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AuburnChick Loves Clearance Items!

Posted on October 10, 2009 by auburnchick

Yesterday, I went shopping at Target and picked up some GREAT deals!

I’ve recently discovered Attention Target Shoppers.  If you’ve never visited this site, I strongly advise you to do so.  It will only take one post to convince you to subscribe to it in Google Reader.

After finding some good deals listed, I headed out.  I had the entire afternoon to myself with Chicky and the Mr. gone to see Guy Friend and watch a Rollins game (remember that she will be playing soccer at Rollins next year) and Rooster playing in the band at  an away football game, so the natural thing to do was shop!

Here’s what I got…

I spent $19.18 and saved $37.90 for a savings of 66%.  Let’s look at how I did it.

First, let let say that I’m going to include savings percentages on individual items.  I always run my numbers before I purchase something to make sure I’m getting a decent deal.  I have gotten to the point where I won’t buy something if I can’t save at least 60% or more on it.

Snuggle is on sale this week for $3.99.  One of the coupon inserts had a $3 coupon, making each bottle $.99.  The savings on each bottle was 75%.  I cannot wait for Chicky to see it because we don’t use our dryer, and she’s missed the nice smell from dryer sheets.

Skippy is listed for $2.09.  I matched a $1/1 Target coupon with a $.40 mfr coupon, making these $.69 each.  Think about this…that’s a savings of 67% on this product alone!

Now…clearance items are the best…especially when you can find coupons on them.  The Rimmel was regularly $5.29, but it was marked with a clearance sticker of $2.64.  I used a $1 mfr to make this $1.64…a savings of 69%.

That was all this Target had, so I headed to the SuperTarget located on the beach.

I went specifically looking for the razors, air fresheners, and Febreeze (below) but found an unexpected deal when I spied the shaving cream on clearance for $2.30 from $3.29.  I am so glad I took my P&G savings booklets, because I pulled them out and found a $1/2 mfr.  Since each twin pack had two items, I used one coupon for each duo, making each set $1.30.  Divide that in half, and I spent $.65 per can.  You cannot buy shaving cream that cheap.  Overall, I saved 60%.

The razors were also on clearance…marked down from $7.94 to $6.74.  I had a $4 mfr, taking the price down to $2.74, making for a savings of 65%.  I figured it was cheaper to buy new razors than the refills for them.  Sure, it’s probably not the “greenest” thing to do, but I have to save money right now.

I had $1/1 mfr on Febreeze.  I had read that there were small bottles located near the cash registers.  These weren’t available in my “town” Target, but I found them at the beach.  They were on clearance for $1.67 from $1.99, dropping my price (after the coupon) to $.67 for a savings of 66%.  These will be great to stick in the car.

One of my favorite deals involved the reed diffusers above.  They are on sale for $4.49, and I had printed $3.50 mfr coupons from the internet some time back, keeping them filed for over a month.  The coupons made them $1 each for a savings of 77%.

I was thrilled to walk out of that second Target, although I did notice when I studied the receipt, that one of my $3.50 coupons had not come off.  I walked right back into the store, approached the cashier with the issue, and walked back out with the $3.50 in my pocket…which she gladly refunded.  ALWAYS check your receipts!

I know you’re probably sitting there shaking your head in amazement.  You, too, can do this.  All you need to do is read the sites I’ve provided above and in the sidebar on my blog.  These blogs do the work for you!  All you need to do is keep your eyes peeled, your coupons filed, and your head in the game.

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

Dessert, Anyone?

Posted on September 23, 2009 by auburnchick

I’ve been under the weather this week…thus, the lack of posts the past few days.

Despite being sick, I still managed to drag myself out to a couple of stores to take advantage of last week’s sales.

My favorite deal was the B1G1 on Weight Watcher’s frozen desserts.

During two separate trips, I picked up the following…

Trip #1 - Spent $23.43; Saved $45.11

Trip #2 - Spent $10.48; Saved $49.77

Did your eyes just bug out?

You should have seen Chicky’s when I brought home the first batch.

Her comment?

“Why would you bring such yummy desserts into this house?”

I had to chuckle.

Each dessert was on sale as a B1G1 for $2.59.  I used one Publix $2/5 stacked with one mfg $2/5.  Because I bought ten the first time, I was able to use two sets of coupons, saving $8.  In addition, I had a Buy 4, Get 1 Free (up to $2), so I saved an additional $2 the first day, taking my total on ten desserts to $.30 each!!  The dog food in that picture was free.

Yesterday was the last day of the sale, so Chicky and I ran back to the store.  This time, I was armed with four sets of coupons.  Chicky admitted to embarrassment as I stacked 20 boxes in my cart.  I didn’t have another Buy 4, Get 1 Free coupon, but I still saved a lot and wound up paying only $.50 per box.  The dog food and single jar of baby food were completely free.

You can imagine what my freezer looks like at the moment.  It’s dessert heaven, to say the least.  But, the portions are small, and they are absolutely delightful after a healthy dinner.

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

A Good Student

Posted on September 12, 2009 by auburnchick

Anyone who knows me personally will tell you that whenever I set my mind on something, I don’t mess around.

I devote myself to learning as much as I can about whatever that “something” is.

When the Mr. and I first got married, I was the breadwinner of the family, working my way up the clerical ladder and eventually shifting over to a technical position (computer helpdesk) in my company.

When I decided to take up knitting, I did my homework and quickly jumped into more complicated projects.

When I started writing my blog, I was one term short of finishing my college degree…after a twenty year absence from school.  I studied hard and graduated with a 3.8 GPA, graduating Magna Cum Laude.  During my return to college, I made A’s in every class.

Why am I saying all of this?  It’s certainly not to toot my own horn.

I’m telling you because when I tell people how much I’ve been saving at the grocery store, they always say, “I wish I could do that.”  I also have heard, “That seems so hard.”

Well folks, any time you learn something new, it’s certainly not easy at first.  You have to do your homework, get organized, and stay on top of things so you don’t get behind.

I know life is busy.  I often feel like I’m on a merry-go-round that is being spun by some unseen hand.

But in the end, the payoff is well worth it.

Take, for instance, my recent shopping trips.

During the last couple of days, I made a few trips to Target…

I originally posted that I paid $.78 for the above, but after checking the receipt, I see that I paid only $.37.

I originally posted that I paid $.78 for the above, but after checking the receipt, I see that I paid only $.37.

I recently stumbled across Attention Target Shoppers, a blog devoted primarily to Target deals.  What an amazing site!!

My “research” taught me that if a coupon says “Any Size,” you can use it on travel sized items and save mucho bucko’s.

Did you hear a bell go off in your head?

I sure did after reading that!

Then I read about a Target coupon on General Mills cereal.  It expired today, but it was for $1 off of any General Mills cereal.  This week, Target has General Mills cereal bowls on sale for $.95.

Did you notice something?  You make $.05 on every bowl!!

Cha Ching!

Then, the deal got even sweeter.

There is another Target coupon for $1 off of any 2 Market Pantry cheese products.

Folks…Target sells individual cheese sticks.  My Target has them for $.40.  The cash register does adjust the coupon when it scans, so you don’t get the overage.  Who cares!  Free is free.

Rooster was thrilled with my first purchase.  He LOVES Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

So, I decided to go back for more.  He’s a growing boy and eats constantly.  He’s so skinny that I don’t know where his food is settling.

My second purchase didn’t cost anything…

Paid NOTHING for this second trip!!

Paid NOTHING for this second trip!!

Now, being a good student also involves the skill of observation.

You have to pay attention to prices, and you need to be aware that there might be a better deal than what you read about on the internet!

After reading someone’s blog post about some unadvertised savings at Publix, I headed back over today…

Spent $6.61 and saved $25.51

Spent $6.61 and saved $25.51

While filing coupons this morning, I found another $.60/2 Dinner Kits, and we eat a lot of tacos (think cheap meals here).  We also eat a lot of rice, which was a great deal, and I love mustard and cook with honey mustard (which was free with the purchase of the regular mustard).

Publix also has All detergent (32 loads) as B1G1, and I had two $1 coupons, which made them $2 per bottle.  A steal.  Detergent is pricey (unless you make your own)!

The real deal here, though, was the candle purchase.

See, I had read that the 2oz candles were on sale for $3.19.  The All You Magazine had a $3 coupon on any Glad Fragrance Collection candle.  I also had two $2 coupons that I had printed from the internet some time ago.

When I got to the candle section, I noticed that the 4.9 oz Glade soy candles (notice that they are the bigger ones) were marked from $5.99 to $2.99.  Less money for a better candle.

Guess what I did?  I bought one candle and made a penny.  I used the other two coupons and paid only $.99 for each, saving over 80% in the process.

But folks, the story doesn’t end here.

As I was checking out, my mother-in-law called to tell me about a new coupon booklet she had just found…

Her call reminded me that I had somehow missed a lady who was passing out coupons in the store.  So, before heading out to my car, I made a beeline for her.

Guess what she had?

Yep…the above booklets.

So, I got four and headed to my car.

I sat there, talking to my mother-in-law, while flipping through the booklet.

Guess what I found?

$3 coupons on Glade candles.

There were also $1 All laundry detergent coupons in that thing!

Guess what I did?

Yep.

I went back in the store and got four more candles and two more bottles of detergent.

I spent $5.03 and saved $31.99 for a savings of 86%.

Oh yeah, Baby!

When I got home, I admired my candles…

See, I have this thing for air fresheners.  I love them!  With three dogs and two stinky teenagers in the house, we need all the help we can get!!

You know…as a college student, I never tired of making my A’s.  I knew I had worked hard for them and savored every one of them.

The same goes for the other areas of my life…knitting, shopping…whatever it is.

It’s a feeling of accomplishment…having done a good job.

I think I did good today.

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , , , | 5 Comments »

AuburnChick Saves $100 on Groceries

Posted on September 11, 2009 by auburnchick

Oh, you guys, I am really doing the happy dance right now!

It’s all because of money…money that I DIDN’T spend!

Wanna see what came home with me during today’s excursion?

Now, first of all, one thing is missing from the photo.  Imagine another package of Bounty napkins.  I forgot that I had set it down on the dryer when I walked in the house.  I think my hands were full, and I was trying not to trip over the dogs.

Ok…let’s talk numbers first.  See, I’m not going to make you wait for totals this time because I want you to be so excited that you read how I did it.

After the cashier took my coupons off of my bill, I had saved $99.98.

However, this afternoon, while writing this blog post, I found three coupons that I had not pulled out of my purse this morning.  I mean, they were in the pile, but I had a few coupons that I wound up not using, and these got mixed in with them.

So, I trotted my little aggravated behind back to the store.  It was worth it when I got back $3.39.

One of my friends saw and acknowledged me, but I didn’t hear her because, in her words, I looked like I was in deep discussion with the manager.

I was.  Anytime “you” have “my” money, I’m gonna get it back.

So, with the rest of my “change” back in my pocket, my savings totaled $103.37!!

No, you did not misread that.  That’s more than $100 off of my bill!

I only spent $42.96

My bill would have been $146.33 if I had not combined store savings with coupons.

So, I saved 71% today!!

Now, let’s look at how I did this.

General Mills Cereal – B1G1 @ $3.99
Used:  $.50 mfg AND $1 Target coupons (one set per box)
Spent:  $.50 per box

TGI Friday’s Frozen Snacks – B1G1 @ $3.59
Used:  $1 mfg AND $2 Publix coupons from the Toss for Cash booklet (one set per box)
Spent:  NOTHING! This was a MONEYMAKER of $1.20 per box!!  And I bought six!!!!

Pillsbury Toaster Strudel – B1G1 @ $2.49
Used:  $2 mfg coupons (one per box)
Spent:  $.25 per box

Lender’s Bagels – B1G1 @ $2.15
Used:  $.50 mfg (from All You Maagazine, but I only had one for all four bags) AND $.75 Publix coupons from the Toss for Cash booklet
Spent:  $.20 per bag

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest – B1G1 @ $1.79
Used:  $1/2 mfg coupons (one per set)
Spent:  $.40 per box

Old El Paso Dinner Kit – B1G1 @ $3.03
Used:  $.60/2 mfg coupon
Spent:  $1.22 per box

Old El Paso Seasoning Mix – @ $1.19 (not on sale)
Used:  Buy 2 Old El Paso Dinner Kits, get a Season Mix Free (up to $1.09)
Spent:  $.19

All Detergent – B1G1 @ $5.99
Used:  $1 mfg coupons (one per bottle)
Spent:  $2 per bottle

Philadephia Cream Cheese @ $1
Used:  $1 mfg coupons from the Publix Grape Magazine
Spent:  NOTHING!

Kraft Shredded Cheese @ $3.49
Used:  $1/2 mfg coupon
Spent:  $1.25 per bag

Green Giant Frozen Vegetables @ $1
Used:  $.50 mfg coupons
Spent:  $.50 per box

Healthy Choice Steamers @ $2.50
Used:  $2 mfg coupon
Spent:  $.50

Progresso Soup @ $1.25
Used:  $1.10/3 mfg coupon
Spent:  $.88 per can

Skintimate Shave Gel @ $1.66
Used:  $1 mfg coupon
Spent:  $.66

Bounty Napkins @ $2.99
Used:  $.25 mfg coupons and $1 Publix coupon (repeated for each package)
Spent:  $1.74 per package

Charmin Toilet Paper @ $6.15 (not on sale)
Used:  $.25 mfg AND $.55 Publix coupons
Spent:  $5.35

Bounty Paper Towels @ $2.05 (not on sale)
Used:  Buy 3 particular items (this is why I bought two packages of napkins and the Charmin), get one roll of paper towels free
Spent:  NOTHING!

I also bought milk and meat, which were not on sale and for which I did not have a coupons.

And that was my shopping at Publix today!

I am excited because I broke the $100 ceiling.  I mean, after the first total, I was like, “C’mon…another $.02 and I would have been there.”  But after those three coupons and a price adjustment of something that did not ring up correctly, I did it!

Fridays are always good.  Saving so much money made it even better!

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , , | 6 Comments »

A Glimpse at AuburnChick’s Stockpile

Posted on September 9, 2009 by auburnchick

I was recently told that I’m a hoarder.

I beg to differ.

The correct description of what my couponing has led to is “stockpiling.”

I think it’s a crime to pass up deals in which you walk out of a store paying little to nothing for the items in your bags.

After yesterday’s post, Pat commented that she would like to see a picture of my stockpile…now that I’ve had a few months to collect items.

So, here ya go!

The first picture is my “real” pantry…

And here’s my laundry room/2nd pantry…

I sat on the washing machine to get a better picture…

If you look closely, you’ll see that one box of Crackerfuls has been opened, as have the Caprisuns on the top shelf…evidence that school has officially begun.  The kids were sternly warned not to graze too much on these items during the summer.  I easily envisioned them tearing through the laundry room, leaving only a trail of crumbs.

My children have been fortunate enough to have lunch food every day, saving even more money in the process.

Don’t ya just love this couponing thing?!  I know my family does!

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

How to Stretch $10

Posted on September 8, 2009 by auburnchick

Oh you guys…I had a fantastic day!

First, I got to sub for my favorite teacher.

Picture this…a clean classroom with lime green walls.

It sounds a little strange (the green walls, I mean), but it’s really quite eye-catching and endearing.

My students were attentive as we listened to The Scarlett Ibis.  It’s a short story that takes you through a range of emotions.

Then, coupons in hand, I went shopping!!

Woo Hoo!

I just HAVE to share the deals I got today!

First was Publix…

Ragu – $1.29
Used:  $.55 mfg AND $.75/2 Target coupon
Spent:  $.37 per jar

Popsicles – B1G1 @ $3.99
Used:  $1 mfg AND $.75 Target coupons
Spent:  $.25 per box

Ball Park Franks – B1G1 @ $4.09
Used:  $1 mfg
Spent:  $1.55 per pkg

Sara Lee Hamburger Buns – $3.19 (not on sale)
Used:  Buy 2 Ball Park Franks get Sara Lee Buns FREE
Spent:  NOTHING!  FREE item!!

Ritz Crackerfuls – 2/$4
Used:  $1 mfg AND $1 Harveys coupon
Spent:  NOTHING!  FREE items!!

Publix Reusable Bag – $.99
Used:  $.99 coupon
Spent:  NOTHING!  FREE item!

Grand Total Spent:  $4.31
Total Saved:  $32.84
Percent Saved:  87%

Then, I went to Target…

A shout-out to my mother-in-law, who came across more coupons and passed them along!

Chef Michael’s Dry Food – $4.26
Used:  $3 mfg AND $1.50 Target coupon
Spent:  NOTHING! This was a MONEYMAKER of $.24!!!

Chef Michael’s Wet Food – $.84
Used:  B1G1 mfg AND B1G1 Target coupon (the Target coupon actually took off $1 – go figure)
Spent:  NOTHING!!! Both cans were FREE!

I bought a little something extra to get the total over 0 because the store’s system won’t allow negative amounts.

Grand Total Spent:  $1.23
Total Saved:  $6.67
Percentage Saved:  84%  (this is misleading only because of the extra item I purchased)

After running to Target, I spoke to my mother-in-law, who mentioned another deal at Publix, so back I went since my ads run Wednesdays through Tuesdays (this was the last day)…

Publix recently put out Toss for Cash coupon booklets.

The coupons inside are STORE coupons, which means that you can stack mfg coupons with them.

The one I was interested in was the $3 when you buy 1 40oz Heinz Ketchup AND 2 Ore Ida Tater Tots or Fries.

This week, the ketchup is on sale 2/$4…a GREAT deal on its own.

My mother-in-law had figured out that by purchasing the smallest box of fries ($1.13), she could get the threesome for $1.26.

Good deal, eh?  Especially when you consider that the ketchup is regularly $4.58.

This was right up my alley because the Mr. had specifically requested this brand of ketchup.  I’ll use whatever is cheapest for cooking, but it’s gotta be Heinz for hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries.  Trust me…we’ve done blindfolded taste tests before.

Anyhoo…

Before I left home, I googled for mfg coupons for both products but came up empty.

I figured it was a great deal without additional coupons, so off I went.

I got to the freezer section, and what did I find?

A blinkie (a machine that spits out coupons)…suctioned to the glass door.

What was in the blinkie?

Mfg coupons for Ore Ida fries.

No kidding.

The coupons were $1/4.

Before leaving home, I had clipped four Publix coupons, so I had already planned on purchasing eight boxes of fries.

This coupon saved me an additional $.50 per “threesome,” taking my total from $1.26 to $.76.

Yeah.

I felt like I’d won the Lotto.

Ok…maybe not quite as good as that but pretty darned close.

I HAD to call my mother-in-law on the spot.

She was astounded because she had visited two Publix stores today and never saw the blinkies.

Grand Total Spent:  $3.04
Total Savings:  $19.56
Percentage Saved:  87%

Total for the Day:  $8.56

Guess what we’re having for dinner?

Hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, and corn on the cob.  If you only include what I bought today, I’ll be feeding my family dinner and lunch for a few days for less than $10.

Oh, and the dogs?

They’re eating Filet Mignon.

Living like royalty, I say.

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

My Week in Pictures

Posted on September 4, 2009 by auburnchick
Shopping at Target: Spent $9.83. Saved $23.81

Shopping at Target: Spent $9.83. Saved $23.81

Free Samples in the Mail along with Coupon Booklets

Free Samples in the Mail along with Coupon Booklets

Pele has grown to love tennis balls

Pele has grown to love tennis balls

Preparing for my Publix shopping trip

Preparing for my Publix shopping trip

Publix Trip: Spent $38.95; Saved $78.93

Publix Trip: Spent $38.95; Saved $78.93

I donated this bag of food today.

I donated this bag of food today.

Bex Socks...in progress (Cookie As pattern from Sock Innovation)

Bex Socks...in progress (Cookie A's pattern from Sock Innovation)

One baby hat (Project for Hope) complete!

One baby hat (Project for Hope) complete!

Mr. Bear decides to try it on...

Mr. Bear decides to try it on...

Roosters Band Helmet

Rooster's Band Helmet - First Football Game Tonight

Filed under: children, Knitting, Pets | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Seven Cents for Spaghetti Sauce!

Posted on August 20, 2009 by auburnchick

Guess what today was?

SHOPPING DAY!!

My Publix starts new sales every Wednesday.  It usually takes me a couple of days to research how I want to use my coupons to get the most for my money.

I think I did a good job today.

Take a look at the following:

See those two black Publix bags?  They’re reusable, and I got them FREE today!  For every two boxes of General Mills cereal I bought, I got a free bag.  There were peelies on the cereal boxes, and I had already planned to buy the cereal because it was B1G1, and I had big coupons.

As I watched the gal bag my groceries, I was astounded at the amount each bag held…

The bags are a lot wider and deeper than they look hanging up in the store!  They hold way more than the plastic bags you typically carry your stuff in.  Plus, they are a lot more durable.  I have two more coupons for them…good until 2010.  I can’t wait to get more!

Ok, so…inquiring minds want to know…what was in the bags, and how much did I save?

A few highlights:

Uncle Ben’s Rice – B1G1 @ $1.49
Used:  $1 mfg off of each box
Spent:  NOTHING!  This was a MONEYMAKER of $.51

Ragu – on sale for $1.29
Used:  $.55 mfg (one per jar) AND a $2 off of 3 jar competitor store coupon
Spent:  $.22 for all three — $.07 per jar of sauce!!!!!!

Mott’s Apple Sauce – 3/$5 (I only bought one at $1.67)
Used:  $1 mfg AND $1 competitor
Spent:  NOTHING!  This was a MONEYMAKER of $.34!!!!

Edwards Pie Slices – B1G1 @ $2.85
Used:  $1 competitor (one per box)
Spent:  $.75 for both – that’s $.37 each!!!!!

Grand Total Spent – $25.13

Total Saved – $92.18

Percent Saved – 73%

You guys, I know it looks like a lot of hard work, but it is really worth the effort!

Here’s how I do it each week.

I read both Southern Savers and Frugal Coupon Living updates.  I mainly shop at Publix, so I especially focus on its store list each week.  I check A Full Cup for coupons.  It’s a GREAT resource!

I copy the list from either Frugal Coupon Living or Southern Savers (they do different stores…I mostly use Publix) into a Word document.

Then, I go through each item and ask myself the following questions:

  • Will I use this or is it something I can donate?
  • Do I have the coupon(s) for it?
  • How much will it cost in the end?

I run numbers.  After figuring in the final price that I will pay (after coupons), I determine the percentage I’m going to save.  If it’s 60% or over, and I’ve answered yes to the above questions, then I will buy it, and it stays on the list.

If I don’t have coupons or know I won’t use something (baby food, vitamins, etc.), I delete that item from the list and move on.

Southern Savers and Frugal Coupon Living provide you with links to sites where you can print specific coupons.  It’s right there for you, so it’s easy!  Sometimes, you won’t be able to print a coupon.  That might be because the specified number of printings has already been reached.

Because I have my new coupon filing system in place, I have a much easier time locating coupons.

I got my list together last night while watching television.  On the list, I wrote down the coupons I had and the value of each.  It’s useful when going back and looking over your receipt.  Cashiers make mistakes.  Especially when you hand them 36 coupons like I did today.

I waited until this morning to head to the store.  A rested brain was needed.  I popped on my headphones and listened to music while I did my thing.

When I shop, I’ll note the price of each item.  My store’s prices tend to run higher than what is listed online.  I want to make sure each item rings up properly.  I’ve caught myself scanning a receipt, noting a huge price difference and realizing that I bought the wrong size of something.

Checking out is the most fun part.  I always apologize to the person standing behind them and warn them that they might have to wait awhile.  Most people are polite.

Then I keep an eagle eye on the register’s screen…especially when the coupons are getting scanned.  I ask the cashier if she’d like competitor coupons separate from the others because they have to manually enter them.  My favorite cashier is awesome and takes them in whatever order I give them to her.  I also try to keep coupons for free items separate.  Those have to be entered manually as well.

And folks, that’s all there is to it.

Yeah, it does sound like a lot of work now that I read back through the above.  But, the best I can tell, I don’t have a money tree growing in my back yard, so I’ve got to save where I can.

Shopping has almost become like a game for me.  I follow the rules but take advantage of the perks that the manufactures offer (coupons, rebates, etc.) for buying their products.  It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Oh, and before I forget, here are two coupon links.

Pat (thank you!) sent me this one for $.75 off of one gallon or two half-gallons of Borden milk.  Click on Coupons (middle left of the page).

Here’s one where you can sign up for a free sample of Yoplait Whips.  I accidentally found it when I was googling for a rebate form for yogurt I bought last week.

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Coupon Categories

Posted on August 13, 2009 by auburnchick

Coupon Queen paid me the ultimate compliment.

She told me that she likes my coupon binder and asked me to provide a list of the categories I came up with.  You see, she’s going to make one for herself!

I thought I would go ahead and post these here, in case anyone else can use them.

Before I list them, let me suggest something to you (something I wish I’d thought of before setting up my binder).  Keep all of your category letters separate.  By that, I mean, keep the A’s together.  If you have open slots at the end, don’t automatically start with the B’s.  Just leave them in case you need to add more A’s later.

When making my binder, I accidentally left out a few categories, and rather than moving my labels around (I’m anal in this way), I stuck the new categories at the end of my binder.  It’s going to drive me nuts, I know, and I might eventually go back and slip them in.

Ok…now for the categories…

A’s

Air Fresheners
Apparel

B’s

Band Aids
Batteries
BBQ Sauce
Biscuits
Breakfast – Frozen
Bread
Butter

C’s

Cake
Candy
Canned Meat
Canned Veggies
Cereal
Cheese
Chips
Cleaning
Contacts (here I mean solution)
Cookies
Crackers
Cream

D’s

Dairy – Miscellaneous
Dental
Deodorant
Dish Detergent
Dressing
Drinks

E’s

Eggs

F’s

Feminine
Flour
Foil/Plastic Wrap/Wax Paper
Frozen Dinners
Fruit

G’s

Garbage Bags
Grilling
Ground Beef

H’s

Hair
Hot Dogs

I’s

Ice Cream

J’s

Jelly
Juice

K’s

Ketchup
Kleenex

L’s

Laundry
Lotion

M’s

Makeup
Mayo
Medicine
Milk
Muffin Mix
Mustard

N’s

Napkins

O’s

Oil
Office Supplies

P’s

Paper Plates
Paper Towels
Pasta
Peanut Butter
Pet
Pizza
Plastic Baggies
Pop Tarts
Postage Supplies (could put these coupons under Office Supplies)
Poultry
Produce
Pudding

R’s

Razors/Creams
Rice

S’s

Sauces – Miscellaneous (I figure hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, etc. could go here)
Sausage
Soap
Soup
Spaghetti Sauce
Spices
Sugar
Sunscreen
Syrup

T’s

Toilet Paper

V’s

Vitamins (I don’t have this category in mine, but you might need it)

Y’s

Yogurt

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

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 »

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