March Mission -- Day 29

Great day, no thanks to me!

Breakfast: at home! Doughnuts from Grandma and Grandpa = FREE!
Lunch: School/work = FREE!
Dinner: Ham sandwiches using leftover ham from Sunday dinner. = around $3?

I had PTM tonight and was hoping to get to go out afterwards. No luck. Well, it's hard to be too disappointed when I know that it helped us spend less than $5 today, even after snacks and dessert.

Almost done with this challenge!

Making Money with Lightspeed

I joined Lightspeed Consumer Panel over Christmas break, and I really like it.
I am not going to get rich by any means, but I like the ease of using their site.
I take surveys -- a couple a week, though I have been so busy during some weeks here lately that I haven't touched it much.
So far, I have earned 3 $5 CVS gift cards and a $5 Macaroni Grill card.
It's an easy way to make a little while watching TV or while being lazy on a Saturday afternoon.

Friday Finds, 3/26 -- CVS

Did pretty well this trip. Here's the rundown:

2 bags of Hershey's kisses -- 2 for $5
2 bags of Reese's mini peanut butter cups 2 for $5
Used 2 $1 coupons
Paid: $8
ECB generated: $3

1 Filippo Berio Olive Oil -- $4.99
Used $1 printable
Paid: $3.99

2 Old Spice gel deoderants -- $1.50 on clearance
no coupon
Paid: $3 for both

1 Right Guard gel deoderant -- $2.25 on clearance
no coupon
Used $2 printable coupon
Paid: $.25

1 snack bag of Doritos -- $.99
1 20 oz. Mountain Dew -- $1.49
no coupon
Paid: $2.48
ECB generated: $1

2 CVS brand hair care products -- $.99 each
used 2 $1 off coupons printed from the CVS price scanner kiosk
Paid: both FREE!

CVS antibacterial gel -- $1.69
no coupon
Paid: $1.69

Used $5/$25 coupon
Used $5 ECB
Paid: $12.52
Saved: $27.68
ECB generated: $5

Year-to-date savings (as of 3/21) -- $544.66 -- WOW!!

A New Publix Coupon Booklet Is Available!

I found a new coupon booklet this morning at Publix. I was delighted to come across a plentiful supply -- it must be too new for everyone else to have snagged them!

It's called Future Friendly, and features Proctor & Gamble products.

There's a great coupon inside for a free Publix reusable bag when you buy 2 participating products. Plus, you could use Publix coupons stacked with manufacturer's coupons to get some great deals on those participating items!

All the coupons expire 4/17.
Here's a rundown:

$1 on any Tide product
$1 on any Charmin 6 Mega roll or larger
$.50 on any Dawn product
$1 on any Swiffer refill
$1 on any boxed Pampers product
$1 on any Pampers Wipes product
$1 on any Downy product
$1 on any Bounty 8-roll equivalent or larger
$1 on any Cascade product

$.75 on any Swiffer Wet Jet refill
$3 when you purchase $15 of Duracell batteries (any combination)
$3 on any Pur product

There's also a mail-in portion that states that if you purchase $25 of P&G products in one transaction, you can receive one free Black and Decker LightsOut AutoSwitch by mail or receive 2 by mail with the purchase of $45 of P&G products.

Paired with BOGO sales and/or manufacturer's coupons, these ought to make for a super deal!

Saturday Savings, 3/27 -- Publix

Had a blast shopping today. It was super fun to have my parents along with us.

Here's the roll call:

6 boxes of Ritz pretzel crisp -- B1G1 -- $3.79 for 2
Used 6 $1 coupon from 3/14 SS or 1/24 SS
Paid: $1.79 for each set of 2 or $5.37 for all 6!

6 boxes of Ritz crackerfuls -- B1G1 -- $3.59 for 2
Used 6 $1 coupons from 1/10 SS
Paid: $1.59 for each set of 2 or $4.77 for all 6!

3 Hallmark cards -- $.99 each
Used $2/3 coupon from the tear pad in the Hallmark aisle
Paid: $.97 for all 3!

2 Bob Evans Mashed potatoes (in tubs) -- B1G1 -- $3.39 for 2
Used $1/2 coupon from 3/21 SS
Paid: $2.39 for both!

2 Jimmy Dean sausage rolls -- 2 for $4
Used $1 from (??)
Paid: $3 for both!

2 tubs Curly's barbeque -- B1G1 -- $5.69 for 2
Used $1 coupon from (??)
Paid: $4.69 for both!

4 Oscar Meyer bacon -- 2 for $6
Used 4 $.75 coupons from (??)
Paid: $2.25 each or $9 for all 4!

8 Bird's Eye Steamfresh veggies -- 50% off -- some were $1.79 and some $2.39 originally
Used 7 $.35 coupons from 2/28 SS
Used 1 $.50 coupon from Mom (Thanks, Mom!)
Used 4 $1/2 Publix coupons from the Yellow Advantage flyer
Paid: $.04 each for 6, $.19 for 1, and $.34 for 1 or $.77 for all 8!
WOW!!

1 Yoplait Greek Yogurt -- $1.00
Used FREE coupon from a past newspaper -- don't remember the date -- late February/early March?
Paid: FREE!

4 International Delights coffee creamer, 16 oz. -- 2 for $3
Used 4 $.55 coupons from 3/7 SS
Used 2 $1/2 Publix coupons from the Yellow Advantage flyer
Paid: $.45 each or $1.80 for all 4!

Total before coupons, but after store sales -- $64.91
Total after coupons -- $30.57
Total savings today -- $87.69
A savings of 74%!

These deals are good through Tuesday, 3/30. Get those coupons out and get going!

My New Coupon Organization

These are an integral part of my new coupon filing system. I have out grown every method I've used so far, and this is the next step. I don't know how I could get any bigger than this. I'd have to rent a storage unit. (hhmmmmm . . . NO! Do NOT let me think things like that!)
So, I put the date on the green hanging files and the coupons insert name (Smart Source, Red Plum, P&G, and GM) on the manila folders. I also have a hanging folder for each month's All You magazine, and another for the current month's Publix advantage flyers, and another for the current month's Walgreens savings booklets.

My "filing cabinet." I bought a set of 2 from Sam's Club for less than $11. The total for the bins, files, and folders was right around $20. This bin is nearly full already. I may be able to fit April's coupons and All You.

My former coupon filer. May it rest in peace. I'm not sure how I'm going to use it now. I thought about putting one of each insert in here to take to the stores with me so that if I come across a good deal, I'll always be able to get at least one of that item. On second thought, though, I rarely ever find deals on my own. I get all the deals from other people's blogs. I don't know if I'd recognize a good deal if I saw one. :)

Eat-In Until Vacation Countdown

I know, vacation countdowns and eating in have very little to do with one another. But the Tupua family is putting those things together. Beginning the 1st of April, we will do a daily countdown to vacation and see how low we can keep the number of eat-out meals. We will probably continue to do our traditional Saturday breakfast out. And my husband and I have enjoyed the financial freedom to do a couple of date nights this month. That time together is hard to resist.
We will come up with some reward system between now and the beginning of April. We'll reward ourselves based on how our results relate to a predetermined number of eat-outs. For example, I think we can eat out fewer than 12 times between April 1 and May 29th. That gives us just Saturday breakfasts and a couple other meals thrown in. That really is a low number for how we've been living our lives. (Well, not this month, but many months.) If we stick to it, we'll give ourselves . . . I don't know, maybe breakfast at Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom or at Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort? Something cool and special. The Tupua family will come up with a cool plan. Join us?

March Mission -- Day 24

I can't believe how quickly the month is going. Good grief, we're nearly done with March already!

Here's how the past several days have gone:
Sunday, 3/21
Breakfast -- home -- around $2
Lunch -- home (roast and rice) -- $8
Dinner -- frozen pizza -- $3

Monday, 3/22
Breakfast -- home -- around $2
Lunch -- school/work -- no cost
Dinner -- Five Guys in Mobile, AL (a special treat) -- $25 ish

Tuesday, 3/23
Breakfast -- home -- around $2
Lunch -- school/work -- no cost
Dinner -- Whataburger (an unplanned treat; that's what happens when you don't finish your business until 8:00 pm and the kids still haven't eaten.) -- $20 ish

Tuesday's dinner was not planned and not a good value. We had thought to go to Fazoli's for kid's meals for $.99, but we didn't get there before 8:00, when the kids' night ends. So, Whataburger it was. Too bad, too, because Fazoli's lets anybody get a kid's meal -- even the grown ups. So we could have all eaten for $6 or $7. Oh well.

This challenge has been so good for our family, financially. And so good for me, domestically. I have enjoyed getting to cook for my family, even if I don't enjoy the clean up. I am already thinking of carrying this over into next month (I did mention that in another post already, I know.). I'll have to think of something.

Saturday Savings, 3/20 -- Publix

Another great stop at Publix this evening!

Total spent: $81.55
Total saved: $48.74
May not seem great, but I did get another $50 BP gas card (not pictured).

4 bags Fast Fixin' Chicken -- BOGO -- $5.99 for 2
Used 4 $1 printable coupons
Used 4 $1 Publix coupons from Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids
Paid: $1 each, or $3.98 for all 4!

4 A&W rootbeer 12-packs -- 3 for $11, get the 4th free
no coupon
Paid: $11 for all 4!

2 Wishbone salad dressings -- BOGO -- $2.97 for 2
Used 2 $.75 printable coupons
Used $.75 Publix Coupon from Multiply Your Meals and Savings
Paid: $.36 each or $.72

nearly 9 lb. whole sirloin tip -- $2.39 per lb.
Had the meat counter clerk cut it into 3 big pieces for our Sunday dinner roasts.
(Thanks, Dave, for the tip on that!)
Paid: $21.46

1 Yoplait Greek yogurt -- $1
Used FREE coupon
Paid: FREE!

9 assorted greeting cards -- $.99 each
Used 3 $2/3 coupons from the tearpad in the card aisle
Paid: $2.91 for all 9!

$50 BP gas card
Used $10 in-ad coupon
Paid: $40

I don't know if I have enough room left in my pantry/freezer to handle another trip to Publix, although I really want one more BP card so that our gas for vacation is completely covered. I suppose I can find a little more space. It's for a good cause.

Don't Miss This!

Have you ordered from thecouponclippers yet? I placed an order on Sunday afternoon; the coupons shipped from Dade City on Tuesday, and I received them on Thursday. I hit Walgreens last night, and even though I didn't find everything I wanted, I still saved $50 or more! I didn't do a post about that trip, but here are some of the things I got:

2 Vicks waterless plug-in vaporizers and 2 refill packs -- $5 each
2 boxes of Puffs tissues -- $2.39 and $2.49
Total cost at Walgreens: over $24
Used 4 $1.50 coupons from thecouponclippers
Used 2 Buy-2-Vicks-Products-get-tissues-free coupons from thecouponclippers
Paid: $14 for 4 Vicks products and 2 Puffs tissues
RR generated: $10

Colgate total toothpaste -- $3.99
Used $1 coupon from thecouponclippers
Paid: $2.99
RR generated: $3.99

Just a couple examples there of how thecouponclippers can make money for you! I spent under $6 on coupons this week, and saved at least 3 times that thanks to those coupons. And I still have plenty to use! (Hopefully I will unearth myself from my mountain of work for long enough to make another run!)

Click on the link to the right of this post and order yours. There are often deals on Nyquil/Dayquil and Gillette products at Walgreens and CVS, and sometimes at Target, too. These would be good coupons to stock up on, if you want to try thecouponclippers out. Just pay attention to the expiration date. You don't want to buy 25 of a coupon that expires in 2 weeks!

March Mission -- Day 20

Guess What???

No Sonic yesterday!

Even after the burned dinner, I managed to hold on to reason.

Here's the rundown for today (so far):

Breakfast:

Tupua family traditional Chik-fil-a breakfast -- nearly $20

Lunch:
Frozen pizza -- $1

Frozen popcorn shrimp -- $.59

Fresh strawberries -- $1

Chips -- $1

I haven't made lunch yet, but it's going to have to be these convenience foods because I have a MOUNTAIN of school work to get done before 7:30 Monday morning.

Dinner:

Probably more of the convenience foods from lunch, and Daddy may have to do it all. I have to leave the house and go somewhere else to work. Just too many cute distractions to deal with here. By 2:00, I should be at the Whataburger near PCA. If you stop by, I'll be easy to find; I'll be in the corner booth with piles of work around me. If I look like I am perishing, just refill my diet coke for me, and I'll be fine. :) I will probably have Whataburger food for dinner.

No savings realized today, I don't think.

I did some reading of my own blog posts, and I really think that we have passed that $200 savings mark. There are several days about which I didn't post but that were successful in our mission. So, for the sake of keeping track of our savings, and in an effort to not inflate said savings, I have determined that, as of 3/20, we have saved $200 this month. March Mission posts from here on through the rest of the month will build on that number.

Hmm, what name might I use for a similar April mission? April Avoidance? (That sounds like some kind of mental illness.) April Attack? (Too violent. Or sounds like an allergic condition.) No Dining Out April? (Borrowing from Kristin at couponingtodisney.com with that one. Not alliterated, and I like alliterated.) Ideas?

,

Saturday Savings, 3/20 -- Publix

Okay, somebody's been reading the smart shopping blogs. I went to Publix this morning and several of the things I wanted to get were completely gone. ggrrr. It's a good thing we have more than one Publix close by so I can try another.

Here's how we did today:

8 Mueller's Whole Wheat penne pasta -- B1G1 $1.29 for 2
Used 8 $.55 printable coupons
Paid: $.10 each or $.76 total!

4 Wanchai Ferry frozen meals -- $7.99
Used 4 $1.50 manufacturer coupons
Used 4 $2 Publix coupons from the Yellow Advantage flyer
Paid: $4.49 each or $17.96
(Kind of a lot, I know, but I've been wanting to try these for a while. We'll have to make 2 meals to feed our whole family, which will make a dinner meal cost at least $9.00. Ouch. But as a treat for Mommy to have the convenience of the ready-made meal, it's worth it to me. PTM is coming up, after all!)

2 Buddig Honey Ham lunch meat -- on sale 2 for $4
Used 2 $1 printable coupons
Used 2 $1 Publix coupons from Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids
Paid: 2 for FREE!

BP Gas card -- $50
Used $10 coupon from the weekly ad
Paid: $40

Scotties tissues -- on sale $.99
Used $1 printable coupon for becoming a fan on Facebook
Total: FREE! plus $.01 overage!

Sundown vitamin B -- $3.99
Sundown calcium -- $3.99
Used $3 manufacturer's coupon
Used $6/2 Publix coupon from Green Advantage flyer
Paid: FREE! plus $1.02 overage!

2 Lance cracker multi-packs -- B1G1 $2.89 for 2
I must have done something wrong, because mine didn't ring up at B1G1 and I just now noticed. Maybe one of the items we got wasn't Lance? I'll have to check the pantry.
Used $1 printable from smartsource.com
Should have paid: $1.89 for 2
Paid: $4.98 for 2

9 assorted Hallmart cards -- $.99 each
Used 3 $2/3 tearpad coupons (good through 5/10)
Paid: $.33 each or $2.91 for all 9!

Total before coupons, but after store sales: $115.73
Total after coupons: $66.33!
Percent of decrease: 43%
Not as good as we'd normally like, but remember that we came away with $50 in BP gas! I'm going to store that away for vacation -- Hurray! We can drive to Disney without paying anything else out of pocket!

March Mission -- Day 19

Grr. I just burnt dinner. I don't know if I'll be able to stick to the March Mission today.
And it was going to be so good. I made taco rice with stew meat cut into smaller bits. I left the meat cooking so I could check something on the web. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was smelling burned dinner.
I may need some Sonic. (At least we have coupons!)

So far, here's how the day is stacking up:

Breakfast:

Jimmy Dean D'Lites for the grown ups -- $1.00
Frusion yogurt smoothies for the kiddos -- $.36
a couple muffins left over from the 2 batches I made for my students -- $.60?

Lunch:

School/Work -- no cost

Dinner:

taco rice -- $3.00?
Meat: free thanks to the overage at Publix when I used the Knox coupon
Rice: around $.50
Cheese: been in the freezer for a while, not sure how much I paid for it $.75
Veggies: $1.00 ish
Sauce: pennies

Sonic: ?? :)

March Mission -- Day 18

We've really done well this week, even though I haven't posted every day.
We did eat out -- just Talani and me -- after PTM on Monday. That was a nice treat.
That's the only meal we've eaten out this week!
Here's how the 18th went:

Breakfast:

Jimmy Dean D'Lites sandwiches for the grownups -- $1.00
Bought these on sale and with coupons last week at Publix. I'm glad we stocked up. They were $2 per box, and there are 4 sandwiches in a box. They are so convenient and SO tasty. They really have kept me out of Whataburger this week!

Frusion yogurt smoothies for the kiddos -- $.36
Also bought on BOGO sale, with both Publix coupons and manufacturer coupons. They usually go for $3.49 per 4-pack. We paid $.72 for a 4-pack!

Lunch:

School/work -- thanks PCA/PCC -- $0.00

Dinner:

Hamburger Helper -- $1.00
Ground beef -- $1.89
Fresh strawberries -- $1.25

Total for the day: $5.50!
A savings of at least $17.50!

I've lost track of the month, but we're nearing the $200 if we haven't made it there already.
This challenge has been so good for our family!

March Mission -- Day 16

I can hardly believe it's the 16th already! Where has the month gone? We are almost done with the first quarter of 2010! What?!?!

We've done well over all. I will admit that my husband took me out for dinner last night. We've gone out, just the two of us, more lately than since before we had kids! We spent $25 on dinner.

Here's the rundown for today:

Breakfast -- at home, Jimmy Dean D-Lites for the grown ups and Yogurt smoothies for the kiddos. Both were bought at Publix on sale and with coupons. The Jimmy Dean sandwiches (which really help me not to miss Whataburger) cost us about $.50 each. The yogurt smoothies cost us about $.18 each! So, breakfast cost $1.36!

Lunch -- at school/work. Nothing major out of pocket. I did make Dianna's lunch today, costing about $.40.

Dinner -- at home -- Hamburger helper -- about $3.50, maybe less.

Snack at ballgame (Go, Phillies!) -- crackers, cheese, and cookies -- about $1.50.
Total spent today: $6.76 for the day!

On a typical Tuesday, we likely would have spent $23 or more eating out. So, we saved around $16 today!

March Mission -- Day 13

Breakfast -- our traditional Chik-fil-a breakfast -- nearly $20
Lunch -- Whataburger for the guys working in the yard -- not quite $15
Dinner -- Chili and pasta (such a frugal choice! I cooked the beans a while back and had them in the freezer; they cost less than $.60. The ground beef was $1.89. I made my own chili seasoning, so that cost only a few pennies. I used 3 small cans of Hunt's tomato sauce that I got with coupon. I think I paid $.27 for all 3. I bought the pasta with a coupon, too, but don't remember what I paid for it. Couldn't have been more than $1.50, I guess. And I made a TON of chili!)
Still doing okay compared to our old habits. (Only 5 meals out this month so far.) We hadn't planned on lunch out today, but I'm so pleased with what Talani and Chad got done in the yard, I'd buy them lunch every Saturday for a month! Shhh! Don't tell them I said that!

Saturday Savings -- Publix, 3/13

Paid: $30.08
Saved: $45.95
Saved: 69%

6 boxes Jimmy Dean D-Lites breakfast sandwiches (4 ct.) -- $5.99 each
Sale: BOGO (so, $5.99 for 2 boxes)
Used 6 $1/1 from the 3/7 SS (may have been 3/7 RP)
Paid: $2 per box, or $12 for all 6 boxes!
That's just $.50 per sandwich! Much better than Whataburger's price!

1 Jalapeno Cheddar Heluva Good dip -- $2
Used FREE coupon received in the mail (a Facebook freebie)
Paid: FREE!

4 Frusion smoothie 4-pks. -- $3.49 each
Used Publix BOGO coupon from the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids coupon booklet
Used 4 $1/1 coupons from (??)
Paid: $.75 each or $3 for all!
That's less than $.20 per smoothie!

6 Weight Watchers yogurt cups -- $.70 each
Used 3 Publix BOGO coupons from Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids booklet
Paid: $.35 each or $2.10 for all 6!

3 lb. yellow onions -- $2.99
no coupon, but needed for our traditional Sunday pot roast
Paid: $2.99

1 box Chocolate Cheerios -- $4.09 (yikes! that's a lot!)
Used $.50 Publix coupon (don't remember where I got that coupon)
Used $1 coupon from (?)
Paid: $2.59 -- a LOT for a box of cereal, but I've been wanting to try this since it came out.

1 box Dunkin Hines brownie mix -- $1.99
no coupon, gave in to the urge for brownies
Paid: $1.99

1 box Publix brand Triscuit-like cookies -- $2.49
no coupon, but I needed something because I was feeling ill
Paid: $2.49

3 3-lb. bags Rico rice -- $.99 each
no coupon
Paid: $.99 each, or $2.97 for all three
Is this a good price for rice? I've bought this several times now, but I haven't compared the price to Sam's or any other store.

Considering how many items I bought without a coupon, I think this was a pretty good trip.

A Surprising Discovery

I love to talk about couponing with my students. They are so cutely supportive. In fact, the name of this blog is loosely based on a student comment. As I was sharing the concept of couponing and smart shopping with my students very early on in my couponing experience, a student made an under-the-breath comment to a neighbor, "Cheapskate." I answered, "No, I've just decided that I want to decide where to spend money instead of HAVING to spend money. I'd rather have more for Disney! If that makes me a cheapskate, I'll gladly wear that badge!" (Yes, I also share my passion for Disney World with my beloved students.) Thus, Adventures of a Wannabe Cheapskate was born.
Today, a student -- I think it was the same one who inspired my blog title -- asked how many coupons I'd used over all. Well, I hadn't thought of that. I gave my best guess: hundreds. As I thought about it, I realized that I had used 40 Knox coupons, 20 Beech Nut coupons, and so many multiples of others, that I must have used well over 200 coupons in just the 12 or so weeks since I started couponing. I quickly estimated that I have saved over $1,000 in those weeks through couponing. My latest CVS receipt states that I have saved over $425 this year there. I know I saved over $110 using the Knox coupons at Walmart and Publix. I got $10 worth of vitamins free this week. I got $10 worth of toothbrushes and $60 worth of Motrin for free last week at Walgreens. At LEAST $1,000 of savings!
I just really enjoyed that realization today.

March Mission -- Day 11

I am so thankful for this challenge! We have saved so much and it hasn't been too difficult. (Although I will admit to salivating yesterday just thinking of the chips and salsa as we drove by La Hacienda.)

Here's the rundown for today:
Breakfast: at home -- saved at least $5
Lunch: school/work
Dinner: at home -- saved at least $10

This brings our savings for the month to $107!
We are still planning on going out for our date tomorrow.
And still planning for our traditional Saturday breakfast with the kids at Chik-fil-a.
It's just amazing how much we've saved. (I have been estimating our savings on the lower side. I didn't want to inflate my recordings here. I estimated that our cheapest breakfast at Whataburger cost around $9 for the family, and that our cheapest dinner at Steak n Shake with coupons cost around $15. Then, I figure our grocery spending and subtract from that lowest eating out price to find our minimum savings. So that $107 is the lowest possible savings we've realized this month.)

March Mission -- Day 10

Today:
Breakfast at home, saved $5.
Lunch at school/work.
Dinner at home, saved $9.
Total saved today: at least $14.
Total saved this month: $92!

Yesterday:
Breakfast at Whataburger, spent $13 (I HAD to! I had stayed up until 1:00 am the night before doing school work. I needed the pick me up of a bacon bob and a diet coke.)
Lunch at school/work.
Dinner at home, saved at least $9.
Not counting anything as "saved" for the 9th, since we spent $13 on breakfast.

My Wish List for Publix, 3/10

I don't know how to find the newest Publix ad -- starting tomorrow or Thursday -- like some other bloggers. And I know that Publix deals vary from area to area; a blog I follow, mysweetsavings.com, has some great deals listed. I've tried following her steps to make the same deals, only to find that the sales aren't the same in my store, even though we both live in Florida.

So, I've done a little research using other people's sites having no idea if these deals will be good here in Pensacola. These are the deals I'm hoping to find:

Hebrew National Kosher All Beef Franks, Original, Reduced Far, 97% Fat-Free, Jumbo, or Knockwurst, 11 or 12 oz, BOGO $4.99
-$.75/1; $1/1 Any one package of Hebrew national Beef hot dogs – 03-07-10 SS

Flatout Bread, Assorted Varieties, 11.2 oz bag, BOGO $2.89
-$1/2 Flatout Flatbreads, Publix coupon – Healthy Meals Healthy Kids

Ragu Pasta Sauce, Traditional: With Meat or Regular; or Chunky Gardenstyle: Garlic & Onions, Green Pepper & Mushrooms, or Super Mushroom, 45 oz jar, BOGO $3.35
-$1/2 Ragu Pasta Sauces – Multiply your Meals & Savings
-$1/2 PRINT

Barilla Pasta, Assorted Varieties, 9 to 16 oz box (Excluding Barilla Plus) BOGO $1.99
-$.55/1; $1/2 Barilla Piccolini, Any One Package. – 03-07-10 SS
-$.55/1; $1/2 Barilla Whole Grain pasta – 03-07-10 SS

Land O Lakes Spread, Fresh Buttery Taste, 2 ct, 7.5 oz or 15 oz tub or Pure and Creamy Margarine, 15 oz tub, BOGO $1.89
-$.40/1; $.30/1; $.50/1 Land O Lakes Fresh Buttery Taste Spread, any (DND 5) – 02-07-10 SS

Jimmy Dean D-Lights Sandwiches or Chicken Biscuit, Assorted Varieties, 16 to 20.4 oz box, BOGO $5.99
-$1/1 Jimmy Dean Sandwich Item, Any – 03-07-10 RP

Stay tuned to find out if I am able to find (any of) these deals!

Thanks to iheartpublix.com for the match ups!

March Mission -- Day 8

Oh, how badly I wanted to eat out today!
But we resisted!
Breakfast and dinner at home; lunch at school/work (don't have to pay).
Subtracting the cost of our groceries for the day, we saved at least $14 today.
A total savings for this month: $78!

March Mission -- Days 5-7

Friday, March 5
No eating out!
Saved at least $9!

Saturday, March 6
We traditionally eat at Chik-fil-a for breakfast, and we wanted to keep this tradition. We spent $15 there.
We had a $10 snack at Sam's Club that turned into dinner.
So we spent $25 on Saturday, a pretty normal amount for us.

Sunday, March 7
No eating out! (at least not yet!)
Breakfast and lunch at home, and plans for dinner at home.
A savings of at least $9 so far.

A savings this weekend of $18, and a total March savings of $64!

My Favorite Coupons This Week -- 3/7

As I looked through the coupons in the paper this morning, I found several that I thought would make for really great deals. Some will need a good sale to make a great deal happen; some are great all on their own. I thought you might benefit from knowing which coupons I think are especially great today. Being fairly new to coupons myself -- on my third month of couponing -- I'm sure there are great deals to be had that I can't discern yet. At any rate, here are my faves:

Smart Source:

$.75/3 Hamburger Helper

Save this for a sale or BOGO deal!

$.50/1 and $.50/2 Fiber One bars
I love these bars, so I love finding coupons for them.
Look for a sale -- last week Walgreens was offering RR, so there's got to be another good sale coming along somewhere sometime soon.

Free Yoplait Greek Yogurt (Publix coupon)
FREE is a no-brainer! If a BOGO sale comes along, you might score 2 for free!

$1 Colgate
Combined with a sale and/or ECB/RR deal, this could net some free toothpaste. Will definitely not pay more than $.50 for a tube of Colgate.

Free Marcal
Hope to find this somewhere. I've yet to find this brand in Pensacola.

Several AirWick coupons
May work for cheap or free air freshener at Walgreens or CVS.

$2 Bic
Could land us a free razor with a sale at CVS, Walgreens, Target, or Wal-Mart

$1 GE
Have used a coupon like this before to get a free lightbulb.

$1 Revlon
I bought those eyeshadows recently with a sale and coupon combo at Walgreens for $.99 each! They are regularly priced at $4.99, so that was a great deal. I hope something similar will come along soon.

Red Plum

$1 on Garnier Fructis Shampoo/Conditioner and $1 on Garnier Fructis stylers
You may be able to combine these on an ECB or RR deal and get some really great product for little or nothing.

P&G:

$.50 Dawn Hand Renewal
One of the first good deals I ever got with couponing came with this same coupon. CVS often has Dawn on sale for $.99, so that makes this $.49 per bottle. A great deal!

Several Febreeze coupons
Just waiting for a great deal at CVS, Walgreens, or Target!

$1 on Tide
I LOVE this coupon! Look at Wal-Mart or Target in the travel section for the single-load size of Tide liquid. They usually are around $.97 or $.99 each. With this coupon, it's FREE!

BOGO on Oral-B Advantage toothbrushes
Again, look for a BOGO sale or an ECB/RR deal to really make this coupon pay.

Several Old Spice and Gillette coupons
I have gotten so many products for extremely cheap or free thanks to these coupons. Can't wait to see what store sales will make really great deals.

$1 on Covergirl
Hang on to this for a BOGO sale at CVS or Walgreens. Remember that you can use 2 coupons in a BOGO sale, so you can make out really well.

$3/2 Pantene
Combined with the CVS deal this week, you can make a really great deal. Try this:
Buy 2 Pantene Shampoo/Conditioner/Stylers at 2 for $6.97
Use the $3/2 coupon in today's P&G
Pay $3.97
Get $2 in ECB
You can do this twice, so do two transactions. On the second transaction, use another of the same coupon and also use the $2 ECB that printed in your first transaction. For the second set of Pantene, you'll pay $1.97 then get $2 ECB back, so it's like getting that second set for free!

$.55 on Satin Care shave gel
Buy the travel size from Target and pay $.43 or so.

$1.50 on Nyquil
Use this with a sale at Walgreens or CVS and get RR/ECB back. Or, if it gets close to the 4/30 expiration date, use this at Publix and get the single dose size for free, plus overage! (You'll have to look in the travel-size section in the toiletry/medicine section. It's currently around $1.30.)

My Picks for CVS, 3/7 - 3/13

My thanks to Heather at www.mysweetsavings.com, Collin at www.hip2save.com and Kristin at www.couponingtodisney.com for putting together great lists for CVS this week. I chose my favorite of the deals to share with you. See their websites for more deals, or see www.hotcouponworld.com.

Oral B Cross Action Toothbrush — $4
Coupon: $.75 or $1 from 2/7 or 2/21 P&G
Pay: $3 or $3.25
ECB generated: $4 (limit 2)

Nivea Lip Care — $2.99
Coupon: B1G1 from 2/7 RP
Total: 2 for free!
Pay: $2.99
ECB generated: $2.99
(You'd think I'd be sick to death of Nivea deals -- I bought 10 thsi week alone! -- but I'm not!)

Gillette Deodorant — $3.99
Coupon: $4/2 from 2/21 SS and (2) Buy a Gillette deodorant and get a free body wash from 3/7 P&G
Deal: Buy 2 Deos and 2 Gillette Body washes. Use the above coupons. Pay $3.98 and get $2 ECB.
Pay: $4
ECB generated: $2 ($1 per deoderant purchase; limit 2. This deal takes care of the limit.)

Welch’s Grape Jelly (32oz) — $1.50
Coupon: 75c from 1/3 SS
Pay: 75c

Gillette Fusion — $8.99
Coupon: $4 from 2/7 P&G
Pay: $4.99
ECB generated: $4 (limit 1)

Pantene Hair Care — 2/$6.97
Coupon: $3/2 from 3/7 P&G
Deal: Buy 2 and use $3/2 coupon.
Pay: $3.97
ECB generated: $2 (limit 2)

Stacy’s Pita Chips — 2/$5
Coupon: $1 printable
Deal: Buy 2 and use (2) $1 coupons.
Pay: $3
ECB generated: $1 (when you buy 2) (limit 1)
(I'm excited about this deal because I got a $1 CVS coupon at the price scanner recently. So, I'll pay $2 and get $1 back in ECB!)

Buy 2 Cascade Gel or Powder 45 count $2/$5.97
Use the $0.25/1 coupon from the 3/7 PG
Pay: $5.47
ECB generated: $1 (limit 1)

Pepsi Products 12 pack 2/$7
Pay: $7
ECB generated: $2

Buy $10 or more of Easter Candy
Deal Scenario:
Buy 4 bags of Starburst Jelly Beans 2/$5
Use 2 $1/2 coupons from the 3/7 RP
Pay $8
ECB generated: $3 (limit 2)

Walgreens, Friday, 3/5

Two transactions today. I left the Diet Mt. Dew out of the picture. It has already joined the rest of the stockpile in the utility room.

First transaction:

6 Revlon eyeshadows -- $1.99 each (sale price, regular price is $4.99 each)
Used 6 $1 coupons purchased from the coupon clippers
Paid: $5.94 for all 6

4 Nivea lip products -- $.99 each with in-ad coupon (regular price is $3.99 each)
Used BOGO coupon purchased from the coupon clippers
Paid: $1.98 for all 4
*I had to make sure to hand over the manufacturer's coupons before the store coupons. That way I got $3.99 off for each of the 3 free items. Then, when I handed the store Q over, it took off $9 for the 3 I had to pay for to get them for $.99 each

3 Reach toothbrushes -- $.99 each with in-ad coupon (regular price is $1.99 each)
Used 3 $1 coupons purchased from the coupon clippers
Paid: all three for FREE!

2 packs Dentyne -- $.69 each with in-ad coupon (regular price is $1.29)
Used $1/2 coupon purchased from the coupon clippers
Paid: $.38 for both!

6 Motrin PM -- $2.99 each (sale price; regular price is $4.99)
Used 3 $3/2 coupons purchased from the coupon clippers
Used $1.50 coupon from the Walgreens March Savings Booklet (took off $1.50 per item)
Paid: all 6 for FREE!

2 Starburst jellybeans -- 2 for $5
Used $1/2 coupon in the March Savings Booklet
Paid: $4 for both

2 single size M&M's -- $.69 each
no coupon
Paid: $1.38

3 packs of Kotex pads -- $2.99 each
Used $3/2 printed coupon (I've had it for a while and don't remember the origin)
Paid: $5.97 for all three
RR generated: $5

Total before coupons but after sale prices: $70.41
Total after coupons and $13.50 RR used: $3.66
Total savings, including sale prices, coupons, and RR used: $99.09

Second transaction:

2 Motrin PM -- $2.99 each (sale price, regularly $4.99)
Used $3/2 coupon purchased from the coupon clippers
Used $1.50 coupon from the March Savings Booklet
Paid: 2 for FREE!

2 Revlon eye shadows -- $1.99 (sale price, regularly $4.99)
Used 2 $1 coupons purchased from the coupon clippers
Paid: $1.98 for both

2 packs Dentyne gum -- $.69 with in-ad coupon (regularly $1.29 each)
Used $1/2 coupon purchased from the coupon clippers
Paid: $.38 for both

Total after sale prices before coupons: $24.77
Total after coupons and $5 RR used: $9.57
Total savings on this transaction: $29.17
RR generated: $3

Again, I give props to the coupon clippers. I saved $66.48 today, for a total savings this week of $151.25! Some of that, admittedly, did come from internet coupons or a few coupons I had here at home already. I think it's a safe estimate to say that 90% of that savings, or $136, is thanks to the $11.60 order I bought from the coupon clippers this week. I cannot say enough good about them. Click the banner to the right of this post and get set to buy your coupons for a great shopping excursion!

March Mission -- Day 4

No out of pocket expense today for meals, other than what was already spent on groceries.
Cereal with milk for breakfast
School/work lunch
Pizza for dinner (instead of going out)

Approximate spent on groceries: $4
Since we ate dinner at home instead of going out, I estimate we saved AT LEAST $11 today.
That brings our March total to $46!

Awesome Walgreens Trip, 3/3

Amazing!
No picture, because everything is put away already.
I can't list my shopping results without giving props to thecouponclippers. Most of the deals I did today used coupons I purchased from that wonderful site. There should be a banner to the right of the newest post on the blog for you to click. I hope that, after you read this post, you'll be inspired to try out the coupon clippers yourself!

Here's the run-down:

3 boxes Fiber One bars -- $2.49 each
Used 2 $.40 Q
Paid: $6.67
RR generated: $1.50

2 Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets -- 2 for $9
AND
2 Purex 50 oz. liquid detergents -- Buy 1 at $5.99, get one for free
Used 2 BOGO coupon purchased from the coupon clippers
Paid: $5.99 for all 4!
RR generated: $2

2 12-pc. Dentyne gum -- $.69 each after in-ad coupon
Used $1/2 coupon purchased from the coupon clippers
Paid: $.19 each

3 Revlon eyeshadows -- $1.99 each (sale price, regularly $4.99)
Used 3 $1 coupon purchased from the coupon clippers
Paid: $.99 each

3 Reach toothbrushes -- $.99 each with in-ad coupon (regularly $1.99 each)
Used 3 $1 coupons purchased from the coupon clippers
Paid: all three for FREE!

6 Nivea products -- $.99 each with in-ad coupon (regularly $3.99 each!)
Used 3 BOGO coupons purchased from the coupon clippers
BOGO coupons took off $3.99 each
In-ad coupon took off $9
Paid: $2.97 for all 6!

4 Motrin P.M. -- $2.99 each on sale (regularly $4.99)
Used 3 $3/2 coupons purchased from the coupon clippers
Used $1.50 coupon in March Savings Booklet
Paid: all four for FREE!

2 M&M single bags -- $.50 each
no coupon
just a reward for 3 little ones who shopped fairly well
Paid: $1.00

Accucheck Aviva blook glucose monitor -- $14.99
Used $10 coupon purchased from the coupon clippers
Paid: $4.99
RR generated: $5

6 boxes Kleenex -- BOGO @$2.19 each
Used 2 $.40/3 Q
Paid: $5.77 for all 6
RR generated: $3

3 12-packs Diet Mt. Dew -- 3/$11
no coupon
Paid: $11
RR generated: $3

Total after advertised sales but before coupons: $108.65
Total after coupons and $29 RR used: $5.90
Total savings including coupons, sales, and RR used: $154.66!
Total RR generated: $13.50

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I could not have made this deal happen without the coupon clippers. Click the banner to the right of the newest post on my blog to access their site and start putting together your order. I spent $11.60 on my order of coupons and have a ton left for other transactions. What a deal!

March Mission -- Day 3

Our normal day would have involved breakfast at home, lunch at school/work, and dinner at a fast food restaurant. We would have spent at least $15 on dinner.

Instead . . .

Breakfast at home -- around $1.00
Lunch at school/work -- no out of pocket costs
Dinner at home -- around $3.50
Total spent on today's groceries: $4.50, plus a trivial amount on snacks.

Saved at least $10.50 today, totalling over $35 this month already!

March Mission -- Day 2

Today's normal meals would have been something like . . .
Breakfast at Whataburger -- at least $9
Lunch at school/work -- $0
Dinner -- maybe home . . . maybe not

Here's how we did today:

Breakfast -- yogurt and leftovers -- less than $3
Lunch at school/work -- $0
Dinner -- pizza at home -- around $3

We saved at least $6 today. Combined with our savings from yesterday, we've saved at least $25 in 2 days! That pays for a nice lunch at Disney or half the gas to get there!

I'm so excited about this challenge! I hope we can keep up the no-eating-out determination as the week and month get busier!

FREE Vitamin Water!

Go here to fill out the info to get a free Vitamin Water! It's only available to the first 100,000, so don't wait!

FREE Photo Book from HotPrints!

Go here to make your own free photo book from HotPrints.
I've only just decided to try it, but from what I read you can get a free book every month this year! (Hmm, how many people need to get photo books for Christmas? Just kidding, family.)
Looking forward to trying this!

More Swagbucks Every Day!

I LOVE Swagbucks! I earn more Swagbucks every day now, thanks to the "Special Offers" tab on the website.
It's so easy! All you have to do is click on "Ways to Earn", then "Special Offers". Click skip through several ads, then TA-DA! Swagbucks! I got 3 today, and I can go back tomorrow and every day to win at least 3 more. Some days I'll win 10 or maybe more! And that's just for the "Special Offers" tab.
I'll also win some swagbucks at some point today because I do all my internet searching on swagbucks. I'll earn anywhere from 10 to 50 per win, and I can win several times daily.
I've recently changed my mind as to what prize I was working for. I thought I'd go for the Paypal $5 payout (700 swagbucks), but I think I'm going to go for the $5 Amazon.com e-gift card (450 sb). Getting close!
It doesn't cost anything to join, and it's so fun that I can get free prizes for searching that I would have done anyway. Click here to join and get started earning your own prizes. You can also click the link found on the right hand side of my blog. I'd love to read what you are working towards.
Happy Swag-Searching!

March Mission -- Day 1

Fellow blogger and Disney enthusiast, Kristin, over at couponingtodisney.com, is having a challenge this month. I've decided to get on the band wagon by commenting on her daily posts this month, but I'm also carrying that over here.
For someone who calls herself a "wannabe cheapskate", I sure do allow myself to eat out a lot. And I mean A LOT!!! It's usually my idea, as opposed to my husband's prompting, although if he suggests, I go for it! We have been eating out so much lately! At least 4 times for breakfast and 3 times for dinner each week. We'd easily spend $75 per week just on eating out. Well, my mission for March, just like Kristin's, is to cut WWWAAAYYY back on how much we eat out.
I want to cut it down to 25% of our recent habits, leaving room for at least 1 meal out per week. (We have a Saturday morning Chik-fil-a tradition.)
We often choose Whataburger for breakfast on Mondays, but ate at home today for FREE! We saved at least $9! (Thanks to my sister, Mandy, for making a great breakfast! You made it easy for us today!)
We often choose a fast food restaurant on Monday nights -- a place like Steak n Shake. At least $15 spent there. Today we are having Hamburger Helper and ciabatta rolls. We spent around $5 for all the ingredients, so we saved at least $10 on dinner.
That's a savings of $19 in just one day!
Here's the challenge for you: Decide what changes you want to make to your family's eating habits (eating out less, eating more healthful meals, eating together more, etc.). Post your goal as a comment on this post. Then, each day on my post for the day, comment your progress. Let's see what we can accomplish in the area this month!