Aldi 1/10/12

First time I've done an Aldi post. Aldi doesn't take coupons, so just compare everything to the off brand at another store to figure out savings. Some of the things at Aldi we prefer to other brands, and the produce is usually very good at the Aldi in my area.

 2 24ct bottled water (we prefer this to name brand) $2.49 each. That's $1.50 each cheaper than store brand.

English muffins, $0.99. I can't get them cheaper than this at my other stores, even with sales.

Head of broccoli, bag of red potatoes, bag of Gala apples, bag of Cuties oranges, pint of blueberries, $7.95 total. Great price on quality produce in the middle of winter.

Total spent: $13.92
Estimated savings: $12

Meijer 1/10/12

6 10-ct boxes of Kool-aid Jammers, on sale for $3/5, plus an in-store promo of "buy 3, get $3 off instantly". We also used 2 M-perks* coupons for $1/3, so they came to $0.33 per box.

3 4-ct packs of Easy Mac, on sale for 2/$6, plus the same in store promo as above, and an Mperks coupon for $0.50/2, so they came to  $3.50, or $1.16 per 4-pack.


2 boxes Zingers, $4.29 each, on sale for B1G1 free, so $2.14 each.

2 bottles of V-Fusion smoothies, on sale for $2.50 each, had 2 $1 off coupons, made them $1.50 each.

2lbs strawberries, on sale $1.67 each

8lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, on sale for $1.63/lb, plus a coupon for 5% off meijer brand food, came to $1.54/lb (this usually goes on SALE for $1.99/lb or higher, $1.54/lb is the cheapest I have ever found it, I try to buy whenever it is $1.79/lb or less).

Total spent: $30.46
Total saved: $36.25


*I want to note that you only get 1 Mperks coupon per account. Erik and I both have Mperks accounts, so in order to get the Kool-aid deal twice, we did 2 separate transactions.

Target 1/10/12

1st transaction-

10 Smart one's entrees, on sale for $1.89 each, used a $3/10 Target coupon and a $3/10 paper coupon.
Came to $1.29 each, plus got a $5 Target gift card for buying $10.


2nd transaction-

2 Gordon's grilled salmon, on sale for $2.39 each, used 2 $1 off coupons, made them $1.39 each.

4 Target brand boxes of mac and cheese, was $0.67 each, had 4 $1 off Target coupons, made them free. No overage because Target coupons automatically go down to the cost of the product.

3 Kashi cereals (one $2.75, two $2.99-on sale), used 3 $2 off recyclebank coupons, and 1 $0.50/2 Target coupon, made them $2.23 for three boxes, or about $0.75 each.

2 Chiobani greek yogurt, on sale for $1 each, used 2 $0.30 off coupons, made them $0.70 each

2 Dannon Activia 4-pack yogurts, normal price $2.19 each, used 2 $1 off Target coupons and 2 $1 off paper coupons, made them $0.19 per 4-pack.

2 Olay single bars, 2 Oral-B floss, 2 travel Aquafresh toothpastes, $0.97 each, had $1 off coupons for each, so free plus $0.18 in overage to go towards my other items.

Total: $6.13, minus $5 gift card from 1st transaction, paid $1.48

Total for trip: $14.64
Total saved: $37.32

I also want to note, that as a couponer the total cost of the smart ones should be calculated after the $5 gift card, which would have made them $0.79 each.

Meijer 1/07/12

3 Bags Ore-Ida potato products, was $3.09 each, sale price-3/$5
3 Boxes Special K cereal, was $3.29 each, sale price-$2.50 each, minus $1/3 coupon, $2.16 each
2 Skinny Cow boxed candy, was $3.79 each, sale price 2/$7, minus B1G1 free coupon and $1 off coupon, $1.40 each

Total before coupons/sales: $26.52
Total after coupons/sales: $14.02
Total savings: $12.50

Savings percentage: 48%

Target 7/29/11

What a day for shampoo! And 75% off toys!

Total toy worth: $35 Total spent on toys: $10.06

Personal care:

4 John Frieda full repair products, $5.99 each-had 4 $5 off coupons and 2 $3/2 store coupons (they paid me to buy these)

4 Suave shampoo, $0.84 each, had 2 $0.75 coupons and 2 $1 off coupons (they paid me to buy these too)

6 Herbal Essence hair care-3 shampoo, 1 mousse, 1 gel, 1 spray. This one is confusing. I had 3 coupons that were $3 off a styler WYB a shampoo, also 3 coupons for $1 off shampoo, PLUS a $1 off 2 target coupon. I ended up paying around $0.40 per product.

2 Sally nail polish, $2.54 each. used 2 $1 off coupons and 2 $1 off store coupons, made them $0.54 each.


Total spent: $12.03
Total saved: $86.47

Meijer 7/29/11

Meijer has a bunch of toys on clearance, we found these for 50%-75% off.

Chuck and friends ramp playset with motorized car-originally $24.99 (paid $7.49)
Extra motorized car-originally $9.99 (paid $4.99)
Handy Manny playset-orig. $24.99 (paid $7.49)
Crayola color wonder travel desk set-orig. $14.00 (paid $6.00)
Tinkerbell nail polish/hair set-orig. $5.00 (paid $2.50)

Also, they had earthbound farms organic baby carrots on sale. $1 each, and buy 10 get 1 free. Recyclebank has coupons for $2 off any 2 earthbound farms items. We bought 11 bags and used 5 coupons, so 11 bags of organic baby carrots for free.

Total spent: $28.47
Total saved: $68.00

Walgreens 7/29/11

The soap is normally $1.49, but it was on sale and I had a coupon that brought it down to $0.39. Its a huge bar of soap and spells very good.

The diapers were a shock, they had 2 packs of the size 1, and they were on clearance for $3.19 per pack! I had a walgreens store coupon that took $2 off each pack. $1.19 per pack of pampers! I know I have 8 months left before the baby is born but I just couldn't pass this up.

Total spent: $2.77
Total saved: $19.70

Pier One Imports 7/27/10

Pier one had a daily deal on their facebook page, if you liked them you got a coupon for $10 off a $10 purchase. It stated one per customer, so my DH also liked them and got a coupon.

1st transaction: 4 Ramekins (not the little ones, these are bigger) $2.50 each=FREE after coupon. I didn't even have to pay tax!

2nd transaction: Cake stand. Regular price $14.95, on sale for 25% off ($11.21)=$1.21 after coupon.

So all total we spent $1.21 on $24.95 worth of stuff!

Babies R Us 7/23/11

BRU had a 2-day only diaper sale. All Jumbo packs were $5 each. That's a pretty great price for name brand diapers even without coupons! By the time I got there most of the good stuff was gone. But here is what I got:

2 Jumbo packs Seventh Generation size 2 diapers. Had 2 $2 off coupons, made them $3 each pack

2 Jumbo packs Huggies Jeans size 5 diapers. These were on an "extra" sale, B1G1 50% off. I had 2 $1.50 off coupons, made them $2.25 a pack.

All together spent $10.50 on 4 jumbo packs. Saved $31.50

The size 5 are for my 2 year old, the size 2 is for our new baby coming in March.I also have Aveeno lotion for the new baby. It's crazy that I'm already stocking up for a baby the size of an apple seed, but when you are a couponer you just can't help it :)

Target 7/14/11

Highlights:

3 Neutrogena naturals lip balms, on sale for $2.99 each, had 3 $1 off store coupons and 3 $1 off manuf. coupons, so I paid $2.97 and got a $5 gift card for buying three. They paid me $2.03 to take these out of the store.

2 Bagel bits, $2.69 each, had 2 $1 off store coupons and 2 $1 off manuf. coupons, made them $0.69 each.

2 Colgate max toothpaste, $1.99, had 2 $1 off store coupons and 2 $1 off manuf. coupons, made them free.

2 bed pillows, $2.50, had 2 $2 off store coupons, made them $0.50 each.

4 packs travel size wet ones wipes, $0.97 each, had 4 $0.50 off store coupons, made them $0.47 each

Target brand peroxide, $0.62, had a $0.75 off store coupon, made it free.

2 Zhu Zhu pets, clearance for $2.50 each

8 Lipton naturals, sale for $1 each, had 4 B1G1 free coupons, made them $0.50 each

3 12-packs sierra mist, sale for $2.75 each, had 3 $1 off coupons, made them $1.75 each.

2 Aveeno baby lotion, sale for $4 each, had 2 $2 off recyclebank coupons, and 2 $1 off store coupons, made them $1 each.

Total spent:  $35.26

Total saved: $63.16

Cost before coupons/sales: $99.42

Cheap meal plans

When you are just getting started on couponing, and don't have much of a stockpile but still need to save money, here is a sample meal plan. This will be cheap and easy even if you do not use one single coupon, sale item, or item from a stockpile. I've had a lot of people ask me about this, so I wanted to make a post.

How many people have been in this situation? Your cupboards are empty, you have an unexpected bill or emergency, and you have $x.xx amount of money to last x amount of time. Everyone I know has been in this spot before, including me!

You have to cater this around what your family will eat, but here is an idea for a weeks worth of food (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack) for 4 people, for 14 days.

Shopping list-at a discount store like Aldi:

1 Tub of instant oatmeal
2 dozen eggs
3 loaves of bread
2 jars of peanut butter
1 tub of butter
1 package sandwich cheese
6 cans condensed tomato soup
1 box baking mix
1 family pack of chicken breasts
2 packs lean ground turkey
4 jars tomato sauce
4 boxes spaghetti
1 package of hot dogs
1 package of hot dog buns
1 box rice
1 gallon of milk
1 bottle pancake syrup
4 bags frozen mixed veggies
2 cans diced potatoes
2 bags of apples
2 boxes macaroni and cheese
 2 bunches of bananas
1 package turkey bacon
4 cans cream of chicken soup
bag of pretzels
bag of carrots
bag of celery

Breakfasts:
7 oatmeal (try brown sugar, cinnamon, and milk in it) with bananas
7 pancakes (baking mix) and syrup, and turkey bacon

Lunches:
9 peanut butter sandwiches with apples
3 grilled cheese sandwiches with soup (each can of soup makes 2 servings)
2 leftovers from dinners

Dinners:
4 chicken pot pie (diced potatoes, chicken, mixed veggies, cream of chicken soup, milk,and baking mix on top, divide into 4 pies worth)
4 spaghetti(1 box of pasta, 1 jar of sauce, and 1/2 package of ground turkey for each meal)
4 chicken and rice casserole (cream of chicken soup, milk, chicken, rice, and frozen veggies, divide into 4 meals)
2 meals of hot dogs and macaroni with cheese (each person gets 1 hot dog)

Snacks:
7 pretzels
7 carrot and celery sticks

This will cost about $75 to feed your family for 14 days. $37.50 per week for a family of 4, or $0.33 per family member, per meal.


Need more ideas?

If your family likes mexican food, you can get several different meals for cheap with beans, tortillas, ground turkey, chicken, rice, canned tomatoes, refried beans, canned corn, and cheese. I like to look-up recipes on www.allrecipes.com

Homestyle meals? You can slow-cook a whole chicken, and shred it for chicken and dumplings, chicken rice soup, chicken noodle soup. Slow cook a roast and shred it for pulled pork sandwiches, stroganoff, shephards pie, beef stew. you would be amazed how far a bag of onions, bag of carrots, bag of red potatoes, and a bag of celery will go here.

And how about potatoes? You can get a 10lb bag of basic potatoes for $5 or less. Use it for hash browns, cubed breakfast potatoes, mashes, fried, boiled, roasted, baked, oven fries, and add them to many meals!

Meijer 6/16/11

3 dannon yogurt 6ct tubes-$1.39 each after coupons
5 Weight watchers yogurt cups-$0.26 each after stacked coupons
2 4-pack dannon activia-$2.04 each after coupons (Plus $2 OYNO from buying dannon)
3 Heluva dips-$0.25 each after sale/coupons
6 Jumbo flaky biscuits-$0.99 each
2 Ore-Ida sweet potato fries-Free product coupons
6 bags Sargento reduced fat shredded cheese-$1.55 each after sale/coupons
Folgers coffee-$4.00 after coupon
4 Lean Cuisine-$1.44 each after sale/coupons
4 Steambag veggies with sauce-$1.17 each after sale/coupons

Produce (5lbs red potatoes, raspberries, strawberries, 2lbs grapes, organic veggie tray with 4 servings-$10.75

Plus a few other things we did not get with coupons.

Spent: $54.62

Saved: $44.96

Target 6/16/11

3 Red Baron french bread pizzas- $1.50 each after sale/coupons
2 weight watchers ice cream-$2.50 each after sale/coupons
4 Wishbone dressings-$0.89 each after coupons
2 Danon kids smoothies-$1.69 each after coupons
2 Lipton tea bags-$0.09 each after coupons


Spent:  $21.05

Saved:  $16.55

Hardings 6/16/11

2 Breve Cream, $2.79 for 2 after coupon
Rice mixes (9)-$0.88 each
Pasta mixes (3)-free wyb rice
Pasta sauce (8)-$1.16 each after sale/coupons
Hot dog buns (2)-$0.70 each after sale/coupons
Marshmallows that my daughter has been asking for $1.29
2 Lipton 20oz teas (free after coupon)


Spent: $19.54

Saved: $14.15

Meijer 5/23/11

Highlights:

Suave products on sale 3/$5, had a B1G1 free body wash coupon which works on the kids stuff. I don't know why but the B1G1 coupon took off $3 instead of $1.67. I'm thinking it took off the max. value? Anyway, I got 3 for $2.

Ballpark hot dogs on sale for $0.98, bought 12 packs (they freeze really well) and used 6 $0.75/2 coupons, which made each pack about $0.60.

Strawberries $1.67.

Then we went into the electronics section just to look around and oddly enough found Crayola stuff on clearance for 90% off. We bought a shirt that the kids wear when they paint for $0.60, and a light-up marker/color wonder set for $1.40. They also had rulers in the same spot for $0.05 each, so we bought three.

Total spent: $18.05  Total saved: $53.24

Meijer 5/18/11-5/19/11

Yup, two trips in 2 days.

My little helper here :)

8 bags Pretzel Crisps ($2.99 each-4 B1G1 coupons=$1.50 each)
3 boxes Special K crackers (Sale 3/$5, had 3 $0.55 off coupons)
2 boxes Kashi crackers (Sale $2.99 each, had 2 $2 off coupons)
6 boxes brownie mixes($1.09 each, had 6 $0.50 off coupons)
6 packs Kraft sandwich cheese (Sale for $2 each, had 6 $1 off coupons)
12 Lunchables (6 with fruit, 6 sandwich combos) (Sale for $2.50, had 12 $1 off coupons)
2 hot dog buns (sale for $1.50 each, had 2 $0.55 off coupons)
2 Crystal Light (Sale for $2 each, had 2 $1 off coupons PLUS got a coupon afterwards for a free 12 pack of water for my next trip)

I had a few other coupons, but these were the best. I'm not going to list everything else out.

2 Digiorno pizza and sides ($6.29 each, had 2 $1.25 off coupons)
3 Kraft dressing (3/$5-3 $0.55 off coupons plus got a free bag of salad WYB dressings)
8 packs Kraft sliced cheese (same deal as above)
3 boxes Kraft pasta salad (Sale for $1 each-$1/3 mperks coupon)
2 Crystal Light (same deal as above with another free water coupon for next trip)
12 Soyjoy bars (Was $1.05 each, sale for $0.50 each, plus had 4 B2G1 free coupons=$4 for 12)


Total spent: $116.70  Total saved: $117.85
Plus 2 free 12-packs of water for our next trip!

Target 5/18/11

6 4-packs Starbucks Frap. ($5.79 each-$5 gift card WYB 2-3 $2/2 coupons=$13.74 or $2.29 each)
6 12-packs Lipton tea ($5.99 each-$5 GC WYB 2-3 $2/2 coupons=$14.92 or $2.49 each)

This was the first transaction, we had $20 in target gift cards that we used to pay for this, then used the $30 in GC from buying the drinks to buy all the rest of the stuff AND lunch for 4 at the target cafe.

Here is the second transaction:

4 Hasbro card games (was $10.48 each for two, and $5.24 each for the other two. They had the $10 games on sale for $6.99, plus I had 2 $3 off coupons for this game and two for "buy the $10 game, get a $5 game free". This made it $2 for each game.)
1 tub wipes (price drop for $1.97, had a $1 off coupon=$0.97 for Pampers wipes)
1 glade candle (had a "free" coupon, plus a $1 off Target coupon, so they paid me $1 to buy it)
4 10ct packs Finish dishwasher tabs ($2.79 each, had 4 $1.75 off coupons=$1.04 each)
Up&Up brand sunscreen ($4.54-$0.50 off coupon=$4.04)
2 Right Guard body wash (sale for $3 each, had a B1G1 free coupon, plus 2 $1 off Target coupons=$0.50 each)
2 travel Sensodyne ($0.97 each-2 $0.75 off coupons=$0.22 each)
2 Reach floss ($0.97 each, had 2 $1 off coupons=$0.06 profit)
4 aquafresh kids products ($1.99 each, had 4 $1 off coupons and 4 $1 off Target coupons=$0.04 profit)
2 Revlon nail clippers ($1.59 each-$5/2 coupon=$1.82 profit)
1 Blistex ($0.99)
2 Scotch tape ($1.79 each-2 $1 off coupons=$0.79 each)

Total with tax came to $19.96. I had $30 in GC from the first transaction that I used to pay for this and lunch :)

Total spent (for everything)= $14.72   Total saved= $140.28

We didn't realize until later that we didn't get charged for all the drinks. We called and told them, but they said not to worry about it :(.

Meijer 5/5/11

5 Kashi frozen pizzas (free product coupons)
2 Breakstone's cottage cheese products (free product coupons)
1 bag uncle bens ready rice and 1 bag sredded cheese (free product coupons)
4 lysol wipes (raincheck for 3/$5, had 4 $1.50 off coupons-$0.17 each)
3 Carving board lunchmeats (sale for $2.69, had 3 $2.00 off coupons-$0.69 each)
2 9ct. bagel bites (sale for $1.50, had 2 $1 off coupons-$0.50 each)
1 vanilla Maxwell House ground coffee (sale for $2.50, had a $1 off coupon-$1.50)
1 Breve Cream ($2.09 regular price, had a $0.55 off coupon-$1.54)

Total spent: $6.79  Total saved: $63.78

Lowe's 4/4/11

My husband works at Lowe's home improvement store. He gets a 10% discount on all purchases, and they price match. He price matched the bounce dryer bars to this weeks Menards ad, and also had 2 $0.50 off coupons.

2 bounce dryer bars, Lowe's retail price $4.66 each, after price match, employee discount, and coupons-$2.47 each
2 Lipton tea, Lowe's retail price $1.48 each, B1G1 free coupon and 10% employee discount-$0.52 each

Total spent:  $5.98   Total saved: $6.03

Recyclebank

I want to suggest to you guys to join RecycleBank. Or here if you don't want to go through my referral link.

This is a website that rewards you for recycling and participating in "green" quizzes and challenges. Every month there is usually some way to easily earn points, and those points can be redeemed for coupons to restaurants or groceries. They also have "sales" on the coupons, for instance, a coupon for $2 off any Kashi product would normally be 125 points, but once went on sale for only 10 points. The coupons are either mailed to you within a week, or are available to print, depending on the offer.

All three of the blog links I have on my site will update when a new easy way to earn points is available. I joined 6 months ago and have gotten so much from them, including-

about 20 of those Kashi coupons when they went on sale for 10 points each, combined with Target coupons to get 20 free Kashi items

several Mcdonalds coupons (free lattes, free oatmeal, and several "buy any happy meal, get any premium salad free")

And more!

If it is a "print at home" reward, remember to hit your back button after printing to print a second coupon. This also works on most other internet printable coupons, totally legit.

You don't have to recycle to use this site (my area doesn't participate).