queen posted about her recent Kroger trip when she purchased a Swiffer Wet-Jet using her PG e-coupon along with the coupon for a free refill. I looked at the Hannan Plaza Kroger last week to see how much a new Wet-Jet is and they're (at least they were then) priced at $19.99. I have the free refill coupon as well as one of the $5.00 coupons from the previous Home Made Simple booklets. I was thinking this was not a bad deal but still more than I had to spend, so when I found this post where she used her e-coupon I immediately checked my e-coupons & sure enough, I have one loaded. So hopefully, it will work this way...

Swiffer Wet-Jet, $19.99
Refill (don't remember, but her price sounds about right for us too), $6.49
-$5.00 coupon from the Home Made Simple booklet (exp 9/30)
-$5.00 e-coupon
-$6.49 coupon from the recent booklet
Should end up being $9.99 plus the tax... I might have to try this!

Kroger 9/11 - Saved 69%

4 boxes Hefty One-Zip Bags, $4.00
2 cans Hunts Spaghetti Sauce, $2.00
2 bottles Hunts Ketchup, $2.00
2 packets Old El Paso Taco Seasoning, $1.98 (should have bought three to see if catalina deal is working here - see list here at Coupon Mommie)
1 packet Kroger Brand Sloppy Joe seasoning, 79¢
2 pouches StarKist Tuna, $2.00
2 small tubs Country Crock with Calcium, $4.00
2 (3-packs) Ivory Soap, $2.38
4 Brut Deodorant, $4.00
2 (8-pk) Reeses Cups, $2.00
5 Tony's Microwave Pizzas, $8.95
1 loaf Bunny Bread, $1.00
1 (50 lb) bag Dog Food, $12.99
2 pkg Ziploc containers, clearance $3.49 & $1.29

used:
4 Hefty One Zip $1.00/1, RP 8/30 (purchased from Coupon Carryout)
$1.00/2 Hunts Ketchup from August All You (I think)
60¢/2 Old El Paso Products, printable here, here or here
2 Starkist $1.00 printable (thanks Penny)
4 Shedds Spread with Calcium 55¢ printable here (IE) & here (FF) (bonus to $1.00 each)
2 Ivory Soap 25¢, P&G 8/30 (doubled to 50¢ each)
4 Brut Deodorant 55¢ from August All You (bonus to $1.00 each)
2 Reese's 55¢, SS 8/23 (bonus to $1.00 each)
2 Healthy Choice $2.00 printable, here
2 Ziploc Container 55¢, SS 7/26 (doubled to $1.10 each)

Tax - $1.81
Total - $27.33

Mfg Cpn Savings $20.95
Bonus Cpn Savings $10.70
Kroger Plus Savings $27.14
Total Savings (69%) $58.79

Wal-Mart 9/11

(5) 1 lb rolls Jennie-O Frozen turkey, $1.52 ea
used (5) $1.00 Jennie-O Turkey Store coupon, SS 8/30 (purchased from Coupon Carryout)

1 (48 ct) box Luzianne decaf tea bags, $5.82
used $1.00 coupon from inside last box I bought

Total $7.42

I am pretty brand-loyal when it comes to the tea I make at home, and since I make tea almost every day I use quite a few tea bags and have just accepted the cost :(

Walgreens Trip 9/10

Ran into the Mayfield Walgreens yesterday afternoon and did two transactions:

Transaction #1
1 Glade Reed Diffuser $5.99
-$3.00 coupon, printable from Redplum a couple of weeks ago - no longer available
Spent $3.35 OOP, got back $2 RR

Transaction #2
1 Aquafresh Iso-Active Toothpaste $3.49
1 Oreo Brownie, 99¢ (needed a filler to use my $1.00 Aquafresh coupon, I know I could have just saved it but this is the candy bar of the month, they have contests selling them & I like to support good cashiers, and my son said it was pretty good...lol)
-$1.00 Aquafresh Iso-Active coupon, printable from Smart Source
-$2.00 RR from previous transaction
Spent $1.69 OOP, got back $1.50 RR

Total OOP $5.04

Not the best savings I've ever had, but I really wanted to pick up another diffuser, so I'm pretty happy.

Another Kroger Mega Sale?

I just made the comment to someone last night that I wasn't really upset that Kroger doesn't have any really great sales this week since I'm broke and fairly well-stocked on most of our regular items right now. Then I found this link to a post on Hot Coupon World today on $aving Makes ¢ents... If this sale is going to happen I really hope I can get my hands on a bunch of the Hot Pockets 50¢ coupons since we are almost out. Stouffer's & Lean Cuisine - love 'em! Dog food - please let me have good coupons! These dogs (or small horses, I'm not sure which sometimes) we have go through the stuff! The refrigerated Jello snacks - I'm hungry now! Oh, and Penny - the last item under beverages - did you see? Boost, including Kid Essentials - And, yes I printed the B1G1 coupons and $5.00 coupons from the link on Money Saving Mom :)

A Couple of Good Coupons to Print

Go here (IE) or here (FF) to print $1.00 & 55¢ off one package of Keebler Cookies.

Go here (IE) or here (FF) to print $1.00 off Betty Crocker Potatoes.

Thanks The Coupon Geek!

Next Week (9/6 - 9/12) at CVS & Walgreens

Jenny at Southern Savers has her deals from next week's CVS & Walgreens ads posted. I have to admit I don't go to Walgreens that much these day because it requires so much more work to "roll" their Register Rewards than it does using Extra Bucks at CVS; however, I do have have one coupon for a free Glade 2.9 oz candle as well as some of the $3 Glade coupons, so I may be hitting Wags this week. I'm thinking if I buy the Glade first then I should be able to roll the RR to other deals with very little OOP. Hmmm, this may be worth working up a couple of deals...

The Week in Review

Sunday
CVS, 2 trips, $3.45

Monday
Super Valu, 48¢ (4 pkg of Chinet lunch plates - tax only)
Kroger, $31.18
Sam's, $1.78
Pizza for supper for my son's birthday, $7.95

Tuesday
Kroger, $17.08 (12.99 was dog food which usually does not come out of my grocery budget)

Wednesday
CVS, 2¢- here's the deal - I've not been posting the CVS transactions on my mom's card that she reimburses me for. I don't include these in my totals because she pays me for them. But Wednesday I needed milk, which is $1.99 at CVS. So, stopped by CVS, used my mom's card to get her some Sensodyne & a package of Tide stain release, after coupons & EB ending up spending $2.02 OOP, but she paid me $2.00 for the 2 products for her so my OOP was actually 2¢. Yes, I'm in charge of keeping up with her EB's and rolling them... because I enjoy the challenge and she enjoys the bargains when I take them to her!

Thursday
CVS $1.42 (didn't post this, 3 bags Jack Links Buffalo Chicken Nuggets - had 3 free coupons from August All You - thanks Penny & Vicki, 1 carton Coca-cola so I don't have withdrawals, 1 20-oz Mountain Dew because I was thirsty & knew I was going to go negative after using a $4 off $20 email coupon)

Friday
Wal-Mart, 80¢
Kroger, $15.11 (I think - I know that's pretty close)

Total $78.36 - I have a heart attack every time I see this number - More than I usually spend; more than I usually can spend. When I subtract the $12.99 for dog food and the $7.95 for pizza that I don't usually spend, I feel a little better because that brings me under $60. It also helps when I consider how many meals I can make with the meat I purchased this week, and when I look at the cereal, boxed meals, canned bread (don't laugh), and other items that I won't need again for quite a while. Also, when I consider the birthday presents, Christmas presents, fun stuff for me :) that I don't usually buy, I don't feel as bad about it all.

There are a few CVS transactions that didn't make it into the blog - the ones for my mother, and 1 on my card & 1 on my hubby's card that were strictly the Glade items. The 2 Glade items were less than $1 OOP but I can't for the life of me find these receipts. It's been that kind of week - I'm sooo upset with myself because my VocalPoint $2.50 Bounce Dryer Bar coupon is missing too...not good!

I didn't list my costs for newspapers and coupons ordered online because I choose to have a separate budget just for these costs and not include them in my "shopping money".