Maybe. With the increase in couponing and the frenzy that the tv show Extreme Couponing (TLC) caused I had to take a break from the coupon world. Quite honestly, I got lazy. People were going out and clearing the shelves first thing in the morning, leaving very little for the rest of us. I was running into rude shoppers, rude cashiers and it was becoming quite a hassle to get my hands on enough sets of coupons to make shopping worth my while. After seeing my grocery bill dramatically rise I've decided not only do I WANT to get back to using coupons but I NEED to. I can't continue to spend the money I have been on groceries when I know I can spend about a quarter that amount. So here I am, making it work.
This was my first "real" weekend getting back in the swing of things. I've been collecting coupons but today I went out and did some real stock up shopping. I've learned to go to the Dollar Store and get my extra papers there. I am now buying 6 every Sunday. I'm back to watching my local blogs and searching for the best deals.
I don't know how often I'll post but maybe from time to time I'll take a minute to write down my thoughts on what I think are good deals or any new tips I find. For right now I just look forward to saving my family some money!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
If you have a Haggen near you...
Be on the lookout for a home mailing with several $2 off coupons. I got one today and it there is one $2 off coupon for each meat, bakery, produce and delicatessen purchase. Wow! Also they have a 10% off your entire order coupon. The coupons are good March 25-31st so don't accidentally throw yours away! Mine say good at the Lake Stevens Haggen but I would imagine that most Haggens are sending these out! Good luck!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
UPDATED shopping trip!
Went out to check out some of the sales this morning.
My local Rite Aid was wiped out of quite a few things like the Motrin PM but really I was okay with that.
Walgreens was better stocked but I did have trouble located the Reach toothbrushes I had heard were part of the sale. There were some that were $1.79 but I didn't see any that were labeled for the $1.49. I was rushing so I may have overlooked something or perhaps it's a regional item. I'll look more into that this week.
Went to the dollar store today to get my Sunday paper. Much better prices! My dollar store carried both the Seattle Times and the Everett Harold. They, of course, are $1 each as opposed to $2 or $2.50 each at the grocery stores. Both of my papers had coupons in them though one had the RedPlum and the other had the Smart Source. I'm unsure if I just got lucky with the papers I bought or if each distributor got different coupons. Between the two I was able to get the coupons I needed but since I bought two papers I would have liked to have had two complete sets of coupons. Oh well.
Also, it looks like the Irish Springs coupons are regional. We did get them but both of ours are only .50 instead of getting a $1 for deodorant. Again, not a huge deal.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
If I had $10...
Here are some deal ideas for Walgreens and Rite Aid for Sunday 3/13. Both scenarios would cost you under $10 OOP (before tax.) You will need to get a copy of the Sunday paper to find the coupons I'll be suggesting. If you get two copies of the newspaper you can repeat these transactions for even better savings!
Walgreens:
Two Transactions:
#1.
Buy (1) Irish Springs deodorant
and (1) Irish Springs Body Wash2/$6
Buy (2)Right Guard Body Wash 13.5oz $4.49 EACH B1G1 FREE
Buy (1) Purex Complete Crystals Laundry Fabric Sofenter $4.99
Total=$10.99
Use (1) FREE Right Guard Body Wash when you buy and Right Guard product from 3/13 RP
Use (1) $2/1 Purex Complete Crystals 3/13 RP
Use (1) $1/1 Irish Springs deodorant 3/13 SS
Use (1) .50/1 Irish Springs body wash 3/13 SS
Pay=$7.40 before tax
Get $2 RR Purex Crystals and $4 RR for Irish Springs
#2
Buy (4) Reach Toothbrushes 1.59 each
(1) Dial Nutriskin Lotion $4.99
(2) Small filler items .... I usually use small candy item or another good item would be the (1) Royal Gelatin Reg. or Sugar Free 5/$1 (w/in ad Q)...just make sure you grab ad and use the coupon for it inside...just buy 2!!!
Total = $11.75 (aprox if you use the Royal Gelatin as your filler)
Use (2) $1/1 Reach coupons from HERE hit the back button to get a second print
or (4) if you can print from more than one computer.
Use $1/1 Dial Lotion from 3/13 RP
Use in ad coupon 5 for $1 Royal Gelatin
Use $6 in RR from previous transaction
OOP= $2.75 (calculated on having only 2 Reach coupons...if you are able to get 4 coupons your OOP will only be .75)
Get $4 RR for Reach ( I can't find this in the flyer but I saw it on another blog so it's probably accurate)
Get $3 RR for Dial
Total OOP for both transactions =$10.15 and you still have $7 in RR to get other items like milk or bread for free or save them for shopping next week.
If you have a child in diapers you may also want to check out the diaper deal this week at Wags. They have their brand on sale BOGO this week ($8.99) BUT if you can find the Infant Care coupon books (ask at the beauty counter or try back by the pharmacy) there is a coupon in there for $2 off Jumbo pack diapers. It will take $2 off each pack of diapers you buy. So buy 2 packs for $8.99....get $4.00 from coupon = $4.99 for 2 Jumbo packs of diapers.
To see the entire ad visit www.iheartwags.com
If I had $10 at Rite Aid I would get...
Little noses $3.99
Little Fevers $3.99
(2) Motrin PM (40 count) $3.00
(1) Chloraseptic Product $3.99
(1) Purex Fabric Softening Crystals (same as at Walgreens) $3.99
Total= $21.96
use (2) Little noses $1/1 Little Remedies print HERE
(2) $2/1 Motrin PM 3/13 SS
(1) $1/1 VV (watch video on www.riteaid.com, scroll down and click Video Value link....you will have to register and log in)
(1) $1/1Chloraseptic print HERE
(1) $1/1 Wellness Video Value coupon
(1) $2/1 Purex Fabric Softening Crystals 3/13 RP
(1) $1/1 Purex Fabric Softening Crystals Video Value
OOP= $8.96
Get back 12 +UP rewards to use on future purchase
Little Remedies and Chloraseptic will each print 3+UPS
and Motrin will each print 1 +UP and the Fabric Softening Crystals will print 1.
You can use these UPs to buy essentials like milk or bread that will help bring your regular grocery bill down or save them for next week when you can roll them into a new purchase keeping your OOP in the future even lower!!
Too see the entire ad visit www.iheartriteaid.com
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
If I were you....
So it's been a while! I know I've been slacking on this blogging thing but quite honestly I haven't needed to do much shopping! I'm stocked up on so much that there weren't a lot of deals that made me excited enough to share. I kind of feel that way about this weeks ads (did you get your grocery ads today?) but thought I'd share some of the deals I saw.
So, if I were you...
*I'd go to QFC and buy the boneless chicken (sold in a 4lb bag) for $1.59 a pound (11th -13th)
*I'd go to Haggen and stock up on some pasta. Their brand will be 2 for $1 on the 11th-13th. I think there is a limit of 4 per transaction.
*If you need some detergent then I'd buy some All for $2.99. It goes on sale for cheaper but this is a good price if you are close to out.
I'd go to Albertsons and buy some chips for school lunches...
*Cheetos, Fritos and Rold Gold Pretzels are $1.49
*I'd buy 4 General Mills cereal and get a coupon for free milk on your next purchase.
Cereals include Lucky Charms, Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams, Multigrain Cheerios and Reeses Peanut Butter Puffs on sale 2 for $5. Tons of General Mills coupons available...check out my coupon link above.
*Albertsons canned veggies are on sale for 20/$10
*Birdsey Steamfresh Veggies are on sale for 10/$10....if you got the Safeway coupon book (Frozen foods) you will find a $1/2 coupon in there. If you don't have that then in the 3/6 Redplum there is a $1/3
*Colgate Toothpaste and Toothbrushes are on sale for $1.67. Use the $1/1 toothpaste coupon from the 3/6 Redplum or the .75 off from the 2/27 Smart Source. For the toothbrush use the .75/1 from the 2/27 Smart Source.
*All detergent $2.99 (in ad coupon) will be $1.99 with a doubler coupon.
The best news is if you wait until Sunday to buy these than you can use the Doubler coupons that will be coming out in the Sunday paper!!! Get the Steamfresh veggies, the toothpaste and the toothbrushes for free or nearly free.
Remember I don't really expect you would stop at each of these stores but if there is something you see listed this is the time to get it.
RITE AID (sales end Saturday)
Now, pull out your coupons from last weeks paper (3/6)
For ever coupon you have buy one Colgate Total toothpaste....they are $2.99 each. The coupon is for $1.00 off. The first 4 of these you buy you will get 2UPs.
Head over to the Airwick Aerosol and they are on sale for BOGO free. In the paper there is a coupon for BOGO free. Put the sale together with the coupon and you pay NOTHING for this product.
So if it were me I would try to get 4 Colgate coupons and as many Airwicks as you think you would use.
Buy 4 Colgate Total = $11.96
Use 4 $1/1 coupons = $7.96
Get back $8 in UPs to use next week.
Then for every Airwick coupon you have grab TWO sprays. If they don't have these in stock DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR A RAINCHECK.
WALGREENS (sales end Saturday)
For free Pediacare go to Walgreens this week.
They have it on sale for $6.99 this week. Use a $5 off coupon from the Walgreens ad (store coupon) and print out a coupon for an additional $2 off (you should be able to print from my site.) This means FREE!
Another freebie is the Quaker Cream of Wheat
Cream of Wheat Maple Brown Sugar $1
$1/1 Cream of Wheat Cereal 1/9/2011 SS
or you can find a printable coupon HERE
Final Price: Free
Hope these help you get started this week. Tomorrow I'll try to post the deals that start on Sunday for Rite Aid and Walgreens.
Happy Saving!
So, if I were you...
*I'd go to QFC and buy the boneless chicken (sold in a 4lb bag) for $1.59 a pound (11th -13th)
*I'd go to Haggen and stock up on some pasta. Their brand will be 2 for $1 on the 11th-13th. I think there is a limit of 4 per transaction.
*If you need some detergent then I'd buy some All for $2.99. It goes on sale for cheaper but this is a good price if you are close to out.
I'd go to Albertsons and buy some chips for school lunches...
*Cheetos, Fritos and Rold Gold Pretzels are $1.49
*I'd buy 4 General Mills cereal and get a coupon for free milk on your next purchase.
Cereals include Lucky Charms, Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams, Multigrain Cheerios and Reeses Peanut Butter Puffs on sale 2 for $5. Tons of General Mills coupons available...check out my coupon link above.
*Albertsons canned veggies are on sale for 20/$10
*Birdsey Steamfresh Veggies are on sale for 10/$10....if you got the Safeway coupon book (Frozen foods) you will find a $1/2 coupon in there. If you don't have that then in the 3/6 Redplum there is a $1/3
*Colgate Toothpaste and Toothbrushes are on sale for $1.67. Use the $1/1 toothpaste coupon from the 3/6 Redplum or the .75 off from the 2/27 Smart Source. For the toothbrush use the .75/1 from the 2/27 Smart Source.
*All detergent $2.99 (in ad coupon) will be $1.99 with a doubler coupon.
The best news is if you wait until Sunday to buy these than you can use the Doubler coupons that will be coming out in the Sunday paper!!! Get the Steamfresh veggies, the toothpaste and the toothbrushes for free or nearly free.
Remember I don't really expect you would stop at each of these stores but if there is something you see listed this is the time to get it.
RITE AID (sales end Saturday)
Now, pull out your coupons from last weeks paper (3/6)
For ever coupon you have buy one Colgate Total toothpaste....they are $2.99 each. The coupon is for $1.00 off. The first 4 of these you buy you will get 2UPs.
Head over to the Airwick Aerosol and they are on sale for BOGO free. In the paper there is a coupon for BOGO free. Put the sale together with the coupon and you pay NOTHING for this product.
So if it were me I would try to get 4 Colgate coupons and as many Airwicks as you think you would use.
Buy 4 Colgate Total = $11.96
Use 4 $1/1 coupons = $7.96
Get back $8 in UPs to use next week.
Then for every Airwick coupon you have grab TWO sprays. If they don't have these in stock DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR A RAINCHECK.
WALGREENS (sales end Saturday)
For free Pediacare go to Walgreens this week.
They have it on sale for $6.99 this week. Use a $5 off coupon from the Walgreens ad (store coupon) and print out a coupon for an additional $2 off (you should be able to print from my site.) This means FREE!
Another freebie is the Quaker Cream of Wheat
Cream of Wheat Maple Brown Sugar $1
$1/1 Cream of Wheat Cereal 1/9/2011 SS
or you can find a printable coupon HERE
Final Price: Free
Hope these help you get started this week. Tomorrow I'll try to post the deals that start on Sunday for Rite Aid and Walgreens.
Monday, February 21, 2011
My relationship with Costco
Now that I coupon a lot of people ask me how Costco fits into the picture. The truth is that I LOVE Costco. It is one of the funnest stores to visit and they have some great deals. But honestly, since I've started using coupons my visits to Costco have decreased significantly. I probably go only about once a month compared to my previous near weekly visits. The "great" deals I used to find there don't seem so great anymore. Sure I can get my toothpaste for CHEAP at Costco but they aren't giving it to me for FREE. And FREE always beats CHEAP. We are lucky that my husband's employer pays for our annual membership dues but even if they didn't I love Costco enough to keep our membership. You will have to determine if it is worth keeping for yourself.
Why I will keep my Costco membership:
1. Cheap gas! (though Fred Myer usually gets pretty close to Costco prices and often beats them)
2. Great prices on books.
3. Great deal on toys at Christmas time.
4. Bigger ticket items can be found at very reasonable prices.
5. Pizza, and other quick dinner items are tasty and easy to pick up in a pinch.
6. It makes for a cheap date when you buy the $1.50 hot dog combo meal!
I will continue to buy a few things at Costco. I like the price of the milk and the fact that it is hormone free. There is a specific brand of bread we enjoy that I haven't found coupons for. I like buying 24 eggs at a time. Fruit and veggies can be a good price depending on the season.
There are a few things like toilet paper that I will probably still get there. I know I can find free TP but I guess I must be a bit of a snob since so far the deals I've found elsewhere on TP is one ply or not a great quality. Let's face it...I like to feel secure that the barrier between my loved ones and the area they are trying to clean is sufficient! Sometimes I will buy chips there as the giant bags of Doritos and Pirates booty seem to be comparable to what I can find elsewhere.
There are things I won't ever need to buy at Costco again. Things like deodorant, feminine hygiene products, medication (over the counter), toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, soaps, body wash, shampoo and hair care, snack items, razors, diapers, wipes, facial tissue, contact lens solution, cheese, zip lock bags, cleaning products and so much more will never make my list again. I can find name brand of these items for so much cheaper!!
It may be time to reevaluate your relationship with Costco....but I think I'll hold onto mine for now!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Get your Free dishwasher detergent....
It looks like Quantum Powertabs for the dishwasher are on sale this week for 2/$5 at Target. This is for the 10 count size. You can go to Target and towards the bottom is a coupon link. If you go to the link you can find that Target has a $1.50 coupon for these tablets. Then go to HERE or HERE to get $1 manufacturer coupons. Use both together and get FREE dishwasher detergent. You should be able to print each coupon twice. I'll be getting mine tomorrow! I LOVE free!!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Favorite Deals
My favorite part of looking at blogs is to see what kind of deals everyone else is getting or seeing so here are my favorite grocery sales and drug store sales for this coming week.
** Helpful tip….when printing coupons (even from my coupon page above) put in the zip code 90210.…it gives you the largest selection of coupons.
Grocery- Starting Feb. 16-22
Albertsons - Nothing super exciting (that I can see) unless they come out with Doubler coupons…then I might revisit Albertsons ad.
Safeway-
Kraft Singles are $1.49 (limit 2) I KNOW I printed out a coupon for these at one time. I can’t find it now but with a little digging you might find one.
Grapes are on sale for $1.28 a pound. I don’t know about you but I’m ready to switch up the fruit we’ve been eating so this is a welcome change at a decent price.
Special K cereal and Bars are on sale (with in ad coupon) for $1.99. You can find $½ for the bars in the ½ RedPlum insert and .75/2 in the 2/6 RedPlum.
B2G2 Coke products (12 packs) PLUS get 2 boxes of Nabisco Crackers free. I’m not sure exactly how this is going to work but normally you can still use a coupon on the free items. There are $½ coupons for the crackers in the 1/30 RP (RedPlum) So it would be roughly be $13 for (4) 12 packs and (2) boxes of crackers.
Haggens
Excited to see another good deal on Goldfish crackers @ .88. I may have to use those .35 off coupons I found a while back!
Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Cocoa Krispies and Apple Jacks (all the sugar you need to start your day off right….but I’m not judging because I love ME some Frosted Flakes!) are $1.50 each…must buy 4 to get that price. I’m pretty sure there are some printable coupons for these cereals as well.
Fuji apples- .68lb
I will be shopping QFC this week. They have a great sale going where if you buy 10 of certain items (you can mix and match) you will get $3 off your purchase AND a $3 off coupon to use on your next visit. The prices below reflect the price AFTER the first $3 off but on top of these prices a $3 coupon will print.
Remember to buy in quantities of 10.
General Mills Cereals….it says selected varieties….pictures several varieties of Cheerios and Chex. $1.69. There is a .75/1 Cinnamon Burst Cheerios in the 2/13 inserts or $1/3 GM cereals. Also look for the printable coupons on my blog!
Caprisun- $1.69
Chunky Soup - .99 Find several coupons including $½ HERE or $¼ in the 1/23 inserts.
Gatorade -.69 Look for coupons in the 1/9 RP or printable ones HERE http://coupons2.smartsource.com/smartsource/index.jsp?Link=MPXKU7QWZQK36
Totinos Party Pizza (I’m a sucker for these cardboard pizzas) .99 Look for a printable coupon on my blog or you can also find a $1/5 in the 2/13 General Mills Insert, a $1.25/4 in the 1/30 Sunday Supplement or a .50/1 in the 1/23 RedPlum
Manwich .69 Coupon in 1/2 SS for .35/3
Hefty Zip lock bags $1.49.… Look for the $1/1 coupon from the Safeway Football coupon
Book.
Drug Stores starting February 20
These are just quick glance previews….as I see more deals and scenarios come up I will update you.
Rite Aid
Huggies Jumbo pack diapers will be $8.99 and will earn a 2UP. There are lots of $2/1 coupons out there including in the 1/23 Sunday Supplement.
Playtex tampons are 2/ $7.98 and earn 2 Ups when you buy 2. You can also find $2/1 coupons in the ½ Sunday Supplement.
Sucrets are $2.99 and earn a $2 UP. You can find a $1.50/1 coupon in the 1/23 SS.
To see this ad in it’s entirety click HERE
Walgreens
Gillette ProGlide- Sale $9.99 get $4 Register Rewards. Look for a $4/1 coupon in the 1/30 P&G
** Helpful tip….when printing coupons (even from my coupon page above) put in the zip code 90210.…it gives you the largest selection of coupons.
Grocery- Starting Feb. 16-22
Albertsons - Nothing super exciting (that I can see) unless they come out with Doubler coupons…then I might revisit Albertsons ad.
Safeway-
Kraft Singles are $1.49 (limit 2) I KNOW I printed out a coupon for these at one time. I can’t find it now but with a little digging you might find one.
Grapes are on sale for $1.28 a pound. I don’t know about you but I’m ready to switch up the fruit we’ve been eating so this is a welcome change at a decent price.
Special K cereal and Bars are on sale (with in ad coupon) for $1.99. You can find $½ for the bars in the ½ RedPlum insert and .75/2 in the 2/6 RedPlum.
B2G2 Coke products (12 packs) PLUS get 2 boxes of Nabisco Crackers free. I’m not sure exactly how this is going to work but normally you can still use a coupon on the free items. There are $½ coupons for the crackers in the 1/30 RP (RedPlum) So it would be roughly be $13 for (4) 12 packs and (2) boxes of crackers.
Haggens
Excited to see another good deal on Goldfish crackers @ .88. I may have to use those .35 off coupons I found a while back!
Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Cocoa Krispies and Apple Jacks (all the sugar you need to start your day off right….but I’m not judging because I love ME some Frosted Flakes!) are $1.50 each…must buy 4 to get that price. I’m pretty sure there are some printable coupons for these cereals as well.
Fuji apples- .68lb
I will be shopping QFC this week. They have a great sale going where if you buy 10 of certain items (you can mix and match) you will get $3 off your purchase AND a $3 off coupon to use on your next visit. The prices below reflect the price AFTER the first $3 off but on top of these prices a $3 coupon will print.
Remember to buy in quantities of 10.
General Mills Cereals….it says selected varieties….pictures several varieties of Cheerios and Chex. $1.69. There is a .75/1 Cinnamon Burst Cheerios in the 2/13 inserts or $1/3 GM cereals. Also look for the printable coupons on my blog!
Caprisun- $1.69
Chunky Soup - .99 Find several coupons including $½ HERE or $¼ in the 1/23 inserts.
Gatorade -.69 Look for coupons in the 1/9 RP or printable ones HERE http://coupons2.smartsource.com/smartsource/index.jsp?Link=MPXKU7QWZQK36
Totinos Party Pizza (I’m a sucker for these cardboard pizzas) .99 Look for a printable coupon on my blog or you can also find a $1/5 in the 2/13 General Mills Insert, a $1.25/4 in the 1/30 Sunday Supplement or a .50/1 in the 1/23 RedPlum
Manwich .69 Coupon in 1/2 SS for .35/3
Hefty Zip lock bags $1.49.… Look for the $1/1 coupon from the Safeway Football coupon
Book.
El Montery Ranchero Tornados $1.69....use a .75/1 coupon from 2/13 insert
Scrubbing Bubbles $2.49....but keep your eye open because there may be $2 peelies attached to some.
Oreos $2.69 look for the $1/2 printable coupon under my coupon link above.
After Sunday....
Purex detergent $2.99....IF the Purex with Zout is included in this sale (may or may not be) there should be $3/1 coupons in the 2/20 RP this weekend. If not there will be $1/1 Purex that will still make it a good price.
Drug Stores starting February 20
These are just quick glance previews….as I see more deals and scenarios come up I will update you.
Rite Aid
Huggies Jumbo pack diapers will be $8.99 and will earn a 2UP. There are lots of $2/1 coupons out there including in the 1/23 Sunday Supplement.
Playtex tampons are 2/ $7.98 and earn 2 Ups when you buy 2. You can also find $2/1 coupons in the ½ Sunday Supplement.
Sucrets are $2.99 and earn a $2 UP. You can find a $1.50/1 coupon in the 1/23 SS.
To see this ad in it’s entirety click HERE
Walgreens
Gillette ProGlide- Sale $9.99 get $4 Register Rewards. Look for a $4/1 coupon in the 1/30 P&G
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Each Week....
I know that finding the best savings when you first get started can be overwhelming and confusing. You may see some of the deals I put together and wonder how in the world I was able to do that! You try and copy it and get to the store only to feel confused or unsure. Don’t feel defeated! Learning to play the game takes time! It won’t be long before you get the hang of it yourself!
For those of you wondering what my system is I thought I’d give you a quick run through of what I do to prepare each week.
1. First things first…START COLLECTING THOSE COUPONS! Most of the deals I put together from week to week involve coupons from inserts from previous weeks. So hold on to those! I encourage you to get your hands on at least two sets of inserts as a lot of times good deals are best in sets of two…and it will allow you to stock up on your favorite items each week.
2. Once I get my coupons each week I DON’T cut them. Nope, instead I have accordion files that are labeled by date. I simply slip that weeks inserts into the correct date and wait until I need them.
3. I prepare to shop. I do this as far in advance of the sale as I can. For drug stores like Rite Aid and Walgreens I can do this a couple weeks ahead of time. The website www.iheartriteaid.com and www.iheartwags.com have photos of the upcoming sale ads! This way I can preview it before it arrives in the paper. I like to try and look about two weeks ahead of time just to get a general idea of what sales are coming up. If I see something really awesome this gives me time to find coupons for that item or to order coupons from a clipping service.
For grocery stores it is a little more difficult to know what’s coming ahead of time but usually I scan the ads when they arrive in the mail Tuesday afternoon. This is usually the same day I will look at the drugstore ads online.
4. While I am scanning the ads I am looking for two things…..#1. Items that are priced so good that I know I can’t pass up the deal and #2. Items I know I’m low on or that I know I will need soon.
I am paying close attention to any register rewards or Ups these items may be generating, giving me even better prices.
I keep a notebook nearby and I write down the name of each store and I will start making a list of items I’m interested in….this doesn’t mean I am definitely going to buy this item. I usually have about 5-10 things from each store that have caught my interest. I write down the name of the item, the sale price and if it will generate any additional savings. Then I will go to a blog and see if I see any “talk” of things I may have overlooked.
5. Once I have the items I’m interested in I go to an online coupon data base like www.afullcup.com and I will enter in the item so I can see if there are any coupons available on top of the sale price. So if I see Ragu pasta sauce is on sale at Rite Aid 2/$3 AND I will get 1 UP back for ever two I purchase, I want to know if I can make that an even sweeter deal. I got to the data base and type in Ragu….it is going to tell me if there are any coupons available, where to find them, what their value is and when they expire. Once I find out where the coupon is located (let’s say it told me to look in the 2/13 Redplum) I move on to the next step.
6. I get out that accordion file I mentioned earlier, go to the date and pull the insert. I start going through the insert until I find that coupon. This is when I actually clip the coupon. I then refile the insert until the next time I need it.
7. Once my coupon is clipped I have a small accordion file that I keep in my purse. It is divided by store. So if the Ragu is on sale at Rite Aid, I’m going to slip that coupon and any others for Rite Aid into that section. Now when I go to the store I have all my coupons for that trip in one place. I will then put my shopping list in that same little folder. All of this allows me to shop without carrying around a huge bulky binder full of coupons. Sometimes this system of NOT carrying around ALL my coupons at once means I miss a few surprise deals that I may run into in the store….like a clearance item or something I forgot I needed and I see is a good price and I KNOW I have a coupon at home. For these items I keep a notepad in my purse so that I can write it down and find the coupon for it. It means an extra trip to the store that week but I’d rather do that than carry around a huge binder with me….you may decide you’d rather have the binder than make any additional trips.
8. I go to the store, make my purchases and pull my coupons from my mini file. When my transaction is over I put any coupons, Ups or register rewards that have generated back under that store’s file to use as cash on my next visit to that store.
9. Sometimes I get to the store and for some reason I’m unable to use one of my coupons. This may happen because they are out of a product or I simply have changed my mind. I then come home and file these into a binder I have. The binder is divided into sections….breakfast, frozen, drinks, oral care, etc. In each section are some baseball card holders. I will put my coupons in these holders so I can easily see them for when I’m ready to use them. I can also put any coupons I have printed from the Internet into this folder. I use this system mostly for the grocery store. If I know I need cereal but haven’t seen any good sales I still want to get the best deal I can so I will go to the breakfast section and pull some coupons I might be interested in using.
Really, this process though it sounds involved really isn’t that complicated once you get the hang of it. I don’t spend very much time cutting or sorting coupons at all.
One last thing….BLOGS ARE YOUR FRIENDS!!!! If there is a store you really like shopping at find a blog for it. They are going to tell you all the great upcoming and current deals! Do not ignore these great resources. If you need help finding a blog let me know and I will help you find one that fits your needs! Blogs are what will help you minimize your time looking for the perfect deal so follow a couple and you will be well on your way to saving tons of money and having stockpiles that look like this:
For those of you wondering what my system is I thought I’d give you a quick run through of what I do to prepare each week.
1. First things first…START COLLECTING THOSE COUPONS! Most of the deals I put together from week to week involve coupons from inserts from previous weeks. So hold on to those! I encourage you to get your hands on at least two sets of inserts as a lot of times good deals are best in sets of two…and it will allow you to stock up on your favorite items each week.
2. Once I get my coupons each week I DON’T cut them. Nope, instead I have accordion files that are labeled by date. I simply slip that weeks inserts into the correct date and wait until I need them.
3. I prepare to shop. I do this as far in advance of the sale as I can. For drug stores like Rite Aid and Walgreens I can do this a couple weeks ahead of time. The website www.iheartriteaid.com and www.iheartwags.com have photos of the upcoming sale ads! This way I can preview it before it arrives in the paper. I like to try and look about two weeks ahead of time just to get a general idea of what sales are coming up. If I see something really awesome this gives me time to find coupons for that item or to order coupons from a clipping service.
For grocery stores it is a little more difficult to know what’s coming ahead of time but usually I scan the ads when they arrive in the mail Tuesday afternoon. This is usually the same day I will look at the drugstore ads online.
4. While I am scanning the ads I am looking for two things…..#1. Items that are priced so good that I know I can’t pass up the deal and #2. Items I know I’m low on or that I know I will need soon.
I am paying close attention to any register rewards or Ups these items may be generating, giving me even better prices.
I keep a notebook nearby and I write down the name of each store and I will start making a list of items I’m interested in….this doesn’t mean I am definitely going to buy this item. I usually have about 5-10 things from each store that have caught my interest. I write down the name of the item, the sale price and if it will generate any additional savings. Then I will go to a blog and see if I see any “talk” of things I may have overlooked.
5. Once I have the items I’m interested in I go to an online coupon data base like www.afullcup.com and I will enter in the item so I can see if there are any coupons available on top of the sale price. So if I see Ragu pasta sauce is on sale at Rite Aid 2/$3 AND I will get 1 UP back for ever two I purchase, I want to know if I can make that an even sweeter deal. I got to the data base and type in Ragu….it is going to tell me if there are any coupons available, where to find them, what their value is and when they expire. Once I find out where the coupon is located (let’s say it told me to look in the 2/13 Redplum) I move on to the next step.
6. I get out that accordion file I mentioned earlier, go to the date and pull the insert. I start going through the insert until I find that coupon. This is when I actually clip the coupon. I then refile the insert until the next time I need it.
7. Once my coupon is clipped I have a small accordion file that I keep in my purse. It is divided by store. So if the Ragu is on sale at Rite Aid, I’m going to slip that coupon and any others for Rite Aid into that section. Now when I go to the store I have all my coupons for that trip in one place. I will then put my shopping list in that same little folder. All of this allows me to shop without carrying around a huge bulky binder full of coupons. Sometimes this system of NOT carrying around ALL my coupons at once means I miss a few surprise deals that I may run into in the store….like a clearance item or something I forgot I needed and I see is a good price and I KNOW I have a coupon at home. For these items I keep a notepad in my purse so that I can write it down and find the coupon for it. It means an extra trip to the store that week but I’d rather do that than carry around a huge binder with me….you may decide you’d rather have the binder than make any additional trips.
8. I go to the store, make my purchases and pull my coupons from my mini file. When my transaction is over I put any coupons, Ups or register rewards that have generated back under that store’s file to use as cash on my next visit to that store.
9. Sometimes I get to the store and for some reason I’m unable to use one of my coupons. This may happen because they are out of a product or I simply have changed my mind. I then come home and file these into a binder I have. The binder is divided into sections….breakfast, frozen, drinks, oral care, etc. In each section are some baseball card holders. I will put my coupons in these holders so I can easily see them for when I’m ready to use them. I can also put any coupons I have printed from the Internet into this folder. I use this system mostly for the grocery store. If I know I need cereal but haven’t seen any good sales I still want to get the best deal I can so I will go to the breakfast section and pull some coupons I might be interested in using.
Really, this process though it sounds involved really isn’t that complicated once you get the hang of it. I don’t spend very much time cutting or sorting coupons at all.
One last thing….BLOGS ARE YOUR FRIENDS!!!! If there is a store you really like shopping at find a blog for it. They are going to tell you all the great upcoming and current deals! Do not ignore these great resources. If you need help finding a blog let me know and I will help you find one that fits your needs! Blogs are what will help you minimize your time looking for the perfect deal so follow a couple and you will be well on your way to saving tons of money and having stockpiles that look like this:
And then there is all of my personal care items, refrigerated and freezer items, and all the household items not pictured here.
Monday, February 14, 2011
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