Makin' money at the red bulls eye

Proctor and Gamble coupon inserts USUALLY have a coupon that is golden.  This weeks edition is no different.

This week at Target- Febreze air freshener things and outlet things are on sale for $2.50.  Buy 5 and you earn a $5 Target giftcard. 

That P&G insert- it has $3 off the outlet thing coupons.  I'm not even joking.  But because Target doesn't allow for coupon overage- and I do EVERYTHING within my power to not use coupons/scenarios that cause that register to beep- here is what I did:

2 air freshener things ($2.50 each=$5)
3 outlet plug in things ($2.50 each=$7.50)
$12.50
-$9  three $3 coupons from sunday's p&g for outlet things
-$2 two $2 coupons from sunday's p&g for air fresheners
$1.50 paid
$5 giftcard received
$3.50 PROFIT

Might I just take a moment to add that if I were a regular person and I bought these outlet things, I might be a wee bit preterbed to discover that they don't come with ANY of the scented oils that they use.  Those have to be purchased seperately.  Since I didn't technically pay for them, I'm okay with that.  But otherwise I would probably be having a hissy fit.

Walgreens 8/28

I drug my sorry heiny out of bed early today so that I wouldn't miss the deals I wanted.

BOO-YA!

 I did two transactions- so that I could get two of the m&m deals (4/$10 get $5 RR) and 2 of the proctor & gamble deals (spend $30 get $10RR)

I forgot to put the cascade in the first picture- but it was part of what I bought.

1st Transaction:
$10 4 m&m's
$5 gain laundry detergent
$5 gain laundry detergent
$5 gain laundry detergent
$5 gain laundry detergent
$9.59 swiffer starter kit
$3.99 swiffer dry refills
$.69 m&m single pack (needed it in order to use a $5 reward from last week- plus it has the movie ticket $3 coupon code!)

$44.27 before coupons

-$5 RR from last week
-$1 mq any swiffer starter kit
-$3.99 mq free refill wyb starter kit swiffer
-$2 mq gain
-$2 mq gain
-$2 mq gain
-$2 mq gain
-$1 mq wyb 2 m&m's
-$1 mq wyb 2 m&m's

$27.33 total after coupons
Got back $10 RR for P&G, $5 RR for M&M's

2nd Transaction:
$3.49 gallon of milk (we were out!)
$4 tide stain release
$4 tide stain release
$24 cascade (6 @ $4)
$3.99 Playtex Tampons
$10 4 m&m's
$1 2-Geisha mushrooms (with in ad coupon)

$50.48 total before coupons

Coupons:
-$5 RR from last week
-$6 mq cascade (6 $1 coupons)
-$2 playtex tampons
-$1 mq wyb 2 m&m's
-$1 mq wyb 2 m&m's
-$1.50 mq tide stain release
-$1.50 mq tide stain release

Total $36.70 after coupons
Received $10 RR Proctor & Gamble, $5 RR M&M's, $1 RR Playtex Tampons

If you head out to walgreens, look for the Lime or Vanilla Carmex- it is $1.50 and you get a $1.50 RR (FREE!).  Even though I got to the store just a few minutes after they opened- 'that lady' I've spoken about before had the ENTIRE DISPLAY in her shopping cart.  Probably 75 tubes of the stuff- and she was going to stand there and ring them all out individually in order to get them all fro free.  Dan can't understand why I'm upset.  They were on top of her entire cart load of Fall M&M's- she took every single bag they had.

How about you- is it wrong to be upset when someone clears out an entire product and buys more than their home could ever possibly use?  (I call it selfish- what do you think?)

THREE coupon inserts this weekend

Just a reminder, in case you haven't already heard- there will be a smartsource, a redplum AND a proctor and gamble insert this weekend.

Happy happy happy coupon dance!

(If you get the Indy Star- they put one of their inserts, the redplum maybe???, in their Thursday paper and the other one in their Sunday.  So you might just get two.)

Meijer starting 8/25

Meijer is having a $1 item sale- and if you buy 10 items you get an 11th $1 item free.  The only problem is, properly counting, which I apparently can not do.  I've shopped this sale before and painstakingly selected 10 items, only to forget to pick an an 11th free one. 

The point here is- I'm not sure.  But I will share what $1 items I found to be a good deal:

$1 for a 5lb bag of potatoes- I don't care who you are, this is a good deal
$1 grands biscuits- used a $.30 off 2 cans coupon that doubled to $.60
$1 baby peeled carrots
$1 old elpaso taco shells (I didn't have any coupons- really??)
$1 aunt millies english muffins
$1 betty crocker brownie mixes- used $.75/2 coupon that 'doubled' to $1
$1 pizza rolls- used $.40/2 coupons that doubled to $.80

Other good deals?
Dove bars $3- used $1 coupons (yum!)
Betty Crocker cookie mixes $1.67- used $.40 that doubled to $.80
Philly cream cheese individual packs $1.49- used $.50 that doubled to $1
Eckrich hot dogs $.99 (no coupons)
Tropicana big orange juice $2.50- used $1 coupons

All in all, I  spent just over $40 after using $23.79 in coupons!  And then I managed to leave some of my bags there at the store..........so I get to go back today and get the rest of my groceries.  Luckily, they keep a log book for people like me and they will give me back the stuff I paid for and then left there.  Nothing is easy this week........nothing.

Them shelves are empty again!

I stopped at Walgreens last night to pick up the things on my list:

Colgate sensitive toothpaste $4.99 with a $4 RR and I had a $1.50 coupon ($.50 money maker)
Glade scented candle refill things 2/$5 with a $1 RR (I couldn't find my coupons- ugh)
Kelloggs snacks 4/$10 with a $5 RR (with or without coupons- this is a good deal)

Every item was wiped clean- none left.  Not even a single solitary box of rice crispie treats.  Nothin'.

As I stood there in the toothpaste aisle making sure I didn't miss the Colgate, a woman walked up and started putting the little tiny travel sizes of Listerine in her basket.  One after the other.  Again and again.  More and more.  And then.........she banged on the dispenser to get the last 3 or 4 bottles to roll down.  They were on sale for $.99.  I'm sure she had the $1 off any listerine coupons with the nice long expiration dates.  She must have bought 17 bottles of the stuff.

That is the reason I am becoming discouraged.  Although I know that I need to head out first thing Sunday morning if I want to get the hot sale items at the drug stores...........and this just confirmed it.  The number of folks using coupons are growing..........and it's becoming more of a 'hunt' than a 'hobby'.

Walgreens 8/17

Dove Hair Products- spend $15 get $5 Register Reward
On sale 4/$15
Used 2 buy a hair product get a free conditioner/shampoo coupons
Paid $7.80, got $5 register reward back.  Made them $.70 each.

Expo Washable Dry Erase Markers on sale for $3.99
Used 1 $2/2 expo coupon (printed from internet)
Used walgreens August coupon book (in stores with circulars) which took off $3 each, $6 total
FREE! 
Just make sure you buy something else to eat up the $.02 overage or it won't take all the coupons.

Hefty Ziplock Bags- b1g1 free
Use the $1/2 coupon (I think from last Sundays paper?), makes them $1.15 per box

Pert Plus Shampoo (if you can find it, I have had NO luck this week on this item)
$3.99.  Use the $1 coupon from last Sundays paper, pay $2.99 and get a $3 register reward.  FREE.

That was really all I found of interest at Walgreens this week.  There is a $10 reward on a $10 bottle of vitamins and some $2 coupons around- but I forgot to look for it while I was in the store.  I'm guessing they are wiped clean, but I could be wrong!

CVS and the magic machine of love

Always scan your CVS card at the red machine at the front of the store.  The end.

Yesterday I got an entire ribbon of coupons that I proceeded to wear through the store like a Miss America Sash, because I'm that cool.

It printed a coupon for a FREE carmello candy bar (hello-FREE CHOCOLATE?), a free box of CVS bandaids, $4 off when you buy diapers and wipes, $3 off a $15 grocery purchase and a few others.

The coupons aligned for a delightful shopping trip that finally made me excited.  But no picture because HELLO I was at the pharmacy picking up pain pills for my husband after spending the evening in the ER (flash burn from welding- he's fine).  I was pooped.

Here's what I bought:
2 huggies slip on diapers $8.99 each
1 huggies wipes $2.79
1 cottonelle wipes $1.97 (had a free coupon to redeem)
1 gatorade drink $1 (only had one left- I will look for 4 more at another store to get the $5 ECB's wyb 5)
2 gallons of deans milk $3.19 each
2 special K multi grain crackers 2/$4
2 cheese it white cheddar crackers 2/$4
1 12 pack mt. dew $2.50
1 allergy pills $4.69 (no coupon at all- just needed them)
1 3 musketeer king size (me and emily, naughty girls) $1

My total was over $48!

Coupons:
-$.50 huggies wipes
-$4 machine coupon wyb wipes and diapers
-$3 machine coupon off $15 in groceries
-$1.96 free cottonelle wipes coupon I got in the mail
-$.25 machine coupon off candy bar
-$1 wyb 2 special k crackers
-$3 Huggies $3 coupon
-$3 Huggies coupon again (it was also in the paper last Sunday)
-$2 printable CVS coupon for huggies pull up diapers (no longer available or I'd link it up for you)
-$2 printable CVS coupon again for diapers
-$10 giftcard I got when I filled the pain pill prescription (my CVS honors competitor pharmacy coupons, I got one from Meijer last time I checked out!)

Total was $17.82
I got back a $10 gas card for buying $30 in certain items (diapers, cottonelle, crackers, wipes) and $2 in ECB ($1 for each gallon of milk). 

The diapers will go to a family who could use them at Dan's work, in case you think I've lost my ever loving mind.  It was just too good of a deal to pass up considering I basically got them for FREE with the magic coupon machine coupon!

Marsh Triples Trips

Marsh was offering two days of triple coupons last Friday and Saturday.  Different from the last time they surprised us with this was that it was only for coupons up to $.99.  Same as last time was a limit of two like coupons.

I made three different trips during the two days.  This is a couponers dream after all. 

I couldn't go first thing Friday morning when I got the email- I had a playdate planned that day for Sam and I didn't think it would be fair to drag all the kids to the grocery and pretend it was fun.  So I waited until Dan got home.

By the time I got there, several items I had really good coupons for ($.75 off one- that would triple to $2.25) were wiped out.  To be expected I suppose.  The difference this time was that they didn't seem to restock.  That is mainly the reason I went back a second and third time, hoping some of the gone items would be back on the shelves- no dice.

Regardless- it was still fun.  Not near as impressive as when they tripled the dollar coupons- but still a great savings.

First Trip-
70 Items               $156.03 before coupons               $61.78 after coupons

Second Trip-
27 Items               $52.65 before coupons                 $27.51 after coupons

Third Trip-
10 Items               $22.93 before coupons                 $7.93 after coupons

5 or 6 items were non coupon items that I just needed (eggs, onions, etc.).  These totals include items like lunch meat, frozen pizza items, 12 packs of diet pepsi, cereal bars, cake mixes and icings, canned goods, hand soap...........a good variety of items that I was glad to purchase at 60-70% off. 

I was so excited to see that Marsh was offering such a great coupon sale again.  I thought for sure that the last time would have been just that- the last time.  I can't wait to get another 'surprise' email from them announcing another huge coupon day.............but I'll be better prepared and get there right away I hope!

My work 'cut' out for me

I've been slacking.  Summer has taken a toll on having the time to keep up with my coupons, and when you stack that with camping the last two weekends in a row.......I've ended up with a big mess of coupons and no time to do anything with them.

And then I woke up yesterday morning to an email.  A glorious email that I knew would mean I'd have to work on that stack, and my binder full of expired coupons.  Triple Coupon Day at Marsh- up to $.99 (Fri and Sat- I'll post about my shop later).

 So me, the trash can, and my trusty scissors sat down and got busy.  Two hours later I had all expired coupons out, all current circulars trimmed and filed and I was ready for action.  Two hours to sort and file over three weeks worth of coupons is not wasted time in my opinion.

And there she is, my trusty Wheezer loaded and ready. And to Marsh we went, kidless and nothing but time to peruse the aisles.........ahhhhh.

Not this week I'm afraid

Some weeks it just isn't in the cards for me, and this is one of them.

There were several things I wanted to buy at Walgreens this week- smartrinse kids mouthwash would be free after reward, Keri Lotion is a $1 money maker after reward, Monkey Brains kids hair products are $1 money maker after reward.........but there is not a single product to be found I'm afraid.

Those crazy couponers wiped the shelves clean Sunday morning.  I call them 'those crazy couponers', even though I am one of them.  But I'm not a greedy wipe the shelf clean kind of couponer- that makes me kind of crazy mad.

That is how it is I suppose.  If there is a really good price on something (free is a pretty good price) I know I have to plan to go very early to be able to get it.  And I just didn't this week.

Besides- I have three back to school supply lists that are keeping me hopping, so that is the only real shopping I am focusing on this week.  I did find penny loose leaf paper at Office Max, plus there is a buy 2 sharpie packs get two free promo.  And there were $5 off any three sharpie pack coupons right on the display in the store!  Allyson needed a package of colored sharpies (who are these teachers asking for a $10 set of markers anyway?)  So here's how it worked for me, I bought 4 packs of 10 colored sharpies each- $40.  Two were free -$20.  Used the $5 coupon -$5, total spent was $15 for 4 packages.  I totally know that these will come in HUGE handy for crafting nights and such.  Plus- I used my $10 off a $20 purchase coupon that came in the mail (I had other stuff in my order as well) so I think I got a pretty sweet deal in the end.

I promise to post more again someday.  This week I just have pictures of nothing because I can't find any of it to buy.

Walgreens

I found a display at my Walgreens with this Keri Lotion for $6.99 with a $5 register reward.  I used my $2 coupons and got both of these for nothin'!  Same with the hair barrettes- $2 with a $2 register reward.  Keep in mind I rang two transactions in order to get all of the rewards.

They've also got their Crayola 8 pack of washable markers (regular or fine point) for $2 with a $2 reward.  Plus certain Kelloggs and Keebler items are on sale 4/$10 with a $5 register reward.  This makes cereal, nutrigrain bars, cookies, crackers, etc. just $1.25 each without a single coupon.  If you pair in some coupons it's a good deal.  I just haven't had the time (or the lack of three children) to shop for any of it.  (My shopping trips are fairly limited with my entourage- but when they return to school I'll get back on my game!)