Free Swimsuits!

You guys know I do Crowdtap (my link).  I love getting Amazon gift cards for taking surveys, but they also have great "sample" opportunities!  They sent me 2 Old Navy coupons (one for me, one for a friend) to get free swimsuits and tell y'all about it!  I will say their swimsuit selection is just okay.  Even the one-pieces were skimpy. =( There were literally two options for suits that covered up my chest, but I really loved one of them and it showed off my baby bump fantastically!

I've never done a tankini before--I'm a one-piece kind of girl, but I thought, being pregnant, that I might go for it.  =D  While we were there, I spent the rest of my Old Navy gift card (I got it with credit card points) on a dress for my niece and some sandals for Sir Screams-A-Lot. 

After the coupons and giftcard, I spent $6 for $60 worth of clothes at Old Navy!  And there wasn't even anything on clearance! ;D

This post is sponsored by Crowdtap/Old Navy.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Madagascar 3 Party!

Your friends Melman, Gloria, Marty, and Alex are coming back for a new installment of Madagascar!

To celebrate, Crowdtap (my link), invited me to host a Madagascar party!

We celebrated over Memorial Day weekend with a Circus Party!

We colored masks,

Ate camp out food,

And spent time with family and friends.

At the end of the day,

Everyone enjoyed their very own Crackalackin' Zebra Cake!

Better than Free at CVS!

I had fun at CVS this week, though I'm going to admit it: I didn't need any of these items.  I got them (1) because I made money on them and (2) I know people who want (most) of them.  CVS sent me a $4/$20 coupon (which is like printed gold) this week.  I waited until Thursday to be sure there was nothing I wanted in NEXT week's ad, and then used it for stuff to give away/make Extra Bucks.  It was an ego boost to make money on Pantene because it doesn't normally go under $1.50 in it's low price cycle.  I took some BOGO coupons I had from the beginning of the month and a $3/2 coupon from Sunday to bring the price of 4 bottles down to $2.  I also used some free item coupons that were about to expire to get my pre-coupon price up over $20.  So, here's what I did:

(4) Pantene shampoo/conditioner $13.94
-(2) B1G1 coupons ($3.48 ea.)
-$3/2 coupon (the two I paid for)
(2) Starbucks Refreshers (apparently yucky...at least it was free to try) $3.98
-(2) FREE Starbucks Refreshers (in the Pepsico Moments to Save insert) ($1.99 ea.)
(1) CVS vanilla body wash $2.37
-FREE body wash (CVS gave them out for Mother's Day) ($2.37)
-$4 off a $20 purchase (adjusted down to $3.98)
+$0.84 in tax
=$0.84

ECBs received: 2 (for the Pantene)

So, I paid $1 in tax for $26 worth of products and got 2 ExtraCare Bucks back!  I also got $15 in my beauty bucks account, so I'll be getting $1.50 back later.  All in all, I saved 113% on my purchase!  I think that may be my best savings quotient yet!

Saved 64% at Weis--No Coupons!

Even though hubby has been gone for two weeks, I'm way behind on my blogging/bragging. =D  Something about chasing a one year old ...all...day... makes a girl want to sleep at 9 pm.  But I wanted to show you my awesome grocery trip!  I literally had no plans to get anything other than a paper and bread, but while I was there, I couldn't resist doing a couple of deals.  So, without coupons, I got $32 worth of groceries for less than $12.  The main tactic that saved me money this week was their "Instant Savings" deal.  When you buy $15 worth of select products, you get $5 off instantly.  Here's the trick though, it's the regular price of the items that has to add up to $15, not the sale price listed in the circular.  So, my mayo, which was on sale for $3 counts as $6, because that's what it costs at full price.  The combination of 4 jars of spaghetti sauce and 1 jar of mayo is over $15 at full price, but a mere $8 on sale.  Add to that the $5 instant savings, and you get over $15 worth of food for just $3! 

So, here's a breakdown of my deals:

(1) Newspaper $2
(1) Bread $2.50
(1) Hellman's mayo $3
(4) Ragu pasta sauce $5
-$5 instant savings
(2) Ocean Spray juice $4
(1) O.S. sparkling juice $2
-$2 FREE sparkling juice wyb 2 juice
+tax
=$11.62
Total saved: $20.55

So, there you go: one great deal, one okay deal, and some necessities--no coupons--64% saved!

Diapers and Groceries at CVS

It was certainly fun this week.  The best part was cheap diapers in quantity!  I was actually able to do the diaper deal twice because my mother-in-law gave me her ExtraBucks and card to use =D.  This lady knows the way to my heart: give me coupons and I'll love you forever (really though, my mil is one of the most awesome ladies I know).  I did a total of 4 transactions between our cards and saved 75%!  Here's how:


(With my mil's card)
Transaction #1

(3) Huggies jumbo packs $30
-(3)$3/1 Huggies
-$3/15 baby care purchase
(1) Coke 12 pack $0.99
(with in-ad coupon)
-$1.50 ECBs
+tax
=$19.29
ECBs received: 10

Transaction #2

(2) Cottonelle wipe tubs $3.98
(3) Cottonelle wipe refills $5.97
-10 ECBs
+tax
=$0.60


(With my card now)
Transaction #1

(3) Huggies jumbo packs $30
-(2) $2/1 Huggies
-$3/1 Huggies
(1) Coke 12 pack $0.99
(with in-ad coupon)
(2) Dove chocolate bars $1.50
-$0.50/2 Dove bars
-$3/$15 (for sharing my pharmacist story)
-21.97 ECBs (from previous weeks)
+tax
=$1.49
ECBs received: 10 (Huggies), 0.75 (Dove)

Transaction #2

(1) 24 pack of water $2.44
(4) Bumble Bee Tuna $3.08
-(2)$1/2 Bumble Bee product
(1) Kotex $3.99
-$1/1 Kotex
(1) Children's Allegra $9.99
-$5/1 Allegra
-11 ECBs
+tax
=$0.64
ECBs received: 3 (Kotex), 4.99 (Allegra)


Including the 14 ExtraBucks I "lost" in the process, I spent $36.25 for $140.07 worth of groceries and diapers!  I was pretty excited that the diapers ended up averaging $3.50 for each pack!  I also got pretty excited over the $1 Cokes and free Kotex.  =D  Ah, I love saving money in the morning...or afternoon...or the middle of the night...

Cheap Diapers at CVS!

I got some fun coupons from the magic coupon machine yesterday, so I did a little better than I thought I would!  Timothy was running low on diapers, so with the $3 coupon in the Reinventing Beauty magazine and a 25% off your regularly priced purchase, I can get a jumbo pack for $6, which is a good price in a pinch.  Profit on my other purchases helped get my total even lower.  Here's what I did:


Transaction #1

(3) Hallmark cards $2.97
-B2G1 CRT from red coupon box ($0.99)
-$2/3 tearpad coupon (from Walmart)
-25% off  full-priced purchase (adjusted) $0.70

(1) RIB magazine $0.99
-25% off $0.23

(1) Colgate Maxfresh $2.99
-$1/1 toothpaste any CRT
-$1/1 Colgate Maxfresh (from the RIB magazine)

(1) Huggies jumbo pack $11.99
-$3/1 Huggies (from the RIB magazine)
-25% off coupon ($2.85)

-7 ECBs  (I think this is what "messed up" my 25% off, but I was able to lower my oop without too much loss)
+tax
=$1.03

ECBs received: 2.49 (for the toothpaste), 1 (green bag tag)

So, I spent $1.03 and 7 ECBs and got back 3.49 in ECBs, so it's like I paid $4.54 for $20.80 in products!  For diapers alone, $4.50 is a great price, so I'm pretty happy!

Grocery Store Savings

CVS's ad is just okay this week.  There's an opportunity to make $1.50 on a tube of toothpaste and I'll probably pick that up at my leisure, but otherwise, it's a boring ad.  So, I concentrated some more of my efforts on saving at the grocery store and I thought I did pretty well.  Here's what I got:

I went to Food Lion and Martin's and got just the essentials and the best deals.  At Food Lion, I got $1.50 Tostitos and BOGO bagels (and a $1.50 tube of toothpaste--darn my cinnamon obsession...).  I spent $20.07 and saved $16.20 (I always have a lower savings quotient at Food Lion).  I had lots of fun at Martin's with $0.70 Q-tips (I even surprised myself with these), $1.40 containers of wipes and $1 Bottles of Ocean Spray juice.  There, I saved $23.33 and spent $25.97.  I was also really excited because they had little cilantro plants on sale.  I'm hoping to start growing my own cilantro and making "Chipotle" food even cheaper!  So my totals for the day were $39.53 in savings on $85.57 worth of food, or 46%!  That's close enough to my goal of 50% savings to make me a happy couponer!

Made more money at CVS!

This week, I was focused on minimizing my total cost--not my out of pocket expense.  So, I ended up spending a little more cash, but with the reimbursement from rebates, I'll have made money in the end!  Here's what I did:

Transaction #1

(1) Physician's Formula mascara $10.49

-$1/1 Manu. q

-$3/1 CVS q

-$2.10 20% off purchase q

(2) Head & Shoulder's large bottles $15.98 total

-$7.99 BOGO q

-$3.20 20% off purchase q

(1) Reinventing Beauty magazine $0.99

-$0.20 20% of purchase q

+tax

=$11.29

ECBs received: 7 (Physician's Formula)

Transaction #2

(4) Head & Shoulder's small bottles $18.67

-(2) BOGO manu. q's ($9.34)

(1) Skintimate shave gel $2.50

-$2/1 peelie (!)

(1) Blink tears $8.99

-$1/1 manu. q

(4) Hallmark cards $6.99

-$3/3 coupon

-B3G1 coupon ($0.99)

-19.49 ECBs

+tax

=$2.39

ECBs received: 4 (H&S), 8.99 (Blink), 3 (cards)

So, I spent $13.68 out of pocket, but ended up with 8 more Extracare Bucks than I had started with (including BeautyBucks) and I'll be getting $7.50 back (for all those H&S shampoos) in a rebate, so it's like I made $1.82 on over $75 worth of stuff!!

Free Spree at Kohl's!

Every quarter or so, Kohl's sends out a coupon-card for $10 off any purchase.  This is probably my favorite coupon of all because I can get a couple small things, like this outfit for my nephew for cheap or FREE!  I usually shop the clearance rack, but I was unimpressed by the selection there, so I saw their "Jumping Beans" clothes were on sale for $5 each.  After much ado about WHICH cute outfit to get my nephew, I settled on this one.  I got exactly what I wanted and ended up paying $0.00!!!  This outfit was originally $28, but no one pays that, right?  It's gotta be like the sticker price on a car... =) 

Making money at CVS!

Jenny from Southern Savers (my favorite coupon-matching blog) once asked if there was anything we wouldn't buy to make a profit (she had posted about a money making deal on personal lubricant).  The answer from us couponers was a resounding "no."  My rule when buying stuff is that it has to be a good deal AND I need it OR I can make money on it.  Also, I like to know where things are "going" if I don't want them.  Today, I got some herbal pain reliever that I won't use myself (I don't trust herbals at all), but I've got a friend who's into that stuff.  I also made $1.50 on Depend's men's underwear which I plan on donating to a nursing home.  Now, this stuff does sometimes accumulate in my house between "buying" and "donating," but hubby's pretty good about policing "coupon clutter," even when I'm not.  =D  So, I ended up making a few cents at CVS today!  Here's how:

Transaction #1

(1) Depend men's underwear $3.99
-$2/1 CVS q
-$1.50/1 manu. q
(2) Right Guard body wash $6
-$2/2 manu. q
(1) ACT sensitive mouthwash $3.99
-$2/1 ACT sensitive
(1) Naturelief pain reliever $8.49
-$1/1 naturelief
-13.99 in ECBs
+tax
=$0.34

ECBs received: 2, 2, 1, 8.49 (plus an extra 1)


Transaction #2

(2) Colgate Total toothpaste $5.98
-(2) $1/1 Colgate total
-4 ECBs
+tax
=$0.34

ECBs received: 4

If you account for 10% back in beauty bucks, I got $37.77 in products for -$0.41!  And that, my friends, is why I don't feel bad buying Depend's.  =)

"Chipotle" on the cheap

Since I'm pregnant, I'm craving Chipotle all.the.time!  It's killing my budget, though.  So I went searching on the web for Chipotle recipes.  I found this website, and it was a great starting point for some awesome food!  I used Rayma's recipe there for Cilantro Lime rice and it has turned out perfectly 2 out of 3 times.  I was trying to get a more fluffy rice one time, and ended up with rice that was a little bit crunchy...so don't be shy with your heat--I haven't had a batch get even close to burning yet.  Considering I got the rice for free, I only paid about $0.50 for 5 servings of cilantro-lime rice (yay!).  I actually pick through the corn salsa at Chipotle because I don't like raw onions or the jalapenos.  So, starting with their Chipotle Corn Salsa recipe, I crafted my own salsa with the ingredients I like.  So, here goes:

Chipotle Corn Salsa (Mild Version)

1 poblano pepper (~$1)

1 lb. bag of corn, thawed (10/$10)

1/2 vidalia onion (~$1)

2 T. cilantro paste (in the produce aisle--$0.50 per tablespoon {$3.50 per tube})

1 T. lime juice (I used the one in the plastic bottle *gasp* and that's $0.19 per tablespoon)

salt to taste

Slice the onion into 1/2 in. slices.  Roast onion and pepper in 400 degree oven until onion is soft and slightly browned--about 30 minutes (I've also done this on the stove top and it worked fine.  You can roast your corn too, but I like the taste of "fresh" corn.).  Put pepper in a brown paper bag for a few minutes to steam off the skin (it should already be bubbly) while you finish chopping onion into "corn-sized" pieces.  Peel skin off of poblano and chop.  Combine cilantro paste (or fresh minced cilantro--2 T.) and lime juice in medium bowl, add pepper, onion, and corn, mix well.  Refrigerate salsa until chilled (an hour is plenty).  Serves 6 ($0.70/serving)


I also doctored up a can of black beans ($0.75) with 2 t. of chili powder, 1 c. of water (since I drained the liquid off) and 3 T. minced onion.  I let that simmer while my rice was cooking and it tasted really good.  Between the rice, corn salsa and black beans, my "Chipotle" meal costs $0.90/serving, which is great!  If you're a "meatatarian" or like sour cream and cheese (I've learned that I can't taste them) with your dish, you could be looking up toward $1.50/serving (these are coupon prices, mind you), which is still a great deal, considering it's $8 in the store (plus, I like mine better ;D).  What's your favorite way to eat Chipotle?  Do you go for a chicken burrito or a steak salad?  Do you ever make your own take out?

Cheap Groceries at CVS!

So I messed up my transactions a little this week, and "wasted" $1 in ExtraBucks, but I got some groceries for a great price, so I'm satisfied with my trip (though I'm still kicking myself over it...).  Here's what I got:

Transaction #1

(4) Snickers Eggs $2
-$1/2 Mars Easter Candy (I only had one)
-(2) $0.25/2 Mars Easter singles CVS CRTs
(1) Revlon Nail polish $1.57 (clearance)
-$1/1 Revlon color product
(1) Revlon eyeshadow $1.24 ("gold"--not the prettiest, but a big mm)
-$3/1 (off total order wyb product) Revlon eye or lip product CVS CRT
-$1/1 Revlon color product
(1) CVS Jelly beans $0.99 (these were gone within an hour of getting home...uhhh... =D)
(2) Cheezit crackers $3.98 (6 week low price here)
-$1/2 Cheezit crackers
(2) Colgate toothbrushes $5.98
-(2) $1/1 Colgate toothbrush
(1) Reinventing Beauty Magazine $0.99 ($3 q in there for Huggies--that coupon alone makes it a good buy!)
-8 ECBs--I'd only needed 7 =(
+tax
=$0.54

ECBs received: 1 Green Bag Tag, 2 Snickers eggs, 0.99 Jelly Beans, 4 Colgate


Transaction #2

(3) Dole Pineapple $2.64 (fresh produce is still dying in my house)
-$1/3 Dole Pineapple
(2) Cheezit crackers $3.98 (it's killing me to buy groceries at CVS b/c I can't get them 95% off ;D)
-$1/2 Cheezit crackers
-4 ECBs
=$0.62


So, including the 4 ECBs I burned, I spent $5.17 on $47.73 worth of groceries, make-up and candy.  All total, I saved 89%.  I blame it on the Cheezits. =D

My newest Paintings!

I don't know if I've blogged about my paintings yet.  But, I really enjoy painting when I get a chance.  It's also a great way to be frugal--you can give a priceless gift to someone while only having spent $10 or so (as long at you don't frame it--then it gets pricey).  That's actually one of the reasons I got into arts and crafts--there were things that I wanted that I couldn't afford, so I made them instead! 

I've been on a sort of painting binge lately (two in a month is a lot for me) because they had a great sale on canvases at AC Moore over Memorial Day weekend.  I finally got around to painting a photograph I had seen in a tractor supply ad.  I clipped it a few months ago because it reminded me of my little brother.  He's kinda a loner, but really loves animals; the lonesome cowboy and his dogs just reminded me of him.  I'm never completely satisfied with my work, but I can look at this painting and not cringe, so it gets my seal of approval.  =)

The second painting is for two of my best friends' (Laurie and Chris) wedding.  I was so tickled when they got together because I felt like I somehow played a part in it (though, really, I didn't).  I had this crazy idea for her: give her a "painting day" that included a lesson and fun girl time with me, Laurie, and our dear friend, Becky (she's gonna hate me for that =D).  At the end of the day, Laurie would get to bring home all of the paintings and hang them as a triptych.  We each chose a flower to represent us--I chose the iris because it's always been my favorite.  Plus, I figured since I'd drawn it so much, it would turn out pretty okay.  While Laurie and Becky finished their paintings by the end of the day, I was only half done (actually a third done if you count how much I re-painted).  But, I was able to get it done after three more days, and I ended up pretty happy with it.  Here's how the three paintings look together:

My CVS trip!

I had a good trip to CVS this week.  I got a few things I wanted for a great price!  In and out, it took maybe 20 minutes!  Here's what I got:

(3) Garnier haircare (shampoo, conditioner, hairspray) $10

-(3) $1/1 Garnier manu q's

-$2/2 Garnier shampoo and styler (otherwise I would've just gotten more shampoo--do you know how often I style my hair? Almost never.)

(1) Biore Strip $7.99 (I've been wanting to try these for a while, so I was excited about the sale and coupons matching up!)

(1) Biore Cleanser $8.29

-FREE cleanser wyb strips (7.99--should have been $8.29, but I didn't feel like fighting for $0.30)

-$4/$20 Beauty purchase (from last week, but it was still good until Monday)

-5 ECBs from last week

+tax

=$5.63

Got back : 3 ECBs for Garnier, 5 ECBs for Biore, 2.63 in Beauty Bucks (I have 5 ECBs waiting for me now)

So, including the extrabucks I gained, everything I got was exactly FREE!!!  Wow, I didn't realize I had done so well!  Yeah!  I'm awesome!

No coupons at Weis

I'm always saying that sales save you the most money and here's a prime example.  I went into Weis to get something easy for dinner, some juice and bread.  I decided to make a real trip out of it when I saw a number of my favorites on a good sale.  A good sale, remember, is 40-50% off, or BOGO, or whatever.  Just compare the shelf price with the sale price.  If it's about half, buy enough for 8 weeks/as much as you have space for/as much as will keep (remember you can freeze many refrigerated products).  So, I got everything I needed and more and ended up saving 42% without any coupons!!

I bought:
(4) Ocean Spray 100% juice BOGO @ $3.99
(3) Thomas English muffins Buy one, get TWO @ $3.99
(I always take advantage of this deal when it comes around, I freeze two and use them instead of bread for the following weeks)
(2) Keebler crackers $1.99 ea (even though this is 33% off, it's a best price for sandwich crackers)
(1) Lance crackers $2.49 (b/c I need Nekot cookies for survival)
(4) Stouffers large size TV dinners $2.50 ea.
(each of these feed the three of us comfortably, so it's a steal at $1/serving)
(1) Baby carrots $1.50 (the best price is $1, but I'm making a pot roast)
(1) Rold Gold pretzel twists $2.50
(1) Newspaper $2
(3) Fruit cups $1 ea. (okay price, but better than $3 for grapes that ended up rotting on my counter)

Total: $37.57
Savings: $27.49

Now Jesse says that stores just jack up their prices, so they can entice you with sales.  Very true, but I'd rather pay the low sale price for the foods I regularly eat, than the full "jacked up" prices any day.

Back on Track at CVS!

I told you last week how I got caught up in the coupon game and bought a whole bunch of things I didn't need.  Well, I'm happy to say that I'm back on the wagon!  This week, I got stuff I (or someone I knew) actually needed/wanted at pretty good prices!  Here's what I got:

Transaction #1:

(1) Planter's peanuts $3
(2) Reach 3 pack brushes $3.69 ea. (I was out of toothbrushes--how crazy is that?!?)
-$2/2 reach brushes (says 1 ct. ...I didn't have a problem using it on larger sizes...)
(1) Zyrtec 5 ct. $5.99 (doc just suggested I switch antihistamines, so this money maker was awesome!)
-$2/1 Zyrtec (excludes trial size--3 ct.)
(1) Gold Emblem peanuts in shell (hubby likes peanuts nearly as much as Coke) $1.59 (50% off clearance)
-$2/1 Gold Emblem nuts CVS coupon
not pictured:
(1) Huggies overnight diapers (b/c the regular ones simply won't do anymore) $12.49
-20% off ($2.45) CVS coupon
-$2/1 Huggies coupon
-15.99 ECBs
+ tax
= $6.96

ECBs received: 4 (Reach), 5.99 (Zyrtec)


Transaction #2

(1) Pediacare cough syrup $5.99
-$1/1 Pediacare
(4) Coke 12 pk (SOO excited about this deal!) $3 each.
-(2) FREE Coke 12 packs (bought with points from My Coke Rewards)
-11.99 ECBs
+ tax
= $1.72

ECBs received: 5 (Coke/Planter's deal), 5 (Pediacare)


Transaction #3

(1) Wireless air 60 (like a Kinect--no controller or anything) $4.99
-5 ECBs
+ tax
=$0.30

So, all total, I spent $8.98 and 10.99 in ECBs for $117.05 in products!  That's 92% off.  Nice!

More Bang for Your Buck!

I went to Weis and Martin's this afternoon to get some produce, cleaning supplies, and a quick dinner.  I ended up spending $26.64.  This is what $26 of food looks like at MSRP:

Here's what I got for $26:

I got $72.58 in groceries for my $26.64!  Mind you, I saved so much MOSTLY by waiting for the "best sales," NOT clipping coupons.  I used $6 in manufacturer coupons, and the rest of my savings were BOGO sales and "instant savings" deals. 

Exactly what you shouldn't do...

Say to yourself: "Hm, I got a $5/$30 purchase in my CVS account, let's see what's on sale..." after you've already "passed over" the sales this week.  I'll let you in on a little secret: if you check your ExtraCare account on Monday, you'll see any extra coupons for that week, but you don't have to use them that week.  Just note the expiration date--this is your "print by" date, and you'll still be able use that coupon the following Sunday or Monday.  I don't know where my head was this week, but I decided that $5/$30 is the same as "thus saith the Lord."  Never mind the fact that I was planning on getting a lot of stuff next week and could have really used that coupon!  So, I wrote down all the "great deals" people were talking about and used some cherished rain checks (from Thanksgiving) to bump my total up to $30...when all I really wanted was nail polish and jellybeans...  So, here's what I got:

(2) Softsoap body wash $7 (like I need more body wash...and it wasn't even free...)
(1) Olay facial cleanser $4.49 (full-price and probably the best purchase of the trip...)
(1) Olay body wash $6.99
-B1G1 FREE body wash wyb an Olay facial cleanser (even though the cleanser cost less)
(1) CVS jelly beans $0.99
(2) Revlon nail polish (for my little niece--she's gonna be 1 soon!) $9.58
-(2) $1/1 Revlon color cosmetic (yes, this counts)
(1) Softlips vanilla $2 (rain check)
+tax
=$18.63 (my oop is so high b/c I didn't have any ECBs to roll into my transaction, but that doesn't really bother me ECBs=cash in my mind)

ECBs recieved: 15.99 (from the olay body wash, softsoap, jelly beans....everything except the facial cleanser)

So, it's like I paid $2.64 for all of it, or $0.33 each...it's not like it cost that much...but this is how people end up with 24 bottles of mustard.  The goal is to have what you'll need until the next sale, while keeping clutter to a bare minimum.  I'm not going to use 3 bottles of body wash in the next year, and they're bound to be free before then.  I've already promised away 2 bottles, and watered down body wash works really great in your puffy soap dispensers, so, hopefully I can minimize the damage of my shopping spree gone wrong.

Cheap Cereal and Milk

I went to Weis this morning with some nice high value coupons in hand!  Here's what I got:

Transaction #1

(2) Apple Jacks $2.99 ea.
(2) Froot Loops $2.99 ea.
(1) Corn Pops $2.99
(1) Gal. Milk $3.99

-$5/5 Kellogg's cereal (NLA)
-$3.99 Free milk wyb 3 breakfast items
-$3.79 Free milk wyb 4 Kellogg's cereal sale

Total: $6.16


Transaction #2

(2) Corn Pops $2.99 ea.
(1) Froot Loops $2.99
(2) Special K Red Berries $2.99 ea.
(1) Special K Protein Bars $6.79
(1) Gal. Milk $4.19

-$5/5 Kellogg's Cereal (NLA)
-$3.79 Free milk wyb 4 Kellogg's cereal sale
-$6.79 Free Special K protein item wyb 2 cereal peelie (on Special K)

Total: $10.35


Total spent: $16.51
Total value purchased: $62.57 (saved 74%)

So, I got 10 boxes of cereal, 2 gallons of milk, and 1 box of meal bars for $16!!  That's about $1.25 each!

Btw, this is my first blog with a pic from my NEW camera!  Isn't it a puurdy picture?  =D

Cheap diapers and wipes!

I surprised myself at the checkout this afternoon!  I got diapers and wipes even cheaper than I was expecting!  I had a few nice coupons, including a $5/$30 and a free $5 gift card when you "have a heart to heart with your pharmacist" in the mail today.  I'm not sure what a heart-to-heart entails, but they just gave me one (though it took 10 minutes and a manager to figure it out).  Here's what I got:



Transaction #1:

(3) Snickers Eggs $1.50
-$1.50/2 Mars Seasonal Items (since they were $0.50 ea., I got 3 of them for free)
-$0.25/2 Mars chocolate CVS coupon
(1) CVS cough drops (hubby's sick) $0.99
(1) Fiber One brownie bars (apparently, they aren't that bad)  $3.99
-$1/1 Fiber One bars (inside specially marked cereal)

=$3.82 (on the $5 gc from the pharmacy)
ECBs: 4 (a rain check  for the brownies from Black Friday--they never expire!)


Transaction #2:

(1) Huggies wipe 3 pk.  $5.99
(1) Huggies Box $19.99
-$2/1 from Sunday's paper
(2) Trim nail clippers (the cool ones with the nail "catchers" on them) $5.93

-$5/$30
-4 ECBs (from previous transaction)
-10 ECBs (from last week)
-$1.18 (gift card)

=$11.11
CVS cash card: $10

Then I got enticed by the clearance bin...

Transaction #3:

(1) CVS heat pack (it's a reusable Thermacare--so awesome!!) $3.37
(1) Bioluxe trial hair spray (since I use hair spray about twice a year...) $0.80

=$4.22 (on CVS cash card)

So, I paid $11.11 out of pocket for $66.25 in products!  Considering I would have paid that for the diapers alone, I'd say it was a good trip!

Man cannot Live on Mustard Alone

Free mustard is great, but at some point you have to eat real food!  As I was packing up my leftover steak dinner, I realized that nearly everything in the container had been bought on super sale, so I wanted to show you a picture of what we couponers are "going for."  I'll admit, I felt pretty snazzy serving hubby (BOGO) steak (top sirloin?...can't remember the actual cut), but when I realized how little I paid for the dinner, I was even prouder.  =)  Since I didn't think of sharing until after dinner, you're only getting a glimpse at my leftovers. 

Here's how I got steak and potatoes for a mere $2 per serving:

18 oz. steak  (this is 4 servings in our house--maybe less at yours)
SALE:  BOGO @ Weis 2 weeks ago => $5.75

1 packet Lipton onion soup mix (onion roasted potatoes are just plain yummy)
SALE: $0.67 per box at Food Lion last week with a $1/2 coupon => $0.09

Potatoes (the box said 2 pounds made four servings, but we've got a LOT of leftovers)
SALE:  $1.50 for a 5 lb. bag @Wal-Mart a month ago => $0.60

Carrots: 1/4 lb.
I BELIEVE this was $1 for 1 pound at Weis at least a month ago => $0.25

Steak Seasoning, oil, butter: about =>$0.25

Green Beans
SALE: $10/10 at Weis with a $1/2 coupon => $0.50

Steak Sauce (I didn't buy this on super sale.  I am ashamed.)
Generic $2.54 at Food Lion =>$0.70

Grand Total: $8.34/4 servings=$2.09 per serving

So, there you go.  Having bought most of my components on sale, I could feed a family of eight for less than a single entree in a restaurant.  I rock (and you can too!).

Back in Action!

Well, it certainly has been a while, hasn't it?  Since we last talked, I've been chasing after my one year old like crazy and trying to keep food down to feed this little baby in my tummy.  Needless to say, I haven't been couponing like I used to.  Two weeks ago I paid full price for dish soap!  That's sacrilege in the coupon world.  But, yesterday, I think I made up for that waste of $2...I got $135 worth of stuff for $25 (after rebates and ExtraBucks) and the only things that actually cost money were the diapers and wipes!  The diapers and wipes are actually for my sister-in-law, who's going to give birth any day now.  My mother-in-law asked me to get some when they were on a good sale--it's so much fun to shop with other people's money! ;-)  Here's what I got:

Transaction with my card:

(3) Pampers Diapers $9.50 ea.

-(1) $1.50/1 pampers

-(2) $1/1 Pampers (all from inside old packs)

(1) Pamper's wipes $3

-$0.20/1 wipes

-$5/30 coupon (from my online account)

+tax

=$24.39

ECBs received: 10

I saved these ExtraBucks for next week, and used my mother-in-law's card for the rest of the transactions because she had some ExtraBucks she didn't want (ECBs are non-transferable, so you have to use the card with which they were printed when redeeming them).

Transaction #1 with my mother-in-law's card

(3) Pampers Diapers $9.50 ea.

-(3) $1.50/1 Pampers from Sunday's Paper

(1) Pamper's wipes $3

-$0.20/1 wipes

-3 ECBs

+tax

=$25.52

ECBs received: 10

Transaction #2 (now I'm trying--and failing--to get rid of those ExtraBucks)

(3) Thermacare Heatwraps $6.99 ea.
-(3) $3/1 Thermacare printable (need 3 different e-mails/computers)
(1) Hallmark card $0.99
-10 ECBs
+tax
=$0.06

ECBs received: 4

Mail-In Rebate on 3 Thermacare: $10 (that's means I make a dollar on 3 Thermacare--super free!)




Transaction #3

(4) Lady Speed Stick $1.99 ea.
-(2) BOGO coupons (the first rang up $3.99, so she corrected the second to $1.99)
(2) Irish Spring bar soap $3 ea.
-$1/2 Irish Spring (from Sunday's paper)
-4 ECBs
+tax
=$3.82

ECBs received: 6

Mail-In Rebate: $5



Transaction #4

(2) Hallmark cards $0.99 ea.
(1) Skintimate shave cream (I was testing this unadvertised deal) $3.99
-6 ECBs
+tax
=$0.36

ECBs received: 3 (hallmark), 4 (Skintimate)

So, I've got 7 bucks leftover, which means I failed in spending away my m.i.l.'s bucks, but succeeded in saving lots of money! 

I've submitted 2 rebates so I'll get $15 back eventually.  If you combine that with the 14 "extra" ExtraBucks for the day, it's like I only spent $25.15 for $134.96 worth of stuff!  Nice!!