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Time to Organize the Coupons

Posted on August 11, 2009 by auburnchick

You know I have been enjoying my couponing.  The only thing I haven’t enjoyed is hunting for coupons.

Oh, not the coupons that are in the supplements each week.  These are kept in folders.

The coupons I’m referring to are the ones I print from the internet, peelies (the ones stuck to items on the shelves), and the ones that Queen Couponer (my mother-in-law) sends me.

I can’t tell you the amount of time I’ve spent over the last few weeks…hunting for particular coupons.

Oy!

So, I enlisted Chicky’s help…well…make that “bribed” her to help.

She was in charge of cutting each coupon out while I made the binder.  As she cut them, she organized them into categories…

That’s a whole lotta coupons, eh?  Can you imagine going through them one by one to find something in particular?

The day before we worked on this project, Chicky and I had gone to Hobby Lobby, armed with a 40% coupon, where I purchased a package of plastic baseball card pages.

I found file labels in my closet and wrote the names of different categories on them…two per label (one on the left and one on the right side of each label).  I used my paper cutter to cut a straight line through the middle of them.

I tried my best to alphabetize the categories, and I did a fairly decent job of it.

My original intent was to use all nine slots on each page; however, it didn’t take me long to realize that many of my coupons are long, and some of my coupons would be hidden, so I had to come up with another plan.

I decided to place labels at the tops and bottoms of each page.  I placed the coupons for the top labels in the middle slots.  This allows me to see their category names.  The bottom labels correspond with coupons placed in the bottom-most slots.  The coupons cover the middle slots, but it doesn’t really bother me because I can see those labels, which are at the very top of each page.

Another thing I discovered…you can only use one side of these pages!  Thankfully, my package came with a lot of pages, so I have plenty left over.

Here’s what it looks like when I turn a page…

I added four new categories towards the end of this project, so I just stuck them on the last page.  It bugs me a little that they aren’t in alphabetical order, but oh well.  I was not about to shift the labels and coupons.

All-in-all, this was at least a two-hour job.  I just know the time will have been worth it the next time I plan a big shopping trip.

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

Retail Therapy

Posted on August 3, 2009 by auburnchick

Well, I didn’t get the job I interviewed for.

Don’t feel bad for me though.  I know that God has a plan, and I trust in that.

I’m a little relieved because of the stress placed on the FCAT.  Reading is an integral part of it, and to go in as a first-year 10th grade reading teacher would be a huge responsibility.

I figured a little retail therapy was in order, though.

My idea of shopping is a little different than most women’s idea.

In fact, instead of shopping for such designer labels as Gianni Bini or Gucci (not that I can afford these), I was on the hunt for Kelloggs and Betty Crocker.

Oh yeah…it was time for Round 2 at Publix.

The only reason I ventured back was because the Mr. picked up a paper from the big city that Chicky’s travel team is based out of.

Compare the coupon sections in Podunk City Newspaper (mine) and Big City Newspaper…

Podunk City Newspaper Inserts

Big City Newspaper Inserts

Don’t let the outsides of those inserts fool you.  They might look the same, but inside, there were a ton more coupons from the big city.  My jaw dropped in awe.

So, this morning I got busy and looked at my store ads again…planning my adventure…cutting coupons, taking notes, in general, getting very excited.  Oh yeah, I was one happy girl.

First, a picture of the haul…

Now, let me tell you how I got all of the above for $28.74.  My bill, before my savings of $77.40, would have been $106.14.  That’s a savings of 73%.

Kraft Mac & Cheese – B1G1 @ $2.67
I had 4 $1.50/2 coupons (printed from the internet)
Total:  $.59 per box or $4.72 total

Kraft BBQ Sauce – B1G1 @ $2.79
I had 4 coupons for free sauce with the purchase of two Kraft Mac & Cheese — peelies from boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese
Total:  FREE

Pop Tarts – B1G1 @ $2.45
I had 4 $.75 TargetWeb coupons AND 2 $1.00/2 mfg coupons (remember that you can stack store and mfg coupons)
Total:  Moneymaker of $.05 per box

Pringles – $3/2
I had 1 $1/2 mfg coupon
Total:  $1 per container or $2 total for both

Yogurt – B1G1 @ $2.87
I had a $.80/2 mfg coupon
Total:  $1.04 per yogurt or $2.07 for both

Pickles – B1G1 @ $2.19
I had 2 $.15 mfg coupons
Total:  $.95 each or $1.89 for both

Ragu – Not on sale, but I needed it for dinner – $2.59 each
I had a $2/2 Food Lion coupon and a $.75/2 mfg coupon
Total:  $1.22 per jar or $2.43 for both

Worcestershire Sauce – Not on sale, but I needed it – $1.79
I had a $.50 mfg
Total:  $1.29

Milk – Not on sale and no coupon – $3.99

Granola Bars – B1G1 @ $5.49
I had a $.75/1 Target coupon and 2 $.40 mfg coupons
Total:  $1.95 per box or $3.94 for both

Betty Crocker Brownie Mix – B1G1 @ $2.63
I had a $.75/2 mfg coupon
Total:  $.94 per box or $1.88 total

Lipton Onion Soup Mix – Not on sale and no coupon – $1.49

Kellogg’s Cereal – B1G1 @ $4.09
I had 2 $1/1 Food Lion coupons and 1 $1/2 mfg coupon
Total:  $.55 per box or $1.09 for both

Eggs – Not on sale and no coupon – $2.09

I went to Walgreens after leaving Publix and bought a package of manilla mailing envelopes for $.09 after using a $.50 coupon.

I also went by Office Max and picked up four packs of Bic pens that were free after the two $1/2 coupons I had.  Combined with the six folders @ $.01 each, I walked out of there spending $.20.

So, although I didn’t walk in the house with bags of new clothes, I had something even better…stuff that the entire family can use for a fraction of the cost.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the kids and I have started two bags for donation:  one for extra groceries and the other for extra school supplies.  My church collects food one Sunday a month, and a local Christian radio station is having a school supply drive this week.  I figure if I’m paying next to nothing for things, someone else besides my family might as well benefit.

When I pulled into the driveway with all of my loot, I had an extra surprise…

Nine flowers are blooming right now!!

Nine flowers are blooming right now!!

Nine of my flowers are now blooming…all at the same time!!!  That’s just one bunch too!  I have three more blooming beside the garage!

Sure, I didn’t get the job, but I have something much more special…a God who loves me and continues to bless me.  My primary job is passing on these blessings to others so they might see how good He is.

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

Favorite Deals of the Week

Posted on July 28, 2009 by auburnchick

So, the shopping/saving is continuing.  There were a few deals that put a huge smile on my face this week.

Publix had Aussie products 2 for $5.  This is Chicky’s brand of choice these days, so I had to take advantage of the sale.

I had two $2/2 coupons from this week’s Red Plum inserts.  Before the sales price, those babies were $3.29 each.  After the coupons, I spent $6.60…on four bottles!!!  Without the sale and coupons, I would have paid that for only two bottles!!

My next favorite buy was today.  Walgreens has Scotch bubble mailers for $.39.  The paper this week had a $.50 coupon.  I bought two papers, so I have two coupons.  I bought three mailers, used my coupons and only paid $.27 after tax.  The neat thing?  The price was the same regardless of the size of the mailer!  I bought the biggest ones I could find.  I use them all the time to mail the oddball baby blankets, which will be getting started again in a month or so.

While I was at Walgreens, I picked up a free Mars candy item, courtesy of the coupon I received yesterday!  Remember how I’ve been posting the link for Free Chocolate on Fridays?  Well, it’s the real deal, as evidenced by the picture below.

My next favorite buy was at Walmart.  They have Breyers yogurt (the kind with fruit on the bottom) for $.50 each.  You can download $1/2 Breyers coupons here.  Remember to hit your browser’s back button and print a second coupon.  Folks…you get four free yogurt cups!

I don’t like the smell of yogurt…makes my skin crawl.  But Chicky likes it, and Walmart had a wonderful assortment.  I bought her two Strawberry Shortcake, one Strawberry, and one Orange and Creme.

I’ve learned a couple of things this week.

1.  Winn Dixie does not take competitor coupons.  I found this out the hard way after putting ten boxes of Pop Tarts in my buggy (it was B1G1) with the plan to use some TargetWeb coupons I had found.  I went through the self-scan line too!  Poor girl had to come and take off every one of them when I refused to pay even the sale price.  I knew I had a mfg coupon at home and wanted to wait to get them.

2.  Walmart does not take competitor coupons either.  I tried to buy the Pop Tarts there, but I was smart this time.  I only put one or two boxes in my buggy and went through the self-checkout.  The attendant had to come and void my purchase.  Ugh.

I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished the last couple of weeks.  I still have some of the cash I got out almost two weeks ago.  Things are going according to plan…cutting down the budget…one small bit at a time.

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Free Chocolate Fridays

Posted on July 23, 2009 by auburnchick

Don’t forget…

Fridays are Free Candy Bar Days!!  Who doesn’t like that?!

I’m re-posting this from last Thursday just so you can prepare yourself.

The Mars company is giving away free candy bars to the first 250,000 people to visit their site each Friday between 9am and 11pm EST.  You will be asked to enter your birth date (to ensure eligibility).  Fill out the information, and within a few days, you’ll receive an email confirmation.  Your coupon will arrive four to six weeks later.

The fun part…besides free candy?  You can do this up to five times, if I remember correctly.

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

Part 2 from the Previous Post

Posted on July 23, 2009 by auburnchick

I’ve been chatting with a friend who reads my blog, and I realized that I left some things out of my previous post…say it ain’t so!

First off, I want to say that I think The Grocery Game is fabulous!  There are many good reasons to sign up for it:

  • The format of the lists makes it easier to recognize good deals.  Each grocery store list has a column for the percentage you save on each item.  You quickly learn what is considered “rock-bottom” prices.  The higher the percentage saved, the better the deal, obviously, and you start being more discriminatory about what you will and will not purchase.
  • Another neat thing about the lists is how items are color-coded.  Free items are in green, rock-bottom items are in blue, and sale items (but only buy if needed) are in black.  The lists are organized according to the layout of the store, but you can sort the lists any way you want.  You can check mark what you plan on getting and only print those items.  Lots of planning went into how these lists were devised.
  • You learn patience.  Just because an item is on sale does not mean that it’s the right time to buy something.  After four weeks (the trial period), you will probably see an item go on sale twice.  In my case, it was the Hebrew National Hot Dogs that I’m so fond of.  This go-round, I had two coupons, so I stocked up.

The main downside to The Grocery Game lists is that they don’t come out until Sunday in order to factor in the coupon inserts for that week’s Sunday paper.

My stores’ ads last from Wednesday through Tuesday, so that leaves me only two and a half days to shop.  When I’m working, this isn’t good because the week gets hectic.

If I come across a coupon in the Sunday paper for an item I bought a few days earlier (using my other web sites), I know that I can take my coupon back to the store, tell them I didn’t have my coupon during my purchase, and get my money back.  If the store gives you a hard time, return the item and re-buy it with the coupon.

Other things to remember…

  • Keep your coupons with you.  I started to put mine in the car when I went to Starbucks the other day but changed my mind.  I went straight to Walmart, where I found a great deal…if I had my $1 coupons that were at home.  Back I went, wasting precious time in my day.  It was worth the trip but unnecessary.
  • Buy two Sunday papers.  I found having two inserts invaluable this morning as I prepared to shop.  There were a couple of B1G1 items, and I was able to clip two coupons to use on them.
  • When printing coupons from the Internet, hit the back button to print them a second time.  Most sites will allow you to print two copies of a coupon but no more than that unless it’s a PDF you can download.
  • Printing coupons from the Internet is notorious for being a hit or miss thing.  A couple of the sites require that you install a coupon printer and have Java enabled on your browser.  Try different browsers.  I have the most success using Safari.  Check out THIS link, which helped me print coupons from SmartSource and RedPlum.  Folks, it can be done.  Be persistent.
  • Watch carefully while your cashier is taking off your coupons.  Just this morning, I caught one of my coupons (a biggie…$3) not being scanned.
  • Know how much items cost and watch them get scanned as well.  Several items at CVS did not ring up correctly last week.  A couple of the problems were due to signage (not my mistake, but I got the price advertised) and a couple of problems were with the way the prices were entered in the system.  I always check my receipt after I leave.
  • I have found that keeping a list of the coupons I’m using and what the item will cost me afterward helps me keep my ducks in a row and helps me when I’m looking over the receipt later.  I typically have a general idea of what I’m spending before I get to the register.  This helps me recognize a problem instantly.
  • Create a spreadsheet and enter your savings.  It’s hard to see how much you’re saving unless you put it down in black and white.

This sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it?

It’s really no different than deciding to eat healthier.

What you’re doing is training yourself by developing new habits.  Once you decide that this isn’t a fad for you, then you’ll be permanently hooked.

Consider older people today.  The generation that lived through the Great Depression learned how to save money.  When times got easier, still they penny-pinched.

Life-long habits reap life-long rewards.

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Will I Pay for the Grocery Game?

Posted on July 23, 2009 by auburnchick

Tomorrow (the 24th) is the last day of my free trial period of The Grocery Game.

For one month, I’ve used the lists as a springboard for saving money.

You have all been reading about my shopping adventures.

Remember…I am not a celebrity.  I’m just a regular gal…the kind you run into every week at the grocery store.

I have not been paid by anyone to try this thing out, nor am I being paid to promote various web sites.

As I said, I’m just your ordinary blogging friend.

What have I learned this month?

  • Saving money takes some work.  Is it worth it?  Heck yeah!  I used to loathe shopping.  Just ask my family.  That’s one reason why Chicky started doing it for me.
  • Repeat after me:  “Thank you, Lord, for technology.”  Thanks to the Internet, there are loads of resources available to help you.  Remember…Google is your friend.  Need a coupon for Kotex (as I did this morning).  Just Google it.  What about Scotch Tape?  I Googled and found a great coupon that I used at CVS this week.
  • Stacking coupons saves you even more money.  Keep in mind that you can use a store coupon along with a manufacturer coupon on the same item.  Use two coupons on B1G1 (buy 1 get 1 free).  You’re getting two items, so you can use two coupons.  This is in addition to any store coupons you might have.
  • Stock up when prices are low.  Web sites such as Frugal Coupon Living, Southern Savers, and I Heart CVS put out lists of weekly store sales.  Make sure you click on coupon links!  Also be sure to check out the comments under these sites’ posts.  There are people just like us trying to figure things out.  In my case, a coupon wasn’t available at the link provided, but I found it at a different link and posted the information.  It’s all about helping out one another.
  • Subscribing to the RSS feeds of shopping web sites such as those above saves a lot of time when hunting for new posts.  Google Reader is my personal favorite.
  • Don’t buy what you don’t think you’ll use.  This is something I’ve done a good job of.  Although I’ve been uber-excited about all of my savings, I have honestly asked myself questions such as, “Will my family eat this?” and “Will this go to waste before we eat it?” and “How many school supplies do the kids really need this year?”  Don’t buy what you don’t need.  Or, if something is free, and you can’t use it, consider donating it to a food bank, school, or homeless shelter.
  • You will, initially, spend the same amount of money as before.  However, as your stash grows, you’ll notice that you don’t need to buy as much.  They say it takes about three months for this to happen.  I think in my case, it will be about two.
  • Save your coupon inserts and write the date on them.  Don’t cut them out before you need them!  Frugal Coupon Living and Southern Savers refers to the name and date of each supplement when providing coupon information.  Trust me.  It’s much easier to find coupons this way.  And, just because you don’t think you’ll need something, you might change your mind later.

Ok…time for some hard-core evaluating.  Will I pay for my Grocery Game subscription?

No.

Here’s why.

After recently discovering the Frugal Coupon Living and Southern Savers web sites, I think I can save money without paying for the “lists.”  These sites put out very similar lists only in a different format.  Their lists come out the first day store sales begin.

Southern Savers put out this post today that explains that they only list sales that reflect best prices, so if something is on sale but not on their list, try to hold off.  Chances are great that the item will be cheaper the next time it’s on “sale.”  This is, essentially, what The Grocery Game does only in a different format.

I will, however, continue to read The Grocery Game’s forums.  They are free.  The ladies there are awesome and will answer your questions quickly and in a friendly manner.

I am so glad my neighbor told me about The Grocery Game.  Her small comment got the wheels in my brain turning, and it piqued my curiosity.  They say curiosity killed the cat.

Well, in my case, curiosity saved me enough money to buy an entire litter, if I was a cat person!

Quite simply put, shopping will never be the same for me.  I like challenges, and that’s how I approach each planned trip to the store.  How much can I save?  Just how close to free can I get something?

It’s addicting.  And it’s like a virus that spreads to those around you.

The gal who bagged my groceries last week watched my bill go from $115 to $37.  She asked if I used web sites, and I gave her three to write down.

Today she bagged my groceries again.  You could see the look of anticipation as she waited for my total.

$54.55…before coupons.

After?

$16.43.

For this:

I had a coupon for every item in that picture.  In some cases, I had two or three coupons.

The Chef Boyardee was free…even a money maker of $.15 after my $1 coupon.

I got six packages of Carefree for $.34…total.  That’s $.06 a piece for a savings of 96% on that item alone!

The bagger was amazed…once again…and told me she had visited the sites I gave her and was planning on giving it a shot.  I wished her well.

I hope I haven’t bored you with my shopping adventures.  I will continue to update my total on the sidebar of my blog.  And there will be posts where I can’t contain myself and will just have to share stories of my latest shopping trip.

I hope I’ve inspired you to start saving.  If this poor economy does nothing but causes us to be more mindful of what we spend, then at least that’s one positive, right?  Why waste money if you don’t have to!

Oh, and for the record, since June 30th, I’ve spent $445.56.  I saved $519.12.  So, WITHOUT the coupons, I would have spent $965.08.  My savings was 54%.

With the numbers laid out like that, I find it a bit disconcerting to think about how much money we’ve been wasting the last few years.

My ultimate goal is to cut grocery and “miscellaneous (i.e. Target/Walmart/CVS)” shopping in half.  I think I’m on my way!

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Where’s My Change?

Posted on July 13, 2009 by auburnchick

Today is Monday.

You know what that means!

Shopping with the “Lists” day!

I actually did most of my shopping last week thanks to the Frugal Coupon Living web site.  But, when the lists came out yesterday, I still spent time studying them, clipping coupons, and preparing myself to purchase the few items I had not gotten.

Here’s what my table typically looks like when I’m in the midst of my preparation…

What a mess!  Fortunately there’s a method to my madness, and in the end, it somehow all comes together.

I won’t bore you with the details of my trip to the grocery stores.  I only purchased a few items there, saving roughly $34.  Not bad, not bad.

Today was CVS day.

Now, I want to share a quick tip that my mom told me about yesterday.  You know that you have to use a CVS Extra Care Buck card (regular store card) to take advantage of their savings.  And you know that Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) sometimes print out if you buy some certain items.

Well, did you know that if you scan your card on one of those price checkers that’s on the end of the aisle somewhere in the store, that you’ll get coupons?

When my mom told me about this, I thought she’d lost her marbles.  No offense to her, but she works night shifts and…well, ‘ya know…

Mark one on the board for Mom.  She was right (ok…so it took me until the age of 39 to admit this).

My two coupons were for store-brand items…one of which I used to buy two jars of peanuts!  What a delicious, crunchy treat for my family of snackers.

The rest of my shopping involved the selection of school supplies.  This week, if you buy a 3 or 5 subject notebook (CVS brand), you get a $3 ECB.  So, I purchased one, used the ECB to buy the next one (saving 77% on this item alone), and used the ECB from that purchase to offset the total of my third transaction.

A small aside:  One of my buy one get one free items rang up wrong.  The tag on the aisle gave a price of $1.99; however, the register scanned it as $2.19.  The item was marked wrong on the aisle.  I got the $1.99 (and heard the manager tell another employee to fix the price displayed).  Make sure you pay attention!!  You never know where you’ll lose money!

After all was said and done, I walked away with this nice little haul…

I spent $13.57 on purchases that would have cost $32.40…for a savings of 58%.

One quick little story.

I started my day with $20 in cash.  When I left, I sat in the car a moment to gloat over my savings…and made a discovery.  I only had $2.23 cents.  I thought I was supposed to have more money than that, so I started looking at the receipts and doing the math on my calculator.

I was short $4.20.

I ran the numbers again and got the same result.

I stood up and checked my pockets.  I thought that maybe I had misplaced some of the money.

After checking my wallet, the bagged items (sometimes I’ve thrown change and receipts in there), and the car, I realized that maybe I wasn’t losing my mind.  Maybe I had been shortchanged.

Receipts in hand, I walked back into the store.

Here’s what we (the cashier and I) pieced together.  After ringing up my second transaction, he set my receipt on his register with the intention of tearing off the ECB from the bottom of it.  In the process, he never handed me my change.  At the end of my third transaction, he handed me the receipt from the second one minus the change.

So, with all of my change now in my hand, I left the store satisfied.

I know there will be more sales on school supplies.  I can’t wait to see what I save when they roll around!

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

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