couponing | walgreens scenario

here's a great way to take advantage of the carefree RR freebie at walgreens! even if you don't need pantiliners, this deal will double your dollar.

you'll get everything below for about $.99

transaction 1:
carefree ultra pantiliners $1.99
use the $1/1 coupon from 8/30 SS or here
pay $.99 and receive a $2 RR

transaction 2:
simply asia noodle bowls $1
use 4 $.50/1 from 8/30 RP
pay with $2 RR from transaction 1
that's 4 bowls for FREE!!!

(note: to make transaction 2 work without coupons beeping, you'll need to buy a cheap filler item)

couponing| toothbrush deals

if you need some toothbrushes to add to your stockpile, this is a good week to purchase them!

walgreens:
colgate 360 actiflex $2.99 BUT you get a $3 RR for your next purchase
essentially: FREE!!!
(keep in mind that only 1 RR will print per transaction)


rite aid:
oral b crossaction power toothbrushes 4/$24
buy 4 + a $1 filler item=$25
use the $5 off $25 Rite Aid coupon
Use 4 $2/1 coupons from the 8/30P&G
total: $12
Get back a get a $10 SCR #48 (on 4)
Final cost $0.50 per toothbrush!
**This also qualifies for rebate #501-FREE Summer Fun Coupon Booklet when you purchase $15 of ANY variety Oral Care products!
(thanks, hip2save)

couponing | walgreens colgate toothbrush deal

total spent: $12.28
(that's $.68/item!!!!!)
total saved: $33.29

deals i took advantage of:
colgate 360 actiflex toothbrushes are $2.99 this week
...BUT...you receive a $3 RR!!!

downy is on sale for $3.99
(use the $1/1 from 8/30 P&G to make it $2.99)

do you see where i'm going with this? basically, i bought the toothbrush, then i used the $3 RR to score some FREE downy! it's great to be able to stockpile both products simultaneously!

(btw, i didn't do all of these in a row. transactions 1 and 2 were from yesterday. transactions 3-5 were from today.)

transaction 1:
colgate toothbrush $2.99
2 eclipse gum $1.30
1 rice krispies treat $.45
1 mentos gum $.85
used:
$.55/1 mentos gum 6/21 SS
$5 RR from last week's crest deal
total spent: $.29
received $3 RR

transaction 2:
colgate toothbrush $2.99
total spent: $3.24
received $3 RR

transaction 3:
2 downy ultra $6.78
3 rice krispies treats $1.14
used:
15% off coupon (8/31 only)
2 $1/1 downy 8/30 P&G
$3 RR
total spent: 3.50

transaction 4:
colgate toothbrush $2.99
used:
15% off coupon (8/31 only)
total spent: $2.76
received $3 RR

transaction 5:
2 downy ultra $6.78
3 rice krispies treats $1.14
gallon of milk $1.99
used:
15% off coupon (8/31 only)
2 $1/1 downy 8/30 P&G
$6 RR
total spent: $2.49

things i learned:
in order to use RR's, you need to hit the total BEFORE tax. i was $.08 short of using my 2nd $3 RR on transaction 3. i learned my lesson.

don't be afraid of multiple transactions. when you first start couponing, the idea can be a little daunting. this was actually my first time doing it! definitely worth it...especially since i made a couple cents on transaction 4!

couponing | rite aid tylenol moneymaker!!!

total spent: $5.73 (-$2 SCR = $3.73!)
total saved $4

cascade $2.99
used 2 $1/1 from home made simple booklet

tylenol $2.99
used $2/1 from 7/26 SS
also eligible for $2 SCR (rebate #50) = $1.01 moneymaker!!!

couponing | walgreens crest deal

total spent: $10.42 (-$5RR = $5.42!)
total saved: $9.20


walgreens has a great deal on crest toothpaste this week!

crest toothpaste 4/$10, BUT you get $5 in Register Rewards back
used 3 $.75/1 and 1 $.50/1 crest coupons from the P&G insert
nets out to $2.25 for 4!!!

dawn $.99 w/ in ad coupon
used $.50/1 from home made simple booklet

starbucks ice cream 2/$6
used $2/1 from 6/21 SS

couponing | what doublers can do

i made a quick trip to albertsons tonight and couldn't resist using the 3 doublers i had on hand.

total spent: $1.99
total saved: $9.08

2 boxes Quaker Delights and 1 carton Welch's juice

couponing | 3 day sales

here are a couple shopping trip-worthy items on sale friday through sunday

albertsons
arrowhead water, 6-pack $.87
use $1/2 coupon for an even better deal of $.37!!!

sunny delight $.99

safeway
2 liter pepsi and bag of fritos/cheetos $1.49

top food and drug
tillamook cheddar cheese, 2 lb loaf $4.77/each

couponing | $.01 photos

walgreens has a great photo promo going on this week!

today's is 25 prints for $.25. just use the code PENNY at checkout.

send the photos to your local walgreens, and you won't pay shipping.

i just did it, and i'm looking forward to picking up the super inexpensive prints tomorrow morning!

it's simple and easy...i'm pretty sure you won't find prints at a better price :o]

couponing | $1 flatbread melts

the doublers are back! here's a great way to use one, or two, or three of them!

digiorno flatbread melts $2/5
use the $.75/1 coupon from today's insert
use 1 doubler
your total will be $1!

my husband takes these for lunch sometimes and loves them. $1 for a lunch is a GREAT deal in my book!

that's just a scenario to get you thinking about all the other great deals available at albertsons this week.

gotta love doublers!

make dessert | grilled peaches

no, i did not take the photo above, but here's a great way to use the Fred Meyer produce sales this week to your advantage!

Peaches or Nectarines $.88/lb
Organic Mint $1.68/pkg

You'll also need:
Melted Butter
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Whipped Cream/Topping

Directions:
Halve peaches, take out the pits

Slather melted butter all over each half (both sides)

Sprinkle brown sugar over each half (both sides)

Heat grill to medium

Place peaches on grill for 3-4 minutes/side, or until dark grill marks appear

Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon, whipped cream, and chopped mint

Ooh, la la! Amazing...and REALLY inexpensive this week!

make dinner | teriyaki take-in!

take out seems like such a great idea, until you realize how inexpensively (and quickly!) you can make your own teriyaki sauce at home. the bottle above probably costs at least $3-4, going to your favorite teriyaki joint will run you about $7-8. i can't even estimate how cheap teriyaki sauce is to make at home, because the ingredients were so basic that i had most of them already!

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 5 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1-2 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water

Directions

1. Mix all but cornstarch and 1/4c water in a sauce pan and begin heating.
2. Mix cornstarch and cold water in a cup and dissolve. Add to sauce in pan.
3. Heat until sauce thickens to desired thickness.
4. Add water to thin if you over-thick it :)

recipe from here

you can try it out verbatim once, then add or subtract ingredients to alter the flavor. i found the garlic powder to be a little overpowering, so the 2nd time around, i just sprinkled a VERY small amount in. same with the ground ginger. also, this does make a pretty sweet teriyaki sauce, so you might want to add 3 TBS brown sugar and 1 TBS honey, taste it, then go from there.

throw some sticky rice into your rice cooker, and scoop it out with your ice cream scooper to make your "take out" style meal even more "authentic" :o]

couponing | top food and drug 8/5-8/11

some GREAT produce deals are happening at top food and drug friday-sunday!

10 lb bag of russet potatoes $1.27/each

cabbage or yellow onions $.27/lb

fuji apples $.67/lb!!!!!

also, they're pricing a bunch of the products for the fuel for school promo at $2/each! use some of the coupons from here (scroll down to the letter K) to save big.

their other promo is buy 10 select ConAgra products and receive a free 24 pack Haggen water. i'll post coupon matchups for this promo tomorrow. here's the link to their weekly ad.

eat out | entertainment books 2 for $10

these books provide a great way to eat out for less (sometimes HALF the price!). there's a variety of restaurants and offers in each book. the south sound edition includes a coupon for a free small cone at dairy queen, no other purchase required! most of the restaurants also offered a buy one get one free coupon. $12 for a $24 dinner is a great deal in my opinion :o]

and, right now they're offering the 2009 book 2 for $10!!! you could probably save more than that on one trip to a restaurant with the awesome buy one get one free entree options provided.

here's the link to order yours

couponing | barnes and noble gift card

if you buy any of these products, there's an added bonus! between now and september 30, purchase $15 worth of any of these:
Valid on Garden of Eatin’® snacks, WestSoy® non-dairy beverages, MaraNatha® nut butters, Health Valley® cereals and snack bars and Earth’s Best® Sesame Street®, Tots, Kidz and Frozen Foods. (Not valid on Earth’s Best jarred or other infant foods.)

and get a $5 barnes and noble gift card!
(purchase $25 and get a $10 gift card)

there's a coupon available on earth's best site for $1/2 sesame street products

go here for the redemption form (also, you can do this TWICE per household)

couponing | an easy albertsons scenario

my strategy for this promo is to maximize the total number of products purchased by only buying items in the "cheapest" mix and match categories. coupons are available online for all of these items - go here to access them. here's the breakdown of what i'm going to do:

3/$5
2 bags of chex mix
2 betty crocker cookie pouches
2 betty crocker warm delights
total: $10

2/$4
4 boxes of betty crocker brownie mix
4 boxes of betty crocker fruit snacks
2 boxes of kix
total: $20

total before coupons: $30
total after coupons and 2 doublers: $21.50
(i'm also going to use my $10 catalina from the dr pepper promo, bringing my oop total to $11.50)
receive a $15 catalina back...

...that's like paying $6.50 for all of the above, which is about $.41/item!!!

couponing | 1/2 price albertsons promo

albertsons is currently having an AMAZING promo...

buy $30 in select items, get $15 off your next shopping trip. ok, so that makes every item half price BEFORE coupons...oh yes, this is going to be good.

for a complete list of coupons that match the sale items, go here

i'll be making the trek to albertsons tomorrow, so i'll fill you in on my scenario then. happy shopping!

couponing | top food and drug

i know it's the last day of the "week" for these sales, but i thought i'd try my hand at matching up some good deals with coupons for our local grocery store. i shop at top food pretty frequently. they have quality produce, a great store brand (haggen), and their bakery section is fantastic!

here are the best deals i saw in the ad:

tomatoes on the vine $.69/lb

haggen milk $1.49 (with coupon on weekly ad)
use buy 1 gallon of milk, get 1/2 gallon chocolate milk free (use zip code 63090)
$1.49 for a gallon of milk AND 1/2 gallon chocolate milk

cinnamon toast crunch or honey nut cheerios $1.69 (with coupon on weekly ad)
use $1/2 honey nut cheerios (Firefox browser)
or
use $1/2 cinnamon toast crunch (Firefox browser)
$1.19 per box!



For internet printable coupons in Internet Explorer, find them here

eat out | jamba juice

you can buy one drink and get one free!

i LOVE these coupons! last time, i printed out about 5 and kept them in my purse. whenever we had a jamba craving, i pulled one out...and voila...we got 2 for the price of 1. awesome.

click here to access the coupon

couponing | $1 sunday paper

the local sunday newspaper sells for $1.75 everywhere...

...except the dollar store, where they sell it for only $1!!!

i have no idea how they are able to do this, but i don't ask questions :o]

we go to the dollar store on sleater kinney, near office depot and kits camera (across the street from target) every sunday morning. last week, they only had tacoma news tribunes...but, when your main concern is the coupon insert, it doesn't really matter which paper it comes from!

we buy one, then i peruse the coupon inserts...looking for coupons i might use. one time, we bought 6 papers, because there was a great shampoo/conditioner coupon in it that saved us $1/bottle.

the great thing is, you can almost get 2 papers for the price of one!

eat out | pizza hut

i used to be skeptical of deals like this, until i did it for myself...and it worked marvelously! if you're in the mood for free pizza tonight, i'd highly recommend getting in on this offer.

here's how:

go to the pizza hut website

click on save $ with online deals or click on the deals tab (or just click on the ad above. i've linked it to the deals page)

on the right hand side of the page, there will be an ad that looks like the one above - click on it

you can choose from a variety of offers. i did the grant money one, and they charged $1.87 for shipping.

important: read the fine print of the offer to find out when the trial period ends and the phone #/email address to cancel, if you don't want to continue with the product/service. the trial period for the grant money offer is 14 days, and the contact info to cancel is support@grantfundingsource.com or 800-558-0064.

once you've done this, you can go make your online order with pizza hut (if you are using pizza hut online ordering for the 1st time, you'll get 20% off your order!)

email your pizza hut order confirmation email to checkoutfree

they'll send you an email back letting you know that you'll get your check...and a few weeks later - you'll have $20 in your mailbox!

there isn't a minimum purchase amount, so you could actually end up making money on this deal...AND you can do this every 3 months. free pizza 4 times a year? i'll take it!

enjoy :o]

make dessert | key lime pie

Key Lime Pie

tangy, refreshing, decadent
and best of all...
SUPER easy to make!

the local produce stand (Firehouse on Pacific Ave) had a bag of key limes for $.99, so i decided to give this pie a try. after juicing what seemed like 900 little key limes, my fingers were tired! thankfully, the rest was easy to throw together...and can i just say, it was worth the effort. yes, very much worth it. i am investing in a hand held lime juicer for next time, though :o]

here's the recipe...the great part is that it's pretty inexpensive to make. big bonus!

4 egg yolks, beaten
2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup key lime juice (about 1 bag of key limes will render this much juice)
1 graham cracker pie crust (you could make your own and save even more $)

preheat oven to 350 degrees

combine egg yolks, condensed milk, and lime juice. make sure everything is incorporated.

pour into pie crust and bake for 15-17 minutes.

let cool, then place in the refrigerator.

enjoy!!!

recipe adapted from this one

couponing | amazing dr pepper deal

UPDATE: this deal is dead in olympia. they posted signs by the dr pepper stating they were no longer buy 2 get 2 free. i've also read comments on several blogs that this deal isn't working everywhere for everyone. the store might only give you a $10 catalina, not 2 free as well. that would bring your net total to about $10 for 4 12-packs...

here's a great intro to couponing - without even having to use coupons!

albertsons is currently running 2 promotions:
buy 2 pepsi products, get 2 free
buy $20 worth of kelloggs products or dr pepper and get a $10 catalina (coupon for your next purchase)

the crossover? dr pepper

the 12 packs of dr pepper are priced at $4.99, so you'll need to buy 4 packs plus a 20 oz dr pepper ($1.25) to get you to the $20 total...you'll end up paying about $12 the first time around...BUT...you'll receive a $10 catalina toward your next purchase. so, in the end, it'll cost you about...

$2 for 48 cans of dr pepper!!!

maygan wrote about it here

i've already cashed in on this deal twice...it's a great one! let me know if you take advantage of this awesome deal, too :o]

produce on the cheap

i've seen so many fruit stands cropping up all over Olympia recently. the one i visit the most is the Firehouse Fruit and Produce one on Pacific Ave (across from the post office).

their prices are fabulous!

jalapenos $1/bag!

peaches $1.59/lb

cantaloupe $2.50/each

mangos 2 for $1.29

key limes $.99/bag

pineapple $3/each

on the vine tomatoes $1.69/lb

HUGE avocados $2.19/each

those are just some of the deals. they're open daily from 9am-6pm. if you're in the neighborhood, go check them out!

are there any other fruit stands around town that you've found some good deals at?

couponing | how to

i'm a newbie couponer, and i managed to score the deals below. you can, too! you probably think it was some time-consuming process...but i got all those products with minimal coupons and very little effort on my part. it was a lot of fun, though!!!

how'd i do it? go here for the scenarios. it's super easy!

the deals only go through today, so if you're in the mood for some free ice cream, bbq sauce, or pasta salad...you better hurry :o]

couponing | another great trip

Total Spent: $7.80 (w/ $3 back in catalinas)
Total Saved: $50.80

14 bottles Kraft BBQ sauce, 3 bottles Kraft salad dressing, 1 box Ritz Crackerfuls, 2 17 oz boxes General Mills cereal

couponing | my first AWESOME purchase

Total Spent: $3
Total Saved: $76.81

20 boxes Kraft pasta salad, 9 pints Breyers ice cream, 1 can Dole pineapple chunks

how did i do this? check out this post

definition

what is a supermom?

so many things come to mind...but basically, she's someone who:

has well-adjusted, well behaved kids

always keeps her home spotless

wears cute outfits all the time

coupons like crazy, saving her family lots of money

manages to cook stellar meals every night

works on her fitness at least 3 times a week

takes beautiful pictures of her children

is a patient, loving, encouraging wife


what's your idea of a supermom? and do you aspire to it?