Tried and true tips that never grow old

I am pround of my little bloggity blog; I haven't posted here in quite a while but love coming here to re-focus.  


I believe it is important to prepare, think ahead, save money, stock up and get a food supply going especially in this shaky economy. (What will you do if Gas goes to $10 a gallon, or if food prices inflate more? Or if you or your spouse lose a job? Or if your friends or family do? How will you help??) 

Everyone wishes they had more time and the one lesson I learned is to stop reinventing the wheel;  I stopped posting deals here to gain more time with my family; and I will now refer you to my tutorial and the great links to the right, the tips and ideas here are still applicible -  They are good for as long as this blog is alive.

I STILL coupon and STILL save 50-75% at the grocery store almost every time I go shopping. I still am stocking up, increasing our food storage, and saving money even after two years.


I do this mostly by going to these great websites and following through on the deals they find. I print the coupons that others link to, and use the shopping lists others create.  (Thank you to everyone creating these blogs; you save me SO much time and money!!) Please take some time to check out the links to the right; they will help you... and so will I! Post a comment, I'll get an email. I'm happy to help you anytime.

Good Luck!! And follow these tips and you'll enjoy your extra $400-$600 a month including your new growing food storage supply and growing peace of mind.  Peace of mind is a wonderful thing. I always want to find ways to help people; my wish is that if you use these tips; you find peace of mind just like I did.

My best,
Kelley

Get 50%-90% off all around town (And the country!)

Check out these daily deals - huge discounts on the coolest stuff: I love all of these sites; 50% off and more on things to do, hotels; restaurants, you can buy these as gifts etc and eat at all sorts of new and favorite restaurants around your town. Most of the time you buy the certificate and print it immediately - Citideals mails your certificates to you for $.99 -

Some examples of 50% off vouchers I've gotten: (so far!) 
Cutlers
Nutty Guys
DQ
Cavanaughs
Nielsen's Frozen Custard
Cold Stone
Speed Street
Rock Climbing Gyms
Movie Ticket Discounts
Cherry Hill
Raging Waters
Ete.....


 SIGN UP !  IT'S FREE! YOU CAN CHECK FOR A NEW DEAL EVERY DAY!

Local and Nationwide – click on your city or others, some are online deals


http://www.groupon.com/r/uu4685567


https://www.godealgo.com/?MID=2&s=36


http://www.screamincoupons.com/r/M1UKPC0HOU


http://www.dealsthatmatter.com/salt-lake-city/recent


http://livingsocial.com/deals/


http://www.screamindailydeals.com/deals/


http://www.citydeals.com/


Just a couple Internet deals:

http://www.woot.com/


http://www.dailydeals.net/


http://www.dailysteals.com/

Go Deal Go   is a great new website that has a deal a day at 50% or more off a different place every day!


My favorites have been Nielsen's ftozen custard and Cutler's sandwiches and cookies!. You can usually buy as many certificates as you'd like, usually you buy a $5 a certificate worth $10, buy as many as you'd like.
These don't work like cash so you must use all of the certificate at once. The have Davis and Weber county deals, and Salt Lake is coming soon.
Sign up today for their daily email, or check back daily. When you purchase you can choose a venue to support; my mom's school, Cook Elementary, is sponsoring these deals and could use your help if you don't see a school around you from the list. Pay by credit or debit card and print your certificates right from the website.

Enjoy the daily deals!

Support Local Community Growers and Save

https://foodco-op.net/
Food Co-op Info, check it out!
You buy "shares" that are around $28 each: It includes 3 cuts of meat, 5 vegetables, 3-4 Fruits, a loaf of wheat bread, beans or rice @ 50% off retail.....volunteer your time, and pick up once a month at a local spot. Supports your local growers, butchers, bakers and candle stick makers....:)
Shopping With Cents blogged about this:
http://shoppingwithcents.blogspot.com/2009/07/do-you-co-op.html

Or......Utah Deal Diva did this one today!
Guest Post: Joining a Food Co-op
From Utah Deal Diva:
Guest Post by Marie Moser, a former blogger, couponer & member of a Utah food co-op for the past several months.

For the past six months my husband and I have been ordering food via the Crossroads Urban Center Community Food Co-Op of Utah. This non-profit organization plays many parts in our community, but namely it is a resource for families to obtain healthy, high quality food at 30-50% savings through collective purchasing. In addition, they build a strong sense of community by bringing people together to work towards a common purpose and goal. When you see the Co-op at work within your community, you know that it’s about more than just good food and good prices; it is about doing good deeds. In neighborhoods along the Wasatch Front and beyond, it is about people sharing a part of themselves for the betterment of their community.

Here are some of the basics about the food Co-op:Freshness and SelectionThey offer a wide variety of the freshest food for the best value, whenever possible working directly with local Utah farmers and producers - such as Colosimo's Sausages, Stone Ground Bakery, Mountainview Mushrooms, Palace Meats and Tree Hugger Granola

Your Monthly Order Makes a Big DifferenceThe more people who participate, the greater the savings become, because it allows the Co-op to buy larger and larger quantities at discounted rates. These savings can make a world of difference - refrigerators full of meat and produce mean families that don't have to depend on the emergency food system.

If You Eat, You Qualify!The Co-op is for everyone. Whether you are struggling to meet your basic food needs or are just looking for a way to share in a community, you can be part of this simple exchange: giving and receiving.

Why Should You Join?Every member makes a difference. Through the Co-op’s collective purchasing power, volunteer labor and low overhead, they can consistently offer quality, healthy food at up to 50% below retail. It's your order and volunteer time, combined with hundreds of others, that makes this all possible. Together, we are building a grassroots food distribution system dedicated to promoting people's access to affordable, nutritious food - and having a lot of fun in the process!

How Does It Work?Each month, members pre-order their groceries. You can order as many “shares” as you like, and how often you place an order is up to you. On distribution day (generally the third or fourth Saturday of every month), a network of volunteers help distribute the food to "team sites" all along the Wasatch Front where you can pick up your order. Team sites are sponsored by local churches, schools, non-profit organizations and community centers, but are open to everyone.

What's the Catch?Cooperation - the Co-op can't work without it. The food or “share” prices include two hours of your volunteer time - either with the Co-op or in your local community. While we encourage everyone to take part in the Co-op itself at least once a year, our volunteer requirement is very flexible and can be anything you do for someone outside of your family for free! You log your volunteer hours when you pick up your food on distribution day, and will even have the option to bank your hours for future months.

How Do I Join?It's easy! Anyone can join - if you eat, you qualify! They do ask that with your first order that you pay a $5 lifetime membership fee, but it is only with your first order. Otherwise it is as easy as 1-2-3:
Select a team site and place your food order online before the order deadline. You will receive an e-mail confirmation of your order and have up until the order deadline to change it if needed.
On distribution day, head down to your selected team site and pick up your order. It’s that simple.
And don’t forget to take your own bags or boxes to bring your food home! There are many options for ordering through the Co-op and 2010 has brought a few changes to the ordering system, so here are the nuts and bolts:

Meat Share: ($15) includes 4 fresh meat items. Ground beef is always a staple for most families, so that is always included month to month. In addition there are often pork chops, ribs, steaks, pork loins, turkey and other various cuts and types of meats.

Produce Share: ($10) includes 3 fresh fruit and 5 fresh vegetable items. Each month the fruits and vegetables are different according to what is in season. In previous months I have received onions, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, bananas, apples, oranges, squash varieties and eggplant (to name just a few).

Standard Share: ($24) includes one meat share and one produce share.

Add-Ons: the purchase of one of the three share options listed above are required to purchase any add-ons. The add-ons vary by month but generally include: Nutty Guys Samplers (4-1 lb. bags of mixed nuts or dried fruits), Colosimo's Kielbasa Sausage, Stone Ground Bakery products, and Chaparro's Beef Tamales. Often the add-ons are season specific as well, such as turkey breast at Thanksgiving and ham at Christmas. There is a set price for each add-on and the price is listed on the order list each month.

Fair Trade Items: (same rules apply as add-ons) rich and delicious products benefiting small-scale farmers and the environment. All the fair trade items are organic and generally they include coffee and tea options. When ordering, you can order as few or as many things as you like and in any combination. For instance, for a family of 4, you can order a standard share plus an additional meat share and pay $39. Or if you prefer more produce to meat, you can order one standard share and an additional produce share at a cost of $34. The options are endless and they are up to you! You can also choose NOT to order one month, and it won’t affect your ability to order the following month. Now, I know that some of you have these statements going through your minds: “That won’t feed my family of four for a month!” or “I can buy all that in the store for cheaper with sales and coupons!” And you know what? Both statements are true. But keep these two things in mind: 1) this one order isn’t meant to feed your family for a month (unless you buy one standard share for each family member each month), it is meant to supplement your grocery store purchases; and 2) you might be able to purchase the same amount of food in the store with coupons and sales for less than you are paying with the Co-op, but keep in mind that there aren’t a lot of coupons available for meat and produce items AND think of the good you are putting back into your community by participating in this program.

February 2010 Ordering Information: Order due date is Friday, February 12, 2010 at midnight. Order online by signing up HERE. Select your team pick-up site. There are several locations to choose from in communities all along the Wasatch Front, from Ogden to Nephi and Tooele to Heber City.

Pay online with your credit or debit card (food stamp purchasing also available). Food distribution day will be Saturday, February 27, 2010. So, now that all the technicalities are out of the way, what do you think? Is the food co-op for you? Would you be willing to try it for a month or two and see what you think?

Save Time and Get Organized in your Household!

Here's a "Saving Sanity" tip from me; this is how we organize and prioritize our time and around here....

Our good friends Matt and Teri told us about this concept of organization some companies use for their project management..... and they adapted it to household management...brilliant!!

The concept is that if you know what needs to be done, write it down, prioritize it, and break it down by time and resource; then you can get a lot accomplished! And here's the best part; this isn't just for mom's, it's for the whole family. It can help by helping you know what needs to be done.

My hubby and kids want to help; but most of the time they really don't "see" what needs to be done around the house to really know HOW to help....without me nagging anyway. So this is a great way for them to see what needs to be accomplished.

It's a tool to help us ALL know what to do; then we do it; then we feel a great sense of accomplishment by visually seeing what we've done! Lists help, but visually this board is amazing! You manage your time with the cards, colors represent blocks of time.

Here's the setup:
You'll need a large cork board, lots of push pins, different colors of 3x5 note cards, and a place to display so everyone who an read can see it:

You have a "Planned", "In Process" and "Completed" category list.
I have 6 colors of note cards representing how long a task should take: I have: 5, 15, 30 minutes, 1-2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours.
I write the task on a card, and who should/could complete it;



Example:



Blue Card = 1-2 hours - "Clean Room - Nathan"

Pink Card = 5 minutes "Change load of Laundry" - ALL

Yellow Card = 15 minutes "Empty/fill Dishwasher" - Nathan/Cameron

Green Card = 30 minutes "Make a treat for Church" - Kelley
or "Make Dinner" -Kelley/Kevin

Blue Card = 1-2 hours "Cameron's Well Child Check" - Mom/Kevin/Cameron

Purple Card = 4 hours - "Stain Bedroom Walls" - Kevin/Kelley

White Card = 8 hours - 3 separate cards would represent "Work/School" -Kelley/Kevin/Nathan




Here's our workstation; blank 3X5's, sharpies, a box to store repeatable tasks, upcoming tasks, and other priorities in.
I'm not getting too detailed here because my board is different from my friends'.
That's the nice thing though; every family is different so if you think this will work for you; you'll want to make this your own, make it fit your family!

You move the cards through the work flow as you work on them and complete them...




Feels great when the completed category is crowded!

You can take it a step further; gather at the board at the beginning of the day or week; refer to the board often; and/or meet at the end of the day/week to gather up all the "completed" categories and see how much time you've spent being productive.

When the cards equal your waking hours well; then you manage how much time you actually waste doing "Nothing."
Don't get me wrong, a little of that is good for you, I certianly have some "nothing" time every day. but if you ever wonder why you feel like you can't get anything accomplished, feel disorganized, wonder where the time goes.?...this tool will help!

Other Ideas:
You could make it an incentive board for the family or just for the kids; who can accomplish the most? (We all know probably mom/dad does; but the kids can get into this too and get a prize for closest second :)
The kids really like moving cards along the work flow too! And kids LOVE to help; this lets them know how, and helps them feel important.

Again, use it the way you'd like! My friends have the board represent their week; we do it by day; they calculate up their work hours and keep productive; we use it for daily organization and communication.

If you use this idea; tell me how you've adapted it to fit your needs!

Bulk Cooking

I'm doing some "bulk cooking" with the items I've stocked up on to help save money AND time, which all saves SANITY; come on over to my cooking blog and check it out!

Albertson's

Here's the latest Haul.
I must stay that it was kinda expensive! But as you see I got some high value stuff,

Purex refills regularly $9.99
On sale for $4.49
$1.00 off coupon
$3.49 Each
I got 4 - so that's 100 loads of laundry for $14

Cereal was $1.88 on sale
I got 5 for $1.33 each with .50 off coupons

Hefty Garbage Bags regularly $7.99
On sale for $5.99
$1.00 coupon
Got 2 for $4.99 Each

But the Candy!!
So these big bags regularly $8.99
On sale for $4
$2.00 coupon
$2.00 Each!

The Twizzlers were $4
on sale $2 each






So I spent $84.42 before tax
I had some essentials that I had to get and I did put them on this ticket, apples, reynolds wrap, make up pencil, (gasp!) I know!
Apparently you're not a true couponer if you don't separate the real life stuff from the couponed stuff in your transactions. Ah well. Sue me, but hey, here's the real deal!
I Saved $94.92
Total savings percentage: 53%



And where is all that candy now? I'm not tellin' I also didn't post that I got Hershey's and Dove chocolate for $1 a bag at Target. :) Oh yeah, I stocked up.

The SAT Trip

That would be the Smth's, Albertson's, and Target trips today....

There are some killer promo's out there you can find on KCL. for all three of these stores this week through October 20th. I was looking to keep it simple and just get the stuff we needed using the high value coupons I had....

Smith's

They had an Unadvertised deal on Pillsbury refrigerated items AND Ziploc Bags.
Buy 3 get $2 OYNO
I had $1.00 off coupons for 12 separate Pillsbury items, can we say: Cookie Dough!! and pie crusts, crescent rolls, etc.
So those were $1.85 to $3.49 each original price
with coupons it brought these to $.85 to $2.49 each, then
With $2.00 off 3 promo they came to:
.19 to $1.83 each!

Ah Yeah! Sweet!


Ziplocs bags all gallon/freezer varieties: - $.4.99 each
Minus $1.00 coupons and $2.00 off 3,
That's $1.66 off each one
or $3.33 each.
I know they've been cheaper in the past, but I needed them! I got 6.
I saved $10.02 on these

Other deals w/o coupons:
Apples were .69 a pound
Kroger Cheese was .99 an 8oz bag
Coke was $1 a 2 liter

So I stocked up on those!
I Spent $54.09 and Saved 52.10
That's a 49% Savings
I haven't lost my touch!

Albertson's

Not much going on here this week which is too bad

I went for a couple of items we've been low on

Detergent, dryer sheets, broth, paper towels,

Pasta, margarine, chocolate and soft pretzels,

Hey! I'm the boss!

I spent $37.28 and Saved $16.98

I had coupons for all items and saved 32%

Not great savings %, but they were essentials

Target

I went CRAZY on the Halloween candy folks!

I got all sorts of naughty stuff for $2 a bag or less, most cases $1.25 a bag!

Target has a BIG sale on candy right now....and

I had $1 off coupons for .....

Hershey's Kisses

Nestle Bags

Wonka Bags

Dove!!!

They were $3.00 to $2.50 and $2.25 each originally

$1 off makes them $2.00 (for DOVE!) $1.50, and $1.25 for the rest. Yeah, I stocked up big time, we have enough for Three Halloween's

or one "Nathan's Fantasy Day" according to my 14 year old

Got Skippy PB for $1.04 a jar x 8 jars with $1.00 off coupon

Bumble Bee Tuna pouches for $.27 with $1.00 off coupon

Chef Michael's dog food for $1.58 a four lb bag with $3.00 off coupon

YoPlus/Gogurts/La Creme yogurt all $1.34 each with $1.00 off coupons

This was cool....

Nature Valley Nut Clusters had a buy 3 - get one free special
$2.50 each for the bars or Clusters

I had 4 $1.60 off coupons

B3G1 takes off $2.50

So for $1.10 I got 4 bags of Nut Clusters or $.27 each!
They're really good if you haven't tried them yet!
At Target I spent $77.90 and saved $68.00
That's a 46% savings!!

Ah Yea Peeps!

I'm Baaaaaaaack!

Budget Challenge Accomplished!!

I did it!!

A couple of posts ago I challenged myself to go a month without grocery shopping, and I made it!.

With all of my accumulated food storage from this couponing experience we had PLENTY of supplies in my cupboards, we used Rosehill Dairy for milk, bread, and eggs; and we didn't miss much but the fresh fruit, which was provided by my mom once in while, and CJ (bless you!) when he was here.

Did I save money?? Nah, not really. I had 3 car repairs (didn't I SAY that would happen?!?!?!?) which the money went to instead, and them some....but good thing I hadn't bought groceries so really I saved myself from utter destruction, which would happen without a car. :)

So, yes, it can be done, yes, I can resist the shopping bug, IGNORE the great deals and coupons I'm missing out on, and focus on something else for a month! Whoo Hoo. Now back to shopping!! (Rolling my eyes at myself, only slightly)

The first of the month is when you'll want to print coupons before they're all gone!

Some of the same great coupons that available on SmartSource and Coupons.com

These coupons are also available on the following sites:

Pillsbury site here

Betty Crocker site here.

Box Tops For Education site here

Eat Better America site here

*Note You can print 2 coupons for each product listed.

Credit for Recycling

Target is sending us even more savings with a new reusable shopping bag credit! Receive savings of $0.05 for each bag you use! Bags must be reusable bags (not plastic) but do not need to be Target brand. Wish I could’ve done this the other week when I bough 40 boxes of cereal for $0.38 each! I could’ve saved a bunch more with all the bags I would’ve filled! Thanks MorethanCents!

Budget Challenge!

I've been prepping my pantry and food storage for emergencies, and "emergency" need #1 will be October. Budgets are tight this month.

I am challenging myself to keep a budget of $15 per week for groceries!

Follow me as I see how much $15 can buy when you are a coupon nut!

Some bloggers have done this in the past, and some SAHMom's do this all the time to be able to stay at home with their kids....For me? My reason is my sweet Hubbie is still without a job and at least for this month we have some extra unplanned/planned expenses....

(man I pray our car doesn't break down.)

I'd personally like to see how I do with this goal;

I'm a little nervous to tell you the truth.

So stay tuned. I'm used to spending about $400-$600 a month now,

which is $500-$700 less per month than I used to spend on groceries

(Before couponing and my tale of desperation)

these numbers include dining out and entertainment,

I wrap them all together because they always coincide anyway -

Out with friends? ...Food. Movie? ...Usually

"a dinner and a". The Fair? ....Food!

Everything revolves around food.

At least most of my entertainment does. :)

If you'd like to do this challenge with me or if you do this already I'd love some tips.

I'll be baking with inexpensive items, staying in and not eating out;

entertainment will be home based or free!

I'll also be selling some items from home to help us with bills this month...

I may have to use my food budget for gas KWIM if anything unexpected comes up

....anyone need scrapbook supplies and XBOX stuff?

Like I said before;

I'm an impulse buyer, and that goes for going out to eat too;

I do this about 3-4 times a week or more when I just need to GET OUT!

But I will have to suppress that impulse

and find a more productive outlet for my cabin fever.

If you need to save for Christmas,

or want to jump start your general savings,

or just would like to see if you can do it,

I'll be here with ya!

(This $15 will not include Roshill Dairy for us, I spend about $100 a month on them but will cut that back to $75 if I can; it goes in my regularly scheduled bills)

WISH ME LUCK!

Um...anyone have a coupon for Baking Powder and/or Vanilla?

Dining out deals - Red Robin!

We LOVE Red Robin
Kids eat free on Tuesdays!
This is a deal I sent in to my favorite couponing blog, KCL
and now I'm published. :) KCL! -
"Kelley says,
"I love this deal and do this EVERY time I go to Red Robin....

It's their Dinner and a Movie Deal - Just ask the server,
there's no advertisements for this on their site or in the restaurant.

For $31.99 (with tax)You get:

$20 Red Robin Gift Card

2 Adult Movie Tickets to Cinemark - $16.50 value -
It's not for opening week premiers Night-
but a week after opening night worked fine.

1 free cheese sticks appetizer - $6.99 value

That's a total of $43.50 worth of Items for $32!

Also:Our Hometown Values mailer has a $5 off $20 at Red Robin coupon or something similar every month,
I used that for the bill, along with the gift card that same day.
So Technically I got our entire date night
(Red Robin appetizer, drinks, two meals, and and two movie tickets)
for $31.99! You can use the gift card anytime,
as a gift, or for your visit that day;
you must purchase this deal separately (before you order food)
Other than that there's no restrictions!"

When you sign up for their birthday club, you should get a "$3 off your next bill"
coupon at your email and a free burger on your birthday. Which I just redeemed yesterday!
And of course, againI got the "Dinner and a Movie Deal"

Here's what it looks like:

We saw Harry Potter last night with the movie tickets, it was fun!

Target Redemption!

Target Deals! I tried Target again and boy am I sold!

Here's the Dealio Breakdowns:
General Mills Cocoa Puffs $1.99
(price match Walgreens ad)$1/1 Cocoa Puffs printable)

OR use your .75 off 1 mfgr coupons....

$1/1 General Mills Target printable, exp. 9/13/09

FREE to .25 after coupons!(Thanks, Common Sense With Money!)

Note that Target does their price matching at the customer service after your purchase.

You can get other varieties of General Mills cereal very cheap with the price matching using the same Target coupon and any of the General Mills printables here , here, or here.

Fiber One Cereal, $2.50

Get a $5 Target GC wyb 5

Use (5) $0.75/1 Fiber One Cereal printable

Use (5) $1/1 General Mills Target printable, exp. 9/13/09

Better than FREE after coupons and gift card!

Chef Michael's Dry Dog Food - $4.49/ea

Use $3/1 in 8/23 Red Plum insert

PLUS Use $1.50/1 Target coupon here

Final Price = FREE or overage

Chef Michael's rang up at 2.49 originally!

Nabisco select varieties, buy 5, get a $5 gift card.

I got 10

Used 10 Mfgr $1.00 to .75 off two boxes coupons

Got them for $1.50 to $1.75 each

And TWO $5 gift cards!

Check out the other deals HERE

at Stretching a Buck for next week

Here's the Loot!

And the Breakdown:

10 Nabisco items = $29.99 - minus Mfgr coupons (had 1 BOGO for Ritz)= $11.00 + $10 GC's
3 Wonka items = $4.77 = minus Target coupons = $1.77
2 Chef Michael's = $9.99 = minus Target and Mfgr coupons = better than free!
($4.00 overage because of $2.49 ring up)
5 Trix = $19.99 = minus Target and Mfgr coupons = free!
5 Fiber One = $21.25 each = $1.25 + $5 GC

$14.02
Original price =
All of this came to -$.98 with my Gift Cards!

They paid me $.98 to take this stuff home!!!
(AND I still have 2 $5.00 gift cards - above - from a previous trip)

Albertson's Deal!

Albertsons has a great deal on Campbell's Tomato or Chicken Noodle Soup.

If you buy $15 worth of Campbell's or Pepperidge Farm products from 9/11/09 - 9/26/09, you will earn a $5 Catalina, good for your next order.

I bought 30 cans of soup for $15 and got $5 back, making them 3/$1.

But! Here's the math with the coupons that came out from yesterday, doublers and the Catalina:

Campbell's Chicken Noodle or Tomato Soup $.50 each

Buy 30 Cans, Earn a $5 Catalina

Use (7) Campbell's Condensed Soups $.40/4 coupons from 9/13 insert

Use 3 Albertson's Doublers

Final Price OOP: $11.00

Final Price When factoring $5 Catalina:

$6.00 for 30 cans or $.20 each !

Too much fun!

Had a couple of killer trips these last few days at Walgreens, Albertson's and Target, then Red Robin! I usually don't go to so many stores but I had errands to run and needed things from each store, so I decided to see what I could get as far as deals go as well.....

Here's the Walgreens finds:
I found a TON of candy marked down, bags for 1.19, King Size Hershey for .25, Wrigley’s gum and Rice Krispie treats marked way down. (Which I had coupons for, and Twizzlers too!) I got two bags grocery bags full of candy for fun, some dark chocolate bars for baking; and some lunch snack items for 75% off to free when I added coupons to them:

Big bags of Twizzlers marked down to .70 each

Got 3 bags

Coupon for $1 off 3

They were .37 each

King size Hershey Bars 8 @ .25 each, 2 King Size Symphony Bars @ .50 each

Had 3 "$1.00 off 2" King Size Hershey Bar coupons

Bought $3.00 worth of bars

With coupons got all 10 bars for free!

Wrigley's Gum buy one get one free coupon

Plus got a $1 RR for these

Trident:

2 $1.00 off 2 coupons

.77 per pack store sale

Bought 2 and made .66!

Carefree Ultra Protection Pantyliner $1.99, Earn a $1.99 RR when you buy on

Use $1/1 printable coupon or from 8/30 SS insert

FREE plus $0.99 in overage after coupon and register reward - Monthlong deal!

Ice Cream pints

By $10 get $2.00 off your next order

Bought 4 $3 pints of the sinful stuff which brought me to $12.00 total

Had 4 $2.00-$1.50 off coupons

Took it down tht total down to $4.50

got these for $1.00 to $1.50 each

Plus $2.00 to spend OYNO
That's like getting two for free!

I also got 4 boxes of Cheerios (big boxes!)
$1.99 each store sale, $8 total
4 Coupons for $1.00 - $1.5o off one

$3.50 total
.49-.99 each!

I spent $40.55 (had to get some items not on sale and no coupons Ak! )

I got $5 RR (register rewards) to spend on my next order and saved $79.12!

That's a 66% savings with $6 to spend next time....

If I took out all the stuff I needed with NO coupons and just add up the savings for the sale/couponed items I spent $18.20 and saved $79.12. That's a 82% savings!!

Case Lot SALE!!

I had a great time at Smith's with this sale and recruited Hubby's help with the dual shopping carts for this baby. And now I'm good and stocked up on some items I was worried about. Can you believe I worry about not having enough of something like canned chicken? Seriously who is this person I've become???
Ah, well! Necessity is the mother of invention I suppose.

This is truly food storage at it's best, the Case lot sale at Smith's was EXCELLENT.
Here's the booty.....

4 Cases of 24 12oz bottles of water $10.00
Saved $5.96

Kroger Apple Juice
Case of 8 - 1/2 gallon bottles
$9.99
Saved $4.09

Chunk Chicken
Case of 12
$21.48
Saved $16.48

Case of Honey
12 jars for $27.00
Saved $7.26

Case of Vegetable Oil
9 bottles
$15.90
Saved $5.88

Tillamook Cheese
10lbs for $16.99
Saved $6.00
2/ $1/1 coupons
$14.99
Saved $8 total

Cup of Noodles
2 Cases of 12 each - $6.00
Saved $2.16

The BEST Deals:
40 lbs of butcher block skinless boneless chicken breasts
$1.33/lb or $53.60 total
Saved about $60.00 or more

We divided these humongous chicken breasts into Gallon Ziploc bags

of 5 or 6 breasts per bag.....

when they come this big I'll make 2 meals for the 5 of us

out of each bag, one to eat, one to freeze, or for leftovers etc....

I got 12 bags total (below) out of the 40 lbs.

That's 24 meals for $2.23 each!!!

This really changed my perspective.

Think about it....

See what $2-3 can buy at a grocery store vs dining out???

$2 doesn't even buy one kids meal or one decent burger any more,

but I can feed 5 of us from the grocery store!

This has put the whole couponing thing in perspective

yet again for me.

What am I accomplishing every day

Not just saving money on a few items,

but shifting my whole thought process

on spending money wisely and in ways

that make sence for us now and for ages to come.

I learned a lot from chicken today. Thank you chicken.

Another FAB Deal:

Bumble Bee Light Tuna in Water
Case of 36
$24.00 - That's $.66 per can - Tuna's awesome, one can = one casserole with noodles and cream of chicken soup? Another super cheap yummy meal for less than $3
Saved $33.12 on this case.

$182.96 was the total for everything, I'm stocked up and happy and relaxed!
Whoo hoo!!

I Saved $142.95 on this sale; That’s 43%!!!

Laugh and the World laughs with you...

....nothing in your house has UPC's
....you grab a snack out of the pantry your wife proudly tells you how much it cost. "That granola bar was only 4 cents, honey!"
....you can't remember a single birthday, but you know how much you paid for every item in your pantry.
....you have food stashed under your bed, in your closet, or taking over a room in your house.
....your wife flies out of bed at 4am- jumps into her clothes- throws makeup on & styles her hair- just to run to the store for FREE cereal, but she can't seem to wake up every Sunday @ 9 a.m. to get ready for church on time!
.... your kids come home from the neighbors (another PYP'er) and ask why they have all the same toys and snacks that you do!
....your coupons weigh more than your purse.
....your kids introduce you to their friends using your screen name instead of your real name!
....you ask your daughter what she wants for her birthday and she replies, "I dunno. What ya' got coupons for!"
....you gasp at the shopper in line behind you and exclaim, "You should NEVER pay for gum, EVER!"
....you come home from a shopping trip and lay out your groceries on the table with the reciept and your before/after totals circled, take pictures of it, and post it on your blog
....when nobody has to ask who put 27 full-size tubes of name-brand toothpaste in the church donation bin for the needy.
….it's 6:08 AM and you're on your 2nd transaction at Albertsons.
….you reschedule your wedding because that’s the day the Target markdown is 90%.
….'Penny for your Thoughts' is your only source of information.
....you think the zebra at the zoo looks like a bar code.
.…your husband has ever had to ask you to move the cases of toilet paper so he could take a shower.
….you own more tubes of toothpaste than pairs of underwear.
….the local Disaster Preparedness Class instructor asks permission to hold a field trip in your basement.
.…your idea of a "quiet, romantic evening at home" involves scissors and inserts.
….your kids take a 6 ft register receipt to "Show and Tell."
….Betty Crocker makes your list of most admired people.
....you get an adrenaline rush from reading next week’s printable shopping lists.
….you did all your Christmas shopping online…. in February.
….you’ve ever woken up from a nightmare screaming “I lost my Binder!“
....you know what "Guru math" is
....you feel naked without your binder
....men send their wives up to you in the store asking "how did you do that?"
....you no longer write out your own shopping lists, you just print it off right off the site
....you leave the hospital a day early after giving birth because the Quaker sale starts in the morning.
....your daughter's classroom always wins the pizza party for the most boxtops.
....your cashier has to have a manager over-ride the register because you have so many
coupons.

Compiled by PYP members. Feel free to add yours!


I found this on Coupon Gossip!





Here's what the shirt says....

TOP 10 REASONS NOT TO GET BEHIND ME IN LINE

10)I have OCD: Obsessive Coupon Disorder
9) I'm the crazy coupon lady you've heard about. Really.
8) I saved $59.22 on a $60 order. I'm trying to beat my record.
7) If patience isn't your virtue, change lines.
6) I'm protected under the Right-to-Coupon Act.
5) "Price Check"
4) Five separate receipts should do it.
3) I may be slow, but my groceries are free.
2) I have coupons, and I know how to use them.
1) This hobby is paying for my next cruise!

CLASSIC! ROFL!
Yeah, you know what I mean, if you're like me, you'll laugh and laugh, if you're not a couponer yet, you wont know what the heck we're talking about... Keep reading and you will learn!

This is a T-Shirt from RefundCents.com. It's a website for deals/rebates/and out of control couponers.... Check this link out; I'm not in agreement with hoarding; building up a food storage slowly is great; but I don't think it's fair or nice or in the least bit considerate to buy up everything so you have years and years of supply while other shoppers or couponers don't get a chance. I mean "enough is a feast." I think it's unfair and a lot selfish to take oppurtunities from others.... but I'll get off my podium here; you decide....I don't want to offend; but Geez!!!

I'm not a member, it requires a subscription.... but this shirt in on there was halarious.....anyone else a member? Is there any more info on this site than what we can get for free off blogs everywhere else?

They do have a pretty cool coupon organizer that I'm considering though.....

Smith's Trip

My trip to Smith's, there was a GM/PEPSI promo going on so you'd buy 10 items and get $5 off your order, which I stacked with coupons (of course) and got boxes of GM Cereal for like .50 to $1.00 each
Quaker Granola bars for .75 each
ETC....
So I did this promo and bought 50 items and saved $25 with the promo, I'm all stocked up on fruit snacks, Granola Bars, Cereal (As If I didn't have enough of that!) and Hamburger Helper.

Here's the evidence.....



Here's some of the 50 or so coupons; check out the price on water!



I had a cart full to overflowing this time; I was literally holding items onto the cart as I walked so they wouldn't fall to the floor by the time I was done! I got TONS of stuff; including BOGO on feminine products plus coupons ontop of those, so a 28 ct pack of Always pads was like .82 each for me....so I'm overstocked with those. It's kind of embarrassing when they fall to the floor and bounce and roll all over the place....(WHY didn't I get them first! WHY!?)
I had like 12 packages....
Here's the damage, I spent $98 and saved $155.84 this trip: I saved 62%! The photo of my receipt totally flipped on it's side and now you must just trust me folks.

I post this to show you that can do one GIANT cart load of stuff like 80 items or more versus the wimpy 5-20 items some couponer bloggers do at a time. Ack, that would drive me nuts! 20 tiny transactions per month instead of 3 or 4 big ones....I don't have time for that; I'm trying to save my sanity here!

Like I said, I only like to go shopping two or three times a month. SO,

1. I do take the time to prepare
2. I have over 50-75 coupons to bring with me to use most times
3. I spend a couple of hours shopping - usually my hubby helps
4. And Voila!

I am stocked up on TONS of essentials and have loads of regular food items to last us a good two weeks - or a month if needed.

Remember I use Roshill Dairy delivery service for the dairy/bread/eggs

to avoid going shopping so often..... (and their stuff is AWESOME!)

I do this because I am a closet impulse buyer

(well, not anymore now that my secret is out)

And if I have to go to the store twice a week for a few items,

I used to buy out with WAY more than I planned on.

Especially when I go there hungry.

So, now I don't go shopping unless I take the time to prep to shop.

In fact; I can't go to a store WITHOUT a plan

or I feel uncomfortable and weird without my coupons.

I know, I'm a nut.

I won!

http://krazycouponsisters.blogspot.com/2009/08/winner-of-redplum-inserts.html

Check it out, these gals are just starting up (like me!) and their blog is great! Cute header huh?

They've held a contest that I won! Yea!

Since RedPlum's coupons are sent to our mailbox instead of in the Sunday paper I've only gotten ONE a week, that's tough (I cant bother my neighbors for coupons) but I won some more from these gals!


Thanks ladies!