Sunday

Dear Readers,

It is 7 am on a beautiful Sunday morning and I am trying to hurry up the pancake process so that I can go outside and pick up the morning paper from our driveway.  I don't know if it is the exhilaration of sprinting into the crisp outside dressed in a bathrobe or the thrill to see what is on sale this week, but I love these mornings.  How delightful it is to sit with my cup of tea and inserts, while everyone eats pancakes.

Last week I held out on buying eggs as long as I could.  My husband's omlets dwindled in size from three to one (with lots of vegetables) as our stock of eggs went down.  Target's dozens were around $2.83 and Price Chopper's $2.89.  I had used my last $1 off eggs coupons at Stop and Shop, where it came out to $1.12 with a coupon.  So, I succumbed to shopping at Aldi's, my least favorite store.  Buying 6 dozen there at $1.09 saved me at least ten dollars.  But just watch them be on sale somewhere else this week...

Hope you have fun pre-shopping and menu planning on this beautiful Sunday morning!

Yours truly,
Dilara

On My Way to Wegman's

For a couple months, I have been wondering what all the hoopla has been over Wegman's.  I have a friend who is willing to drive 30 minutes just to shop there, and another who raves about their bakery items, especially the cinnamon bread.

I agree that the store is more spacious and that the prepared foods look marvelous with the variety of international dishes (not that I would ever buy expensive prepared food).  I bought a bag of store brand unbleached flour for only 99 cents and their Lifeway lowfat Kefir cultured milk smoothie probiotic is almost one dollar cheaper than other places, but then again, the store does not double coupons.

This negativity stopped this morning when I realized I was out of garlic.  I learned by shopping around the vegetable aisles, nearby the amazing fresh orange juice stand, that Wegman's sells garlic that has been grown right here in the USA!  Do you know how difficult it is to find this?  And, even their store brand "Food You Feel Good About" offers apple juice that contains juice from the USA or Canada, not China, which even my toddler's Juicy Juice boxes can't beat!

So I guess I am on my way to Wegman's sometime this week, and proud of it.

Holiday Sample Fest

I just learned that on Saturday, December 10th, from 11 am-3pm, the Price Chopper off West Mountain Street in Worcester, MA will be offering "delicious samplings and special offers in every department throughout the store."  Apparently, there will be samples of sweet clementines, turkey rollups, fresh fried Swai fillets, Boursin spreads, Chevrai cranberry cinnamon goat cheese, Central Market Classics -- Italian meatballs, peppermint ice cream, coffee cake, gourmet coffee, dipping sauces, and more.  If you are in the neighborhood, it might be worth a try.  It sounds much more organized  and packed with goodies than a recent fall fest Hannaford in Marlborough offered.

Cashless and Creditless Week

As retribution for overspending last month, I am trying my best this week to not charge anything.  I was able to exchange $20 worth of luau decorations from my daughter's party with Dollar tree grocery items.  From non-nutritious study break staples such as Utz cheese curls to bottled jalapenos and pumpkin seeds (15 g protein per serving, 45% DV of phosphorus, 50% magnesium, plus a lot of Vitamin A, folic acid, iron, niacin, magnesium, and zinc), the food section really has a wonderful selection of inexpensive snacks.

I have a bunch of gift cards to use to help me out this week.  Our neighbors gave us a $50 gift card to Price Chopper on Thanksgiving.  Which was strange, because neither of us really celebrate that holiday (Thanksgiving is every day).  I think they were extending their gratitude for when my husband helped jump-start their car and when he and my oldest son broke down their back door the night our neighbors were locked out of their home...

So, I have this card to use, which is great since Price Chopper has a buy one get one free sale on potatoes this week, along with $1.99 detergent.  Plus, I have a bunch of gas gift cards from when it was a twice the gas points sale at Stop and Shop and Price Chopper.  And, I'll be using my $30 of CVS rewards bucks for food items as well.  Cashews and chocolate (another staple) are all on sale this week over there.

We'll see how this goes...

Free with rebate items

Check out the cleaning product aisle in your local grocery store.  Today I found rebates forms for free Lysol wipes and Woolite pet urine eliminators.  

$2 Milk

The Stop and Shop in Shrewsbury, MA normally sells store brand milk gallons for $2.50.  This week their special is to buy two gallons of milk and receive $1 instantly off your bill.  That's certainly a great deal for whole milk (cheaper than BJs).

Gasping Victory

A wind of exhilaration overcame me the other day as I filled up my SUV for under ten bucks.  I used Price Chopper's two week opportunity of double points with gift card purchases and a $1 off per gallon with a new prescription at their pharmacy to achieve this small feat.  

FREE GROCERIES!

Shaw's supermarket is offering an incredible deal this week -- buy $100 or more of select gift cards and receive a coupon for $20 off your next grocery order (coupon expires 7 days after the transaction).  Our family generally spends at least $2200 a year in books (my kids have to purchase textbooks for school and my husband is also taking classes), so my obvious choice today was to buy $100 worth of amazon.com cards.   Not only did a $20 coupon spit out, but also a $5 one off a $25 gas gift card purchase.  I quickly took these and shopped around for groceries, not remembering until I reached around $18 worth of items to check the clearance rack.  And there they sat -- 3 huge boxes of Pampers, regularly priced at at least $19.99 reduced to only $10!  With the $20 off, that came out to $10 for a three month supply. It would have been cheaper if I had coupons to add to it, but I only had $3 Huggies coupons.  I put the rest of the groceries back, except for the bakery item, a chocolate chip muffin for my daughter.  I'll definitely go back each day this week (limit of one such transaction per day) until the sale ends.  I hope it works for you, too!

A New Month, A New Membership

I am not an avid warehouse shopper, but I finally paid for a membership at BJs, having not shopped there for a few years.  Their new membership fees were attractive:  $40 for 14 months, with a money back guarantee.  The deciding factor was their new gas station.  It consistently sells gas at least 10- 15 cents less than local stations, which should save me money when I am out of Price Chopper Sunoco or Stop and Shop Shell gas points.

I Met My Budget Goal, but...

Finally, after months of overspending, I limited my grocery/pharmacy purchases to $820.07.  What scares me is that I tried really hard this month, grouping coupons with sales and specials, using free coupons from store promotions, and yet, all I did was save $10 from my goal.

It is more than disappointing; even a little depressing.  We have seven members in our family, but surely there are other big families out there that spend significantly less.  Nevertheless, I must keep at it.  Maybe next month I can do even better.

Fall into Savings

Stop and Shop does it again with another free coupon booklet with over $33 worth of savings inside.  My favorite -- a manufacturer's coupon for $1 off two Tropicana orange juices.  I have plans on using this one at Roche Brothers this Tuesday.  Their sale this week is $1.99 for orange juice, not from concentrate, limit 6.  If I buy two, it will cost only $1.98 after using the coupon and having it doubled.  That's 99 cents a container!

Check out Stop and Shop's $10 off Holiday dinner promotion when you purchase $50 in gift cards (not Stop and Shop store cards).  Their Turkey Dinner for Two is only $24.99.  With ten dollars off, $14.99 is a great deal, especially with a nice 8" pie at the end (your choice of apple, pumpkin, or sweet potato).

Are you falling in love with Stop and Shop yet?

Tidbits

I finally made my way inside Roche Brothers last week.  It is an additional twelve minute drive -- a direction opposite to where I generally tend, but I must admit the free coupons I received in the mail from them were incentive enough to make the trek.  The store gave me a strong sense of professionalism, if that is a word that can be used for a grocery store.  The cart attendant, cashier, and bagger were extremely friendly and courteous.  The cart attendant even carried the water bottle packs I purchased into my car.  Someone from management, or someone dressed up in a suit anyway, greeted me in the aisle where my son spilled a mango smoothie which I had just purchased at the Panera in the same plaza.  Immediately someone rolled up a mop cart and took care of the mess.

Tuesdays are double $1 coupon days.  I didn't really have a stack ready (limit is 5), as I mainly wanted to make my minimum purchase of $25 to receive my free mozarella cheese package, tuna fish can, and Poland Springs 6 pack.  But I quickly saw that Kikkoman soy sauce was on sale 2 for $3.  It is a brand I rarely get because of the price (I usually use the dollar store brand).  But, I had a $1 coupon which doubled, making each bottle 50 cents!

My cart quickly filled up with great deals.  Dasani water and orange juice were on sale.  Apples and grapes were under a dollar a pound; apple cider samples were nicely offered by the fruit stations.  By the door a complimentary booklet of recipes and coupons called Tidbits was available.  Inside was a "totally free offer" of New Grain Berry cinnamon bran muffin mix.  I couldn't find the mix, but I used a coupon on the same page for $2 off The Silver Palate Grain Berry Bran Flakes whole wheat, multi-bran cereal with high orac, "more antioxidants than blueberries, pomegranate, or red wine" and "70% less sugar, 30% less sodium, and more crunch."  It was on sale for $1.99, so it became free with the coupon.  Plus, inside the cereal box are $4 worth of coupons.

In essence, I had a great shopping trip and would highly recommend this store.  My next stop this week:  Wegman's.  The grand opening traffic last Sunday (the store was expecting 15,000- 20,000 customers on that day; some people camped out in the parking lot and some travelled from NY and MD!) completely turned me off, but I'll see if the crowd has subsided this weekend and if they offer any good tidbits for coupon moms like me.

Celebrate

I don't exactly understand why the Shrewsbury, MA is celebrating their Re-Grand Opening (this is the second week of celebration).  It coincides nicely with the Wegman's grand opening this Sunday.  Whatever the reason, I certainly am feeling welcomed with their "A Celebration of Savings" coupon booklet.

With a minimum purchase of $15, you can use a $1 off coupon for cookies.  The Stop and Shop brand is only $1, so they come out free.  The $1 off frozen vegetables works nicely with their boxed chopped spinach, which is only $1.09 and their bagged veggies are on sale this week for $1.25, making it only 25 cents.

There are many other coupons I used on my last order -- $1 off eggs, $1 off sugar, $1 off soda, $1 off ice cream.  This week Hood ice cream is on sale 2/$4.  With the coupon, it comes out to only a buck for a half gallon!

If you self-scan your groceries, check and see if you get additional discounts.  Last week I was given a scanned credit of $1 off Tropicana, which combined with a $1 juice coupon from the booklet making it only $1.59 (a great price for my favorite OJ--Healthy Heart with Omega 3 never from concentrate Tropicana).

Finding these coupon booklets might be a little tricky.  The Grafton store had a nice display featuring them (hence the photo), but ironically the Shrewsbury store had the booklets hidden next to a stack of Spanish brochures by a desk in front of the registers (not the customer service desk, however, they had no idea about any coupon specials when I asked).  It might not be fun hunting around, but the coupons, if you find them, can save you a lot of money.

Rolling the Rewards

Here are my recent escapades.
At CVS this week, I bought a gallon of whole milk, two packages of Oreos, two packages of Special K cereal, and two cosmetics items for my daughter which she selected.  I paid $1 cash and then received $3 in extrabucks.

At Rite Aid, I treated myself to my favorite Cadbury fruit and nut bar, 3 packages of colored notecards from the 50% off bin, and four 8 ounce bottles of sanitizing gel.  I paid 38 cents and received $4 back in  +UP Rewards.

And today at Walgreens, I found on clearance eleven 1.5 ounce snack packages of Blue Diamond Almonds Wasabi and soy sauce flavored (8 g protein, 50% Vit E, 25% Magnesium, 10% Calcium and 8% Iron).  In addition, I bought two gallons of distilled water, Halls Warm-ups apple cider flavor drops, and a small package of Nabisco cookies all for 31 cents and then received a $1 rewards coupon.

These shopping experiences were rare to me once before, but now I get the hang of it. I believe it is what the experts (those coupon queens) call "rolling" the rewards.   I use the extrabucks or rewards coupons from previous trips, apply them to current ones, making sure I buy more items that will also bring forth more rewards coupons to use for the next trip.  For example, the Rite Aid sanitizing gels were essentially free since I received $4 in +UP rewards, plus I paid them with previous +UP rewards.

Of course, I had to make an initial purchase of $18, a month ago, for example, to be able to have the Rite Aid +UP rewards to apply to the most recent shopping spree.  But with that initial purchase, I did buy a lot of products (shampoo, toothpaste, body wash) and food items.  The main thing to remember is to keep track of when these rewards expire, because once they do, it is like cash lost.

Check out these Checkout Rewards

I just noticed on the racks where they hold the flyers that Price Chopper clearly prints out a brochure on what their checkout rewards are.  For Advantedge shoppers, for example, if you buy 2 Pedialytes, any size, you save $1.50 on your next shopping order.  Or, if you buy 20 Yoplait cups, you save $2 oyno, buy 4 YoCrunch Greek yogurt cups, sve 50 cents oyno, buy 3 Dole Real fruit bites, save $2 oyno, buy 4 Dole jarred fruit, save 50 cents oyno, buy 4 Dole 8 oz. pineapple, sve 75 cents oyno...

And the list continues.  The best way to use this info is to combine them with upcoming sales and coupons.  

Try Me Free

I love try me free offers.  I can't wait to try this one -- Reynolds Slow Cooker liners.  It's perfect with soup season coming up.  I found the rebate form at Price Chopper and I have until 12/31/11 to purchase it and mail it out.  Did I buy it today?  Of course not.  If I did so, the box would still cost me a stamp.  So I am putting it aside until a coupon comes along in one of the Sunday inserts for just this item.  They'll still refund me the purchase price and the cost of the stamp will most likely be more than covered with the coupon.

Wegmans Countdown

With the Wegmans grand opening soon approaching -- Sunday, October 16 at 7 am, I made sure to visit their website to sign up for their Shoppers Club.  Doing so made me automatically enter their sweepstakes for $500 a and gave me two nice, free gifts -- coupons for a Wegmans reusable shopping bag and a bottle of basting oil.  You can also enter their 5 word contest and possibly win a $25 gift certificate.

In the mail today I received a booklet of coupons for their first four weeks -- things like free (with $10 min purchase) eggs, wheat bread, apple juice, baby-cut carrots, Greek yogurt, steamable vegetables, pasta sauce, and $1 discounts off various items.

Check out their colorful and even instructional website at http://newstores.wegmans.com/Home.aspx
or wegmans.com/northborough

Cover Girl

My daughter was trying to help me out yesterday by cutting coupons.  After checking over her work, I found it ironic that out of all people she overlooked a high value Cover Girl coupon in the Proctor and Gamble insert -- $8 off two make up products !! CVS has Cover Girl products on sale right now, buy one, get one half off.  Applying the coupon, I made 50 cents after getting four products for free.  Check out Rite Aid and Walmart for even lower prices which the coupon can cover easily.

Sunday Inserts

I just loved all of the fantastic coupons (lots of BOGOs) in the inserts today that I had to get more.  I went to a dollar store and bought two more Sunday papers, each stocked with everydaysaver.com, SmartSource, and redplum.com inserts.  Plus, page A2 of the MetroWest Daily newspaper also had a coupon for a free small fries at the Acton McDonald's.  That by itself pays for the extra papers (of course, if I happen to pass by Acton sometime before it expires).

It's the beginning of a new month.  Don't forget to go online and print out coupons from http://www.couponmom.com/printable-coupons-242 .

Another Stop and Shop Coupon Book

A free entertainment guide is now being offered by the front entrance of the Stop and Shops I have been to.  It gives some nice tips, along with recipes for zucchini latkes, cherry and walnut quinoa, crab imperial, gingerbread with golden raisin sauce, and raspberry meringues to name a few.

The best part, of course, are the valuable coupons -- 55 cents off Land o Lakes half and half, $1 off NatureMade products, $1 off CareOne vitamins, $1 off 2 Cabot items (the cheese blocks are on sale this week, I think for only 2/$5!), $1 off any Fruit2day morning product, $1 off two McCormick spices or herbs.

Grab your booklet today!

Free Quick and Easy $2 Extra Bucks

The first 500K people who agree not to be a money trasher will be receiving $2 in extra bucks.
I just bought my favorite Special K cereal there today for $1.99 a box and that extra bucks coupon could have come in handy.  Visit their site for your extra bucks!

http://www.cvs.com/moneytrashers/

The Ulta Experience

I love grand openings.  The Northborough Crossing's Ulta Salon/Cosmetics/Fragrance store gave me the most favorable impression.  Their Revlon and Neutrogena products were all 40% off this week, making the new Revlon Age Defying DNA creme only $8.99.  With a $5 coupon from the Sunday inserts, the bottle came out to only $3.99.  The Neutrogena Deep Clean Face wash came out to $4.41 after a coupon.

With their special flyer coupon of $3.50 off a purchase of $10, my total bill for everything was a mere $5.31!

Signing up as a member of the "Club at ULTA" game me another $30 worth of free products -- Oscar Blandi shampoo spray, Kendra volume spray, and Ulta body lotion and mascara.  

What an "ulta" mate beauty shopping experience!

Saving Green at Walgreen's This Week

I just previewed the store flyer and walked over to all over the FREE signs.  After their register rewards coupons, I left with a bag of free products -- Zarbee's all-natural (honey, elderberry extract, zinc sulfate, melatonin) nighttime cough and sleep drink, store brand 24 count maxi-pads, and a new 5-blade razor package of Remington!

The feminine products was even accompanied with a 50 cents coupon for a next purchase of the same item.  Since there are no limits as to how many of these free products you can buy during the week (only during transaction), one can technically be making 50 cents off each transaction.

One thing I didn't get for free, but bought because it was a good deal -- a 4 lb bag of Domino's sugar for $2.49.  Of course, I used a manufacturer's coupon of 50 cents to make it cheaper.  Too bad it didn't double.

The Chief of Coupons

Our water filter fell apart today, requiring my husband to disassemble it, drive over to one of the local stores to purchase a 3-stage water filtration system, and come back home and put it together.  He checked out the price for refills while he was there -- $29.95 for a 3 pack.

I recently discovered the coupon-saving site http://www.couponchief.com/ and thought I would give it a try.  It was a bit overwhelming at first – there were so many coupons, and apparently some coupon codes worked better than others, which didn’t really make sense to me (why are the ones that have little success still on the website?).  I actually watched the site’s video tutorial and the system cleared up a little for me.

Then I realized how amazing a site it is.  After searching for various items, I ended up with a coupon for Target, one of the stores I had previously purchased refills from.  The online cost for the 3 pack was $32.01, which was fair.  However, www.couponchief.com gave me a $5 coupon code off a purchase of $50.  

For a few weeks now I had been hunting around for my son’s school uniform.  Finding his particular size is challenging.  I ordered from French Toast online, but the pants ended up too large.  To get my money back, I had to return them and pay shipping of over $10!

When I shopped in person at Target, his size was not available.  When I clicked online, I was able to order 3.  And to my surprise, another special popped onto the screen – if you order 3 pieces of apparel, you get a 25% discount.  I would have paid full price anyway, never thinking uniforms could be discounted.

So this wonderful website not only saved me 25% off the clothes and $5 off my order (making the filters cheaper than the store my husband would have bought them from), it also saved me gas and apple juice boxes (which I use to distract my toddler when shopping), but most importantly, time!

I can’t wait to see what more the site offers!  

BOGO -- What I Didn't Know

I used to think that buy one get one free (BOGO) sales were just wonderful.  Well, now I know there is something even better -- using a BOGO manufacturer coupon at a BOGO sale.  The results?  Two free products.

I was skeptical that this would even happen.  But I tried it at Rite Aid yesterday -- the cashier rang up the two deodorant sticks, one at $3.49, the other at $0.  Then, as she entered the coupons, deducted another $3.49!

Plus, the Irish Spring body wash is on sale this week for $2.99.  The register prints out a +UP reward coupon for $2 off your  next purchase.  I would have paid only 99 cents, but then I also used a $1 coupon in my purse, making the product -1 cent.

The best part of the transaction was the Crest Pro Health toothpaste.  It was on sale for $2.69 with a +UP reward coupon for $2.69, but I applied a $1 coupon, making the toothpaste not only free, but a small money maker.

I think Rite Aid is the rite place to go!

Six More Days Left

I have just tallied up all of my grocery and fast food/restaurant receipts and hit an acceptable figure -- $882.05.
Much better than those summer months, but still a bit off target.  The extra amount is attributed to a stock pile of diapers, wipes, vitamins, and Olivio spread that were all on sale.  Plus, I was able to donate a number of grocery items to a local food pantry.  The main problem is, however, it is not the end of the month yet!  I still have six more days to not go over budget (which I already have).  So now I must:

1.  Try my best not to swing by any stores this week.
2.  Rummage through my pantries, refrigerator, and freezer for dishes I can cook.
3.  Stay committed to this budget.

Restaurant/ take-out bills came out to $90.  I don't regret those days, but I'll need to plan things out better -- like buying gift cards to these places ahead of time so that I can at least get gas points or a discount (like at plasticjungle.com) or finding online coupons to these places we frequent for a quick meal.

It definitely looks like no restaurants for this week!

Trip Up a Stony Hill

I have only been to Roche Brothers once.  If I went more often, I might be little more confident when pronouncing the store's name (is it a food store named with the sound of an insect or does it sound like those fancy italian chocolates?).  That grocery chain is a bit of a distance from my home, but close enough to where one of my daughter's SAT classes were being held, hence the rare visit.  I have even had an online grocery delivery order filled by them, using a free delivery coupon and additional $10 or maybe it was more off the purchase.  I was pleased with the way they packed the groceries and delivered it -- so professional.  Plus, as a new customer they gave me a complimentary apple pie.

I was surprised, not being a regular customer, to receive in the mail today a nice refrigerator magnet of coupons for their store -- 8 weeks full of things like free peanut butter, canned food item, half gallon of milk, 5 pound of potatoes.  With their nice sale on seedless white grapes (88 cents a pound) and Tuesday double $1 coupon specials (max of 5 coupons with minimum $25 purchase), I think I might make my way up to this store, even if it is a bit out of the way, like its English origin and old definition, "stony hill."

Going Nuts Over Nutella

What has 3 grams of protein per serving, 4% DV Calcium and 4% Iron?  Nutella, my daughter's favorite sandwich spread (hazelnut with skim milk and cocoa) and alternative to peanut butter (she always prefers to skip the Skippy.)  

Stop and Shop has them on sale for $2.99 and the Shrewsbury store has a display featuring a $1 coupon off 2 containers.  Not an incredible deal, but better than paying the full price of over $3 without a coupon.

Walgreens This Week

I was able to bring home a $2 value lip balm today, for free after a rewards coupon at Walgreens.  I also enjoyed using my $1 coupon off two Blue Diamond almond containers, which were only $3.59, buy one get free.  With the coupon, each high protein container cost only $1.30, not too bad for a nutritious snack1!

A Treat, Not a Trick

My son was delighted to be treated with one of his favorite candies -- a bag of candy corn, of which I got for free after a bonus buck coupon from CVS (and which I paid for from a previous bonus buck).

My youngest son will be benefiting from their diaper and baby wipes sale -- with the purchase of $25 worth of them, I received $10 in bonus bucks.  I make an effort to whizz my rewards card under their red machine each time I go to the store.  The last time I went a diaper coupon for $1 spit out.  I was able to use this, along with the manufacturer's coupons towards my purchase.  What an extra nice treat!

Can You Afford Hannaford?

I rarely go to this grocery chain because of its distance from my house and the sales are not as attractive to me.  The store has a huge ad in this Sunday's Worcester Telegram.  The frozen chopped spinach packages (82 cents) and sale on Quaker Chewy granola bars and canned vegetables is tempting me to make the trip, especially since it is near where I need to pick up my daughter today.  It is also near a dollar store that happens to sell Sunday papers for only $1; great if the coupon inserts are valued more than that, which they generally do.

Check out that paper, if you live in the area, for a $5 off any purchase of $50 or more (valid at specific stores) and info on a store contest -- grand prize is free groceries for a year.

Fresh For Fall

I had a nice time at Shaw's yesterday.  I was able to use my $5 coupon off $25 purchase from their website. Plus, I found some great deals in the reduced dairy shelves -- Yo Crunch Greek Non-fat yogurt for 25 cents and Sargento 8 ounce mild cheddar packages for 75 cents!

At the entrance they are giving a "Fresh For Fall" booklet featuring nice breakfast and lunch tips, along with over $10 in savings.  My favorites are $1.25 off 2 Skippy peanut butter jars, $1 off Minute Maid juice box packs, and $1 off 2 Ziploc brand products.

Saving a Whole Lot of Money

I have never done this before, but I just purchased a deal from Living Social at http://subscribe.livingsocial.com/?ref=affiliates&geo=true.

For $10 I can now go to Whole Foods and buy $20 worth of groceries.  Every little bit counts.
I plan on buying some nice organic strawberries and other fresh fruit so that my children can have, what else, a wholesome breakfast.

Gas Card Opportunity --Check it Out

According to an advertisement in the paper yesterday, People's United Bank is offering a $100 gas card for opening a personal checking account and taking one of three actions they require (see them for specifics, in general they are:  getting direct deposit, paying bills online or using the debit card a certain number of times at least $25 each transaction.

For more info visit https://www.peoples.com/gascard/ and "check" it out.

Shaw's Coupons

I am not much of a Shaw's fan.  Although it is right on the way home after I drop off my daughter to school, the little kid buggy carts are dirty (with no Purell wipes in sight) and the overall customer service in that particular store does not really meet my approval.  These two factors, along with sales prices, generally determine where I spend my money each week.

I did shop at the Shrewsbury Shaw's a couple months ago after receiving in the mail a coupon for $10 off a $100 order.  I just checked out the Shaw's website http://www.shaws.com/savings/index2.jsp to read more about their gift card promotion (which I still cannot confirm) and learned that if you sign up for the Shaw's email savings program, you get a $5 coupon off your purchase of $25 or more.    Plus, if you refer 5 friends to the email program and they sign up, you receive an additional $5 coupon per friend.

Beware that you need to print out the $5 coupon once you sign up, so sign up only when you have access to a printer.

I think I am shopping at Shaw's this week...

Don't Forget

If you get a chance, don't forget to check out MA Coupon Queen Kathy Spencer's website http://www.howtoshopforfree.net/.  I always try to look at it once a week, especially when the Sunday paper coupons come out.  She knows how to work the deals.

Quick preview:  downloadable Robitussin $1 coupon,  Shaw's gift card promotion, clearance sale at Men's Wearhouse, and a penny sale on puzzles at Michael's.

Stop and Shop

College Savings Right on Target

I just found out about an offer from Fidelity:  Open a UFund College Investing plan and sign up for automatic investing of at least $50 per month on the account and receive a $50 Target gift card.

This offer is only good in MA.  I opened one up for my youngest one.

With our local Target sending us tons of food coupons in the mail lately (discounts on grapes, nachos... a free bread and free eggs coupon), I am looking forward to grocery shopping there once I get my gift card in the mail.

Nutritious Snacks for Around a Dollar a Box

I had a great time at Stop and Shop buying Nature Valley granola bars this week.  The sale is 2/$6.  If you buy four, a register coupon pops out for a free milk gallon valued up to $4.50.

I brought four boxes for the cashier to ring up and gave her two manufacturer coupons -- $1 off a box of 2.  I also gave her a $1 off a box of 2 store coupon which I received in the mail.  Since the register did not spit out the free milk coupon, the customer service desk person gave me $4.50 in cash, making my total of $12 worth of granola bars down to $4.50.  That's $1.13 a box, not too bad for a quick, wholesome snack.

What a Delight -- Free Hershey's Air Delight

CVS has a great 99 cents rewards coupon after purchasing the Hershey's Air Delight Bar for 99 cents, making the candy free.  I also used a coupon from the Sunday paper a few weeks back towards this purchase.

Also at CVS this week are Phillips Color Tunes in-ear headphones for only $1.99 (limit of 2) after a $5 extrabucks reward.  I like to keep this on reserve in case my toddler breaks one of the headphones of my older children (this has happened a few times now).

Another seasonal clearance is going on their stores as well -- right now 75% off summer items (sandals, shoes, toys, even swimming diapers).  Check it out (I am holding out to see if there will be an even bigger discount next week!)

A Cart Full of Food

Eager to be recommitted to my grocery bill slashing resolve, I ventured to shop at Aldi's yesterday afternoon.  My expectations of the store -- overcrowded, messy, and overall what my daughter as a pre-schooler would refer to as "gummy," were met with a surprising opposite.  Sunday afternoons are perhaps a wonderful time to shop there, compared to the grand opening week time slot I choose to first visit the store.  Though there were no jumbo cart buggies to entertain my toddler, but instead carts which required 25 cents to operate, the aisles were free, boxes were ready for customers to select (to place paid groceries in), and there was no line.

But most importantly, I left the store with a cart full of food after paying only $23.85.  It was a strange, even nostalgic feeling, paying for these groceries.  The feel of cash (no credit cards or checks are accepted at Aldi's) -- the wrinkles of the bills and the metallic thinness of the dimes gave me the sensation that I was a kid paying an ice cream treat.  The satisfaction was comparable.  $1.49 for 3 pounds of onions, $3.49 for ten pounds of potatoes, $2.89 for a gallon of milk, and 69 cents for a dozen of eggs...  how heavenly!  how gratifying!

This has to make up for that expensive lunch my kids and I had at Hampton Beach a few weeks ago!

Tally

As I reflect on my recent grocery bill tally entries for the summer, I realize what a slacker I have been.  My quest for good times with my family over the summer came at a cost -- a few hundred dollars a month over target.  Despite trying restaurant.com, using coupon inserts for restaurants (or losing them, as I once did), buying from unfamiliar out of state grocery stores instead of hotel room service and gas station convenience stores, continuing to shop for sales and specials, I failed to achieve my grocery bill goal.

It reminds me of a time I was a bit depressed over a high school report card grade --  B+ for a French class, ruining my chance for straight As all year.  I confided with my friend, who, instead of consoling me as I had hoped, shrugged and smiled, "try harder next time."  So, that, is what I must do.  I must try to recap some of those lost funds by trying extra hard these next months to find the best deals in town, holiday or no holiday, road trip or no road trip.  

I'll be sure to share any good deal I find.

Free Eggs

Stop and Shop has a great sale this week:  Buy two Tropicana orange juice containers and get a free dozen of eggs.  I used the $1 off coupon from the booklet the store gave out during the summer, making this an even better deal.  The last day of the sale is tomorrow, Thursday, so check it out soon if you can!

Water Bottle Stock Up

It is such a wonderful sight to see the shelf by my basement stairs stocked with water bottle packs.  After using two $1 manufacturer coupons, a $5 rewards buck coupon, and a $5 off a purchase off $25 coupon I received via my email, and after subtracting  a $10 gas gift card to Shell, I was able to bring home four packs of Nestle water bottles, one 6 roll pack of Scott's paper towels, a pack of 12 Scott toilet paper rolls, and two packages of Turkey Jerky all for only a little over ten bucks!

If you haven't checked out CVS's buy $30 worth of selected products and receive a $10 gas gift card promotion, you must try it!  Generally the items are very useful, fairly good price-wise, and easy to match with coupons.

Gas Savings

Every little bit helps, especially saving $1.10 per gallon at the pump because of Price Chopper points!

Inexpensive School Supplies

This entry is not about something frugal or nutritious, but certainly about something delicious -- inexpensive school supplies.  I hope you have been keeping up with the weekly offers from Staples (5 cent mechanical pencils and index card packs a few weeks ago, for example).  Today I picked up ten 2 pocket paper folders, 2 two packs of black sharpies, 1 two pack of Bic White-Out, and a seven pack of Zebra Z-Grip retractable ballpoint pens, all, after rebate for 59 cents!

I used my Back to School Savings Pass for an additional 15% off my bill (the pass cost $10, but paid off with a previous required purchase of a graphing calculator).

I am so excited to see what next week's sales flyer looks like!

Gluten Free

My kids always love making Rice Krispies treats.  I just purchased four boxes for $8 -- Price Chopper has them on sale this week 4/$8 with their store coupon.  If I only could find my manufacturer coupons to add to that, it would have been cheaper, but I think I tossed them out a few weeks ago because of the expiration date.

Something new we will be trying:  Gluen Free whole grain brown rice Rice Krispies!  Each serving has a nice percentage of vitamins and minerals, 3g protein, and 90 mg of potassium.  Can't wait to taste them with the marshmallows!

Back to School Snacks (Already?)

I fell for Stop and Shop's "Buy any 10 get $5 instantly" incentive for this week.  It is really rather ridiculous thinking that these pre-portioned Cheez-Its and Keebler cookie and cracker packages are actually going to remain untouched during the summer, but I went ahead with the intention that these will be used for back-to-school snacks.  The expiration date for some of them are not until January 2012 (if they last in the house).  The cookie and cracker packages are only $3.99 for 12 (so are the Oreo and Nutter Butter ones, but they are not part of the promotion).  After  $1 cracker coupons, I calculated that each little snack bag comes out to around 25 cents (would have been less if I found even more Keebler coupons; I think they expired).  It came out cheaper than those vending machines my teenagers are attracted to, but I still might have had a better deal at BJs or Sam's Club (I usually don't shop there).

Turning Red After a Trip to Red Lobster

I turned red last week after going out to lunch with my mom and brother.  We each went for the awesome $14 deal, which included soup, salad, an entree (I chose tilapia with rice pilaf and a veggie side), and an absolutely delicious, soft, warm brownie a la mode.  My mother, who donates blood regularly, had received for her donation two $10 gift certificates to the restaurant, so with that, the bill came out to only around $25.  Had I only been organized, I would have remembered and found a $3 Red Lobster coupon right there in my purse.  It's only $3, but it sure was a waste not using it.  I basically tossed out cash (the coupon expired the other day) into the trash can!

Moral of the story:  Get organized.  Know what coupons you are carrying. Separate your restaurant coupons from the grocery ones and keep them handy!

Price Chopper Deals This Week

Price Chopper boasts an amazing "Earn an additional $1.10 off per gallon of gas" this week in their flyer.  In order to achieve that, you need to purchase a dozen rose bouquet, among other things.  I am not too keen on spending $20 for 8 Kellogg's products (namely sugary cookies and cereal, even though my kids would love it) just to save 20 cents a gallon.  However, their "Spend $25 or more on any unilever products in a single transaction, get 30 cents off per gallon" sounds achieveable, plus Unilever will donate $3 to the MDA with every qualifying $25 purchase.

By matching the Sunday flyer coupons with the store sales, buying the Dove Shampoo for $3 will also get me a free Dove Treatment.  Dove Men+ Care Body and Face Wash is on sale for $3.99, plus I can use a coupon of $1 off in the Sunday paper.  Buying the Dove Ultimate Women's deodorant for $3 will also get me a free Dove Men+ Care deodorant.  The Degree Women's invisible deodorant is only $2, plus I can use a coupon of $1 off from the Sunday paper.  Add to this a few jars of Ragu sauce at 3/$5 (I have a $1 coupon clipped somewhere in my purse), two bottles of WishBone salad dressing at 2/$3 (I have a $1 coupon clipped somewhere in my purse), and two cartons of Breyers ice cream at $3 each, and I have my total of $25.99. 

After deducting my coupon total of $4, plus possibly another dollar if I can find my Breyer's coupon from long ago, and maybe another dollar from one more Ragu coupon, I will have spent $22 and have 30 cents off per gallon on my next fill-up.  For my guzzler, that equates to $5.40, which knocks down that $22 to $16.60 for all of those items, plus the free Dove Treatment and Dove Men's deodorant.  Not free, but not too bad, especially if ice cream is involved in the deal.

Check out that flyer.  There are a bunch of other grocery items that can be selected, like Lipton tea, Knorr pasta sides, Country Crock tubs.  I only chose more of the non-grocery items because I had matching coupons.  Have fun!

We're Having Rice Pilaf Tonight

I had been meaning to use my 50 cents Carolina Rice coupon for months now, and finally had a chance.  I was wandering around the grocery store trying to come up with a $50 minimum purchase so that I could use a store coupon for an extra 200 free gas points.  Not exactly extreme couponing, but since I had just flown back from a visit down South,  I needed to do grocery shopping anyway.

The rice package was small, mini-size even, but selling for 10/10.  With the 50 cents coupon doubled, it became free.  I was able to bring down my bill of $84 to $50.01 after all my coupons.  But still, I did have to pay that much before leaving.  My total gas points for the day came out to 449, which equates to around $8 in gas savings, not too shabby.

Oh, and for those of you who do not care about using generic, Stop and Shop has a nice buy one get one free sale on Careone maxipads.  Two packages for $2.59 is not too bad...

Healthy Ideas still on the racks

Stop and Shop is still offering their summer magazine "Healthy Ideas" free to customers in many stores.  Aside from the cool recipes, there are also coupons -- Rinaldi pasta sauce $1 off two, $1 off storebrand baby wipes, 75 cents off two Ragu sauce products, 50 cents off Olivio (my favorite). and $1 off two Morning Star veggie foods products.

The recipe for Green Bean Salad Almondine looks wonderful!

I Scream for Ice Cream!

Stop and Shop does it again!  A wonderful deal this week -- check out your local flyers (I learned that not all Stop and Shops have the same sales at the same time).  Hood ice cream and frozen yogurt is 2/$5.  This week's Sunday paper had a coupon for $1 off of two, plus previous inserts also had Hood coupons.  I was able to buy six 1.5 quart containers for $7, after using three $1 off coupons and their promotion of a $5 instant savings if you spend at least $15 in special Hood products.

That's $1.17 a container.  You can't beat that if you go out for ice cream and buy a small cone, at least in the places I have been this summer.

A Pick Me Upper

No matter where I am in America during these vacationing summer days, I can always count on chain drugs stores like Walgreens and CVS to pick me up when I feel a little bit under the weather.  After a couple days of sneezing and general malaise, I enjoyed getting out of the hotel for something familiar and exhilarating -- getting items for free with Register Rewards.

At Walgreens today, aside from buying my favorite, the Sunday paper (full price at $1.85, too bad), I was able to buy ("like getting purchase free") Hyland's homeopathic Teething Gel and G-U-M Butlerweave Floss, two items light enough to stow in my luggage.  And instead of going through the drive-thru for dinner and buying expensive soda, I just bought a 2 liter of Pepsi at Walgreens for 99 cents, allowing me to save at least a couple dollars.

Don't forget to check out the drugs store sales this week (especially if you are looking for a pick-me-upper)!

Planning on chores?

A recent look at http://www.howtoshopforfree.net/ reminded me to check out the printable coupon websites.  There is a link on this site on how to get a 55 cents coupon off Chore Boy sponges, which if doubled just might get the sponges free or close to free.  Give it a try and keep checking this website out as it is updated frequently.

Cole Slaw -Our new favorite side dish

I used to have no problem grabbing a pre-made container of cole slaw from the grocery stores and paying a few dollars for it (or maybe a little more at a fast food restaurant).  After further nutrition investigation, I have found that the cabbage provides a high source of potassium and Vitamin C. 

My husband and I have decided to prepare cole slaw on our own, without premade mixes or pre-cut veggie bags, but using one important ingredient, Miracle Whip.  His own research found no easy substitute.  So off I went two weeks ago, purchasing Miracle Whip, reluctantly and with only a one dollar coupon.  The cost for one jar -- $5.69!

We were delighted with the side dish we whipped up-- being able to shred the red and green cabbage as thin or thick as we liked and being able to control the creaminess (and fattiness) felt empowering.  I really enjoyed eating a lightly creamy cole slaw; it was completely different from what I had been accustomed to putting in my grocery cart.

Of course the following week the Miracle Whip went on sale for $3.99 at Stop and Shop, so I bought a couple of jars.  This week, it went on sale at Price Chopper for $3, plus if you purchased $20 worth of this and a selection of other products, you would receive 20 cents off a gallon of gas!  So I bought even more jars.

And then yesterday, as I whizzed through the Wal-mart grocery aisle, what did I come across?  Miracle Whip -- regular price $2.50.  I don't think I will be stocking up on this product anymore, now that I know where to just buy it! 

My own ads

How ironic.  A few weeks back I had been searching online for a good deal on class rings.  Apparently my daughter's school makes a big deal out of these things, even setting aside a special event, Ring Day, for the girls to receive their momentos (and a flower, apparently).

Now, after scrolling down to check my total pageviews (just curious... thanks for reading my blog!), I see an ad for a site I did not come across when I was searching.  Ad to this a promo code!

Of course, I already ordered a ridiculously overpriced ring for her (oh, the peer pressure).  If only I knew about the other options.

CVS Free candy again

You must try to shop at CVS this week.  My favorite Hershey's Bliss candy is free after a $5.99 rewards bucks.  I tried the white chocolate "with creamy meltaway center," something I wouldn't have otherwise tried.  I must say, it was blissful to taste such a sweet, free treat.  I actually used a coupon towards this purchase, so not only was the candy free, but an extra dollar was deducted from my bill.

Power Bar Protein Plus Bites is also free after rewards bucks.  The chocolate peanut butter has 20 grams of "TriSource Protein." 

They also had a nice deal on Huggies wipes (buy $25 worth of wipes or diapers and receive $10 in rewards bucks).  Hope you get a chance to check the deals out!

Free Band-Aids

Price Chopper's 99 cents sale on Curad band-aids this week made these necessities (my daughter always needs band-aids) free.  Just find a 50 cents coupon from one of the Sunday paper inserts during the past couple weeks.

Fancy Restaurant Report

Walking distance from our hotel in Ohio, this grill restaurant turned out to be a relaxing, but over-priced meal.  Situated inside a Holiday Inn, it had a sophisticated ambience, with marble floors and an imposing lobby.  I refused to order the salmon, which was around twenty dollars, opting for a tilapia sandwich for ten.  My husband ordered the grilled chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes.  His dish was literally huge, a deep plate, but the food on it was minimal, definitely not eighteen dollars worth.  My boys enjoyed the kid's meal, particularly the french fries.

All in all, the service was wonderful, especially since we were the only family in the dining section.  (I saw another vacationing family by the hostess station looking over the menu.  The little boy motioned closer inside, yelling, "food!" but the parents held him back, and I am assuming they dined at a more cost friendly restaurant.)  The bill, after the restaurant.com gift certificate of $25 came out to $21, which included the $7 gratuity.  Not too bad; it came out to about how much we would have spent at Burger King or some other fast food place.  I would definitely recommend families using such certificates to go during lunchtime (apparently they offered $10 buffets during lunch) and to check ahead and see if it was the kind of restaurant environment their children could behave properly in (my toddler was a bit too noisy for this place, not that anyone could hear). 

I still plan on checking out the restaurant.com website in the future, especially with their occasional 70% off specials!

Fancy Restaurant

I haven't been to a fancy restaurant in a long, long time.  Wendy's, Subway, and pizza take out, and the local mall food court is about as fancy as we get these days, if we ever eat out.  I am anticipating my first time use of a restaurant.com certificate.  The value of this certificate is $25, good on a purchase of a meal for over $35, not including tip.  I am wondering if my purchase of this certificate was a good one (I spent a little over $3 for it, if I remember correctly). 

Tonight we are going to go to a restaurant grill which allegedly offers "fine dining."  I am looking forward to the salmon dish, but am a bit worried about how my youngest will behave.  I'll be blogging about my fine dining experience soon, hoping that the dinner will be nutritious and a frugal one at that!

Free Pastry Reward

I just signed up to become an official member of MyPanera at http://www.mypanera.com/.  After doing so, I already earned a free pastry for my next visit.  I just love their chocolate pastries.  I can't wait to go (once I receive a free Panera giftcard in the mail after using rewards points from my credit card).

What I love about Panera is that they post mini signs which tell you how many calories each pastry item is.  My favorite breakfast item there is the Spinach Artichoke Egg Souffle. Going on their website and using their Nutrition calculator, I have just learned that the serving provides 19 grams of protein, 35% DVof Vitamin A and Calcium, as well as 8% Vitamin C and 15% Iron.  What a wonderful tool.

Summer Savings Coupon Book

Look out for Stop and Shop's Free Summer savings coupon book, which allows you to "save over $26 on all your favorite brands," according to their recent sales flyer.  I haven't taken one yet, but am excited to apply what looks like a possible coupon for Sorrento Ricotta cheese to this week's "Save $5 off your order instantly" sale by purchasing 7 participating items in one transaction (see back of flyer for specific items).  Dannon Danimal Drinkables are 2/$4, Activia Yogurt 2/$4, and Sorrento and Sargento cheeses are on sale, among other diary products (apparently June is "Dairy Month").  I already planned on purchasing some of these items for my kids.  Now they are on sale, with possible coupons to match them, and I'll be saving $5 instantly off my order if I buy 7 items.  Great deals as usual at this store.  (Not free, but fair and nutritious).

Free Meat Coupons

Keep an eye out at the grocery store for these Kraft Foods coupons -- "Save $2 on Fresh Meat with the purchase of Kraft BBQ sauce and two other products" (mayo, Country time drink mix, dressing, Miracle Whip, or A1 Steak Sauce).   I haven't tried using mine yet, but it should be interesting to see how much one can save with a sale.  I found my coupon at Price Chopper in Shrewsbury, MA.

CVS Candy

Not a nutritious deal, thereby not warranting a photo.  But at CVS this week, Mars candy bars - my favorite peanut M&Ms, are on sale 2 for $1.  If you purchase 2, you receive a $1 extrabuck, essentially making the candy, a night-time energy food for my final-exam studying all-nighter teenagers, free. (I had to justify the purchase somehow)

See CVS This Week

This week (and last) milk is only $2.69 (after an extrabuck reward for your next purchase). I can always trust Garelick Farms to hold the Farmers' Pledge:  "No Artificial Growth Hormones."  Though I can purchase milk at other places cheaply, they do not always offer such  "whole"some milk. 

Stride gum is free (after a 99 cents reward coupon for your next purchase).  And Revlon nail polish is only 99 cents after a $4 extrabuck reward coupon.  With my toddler running around the store, reaching out for the sunglasses and candy bars, I completely forgot to use my $2 Revlon coupon, which could have made my nail polish completely free (with an extra dollar on the side).  If I had only clipped my coupons together (they were just stuffed in my designated CVS coupon envelope), I would not have forgotten about it. 

And finally, this week Lipton tea bags were on sale for what I thought was a good deal already -- 2/$5.  If you buy $10 worth of certain products, you get $3 in rewards coupons back.  I just bought four boxes of tea, which we drink every day-- 10 mg theanine and 175 mg flavanoids naturally per serving.  I applied a $1 coupon from this Sunday's insert, making the tea boxes $6 for four, after deducting the rewards coupon and regular coupon. Now that's my cup of tea!

An Aside: My Shopping Exercise

My family members never fail to taunt my aversion to exercise. Of course, our natures are quite a contrast.   Even in the rain, my husband had no problem taking a three mile run this morning.  Two of my black belt children are accustomed to hours of warm-ups, stretches, calisthenics, running, sparring, and practicing techniques.  And of course, my little one is constantly on the move when he is not napping.

Which brings me to my typical retort:  Grocery Shopping (in addition to household chores, raking leaves, vaccuming, running after my toddler, etc) is my exercise.  Most days of the week I go early in the morning after dropping off my kids to school and then go again in the evening (two or three times a week) while waiting for karate classes to finish.  My youngest knows the routine.  We park far away from the entrance, so that he can have a nice little walk in the parking lot.  We recyle cans and bottles, clean up a car buggy for him to sit in after pushing it half-way through the store (that's when my walking pace picks up), and we "Go, Go, Go, Go, on an adventure," like the Cat in the Hat, passing every aisle, saying hello to the friendly people, deliberately sqatting down to put groceries in the bottom basket rack, checking out the deals, and then checking out. 

Granted, my endorphins come not from the rigor of intense movement, but more from saving money using coupons, but all in all, I am burning calories and making the most of my muscle use while walking around.  Where shopping use to be a task for me, I now feel so much more invigorated having a revised outlook on the activity.  So if you don't already, consider having a work out at your local grocery store.

Free Foil

At first I completely disregarded this rebate, since my family doesn't even have a grill.  But now I highly recommend my readers to be on the look out for "Try Me Free" mail in rebate slips at the grocery store.  The only catch is that in addition to purchasing the new "Grill" product, you must also buy any other Reynolds Wrap foil product, excluding 20, 25, 30, sq ft and wrappers sheets.  I went ahead with this, despite the fact that the deal wasn't exactly free.  In addition to the free with rebate Grill foil, I bought a 75 sq ft non-stick foil box, normally priced at Stop and Shop at $6.99, but on sale this week for $4.99.  Plus, I used two one dollar coupons from the Sunday paper, therefore shelling out only $2.99, which is something I would have done anyway for three flimsy separate 25 sq ft foil boxes at the dollar store... so, essentially it did come out to a good deal (with a free "Grill" product as an extra bonus).  Now I just have to figure out what exactly I will use this extra sturdy foil for.

Coupon Alert

Quick reminder to keep your eyes out for coupons.  There are $1 coupons nearby potato chips and nachos racks at the Stop and Shops and Price Choppers I visited recently.  I took a couple of each to keep for a really good sale.  I like to wait for ones which include a free jar of salsa with a purchase of two bags of nachos, for example. 

Pound Cake at Stop and Shop

Wonderful special at Stop and Shop this week -- The pound cake is buy one get one free.  Near the the sign you might be able to find a coupon for Free Cool Whip if you purchase the pound cake and a container of strawberries.  These happen to be on sale for only $1.50 a pound.  So for $7.49, I was able to buy two boxes of Entemann's pound cake, two pounds of strawberries, and two 8 ounce containers of Cool Whip; not all free, but delicious!

Check out the Clearances

I used to be so embarrased looking at the reduced price racks at the grocery stores.  I would prod quickly around the items if there was no one else around the area.  My mentality back then was, buying clothes on clearance was acceptable and even exciting, but food?

Now, I make a point of checking out those racks, generally located in the back of the stores, each time I shop.  I even sometimes buy vegetables that are reduced in price -- eggplant, red and green peppers, tomatoes, as long as there is no sign of mold growth.  I have bought gallons of organic milk for only $2 in the past.  With four kids in the house, consuming it within a two or three day expiration date is no problem.  I have even once purchased an armful of clearanced store brand baby wipes which came out to sixty cents a pack.

The clearance I stumbled upon today was in the dairy department -- Dannon Greek Yogurt, usually too pricey for me to buy.  But with the expiration date of May 19th approaching, they reduced the price to $1 each and added onto each container a fifty cents coupon.  I would have been happy with 50 cents Greek yogurt, but then remembered I had $1 coupon off 2 in my purse (I had cut it out just in case of an event like this).  As I strolled down the dairy aisle I saw a little coupon machine for the exact same product -- Danon Greek yogurt, 75 cents off the purchase of 3.  Applying both of these coupons and the orange discount ones on the containers themselves, my six honey and strawberry Greek containers only cost 21 cents each.  Opa!

Run Like a Champion

For my older three children, I used to buy all their shoes from Walmart, thinking that I was saving money that way.  It was always such a hectic mess in their shoe departments, and a task I disliked so much that I was happy whenever my younger ones could reuse my older one's old shoes. 

My youngest has been wearing a nice pair of shoes/boots that I found at an "upscale thrift store" (that's how they advertise themselves as).  It was a great deal for $4 and looked practically new.  But, soon he will be growing out of them and needing summer shoes.

Today I indulged in Payless' BOGO sale.  It was not the best type of BOGO (buy one get one FREE), but the other kind -- buy one get one half off.  The sneakers which he desperately needed were on sale for $10 (originally priced at $19.99).  So, I purchased two, one size seven and one size eight, for whenever he grows out of them.  It came out to $7.50 a pair -- brand new, name brand sneakers.  Best of all, the service was wonderful.  I went to the store off Route 20 in Charlton where the salesperson dedicated so much time to us, measuring my son's feet, finding some extra pairs from the back storage room that we could select from, chatting with him, and even giving him a sticker.... Making Payless my now favorite place to shop for frugal shoe deals (good-bye Walmart).

Tomorrow's the last Hallmark special day

Stop and Shop's special coupon for $5 off a purchase of 3 Hallmark cards will be ending May 12th.  If you haven't had a chance to buy some nice cards, you still have until then.  I purchased three more today and 2 Gerber Pre-K snack containers (apple wagon wheels).  The snacks cost $2.19 each, but if you purchased 2, a thank-you coupon for $1.50 would print out.  The register total was for $7.35, I applied a $5 coupon from a previous card purchase and ended up paying $2.35, with a $1.50 coupon back for my next purchase, my real total was 85 cents for otherwise expensive finger food, which is great for teething toddlers.  (There is also a deal that if you purchase 5 of these Gerber snacks, you get one for free, but I didn't have any coupons to match it, so only bought 2).

Concerning the register coupons, I always check and confirm that I received the coupon among the receipt and other items printed out.  Today it happened that I did not receive the $1.50, so I needed to go up to customer service and ask them for it.  Generally when this happens, I receive cash.  My husband would be utterly embarrassed to see me have to do this, but it was something I was counting on and I otherwise would not have bought the baby snacks at that price.

Egg-citing

Quick blog today.  I was passing by the Aldi's in across from Worcester's Lincoln Plaza and saw in huge letters -- Eggs 69 cents.  I wanted to take a photograph, but there was a car behind me waiting for me to turn right on red.  If you get a chance, check it out if you are in the vicinity.

At last, the Sunday paper

I have been patiently waiting for a couple months to pass so that I could re-subscribe to the Sunday Telegram.  I was looking for a good subscription deal and the status of new customer (I had to wait a certain amount of time to be able to receive a deal). 

There's nothing like drinking tea on a quiet Sunday morning reading the newspaper and searching for sales.  The Telegram is actually cheaper than the Boston Globe, which I used to subscribe to, plus it has more local news.  The deal which I subscribed to was $79.82 for 52 weeks -- code 'WSPR11' (800-922-8200 in case you are local and interested).  I chose Sunday delivery only, but it also includes Thursday, Friday, and Saturday deliveries.  I end up paying $1.54 a week for four days.  The extra special I was waiting for was a free $20 Dunkin Donuts gift card.  What a deal!

For the past weeks I have been looking on the internet to see what the specials were for CVS and Walgreens, and printing out coupons off websites.  I have not yet resorted to what "extreme couponists" do, such as purchase additional Sunday papers or go through recycling centers for extra copies of the coupon inserts.  This week, finally, I can just flip through the pages with my fingers -- Free ultimate Flora Probiotic vegetable capsules and SunBurnt Therapeutic After Sun Relief products after rebate at Walgreens.  Check-it out if you are passing by one this week. 

Send out those Rebates

Not the best of photos to capture a wonderful moment -- opening up an envelope from the mailbox with a rebate check of $10.47.  The offer from Nexcare for 1, 2, or 3 different types of bandages (fancy waterproof or soft/flexible) is good until 12/31/11 on specially marked boxes.  I used my Walgreens rewards coupons to purchase the bandages, so I never had to actually use cash, but still received a rebate for all three types!  My daughter is so happy that she doesn't have to use the dollar store brand bandages for the next few summer months.

Kellogg's Corn Flakes is also running a "Try Free After Mail-in Rebate" deal with their new "Simply Cinnamon" cereal.  Look for specially marked packages in the cereal aisle.  The sugar load is 6 grams per serving -- high, but a little better than what the kids get from eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch!



Pull out those Cereal Coupons

I was reluctant to post this sale up today:  Price Chopper is continuing for another week its special for cereal -- 4 boxes for $6 (all four must be purchased for that price).  If you happened to save any manufacturer coupons, you can apply them to the sale.  One of the grocery stores was giving away General Mills coupon books a few weeks ago on a rack by the front entrance.  It was a rare sight, but when you see something like that and there are a lot of booklets available, try to take two.  The coupon which I was able to apply to the sale was $1 off 2 boxes.  Since I had four boxes, I could use two of these coupons, making the 4 boxes only $4.  It was a frugal deal, not free and not very nutritious.  My children only care for Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  Although the box claims it has a bunch of vitamins and minerals (ranging from 2% copper to 30% thiamin and zinc and 35% vitamin B12), the sugar load is exhorbitant -- 10 grams. 

Cheerios is clearly the best deal, nutrition-wise.  Aside from 9% daily value of protein and the usual vitamins, it has an amazing 45% vitamin B6, 50% iron, and 60% folic acid.  Grams of sugar?  Only one.  Most of the boxes include a coupon for Pampers -- $1.50 off.  The popularity of it in my house, however, is zero.  My daughter asked, "Why didn't you buy the Cheerios with honey in it?"  "O" well, you can't win them all.  Till my next blog, Cheerio!

Bouquet and Card, For Free!

As I had mentioned in the last blog, Stop and Shop this week has amazing specials -- purchase any gift card of a value $25 and over, and receive a free bouquet of flowers (valued at $4.99).  The bouquet I chose was originally marked as $11.99 (actually, the sticker said $14.99), but it was placed as a manager's special for $4.99.  This allowed me to receive a big, beautiful bouquet of flowers for free, after purchasing a $25 gift card for Stop and Shop, which I will use on my next grocery trip.

The Hallmark card deal is really fantastic -- I selected baby, welcome home, and get well cards, each for 99 cents, and still received the $5 rewards coupon for my next purchase.  By selecting these inexpensive cards through this transaction, I actually earned $2.03 and special occasion Hallmark cards. 

I must not hoard.  I must not be greedy, but this is so enticing to try one more time (my flower vase can hold more, too).

My Heroine

WBZ-TV late last night featured my heroine, coupon queen Kathy Spencer.  Please google her interview, along with previous ones with news stations and newspapers, and learn from her website, http://www.howtoshopforfree.net/.  I can only hope to someday be able to shop and save like her!

Although her ideas for shopping at Stop and Shop this week were already on my to-do list (purchasing 3 Hallmark cards and receiving a $5 rewards coupon and purchasing a $25 gift certificate (I would have just chosen the store gift card) and receiving a free bouquet of flowers), there were so many other money-saving ideas and coupon links.  One coupon which I already printed out was for tobasco sauce, making it free this week once doubled. 

Reading her personal story (and income level on paper) will be an inspiration to you to really "train your eyes" and look out for those deals.  Have fun!

Cream of the Crop?

I love testing out new products, especially when they are free by rebate.  In today's case, Kraft Philadelphia's Cooking Creme was my target.  Usually priced at $3.29 at Stop and Shop, it went on sale this week 2/$4.  I have been collecting coupons for this for a couple of weeks, piling up two from the Sunday Telegram, one printed out from the internet, and a handful from a coupon dispenser right next to the item itself (two weeks ago).

I try to use only pure olive oil for all of my frying needs, except for deep frying, which can denature the olive oil.  So, buying cooking creme was not a priority.  I kept the coupons only because they were for $1.50 off -- a considerable amount.  With the product being $2, it meant each of the 10 ounce tubs cost only 50 cents.  As a bonus, Stop and Shop was throwing in an additional incentive to try the new items -- "Save $1 on the purchase of 2 instantly."  So after this additional subtraction of $3 to my order, each tub was free!

Total fat per serving, 1/4 cup, is 9 grams, but there are some benefits -- protein 4 grams, Vitamin A 10% and Calcium 6% since the main ingredient is milk.  The containers I bought had a small recipe booklet attached to the top.  I am excited to try the Chicken Bruschetta Pasta one-- it does look creamy in the photo. We'll soon see if this cooking creme is 'cream of the crop.'