Double Coupon Day!

Yesterday my son and I spent literally the whole day laying down, fighting a nasty cold. It was a less than productive day but I enjoyed the cuddle time. :)
We are still fighting colds, but I was not going to let today go down the tubes! Several of my doubling coupons expire on the 31st, so this had to get done! I got up fairly early and hit Walmart in Springville by 9am. It sure makes a difference when you get there early on Tuesdays! I was able to get what I wanted and had a good shopping experience.

Butter $1.88 @ Winco
Cool whip .68 @ Winco
Milk $2.39 (can't wait to have more coupons!!)
Yoplait yogurt 8 pack. $4
-.50/1 (doubled to $1= $3.00 each= .37 each

 Jolly Time Popcorn 4 pack $1.48
-.50/1 (doubled to $1= .48 each
Beech Nut baby cereal $1.48
-.55/1 (doubled to $1= .48 each
French's Fried Onions $2.98
-.50/1 (doubled to $1= $1.98
C&H 2 lb Brown Sugar $2.08
-.50/1 (doubled to $1= $1.08
Swiss Miss diet Cocoa powder $2.28
-.50/2 (doubled to $1/2= $1.78 ea
Idaho Spuds $1.58
-.55/1 (doubled to $1= .58 each
Slim Fast Meal bars $4.88
-.75/1 (doubled to $1= $3.88 ea
36 ct Allergy medicine .88 each
Spring Valley Prenatal $8.00
The larger bottle is cheaper per pill than the smaller bottle.
Reeses Peanut Butter Chips $1.88 ea
-1/2 coupon= $1.33 each
Hershey's Kisses $1.24 (CLEARANCE)
-1/3 Hershey's kisses= .90 each!!!
 

Here are my FREEBIES!
Fanta Soda .98
-.99/1 any size Coke product= FREE
Carefree pantiliners .94
-.50/1 (doubled to $1= FREE
Reach Dental floss .97
-.50/1 (doubled to $1= FREE
Zone Perfect Bars .97 each
-.50/1 (doubled to $1= FREE
Aquafresh Travel size toothpaste .97 each
 -.50/1 (doubled to $1= FREE
Remember that any coupon overage goes toward your total purchase balance!
On this first order, I saved about 70% overall.

Christmas Clearance!
This is the best time of year to stock up on cousins/friends/classmates birthday presents, stocking stuffers, neighbor gifts and gifts for your kids! Everything is at least HALF PRICED! Get in now for best selection!
Remember, as you saw with my Hershey's Kisses, you can use valid coupons with CLEARANCE items!!
These puzzles were all $.50 each.
All of the little bits and pieces items were .48- .50 each.
The Grinch socks were  $1.48
The Cookie Monster Play-doh set was $8.40.
On these clearance items I saved 50% off retail just compared with regular Walmart prices. If I were to compare what I paid to trying to get these items regular price, at any other store, I know my percentage would be much higher. I promise that if you spend a bit now and stock up, you will save extra money throughout the year!!
I am so glad I got in there early, energized and kid-less! A very smooth shopping trip!!

Recycling...

So I am afraid that some of the parents in my daughter's class are going to think they need to do Secret Santa for us... They keep seeing me digging around in the recycling bins at the school. I PROMISE we are not poor! Just looney! :) I even have a grabber now (Thank you Grandma!!) and am so much more efficient!
I was thrilled to find that the library was getting rids of tons of books in the recycling bins today!

I love reading and my kids love listening to stories. Most of these are chapter books. I will either read them to the kids or save them for when they are a bit older. I can't believe they didn't donate them somewhere... that bugs me a bit, but I am glad that we will now get to enjoy them. :)
I also found a bunch of great coupon inserts. Yay for having a grabber!
We also hit Saver's today. My belly is finally starting to grow, (I have my ultrasound tomorrow!!) so I am needed more comfortable clothes. Maternity clothes are notoriously expensive. I have been blessed to have some good friends give me pants, shirts, bras and such that they no longer need. So all I needed to do was supplement the shirts and church clothing.

I found all of these great clothes plus a pair of gloves for my daughter and a zip up binder for my coupons and paid just 1/10 of what I would have had to pay at full retail! I love Saver's!!

Overage is your friend! So is competition!

My son and I hit Walmart today to double some coupons and grab some deals as usual. I just love happy surprises! I had planned to ad-match the Chex cereal with Macey's for $1.49 per box. As I planned to buy a lot, I was anticipating a long time at the register because of all the necessary overrides. How great it was when I went down the cereal aisle and found that Walmart was being competitive and had lowered their price to $1.48! I wouldn't have to price match them!! Plus, they included Honey Nut, which Macey's didn't. I grabbed the last two of those and then lots of corn, rice, and wheat Chex. I don't normally clear shelves and advise against it except when circumstances dictate otherwise. :)
I couldn't pass this up, so I ended up getting a total of 38 boxes. I would have gotten 8 more, but my sis in law also happened to be there, so I talked her into getting them and gave her the rest of my coupons. There's my good deed Santa. ;)

I of course used my -$1/2 coupons and got all of these boxes for $.98 each.

What else did I get??
2 Milk $1.99 @ Walgreen's
-.75/1 1 gal milk (doubled to $1)= $.99 each!!
Bananas .33/lb @ Buy Low
1 bag Salad .78
1 Frigo Light String Cheese $3.48
-.55/1 Frigo (doubled to -$1)= $2.48
1 Welch's juice cocktail $2.00
-.75/1 Welch's juice cocktail (doubled to -$1= $1.00)
2 Yoplait 8 pk yogurts $4.00 each
-$.50/1 Yoplait multipack (doubled to -$1= $3.00 each or .37 per 6oz cup!!)
2 Aquafresh Travel size toothpaste @ .97 each
-.50/1 Aquafresh travel size online coupon(doubled to $1= -.03 each!)
1 Carefree Pantiliner  .94
-$.50/1 Carefree product (doubled to -$1= -.06!!)
4 Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup @ .58 each
-.40/4 Campbells condensed soups (doubled to -.80/4= .38 each
Total Retail Value: $143.82 (w/ tax)
Total Spent: $55.64 w/tax
Not quite to my 75% goal, but I am happy with it. Overage helped me today. Whenever possible, you want to use coupons that will leave a little extra to apply toward your total balance and items that you don't have coupons for, like the salad and bananas. 
I missed out on my Zone Perfect bars that I wanted. Need to get in earlier next week. :)

Consolation... A rough day at work

 As long as I look at my couponing as my career, it makes days like today bearable. I took my sis in law to Walgreens as we both needed toilet paper and she needed a few other things.
 I had both plans all worked out down to the penny. Mine ended up being simple enough... or so I thought.

Except that I didn't realize you had to use an in-ad coupon to get the gum for .79 each, so I had to get a refund. And here's the real heart breaker: I had put my $1/2 Mars Holiday candies coupon into a walmart envelope as I had looked for them there to ad-match since Walgreens was all out of the little Snickers Nutcrackers last time. And I guess I didn't put the coupon back into my Walgreen's envelope. Well of course they had restocked and I had no coupon to use! No FREE chocolates for me!!! :( Yes, it will take me a few days to get over that one.
Next, we had to change my sis's plan last minute when she reminded me that she needed toilet paper. I have been suffering from serious baby brain lately and looking at my paper, I only figured on the total of the 3rd transaction we'd do. So we thought she'd only have to pay around $10. I didn't figure in the other two transactions we'd have to do.
The cashiers up front tried to be helpful by offering to have us check out up there instead of in cosmetics, my comfort zone. We got split up and I couldn't keep track of both of things at once, so hers didn't go as planned. We got out of the store and I was really upset thinking she had way over payed. We went back in and had all of it refunded and started over. The second time around, she ended up paying $.01 more than the first! I was beside myself!!! Until I got into the car with all the receipts and figured out my mistake. Heart wrenching!!!!
The only consolation I could find for us was that if she had bought just the diapers and toilet paper that she needed, she would have spent $3 more than she spent at Walgreen's today, plus she ended up getting $15 in FREE products on top of what she needed. I'm holding onto that fact with my whole, tired, worn out little soul. :)
A rough day at work. We all have them. :)

Buy Low and Reminders!

The kids and I hit Buy Low in Provo today since we had to go up north for a doctor visit anyway. As part of my reaffirmed commitment to couponing, I have vowed to hit Buy Low every week to make sure we have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies in our home. Buy Low and Rancho Market are by far the most economical stores I have found for produce!

My budget was $10 but I only ended up spending about $6.50. I grabbed toilet paper at $1.08. I hated to pay that for it but needed a bit to tide us over until I can get a deal together this weekend.
Here are the produce deals:
Roma Tomatoes 2lb/$1
Fuji Apples 2lb/$1
Navel Oranges 3lb/$1
Cucumbers 4/$1 (Wed & Thurs only!)
Yellow Onions 5lb/$1 (Wed & Thurs only!)

A few other goodies you might enjoy:
Wed & Thurs ONLY!
Bananas 3lb/$1
D'Anjou Pears 2lb/$1
Yams 3lb/$1
Loose Carrots 3lb/$1

All week:
Iceberg Lettuce .69 ea
Italian Squash .69/lb
1 lb Bag Carrots 2/$1
Lemons 5/$1
Broccoli .69/lb
Red Onions 3lb/$1
Cilantro 3/$1
Kiwi fruits 4/$1

Now some important notices!

**The deadline is fast approaching for the Kellogg's $10 gas card rebate offer! If you haven't printed your rebate form and collected your 10 upc's, time to get cracking!

**Also, Macey's has their fabulous Chex cereal deal going again this week, through Tuesday. $1.49 per box when you buy 3. Remember that you can stack your mfr coupon for -$1/2 on top of this to get the cereal for just .99 per box!! Great stock up deal!!!

Walgreens and Walmart

Since I jumped back into my coupons a couple of weeks ago, I have made every effort to work smarter, not harder and to be much more organized and scheduled to reduce my stress levels and not burn out again. So far, so good! These are important lessons for anyone wanting to go the coupon route! Learn them now and save yourself not only time and grief, but lots of money along the way!
This week I hit Walgreen's on Monday. I was late getting there and not able to get all that I wanted, but I did alright.

 I used my left over $4 RR from last week to get all of this for just $.48. I will make money on the Finesse hair products as there is currently a mail in rebate form for $2.
If you are going to buy these things, here are the prices:
Finesse Hair products $1.99
-$1/1 Finesse= .99
Royal Gelatin 5/$1 w/in-ad coupon
No Nonsense Nylons .79 w/in-ad coupon
Christmas Gift Bag  I think these are like 5/$1 or so. There are lots of other great filler options this week!!!

I was able to go back yesterday and get the Triaminic Fever Reducer that they had been out of. I grabbed the only two that were there. Hopefully they restock before the week ends!
Triaminic 2/$10
Buy 2, earn $3 register rewards
-(2)$3/1 Triaminic Fever Reducer=
.50 each after rewards!

I hit Walmart yesterday for double coupons. There are some really great coupons out right now! Especially online! Lots of freebies available!!

 The cans of Dole fruit range from .78 to .98 each.
-.50/2 cans Dole Fruit (doubled to -$1/2)
Green Giant .68 each
-.50/2 Green Giant Greens beans, corn or peas (doubled to -$1/2)

 Don Julio Tortillas .75 each (I checked my receipt too late and will have to go back as they rang up for $1 each, when marked for .25. Check your prices at the register!!)
Bananas .39 @ Rancho Mkt (ended yesterday)
Idahoan Potatoes .98
-FREE Idahoan potatoes ( All You magazine)
Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs $1.84
-$3/1 Kikkoman Ponzu sauce or Panko bread crumbs
The overage goes toward the balance of the rest of your order. I found this coupon at southernsavers.com. It will run out fast!!!
 

Milk $1.99 @ Rancho Mkt (ended yesterday)
-.75/1 1 gal milk (coupons.com)
Frigo String Cheese $3.48
-.55/1 Frigo (doubled to $1 off)
Allergy meds .88 each
Fleishmans yeast $1.24
-.55/1 Fleishmans yeast (doubled to $1 off)
Carefree Pantiliners .94
-.50/1 Carefree product (doubled to $1 off)
Garnier Fructis travel size .94
-$1 off any Garnier hair care (coupons.com)
Aquafresh travel size toothpaste .97
-.50/1 Aquafresh travel (doubled to $1 off)
Yoplait 8 pack yogurt $4
-.50/1 Yoplait multi pack (doubled to $1 off)
Suavitel fabric softener $2.97
-.50/1 Suavitel (doubled to $1 off)
After I get my refund for the tortillas, I will have saved around 72% on this order. My current goal is to always save 75%. Getting close to realizing that on a regular basis. It can be done!!