Saving your Dollars

SPENT $63.00 SAVED $73.00

This week was Harris Teeter Super Doubles which happens about every 8 weeks.  They will match any coupon face value up to $1.98.So if you have a coupon for $1.50 off, you actually get $3.00 off!

   

FIRST STRIKE
Harris Teeter Spent $43.00 and Saved $44.00

My goal is to at least match what I spend in savings which I managed to do.
A few of the super deals:  Ziploc Containers - .27, 7th Generation Automatic Dishwasher Detergent - .99, French Bread - .49, Skinny Cow Ice Cream that is to die for - 1.99, California Pizza Kitchen - 3.99.
I also picked up a FREE scanner/copier on FREECYCLE (the print function misses every now and then but  I only needed a scanner)!

SECOND STRIKE

Harris Teeter & Kroger Spent $20.00 and Saved $30.00

 A few of the super deals: Kroger:  Stoneyfield Yogurt -.25, Bread - 1.39, Box Granola - 1.49.  Harris Teeter:  3 Pastas - FREE, Syrup - .79,
4 Apples - .91, 5 Limes - 1.00, Can Soup - .55, Welch's Grape Juice - 1.99.

It always fun to shop on Super Doubles week!  If you need help getting started or have found deals yourself this week - would love to hear from you - leave a comment below. - Rebecca

2011 Deals Begin

 SPENT $22.00

PAID .25 at CVS for 7 products



Something had to have been in the water this past Monday.  I ventured out to sell an item I had listed on Craigslist with only 5 coupons in hand.  I didn't even take in ANY coupons to Kroger and ended up saving $6.00.  This is how it all went down...

   

Spent $22.00, Saved $32.00, and made $12.00

14 products purchased, 5 coupons presented


I sold my craigslisted wallet for $12.00, then I walked down to CVS and presented 5 manufacturers coupons, a $10.00 CVS ECBuck and a .50 ECBuck that spit out of the machine in the store and purchased 4 Reach toothbrushes, 2 packs of floss, and a bag of Starbucks coffee and PAID .25.  I knew it was going to be a pretty decent transaction but not quite that good.  In the end, I received $6.00 CVS ECBucks back. 

If I would have walked in and just blindly bought a bag of  coffee, it would have cost me $7.00.  I now have enough toothbrushes and floss for my husbands shiners for the year.

Next stop was Kroger.  I purchased a few items and looked at my receipt - darn that Kroger - they once again didn't give me the sale price for two items.  The good thing about Kroger is that they refund your money if the price you pay is not correct!  So I got some Parmesan Cheese and Seltzer for FREE. 

Check your receipt in Kroger, this is not my first time catching wrong price ring ups.

Last stop was Michael's.  They have regularly been printing 40% off, 50% off coupons in the newspaper.  This week the framing department was INSANE because they published a 40% off and a 25% off coupon on top of that.  I didn't have anything requiring framing but did need a special frame for a photo of my Grandparents that my mom gave me for Christmas... so it happened to be 30% off and then I used the 25% off coupon in the paper, getting a NICE $7.00 frame for $3.70... and the register spit out a coupon for 50% off my next purchase... allowing the deals to go on...

I would love to hear about your deal - share your blog link below if you have one! 

-Rebecca

Saving your Dollars

 SPENT $6.50



This week was Kroger Mega Event which happens fairly frequently.  You get $5.00 off when you purchase 10 participating products.  Since I only shop for a household for two, it really has to be the right combination of products in order for me to take advantage of their Mega Events.  Kroger also matches coupons up to a face value of .50. So, for example, if you have a coupon for .35 off, you actually get .70 off.

   

Kroger Spent $6.50 and Saved $22.00

I didn't get anything for free but nearly everything was really cheap.  Never any deals on bananas - so sad.  I purchased 13 products, presented 9 coupons and several were .50 or less so matched by Kroger.  Ten products qualified as "mega deals" so got $5.00 off my total.
This was my second strike this week. 
My first trip I spent 23.00 and saved 40.00.



So, what would I have gotten for $6.50 if I had not taken advantage of the "Mega Deal" and used coupons?  Three items: a lousy loaf of bread, some Party Mix, and evaporated milk.  

If you need help getting started or have found deals yourself this week - would love to hear from you - leave a comment below. - Rebecca

Read about more deals.



Coupon Crazy

Being unemployed, I wanted to participate in some way to the family household finances.  I wasn't contributing to income but I could save on what we spent each month.  I started looking at the basics - what do we HAVE to consume each month.  Mostly food and gas, a night out every now and then, medical and pet care, and time with friends.  The last three items were not going to change but the first item, especially food, could be drastically improved. 

There is a wealth of information online about couponing and deals.  It's taken me about 3 months of study, trial and error, and many shopping trips to understand the system.  Each Sunday my back porch becomes "coupon central", cutting and filing coupons from the local newspaper.  I've even "dumpster dived" in the recycling bin at Whole Foods and horrified my husband by stealing a box of newspapers from the neighbors curbside recycle bin!  A Tidy Cat Litter or a Party Mix coupon is worth diving for in my household!  During the week I print coupons from various websites online and get deals in my email inbox.

Over the last several months I've gotten the following items free:  50 photo prints, Olive Oil, Cat Treats, Dog Treats, M&M's, Allergy meds, Vitamins, Peanut Butter, Jelly, 7th Generation Dishwasher Detergent, Yogurt, Box Envelopes, Mailing Boxes, Worcester Sauce, Chinese Food, Quaker Oats, Soup, Beans, Guacamole, Candy Bars, Cereal samples, Starbucks pastries, and more.  I've gone from spending $75.00 a grocery trip to $10.00!  It's CRAZY.

I met a local couponer rummaging through her large coupon book at Harris Teeter and now we trade coupons and chat about our amazing deals!  I recently joined the Newcomers Club - Saving Money 101 group that currently has about ten members. The popularity of couponing is on the rise because of the economic downturn.

HOW TO GET STARTED:  The first step to saving is to learn your frequently visited store policies.  The "hot" stores with the best deals that are the easiest to work with are Harris Teeter, CVS, Kroger, and Publix.  We don't have a Publix here but there are a lot of published deals online.  Harris Teeter has the best coupon program for a grocery store in our area.  Teeter will "match" your coupon up to .99 AND every 6 weeks or so they have something called SUPER DOUBLES where they match coupon face values up to $1.99.  Which means if you give them a coupon for $1.50 they will take $3.00 off your item during super doubles week!  Kroger will match coupons up to .50.  No other stores in my area will match so I typically shop at Teeter and Kroger.  Did you know that if Kroger over charges you for an item, they will pay you DOUBLE the price of the item for their mistake!  If you're a senior, most stores have a discounted "senior shopping day".

With some good planning, you can structure your shopping to get the best deals and save your dollars for something more interesting than a jar of nuts!  Email me or post a comment if you need help getting started.

Watch my blog and you'll see more shopping deals and tips!

-Rebecca

Check out more deals with coupons