Kraft First Taste

I highly suggest signing up for www.kraftfirsttaste.com

All three blogs I have listed to the right will update whenever a special offer is available on this website. I joined 4 months ago and so far have been able to get coupons for:

1 FREE Jello temptations
$1 off Jello temptations
1 FREE Kraft shredded cheese
$1 off Kraft shredded cheese
1 FREE Breakstone's cottage cheese doubles
1 FREE Breakstone's cottage cheese with fruit 4-pack
$1 off Breakstone's cottage cheese with fruit product
1 FREE Philadelphia cooking creme
$1 off Philadelphia cooking cream

We have enjoyed everything we have gotten and will most likely buy them all again in future purchases. This is such a great program! You have to sign up for each offer, and they usually only last a day or two before they run out. However, if you follow a coupon blog on a daily basis they should tell you very soon after an offer is made available.

Walmart 4/28/11

12 pack Ramen ($1.98)
Walmart brand shredded cheese (1.86)
3 Frigo cheese sticks ($0.33 each, had 2 $0.50 off 1 coupons-made them free)
1 Breve Cream (free coupon from Vocalpoint)
1 Bic lighter (free product coupon)

Total spent: $4.08  Total saved: $7.36

Unexpected ways to save.

Every three months or so, Walgreens runs a sale that includes 5lb bags of Gold Medal flour for $1.50 a bag.

Yup, Walgreens sells flour.

A week ago I found coupons in another store for $1 off 2 bags of Gold Medal flour. I knew it had been awhile since Walgreens had it on sale, so I grabbed one. Sure enough this week they ran the sale for $1.50 each!

With my coupon I bought 2 bags of flour for $1 each, or 10lbs for $2. Around here 5lb bags of flour are about $2.79 or more per bag, for the off brand.

It just goes to show that you never know where you will find deals!

Huge trip 4/15/11

Meijer-

 6 healthy choice steamers, 6 healthy choice soups, 6 boxes weight watchers ice cream, 1 digiorno pizza/breadsticks, 2 cool whip, 4 mcCormick spices, 1 heath topping, 1lb green beans, 2 blackberries, 1 bunch tomatoes, 2 jello temptations, 3 rice-a-roni, ziploc steamers, 2 cake pans, ziplock bags, 3 travel body wash, 1 apple pie. 2 cool whip, 1 bag dried banana chips, 4 packs butter, 4 smoked turkey sausage, 6 ball park hot dogs, 2 toasters strudels
Spent:  $78.82  Saved:  $98.81

Target-

4 Silk soymilk, sale for $2.99, had 4 $2 off coupons
3 Kashi cereal, sale for $2.99 each, had 3 $1 off coupons AND a $1.50/3 store coupon
4 bags skittles blenders, was $0.69 each, FREE
Travel connect 4 game, was $4.99, used $3 off coupon
2 4-packs travel tissues, was $0.99, used 2 $0.50 off coupons
2 Revlon nail items, $2 each, used 2 $2 off coupons
Rimmel Mascara, was $2.99, used $2 off coupon
4 Olay bars of soap, $0.97 each, used 4 $2 off coupons (overage)
1 travel aquafresh toothpaste, was $1, used $1 off coupon
4 Olay regenerist facial cleansing cloths, was $5.99 each, used 4 $5 off coupons
4 small Aveeno lotion, was $2.99 each, used 4 $2 off coupons and 4 $1 off store coupons
1 Finish 10ct detergent
Spent:  $15.29  Saved  $68.30

Walgreens-

2 6-packs Scott Naturals paper towels, $5 each -2 $1.50 off coupons and 2 $1 off store coupons=$5.00 for both.

Walmart-

 Candyland game, sale for $5, used $2 off coupon
2 bags kraft with philly shredded cheese, sale for $2, used 2 $1 off coupons
Bag animal cookies, 2-pack sippy cups, 2 international delight, 2 squeezable applesauce pouches
2 Smuckers natural peanut butter, $2.28 each, used 2 $0.55 off coupons
4 Polaner Jelly, $1.93 each, used 4 $1 off coupons
4 NYC nail polish, $0.93 each, used two $1.50/2 coupons
Spent:  $28.95  Saved:  $12.10

Village Market-

5lbs green bell pepper, 3lbs strawberries, 5lbs russet potatoes, bunch of bananas, 5lbs oranges, 6 bottles Coke. (truckload produce sale, plus 3 coupons for $1 off two Coke WYB $4 in produce)
Spent $20, Saved $20

Trip totals:

Spent:  $148.06  Saved:  $204.21

Also, we got the regional RP Subway coupons in our paper last week, "buy ANY drink, get a free 6' breakfast sandwich". We used two this morning right before this massive trip. Spent $2.78 Saved $8

Walgreens 4/11/11

I did 3 transactions of:

1 carefree liners (sale for $0.99)
-$0.50 coupon
=$0.49 plus a $0.99 RR

For the first three transactions I paid a total of $1.47 and got $2.97 in RR

Last transaction

6 11.5oz bags of Mars minis easter candy (sale for $2.50 each)
3 boxes of jello (sale for $0.20 each)
=$15.60 -3 $1/2 mars easter candy, and 3 $1/2 mars candy store coupon
-$2.97 RR
Paid $6.60

Trip total: $9.57  Saved: $24.45

Rite Aid 4/10/11

1st transaction:

2 Biore cleansers ($8.49 each)
2 Biore pore strips ($8.49 each)
=$33.96 -2 B1G1 free coupons, and 2 $2 off coupons, and a $3/15 rite aid survey coupon

Total $9.98, got back $10 +ups

2nd transaction:

2 Old spice fresh collection body wash (sale for $2.99 each)
4 Chocolate covered peeps (sale for $0.88 each)3.52
2 24ct Stayfree maxi pads (sale for $2.50 each)
1 candy bar ($0.50-filler)
1 giant bouncy ball (2.99)
=$17.99 -B1G1 free body wash, $1 off body wash, 2 $1 off Stayfree, 2 $1/2 chocolate peeps($10.49 in coupons)
-$10 +ups
Total-$0!! The coupons even paid my tax! And I got $6 in +ups.

Total trip cost: $9.98
Total saved: $52.41

Meijer 4/7/11

This is a post about Pharmacy coupons. Several stores run promotions in their pharmacy where if you fill an Rx, you get a gift card to their store. Last week I filled an inexpensive Rx at Meijer, and a "catalina" coupon printed. It stated, "fill an Rx at the Meijer pharmacy, get a $20 custom coupon on your next order."

So yesterday, my husband needed to fill an Rx. We went to Meijer, filled it, used the coupon and got the $20 off custom coupon. You can use regular coupons with this, too. We ended up paying $1.89 on $50 worth of stuff. Savings from coupons, store sales, and the $20 custom coupon.

There are other ways of getting a pharmacy deal. When you get your Sunday paper take a good look at the inserts. Any store with a pharmacy will run this deal on occasion. Usually it is a coupon inside the insert that you have to cut out and take with you, other times it is a printable coupon from the stores website.

Here is what we got-

1 bag lays chips, 1 bag quaker rice snacks, 1 family size stouffers entree, 2 boxes tornados, tub of sherbert, 2 bags shredded cheese, 2 bottles pepsi, 8 cans orange juice concentrate, 3 4-packs toilet paper, and 1 bottle of jetdry. Oh and 2 fountain drinks. Basically we paid for the two fountain drinks and got the rest for free.

How do I save money at the grocery store?

First you need to locate all the stores in your area. Anywhere that sells food (I've gotten killer grocery deals at Target!), and then find a blog that does coupon/sale matchups for the stores you have. You can find the Souther Savers blog link on the top of my blog, it is a great blog!

Make sure you get a sunday paper, and have access to a printer. When you go to the blog, it will break down everything on sale, what coupons to use to make it a better deal, and then the final price after coupons. It will also tell you where to find each coupon, it might be an IP (internet printable) or a coupon from your Sunday paper. This will look like this:

Ronzoni Garden Delight pasta, 10/$10 (ten items for $10, a fancy way of saying they are on sale for $1)
$1/1 box of pasta SS 3/27 ex. 6/12 (one dollar off of one box of pasta, coupon in the Smart Source insert of the 3/27/11 newspaper, coupon expires on 6/12/11)
((use $1 off coupon, makes it FREE))

So then you find the best deals in your store for that week, judging by sale prices and what you have coupons for. Buy as many of those items as you can, you want to buy enough at that great price to last you until you can buy it for that price again (usually 3 months). Your shopping trips may look like this:

Week 1-
12 boxes pasta (free)
6 bricks of cream cheese ($0.50 each)
12 bags of frozen veggies ($0.67 each)
6 boxes rice ($1 each)
If you bought these items at full price, it would be around $60. But because of the sales and coupons, you will pay around $17.

Week 2-
2 64oz bags frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts ($5.49 each)
6 bags of shredded cheese ($1 each)
4 boxes pancake mix ($1.50 each)
8 boxes of cereal ($1 each)
Full price $62, you will pay $31

Keep it up an at the end of the month you will have around $240 worth of food filling your pantry and freezer for a total cost of $80-$100.
You just keep going, every week buying those 3-4 great deals and spending around $20 and having it last you three months. By the end of a 6 month time frame, you will be fully stocked to the brim of everything you could want. And you will have spend a very small amount of money to get it.

Rite Aid 4/3/11

1st transaction:
1 Gillette proglide razor, $9.99-$5 coupon (paid $4.99)
Got a $5 +UP

2nd transaction:
2 Gillette deodorants ($4 each), 2 Gillette body wash
Coupons for B1 deodorant, get a wash free, AND coupons for $1 off deodorant
Plastic straws, $1(filler)
Used $5 +UP (paid $2.60)
Got a $2 +UP

3rd transaction:
Large rubber play ball $2.99
Used $2 +UP
(Paid $0.99)

Total spent:  $8.58
Total saved:  $29.86

Walgreens 4/3/11

3 Jumbo packs Pampers(Sale for $8.99, had 1 free product coupon, a $2 and a $1.50 off coupon)
2 32 oz Purex(Sale for $1.99, had two $1 off coupons)
1 100ct Puffs tissues(Sale for $0.99, had a $0.50 off coupon)
4 large bags Easter M&Ms(sale 2/$5, had $1/2 store coupon, and two $2/2 coupons)
1 small M&Ms(filler)

Total spent:  $15.84   Total saved:  $45.45
Plus $5 coupon off a $5 pampers purchase