Get Groceries Free

We needed some milk and I had a CAT left over from the Kraft BBQ Sauce deal that was going to expire so I popped in yesterday.

(2) Twix – sale BOGO – .88
(2) M&M – sale BOGO – .88 (rang up .89 each but MVP took off .90 making them both .88)
(1) Gallon Milk – 2.89
Subtotal – 4.67
- 1.78 – (2) bogo coupons .89/each
- 2.50 Cat
Subtotal – .37
Tax – .14
Total OOP – .51

Retail Total – 6.45
Coupons and sale – 6.08
Tax – .14
Percentage Saved – 92%

Thanks to A Full Cup I was able to these amazing deals this afternoon at Food Lion!

Transaction 1
(1) .84 lb Top Sirloin Steak – reg. 5.03 – sale 2.93
.99 lb Food Lion Provolone Cheese – reg. 3.95 – sale 2.96
1.30 lb Fried Carolina Turkey – reg. 6.49 – sale 3.89
Subtotal – 9.78
- 1.00 – 1.00/5.00 Butchers Brand Beef Flip
- 3.00 – 3.00/10.00 Deli Flip
Tax – .18
Total OOP – 5.96

Transaction 2
1.01 lb Smithfield Chopped Ham – reg. 3.02 – sale 1.50
.98 Carolina Fried Turkey – reg. 4.89 – sale 2.93
.98 Smithfield Chopped Ham – reg. 2.93 – sale 1.46
1% Gallon Food Lion Milk – 2.89
Wrigley’s Gum – .69
Subtotal – 9.47
- 3.00 – 3.00/10.00 Deli Flip
Tax – .23
Total OOP – 6.70

Retail Total – 29.20
Savings Total – 18.14
Total OOP – 12.66
Percentage Saved – 57%

Not only do I use coupons to save money but I also have other ways to save money that I want to share with you. You may already be aware of these tips but there may be some here you are not aware of. If you have a great tip that is not listed please leave me a comment at the bottom so that I can start taking advantage of it and also add it to this list!

Eating Out Tips (or in)

• Lets say you want to have a weekly Pizza Night, instead of ordering a pizza to be delivered (can cost $20 and up), unless you have an awesome coupon or deal, stop by the grocery store and pick one up for under $10 and bake it at home. You will save at least 50%! We have a local pizza place that offers a large one topping hot and ready to go for $5 all the time so we just pop in there if I do not find it a better deal at the grocery store. (Little Caesar’s Pizza) 
• Steaks can be super expensive. Right now the best deal I have around me is $4.99/lb. What I have found to be a really cheap alternative is going to a local steak house with a buffet which offers steaks on the buffet (cooked to your specifications) after 4pm. You get a plate and fill it up with whatever you choose for just $4.29/lb. I can get a pound of Fillet Mignon, Porterhouse, T-bone, etc.  for just $4.29/lb cooked and ready to eat! All I do is fix the sides at home and for under $10 my entire family can have a steak dinner!
• I can not stress enough that before you go out check online or in your local paper for coupons! My family likes to eat out but the cost is just too much. There are many places that offer coupons in the papers or online. For example, Chic Fil A will often put coupons in our paper for a free kids meal wyb any value meal.  My husband and I can order our meals and the kids can eat free. Sonic will also offer many great coupons in the paper as well. Also, be sure to check to see if they have a loyalty program or mailing list that you can sign up for. They will offer coupons many times if you sign up. Sometimes you can get free meals! Just keep your eyes out for them. 
• Sometimes you can find travel magazines in the restaurants off major interstates. Shoney’s is a restaurant around here that has them in it. If you pick up one of those magazines you will find that not only do they have great hotel and entertainment savings but local restaurants will also offer great savings. 
• Restaurant.com offers gift card purchases for super cheap. Right now you can get a $25 gift card for $10 and depending on the offers they have sometimes they are even less.

Clothing and Accessories

• I have found that purchasing clothes from mass merchandisers may not always the cheapest option. Many times I can get my family name brand clothes from department stores cheaper. Belk and JC Penney for example will put their clothes on clearance for 75% off and up around the middle of the season preparing for the next season. I have been able to get my kids Ralph Lauren dresses for as little at $5! 
• Again, I can’t stress this enough, look for coupons! Many times I have found that stores will give you a coupon if you sign up for a mailing list or join a loyalty program. I have also found them in the paper. The two above mentioned stores offer $10 off $50 purchase very often. Combine those coupons with great sales and you can really come out cheap!
• My husband and I needed new shoes. We did some research to find what the best shoes were for us and we set out to find a great deal. Everywhere online we looked the cheapest price for them was $69.99 (reg. $104/each pair) but we went to our local Shoe Carnival and found the same exact shoe (maybe not the same color) on sale for $35. Not only were they a great deal (50% off of the online sale prices; which are usually cheaper) but they were also offering a buy one get one 50% off. So we were able to get both pairs of our shoes for $58 (which included tax)! That was a savings of  72% from the original retail price ($104) for both pair and an 80% savings for each pair! I forgot to mention that these are New Balance shoes.
• My daughter needed new shoes as well. We have a store near us called Liquidation Wearhouse. We went in to see what they had in stock and found her shoes on clearance for $12! These were Nike that normally sell for $45! That was a savings of 73%! My point is shop around. If you are not in dire need of something right now but know you will need it soon take the time to shop around and sooner or later you will find what you need for a better price.

Household Items

• Last year our refrigerator went out and we needed a new one. Instead of running out and buying the first thing we saw we shopped around in our town and the town next to us. What we found was even if you are shopping at Home Depot in “X” town and find an item is full retail, town “Y” may have the same item on clearance. We found a stainless steel GE Profile in our town for $2600 that we really liked but found the same exact fridge in the town next to us on clearance for $1500. The only reason it was on clearance was it has a small scratch on the very bottom on the side. It is set back into a wall so you can’t see the scratch! Not only was it on clearance but we also showed them the paper that offered 10% off any Energy Star appliance and we negotiated with the sales man. We walked out paying $1000 for it! But wait it just gets better. We used a credit card (hate the things most of the time!) that gave us 1 year no payments no interest. Of course we are paying each month to get it paid off before the interest kicks in so we will not pay any interest on it. They also threw in a 3-year warranty so if anything goes wrong they will fix it or replace it at full retail value. What that means is if it goes out we will actually get a $2600 credit! I love my fridge so I hope nothing goes wrong but if it does then we will actually profit $1600! Sure we could have purchased a cheaper appliance but this is an Energy Star so we will save on our power bill but if/when we put the house on the market stainless appliances will result in more money! Percentage saved: 61.5%
• Its true what they say, “When it rains it pours”. Just before Thanksgiving last year my dishwasher went out. Instead of running out and purchasing a new one I just washed the dishes by hand until I found one I liked at a reasonable price. Because we purchased a stainless refrigerator we wanted to also purchase a stainless dishwasher. We intend on replacing all of the appliances with stainless (as they go out). Now, the dishwasher I had was a top of the line Kitchen Aide that the previous owners of our home purchased just before we bought the house. They paid about $700 for it. It actually was highly rated but from day one it never washed the dishes right. I had to wash them before putting them in the dishwasher. It took upwards of 4 hours to wash a normal load. Anyway, my point is is it is not always best to go with top of the line. One day about 3 weeks ago I was in Best Buy and decided to go over and see what they had in stock and found a stainless Whirlpool on clearance for $299! The regular retail price was $599. My husband spoke with the sales person and they dropped the price another 10% and my Father-In-Law gave us a gift card with $12 left on it. Our out of pocket, including tax,  was….$284!!! Not only was it a great price but the Energy Star rating is $35/year!!! Percentage saved: 52%!
• We currently need a new bedroom set but I refuse to go to a furniture store and pay full price for one. My plan…Craigslist! Craigslist.org is a great place to find all kinds of different items really cheap! We purchased our couch and love seat from someone on Craigslist. It was only two years old and used in the unused sitting room of their house. It is a Broyhill set and was originally more then $1000 for the set. The price we paid…$200! Most items are used and being offered by the owner but some are brand new offered by dealers. If you are ever in need of something check out Craigslist to see if you can find it cheaper!
• For outdoor and sporting gear there is a great site that offers a deal of the day at super low prices. SteepandCheap.com also offers a toolbar that you can download that alerts you of the deal of the day. Check them out!
• Tell friends and family when you are in need of something. They my be shopping around for the same thing for themselves and you can get their old items. Example, my inlaws recently purchased a new mattress and boxspring set (within the last 2 months). They found they could not get any sleep on it because they actually needed a different type. So they set out to purchase a new set, again. They called my husband and offered their two month old set to us! That means we got an almost brand new set for FREE! The original retail price on this set is around $1600. Percentage saved: 100%

Household and/or Automotive Repairs and Services

• A year and a half ago I was driving down the road and ran over a nail. Unfortunately, the nail went into the sidewall. If you know anything about tires any kind of damage to the sidewall of a tire is not repairable. So, off we set to find a good price on not 4 but 2 new tires. You see if your tires are in overall good shape you can just replace 2 at a time. We decided to replace the back two tires but instead of putting them on the back we took the front tires and put them on the back and put the new tires on the front. In doing the research we found that the cheapest place around town was Sam’s Club. The only problem was we were not members.  The difference in the cost of the tires at Sam’s Club and everywhere else we checked was about $150.00. To join the club was $35 per year so we decided that even if we joined the club and paid the $35 membership fee we still saved $115 off the cost of our tires. 
• Barter. If you have a service that someone else is in search of and they have a service you are in need of trade off. This is another time when Craigslist.org is a good option. The site has a Barter section under the for sale section. For example, there is a person offering house painting services for $16/hour or they are willing to trade for food and/or gas, ect. 
• Car detailing, oil changes, ect. If you are able to do these things then you know how much money you are saving, but if you are unable to do those things for yourself then you want to find the best deals. We have a local auto shop that offers a fleet account. If you have 3 cars or more you can have a fleet account. My husbands family decided to go in together and add all of their cars so that we could take advantage of the fleet account. Basically, with the fleet account what would normally run $36.95 we are able to get for $26.95 and that is an oil change with the topping off of all fluids and a car wash and interior cleaning. My advice is call around and find out if anyone in your area offers reduced prices if you have more than one automobile. If they require more autos than you have go in with friends and/or family so that you all can take advantage of the lower costs. 
• Lets say you need your heating and air unit replaced. This can cost thousands of dollars if you just pick up the phone and go with the first person on the list. What I recommend is shop around and get bids from multiple companies. If you like and really want company “A” but they have one of the higher bids and company “Z” has the lowest bid then show company “A” company “Z” bid and see if they will match it or come close to it. If they can not match it then you have two options:
  • Just walk away! You have to be willing to do that because this is a financial decision and if you truly do not have that much money then that is what you will have to do.
  • See if they are willing to throw in other services, upgrade the unit to a better unit or maybe an extended warranty to offset the extra cost.

A Few Extra Tips

• With the economy the way it is right now pretty much every price you see is negotiable. Even medical procedures are negotiable. Some doctors will knock 10 – 50% off of the cost of a procedure or service if you pay up front. Uninsured people are more likely to get the 50% off. 
• If you find something you really want but it has a price tag you don’t like it never hurts to ask for a better price. This works really great if the product has been in the store for a while. Let them know that you know the product has been there for a while. Ask the sales person if they can come off the price and if they tell you they don’t have the authority tell them you want to speak with the manager. Don’t let the employees know how desperate you are to purchase something always seem as if you are just browsing. If you walk in with a desperate look on your face then they will not give you a better deal. Once you start the negotiating do not concede! If they are not willing to go as low as you want (within reason) then walk away, leave! Almost always they will stop you before you get out the door and offer you a better price. If they don’t then take your business else where. Someone somewhere will be willing to let you have what you want for the price you want it. 
• Some places also offer a referral fee. Our Optometrist offers a referral fee. My grandmother referred me to him and she received a $25 certificate for her next visit. I then referred my husband and I received a $25 certificate and my husband referred my brother to him and my husband received a $25 certificate. 
• Cell phone services, credit card interest rates, mortgage interest rates are all negotiable. If you have been a long time customer of your cell phone company give them a call and see if they have a better package available for you. You can do the same with your cable services. Sometimes they will throw in premium channels for free for a year. Credit card interest rates are also negotiable. Call and simply ask if they can give you a better rate. I know you are surprised to find that your mortgage interest rate is negotiable but it is. Call a couple of brokers and ask for a “good faith estimate”. Once you have them take the best offer to your bank and see if they will match it. Sometimes you will find that they will even do better than the best offer! Of course anything dealing with interest rates is dependant on your credit score and current payment history. I do not recommend trying to negotiate if you are behind on your payments or your credit score has dropped. These two things can make your interest rate go up and not get better.

As you can see you do not have to just use coupons to save money! I am sure there are many, many, many more ways to save money but this is what I have come up with so far. As I learn about more ways I will be sure to add them to this list. 

During the past week it has been very hectic with my birthday, spring break and many other things going on so I have not had a chance to post the few trips I have made to the stores. Here is the breakdowns of what I did:

Food Lion

10 ct Snowflake rolls
Arnold bread
Land o Lakes deli cheese
(4) cans Tuna
2 ltr Dr. Pepper
(2) Deer Park Aquapod
(4) Deer Park Spring Water
(8) Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes
(3) Ramen Noodles
(2) Underwood Deviled ham
Hungry Jack Potatoes
Wonder Bread
(2) Juicy Fruit Gum
(2) Nilla Wafers
(2) Wheat Thins
Bunch bananas
Food Lion Potato Salad
10pc fried chicken
On The Go Bistro Mac and Cheese
Cool Whip
Heafty Foam Plates
Philly Beef Stakes
French Bread Sticks
Glade Plug In
Glade Plug In Refill

Retail Total – 130.70
MVP Savings – 49.63
Coupon Savings – 42.82
Tax – 2.59
Total OOP – 38.25
Total Savings – 92.45

Harris Teeter

(4) Kelloggs Pop Tarts
(3) Kelloggs Mini Wheats
Snickers Bar
Yakisob Noodles
Vegie Spirals
Diet Dr Pepper
Brakestone Sour Cream
(8) Pts Strawberries

Retail Total – 69.91
VIC Savings – 38.03
Coupon Savings – 15.64
Tax – .60
Total OOP – 16.84
Total Savings – 53.67

Save A Lot

3 lbs Red Delicious Apples
12 oz Bacon
2.37 lbs Bananas
Flour
Honey Buns
(3) Cherry Pies
64 oz Orange Juice
Salad Mix
4 lbs Sugar

Retail Total – 15.29
Tax – .31
Total OOP – 15.60

Total for all transactions
Retail Total – 215.90
Loyalty Card Savings – 87.77
Coupon Savings – 58.46
Tax – 3.50
Total OOP – 70.69
Total Savings – 146.12

Total Available To Spend $1856.39
Year To Date Savings – $2306.86

#cheaptweet

I ventured out last week to a couple of places which included Target, Walmart and Food Lion. I did very good I just wish I would have posted my deals earlier and I wish I could have done more deals. Look at everything I got!

Target

Here is the breakdown:

(5) Goldfish – reg. 1.77/ea – 8.85
(6) Motts Applesauce – reg. 1.67/ea – 10.02
(1) Minute Maid Juice – clearance – .69
(2) Hillshire Farm Roast Beef – reg. 3.59/ea – 7.18
(2) Huggies Wipes – reg. 5.99/ea – 11.98
(1) Cascade Rinse – reg. 3.29 – 3.29
(1) Kashi Bar – reg. 3.29/ea – 3.29
(1) Hefty Trash bags (not pictured) – reg. 6.64 – 6.64
(4) Silk Chocolate Soy Milk – reg. 2.94/ea – 11.76
Subtotal – 63.70
- 41.68 Target and Mfg coupons
Total – 22.02
Tax – 1.98
Total OOP – $24.00
Percentage saved – 65%

Walmart

(4) Tucks To Go Wipes – reg. 2.64/ea – 10.56
(3) Animal Massagers (not pictured) – for the girls reg 10.00/ea $30 – clearance 2.00/ea & 2.50/ea – $6.50
(1) Ear Infection Monitor – reg. 58.64 – clearance 13.00
(1) Gillette Fusion Power cartridges – reg. 14.28
(3) Sea Pak Shrimp Poppers – reg. 1.32/ea – 3.96
(1) White wheat Bread – reg. 1.78/ea – 1.78
(2) Sunsilk Mousse – clearance 1.00/ea – 2.00
(3) Kashi Cereal Bars – reg. 2.97/ea – 8.91
(1) Special K Bliss – reg. 2.50/ea – 2.50
(2) Thomas’ English muffins – reg. 1.97/ea – 3.94
(5) Huggies Clean Team Wipes – reg. 1.64/ea – 8.20
(8) J&J EZ Grip Soap – reg. .97/ea – 7.76
(1) Girls Tights – reg. 3.97 – clearance 2.00
(8) All You Magazines – reg 2.24/ea – 17.92
Subtotal before sale and coupons – 174.42
Subtotal after sale – 103.31
- 44.00 coupons
Subtotal After Coupons – 59.31
Tax – 5.97
Total OOP – 65.28
Percentage Saved – 66%

Food Lion

I do not have a picture for this.

(2) Ritz Crackers – reg. 3.99/ea – 7.98
(3) Food Lion Oatmeal – reg. 2.35/ea – 7.05
(7) Tombstone Pizza – reg. 4.99/ea – 34.93
(1) Hot Dog Buns – reg. 1.07/ea – 1.07
(2) 18-pk eggs – reg. 2.39/ea – 4.78
(4) FL Tuna – reg. .87/ea – 3.48
Subtotal before sale and coupons – 59.29
- 40.03 Sale and coupons
Total after sale and coupons – 19.26
Tax – .52
Total OOP – 19.78
Percentage Saved – 67%

Here is a recap of the numbers:
Totals before sale and coupons – $297.41
Sale and Coupons – $196.82
Total OOP – 109.06
Percentage Saved – 64%

Not a bad haul. The girls have been sick so I thought the little massager’s would be nice and they have used the so much we have changed the batteries twice! I also got the Ear Infection Monitor because all of the girls have fluid on their ears and I wanted to be able to monitor it.

Total Available To Spend $1984.99
Year To Date Savings – $1,689.18

Here is a great deal that you should take advantage of before tomorrow if you get a chance! I went in yesterday armed and ready and I must say I did great! I was so excited about my deal that I did not take a picture when I got home so I apologize for that but here is what I did:

(1) Arnold Natural Bread – reg. 2.79 – sale 1.99
(1) Healthy Accents Body Wash – reg. 3.65 – sale 2.49
3.95 lbs Bananas – 2.65
1.53 lbs Zucchini – reg 3.04 – sale 1.97
(2) Voila Shrimp Scampi – reg. 3.99 – sale 2.99 – 3 day sale 1.99 – 3.98
1.02 lbs New York Strip Steak – reg. 10.09 – sale 5.60
3.82 lbs Country Style Pork Ribs – reg. 9.51 – sale 5.69
(1) Gallon milk – 2.99
(1) Kingsford Charcoal – 8.99
Subtotal Before Sale and Coupons – 49.69
- 13.34 MVP sale
- $3 off Butchers Brand Beef WYB Kingsford Charcoal (automatically comes off)
- $1/$5 BB beef purchase FLIP
- $1/$3 Healthy Accents FLIP
- $6 Kingsford Pork Coupon
- $3 off Kingsford Charcoal
Subtotal After Coupons and Sale – $22.35
Tax – 1.03
Total OOP – 23.38

Total Savings – 27.34
Percentage Saved – 55%

Total Available To Spend $2,119.39
Year To Date Savings – $1,398.95

#cheaptweet

We needed a couple of items from Food Lion so I took a quick trip around the corner. I did not do too bad but I have done better. I have also had three sick little girls so I picked them each a suprise up to lift their spirits. They had their fleece throws on clearance for $2.49 so I picked them each up one. As you will see they were very happy with their new blankies.

(3) Fleece throws (reg. 5.00/ea and$4.99/ea) – 7.49
(1) Bread – 1.99
(2) Kids Boost – (reg. 11.99/ea) – sale 19.98
(2) Red Barron Pizzas – (reg.5.49/ea) sale 7.98
(1) Milk – 2.99
(1) 20oz Diet Dr Pepper – 1.39
(1) Ketchup – (reg 2.05) – sale 1.39
(1) $1 Easter Seals Donation (recd coupon booklet and entered to win basketball goal) – $1
Subtotal before sale and coupons – 59.96
- $1/2 Red Barron Pizzas
- 1.39 Free Diet Dr Pepper coupon
- 11.99 Free Boost coupon
- 11.99 Free Boost coupon
Subtotal after sale and coupons – 17.83
Tax – 1.27
Total OOP – 19.10

Total Saved – 42.13
Percentage Saved – 69%

Total Available To Spend $2,142.77
Year To Date Savings – $1,371.61

As you can see they are happy with their new throws. Mallory(4)  fell asleep, Abigail(6) grabbed my Nintendo DS and started playing, and Natelyn(9) played Mario Cart on the Wii. Ah, what a peaceful time this was .

Once again I have gotten behind on my posting! Last week I got some really great deals from Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Walmart and CVS. My totals are as follows:

Harris Teeter

(6) Emerald Trail Mix – bogo 2.69 – 8.07
(1) South Beach Cereal Bar – sale – 2.50
(1) South Beach Fiber Bar – sale – 2.50
(1) Kellogg’s Pop Tart – sale – 2.00
(2) Electrasol – sale BOGO – 5.99
(1) Dasani Water – 1.39
(1) Sunkist drink – 1.49
(5) Colgate toothpaste – sale – 7.20
11.76 lbs Chicken Leg Quarters – sale – 4.36
(4) deli ham packages – raincheck b1g2f – 4.49
(2) deli cheese – raincheck b1g2f – 4.49
(1) pkg Pastry Bites – $1 deli coupon attached – .89
(1) pkg brownies – $3 deli coupon attached – 1.49
(1) Bryers Ice Cream – sale – 1.99
(1) Country Crock w/calcium butter – sale – 1.19
(4) Kraft Cheese – raincheck bogo – 7.58*
(1) Sargento Cheese – did not ring up correctly; should have been 1.95 – 3.89
Subtotal – 65.51
- 41.80 coupons
+ 1.92 tax
Total OOP – 25.63
Savings – 80.96
Percentage Saved – 68%
* If these had rung up like they would when they are in stock and on sale I would have been able to use two more coupons boosting my savings from 3.00 to 6.00. My oop on this cheese would have been $1.58! Oh well, you can’t win them all.

Walmart

(3) Motts for Tots juice box – 8.04
(1) J&J Cotton Swab – 1.38
(2) J&J EZ Grip Soap – 1.94
Subtotal – 11.36
- 6.00
Tax – .27
Total OOP – 5.63

Food Lion
 
(1) Hefty Easy Grip Cups – 1.99
2.23 lbs bananas – 1.45
(1) FL Salsa – 1.39
1.98 lbs Red Seedless Grapes – 3.94
FL Sliced bacon – sale – 1.79
(2) Hefty trashbags – bogo – 5.88
(1) Gallon milk – 3.69
(1) Tyson nuggets – sale – 4.99
(2) Red Barron Pizzas – sale – 5.48
(1) FL French Fries – sale – 1.79
(1) Sparkle 8 roll – sale – 5.99
(1) Yoplait Strawberry – sale – 2.00
(1) Olive Oil – sale – 3.50
(2) Planters nuts – sale – 3.68
(2) FL Cocoa Crunchies cereal – sale – 2.00
(1) Welchs Juice – sale – 2.24
(2) Kraft Cheese – closeout – 3.58
(2) Misc Items – 3.33
(1) FL Buttermilk Biscuits – 1.69
(1) Hefty Lawn/Leaf bags – 7.99 (had to have them and did not have time to shop around)
Subtotal – 68.39
- 17.00 coupons
+ 2.43 tax
Total OOP – 53.82

CVS

(3) Wavy Lays – sale – 6.00
(1) Tostitos Scoops – 3.00
(1) Mountain Dew – 3.34
(3) Pepsi – 10.01
(1) Tostitos Salsa – 2.99
(1) Lays Ranch Dip – 3.69
(2) M&M’s – 2.00
(4) Gillette Venus Razors – 31.96
(4) Electrasol Power Tabs – sale – 11.96
(2) Kleenex AntiVirus – sale – BOGO – 2.39
(6) Hershey’s Bars – sale – 9.00
(1) CVS Chewable Aspirin – 1.99
(2) Theraflu – 13.18
(1) Throat Coolers – 4.99
Subtotal – 106.50
- 39.30 coupons
- 48.67 CVS coupons and ECB’s used
+ 3.25 tax
Total OOP – 21.78
Used 43.67 in ECB’s and earned 40.98. I will be sending off for my Lays coupon rebate as well.

Total Available To Spend $2195.87
Year To Date Savings – $1194.68

I am trying to get caught up on all of my posts. Here are the deals I took advantage of over the last two weeks. Sorry it is so long.

01/09 – CVS

Transaction 1 (card 1)
Nutra-Trim Gum – 3.99
- 3.00 ECB
Subtotal – .99
Tax .07
Total OOP – 1.06 (paid w/gift card)
Earned 3.99 ECB
Savings – 4.00

Transaction 2 (card 1)
Nutra-Trim Gum – 3.99
- 3.99 ECB from previous transaction
Total OOP – 0
Earned 3.99 ECB
Savings – 4.99

Transaction 3 (card 1)
Nasogel – 7.99
- 3.99 ECB
Subtotal – 4.00
Tax – .27
Total OOP – 4.27 (paid on gift card)
Earned 7.99 ECB
Savings – 3.99

Transaction 4 (card 1)
Ritz Cheese Crackers – .40
Nazogel – 7.99
Coke Zero – 1.49
Coke Zero – 1.49
Ritz Bitz bag – .99
Subtotal – 12.36
- 7.99 ECB
Subtotal – 4.37
Tax – .23
Total OOP – 4.60 (paid with gift card)
Earned – 7.99 ECB
Savings – 7.99

Transaction 5 (card 1)
24/7 Lip Plumper – clearance – 10.00
- 10.00 off any 24/7 product CVS coupon
Total – $0
Savings – 19.99

Different Store

Transaction 1 (card 1)

Infusium 23 Conditioner – clearance – 1.87
Gillette Fusion Power razor refills – 14.99 (dh needed them)
Gillette Fusion Shave Gel – 4.19
Subtotal – 21.05
- 4.19 – Free shave gel wyb razor refills
- 1.87 – $3 Infusium q adjusted to make product free
- .50 – Shave gel q
- 3.99 – ECB’s from previous transaction
- 4.00 – Gillette Razor coupon
Subtotal – 6.50
Tax – .84
Total OOP – 7.34 (paid for with gift card)
Savings – 20.17

Transaction 2 (card 2)

Nutra-Trim gum – 3.99
Tax – .27
Total OOP – 4.26 (paid for with gift card)
Savings – 1.00
Earned $3.99 ECB

Transaction 3 (card 2)

Nutra-Trim gum – 3.99
- 3.99 ECB from previous transaction
Total OOP – $0
Savings – 4.99
Earned $3.99 ECB

01/10 First Stop – WALMART:

Dove Chocolate Bar (because we were standing in line 30 min!) – .64
Aquafina Water (Again because we were in line 30 min!) – 1.38
Whole Wheat Tortillias – 1.92 (will show pic and explination later)
Kraft Shredded Cheese – 1.90
Kraft Shredded Cheese – 1.90
Fried Apples – 1.22
Loaf Italian Bread reduced – .90
(2) cans peaches – 2.00 (will make peach cobbler)
BHG Tea gift set – clearanced in Christmas section (was $10) – 2.00*
Total – 13.86
Tax – .28
Total OOP – 14.14 (Yep you are not seeing things…I did not use the first coupon.:})

* Not only did I get a great deal on my hot tea but it also had a card in it for a FREE year subscription for Better Homes and Gardens!

Here is what I did with the tortillas. We wanted to have tortilla chips with chili and when I looked on the side of the bags I did not like what I saw. For every 9 chips there was 8g of fat and the wheat tortillas only contained 1g fat. For each wheat tortilla I was able to make 8 chips. To make them all you need to do is cut each tortilla just like you would cut a pizza. Lay them on a baking sheet and I like to spritz a little cooking spray on them to help make them brown and crisp up (the cooking spray does not contain any fat or cal). Pop them in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 min until golden brown. VOILA! You have tortillia chips. Each pack of 8 tortillas would make about the same number of chips as in a good bag (the cheapest I found on sale at Walmart was $3). By making them this way not only are they better for you but they were $1.08 cheaper! If you wanted to you could sprinkle with low sodium salt or sea salt and eat them just as they are. We chose not to do this because the wheat tortillas are a bit sweet. PERFECT with the Taco salad and chili we made.

Second Stop – ALDI SUPERMARKET

(2) Gallons 2% Milk – 3.98
(4) Vienna Sausage – 1.72
(1) Graham Crackers – 1.29
(1) Saltines – .89
(1) Kit Kat Bar – .59 (darn thing jumped in my buggy!)
Subtotal – 8.47
Tax – .20
Total OOP – 8.67

Third and Fourth Stop – WALGREENS

1st Transaction
(4) Flinstones Gummy Vitamins – sale 20.00
- (4) 1.00 mfg coupon – 4.00
- 4.00 Walgreens IVC
Subtotal – 12.00
Tax – 1.35
Total OOP – 12.35
Savings – 19.96 

Got back $10 cat on this transaction!

Second Transaction
(3) Loreal Lip Gloss – clearance – 6.57
(2) Benefiber – sale – 10.00
Subtotal – 16.57
- $10 cat from first transaction
- $6 – (3) $2 Loreal lip product q
Subtotal – .57
Tax – 1.12
Total OOP – 1.69
Savings – 39.98

01/12 HARRIS TEETER
*Note – NEVER take your kids to the store with you right after school. It blows the budget!

(1) Cookies and Creme Hersheys bar – .79
(1) Kit Kat Bar – .79
(1) Coke – 1.39
(2) Arnold Bread – BOGO sale – 2.78
(1) Harris Teeter Thin Ham – 3.99
Subtotal – 9.74
- $1 Harris Teeter ham q
Total 8.74
Tax – .34
Total OOP – 10.49
Savings – 3.80

01/12 SMITHFIELDS CHICKEN & BBQ
My lazy day! I was trying to get rid of a HORRIFFIC headache so I decided not to cook. Smithfield’s has their Stew BOGO so I went there.

(2) Pints Stew – 4.99
(2) Doz Hush Puppies – 3.98
(1) Sweet Tea – 1.49 (thought maybe the caffeine would help with headache)
Subtotal – 10.46
Tax – .71
Total OOP – 11.17
Savings – 4.99

01/16 First Stop HARRIS TEETER
*Again DO NOT take your kids with you directly from school!

Pepsi 2 ltr – reg 1.79 – sale – 1.59 (DH wanted a 20 oz but this was just a few cents more)
Kraft Easy Mac (4-pk) – 3.95
Spring Water – 15-pk B1G2 Free – reg 14.37 – sale 4.74 (.11/bottle)
Dr Pepper 20 oz – 1.39
Sunkist Orange 20oz – 1.49
Subtotal – 13.16
Tax – .47
Total OOP – 13.63
Savings – 9.83

Second Stop – FOOD LION

Food Lion has some really great printables out right now and if you play your cards just right you can really get some great deals!

Here are the printables I used:

$2.00 off Any $5.00 Purchase From The Produce Dept. Expires January 27, 2009 – LINK
On The Go Bistro – Create Your Own Meal Deal (Select one entree, two sides and one pack of rolls or bread. Save $3.00 on your meal deal!) EXP 12/29/09 LINK
$1.00 off any Healthy Accents Cough or Cold medicine Expires January 20, 2009
$2.00 off $5 purchase in the Deli Dept. Expires January 20, 2009
$1.00 off Three (3) bottles of Food Lion Vitamin Water Expires January 20, 2009
55¢ off NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Refrigerated Cookie or Brownie Dough Expires February 28, 2009
LINK (You will need the $2/$5 Deli coupon)

2.40 lbs White Grapes – reg 4.78 – sale 2.38
.82 lbs bananas – reg .53
Alpo Prime Cuts 17.6 lbs – reg 10.99 – sale 5.49
.46 lb Sara Lee Cracked Pepper – reg 3.49 – sale 2.75
8pc Fried Chicken – 6.99
Parisian Bread – 1.99
On The Go Bistro Sweet Sauteed Apples (YUMMY!) – 2.99
OTGB Cream Spinach – 2.99
OTGB Macaroni/Cheese – 2.99
Subtotal – 29.10
- $2 – $2/$5 Produce
- $2 – $2/$5 Deli
- $3 – $3/$10 Deli
- $3 – $3 IP off Alpo Dog Food (NLA)
- $1 – $1 Chicken WT
- $6.99 – FREE Rotisserie or 8pc Fried Chicken WYB 3 OTGB sides
Subtotal – 11.11
Tax – .56
Total OOP – 11.67
Savings – 26.63

To make the $2/$5 deli coupon work with the other coupons I had to purchase something else in the deli. Since the Sara Lee meat was on sale and we needed lunch meat I decided to go with that. It put my deli purchase at $6.48 which met the $5 min for that coupon. Now it would have been an even better deal if I would have purchase the rotisserie chicken because on Friday they take an additional $1 off. My family prefers the fried chicken where I prefer the rotisserie chicken but majority rules around here.

01/17 Stop One – KMART

(3) Tylenol Regular – 2.97
(3) Tylenol Rapid Release – 13.47
(1) Maalox Child – 4.49
(3) Tums – 5.67
(1) TBonz dog treats – 2.50
(1) Arm and Hammer Essential – 2.99
(2) Pledge Wipes – 5.00
(2) Trident Gum – 4.00
(4) Hormel Compleates – 6.00
(1) Pam Olive Oil Spray – 3.00
(1) Box Turtles – 4.29
(1) Hormel Compleate – 2.59
Subtotal – 56.97
- 50.17 – coupon total
Subtotal – 6.80
Tax – 2.03
Total OOP – 8.83 (paid for with a gift card!)
Total Cash OOP – $0!
Total Savings – 83.85

Second Stop – WALGREENS

Transaction 1

Revlon Matte Lipstick – 7.99
400 Sheets Printer Paper – 3.99
Berenstain Bear Stuffed Animal – reg 9.99 – clearance 5.00
Subtotal – 16.98
- 1.00 Wags Paper IVC
- 2.00 Revlon Lip q
Total – 13.98
Tax – 1.08
Total OOP – 15.05
Total Savings – 16.79 (including rebate and bonus)

I entered the receipt to get the rebate back on the lip stick. That brings my total down to $6.26 (includes 10% bonus).

Transactions 2 and 3

Transaction 2

(4) Halls Breezers – 10.00
(1) Aquafresh Toothpaste – sale 2.99
(4) Colgate Toothpaste – 11.96
(2) Equal – 8.98
(3) Loreal Lip Gloss – 6.57
Subtotal – 40.50
- 4.58 – (2) BOGO Halls q’s only allowed for 2.29 each bag
- .75 Aquafresh q
- 6.00 – (3) $2 Loreal Lip q
- 6.00 – (4) 1.50 Colgate q
- 5.00 – (2) 2.50 Equal q
- 6.38 – Walgreens BOGO Colgate IVC (2/2.79)
- 6.04 – Wags Hall’s Breezers .99/each IVC
- 2.00 – Wags Aquafresh $2 IVC
- 3.98 – Wags Equal 2/$5 IVC
- 3.98 – Wags Equal 2/$5 IVC (I am not sure why this is duplicated?!?)
Subtotal – -0.23
Tax – 1.39
Total OOP – 1.16
Savings – 58.93

Transaction 3
(1) Revlon Nail Clipper – BOGO – 1.99
(1) Revlon Emery File – BOGO – 3.29
(2) Revlon Lip Stick – Clearance – 4.38
Subtotal – 9.66
- 1.99 – Nail Clipper BOGO
- 2.00 – (2) $1 Revlon Tools q
- 4.00 – (2) $2 Revlon Lip Product q
Total – 1.67
Tax – .52
Total OOP – 2.19
Savings – 17.60

This transaction is a good example of purchasing items you do not need in order to get something you do free or at a reduced price. I needed the nail file which was originally 3.29 but by purchasing both the nail file and the clippers I was able to use (2) $1 q’s. Since the clippers were free because of the buy one get one free sale this meant the $2 came off of the nail file bringing its price down to $1.29. That is a savings of about 63% and I got the clippers free on top of that!

I had a very busy week as you can see! I was not able to take advantage of all of the deals I wanted to but you that will happen at times.

Total Available To Spend $2,370.13
Year To Date Savings – $647.21

After picking the kids up from school I decided to run to a couple of places and take advantage of some great deals. I made my first stop at Walgreens and my second stop at Food Lion. Here is how I did at Walgreens:

(2) Stayfree Maxi – 13.98
(6) Russell Stover Sugarfree Chocolate Covered peanuts – 13.14
(8) Reese’s Whips – 6.36
(1) Electrasol – 3.49
(2) Spring Water – 1.98
(5) Reynolds Aluminum Foil – 8.45
(1) Fructis Shampoo – 2.99
Subtotal Before q’s – 50.39
- 1.00 Fructis Shampoo q
- 6.99 BOGO Stayfree shampoo q
- 5.00 – (5) 1.00 Reynold’s q
- 4.00 – (4) 1.00/2 Reese’s Whips q
- 2.50 Electrasol q
- 4.38 – (2) B2G1F Russell Stover q
- 2.00 IVC Wags Garnier
- 6.57 – BOGO Wags IVC Russell Stover
- 2.36 – 2/$1 Wags Reese’s IVC
- 6.00 – (2) $3 Wags IVC Stayfree
- 3.50 – (5) Reynold’s .99 Wags IVC
Total after q’s – $6.09
Tax – 2.06
Total OOP – 8.15
Percentage Saved – 88%

After I left Walgreens I went down the road to Food Lion. I did not do too bad their either:

(1) FL Tea Bags – reg 1.57
(2) Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream – reg. 8.58 – sale 6.00
(1) FL Large Eggs – reg. 1.89
(1) Arnold bread – reg. 2.79 – sale 1.99
(1) Quaker Oatmeal – reg. 3.45 – sale 3.00
(1) OM Turkey Bologna – reg. 2.99
(2) Cantaloupe – reg. 5.98 – sale 2.98
(1) 12pk CF Diet Dr Pepper – reg. 4.69 – sale 3.79
Total before coupons and sale – 31.94
Total after sale – 24.21
- 1.00 Eggs FLIP
- 2.00 – $2/$5 Produce FLIP
- 1.00 FL Tea FLIP
- 1.00 FL Oatmeal FLIP (handed him the wrong q but it went through)
- 2.00 Dr Pepper FLIP
- 1.00 Quaker Oatmeal blinkie
- 6.00 – (2) 3.00 Ben and Jerrys IP (no longer available)
Total after coupons – 10.21
Tax – .55
Total OOP – 10.76

Total Available To Spend $2,434.83
Year To Date Savings – $300.80

Not too bad but I am seeing that available to spend gradually reduce and its just been a week. We are a family of five trying to feed everyone on $48 a week. So far I have spent $65.17 this week but I have saved $300! That is pretty great! The way I see it is not every week is going to be great so I better take advantage of it while I can.

Ashley