Tuesday, January 31, 2012

How'd my Marsh pan out?

You remember the My Marsh promotion this week?  Spend $25 on certain P&G items (proctor and gamble) get a $10 coupon for next weeks shopping???  AWESOME!

Transaction #1:
2 Tide 2X $5.99 each
4 Pantene Shampoo and Conditioners $2.99 each
1 Old Spice mens bodywash/shampoo $3
$26.94 total
Q's:
-$2 Tide
-$2 Tide
-$3 wyb 2 pantene
-$3 wyb 2 pantene
-$2 old spice body wash

Total $14.94 plus tax ($16.83 total).  And I earned a $10 my marsh coupon off my next shopping trip. 

Transaction #2:
3 Tide 2X laundry detergent $5.99 each
3 Old Spice mens bodywash/shampoo combo $3 each
$26.97 total
Q's:
-$2 tide
-$2 tide
-$2 tide
-$2 old spice body wash
-$2 old spice body wash
-$2 old spice body wash

$14.97 before tax ($16.86 with tax) and I earned another $10 reward for next week.

What I really needed was the laundry soap.  But had I just bought the 5 laundry soaps I would have spent $20 after my mq's and earned a $10 reward for next week.  As it was, I stocked up on a few things that we weren't so low on, spent $30 out of pocket and earned $20 for next week.  Basically- both scenarios were $10 out of pocket to me (after the rewards).  THAT is what I think is key to couponing.  Knowing how to utilize the 'buy XX earn XX' sales and combining them with coupons to save big time.  My 'old self' would have said 'that's silly to spend $25 on something when all I need is one $6 laundry soap- see I just saved $19'.  But my 'new self' knows that having cheap items that we use anyway stocked up saves us a ton of money in the long run.  And it eliminates the 'oh no we've run out of laundry detergent' panic- because in my house there is ALWAYS more : )

Monday, January 30, 2012

CVS- who doesn't LOVE free chocolate?

6 lady speed stick deodorants $1.99 each
1 Centrum Pro Nutrients $9.99
2 Hersheys Hugs $5.98
1 Cadbury Egg $.87
2 gallons of milk $2.99 each
$34.76 at the sale prices.

My coupons-
-$5.97 3 b1g1free lady speed stick mq's (from 1/29 paper) First 2 scanned through at $3.99- I pointed it out to the cashier but he said I got a 'bonus' and said he wasn't going to fix it.  So actually- it took off $9.97 total)
-$4 centrum pro nutrients cvs machine q from last week
-$5 centrum pro nutrients mq
-$1 off 2 hersheys valentine chocolate bags cvs machine q from last week
-$1 off 2 hersheys kisses mq
$7.81(doesn't include milk-I paid for it seperate)

ECB bucks earned- $6 wyb 12 of lady speed stick (made these totally free!), $2 wyb 2 hersheys bags, $1 wyb 1 cadbury egg (should have been $.87 but cashier had to print manually and he printed for $1). 

I used the $6 ECB I earned to pay for the 2 gallons of milk in a second transaction- paid nothing.  Earned another $2 in ECB ($1 per gallon, limit 2).

So out of pocket I spent $7.81 (actually I used ECB's from last week) and I left with  $5 in ECB left.
I will use the Centrum Pro Nutrients receipt and UPC toward the $10 rebate in yesterdays coupon inserts (I'm going to go back and buy 2 thermacare once I print the $3 mq's from the internet and that will make 3 items total).

Emily held that cadbury egg in her hot little hand that it was a mushy mess by the time we checked out.  We had to nestle it in with the milk to harden it back up so she could eat it!!!!!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

GREAT grocery ad week!

I spent some time yesterday going through the three grocery ads for my area (kroger, marsh, meijer) and I've got to say WOW!

Marsh is doing a Marsh Money promotion where when you spend $25 on selected P&G items, you get a $10 Marsh Money certificate to use next week.  Only one will be issued per transaction.

Old Spice Body Wash $3- for instance- if you had 9 of the $2/1 mq's, you could:
buy 7 ($27),
   - the 9 $2 mq's (-$18),
pay $9 total and get a $10 certificate for next week. 
I do not have 9, but I do have 5 so I know I'm going to be buying some of this! 

Other items were Pantene for $2.99- there is a $3/2 mq. You could:
buy 10 ($29.90)
   - 5 $3/2 mq's (-$15)
Pay $14.90 and get a $10 certificate for next week.  $4.90 for 10 bottles of shampoo/conditioner???? GREAT price!

Tide Detergent $5.99, there is a $2 mq
buy 4 detergent ($23.96) and 1 old spice body wash ($3)
   - 4 $2 tide mq's and 1 $2 old spice mq (-$10)
Pay $16.96 and get a $10 certificate for next week.

Other items included in the sale are Charmin, Crest, Bounty, Oil of Olay Regenerist, Prilosec OTC, Cascade, Pampers, Iams, Dawn and more (check your ad or the website at marsh.net).  Many different possibilities to stock up on items that you use anyway!

Meijer is having their buy 10  dollar items get the 11th free.  Kroger is doing their buy 10 save $5- but the only thing I saw there was hunts tomatoes.  So Meijer it is.......

Here's my plan (everythings cost is $1): (also- very rarely am I this organized, usually I am winging it at the store looking through my binder for q's as I go- but being at home with my tonsilectomy patient is providing some extra time this week : )

9 green giant frozen veggies
   -3 $.60/3 mq's (will double to $1, -$3)
4 cambells soups
   -2 $.40/2 mq's (will double to $.80, -$1.60)
8 grands biscuits
   -4 $.30/2 mq's (will double to $.60, -$2.40)
4 chex mix
   -2 $.50/2 mq's (will double to $1, -$2)
2 Goldfish Crackers (darn- no q's)
8 Chef Boyardee
   -2 $.50/4 mq's (will double to $1, -$2)
12 Del Monte Fruit Cups
   -6 $1/2 mq's (-$6)
10 Totinos Pizza Rolls
   -5 $.40/2 mq's (will double to $.80, -$4)
4 Wolfe Chili
   -4 $.40/1 mq's (will double to $.80, -$3.20)
9 snack pack pudding
   -3 $.45/3 mq's (will double to $.90, -$2.70)
2 Aunt Millies English muffins- no mq's, darn again!

$72 (72 items total)
-$6 (every 11th item is free- if I add 5 more items I'll get 1 more free thing- fresh salad and spinich bags are included in the sale, I may just grab 5 of those!)
$66 total- less $27.10 in mq's= $34.90 for all 72 items!!!!!

Monday, January 23, 2012

Shopping Week 1/22

Here's what is on my shopping list:

CVS:

Kelloggs special K fruit bars 3/$10- receive $4 EB wyb 3-
-$1 mq wyb 3
Makes them 3/$5- they taste like a pop tart with just 100 calories

Revlon cosmetics & beauty tools- buy 2 get $7
Nail clippers are $3.19- you'll get 2 free plus make a little money
I bought a mascara and a nail clipper- used a $2mq and a $3 cvs coupon- I ended up with both free

Schick disposable razors spend $20 get $10EB
The packs at my store were $8.99- combine that with the b1g1 mq and you have some seriously cheap razors.  We are stocked so I ended up not buying any

Jolly Rancher Suckers ($2) and other Hershey items spend $15 get $5
Hello- valentines day????

Wisk b1g1- my store was $8.99 each.  If you use 2 $1 mq's, you would pay $6.99 for both.  Not a low enough price for me since I have several jugs left, but a good price if you are running low.

Cokes- 4/$10, included in the spend $30 get a $10 giftcard.  I might do this again this week.


Walgreens:
Flurry Protein bar $1.99 with a $2 register reward.

Boost 2/$12- spend $20 and get a $5 register reward
Use $3 mq's.  I bought 4, $24.  Used 4 $3 mq's, brought total to $12.  Received $5 RR, paid $7 for 4 packs.  The kids like these and on days when they are eating poorly I like to offer them one.

Benefiber- spend $20 get $10.  The only varieties I see included are the $10 packages.  If you use this- then this is a deal as you will spend $20 on 2 packs- use a $5 or $7 mq wyb2 and receive $10 back.  Making it just $3-$5 for 2 bottles.  We don't use this- but if the smaller cans were included it could have been a money maker so I put it on my list to check.

My walgreens had all their holiday baking stuff (karo syrup $.76, white and brown sugar $.42, nestle chocolate chips $.88) on a clearance cart by the front door- great time to stock up a little since these items have super long expirations!


IN OTHER NEWS- I am making space in my closet for a set of shelves to put some of my 'stockpile'.  I have basically every cabinet in the house full and it's making me a bit insane.  As soon as I find the shelves I want I promise to post pictures- as this will provide confirmation to you all that I have lost my ever loving mind.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Shopping Week 1/15

CVS:

Coke 12 packs 4/$10 are part of the spend $30 get a $10 giftcard.  You are limited to buying 4 12 packs at a time, but you can stop in and buy 4 on 3 visits and then you will hit the $30 and get your $10 card.  It's like getting 12 12-packs for $20, $1.66 each.  I mixed up the 12 packs and the Nabisco Crackerfuls (2/$5, bought 6- used 2 $2 off 3 mq's).  I still need to go back for 2 more 12 packs to hit the $30 mark.

Brita Pitcher $14.99, earn $5 ECB.  Used the $4 mq from the 1/15 smart source, paid $11 and got $5 back.  Then I submitted for the $10 rebate- I made $4 buying it!
Also- the Axe Twist deodorant with the clear cap is ringing up on clearance for $2.49 each and qualify for the buy 3 get $4 ecb.  I bought 3= $7.47.  Used 3 $1 mq's= -$3.  Paid $4.47 got back $4 ecb.  It's like getting 3 deodorants for $.47 total.

Buy 3 american greeting cards earn $3 ecb.  I bought 3 $.99 cards to donate to a friend in the military.

Walgreens:
South Beach Diet Snack and Meal bars- $5.99, earn a $6 register reward

Thermacare Singles- $2.49, earn a $2.50 register reward

Spend $15 on certain healthcare items, earn a $5 reward.  Included in this deal was the Flinstone gummy vitamins $11.99 and the AlkaSelzer Plus Cold $3.49.  I used a $2 mq on the vitamins and a $2 mq on the AlkaSeltzer.  I paid $11.48 and earned a $5 register reward, which made it $6.48 for both.  I only needed the vitamins- but buying both items made the entire transaction cheaper than just 1 bottle of the vitamins!

Also included is the Aleve in the arthritis bottles $3.79 (not pictured).  Buy 4 bottles, $15.16.  Use 2 $5/2 Aleve 40 ct. or larger mq's, pay $5.16 and earn a $5 register reward.  Who wouldn't throw some in your medicine cabinet at just $.04 per bottle?

Friday, January 13, 2012

Some deals you might not want to miss!

Sorry I didn't post about this deal on Chex Mix at Walgreens sooner- and now you have just today and tomorrow (sale ends 1/14) to snatch some up!  I was late in getting to Walgreens because the chex mix was all that was on my list and I suppose I didn't really expect to find any- and there was TONS!

Walgreens:
Deal idea #1:
Buy 4 Chex Mix 4/$6
Use $1 off 4 coupon from the Walgreens January Book
Use 4 $.60 coupons (printed from internet- gone already)
OR 2 $.50 off 2 coupons mq's (from Sundays paper)
Pay $2.60 (if you use the $.60) or $4 (if you use the $.50)
Receive back a $2 register reward when you buy 4 bags!!!!

Deal idea #2:
Buy 4 chocolate chex mix 4/$6 (man this stuff is GOOD)
Use $1 off 4 coupon from the Walgreens January Book
Use 4 $.50 off 1 chocolate variety mq's
Pay $3
Receive back a $2 register reward when you buy 4 bags!!!!

ALSO- keep in mind if you throw in 1 more bag (buying 5 total) you'll get a $3 register reward instead!  I bought 5 chocolate- $7.50, less the $1 walgreens q, and 5 $.50 mq', paid $4 and got $3 back in a register reward.  Cheap snacking!

I bought a total of 16 bags of this stuff this week at two different stores (they both had TONS I just didn't want to wipe them out so I split it up).  Now I just have to keep the kids from getting tired of it : )

Kroger-
Here are a few really good deals I found at Kroger for their sale running 1/12-1/18:

Pepsi Product plastic bottle 8 packs on sale 4/$12- Use 2- $2 off 2 packs mq and you pay just $2 per 8 pack! (you know I bought Dan some mt. dew)
Suave Deodorant $1.06 (regular price)- used $.50 mq which doubled- $.06 each
Freshlike canned veggies 50% off- makes them $.49 per can- use $.50 off 3 mq which doubles- makes them $.16 per can (stock up stock up stock up)
Wolf canned chili on sale $1.25 per can- use the $.35 mq that was hanging on the shelf that doubled- paid just $.55 per can (dan packs his lunch- this is perfect!)
Sargento cheese 50% off- $1.97 per package.  There must be a good mq somewhere for this because the shelves were empty- but I didn't have it!
ALSO- pay attention to the buy 4 cereal type items (check the ad for the brands) and get a free gallon of milk.  I didn't do this because I bought a bunch of milk at cvs this week already ($2.99- get $1 extra care buck).  But had I not you know I would have been checking out the Fiber Cereal Bars (there are good mq's to pair with them)!
I couldn't come up with a good scenario for the proctor and gamble buy 4 save $4- but I'm sure there is one.  And if I were guessing it would involve the Secret Deodorant (on sale for $1.99- buy for an that makes them just $.99 each- but if I could find a coupon deal to sweeten it, it would be so much better).

I shopped last night for regular groceries.  Meat, produce, bread- and some sale stuff.  It wasn't a good 'coupon' shop- but I still saved 33%.  But we all need to stock up on basics sometime- right!

Happy Shopping this week.

Monday, January 9, 2012

CVS 1/8/12

I went to bed excited Saturday night about the sale at CVS starting Sunday.  I know- sad right?  Who would have thought my life would come to this?  Daydreaming about coupon shopping, dreaming about finding multiple copies of the Smart Source in my newspaper, and getting up early on a weekend just to get cheap dishwashing soap.  It's a sad little world, but it's mine. And Sunday was exciting!

CVS: $17.56

$20- 5 All detergent $4 each
-$5 5 $1 mq All Detergent
$13.47 3 Axe body wash at $4.49 each
-$6 3 $2 Axe mqs (using the b1g1 from the 1/8 paper would have made for a better deal)
$21 6 Finish dishwashing packages at $3.50 each
-12.90 6 $2.15 Finish mq's
$2.99 GE Lightbulb
$.75 single pack of m&m's (mysteriously not in the picture- wonder where they were?)

$58.21 in merchandise at sale prices
-$23.90 in coupons
$34.31 total
Earned 1 $10 CVS giftcard (when you spend $30 on particular items) and a $2 cvs buck for the lightbulb, $4 for the Axe and a $.75 cvs buck for the mars candy.  PLUS I am just $19 away from earning another $10 giftcard, and I believe I will round that off with the stayfree b1g1 q's from sundays paper OR the toothpaste deal they have going.

If I had enough coupons- here is a deal idea for the Finish:
9 Finish at $3.50= $31.50
9 mq's at $2.15 each= -$19.35
Pay $12.15 out of pocket
Earn a $10 gift card
Like paying $2.15 for all 9 boxes!

Or with the All detergent
8 All at $4 each= $32
8 mq's at $1 each= -$8
Pay $24 out of pocket
Earn a $10 gift card
Like paying $1.75 for each bottle!

Keep in mind- you can earn up to 5 $10 giftcards per week.  When you combine coupons with those sale items- it makes for some really great deals!

Friday, January 6, 2012

Betty crocker cheap cookies

Super deal at target. Price check these snicker doodle cookies and you too might find them on clearance for just $.51! Add the $.40 mq and they are just $.11 per bag!

Monday, January 2, 2012

New Years Shoppin' 1/1/12

CVS: $8.21
 $9.98 4 skinny cow 6packs on sale buy 1 @ $4.99 get one free
-$6.96 2 b1g1free coupons (maximum value $3.48): made them $.76 per box!
$4.95 5 3packs of ivory soap on sale $.99 each
-1.75 5 $.35 coupons: made them only $.21 per bar of soap!
$10 nivea chap sticks (only 2 in picture) on sale 2/$5
-$6 2 $3 coupons wyb 2 nivea AND received a $5 ECB for spending $10: Made $1 for buying them
$6.99 oil of olay bath soap
-$4 wyb oil of olay bath soap AND received a $2 ECB: Made it $.99
$2 jif peanut butter - 2 @ $1 each (raincheck from a long time ago)
$15.21 out of pocket and still have $7 in ECB for next week.  (I actually used some ECB and only paid a few dollars out of pocket).

Walgreens: +$.27
$10 4 general mills cereals 4/$10
-$2 2 $1 wby 2 general mills cereals coupon- received back $3 RR wyb 4: made them $1.25 per box (not the best deal on cereal, but I still bought them)
$16.76 4 alka seltzers at $4.19 each
-$8 walgreens january coupon book save $2 each
-$8 4 $2 alka seltzer mq's- received back $5 RR for spending $15 on select items including alkaseltzer: I made $4.24 for buying these items!
$10 2 triaminic thin strips $5 each
-$4 2 $2 triaminic coupons that were on a tear pad right on the shelf!- received back $5 RR wyb $10 in triaminic: made them $.50 per box (I thought they would be free with the January walgreens coupon book q but it wouldn't scan- whatever)
$12.99 Brainstrong kids vitamins chewable gummies b1g1 free
-$10 walgreens january coupon book save $5 wyb 1 brainstrong vitamins, 2 @ $5
-$5 vitamins and supplements book coupon (found at pharmacy in store) wyb brainstrong vitamins: made $2.01 for buying these!
$9.99 SamE supplements- received a $10 RR for buying them
$9.99 SamE supplements- received a $10 RR for buying them

My total before coupons at Walgreens was $69.73.  After coupons was $32.73 (plus tax).  I received back $33 in register rewards.  Please keep in mind that I had to pay for the 2 SamE supplements in seperate transactions as you can only get 1 register reward per item per transaction.  So I actually paid for these two first.  Then I put the 2 $10 register rewards onto my last transaction of everything else (I had some ice creame and coffee creamer without coupons so this would work).  Therefore, my actual cash out of pocket was lower.  I'm also totally going to stop at another store to see if I can get more of the kids vitamins.  I would love to stock up a little on these- and free is a pretty good price!

Also- I was a little disappointed that the alka seltzer january coupon book q wouldn't work on the akla seltzer plus cold formula that was $4.99.  It would have been break even, but my mom really likes that stuff and I was picking it up for her.  Oh well, antacid formula will come in handy too I suppose.