Thursday, September 29, 2011

Gimme some SUGAR!

Busy week- but want to share these three things!

Marsh sale starting today, Domino 4lb sugar is $1.99.  I had two different $.50 Domino sugar coupons, one was for 2lb bag up and expired in November and the other was for the 4lb bag and expired 9/30/11.  That makes for a $.99 bag of sugar!!!!  I was able to put a couple bags up in the old cabinet- I'm hoping to get to make carmel apples with the kids..........plus it will be christmas cookie baking time very soon!

Plus- go 'like' Energizer on facebook and you can print a $3 coupon off of 1 8pack of batteries.  I even 'liked' them for my husband too!  That is one heck of a great coupon!

Target:  Go to the target webpage and click on coupons and select the toys section.  Be sure to print you allotted TWO of the $5 off any Transformers Dark of the Moon toy $5.99 or greater coupon.  These are GREAT coupons to use to pick up some of the $7.99 figures or the $11.89 figures that are on sale for $9.99 this week!  I put a couple in my christmas cabinet, I happen to have a couple little boys on my shopping list that just might LOVE these!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

CVS

It's like getting all of this for $5.77!
Soft soap- $3 each 
-$.70 coupon (used 2 coupons)
Hersheys air delight bars (on sale buy 2 get 1 free)
-$1.19 b1g1 coupon (used 3 coupons- with sale, I paid for 3 and got 6 more for free)
Thermacare $3.79
Advil $3.99
-$6 free Advil product coupon (I pointed out that it was only $3.99 and she said it was too much trouble to override so she was leaving it alone- woo hoo!)
-$4 cvs coupon wyb 1 thermacare item plus 1 advit item
Excedrin 8 packs- $.99 each
Optic White toothpaste- $2.99
-$1.50 coupon
Colgate toothpaste on clearance for $1
-$.75 coupon (used four coupons)
Oral B twinback pulsar toothbrushes on clearance for $3.09
-$3 coupons (used six coupons)
2 gallons of milk- (not in picture) $3.19 each
Total $17.34 plus tax total after all coupons.  I paid for this mostly with extra care bucks from last week- I try to keep rolling them from week to week.

$11.77 Extra Care Bucks Earned:  $3 wyb 2 softsoap, $1 optic white toothpaste, $1.98 excedrin ($.99 each- limit 2), $3.79 thermacare $2 milk ($1 per gallon-limit 2)

Also- I didn't realize that the hersheys bars were included in the spend $10 get $3ECB- so I will make sure to go back and get $3 more in candy to earn another $3.  And I forgot to look at the Nivea body wash- so I will do that when I go back.

It's a good week at the drug stores!!!!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Happy Dance!

I've complained commented on here before about this ONE woman who ALWAYS gets to Walgreens first thing Sunday AM and buys ALL of whatever it is that she is shopping for that week.  Then proceeds to have her own personal cashier at the cosmetic counter where they spend two hours ringing up all of her individual sales.  She says she makes care packages- but lets be realistic in knowing that there is no way.  Perhaps some of it does make its way to a good cause.......at least I am hoping......but I think she is slinging razors and deodorant on the underground street corner, if ya know what I am saying.    In my ever so humble opinion.  Ahem.

Yesterday......I made it to the store before her.  I could hardly contain myself.  I felt like a contestant on Supermarket Sweep- running up and down the aisles screaming and crying for joy.  Laughing, giddy like.  Everything I wanted to purchase, it was all there.  I was able to buy every single item on my list.  All of it.  It was an incredible couponing victory.  Just me and one other couponing momma in the store- each of us not clearing a single shelf.

And as I was heading up front to check out- mind you it was just about 7 minutes after the store opened- in she came.  And mark me up for ANOTHER personal victory as I totally refrained from stretching across the automatic doors while screaming "It's All MINE!!!!!".  Nor did I personally point out to her that I had in fact BEAT HER TO THE STORE!  I also did not do a touch down dance while screaming "IN YOUR FACE!".  I did however dance around my entire kitchen, hallway, and bathroom after getting home singing "I beat her to the store, I beat her to the store".  Which, I might add, was a total wasted effort as my family doesn't rejoice in my couponing victories. 

I must admit, I did feel a bit of anxiety I wasn't anticipating as she loaded like 12 boxes of cereal in her cart.  Instantly I questioned what deal I had missed- I swear I didn't see a deal on cereal.  It threw me off my plan- I got all confused trying to check out and I had to take a moment and remember that we don't even LIKE frosted flakes. 

So- why on earth did I bolt out of the house at 7:50am on a Sunday morning and put a total crimp in getting my family ready for church?  To beat her to the store!!!  For the thrill of the hunt.  I personally LOVE couponing and there were some great deals- and I wanted them.

Total cost after coupons- $41.26.  Total register rewards earned with purchases- $42.
I was able to buy all of these items that my family uses and (for the most part- sans candy) needs and leave the store with more in cash for next week than I spent.

Boo-Yah!

Of course, I rolled register rewards from last week into my purchases (4 transactions so that I could get 4 of the sale razors- two for men and two for women!) so my cash out of pocket was much much lower.  And had I not been thrown off by that whole cereal dilema, I could have managed even that better, but I'm still happy with my shopping trip.

One thing I missed when I listed my weekly line up was the Mentos Up2U gum.  With in ad coupon it is on sale for $.99 per pack.  When you stack that with the new coupon in the October Walgreens coupon book (located at the front of the store) for $1 off 2 packs along with the $1 off 2 packs manufacturer q from a couple of weeks ago- it makes it FREE! 

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Shopping list 9/25

The sale ads this week are good and I am excited to get out shopping in the morning!  Here is what is on my drug store shopping lists for tomorrow:

Walgreens:

Colgate Optic White toothpast 2/$7.98
-$1.50 coupons (I will use 2)
$6 register reward wyb 2
$1 money maker (yes- I will get PAID to buy an item my family needs!)

Zarbees Nighttime Cough & Sleep Syrup $5.99
-$1 printable from internet (no longer available)
$5.99 register reward
$1 money maker (yay! and with winter coming I will gladly put this in my medicine cabinet!)

Remington KOS Azor 5 Blade razor $4.99
$4.99 register reward
FREE!

W Brand Maxi Pads $2
$2 register reward
FREE!

Schick Quatro Razor $8.99
-$5 printed coupon from internet (no longer available)
$5 register reward
$1 money maker!  (again- making money buying stuff we use anyway- yay!)

I will need to buy some cheap 'filler' type items in order to roll previous register rewards to keep my cash out of pocket to a minimum- like a sale can of oranges, jello or candy.


CVS:

Therma Care lower back and hip single pack $3.79
+ Advil (not sure of price- not on sale)
I have a save $4 coupon wyb 2 therma care or advil (sent to me from CVS a few months ago)
I have a free product coupon for advil (from Advil)
$3.79 extra care bucks
Because of both coupons- this will be a $3.79 money maker!!!

Excedrin sample packs $.99
$.99 extra care bucks
FREE!

Soft Soap Body Wash or Hand Soap 2/$6 (I will buy one of each)
I have a $.75 off body wash coupon and a $.70 off handwash coupon
$4 extra care bucks
$.25 for body wash and $.30 for hand soap

Nivea Products spend $15 get $5
I have some $2 off womens body wash q's
Not sure if I will buy this or not- I need to check out the prices first

And of course I have some extra care bucks from last week to roll over to keep my out of pocket down.

So there are my lists- I will obviously share what I was able to purchase later this week!  Happy shopping!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Crazy deal on M&M's

Remember a few weeks ago when Walgreens had a sale that when you bought 4 medium size bags of M&M's you received a $5 register reward?  Apparently it was ongoing- and is still going now.  The benefit?  No signs, no ads in the paper- so there are actually M&M's to be found!!!!

I'm not sure why- or for how long- but I stopped and bought 4 bags yesterday just to confirm and it worked perfectly.  I came home and dug out the $1 off 1 pretzel M&M coupon from a few weeks ago- that is gonna make for a SWEET deal!  4 bags of pretzel M&M's on sale $2.50 each.  Use 4 $1 coupons.  Pay $6.  Receive a $5 register reward.  That makes each bag a QUARTER!

I personally love to pick up cheap deals on candy so that I can throw them into care packages when we mail them!!!  Who doesn't love getting chocolate?  Plus this will be great for some upcoming church and school parties!

Also- there is a coupon here for $1.50 off 2 M&M products.  It's at the Walmart website- but is a manufacturer coupon.  Also- its in an ad for candy corn M&M's, but prints as any (although I would like to try the candy corn ones!)  REMEMBER, when you print it once and it prints, hit your back button a few times on your browser- you will be able to print it twice.

Here's how your deal will work with this coupon:

4 bags of M&M's $10
2 $1.50 manu q's -$3
Pay $7
Receive a $5 register reward
Yay!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

See- sometimes it just doesn't pan out

I stopped at CVS yesterday to get the things I mentioned on yesterdays post.  Only the pediasure was on sale for $10.99 instead of the $6.49 I'd read about, and apparently I had to buy three mt. dew to get the reward.  Oops.

I don't have the attention span to keep up this week apparently.

But I did get two lipglosses.  And a bag of candy corn.  And the magic coupon machine spit out a buy one get one free 5 gum coupon- which is on sale for $1.  So I bought 2 packs- but the coupon took off the regular price- $1.67.  So that made each pack just over $.20, which was a nice surprise.

Some weeks I can't put a deal together to save my stockpile- this is one of them.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

My shopping this week

To say I am unmotivated this week would be an understatement.

I'm tired.  I'm being pulled in 100 directions.  I'm overwhelmed.  I'm running myself ragged.  This week it makes sense to just lay low and let it go.  So I am, as far as couponing is concerned.  I just don't have the energy left right now.

That being said- I will make two stops this week.  One was yesterday,
Walgreens:
Carmex lotions- 2/$10 (shelf was not marked- but it's a month long deal good through 9/24 I think) and get a $5 register reward.  I used 2 $1.50 coupons (from the carmex website maybe?)- so it made this really great lotion $1 per tube.  These make nice little thank you gifts for the office ladies at the school, the ladies I work with, plus I just really like this lotion.

Childrens nighttime cold n cough- $4.99 with a $5 register reward.  The trick to saving real cash for your family is buying this kind of stuff when it is free and you are NOT sick- versus waiting until you ARE sick and have to buy it at full price.  Hopefully we won't need it this year- but I wouldn't bank on that.

Carmex chapstick 3/$3 with in ad coupon.  I used two $.30 coupons I printed a while back.  Made these $.70 a tube.  Not really even worth mentioning- except I am NEVER without a tube of this stuff.  So I picked up a couple to put away for an emergency.  Because being out of Carmex, in my opinion, is an emergency. 

Blistex cold & allergy lip balm $2 with a $2 register reward.  My store was out- but if you are going you might look for it.

For me- those were the items on my walgreens list.

CVS:  I plan to stop there today. On my list?

Revlon lustrous, moon drops or color burst lipsticks- $6.49 with a $5 extra care buck.  Apparently I had some $1 off coupons that expired 9/18- oops.

Gold Emblem candy corn $.99 with a $.99 extra care buck- Sun through today only.

Pediasure- spend $25 get $10 extra care buck.  These are $6.49 each, I plan to buy 4- I printed one $3 coupon (the second one jammed and my printer ate it- opps) and I've heard tale that there were $2 coupons in either this or last weeks paper (but I have yet to confirm that).  If I can get this for cheap- $1 or $2 eachish, I will buy it because it is nice and healthy for the kids for a quick drink/snack.  If not- oh well.

Mountain Dew 2/$9 with a $2 register reward.  Not a huge sale- but we are out and Dan NEEDS this item.

Man I hope things slow down in our lives soon- I am one tired cookie.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Christmas Shopping!

I have begun my Christmas shopping!  Actually, I started when I put away a few things in July, then a few more in August- but now I have officially ordered two more gifts- I am on my way!

Today- I found a cute cute cute deal on another blog I read at Zulily. It's one of those daily deal type shops with close out stuff.  Over the year I have joined several of these- mostly for the initial credit and then I never go back to buy their $300 purses or $800 dresses- because REALLY.  But this site seems to be for kids and mom stuff.  I've heard lots of buzz about them.  But today- I saw this:
Oh dear- dolly and me nightgown sets for $12.99!  This is RIGHT up Emily's alley.  Not only is she all about nightgowns instead of pants with tops- but she ADORES her stuffed animals.  This is going to be an exciting gift for her!

Not especially a super great deal- but a fair price considering it's kind of a novel item!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Walgreens- BOOYAH!

In case you haven't heard already- there is a FABULOUS deal at Walgreens right now.

It has to do something with buying three Gain products.  I did it EXACTLY as the blog I read (krazycouponlady) suggested- and it worked.  I almost fell over, I didn't expect it to.

Buy a powdered or liquid Gain laundry detergent ($5) and two Gain dish detergents ($1.79 each).

Use the $2 coupon for Gain from Sunday's smart source, or the $1 coupon for liquid Gain from a few weeks ago PLUS two $.50 Gain dish soap coupons from a few weeks ago and you pay around $6 ($7 if you buy liquid).  And you get back TWO $3 Register Rewards.

I thought our days of free dish detergent were very rare now, but free dish soap and laundry soap?  Yay!

The Gain is included in the P&G spend $30 get a $10 register reward deal.  So if you do that deal, you will get the $10 plus the two $3- it will make for some super cheap cleaning stuff!

CVS 9/11/11

CVS:
$7.99 each Air Wick air fresheners
$2.99 each Finish dishwashing tabs
$6.79 Brilliant tampons
$2.50 Fig Newtons
$31.25 TOTAL

Coupons:
-$4 Air Wick Air Freshener
-$4 Air Wick air freshener
-$1 Finish detergent
-$1 Finish detergent
-$2.50 Fig Newtons (from magic coupon machine- they were out of the thins so the cashier offered to substitute)

$18.75 Total Cash Paid
Got back $10 Extra Care Bucks (wyb $20 in various items- air wick and Finish), $6.79 Extra Care Bucks for Tampons.

Also- there is a $1 off coupon for the Brilliant Tampons here that you can print.  My printer flubbed up and I gave up on trying to print it.  But if you do- you will actually MAKE $1 when you buy them!

There is another  money maker on some of the air wick products that are on sale for $4.99 when you use the $4 coupons that were supposedly in the paper yesterday.  But my store was out of them already, and I was tired, so I just went with the more expensive ones.  We use them at work so that will be a nice donation.

I haven't done my Walgreens shopping yet- seems like they are most out of everything at my store when I go so I just didn't even stop last night.  Maybe today I'll give another store a try.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Target

If you don't already- you must get in the habit of checking out the printable Target coupons.  Most of these are store coupons that CAN be combine with a manufacturer coupon- which makes for some SWEET savings!

They update them constantly- there seems to always be something new to save on.  Plus, you can print two of each coupon- bonus!

For instance, check this out:

There is a printable Target coupon for save $1 when you buy both pasta sauce and pasta (target brand).  They are on sale for $1 each this week.  So for just $1- you have sauce and pasta!  What a super cheap, easy dinner- or food bank donation. 
There is a website, Totally Target, where she kind of maps out the really great deals each week.  It's worth your time to take a quick scan before heading to the red bullseye, that's for sure.

Have a great day!  May all your shopping trips save you tons of cash!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

What am I buying this week?

Walgreens:
 Finish dishwashing detergent tabs- $3.99 get a $1.50 register reward.  I used $.75 coupons.  Makes them around $1.75 and I am running low.  And by running low I mean I am down to less than 8 packages, and that is my new 'running low'.  As opposed to the olden days when I would cut my last tablet in half until I could get out to pay full freakin' price for another box.
Orbit gum- $1.50 per three pack with in ad coupon.  Printed the $1 off Orbit three pack coupon from Target.com website (manufacturer coupon- not a target coupon, yay!)  Made them $.50 per three pack.
Yep- that's it for Walgreens this week!

Target:
Downy $5.99- used $.50 coupons on both, got $5 gift card back. Various proctor and gamble items (mainly cleaning type items) are buy 2 get a $5 target gift card.  I just opened my last bottle of fabric softener, so any deal is okay on that for now since we really are dang near out.  After coupons and gift card, it made my total $5.98 for both- 50% off. 
Cascade trial packs (4 each)- $.97.  This is the regular shelf price- not on sale.  But the $1 off any cascade coupon from the last P&G insert says valid on any size, so these were free. 
Hershey Air Kisses- 3/$8.  The shelf was empty, but I have hopes that they will restock.  Because there is a $1 off coupon on the target.com website PLUS there was a $1 manufacturer coupon a while back.  These will be super cheap and I need them for an upcoming room party where we will transform them into acorns.  Don't ask.

CVS:
No picture- I was there visiting the minute clinic and felt like death.  Sorry.

Hershey Air Candy Bars $.99 with a $.99 extra care buck.  Use the B1G1 manufacturer coupon and you get 2 for free.
Carefree pantyliners- $.99 with a $.99 extra care buck.  Free.  I felt so bad I forgot to buy them.
Seasonal Clearance- check out that 75% off summer stuff that includes charcoal, toys and flip flops.  It will move to 90% soon- good time to pick up some stuff for next summers pool bag!
Edy's Ice Cream- B1G1, I had no coupons but that is still a good price.  And when your throat is on FIRE it is perfect.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Not a single one!

There will be no coupon inserts in tomorrows paper.  And might I just say, phew!  I've been under the weather and I am glad to have a week off!  But I'm sure next weekend I'll be ready to get to clippin!

Hope you have a great Labor Day Weekend.  I'm off to dig through my cabinets for some of that free cold medicine I picked up a few months back.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Marsh 9/2/11 TRIPLES AGAIN!

Yes- my email welcomed me awake this morning with an email from Marsh- triple coupons up to $.99 (limit 2 like coupons) for the next four days.

Be still my heart.

I dropped everything and headed over.  In the past I have waited too long and missed some of the really good or free deals.  Not this time!

Total before coupons (after sale prices) $181.65

 After coupons............$65.66
 It includes things like snack bars, batteries, toothpaste, taco seasoning, chips, pudding, salad dressing,
 brownie mixes, pickles, dishsoap, deodorant, hot dogs, butter, cheese, cooking creams, pasta sauce.........88 items purchased in all!
Also in that total was $6.49 in chicken breasts and $11.30 in ground beef.  Also non-sale and non-coupon (gasp!) beef broth and cherrie pie filling.  I needed them for two recipes I want to make this weekend!

So if you take out those items- it was just over $41 for all the rest of it.

I have a friend (you know who you are) who said she doesn't mess with coupons 'to just save a quarter-no thank you'.
We're not talking quarters here.
 Couponing isn't for everyone, and if you don't see the value, then it's probably not for you.  But for me?  It's like a hobby and I enjoy it.
Especially when Marsh has these triple coupon sales!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

To sweeten the pot

As if making money at Target on the Febreeze electric scent things wasn't good enough...........now there is a rebate when you buy one!  Click here for the rebate form that will give you back the cost of the warmer!

Yay!